HUD Practices Its Own Discrimination

Schoolyard bullies pick on other kids. We recognize that as adults in the workplace the same thing happens. Still, we teach that bullying is wrong and try to discourage it. Why? Well, of course we recognize because its wrong and someone should stand up for the little guy, yet it goes on and on at all levels. On the schoolyard playground, it teaches you a number of measures to cope with it such as avoidance, fighting, verbal sparring, tolerance and of course humiliation and defeat. Whether it has worked or not is still being learned.

From the playground bully to local, County, State and Federal government, we still see and experience bullying. You can choose to keep your opinions to yourself or you can stand for your principles and be attacked. This time however the attacks go beyond verbal abusivness. Its costing us money as County Executive Rob Astorino has stood up to the HUD "schoolyard bully" by refusing to bow to this new adult version of the bullying.

In 2009 when then-County Executive Andy Spano signed the HUD settlement, agreeing to a number of "easy solutions" designed to get the County "out from under" the HUD debacle. He admitted he said to the County's legal department to, "how can we make this go away?" Being good soldiers, as well as attorneys, they took the easy way out and Spano agreed, signing the settlement. Many Republicans running for office at the time objected, claiming this was nothing more than partisan politics. Whether this exercise was partisan politics or not remains unknown, but now it seems to have become that and the schoolyard fight continues between the little guy, Westchester County, and the "school yard" bully, HUD.

CE Astorino has claimed that we have complied to the stipulations in the contract and are being coerced into doing more at the whims of the HUD monitor. Astorino has been standing up to him on the grounds that the County has complied and is in fact ahead of schedule with the settlement's requirements. Mike Kaplowitz, the County Chairman, is trying to do the usual Democratic end run and find a way to acquiesce to the bully and get back to starting the financial gravy train of HUD's millions of dollars. Why? The legislators all rely on this money for what's called "member items". Member items, conveniently named something innocuous so as to not indicate it is a cash cow the legislators can tap into to bribe various groups into supporting and ultimately voting for them. The County's legislators are losing votes and by gosh this must stop!

While CE Astorino tries to make a name for himself in Westchester with his laid back, Richie Cunningham style, he is succeeding in spite of his opposition by not only lowering taxes, but holding the financial line with no tax increases for each year he has been in office. So much so that his good buddy Republican Chair Ed Cox, son-in-law to former President Richard Nixon, tapped CE Astorino to become the gubernatorial candidate to run against Governor Andrew Cuomo in the upcoming election. There's nothing wrong with having good buddies pushing your career, even though he has no money to effectively run a campaign against Cuomo. But the Republicans will put their best financial foot forward and do what they can. They will also probably tap John Rogers, who the Republicans moved to Albany. Rogers, a great Republican foot soldier, ran Astorino's comeback campaign when he won the County Executive race against Spano.

What does it all mean? The County Legislators continue bickering over what's in it for them, not the constituent. The Democrats sue the County Executive when they don't like something he does. Why wouldn't they all just sit down and formulate a plan? That will probably never happen. Its not because everyone of them are bad people, its just that they all have their own agendas, and it doesn't really include us. They write about the willfully ignorant voters on another site, www.ABetterGreenburgh.blogspot.com where they discuss the illegal actions by the Greenburgh Supervisor and Town Board. But the constituents ignorance must change if we are to get better government.

Vincent Leibell: Guilty Is, As Guilty Wants

Whenever the discussions of criminals getting caught arises, someone always asks the obvious: “How much illegal activity did the perpetrator commit before they got caught?” We’d all like to know, but rarely get that insight.

In the Saturday edition of the Journal News ‘circular’, Mike Risinit’s article discusses the moves, which seem more like contortions, of the now guilty Vincent Leibell. He’s seeking to forego doing his two years of jail time by “offering” to  “serve” his time oversees helping to forge the future of countries now in turmoil, such as Libya and Iraq. Our question is a simple one: how about the turmoil Leibell create here in the Hudson Valley and New York? What can he do about that? Go to jail. Relinquish his state pension, repay the monies lost or stolen and then serve his time in jail such as other disgraced politicos as Eliot Spitzer and Alan Hevesi.

I quote from the Journal News: “Leibell's letter, along with those from his wife, Helen; his mother-in-law; his children; local officials; former Albany colleagues and others are among more than 100 letters submitted to the judge by his lawyer, David L. Lewis. The writers include former Sen. Nicholas Spano of Yonkers, Sen. Steve Saland of Poughkeepsie and Putnam County Clerk Dennis Sant. They are attached to an 84-page document in which Lewis explains why Leibell should serve no jail time.” 

First, I expect his immediate family to plead on his behalf, but wonder about his mother in law’s motivation. Sorry, bad mother-in-law joke. His attorney, David L. Lewis, says that due to Leibell’s age, no prior criminal history, his public service and his need for alcohol treatment, Leibell should not be sentenced to jail.

Second, regardless of his age, he broke the law, which has no statue of limitation on age. Once we caught him, he pled guilty and he needs to pay the price for breaking the law. If average people are convicted of a crime, they should go to jail. We also know that politicians get preferential treatment. Don’t be surprised when his punishment is meted out by the courts, it’s all house arrest with time served, community service, and probation, ultimately avoiding jail time completely. He won’t need to scheme his way out of jail. But, as a self-admitted criminal, it’s all he is used to doing.

Third, his ‘no prior criminal history’ is a joke. Poorly executed crimes by incompetent criminals usually end with their getting caught the first time around. Leibell was a skilled criminal who did not get caught for quite some time. 

Fourth, there is a criminal history, he just didn't get caught for it. His public service and illegal activities during the same period is why he got caught and pled guilty to these crimes.

Fifth, irony intended, he is in need of alcohol treatment. I believe they offer that in prison and being incarcerated is a great way to not have to worry about a relapse. This reminds me of every entertainer who hasn’t gotten any press or publicity, so they announce they were abused as a child.

Sixth, and finally, he pled guilty! He admitted he did what he was charged with. This was a blatant admission once he got caught breaking the law. Rather than have them dig into other activities of his life, and find other illegal or at least questionable dealings, knowing what they’d find, he took everything off the table with his admission of guilt.

In the end, another shamed, guilty politician’s shenanigans were brought out into the open and the cause of his demise. Let his family and friends write all the letters they’d like. Just keep these requests at arms length and give the public justice. There are many politicians and future politicians who are upstanding citizens. These are the people we want to represent us. Good luck, Mr. Leibell.