Is Westchester Guilty?

Sure, it's a pretty tough question to answer, and for most thinking people his HUD settlement plea certainly is an admission of guilt, regardless of the terms of the settlement. Whatever Andy Spano or the other legislators claim, when you settle any suit, even with the inclusion of a "no admission of guilt" clause, you've admitted guilt! He's just trying to "hedge his (compensatory) bet."

I don't believe Westchester is racist, and yes, there is certainly an economic divide. Even if Andy Spano admits he and his failed incumbent board of legislators are racists through this settlement, will a complacent electorate return them the to business as usual on November 3? As they scamper away with their political tail between their legs toward the darkness of say, New Jersey, where shenanigans like this may be acceptable, will Westchester ever get past this uncaring and apathetic routine? I hope so. It's why I'm running for office.

Westchester County is comprised of a very diverse group of peoples. My neighborhood exemplifies this as do so many others. But there is a commonality as well. The people owning homes here, work for everything they get. Many of us struggle, living paycheck to paycheck and fear what may happen if their health and/or employment fails. Yet, they persevere and they really ARE the community they live in. They are not subsidized by government and yet government insists they subsidize others. Why? Because it's the incumbents way of buying more votes through dependency. We know it works - just look at how long so many have stayed in office.

There is an incumbency, no pun intended, to help others in need, whenever possible. But our system for helping others has evolved from a temporary helping hand, to one of dependency, and a multi-million dollar cradle-to-the-grave industry. On top of that, when you saddle private industry with an inordinate amount of regulations, the small companies, or "the little guys" get wiped into oblivion. These are the businesses that need the assistance of government, not to be strangled by it. They are the ones that can help these same people in need the most, through employment, to improve their lives. I'm pretty sure the system as it is now is not what our founding leaders envisioned America would become.

So, is Andy Spano admitting he is a racist? I think he is. To say lets settle this lawsuit is disingenuous to the majority of good people in Westchester. We sit at the crest of the tide of political correctness because of a racist decision, made by a liberal judge with an agenda. This is an issue purely of economics and whether or not you can afford to own property in the southern part of New York State. If you cannot, you can rent an apartment and still live here. There is no "right" to own property as some would suggest. But if you want to own property, go to school, get a good viable education, get a job, work hard and save. And when the right time comes, you can purchase what you can afford, be it a co-op, condominium or a house, anywhere you want. Until then, people in power should rethink, retool and reduce some of the programs that encourage recipients to do nothing and be rewarded for it.

As we retool, rethink and reduce, we should take these same people and insist they go back to school and/or learn a trade so that eventually, they will not be a burden on society, but a contributor to it. Westchester is not racist - it is rich. Rich with ideas, rich with entrepreneurs and self-starters who buckled down and achieved a lot and rich with charity. Our burden of entitlements, created and bastardized by our politicians, needs to change if we are to turn the tide that the elitists have shoved down our throats. And for those that truly need help, we will always be there to offer assistance.