New Rochelle City Manager Chuck Strome, Development Commissioner Michael Freimuth, Mayor Noam Bramson and Development official Jeremy Schulman traveled to upstate New York earlier this week to get a first-hand look at the Orange County Business Accelerator. The OCBA, located in New Windsor on the grounds of Stewart International Airport, is a business accelerator program launched by the Orange County Industrial Development Agency. The Accelerator, 10,000 square feet of Class A office, R& D and flex space, is designed to attract entrepreneurs by providing businesses with a menu of mentoring programs, high-tech plug-and-play office environment, below-market occupancy costs and access to venture capital including the IDA’s own fund.
The MidHudson News covered the visit and interviewed Mayor Noam Bramson on video:
New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson said they are in the fact-finding stage of considering a business incubator model.
“Sustainable economic development has been and remains a major priority for New Rochelle; we are always eager to learn about models that are potentially applicable to our community and we have heard very good things about the Orange County Business Accelerator,” he told MidHudsonNews.com.
Video of Interview of New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson
Two interesting highlights. The interviewer asks the Mayor how things are going in New Rochelle. Noam answers:
…if your looking at a 15-20 year time frame we’ve enjoyed significant progress, nearly a billion dollars investment in and around our central business district, considerable growth in housing, entertainment and a variety of other uses. Obviously, the present economic climate poses serious challenges to New Rochelle and every other city but we do think we can take advantage of this period to engage in good, thoughtful forward-looking planning which will establish a foundation that we can build on when larger economic circumstances are more favorable.
Three thoughts on this.
First, how is Noam getting that figure of one billion dollars?
I am looking at a New York State Comptroller report on the New Rochelle IDA from 2008. It says the total amount of IDA funded projects is $575 mm. There have been no new projects since and that figure includes New Roc City, Trump Tower and Avalon One and Two. There are a few other projects but they are much smaller projects and certainly don’t add up to anywhere close to a billion dollars. I have asked the City to provide whatever figures they have that support this claim.
Second, only a small amount of the “investment” would be attributable to the Bramson era in New Rochelle so he is taking credit for other people’s effort, misguided though it may be.
Third, as you watch the video, notice how as he gives his answers he repeatedly looks down and to his left. I am not body language expert but I know that looking away from an interviewer means something.
Reading Body Language When the Eyes Look Downwards
Although looking down upon someone, physically or in statement, is mainly derogatory and portrays a feeling of superiority or disgust, it can also indicate submission and/or a lack of confidence.
Averting gaze to look down from someone’s eyes can suggest a desire to hide and an inner will to no longer see who is in front of them and be safely away from the other person. This is often displayed in young males during meeting dominant figures in a new social situation, it signifies a willingness to submit and a soft statement that they are no threat to the status quo.
Looking down and to the left tends to indicate that the person could well be experiencing ‘inner monologue’ (or in less gregarious terms, talking to themselves). This can often be also displayed with slight twitch or movement of the lips, obviously the words passing silently through the persons dreamlike mind.
Make of this what you will.
Bramson’s Claims Unqualified
Mayor Bramson cannot look the interviewer in the eye because his claims are unqualified as Bob Cox reveals. There was a series of posts on the negative impacts the Avalon Community inflicts on New Rochelle and the school system. To date neither Bramson or any of his advocates has refuted the negative impacts nor has Bramson responded to the challenge of Galleta to substantiate his false claims of multi-million dollar benefits.
Birds of a feather flock together, Bramson will go the way of Cappelli to the land of empty promises come this November.
Bramson’s Claims Unqualified
Mayor Bramson cannot look the interviewer in the eye because his claims are unqualified as Bob Cox reveals. There was a series of posts on the negative impacts the Avalon Community inflicts on New Rochelle and the school system. To date neither Bramson or any of his advocates has refuted the negative impacts nor has Bramson responded to the challenge of Galleta to substantiate his false claims of multi-million dollar benefits.
Birds of a feather flock together, Bramson will go the way of Cappelli to the land of empty promises come this November.
Mr cox wrote: “he repeatedly
Mr cox wrote: “he repeatedly looks down and to his left. I am not body language expert but I know that looking away from an interviewer means something.”
It means he’s reading talk of the sound on his iPhone