Let’s See How Much Better We Can Do!

For the second year in a row, the Westchester County Legislature submitted their version of the County’s budget to County Executive (CE) Astorino. After three heavily attended rounds of public hearings around the county, the representative public clamored “no!” when it came to CE Astorino’s proposed cuts. And with the County Legislature’s 12 Democrats and 5 Republicans on the board, the vote appeared it would once again be a partisan split, as it was during last year’s budget vote. The balance of the Legislature will change on January 1st, when two more Republicans get sworn in. Still, Legislator Jim Maisano’s public wish to not be the minority leader still seems elusive for him.

CE Astorino rejected $10 million in spending after the county board approved a $1.69 billion budget. This included $1.9 million for neighborhood health centers, $990,000 for Cornell Cooperative Extension, $378,000 for Invest-in-Kids programs, $4.3 million in day-care subsidies, $100,000 for ethnic festivals and restoration of the Route 76 bus line between Rye and White Plains. No doubt we could use scrutiny with some of these dollars. I continue to find it interesting that CE Astorino would cut one bus route while touting another bus route with the Tappan Zee Bridge proposal that I’m convinced comes as an Obama reelection/Cuomo presidential campaign ploy. If we can’t afford a small bus route between Rye and White Plains, how will we be able to afford a much larger one from Rockland to Westchester? The same can be said about last year’s proposed cutting and then saved Bee Line Express Bus Route to NYC.

Republicans and Democrats agreed on a few areas, in particular, money for Cornell Cooperative Extension; $49,000 for Greenburgh Nature Center; $59,790 for business training; $42,500 for the Jewish Council and four positions with the Board of Elections.

I agree with CE Astorino’ goal of reductions to the budget. There seems to be an awful lot of excess in certain places. However, it seems like both years he’s gone after the same cuts for the same reasons. And the legislature restores the same cuts he proposes. Is this what our government representatives see as good government? It appears to be their preordained deadlock. I and others are amazed at comments like the one County Legislature Leader Ken Jenkins made when he said, “The budget is done. The problem is not with the legislature. The majority of things we do, we do unanimously.” With about 15,000 budget items, Jenkins said most were supported by both the board and executive branch and that they disagreed on only 27 items, with 40 overrides, including some not directly tied to the budget. Of the 27 budget vetoes, 19 were overridden along party lines. Was it just something they did because they could or are these items of real value to the county? We can’t really know the accuracy of what each side says because each side blames the other, abandoning the public at the sidelines. This type of partisanship has to stop.

There are four legislators not returning this January either because they are simply stepping down or lost in the last election. These are all democratic Legislators, Jose Alvarado, John Nonna, Bill Burton and Marty Rogowsky. I have had dealings with the last three and know them to be concerned, involved and responsive public servants. But they too, have played the partisanship game that I believe the public is so weary of. The last election will increase the Republicans numbers but not enough to put this ship back on an even keel. We need to have better balance, new and different ideas, with better ways of operating our County government. The old ways are failing us. We must have relief from the state induced mandates if Westchester and New York wish to return to any competitive markets again, yet we see no action from them.

Astorino said he expected many of the overrides to his vetoes but it was important to “take principled stands on items” that he thought were detrimental to taxpayers and effective government. Imagine what might happen if the two sides sat down and tried to work together, forging solutions to the budget before it was due? Imagine if, instead of campaigning for their “sides”, they brokered a balanced, effective and realistic solutions that didn’t provide broad-brush sweeping cuts that pit one neighbor against another? Imagine if, instead of playing the partisan games of one-upmanship sound bites in the media, all the representatives actually represented us and created a budget that held or reduced the dollars taken from the County’s beleaguered and abused tax payers? Imagine how much better off everyone might be?

CE Astorino may be on the right track. He wanted to have a one percent tax reduction last year when he proposed his first budget. The County Legislature trumped him and offered a two percent reduction and kept all the positions he sought to eliminate. This year was almost an exact duplication of his efforts with the similar actions taken by his presumed “adversaries”. Imagine if he and his people had worked closely with the legislature before the budget was introduced? That would have caused everyone to take notice of a sharply honed representative government in action! If the CE can only offer cuts of one nature, and the legislature can only offer to override them, how much longer before the public says enough? The CE and the Board of Legislators may respectively have some good ideas. But until we see true collaboration, an honest joining of forces, we are destined for a repeat of the same antics every year. The public is frustrated with these games. I look forward to this new year with local politicians acting and working differently. Let’s see how much better we can do.

MTA On-Time Performance: It’s A Scam!

Based on “arrivals with 5 minutes, 59 seconds of schedule”, the MTA boasts quarterly of the on-time record for train arrivals. Isn’t 5 minutes, 59 seconds really just six minutes? Of course it is. And, of course this is MTA doublespeak as they try to mask their poor performance. I take the Harlem line into NYC from the White Plains station. I typically take the 8:01AM and arrive at Grand Central Station at about 8:45AM. It should be changed to the 8-ish train. On a good day, the train is on time. On a normal day, whether on time or not, there’s no seats available and most people boarding the train will stand for their ride into NYC. A bad day can be when the train is running fifteen minutes late (or more) or worse, the train is cancelled. No train? No late charge. 


This latest iteration of the On-Time Performance chart, buried in the Holiday release of things to do in NYC via MetroNorth, indicated that on-time performance of the Harlem and New Haven lines was down, with the New Haven line edging slightly beyond the Harlem line with the worst on-time performance. Does it matter that hundreds of people are late for work? Does it matter that there are never any seats available for all? Does it matter that many must stand on the wind-swept platform in inclement weather because there isn’t enough room inside the station? Does it matter that once one train is late, many behind it  are subsequently late? Does it matter that the MTA slapped a tax on small businesses and individuals to pay for their bloated budget? Does it matter that the MTA routinely raises it’s monthly ticket prices regardless of these issues. Resoundingly, NO, only to those affected riders! 


Each year I attend the MTA Board meetings and discuss the above mentioned issues I have with the running of the trains. The meetings had been run by the now-former CEO of the MTA, Jay H. Walder, who has departed his post as of this past October. No great loss to commuters. At these meetings, I usually touch on the fact that I subsidize their poorly run entity as I only take the train three days a week but purchase a monthly ticket. They get to use my money for 7 days, even though I’m not using the train anywhere near that amount. In effect, I’m giving them 4 days of subsidy money with no return of service. And since it’s not enough, they decided to tax us through a payroll tax! I also touch on how we all got indoctrinated into hearing how their delays were due to equipment problems during the colder seasons. Then they started using the same excuse for the warmer seasons. So apparently the trains and related equipment can only run in perfect weather. Yes, of course I’m being sarcastic. The problem is a common one: failed management and a failing infrastructure. Fix the equipment!


 Now we are waiting to see who Governor Cuomo will appoint to the CEO position. Do you think accountability should be a mainstay of keeping this position? I do. I also think “tricked-out” numbers to make the story smell better is disingenuous and should be stopped. I also think they should be giving out credits for every late train or cancelled train to those waiting at the station. I realize most of their expenses may be personnel, their pensions and all the other things we all hear about on the news. How about fixing the infrastructure? How about getting everything working well before trying to add trains to the Tappan Zee Bridge and I-287 fiasco? There's much more to do, but everyone seems content to just wave a magic wand and hope for the best. We can do better.

Trucks Keep Hitting Bridges

Every so often we hear or read about a truck trying to go under a bridge and hitting it and/or getting jammed under it. If hitting a bridge isn’t bad enough, the ensuing traffic jams danger to the public and fiascos make the situation untenable. The local newspapers write about it, occasionally it’ll appear on TV and radio and the pictures from cell phones wind up appearing on You Tube in short order. I understand that accidents happen. I also understand what it’s like to rely on a GPS instruction - the common reason for the mishap. I do draw the line with GPS units at disobeying one way street signs, going onto railroad tracks and so on.

The answer seems to be elusive to all those experts whom we repeatedly see quoted in articles about the accident. How is this if they are the experts? Perhaps they’re just book smart and lack any common sense intelligence. Maybe they should let us come up with ideas for solving this. And if they adopt our solutions, they return a percentage of their salary for inefficiency.

Last year, 33 trucks drove into bridges on Westchester parkways patrolled by county police; in 2009 it was 54. In 2008 it was 46. There have been 39 he bridge crashes so far this year, 30 of them on the Hutchinson River Parkway, sometimes tying up traffic for hours as cops from several agencies scramble to the scene. A bridge inspector and often a tow truck are called out, costing truckers sometimes more than $100,000 when repairs and lost cargo are added in, officials say. The boxes on tractor-trailer rigs can stand more than 13 feet high, while some of the bridges have clearances barely above 9 feet. This is an issue for emergency vehicles as well. But most of their operators are familiar with the bridges in their communities and have alternate routes they utilize when responding.

Sgt. Ira Promisel, of the New York State Police, one of the good guys, says a task force has been studying the problem for two years and trying out ideas. There’s an obvious waste of time - why fix it when we can talk about it? The task force is comprised of DOT, state police, and Westchester County officials, among others. They’ve tried reflective stickers on bridges in the Bronx, which didn’t work. Stickers. Really? The task force is about to try a device called “The Wizard” near the King Street Bridge. It constantly sends out a message to CB channels that bridges on the Hutch are too low for trucks. Not every solution needs to be a high tech one.

Here’s a simple solution, build an opening on the entrances that a truck might have access to to match the lowest bridge on the roadway. That way, as they try to enter the roadway, they hit the representative structure, set with a notification system to the appropriate police response agency, stop, and get to remove their vehicle without screwing up traffic on the highway/parkways. Most importantly, they haven’t hit and wedged themselves under the bridge, damaged the bridge, other vehicles or hurt anyone. Simple. If you want to argue the cost, we’ve already spent $3.3 million dollars dealing with last years accidents and there’s no reduction in sight.

Being a leader means stepping out of your comfort zone - or, in this case, off the curb. Propose some common-sense solutions to a reoccurring problem and make a difference in a positive way. The truck drivers, insurance companies, responders, motoring public will all appreciate what you do: providing real solutions to real problems.

Tappan Zee Politics As Usual

Many have repeatedly called for a new Tappan Zee Bridge to be built, replacing the existing one. Proponents use the Chicken Little mantra of, “The bridge is falling, the bridge is falling!” And while the bridge certainly needs repairs and maintenance, it getting replaced anytime soon is probably a fantasy on their part. I agree that something needs to be done but am not convinced based on the latest public information session in Tarrytown that we are getting the best solutions.

President Obama made it easier for our cash strapped state by saying the feds would ease federal regulations to expedite the building of the bridge. That’s all well and good if he were paying for it. But guess what? We’re going to pay for it. And pay handsomely I might add. Now that Governor/Presidential candidate Cuomo has entered the fray, saying there will be no mass transit component, it seems that we will be lucky to simply replace what’s already there. I can almost live with that.

While I don’t have that much of an issue trying to incorporate a mass transit element into the project, the lack of coordination with the communities, state and federal governments is disturbing. I’ve always maintained that at the least we should repair the bridge. Given the clamor for mass transit, I feel we’re being shortchanged with the bus system solution. Having a bus system that goes from Suffern to Port Chester may be nice to have but no one has presented a comprehensive plan as to why we need that. Oh sure, the proponents say it will relieve traffic. Prove it - I'm not convinced. Everything they say is based on a supposed increase in traffic. But that also ties in with an increase in residences. What if we stopped developing every bit of green and open space we have? If we don’t build more homes and preserve our green space, maybe our traffic woes won’t be as bad the doomsayers are predicting.

They say more people will take advantage of the mass transit option, keeping cars off the road. If most of those people can still afford to pay the taxes to live here, they’ll have to take the bus because they won’t be able to afford to own a car. With the President’s lack of an energy policy for America seemingly to be “pay more at the pumps”, many won’t be able to afford a car (or two) or afford the gas. What makes you think you’ll be able to afford the toll on the Tappan Zee Bridge? Almost all mass transit/public transportation is a money loser. It’s why the Metropolitan Transportation Agency (MTA) raises its fairs every year. In Rob Astorino’s first budget, he cut the Express Bus service to NYC. If we can’t sustain a known bus route system that is working, is this the model we want to follow? I don’t think so.

The bus system will have a bus running every five minutes. That’s an incredible number of buses. What happens when the powers that be realize that no one is riding the 12:30 AM bus with regularity? They’ll probably have to cancel it because they cannot afford to run an empty bus. It’s exactly the reason the Express Bus to NYC works. There are more during rush hour and fewer during the other times. Every five minutes may be unrealistic even though it sounds necessary. But regardless how many are running, they are cumbersome to turn, slow in traffic (even slowing it), additional pollutants and finally, adding to the already existing heavy traffic which we all suffer from.

The bus pick-up and drop-off points have been mapped out along Rt 119. But parking spaces for your car so you can take the buses do not exist. In Tarrytown and Elmsford, they will be using eminent domain to acquire the property they desire for the bus route lanes. Is this what most people want? I haven’t heard from anyone who liked that idea once they were told about it. The idea of a monorail system, while more environmentally viable would allow cars smaller than train cars & more customizable to ridership. Regardless it doesn’t provide an answer to the question, will it be profitable? ABG doesn’t believe any solution will break-even, let alone be profitable based on the past performance of mass transit.

But until funding for any of this can be offered and the public buys into it, lets draw up plans that will allow a bridge that can handle some growth in the future for automotive traffic and even a public transportation option. The proponents of existing plans haven’ received some resistance or opposition. The dog and pony shows the Tappan Zee Bridge group puts forth is never held at a convenient time for more public participation. Until they change their way of operating, we’ll never have the best ideas or the best plan for the future.

’Tis The Season

The road to Albany is paved with constant tax payer advertising. The art of the press release continues to get refined by the incumbent legislators and the rookie legislators, while not necessarily left in the dust, pale by comparison. There are many local weekly newspapers that exist through advertising as their revenue mainstay as they are otherwise free to the reader. The only daily newspaper in the area is looking for a new office while they’ve jettisoned staff, assets and finally their building. The staff that is left must take one week off before the end of the year with no pay just to hold onto their jobs. It’s ironic how they have always (and continue) to endorse the liberal agenda, report on how great the President is doing for our country and that there’s no recession. They are finally able to experience first hand the affects of their endorsements. Touché.


In the areas best opinion weekly, the Westchester Guardian, they printed the obligatory press release, this time from George Latimer, entitled “On The Road: The I-287 Project”. Their editor places value in these press releases, having previously told me that these are how they inform the constituents of the progress they are making on their behalf in Albany. That remains to be seen. It sometimes seems like self-flatuance to me. I will say from the onset, I like George Latimer. I’ve met with him numerous times and he seems to be a straight-shooter. But, since I don’t reside in his district, he and I each have nothing to lose by being open and honest. 


In this release, he states, “The project has long been burdened by inadequate planning, unqualified design teams, lack of oversight, and a ‘rigid regional’ funding system that made financing even more difficult when compounded with the current economic climate. This project was approved during a different economy and there was wiggle room in the state budget. Now, we unfortunately don’t have the same luxuries and that has cost the taxpayers greatly while 287 has been under construction.”* 


My issue with this press release is that it purports the information from Latimer is accurate when it needs to be challenged. Had this been a real journalistic interview by an unbiased reporter, they might have challenged him on the first sentence. He has been a legislator in Albany for a good many years. To say this project, which was brought to light in an exposé article by the Journal News, has long been burdened by inadequate planning, unqualified design, lack of oversight, etc., smacks of hypocrisy on his part. We elect legislators to go to Albany to represent us. I can’t think of anyone who wants to get ripped off on any project. I'm sure he’s driven on I-287 and wondered as we all do when will it ever be completed? The difference is as a legislator he can easily find out. But he did nothing. He also, along with many other flabbergasted colleagues, never lifted a finger to help the constituencies along the I-287 corridor.


The release continues, “Governor Andrew Cuomo recently implemented a new series of drastic reforms that will bring the cost of the I-287 project under control and move up the often changed end date. The Governor’s changes will significantly alter the way the Department of Transportation does business, making the Department more efficient on projects throughout New York. Once again, he has shown strong leadership in advancing necessary change in the way state government functions.” While I’m sure this flattery will curry favor for Latimer with the governor, this is exactly what I’d have hope for from my assemblyman, not the governor. This press release should have come from the Governor’s office. 


He continues on, “These reforms came as a result of the investigation by Peter Lehrer at the request of the Governor’s Office and will directly address the significant issues that have slowed down the I-287 project and many others across the state. Peter Lehrer is a renowned construction industry expert and also a Mamaroneck resident who most likely has been frustrated by the I-287 project himself.” Nice try George. This may be the case for the state, but if it hadn’t been for the Journal News digging into this story, the state would have blissfully lumbered along without as much as a whimper of a challenge to the practices by those reaping the financial benefits. After the hundreds of millions of dollars wasted, it’s a little too little too late. Where’s the wiggle-room now?


Term limits comes up by many every time elections are near - for good reason. Press releases can be a good informational tool if it’s not abused and wasted. Unfortunately, this one is exactly that. It is a publicity/campaign tool that has outlived its usefulness in its current form. I also just received the Tom Abinanti pre-Christmas mailer, stating all that he has been involved in while in Albany since he beat me in the last election. He claims to be green but then mails this oversized cardboard campaign piece. Here’s a guy who knows how to campaign on the taxpayers dime. Nita Lowey has sent hers as well. The waste, I’m sure justified as informative, does nothing but pollute. I’m sure there isn’t much we can do to stop a lot of junk mail coming every holiday. After all ’tis the season.

Read George Latimer’s entire press release at: 

http://yonkerstribune.typepad.com/files/click-to-read-the-westchester-guardian---december-1-2011-edition-2.pdf

'Company Policy: We are not hiring until Obama is gone'

This story has gone viral and when I saw it, I followed the links to the original story and watched the video that businessman Bill Looman had made. It’s always interesting when someone takes a stand for their principles. I was impressed and thought to reprint this here.

Sign posted in Bill Looman’s truck window.

WACO, Ga. -- A west Georgia business owner is stirring up controversy with signs he posted on his company's trucks, for all to see as the trucks roll up and down roads, highways and interstates:

"New Company Policy: We are not hiring until Obama is gone."

"Can't afford it," explained the employer, Bill Looman, Tuesday evening. "I've got people that I want to hire now, but I just can't afford it. And I don't foresee that I'll be able to afford it unless some things change in D.C."

Looman's company is U.S. Cranes, LLC. He said he put up the signs, and first posted pictures of the signs on his personalFacebook page, six months ago, and he said he received mostly positive reaction from people, "about 20-to-one positive."

But for some reason, one of the photos went viral on the Internet on Monday.

And the reaction has been so intense, pro and con, he's had to have his phones disconnected because of the non-stop calls, and he's had to temporarily shut down his company's website because of all the traffic crashing the system.

Looman made it clear, talking with 11Alive's Jon Shirek, that he is not refusing to hire to make some political point; it's that he doesn't believe he can hire anyone, because of the economy. And he blames the Obama administration.

"The way the economy's running, and the way my business has been hampered by the economy, and the policies of the people in power, I felt that it was necessary to voice my opinion, and predict that I wouldn't be able to do any hiring," he said.

Looman did receive some unexpected attention not long after he put up his signs and Facebook photos. He said someone, and he thinks he knows who it was, reported him to the FBI as a threat to national security. He said the accusation filtered its way through the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and finally the Secret Service. Agents interviewed him.

"The Secret Service left here, they were in a good mood and laughing," Looman said. "I got the feeling they thought it was kind of ridiculous, and a waste of their time."

So Bill Looman is keeping the signs up, and the photos up -- stirring up a lot of debate.

"I just spent 10 years in the Marine Corps protecting the rights of people... the First Amendment, and the Second Amendment and the [rest of the] Bill of Rights," he said. "Lord knows they're calling me at 2 in the morning, all night long, and voicing their opinion. And I respect their right to do that. I'm getting a reaction, a lot of it's negative, now. But a lot of people are waking up."

A New Westchester

I found myself disagreeing with some of County Executive Astorino’s last budget, and specifically what he was trying to do with the Department of Emergency Services (DES) and the Department of Public Safety, formerly known as the County Police, and publicly spoke against it. I did, however, try to reach out to people around the County Executive for either a sit-down or at least a phone conference regarding where he was making a mistake, why and how I believed it could be corrected. But, those players never got back to me and I can only assume that they didn’t approach the County Executive on my behalf. Better to say nothing than to stick your neck out. Subsequently, I am being shunned by the Westchester Republican party. Ah, politics in Westchester.


As a former County Legislative candidate for the 8th District, I, along with others, had asked Astorino and others to have the Republican candidates run as a Team, showing the voters that there is a group of qualified, capable and willing Team of Republicans who will attack the spending and taxing problem in Westchester County. I was told that it wouldn’t be practical. Ironically, after Rob won, he couldn’t get much accomplished because the Democrats held the supermajority in the legislature. Maybe I was correct.


This election holds a bit of hope for the Republicans and in particular the County Executive. I'm not sure if he’ll get much completed as the Democrats are still in the majority, although there seems to be more of a chance now that several Republicans have appeared to win their legislative races. I want to see more of a balance in the legislature. More balance will bring a wider variety of ideas, solutions, compromise and level-headed decisions. I’m concerned however because many candidates promised to vote with CE Astorino if elected. We need independent thinkers, as opposed to independence candidates, who will vote the conscience of their constituency, not the partisan line, whether republican, democrat or something else. I believe that is what the voters are hoping for - not blind allegiance to the party.


CE Astorino has proposed this years budget. It appears he is proposing many of the same layoffs he had the last time he proposed the budget. Some of the cuts make more sense than others from this years budget are Departmental cuts: County parks: Down $3 million to $48 million; DSS: Down $16 million to $562 million ($14.5 million reflects a cut in federal stimulus money); Public Safety: Down $1.2 million to $36.4 million; Health: Down $5 million to $160 million. But if DSS is losing grant monies, they are only cutting the county portion by $1.5 million - a proverbial drop in the budget’s bucket.

Other cuts are: $1.9 million to three neighborhood health agencies; $990,000 to Cornell Cooperative Extension; $750,000 to ArtsWestchester; $100,000 to ethnic festivals; $40,000 to "Nutcracker" performance; $30,000 for nighttime movies; $16,000 for Lasdon Park concerts; $10,000 for Battle of the Bands; $7,000 for open gym. These are thousands, not millions and are nice to have but simply a waste. These cuts are symbolic and don't really add up to much.

Specific to the issues of cuts, he has 210 layoffs scheduled for this year. The big question is, “Do we need these people or can we do without them?” If we could live without them, why did we have them in the first place? It was about the same number last year. In fact, the breakdown of layoffs by departments is as follows:

A breakdown of layoffs by department: Human Resources: 1; Budget: 1; Board of Elections: 19; Finance: 1; Information Technology: 7; Law: 2; Planning: 4; Emergency Services: 8; Social Services: 71.


If government should be protecting it’s people, should we be cutting the social services and emergency services as much as we are? Should we be trying to educate the recipients of social services benefits to eventually be self-sufficient? Of course we should. Should we be consolidating two very different departments just because they fall under the moniker of emergency responders? Of course not! As a solution to our over-taxation in Westchester, it’s time for our elected officials to start thinking differently, acting differently and accomplishing more for us.


Most politicos realize it’s easier to just raise taxes, ignore the waste, deception, and phony largess, maybe the politicians should overall what we do run and give away. Reduce duplication where applicable (my only complaint with last years budget), reduce waste and streamline many of the processes that become self-serving and simply, expensive. Let’s hope the County Executive makes some progress this time around and maybe we can have a new Westchester!

November Elections - Who’s Line Is It Anyway?

In less than two weeks, the November elections will soon be upon us. Deflection from real issues is ramping up, although in the Town of Greenburgh, Supervisor Paul Feiner is leading the race. Everywhere you turn, some challenger is wielding accusations toward the incumbent. And, likewise, somewhere an incumbent is trying to defend their record, claiming their experience is what will guide us through these difficult times.

In Saturday’s Journal News, the wrestling of who’s campaign literature is right between incumbent John Nonna and challenger Michael Smith, shows the despondency as well as ludicrous barbs from two people who want to represent us. They aren’t in our district so none of the ABG staff will be voting for them anyway. I like Michael Smith but I think John Nonna has done some good, as well as not-so-good things, as the incumbent. Whom should we believe? Once the defecation starts to hit the ventilation, it’s hard to know.

In Yonkers, the city where nothing is on the level - they continue to make Tammany Hall look like a Friars Roast with the accusations. John Murtagh is hammering Mike “Republican-turn(coat)ed-Democrat” Spano, who took a two year sabbatical from politics to work for the real capo, Nick Spano, as a lobbyist in Albany. “Lay low for a bit, Mikey.” He’s being pushed by Murtagh to explain his role in the bribery scandal involving Attorney Anthony Mangone, then Yonkers Councilwoman Sandy Annabi and former Yonkers Republican Chairman Zehy Jereis. Mangone has since been convicted. BTW, if Annabi sticks out her chest, flips her long dark hair and flashes her infectious smile, she might walk. Unfortunately, Jereis can do the same things but it won’t have the same results. To add insult to injury, Jereis’ wife is a member of the Assemblyman’s staff. Ouch!

In the Sunday Journal News, the never-ending left of left Editorial Board has made their County Legislative endorsements. With no surprises whatsoever, they have endorsed, wait for it, the current crop of democratic legislators, throwing Republican John Testa the token republican endorsement - wow! What renegades they are! This Board wouldn’t recognize a good challenger if the opponent quit, the challenger saved Barak’s life, found employment for the 18% unemployed in America and balanced the budget while providing free health care to every American. This means the challengers have a very good shot at winning.

The League of Liberal Voters, aka League of Women Voters has put out their election diatribe detailing all the candidates for the elections throughout our region. The problem with it is the slant. Upon close scrutiny, you’ll notice some slights against the challengers, who happen to usually be Republicans. Plus, by the time the challengers find out they must have their blurb in for publication, it’s almost too late and theirs is not as polished as the incumbents submission.

News 12, a formerly decent broadcaster of news has “slicked-up” their candidate debates down to about five minutes per candidate, offering you no real insight to the candidates. It also offers no real insight to the hope and change we were promised, long for and are disappointingly still not getting from any of our elected leaders. You can watch these debates over and over again and still wonder if any real questions and answers will be forthcoming or if it would have been more informative to watch an old episode of Who’s Line Is It Anyway?

They Don’t Hold Telethons

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, certainly a worthy cause that seems to touch us all at some point. With me, it was last year when my mother contracted breast cancer. Thankfully, she’s a survivor, no doubt because of the strides made with this killer disease. It’s easy for so many like our family to be “on board” in the fight against breast cancer.

There are other great charities doing terrific work, some are “under the radar” and some are not. I've only picked three to touch on while there are many. The first is the Salvation Army (www.salvationarmyusa.org). They don’t do anything as “noble” as look for cures for cancer, but their value is in the day-to-day lives that they affect. We’re all familiar with the yearly Christmas bell-ringers and their red buckets collecting change as you enter or exit a store. The bell pierces the chilled atmosphere yearly, signaling the official start of the Christmas season. I always donate to many of them, as I know what the benefit of my $10 or $5 will do.

The main reason I like the Salvation Army, was developed years ago as a rookie firefighter. Back in my early days, we actually had a lot of real, “working” fires. And at most working fires the Salvation Army’s signature red truck would roll up to the scene and offer coffee and donuts or juice and a sandwich to anyone there. They didn’t ask who you were, which was pretty obvious for the firefighters and cops, but civilians and victims were welcome too. Somebody simply passing by could stop and ask for a coffee and they'd get it! They just served. And when they ran out, they got more. Most importantly, they never asked for anything from anyone. That left an indelible impression on me and became my defacto charity for years. Then I found out that most of the money donated to them is used for the needy, not administration. I felt even more positive about my choice. Ironically an employee I knew from the United Way told me most of my donations to them went toward administrative resources. That ended that relationship.

My next important charity is the Just Imagine Making Miracles Yours (J.I.M.M.Y.) Foundation (www.justimaginemakingmiraclesyours.org). A number of years ago I was told through the fire network in Westchester that there was a boy from Somers who needed blood transfusions to help him battle a brain tumor. The Katonah Fire Department was sponsoring the blood drive for the firefighter’s son. I called the firefighter and asked if I could help by advertising this event with a story. At the time, I wrote for an online publication and could write about whatever I chose. I followed this story closely for several years until their young son succumbed to the tumor at the age of six.

Most people wanted to help. Most of us volunteer as firefighters and EMS to help people. Some people were able to donate time toward helping the family directly. Some didn’t know what to do. Others, also not knowing what to do, but knowing how expensive treatments were, donated money. After their son, Jimmy, died, the family took the unspent donations and started the Just Imagine Making Miracles Yours Foundation to help sick, terminally ill children and their families. With little fanfare, this small organization raises money all year long, only to turn around and donate it to families who struggle with bills and expenses while they are trying to help cure their kids. Some times, there is no cure and their child dies. The burden a family struggles with is why they do what they do – the group that runs the J.I.M.M.Y. Foundation has been there and tries to offer a bit of stress relief whenever possible. All money donated to them is used for helping sick kids and their families.

My other favorite is Toys For Tots (www.toysfortots.org). Enormously successful, they started out small and have grown beyond just the holiday season. In fact, they accept new, unwrapped toys for kids all year now. When they started it was simply to supply toys to needy kids for Christmas. Now they do the same thing but their network of volunteers and agencies that help them has grown exponentially. But don’t think that just because they got bigger they are not deserving of your help. They are.

My point of all this is not to ignore or shun one charity for another. They are all worthwhile. But look around a bit and you’ll see some pretty amazing people doing some amazing things to help others right in your own backyard. They don’t hold telethons, the stars don’t come out or pledge their help, and yet they just keep moving the equation forward. Sadly, amidst all the tragedy, there are scammers hoping to hijack your money, not concerned with the fact that a parent couldn’t pay the rent or the electric bill so they could pay for another treatment for their child. Maybe the J.I.M.M.Y. Foundation will cover it. Maybe someone else or some other group will. That’s why these smaller, lesser-known organizations need our help. They get it done while the big guys are busy getting publicity.

The red buckets and the bell ringers will soon be doing their thing, once again signaling the start of another holiday season. Many people are suffering because of the economy, their own doing or something beyond their control. Whether through an agency such as the J.I.M.M.Y. Foundation, or just a simple act of kindness, they deserve our help. Look around and see what you can do.

A Neighborhood of Dependency or Learning?

The French American School purchased 128 acres in White Plains to consolidate their campuses. Many thought it was a win-win for the school and the community as it would preserve much of the open space that was once the golf course of the Ridgeway Country Club. And yet, residents near Gedney Farms see it another way and are lobbying to prevent the school from making Ridgeway their new home. In a recent debate for the County Legislative 5th District’s seat, the topic came up. The three candidates danced around the issue without giving a firm answer. Aren’t you tired of politicians playing it safe and not giving answers? I know I am.

Terrence Guerriere, a real estate attorney and President of the Gedney Farms Association, recently voiced his concerns on a local radio show. Gedney Farms has about 1,400 residents who have enjoyed a relative quiet lifestyle due to their proximity to the golf course. Residents believe that 1,200 students, teachers, and administrators coming into their neighborhoods Monday through Fridays would change the character of their peaceful neighborhood. Really? In Fulton Park, which has seen homeless, ex-convicts and drug users dumped in our neighborhood for years. We’d love a school. I guess it’s all about perspective.

A more salient issue is that the former country club paid about $300,000 in property taxes to White Plains, and a tax-exempt school would not, causing White Plains residents to bear an even larger tax burden. The school would require infrastructure changes to sewers and roads and could increase the risk of flooding as much of the property is located on wetlands. Having just been flooded out myself (8ft of water in my basement), the infrastructure proposals are probably inadequate. The school would require an increase in services for sanitation, police and firemen. I disagree. There is only the need for police and fire if there is a crime and/or fire. The staffing of both are adequate to address anything that might happen at the school or its property. Sanitation would be provided for by a private carting service.

The French American School submitted plans for a $60 million, four-building complex to the city of White Plains this past May. If approved, they’d be consolidating three separate locations from Larchmont, Mamaroneck and Scarsdale into one, allowing K through 12th grade to all be in one location. Aren’t all our politicians clamoring for consolidation, whether it is viable or not? Here’s a start.

According to the school, “plans for the property would preserve over 60 acres of the site as permanent and publicly accessible open space; restore and enhance the natural conditions of the site; and improve the existing stormwater and drainage conditions of the property.  Less than five percent of the site will be covered by impervious surfaces.” However skeptical neighbors wonder who will bear the cost to maintain the 60 acres of open space and wetlands. There is nothing mentioned regarding increasing the ability of the infrastructure outside the property to be able to handle the additional drainage from the site. This is one of the most focused upon issue in our flooded neighborhood.

If not a school, what would Guerriere prefer to see on the site? “A golf course,” he replied. He claims that the White Plains Comprehensive Plan said that the best use of the property is a golf course, and if not, there should be single-family homes. According to Guerriere, the area is zoned for ¾ acre lots and since much of the property is wetlands only 30 homes could be built on the 128 acres. While I appreciate his position and want to agree, White Plains passed on the purchase of the land when they had the opportunity. I would be happy it’s a school moving in and not more subsidized housing? School is only open from 8AM to 3PM, and maybe 6-ish with extracurricular activities. Between holidays, summers off, and limited hours, its not a bad option considering what they could get.

In my town, Supervisor Paul Feiner has created neighborhoods of dependency and guaranteed votes at reelection time by committing lower social-econmic people to his largesse, while the rest of us must fund it! When a forty-eight unit subsidized housing unit was proposed for our neighborhood, Paul Feiner went  pedal-to-the-metal to make it happen. No neighborhood wants this. We would have gladly taken a school.

For now, the White Plains Common Council has imposed a moratorium on the development of open space and plans to extend it beyond the October 3rd expiration date. That's a smart direction to pursue. The extension would give the city more time to study land-use laws for four golf courses, the Hutchinson River Parkway Reservation and the Mamaroneck River East Branch. Again, really? They should have gone through all of this before the FASNY property purchase or told them they would be stopped early on. In the meantime, the Council did vote to move forward with an environmental review of the French American School’s proposed project. That’s a positive sign for FASNY but still doesn’t adequately address the neighbors concerns. Maybe there’ll be a politician with an opinion and will actually take a stand on this. It should be interesting to see how it plays out.

Reduce or Eliminate Taxes For Flood Victims

I was surfing for some firematic and flood articles and came across an interesting tidbit out of Albany. It reminds me of the comment Fulton Park Civic Association President Maria Gomez, made at the last Greenburgh Town Board meeting. In response to the ludicrous suggestion by Paul Feiner that maybe FEMA would purchase homes in the flood zone, she told the Board if they really wanted to help the victims of the flooding, lower their taxes! Well, along those same lines, a new legislative bill would exempt New York flood victims from state sales tax for their moving expenses and for purchases that replace clothing, appliances and other items.

The proposal by two upstate lawmakers — Assemblyman James Tedisco and Sen. Hugh Farley — would cover the sales tax on storage, furniture and other purchases large and small necessitated by the flooding damage caused by from tropical storms Irene and Lee. Why aren’t any of our local lawmakers, otherwise normally whores for publicity, offering the same type of relief?

Flood victims would be reimbursed for disaster purchases through a tax credit as long as they have receipts.

The bill could be taken up in January or earlier if the Legislature calls a special session this fall. Let’s hope the politicians can put the partisanship aside and unite for the victims.

The Behavior of Both Sides Stinks!

As a registered Republican, I voted for County Executive Rob Astorino. During the same election period, I ran for County Legislator and lost. While disappointed, I’m not bitter. However, there does seem to be bitterness between the parties that may or may not simply be partisanship at its worst. I’m almost glad I’m not there. Regardless, I’m disheartened with the behavior of both sides – it just stinks! To be clear, I won’t give a pass to any politician’s behavior merely because of party affiliation.

The County Legislators recently voted to override the County Executive’s veto to move forward with the repairs necessary to preserve the home owned by soldier Elijah Miller, host to General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. The building is located on Virginia Road in North White Plains, and also has plans to move it nearer the Kensico Dam. It is surrounded by commercial properties and lacks easy access and parking. While I am emotionally against changing its location for historic reasons, intelligent thought warrants it. I vaguely remember visiting this treasure on a field trip as a grammar school student. Back in the day, I couldn’t appreciate the significance of it. I recall thinking something to the effect that this was a trip away from school and we get to look at more old stuff. Old stuff indeed!

The overwhelming and most troubling part of this entire debacle is the point that this historic landmark has been owned and neglected by the County long before Astorino replaced Andy Spano as County Executive. Why wasn’t this mostly-the-same legislature not maintaining this landmark all along? It appears the responsibility and onus is not only Astorino’s, but the legislature's as well.

Astorino stated in his veto message, “Under the County Charter, the sole authority for the direction of a Commissioner is vested in the County Executive, and so the Act is a nullity since it goes beyond the powers conferred to your honorable board.” Well, there you go: the official answer as to why we will let a historic portion of our heritage in Westchester County rot before our eyes. Voting along with Astorino, but for different reasons was Democrat Mike “Tax-Hike” Kaplowitz of Somers, who supported the project but didn’t feel the economic times were right for the County to pick up the tab, saying, “I thought we should have had more of a group that would have helped offset some of the cost.” C’mon, Mike. If you support it, and the money has been appropriated, then just fix it. You’re trying to play both sides and not show any backbone when pressed later. Why haven’t you been leading the initiative to have a private/public confluence that can help offset the costs? Probably because that would mean actually doing something and we can’t have that, can we?

The legislature is playing games by ignoring an issue that never should have gotten to this point - had they been doing their due-diligence. Astorino apparently prefers to stand on principle rather than doing the right thing. They are both wrong! Astorino has told the two commissioners involved to put together a cost projection and time schedule to move the house. Prioritization is what’s missing here. There are two issues involved with the home and they don’t necessarily go hand in hand. The first is repairing the house; the second is moving the house.

During each campaign every candidate says how they will cross the isle to work with their colleagues from other parties and they can mend fences or have a knack of turning people from one position to another. It’s all campaign bull! This latest tug of war is proof. Fix the building and play the games later. 

Indian Point or Dealing From the Bottom of the Deck

Everyone, especially our politicians in Westchester seem to be jumping on the ‘close Indian Point’ bandwagon. Why? Probably because they know one of two things, although there certainly may be more. First, it has picked up steam (no pun intended) and seems to be the publicity-crazed cause celeb, providing unlimited exposure for all politicians. Two, not dissimilar to Paul Feiner's political strategy, they have no control over it, no real input about it and know nothing will happen for years, giving them unfettered amounts of publicity with no jeopardy to themselves. It’s a win-win for them.

In the recent Westchester Guardian, Abby Luby, a known opponent of Indian Point and nuclear energy in general, tells that, “The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has never rejected a single application tendered by any utility company seeking to keep their reactors online.” Could it simply be because the stringent measures that are routinely followed by these agencies mandating compliance to all rules and regulations, allows the NRC to not find cause to shut them down?

She states that, “A new generation of legal warriors with scheduled appeals and hotly debated contentions, have slowed some relicensing procedures to a global pace.” If I’m interpreting this correctly, she’s more concerned with stopping the plants relicensing than having an honest dialog, seeking real answers to her valid questions. This reminds me of the environmentalists who went after  the manufacturers throughout New York State, complaining about their polluting of our rivers, streams, air, soil, etc. Let me be clear, I am just as concerned as they are about pollution. But by not having open and honest discussions, the consequences forced manufacturing out of New York, taking New York jobs with them! Are they doing the same thing with Indian Point and our power supply? It certainly seems possible. But we won’t know for years to come.

The environmentalists may be able to hold their fists in the air claiming victory, but are they really victorious? Lets see. They closed down the plant in YourTown, NY. The plant moved to China, as well as the job you or your next door neighbor held. Now that they’re gone, they are no longer polluting the nearby river and earth. Well, that’s good, isn’t it? Well, now that they’re in China, they’re polluting the Chinese water and soil. Surely, that’s bad? We all know that the regulations against pollution in China are less than what we have here in the US. The enforcement of the pollution standards in China are also less stringent. Let’s not forget the other countries such as Korea, India, Taiwan and such. So, if they hadn’t been so adamant about chasing the factories from here, and had open and honest dialog - working with them, we might have been able to better control the safety of our environment by more closely monitoring them for environmental conformity and helped keep jobs here, in New York. Can everybody work in medicine, public schools and for the state? No, of course not, but they can work at Sam’s Club, Walgreens or CVS for minimum wage.

The environmental extremists site the Fukushima reactor issue and say Indian Point is just as capable to have a serious accident. If they hadn’t made it so difficult for nuclear energy development for all these years by creating lawsuits and injunctions, perhaps we could have kept pace with France, who gets 80% of it’s power from safe nuclear energy and has a nuclear recycling program to deal with their spent fuel rods. But they’re not interested in dialog, just winning at whatever the cost!

Don’t misinterpret this post as being anti-environmental or pro-nuclear. What I’d like to see is discussion that is honest and not one-sided. I attended the “forum” Paul Feiner held, at tax-payer expense, that was nothing more than a close Indian Point rally. Why wouldn’t he try to rationally and intelligently inform the taxpayers and others of Greenburgh by presenting both sides of the coin, allowing for a pro or con decision to be made by the electorate? Probably because he’s a coward and afraid to do the right thing. It’s easier to pander to a sympathetic anti-nuke crowd, just as Abby Luby does.

Court Upholds Astorino’s Decision To End Money-Losing Contract

In an important victory for the Astorino administration, a state Supreme Court judge has upheld the county executive’s decision last year – over the objections of the Democratic majority on the Board of Legislators – to end a money-losing contract with New York State to administer the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.

Acting State Supreme Court Justice James W. Hubert threw out the lawsuit brought by the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) on behalf of 38 employees who lost their jobs when the contract was terminated at the end of last year.

In October of 2010, the county gave the state the required 60 day notice to terminate its contract to administer Section 8 vouchers for low-income individuals and families because it was losing $500,000 a year on the deal. At the time, Westchester was one of only four counties with such contracts with the state.

The judge ruled that the county executive had the right to end the contract and that the Board of Legislators could not restore the jobs of the 38 employees assigned to the program because it had failed to appropriate any money for their return.

Administering the Section 8 program cost the county $4.5 million a year, of which $4 million was reimbursed, leaving the county with a $500,000 loss. Since terminating the contract, the county has turned that loss into a gain because it is now leasing space to the state’s new administrator of the program. The deal will pay the county just over $1 million over the next five years.

Astorino said the net benefit to the taxpayers would have been more had the Board of Legislators followed his lead. Because the Board of Legislators took the side of the union in the case, the County Attorney had to recuse himself. This forced the county executive to hire outside legal counsel at a cost of about $55,000.

Following the termination of the Section 8 contract with the county, the state contracted with CVR Associates to administer the program. CVR is a national company certified by the U.S. General Services Administration to manage affordable housing programs, including housing choice voucher programs. Its clients include the Chicago Housing Authority and the Boston Housing Authority, among many others.

By leasing space to the state for the Section 8 program, Westchester County will get $1.1 million over the course of the five-year deal. Under the terms of the five-year-lease, the county will receive about $237,000 a year in rental income for almost 9,300 square feet of space at its building at 112. E. Post Road, White Plains.

In addition to the state’s Section 8 program now run by CVR, 13 local municipalities and public housing authorities across Westchester run their own Section 8 programs. Those agencies contract directly with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Portions of this article came from the County's website.

Sunnydale Farms & Village Café Closes - Leaves Gap in Community

In 1973, Nirmal Singh and Jogi Singh (not related) opened Sunnydale Farms at 721 Saw Mill River Road, in Ardsley. Sunnydale Farms would later expand and encompass the Village Café and has been open every day for the last thirty years. This is a remarkable feat given most businesses fail in the first five years. Their longtime employee, David McCleary, started working for them in high school and has been at the restaurant since.

The Singhs have closed both locations and the future of this shopping strip mall includes putting in a Vietnamese restaurant and a Citibank branch. Apparently, there are not enough banks, drug stores, high price restaurants in our area. The landscape of Westchester, and for that matter, New York and the nation, is slowly changing into big corporations, eroding the small-town feel of Ardsley, and ultimately every Village and Town. Shopping locally is becoming more and more difficult to do.

ABG doesn't believe more large chains stores such as CVS’, Walgreens, Rite Aids, Sam’s Clubs, Chase, Citibank and others, necessarily helps a village have that hometown feel. We do need grocery stores, hardware stores, stationery stores, bakeries, auto repair shops, local drug stores, opticians and other types of small businesses in our communities. We need them because these are the people who own and the run the businesses and support and finance our communities. Otherwise, while it may not hurt to have the chain-stores in our communities, an executive at their corporate headquarters making decisions on how to run an Ardsley store can't be good. In the end, the Village Café was a part of the fabric of Ardsley and ultimately, Westchester County.  “The community loved us and welcomed us," Jogi said. "It was an honor and a privilege for us. We are thankful to everybody.”

We wish them the best of luck and hope they are able to relocate within Ardsley. They’ll be missed.

Welcome to the United States of Communism

I've been listening to the Obama debt crisis and how everybody else is at fault. Yet during this whole thing, some interesting commentaries came up from sources I typically don't participate with. There was a talk show out of Canada that I tuned into last night on AM radio - a shocker to be sure, and their discussion was well under way. Since it was about 2 AM and the lights were out, I don't know what station it was or who it was doing the talking. 

But what I did manage to remember was their topic was about the book The Naked Communist by W. Cleon Skousen. The host and some listeners were comparing our President, the debt crisis and our society in America to what it once was, what it is and what it looks to become. They specifically said the communist influence has been slow and steady from the inside and Americans need to wake up before they lose all their freedoms to the state. I guess they haven't been in New York lately.

They discussed the goals of the Communists and how they wish to alter America and move from democracy to  communism. After reading these points, which I was stunned by, I can see the change that's taken place during my lifetime. Maybe you can see them too? Read this list and then decide.

[From "The Naked Communist," by Cleon Skousen]

CURRENT COMMUNIST GOALS

1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament [by] the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev’s promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers’ associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

18. Gain control of all student newspapers.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to “eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms.”

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. “Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art.”

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them “censorship” and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as “normal, natural, healthy.”

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with “social” religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a “religious crutch.”

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of “separation of church and state.”

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the “common man.”

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the “big picture.” Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture–education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand [or treat].

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.
42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use ["]united force["] to solve economic, political or social problems.

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction [over domestic problems. Give the World Court jurisdiction] over nations and individuals alike.

Taxed Enough Already? There Might Be Hope

There’s a resurgence underway. I attended a Taxed Enough Already (TEA) meeting in White Plains this past Saturday. It was attended, if you will, over-attended, by about 150 people of various ages, political affiliation and income. The theme was a common one of dissatisfaction with the political climate in Westchester, New York and the nation. What stood out more was the desire by those in attendance to expect and receive more honesty and responsiveness from our governmental officials. 

I've attended several TEA meetings in the past and even spoken at one or two as a candidate. Each time was impressive as the people participating were hungry for positive change with our representation. It's unfortunate that the same media, hungry for access and the “big scoop”, have abrogated their responsibility to society, woefully abandoning our need for them to scrutinize government and its leaders actions and inactions. They only seem interested when they find some sexual escapade that they can feature on the six o'clock news.

The TEA people did not appear to be kooks or wackos as they've repeatedly been portrayed by the lamestream media, hoping to discredit them. Their speakers were impressive and the main, featured speaker was TEA Party member, newly elected NYS Assemblyman Steve Katz. He spoke with passion for about twenty minutes to a half hour, highlighting some (?) of the dysfunction in Albany and what he and others are trying to do to counter it. In the end, this is the type of representative I want in Albany and Washington. 

One legislative candidate’s representative got up to speak and said that ‘his’ candidate, when elected, will vote with County Executive Rob Astorino, breaking the stranglehold we see in the County Legislature. A man sitting at the table opposite me said that wasn’t what he wanted in a candidate, regardless of party affiliation. He wants a candidate, ultimately an elected official, who would scrutinize the pending issue and positions from both sides and vote appropriately on its merit, not party line. We don’t need a continuation or worsening of the same partisan politics. We need elected officials with backbone and the ability to do the right thing, not the comfortable or expedient thing. I know the candidate whom we were told will vote with Astorino and will be calling the candidate directly to discuss this issue. I’ll see how it goes and hope this was just a miscommunication. I too, want more from our representatives than partisanship.

There were several candidates at the meeting. Most notably was Mark Rosen, who is planning again to run against Nita Lowey for Congress. You may recall that Rosen was in the race in the last campaign but withdrew when he was recalled for duty to Afghanistan. Recently returned, he has been picking up his pace to get back into the political fray. You may also recall the Republicans then endorsed Paul Wasserman, a newly converted Democrat to Republican until he dropped out for personal reasons. Finally, stalwart candidate Jim Russell begrudgingly received the Republican nod only to implode when his earlier writings were exposed by the same people who sued the County over the Housing Desegregation. 

The Republican and Democratic parties both seem locked in a pathetic partisan game of one-upmanship, disappointingly abandoning and alienating more and more voters. It’s why many don't even bother to vote any more. The Conservative Party is no longer endorsing conservative candidates and the Independence Party leader is literally working for the Democrats, subsequently handing out Independence Party endorsements to only the democratic candidates! It’s absurd and not showing signs of improving. Where’s all this hope and change we kept hearing about? Where are the promises made during the last election? Maybe it’s with more TEA endorsed candidates. Let’s hope!