The Real Deal: What would you name the Jeremy Lin sneaker?

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WPCNR MR. AND MRS. AND MS. WHITE PLAINS POLL. February 21, 2012:


 After watching the first half of the Mavs-Knicks game Sunday afternoon, watching Jeremy Lin slice up the Mavericks best in NBA defense, this Linsation is the real deal. I have not seen a Knickerbocker move like Lin since Walt Frazier and that was a long time ago. He made one move splitting two Mavs apart in a floater to the hoop that defied belief.


It won’t be long before NIKE and Addidas sign him to a sneaker deal and the American economy will recover. So, what do we think the Lin sneaker should be called? WPCNR’s crack promotion department has suggested a few names on the right. Make your pick.

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City’s Jan.Sales Tax Collections up 1.6% Lagging behind 2.8% Inflation

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. February 21,2012:


The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance released the January sales tax receipts Friday.


White Plains January sales tax receipts totaled $4,691,803, $75,540  or 1.6% ahead of last January’s pace. Inflation for the New York area ran at 2.8% over the 12 months January 2011 to January 2012.


Through the first seven months of the city fiscal year, the city has generated $30,554,526 in sales tax. (The city budgeted $44.5 Million for the year.) Should the city equal last year’s sales tax handle of $17.7 million February through June the city will generate $48.2 Million in sales tax receipts. If the city continues its 2% pace it will top $48.5 Million, about 10% over budget.


The first month of the Westchester County fiscal year 2012, saw the county sales tax take go up 1.7% from January 2011, at $39 Million.


Inflation in the consumer price index  as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for January 2012 is recorded at 2.8%. When energy and food costs are removed from the index, the metro area CPI increase was .4%

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George Washington: The First and the Best

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WPCNR RETROSPECTIVE. By John F. Bailey. (Reprinted from the CitizeNetReporter, 2003): As we celebrate Presidents Weekend, it is also fitting that  we take a look at the greatest President of them all. Wednesday  is George Washington’s Birthday again. The time when we remember the first leader and the best. It is instructive to look at our first leader, George Washington, the father of our nation. 


 




The Jacob Purdy House, a National Historic Site, was built c. 1721, and served as Washington’s Headquarters both during the Battle of White Plains, on October 28, 1776 and again in 1778.
(Photo, WPCNR NEWS ARCHIVE)


One cannot help be reminded of the snowy winter at Valley Forge, when the bedraggled, poorly equipped rebel army suffered but held together, and attacked the Hessians in Trenton on Christmas Eve, 1776, crossing the Delaware River at night. What kind of man was he that George Washington could inspire his troops against all odds?

Washington was a man of tremendous character. Where did he get this character? He specialized in self-control at an early age:

 


 



Reenacters Marching to Raise Old Glory at Purdy House in Honor of George Washington’s Birthday. Photo, 2003 WPCNR News Archive.

According to The American President, Washington, at sixteen, had formed a code of conduct. He had written a book of etiquette with 110 “maxims” to guide his conduct in matters. In this etiquette book he had written,


Every action done in company ought to be done with a sign of respect to those who are not present. Sleep not when others speak; sit not when others stand; speak not when you should hold your peace; walk not when others stop;…Let your countenance be pleasant but in serious matters somewhat grave…Undertake not what you cannot perform but be careful to keep your promise.

The character sketch provided by the authors of The American President,  indicatesthis personal “rulebook” was a book that Washington wrote over the years and referred to it often, “for self-control, to avoid temptation, to elude greed, to control his temper. Reputation was everything to him. It had to do with his strength, his size, his courage, his horsemanship, his precise dress, his thorough mind, his manners, his compassion. He protected that reputation at any cost.”


 



Honor Guard Strikes the Colors to a Drum Roll. Photo, WPCNR News.




Earning respect by example. Quelling rebellion with a few words.

Washington inspired by example. He lived with his troops. He shared hardships with them, and there  was so much  respect for him that he was able to talk them out of armed rebellion at the end of the American Revolution. Washington had been asked by the army to join them to overthrow the Continental Congress, and make himself King.

Washington had been asked by one of the officers of the rebels to join them, and he wrote them,

You could not have found a person to whom your schemes are more disagreeable. Banish these thoughts from your mind.

Hearing that the rebels who were planning insurrection against the new country due to not having been paid by the Continental Congress, Washington rode to Newburgh, New York, on March 15, 1783, to meet with the dissident insurgents. Washington spoke to the rebellious group, saying,

“Gentlemen, as I was among the first who embarked in the cause of our common Country; as I never left your side one moment, but when called from you on public duty; as I have been the constant companion and witness of your Distresses…it can scarcely be supposed …that I am indifferent to your interests. But…this dreadful alternative, of either deserting our Country in the extremest hour of her distress, or turning our Arms against it…has something so shocking in it that humanity revolts from the idea…I spurn it, as every Man who regards liberty…undoubtedly must.”

The would-be rebels fell silent, digesting what he had said. Then Washington withdrew a letter from Congress, but could not read the text, withdrawing some eyeglasses from his tunic, remarking,

“Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles for I have not only grown gray but almost blind in the service of my country.”

The men present were reported to have tears in their eyes at this gesture of Washington’s and abandoned their plot out of respect for their leader.

Washington retired from the military, surprising the entire new country. His action surprised King George III of England, who was astonished that Washington had refused to hold on to his military authority and use it for political or financial gain. The defeated King of England, remarked, “If true, then he is the greatest man in the world.”




Seeker of Diverse Views

As President, George Washington invented the Presidential Cabinet, whom he referred to as “the first Characters,” persons who possessed the best reputations in fields and areas of the jobs he was filling. Washington said on political appointments, “My political conduct and nominations must be exceedingly circumspect. No slip into partiality will pass unnoticed…”

Washington tolerated the relentless clashes between Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State, and Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury, but lectured them on the necessity for tolerance and moving beyond partisanship:


 


 “I believe the view of both of you are pure, and well meant. Why then, when some of the best Citizens in the United States, Men…who have no sinister view to promote, are to be found, some on one side, some on the other…should either of you be so tenacious of your opinions as to make no allowances for those of the other? I have great esteem for you both, and ardently wish that some line could be marked out by which both of you could walk.”

The Constitution Should be Protected

When George Washington left office after two terms, he made a farewell address which warned future generations of Americans about foreign entanglements and partisanship in the republic:

I shall carry to my grave the hope that your Union and brotherly affection may be perpetual; that the Constitution may be sacredly maintained; and that free government…the ever favorite object of my heart…will be the happy reward of our mutual cares, labors and dangers.”

Washington died in 1800, three years after leaving office in 1797. He was saluted on the floor of congress as being “First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen.”



The Jacob Purdy House where George Washington planned strategy at  the Battle of White Plains,  Photo, WPCNR News Archive




Note: The American President By Philip B. Kunhardt, Jr., Philip B. Kunhardt III, and Peter W. Kunhardt (Riverhead Books. Penguin-Putnam, Inc.,1999) is the source for this information on George Washington.


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Governor Announces Teacher Evaluation Procedure for State.Teachers Union Accepts

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From the Governor’s Press Office. (EDITED)February 17, 2012:


Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, New York State Education Commissioner John King, and New York State United Teachers President Richard C. Iannuzzi today announced a groundbreaking agreement on a new statewide evaluation system that will make New York State a national leader in holding teachers accountable for student achievement.


The agreement gives significant guidance to local school districts for the implementation of a teacher evaluation system that is based on multiple measures of performance including student achievement and rigorous classroom observations. The agreement follows through on the state’s commitment to put in place a real and effective teacher evaluation system as a condition of the $700 million granted through the federal Race to the Top program.



Details of the plan are as follows:


Teacher Performance – 60 points


Under the agreement, 60 percent of a teacher’s evaluation will be based on rigorous and nationally recognized measures of teacher performance. The agreement requires that a majority of the teacher performance points will be based on classroom observations by an administrator or principal, and at least one observation will be unannounced. The remaining points will be based upon defined standards including observations by independent trained evaluators, peer classroom observations, student and parent feedback from evaluators, and evidence of performance through student portfolios.


Student Achievement in State and Local Assessments– 40 points


Under the agreement, 40 percent of a teacher’s evaluation will be based on student academic achievement, with 20 percent from state testing and 20 percent from a list of three testing options including state tests, third party assessments/tests approved by the SED and locally developed tests that will be subject to SED review and approval. Under the plan, school districts will also have the option of using state tests to measure up to 40 percent of a teacher’s rating.


Rating System


The agreement significantly tightens the scoring system to ensure student achievement and teacher performance are both properly taken into account for teacher ratings. Teachers or principals that are rated ineffective in the 40 points could not receive a developing score overall.


Ineffective: 0 – 64


Developing: 65 – 74


Effective: 75 – 90


Highly Effective: 91 – 100


Assigning a Curve for the Ratings


The agreement sets forth, for the first time, a standard for school districts and teacher unions to set the allocation of points or the “curve” for the teacher ratings. The curve must be allocated in a manner that a teacher can receive one of the four ratings, and the SED Commissioner will be able to reject insufficiently set curves.


SED Commissioner Final Review


The agreement also, for the first time, gives the SED Commissioner the authority to approve or disapprove local evaluation plans that are deemed insufficient. This will add rigor to the process and ensure evaluation plans comply with the law.


New York City Expedited Appeals Process


Today’s announcement also includes an expedited and streamlined appeals process (applicable only for teachers declared ineffective the first time) for the New York City School District that becomes effective on January 17, 2013 if New York City and the UFT agree to an overall evaluation system


Comments


“Today’s agreement puts in place a groundbreaking new statewide teacher evaluation system that will put students first and make New York a national leader in holding teachers accountable for student achievement,” Governor Cuomo said. “This agreement is exactly what is needed to transform our state’s public education system, and I am pleased that by working together and putting the needs of students ahead of politics we were able to reach this agreement.”


State Education Commissioner John B. King, Jr., said, “The goal is and always has been to help students – to give them every opportunity to succeed in college and careers. To make that happen, we need to improve teaching and learning. We owe it to our students to make sure every classroom is led by an effective teacher and every school is led by an effective principal. Today, the Governor’s leadership and his commitment to our students has helped us take a strong step toward that goal.”


New York State United Teachers President Richard C. Iannuzzi, said, “Teachers support high standards and accountability for our profession. We believe today’s agreement is good for students and fair to teachers. It includes two principles we believe are essential. First, a child is more than a standardized test score. While there is a place for standardized testing in measuring teacher effectiveness, tests must be used appropriately. Secondly, the purpose of evaluations must be to help all teachers improve and to advance excellence in our profession. This agreement acknowledges those key principles. The settlement also reinforces how important it is for teachers to have a voice in establishing standards of professional effectiveness and in developing evaluations that meet the needs of local communities.”


New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, “This is very good news for the 1.1 million school children of New York City – and it will benefit students for generations to come. It will help us to create a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation system that will ensure that teachers who are rated ‘ineffective’ can be given the support they need to grow — or be moved out of the classroom. I want to thank the Governor for his leadership on this issue, as well as Merryl Tisch, John King, and Mike Mulgrew, who were all instrumental in this process.”


United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said, “The UFT and the Governor have reached an agreement on an appeal process for New York City teachers that includes the kind of independent, third party component that the UFT has been seeking. The appeal process will not go into effect unless and until Mayor Bloomberg negotiates agreement s with the UFT for an overall teacher evaluation deal and for schools eligible for School Improvement Grants (SIGs). I want to congratulate Governor Cuomo and NYSUT for their hard work in finding common ground on the statewide issues that separated them. Their agreement recognizes that students are more than a test score. I want to thank the Governor for his efforts to find a similar resolution for the issues that separate the UFT and Mayor Bloomberg. Chancellor Walcott’s asserted that the city needed to close 33 SIG schools because there was no agreement possible on an appeals process for teachers. That process has now been laid out for the SIG schools. Despite this agreement, Mayor Bloomberg still seems determined to close those schools.”



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Paulin Kill Bill Solution to Pet Shelter OverCrowding: Perk up and purr or Else!

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WPCNR BLACK COFFEE. News & Comment Special to WPCNR from Westchester County Roving Correspondent, Nancy King. February 16, 2012:


Elected officials do some loopy things during a campaign cycle.  One of the strangest to date has been Assemblywoman Amy Paulin’s introduction of Bill AO5449.  In essence ,Paulin has partnered up with the ASPCA to sponsor this bill also known as the “Quick Kill Bill”. 



Nancy King


 The gist of this bill gives animal shelters the opportunity to euthanize any animal that shelter workers determine to be in “psychological pain”. In my phylum as human, though it is indeed a higher order, I (along with all other humans) probably suffer a fair amount of psychological pain multiple times during the course of our day.  Would Assemblywoman Paulin suggest that because we feel fear during our days causing us to “snap” at others, or that if we were to recoil at touch we’re not worth saving.  Well this is what her bill implies to companion animals.


Animal shelter workers who by definition are probably the lowest paid and most poorly recognized employees on earth will now in addition to cleaning, medicating, neutering, training and adopting out animals, have to determine whether or not an animal is in enough psychological pain to  be euthanized.  What this really sounds like is that Mrs. Paulin has heard the cry that shelters are overcrowded and this is her idea of a quick solution to alleviate the crowding. 


Of course, Bill AO5449 has got more than Mrs. Paulin behind it.  The ASPCA, the same organization that floods our airwaves with pictures of mournful looking pets is also supporting this bill.   Faced with chronic overcrowding at their shelters and dwindling donations during this economic downturn, this bill affords the ASPCA the decision to euthanize animals without the guilt that goes along with it while maintaining their bottom financial line.  As an added bonus, they’ll continue to run those heartwrenching ads begging for donations while precious little of that money goes for actual shelter care.  As with all non-profits, you can bet your hard earned donations are going towards the salaries of those in charge.


Which bring us to the question as to why Assemblywoman Paulinwould  give one thought to overcrowded shelters.  More than likely, a constituent in her affluent district probably had a feral animal spray some perfectly manicured shrubbery.  With perhaps a promise of a hefty campaign donation or two, from the sprayee, a bill that could possibly cut down on kitty vagrancy and hygiene was born. That’s how things normally work in politics, you ultimately get what you pay for and more than likely this is the case.  On the other hand, partnering up with the ASPCA was one of those partnerships that makes you scratch your head while saying  WTH.  


Why would a large well known organization be doing forming a partnership with a lowly stateAssemblywoman?  More than likely trying to rehabilitate their image and justify their support of last year’s Oreo’s Law (re-named CAARA) where they openly euthanized a dog deemed to be in “psychological pain” even though a variety of rescue organizations offered to take the dog.


Animal rescue is just one of those polarizing topics that folks could debate forever.  For sure, Americans love their pets but there is no doubt a problem with overcrowded shelters and unlicensed rescue groups.  Bill AO5449 dismisses many shelter’s and rescue groups in the same manner it dismisses the lives of animals.


By using a conquer and divide method of bill introduction, AO5449 would have pitted rescues against one another by preventing them from sharing animals and resources.  However on February 15th, 2012, the bill passed the Ag committee and was headed to the Codes Committee when Chair Brooklyn Assemblyman Joe Lentrol  got involved and saw the bill for the waste of legislative time that it is. 


Sadly enough though, Speaker Sheldon Silver could push this bill through no matter what a waste of legislative time it is.  Amy Paulin is a rising star in Westchester County and her name has been bandied about as the Democratic challenger against Rob Astorino.  Something tells me that she has lost the animal lovers votes already.

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The Hissy-Fits Begin at the Michaelian

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WPCNR BLACK COFFEE. By WPCNR WESTCHESTER COUNTY ROVING CORRESPONDENT, NANCY KING. February 14, 2012:


It is safe to say that County Executive Rob Astorino did not get his New Year’s wish of having a more bi-partisan legislative branch.  Having broken the super-majority the Democrats still hold the majority on the eighth floor.  On Monday night it was apparent that things haven’t changed a damn bit with Democrats voting against the County  Executive five out of eight times.


At question were appointments that the County Executive had proposed for the purpose of overseeing volunteer citizen committees.  The committees in question are as follows: The Housing Opportunity Commission ,Deferred Compensation Board, the Human Rights  Commission, The Fair Housing Board,  and the African-American Advancement Board.    The dozen or so nominees were primarily Republican supporters of the County Executive but they are all volunteers.  There isn’t a single appointee that was to receive any sort of salary or stipend for serving on any one of those committees.


 


As each name was read and a vote was taken, the Democratic side of the board continually voted against those nominated.  Republican legislator  JimMaisano stated during the proceeding  that he has “never seen such partisan and destructive antics from a group of legislators as now are witnessing from the Democratics on the board”.  It was hoped after reaching a historic compromise on the budget, that these two sides of the CBoL would be able to work with one another in a more bi-partisan manner.


We can expect  contentious meetings from the CBoL for the rest of the legislative session as Mr. Astorino appears to be in full campaign mode while we still await a final declaration of candidacy from Chairman of the Board, Ken Jenkins. 


 

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Buchwald Tapped by Pound Ridge, Harrison Dems in Bid to Face Castelli

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2012. From the David Buchwald Campaign. February 14, 2012 UPDATED February 16, 2012:


The local Democratic parties in Harrison and Pound Ridge provided (White Plains Councilman)David Buchwald with substantial back-to-back wins in his campaign to be the New York State Assemblyman for much of northeastern Westchester.


The Harrison Democratic Committee voted 17 to 1 to endorse Buchwald over the weekend and the Pound Ridge Democratic Committee endorsed him unanimously last night. The votes follow the White Plains Democratic City Committee’s decision to enthusiastically endorse Buchwald by a vote of 67 to 1. In each case the low vote getter was Mr. Jeremiah Frei-Pearson, a lawyer who recently moved to White Plains following his failure 18 months ago to receive the Democratic Party nomination for the State Assembly in Astoria, Queens.


Frei-Pearson earlier in the week was reported to have won the endorsement of the Bedford Democratic Committee.


David Buchwald also gained the support of a former challenger. Dr. Clifford Gevirtz, a Harrison anesthesiologist who had been seeking the Democratic nomination for the Assembly seat and who withdrew prior to the Harrison vote, said “I support David Buchwald because he is a proven vote getter who has the right policies on economic development, the environment and transportation. He will represent not just Harrison but the entire Assembly District with a true sense of caring about people and providing them a government they can be proud of.” David Buchwald remarked that he was honored to have Dr. Gevirtz’s endorsement and would be campaigning with him in Harrison.


Roslyn Stone-Pollock, Chairwoman of the Democratic Party in Pound Ridge said, “David’s strong credentials coupled with his commitment to our Westchester community made him an excellent choice. He understands the issues that are important to us in Pound Ridge and has the background and experience to best represent us in Albany. David’s work on the White Plains Common Council, the Metro-North advisory board and in the community were important factors in our decision.”


 


Buchwald hopes to win the Democratic Party’s nomination to take on incumbent Republican Robert Castelli in the renumbered 93rd State Assembly District, which includes Bedford, Harrison, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, New Castle, North Castle, North Salem, Pound Ridge and half of White Plains.

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BIG RIVER Explores Slavery, Roots of Black Music Thru Mark Twain’s 1850s South

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WPCNR ON THE AISLE. Theatrical Review by John F. Bailey. February 13, 2012:


 


BIG RIVER, a spirited, rousing Family Theatre Company production staged at Westchester Broadway Theatre was recognized by a host of Westchester County leaders on its premier week as WBT’s giveback to the community to celebrate Black History Month. The leaders were on hand to salute WBT owners and producers Bob Funking and Bill Stutler for turning over the theatre in February for the first time to present a production keyed to celebrate Black History Month.’



County Executive Robert Astorino and County Leaders Thank Westchester Broadway Theatre for creating the first Black History Month production, Big River, produced by the local family theatre group, Family Theatre Company.WPCNR Photo


 



The Family Theatre Company Cast of BIG RIVER playing through February 26 — musical black history! Production Photos by Jordan Matter


Fittingly they chose John Fanelli the longtime major domo and pioneer of theatre programs for youth in the county at the Westchester Broadway Theatre, John Fanelli, (since then he has founded the educational Times Square Group theatre in New York, the Lighthouse Youth Theatre, and now the Family Theatre Company. The FTC production of the rolling,endearing Big River is based on Samuel Clemens breakthrough classics, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Fin.




 It treats the grim issue of slavery in America (as do Clemens’ novels)  with a precise touch, not too harsh for the children and not too soft for the adults while showcasing some of the brightest young performers around the County. It plays for two more weeks at the WBT, and provides a diverse, funny, and rollicking entertainment experience that starts slowly an  gathers dignity, joy, and mightiness like the Mississippi itself.



 



The eager Anthony Malchar (right) carries the precocious role of Huck Finn, the runaway, aided by his michievous pal, the silly and naive Todd Ritch (left) as Tom Sawyer,  the lads entertain the audience and will amuse youngsters with their shenanigans, and sense of adventure. With his innocence and sense of self-preservation to get away from his threatening father, Huck sets off with Jim, a freed slave, down the Mississippi and the friendship that grows between the two, as does Huck’s sense of right and wrong, send a valuable lesson that will not be lost to the young, nor the old.


Perhaps no other novels of the nineteenth century said more about in the inhumanity of slavery than Clemens’ (writing under the greatest nom de plume of all time, Mark Twain)two books, and said it in such a way that made the conclusion that slavery was wrong inevitable to whomever read them. Clemens would have won a Pulitzer prize if they gave them away then. Big River delivers the jolt.



Fatye Francis playing Jim belting out Free at Last in the Grand Finale


Highlight performer of the evening is FaTye Francis as Jim whose presence dominates the stageand belies his age and his  ringing voice lifts the roof  to the Heavens. He is easily the most commanding black voice I have heard in musical theatre in some time. (But then there are not many black leading men in Broadway Musical Theatre are there? I do not see many. Tell me I’m wrong.)


FaTaye is a star-to-be. He  gives the role of Jim the runaway salve, intelligence, dignity, and  gravitas that Clemens’ books do not. In the Huckleberry Finn novel, Jim is portrayed as somewhat dependent on Huck. In Big River, Jim trusts Huck not to betray him, but is suspicious and presents a portrait of the runaway slave that is not stereotypical, hut his own man. FaTye makes Jim the hero of this show through his sheer force of will and magnificent voice. We’ll be seeing him on Broadway, I predict. He is worth going to see and hear!


The choreography in the hour and a half first act portraying slaves in the field uniquely captures the sweat of working in the hot southern sun while in one striking metaphor shows how the rhythm of the fields found its way into the rhythms of early Black music in “Waitin for the Light to Shine.”


Later in the first act, the role of the church that made life livable for many black slaves (as if I knew anything about that), is captured with electrifying emotion when we first hear and see the amazing soprano of Jasmine Knight singing the spiritual, “The Crossing.”  Her voice will send chills up your spine during a recreation of a old church service. It is a rouser!


Ms. Knight is also featured in the second act singling Waitin for the Light to Shine. This young lady is a star of the future. You will not forget her voice. It is a voice from Heaven that fills your heart, and makes you want to look for Billy Graham.


One of the most touching scenes occurs  when two conmen that Huck and Jim meet up with attempt to swindle Susan Wilkes out of her inheritance, and as a result her slaves have to sold and families split up. Their walk up on the  auction block, the way the amateur actors convey the doom of parting from family is heart-rending. This is easily the hardest scene in the play and it is very moving.


Tom and Huck save the day by duping the two conmen, the King and The Duke (played deliciously deviously by August Abatecola andJoey Sanzaro) when Tom realizes Susan Wilkes (played most innocently and virtuously by Melanie Burg who sings You Oughta Be Here With Me)


For a production that features many youth of the area,  delivering at once flawlessly, (with pretty good articulation for young actors and actresses), a historical perspective on America’s shame of slavery, an era of youth innocence, and the strong roots of Black music in America, Big River is a satisfying first production in the first of many Westchester Broadway Black History Month productions in Februaries to come.



Anthony Malcar as Huck with FaTye as Jim


 


BIG RIVER plays February 15 and 16 at 11:15 A.M.; The 17th and 18th at 6:15 P.M.; the 19th at 11:15 A.M. and 5:15 P.M.; the 23rd at 11:15 A.M. and  6:15 P.M.; the 24th at 6:15 P.M.; the 25th at 6:15 P.M. and closes Sunday the 26th with an 11:15 A.M. performance. For more information go to www.broadwaytheatre.com, www.facebook.com/BigRiverMusical . Or call the WBT at 914-592-2268

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Looking at the Long, Tall Lean Guy from Illinois

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WPCNR’s The Daily Bailey. By John F. Bailey. February 12, 2012 Retrieved from the WPCNR ARCHIVES.


Today marks the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, whose Presidential performance during the Civil War (1861-1865) was perhaps the most admirable of any American President. He had to create things as he went, dealing with a complex political issue: slavery, while deciding to fight a war to preserve a divided nation.



How did Abraham Lincoln handle pressure and political opportunists? He did not have press agents and spinmasters and talk show hosts and superior punditry critiquing his every move and loading him up with advice.


Though he did have the “crusading editors” and “editorial boards” of his day. Let’s take a look at the Big Guy from Illinois


In the days of Lincoln, media coverage was simply print media, however, the amount of reporting on the burning issues of the day was far more detailed than today with dozens of newspapers presenting the chronicles of burning issues. For Lincoln’s presidency was the presidency of the nation’s greatest crisis in its eighty-five year history:


The Civil War.


It is interesting to note how President Lincoln conducted himself in dealing with America’s interests, its factions, pulling him to free the slaves.

When Lincoln was running for the Presidency in 1860 at the Republican Convention in riproaring Chicago, he was up against James Seward, a powerful New York politician. However, the western states at the time were highly distrustful of the New York political machine. Lincoln won over support by taking a position of what was good for the nation as a whole.

Taking a Position and Working To it

Lincoln first gave notice of his potential for the Presidency when he impressed Horace Greeley, influential editor of the New York Tribune with a fiery speech at the Cooper Union in February, 1860, delivering a sharp criticism of the South, hard on the heels of South Carolina’s secession from the Union. The speech included these words,

You say you will not abide the election of a Republican President. In that supposed event, you say, you will destroy the Union; and then, you say, the great crime of having destroyed it will be upon us! (The northern states) That is cool. A highwayman holds a pistol to my ear, and mutters through his teeth, “Stand and deliver, or I shall kill you, and then you will be a murderer!”

Greeley printed the speech in his Tribune the next day, scooping the other New York papers, by simply asking Lincoln for a copy of the speech. The subsequent printing in the popular Trib, sent Mr. Lincoln on his way. As William Harlan Hale’s biography of Mr. Greeley (Horace Greeley: Voice of the People)describes the scene at “The original Trib’s” offices, as remembered by Amos Cummings, a young proofreader:

Amos Cummings, then a young proofreader, remembered the lanky westerner appearing over his shoulder amid the noise of the pressroom late at midnight, drawing up a chair, adjusting his spectacles, and in the glare of the gaslight reading each galley (of the Cooper Union speech) with scrupulous care and then rechecking his corrections, oblivious to his surroundings.

A Comeback President

Lincoln had been a highly successful politician from Illinois in the 1830s and 1840s. He was three times elected to the state legislature, and The Kunhardts’ The American Presidency reports he was “a recognized expert at forming coalitions…he learned how to keep secrets, how to trade favors, how to use the press to his advantage. And he cultivated his relationship with the party hierarchy.”

Graff’s book writes that Lincoln was described as “ruthless,” that he “handled men remotely like pieces on a chessboard.” Humor and frankness were character traits.

Lincoln was elected a congressman, only to serve just one term.

Lincoln had been practicing corporate law privately and had lost interest in politics by 1854, until the repeal of The Missouri Compromise, which had restricted slavery to the southern states. Lincoln felt stirred to come back. He spoke out against the spread of slavery, running for the senate in 1858 against William Douglas, unsuccessfully.

Saving the Union His Mantra

As the furor over slavery and the South’s threats to secede grew, a crisis of spirit and purpose in this nation which makes today’s concerns about terrorism as a threat to America, pale in comparison, Lincoln realized that the Union was the larger issue. He expressed this in response to Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune, an influential figure at the Republican (Whig) Convention in Chicago in 1860. Greeley was the kingmaker at the 1860 Chicago convention who eventually swung the western states for Lincoln, giving the man from Illinois the nomination on the third ballot over William Seward, the candidate of the Thurlow Weed “New York Machine.”

Greeley then tried to influence the President-Elect to free the slaves. (Lincoln was being lobbied by the still-powerful Weed-Seward faction to compromise with the southern states on the issue of slavery).

Standing Tall Against Pressure.

Lincoln refused to free the slaves as one of the first acts of his presidency, standing firm to hold the union together, when he announced his attention not to do so, on his way to Washington after being elected. His words in this time of international tension, are worth remembering as America considers starting a war for the first time. Lincoln said:

I have often inquired of myself what great principle or idea it was that kept this Confederacy (the Union, he means), so long together. It was not the mere matter of separation of the colonies from the motherland, but that sentiment in the Declaration of Independence which gave liberty not alone to the single people of this country, but hope to all the world, for all future time. It was that which gave promise that in due time the weights would be lifted from the shoulders of all men, and that all should have an equal chance.

Seeing the Big Picture.

After Fort Sumter was fired upon, Lincoln was pressured harder to free the slaves. Still, Lincoln held firm. Mr. Greeley published a blistering open letter to the President, he called “The Letter of Twenty Millions,” meaning his readers (slightly exaggerated)in The New York Tribune. Greeley’s letter took the President to task for not freeing the slaves now that the Civil War was on, writing, “all attempts to put down the rebellion and at the same time uphold its inciting cause are preposterous and futile.”

President Lincoln responded with an open letter which Greeley published in The Tribune. President Lincoln’s letter is instructive as to how a President moves in crisis, when a nation is ripped apart to calm and state his position. He begins with a conciliatory tone, calming Greeley’s bombast:

…If there be perceptible in it (Greeley’s letter) an impatient and dictatorial tone, I waive it in deference to an old friend whose heart I have always supposed to be right.

As to the policy I “seem to be pursuing,” as you say, I have not meant to leave any one in doubt. I would save the Union. I would save it in the shortest way under the Constitution.

The sooner the national authority can be restored the nearer the Union will be – the Union as it was.

If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them.

If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them.

If I could save the Union without freeing any slaves, I would do it – if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it – and if I could do it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.

What I do about slavery and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save this Union, and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union.

I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I believe doing more will help the cause.

I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors, and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be new views.

I have here stated my purpose according to my views of official duty, and I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be free, Yours

A. Lincoln

Wearied by War

Horace Greeley described the toll the Civil War had taken on Mr. Lincoln, seeing him in person shortly beforeGeneral Lee surrendered. Greeley wrote:

Lincoln’s face had nothing in it of the sunny, gladsome countenance he first brought from Illinois. It is now a face haggard with care and seamed with thought and trouble…tempest-tossed and weatherbeaten, as if he were some tough old mariner who had for years been beating up against the wind and tide, unable to make his port or find safe anchorage…The sunset of life was plainly looking out of his kindly eyes.”



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FBI DETAILS FORMER SENATOR SPANO’S TAX EVASION ACTIVITIES RESULTING IN GUILTY PL

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WPCNR FBI WIRE. Special to WPCNR from the Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. (EDITED) February 10, 2012:


Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Victor W. Lessoff, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (“IRS-CID”), and Janice K. Fedarcyk, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that former New York State Senator NICHOLAS A. SPANO pled guilty today in White Plains federal court to obstructing the ability of the IRS to assess and collect U.S. income taxes by filing fraudulent tax returns. This evening a news release revealed details of the former Senator’s tax evasion activities.


SPANO, 58, of Yonkers, New York, pled guilty to one count of obstructing and impeding the due administration of the Internal Revenue Laws. He faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a maximum fine of the greater of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss derived from the crime.


According to the information and statements made during today’s proceeding in White Plains, here is what former Senator Spano did:


Background


NICHOLAS SPANO served as a New York State Senator for the 35th district, representing most of Westchester County, from 1987 until 2006. In that capacity, SPANO was responsible for voting on and approving the operating budget for New York State, a portion of which included funding for the Office of General Services (“OGS”).


In 1993, a White Plains-based insurance company began paying SPANO a $1,500 monthly fee to act as an outside consultant. In 1996, after the insurance company was awarded a lucrative contract by OGS to become the broker of record for New York State, the payments increased to $5,000 per month. The payments were subsequently increased to $6,000 per month in 1999 and $8,333.33 (or $100,000 per year) in 2002. The payments stopped in 2008 when the insurance company ceased to be OGS’s broker of record.


The payments from the insurance company were paid through various corporate entities controlled by SPANO, including ONAPS, Inc. which later changed its name to HVM Corp. ONAPS had no employees or offices and was used almost exclusively to receive money paid to SPANO by the insurance company.


Spano’s Concealment of Income


From 2000 through 2008, SPANO engaged in a scheme to impede and impair the due administration of the Internal Revenue Laws by filing false federal income tax returns that falsely characterized income he received from the insurance company and other sources to unlawfully reduce his tax burden.


During the relevant time period, SPANO wrote checks that totaled more than $180,000 from HVM to a real estate holding company he owned, 221 Ridge Ave. Corp, which owned a two-family rental property in Yonkers, New York. The checks were for non-existent rental expenses. SPANO falsely advised his tax return preparer that HVM conducted business at 221 Ridge Avenue, had an office at that location, and paid rent to the holding company. As a result, HVM deducted more than $180,000 in false and fraudulent rental expenses on its tax returns.


In 2004, SPANO also failed to report to the IRS a $45,000 commission he received from the sale of a building to a White Plains real estate developer, and between 2005 and 2006, failed to report cash rental payments he received from residential real estate tenants.


* * *


Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated: “Former Senator Nicholas Spano is the latest in a regrettably long line of lawmakers turned lawbreakers. When elected officials put padding their pockets above the law, they tarnish our government and undermine people’s faith in their public servants. We will not tolerate this conduct and will continue to aggressively prosecute those who engage in it.”


IRS Acting Special Agent in Charge Victor W. Lessoff stated: “Public officials, whether elected or appointed, hold positions of trust in the eyes of the public. That trust is broken when these officials commit crimes. Public officials do not get free passes to ignore the tax laws and they will still be held accountable after they leave office. IRS-CI works to ensure that everyone pays their fair share. “


FBI Assistant Director in Charge Janice K. Fedarcyk stated: “We hope that our elected representatives hold themselves to a higher standard. At a minimum, the people of New York have the right to expect that lawmakers will not be lawbreakers.”


SPANO will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel on June 11, 2012, at 3:30 p.m.


Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding work of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI in the investigation.


This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Perry A. Carbone, Jason P.W. Halperin, and Cynthia Dunne are in charge of the prosecution.

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