The City of New Rochelle passed on November 8, 2011. Since 1992, New Rochelle had fell ill. Political leaders have slowly bled the life from this once great City. Major thoroughfares, once lined with prosperous businesses now sit desolate. A once great school system now plagued with substandard administrators and inadequate educators. Respected City officials have been replaced with the most corrupt, thieving, nepotistic, two-faced politician ever to roam the earth.
On November 8th, New Rochelle voters officially sealed the faith of New Rochelle. Our corrupt mayor Noam Bramson along with the four elected democrat council members now hold a super majority voting power, which means the mayor will pretty much bankroll anything he wants with no interferences from anyone. With a super majority, Bramson can now override the property tax cap that Govenor Cuomo set into place to protect NY State property owners.
But there maybe a sign of hope for New Rochelle residents, his name is Jared Rice. Mr. Rice is a good man with a good heart. He doesn’t agree with many of Bramson’s ideologies and actions. If only Jared would step into his own and be the person who he really is. He would instantly notice Bramson’s hidden agenda and how it is destroying New Rochelle’s quality of life and ruining its citizen’s lives.
Crime is on the rise, failing school system, outrageously high property and school taxes, minimal municipal services, understaffed emergency services (Police Officers and Fire Fighters), unsafe road conditions, untreated flood zones, etc…
For the sake of the citizens, property owners and business owners, I hope that the newly elected council members have minds of their own and do the right things for the people of New Rochelle and not just for the selfish self interests of Noam Bramson.
Give it a Chance
this is a decent, fair and a post I personally believe in. Jared is better than a good man, he is a spiritual man with a love of community. Some of you are a little preliminary in your judgment. If you want change, you are going to have to earn it, not by words but by deeds. In my faith, James says, “faith wthout works is dead.” Criticism is fine and often called for, but works are more important.
Ivar has impressed me and I never met the man. He came up with a few excellent ideas; one having to do with lease renewals downtown. One of our business district issues is in that area and his idea will help.
Yes, I would have very much liked to have seen Ilyse Spertus get elected, but it didn’t work out that way. I hope she plays a part in the affairs of the City for years to come
I have not given up on Noam Bramson. Maybe I should, but I feel something in him. Of course it may be wishful thinking, but perhaps not. Bruce Negrin spoke eloquently about his dissatisfaction and disappointment with what the City has become, but Bruce is a game player. This means to me that if Noam and others would reach out to people such as Bruce who absolutely care for his City, we would all prosper. And, happily, to support some of the usual posters, some like those on this particular blog who combine intelligence and critical thinking, we would all be better off. And, it is a boost to TOTS and the City to hear again from Mr. Sussman, a talented man with a encyclopedic mind and memory and a generous dash of common sense.
Ok, I concede that Noam would have been much wiser to time the release of the budget message differently as well as made different choices. These choices exist. You don’t as a business and community issue, lay off firemen when you have exempt supervisors at more than one level on the job. Simply a deputy or assistant staff or non-line manager, in development, finance, human resources, records, who knows, should go before one fireman. If the “garbage tax is to be trebled, assign part to the fireman retention fund.
Noam, all council members and all seniors should take a salary haircut before laying off a first provider. The provision can be predicated on making both the salary line and benefits line for these people “whole” once the pressure is off. Early retirements, etc.. have not even touched on other operating expenses.
This is not a megalomaniacal man in my judgment. It is a good man not critically considering risk and consequence of decisions such as this one which have repercussions later on.
He will grow in this area, but become even more resistant if under constant negative criticism. What would help is a council that both behaved according to the City Charter and besides that, exercised more independent judgement on key actions and events. The entire governing body must work better together and we in the community must find ways to respectfully and constructively disagree and, if not enough, get out into the communities and sell change.
Jared will be more independent and Ivar will too I think based on where he lives and works.
You tend to dismiss Lou Trangucci. Lou is not a dogmatic, stuck in the mud ideologue. He loves the City perhaps more than any of us and he is a fair man and a warrior. He will do what is best as often as he sees it. He may be in the minority but he will make his voice heard and he knows that a mistake made in 2011 was that the minority never put ideas on the table for a vote to establish a record for the next candidates to run on. Al Tarantino is quieter, but he is competent and he will be more involved openly this year.
So will I. My issues are known to those who follow the blog. I will work on the school district and city management nexus despite any legislation that may preclude this. I will go to Albany to be heard and will also contact local representatives. I will work tirelessly on proper short term downtown development and that includes making the area safe, secure, free of red tape, bureaucratic impediments and there must be an action plan that comes before longer term or intermediate goals like echo bay, davids island, or even sustainability. You crawl before you walk.
Laying off firefighers is already a risk to the safety and security of this community. These factors rank with food and shelter as basic needs and in the aggregate, are as valid for a community as they are to a family. So is making budget choices and we need a new paradigm here on how to make such choices.
Next week I will post Articles X and XIII of the City Code. You need to see these to contextually make judgments on the points of city management and oversight we talk about daily. I also have asked for specific information from the state on what a city, repeat a city, can do in terms of securing school district control. It is literally an oxymoron to work to attract new investors to new rochelle without a school district that ranks above even county average on basic student productivity and graduation rates. And the quality of leadership coupled with the astounding pay granted the Superintendent and his direct reports goes not only against the grain but against the Cuomo guidelines an surely we dont want trouble with him on tax levy caps and so forth. Money is hard enough to come by.
Give Noam Bramson even more time to find himself especially in what I think will be even a more challenging environment. He may have to deal with people in his own party who will behave on an issue by issue basis. He will deal with a different opposition base. He will deal hopefully with a concerned citizen base that will respectfully oppose actions that are not in the best interest of the city.
I will support him. I have supported him. I will do whatever I have been blessed with in terms of energy, intelligence and creativity, to help this city rebound. Restore and rebuild should be the motto and not search and destroy. This is especially appropriate during Veterans Day.
Join.
The chance that will be given
Warren, that was a great post, and fair to everyone.
I am hoping the 2012-2016 City Council will be an inspired one, and we have good reason to think it will be.
The economy is real bad, nationally, and New Rochelle is feeling the pain, but probably less so than most communities. We need to realize the NR budget and layoffs represent something half-full as much as half empty. This is to say, in gauging things, we need to be critical but optimistic. We need to realize it is never a perfect world, and that things can always be improved, but things will always seem needing much improvement.
Cooperation and transparency are key to the NR government solving its problems.
About four years ago, I was talking with Chuck Strome at a LWV presentation / coffee klatch. I said to him, the City Council is probably overly-optimistic as to the national economy turning around, but that the USA and World economy will probably get worse, and remain bad for the next five to ten years.
I had suggested to Chuck, that no matter what budgets the City Council tells him to prepare for the next five years, to also prepare an alternate budget to take into account the worse-case scenarios. Chuck told me he had already determined to do that. I warned him, that as City Manager, he is the natural scapegoat for the City Council.
I left that LWV meeting thinking Chuck Strome is ahead of the curve, and therefore will not be caught by surprise, by a bad national economy hurting the City of New Rochelle’s financial status, more than necessary.
Since then, I have watched what Chuck Strome has been doing to balance our budget, and it has been consistent with what he told me close to four years ago. So I am not surprised at the fire and police department’s staffs being reduced. Greater efficiencies in the NRPD and NRFD will allow the reduced staffs to protect NR as well as ever.
So I think Chuck Strome is doing as good a job as possible, under trying circumnstances. I’ve told Chuck he is probably as good a City Manager as we’ve had since Betty Meagher in the early 1960’s.
I’ve also told Mr Strome, that I don’t believe in the City Manager form of government and think the Chief Executive of NR should be elected. I just happen to believe in democracy and three branches of government.
But currently, we do have a City Manager form of government, and Chuck Strome has little choice, other than raising taxes, to balance NR’s budget by cutting his staff where necessary.
Let’s hope the economy turns around, and that the incoming City Council is creative and decent in policies and plans. But we all need to regularly remind the City Council and City Manager, as to what needs to be done, or avoided by the City government.
Face it
Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore knows what kind of integrity it takes to get elected around here.
After winning her first race as a Republican, she changed her registration in 2007 and became a Democrat to ensure re-election.
Face it Republicans.
Your surrounded by liberals, 3-1 in New Rochelle, and led by a Mayor who looks forward to redistributing wealth and compromising the future of your city in hopes of gaining an office in the Russell Building in Washington.
He’s been waiting a long time, and your not gonna’ spoil it for him.
Thoughtful Votes of Conscience
I agree that Jared Rice will continue be a thoughtful and independent voice on the City Council. His reelection instantly opens up his ability to vote his conscience, and do what’s best for Council District 3 and the City of New Rochelle.
Newly elected Ivar Hyden will also prove to be a thoughtful and independent voice and vote on the City Council. Ivar will become Councilman on Jan 1. Ivar will also vote his conscience, and do what’s best for Council District 4 and the City of New Rochelle.
I am hoping that the City Council rethink the failed development stategies of the last 40 years, and come up with a thoughtful, attractive, effective solution to development of retail in New Rochelle, and to do so without obscenely high abatements. We need to stabilize our tax revenue and to find creative ways other than taxation.
I am hoping for non-partisan cooperation, and for substantial, debate with less bickering among all seven City Council Members, resulting in creative, practical, effective solutions to New Rochelle’s current and future problems.
Mayoral Hubris blocks clear thinking!!!
End of story Mayoral Hubris.
Throw in Chucks cricking of his neck and stern ability to twist the point, throw in Legal Council slanting and Barry Fertels bobble bramson head and you now have Jared Rice and Ivar Hyden questioning what they are thinking. Lets not forget the side bar meetings and the Democratic Caucuses in City Hall. Brian you have lost your mind. Until Boy Wonder is in Washington he will Bully the crap out of Ivar, and Jared how can these good people overcome the Hubris of the Democratic Boy Wonder. Its took crazy St. Paul to give Albert T any backbone. And even with Lou Tranguccis superman suit he too was swayed at time by the Mayors bluster. This is like children being talked out of their candy by a theif. Come on call it what it is.
Tammany Hall Boss Bramson at the helm with Chuck Strome as the ultimate number two man.
No Dem will stray not from the pack
Dems do not do the independent thought process. You are either with them, or you don’t exist. Didn’t you notice that in the election. They will vote together like a solid wall.
The title of this article is appropriate: RIP New Rochelle. The concept of representative government is now dead in New Rochelle. It has died at the Federal level and in other communities where people can get elected solely by party affiliation.
Like before, there will be segments of each district who never see their councilperson. Their issues and concerns will never be addressed. Why? Because arrogance grows when power is easily accessible. And five votes on council is absolute power.
Right On Kevin
Most of New York is a slam dunk for any democrat. Anyone who has ever knocked on doors in New Rochelle can tell you many Democrats say ” Oh I am sorry I can not vote for a Republican.” Local Politics is where your money hurts the most. Local Politicians do not make National Decisions and in most cases the Person knocking on your door is more like a Democrat or even is one who could not get on that Party line. If someone won’t listen to even one word its game over. I have personally met close friends who would not listen once the Republican word is uttered. What is it we want. We want to live in a place that is safe, we want to educate our children so they can attain as high as possible. We want to know our tax dollars are spend wisely and free of waste and corruption. We are even willing to pay more to insure the above. What we have is a local government that is a guzzler of tax dollars. Feeding Pensions,Coruption and Waste with no end in sight. We have a City Manager that is concerned more with how things look than how things are as Strome would prefer to sweep coruption under the rug rather than challenge it head on. The DPW scandal was evident to him for years and not until Lou brought it to the County DA did he become a crime and coruption fighter. Yes Kevin New Rochelle is sick and on life support.
Our only choice here is to use whatever means we have to point to coruption, waste, fraud and unethical activity to whomever will listen. This Election and how the Democrats ran it and manipulated shows how ugly it is and how hard we have to work to take them down. I am not a right wing reactionary. I want to be able to afford to stay in my home. I want to educate my children and I want to be able to live a safe and happy existence. New Rochelle had the potential for all but it was hi-Jacked years ago by one party rule.
I am not a member of an organized Party. I am a Democrat
Kevin,
Your statement is based on your projection of your own mindset, and it not the mindset of the Democrats. Your problem is that your campaign hardly existed, and you frequently shot yourself in the foot. This was contrasted by your main claim being that you were the best qualified because you are a professional politician. In itself, that claim was a turnoff to most voters.
You were so professional, that you sent out last minute mail urging everyone to vote for you on November 13. I guess, your main voters will show up at the polls this coming Sunday.
Twice you stiffed Bob Morrone by failing to show up for scheduled broadcasts on WVOX, and you didn’t even bother to let him know.
Actually, it is the Republican Voters who tend to vote as a wall, but that wall fell this year, as many Republicans abandoned you, either by not voting or voting for Ivar. I believe you got virtually none of the substantial non-affiliated vote.
The wall you hit was your poor, ineffective campaign, and the fact that nobody in New Rochelle knows you. This occurred because you actually live in Newburgh NY in Orange County, and you are living in a New Rochelle post box. You were registered to vote in Newburgh until mid May 2011, at which time you first registered to to vote in New Rochelle so you could run for office, and presumably you voted for the first time in New Rochelle this week.
As for myself, quoting Will Rogers, “I am not a member of an organized Party. I am a Democrat”. The Democratic Party is anything but a wall.
I live in New Rochelle.
Brian,
You have spewed a lot of information without knowing me.
But I do not live in a PO Box. I do not live in Orange County, I live in New Rochelle. I will stay here for the unforeseeable future. In fact, I am singing in a concert here in December.
I greatly enjoyed sharing my view of New Rochelle and I will continue to do so.
Maybe one day we will meet and you can get to know me now that the election is over. And if not, have a good life. Life is always good.
Kevin Barrett
Kevin – I look forward to meeting you
Kevin –
I look forward to meeting you.
I will be surprised if you are still living in NR a year from now, but if you like our great city, I hope you will remain here for decades.
I must admit, the NR Democratic Committee was delighted that Doug Colety sought you out from Newburgh to run for City Council.
We were expecting the NR Republican Committee would run someone who actually knew New Rochelle and was already known in New Rochelle.
I guess NR Reps couldn’t find anyone else, and that represents a small pool of Republicans living in NR, from which to find a candidate with enough interest in City Hall to run for office.
We Can Only Hope
Brian,
One thing New Rochelle needs are fresh eyes. Kevin is one of the most concerned citizens I have met in quite a while.
Do you have some kind of a measuring stick that would allow one to become interested and concerned for New Rochelle? What I have seen in the last 16 years is the same old, same old.
I only hope Ivar is an independent thinker. He promised that and time will tell. If he is truly interested in his council area, I hope he knows that Trinity school is in his district. Kevin knew that and was there to speak out and will continue because he is interested.
To Kevin Barrett and Knitter re carpetbagging
To Kevin Barrett and Knitter
In general, I think no one from either political party should run for City Council or Mayor, unless they have lived here ten years or more. I’m not talking about a rule or law, but rather the practical aspect of it.
One has to live here a number of years to understand the history of NR, how seemingly good ideas resulted in disasterous policies, how ideas or good policies were ignored, aborted or perverted, resulting in many of NR’s current problems.
Many people posting at TOTS blame Mayors Bramson or Idoni, each of whom represent(ed) one vote on the City Council, and neither of whom has/had any Executive Power.
But I think the seeds for many of New Rochelle’s current problems were sowed in the 1950’s-80’s, under our previous At-Large City Council system.
Someone like Kevin Barrett or Richard St Paul, who each ran for office as soon as they moved in, knows little about what actually killed NR Commerce, but it all goes back to the opening of I-95 in 1958, and the Urban Removal throughout the 1960’s, and in the late 1980’s early 1990’s.
Electing carpetbagger, without knowledge of NR’s past, doom us to repeat mistakes of the past.
Electing carpetbaggers, without deep knowledge of New Rochelle, result in persons trying to remake NR in their own image of what NR should be, and can result in turning our beautiful small city into coop city, or at least into something other than what is natural to NR’s culture and history.
Kevin, you certainly have lived in New Rochelle less than a year, or you lied to the people of Newburgh when you ran for office in Newburgh on November 13, 2010, while registered to vote there. Do you deny that you ran for office in Newburgh less than a year ago (today being November 12)?
Knitter, of course Ivar knew about the meeting at Trinity, but his goal was to get elected to City Council. The problems at Trinity have no relationship to the NR City Council, but relates to another and unrelated governmental entity, the NR Board of Education.
The City Council has nothing at all to do with the running of Trinity School, which is why Ivar did not appear there, and why Kevin was foolish in appearing there (if Kevin wanted to get elected to City Council).
My belief is that Kevin is so new to New Rochelle, that he didn’t realize that Trinity’s problems were that of the NR BOE and not of the City Council.
So, on the eve of the City Council Election, Kevin should have been trying to increase his votes, rather than commenting at an event more appropriate to the next School Board Elections. Kevin lost the focus on his own election and sidetracked himself on an unrelated issue at Trinity. Kevin may have lost more than gained votes by appearing at Trinity.
I’m not saying Kevin should not have been at the Trinity meeting if he felt like going, but he is mistaken to criticize Ivar for focusing on the very City Council Election that Kevin lost focus on.
I was here already. An d I will stay connected to New Rochelle
Doug Colety did not bring me here to run for office. He did not seek me out. I was here already. He did not recruit me. I was at the table when it was suggested.
And I had the guts to run when others sat back and complained and did nothing about it.
My staying here is nothing I have to prove to you or anyone else. This is my city now. And I do care for the constituents who don’t have a voice. Those who are afraid or too disconnected to vote. And I ran because I could represent them and old time New Rochelle residents.
My words will not change your heart. Instead my actions will speak. Fini.
You expect Barry Fertel to
You expect Barry Fertel to have a mind of his own.
Check his voting record 100% like voting to Bramson.
Fertel gives Noam 2 votes.
Okay lets ask Shari Rackman what she will do vote based upon the issue and its merit or will she vote based upon Bramsons want?
Lets ask Ivar Hayden what he will do?
Depends if they want health insurance for life and want to keep eating off the tax payer dole then they will serve Noams wants as they are on because of him. Or are they in for making a difference and change. I have them penciled in for the same deal Fertel is in for. Yes Noam thats right Noam. What do you think Noam, I completely agree Noam. They say even a blind squirel will get occasional acorns, and a broken clock is right twice daily. Ya think Fertel would have disagreed even once.
“A once great school system
“A once great school system now plagued with substandard administrators and inadequate educators.”
Ain’t that the truth! Administrators that make decisions based on their own personal whims, favortism, corruption, nepotistic, and the like plague our schools. “Educators” who literally do nothing all day and get paid are the darlings of the school system while hard working caring educators with no political cover get the short end of the stick. Its enough to make you want to heave. Penny wise and very pound foolish they little by little destory the motivation, spirit, and morale of those educators who truly care about the children of our city. When will the Board finally act? When will they start thinking independently and stop rubber stamping the decisions of administrators with tyheir hidden adgendas. When will the Board fiannly take a stand for the students of our school system and say enough is enough?
Jared Rice
“But there maybe a sign of hope for New Rochelle residents, his name is Jared Rice. Mr. Rice is a good man with a good heart.”
I hope your words ring true. What I do not understand about Mr. Rice is why he feels compelled to throw his hat into the Bramson ring. The Mayor talks about an 80% majority in his re election meanwhile the election juggernaut is Jared winning by 80% or close to it in back to back elections. He does not need Noam Bramson and could be an independent voice. One of the things I have reservations about is his political maturity. When answering a question about the best thing he has done for New Rochelle in the debate he said was him running for office. I appreciate the confidence but this came across as bravado. It seemed he was running against Earving and his own ego. If he can get that in check and find his OWN voice who knows?
As of this moment I am not sold on Mr. Rice but now he has his own full term to show his potential. We can only hope he does.