Yonkers City Councilman JOHN MURTAGH

ANOTHER "BAIL OUT" THIS TIME FOR THE TEACHERS UNION

2010-08-10T18:05:00.002-05:00

During the recent budget negotiations,Yonkers teachers union refused to sacrifice anything to help balance the budget and provide for the children...indeed they let hundreds of their fellow teachers get laid off rather than surrender $16.5 million in raises. As a result, teachers were laid off, programs were canceled, Yonkers municipal swimming programs had to be canceled. Now Congress and the NYS Legislature are about to spend your tax dollars to reward the Union for its refusal to help the children. This is why NY is broke and taxes go up!
http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2010/08/10/lawmakers-may-return-to-albany-take-up-education-jobs-iss

COUNCIL ADOPTS 2010-2011 BUDGET; Unions need to do more

2010-07-15T18:42:00.000-05:00

After three months of often difficult discussions and negotiations, the City Council last night adopted the City's 2010-2011 Budget. Had the Council not adopted this budget, the City was facing the certain prospect of default and municipal bankruptcy within the next two weeks.

Among other things, the council's action was delayed by Albany's own three month delay in adopting a budget as we cannot adopt our budget until we know the levels of State aid we will receive for school and municipal services. The council's vote was also delayed by efforts to come to reasonable agreements with our municipal unions for sacrifices on their part necessary to close the City's budget gap without relying solely on the taxpayers.

While I am happy to report that the Council adopted a balanced budget and the City will avoid default, I must report that the budget includes a 4% property tax increase and an increase of the Income Tax Surcharge from 10 to 15%.

My vote for this budget was not lightly or happily taken. Unfortunately, with sales tax, real estate transfer tax and other revenues the City depends upon down dramatically in the recession, the only other option would have been to cut service levels to a point where the City would not function. As it is, the budget included cuts to every department in City Hall and the Schools, cuts that will, unfortunately be felt by school families, seniors and all citizens.

To most of you the lack of proper sanitation service over the last two weeks has been the most obvious sign of the budget problems.

Please know that the budget which we adopted last night provides the funds necessary to bring back two day a week garbage pick up. It also provides the funds necessary to reopen the firehouse on Warburton Avenue that was closed last week.

Unfortunately, while the Mayor and the Council were willing to provide the money (from you) necessary to restore these services, the Teamsters Union voted last night to reject the proposal.

The rejection was, apparently, based on the decision by the Mayor and Public Works Commissioner to return to two day a week pick up but to also lengthen each individual truck's daily route. Despite the fact that the number and size of routes is clearly a management decision based on your needs, the Union rejected the City's proposal because it would not let the union leadership determine the number and length of routes.

The money, your money, is now there to restore twice a week sanitation and proper fire protection. The ball is now squarely in the Union leadership's court. The Unions now have to step up and make sacrifices like you are making to get us through this recession. Continuing their job action and, frankly, punishing you by their refusal to contribute to solving this crisis must not be an option.

I urge you to reach out to the Union leaders, Edward Doyle, Jr. of Teamsters Local 456 (914) 592-9500 and Jose Caraballo of Firefighters Local 628 (914) 476-1200 and urge them to do right by the citizens and taxpayers of Yonkers.

YONKERS FINEST AND BRAVEST SAVE A LIFE!

2010-03-30T19:42:00.003-05:00

This fellow apparently drove around a barricade to get on the "closed" Bronx River Parkway. Kudos to the Yonkers and County PD and Yonkers Fire Department for a daring and dangerous rescue.

MAYOR TO HOLD BUDGET FORUMS

2010-03-22T20:45:00.001-05:00

The Mayor will hold two town hall budget forums. Monday March 29 at the Will Library and Monday April 5 at the Riverfront. Both forums are from 7:00 to 8:30 pm.

APRIL IS "EARTH MONTH"

2010-03-22T12:17:00.000-05:00

2010 Yonkers Earth Month Events
Presented by the Green Policy Task Force

Week-Long Spring Break Program
March 29, 30, 31, April 1, 2
10 am-4 pm
Fishing the Hudson Eco-Week! Kids ages 10- 14 can spend spring break on the Hudson aboard a 50' fishing vessel with Beczak's educators and Captain Chris of Island Current Charters. Be on the water each day rod-fishing; trawling; learning about the region's rich history and ecology; sailing to the Alpine Boat Basin; hiking the Palisades Park, and learning boat safety and nautical terms. $300 for 5-day program. Call 914-377-1900 ext. 12. Beczak Environmental Education Center, 35 Alexander Street, Yonkers, NY 10701.

Monday, March 29 - Friday, April 2
1-3:30 pm
Hudson River Museum: School's Out, Stars Are In. Creative activities and planetarium shows for students on school break. Tour the environmental gallery, Hudson Riverama, with Junior Docents. Learn about more than 200 species of fish in the Hudson. Craft: Decorate a Japanese windsock.Star show: River Through Time and Ocean of Air, Ocean of Space. Call for details, 914-963-4550.

Wednesday, March 31
9:30 -10:30 am
Yonkers Joint Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour
Ever wonder where it all goes? See how waste water is cleaned and processed. One Fernbrook St., Yonkers, 914-231-2847 (let it ring!) All ages. Call in advance to get directions even if you have GPS.

Thursday, April 1
10 -11:30 am
Lenoir Nature Preserve. See how animals, from insects to deer, use color and camouflage to survive in the wild. Ages 5 and up. Lenoir Preserve, 19 Dudley St., Yonkers. 914-968-5851.

Monday, April 5
9:30-10:30 am
Ever wonder what happens to your recycled garbage? Tour the Westchester County Material Recovery Facility (the MRF) across from Stew Leonard's - Exit 6A off NY Thruway I-87. All ages. 914-813-5441.

Saturday, April 10
9-10 am
Lawn care and maintenance: conventional and organic. Free garden advice. Stew Leonard's in Yonkers, 914-375-4700.

Saturday, April 10
7 pm
Lecture: Did you know that a single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day but are rapidly disappearing from the Hudson River? Learn how vital they are to the ecological well-being of the Hudson River and what is being done to bring them back from the coordinator of 100+ oyster gardens in the Hudson, including one at Beczak. $5. 914-377-1900 ext. 13. Beczak Environmental Education Center, 35 Alexander St., Yonkers.

Sunday, April 11 (Rain Date: Sunday, April 18)
9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Team up with Groundwork Hudson Valley to commit vineocide by murdering invasive vines on the South County Trailway off exit 13 on the Saw Mill River Parkway North at Farragut Ave. (Make an immediate right off the parkway and into the parking lot.) Tools and snacks provided. Call 914-375-2151.

Sunday, April 11
1-1:45 pm
Hudson River Museum Gallery Tour: Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day at Yonkers Hudson River Museum. Tour Hudson Riverama, the Museum's environmental gallery, with Museum educator Deborah Yasinsky. See history, geology, and plant and animal life of the river. 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers. 914-963-4550.

Sunday, April 11
2-3 pm
Hudson River Museum: Performance: Fish Tales by Deborah Weiss Dance Company Culture of the Hudson River through dance, narration, colorful costumes and music. 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers. Call 914-963-4550.

Saturday, April 17
9-10 am
Free organic soil, composts, and mulching class at Stew Leonard's in Yonkers, 914-375-4700.

Saturday, April 17
1 pm
Join Yonkers' Groundwork Hudson Valley Director of River Programs, Ann-Marie Mitroff, at the Irvington Public Library for her information-packed lecture on rain gardening as part of a day-long series of environmental talks. No RSVP required. 12 South Astor St., Irvington, 914-375-2151.

Saturday, April 17
3 pm
Race/Fun Run to Save Whales Bring your family and friends to support the on-going protection of whales and dolphins at this 1K fun run for kids (or adults) or 5 K race, starting at Beczak Center and routing along the waterfront and Yonkers historic district. $5 donation goes to Earth Island Institute and www.savejapandolphins.org. Prizes and medals! Vendors welcome! Entrants can pre-register on line at www.ny4whales.org or call 914-793-9186. In person registration starts at 2 pm. Beczak Environmental Education Center, 35 Alexander St., Yonkers.

Tuesday, April 20
6-9 pm
Attention students and school personnel: Learn about sustainable developments in green business and industry at a sustainability expo hosted by the Children's Environmental Literacy Fund (CELF) in partnership with the Green Schools Coalition of Westchester at PACE University. Information booths, including those of Yonkers' Groundwork Hudson Valley and Yonkers Science Barge will promote inspiring, positive, real-world solutions to global environmental issues. For more information, call 914- 375-2151.

Earth Day: Thursday, April 22
7:30 am sharp
Native American tribal chief and other spiritual leaders gather for the annual Blessing of the Hudson River at Beczak Center's beach. 35 Alexander Street, Yonkers. Call 914-377-1900 ext. 13.

Earth Day: Thursday, April 22
10am-4pm
Riverside High School Earth Day Celebration at Yonkers Riverside High School. Join students, faculty and the Yonkers Green Policy Task Force celebrate Earth Month with environmental PSA's, commercials and podcasts; biology and earth science students planting flowers outside; Synergy Lab students displaying their recycled paper; Auto Cad students projecting their solar paneled building designs; Groundwork Hudson Valley doing vine cutting on Kennedy Blvd. with Riverside students; and more. 565 Warburton Ave., Yonkers. 914-376-8425.

Earth Day: Thursday, April 22
12:54 pm
Watch Groundwork Hudson Valley's Science Barge Director Bob Walters adjust the barge's solar panels to face solar south for maximum energy efficiency in celebration of spring and Earth Day. Timing is exact. Barge is open at Noon. Refreshments provided. Yonkers Pier. Call 914-375- 2151or e-mail bob@groundworkhudsonvalley.org

Friday, April 23
7 -10 pm
Greenies Awards Join us for stroll down the "green" carpet as the Yonkers Green Policy Task Force honors everyday Yonkers citizens who have gone "green" in their daily lives. Fantastic, fun event with hundreds in attendance. Cash bar. Hors D'oeuvres. Park Hill Racquet Club, 2 Glenbrook Ave., Yonkers. 914-377- 6064.

Saturday, April 24
9-10 am
Free pruning class at Stew Leonard's in Yonkers, call 914-375-4700.

Saturday, April 24
9-11 am
Meet at Tibbetts Park in front of the swimming pool bathhouse for a spring migration bird walk with Hudson River Audubon Society President Michael Bochnik. BYOB (Bring your own binoculars.) Wear comfortable shoes. Rain or shine. Ages six to 99. Call 914-237-9331 for directions.

Saturday, April 24
10 am-Noon
Don't let invasive vines kill our trees. Meet the Yonkers Land Conservancy at Rumsey Rd. and Cross County Pkwy. to clip invasive vines with provided shears. Email mommylooloo@hotmail.com

Saturday, April 24
10 am-2 pm
Earth Day at Beczak Center. Join staff and friends in giving back to the earth by caring for Beczak's marsh, beach, and lawn. Snacks and gloves provided. Live music by local bluegrass band "Greetings from Anywhere" at 11am. 35 Alexander St., Yonkers. 914- 377-1900 ext. 13.

Saturday, April 24
12-5 pm
How to Grow the Best Tomato. Come learn what makes tomatoes grow and flourish aboard Groundwork Hudson Valley's Science Barge in Yonkers. Free Brandywine Heirloom tomato plants while supplies last. Also learn how solar, wind, and bioenergies can be integrated together to produce food. Yonkers downtown waterfront. 914-375- 2151.

Sunday, April 25
11 am-1 pm
Join the Yonkers Bike Club, Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins and Yonkers City Council President Chuck Lesnick in cleaning parts of the South County Trailway Bike Path at Tuckahoe Road in preparation for spring walking and biking. Gloves and garbage bags supplied. Then ride the bike path ride to Elmsford. Meet in parking lot at 75 Tuckahoe Rd. in between I-87 and the Saw Mill Pkwy. Email yonkersbikeclub@gmail.com

Sunday, April 25
12-5 pm
Rocket Launches, Telescopic Sky Observations, Star Shows, and Astronomy Activity Labs at Yonkers' Hudson River Museum. 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers. 914-963-4550.

Sunday, April 25
4:15 pm Concert under the direction of Taffy Williams, music director
5:00 pm Mass to Save the Earth Annunciation Church, 470 Westchester Ave., Yonkers. 914-779-7345.

Wednesday, April 28
6:45 pm
Come to the penthouse at 66 Main Street to enjoy wine and snacks in this mega-hip, geothermally- heated luxury loft apartment building in Downtown Yonkers for a private screening of the Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Feature, Food, Inc., an expose on America's industrialized food system. 914- 377-6067.

Friday, April 30
6:45-8:45 pm
Don't miss this acclaimed Oscar winning docuthriller, The Cove, where Flipper meets the Bourne Identity. Winner of Best Documentary in 2009. Come to Sarah Lawrence College's Heimbold Visual Arts Center, 1 Mead Way, Bronxville. Join Yonkers whale and dolphin advocate Taffy Williams for a wine and cheese Q&A and to learn how you can help protect our underwater world. 914-377-6067.

* Arbor Day Tree Plantings will be going on throughout the city all month*

DO AS WE SAY, NOT AS WE DO!

2010-03-13T17:18:00.002-05:00

This past Wednesday the four Democratic members of the City Council sent a letter to the Mayor complaining that they had not received copies of the budget submissions each Department is supposed to make by January 15. On Thursday it was revealed that neither the Council President nor the Council under the Majority Leader had made there own submissions in January in the first place. Oops!

Council calls for consolidating city services

2010-03-03T17:58:00.005-05:00

The City Council voted 7-0 last night to support a Resolution put up by the Mayor calling for the consolidation of duplicative departments,services and personnel in City Hall, the School Board and the Library System. Council President Lesnick proposed watering down the Resolution to say we only supported "exploring" consolidation but the proposed amendment was defeated when I objected and the Council is now on record as calling for shrinking City government. The School and Library Trustees now need to do the right thing, pass the same resolution and let us move forward to save the taxpayer's money!

Congrats to Yonkers' Charter School for Education Excellence

2010-03-01T20:37:00.002-05:00

The Yonkers Charter School for Educational Excellence announced last week that it was one of three finalists for the International Reading Association's "Exemplary Reading Program Award". The IRA award recognizes outstanding reading and language programs at the elementary. middle and high school levels.

The Charter School for Educational Excellence is the first public charter school in Yonkers.Located at 260 Warburton Avenue, it is free and open to all children by lottery. Opened in 2005 it serves 350 students in grades K through 6.

Congratulations to the administration, faculty, staff and most of all the students!

MARCH 2, 2010 Real Estate Committee Meeting

2010-03-01T20:35:00.000-05:00

Please be advised that a Real Estate Committee Meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers, Yonkers City Hall, 4th Floor.

The following items will be on the Agenda:

1. Affordable Housing Work Session.

2. Resolution – to issue a determination of significance pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQRA) relating to the proposed encroachment in the right-of-way of Beech Hill Road.

3. Special Ordinance – authorizing an encroachment in the right-of-way on Beech Hill Road subject to certain terms and conditions.

4. Any additional items that may properly come before this Committee.

RebootNY

2010-02-27T21:54:00.004-05:00

Voter discontent with Albany doesn't know party labels. The anger that is growing is bi-partisan. One grassroots effort worth checking out is RebootNY. Anong other things they help you identify your current Senator or Assembly member with the handy map "Which bum is my bum". Check them out at www.rebootny.org.

Democratic Majority votes to kill competition!

2010-02-23T22:44:00.002-05:00

The City of Yonkers contracts with private towing companies to remove abandoned and impounded vehicles from the City streets. For years the City Code has limited the contract to only three companies at any one time. The Mayor this year proposed doubling that number, thereby increasing competition and, likely, lowering the price that the companies would bid to charge the City. In a nutshell, more providers, more businesses getting the work and a better price for the taxpayers. Inexplicably, in a party line vote orchestrated by council President Lesnick, the Democratic Majority voted the proposal down 4/ 3 at tonight's Council meeting. Winners: three towing companies; Losers: the Taxpayers of Yonkers.

MAYOR'S STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS THIS WEDNESDAY

2010-02-23T12:07:00.000-05:00

Mayor's State of the City Address
Date: 2/24/2010 7:00 PM Location: City Hall - 40 South Broadway
City Council Chambers - 4th Floor
Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone will deliver his seventh State of the City Address before a session of the City Council on Wednesday, February 24 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Yonkers City Hall.

Attendance is by invitation only, but will be open to credentialed members of the press. Reserved press seating will be provided. A live video feed will also be available for television broadcasts.
The speech will be televised live on Cablevision's News 12 Westchester (Cablevision Channel 12 in Yonkers), Cablevision Channel 78 (Yonkers government access), and Verizon FiOS Channel 39 (Yonkers government access).

100 WAYS TO BALANCE YONKERS' BUDGET

2010-02-22T20:24:00.002-05:00

The Republican Council Caucus has launched its own "Facebook" Group called 100 Ways to Balance Yonkers' Budget. Sign up or log on to Facebook and search the group by name. Then join the group and join the conversation with your Councilmembers and your neighbors. Nearly fifty Yonkers friends have joined and started posting their tax cutting ideas in just the first week!

COUNCIL CALENDAR 1/26/10

2010-01-24T22:11:00.002-05:00

5:30 p.m. Real Estate Committee

7:30 p.m. Committee of the Whole

8:00 p.m. City Council Meeting

8:30 p.m. Budget Committee Meeting

Protecting Yonkers' Green Canopy

2010-01-16T21:08:00.003-05:00

A growing number of citizens in Yonkers and across Westchester are speaking out about the wholesale cutting of trees by Con Ed and other entities such as the State Department of Transportation. Citizens are starting to organize to oppose this destruction and demand common sense management of our green canopy. Check out Peter Harrises' photos of tree cutting by the state DOT this past week http://deedsandleases.com/2010/01/12/the-daily-ramble-first-con-ed-now-the-city-of-yonkers-rips-down-trees-with-no-notice-to-residents/. Check out what others are doing to organize and get involved by visiting www.loraxwg.blogspot.com.

GOVERNOR JOPLIN

2010-01-14T20:34:00.000-05:00

“Freedoms just another word for nothing left to lose”. So sang the late Janis Joplin. So, apparently, believes the late David Patterson. With the luxury of a dying man…nothing left to lose…New York’s accidental governor recently proposed perhaps the boldest package of reforms the Empire state has ever seen from a major party incumbent.
From term limits to a comprehensive ethics reform proposal Patterson used last week’s State of the State address to take New York’s dysfunctional ruling class to task in a way that, were he currently competitive in his bid for a full term, he would likely have never dared. Regardless of his motivation, the Governor has given voice to the frustrations of taxpayers from Montauk to Buffalo and has proposed solutions that, boldly and properly implemented, can work.
Ironically, if the governor needs a template, he can find it in Yonkers, New York’s fourth largest city. I know, I know, “Yonkers, the city of hills where nothings on the level”. Topography aside, Yonkers is a city where comprehensive ethics reform and term limits are working and a city that perhaps, can be the laboratory for state-wide reform.
In 2005 Yonkers’ voters approved a comprehensive new ethics code, a code which I proposed during my first run for City Council two years earlier. At the time, the New York Times referred to the then City Ethics Board as “functionally dead” and praised our effort to replace it with “a new body with sharp teeth and a broad mission to investigate complaints, conduct its own inquiries and punish those who break the rules”.
Is it working? Yesterday, the same day the Governor gave his speech, a Councilwoman who only left office on December 31st was indicted by the Feds on thirteen separate counts that according to the U.S. Attorney’s press release boiled down to selling votes for cash and jewels. Though wide ranging, in part the indictment relied on her alleged failure to file proper and detailed disclosures mandated by the 2005 City Ethics Code. Unlike years past when the old Ethics Board did not even have enough members to constitute a quorum, the current Board meets and acts and, in concert with the City’s Inspector General, actually expects compliance with the Ethics Code. When the Council passes legislation requiring lobbyists to register with the City Clerk and disclose their client’s and their client’s business before the City, legislation I am presently co-sponsoring with Councilwoman Joan Gronowski, the Ethics Board will have yet another weapon at its disposal.
Similarly, the indicted Councilwoman left office not by choice, but because Yonkers, after the Bloomberg coup, remains the only city in New York State which term limits all of its elected officials. After eight years you’re up or out. So far term limits have retired one Mayor and about a half dozen long time legislators. This in a City where a father and two brothers from a single family have held, variously its County Legislative, State Senate and Assembly seat since the early seventies and still hold the Assembly seat today, nearly forty years later. Were other levels of government operating with the same limits Yonkers imposes, such secure cinctures would be a thing of the past.
Most recently, in November 2009, three Councilmembers were forced to step aside by term limits. Fully eight different citizens put themselves forward to fill the open seats. Of those who were eventually nominated, the voters elected a retired I.B.M executive, a retired telecommunications executive who recently completed a Masters in Education and an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who arrived in Yonkers some thirty years ago, put himself through college, and went on to build a local real estate and restaurant business.
A system as broken as New York’s will not surrender to a quick fix and it remains to be seen if the Governor means business. Nevertheless, the Governor’s broad proposals are the right ones, he is giving voice to the legitimate anger of every hardworking taxpayer and, with the right support, can change Albany and, perhaps, even the outcome of the next election.

BOARD OF ED. TO TAXPAYERS: DROP DEAD!

2009-10-22T21:40:00.000-05:00

Responding to a lawsuit filed by the Yonkers Board of Education which seeks to block the Yonkers Inspector General from auditing the books of the Yonkers Board of Education, Councilman John Murtagh (R-5) said today that he will call upon his City Council colleagues to defer approval of the Board’s $25million dollar borrowing plan which the Council was to have voted on next Tuesday. The Board of Education, in a recent change of policy, has taken the position that it is not subject to the jurisdiction of the Inspector General. It was recently disclosed that on September 29, 2009 the Board filed suit in New York State Supreme Court seeking a declaration of its right to deny review of its books and records.
“As elected officials we are responsible to the taxpayers for knowing how their money is spent” Murtagh said, “ our school system receives nearly half a billion dollars in taxpayer money every year yet refuses to open its books to review. Until the Board of Education is prepared to acknowledge the taxpayers’ right to know how their money is spent we cannot in good conscience continue to allow the Board to just borrow and spend”.
“The Inspector General conducts audits and investigations at the request of the Mayor and the Council”, Murtagh noted. “The Mayor and the Council answer to the citizens and taxpayers. Thus, the School Board has really filed suit against the people of Yonkers. Until we get a satisfactory answer to why the Board refuses to open its financial books and records, we should not continue to hand it blank checks”.
Murtagh said he would also be submitting a Resolution to the Council urging that it instruct its attorneys to move to intervene in the Board’s lawsuit in support of the Inspector General.
“Year in and year out our Trustees and Superintendent cry poverty, yet they now find the money to hire a Manhattan law firm to bring wasteful and counter-productive litigation against the City”, Murtagh concluded. “Their actions are frivolous and wrongheaded and, worse, jeopardize the interests of our school children”.

TODAY'S JOURNAL NEWS ARTICLE ON LANDMARKING CONTROVERSY

2009-08-15T22:47:00.002-05:00

http://www.lohud.com/article/20090815/NEWS02/908150332/1018/NEWS02

TODAY'S PRESS RELEASE ON LANDMARKING

2009-08-13T17:57:00.001-05:00

MURTAGH RECONSIDERING SUPPORT FOR SFC
DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT

Proposal to gut City landmarks protection leads Councilman to rethink support for redevelopment

Yonkers City Councilman John Murtagh (R-5) said today that a proposal to rewrite the City’s Landmarks Preservation law has led him to begin rethinking his support for the current proposal to redevelop downtown Yonkers.

The so-called “SFC” project which would include the redevelopment of parcels on both the Yonkers waterfront and its downtown is presently before the City Council for approval.

Murtagh, acknowledging that up to this point he had been strongly inclined to support the project, said that the current Mayoral proposal to limit the role of the Landmarks Board in redevelopment and to give the Planning Board an automatic veto over all Landmarks Board actions has led him to question his earlier support.

“Up to this point I have been able to support this project confident that a process was firmly in place to protect the many historical and significant sites throughout downtown Yonkers” Murtagh said. “After reviewing the proposal that is before the Charter Commission, I no longer have that confidence”.

Currently if the Landmarks Board proposes a site for Landmarking, the Board then refers the issue to the City Council which has the ultimate say. Under the proposal currently before the Charter Commission a proposal from the Landmarks Board would first go to the Planning Board which could veto the proposal before it ever reached the City Council for consideration thereby completely removing the City Council from the decision making process.

“Previously I was comfortable supporting the current development proposal with the knowledge that the Landmarks Board and the Council would have the ability to protect historic and significant structures from the wrecking ball” Murtagh said. “Under the current proposal we would lose that ability. I am simply not comfortable signing off on a project that would give the Administration and developers sole discretion to knock down every building they choose”. Murtagh concluded: “Unlike surrounding communities such as White Plains, Yonkers is still fortunate to have many older buildings that can be an integral part of a revitalized downtown. I now have to think long and hard about supporting this project when there is a risk that downtown Yonkers will simply become another stretch of soulless big box and chain stores”.

MY REMARKS AT TONIGHT'S CHARTER COMMISSION MEETING

2009-08-12T21:39:00.000-05:00

REMARKS TO THE YONKERS CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION, AUGUST 12, 2009

John M. Murtagh

Members of the Commission,

I need not tell you where I stand on this very misguided proposal. My record in favor of historic preservation is a long one.

Nevertheless, I do feel a record must be made.

The current proposal is wrong on many levels.

In the first place it is, frankly, an insult and an affront to the good, dedicated and knowledgeable members of our Landmarks Board everyone of them a volunteer serving for no other reason than a love for and a concern for this City and its many and varied neighborhoods.

Secondly, it is nothing but a bald attempt to usurp the power of the City Council, to place the Planning Board in the role of exercising veto power over decisions of the Landmarks Board before they ever reach the desks of those of us elected to represent the very neighborhoods impacted.

Thirdly, I believe this proposal is an ill-conceived knee jerk response to the Council’s vote to create the Phillipse Manor Historic District. That single vote, taken with the unanimous support of the Landmarks Board is, to my knowledge, the first time that this or any Landmarks Board in Yonkers or any City Council has exercised the Landmarking power in a manner that directly impacted a significant development project…and what was the immediate reaction…in effect, if you can’t beat them, kill them. In this case, effectively kill the Landmarks Board...and yes, it simply cannot be ignored that the Chairman of this commission is also the President of the property owner most impacted by the creation of the Phillipse Manor District. I say that not as some ad-hominem attack but merely as a statement of fact. I might add that since the landmarking, Greyston has appeared to work in good faith to achieve a workable compromise at that sit. Nevertheless, one can’t but suspect a bit of payback in this proposal.

Fourth, as a procedural matter, I believe some clarification is necessary. You sit as a “Charter” revision commission. Yet, the Landmarks ordinance and the statute which creates and enables the Landmarks Board is not in our Charter, but in our Code. You are not a “Code” revision commission. Indeed, the Code, to my knowledge, is the jurisdiction of the elected City Council and not this appointed Board.

These are specific criticisms, but the real issue is more fundamental and much broader…and that is: What direction will we take as a City as we redevelop? Unlike many of our neighbors – White Plains and Stamford Connecticut come to mind- we still have many of our old, historic and significant buildings and neighborhoods intact. When those cities remade there downtowns years and even decades ago, they did so with a wrecking ball and a bulldozer and no appreciation for the treasures they were leveling. For reasons political and otherwise, Yonkers missed those building booms of decades past. But as a result, we now have the opportunity to do better, to appreciate our history, our heritage and the fabric of our communities and to weave something better from that fabric by combining the best of the old and the new. We have a simple philosophical choice. Do we celebrate our heritage and preserve our history or do we bulldoze that history, blacktop that heritage and create yet another cookie cutter city? Do we recognize the extraordinary value of what we have and make it an integral part of a revitalized Yonkers or do we simply create acres more of glass, steel and concrete indistinguishable from New Roc City, the City Center in White Plains or Summer Street in Stamford?

Let me close tonight by quoting someone who said it all long ago and better than me. Jane Jacobs was no expert, no architect or engineer, no City Planner or developer. She was a housewife on Hudson Street in Greenwich Village fifty years ago when Robert Moses proposed bulldozing most of the West Village including Washington Square Park to build a highway across Manhattan from New Jersey to Long Island. Jane Jacobs a simple housewife took Moses on and won. Later, in her seminal book, the Death and Life of the American City here is what she said:

Cities need old buildings so badly it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them. By old buildings I mean not museum-piece old buildings, not old buildings in an excellent and expensive state of rehabilitation–although these make fine ingredients–but also a good lot of plain, ordinary old buildings….

If a city area has only new buildings, the enterprises that can exist there are automatically limited to those that can support the high costs of new construction. These high costs of occupying new buildings may be levied in the form of an owner’s interest and amortization payments on the capital costs of the construction. However the costs are paid off, they have to be paid off. And for this reason, enterprises that support the cost of new construction must be capable of paying a relatively high overhead–high in comparison to that necessarily required by old buildings. To support such high overheads, the enterprises must be either (a) high profit or (b) well subsidized.

If you look about, you will see that only operations that are well established, high-turnover, standardized or heavily subsidized can afford, commonly, to carry the costs of new construction. Chain stores, chain restaurants and banks go into new construction. But neighborhood bars, foreign restaurants and small shops go into older buildings. . . . Well-subsidized opera and art museums often go into new buildings. But the unformalized feeders of the arts–studios, galleries, stores for musical instruments and art supplies, backrooms where the low earning power of a seat and a table can absorb uneconomic discussions–these go into old buildings. Perhaps more significant, hundreds of ordinary enterprises, necessary to the safety and public life of streets and neighborhoods, and appreciated for their convenience and personal quality, can make out successfully in old buildings, but are inexorably slain by the high overhead of new construction.

As for really new ideas of any kind–no matter how ultimately profitable or otherwise successful some of them might prove to be–there is no leeway for such chancy trial, error and experimentation in the high-overhead economy of new construction. Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings. New ideas must use old buildings.

Thank you.

THOUGHTS ON THE MAYOR'S PLAN TO GUT THE YONKERS LANDMARKS LAW

2009-08-05T21:25:00.003-05:00

As Mayor Amicone lobbies to strip Yonkers' Landmarks Board of its vital role in redeveloping our historic downtown here are some interesting thoughts from the late urban advocate Jane Jacobs:

Cities need old buildings so badly it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them. By old buildings I mean not museum-piece old buildings, not old buildings in an excellent and expensive state of rehabilitation–although these make fine ingredients–but also a good lot of plain, ordinary, low-value old buildings, including some rundown old buildings.

If a city area has only new buildings, the enterprises that can exist there are automatically limited to those that can support the high costs of new construction. These high costs of occupying new buildings may be levied in the form of an owner’s interest and amortization payments on the capital costs of the construction. However the costs are paid off, they have to be paid off. And for this reason, enterprises that support the cost of new construction must be capable of paying a relatively high overhead–high in comparison to that necessarily required by old buildings. To support such high overheads, the enterprises must be either (a) high profit or (b) well subsidized.

If you look about, you will see that only operations that are well established, high-turnover, standardized or heavily subsidized can afford, commonly, to carry the costs of new construction. Chain stores, chain restaurants and banks go into new construction. But neighborhood bars, foreign restaurants and pawn shops go into older buildings. . . . Well-subsidized opera and art museums often go into new buildings. But the unformalized feeders of the arts–studios, galleries, stores for musical instruments and art supplies, backrooms where the low earning power of a seat and a table can absorb uneconomic discussions–these go into old buildings. Perhaps more significant, hundreds of ordinary enterprises, necessary to the safety and public life of streets and neighborhoods, and appreciated for their convenience and personal quality, can make out successfully in old buildings, but are inexorably slain by the high overhead of new construction.

As for really new ideas of any kind–no matter how ultimately profitable or otherwise successful some of them might prove to be–there is no leeway for such chancy trial, error and experimentation in the high-overhead economy of new construction. Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings. New ideas must use old buildings.

A REFERENDUM ON OUR CITY'S HISTORY AND FUTURE

2009-07-30T22:11:00.004-05:00

A Public Hearing has been scheduled by the Charter Revision Commission for August 4, 2009, between 7:00 - 9:00 PM, at City Hall - 40 South Broadway, in the Ceremonial Courtroom - 4th Floor.

The Charter Commission has proposed amending the City Code to strip the Yonkers Landmark's Board of essentially all of its authority. Specifically, it would subject every decision by the Landmark's Board to review by the Planning Board.

Not only would this change be a slap in the face of the dedicated volunteers serving as unpaid Landmark's Board members, it would also put at risk the history and heritage of our city.

This proposed change is really going to be a referendum on the direction our City takes as it redevelops. Will we do what other local cities, notably White Plains and Stamford Connecticut have done, bulldoze our downtown and pave over our history or will we recognize and celebrate our rich, nearly three hundred year history and make our historic properties an integral and beneficial part of our revitalized waterfront?

If, like me, you believe we need to preserve our history and, by doing so, make our redevelopment even more successful please make every effort to attend the Charter Commission Hearing and make your voice heard.

MR. MET TO VISIT YONKERS

2009-04-02T12:37:00.003-05:00

Just for fun, for a change

With the Opening Day of Citi Field around the corner come meet
the Met's Superstar - Mr. Met himself. You've seen Mr. Met at the
games - now here's your chance to meet him in person. He'll be
stopping by the Citibank in Yonkers, so come in, say hello and
get your picture taken with him. There will be balloons, fresh
popcorn, give-a-ways, raffles and maybe even some other special guests...
They will also have baseball stress balls for autograph signing too.

Date:  Friday, April 10th
Time:  2:30pm - 3:30pm
Price:  Free
Location:  Citibank Yonkers
 86 Main Street (across from the Post Office and Yonkers Train Station)

WITHOUT ENOUGH VOTES, COUNCIL PUNTS'TIL SATURDAY

2009-03-19T08:21:00.002-05:00

Unable to secure the five votes necessary to push through questionable changes to the City's Empire Zone map last night, Council President Lesnick refused to allow a vote and adjourned the Special Council meeting he had called. The new meeting is now expected to be called for Saturday morning at 9 a.m. By adjourning until Saturday, Lesnick now needs only four votes under a Rule which provided that the five votes were necessary because the Council had the Legislation for less than eight days.

Mr. Lesnick cited "unanswered questions" as the reason for the adjournment. However, the one central question, how does the Cross County Shopping Center reasonably fit the criteria for Empire Zone benefits, still won't be answered by Saturday because it can't be.

At the hastily called Real Estate Committee meeting Tuesday night, Councilmembers spent at least an hour and one half trying to get the answer to that question from someone, the owner, the administration, anyone. Nobody had a straight answer. When asked why the shopping center should be in the Zone, all present numbly and repeatedly recited the litany of tax breaks and credits that the owner would receive as a result of Empire Zone designation. But the tax breaks are not the purpose of the Empire Zone...they are the means. The purpose is to attract or retain businesses in depressed and marginal neighborhoods where they either would not otherwise locate or might choose to leave. Cross County, a successful economic engine even before its present rehabilitation plan isn't planning to go anywhere.

There is simply no good reason to give it these tax breaks. New York State taxes, the highest in the nation, are a zero sum game. If Cross County gets a tax break, overall taxation in New York doesn't change. Someone else, another business or perhaps every New York homeowner just ends up paying the difference.

COUNCIL BEING ASKED TO RUSH THROUGH EMPIRE ZONE CHANGES

2009-03-15T15:01:00.003-05:00

In an e-mail sent late Wednesday, the City Council President informed the members of the Council for the first time that the Administration and the Economic Development Office were requesting Council action to change the City's Empire Zone map. The Empire Zone is a state program designed to create tax breaks and other incentives in order to attract new businesses to or to retain existing businesses in economically depressed areas of the City.

The Empire Zone program statewide has long been the subject of criticism for lax oversight and the failure to deliver the jobs and economic benefits promised.

In the present case, the proposal is, apparently, to take a portion of the "Ridge Hill" property, previously awarded an Empire Zone designation, out of the Empire Zone and then, in effect, reassign that amount of "Zone" to the Cross County shopping center and a portion of the SFC development. Of course, this is all conjecture since, as of this writing on Sunday night, the members of the Council have seen no specifics as to what is being proposed and what they are being asked to vote on. Of course, neither has the public. Nevertheless, the Administration and the Council President are asking that we vot on these changes on Wednesday night. So much for due diligence.

Meantime, even if we had seen the proposal already, the whole proposal begs the question how the Cross County shopping center qualifies for the program. It would certainly come as a surprise to its neighbors that they are in an economically depressed area with a high rate of poverty. To the contrary, the shopping center has been a money engine since it opened. Yes, it is getting a much needed upgrade, but economically depressed it isn't. Certainly, we are not in danger of it "leaving" the state.

Indeed, a telling Press Release, which may answer the question "why the rush?" was released on December 16, 2008 by Governor Patterson. In it he outlines his proposed reforms to the Empire Zone program. Among other things it states:

"Certain industry sectors such as utilities, retail and real estate, which are engaged in activities that make them unlikely to relocate outside of the state, would also be excluded from applying for [Empire Zone] certification in the future".

Retail? Real Estate? In other words, if the developer doesn't get the City Council to give him his tax breaks now, the proposed reforms may mean he never gets them in the future.

That appears to be what this is really all about.

Council to review Comptroller's audit of Yonkers IDA

2009-03-11T19:22:00.001-05:00

The NYS Comptroller recently issued his report of his audit of the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency. The City Council Municipal Operations Committee is planning a meeting to review the report. The time, date and location will be announced shortly. Meantime, the Comptroller's report and the City's response can be found here:

http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/audits/others/2009/yonkersida.pdf

STATE LEADERS AVOID RESPONSIBLE DECISION MAKING

2009-03-11T18:31:00.001-05:00

Governor Patterson held a press conference today to announce that, thanks to federal stimulus money, he was canceling proposed taxes on everything from soda to bowling to haircuts. Notice anything? Apparently the Governor (and the Senate and Assembly leaders who stood with him) think there are only two choices: federal aid or higher taxes. The third and best option – budget cuts – is apparently not even a consideration. Thus our Albany leadership is falling into exactly the trap many who questioned the size and scope of the Stimulus warned against. Instead of finally making the responsible decisions they have avoided for so long, our state leaders are just using the Stimulus money to delay the inevitable. Next year or the year after, the hole will be deeper and, barring a dramatic economic turnaround, the tax hikes will be even steeper.

Reassessment: An idea who's time should wait.

2009-02-24T08:06:00.004-05:00

Last Wednesday I attended Council President Lesnick’s first “public meeting” to discuss property tax reassessment. The meeting was called on less than one week’s notice, it was not publicized but for a brief mention in the Journal News and it was held at 10 a.m. on a weekday morning (the week that the school’s were closed and children were home to boot). Not surprisingly, by my count fewer than twenty Yonkers’ households were represented. Other than me, reassessment proponents Council President Lesnick and Councilmember Gronowski were the only city officials present.

Lat night, I attended the regular meeting of the Nepara Park- Grey Oaks Homeowners Association. With just an announcement of the meeting in its newsletter, the Association turned out about 150 or more people for a lively discussion of reassessment. Present were three Councilmembers and the Mayor.

The message from the audience was clear. Now is just not the right time. With the economy struggling, people hurting and many worrying about job security, now is not the time to reassess and, inevitably, place a significantly higher tax burden on the majority of single family homeowners, many of them seniors.

What was also apparent was the lack of solid information. There are simply too many open questions about how reassessment would be accomplished, how it would impact the residents and whether it would even cure or exacerbate some problems, like the County tax levy. Now is not the time to rush such an important issue. It’s been over half a century since Yonkers’ last reassessment. That delay isn’t, by itself, an excuse to drag our feet. But it certainly means that we can wait a little longer, answer our own questions, answer the public’s questions and figure out what the real impact, good and bad, for this idea will be.

Reisman quotes City Journal essay

2009-02-15T17:19:00.002-05:00

Taxpayers bear wounds of battles to stretch government revenues

By Phil Reisman
Journal News columnist • February 15, 2009

Last week, the White Plains City School District inked a $210,000-a-year contract with its new superintendent, which is fairly standard pay for first-year school chiefs these days.

At least it is in this neck of the woods.
Advertisement

But what caught my eye were some of the $47,000 worth of benefits attached to the deal. One of them was a $6,500 payment to Social Security - a perk which may or may not be unusual. In any case, it struck me as unfair that taxpayers would be required to assume a portion of a public official's tax burden.

There was also a $6,000 car allowance, $10,000 in moving expenses and assorted health benefits.

On top of 46 vacation, sick and personal days, the new "supe," Christopher Clouet, will get 15 holidays. That may seem like a lot of holidays, but all of them are legitimate.

There's nothing crazy in there like what the Malverne town police union on Long Island got away with until somebody blew the whistle on them. When no one was looking, the cops snuck in more than 20 extra "special days" - among them Elizabeth Cady Stanton Day, National Day of Katrina Remembrance, Children's Day, Haym Salomon Day, Shirley Chisholm Day and my personal favorite, Gerald Ford Day.

Perhaps in good times, no one would raise a fuss over the generosity afforded Clouet, who is getting a $78,000 raise over his previous post in the New London, Conn., school district.

But these are far from good times. Everybody's tapped, or fear they will be soon, and yet the demand for taxpayers' money is increasing at an alarming rate.

The same week Clouet's contract was announced, it was reported elsewhere that a proposed payroll tax to help solve the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's budget problems would cost White Plains schools $330,000. That would wipe out Clouet's pay and benefits package and probably the salaries of a couple of teacher aides as well.

There's mounting resistance to the payroll tax, which would be imposed on businesses, nonprofit groups, governmental agencies and school districts, and would raise $1.5 billion a year. For one thing, it's difficult to see how it won't result in more layoffs and contribute further to the state's downward spiral. More unemployed would mean fewer people paying fares and cause the MTA to fall into a self-perpetuating fix.

Nevertheless, if the MTA gets its way, you might think it would be appropriate for Clouet to at least pay his Social Security bill like everybody else. And what's with the car allowance?

This "shared sacrifice" idea sounds nice, but it's not going to come with altruistic glee. Just ask my barber Tony in Larchmont, who is understandably steamed over Gov. David Paterson's idea of a haircut tax.

The problem with surcharges like this is that they don't merely raise revenue, they change consumer behavior. If Paterson's goofy soda tax is intended to discourage fat kids from drinking liquefied sugar, then it's only logical to conclude that a tonsorial tax would cause people to grow their hair longer. We've already endured a dreary period of long-haired skinnies - it was called "The '60s."

And frankly, the Age of Aquarius wasn't at all what it was cracked up to be.

New York is in such lousy shape financially that the so-called "millionaire's tax" has devolved into a proposal to increase the tax rate on anybody earning $250,000 a year or more. This will be a hard sell, but if it succeeds, three things could happen as a result.

First, a good number of state residents will pack their golf clubs and golden retrievers and flee across the border to Canada or worse, New Jersey. Overnight, Bedford Hills will look like it was hit by a neutron bomb. Second, the diehards who stay behind will do something that heretofore was thought impossible: They will break the nearly 100 percent incumbency rate in Albany and throw half the bums out.

And third, Rudy Giuliani will become the next governor. (Yecch.)

Paterson's dream of shared sacrifice could work, however. But the trick is he can't raise taxes on the richest citizens without getting concessions from the state's unions. He's already asked them to give back a three-percent raise scheduled to take effect April 1 and defer five days' pay. They've all but told him to shove it.

Actually, those are modest proposals given the rate of layoffs, pay cuts and unpaid furloughs going on in the private sector. Elected officials at all levels of government should press public employees to pay more for health care and pension benefits, too. The scam of overtime to pad police and fire pensions is a scandal and should be reined in.

Of course, none of this can be easy in a state whose array of possible successors to Hillary Clinton's Senate seat included, of all people, Randi Weingarten, the president of the all-powerful teacher's union.

But the party is over, for everyone. That's been decided.

The question yet to be answered is how the ailing state can be cured without killing it.

In an article he wrote last week for the online City Journal, Yonkers City Councilman John Murtagh observed that the burdensome cost of doing business in New York was probably the reason a large employer, the Precision Valve Corp., recently decided to leave the city for the cheaper climes of South Carolina.

Murtagh, a Republican, listed the usual suspects. New York pays double the national average in Medicaid; overall per capita spending is the fourth highest in the U.S.; personal income taxes and real estate taxes are the highest in the country and so on.

"As a result," Murtagh wrote, "New York has seen a steady emigration of citizens and employers for years. In the current downturn, that emigration could turn into a stampede."

There's also a painful human side to this political battle that hasn't received the attention it deserves.

On Wednesday, Assemblyman George Latimer, D-Rye, hosted a community meeting in Larchmont to hear testimony from people affected by the state's planned budget cuts. Fifty-nine people spoke for four hours.

There were librarians, kids from youth groups, school board members and health care workers. A blind woman spoke as a did a woman with multiple sclerosis. Another woman got up and talked about being laid off from her Wall Street job.

A State University of New York student talked about how the poorest students could not afford the increase in state college tuition.

Somebody talked about the MTA payroll tax.

A Rye man stated the paradox of the need to raise local property taxes while cutting school spending because of the drop in state aid and the reduction in the mortgage-transfer tax revenue.

"As much as we're going to have make cuts because the numbers demand it, when you look in the eyes of these human beings, you feel a little differently about the bloodlessness of the numbers," Latimer said.

One final note: This column will be on hiatus through next week. While I'm off, I plan to celebrate Gerald Ford Day by misdirecting golf balls and falling down the stairs.

Reach Phil Reisman at preisman@lohud.com or call 914-694-5008. See more at reisman.lohudbogs.com.

As published in City Journal by the Manhattan Institute:

2009-02-15T17:16:00.000-05:00

John M. Murtagh
Pack the City, We’re Moving!
Each year, one Yonkers leaves New York for friendlier climes.
11 February 2009

I’m thinking we should move to South Carolina. No, not me and the family. The whole city of Yonkers.

In June 2008, longtime Yonkers manufacturer Stewart EFI left the city, taking with it a few hundred manufacturing jobs. Then, a few weeks ago, the Precision Valve Corporation, one of Yonkers’s largest employers and a company founded in the city, announced that it was moving to the Palmetto State. Precision Valve vice president Bob Reto explained the relocation delicately: “The decision was driven by the need to operate under the greater efficiencies afforded in South Carolina.” Mayor Phil Amicone, by contrast, didn’t mince words: Yonkers “could not surmount the costly economics of doing business in New York State.”

Overall per-capita government spending in New York State is now the fourth-highest in the nation—nearly 50 percent above the national average. That’s a problem in good times; in the current economic climate, it’s a disaster. Examples of waste abound. New York spends more per pupil on education than any other state, yet it ranks near the bottom third in most measurements of student performance. Likewise, New York spends double the national average on Medicaid, yet lags badly in the quality of its health care.

The cash to fund this waste, of course, comes out of New York taxpayers’ pockets. When I ran for the New York State Senate last year, I’d remind audiences that here in Westchester, we live in the highest-taxed county in the highest-taxed state in the nation. New York’s personal-income and real-estate taxes are the highest in the country, while its business taxes are the second-highest. As a result, New York has seen a steady emigration of citizens and employers for years. In the current downturn, that emigration could turn into a stampede.

Yet as unchecked spending and a crushing tax burden destroy the Empire State, what solutions do we hear from our elected leaders in Albany? Governor David Paterson, while proposing token spending cuts, has called for over $3 billion in new “revenue actions.” Under his proposals, New Yorkers can expect to pay more for everything from haircuts to iTunes downloads to soda pop. Ever the populist, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver proposes that we “tax the rich”—or at least those he defines as such. What the Speaker really means is: Let’s tax the people who start and own businesses, create jobs, and pay salaries. Of course, the “rich” have a simple solution to tax increases: move to South Carolina, where there are “greater efficiencies” in doing business.

Precision Valve was founded by Bob Abplanalp, the Bronx-born son of an immigrant machine-shop owner. After building his business, Abplanalp joined other businessmen in founding the Hudson Valley Bank, also in Yonkers. Today, the Hudson Valley Bank is one of those increasingly rare independent banks focused on serving their local communities. For decades, Abplanalp and his family quietly but generously supported countless local charities, from the Yonkers Boy Scouts to a shelter for pregnant women. In the mid-1970s, Abplanalp all but single-handedly saved his old high school, Fordham Prep, as it struggled to keep its doors open. Today, Fordham Prep thrives, teaching a new generation of children, many the sons of immigrants themselves. Such are the “rich” who, Silver insists, must pay their “fair” share by turning their money over to the barons of Albany.

Instead of figuring out how to dig deeper into our pockets, New York leaders need to slash taxes, halt decades of wasteful spending, and make the state an attractive place to do business again. The current crisis demands a hard look at every line in New York’s bloated budget and dramatic cuts in unnecessary, mismanaged, and outdated programs. Likewise, Albany must eliminate the countless mandates, laws, and regulations that increase burdensome taxation and create additional inefficiency in local government.

As businesses like Precision Valve leave Yonkers, it’s worth remembering that over the last several years, New York has seen a net loss of close to 200,000 residents annually. Yonkers is, coincidentally, a city of approximately 200,000. What I suggested jokingly is, in fact, already happening: every year, Yonkers—or its equivalent in population, anyway—abandons New York.

John M. Murtagh, an attorney, is presently serving his second term as a member of the city council in Yonkers, New York State’s fourth-largest city.

ALBANY STILL DOESN"T GET IT

2009-02-04T00:01:00.005-05:00

ALBANY - State lawmakers are expected today to close the state's current $1.6 billion budget gap by using unspent money for a defunct emergency telecommunications system, raising health-insurance taxes and redirecting $500 million from the state Power Authority.

So reports the Journal News this evening. So what do we learn? During the worst economic downturn in a generation, as hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers leave the state annually due to a tax system that makes it the highest taxed state in the nation, our State Legislature cannot bring itself to balance a budget by reining in spending. Its only solution is tax increases and financial gimmickry. Its time for leadership in Albany that understands that the problem isn't a lack of revenue, but an excess of spending. If they don't understand that then its time for new leadership. I get it. You get it. Why don't they get it?

STIMULUS DEFINED

2009-01-31T16:52:00.000-05:00

“Stimulus” comes from the verb stimulare, which is Latin for “transfer massive sums of money from what remains of the dynamic sector of the economy to the special interests of the Democratic party.”

-Mark Steyn at National Review On Line

THE VIEW FROM BEHIND THE TINTED GLASS

2009-01-31T10:53:00.002-05:00

Many years ago, a great deal was made of George Bush (41) marveling at an electronic scanner in a supermarket. The spin was that candidate Bush, apparently not familiar with how an average supermarket functioned, was hopelessly out of touch with the average American.

That story comes back to mind as we consider the current flap over Cabinet nominee Tom Daschle’s failure to pay over $100,000 in taxes for a private car and chauffer he ha been using for the last four years. After leaving the Senate, Daschle apparently took a high paying position with a New York investment firm headed by a long time campaign contributor. Among the perks was a car and driver…a perk that Senator Daschle had apparently also enjoyed at taxpayer expense when he was the Majority Leader. Like Treasury Secretary Geithner before him, Daschle apparently only paid the back taxes after he was nominated to the Obama Cabinet.

To me, more important than the tax issue, is what it says that our Senator and now presumed Secretary of Health and Human Services has been traveling in a cocoon all theses years. Personally, I think there is something to be said for waiting in the rain or snow for your bus or train. It’s a small point, but it’s those kinds of thing that keeps you in touch. It seems to me its tougher to “feel their pain” from the back seat of a chauffer driven Town Car.

THE BLAME ALBANY GAME IS GROWING OLD

2009-01-30T23:25:00.002-05:00

Tonight’s combined meeting of the Education and Intergovernmental Relations Committees was well timed, falling as close as it does to “Groundhog Day”. Like the Bill Murray movie of the same name where every day just repeats itself, we were treated to two hours of the same old same old. How a roomful of appointed and elected officials living in the midst of the worst economy in memory in a state that is all but broke could spend well over an hour making the same tired arguments is beyond me. Once again the old song was being sung: the only answer to projected education funding shortfalls is the argument we’ve made for decades - that Yonkers is shortchanged under the State formula.

When I pointed out that there was no reasonable expectation that an argument that had failed for decades would suddenly prevail in the next two months nobody had an answer. When I asked the Superintendent what “Plan B” might be, he offered only the annual dire predictions of massive layoffs.

Its time for tough decision making. Albany is not, realistically, going to save Yonkers from pain anymore than it can or will spare any other municipality. We live in a State that grew its budget year in and year out based on a tax base 20 to 25% dependent on Wall Street. Given that fact in these times, the party is over and difficult decision making, creativity and shared pain are the order of the day.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but relying on tired blame games and unrealistic hopes is no longer an option. All stakeholders must seriously reexamine their priorities and rethink how we are operating our schools (and our city) if we are going to make it safely through this storm.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

2009-01-27T22:32:00.001-05:00

Tonight was something of an anniversary for me...the sixth year in a row that I cast the Council's lone vote against installing "Red Light Cameras" on Yonkers' streets.

Despite all the claims of traffic safety, the truth is that Red Light cameras have nothing to do with safety and everything to do with raising revenue. They are just another way for government to take money out of people's pockets under the guise of public concern (think taxing soda pop).

The fact is study after study, including a study by Congress after extensive hearings, has demonstrated that the cameras actually increase accidents, particularly rear end accidents. Think about it, you're aproaching an intersection. At the last second, the light goes yellow. Right or wrong the fellow behind you anticipates you'll proceed. You see the camera or, your a local and know it is there. You slam on the brakes. Bam!

The fact is that intersections with a high incidence of red light infractions usually have other underlying issues, bad site lines, mistimed lights etc. If the issue is safety, then address that problem. If the issue is generating revenue for City Hall, then have the courage to say so and vote for taxes...or better yet have some real courage and vote to cut spending.

NEW YORK STATE SHOULD REQUIRE SPECIAL ELECTIONS TO FILL VACANCIES.

2009-01-25T22:00:00.000-05:00

I used to live in a representative democracy. For years, I voted in an election and someone picked by the voters then represented me. Today, three fifths of the stateside officials governing New York were not elected to the offices they hold. Our Governor, our State Comptroller and, now, our junior Senator were all put in office by accident or by other politicians. It doesn’t have to be this way. Nothing prevents state law from calling for special elections so that the voters can choose their leaders. The usual excuse offered by the politicians, the expense of a special election, doesn’t hold water. Tw o regularly scheduled elections will have come and gone before we get to vote for Governor. There is no reason Governor Patterson could not have been forced to stand for election this past November or this coming November. There is no reason that newly hand picked Senator Kirsten Gilibrand should not have to stand for election this November rather than November 2010. For example, in the event of a Senate vacancy require either a special election or a vote at the next regular election.:
California -- "An election to fill a vacancy in the term of a United States Senator shall be held at the general election next succeeding the occurrence of the vacancy or at any special election. This gives the governor the option of calling for a special election.
New Jersey -- " If a vacancy shall happen in the representation of this state in the United States senate, it shall be filled at the general election next succeeding the happening thereof... unless the governor of this state shall deem it advisable to call a special election therefore, which he is authorized hereby to do.  
Hawaii -- The law directs that "the governor shall make a temporary appointment to fill [a U.S. Senate] vacancy by selecting a person from a list of three prospective appointees submitted by the same political party as the prior incumbent."
Utah -- "The governor shall appoint a person to serve as U.S. senator until the vacancy is filled by election from one of three persons nominated by the state central committee of the same political party as the prior officeholder."
Wyoming -- This extremely detailed law says "if a vacancy occurs in the office of United States senator ...the governor shall immediately notify in writing the chairman of the state central committee of the political party which the last incumbent represented at the time of his election ..... The chairman shall call a meeting of the state central committee to be held not later than 15 days after he receives notice of the vacancy. At the meeting the state central committee shall select and transmit to the governor the names of three persons qualified to fill the vacancy. Within five days after receiving these three names, the governor shall fill the vacancy by temporary appointment of one of the three to hold the office."
Eight states call for a special election to be held to fill the vacancy. Here, omitting some of the fine-point calendar details, are those laws:
Alabama -- "Whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of senator of and from the State of Alabama in the Senate of the United States more than four months before a general election, the Governor of Alabama shall forthwith order an election to be held ...to elect a senator of and from the State of Alabama to the United States Senate for the unexpired term."
Alaska -- "When a vacancy occurs in the office of United States senator, the governor may, at least five days after the date of the vacancy but within 30 days after the date of the vacancy, appoint a qualified individual to fill the vacancy temporarily until the results of the special election called to fill the vacancy are certified.....The governor shall, by proclamation, call a special election to be held on a date not less than 60, nor more than 90, days after the date the vacancy occurs."
Massachusetts --"The governor shall immediately ... call an election ... not more than 160 nor less than 145 days after the date that a vacancy is created.... If a vacancy is created for senator in congress after April 10 of an even-numbered year, the (vote shall take place at) the biennial state election ballot in that year.
Oklahoma - "Whenever a vacancy shall occur in the office of a member of the United States Senate or United States House of Representatives from Oklahoma, such vacancy shall be filled at a Special Election to be called by the Governor within 30 days after such vacancy occurs."
Oregon -- "If a vacancy in election or office of Representative in Congress or United States Senator occurs before the 61st day before the general election, the Governor shall call a special election to fill that vacancy. "
Vermont -- "If a vacancy occurs in the office of United States senator or United States representative, the governor shall call a special election to fill the vacancy. ...The special election shall be held not more than three months from the date the vacancy occurs, except that if the vacancy occurs within six months of a general election, the special election may be held the same day as the general election.

Washington -- "Whenever a vacancy occurs in the United States house of representatives or the United States senate from this state, the governor shall order a special election to fill the vacancy. ...Within 10 days of such vacancy occurring, he or she shall issue a writ of election fixing a date for the special vacancy election not less than 90 days after the issuance of the writ, fixing a date for the primary for nominating major political party candidates for the special vacancy election not less than 30 days before the day fixed for holding the special vacancy election."
Wisconsin -- "A vacancy in the office of U.S. senator or representative in congress occurring prior to the 2nd Tuesday in May in the year of the general election shall be filled at a special primary and election. A vacancy in that office occurring between the 2nd Tuesday in May and the 2nd Tuesday in July in the year of the general election shall be filled at the September primary and general election."
New Yorkers deserve no less than the same right to choose their own leaders and the legislature should address this issue immediately

PRESIDENT OBAMA RIGHT ON OPEN GOVERNMENT

2009-01-21T19:35:00.000-05:00

In remarks delivered today at the swearing in of his senior staff, President Obama set a standard for open government which should serve as a model for elected officials at every level.
Obama declared that “transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency”. Referring to the federal Freedom of Information Act, President Obama added “the Freedom of Information Act is perhaps the most powerful instrument we have for making our government honest and transparent, and of holding it accountable. And I expect members of my administration not simply to live up to the letter but also the spirit of this law”.
In New York, elected and appointed officials at the state and local level are bound by the State Freedom of Information Law. Too often, when citizens seek information under that statute, it becomes a game as the government seeks to exploit any exception or loophole at its disposal to avoid disclosure. Too often, what should be full disclosure becomes a game of “gotcha” with government departments and officials straining to figure out how not to comply with disclosure.
Recognizing this problem on the federal level, President Obama today remarked that “for a long time now, there's been too much secrecy in this city. The old rules said that if there was a defensible argument for not disclosing something to the American people, then it should not be disclosed. That era is now over. Starting today, every agency and department should know that this administration stands on the side not of those who seek to withhold information but those who seek to make it known”.
Good government demands that every citizen have available the information that allows him to make informed decisions and to judge the wisdom of the decisions being made by those who govern. Particularly as we enter a budget season that promises to demand hard choices which will directly impact the life of every resident of New York, officials at every level of government would do well to heed the spirit of the new President’s remarks.

YONKERS CITIZENS TAKE CAPITAL BUDGET FIGHT "ON LINE"

2007-03-19T09:55:00.000-05:00

Citizens of Yonkers fighting to restore capital projects cut in their Council Districts have taken their fight to the internet.

In what may be a first for Yonkers, residents of northeast Yonkers, led by Taffy Williams of the Crestwood Civic Association, have begun an “on-line” petition drive to demand that the City Council majority restore a much needed watermain project to the Capital Budget.

The project which was slated for this Spring and Summer was cut by a 5-2 vote of the Council last month. The project was to have been done in conjunction with another watermain project being done by United Water of New Rochelle in the same location. By combining the projects, the City would have saved substantial money and lessened the impact on the neighborhood. By delaying the project, the eventual cost will be substantially greater and the streets will have to be opened twice.

Councilmember Dee Barbato and I have been working closely with the Mayor and the citizens to restore the projects to the budget. However, the internet petition takes the battle to a new high-tech level.

Grassroots community activism has been on the rise for several years in Yonkers. Together with other citizen led efforts such as YonkersTV.blogspot.com, an on-line petition is the next logical step in empowering citizens and giving them a direct voice.

The petition can be found by searching “water main” and “Yonkers City Council” on the website www.thepetitionsite.com.

MAYOR PROPOSES COMMON SENSE SOLUTION TO CAPITAL BUDGET IMPASSE

2007-03-19T09:52:00.000-05:00

Councilmember Dee Barbato and I have been working closely with Mayor Amicone and community leaders to restore funding for safety projects cut out of the recent capital budget. The Mayor recently proposed a sensible solution to the impasse with the Council majority. Councilmember Barbato and I fully support the Myor's recommendation

In a Memorandum dated March 16, 2007 Deputy Mayor Bill Regan outlined a proposal which would allow the Administration to begin planning and design work for two flood control projects and new a watermain in the Crestwood neighborhood. These projects were all cut out of the Budget by a 5-2 vote of the City Council earlier this year.

The flood control projects involve work at “Troublesome Brook” and Underhill Street. The watermain project would be done in conjunction with a project already being done by United Water of New Rochelle and would, therefore, save the City substantial money over the long term. Under the proposal from Mayor Amicone, Capital Budget amendments would be adopted now so that planning and design could begin, with the understanding that bonding authority would be passed this summer in the FY 2007-2008 budget year.

Councilmember Barbato and I have been working daily with the Mayor and Homeowners Groups throughout Northeast Yonkers in order to restore the project cuts. We applaud the Mayor’s proposal as a sensible resolution which will address these critical safety and quality of life projects in a timely and cost-effective manner.

PUT THE MONEY BACK!

2007-02-25T09:27:00.000-05:00

One month ago, a majority of my Council colleagues voted to transfer $350,000 that was earmarked to pay the costs of administering election in order to instead fund a political hiring spree in the Council offices. Disingenously, they transferred the money within the City Clerk's office in order to avoid a technical violation of the City Charter. But the intended result was to be the same. More political cronies on the taxpayer's dime.

The theory advanced was that under a State Law adopted last year, the County was now paying election costs so the money in our budget was no longer needed for that purpose. Of course, this also ignores the possibility of either rebating the money to the taxpayers or otherwise using it to cut costs, for example by spending it to retire debt. However, it also ignored the plain language of the State statute which said that after the County paid for the election, it had the right to bill the municipalities. At the time, I investigated that issue and was told by both the County Board of Elections and the County Executive's office that such a charge back was under consideration.

On that basis, Councilwoman Dee Barbato and I urged our colleagues to hold off on any transfer until the issue was clarified. Of course, we also urged them to use the money, if at all, for such cost cutting as outlined above. Ignoring our warnings, the Council voted 5-2 to take the money for both new hires and for "printing costs" in the Council President's office (i.e."Newsletters").

This past Thursday, the City was advised in writing by the County Executive that the proposed County Budget included a bill to Yonkers for nearly $300,000 in election costs. This amount doesn't include the Special Election held two weeks ago so the cost will, presumably, rise. Unfortunately, the letter was a day late because on Thursday the State Comptroller approved the budget transfer. Had the Comptroller's office had the benefit of the County Executive's letter he no doubt would have vetoed the move.

Noentheless, the Council still can do the right thing. In Friday's Journal News, Council President Lesnick said none of the money had been spent yet. Good! Then do the right thing. Put the money back where it was and don't waste the taxpayer's hard earned dollars. Councilwoman Barbato and I will be proposing legislation to do just that in the coming weeks.

CHARTER COMMISSION RECONVENES

2007-02-21T20:36:00.000-05:00

Tonight at City Hall Mayor Amicone swore in the Charter Revision Commission. Most members returned although two new members joined the Commission. To learn more click on the link to the City of Yonkers web site on the left hand side of this page and then read the Mayor's press release.

CRESTWOOD COMMUNITY MEETING ON UNITED WATER PROJECT

2007-02-21T20:27:00.000-05:00

On Monday night February 27 at 7:30 p.m. Councilwoman Dee Barbato and I will be sponsoring our second community meeting to update Crestwood residents regarding the upcoming United Water watermain project which is set to begin this Spring on Schultz Field and St. Elenora's Lane. Please join us for the update and to ask questions. For more information call Marie in the Council office at 377-6315.

FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS

2007-02-16T21:54:00.000-05:00

CAMPAIGN KICK OFF

Please Join us

Thursday March 1, 2007

at the Olde Stone Mill

2 Scarsdale Rd. Yonkers

7 -9 p.m.

$99 per person

UPCOMING EVENTS

2007-02-16T21:17:00.000-05:00

2/19/07-HOLIDAY City Hall Closed

2/20/07-Zoning Board Council Chamber 6 p.m.

Council Rules Committee, Council Conf. Rm. 6:30 p.m.

Municipal Operations Comm. Council Conf. Rm. 7 p.m.

2/22/07-Mayor's Town Hall mtg. at Will Library 7-8 p.m.

UPCOMING EVENTS: Feb 2-11. 2007

2007-02-02T18:01:00.000-05:00

February 5, 2007 - Real Estate Committee Meeting (Downtown Project/ TIF Financing), 6:30 p.m. Council Chambers

February 6, 2007 - Community Services Committe Meeting, 6:00 p.m. Conference Room

Febuary 7, 2007 - Planning Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m. Council Chamber

Community Meeting on Palmer Road Met Life Bldg. Redevelopment, 7:00 p.m., Will Library

February 10, 2007 - Boy Scouts of America, Anniversary of Scouting Breakfast, 8:30 a.m., Most Holy Trinity Church, Yonkers (Info.: 773-1135 x231)

"COMMUNITY FIRST" NOW BLOGGING

2007-01-28T18:11:00.000-05:00

The dedicated citizens at the Community First Development Coalition have been helping to bring Yonkers' diverse citizenry and neighborhoods together since 2005. Community First has been instrumental in uniting neighbors across Yonkers to lobby for better government, sensible development and citizen participation. Now Community FIrst is on line at www.communityfirstdevelopmentcoalition.blogspot.com. Give them a visit and see what these community activists are doing for Yonkers.

SPRING SEASON FOR YONKERS' VINECUTTERS

2007-01-25T13:16:00.000-05:00

Organized by Park Hill resident Terry Joshi, a dedicated band of citizens meets monthly at the intersection of the Saw Mill River Parkway and Rumsey Road for a litter and debris clean up and to cut the intrusive vines that constantly threaten native plants. The "vinecutters" meet for two hours on a Saturday morning and anyone is welcome to help out by giving as much or as little time as they can spare. Age and experience are no matter as the team will train a newcomer. Upcoming dates are Saturdays January 27, March 10, April 21 and May 19 from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information or to get involved feel free to call my City Hall office.

CITY COUNCIL SPENDING MONEY IT DOESN"T HAVE

2007-01-24T16:09:00.000-05:00

The City Council Last night voted 5-2 (Murtagh and Barbato disenting)to transfer $350,000 in money budgeted for election expenses to salary lines for hiring of additional Council staff. The council's action is the worst sort of pork barrel politics but also potentially leaves the City with a substantial unfunded exposure.

At issue is a vote by Council President Chuck Lesnick and a majority of the Council to transfer $350,000 previously budgeted for the cost of administering elections, to fund a hiring spree of new political appointments in the Council President’s office and the City Clerk’s office. The latter office is also controlled by the Council. The majority is justifying its spending by claiming that under a new State law, the County of Westchester will now pay the election costs previously paid by the City. However, the Council majority failed to do the necessary investigation and had they done so would understand that the City will still be paying the election expenses in question. The 2005 Election and Consolidation Improvement Act specifically provides that the Counties may charge back election expenses to the municipalities after the fact and based on the conversations I have had with officials at both the Board of Elections and in the County Executive’s office, all indications are that Westchester County fully intends to do so. My colleagues on the Council, in a rush to beef up their own power base are risking leaving the City with a substantial unfunded liability.

At a meeting with municipal officials on October 19, 2006, County Executive Spano and his staff advised local officials that they had the discretion under the new state law to pass along the expenses and were considering doing so. If the County Legislature does what it is expected to do, Yonkers will shortly be handed a six figure bill that it cannot pay due to the actions of the City Council.

Councilwomen Dee Barbato and I had previously urged our colleagues not to transfer the funds to their own use simply because it was a waste of taxpayer’s dollars. Now having investigated the law, it is clear that it is not only wasteful but risks potentially leaving the City exposed to a substantial liability.

NEIGHBORS SPEAK OUT ON UNITED WATER PROJECT IN CRESTWOOD

2007-01-23T15:07:00.000-05:00

Nearly 100 neighbors, concerned about the impact of the United Water waterline project, turned out last night (January 22)to voice their concerns at a meeting which I co-cponsored with Councilwoman Dee Barbato. Representatives of United Water as well as the Mayor's office were presnt to brief the homeowners and, more importantly, hear their concerns. Seperate meeting were held earlier the same day with homeowners immediately contiguous to the construction site and with representatives of Annunciation Church and School.

The project, which should begin by March, involves laying new water lines for the United Water Company to serve its customers in New Rochelle. United Water is mandated to do the work by New York State and has the right by law to do the construction necessary in Yonkers. However, as part of an agreement negotiated by the Mayor's office, United Water will also be making a $900,000 contribution to the Yonkers Parks Department as well as contributing $700,000 for and performing the installation of a seperate waterline to serve the Crestwood community ( Of course, this assumes the city portion of the funding is approved. See seperate post below regarding Council President Lesnick and the Capital Budget).

A number of residents expressed concerns over noise, traffic (particularly as it relates to Annunciation School and Church) and whether the construction would disturb rodents and other animal life in the nearby Schultz Field Park

The City Department Heads present and United Water left the meeting with a list of concerns to be addressed and will be scheduling further meetings to brief the community on agreed upon solutions and remediations.

Our office will be continuing to monitor the planning phase and will, of course, relay any concerns and complaints from constituents throughout the project.

UPCOMING EVENTS

2007-01-20T11:01:00.000-05:00

Monday January 22

7:30 p.m. - Public Hearing on Con Edison M-29 Transmission Line at Riverdale YM-YWHA, 5625 Arlington Avenue, Bronx, NY (More info at www.coned.com/publicissues/m29.asp)

7:00 p.m. - Community Briefing on United Water waterline project, Annunciation Church, Lower Church

Tuesday January 23

7:30 p.m. - City Council meeting to vote on amended Capital Budget (see post below for more information) City Council Chamber 4th Floor City Hall

Wednesday January 24

6:30 p.m. - Environmental Scoping Session for Downtown/ Waterfront project. City Council Chamber, 4th Floor City Hall

8:00 p.m. - City Council Real Estate Committee Meeting, Council Chamber, City Hall 4th Floor

LESNICK'S WAR ON NORTHEAST YONKERS: Council President playing politics with Capital Budget

2007-01-20T10:19:00.000-05:00

This coming Tuesday night, January 23, Council President Chuck Lesnick has scheduled a vote on his proposed Amendment to the recently adopted Capital Budget. Lesnick has proposed amendments which target for elimination important safety projects in the Fifth and Sixth Council Districts. Under Lesnick's proposal, all other Council Districts would either be untouched or see their funding increased at the expense of residents in the Fifth and Sixth Districts.

The Capital Budget, which pays for major infrastructure, safety and quality of life projects, was adopted by the City Council only in December. This itself violates the City Charter and illustrates the irresponsibility of the current Council leadership and Budget Committee. By City Charter, the Capital Budget is to be adopted no later than June 1. However, the Council majority took no action for nearly six months, finally voting in mid-December to cut the Mayor's proposed budget by fifty per cent. Among the items they eliminated at that time were all funding for Traffic Safety including the installation of traffic lights at a major east side intersection which has been the scene of at least one pedestrian fatality. The only Councilmembers to vote against this ill-conceived, irresponsible action were Councilwoman Dee Barbato of the Sixth District and I.

It is no coincidence then that, Dee Barbato and I having bucked the Council President's political vendetta against the Mayor, he is now proposing further cuts but targeting only the Fifth and Sixth Council Districts. In other words, the Council President has decided that the residents and taxpayers of the Fifth and Sixth Districts will have to pay a price for electing politically independent Councilmembers.

Specifically, Council President Lesnick has proposed eliminating entirely three projects:

Watermain replacements in Crestwood

Drainage and flood control work on Underhill Street in Colonial Heights and

Flood control remediation on Fort Hill Road by Troublesome Brook

As Northeast Yonkers residents know, these projects are vital to the safety and quality of life of our neighborhoods. We all know the water pressure issues in Crestwood, the flooding on Underhill Street and down to the Asbury Church and many of us recall residents in the Fort Hill Road area being helped out in row boats during bad storms. Of course, when challenged at last Tuesday night's Council committee meeting, Lesnick said he did not know where the three projects he was cutting were located so apparently he is unfamiliar with our neighborhoods.

Needless to say, the Council President is not proposing to save the taxpayers a nickel. While cutting vital projects in the Fifth and Sixth Districts, he is increasing the funding for projects in the Districts of Councilmembers who are willing to vote with him and increasing funding for pet projects such as the privately run "Hudson River Museum".

On the same night, the Council President is also proposing to increase spending for salaries and expenses in his own office. While cutting projects in our neighborhoods, the Council President and his willing majority are planning on transferring $350,000 from elsewhere in the City's budget to hire more staff and political operatives in the Council President's office and the City Clerk's office.

Councilwoman Barbato and I both asked the Council President to at least insist on a Budget Committee meeting before the vote next Tuesday so that residents of the Fifth and Sixth District could be heard on these issues. Lesnick refused such a meeting and insisted that the matter simply go to a vote Tuesday night.

The only chance that residents and taxpayers of Northeast Yonkers will have to voice their outrage at being treated as second class citizens in Yonkers will be at the meeting itself Tuesday January 23 at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be in the Council Chamber, 4th Floor City Hall. If you wish to speak that night you must call the City Clerk's office and sign up to speak on Tuesday. The Clerk's office is at 377-6020. If you cannot speak, I still urge you to attend the meeting and support your neighbors by your mere presence. I also urge you to let the Council President know how you feel. Contact Lesnick at chuck.lesnick@cityofyonkers.com or by calling 377-6060.

The Council President needs to be reminded that he represents all of Yonkers and that he cannot make the residents of the Fifth and Sixth Districts the pawns in his political games.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

2007-01-14T18:12:00.000-05:00

" Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. Say that I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things in life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that's all I want to say. If I can help somebody as I pass along. If I can cheer somebody with a word or song, if I can show somebody he is traveling wrong, then my living will not be in vain..."

"The Drum Major Instinct". Sermon by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1968

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE DOWNTOWN/ WATERFRONT NOW ON-LINE

2007-01-14T18:00:00.000-05:00

The City of Yonkers website, which can be found at www.cityofyonkers.com, has the developer's initial scoping documents on line. Click on the "Bulletin Board" section on the main page for more information. The Environmental Scoping Session, your first real opportunity for input on this critical project, will be held Wednesday January 4, 2007 in the City Council Chamber, 4th Floor City Hall beginning at 6:30 p.m.

DOWNTOWN WATERFRONT SCOPING SESSION SCHEDULED

2007-01-10T23:38:00.000-05:00

The first environmental scoping session for the Downtown/ Waterfront project has been scheduled for January 24, 2007. The "scoping document" which will be created based upon the questions posed at this meeting will form the blueprint for the entire environmental study to follow. Public involvement is, therefore, critical at this meeting. The meeting will be in the City Council Chamber, fourth floor City Hall beginning at 6:30 p.m. For more information visit www.cityofyonkers.com or www.sfcyonkers.com.

REGIONAL COOPERATION WILL SAVE TIME AND MONEY AND LEAD TO BETTER PLANNING

2007-01-10T10:27:00.000-05:00

Last evening, the Yonkers City Council signed off on the settlement of the lawsuit brought last year by the Town of Greenburg and its Villages challenging the environmental studies done in connection with the proposed Ridge Hill Village project. There were no surprises in the Greenburg lawsuit. The issues raised were exactly the issues, most notably traffic mitigation, which Greenburg and the other surrounding communities (as well as many in Yonkers) had been raising for three years. Unfortunately, those issues were largely ignored by those who argued that Yonkers should not concern itself with the impact that Ridge Hill, the largest development in Westchester County history, would have on its neighbors.

The resulting lawsuit led to months of further delay in the construction of Ridge Hill as well as significant costs to the City of Yonkers in legal and other fees. In settling the lawsuit, Greenburg and its villages have secured direct funding from the developer for further traffic mitigation but, more importantly, Yonkers, Greenburg and the developer have agreed to cooperate in the creation of a regional task force to study, plan and lobby for additional traffic mitigation off of the Sprain Brook Parkway. In a nutshell, the settlement does exactly what community activists in Yonkers and Greenburg as well as Councilwoman Dee Barbato and I had advocated from the get go: cooperation to address cross-border concerns and make the project better for all.

In recent years, Southern Westchester has witnessed municipal "border wars" time and again as one community or another planned a major project that would directly and unavoidably impact its neighbors. Proposals to bring IKEA to New Rochelle, new retail to Sanford Boulevard on the Mt. Vernon-Pelham border, the Stew Leonards/ Home Depot development and Ridge Hill itself have all raised similar issues and more than once resulted in litigation. There is a better way.

The Task Force established under the Ridge Hill settlement can serve as a model for cooperative and preemptive regional planning. The simple mechanism of a permanent inter-municipal Task Force which can meet, as needed, to address concerns as projects are planned would do much to nip border disputes in the bud. Such a group would streamline the development process and result in better development in the end. A Task Force need not require any municipality to cede authority or control over its own planning process. Rather it would simply serve as a forum for concerns to be heard and vetted. Likewise, as with the proposed Ridge Hill Task Force, it would allow the municipalities which participate to bring their combined talents and resources to lobby other levels of government, whether in Albany or Washington, for necessary assistance.

In a word, inter-municipal cooperation is just plain common sense.

COUNCIL MAJORITY ACTS IRRESPONSIBLY ON CAPITAL BUDGET

2007-01-09T14:08:00.000-05:00

The City Council Budget Committee met last night to "consider" the Mayor's proposed amendment to the Capital Budget adopted by the Council last month. The Committee and a majority of Council members continue to act irresponsibly in regard to the Capital Budget doing a disservice to the city and endangering the health and welfare of its residents.

Some background is necessary. The Capital Budget, as opposed to the Operating Budget, includes those major projects necessary for repairs and improvements to the city infrastructure and city services which are not funded by day to day operating revenue. For example, the current Capital Budget includes money for road resurfacing, vehicle replacement and equipment for the Police and Fire Departments. Unfortunately, the Capital Budget has traditionally been used as a political football by those looking to undermine a sitting Mayor. Cutting necessary capital projects has been a favorite tool of more than one politically ambitious Councilmember ever since then Councilman John Spencer sought to undermine the first strong Mayor, Terry Zaleski.

Currenly, the Budget Committee is chaired by Councilmember Liam McLaughlin and includes Councilmembers Robertson. Both are at odds with Mayor Amicone and both are said to be harboring Mayoral ambitions. In fact, Councilman Robertson has already declared for Mayor. Councilman McLaughlin and his fellow Committee members have used their position to both stall and slash the current Capital Budget proposal without any regard for the best interests of the City. They have been joined in their actions by Councilmember Annabi another who has designs on the second floor of City Hall.

Proof of the political gameplaying is in the numbers...not the budget numbers but the schedule of meetings held over at least the last six months. By quick calculation, since June 1, 2006 the City Council has held at least 54 meetings either as a full Council or in its various committees. Of those, at best five were Budget Committee meetings and of those, only two, in November and December, directly related to the current Capital Plan. Indeed, between June 2 and the second week of November, McLaughlin's committee did not hold a single meeting to discuss the Capital Proposal.

Now to the two meetings held. At the November meeting, the committee spent about an hour reviewing the Capital Budget with Capital Projects Director Tom Weibrecht. At the meeting's conclusion, Weibrecht left with a list of follow up questions from Councilmembers. Committee members and Councilmembers heard nothing more for a month. Then we learned that the Mayor's office had sent the Budget chair a response to the Committee's questions in less than two weeks but he had never shared the response with any other Councilmember. When found out, McLaughlin claimed the response did not answer the questions. Of course, other Councilmembers were never afforded an opportuntiy to judge for themselves.

Finally, on a mere twenty-four hours notice, McLaughlin called a Budget Committee meeting for December 12 and a Special Council meeting was called by a compliant Council President for the same night. With little notice to the public, no substantive discussion and no public input, five of seven Councilmembers (all but Councilwoman Barbato and I) voted to cut all but the Police and Fire lines by fifty per cent. Indeed, even Police and Fire only survived the knife due to last minute lobbying by union leaders in the Chamber that night.

To his credit, the Mayor has called the majority's bluff. Rather than veto its irresponsible action, the Mayor has accepted their "Budget" and immediately sent up an amendment restoring the cuts. Now the majority will again have to decide whether to do its job or ignore its responsibility and endanger the citizens of Yonkers for political purposes.

At last night's Budget Meeting over fifty members of the voting public were in attendance. Not one rose in support of the irresponsible majority. Every speaker called upon the Council to do its job, actually take a hard look at the budget and restore those programs necessary for quality of life and safety. Amen to that.

Now lets see if politics continues to triumph or whether Councilmembers, most notably the Council President, will finally choose to do the job with which they were entrusted.