It seems that Pulitzer’s paper, the New York World, and Hearst’s own New York Journal changed the content of their newspapers by adding more sensationalized stories and increasing the use of drawings and cartoons. With it came the “Yellow Kid” cartoon series in 1896 by R.F. Outcalt. Hearst hired Outcalt from Pulitzer just to get the popular cartoon for his newspaper and keep Pulitzer from having it, paying Outcalt a ridiculous salary for the time. They often utilized the “Yellow Kid” to sensationalize their own stories and discredit the stories of other newspapers. The “Yellow Kid” was also used to sway public opinion on important issues such as the Spanish-American war. Newspapers of the era did not practice objectivity and in time the “Yellow Kid” morphed into being known as “Yellow Journalism”.
Apparently, objectivity is not being practiced here in Greenburgh by The Paul and his Stepford Board. They seem to have colluded with the GameOn 365 developers even before the Town acquired the property at 715 Dobbs Ferry Road, formerly Frank’s Nursery. The Paul desperately pushed to have the Finneran Law changed once he realized he could not get it repealed. The Finneran Law offered a modicum of protection for the Unincorporated Greenburgh residents from actions by a politician who sought to, say, add a bubble in a Town recreation facility, like, say, at Veteran Park. But once Tom “Proclamation” Abinanti was elected to the NY State Assembly, he was able to help The Paul, his good friend, with his scheming hijinks of renting public park space to a private company. Thus, the saga of having Sportime build a tennis bubble over the Town’s tennis courts on Town property and charging admission to the public for profit came to pass.
The Finneran Law change, orchestrated by The Paul and executed by Abinanti for, as some say, payback for keeping Fortress Bible out of his old neighborhood, didn’t only allow The Paul and his Stepford Board the ability to “gift” the Town’s tennis courts to Sportime, it allowed The Paul to practically give away just under seven acres of contaminated land, the former Frank’s Nursery, this time for a massive eight-story high sports bubble, for the proverbial “song”. Done deal complete, many complained openly and often. In fact, one area resident started a campaign called (www)HelpBurstTheBubble.com and even went so far as to do mailings throughout many parts of the Town to fight the project.
The bottom line with this referendum trickery is that The Paul understands politics and knows there is a contingency that will vote in favor of any project on the ballot - thinking it must be good for the Town. This is one time it’s not! There is another problem here either way. If the referendum passes The Paul will rejoice, sing hallelujah, the people have spoken. If it gets voted down, he’s simple say so sad, too bad, I already signed a contract, this deal is done. At the last Town Board meeting, when a resident mentioned to The Paul that the referendum is a sham as he already signed the contract for the GameOn 365 project, he claimed to not remember if he signed it or not. A lie? Perhaps. But then Town Councilman Francis Sheehan quipped, “You signed the contract Paul.” Uh-oh! That’s going to be another demerit for Sheehan.
Now GameOn 365, which supposedly doesn’t have a contract, a piece of property, or a good chance of winning a lawsuit initiated to stop this chicanery, has taken to advertising for a “Yes” vote for the referendum The Paul has sought to put on the November ballot. It, along with almost everything coming out of everybody’s mouth that is in favor of this project, is a disingenuous ad. Out and out lie? Not quite. Here’s the ad as it appeared in the White Plains Examiner and you can be the judge as to it’s truthfulness.
ABG’s not upset that GameOn 365 has chosen to place the ad in the Examiner newspaper. It is their prerogative. But by saying $5 million dollars for Greenburgh, without including that it’s over a fifteen year contract, and this is assuming they stay at the site for 15 years, it purposely distorts reality and alludes to a dollar amount that many will read and see as a one time, $5 million infusion of money to the Town. Not so! The ad says Good for Kids, Good for Greenburgh. What it doesn’t say is it’s not good for the poor kids in Greenburgh because the only kids allowed and that will be using GameOn 365’s facility are the kids from the families that can afford to pay the membership and other associated fees. “Yellow journalism” or “yellow advertising”? You be the judge.
Is the ad a lie? Legally it is not. Ethically and morally it is an aberration of the truth. Is this the kind of company we want in Greenburgh? ABG doesn’t think so. Are The Paul and his Stepford Board the kind of representatives we want doing business with people like GameOn 365. Not if this is how they chose to represent themselves. Greenburgh deserves better and desperately needs to improve itself. The public should vote “NO” to Proposition #1, and force everyone to take a breath, return to the law and break out their moral compass to get their bearings. If the property should be sold, as required by law, let it be sold. If not, let’s cautiously look at alternatives. Will our “representatives” represent us instead of developers? We can only hope.
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