Dear Friends & Neighbors:
I hope you and everyone you know and love is safe after the devastating effects of Sandy. While the storm was tough on New Rochelle, it is very sad to see how many others in NYC and NJ were hit much harder than us. Let’s hope everyone in our community is restored to power as quickly as possible, and our thoughts and prayers are with all those in our region devastated by this terrible storm.
Despite the storm, Election Day is still this Tuesday, and I want you to know why the race for the 37th State Senate District is so vital to New Rochelle’s future.
Over the past 28 years, New Rochelle has not received our fair share of financial assistance from New York State, and this has been publicly declared by New Rochelle elected officials from both parties. This deficit has cost our city and school district TENS of MILLIONS of DOLLARS over this time. For example, nearby cities receive greater state financial support than New Rochelle for municipal aid per capita: Yonkers (+472), Mt. Vernon (+26), White Plains (+16) and Peekskill (+14), and this is not acceptable any longer. As a result, we all pay HIGHER property taxes, and the city and school district are forced to make troubling budget cuts. New Rochelle deserves better, and here is the cause for this inequity:
— During these 28 years, New Rochelle was represented in the 37th District by a Democrat in a State Senate controlled by a Republican majority (except for 2 years), and therefore, this State Senator was unable to help our city by correcting the flawed state funding formulas.
— While it may be unfortunate that so much power lies with the majority party in the State Senate, it is a serious reality that has caused our city to receive much less state aid for too long. (Note: virtually no NYS election expert is predicting the Republicans will lose the majority in the State Senate tomorrow).
— For the first time in 28 years, the 37th District is an OPEN SEAT. We are electing a new senator who must fight to reform this funding inequity hurting New Rochelle.
— I’M SUPPORTING BOB COHEN FOR STATE SENATE. Bob will be best positioned in the Republican majority of the State Senate to advocate for reform and ensure that New Rochelle finally receives our fair share from Albany.
I respectfully request that all voters put the best interests of New Rochelle over voting the party line by casting our votes for Bob Cohen. Even if you personally like Bob’s opponent, this election is way too important for New Rochelle to vote for someone just because he may be a nice guy. Our city and state need results from our state senator – and we need them quickly. And Bob is a nice, thoughtful and talented person, and I’m sure he will be an excellent senator because:
— Bob will work diligently every day in a bipartisan manner to compel the state government to deliver fair and adequate funding to help our cash-strapped city and school district budgets.
— Bob has spent his entire career in the private sector and will bring his business background to Albany to confront the dysfunctional government we’ve sadly watched for much too long.
— We must replace the career politicians in Albany with leaders like Bob, who are independent reformers with a real-world understanding of the serious financial challenges facing this state.
— Bob will advocate for lower taxes, reduce wasteful state spending, reform misguided unfunded state mandates, and push for more open, responsible and ethical government.
Please join me in voting for NEW ROCHELLE RESIDENT BOB COHEN tomorrow – November 6. Here is Bob’s website for more information about his candidacy: http://www.bobcohen2012.com/
Do you need a ride to the polls? If yes, call me at 914-636-1621.
Please contact me if you have any questions about this endorsement.
Please feel free to forward this endorsement to anyone you wish or share it on social media.
Jim Maisano is the Minority Leader of the Westchester County Board of Legislators. He represents District 11 covering New Rochelle and Pelham. You can follow Jim on Facebook, Twitter or on his Blog. You can contact Jim at 914-636-1621 or CtyLegJimMaisano@gmail.com
God help us!!
What is going to happen to America NOW, with Obama in office again?!?!. I now my life is worst off then it was 4 years ago. My family is working harder and more hours then before, and now we have less. What is wrong with our County???
wait! do my eyes deceive me?
Has the GN’s smarmy ‘world saver’ self promotion FINALLY been supplanted by something else? Oh the agony of looking at that face all these weeks! Now, it remains to the parents with brains to get that harasser out of the schools and their children’s faces.
What a glorious day!!!!!!!!!!!
President Obama is President again, the GN is gone, and Abe Lincoln? Seriously, if Cohen is going to run again, he REALLY (seriously, dude) should report all fake Twitter account creations to Twitter. They DO take action, bro.
That ‘slumlord’ account, real or fake, appeared to be the real deal.
Good luck to all of us, let’s hope this storm is a meteorological mistake and bypasses us all.
Twitter
I actually will contact Bob and tell him that he should try to get that account taken down. I wonder if he even knows about it.
I am voting for Bob Cohen
Jim,
There are many good reasons to vote for Cohen. I suppose Latimer supporters have their reasons for supporting him. But at the end of the day this is about what each can do for New Rochelle and having Latimer as a minority member in the State Senate means he will be on the outside looking in when it comes to slicing up the pie.
My main concern for New Rochelle is that we reduce the crushing tax burden on our residents. Cohen wants to do that. LATIMER has no interest in that having consistently voted to RAISE OUR TAXES.
Another top concern is that New Rochelle gets it fair share of State Aid for schools. Any school board member for the last 20 years will tell you that Suzi Oppenheimer, beloved as she may be by some, did almost nothing to help New Rochelle get its fair slice of the education dollar pie. How could she, as a minority member in the Senate her colleagues did not have to listen to her and none did. Our schools are being crushed right now — part of it is wasteful spending on their part but part of is that we sent more money to Albany than we get back. That needs to stop and having a “swing district” member of the State Senate majority means the GOP leadership in the Senate will have strong incentive to help Bob Cohen remain in office by pushing state funds our way. Our schools desperately need that money. Bob Cohen can get it; his opponent does not even know how.
And for those readers who may forget, it was George Latimer who tried to sneak through a home rule bill in 2010 to tear down the New Rochelle Armory. Imagine if he had succeeded! Ironically, the New Rochelle City Council, including Mayor Noam Bramson now unanimously support a revitalized Armory as the cornerstone of waterfront development on Echo Bay. Every Democratic on City Council agrees with Bob Cohen on the Armory and opposes tearing it down as Latimer sought to do two years ago. With friends like that, New Rochelle, especially its veterans, do not need enemies.
In the end this campaign has shown that BOB COHEN is a STAND UP GUY whose election will directly benefit New Rochelle schools and the City of New Rochelle for practical political reasons not party politics. His opponent, on the other hand has proven not to be such a good JUDGE of character. Who do you want in Albany fighting for our fair share? A man with a plan to do that or a career politician without a prayer of accomplishing anything as a minority member of the State Senate.
I am voting Bob Cohen for State Senate.
Do what’s in New Rochelle’s interest and do the same.
good job jim
great job jim
Read this NR!
This is an outstanding endorsement. It is so well-written. Please share this information with your friends. It sets the very clear rationale on why Bob Cohen is the clear choice.
And he’s a heckuva comedian……………
This is supposed to be funny, right?
https://twitter.com/itsslumbobcohen
Latimer is shameful
Another example of the shameful and slanderous campaign run by Latimer.
So you think that IS funny?
How so?
It is not funny – it is sad
Latimer is a 25 year old career politician and his entire campaign has been about calling Cohen names using slanderous attacks about his business, and all these shameful attacks have been rejected by Mayor Bloomberg who reviewed the vile things being said about Bob Cohen. Latimer is a career rubber stamp politician that votes with Sheldon Silver and NYC Dems 99%, can’t run on his record and can only lie about Cohen. Latimer’s campaign of slander and lies is one of the worst I have seen.
Thank you, understood…but Cohen playing into…
the insults and calling himself a ‘slumlord’ is, imo, poor judgement.
Missing the point
My friend, NewRochelleUSED, I think you are missing the point. Did you think the Cohen campaign set up that Twitter page??? Of course not – it was Latimer’s thugs that set it up. Once again, they are trying to embarrass Bob by setting up that pathetic Twitter page. Latimer has no issues to run on, he has not done much, so they just keep attacking Cohen with lies, and that Twitter page is a good example.
If that were true, Bob could have it shut down…
why doesn’t he?
And, how can you be certain it was Lattimer? It could be someone whom Cohen fired.
Do you think Cohen is a saint?
And before you think I’m for Lattimer, I distrust all politicians equally.