Ray Andolina, President of the Police Association of New Rochelle, NY issued a prepared press statement tonight as various elected officials and dignitaries arrived for the City of New Rochelle State of the City Address delivered by Mayor Noam Bramson.
Andolina was joined by dozens of off-duty police officers outide of the Davenport Club who held up signs reading “High Expectation + Low Pay = Badge Drain” and “Police Shortages Equals Unsafe Streets”.
The statement reads as follows.
The Police Association of New Rochelle is here today to attentively listen to Mayor Bramson discuss the state of the City of New Rochelle. We are also here to express our growing concern over manpower issues and continued cuts to the New Rochelle Police Department budget. The citizens of New Rochelle and the County of Westchester must understand that the continued cuts to police personnel put all involved at great substantial risk.
For the last three years the Police Department has endured enormous cuts to the number of police officers, to the point where there are now only 151 filled positions. To put this in perspective, we were staffed with as many as 189 sworn officers as recently as 2010, a very noticeable 20% reduction.
Combine those stats with New Rochelle’s population increase (2010 census) it is obvious that we have been doing more with less. Unfortunately, the risks to our membership and the public have become increasingly unreasonable and must be addressed immediately.
These safety issues, along with the fact that our members are working without a contract for an unprecedented fourth year has negatively affected moral and has caused significant “badge drain” which further exacerbates these problems.
As the elected “leader” of this city, it is the opinion of our association that the Mayor has now gone too far in supporting these cuts. Subsequently, we feel we have a responsibility to let the citizens of New Rochelle and Westchester County know about this apparent disregard to the safety of our members and to the safety of the citizens ofNew Rochelle.
We are asking, once again, that Mayor Bramson show some leadership by correcting the important issues brought forth before he moves on with his aspiration to become Westchester County Executive.
Afterwards, the Mayor delivered the State of the City address to an attentive audience.
Photos by Jen Parente
Noam “The Turkey” Bramson
He reminds me of the episode of Seinfeld when Kramer was basting himself in butter and the seasoning fell on him while Newman was dreaming Kramer was a turkey. Here’s the link to it, maybe bob can place noam’s face on the turkey. That would be funny.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://theyogablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/turkey_kramer1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://theyogablog.com/my-awkward-thanksgiving/&h=224&w=294&sz=19&tbnid=6w1oboB4JQAnGM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=121&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dkramer%2Bas%2Ba%2Bturkey%2Bon%2Bseinfeld%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=kramer+as+a+turkey+on+seinfeld&usg=__1VavwQRZpTk-82-XH3LNhNPOaYI=&docid=a-tT90H4jpb2cM&sa=X&ei=ZfAyUb7hGYKR0QG1nIB4&ved=0CDkQ9QEwAQ&dur=1098
Noam is typical democrat providing rhetoric double talk. He is a bully as he’s used to getting his way. Those times are ending and they often end for several reasons. First, political climates change and ideologies entwine within industry and profiteering. Secondly, greed always takes over the human mind upon success. Thirdly, the goals and principles you had going into politics often times become twisted and as you make excuses to wheel and deal. Finally, the longer you’re in politics, the more you HAVE to keep your job and earn that pension. If your whole career is politics, you’re unemployable except maybe as a non profit fundraiser. Noam could most easily be a professor at an ivy or top level university somewhere if he wished.
Politics is controlled by game theory and everything bramson executes revolves around this philosophy. He measures every move he makes and what the resulting outcome will be for him. His moves of the last 4 years of his mayorship are twofold. First he increased the salary of his mayoral position from 40k to 100k. Secondly he only dealt with campaign donators for city dealings. If you were a donator, he dealt with you. If you’re a big donator, he attempts to get you anything you want. He wants a bigger donation next time around. If someone bigger comes along, he’ll sell you out. Just ask the siete ocho siete people. They really got the raw deal. Meanwhile Jimmy is doing just fine over by I-95.
Noam also knows, the piper is coming to collect soon in New Rochelle. The place is heading into financial ruin and he did whatever he could to keep the lights on and pretend the appearance of success was occurring. Meanwhile, White Plains is a bustling and thriving sub economy of New York City. When city folk are looking to leave, White Plains is almost the first place everyone looks. Noam always washes one hand while keeping the back of his other hand dirty. Just look how he treats blacks in our city. He pretends to do so much for them, but he also tries just as hard to get the low income blacks out. To him, they’re a drain on a failing town and they do no service for him.
Noam will have a tough time hiding many of his secrets as this campaign unfolds with Astorino. All of them are right there, ya just have to know how to pull them out of their dark corners.
But OldTimerNR, do you think he CARES?
His terms are done, he’s got his masses of money socked away, and he like Idoni I did nothing for New Rochelle while the citizens just sat on their hands through the terms of these TWO charlatans!
NOTHING.
If Bramson ran again, guess what? The citizens of New Rochelle would have voted him in. They will vote in whomever Bramson tells them and nothing will change for the next three terms of Idoni III. You read it here first. If you’re an optimist, prove me wrong.
You are overestimating the interest and activism of the citizens of New Rochelle. They couldn’t care less about the former Queen City of the Sound. If they did, downtown wouldn’t be a sewer.
Very true Used..
But, there are people within the cause of loving New Rochelle who, are destroying this City from within because of their own self interest. They hide behind the guise of our loyalty and talk about the good ole days, but really they’re rats who tell bramson everything. They work for him, they obey him, they do whatever he says and then they try and set traps for him. These people have their own agendas too for their own enterprises. The time to expose them has arrived.
I couldn’t agree more, OldTimerNR…
but I depended on the esteemed Warren to give the optimistic counterpoint to my gloom and doom pessimism, and he’s not here!
“The time to expose them has arrived.”
How? Who will do that? Happily, a few battles are won along the way – oh, I am sorry Mrs. Bramson that you can’t entertain your rich friends at the restaurants in the Armory and hopefully the brave veterans will persevere in honoring those you and your hubby attempted to mock – but who will win the war in New Rochelle, OldTimer, and begin to revitalize downtown New Rochelle.
THIRTY PLUS years is a LONG time for the crooked politicians in New Rochelle to keep downtown New Rochelle a sewer, OldTimer. You’ll forgive me if I have no faith and expect Idoni II to move on and Idoni III to be a similar crook.
Bramson out of touch
The ONLY thing Bramson excels at is delivering a speech. Bramson hasn’t a clue what a hard days work is. Strome rode the back of a garbage truck but that is below Mayor Bramson. Bramson has systematically attempted to dismantle civil service as we know it. He speaks out of one side of his mouth praising first responders then votes multiple time to terminate firefighters. Bramson has repeatedly proposed “competition” a veiled attempt at union busting through privatization . Bramson was the ONLY council representative to vote against maintaining minimum manning levels for the NRFD in the 2013 budget. I am pleased to see that the NRPD has seen fit to take their plight to the public. The blatant attempt by the administration and Bramson to ram through pension padding new positions in the NRPD for favored employees shows a lack of leadership and a total disregard for taxpayers. Hopefully the bipartisan super-majority coalition of council that saw through the scheme will continue to fight for taxpayers and turn New Rochelle around. Kudos to: Trangucci, Tarantino, Rice, Hyden & Rackman!
The ONLY thing? I don’t think so…
picture kickbacks and contracts for the last three terms. Add them up. Now THAT is excelling.
Add to that getting a seat next to the previous Excellor in White Plains and you get what else Idoni II excels at.
You people make me laugh.
You are all really just finding out what Bramson is? Will you be following his orders and voting in his replacement, who WILL STILL NOT REVITALIZE downtown New Rochelle and will keep the corruption going for ANOTHER 30 years?
Man, I guess Bramson was smart in not underestimating the stupidity of the citizens of New Rochelle.
Enough is enough
It’s finally refreshing to see that the hard working citizens and city council of this fine city are realizing the Mayor has had and does not have a vision for the future of this community. He has neglected for to long that the city is located on the Long Island Sound with several major transportation routes running through it. It was once a city with thriving entertainment, shopping and a place to enjoy and feel safe. As he drives to and from work everyday he fails to drive south of Lincoln Ave, our downtown. There are no quality stores open for people to shop in, too many 99 cent stores and a house of worship storefront on every corner. Enough is enough! Stop giving away this city to professional baseball players who can afford to purchase a building for more than a dollar so we can use the tax money to fix our roads, pay our emergency responders and make this city what it once was! Home! – See more at: http://www.newrochelletalk.com/content/enough-enough#sthash.FSsxXyFx.dpuf
Finally? Where have you all been for the last 3 terms?
This charlatan has pulled the wool over your eyes for THAT long?
Seriously?
Have you SEEN downtown New Rochelle?
Good grief. Where have you been?
Big deal, the citizens are waking up, when this crook is about to be rewarded by getting a seat next to the previous crook.
He’s going to tell you citizens of New Rochelle who to vote in next, are you going to listen to him?
El Senor Alcalde (Mr. Mayor)
The Mayor speaks in niceties and vague references to what will probably happen. It’s the epitome of Teletubbies. As most New Rochelleans have deduced, he is disconnected from the realities of the working class people in New Rochelle. The protest by New Rochelle finest is indicative of this lack of awareness , sense of responsibility and consideration on the part of the Mayor. His political role is to use this State of the City platform with bells and whistles; it is a game of three card monte. There is no teeth to anything he has to say, but it sounds nice – Harvard does that to you. You have here an inept ceremonial Mayor who’s never worked a day in his life trying to lead a city that needs action and real solutions instead of poetic sound bites that we have become so sadly accustomed to. His only motivation is to dress to impress with his English language skills and to line his pockets to move up the political ladder at the expense of all of us proposing upscale housing developments to nowhere. Anyone from the North End listening?
Well said Mr Sanchez.
I totally agree.How can a Mayor whose never lifted a finger relate to the working man? As a resident who breaks his ass day in and day out,just making it have anything in common with our North End Mayor. I support our Fire and Police Departments,why dont you Mr Mayor?
I too agree! Let the Mayor
I too agree! Let the Mayor respond on dangerous calls with the police and fire dept, let him fill pot holes all day during hot summer days or pick up garbage!