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WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT: REAL ESTATE. Commentary By Ruthmarie Hicks. May 13, 2010: “Ruthmarie Hicks,(in the Common Council Public Hearing on the budget May 3) noted that White Plains single family homeowners, if property taxes are not held down, will face continued lowering real estate values and higher taxes making White Plains less competitive. Nick Wolf, the realtor,encouraged passing the tax increase since it amount to about $1 a day for the average homeowner.

I, too, am a realtor in White Plains with a strong sales record.

You can make that $1 argument every year and guess what?  Within three years – taxes have been hiked over $1000.00.  Further, I would note that its going to be well more than $1 a day once the county and schools weigh in. 

So if we put it all together we have a hypothetical $2.50-$3.00 a day which adds up to $913 – $1095 per year.  Frankly, this $1 a day  is a slippery slope because it is the same argument that has caused my taxes to go up over 150% over the past 12 years.  For those hanging onto their homes by their fingernails, it is a straw man argument.  That “small amount” added to the other   unrelenting fixed costs that always go up – is just one extra push over the edge. 

The stats I gathered (and referred to at the budget hearing) were from the Multiple Listing Service and I chose two analogous neighborhoods in analogous communities in terms of  lot size, home size and age, ease of commute, and general amenities.  What the comparison showed (as much as any such survey could) was an apples to apples comparision of two neighborhoods. 

The main difference between them is that the neighborhood in Sleepy Hollow had taxes that were much higher.  The result was much lower sales prices.  (The original blog is on TheWestchesterView.com if you want to reference it.)

I made this comparison because there are those who insist on comparing White Plains to Scarsdale, Larchmont and Rye.  I have closed sales in Scarsdale and Larchmont over the past year and will tell you that there is a world of difference between these communities and White Plains. The fact that single family home values failed -even during the height of the boom – to climb to the heights of Scarsdale and Larchmont says it all.  They can get away with their large tax bite  – we can’t. 

When  other communities started coming down in price, they became more competitive with White Plains. From being the only game in town for most first-time single-family buyers – White Plains has become one of many alternatives. 

For this group of buyers – the biggest carrot White Plains has to offer  is low taxes – and easy access to thruways.  We can’t even include the easy Manhattan commute because most single family home dwellers must drive to a train station that has no parking available for years on end. Take away the low tax carrot – and single family homes could become a  much tougher sell.  

My blog site tends to attract GenX, GenY.  I can tell you that that demographic – likes the idea of downtown White Plains for the single life – but once they start shopping for a single family home – White Plains is not on the list.   Other agents may be getting a different response from buyers,  but I note it for what it is and see it as a warning that White Plains had better get its act together in terms of taxes or single familly homes will suffer further price devaluation.

Development has to be supportable in any economy – not just a boom economy where retail sales are high. By making the “Renaissance” so dependant on retail sales – (Mayor Joseph) Delfino created a downtown boom based on the illusion of an ever expanding economy.   It does not take a rocket scientist to know that retail sales go DOWN during a recession.  It also should be easy to see that having an arrangement so utterly dependent on retail – puts homeowners in an untenable situation when the economy turns.

When I look at how little the residents of Trump and the Ritz pay in their tax bite – it makes me want to throw up. Delfino gave away the store and created a Renaissance that was unsupportable without huge chunks of money from single-family homeowners. Anyone who agreed to the outandish tax breaks on the Ritz and Trump  without an argument were not the sharpest knives in the drawer….

These council members know who they are and need to own up to what they did and seek to correct it.  That means holding the line with unions and their demands.  There was no real inflation last year – but there are a lot of people out of work. That is not consistent granting  wage increases.  Friends of mine (including myself) have lost income in this recession. Salaries have been slashed as much as 30% in some cases.  That’s how the private sector works.  The unions need to take note and realize they have a pretty good deal.  


 

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WPCNR THE LABOR FRONT. By John F. Bailey. May 12, 2010: Members of the White Plains Firefighters canvassed neighborhoods in the single family residential neighborhoods of White Plains yesterday “leafletting” the households with a flyer containing the telephone numbers and e-mail addressesd of all seven Common Council members asking the residents to “tell Mayor Adam Bradley and the Common Council that these cuts are UNACCEPTABLE.”

According to the flyer, Mayor Bradley is considering cuts that will “eliminate the hazardous materials unit, heavy rescue operations, collapse response vehicles, ability to respond to terrorist attacks, current fire prevention programs, public education programs and mutual aide contracts (with other fire departments).”

A fire department source familiar with city/union negotiations wrote WPCNR, 

“The Fire Union offered Mayor Bradley $884,000, the amount requested by his office, as our portion of assistance to help lower the property tax. All we asked for in return was to put off the contract discussions until the tax issue was resolved AND get, in writing, an assurance from the City that they would TRY to maintain the Fire dept staffing levels at  160, exactly where we are today.

As of July, we will drop to 158 due to retirements. Bradley said “NO, I want more.” We have made sincere attempts to help the citizens of this great City but are being rebuffed by a man who has a vendetta out for us and the cops. Ask each Council member if the mayor told them these facts because he is certainly misleading the public by saying that we continue to work towards a settlement. The only talking taking place is the mayor saying take it or leave it. No negotiations!

Then he has the (expletive deleted)  to say that it will be up to the Council to fire cops and fireman. He is a coward. Both unions are seriously contemplating public ” no confidence votes for the Mayor.”

The city could have had the money already if he simply agreed to TRY to keep staffing levels at todays number , which is 160. Not too much to ask when we are willing to give back such a large amount of our money to help the City.  The city has violated the Taylor Law by printing stipulation offers on the JN website.”

Yesterday afternoon Decision Night was posponed by the city from tomorrow, Thursday to Monday May 17 at 7:30 P.M.

Police and fire unions are still saying their cellphones are on awaiting further talks with the city.

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. May 10, 2010: Mayor Adam Bradley entered Judge Susan Capeci’s Courtroom this morning at 9:48 A.M., accompanied by his attorney Louis Penichet, to proceed to the next phase of his court case in which he is charged with 9 different misdemeanors involving alleged domestic violence charges in separate disputes with his wife, Fumiko Bradley.

Mr. Penichet and  Head of the District Attorney’s Special Investigations Unit, Audrey Stone were bade to approach Judge Capeci. After five minutes of discussion, the judge set a schedule to begin the discovery phase of the case in which evidence supporting each side in the case is presented for mutual analysis. Ms. Stone requested that testimony from Fumiko Bradley’s mother, a witness in the case be allowed to be video-taped because she is returning to Japan June 24. A date to determine readiness for trial was set for July 22, the next date the Mayor is scheduled to appear in court.

In a brief question and answer session with the media, Lucian Chalfen told the assembled press that Mr. Bradley has been attending the SANCIA pyschiatric evaluation workup he (Bradley) had agreed to attend in his April court appearance. The report has not been completed yet, Chalfen said.

Mr. Bradley is accused of  alleged assault in the third degree, and harrassment,  violations stemming from an alleged tea throwing incident on January 11, in addition to assault in the third degree and three other counts stemming from February 28 when the Mayor was charged for alledgedly slamming his wife’s finger in the door.

The charges of  Witness Tampering, 4th Degree, Harassment, 2nd Degree and Contempt in the 2nd Degree, stemming from the Mayor’s alleged violating of the Order of protection five times were added to the six charges, for a total of 9.

The SANCIA program, District Attorney spokesperson Lucian Chalfen, told WPCNR last month the SANCIA program will evaluate Mr. Bradley was a routine program defendents are asked to go into in most domestic violence cases, though this was not applied when Mr. Bradley’s case began.

 

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WPCNR ON THE AISLE. Theatrical Review by John F. Bailey. May 7, 2010: The moment she steps into the joint, you want to do it for Sugar! She’s Colleen Hawks, the gammy, breathy, breathtaking, sugary confectionary blondie from Broadway – a Marilyn Monroe reincarnation with the legs, the chassis and  charm of the one and only.

 

 

Ms. Hawks  breathlessly carries the Westchester Broadway Theatre “just in time” diversion – SUGAR – with her companions in flapper skirts, Gary Lynch as Joe/Josephine (right) and Eric Santagata as Jerry/Daphne, left – the sax and bass players fleeing the notorious – natty and “Tappy” — Spats Palazzo. 

 

Colleen Hawks as Sugar Kane and Ann-Ngaire Martin (far left), with The Society Syncopaters.

 

This just-in-time shot of musical seltzer (a David Merrick two year run hit back in 1972) brings back the1959  Billy Wilder classic black and white movie Some Like It Hot. It starred the legendary Ms. Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon.

 

SUGAR pulled into the Westchester Broadway Theatre Thursday night when The Dixie Flyer from Chicago arrived with the all girl band—The Society Syncopaters featuring Sugar Kane whose comic playoffs with the madcap Eric Santagata as Jerry/Daphne and the chesty baritone, Gary Lynch as Joe/Josephine — to rescuse Westchester.

 

SUGAR rescues you from stocks in free all, Madoff madness,  spreading oil slicks, disappearing shrimp, vans full of fertilizer and jawboning tired, tawdry politicians without a clue tediously filling the atmosphere with carbon dioxide and bromides that give you a headache.

 

The whopper of a Second Act sends you out into the night smiling, with zip zing and ginger, and the lady on your arm turns into Sugar Kane, and the man you’re with – Tony Curtis.

 

Hey, Mack! Hey, Doll! Need to get on the lam from life for a two hour mind reset?

 

Make like Joe (Gary Lynch) and Jerry ( Eric Santagata) the sax player and bass player out of work who witness sharp-dressed gangster Spats Palazzo, (Yoav Levin, he of the talented tapping spatted feet) rubout a rival gang at the Clark Street garage – SUGAR is just the tonic!

 

Mr. Levin and his mobsters get the audience tapping with their masterful tap dance number after the big rubout in Tear the Town Apart, and Mr. Levin’s departure from this world in Act II brings down the house – perhaps never has a tommy gun created such laughs.

 

Bienstock (Brian Maxsween, center) and ensemble perform Sun on My Face on arrival in Miami 

 

Starting slowly like The Dixie Flyer rolling out of the Chicago south yards from Union Station,  SUGAR hits its stride when Jerry and Joe decide to pose as girls to join Sweet Sue’s all-girl band to escape the natty Spats Palazzo. Mr. Lynch and Mr. Santagata as Joe and Jerry get the audience in the spirit of the send-up-in-drag “Chicago-cal”  with their spectacular Gypsy Rose Lee introductory number,  The Beauty That Drives Men Mad. Man this song the way Mr. Lynch and Mr. Santagata execute it is pie-in-the-face-slapstick without pies. Mr. Lynch and Mr.Santagata are the guys as girls who have the girls’ moves down. Cincinatti, Knoxville, Atlanta, Macon, Miami here we come!

 

When Jerry and Joe playing Josephine and Daphne respectively, join the band and the boys (as girls) mutually fall for Ms. Hawks on the Pullman ride down to Miami by the sea.  Mr. Santagata and Ms.Hawks duet touchingly in a Pullman birth party on We Could Be Close.,

 

The lunacy picks up steam upon pulling into the dazzling palms and sunshine of the Seminole-Ritz Hotel when Sugar, her band leader and the good-looking real girls in the all-girl band: Emily Jan Bender, Christina Laschuk, Jessica Lorion, Meghan Starr,and Natalia Barzilai make you feel the glory of the Miami sun in the splashy number, Sun On My Face – magically conjured by the seductive palm trees and lighting by set-designer Steve  Loftus and WBT resident lighting master, Andrew Gmoser.

 

On the beach at the Seminole-Ritz, we meet  millionaire Osgood Fielding (originally played by Joe E. Brown in the1959 movie) played as believably and deliciously lecherously  by Ed Romanoff who becomes an audience favorite at WBT’s production with Osgood’s love for a very uncomfortable Jerry.  

 

Mr. Fielding and his fellow millionaires are  lounging on the beach reading Wall Street Journals when we meet them.  Osgood and the Millionaires’ rendition of  November Song is just poifect!. Mr. Romanoff’s mincing about after Jerry’s Daphne is naughty old lechery that is definitely not a felony, but a riot.  His prancing and leering will make you laugh despite yourself.

 

Now lest you think this is an off-color show, it’s not. No four-letter words, just innocent, boy-girl fun – after all this is the1920s folks.

 

Joe,  the robust saxophone player starts to fall for Sugar Kane too, after that pullman party train ride, and seeing the abundance of Millionaires he talks Jerry into stringing Osgood the millionaire along to “do something for Sugar” with the First Act wrapping up with Doin It for Sugar.

 

After intermission the show steps into the big time with one of the snappiest Act II’s of a musical that builds this wedding cake of a feel-good show.

 

Sir Osgood Fielding Jr. (Ed Romanoff) Courts Daphne (Eric Santagata) Singing Beautiful Through and Through, romantic and a laugh riot!

 

Mr. Santagata (previously Seymour in WBT’s Little Shop of Horrors)  as Jerry/ Daphne agrees to a date with Osgood against Jerry’s suspicions that  Joe is trying to steal Sugar from him. While Jerry distracts Osgood, who falls for Jerry, singing the beautiful pas de deux  Beautiful Through and Through – you’ll laugh yourself silly watching Mr. Satagata

 

 Mr. Lynch doffs his lady persona of Josephine and for the trademark blue blazer and ascot and captain’s cap of a playboy millionaire. His game interpretation of Tony Curtis’s Cary Grant imitation (in the movie)  on the beach, impresses Sugar…and  she agrees to see him on  Osgood the millionaire’s yacht. (Confused? It’s complicated, but trust me, pally, you’ll buy it!)

 

On Osgood’s yacht, Lynch as the millionaire, complains to the beautiful Sugar that he feels nothing when a woman kisses him. Sugar tries her wiles.

 

They duet What Do You Give to a Man Who’s Had Everything. Ms. Hawks and Mr. Lynch make this scene really funny and every man in the audience wants to be on the receiving end of Ms.Hawks’ lips. I know I did. You can hear a pin drop in the big house when Ms. Hawks lays her smooches on Mr. Lynch.

 

Osgood asks Jerry to marry him—then comes another highlight comic bit when Jerry announces to Joe that  Jerry’s engaged – you’re going to love this part of the show.

 

 

That’s Josephine (Gary Lynch) far left, and Daphne (Eric Santagata) far right with Sugar Kane (Colleen Hawks) the blonde peforming for the toe-tapping gangsters from Chicago.

 

Meanwhile those tap-dancing gangsters are down in Miami searching for Jerry and Joe, they take in a show featuring the girls revue at the Seminole-Ritz – and when they recognize Jerry and Joe – well, all ends happily – I’ll always remember Spats Palazzo and the tap-dancing gangstas – who know how to dress and dance. (In my next life, I’m coming back as a song-and-dance man like Mr. Yoav Levin — he’s a show within the show.

 

No musical is perfect, but SUGAR ends perfectly with champagne and hope, the way all good musicals should.

 

 It’s the one musical I can remember where the second act is not just a way to end a series of reviews. It’s got plot! It’s got Sugar! Everybody gets their man, and you get the laughs you go to Broadway for…and of course a great dinner, and the longest running dessert in show business – Peach Melba.

 

WBT’s 165th show pulls into the Elmsford station just when you need it. The audience delivered two minutes of ovation – bravo-ed Yoav Levin, the dancing gangster; roared for Mr. Romanoff as Osgood – accoladed  Mr. Lynch and Mr. Santagata – and saved its comic tribute for the comic actress who can sing, too in that sweet Marilyn Monroe way, Colleen Hawks. Her breathy, girl-down-on-her-luck, always-falling-for-sax-players all so understandable. She’s a sweetheart!

 

Michael O’Steen’s choreography and Charles Repole’s direction moved this show and delivered one great number after another in Act II. The ensemble of musicians under Jeff Tanski delivered a musical bed of crisp, up tempo just right volume and melody.

 

Just 23-skidoo, folks!

 

The company serenaded the opening night audience with one last Doin’ It for Sugar.

 

See it for Sugar!

 

Contact592-2208 for ticket information and slurp up this musical Sundae or go to the WBT website  www.broadwaytheatre.com

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WPCNR THE BARGAINING TABLOID. By John F. Bailey. May 4,2010: City Hall talks with the White Plains Police Benevolent Association broke down today, and no further talks are scheduled, though Jim Carrier, WPPBA chief says his cell phone is on, awaiting the city to get back to him, anytime.

 

 

 

According to Jim Carrier, President of the White Plains Police Benevolent Association, (shown on television, addressing the Common Council Monday evening), in speaking to WPCNR this evening, the police made their proposal to the city this morning in an hour and a half meeting, and it was rejected.

 

“We had given them a proposal which was going to save the city a substantial amount of money, over a million dollars in savings. They made a counter proposal and wanted to tie it in to collective bargaining (renegotiating the current contract),” Carrier told WPCNR Tuesday night. “They wanted other concessions, which as you know, we have a current contract until the end of June. So we felt it was inappropriate, and our stance, is, look, we’re willing to help the city over its financial crisis for one year, but we’re not looking to tie this into collective bargaining. They weren’t willing to move on that issue.”

 

Mr. Carrier explained that according to law, the union would have to agree voluntarily to open our contract, which they refused to do.

 

Carrier said he made a proposal which would save money “in a one-time shot, and they weren’t interested.”

 

Carrier told WPCNR the police would work without a contract beginning July 1, and that it was way to early for binding arbitration. He awaits new proposals from the city. He said he fully expected layoffs in July, which he reiterated would be very hard on the police department.

 

He said the police department uniform force usually declines by eight officers a year, and currently the department was down 8, and he foresaw a the department being down by about 16 uniformed officers by the fall through attrition, which he said would be very bad for the department. “We could be in a bad situation 6 to 8 months from now.And they could be down substantially more, which would leave the police department in a substantially bad situation, and the residents of this city in a really bad position.”

 

Sources familiar with the sensitive negotiations (who have been right on the money so far), informed WPCNR last week the city is determined to cut 19 firefighters (returning the department to hits pre-“Delfino Mini-Renaissance” levels) and 20 police officers, also returning the police department to its 2000-2001 levels. To date, Commissioner of  Public Safety David Chong has declined to comment to WPCNR on the feasibility and effects of these cuts.

 

“Right now, basically, we don’t have any counter proposals,” Carrier said. “The city doesn’t either. The next move is up to the city.”

 

Asked what moves the city had left, Carrier said:

 

“They can’t  take anything from the collective bargaining contract. What they can do is make layoffs, that can be their option. ”

 

WPCNR asked Carrier if the city loses 20 police officers, could the officer power be juggled and still handle the demand  placed on the police department by the City’s “Drinking District,” Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.

 

“Obviously, with the implementation of the 12-hour work schedule by (former) Commissioner (Dr. Frank) Straub, we’ve alleviated a lot of our staffing issues. It definitely put a lot more cops on the street. Thank God, they implemented the12-hour work chart or else we’d be in a really bad situation.

 

“But having said that, going down 16 to 20 police officers, that’s going to be very difficult to manage, and what’s going to happen is that operation overtime is going to go through the roof, and obviously the morale of the police department is going to go in the toilet. Something’s going to have to give. When there’s not as many cops on the street, crime tends to increase.”

 

“My phone is on, whenever they (the city) want to sit down and talk,”  Carrier said.