School Board Oversight Shortsighted. Too Little, Too Late
March 2, 2010
John:
I know you've all heard this before, but: What happened to the $70 million our brilliant school board decided to borrow at the height of a financial bubble. They rebuilt one schoolhouse without adding any significant number of seats, and they beautified the library of another.
What about the stadium they promised (the original plan had both sides with bleachers, not one side like it is)? What about all of the repairs to our older schools and buildings that HAVE NOT BEEN DONE?
Where did all of that money go? Mr. McConnell is right about cutting back on our educational budget, but I think we should start by firing the school board and finding out where all that money went.
Now you say we have an expanding school age population? How stupid was my idea a few years ago to take back the public school buildings (and grounds) that we magnanimously GAVE to private schools 20 odd years ago. Would have cost a lot less than $70 million, and we'd have room for all of our students as well as 40 acres of open space per school. But none of that will ever happen.
You sheep in White Plains will vote for whichever schill the school board presents next time around, and you'll pass the next ridiculous school budget because of all of the board's empty threats about lay-offs and "emergency budgets".
You'll vote for the next Democrat/Republican that both parties place on the ballot while they keep everyone else away from the race. And you will all continue to work for your government rather than the government working for you. Our local politicians and public servants already operate with an arrogant disregard and even disdain for the common citizen.
They should be grateful for the positions and benefits they already have, but all too often their arrogance shows through in the demands put forth by their unions and political parties, and the continuing demands for more in their pockets taken directly from our children's mouths. I say throw them all out.
I say none of these officials were fairly elected in the first place, since our system is completely corrupt and we've never been given any choices of whom to elect in the first place. I say I'd rather see all of the schools in White Plains closed before I have to pay all of my income just to enrich these greedy, selfish, arrogant persons in their ivory towers of academia and government.
Name Witheld On Request
Independent Review Board Needed to Oversee School Board Negotiations.
March 1,2010
WPCNR,
I recently read your article on “Teachers Give Back for 2-1/4% More Pay; Retirement Incentives to Trim Staff”.
I applauded Mr. Bassano and the rest of the board members for their efforts in attempting to control cost for the school district. However, this proposal falls far short of the expectation most of the 21,000 plus resident tax-payers in WP were looking for. It’s way too early for the board to declare “mission accomplished”. More needs to be done.
The school budget over the past years has increased in size far greater then the average tax-payers income… plus the national rate of inflation. We need real reform not just surface changes to the school budget. I’m sure the city tax-payers will be happy to hear that the teachers will NOW work harder by teaching five periods a day, five days a week. I believe the average period is approximately forty-five minutes in duration. Therefore, a teacher in WP will “teach” less then four hours a day. Most folks today work on average eight hours a day. Let’s not forget there are approximately180 official school days in a year. The other topic that also misses the mark was union members paying partial medical benefits of 9 to 12%. That figure is extremely low. A study by Kaiser/HRET Company showed the average insurance premium a worker contributes for health care coverage in 2008 was 26.45%. This percentage figure was pretty consistent over a ten year period. I guess you can say the union members have had it pretty good over the past ten years.
I hope I’m wrong about this but it appears the resident Tax-Payer interests are not being protected to the fullest. Maybe a more comprehensive review of the negotiations with the teachers union should be undertaken by an outside group/firm in conjunction
with the board. This would give the review process an independent viewpoint and dismiss any subjective decision making from seeping in.
My Best,
Lawrence Giordano
TEACHER CONTRACT EXTENSION FOR 2011-12 WITH RAISE OF 2-1/4% PLUS STEP INCREASE UNSUSTAINABLE...
March 1, 2010
John,
Can you consider publishing the current salary levels for our teachers and please note that inflation has been virtually zero for three years? These potential teacher contract highlights, if true, are a joke at best and are truly an un-sustainable burden on all 1-3 Family White Plains property taxpayers.
Here's some suggestions:
*There should be a salary freeze for 3 yrs minimum.
* Layoffs of at least 12 % of the teachers, which can be accomplished by increasing average class size to 25 students.
( How is it, New Rochelle has a higher student teacher ratio than White Plains and in some instances has a higher school district rating than White Plains ?)
* Increased class size up to 25 students not 21.
* Outsourcing of administrative jobs.
* Outsourcing of maintenance operations.
* All teachers and school board employers medical co-pay should be increased to 25-35% ( like the rest of us pay in the private sector)
* All retired teachers required to pay for a 35% of the cost of their CADILLAC medical coverage that goes with their $50,000.00 - 100,000.00 pensions payouts!! (Plus they receive social security as well)
* Elimination of some of these ridiculous Continuing Education programs paid for by property tax payers ***like Astrology.
* A lower mandatory retirement age imposed-( This will allow younger persons access to these career jobs and also reduce the top salary tiers)
(I challenge Mr. Clouet, to tell us why he can't deliver the required cut backs? Tell us why he can't impose at least half of the suggestions outlined above? It is time to break contracts, it is time for the City of WP and the Board of ED to threaten these UNIONS with the tax payers right to declare insolvency, the party's over for sure)
** These actions and Tax Revolt initiatives should be implemented by Mayor Bradley in dealing with the rest of these greedy whining UNIONS!
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(I have attached another article covering reports and opinions from Mark Zandi, economist and co-founder of Economy.com)
" The average home price in the United States will fall by about 6% by September 2011, according to a joint report between Fiserv and Moody's Economy.com. And that's after plunging more than 27% in the past three years."
"Foreclosure sales will pick up this spring as mortgage servicers figure out who can qualify for a modification and who can't," said Zandi.
Mr. Zandi, figures there are at least 4.5 million mortgage loans either in foreclosure or clearly headed in that direction. When that additional inventory hits the market, it will provide numerous choices for buyers and encourage sellers to drop their listing prices.
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Time to face the Piper!! This is not a School and City Administrator popularity contest. It is time for hard and decisive actions, no half measures should be accepted by the 1-4 Family Home property tax payers.
Look at our City administration, offering minimum cuts, bowing to 1,000 UNION workers and pressure , when they actually have to answer to 54,000 plus residents and 21,000 1-4 Family home owners. WHO'S DRIVING THIS BUS ANYWAY?
Rip Van Winkle Homeowners and Property Tax Payers Wake Up!! Please **Don't let them Tread on US with their JACK TAX BOOTS anymore!
Regards,
Mike McConnell
Battle Hill Area Surf
School District Bound by Law to Educate Residents Living in Overcrowded Homes...
February 26, 2010
John - While I understand where writer Mike McConnell is coming from, I would like to correct the common misconception that children who are illegal immigrants, the children of illegal immigrants or live in illegally broken up houses, such as he describes in Battle Hill, can be taken out of our public schools.
Even if the children are sleeping in a car or in an alleyway with their parents, they are still entitled to go to the public school where they are living.
When you hear talk that the schools are going to crack down on non-residents enrolled in our schools, the reference is made to children living in other towns, for example if a child living in Harrison or Port Chester was enrolled in the White Plains Schools.
Anonymous
(Editor's Note: Mr. McConnell points out that he did not use the word "immigrant" in his letter the anonymous writer refers to. Mr. McConnell wishes readers to know he used the word "illegal."
Clean Up White Plains Housing Blight Now...
February 25, 2010
John,
Maybe you can expand on your article regarding the 24% drop in existing WP home prices to include the fact that the houses in close-in neighborhoods like Church Street, Battle Hill, Fisher Hill, and other close -in neighborhoods, are selling at prices 10-12% lower than your 24% figure.
Let's just say were getting 34-46% than similar homes in the Highlands, Ridgeway, or North Street areas. We all know why this price discrepancy exists don't we? You can simply compare homes of similar construction and square footage and you will see the price discrepancy based on the area the home is located in.
Do you realize that the 10606 (includes Fisher Hill, Battle Hill, Prospect Park, Soundview) zip code boasts the highest number of registered sex offenders and the most active foreclosure rate of any City wide zip code?
Don't you think that the City administration needs to be looking at this problem with very detailed attention? I do, because the continued property tax increases, Con Ed increases, STAR Tax Exemption reductions, unemployment and further economic problems will only exasperate this issue and it must be dealt with before it is too late.
We can certainly lay the blame for this real estate price destruction squarely on the chin of the DelFino administration and it's friendly relationship with slum lords who have routinely flouted our city building and zoning codes. Our White Plains South neighborhoods have been destroyed over the last 12 years and it is beginning to look like the neglect will continue.
It is time for the new Bradley administration to shut down this city wide illegal housing, clean out the blight, end the unsafe living conditions. If the new administration actually addresses (it), they will also clear many excess students from our schools as well. Many of these students are in our schools illegally and many of these small 1 - 2 family homes, meant to house 2 adults and 2.5 children , now house 8-10 children from un-related families. This is just a no brainer!
Mr. Bradley, you can fix the problem or ignore it just like your predecessor did. It is clear these homes should be used as intended or leveled using the City's power to condemn dwellings that violate our municipal code and the local rule of law.
Time to clean-up the White Plains housing blight and cut these bloated school and city payrolls now!
Regards,
Mike McConnell
Battle Hill Area Resident
What is Mayor Bradley Achieving by Trashing City Police and Fire Departments on Pay?
February 23, 2010
Hello John and readers:
I read with great fascination (Mayor) Adam Bradley's statements (appearing in The Journal News) regarding alleged "sweetheart" contracts between the city and the police and fire departments.
While his comments are great theater and are unresearched by the Journal News, I'd just like to give you my two cents.
The pay raises for both fire and police in White Plains are in tandem with comparable communities pay raises (I can provide that info).
While the JN researches pensions and final year salaries for public employees, perhaps they might look at pay raise information for fire and police unions in the county for the last couple of years.
The research will show that Adam Bradley's statements regarding "sweetheart contracts" are way off the mark. I will not question his motives, but I have clear reservations about them.
Firefighters and cops wake up each morning, make a sandwich and go to work. They are not villains, they are saints (and common working stiffs).
But they wake up and show up to work in the squad room and have to see the attacks in the newspaper that are levied upon them by the new administration.
What is the potential purpose of the "trashing?"
You have a fire department who has an Insurance Services rating of "one" which is only shared by Syracuse, NY and saves taxpayers thousands of dollars in property insurance.
You have a police department that has numerous accreditations and is the best in the state.
When will the politics stop and firefighters and cops be able to get back to work?
Move on.
Duncan MacRae, Chair
White Plains Labor Coalition
School District Faces $7M Deficit With Projected $3.7M Tax Roll Erosion and Facing loss of State Aid
February 17
John,
Let's not forget we will already be guaranteed a school line property tax (increase) due to the proposed 18% STAR Exemption reduction. How come you have never shown a simple math example to your readers regarding the effects of STAR exemption reductions on their tax bills? We need a picture, a before and after shot for the masses? Most of the people I spoke to don't know the difference between a STAR Rebate (already eliminated) and the STAR exemption.
There are 21000 + homes in White Plains, I have to guess the bulk of them are considered 3-4 bedrooms and are worth less than 800,000.00. Owners of these type of households have seen their school taxes go up approximately 12-18% over three years just due to the effect of the STAR exemption cuts. The bulk of our residents don't seem to think the STAR has much effect and they direct their tax frustration at City Tax and School tax administrators. The real property taxpayers really need to start pounding away at Gov. Patterson, Greg Ball, Mr. Castelli and Amy Paulin and the rest of them regarding this theft of our hard earned home owner real property tax relief.
John, doesn't the fact that Local Assessors and NYS Office of Real property services, a private administrative agency, acted to increase property taxes thru an accounting change, without any State political representation cause any alarm? The STAR was implemented into law through the legislative process, and now they monkey with law without any State Senate or Assembly approval. Since when did assessors and accountants get the right to legislate?
Where is the WC/PC Board of Realtors' support for STAR?? These realtors obviously don't care, someone could die in your house and the next day they'll call you before the funeral to see if you want to list your house with them!!
Why aren't the Westchester/Putnam County Board of Realtors isn't vehemently lobbying to save the STAR program? They certainly get out there and advocate for tax payer funded low income affordable housing when they have a commission to earn.
In 2007-2008 all the politicians were screaming about expanding STAR, this true homeowner property tax relief program. Where are all the big shots politicians on this now, after the 2008 elections?
DUH! Once again, them lemmings return to the sea en masse!
Regards,
Mike McConnell
Battle Hill Resident
(Editor's Note: WPCNR is the only media to have reported the STAR EXEMPTION cuts last spring that were used to "fund" the restoration of school aid, and went through last year's math on what it does to senior citizens and those under 65, extensively. The STAR Exemption decrease of 11% last spring was approved by the State Legislature, both houses.)
Could we PLEASE Open the White Plains Library on Saturday?
February 16,2010
Tomorrow night, the board of the White Plains Public Library will meet to discuss the Library budget, or so says the Library's website. This might be a good time for your readers, if they're wondering why ours seems to be one of the only libraries in the area that is not open on Saturdays, to raise this issue with the Library Board.
If this issue was raised recently, I missed it. But for all of the money that it spent and mis-spent on nonsensical garbage, it is beyond annoying that our City government has not found a way to open its library on Saturdays, particularly during the winter months when hundreds of kids are looking for something to do on weekends.
That Yonkers and New Rochelle, to name just a couple, have found a way to do so is a stick in the eye of our City. I hope the Library gives this issue the reconsideration it deserves, and I hope your readers will find time to bring this issue to the Library's consideration, either tomorrow night or otherwise.
William Lalor, White Plains
COUNTY SHOULD RACK UP NON-UNION WORKERS/MGMT PAYING FOR THEIR HEALTH CARE SHARE NOT 15% BUT TO 20% FOR STARTERS...
Dear Mr. Jenkins
(Lawrence Jenkins, Chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators:)
I know you are currently busy reviewing health care contributions to non-union workers. To help you with the decision making process I thought it would be worthwhile if you saw the chart created by Kaiser/HRET company. It illustrates how much the average worker contributes to their health care plan as of 2008.
The average worker contribution is much higher then the 15% that is currently being discussed by your office. In my opinion, using the discussed figure of 15% as a starting point clearly misses the mark; especially if your objectives are to; 1. Do what’s fair 2. Do what's right and 3. Reduce taxes. A more realistic figure would be in the order of 20%to 25%.
The time is now to act like pioneers and create a new path that our children will be proud to follow. The alternative of runaway tax increases is not the solution!
Larry Giordano White Plains, NY
Balancing the Citizens' Trust
February 6, 2010
Mr. & Mrs. White Plains, what we need to balance and rebuild in our city, is “City Government” trust and our confidence in it; We need increased oversight, responsibility and accountability balancing the citizen’s participation in knowing what is going on in city government operations, or what is not going on, by who and whom.
Transparency – Open Government – Accountability, period!
Our former ex Mayor Delfino and his administration operated an independent self-policing oversight - no checks and balances of accountability, fiscal incompetence and gross budgetary mismanagement. Many years of digging and burying our city into a financial recession by suppression, downtown White Plains rises and the city financial stability completely collapses. Point fingers, blame it on the national economy, find excuses and never stand up and take responsibility after we’re shredded into financial calamity. Leadership or lack of leaving the taxpayer, property owner, you and I, with hard hit long-term tax increases, service cuts, rising costs to compensate for the incompetence and shortsighted vision of city government mismanagement.
Spend, spend and spend some more until the reserve funds, capital funds, fund balances and city check books are “Red” empty, then shred the evidence of wrong doing. Leave office, retire on the pockets of the taxpayer, leave the White Plains taxpayer – property owner with the long-term “Red Ink” debt – double digit 23.5% tax increases, increased recreational public fees, elimination of city public services, and expect us to choke absorbing the “ATM” Any Time Money - cash cow – piggy bank for the city coffers to balance the 2010 – 2011 city budget. It took twelve short years to bring us to the “Moody Risk” negative credit rating and twelve more future years to shred us of the coming long-term tax burden we are left swallowing.
Who do we hold responsible – accountable? 7-0, 5-2, 4-3, pick a vote.
I quote from ex Mayor Delfino’s October 2009 Common Council meeting over the leaf protest flyer he received, the mayor publicly read that evening, which brought in over 300 citizen protest calls to City Hall for proposing the elimination of a taxpayer service.
Mayor Delfino, “this is not true, your services will not be cut and your taxes will not go up after the election” He’s right, services will be eliminated and your taxes will skyrocket, not just go up!
Reform and restoration in our city government, elected officials, and a confident trust worthy partnership collectively with the citizens must be the process moving forward. Open transparent government must restore our confidence in government leadership and stabilize our trust once again in government.
Citizens have the right to know, government has the obligation to make sure we know. To make sure we have public access to all information before it gets shredded, concealed and destroyed; all evidence, documents, records are public property of the people and the City of White Plains. Every government document must be made public through public access, “City Clerks Office”, city web site posting, city meetings, minutes, recordings, contracts, salaries, unions, city employees, budgets, funds, revenue, spending, city debt, and every item the White Plains taxpayer supports and pays for.
Public service means “Public Service” service to the public for the public paid for by the public – citizen – taxpayer.
Reform is the responsibility of local government to balance our relationship, trust, honesty, integrity and confidence in our government and those entrusted with the responsibility to do so by oath.
Carl Albanese
White Plains
Note: In order to read the letters sent to Toast of the Town on previous days going back for about a month, click on "Read More" -- Your Editor
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