Our Man in Havana

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WPCNR ROVING REPORTER.  HAVANA, CUBA 2010. By Charles Lederman. May 1, 2010: Panama hat in hand, White Plains’ Charles Lederman visited the Cuban capitol this month and files this report on the storied capitol today, exclusively to WPCNR:


 


HAVANA, CUBA– A sprawling metropolis, among the largest of the Caribbean’s historical capitols with over 2 million residents, and rich in its history as colonial trading center and epicenter of civil strife and revolution.


 


My family and I just returned from a visit to Cuba (there is one flight a week from JFK International for those with State Department license). We enjoyed a rare opportunity for Americans living at the top of the 1st world, to observe life at the bottom of the third world.


 


 


 


What was most shocking to us was the change in both the physical condition of the city structure/infrastructure and in the society since our visit several years ago. During President Bush’s second term, executive orders made it impossible for many with legitimate purpose to visit Cuba. In response, the Cubans outlawed the American Dollar, and gave preferential treatment to Euros and its own monopoly money. President Obama has managed to reverse some of Bush’s orders (whereby we were able to visit), but has really only returned the regulations to a place they had been for years before Bush’s second term.


 


Havana was New York’s sister city in shipping and trade for almost 300 years. Much wealth has centered on this fortified city of colonnaded boulevards and cobbled back streets. While an influx of European investment has allowed a half dozen streets and hotels to be cleaned up and actually painted (a newly available commodity there),buildings and streets everywhere else are literally crumbling on top of people.


 


The desperation is apparent in every direction you look. The scantily clad jinateras (jockeys) his at passing tourists to ask for dates (even with kids in tow). The families are packed three generations to a floor of each four or five story walkup. Mysterious pipes spew effluent into the back alleys, while children play stickball around sink holes, collapsed walls, and 8 foot deep holes into a 200-year old sewer system.


 


Entertainment for foreigners is relatively inexpensive, as the regime is hard up for any hard currency it can get from outside. Food and beverage and cigars are very inexpensive in comparison to our Metro area. A nice meal for four including drinks and desserts was had for less than $100 at the finest rooftop dining room in town, upstairs from our room that had housed the likes of Al Capone, Santo Trafficante, and Josephine Baker.The biggest draws are spots where famous Americans of the past got drunk on Daquiris, Mojitos and Pina Coladas.


 


The only catch is that Cubans are not allowed to go where the foreigners are welcomed. The Cuban people cannot buy or sell red meat without risking a 20 year jail term, while the foreigners eat platter-sized Argentinean steaks. The Cuban people get a bag of beans and a bag of rice every other week, $8 a day wages, a loaf of bread (if they’re willing to wait on line at 9 P.M.), after the baker happened upon a sack of wheat that week.


 


It is interesting to note, however that the one place this socialist/communist dictatorship has actually succeeded is in providing health care. We were surprised to learn of so many foreigners coming to seek treatment that the Cuban government will begin charging visitors for health/life insurance during their stay.


 


The Cubans pay basically nothing for a system that provides comprehensive health care despite an obvious lack of physical resources. There is a doctor every couple of blocks for those in the city, who has one floor as an office and one (floor) to live in. Eyeglasses that take special order and cost hundreds of dollars here can be had the same day for less than $2 in Havana. Cardiologists from around the world visit and train in Havana.


 


If you don’t get your mammogram or colonoscopy or annual physical, a nurse comes to your door every week until you give in.


 


The seminal moment of our visit, however happened to be the last moment of our visit. Yankees (Americans) alone flyfrom an old decrepit hangar and runway, while others use a beautiful, modern airport next door. While we were waiting on line to board our flight home (delayed six hours), Cuban who were flying on the same plane began to crowd to the head of the line.


 


Well, I’m from New York, not Havana, and I’m not one to get pushed around and just go with the flow. So when I (and my wife) told the natives to act civilized, they were shocked that anyone should even raise their voice in such a tense atmosphere.


 


It was apparent that they all just wanted to keep their heads down and get on the plane out of there…too bad the diplomats on board didn’t see it, as they had already been hustled aboard ahead of the wheelchairs and the children and the crowd of frightened sheep.

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Home Prices elevate In West/ Thks to High End Sales-Activity Circa 95-96

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WPCNR THE HOUSING NEWS. From Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service.(EDITED) April 26, 2010: As reported last week by WPCNR, activity in the high end luxury housing market is up subatantially, so much so that it has raised sales levels and prices considerably according to the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service. However overall real estate activity in residential remains at 1995-96 levels.


Real estate firms participating in the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service reported 1,313 closings of Westchester residential property transactions in the first three months of 2010, an increase of 54% from the same period a year ago.  Putnam County closed transactions were up by 28%.  The closings largely reflected marketing and contract activity that took place during the late autumn and closing months of 2009. 


Although the year to year percentage increases in sales were high in all categories of housing tracked by the MLS, it must be noted that they were calculated against the very poor sales base of the opening months of 2009.


At that time total sales were less than half those of the peaks posted in 2006 and 2007.


The 2010 (January, February, March) volume was closer to that posted at the start of 2008 when the real estate recession first took hold in our area. 


Seasonally adjusted1, Westchester’s 2010 first quarter sales were equivalent to an annual sales rate of 6,830 units; that approximate annual volume was last experienced in 1995 and 1996.




The area’s real estate market experienced its second consecutive quarterly increase in sales volume on a year-to-year basis since 2008. 


Westchester’s single family house sector fared best with 756 first quarter closings as compared to 426 in 2009 and 726 in 2008.  Putnam County single family house sales bounced up to 124 versus 88 in 2009.


Westchester’s condominium and cooperative sectors posted 37% and 27% year-to-year increases, respectively. Even the ailing multi- family house sector posted a 34% year-to-year gain.


Prices rise on Sale of High End Homes– 18% of Total.



The first quarter median sale price2 of a Westchester single-family house was $599,500, an increase of $67,500 or 13% from last year.  Again, however, the comparison is to the exceptionally low prices posted in the first quarter of 2009 — $532,000 in the instance of Westchester houses.  


The increase in prices was due not to across-the-board price appreciation but to emerging recovery in the high-end market.


Westchester houses selling for $1 million or more accounted for 18% of sales in the first quarter of 2010 compared to a low of 13% in the first quarter of 2009.  That share of market was 25% or higher in 2008 and earlier.


Condos/Coops Idle,Moving



The median sale price of a Westchester condominium was $365,750, an increase of $13,750 or 4% from last year.  The $170,000 median sale price of a cooperative unit, however, was less by 5% or $9,500.  


INVENTORY UP



 The (overall) inventory of 6,568 Westchester housing units for sale at the close of the quarter was 4% more than last year at this date and 11% more than in 2008.  Inventory can increase due to a fall-off of sales activity, or, as was the case for the most recent quarter, to the decisions of potential sellers to re-enter the market as they perceive market conditions to be improving. 


 A Look Ahead — Tax Credit Impact? YES!



The first-time homebuyer credit program, its extension, and its expansion to include repeat buyers in certain circumstances, contributed to the rebound in the real estate market here and elsewhere.  Exactly how much is hard to say.


 A 2009 survey3 by the National Association of Realtors included an oversample of New York buyers and sellers. It showed that 46% of respondent New York buyers and 47% of U.S. buyers were first-time buyers, about five to seven percentage points higher than in prior years.


  It showed the overwhelming majority of buyers were fully aware of the tax credit programs.  When asked whether the tax credit was a factor in the timing of their recent home purchase, 34% of first-time buyers said yes, it was.  Even if these results are off by half, there’s no doubt that the program contributed to the surge of transactions at the close of 2009 that is continuing into 2010.


Mortgage Interest Rates factor



Another favorable condition carried forward from 2009 was that mortgage interest rates remained stable at low levels.  The autumn 2009 environment that drove the 2010 first quarter transactions featured average rates in the range of 5.2 to 5.4% on conventional 30-year loans. There was a surge to about 5.6% in mid December of 2009 but rates have since subsided.  


However, there are few confident forecasts for 2010 considering that there are so many uncontrollable and sometimes paradoxical influences.


For example, a too-strong recovery in overall economic conditions could actually drive mortgage interest rates to higher levels, thereby applying a brake to the real estate component of recovery.  New regulation and legislation for the financial sector could also have a major impact. 


For the time being, however, rates are stable during the all-important spring selling season and are continuing to drive higher sales volumes.


Unemployment a Drag on Home Sales



Another major concern for this area’s real estate market is that the unemployment dial has been stuck on high at 7% or better since the start of 2009.  Not only does an environment of high unemployment discourage potential buyers from entering the housing market, those who are in fact unemployed homeowners for an extended period of time are at risk of losing their properties to foreclosure.  


(Jim Benerofe, the White Plains Week Commentator, pointed out the unemployment factor as a hold-back of real estate resurgence on the White Plains Week program which will be repeated tonight on Channels 76 and 45 in White Plains, and may be seen on the internet at www.whiteplainsweek.com.)


Foreclosure filings decline by 28%


Fortunately, the foreclosure data available from the County Clerk’s records suggest that filings peaked at a little more than 300 monthly during the last quarter of 2009, and have retreated by some 28% to about 220 per month since then, most of which are resolved through short sales.  Actual foreclosure judgments are running at about 45 monthly.  It appears that the volume of foreclosure and short sale transactions has been insufficient to undermine the real estate market as a whole. 


(Editor’s Note: WPCNR has asked the Multiple Listing Service for a record of foreclosure homes purchased as percentage of the quarter’s sales. We await that data.)



One last positive indicator for real estate worth mentioning is that the stock market has rebounded, the Dow Jones Industrial Average having crossed the psychologically important 10,000 threshold last autumn, and the 11,000 threshold just recently, thus contributing to a renewed sense of confidence about the economy that supports a home buying mentality. 


Our local real estate market has been in a vigorous recovery mode for the past six months, and for the time being at least, will continue in that mode for as long as the external environment stays constant or improves.


 


1  The seasonally adjusted rate is an annualized rate for a given quarter. It represents what the total sales volume would be for the whole year based on the quarter’s customary share of total annual sales. 


2 The median sale price is the mid-point of all reported sales, i.e., half of the sales were for more than the median price and half were for less.  The median is not affected by unusually low or high sale prices.  The mean sale price is the arithmetic average, i.e., the sum of all sales prices divided by the number of sales. The mean does reflect the influence of sales at unusually low or high prices.



32009 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, First-time Home Buyer Tax Credit Questions, New York.  Prepared by National Association of REALTORS Research Division, January 2010


  


 


 



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Public Safety Ops on for Budget Discussion 2NITE–66 police, 19 Fire Cut?

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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. April 26, 2011 UPDATED 8:31 A.M.: Tonight Common Council budget reviews continue with the controversial topic of the Department of Public Safety and the Library on the agenda.


Meanwhile sometime today, the police and fire unions will be meeting to discuss Mayor Adam Bradley’s proposal to the unions he delivered last Thursday afternoon, in what was described as a “ultimatum.”


WPCNR news has been advised by a source  familiar with the proposal that the Mayor’s proposal to the police and fire unions last week  was to cut police strength by  66 officers from the current total of 252 (according to the 2010-11 proposed budget) down to 186. The administration we are told seeks to bring the fire department down 19 firefighters from 171 to 152 men. 


The savings calculated at an estimated $100,000 per position (including benefits), a rough figure would amount to $8.5 Million. Plans for other unions have not been fed back to WPCNR at the present time. Should layoffs at this scale be enacted, the proposed 19% city tax increase would be wiped out and there would be no city tax increase, according to WPCNR rough calculations.

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Journal News Ad for New Commissioner of Public Safety a legal Requirement only.

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. April 25, 2010: A 6 inch by 1 column advertisement appeared in the Journal News Career Builders section, page 2F today advertising for a Commissioner of Public Safety for the city of White Plains. That is the position currently occupied by David Chong.


City Hall said this afternoon this is strictly an advertisement that is a legal requirement so Mr. Chong can continue receiving retirement benefits from New York State.


John Callahan, the Mayor’s Chief of Staff in a statement to WPCNR writes David Chong is not being replaced:


“Commissioner Chong is not being relieved.  He is doing a first class job and White Plains is fortunate to have him as our Public Safety Commissioner.

When Commissioner Chong came to White Plains in January 2010, the City was granted a temporary waiver under Section 211 of the New York State Retirement and Social Security Law to allow him to serve as Public Safety Commissioner while receiving the retirement benefits he earned based on his years of service with the New York City Police Department. The period of the temporary waiver runs to the end of June.  These waivers are not unusual. As part of the renewal process for the waiver, the City must conduct a job search for the commissioner position. Thus, the ad in today’s paper. I assume, and hope, that Commissioner Chong will be a candidate for the position.

The City has no plans to merge the positions of Police and Fire Chiefs. The current structure of the Public Safety Department calls for a Commissioner of Public Safety with the two chiefs reporting directly to him. The two positions of Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety remain unfilled and there are no plans to fill them.”


Mayor Adam Bradley told WPCNR: “We are extremely happy with the performance of David Chong. This ad is simply fulfillment of a legal requirement.

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Drinking District A Powder Keg: Expert: Personnel Cuts Will Escalate Crime.

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WPCNR Police Gazette. Commentary From a Public Safety Observer. April 24, 2010: Editor’s Notes: The White Plains “Downtown Drinking Scene” is growing too popular and explosive to control if city cuts personnel, a veteran public safety expert says.


A person who has observed the White Plains Public Safety Department for a long time, a veteran in managing police and fire operations, notes the rapidly growing  “drinking district” in White Plains is becoming increasingly will require more police presence not less.


In the following analysis, they encourage city management to take notice it is not only money and the deficit the Mayor should be considering in his demands on the city’s unions 


The observer’s letter (name withheld by WPCNR to protect the innocent from reprisal), points out that the downtown drinking scene on the weekends in White Plains is a “powder keg.”


 They worry that with two more bars scheduled to open on the Mamaroneck Avenue “pub walk” (bringing the number of “drinking stations” to12), the potential for violence is an issue where the Common Council and the city should not reduce police personnel as the downtown drinking scene becomes more popular.


They warn that when New Rochelle lost control of their bar security down town it took years for that city to get back to a productive, nightlife, and the Queen City of the Sound has still not recovered completely.


 The council, according to WPCNR observations has not inquired about the downtown atmosphere in the last four months. They also appear not to have inquired about escalating downtown drinking violence issues, even though requests for more outdoor sidewalk and patios are being requested by numerous bars. 


WPCNR notes that a police officer was actually attacked in the last week by a drunken male bar patron who was fighting with a woman on the sidewalk. When approached by officers, they allegedly attacked an officer.  I do not recall an incident where a White Plains officer was actually attached in many months 


Mayor Adam Bradley of White Plains challenged the city police and fire unions to accept a zero wage increase in July, and to find $1,000,000 in savings between the two unions, demanded they pay 15% of their health care benefits, according to sources to save money. Mayor Adam Bradley has informed WPCNR he does not intend to “negotiate in the press,” and had no comment on what he told the city’s four unions Thursday evening.


 Here are the observer’s comments which follow in detail: 


 


.



The police are already down about 9 or 10 officers due to retirements that the city won’t allow to be replaced. Fire personnel are down about the same. This (Mayor’s proposal) brings manpower down to the level of the 1970s.


 Does anybody look at what is going on in our city? On a Friday or Saturday night, there are thousands of people drinking in a three-block radius. College kids are brought in by the bus load. Don’t believe it? Go see for yourself, but not at 10 or 11 P.M. before the Mayor, City Council, and residents go to bed. I’m talking about from midnight to 5 A.M.. Rain or shine, summer or winter.


 Who do you think keeps the lid on that powder keg?


 Robberies, burglaries, car larcenies, drug dealers, domestic violence, gangs: sorry, but the residents and city officials have to get their heads out of the sand. Yes, as much as nobody wants to admit it, this all happens here in White Plains, just like Yonkers and Mt. Vernon.



But, do you want to know why our city doesn’t look like Yonkers and Mt. Vernon? It’s because of our police and fire departments. Our crime rate is ridiculously low compared to these other cities. They want to lay off more? Remember what New Rochelle looked like when their bar area got out of control? It took years to get it (back) under control. Their business climate was devastated and is still trying to recover.


 Victims Services—Crime Prevention.


 Some have said that specialized units such as Victims Services are a waste of manpower.  Nothing could be further from the truth. Victims Services don’t just take a report and move on. These people are not only helping people after they become victims, they are working with both the victims and offenders so it doesn’t happen again. Victims Services plays a major role in keeping crime numbers down and keeping quality of life for families in the city. They even goes to the jails and meet with inmates before they’re released to make sure they have a place to stay, jobs, mental health services, etc. This way they’re not just let go and go right back to committing the same crimes (in White Plains). VSU even has a mental health professional in the Public Safety Building who goes on calls with White Plains Police to make sure they are doing everything possible to get people the services they need.


 Traffic


 The Police Traffic Division does enforcement to reduce vehicle and pedestrian accidents. Do you know how many cars travel through White Plains every day? It is a number in the tens of thousands yet accidents and injuries are relatively few in comparison.  The number of tickets issued by just the officers in the Traffic Division would put some entire police departments to shame. The Traffic Division also does an outstanding job with funeral escorts. Ask any family who has had an escort how professional it was and how much it meant to them during such a terrible time.


 Fire


 The White Plains Fire Department is second to none. Fire prevention (services) does such a great job that we don’t have a lot of fires. When White Plains does have fires, the city doesn’t lose a whole block like other cities. You think that’s just luck? The fire department works together with the police to monitor the bar crowds and safety conditions so White Plains doesn’t have those tragedies you see on the news.


 Safe Housing


 The neighborhood associations complain about the safe housing issues. That is a complicated problem and without our police and fire being so proactive it would be ten times worse. The residents just got the highest fire rating available in New York State. That means they (residential homeowners) pay the lowest rate for fire insurance. You think that just happens?


 Demotion of Supervisors


 The White Plains Public Safety Department doesn’t have too many supervisors. They don’t have enough. Most Supervisors wear two or three hats and juggle responsibilities—all important and vital.  One Deputy Fire Chief for example handles homeland security mandates, attends county and state emergency management meetings; supervises fire department special operations, mandatory training obligations, equipment.


Manpower losses are not being replaced because of city policy. There are many instances where both fire and police supervisors are being spread too thin.


 The 15% pay-in—other unions too–Please!


 This is a sore subject but many people don’t know some important facts. For the last 20 years when Public Safety personnel are hired they are required to pay 25% of their health care costs for their first 5 years. None of the other unions have been required to do that. So how much money has Public Safety already kicked in?


 Do you know the Mayor and Common Council get free medical benefits for life after just 1 term? It’s been rumored to be even less time, but you’d have to verify that.  To get the same benefit, the police and fire have to put in a full 20 years of service to the city, if not; they don’t get (free medical benefits for life).


 Not for nothing, when policemen and firemen say goodbye to their spouses and children each day, they don’t know if they’ll ever come home. I don’t see that part-time Council job as quite so hazardous.


 How many past Mayors and Council people are still on the city payroll for medical benefits? If (the council) wants the unions to pay 15% what is a fair percentage for them if they get so much for giving so little – 30%, 50%, 75%? Or maybe they shouldn’t get that (benefit) at all for what they do?


 Blame Delfino?!


 The Mayor does not have the authority to spend a dime without the approval of the Council. The Democrats have had the council majority for years and hated Delfino so much that anything he voted for they would vote no just to make him mad. They (the council) voted on every deal that developers got, every union contract, every sale of public land, every one-shot quick fix.


 19% Tax Increase


 Nobody likes to pay taxes. Police and firefighters all have to send their kids to college, pay their mortgages, and pay taxes just like everybody else.


 The residents of the city have to look around and see what other people are paying in taxes and what services they get. For years and years White Plains taxes were so low it was ridiculous compared to other places. Some would be happy to pay White Plains taxes, including the 19% tax increase and get the services that White Plains gets. White Plains is still a great and affordable place to live because of the services. Services cost money.


 Police and Fire personnel not easily brought back when you need them again


 Demote and lay off Police and Fire personnel and see how fast White Plains starts to look like Yonkers and Mt. Vernon.


 What will your property values be then? How long will it take after city hall realizes how short-sighted they were before you can reverse the increase in crime and the downslide in quality of life?


 You can hire a sanitation or office worker, give them an orientation, maybe a safety briefing and put them to work. (And by this, I mean no disrespect towards those occupations.)


 You hire a police officer and you have to pay that officer for almost 2 years before you can put him or her to work to reverse your mistake. How much will that cost?


 Don’t let city hall be so short-sighted and turn White Plains into Yonkers or Mt. Vernon.

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NYCLU Challenges Fed Attempt to Prohibit Photography on Public Plazas/Sidewalks

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. From The New York Civil Liberties Union. April 22, 2010 – The New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Friday challenging a government regulation that unconstitutionally restricts photography on federal property, including public plazas and sidewalks.


 The federal civil rights lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of a Libertarian activist who was unlawfully arrested by federal officers after exercising his First Amendment right to take photographs and digital videos in a public plaza outside of a federal building in lower Manhattan. The lawsuit seeks a court order barring federal officials from harassing or arresting people engaged in noncommercial photography while standing in outdoor public areas near federal buildings.


 



 “In our society, people have a clear right to use cameras in public places without being hassled and arrested by federal agents or police,” NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman said. “We understand the need for heightened security around federal buildings, but the government cannot arrest people simply for taking pictures in a public plaza.”


 The complaint names the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Protective Service, Inspector Clifford Barnes of the Federal Protective Service and an unnamed federal officer as defendants.


 Plaintiff Antonio Musumeci was arrested on Nov. 9, 2009 after recording with a hand-held video camera a protestor in a public plaza outside the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Federal Courthouse in Manhattan.


 Musemeci, a 29-year-old resident of Edgewater, N.J. and member of the Manhattan Libertarian Party, was recording an interview in front of the courthouse steps with Julian Heicklen, a libertarian activist who was advocating for jury nullification. They were confronted by Inspector Barnes, who arrested Heicklen.


 Musumeci, a software developer for an investment bank, stepped backward and recorded the arrest. Barnes told Musumeci he had violated a federal regulation governing photography and arrested him. Barnes and a second federal agent grabbed Musumeci by the arms and forced him to the pavement as they confiscated the video card from his camera. After being arrested, Musumeci was detained for about 20 minutes and issued a ticket for violating the photography regulation. That charge was later dismissed.


 A week later, Musumeci was harassed and threatened with arrest after trying again to record Heicklen at the federal courthouse. Again this past Monday he was harassed by federal officers at the courthouse.


 “I do not believe government agents have the legal or moral authority to stop people from filming on public property. In this case, the outcome is particularly frustrating because I was creating political content and engaging in a form of political activism,” Musumeci said. “The courthouse plaza is public property paid for by taxpayers, and the public should not be prohibited from using video cameras there.”


 “Under our Constitution, the federal government has no power to bar photography on public sidewalks and in public plazas, and it is particularly troubling that Mr. Musemeci was detained while observing the arrest of a protester,” said Christopher Dunn, NYCLU associate legal director and lead counsel on the case. “Through this case, we expect to put an end to harassment of law-abiding photographers by federal officials.”


 In addition to Dunn, New York University Civil Rights Clinic students Michael Schachter and David Wake are working on the case.


 To read the full complaint, visit http://www.nyclu.org/files/releases/MusumeciComplaint_4.22.10.pdf.


 

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Spare Mayor Schedules Fundraiser.

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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. April 24,2010: Selected residents of White Plains have received invitiations to a fundraiser for Council President Tom Roach to be held May 12 at Elements. The reasons for the fundraiser were not disclosed, however the requests for donations start at $150, $250,$500, $1,000.


Mr. Roach was reelected to a four year term on the Common Council, his third term on the Council in this past November. Speculation is the money is being raised for a possible special election for the office of the Mayor, which might take place if Mayor Adam Bradley were to resign or leave his position.


A Special Election would be held in July if Mr. Bradley resigned before May 3, one week from Monday. It would be held in November if he resigned after May 3. Mr. Roach as Common Council President would replace Mr. Bradley were he to resign, and then be up for election in November.


Mr. Bradley declared on WVOX radio Thursday on the columnist Phil Reisman’s show, High Noon, he would not resign even for an interim period. The Mayor presently awaits resumption of his court case which has him charged with 9 separate domestic violence charges, none felonies. The case returns to court May 10.

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Community Meeting on City Transit Issues Scheduled for May 1

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WPCNR THE TRANSIT HUB. From White Plains Department of Planning. (EDITED) April 24,2010: Next Saturday, May 1, 2010 from 9:00 AM to 1:30 and Monday May 10th from 9:00 to 4:00 pm at the New York Power Authority Building Jaguar Room there will be two workshops on Building Quality Communities around transit.

 

The workshops are designed to help local planning efforts in transit oriented design.  The city has invited City neighborhood associations, the BID and professionals in the field to transit and urban design to join us for these workshops. Please advise the city that you wish to attend by telephoning 914-422-1315, or sending an e-mail to Tom Soyk, Commissioner of Traffic 

 

 

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MAYOR WANTS $1MILLION IN SAVINGS FROM POLICE AND FIRE UNIONS..STRUCTURAL CHANGES

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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. Special to WPCNR. April 23, 2010: A source familar with the goings-on at Mayor Adam Bradley’s meeting with the Police, Firefighters, Teamsters and Civil Service Employees Association, advises WPCNR no discussion was involved.


The source reports Mayor Bradley told the unions  he is looking for $900,000 in savings from PD & FD each. He is offering no raise in the new contract year, 2010-11.


The Mayor also told the unions he wanted 15% health care contributions across the board.


He reportedly called for a  reduction in size of the police department and the fire department by lowering the total by “demoting” supervisors. The Mayor is reported to have  used the term “structural changes” to the departments.


The Mayor’s stance is characterized by the source as being non-negotiable, and the unions were given a deadline of May 2.


After the meeting,lots of discussion could be heard emanating from behind the closed doors of the Common Council Chambers up until at least 7 P.M. among remaining attendees of the Mayor’s meeting with the union presidents.


 


 

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Astorino Promises Balanced Budget, Much Pain, Does Not Announce MoreSpending Cut

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. April 22, 2010(EDITED):  County Executive Robert P. Astorino used his first State of the County address tonight to give a candid assessment of why the county is facing a projected deficit of $166 million in 2011 – and how the county can close the gap without raising taxes and still preserve essential services.


He promised a balanced budget in 2011, but did not specify where he was going to cut costs.


 “Closing a $166 million budget deficit would require a 30 percent tax hike,’’ Astorino said. “That’s beyond unacceptable. I was elected to stop spiraling tax hikes. I am committed to doing just that. In the fall, I will submit a budget to the Board of Legislators that is balanced and has a zero percent increase in the county tax levy.”


Astorino urged his partners on the Board of Legislators to join him in putting a budget together for 2011 that does not raise taxes.  (The full speech will be posted in English and Spanish on the county’s Web site: www.westchestergov.com)



 



“It won’t be easy. It will require broad sacrifice. But it must be done,” he said. “The challenge is to make the tough calls and be willing to endure short-term pain and disruptions so that long-term solutions, which will allow the county to continue to provide services to those who need them the most, can emerge and take hold. As county executive, I am committed to doing just that.”


Astorino, who took office Jan. 1, delivered his speech from the Legislative Chambers of the Board of Legislators in White Plains. The speech covered three broad areas: the county’s people, its problems and Astorino’s plans to put the county on a firm footing for the future. In laying out a plan for the coming year, he said his priorities would be to protect essential services, promote economic growth and provide tax relief.


Because of the financial crisis, Astorino offered no new proposals for spending. But he did announce one major savings initiative: a financial-incentive package to encourage longtime employees to voluntarily  leave their jobs. It is estimated that beginning in 2011 the incentive package would save between $6.8 and $19.1 million a year, depending on the number of employees who participate.


Astorino also unveiled a proposal that he is working on with MTA Chairman and President Jay Walder to have New York City extend one of its Manhattan express routes to include stops in Yonkers as a way of largely replicating Westchester’s BxM4C express route to Manhattan, which because of budget cuts is facing elimination. Connections to bus stops in Greenburgh would also be part of the plan.


       “There are still a number of details to work out,” Astorino said. “But the talks are very promising at this point, and they demonstrate the importance of collaboration when it comes to finding ways to do more with less money.”


In December, the Spano administration and the Board of Legislators cut $3.6 million in funding to the Bee-Line bus service. Over the past two years, the state has reduced operating assistance by $4.2 million and the Governor’s proposed budget eliminates an additional $3.6 million, bringing total reductions to $11.4 million.


            On other budget matters:


·        Astorino said a decision is near on a proposal to have the county switch from its current self-insured health plan administered by POMCO to the New York State Health Insurance Plan, commonly known as NYSHIP. Such a shift would provide employees with similar benefits while possibly saving taxpayers millions of dollars a year.


·        Astorino renewed his request to the legislators to act on his proposal to start having employees contribute to health care insurance. Westchester is only one of four counties in New York State that do not require employees to contribute to the cost of their health care.


·        Other savings proposals that are part of Astorino’s deficit-reduction plans include a pay freeze for employees, salary cuts and furloughs. These measures would all need either union or legislative approvals or both. Astorino urged the unions to make concessions to minimize layoffs, which could number as many as 1,600 under a worst-case scenario.


“Jobs for savings, that’s the offer,” he said. “Cutting programs and cutting jobs will be the hardest thing I do for the next four years…. Painful decisions lie ahead. But I will make them and make them with the overall good of the county in mind.”


Already since taking office, the Astorino administration has proposed a series of initiatives designed to save taxpayers $16 million this year and beyond as a down payment on closing the budget shortfall in 2011.  The county executive said that Westchester’s current financial predicament is largely the result of three factors:


·        Too much spending: For much of the last decade, county spending outpaced inflation fueled by grants and aid from Washington and Albany that made it easy for past administrations to “just say yes” to funding requests for programs. 


·        Too little revenue: Since the onset of the recession, county revenues from the sales tax and state and federal sources have fallen dramatically as consumers and governments have been forced to tighten their belts.


·        Too many unfunded mandates: Pensions and Medicaid are two prime examples. In the case of pensions, Westchester’s costs will more than double from $55 million this year to a whopping $117 million in 2013. The county’s Medicaid costs will rise from $204 million this year to $222 million in 2013.


 


In the course of his speech, Astorino paid special tribute to several county residents who he said epitomize the “talent and spirit” of county residents and employees. These included Gina Maher, the inspiring coach of the Irvington Lady Bulldogs who led her team to the state championship; County Police Officer Gerard Cole and Yonkers Police Officer Kevin MacDonald, who on March 30 came to the rescue of a 77-year-old man who was trapped on the flooded Bronx River Parkway; and The Rev. Franklyn Richardson, who for 35 years has served as pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon and has worked tirelessly to promote social justice and prevent violence.


He also paid homage to the memory of three servicemen from Westchester who died in action in Iraq or Afghanistan since the last State of the County address: John J. Malone, a Marine from Yonkers; Eric Jones, a Marine from Pound Ridge; and Gifford Hurt of Yonkers, a soldier in the Army.


Despite the grim picture of the county’s finances, Astorino concluded his speech on  an optimistic note, saying: “The history of our county, which dates back to before the founding of our country, has always been full of tests for its citizens: Revolutionary, Civil and World Wars; financial panics, recessions, and depressions;and natural disasters and medical epidemics. These crises of the past put our current state of affairs in perspective. And what was true then … is true today: The residents of Westchester County have always seized their moment in history by attacking opportunities and problems with a spirit forged with energy, creativity, courage, perseverance, good will and most of all a commitment to make things better for the next generation. The year ahead holds difficult challenges for us. But none so tough that they cannot be overcome.”


 

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