There’s quite a bit that must happen for a neighborhood in our Town, such as this one known as Edgemont (Greenville by some), to ultimately want to incorporate into a Village within the Town. The steps taken so far are moving that goal closer to fruition. To be candid, not everyone is a fan of the Edgemont incorporation move. Many of those opponents include Mr Feiner, and probably his Town Board – mostly because we believe he told them to be against it.
Others who have doubts have called a meeting for tonight at the Highview School, off of Central Avenue, at 7:30pm. They might have wanted the meeting at Town Hall, but you’ll recall Mr Feiner and his Town Board decided to forbid any taxpayer the use of their own taxpayer building after he allowed a Hamas organization to use it and the police had to be called in to address a Feiner-created near riot situation! What a shame that residents are treated so poorly by Mr Feiner until a reporter is nearby and he can spout his phony “open government” mantra.
Whether or not you are for the Edgemont incorporation, you can find out more information by attending the meeting to be held tonight. Ironically, Mr Feiner was away on vacation when Jeff Sherwin of the Edgemont Incorporation Committee arrived at Town Hall loaded with a 1400 signature petition and a $6,000 filing fee to initiate the incorporation process. Bereft of any real legal talent at Town Hall, many, including the legal department, chose to misinterpret the law and not allow Mr Sherwin his right of filing his petition or paying the required fee. Under the rouse of ignorance, legal technicalities or simply ineptness, the Deputy Town Supervisor, in this case Councilman Jones, was claimed to not be able to accept the petitions or fee. Town Attorney Tim Lewis said he was unable to accept them, stating it had to go to the Supervisor. And, finally, the Town Clerk, the official keeper of all documents, was supposedly unable to accept them as well. To make a play on a line in My Cousin Vinny, “Do the laws of operation cease to exist at Town Hall when the Supervisor is away?”
What this clearly demonstrates is several things. First, our Town's operation will grind to a halt if the Supervisor is out of Town, ill and not in the office, or worse. Second, if the first assumption is not correct, does Mr Feiner have his administration so well-trained (scared) that they refuse to act in his absence for fear of repercussions or retribution (read: be Sonya’d)? Third, is there no other legal recourse that this administration's minions can seek guidance from in Mr Feiner's absence should our second scenario be incorrect? With all of the back-and-forth, their refusals lessened the amount of time Mr Feiner needs to validate the signatures. And, we all know that Mr Feiner is one of the best at disqualifying petition signatures.
The last municipality to incorporate was Rye Brook in 1982. It’s not a question of why did it take so long since then? Rather, why is this happening at all? Edgemont is the wealthiest community in the Unincorporated Town of Greenburgh. For years they have butted proverbial heads with Mr Feiner and iterations of his Town Boards about how their community was treated. Or, more importantly, mistreated. They have asked for zoning considerations during stressful zoning changes and been ignored. They asked for sidewalks and were ignored - at least until Mr Feiner realized they were serious about incorporation. They asked the Town not to add a tax, oops, fee to service stations on Central Avenue and were ignored. Wait a minute... he’s done this to every community except the Manhattan Avenue section of Fairview. The difference is Edgemont has the money, talent and resources others do not have to fight him. And fight him they are!
No neighborhood should have to feel or pursue the need to incorporate to protect its residents from the politicians in charge. And yet, this is Greenburgh; often described as Bizarro Greenburgh. This helps us to understand why a neighborhood such as Edgemont would want to incorporate and get out from under the bad and costly decisions of this administration. We're sure there are other communities that feel the same way but don’t have near the resources of an Edgemont to get “out from under”. It’s too bad that any neighborhood is driven to feel this way. This must end. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.
Showing posts with label Juettne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Juettne. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
The Town's Largess Is Costing All of Us
There are several bulk mailing rates that the Town uses for
their snail-mail mailings. One piece of mail in a business envelope goes for $.23;
another goes for $.46.5. This costs all tax payers a lot of money during the
course of a year each time a mailing is done. Why are these mailings done and
why so often you may ask? Simply, it’s politics. It’s a cost free way for Mr
Feiner, albeit the Town Board, to campaign without using his/their own money,
campaign funds or donations. As long as it can be done under the pretext of
providing information to the public, there are no campaign finance laws broken
nor are any election bank accounts emptied, drained or depleted.
When there is an issue Mr Feiner wishes to promote, you might
receive almost daily mailings arriving to you at either rate. We witnessed this
numerous times in the past. One recent proposal has been Mr Feiner’s push for
the ill-conceived and zoning deficient assisted living facility by the
Formation Shelbourne organization where the current Sprainbrook Nursery sits.
They are seeking to build a four-story, 94-bed facility on less than four acres
of property and roughly 6,000 feet from a County of State right-of-way roadway
– requirements under the two-year old zoning law recently adopted by Mr Feiner
and his Town Board.
Mr Feiner has taken to endorsing projects that are primarily
commercial by nature, regardless of whether they are built in a commercial or
residentially zoned area. There are several examples that come to mind. The
first was Westhab which he suggested to then County Legislator Lois Bronz be
built on the former Kings Inn Motel site in Fulton Park. That was a transition
parcel of land that was zoned half commercial and half residential. But he didn’t care about zoning. By making
the Town Board the lead agency for the project, they were able to disregard any
and all legal standings previously maintained and allowed building to proceed. Mailings
were done throughout the Town seeking support of this project. People
sympathetic to Mr Feiner in the neighborhood also received these mailings. The
rest did not. However, the multiple mailings cost us a significant chuck of
money. Shouldn’t the Supervisor remain neutral about any projects?
Another project was the GameOn 365 proposal in the former
Frank’s Nursery property on Dobbs Ferry Road. Emails acquired under the Freedom
of Information Law confirmed Mr Feiner promised in private meetings with the GameOn
365 principals that he’d push the project through. When the area neighborhoods
learned of the proposal, they revived their civic association to fight the
8-story sports bubble Mr Feiner felt was okay to build in this residential
neighborhood. You see, the zoning had been allowed for a commercial
establishment years ago. When Frank’s Nursery defaulted on the mortgage, they
went into foreclosure and the Town acquired the property. Instead of selling it
within the first 6-months of acquisition, as required by County and State law, Mr
Feiner decided to hold onto it. Consequently, the zoning for the land reverted
back to residential zoning. Had he not begun playing politics with the property
and simply sold it, it would have been “grandfathered” to remain commercial.
Not only were there multiple mailings supporting this project, he did separate
mailings about holding a referendum, poorly written by his administration, in
hopes of getting a passing vote. It worked but he ultimately lost because all
of the neighborhoods stood united to only have residential housing built there.
There were so many mailings for this project it’s actually hard to tally it all
up.
Next up was the Brightview Assisted Living facility at Rt
119 and Benedict Avenue in the Glenville section of Unincorporated Greenburgh.
This small tight knit neighborhood would soon be overwhelmed with a building
that a) doesn’t fit the neighborhood; b) looms over Rt 119 and the beginning of
Benedict Avenue; c) does not allow the average Greenburgh senior citizen on
Medicare to live there; and d) could wind up following suit as so many other assisted
living facilities and go bankrupt and need to repurpose itself into a
condominium or co-operative apartment. Could this entire assisted living
facility be a pretense to build an assisted living facility where apartment
buildings would not be allowed due to zoning? We don’t know but wonder. There
were numerous mailings from the Supervisor pushing the Brightview project. All
we wonder is at what cost was all of this done and why was the Supervisor so
invested in promoting it?
Beyond the major projects such as mentioned above, and there are more, he goes out of his way to do mailings vis-à-vis advertising for private companies and corporations. The latest recipient of Mr Feiner’s largess is the Hartsdale Kumon Center. While this may be a terrific business doing great work with kids needing additional help with their schoolwork for a fee, it is not the job of the Town to do a mailing or advertising blitz throughout the Town for private, for profit businesses. At $.46 per piece mailed, this is an unnecessary expense for taxpayers to bear and must stop. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.
Beyond the major projects such as mentioned above, and there are more, he goes out of his way to do mailings vis-à-vis advertising for private companies and corporations. The latest recipient of Mr Feiner’s largess is the Hartsdale Kumon Center. While this may be a terrific business doing great work with kids needing additional help with their schoolwork for a fee, it is not the job of the Town to do a mailing or advertising blitz throughout the Town for private, for profit businesses. At $.46 per piece mailed, this is an unnecessary expense for taxpayers to bear and must stop. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.
Friday, December 18, 2015
Illegal Sale From Town Board Thwarted
Being forced to limit themselves to the law can certainly put a crimp in Mr Feiner and his Town Board’s actions. As we’ve mentioned numerous times, if Mr Feiner doesn’t like a law, he simply ignores it and asks forgiveness when challenged. Case in point was seen again just two Town Board meetings ago. Mr Feiner did a mailing to residents along with the requisite email blast, both of which ABG regards as campaign mailings. Once again, the Town Board was derailed by not only the ever-vigilant G10, but also by residents who had never before come to a Town Board meeting. You see, Mr Feiner had scheduled a vote for the sale of property belonging to the Town in the Village of Hastings on Hudson.
The headline read, “Hastings On Hudson Resident Purchasing Land From Town So Children Can Walk Safely To School” with a brief paragraph describing that a resident, Hallie Anderson is a role model, purchasing the property to create a path to enable kids walking to school a path to travel, away from the Tomkins Avenue roadway that the students are apparently forced to walk on to school. However, he also states later, “The children of Marianna Drive have used these woods as a way to school for 60 years, and she just wants to enable them to safely do so in the future. The Town Board will sell her the property for $2000 at our meeting on Monday night at 7:30 PM.” While Ms Anderson may be a role model, Mr Feiner and his Board are not. What he fails to mention is that the Town cannot legally sell the property without performing a number of requisite steps.
The Town has a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpaying residents of the Town to get the highest amount possible for any real estate transaction the Town undertakes. Once Ms Anderson apparently made the secret deal with Mr Feiner, he more than likely invited her to explain her position to his Town Board at a work session. She did just that. In fact she brought several neighbors who all espoused the value of this project. But that’s when Mr Feiner’s newest scheme began to unravel.
At the subsequent Town Board meeting, Brendan Maney, accompanied by others, spoke from the podium during the public comment session of the sale Mr Feiner had initiated with Ms Anderson. During Mr Maney’s time at the microphone, he stated that there had been no survey which are required for land sales, trees were removed without permits, a 15’ divide was created with about 18” depth of mulch. There was never an appraisal of the strip of land in question, no contract drawn, no title search completed nor a public auction held for the land. Mr Maney offered double the amount, $4,000, for the tract of land. He also stated that because of the work already performed, the property has become a hangout area and a problem with noise, littering etc.
The Town Board realized once again the hot water Mr Feiner put them in when he created this secret deal that had now been exposed. Papers shuffled on the dais without much comment. It reminds us of the GameOn 365 debacle created by Mr Feiner for his friends from GameOn 365 with the former Frank’s Nursery property at 715 Dobbs Ferry Road. You’ll recall the Town acquired that property through foreclosure and learned of the site’s contamination when they tried to relocate the Town Library there during the library’s construction. Mr Feiner first tried to illegally lease the property to them and then sell it to them for less than the property was worth. There was a lot of back and forth and scheming to make the deal happen. The G10 and others threatened a lawsuit to stop the sweetheart deal from moving forward. That seemed to work, at least temporarily.
Also entered into that fray was Ardsley’s House of Sports, who offered to purchase the property for double what GameOn 365 was offering to pay for it. Mr Feiner refused. Sound familiar? Then House of Sports upped the ante and offered to pay for all remediation necessary for the property. GameOn 365 would not pay for remediation as they have no money and Mr Feiner said the Town would pay. But he only said the Town would pay for some of the applicants.
Town Attorney Tim Lewis, apparently a little-to-unknown hazardous materials remediation expert, repeatedly stated the cleanup would cost no more than $100,000. The study for the remediation just about cost that. Regardless, Mr Feiner refused the offer from House of Sports with the cleanup included. It now appears that the Town will be selling the Dobbs Ferry Road property for an Assisted Living facility and the Unincorporated taxpayers will pay for remediation costs up to $2 million dollars. But there is no mention what it will cost the Unincorporated taxpayers should the cleanup go beyond $2 million. We believe the if the cost goes above two million, which is likely, the Town will wind up giving the developer the property, at a loss, and the only income the property will generate will be tax revenue.
The Hastings property sale was another questionable (as opposed to shady) deal that took place in the corner office. We’re not saying, however, that Ms Anderson is acting anyway but openly and honestly. We are saying that Mr Feiner’s actions are suspect. And even if he were finally operating on the up-and-up, which we find almost impossible to believe, past performance is the definitive guarantee that tells us he’s probably acting questionably.
After the last Town Board meeting, Councilman Morgan approached the Maney’s and we overheard a portion of that conversation. We believe he told them that he had been in contact with the Hastings on Hudson Mayor about either donating or deeding the property from the Town to the Village, who could then sell it or do whatever they want with it. It remains to be seen how this will play out. But it seems for now, the Town Board may have deflected another bullet fired by Mr Feiner again. It remains to be seen. This Town Board rarely does the right thing, just the right thing for themselves. This time seems to be the exception. They need to make the exception be the rule. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.
The headline read, “Hastings On Hudson Resident Purchasing Land From Town So Children Can Walk Safely To School” with a brief paragraph describing that a resident, Hallie Anderson is a role model, purchasing the property to create a path to enable kids walking to school a path to travel, away from the Tomkins Avenue roadway that the students are apparently forced to walk on to school. However, he also states later, “The children of Marianna Drive have used these woods as a way to school for 60 years, and she just wants to enable them to safely do so in the future. The Town Board will sell her the property for $2000 at our meeting on Monday night at 7:30 PM.” While Ms Anderson may be a role model, Mr Feiner and his Board are not. What he fails to mention is that the Town cannot legally sell the property without performing a number of requisite steps.
The Town has a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpaying residents of the Town to get the highest amount possible for any real estate transaction the Town undertakes. Once Ms Anderson apparently made the secret deal with Mr Feiner, he more than likely invited her to explain her position to his Town Board at a work session. She did just that. In fact she brought several neighbors who all espoused the value of this project. But that’s when Mr Feiner’s newest scheme began to unravel.
At the subsequent Town Board meeting, Brendan Maney, accompanied by others, spoke from the podium during the public comment session of the sale Mr Feiner had initiated with Ms Anderson. During Mr Maney’s time at the microphone, he stated that there had been no survey which are required for land sales, trees were removed without permits, a 15’ divide was created with about 18” depth of mulch. There was never an appraisal of the strip of land in question, no contract drawn, no title search completed nor a public auction held for the land. Mr Maney offered double the amount, $4,000, for the tract of land. He also stated that because of the work already performed, the property has become a hangout area and a problem with noise, littering etc.
The Town Board realized once again the hot water Mr Feiner put them in when he created this secret deal that had now been exposed. Papers shuffled on the dais without much comment. It reminds us of the GameOn 365 debacle created by Mr Feiner for his friends from GameOn 365 with the former Frank’s Nursery property at 715 Dobbs Ferry Road. You’ll recall the Town acquired that property through foreclosure and learned of the site’s contamination when they tried to relocate the Town Library there during the library’s construction. Mr Feiner first tried to illegally lease the property to them and then sell it to them for less than the property was worth. There was a lot of back and forth and scheming to make the deal happen. The G10 and others threatened a lawsuit to stop the sweetheart deal from moving forward. That seemed to work, at least temporarily.
Also entered into that fray was Ardsley’s House of Sports, who offered to purchase the property for double what GameOn 365 was offering to pay for it. Mr Feiner refused. Sound familiar? Then House of Sports upped the ante and offered to pay for all remediation necessary for the property. GameOn 365 would not pay for remediation as they have no money and Mr Feiner said the Town would pay. But he only said the Town would pay for some of the applicants.
Town Attorney Tim Lewis, apparently a little-to-unknown hazardous materials remediation expert, repeatedly stated the cleanup would cost no more than $100,000. The study for the remediation just about cost that. Regardless, Mr Feiner refused the offer from House of Sports with the cleanup included. It now appears that the Town will be selling the Dobbs Ferry Road property for an Assisted Living facility and the Unincorporated taxpayers will pay for remediation costs up to $2 million dollars. But there is no mention what it will cost the Unincorporated taxpayers should the cleanup go beyond $2 million. We believe the if the cost goes above two million, which is likely, the Town will wind up giving the developer the property, at a loss, and the only income the property will generate will be tax revenue.
The Hastings property sale was another questionable (as opposed to shady) deal that took place in the corner office. We’re not saying, however, that Ms Anderson is acting anyway but openly and honestly. We are saying that Mr Feiner’s actions are suspect. And even if he were finally operating on the up-and-up, which we find almost impossible to believe, past performance is the definitive guarantee that tells us he’s probably acting questionably.
After the last Town Board meeting, Councilman Morgan approached the Maney’s and we overheard a portion of that conversation. We believe he told them that he had been in contact with the Hastings on Hudson Mayor about either donating or deeding the property from the Town to the Village, who could then sell it or do whatever they want with it. It remains to be seen how this will play out. But it seems for now, the Town Board may have deflected another bullet fired by Mr Feiner again. It remains to be seen. This Town Board rarely does the right thing, just the right thing for themselves. This time seems to be the exception. They need to make the exception be the rule. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Must Someone Else Die?
Many residents have indicated that speeding is an issue on their neighborhood streets. Occasionally, the police department will send a car to monitor and maybe even write a couple of tickets. But the fact is, there are too many streets, too many cars and too few police officers to stop them. We won’t bother discussing whether or not ticket quotas exist because most people already have an opinion about that. What we will discuss is that common, small infractions seem to either go unnoticed or unticketed because they are a nuisance to the police. Infractions such as illegal lane changes, using a cell phone while driving, failure to signal and so on are the ones routinely excused - unless if there's an accident.
An officer we spoke to said he was doing speed control but only issued one ticket and about half a dozen warnings after radar-checking one particular neighborhood for an hour. He said he gave warnings to those speeding between the posted 30mph speed limit and up to 40mph. His hope was it might filter back to family and friends, with word ultimately getting back to them to slow them down. He also said that every neighborhood he does this in finds the residents are among the many speeding culprits! Either we don't have enough police officers doing traffic enforcement or enough resources for them - or both. It all comes down to money.
The Town’s Police Department budget is controlled by the Town Board. The Police Chief submits his budget request to Mr Feiner and his Town Board. Then the dance begins. Actually, the dance happens with all of the assorted Town Commissioners each year at budget time. The past several budgets have been trumpeted by Mr Feiner as being below the New York State 2% Tax Cap. Sadly, the public is being scammed by Mr Feiner’s well-honed lie originated in Albany and perpetuated here in Greenburgh that while we stayed under the 2% Tax Cap, our tax increase (this year) was 3.4%. Caveat emptor or willfully ignorant.
Regardless, the Police Chief submits what he needs and during the subsequent dance, perhaps even before and after it, Mr Feiner tells the department head to find something to cut so he can issue multiple press releases about how he found fat and made cuts in the budget. Then there's several other press conferences and releases about the budget being under the tax cap again, once upon a time Greenburgh was the 80th best place to live, essential services were maintained while staying under the 2% Tax Cap and so on. Publicity Paul will use a host of press releases, interviews and physical mailings. He'll also use the illegally held GBList. That's the email list that he and the Town are stalling the release of to Dorrine Livson of the Worthington Woodlands Civic Association after going to court and being court-ordered to give it to her under the Freedom of Information Law.
Mr Feiner's latest folly is a new traffic sign that announces how many tickets have been issued on a particular street supposedly for speeding. The issue at hand with this is that the Town is abdicating their responsibility for traffic enforcement by relying on a sign, crossed fingers and the hope that drivers will slow down. This very definitely compromises our residents and guests' safety and well-being. Also, Mr Feiner has over-advertised the new sign as his panacea for publicity, informing speeders town-wide that there are no cops nearby and speed away! So as drivers barrel on down the road,we have Publicity Paul (aka Pinocchio Paul, Posturing Paul, Federal Felon Feiner) to thank. If speeding is to be controlled by a sign, what's our next policing move? Another traveling sign to announce how many break-ins a particular neighborhood has had? By posting a sign and advertising there are no police nearby, will crime now rise?
Another conversation with a Town police officer said Feiner's sign publicity has started a firestorm of requests at police headquarters. Apparently, since Promising Paul has been asking for suggestions on its placement, the police have been inundated with requests for the sign. While we tip our hat to Preposterous Paul for another great deflection and latest the publicity coup, these requests indicate the seriousness of the speeding problem throughout the Town and the residents' desperation for relief. The Town Board has green-lighted almost every project for the last 22-years, the tenure of multiple Feiner Administrations, without having a coinciding traffic plan to control flow of traffic, speeding, parking and the like.
Similarly, many neighborhoods ask for speed bumps/humps, stop signs, rumble strips, even red light cameras to try to slow speeders. Each time the subject is broached with Town leaders and police representatives they are given a plethora of reasons as to why their requests cannot be delivered. They're told speed bumps can't be used to control traffic, they hold water and increase flooding on our already flood-prone streets. They're told you can't put in rumble strips, you can't have an officer doing speed control because of budget constraints. They're told they cannot install stop signs to control traffic. We can't do this and we can't do that? But what can they do? Apparently, more they tell us.
In one of his almost daily campaign mailings, Mr Feiner said the following:
It appears that stop signs can be installed to control traffic flow. This is exactly what residents from several neighborhoods have been asking for. It's just so sad that a death had to occur for this to happen. The real point however, is while the stop signs may help control traffic in the future, would they have prevented this unfortunate death? Must someone else die before we see the installation of stop signs, traffic lights, controlled pedestrian crossing areas and other solutions?
With elections approaching, this will be one of the best pieces of campaign fodder Mr Feiner has dreamed up. He will have the signs installed, send out multiple press releases, have several press conferences at the sight, posture about it at numerous Town Board meetings and lament that they cannot do this in more neighborhoods because he's limited in spending due to the NYS 2% Tax Cap - which his Town Board could vote to ignore. He'll continue on that he is committed to safety and improving our neighborhoods. Look for another sign saying that since the stop signs were installed, "X" amount of tickets have been written and "X" amount of lives have been saved.
There are serious traffic issues growing with every development Mr Feiner and his Town Board approve. Coincidentally, corresponding traffic control is noticeably absent. As our budget resources dwindle, our police department is being pushed to do more with less. Let's see how many more of the signs Mr Feiner plans to distribute throughout our Town affecting your safety and the safety of your families and visitors. Must someone else die to get action throughout our Town? This has to change. Only then will we see A Better Greenburgh.
An officer we spoke to said he was doing speed control but only issued one ticket and about half a dozen warnings after radar-checking one particular neighborhood for an hour. He said he gave warnings to those speeding between the posted 30mph speed limit and up to 40mph. His hope was it might filter back to family and friends, with word ultimately getting back to them to slow them down. He also said that every neighborhood he does this in finds the residents are among the many speeding culprits! Either we don't have enough police officers doing traffic enforcement or enough resources for them - or both. It all comes down to money.
The Town’s Police Department budget is controlled by the Town Board. The Police Chief submits his budget request to Mr Feiner and his Town Board. Then the dance begins. Actually, the dance happens with all of the assorted Town Commissioners each year at budget time. The past several budgets have been trumpeted by Mr Feiner as being below the New York State 2% Tax Cap. Sadly, the public is being scammed by Mr Feiner’s well-honed lie originated in Albany and perpetuated here in Greenburgh that while we stayed under the 2% Tax Cap, our tax increase (this year) was 3.4%. Caveat emptor or willfully ignorant.
Regardless, the Police Chief submits what he needs and during the subsequent dance, perhaps even before and after it, Mr Feiner tells the department head to find something to cut so he can issue multiple press releases about how he found fat and made cuts in the budget. Then there's several other press conferences and releases about the budget being under the tax cap again, once upon a time Greenburgh was the 80th best place to live, essential services were maintained while staying under the 2% Tax Cap and so on. Publicity Paul will use a host of press releases, interviews and physical mailings. He'll also use the illegally held GBList. That's the email list that he and the Town are stalling the release of to Dorrine Livson of the Worthington Woodlands Civic Association after going to court and being court-ordered to give it to her under the Freedom of Information Law.
Mr Feiner's latest folly is a new traffic sign that announces how many tickets have been issued on a particular street supposedly for speeding. The issue at hand with this is that the Town is abdicating their responsibility for traffic enforcement by relying on a sign, crossed fingers and the hope that drivers will slow down. This very definitely compromises our residents and guests' safety and well-being. Also, Mr Feiner has over-advertised the new sign as his panacea for publicity, informing speeders town-wide that there are no cops nearby and speed away! So as drivers barrel on down the road,we have Publicity Paul (aka Pinocchio Paul, Posturing Paul, Federal Felon Feiner) to thank. If speeding is to be controlled by a sign, what's our next policing move? Another traveling sign to announce how many break-ins a particular neighborhood has had? By posting a sign and advertising there are no police nearby, will crime now rise?
Another conversation with a Town police officer said Feiner's sign publicity has started a firestorm of requests at police headquarters. Apparently, since Promising Paul has been asking for suggestions on its placement, the police have been inundated with requests for the sign. While we tip our hat to Preposterous Paul for another great deflection and latest the publicity coup, these requests indicate the seriousness of the speeding problem throughout the Town and the residents' desperation for relief. The Town Board has green-lighted almost every project for the last 22-years, the tenure of multiple Feiner Administrations, without having a coinciding traffic plan to control flow of traffic, speeding, parking and the like.
Similarly, many neighborhoods ask for speed bumps/humps, stop signs, rumble strips, even red light cameras to try to slow speeders. Each time the subject is broached with Town leaders and police representatives they are given a plethora of reasons as to why their requests cannot be delivered. They're told speed bumps can't be used to control traffic, they hold water and increase flooding on our already flood-prone streets. They're told you can't put in rumble strips, you can't have an officer doing speed control because of budget constraints. They're told they cannot install stop signs to control traffic. We can't do this and we can't do that? But what can they do? Apparently, more they tell us.
In one of his almost daily campaign mailings, Mr Feiner said the following:
"Speeding
on South Road and North Road has always been a concern of residents of
Parkway Gardens and Parkway Homes. The Greenburgh Town Board will vote
on Wednesday,
October 14th to accept the Police department’s recommendation to add an
“all way” stop sign at South Road at the intersection of Jackson Place
and at North Road at the intersection of Jackson Place. Earlier this
year there was a fatal hit and run accident
on South Road. It’s the desire of the Greenburgh Police department and
Town Board to make all of our roads safer and to improve the quality of
life for residents. Greenburgh Police Chief Chris McNerney and his
traffic safety officers deserve our thanks for
their follow up on this important safety initiative and for meeting
with community members prior to making this recommendation."
It appears that stop signs can be installed to control traffic flow. This is exactly what residents from several neighborhoods have been asking for. It's just so sad that a death had to occur for this to happen. The real point however, is while the stop signs may help control traffic in the future, would they have prevented this unfortunate death? Must someone else die before we see the installation of stop signs, traffic lights, controlled pedestrian crossing areas and other solutions?
With elections approaching, this will be one of the best pieces of campaign fodder Mr Feiner has dreamed up. He will have the signs installed, send out multiple press releases, have several press conferences at the sight, posture about it at numerous Town Board meetings and lament that they cannot do this in more neighborhoods because he's limited in spending due to the NYS 2% Tax Cap - which his Town Board could vote to ignore. He'll continue on that he is committed to safety and improving our neighborhoods. Look for another sign saying that since the stop signs were installed, "X" amount of tickets have been written and "X" amount of lives have been saved.
There are serious traffic issues growing with every development Mr Feiner and his Town Board approve. Coincidentally, corresponding traffic control is noticeably absent. As our budget resources dwindle, our police department is being pushed to do more with less. Let's see how many more of the signs Mr Feiner plans to distribute throughout our Town affecting your safety and the safety of your families and visitors. Must someone else die to get action throughout our Town? This has to change. Only then will we see A Better Greenburgh.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
What Can Be Done?
The residents of Greenburgh as well as Westchester County are suffering from political incompetence and malfeasance. We have elected politicians pandering to developers and campaign donors giving money to incumbents like beer flows at an Oktoberfest. We have more specks of Unincorporated land being approved for development, in fact, over development, at an alarming rate. These projects are validated by producing bendable traffic studies, yet incremental increases result in heavier traffic, flooding when we have simple rain storms, increased illegal housing, increased infrastructure abuse and ultimately town-wide failures and over-worked public employees (not the elected ones). More importantly are the beleaguered tax payers who are beaten down year after year. When they turn to their elected politicians, they are "yessed" to death and then ignored as the project of their concern is green-lighted. What can be done?
Job Growth
Too many people in Greenburgh have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Putting people back to work should be all elected politician's top priority. Unfortunately, it's not. Mr Feiner and his Town Board cater to developers and donors. All this while we teeter toward the verge of prosperity that could be unmatched in Greenburgh's history. Yet our biggest obstacle is our own local government officials as they continue to place roadblocks in the way of businesses with new regulations, fees and requirements, These are nothing more than taxes stifling entrepreneurs and businesses under the guise of what, safety? In fact, at the last Town Board meeting, Mr Feiner tried to make one of the larger businesses in town out as the bad guy. Aren't these same businesses the ones that employ our residents? Of course they are. And of course, they are not the bad guys Mr Feiner wants to make them out to be.
Medical diagnostic technology, R&D, gene-therapy, information technology, 3-D printing, new energy methods, transportation advances and more will all impart upon us and our children a standard of living our forefathers could not have even dreamt about. The Landmark at Eastview grand plan was originally designated by the Town Board to be developed as a research, development and technology mecca within the Town. Now that the favored developer for that location promised $5 million dollars per year in taxes to the Town, Mr Feiner is agreeing to truncate the original plan for increased construction of more of the same type of buildings currently vacant throughout our Town with no hope of occupancy. The developer claims there is no market for R&D but rather a big box store (i.e. Target, Costco), some retail stores, a motel and a movie theatre. Apparently we don't have a motel, big box store or movie theatre in the vicinity. Immediately and directly across the street, Regeneron, a pharmaceutical company, can't seem to build R&D facilities fast enough. Somebody's lying to us. Hint: he was found guilty of lying in Federal court.
The responsible development of Greenburgh’s energy resources could produce high-quality engineering, environmental, management and service-oriented jobs that will revitalize the Town's economy for generations. But who will work to ensure that the citizens of Greenburgh have a say in their economic and energy development future and that the federal bureaucracy down to the local levels provides guidance and not more roadblocks? Certainly, this won't happen with this Town Board. They have gone out of their way to be anti-business, all the while professing to be business friendly. Actions have certainly spoken louder than their empty words, but Mr Feiner has taught them well: just say it and the media will quote them, ultimately making it so.
Next, we must fix the paralyzing road-congestion and flooding issues which are discouraging both people and business from locating to Greenburgh and Westchester County. The I-287, Rt 119, Central Avenue and 9A corridors will continue to grow and so will the traffic congestion. Phony bypass lanes along each of the corridors will further congest traffic conditions during construction and already be outdated if and when they are ever finished. We must prioritize road projects which reduce commuting times for residents and even guests who tire of being stuck in the daily crawl. This does nothing but harm any local attractiveness, regional competitiveness and job growth for our Town and region.
Finally, we must reorient our regulatory and fee structures to not be taxing our residents to death! We must have tax policies that encourage job growth rather than encourage tax growth. It is a false argument to state that pro-growth tax policies and a steady, predictable stream of tax revenue are conflicting priorities. As both Presidents Kennedy and Reagan demonstrated, growth-oriented tax policies can provide for vibrant job growth and the necessary revenue to fund the services provided for in our Constitution.
Tax Reform and Cronyism
A simpler and fairer tax code might incentivize both domestic and international businesses to make investments here in Greenburgh, which will lead to job growth. But that's a state and/or federal issue. Locally, however, we must have our Town officials seeking to work with our homeowners and business owners to stimulate growth and most importantly, reinvesting back into their businesses and homes which will ultimately benefit us all. Lowering everyone's taxes would be helpful as opposed to giving tax breaks to the big guys.
This might even increase some workers take-home-pay while eliminating some big-business cronyism here in Greenburgh. Cronyism you say? In Greenburgh? Really? Here's one example. There's a supposed "land donation" happening in East Irvington at the behest of one or two residents under the cloak of their civic association*. Danny Gold, President of the East Irvington Civic Association finagled a deal with the old Robert Martin (Construction) Corporation, who has pledged a donation of one million dollars to Greenburgh to purchase some 28 or so steep slope acres of land from the Reverend Moon estate in Tarrytown. The stipulation is that it be used in perpetuity as parkland. Why choose to do this in Greenburgh instead of Tarrytown? Because Mr Gold has his house on the market and this covert operation through his friend Mr Feiner can only happen because of Mr Feiner's past relationship with Robert Martin, et al. The Mayor of Tarrytown doesn't have this "special relationship that Mr Gold needed to guarantee this deal be consummated. Again, why? Because the value of Mr Gold's home will increase in value even more if the purchaser can be assured no development will take place nearby.
Still don't believe in cronyism in Greenburgh? Well, this same property is also up for a certiorari challenge as well a tax discount if this convoluted deal does not go through. How does it need to proceed for the deal to be done? Mr Feiner and his Town Board must simply accept the donation of the one million dollars from Robert Martin, who has previously donated to Mr Feiner and possibly his Board members and then sign a check for the property in Mr Gold's backyard. Can you say done deal?
Once we see an adjustment to taxation in the Town, it will provide predictability for families and businesses alike. Families will be able to budget more effectively while businesses will be able to map out long term goals and expansion. If the federal government were to initiate a fair tax or flat tax, it would allow the less-fortunate to keep more of what they earn as well as eliminate the proverbial gray and black markets that deal solely in cash. It would seem like a win-win regardless of what your political leanings might be.
Immigration Reform
Immigrants can enrich our lives by bringing their culture and skills to our country, state and our Town. They also add wealth to our nation through human capital and occasionally innovation. However, breaking the law is unacceptable. That is why securing the border on a national level to stop trespassing and narco-trafficking should be a national priority. At the same time, we must cease Mr Feiner's broad-brush "sanctuary town" mentality that puts these same residents in peril by turning a blind eye toward illegal housing throughout our many neighborhoods in our Town. This is a safety issue that has proven to be a killer time and time again. It must stop! And yet we seek to encourage immigration done through an orderly and legal process. We are a country of laws and providing incentives to circumvent those laws will do irreparable damage to our system of governance.
Prioritizing Education
We must commit to education reform and school-choice. Our schools must inspire the next generation of doctors, engineers, scientists, and mathematicians. Email propaganda from Mr Feiner via a Town email list doesn't correct issues or improve our student's educational ability. To be equipped with the knowledge and skills our kids need to thrive in the new economy, we have to ensure that every child, regardless of their neighborhood, has access to quality education. We can provide educational opportunity by expanding parental choice in education and maintaining local control over local schools. Teachers are the bedrock of our education system and they should be rewarded on a merit based system. They should be given the freedom and flexibility to work in an environment that is not stifled by bureaucracy and archaic work rules. Our teachers are the solution, not the problem. Our kids are our future, not a commodity!
Energy
The need to reduce our prices at the pump and regain our independence from foreign oil is not just an economic issue, it is a national security issue. While we can increase our domestic sources of energy through environmentally responsible energy production, this is a much bigger scale than we can tackle alone. Domestic energy production will not only help reduce gas prices, it will also lead to an increase in job creation. Renewable energy sources such as wind, and solar should be allowed to compete in the free market without government involvement or interference. If and when that is allowed to happen, and government subsidies are no longer involved, the market will dictate price and demand. In the meantime, we can assist manufacturers by waiving some fees and bureaucracy issues to make their start up a bit easier.
Mr Feiner has used Town Hall for his own rallies (without paying the rental fees) against nuclear power without providing alternatives beyond the stereotyped suggestions we always hear from the environmentalists. They may be worthwhile additions, but can they replace what we already have? Has he installed solar panels on his home? Does he drive a battery operated or flex-fueled car? Of course not. What's good for you and I never seems to apply to him.
He claimed to be putting in an electric car charging station at the Greenburgh library at no cost to the taxpayer. Scrutiny of the details proved that not only did it not make sense to put it there, but there would be costs and the Town taxpayer would be stuck paying for them again. When he proposed spending $500,000 to replace all of our current light fixtures with LED fixtures and bulbs, he never studied or completed a Return On Investment or qualified his desires with facts and figures. If he had a more structured and cost effective methodology, his "pitch" might have been substantiated. In fact, if all of this is so good, why hasn't he begun to convert the Town fleet of cars and trucks to battery operated vehicles, with charging stations at Town Hall?
Economics
Greenburgh's economic condition could dramatically improve for our Town and revitalize our infrastructure, schools and public services by cohesively addressing all of our energy requirements, budgeting, growth and development as a comprehensive strategy such as in our oft-delayed Comprehensive Plan. But that would require a genuine ability for our elected politicians to stop pandering for votes, parceling out gifts or certificates to the willfully ignorant and propose decisions that may be controversial but able to be validated and stand up to the scrutiny of the residents. Their validation must not fall under the aegis of Mr Feiner. Mr Feiner and his Board have no problem making decisions against less affluent neighborhoods for his donors and friends and leaving the affluent ones undisturbed. Perhaps its time for all the neighborhoods to unite for a common goal and stop this madness!
Getting our fiscal house in order by reducing overall spending levels must be a top priority. Having double-digit tax increases one year and then claim to stay within the state 2% tax cap is not a fiscal plan. It is not only fiscally irresponsible, it is immoral! Offering various pieces of property to chosen recipients violates the tenets of trust voters have placed in our officials. Jumping from one issue to another because you can get free publicity is an abuse of the position that should only be regarded as a privilege to hold. That privilege has been abused. In fact it has been over-abused! It must change. Only then will we see A Better Greenburgh.
* Read more at https://www.facebook.com/greenburghupdate
Job Growth
Too many people in Greenburgh have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Putting people back to work should be all elected politician's top priority. Unfortunately, it's not. Mr Feiner and his Town Board cater to developers and donors. All this while we teeter toward the verge of prosperity that could be unmatched in Greenburgh's history. Yet our biggest obstacle is our own local government officials as they continue to place roadblocks in the way of businesses with new regulations, fees and requirements, These are nothing more than taxes stifling entrepreneurs and businesses under the guise of what, safety? In fact, at the last Town Board meeting, Mr Feiner tried to make one of the larger businesses in town out as the bad guy. Aren't these same businesses the ones that employ our residents? Of course they are. And of course, they are not the bad guys Mr Feiner wants to make them out to be.
Medical diagnostic technology, R&D, gene-therapy, information technology, 3-D printing, new energy methods, transportation advances and more will all impart upon us and our children a standard of living our forefathers could not have even dreamt about. The Landmark at Eastview grand plan was originally designated by the Town Board to be developed as a research, development and technology mecca within the Town. Now that the favored developer for that location promised $5 million dollars per year in taxes to the Town, Mr Feiner is agreeing to truncate the original plan for increased construction of more of the same type of buildings currently vacant throughout our Town with no hope of occupancy. The developer claims there is no market for R&D but rather a big box store (i.e. Target, Costco), some retail stores, a motel and a movie theatre. Apparently we don't have a motel, big box store or movie theatre in the vicinity. Immediately and directly across the street, Regeneron, a pharmaceutical company, can't seem to build R&D facilities fast enough. Somebody's lying to us. Hint: he was found guilty of lying in Federal court.
The responsible development of Greenburgh’s energy resources could produce high-quality engineering, environmental, management and service-oriented jobs that will revitalize the Town's economy for generations. But who will work to ensure that the citizens of Greenburgh have a say in their economic and energy development future and that the federal bureaucracy down to the local levels provides guidance and not more roadblocks? Certainly, this won't happen with this Town Board. They have gone out of their way to be anti-business, all the while professing to be business friendly. Actions have certainly spoken louder than their empty words, but Mr Feiner has taught them well: just say it and the media will quote them, ultimately making it so.
Next, we must fix the paralyzing road-congestion and flooding issues which are discouraging both people and business from locating to Greenburgh and Westchester County. The I-287, Rt 119, Central Avenue and 9A corridors will continue to grow and so will the traffic congestion. Phony bypass lanes along each of the corridors will further congest traffic conditions during construction and already be outdated if and when they are ever finished. We must prioritize road projects which reduce commuting times for residents and even guests who tire of being stuck in the daily crawl. This does nothing but harm any local attractiveness, regional competitiveness and job growth for our Town and region.
Finally, we must reorient our regulatory and fee structures to not be taxing our residents to death! We must have tax policies that encourage job growth rather than encourage tax growth. It is a false argument to state that pro-growth tax policies and a steady, predictable stream of tax revenue are conflicting priorities. As both Presidents Kennedy and Reagan demonstrated, growth-oriented tax policies can provide for vibrant job growth and the necessary revenue to fund the services provided for in our Constitution.
Tax Reform and Cronyism
A simpler and fairer tax code might incentivize both domestic and international businesses to make investments here in Greenburgh, which will lead to job growth. But that's a state and/or federal issue. Locally, however, we must have our Town officials seeking to work with our homeowners and business owners to stimulate growth and most importantly, reinvesting back into their businesses and homes which will ultimately benefit us all. Lowering everyone's taxes would be helpful as opposed to giving tax breaks to the big guys.
This might even increase some workers take-home-pay while eliminating some big-business cronyism here in Greenburgh. Cronyism you say? In Greenburgh? Really? Here's one example. There's a supposed "land donation" happening in East Irvington at the behest of one or two residents under the cloak of their civic association*. Danny Gold, President of the East Irvington Civic Association finagled a deal with the old Robert Martin (Construction) Corporation, who has pledged a donation of one million dollars to Greenburgh to purchase some 28 or so steep slope acres of land from the Reverend Moon estate in Tarrytown. The stipulation is that it be used in perpetuity as parkland. Why choose to do this in Greenburgh instead of Tarrytown? Because Mr Gold has his house on the market and this covert operation through his friend Mr Feiner can only happen because of Mr Feiner's past relationship with Robert Martin, et al. The Mayor of Tarrytown doesn't have this "special relationship that Mr Gold needed to guarantee this deal be consummated. Again, why? Because the value of Mr Gold's home will increase in value even more if the purchaser can be assured no development will take place nearby.
Still don't believe in cronyism in Greenburgh? Well, this same property is also up for a certiorari challenge as well a tax discount if this convoluted deal does not go through. How does it need to proceed for the deal to be done? Mr Feiner and his Town Board must simply accept the donation of the one million dollars from Robert Martin, who has previously donated to Mr Feiner and possibly his Board members and then sign a check for the property in Mr Gold's backyard. Can you say done deal?
Once we see an adjustment to taxation in the Town, it will provide predictability for families and businesses alike. Families will be able to budget more effectively while businesses will be able to map out long term goals and expansion. If the federal government were to initiate a fair tax or flat tax, it would allow the less-fortunate to keep more of what they earn as well as eliminate the proverbial gray and black markets that deal solely in cash. It would seem like a win-win regardless of what your political leanings might be.
Immigration Reform
Immigrants can enrich our lives by bringing their culture and skills to our country, state and our Town. They also add wealth to our nation through human capital and occasionally innovation. However, breaking the law is unacceptable. That is why securing the border on a national level to stop trespassing and narco-trafficking should be a national priority. At the same time, we must cease Mr Feiner's broad-brush "sanctuary town" mentality that puts these same residents in peril by turning a blind eye toward illegal housing throughout our many neighborhoods in our Town. This is a safety issue that has proven to be a killer time and time again. It must stop! And yet we seek to encourage immigration done through an orderly and legal process. We are a country of laws and providing incentives to circumvent those laws will do irreparable damage to our system of governance.
Prioritizing Education
We must commit to education reform and school-choice. Our schools must inspire the next generation of doctors, engineers, scientists, and mathematicians. Email propaganda from Mr Feiner via a Town email list doesn't correct issues or improve our student's educational ability. To be equipped with the knowledge and skills our kids need to thrive in the new economy, we have to ensure that every child, regardless of their neighborhood, has access to quality education. We can provide educational opportunity by expanding parental choice in education and maintaining local control over local schools. Teachers are the bedrock of our education system and they should be rewarded on a merit based system. They should be given the freedom and flexibility to work in an environment that is not stifled by bureaucracy and archaic work rules. Our teachers are the solution, not the problem. Our kids are our future, not a commodity!
Energy
The need to reduce our prices at the pump and regain our independence from foreign oil is not just an economic issue, it is a national security issue. While we can increase our domestic sources of energy through environmentally responsible energy production, this is a much bigger scale than we can tackle alone. Domestic energy production will not only help reduce gas prices, it will also lead to an increase in job creation. Renewable energy sources such as wind, and solar should be allowed to compete in the free market without government involvement or interference. If and when that is allowed to happen, and government subsidies are no longer involved, the market will dictate price and demand. In the meantime, we can assist manufacturers by waiving some fees and bureaucracy issues to make their start up a bit easier.
Mr Feiner has used Town Hall for his own rallies (without paying the rental fees) against nuclear power without providing alternatives beyond the stereotyped suggestions we always hear from the environmentalists. They may be worthwhile additions, but can they replace what we already have? Has he installed solar panels on his home? Does he drive a battery operated or flex-fueled car? Of course not. What's good for you and I never seems to apply to him.
He claimed to be putting in an electric car charging station at the Greenburgh library at no cost to the taxpayer. Scrutiny of the details proved that not only did it not make sense to put it there, but there would be costs and the Town taxpayer would be stuck paying for them again. When he proposed spending $500,000 to replace all of our current light fixtures with LED fixtures and bulbs, he never studied or completed a Return On Investment or qualified his desires with facts and figures. If he had a more structured and cost effective methodology, his "pitch" might have been substantiated. In fact, if all of this is so good, why hasn't he begun to convert the Town fleet of cars and trucks to battery operated vehicles, with charging stations at Town Hall?
Economics
Greenburgh's economic condition could dramatically improve for our Town and revitalize our infrastructure, schools and public services by cohesively addressing all of our energy requirements, budgeting, growth and development as a comprehensive strategy such as in our oft-delayed Comprehensive Plan. But that would require a genuine ability for our elected politicians to stop pandering for votes, parceling out gifts or certificates to the willfully ignorant and propose decisions that may be controversial but able to be validated and stand up to the scrutiny of the residents. Their validation must not fall under the aegis of Mr Feiner. Mr Feiner and his Board have no problem making decisions against less affluent neighborhoods for his donors and friends and leaving the affluent ones undisturbed. Perhaps its time for all the neighborhoods to unite for a common goal and stop this madness!
Getting our fiscal house in order by reducing overall spending levels must be a top priority. Having double-digit tax increases one year and then claim to stay within the state 2% tax cap is not a fiscal plan. It is not only fiscally irresponsible, it is immoral! Offering various pieces of property to chosen recipients violates the tenets of trust voters have placed in our officials. Jumping from one issue to another because you can get free publicity is an abuse of the position that should only be regarded as a privilege to hold. That privilege has been abused. In fact it has been over-abused! It must change. Only then will we see A Better Greenburgh.
* Read more at https://www.facebook.com/greenburghupdate
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)