News Blackout Extended for Supervisor’s Debate

It’s now been two days since the Supervisor Face-Off at the James Harmon Community Center in Hastings-on-Hudson. Nothing has appeared in the mainstream media as to the debate held in Hastings. ABG has written previously as to how the lamestream media is in the tank for Mr Feiner. (See: Greenburgh News Blackout, May 30, 2013 and News Blackout Continues, May 31, 2013 on ABG to read more. Add to the lack of coverage for all-things Greenburgh or if you will, the selective coverage for all things Paul, and you’ll see why so many “willfully ignorant” residents continue to vote for more of the same old thing. There was nothing written of the debate in Westchester’s only daily newspaper or their Express version. Neither was there any coverage from News 12 or Channels 2, 4, 5 or 7. Why not?

Numerous readers have emailed ABG to let us know about several other people in attendance that night. Specifically present, but not mentioned (unintentionally) at the debate were Greenburgh Town Board Council members Diana Juettner and Francis Sheehan. You’ll recall Ms Juettner was part of the Town Board recently found guilty with Mr Feiner in the Fortress Bible Church discrimination case. Mr Sheehan was one of Mr Feiner’s confidantes and co-architects with most Town projects, developer approvals and web site jockeying. Mr Sheehan’s also the same Town Councilman Mr Feiner threw under the bus when Mr Feiner sued Mr Bernstein and Ms Brunson Fantauzzi over ballot petition signatures, alleging that Mr Sheehan lied on those same petitions! The case was thrown out of court. We’re reminded of the line from the Godfather movie that Mr Sheehan may want to keep in mind. “Michael, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

Many have forwarded the text from David McKay Wilson’s recent blog saying we could do with it what we wish. While it certainly is good reading (as is all of Dave’s work), it’s his post and we will not reprint it without his express permission or request. ABG would still like to thank our readers who thought highly enough of us to take the time to send it to us. We trust you’ll understand our position regarding it. 

You can read it here:

http://taxes.lohudblogs.com/2013/09/04/feiner-says-open-westhelp-for-tax-watch-tour-but-town-attorney-needs-to-check-with-town-board/

There were several statements made in this debate by Mr Feiner that warrant mention and clarification. Mr Feiner came “out of the gate” on defense. Mr Bernstein was convincingly on offense. Mr Bernstein tried to discuss the points of projects throughout the Town while Mr Feiner continually attacked Mr Bernstein’s character and professional work (see below). Whenever Mr Bernstein quoted facts about Mr Feiner, Mr Feiner would appear agitated and then hastily rifle through the stacks of papers he had. Mr Feiner said several times that Mr Bernstein was lying, or sued the Town too much, costing the voters and forcing increased taxes on the Villages. Or, he would quote something Mr Bernstein had said in old newspaper articles from 2008 as if changing a position after five years was a bad thing.

Feiner Fact:

Mr Feiner said Mr Bernstein was against Westhab’s affordable housing in Fulton Park.

Accurate Fact:

Mr Bernstein’s stated he said he was against the oversized building because it was 28 units being put on .7 acres and surrounded by blacktop and the deal had already been agreed to by Mr Feiner and his Town Board.

Feiner Fact:

Town Attorney Tim Lewis denied Wilson’s request to tour the facility today, saying he needed to check with other members of the Town Board.

Accurate Fact: 

http://taxes.lohudblogs.com/2013/09/04/feiner-says-open-westhelp-for-tax-watch-tour-but-town-attorney-needs-to-check-with-town-board/

Feiner Fact:

Mr. Bernstein and his former law firm were sued for malpractice, but the case was dismissed with prejudice with no finding of any wrongdoing by Mr. Bernstein or the firm, and the $107 million was paid by a former client to settle price-fixing litigation.

Accurate Fact: www.dropbox.com/s/lan6j02iids634e/Stipulation%20%26%20Order%20of%20Voluntary%20Dismissal.pdf

Feiner Fact:

Mr. Feiner claimed he didn’t destroy evidence in the Fortress Bible lawsuit, the judgment would be for less than the $5 - $7 million expected, and that insurance would cover the cost.

Accurate Fact:

Judge Stephen C. Robinson said in his ruling, “at no time did Mr. Feiner refrain from destroying documents, including electronic documents such as email,” and the Town’s insurance carriers have notified the Town they would not cover intentional violations of federal law, which is what occurred here.

Ruling: 

www.dropbox.com/s/qlp08z9izrfcmc6/Fortress%20Bible%20Church%20v%20Feiner.pdf

Letters: www.dropbox.com/s/vswqezsaxn7czou/FB%20insurance%20letters%20declining%20coverage.pdf

ABG believes the reason there was no media coverage was because Mr Bernstein was the stronger candidate in the debate and they refuse to show a failing Mr Feiner. Mr Bernstein exhibited confidence, knowledge and command of the facts and seemed cool, calm and collected during the entire debate and while speaking. Mr Feiner spoke better than he usually does in public, but seemed frazzled at times and kept holding up paperwork and in hopes we might believe it “proves” Mr Bernstein was lying. Mr Bernstein was the one who was sticking to the facts and maintaining accuracy during the event. We almost expected Mr Feiner to cover his ears and start saying, “I can’t hear you, na, na, na, na, na, ” over and over again.

In the end, Mr Feiner, a shrewd and crafty politician, changed his persona for the debate, but it wasn’t enough. He kept slipping back into the old persona and just made up what he needed to assault Mr Bernstein. It didn’t work. When Mr Bernstein spoke, Village residents could be heard saying , “That’s not true, oh, that’s not true either.” When Mr Feiner spoke, those same people could be heard saying, “Uh-huh, That’s true, that’s true.” Interestingly, the crowd was split with two camps, one for each candidate. What seemed missing was a third camp without a preconceived notion of which candidate they might vote for based on what they heard  that evening. Both candidates stayed on their message. Mr Bernstein sought to publicize and challenge Mr Feiner’s policies, decisions and actions and how they are costing Unincorporated and Village residents a lot of money. We think he succeeded. Mr Feiner was trying to prove Mr Bernstein has contradicted himself and lied. He staked the claim that Mr Bernstein left his old law firm because of a $107M lawsuit against him (see above). It didn’t work. 

The Democratic Primary Election will be on next Tuesday, September 10^th. Only registered democrats can vote in this primary election. We hope our readers will view the video of the exchange and make an informed decision. We also hope the “willfully ignorant” will start paying attention – and fast – and also make an informed choice. It will help us to have A Better Greenburgh.

Democratic Debate: “You Sound Like Me!”

The James Harmon Community Center at 44 main Street in Hastings was at capacity for the forum or debate – whichever you prefer to call it – for the “face-off” between rival Democrats Town Supervisor candidate and challenger Robert “Bob” Bernstein and 22-year incumbent and current Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. They are both seeking the Democratic endorsement for the Supervisor’s race. According to Democratic Leader Suzanne Berger, whichever candidate wins the endorsement on September 10th will be virtually guaranteed to be elected Supervisor in the November election. For Mr Bernstein this is a make-or-break primary and his only chance to run for the office. Mr Feiner on the other hand will also be running on the Working Families party line regardless of the outcome on September 10th.

There were two moderators for this evening’s debate and a three-member panel comprised of several media writers . They were Susan Wolfert representing the Scarsdale Inquirer/Rivertowns Enterprise, David McKay Wilson representing the Journal News and Danny Lopriore representing the online site The (Greenburgh) Daily Voice. Each candidate made opening statements followed by questions from the media panelists.

Here’s a few observations about the event. The room had probably about two hundred or so people in it. There were people lining the perimeter of the room. Also in attendance were Town Councilman Kevin Morgan, Town Attorney Timothy Lewis, County Legislators Alfreda Williams and Michael Smith. Also in attendance and given a chance to make a three minute introductory speech during a brief pause in the debate were Town Clerk challenger Sherron Brunson Fantauzzi and current incumbent Town Clerk Judith Beville. There were several others there that the hosts acknowledged early on. Mr Bernstein arrived at the dais carrying a small pad. Mr Feiner arrived carrying an armful of papers and folders. The audience seemed to be an even mix of supporters for both candidates. The moderators asked that the audience hold their applause while candidates spoke. There were numerous video and still photography and cell phone cameras going off. There was a young man who was using his Mac laptop as the official time-keeper for the candidates.

Ms Beville addresses the audience. Ms Brunson Fantauzzi
is seated to her right.

During their three-minute segment to address the crowd during the Supervisor candidates break, Ms Brunson Fantauzzi repeated her list of reasons why voters should choose her for Town Clerk. She similarly went through this list at the non-debate held at Town Hall several weeks ago. A sample from the list she read from included many points posed as questions, such as “If you want a Town Clerk who will expand the hours of her office, vote for me.” And, “If you want a Town Clerk who will transcribe minutes in real-time during the meeting, vote for me.” Unfortunately, Ms Brunson Fantauzzi read this rather long list from a sheet of paper that sat upon the table. As candidates were asked to stand during their answers, Ms Brunson Fantauzzi appeared to lose her place several times along with her rhythm. While this speech served her well at the last event, she fumbled here. At this stage of the campaign, she should have had it memorized or go with a different speech entirely. Ms Beville on the other hand spoke clearly, concisely and with confidence. We still think Ms Brunson Fantauzzi’s message is spot-on but her delivery was lacking and hope the message doesn’t hurt her campaign.

Supervisor candidate Bob Bernstein addresses the crowd.
Mr Feiner is seated to his left.

As questions were posed and answers tendered, an interesting pattern developed. When Mr Feiner spoke, Mr Bernstein jotted a few notes on his pad, and when appropriate stood up and rebutted Mr Feiner, sometimes referencing his notes, sometimes not. When Mr Bernstein spoke, Mr Feiner rummaged through his papers and folders spread out before him and when it was his turn to rebut Mr Bernstein’s comments, he would stand, hold up and point to a piece of paper and say , “This is a copy of the court’s decision. It quotes Mr Bernstein saying...” Or, “Here’s a quote from Mr Bernstein from 2008 when he was against...” This went on throughout the night. At one point, Mr Feiner appeared very nervous and blurted out, “You’re flip-flopping again. You’re all over the place. You sound like me!”

To Mr Feiner’s credit, he practiced for the night’s debate and was much more coherent and smoother that usual. He tried to lay his case against Mr Bernstein with a few ineffectual facts that ultimately rang hollow. When facts didn’t work for him, he resorted to what he always know best and began lying about Mr Bernstein, claiming Mr Bernstein wanted to hire a professional administrator so he could continue working at his law firm and leave running the Town to someone else. He (Bernstein) wasn’t going to be as attentive to residents’ needs and concerns as he has been for 22 years. Mr Feiner stated he was like an old time doctor who still makes house calls at any hour of the day or night. To his credit, he does. Mr Feiner is very adept at deflection and changing the subject when it suits him. He did this several times attacking Mr Bernstein, to the point where both the questioner and the moderator had to ask him to please answer the question. Throughout the evening, Mr Feiner seemed tense, almost jumpy and somewhat nervous. He did dress the part and abandoned the disheveled look that has served him so well in the past.

Mr Bernstein also may have practiced for last night’s debate. He has been involved in many of these same issues and has spoken about them at length before last night’s event. Whenever Mr Feiner spoke, he (Bernstein) periodically made a note or two and appeared to be calmly waiting his turn to either speak or rebut a point or two. After answering the actual question presented, Mr Bernstein smartly used his remaining response time to address points Mr Feiner made about him that were off-topic. When Mr Bernstein stood to speak, he cited facts and numbers, easily appearing confident, knowledgable and at ease with the topics and venue.

According to Mr Bernstein, Mr Feiner has done some good things in office. According to Mr Feiner, Mr Bernstein has sued the Town several times costing the Town unnecessary amounts of money. Mr Bernstein stated that taxes have increased for the Unincorporated as well as the Village residents. Mr Feiner stated that taxes have risen because of frivolous lawsuits from Mr Bernstein. Mr Feiner appeared to be on defense the entire night as Mr Bernstein handily recited facts, decisions and actions taken by Mr Feiner and his Board. Whenever Mr Bernstein hit too close to home, Mr Feiner would state it was the Town Board making the decisions and he was just one vote.

ABG has written often about the collusive nature of “his” Board. Mr Bernstein says he doesn’t want to fire Mr Feiner, just retire him. Mr Feiner states there are injustices that need correcting and he should get two more years. ABG has written often about the many injustices in the Town which have been created by Mr Feiner and his policies. Mr Bernstein has identified a number of ailments the Town is suffering from, some festering for about 22 years. Maybe its time to look for a new doctor? It’s certainly time for A Better Greenburgh.

Back To The Wall (Running Scared 3)

It’s no secret that Mr Feiner campaigns 24-7-365. It’s also no secret that Mr Feiner uses Town resources as though they were his personal campaign tools. And while he may legally be able to get away with this, it is morally dishonest and contemptible. Undaunted nevertheless, Mr Feiner instructed the Town videographer to begin playing his campaign commercials immediately following Thursday night’s “forum” at Town Hall that he did not attend. The Town Clerk didn’t attend either. Mr Feiner chose to campaign at a local supermarket rather than attend the forum. Perhaps he’s learned they might be closing based on his policies and wanted to get his last campaign licks while he could?

The forum held at Town Hall was disappointing from the perspective of not having all the candidates present to discuss what it going on in the Town and ideas that can help the Town. A staffer called our office immediately after the forum to make the comment that the event was really a non-event because Mr Feiner and Ms Beville failed to attend. A resident mentioned he and his wife had seen Mr Feiner at the supermarket campaigning and didn’t actually expect him to show up. The League of Women Voters’ moderator for the evening’s forum, Ms Weisfeld, waited a half an hour past the original start time to allow Mr Feiner an opportunity to arrive. It was wasted time.

Underneath his well-cultivated, disheveled, “woe-is-me” facade, is a shrewd and calculating politician. Mr Feiner knows that he his not a great public speaker. He also knows that Mr Bernstein is quite an accomplished public speaker, having been on the receiving end of numerous visits from Mr Bernstein at Town Board meetings, blog posts and letters to the editor. As such, ABG is of the belief that Mr Feiner took a calculated risk with his decision to not show up at the forum, knowing he could not compete with an issue savvy, seasoned trial lawyer, saving himself from being a verbally trounced again and unable to defend his record. In his mind, it would be better to pass and just give any reason for not being there and hope for the best at the next forum in Hastings-On-Hudson’s James Harmon Community Center, in a democratic leaning, Feiner-friendly Village.

ABG’s guess is that Mr Feiner will not have a strong performance in Hastings or in any other public venue with other candidates present. He does do reasonably well going one-on-one with promising residents anything they want to hear – and then doing what he wants anyway. It’s common knowledge at Town Board meetings, Mr Sheehan usually controls Mr Feiner’s outbursts and off the wall ideas. But since Mr Feiner recently threw Mr Sheehan and his family “under the bus” with a lawsuit and accusations of lying on ballot petition signatures, it remains to be seen how “helpful” Mr Sheehan will now be? Ms Juettner, along with Mr Feiner were recently found guilty of violating the Fortress Bible Church’s Constitutional rights and then losing their appeal of the guilty verdict. Why haven’t they been disbarred and removed from office? Mr Feiner’s lawsuit against Mr Sheehan also accused a group of nuns (Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament) of lying on their ballot petition signatures as well. Is there no one Mr Feiner will go after to run unopposed? Apparently not.

In the end, it seems Mr Feiner is more concerned with maintaining the corrupt status quo. The airing of his own campaign commercials in a non-stop loop as informational videos is reprehensible. He has chosen to avoid public scrutiny and to play “scripted” pieces instead. Again, he is shrewd if nothing else. His yard signs have magically begun to appear next to Mr Bernstein’s yard signs. That’s normal in a contested race. Although sadly, Mr Feiner’s supporters have already started to remove Bernstein signs in many locations, thinking this will help Mr Feiner’s campaign.

Removing yard signs. Not participating in forums. Running campaign videos on the Town cable access channel. Suing fellow Board members. Slandering nuns. Violating the civil rights of churches. The list, while seemingly endless, all amount to lying to the public. And for what? To maintain a power base and remain in office? The reality is Mr Feiner is running scared! His lawn signs say “Paul and Judith” with the slogan, “Keep Paul on Call”, even giving his home phone number. His slogan should be, “Keep Paul’s Back to the Wall”. This is nothing but campaign schtick to the willfully ignorant, headline reading public and party-faithful who vote the party-line regardless. While some may believe this past Thursday night’s forum might be considered a non-event, the choices were made clear. We want and deserve representatives who aren’t afraid to show up and face the music, even if the music isn’t a song anyone can dance to.

ABG urges the Town’s registered democrats to vote in the upcoming Democratic Primary on September 10 and help to make A Better Greenburgh.