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.

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WPCNR ROVING PHOTOGRAPHER From Christmases Past: These photographs of Christmas night and Christmas Days of the Past feature the some of the festive lights of the city, an American parlor, a typical family dinner setting, complete with kids’ table, and a Christmas Hearth.

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WPCNR FBI WIRE. FROM THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. DECEMBER 23, 2011:

GE Funding Capital Market Services Inc. entered into an agreement with the Department of Justice to resolve the company’s role in anticompetitive activity in the municipal bond investments market and agreed to pay a total of $70 million in restitution, penalties and disgorgement to federal and state agencies, the Department of Justice announced today.

As part of its agreement with the department, GE Funding admits, acknowledges and accepts responsibility for illegal, anticompetitive conduct by its former traders. According to the non-prosecution agreement, from 1999 through 2004, certain former GE Funding traders entered into unlawful agreements to manipulate the bidding process on municipal investment and related contracts, and caused GE Funding to make payments and engage in other related activities in connection with those agreements through at least 2006. These contracts were used to invest the proceeds of, or manage the risks associated with, bond issuances by municipalities and other public entities.

“GE Funding’s former traders entered into illegal agreements to manipulate the bidding process on municipal investment contracts,” said Sharis A. Pozen, Acting Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This anticompetitive conduct harmed municipalities, as well as taxpayers. Today’s resolution requires GE Funding to pay penalties, disgorgement and restitution to the victims of its illegal activity. We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to uphold our nation’s antitrust laws and ensure competition in the financial markets.”

Under the terms of the agreement, GE Funding agreed to pay restitution to victims of the anticompetitive conduct and to cooperate fully with the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division in its ongoing investigation into anticompetitive conduct in the municipal bond derivatives industry. To date, the ongoing investigation has resulted in criminal charges against 18 former executives of various financial services companies and one corporation. Nine of the 18 executives charged have pleaded guilty.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and 25 state attorneys general also entered into agreements with GE Funding requiring the payment of penalties, disgorgement of profits from the illegal conduct and payment of restitution to the victims harmed by the bid manipulation by GE Funding employees, as well as other remedial measures.

As a result of GE Funding’s admission of conduct; its cooperation with the Department of Justice and other enforcement and regulatory agencies; its monetary and non-monetary commitments to the SEC, IRS and state attorneys general; and its remedial efforts to address the anticompetitive conduct, the department agreed not to prosecute GE Funding for the manipulation of bidding for municipal investment and related contracts, provided that GE Funding satisfies its ongoing obligations under the agreement.

JPMorgan Chase & Co., UBS AG and Wachovia Bank N.A. also reached agreements with the Department of Justice and other federal and state agencies to resolve anticompetitive conduct in the municipal bond derivatives market. On May 4, 2011, UBS AG agreed to pay a total of $160 million in restitution, penalties and disgorgement to federal and state agencies for its participation in the anticompetitive conduct. On July 7, 2011, JPMorgan agreed to pay a total of $228 million in restitution, penalties and disgorgement to federal and state agencies for its role in the conduct. On Dec. 8, 2011, Wachovia Bank agreed to pay a total of $148 million in restitution, penalties and disgorgement to federal and state agencies for its participation in the anticompetitive conduct.

The department’s ongoing investigation into the municipal bonds industry is being conducted by the Antitrust Division, the FBI and the IRS-Criminal Investigation. The department is coordinating its investigation with the SEC, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The department thanks the SEC, IRS and state attorneys general for their cooperation and assistance in this matter.

The Antitrust Division, SEC, IRS, FBI, and state attorneys general are members of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. President Obama established the interagency task force to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes. For more information about the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.

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• Three of the top 5 counties in New York State with the lowest unemployment rates in November 2011 were in the region:

• Of the 10 Labor Market Regions in New York State, the HV Region tied Long Island with the lowest unemployment rate in November 2011, at 6.7 percent.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. December 21, 2011:

Getting information on the community where an affordable housing opportunity exists is now easier with enhancements to Westchester County’s Homeseeker Web section.

Available at www.westchestergov.com/homeseeker, the site allows visitors to sign up to receive information on affordable housing opportunities. With the newest feature, visitors can also “see” the community in which the new housing opportunities are being created.

“With these enhancements, we have created a one-stop hub for information about available housing units, their neighborhoods and nearby services,” said County Executive Robert P. Astorino. 

The housing page also includes links to the local government’s and school district’s Web sites, as well as a New York State database on daycare options. Click on “neighborhood map” and the user will see a detailed map of the neighborhood where the housing is located. The map shows other community facilities such as schools, public transportation and hospitals. The map also connects through Bing Maps to locate retail and commercial opportunities.

Those who sign-up and provide contact information will be notified of upcoming fair and affordable homeownership or rental opportunities that are part of Westchester County’s housing settlement with the federal government as well as those that become available through other housing initiatives.

 The person signing up can check a box to receive information for homeownership information, for rental information or for both ownership and rental. Those who sign up receive notification of available homes and apartments, including information sessions and open houses, and homebuyer education seminars.

The housing settlement was entered into two years ago by former County Executive Andrew J. Spano with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Also approved by the Board of Legislators, it requires the county to ensure the development of 750 units of housing in 31 communities and to undertake marketing that ensures outreach to racially and ethnically diverse households. Nearly 300 of these housing units are in some stage of development, including accepting applications. Other county financed homes are also available and are accepting applications.

People who need assistance completing the forms can contact a housing counseling agency certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. These agencies also have housing counselors who can assist Spanish speakers with the forms. The agencies are:

·        Community Housing Innovations, Inc. (914) 683-1010

·        Housing Action Council (914) 332-4144

·        Human Development Services of Westchester (914) 939-2005

·        Westchester Residential Opportunities (914) 428-4507

To qualify to purchase any fair and affordable housing, would-be homeowners are required to participate in a homeownership counseling program through one of these agencies.

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WPCNR WATCH ON THE RHINE. News & Comment by Westchester County Roving Correspondent, Nancy King. December 19, 2011:

Members of CSEA units 9200 and 9201 received pink in their holiday stockings this year. As of Monday December 19^th, 105 employees from the Westchester Medical Center had received layoff notices. County workers were looking at 30 layoffs as a result of County Executive Rob Astorino’s budget.

Nancy King

 While Mr. Astorino vetoed 27 line items in a budget that was agreed on by both the County Board of Legislators and the CE himself, he did still veto those 27 line items that included cutting funding to community health centers and the Cornell Cooperative Extension.  It is believed that when the legislators meet again on Monday, they will restore some of these program cuts and perhaps workers as well.

County Executive Astorino and Westchester Medical Center CEO Michael Israel have defended their respective layoffs claiming that they both need to close budget gaps caused by the loss of state funding.  Also playing a role in the layoffs is the fact that both unions are preparing to negotiate new contracts in 2012.  

 At this time, neither locals 9200 or 9201 contribute to their medical benefits.   Both executives are calling for union members to contribute anywhere from 15% to 34% for their fringe benefits.  They are also calling for increases in employee pension  contributions.   However, union officials claim that while both Astorino and Israel have been cutting programs not to just save money, but that their tactics are really nothing more than union busting.

According to County Executive Rob Astorino who has been appearing all over the various media outlets that he is proposing a “jobs for savings” program to local 9200 which represents county workers.  Karen Pecora, President of this local has stated that no one from her union has seen this proposal. It is believed that this proposal has employees making hefty contributions to their benefits in return for the privilege of keeping their jobs.   

 And it seems that the CE is calling out his reinforcements for this  negotiation season by calling on the Westchester County Association to help mediate what is sure to be a contentious bargaining session.  As expected, 9200 has said thanks but no thanks to this offer. 

On the other hand, CEO of the Westchester Medical Center which is formally known as the Westchester County Health Care Corporation, laid off 105 civil service workers on Friday December 17^th.  Included in those cuts where the clerical and facilities staff members who keep the cogs in that big wheel moving smoothly.  

In the last two years, the Medical Center has closed the Taylor Care Center converting it to executive offices and has also cut the CPEP program which provided emergency psychiatric  care to county residents.   Also privatized at WMC has been laundry and courier services thus reducing the number of civil service employees to around 1400.  It is also believed that 15 of the 45 vice presidents who oversee WMC have also been let go and that several department managers and supervisors have been downgraded.

Even sadder has been the termination of several hundred nurses.

 One can suppose that you can always get a clerical worker or a tradesman to double up on the work of a terminated colleague but what happens when you are laying off the very individuals who actually provide patient care?   Poor patient care one must assume.  Of course, WCCHCC addresses that question by explaining that agency or “traveling” nurses will be called in ( at a much lower rate and with no benefits) to provide patient care when necessary. 

As county residents  wind their way through another holiday season, the season of fund raising, re-election and big bonuses is also coming into full swing.  You can bet that it will be a bleak holiday and an even bleaker new year for those employees who got a pink slip from their respective CEO’s and CE.  The next time you get an invitation to attend one of their black tie functions in the mail, just send  your RSVP back on pink note paper with a big bah humbug.