Deflection Over The WestHelp Failure

Neither arrogance nor hubris have ever been in short supply from The Paul. Various members of the G8, the Scarsdale Inquirer, as well as ABG, continue to highlight The Paul’s reckless and costly actions by letting the WestHelp contract expire, costing the Town $1.2 million annually. This has been going on for almost a year now. What has also been going on during the same time are the countless lawsuits against the Town and in particular, the guilty verdicts. Thefts of laptops, $4 million dollars “missing” from the Water Department routinely add fuel to the fire. Things are heating up more and more for The Paul.

Here’s a conversation we imagine taking place in yet another executive session.

Paul: Francis, you really let me screw up this WestHelp thing big time. You told me it would all go away if I just ignored it.
Francis: You didn’t sign the contract Paul, don’t blame me.
Kevin: So what can we do?
Paul: We? We? Everybody’s trying to pin this on me and you guys are no where to be found. Astorino agreed to switch the facility to help out his boys McCormack and Smith, damnit! Politics! Never trust the other side. So what do we do?
Kevin: You need to get out in front of this. Pump some crap to that new kid Shillinglaw at the Journal News. He’s worse than whats-her-face Anderson every was and never challenges a thing you say. Trust me, he’ll print anything you feed him. He thinks he’s in journalism class.
Paul: Diana. Wake up Diana. Francis, wake her up - I need everybody on this.
Francis: Hey, Diana, wake up.
Diana: Huh? What? What did Paul do? What? I’m back.
Paul: Everybody, we need to get this screw up off of me. C’mon people, give me something!
Francis: You have to make it sound like its the County’s fault.
Diana: Yeah, that’s it, the county’s fault.
Paul: Great, Diana. Are you running again? C’mon, I need something.
Kevin: How about putting something else on the property? Not just Ferncliff, but anything else. Hell, make it a garage for crying out loud and move on.
Paul: That’s it! Good. We need an RFP. Ask for an RFP, go viral with it.
Diana: Uh, excuse me Paul, viral?
Paul: Yeah, viral. All the usual suspects will print whatever I say. They’re not reporters, they’re stenographers! We’ll start with Shillinglaw at the Journal Snooze and go to the White Plains Inquirer. Of course, the Westchester Guardian will print it as many times as I send it, and then see where it goes with the Scarsdale rag. This can work.
Francis: You want me to write something up?
Paul: Yes! I’ve got it! Here it is. Start with a motion at a work session or regular meeting and ask for RFP’s for usage for the WestHelp property.
Kevin: What about the contract with the County to provide homeless and low income housing? You’ll be violating the contract and breaking in the law.
Paul: Breaking the law? Hah! Funny guy. You know me, I ignore any law I don’t like. Gimme a break, Kev.
Kevin: Okaaaay Paul. I warned you.
Paul: Screw that.  This is about the deal with Astorino, McCormack and Smith. I need those Valhalla votes back. People are getting wise to our operation. Trust me, it’s not going to bite us.
Diana: You.
Paul: What? What’d you say Diana?
Diana: It’s not going to bite us, it’ll bite you.
Paul: You’re not running next year, are you? You better watch it if you want to stay, S o n y a.
Francis: Paul, we’ll do the motion. What do you need us to say?
Paul: The usual. And I need indignation. You need to look pissed off! How dare the County refuse to lease this property to Ferncliff, this is an outrage, blah, blah, blah. We’ll send letters, phone calls.
Francis: How much do you think we can make off this deal? Should we get into that?
Kevin: No. Don’t be ridiculous.
Paul: Geezus Francis. It’s not about the money. I’m trying to shake this whole screw-up and deflect it off to the county legislators. I’m trying to get out from under losing $1.2 MILLION dollars. What do you think? I don’t care how much, just that I shift this off to those idiots at the county.
Diana: How about the Fortress Bible. Maybe we can help get out from under that too?
Paul: ARE YOU FOR REAL? Are you a republican or just working for the Scarsdale Inquirer? Just draft an RFT. Post it on the website – hell, bury it on the website. Where’s Belville? Have that slacker put any concert she’s organizing on hold and get me Astorino on the phone. Hey, want to hear a joke about Astorino? His name was really Torino and they called him an ass and it stuck. Get it? Get it, ass and Torino. Ass-torino. Get it?
Kevin: Paul! Can we get back on track?
Paul: Astorino agreed to repurpose the property. Smith and McCormack are on board. I’m getting the votes, baby! Kevin, you’re tight with Jenkins. Find out what I need to deliver for them to get this deal and don’t take no for an answer.
Kevin: You got it.
Paul: This is good. Before they realize what happens, everyone will be talking about how the County isn’t cooperating and we are about moving this vacancy forward for everybody. I love it. I’m the best. Long live The King of Greenburgh!
Diana: Long live The Paul.

The Paul’s plan is working. In the Journal News today is an article entitled, “Defiant Board Seeks Proposals,” which should have read, “Deficient Board Tries To Deflect With Cover Up.” The Town Board wants to solicit proposals for the former WestHELP homeless shelter property after Westchester County legislators rejected an agreement that would have leased the property to a residential school for the mentally disabled.

County board Chairman Ken Jenkins has threatened to reclaim the property through legal action if Greenburgh doesn’t follow the terms of its agreement, which he says requires the town to provide low- and moderate-income housing without excluding seniors.

In an effort to bolster the Town’s faltering economy with record certiorari adjustments at each Town Board meeting into the several hundreds of thousands of dollars, the guilty verdicts caused by The Paul against the Town, the $4 million dollar shortage for the Water Department, the stolen 19 laptops from the TYC, Greenburgh is pursuing any and every alternative options to replace the $1.2 million per year generated by the WestHELP agreement. While this was the town’s largest single source of revenue aside from property taxes, The Paul kissed that goodbye in a wink and a nod of a deal with parties from Valhalla.

Ignoring that he created the circumstances he has placed the Town in, he’s quoted as saying, “We could be waiting for a year until something gets done,” Feiner said. “By requesting proposals, we can move forward and compare uses of the WestHELP shelter. I’m not going to let this drag on in limbo.” He waited over a year and didn’t renew the lease. The Paul let it drag on in limbo during and after then-County Executive Andy Spano’s rein in office. The Paul is the one who screwed up.

Even though the Town posted a draft RFP on its website yesterday, inviting people to comment on it, with a tentative plan to issue a final version Oct. 15., any business or executive would see the futility of submitting a plan/offer unless it was one of the developers The Paul is used to offering spot zoning, waived permit fees and waiving various other testing normally required by law as he makes the Stepford Board the lead agency for whatever may transpire.

County Executive Rob Astorino last month submitted a series of resolutions and local laws authorizing a 50-year deal with Ferncliff Manor, a Yonkers-based school looking to relocate. And, while this deal may satisfy the Valhalla residents, civic associations, McCormack and Smith, the majority of County Legislators oppose tearing down the 108 units in light of the agreed upon federal court settlement to provide more affordable housing throughout the County. The Paul just wants the votes from Valhalla.

As if he is a pillar of virtue, County Legislator Michael Smith, R-Mount Pleasant said, “Even if they are opposed, they should bring this lease to committee and let the public speak about it. They are categorically rejecting it without a public hearing. That’s politics at its worst.” No Mr. Smith, what’s at it’s worst is the apparent collusion between yourself, The Paul, Astorino, and McCormack. For the uninformed, this is important to Smith and McCormack because they were on the Valhalla School Board that made the now recognized-as-illegal deal with Greenburgh and the Valhalla School District for millions of dollars and have to pay it back.

People are distrustful of government. They feel they don’t have a voice. They do, it’s just that the elected voices are louder. We can change that. If you keep electing the same people, you'll get the same behavior and results. We need to sweep the halls of politics clean. Let’s do it together. We can only hope.