The purpose of this Miscellaneous topic is to discuss any town related issues you feel are important that are not addressed in other topics. Please post any issues you wish to discuss in the comments section of this post. Thanks!
If you have any suggestions or comments regarding the blog, please contact me at 'mherman.gny@gmail.com'. Thank you for your input.
-Marc Herman
This week's discourse closed. Please use the newer weekly post for new comments; discussion for this week can still be viewed. Thanks for your comments!
99 comments:
re: the tdycc
the town argues its a recreational facility governed by finneran
so why is it open to everyone, resident and non-resident?
if veteran park can be open to a small class of non-residents, it seems the town is once again breaking the law by throwing the gates of the tdycc open to everyone.
this should stop.
Why post any comments when there is never a meaningful response?
Look at past postings.
Why do certain union members receive stipends in violation of the terms of the labor contracts?
Why does anyone receive a stipend?
Why was the former Comptroller fired?
Why hasn't the Town completed the financing for the Library?
Why hasn't the TDYCC police report been released? (Don't hide behind some obscure court decision - what is best for ALL of the taxpayers of Greenburgh?)
There are continuing indications that the mortgage tax receipts are down substantially from a year ago - check with the County. If the last six months follows the first six months, the Town could be $1,000,000 short. Likelwise sales taxes are down about 10% for the County. That translates into another $400,000 to $500,000 shortfall.
What about the $200,000 in budgeted revenues from a business use tax that won't happen? What about the $750,000 in one time revenues from the disposal of foreclosed property that's in the budget? Per the Town's adopted financial policy it didn't belong in the operating budget in the first place.
What about the more than %5,000,000 in tax certs that the Town Board has approved by resolution, just since January 1st?
Lots to discuss. Unfortunately Ms. Weems isn't in a position today to give us answers, because you darn well know the Supervisor can't and won't
It's now almost 24 hours until the Town Board meeting and still no Cablevision contract for the public to see and comment upon prior to the hearing.
Why don't you send someone to end the public travesty of a junkyard in the parking lot of Royal Palace??? At last count, five abononed trucks are there, rotting in full view. Isn't this breaking some type of law?
Guess what just snuck onto the Town website WITHOUT any fanfare?
The draft contract with Cablevision for the Public Hearing on the Town Board meeting schedule tomorrow.
Have fun.
hal
did the fortress bible decision also sneak under the radar also?
When is anyone going to fix the leaks at the front door at the brand new Library? Isn't anyone embarrassed in Town Management about this. It has never been corrected since it has been built.
no, no.
The Town Board did not fill the recent vacant Trustee position.
And it is Feiner, not the Trustee who is the subject of my Ethics Board complaint. Feiner accepted a $100 contribution from the Trustee; meanwhile the Ethics Board has yet to come to a decision. Come to the Ethics Board meeting tonight at 7:00 at Town Hall; this item is on the Agenda.
FYI-
For the 2nd time in 6 months, my GPS and other items, where stolen out of my car, parked right in my driveway.
BAH!
I'm told that this has not been an issue in Hartsdale.
Has anyone else heard of these thefts?
WHERE ARE THE POLICE.
EDGEMONT HAS HAD A RASH OF THEFTS FROM ONESW CAR PARKED IN THEIR DRIWAY.
WE HAD TO HIRE OUR OWN SECURITY.
MAYBE THE NEXT STEP WILL BE THAT EACH HOUSEHOLD TAKES A TURN IN PATROLING .
FEINER FORGOT THAT WE PAY TAXES TOO.
BY THE WAY PAUL WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE MONEY OWED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR THE PRIVATE PROTECTION THEY RECEIVED FROM THE GREENBURGH POLICE .
DID YOU FORGET??????
why hasnt the town sued to get the money back from valhalla who used it for cruises and other hijinks.
Today's Town Board work session - the Supervisor indicated that the town is facing a $1.2 million shortfall in mortgage tax revenues and a substantial decline in sales tax revenues. Oh, for the days of an honest and open Town Comptroller.
The police can not catch the crooks stealing from your cars because, they are either busy at the hospital dropping off patients or with the fire depts training in tech rescue, which the firefigters I hear are already trained for.
or they are busy with swat and running summer camps
lets hope the metz meeting is broadcast
Based on yesterday's work session, Feiner & Co. are still trying to feed the public the malarkey that because the federal government mandated that the Metz reservoir be covered, the Town was required to abdicate its responsibility to protect neighboring homeowners from irresponsible construction. Last week's flooding proved the ECC was right in declaring that it had "no confidence" in Greenburgh's officials.
P. Leavy - lock your doors & remove your GPS. Do we need to pay GPD Officers to protect those items which you can protect yourself?
It would be nice if we could have a police officer on every block in every neighborhood. Given we can't afford that, there are things we can do. Lock your car doors & remove your valuable items. This is an inexpensive way to keep you from being a target. While some of these incidents may be the result of professional thieves, most times it's probably some neighborhood kid who was tempted by the open car window and unlocked doors. The IPODS, Portable GPS Systems & Portable Satellite Radio Receivers are all magnets for crime. Take the time to remove them, close your windows & lock your doors. Our police officers should be concentrating on more important matters.
Paul will you comment on Hartsbrook park if it was purchased for the public to enjoy or is it another dog park.
Thanks for the advice people. Of course I do try to remove all of my valuable items from my car and I do lock my doors. This most recent theft happened during the day, while I was home and going in and out of my car as I do several times a day. It's difficult to remove and replace everything from my car 6 times a day. It concerns me that I have to. I'm surprised at how bold the thieves are.
I've lived here for 20 years. I've never been concerned about this before.
While I'm aware that the police have more important things to do I posted this so that you can be aware of a growing problem, to alert you so that you don't suffer the same fate.
Letter sent to the Editor of The Scarsdale Inquirer. However, because it tells it like it is, they won't run it.
"Robber caught in Hastings home invasion" ('ripped' from the Scarsdale Inquirer 6/19/07)
One caught out of "at least three others" so far; is that anything to be crowing over?
How often do taxpayers get to read about all the king's horses and all the king's men...standing around knee deep in egg yolk?
5 Hastings officers, at least 2 Greenburgh police, Yonkers, Ardsley, State police and a NYPD helicopter responded and still the other perps got away. With all that help, can anyone defend, come budget time, the argument that Greenburgh need maintain its own SWAT? After all, Donald Drive ain't no Midway so when you don't care enough to send the very best, you send the ones you're with.
Maybe waterboarding will encourage the captured suspect to reveal his accomplices, in turn yielding another story on how the case was "cracked" by the skill of our detectives. Or maybe a few fingerprints will be found by the crimestoppers. Holy moly!
"Capt. Joe DeCarlo is quoted in the story: "It was a great effort by many municipal departments including Hastings and Yonkers police...In light of what's going on in the state with talks of consolidation, this shows we definitely work well together already". Hosts and hostesses, remember next time you throw a party: Greenburgh cops are party people.
Meanwhile at the Lasser residence, a lone Greenburgh police officer responded to a burglar alarm. The officer determined the doorlock had been picked, did a perimeter search and called for back-up before entering the premises. Forty minutes later the back-up arrived. Now the circumstances are different, I agree, and I am not suggesting that 5 Hastings officers, 2 Greenburgh Police, Yonkers, Ardsley, state police and a NYPD helicopter would have had any more success in Edgemont than they did in Hastings. But, hey brother, can you spare a cop?
What my purpose here is to remind residents that despite the above, Greenburgh police officers will again be assigned to Police Camp this summer -- instead of sector patrol. Apparently, when it comes to deploying officers to patrol unincorporated, the Police are instead marching to a different drum -- one that beats loudest when the Village People or Fairview (guess who they vote for) hold the drumsticks. And, to what lucky star shining over unincorporated do we owe our thanks that we haven't been conned yet into buying our very own helicopter? Because over at Tarrytown Road they're chanting voodoo style, "Star light, star bright. What if someone were to die tonight".
Try to take notice of how many times a patrol car comes thru your street.
You will be surprised that if you see it once it's a gift.
Where and why do they hide from the public.
Were they not hired to protect the public??
If they did go thru the sectors as they are supposed to do maybe the thief will think twice before committing a crime.
When there is no one watching why not take a chance.
Going back the sector cop knew almost everyone who belonged at each homeand the kind of cars parked in the driveways .
It's a crime that one sees a patrol car marked or unmarked only when a complaint is called in and this too sometimes goes unanswered as one can read on the supervisors blog.
.
If I only had 1 wish from a genie, it would be that the cops would devote their time to police work not EMS which could be done by civilians for 1/2 the money, tech-rescue which is done by the FD's and not run a camp which is already run by the parks dept and TDYCC. Paul how come these things are still going on ? I know you said the camp is paid by a grant, but how many officers are assigned to this camp during their regular shift? answers please!
Let's face it the police are protecting the underprivledged children and the ones that pay their salaries are getting the shaft.
Folks this is Greenburgh,
Don't mean to attack anyone - just wondering why everyone is riding around Town with their portable GPS systems? I can understand using them when you are heading to an unknown destination, but why does anyone need to have the system installed just to run local chores? Don't we know how to get to the supermarket, train, library, etc.? Yes, it's inconvenient to install & remove it 6 times a day but why are you doing that 6 times a day? Don't you just need it when you're not sure of how to get to a certain destination that you normally don't travel to? Beats me, but I think the cops have better things to do.
Community Policing is very important as is the police summer camp. It teaches our youth a great deal and instill in them a respect for our police system. Growing up I was always taught to respect the police and the law. That is no longer the case. I don't think the problem is that our police are active with swat, summer camps, DARE, etc. I think the problem is we don't have enough officers to handle both the day to day police duties in addition to the special assignments. Both are important. I am not certain of the ratio but I believe that less than 50% of our police department is actually assigned to patrols - I think we have fewer than 8 sector vehicles to police the Town. That seems extremely low given the police dept. has over 100 police personnel. Without being snide, I think Chief Kapica should be asked to analyze his own department before being asked to study the Fire Districts - I think there is room for improvement if the numbers are correct.
11:51,
Do you have a job that requires you to be at different unknown destinations weekly? Kids who require a parent to shuttle them to various sporting events and games throughout the county?
Why does it matter? The point is that theft of personal property is taking place on personal property.
Should I be concerned that I need to remove my expensive power operated wheelchair from my van just because I don't use it everyday because it may get stolen?
Not at all and I think you missed the point. There is no police department that could protect each and every vehicle from theft of valuable personal items. The point I was making is that we need to do everything possible to protect it ourselves. Does there need to be a patrol car in the area of every vehicle parked with valuables on board? Come on, no municipality could provide or afford to provide that type of security.
Is the Greenburgh Censor back at work?
Dear 11:56,
I too was brought up to respect the Police.
My parents, however, didn't send me to Police Camp to learn this.
Maybe because of "rose bud" moments, that is why I now have less respect for them as an adult than I did as a kid.
Or maybe, because the Department, like Napoleon's empire (reach extending beyond grasp) is so poorly managed.
Chuck the EMT, SWAT, Summer Camp etc. Get back to basics.
The Police are not an army on the move and needing a full support team, rapid deployment and firepower. Tend to our garden.
The question that no one wants to admit the answer is: how many active unincorporated Greenburgh police units are on duty in the Village EVERY DAY?
The Lord helps those that help themselves. A little more helping unincorporated should be the order of the day.
Paul Feiner, not a arbritrator, gave the Police a 4.1% raise this year. No one else in the Town got a raise. You got to wonder how much they are going to get next year. Paul's going to cry poverty, but that is going to mean crap to the big bad police department. We hope the outside binding arbritrator realizes that no one else got a raise in the Town when he makes his decision.
Joh Lucido, is your dept. responsible to check out trailers parked in full view on or off homeowners property.
Property owners on this treet should be given consideration because the value of their homes will go down tremendously.
Why should any residential street be subjected to having a trailer parked for weeks .
It has been reported to The supervisor but it is still there.
Many of us spent some good money to refurbish our homes and what do we get a trailer parked day and night.
How about checking into this.
The street is Sprain Valley Rd.
just imagine, pat weems overseeing the chief of police.
you think you got problems now.....
paul with the 15% tax increase for 2010 will we get our raise,if not make the tax increase more,
here comes the pain!!!!!!!
all town workers that did not get a raise last year should do less work like we are doing in the ----- dept
with weems you get...... sharpton
pat, we keep hearing what you are against (everything)
what are you for?
Re-electing Feiner, Sheehan and Juetner will not change things. The TDYC will get more resources, Stop & shop will be approved, There will be another westhab, the department heads will remain, everyone will learn to love the Metz reservoir dome and taxes will increase.
Whats wrong with the stop and shop?
I watched the White Oak (Stop n' Shop) public hearing last night. Did I hear correctly that the Town asked the developer to undertake a a portion of the comprehensive master plan study at their expense? Is this not the same as when Feiner tried to strong arm Fortress Bible to purchase a fire truck for the Fairview Fire Dept.? The Town should not be asking the developers to invest in town projects and/or town districts before or during an application process. How could they possibly be neutral in the decision making process when they accept these bribes/contributions from the developer? Feiner & Friends have to go!
A write in campaign won't win the election. Tom Boch must run for an office in the democratic primary.
I believe Tom is a Republican although that shouldn't matter. Even though Greenburgh is heavily democratic (including myself) I think we need to drive home the fact that party affiliation really doesn't matter on this level of Government. It's more important for the candidate to have management skills, financial savvy, honesty & integrity.
Paul, what is the story with the old Health Spa on Central Ave. in Scarsdale that has been abandoned it seems for decades? Talk about an eye sore. Why is it still standing. Please respond.
I'm still waiting for all those big "surprises" that Hal Samis was alluding to back in the spring.
Feiner is shilling for his old contributor Dilmilghani again. Dilmilghani, who owns the health spa property, wants to re-develop the site. Because the property is in the Central Avenue mixed use zone, there are plenty of potential commercial tenants that could move in. That, however, is not good enough. Dilmilghani apparently wants a zoning change - for what we don't know -- and Feiner is organizing a "focus group" of his own handpicked Edgemont civic leaders so that Dilmilghani can avoid a "fight."
Why doesn't Dilmilghani just put his proposal on the table and let residents of the area react. Everyone wants to see the property developed. But a proposal that requires a zoning change might not be in the area's best interest. However, rather than prejudge it, Dilmilghani should just put his proposal on the table. Given Feiner's extreme unpopularity in Edgemont, which even Dilmilghani must be aware of by now, enlisting Feiner as his shill will almost certainly doom anything Dilmilghani might want to do there.
A republican candidate for supervisor has not won in Greenburgh for 36 years. Party affiliation seems to matter.
im not a big fan of feiner and i think juettner and sheehan are mediocre, but tom boch did not aquit himself well last night. voters are tired of hearing what this or that candidate is against.
weingarten won the night. sounds like everyone opposed to stop and shop has never even visted one.
ps to maria gomez: whats wrong with light rail? you have the capacity to be a great leader but you are letting the cynics influence your thinking.
caught the three c's tv show
someone should tell cora carey that the valhalla money belongs to the A budget not unincorporated greenburgh
glad to see she is demanding that thomas of xposure produce a resume
as for the tdycc, why isnt this run by the county or a not for profit Y as its open to anyone. why should it paid for largely by unincorporated greenburgh?
cora, can you justify this?
Paul your body language proves that Stop and Shop is a done deal.
May I ask why do we have civic assoc. members that attend meetings where they express the feelings of residents concerning a wild variety of things and you above all demonstrate that your mind has been made up.
You do not have enough sense to speak without tipping to the public that they are wasting their time.
Every civic assoc. said no to the project but you will do your beswt to pass it through.
Paul are you receiving any money from this particular law firm. Believe me it certainly looks that way.
I do not think that there was one project that this law firm represented that was ever ever turned down.
Paul that leaves many of us to believe """money talks and BS walks"""""
those who opposed the supermarket did not make their case.
as hal samis wisely said, if you dont want the traffic, shop elsewhere.
faulting feiner is silly. the town needs to develop its tax base and to send a message that greenburgh is open for business.
taxpayers who listen to weems do so at the peril of their wallets.
Grrenburgh is open for developer's business. You can build anything anywhere and the Town Board will approve it. It may take time but all projects will be approved.
is that so?
the home depot was chased out.
now the town north of greenburgh gets all the revenue.
developers should know that they will not be screwed over with years of delays and rants about preserving a town that stopped existing 50 years ago (see ella preiser and madelon o'shea)
Home Depot had to be over 10 years ago. Name something current.
grasslands road,NYC water
50 one million dollar homes but DANNY BOY said no now we all pay the price and have a park land joke
the dilmighani site just languishes there
if we had a pro development and welcoming crowd at town hall (instead of the naysayers) this eyesore could be removed and the property could be put to a productive use.
home depot opened just about two years ago
michael jackson
buses will be leaving the tdycc on route to the funeral
no charge for anyone in Xposure
sorry, no buses for farrah
Anon at 4:58 is needlessly politicizing Dilmighani's failure to develop his Edgemont health spa property.
The fault lies not with anyone opposed to development. The fault lies with Dilmighani himself and his unwillingness to develop his property in accordance with the zoning which, because it happens to fall within the Central Avenue mixed use zone, is one of the most generous when it comes to all the different uses that are permitted there as of right.
The fault certainly doesn't lie with Edgemont's civic leaders. Those familiar with the recommendations of the school district's committee on local governance know full well that Edgemont is looking for new commercial development -- and Dilmighani's health spa site is a prime location for such development, and has been for quite some time.
The only "naysayers" are those who want to know why Dilmaghani can't develop his property within what the already generous zoning code already allows. That's not an unreasonable question to ask.
I can't resist.
"the only naysayers are those who want to know why Dilmaghani can't develop his property within what the already generous zoning code allows. That's not an unreasonable question to ask."
Let's say that you, like many residents, bought your home twenty years ago, paid $250,000 for it and even in today's market could sell it for $900,000. You've even had the use of it for twenty years.
I offer you $750,000 and you say no. Why? Didn't I make you a reasonable offer? Look, you've tripled your investment.
Let's not retrace our steps from before and tell developers what works for you. They, as owners, paid their money and they takes their chances. They don't need any advice from anonymous strangers on what they should do.
They're big boys and can appear at the various Town boards and present their cases; they will have to abide by what has been determined after the last gavel banged.
We need a shoe store, a supermarket, an acupuncturist...Fine go out and open one yourself. Short of that follow the golden rule; he who has the gold rules. And if this is not permitted under the various codes, then either boot out of office, those who would allow these codes to be violated, or go into the real estate development business yourself.
But don't tell those who have made the investment and taken the risk what to do. More than likely they can buy and sell you; this means they don't need your free advice.
hal
if i bought my house for $250,000 and put $250,000 into it and i sell it to you for $750,000, how did i triple my investment?
if you meant to say that edgemont has hardly been encouraging to the carpet store, then i think that is accurate.
Could the Town mandate that the European Health Spa property be cleaned up at least? It's such an eyesore.
How exactly has Edgemont been "hardly been encouraging to the carpet store?" There hasn't been a proposal in years to do anything with the health spa property. How is that Edgemont's fault? If after all these years Dilmighani finally wants to do something with that eyesore, he should just submit his plans. There's no need for any Feiner-appointed "focus groups" to advise the guy how to "avoid a fight." If the plans require a variance or even a zone change, Dimalghani should do what every other applicant in unincorporated Greenburgh must do. Despite what Samis may say, Dimilghani must still comply with the rules.
Since the rotting trucks have not been removed from the Royal Palace parking lot, it must indicate one of the following:
1. The Town does not care about Hartsdale issues
2. Someone is being paid off
BEFORE Dilmaghani is granted ANY variance, the toxic conditions cited by the EPA at the site MUST BE AMELIORATED!
Please, Supervisor Feiner and fellow Board Members, thou "Great Greeners of Greenburgh" hear our prayer and grant us this boon. Alternatively, Please maketh the grass grow again on Central Avenue and preserve the landmark sculpture of Atlas.
Dear fuzzy math,
Mind you, I'm not counseling here the investment viability of a house purchased solely to be rented to a tenant(s).
In my example I assumed that the home was occupied by the investor as a primary residence which fulfills an essential need, shelter.
As such it would be fair to assume that not owning a home would cause one to pay rent and my supposition is that for such a home, $2000 per month (the cash flow return to an "investor" who rents the house) as a 20 year AVERAGE cost would be reasonable, if now on the low side.
Hence, $2000 x 12 months a year x 20 years = $480,000 of money that would otherwise have to be paid out.
I think it is fair then to add this expense back into the equation to offset your $250,000 outlay.
When you respond about things like taxes and heat, be forewarned I am ready.
So, in this example you have to consider the rent that would have to be paid to another plus the market price apppreciation.
Dear Hartsdale eyesore,
It all can be reduced to how a "liberal" Democratic Town Board interprets riding the bus. In the last century, liberals rode the bus banner to Mississippi or to integrated schools In this millennium, it's also about busing but the liberal Democrats are more concerned about seeing that some residents get a free ride.
I don't know nuttin' about payoffs, Ms. Scarlett, your #2.
As for "the Town (Board) doesn't care about Hartsdale", your #1, that part I agree wholeheartedly with.
And you might just as well include Edgemont where it might be viewed as moving into negative territory on the Town Board care meter.
Why? Because the manipulated and easily bought off voters live in Fairview and the worst free riders live in the Villagers. On the bus where you deposit your fare, the most harm that the Town Board can do to the Villages is to add maybe $30 bucks to their ticket to ride. This is the result from giving the Villages a free ride from the heavy lifting that the highest spending departments create. As for Fairview, every fourth day witnesses a new favor to court these residents. The comment from RIP earlier on this blog re buses leaving from the TDYCC for the Michael Jackson funeral is "dead on".
However, fairness dictates mentioning that the Town Board has created a short list of Hartsdale promotions to show that they do care. For example, (1) the Hartsdale Concert series, (2) the Flood Study,(3) a grant for street improvements in the business district and, (4) bus service for seniors. Here's what these are really about: (1) a low impact freebie from the Town at no cost to the Town and sparsely attended year after year (2) a questionable response to severe damages which was not intended to help residents but to absolve the Town of blame, (3) is also a freebie which is another "prize from the pork barrel" that we pay for in taxes paid elsewhere and (4) seniors are courted here and everywhere because as a class, they do vote having little else to do with their time but read Feiner's mail and vote. When they get around to buying stronger reading glasses they will discover that his concerns have cost them dearly in the pocketbook, 31% more in the past two years and rising. Note that under compounding (i.e. next year's tax increase is on a higher base which results from adding in the last tax increase). Thus we well along the track leading to a doubling of taxes somewhere in the fifth year's increase.
In fact, it might be argued that there is more of a case that the Town Board makes a conscientious effort to harm both Hartsdale and Edgemont.
We are all bozos on this bus; the Town Board however are seated behind the wheel.
and pat weems of fairview wlll be great for hartsdale and edgemont?
weems should have run for town council and focussed her ire against juettner, an 18 year incumbent with no record.
weems' protest campaign is just more of the same and her past history and behavior is cause for great concern especically in the villages.
Dear Mr. Samis:
Can you be more specific as to which of the "highest spending departments" are giving the Villages a "free ride"?
Not police, which accounts for about 1/3 of the total unincorporated budget. Not highway and sanitation. Parks and Rec? Each of the Villages have their own Parks and rec and unincorporated Greenburgh residents use them maybe more than Village residents use unincorporated Greenburgh Parks and Rec
TDYCC - do you have any documented data about usage? Will you share? What about people from White Plains and Mount Pleasant, etc. who use the TDYCC and Parks and Rec facilities? No doubt some Village of Elmsford residents use the facility, but is that true of Hastings and Dobbs Ferry?
Quite the contrary, a stong case may be made that there are substantial costs in the Town Entire or "A" budget that belong in unincorporated Greenburgh based upon effort and benefit.
Take the Town Attorney's Department (please). 90% of what they do, they do for unincorporated Greenburgh.
To the 12:30 blogger.
Thank you for your observations. It has long been the unspoken secret that under the New York laws, it is the villages that are subsidizing the TOV rather than the other way around.
The fight over Taxter Ridge and Parks and Rec have obscured many truths. One truth is that very few village residents use the Town’s parks and recreational facilities, and those who do (based on the Town Board having invited them) pay for that privilege. In the recent lawsuit (Bernstein II) it was revealed that village residents who use the TDYCC (also by invitation of the Town Board), comprise about3to 4% of users, while residents of White Plains, Mt. Pleasant, and other non-Greenburgh communities comprise about 15 to 20%.
Another truth is that people don’t know that the A budget includes many millions of dollars for services and departments that have nothing to do with the villages. For example, the A budget includes the cost of the Town Attorney and his office, the Town Comptroller and his office, the Purchasing Department, the Town Engineer, the Town Justices and the court office, and a few other departments and services, even though those departments provide no or virtually no services to any village resident. (There are more, but I’ll skip those here). The A budget includes the cost of buying and maintaining Town Hall, even though the villages are not governed from Town Hall, and the Town Courthouse, even though village legal matters are handled in Village Court, not Town Court. And I won’t even get into the fact that the A budget pays the salaries and expenses of the Supervisor and Town Board, even though they don’t govern the villages. Yes, we have the right to vote for them, but we would happily give up that right and be spared the expense.
Villages get the benefit of some town revenues, but they pale in comparison with the expenses in the A budget.
It is the unincorporated area that is getting a free ride, not the villages. It is just that the villages don’t gripe as do many TOV residents, because we understand that N. Y. State law is what it is and there is little we can do about it. Paranoia is not a sesible policy.
Herb Rosenberg makes an excellent case for using the new consolidation law to abolish the Town of Greenburgh.
Let Edgemont be annexed by Ardsley, Donald Park by Hastings,
East Irvington by Irvington, Hartsdale also by Ardsley, and Fairview to White Plains.
The subsidies presented to the Town by the villages would cease and everyone, except the Supervisor, the Town Board and their minions would go away, happy and satisfied.
How about it Herb, you think Paul is enough of a statesman to accept the challenge to do what's right and not what's expedient?
madden is under an ethical cloud for shilling for francis sheehanigans
read the minutes of the ethics board on the town website
once again, samis is on the case
Here's another case I'm on.
Watch out Burger King, if I get an answer to my email you'll be competing with the Parks Department WHOPPER.
What was a Parks and Rec passenger van and driver doing parked in front of the Hartsdale Best Buy on Central Park Avenue at 7:00 PM this Friday evening?
Picking up overtime?
A typical day in Dogpark USA.
deputy sheriff samis
is there anyone better?
judy beville, we are watching and our time will come to address how you have tried to play games with this champion of the people
Samis you idiot.
How about a part-time driver taking a group of special needs kids to have a dining experience at a local restaurant.
Maybe you should be on the bus.
a) if you know so, use your name
b) if that were so, then tell your Supervisor so he knows
c) is Greenburgh in that business too
d) why not park in front of a restaurant, does Best Buy serve dinner?
e) if I'm an idiot and I should be on that bus, can I too get dinner on the Town?
f) how nice to find a local restaurant that on Friday night isn't too busy to serve special needs kids and,
g) where do I find program on the Parks and Rec budget?
You just can't admit that you don't know what you are talking about.
Nice group of citizens to pick on.
Took this info right off of page 41 in the online brochure. Those darn sneaky special rec kids trying to steal your money.
You probably wish you were one of those parents who get just a little relief that their kids are getting exposed to the outside world.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
FRIDAY:
DINE AROUND PROGRAM
DAY/DATE/TIME:
Fri./March 27/6:30pm-10:00pm
Fri./Apr. 24/6:30pm-10:00pm
Fri./May 29/6:30pm-10:00pm
Fri./June 26/6:30pm-10:00pm
AGE: 15 and over
FE: $8 for registration
Bring enough money for your own
dinner. Recommended amount is $25.00-$30.00.
Join us as we dine out in Westchester.
Saying what needs to be said, sacred cow or not.
Next to the Best Buy is a Chinese Restaurant. Is that where they dined? If somewhere else, why parked at Best Buy? And do you think that seated inside they saw a group of "normal" kids sitting together so they would feel at home and fit right in. Were they seated in a private dining room? Somehow, I don't think that these kids saw their age peers hanging out together at this Chinese Restaurant?
The problem to unrelenting me is that I don't understand why the Town is involved? And as little as I know for sure about the program is enough to raise doubts.
Everything I read about kids, adults, seniors -- any class of people with special needs -- says not to lump them together in groups, especially in public venues where they might draw attention with the result that this would only reinforce feelings of being "different".
This kind of thing is fashioning a ghetto so that those with special needs are tethered (I don't mean tied) to each other. That's the "relief that parents feel when their kids are exposed to the outside world"? You mean taking your kid out to dinner the old-fashioned way, parents and child, doesn't happen and eating out is an activity that can only happen when they are taken out as a group? If that is what you want to impart to them, then that is how they will view their relationship with the outside world.
Kids with special needs, kids with disabilities (or adults) are not immune to what they view on television. They know they are different from other kids. Reinforceing that belief by herding them around together is not doing them any favors. It is unfortunate that they have these problems but as hard as it may seem to enforce, treating them this way only widens their feelings that they ARE different and don't belong.
Integration is not just about busing kids to school.
Finally, "recommended amount (for dinner) is $25.00 to $30.00" plus an $8.00 registration fee. Wouldn't this same program work at some casual dining chain i.e. Applebees/Fridays/Red Lobster/etc. for a lot less. Or even at lunch. And given the nature of the program, restaurants are unwilling to give them a "deal"? Say $15-$20 a head?
Hal....you are not a specialist or a parent of a child with special needs.. stick to real estate we dont need your suggestions how to live our lives and families!
Like anyone would take Hal's advice on how to better socialize someone.
Let's admit it Hal, your skill set doesn't include any of those traits.
Sacred cows bring out moot points.
i guess no one is taking weems seriously
too bad she didnt run against juettner
juettner has no business running for office
what can Weems do ? except scare the hell out of me!
Paul, As you can see from Sundays Journal news that your top officials are being paid a very good salaries 100,000 +. These high paying officials play small part in running this town. Your work force such as the people that collect the bills to the Highway and Sanitation dept, The Recreation department and the Water dept and many other depts are the people that run this town making this place a very clean and nice place to live. However you fail to reconize these people. These departments are scarficing positions so that your budget would be low, however that money that is being saved is going into the pockets of your top officials. Town employee have been fighting for a raise for two years and nothing has happened. They can not get promotions because postitions are being elimated. Looking at the Journal news and seeing these top salaries that Management is making make me sick. Paul the money is there for raises, use it and give what your town workers deserve. Stop playing Games.
LOL 6/26/2009 10:22 AM Anonymous said, "Please maketh the grass grow again on Central Avenue ..."
except on the median strips, an ongoing neglect that would be so simple to remedy.
all town workers that did not get a raise last year should do less work like we are doing in the ----- dept.
paul with the 15% tax increase for 2010 will we get our raise,if not make the tax increase more,
here comes the pain!!!!!!!
the si is a great local newspaper but its readership in greenburgh is rather minimal and its editorial endorsements against feiner have had no impact. in fact, feiner trounced his last opponent. his victory in 2009 will be even larger.
does this overtime they work increase their pension,and who pays for it.
The chief said about 20 percent of police overtime is reimbursed by others who contract for protection, such as Greenburgh Multiplex Cinemas in Elmsford, Solomon Schechter School in Hartsdale and construction projects that require traffic control
Yup, the overtime increases their pension because peniion amounts are calculated on the last three years of compensation, including overtime. That is why the standard police department policy is that police officers who plan to retire get enormous amount of overtime (whether needed or not) in the last three years before retirement. As a result, their pensions are often more than their regular salary while they worked.
Why do think the Deputy Commisioner came out of retirement?
You don't need to raise taxes to give these Men and women a raise the money is there already from past budgets.
First Bernstein sues so as not to have handicapped people use the parks, then Samis makes his comments about special needs kids. Figures that the SI would support Weems who doesn't have the decency to denounce their incendiary comments.
Greenburgh Multiplex Cinemas in Elmsford, Solomon Schechter School in Hartsdale and construction projects that require traffic control
is this a law that GPD have to do traffic control
Bernstein never sued so as not to have disabled people use town parks. Residents of unincorporated Greenburgh who are disabled are free to use town parks. He sued because the Finneran Law, which the Town supports, mandates that only residents of unincorporated Greenburgh may use town parks, including Veteran Park, and that if village residents wants to use them, including disabled residents of the villages,they must first get the agreement of their villages to pay their fair share of the costs. Why shouldn't the villages be as responsible for their disabled residents as unincorporated Greenburgh is for theirs?
bernstein sued to stop the town from allowing village volunteers who have served the entire town and even those outside the town from using veteran pool. he also sued to stop the town from opening veteran pool to families with disabled children.
the court held that even though veteran park is restricted under finneran, the restriction is not absolute and the town board has discretion to allow some limited folks outside unincorporated to use veteran park (its not free, they have to pay).
are the folks in unincorporated greenburgh so unfeeling that they cannot commend the town board for this humane gesture for these families?
if that is the case, the villages would be wise to form their own town and leave these selfish and mean spirited folks with the likes of those like weems who seemingly support lawsuits like this.
Anon at 6:53 seems to have a real petty and mean-spirited chip on his shoulder when it comes to Bernstein. Bernstein's argument was that however well-intentioned the town board may have been when it comes to offering state-mandated restricted to TOV admission to village residents with disabled family members, and village residents who are volunteer firefighters or ambulance workers, the Finneran Law doesn't allow for such discretion. The law is mandatory. It says if village residents want access, for any reason, they must seek it through their village governments, who must agree to pay their fair share of the cost, as determined by the town. That seems like a pretty reasonable argument to me. I doubt that any village governments would think that's grounds for forming their own town, particularly since MIchaelian's study showed that the town's villages can't afford to form their own town. And as far as rewarding village volunteer firefighters is concerned, it should be noted that neither town nor the villages offers any reciprocal benefits of any kind to any of the many residents of unincorporated Greenburgh who volunteer for their own fire districts. And as far as "benefiting" unincorporated Greenburgh is concerned, the village fire departments reap huge financial rewards from the Town every year in the form of annual contracts by which these fire departments are handsomely subsidized by the town. I can't imagine that the villages would ever wanna give that bennie up.
the point was to offer a pool for people who dont have one in their village
seems anon err bob b is feeling the heat on excluding the disabled
now that was really cruel and not the type of folk to try to score points on just to try to get feiner
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