Can you fight city hall? This year’s election may have given an affirmative answer to that question. Voters from all parts of the political spectrum when asked how they felt about the election results in Westchester had responses which indicated voters wanted change and they got it. Lorraine Pierce, Secretary of the New Rochelle Citizens Reform Club summed up a lot of sentiment being expressed. “The elections this year were not so much a referendum for or against Democrats or Republicans, but a referendum against incumbents who for too long have disregarded the will of the people they represent. I only hope this message carries over to the New Rochelle elections in 2011.”
There were a number of people who expressed confidence in our County Executive-elect, Rob Astorino. Bruce Negrin, WVOX radio host, felt “finally common sense has come back. Astorino stuck to his message about this being the highest taxed county in the country.” He was in shock with the high percent of votes Astorino received against Andy Spano. New Rochelle Councilman Lou Trangucci felt “people have spoken and Astorino won by a land slide.” Mitch Spalin, Vice President of the South End Civic League, admitted she was “glad voters finally decided to elect someone who will listen to us.”
A thoughtful comment by Marino Michelotti was, “Voters were responding to the outrageous tax increases and the out of control spending by the County Legislature under Spano’s direction. “I believe in the next election more County Legislators will be replaced.” Betty Lewin continued this theme: “I thought the people who voted proved they do want change. They are tired of high taxes. These are tough economic times and there isn’t a lot of extra money available. We are all going to change the way we spend, and it can start with the government.”
Doug Colety, the Chairman of the Westchester Republican Party, did not hesitate when asked about this election. “The Republican Party ran a terrific slate of candidates. With all the dysfunction on state, county and local levels, voters from all parties came out to vote and showed their displeasure, ousting many incumbents. It appears Republicans are right on message. In this economic climate, taxes, bailouts, bloated bureaucracies, waste, and mismanagement were on the voters’ minds.” Expressing his happiness that the two party system “is back on the map,” Jim Generoso, Chief Court Clerk for the City of New Rochelle, praised the job Colety was doing.
Former New Rochelle Mayor Len Paduano got the last word, “Hopefully New Rochelle will start reading the writing on the wall.”
In the November 8, 2009 issue of the Westchester Herald
election results
interesting to read Peggy’s article about receent election results especially given conversations Bob
Cox and I are having about change. I totally agree witht the need for change and 2010 will be a critical year for New Rochelle as many important posts will open up for re-election/election.
I consider myself an Independent. I really am much less interested in party than I am in business and community values. It is like being committed to faith as opposed to a formal religion. let the cream rise to the top around major problems facing our city today.
By inclination and design I tend to be a fiscal conservative and a social moderate. I also believe in public service, community planning and growth, transparency and inclusion. Cox has done us a great service by opening up the lines of communication and personally undertaking personal animosity, even risk in exposing or bringing to our attention many issues in the Queen City. As I have mentioned to him on several occasions, the time has come for collective, community action — not the teabag sort, but with people collecting and volunteering to serve the City. If they can obtain party affilation, more the better — but we need people like Bruce Negrin to run for office at some level and I know there are others out there. I cannot run; my age (73) pretty much prohibits it, but there are others.
If I could create a specification sheet on candidates it would include:
1. fiscal responsibility and decisiveness — understanding the role that the school district plays in the tax base of the city and willing to stand up and lead the way toward changing current arrangements sot that (1) the relationship, role, and responsiblity of the city planning/operations and the distict administration go hand in hand. you cannot have a thriving and vibrant city without a quality school district. you cannot establish proper tax policy and planning or capital expenditure budgeting without a direct relationship. so the district must be subsumed under the city administation not too differently than we see in NYC or even Philadelphis. And, of course, we need other budget and finanacial management remedial actons — contingency budgeting, percentage decrease in increments for pre-budget planning (ex. 15/10/5 percent forecasted decreases). total overhaul of union/management relationships, etc.
2. it seems to be antithetical to community respnsibility and openness to have a so-called “weak” or ceremonial mayor and a strong city manager. we are large enough to expect a strong mayor arrangement — lets be reasonable; our mayor has more line responsibility than a so-called weak mayor and you cannot hold a city manager accountable at election time as you can an elected official.
3. the city council is too non-transparent and I see no evidence that they are interested or sharp enough to connect the dots on school district tax and expenses and running the city. they need to step up and report on this major issue, or step down come next election. we can make the latter happen easily enough by simply asking each (1) what is your stand or opinion on school district oversight and taxes adn (2) if negative, what will you personally do about it. I am literally amazed that all of the sitting school board reside above new rochelle road. this is crazy — are our south, west and east end councilpersons unaware and disinterested in this? are they mindful of the deteroriating district performance, crumbling infrastructure, incompetent leadership at both school and district levels as well as the lack of skill, transparency, and community interest of this board. this needs to change; each councilperson should have a member in h/her district, etc… no citywide mandate. some of the incumbents have been in place far too long.
as far as social moderate, perhaps even more liberal than that, i believe in the need to preserve the old and build upon the new. we have tradiional values and structures that must be cherished and maintained. we have lots of youngsters from our less advantaged neighborhoods who are capable of greater things. we have new residents that need new services even if something as simple as a warm place to wait in the winter when seeking day labor.
and we need people in office who are optimistic, strong minded in negotiating with builders so as not to unduly burden taxpayes with abatements but wise enough to strategically plan and do a deal that gives value to all concerned including the venture capitalist. we need to haggle less about issues like traffic, roads, downtown, congestion, etc… and define our terms — meaning what is possible and how can we change behavior to give us what we need and want. after all you cannot change attitude only behavior. Jim Killoran has a tram; ask the city fathers in Portland Oregon, for example, how they used this concept to address congestion, traffic and parking without negating every new idea that might bring growth to our downtown neighborhood.
this blog is great; it points things out and raises awareness. it will not change attitudes and even if it did to a degree, we need behavioral change. Bob and others pointed out endless times that the behavior change is not likely to come about given our resident incombents in elected office. So, that must change. New voices must be heard. Bruce, Peggy, you know the city; you recognize substance over form. Maybe you can spearhead a drive that will benefit all of us.
tomorrow is veterans day. as a veteran, my thoughts are on my compatriots and especially with the 13 men and women who died so tragically and needlessly a few days ago. Maybe John and others can prevail finally on the Armory’s fate. He changed my mind and that is not easy to do — it turned on the simple point that a lot of citizens wanted in maintained which actually trumps the reasons for same. It no longer matters to me — let me suggest to all of the thousands that read New Rochelle Talk of the Sound that they get active in the community we love, bring forward our best and brightest, and bring substantive change to our city. I don;t care what party prevails as much as I do for the values and actions I tried to articulate above.
warren gross