WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

Hits: 112

.

WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2013 By John F. Bailey, Ringside Commentary  October 23, 2013:

The rematch of County Executive Robert Astorino and Noam Bramson on News 12 Tuesday evening should have been stopped

The County Executive brushed up his left right, down low, up high punches, got inside his own record  and bloodied Bramson’s record  time after time. He opened cuts Noam’s cornermen could not and have not all campaign been able to stop bleeding believability.

The County Executive seemed to daze the challenger with a command of his talking points that Bramson’s peek-a-boo, aimless counterpunches  about values and kind of leadership appeared to slide right off Astorino’s attack strategy.

When taking rare blows from “The Brammer”, Astorino had some left hooks and right crosses that turned a Bramson bash aside, sustaining Astorino momentum with a fact instead of a feeling. As I often say, facts kill. Even your own facts.

Bramson’s cornermen throughout the debates have failed to prevent Astorino from walking through Bramson’s airy attacks and getting inside on Bramson’s record and hanging him out to dry.

For a man obviously as intelligent as Mr. Bramson to have a staff that has done so little homework on Astorino’s record, not having command of the difference between borrowing and fund balance, not even saying how many persons have had to quit their jobs because Astorino laid in child care cuts, has this veteran observer pushing my fedora back, puffing on a White Owl, and shaking my head.

Where was the much-needed justification of New Rochelle tax increases Astorino has been landing haymaker after haymaker on? What did those tax increases do for New Rochelle? His staff has not devised a ring strategy  so Bramson can bar the attack on taxes in New Rochelle that Bramson has not gotten past, is puzzling.

As the blood flecs spattered the television screen, getting blood on my notepad in 8-count after 8-count, in knockdown after knockdown it was hard to watch,  you wondered when Bramson was going to quantify actual savings he would make in his plan to lower taxes by orchestrating  consolidations, the magic community by community, school district by school district touch-up stick Bramson says will keep taxes down.

You wondered how child care is going to be increased, and be paid for. The closest Mr. Bramson came to saying how he would  replace the money cut was saying he would restore that and get it elsewhere.

Bramson has not said to this day he would keep taxes where they are, ignoring the first rule of campaigning, say you will do what the people will like, you don’t have to do it if you’re elected. This is just bad advice not saying, “Read my lips, no new taxes. No tax increases.”

Bramson invoked the sacred St. Clinton, (Bill Clinton) who held a fundraiser for him Monday night, calling himself a mainstream Clinton-Democrat. He continued to carry the Democrat Crusader banner of “V” Values on his satin fight robe as he climbed between the ropes.

When the bell rang, the peek-a-values failed to hold up as Astorino waded in, landing the blows we have come to expect: the straight ahead left, in-your-face poke that the Marist poll holds that 64% of Westchesterites polled say the county is moving in the right direction. The right cross that he Astorino has lowered taxes, the body shot into Noam Bramson’s tax history in New Rochelle.

Bramson countered with his charges that Astorino brought back gun shows to the county center; cut child care, ignored environmental changes needed to be made; vetoed a law to protect abortion clinics;  evidence that Westchester needed a person whose beliefs were more in line with the majority of people in Westchester.

Bramson frames these debates in an appeal to idealism the belief that people are basically altruistic and good, that they will opt for the right thing, fund child care, eliminate gun shows, prosecute strongly protestors outside abortion clinics, and eliminate “so-called exclusionary” zoning in Westchester’s mostly white wealthy  communities that the vast majority of people believe in the spirit of these politically correct issues.

With a 2 to 1 margin, Bramson’s reliance on the high ideals, but fuzzy-specifics of how he would achieve his sensitivity administration, may very well sway those who are pure of heart and say their prayers by night and believe in the Democrat’s message.

The election November 5 will tell the tale.

I had last night’s bout scored on the 10-point must system, 95 for Astorino, 65 for Bramson.

Hits: 148

Justin Flynn Michael Day Alessandro Ramirez  Stuart Goldstein  Susan Briggs  Steven Marello  
Jaimie Caro  Robert Briggs  Nick Melillo  Jerry Barbagallo  Brian Boyle 

Paul Feiner

Hits: 105

WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2013. From Mark McLean, New Rochelle Lincoln Zuber Riders. October 21, 2013:

New Rochelle Lincoln Zuber Riders for Justice, a local New Rochelle organization made up of prominent African-American and Latino leaders, is calling on former President Bill Clinton to cancel a scheduled appearance at a fund raiser for New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson.

President Clinton has enjoyed a long standing relationship with the Black community going so far as to essentially apologize, on behalf of the entire country, for its role in slavery and the slave trade. Albeit, President Clinton was not responsible for the actions of this country at that time, he saw it fit to acknowledge the wrongs of the past.

Despite this laudable record, President Clinton will soon host a Fundraiser for Westchester County Executive Candidate Noam Bramson.

“As Mayor and City Councilman, Bramson has voted to destroy the Black district in New Rochelle, supported a plan to remove blacks from public housing and locked out the President of the New Rochelle NAACP from the historic Lincoln Park,” said Mark McLean, spokesperson for the Zuber Riders.

“Black people know Bill Clinton and Noam Bramson is no Bill Clinton, Noam’s track record in the Black community has been detrimental,” said McLean.

In addition to examples cited in an advertisement sponsored by the Zuber Riders which ran in several area newspapers — but was banned by the Journal News –the Zuber Riders has recently uncovered more information demonstrating Bramson’s hostility towards Blacks going back to his days growing up in New Rochelle and while in college.

In a 1987, New York Times article, Bramson described a segregated high school experience where he associated almost entirely with white students in honors classes, isolated from black students, who Bramson described as “hanging out” in “their” classes and eating in a segregated “lower” lunchroom.

Continuing his pattern of disrespect only two years after leaving high school, as Vice Chair of the Harvard Student Council, Noam Bramson led the fight to defund a African student association.

According to Bramson, as quoted in the Harvard Crimson, the African Students Association was not making “great enough efforts” to meet Bramson’s prior conditions for funding the group. Bramson was overruled by the Student Council which voted to continue funding over Bramson’s objections.

“We call on President Clinton to cancel his fundraiser for Noam Bramson,” said Mark McLean. “Noam is not deserving of the honor of standing with a real leader that respects the Black community.

“Our organization continues to call on Noam Bramson to apologize for his hostility toward Blacks and is offering a $500 reward to anyone who can get Bramson to apologize for his shoddy treatment of minorities in New Rochelle,” said McLean.

Hits: 130

WPCNR  CAMPAIGN 2013 News and Comment By John F. Bailey. October 20, 2013:

It’s a match made for success.

Tonight at the Rye Town Hilton, Bill Clinton is being brought in to pass a collection plate for  thousands more in donations from star-struck  Democrats asked  to write $100 to $2,500 checks to bask in Clintonesque charisma and fund a two week medis blitz to return the Democratic Party to power in Westchester County and bring back “values” to governing to Westchester County.

Having Mr. Clinton raise funds for a candidate that is campaigning on “Westchester Values,” which include according to Mr. Bramson’s literature:  standing up for a woman’s right to abortion, and protecting women from harassment at birth control clinics in the county, replenishing cuts to day care, eliminating gun shows,  environmental compliance, attracting business is very ironic to say the least.

If you recall this is the President who lied about an affair in The White House oval office with a young lady his daughter’s age.  He is the President whose ego-driven, legacy-building, self-centered Quixotic pipedream: wanting to be remembered as the man who brought about an Israeli-Palestinian settlement failed to protect American  women and men effectively from terrorism. His watch either eased pressure on Al Queda, if not outright ignored their growing threat.  It could be argued his failure to follow up tightly on al Queda surveillance after the 1993 World Trade Center attack, resulted ultimately in the World Trade Center and Pentagon attack. Bill Clinton, a man of values?

Whether Americans and any politician really cares about values any more is the real question. Bramson talks about it.

Tonight it is fitting that Clinton, a man who has mastered the ability to smooth out and rationalize his record because of an American public’s ability to forgive, now idolize him as much as they idolize  the Kennedys, is raising funds for another smoothie, The Scarecrow.

I call Mr. Bramson The Scarecrow because he is a straw man..

With his Robert Kennedy bangs, earnest, practical rhetoric he convinces men and women old and young that his heart is with them and he will do the right thing. He has glib ability to paint  a rosy picture in flowery reasonable-sounding words of how good it is going to be when Westchester replaces Robert Astorino with him. He is a charmer. He’s got the ladies’ vote. He may get people like me who still dream of  America getting a real leader. But I am troubled by his placing himself above the issues.

He doesn’t want you to stop thinking about tomorrow.

He doesn’t  want you to think about yesterday.

But it could be argued, he ignores today.

He and Clinton  are attempting to turn back the clock to when people loved the Democratic Party unconditionally. When standing for the good was what Democrats were known for

In 2016, Hillary Clinton will campaign on the same Promise Train, and a train it is.

Since we Democrats are for the good, and there never was a bad Democrat, we will govern better and take care of the weak, and distribute the wealth.  You should know instinctively we will be better because we are so good. As long as we are wringing our hands for you in office and in power you will be o.k., because we are so good.

Like a scarecrow in an Iowa cornfield, who stands watch without effort or action,  Noam Bramson delivers  a message to voters that he will make things right  by looking out for their values that he believes Westchester believes in. That is his message.

But as with any Scarecrow, you have to hope he has a plan, and not just form a lot of task forces. Jawbone, and raise taxes because it is the right thing to do.  (Remember you heard this first.)

I have news for you. I loved the fact my County Tax went down $358, because my county tax did not go up. I liked that. I could get used to it.

Bramson is so well off he does not realize that $358 means a lot to people.

Bramson promises to cut taxes by the magic of “consolidating services.”

I hope he has a lot of top hats with rabbits in them.

Consolidating services does not save a lot of money fast. Because it is a slow process.

Yet Mr. Bramson has not pointed to any consolidations of services he made in New Rochelle (where he has been in government since 1995) that have made substantial savings for that city. There must be some.

Please tell us, Noam. Share those money-saving ideas to consolidate. We in the communities in cities and towns across the county await your charismatic inspiration on this.

If he  has consolidated services,it certainly has not saved enough to prevent  his community from raising taxes well above inflation each year.  But “consolidating services” sounds so good. Every politician uses it.

In White Plains, pioneer city of the county, development leader,  we have seen just how much consolidation of services can save.

City councilpersons  tout how they and the school district have managed after a year of discussion to save the school district $75,000 to $100,000 this year. They think this is good.  This is the salary of one new teacher with benefits. What do you think?

That is ½ % of  the White Plains $193.4 Million school budget after a year of talking about it.  Bramson says he’s going to bring communities together to consolidate services.  Well I hope the communities are more cooperative than city government and the school district were here in White Plains.  Noam: turf is power. When you give up something you lose control. That is your problem in relying on “consolidation.”

Bramson says he wants to spur economic growth by smart rezoning of areas to develop for business, and assure there are young workers with the educational skills businesses want. He says he doesn’t like doing individual firm deals.

He does not say what areas to rezone; how this will be done; he does not say how he will equip/re-educate/upgrade our workforce. He does not yet say how he will attract young people by providing more affordable housing and again working with communities, talking with the Hud-targeted communities to end peacefully the “scare tactics” of the Astorino administration.  Mr. Bramson is never asked about the needs of  infrastructure  in the 7 HUD target communities to execute affordable housing developments. (Only White Plains Benjamin Boykin candidate for the Distict 5 seat has raised this infrastructure issue.)

This is how the Scarecrow candidate operates. He gets you to think he cares and has grandiose plans that fit our hopes and dreams. But like scarecrows the plans cannot move ahead, because scarecrows can’t move. They are not strong. Remember how Clinton’s health care plan worked out? Clinton was not a strong leader. He just seemed like one when testifying.

Perhaps what is most disturbing about The Scarecrow is his campaign’s numbing inability to justify his New Rochelle tax record and diffuse criticism of that record. Maybe they think he is going to win, and apparently do not need to justify what he did. Charisma, the “good,” the values will save him. So much bad leadership has been elected to power because they say all the right things, like John Lindsay for example.

The  Bramson campaign has been given a free ride by the media, which has not asked why New Ro taxes had to be raised at such a steady rate. What circumstances forced the 109% in tax increases. The campaign denying that this is not true or was justified because all other communities were raising taxes is sophistry. (Using flowery speeches, rhetoric without facts to make a point and achieve power.

Bramson twice in debates said this 109%  is not true and cited the Westchester Fair Campaign Practices Committee (stacked with 9 Democrats in an 11-member committee) as saying Robert Astorino’s criticisms of his tax record were unfair. But does Mr. Bramson defend his tax decisions? No.

Here in White Plains, there was much hand-wringing over raising taxes every year, for thirteen years I have covered the city. They never passed a budget that did not go up. They never cut “essential” services. “Essential” is a big tent.

Bramson does not even bang off the following facts to bolster the reason for New Rochelle tax increases: The increase in pension contributions to the state, the drop in assessments due to tax refunds, the drop in mortgage taxes, the MTA tax, overtime costs during hurricanes, the increase in salary payrolls.

You can’t let someone take you apart on taxes without saying how with your “expertise” you limited the tax increases.

The White Plains City Government and the Common Council and the Board of Education are expert at talking about their being “mindful” of tax impact on taxpayers and the White Plainsians buy it every year.

They are mindful all right. They think about it. That’s what they mean by being “mindful.” Then they dismiss it. Noam might borrow that word “mindful.” White Plainsians swallow it every year.It is an expensive medicine, “mindful.”

The Scarecrow Candidate exaggerates to make a point. A very bad habit.  Exaggeration is fair right?

He is fond of saying that New Rochelle has the lowest tax rate among cities in Westchester.

How does he explain that White Plains for example has a tax rate for 2013 of $191.74 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. The New Rochelle 2013 tax rate  is $198.50. Not even close.

Mr. Bramson’s campaign could have simply fixed this by saying New Rochelle has the 2^nd lowest tax rate among all cities of Westchester. But, no! They know reporters and editorial boards are too lazy and too politically correct to ask him about this statement. When a reporter does, they ignore it. Because I asked them. If there is some byzantine formula the Bramson Campaign uses to justify this lowest tax rate claim, please explain?

Mr. Bramson wants to restore child day care lost funds. Yet he does not explain what funds he will restore them with. Because this is a moral issue. I guess it does not need exploring. He’ll do it when he gets the job. Money is no object, even if it is yours, if it is the right thing to do.

Mr. Bramson accuses the present administration of borrowing to balance the budget. He does not say where he will get the revenue to balance the budget without borrowing or without taking from fund balance. He is lucky he is heading for a $10 Million surplus in sales tax receipts. Will that cover the restorations and the borrowing? A little enlightenment please? No member of the media has asked that.

Mr. Bramson says he will keep taxes in check and abide by the state tax cut, but does not say he will keep the budget where it is. No one asks him.

Mr. Astorino, the incumbent County Executive  in last week’s debate said if Bramson is going to observe the 2% levy cap imposes by Governor Cuomo, that means Bramson is considering a 2% tax increase. Well is he or isn’t he? No one seems to want to make him squirm on that question.

Politicians want you to ignore the past, saying,  “It is not what I did, but what I am going to do.”

Politicians like Mr.Bramson  do not realize that it is not what you say you will do.

It is what you do.

So tonight when you movers and shakers write out the checks take a good listen and a hard look at Noam when you shake his hand and ask him.

The event is closed to the press. So what is said in the Hilton stays in the Hilton.

That’s what they want.

Anonymous tips accepted.

Hits: 159

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From the Office of Assemblyman David Buchwald. October 17, 2013:

David Buchwald’s office which informed WPCNR of the Commissioner of Education John King’s reversal on his (King’s) decision to restablish the forums to hear parents and stakeholders on the state assessment test issues and Common Core curriculum, attributes the announcement to  WCBS Radio’s Mike Xirinachs who quoted King as saying:

“What we won’t do is have meetings where people are screaming and yelling epithets. That’s just not an appropriate way to have dialogue. What we won’t do is allow meetings to be disrupted and turned into an opportunity to yell and scream and yell epithets. That’s not productive.”