Noam Bramson has an Op-Ed in the Journal News: Reason needed to resolve Westchester’s housing dispute
The issues are complex, but fairly easy to address through constructive dialogue. If the county executive were at the table and fully engaged, then a few working sessions with HUD representatives, competent professionals and local officials would accomplish an enormous amount.
Noam proposes to resolve the dispute with three steps:
1. tell the truth.
2. stop shouting and start talking.
3. seize an opportunity for progress.
After denouncing Rob Astorino for being angry, Noam angrily hurls insults at Astorino for his supposed “right-wing obstructionism and denial”, his “extremist fantasies”, his “right-wing hostility to government”, his “right-wing worldview”, his “extremist politics” and being “dishonest” and engaging in an “unprecedented campaign of public deception”.
I am only surprised Noam did not find a way to work Gadsden Flag and Tea Party into the op-ed.
The house of cards Noam builds in his op-ed rests upon the claim that “County Executive Rob Astorino was elected in part to resolve Westchester’s housing crisis”.
Really?
I never heard that before. I was not even aware there was or is a “housing crisis”. What I recall is that Astorino promised in 2011 that if elected he would get a handle on out-of-control spending by the Westchester County government. As best as I can tell, he did.
Having engaged in name calling and insults, Noam offers himself as a model of “constructive, moderate leadership” who knows how to “clean up the mess”.
Having defined the issue of the HUD settlement as a “housing crisis” I can only ask what exactly is this “crisis”? That minorities cannot find housing they can afford in Westchester County? I guess that’s what he means. He never does say. I am pretty sure there are a lot of white people who cannot find housing they can afford in Westchester County either as it is one the most expensive places to live in the United States and has the highest taxes in the country.
It is axiomatic that if Noam agrees with HUD that Westchester County discriminates in housing on the basis of race that it naturally follows that if he were to negotiate with HUD the issue would be resolved. Noam supports the Obama administration and, more generally, federalizing everything from residential zoning and housing, to land use, to environmental regulations, to education and so on.
This is not good or evil. It is two different political ideologies.
Noam is a big government liberal who wants bigger government, more central control and an ever-increasing share of personal income and personal assets flowing to the public sector. Astorino is a small government, fiscal conservative who wants smaller government, less central control, lower taxes and more money in the hands of the people who worked to earn and save it. It seems to me we can have that debate without Noam resorting to name-calling and impugning the integrity of anyone who disagrees with him. But then that’s Noam.
For Westchester voters not familiar with Noam Bramson, this is typical — attack and insult your opponent while pretending to be above such things and then work in some rhetorical flourishes about some grand vision that the great and powerful Noam will some day deliver.
Without explaining what that might be, Noam posits that “good planning will attract young professionals, serve as a magnet for business investment, reduce commuting times and costs, strengthen our tax base, conserve natural resources, and ensure that working families and the middle class continue to call Westchester home.”
Really?
Noam has been promising this same clap trap to New Rochelle residents for years. We do not have it. So either it’s not true or he is not very good at planning.
The Avalon development was supposed to bring to New Rochelle the famous DINKS (dual income, no kids) and a flourishing retail sector. Instead he gave away grotesque tax abatements in exchange for 99 cent stores, store front churches, prostitution, illegal card games, high rises filled with college students and families with children now attending our public schools at the expense of other residents (the Avalon apartments were made exempt from school taxes by Mr. Bramson).
Noam is offering Westchester the same failed vision he has been peddling in New Rochelle for 17 years: “promote transit-oriented development (i.e, tens of millions in tax breaks for his developer pals), make infrastructure and transportation investments to nurture sustainable, smart growth patterns (borrow, borrow and borrow), and (laughably) use free-market solutions to reduce the government’s role in subsidizing construction.”
Can anyone tell me when Noam used “free-market solutions to reduce the government’s role in subsidizing construction”. His whole career in New Rochelle has resolved around using taxpayer money to increase governments role in development (Avalon, New Roc City, Trump, Heritage Homes, Echo Bay, etc.).
Can anyone tell me about any substantive construction that has occurred in New Rochelle without the government heavily involved if not acting as lead agency? Even Iona College, a private, Catholic educational institution, is now getting accessing to the municipal finance market through Noam Bramson.
At least we can all agree with Noam that “actions today will ripple across a generation”.
It’s been 17 years since Noam was elected in New Rochelle — a generation. Any Westchester resident who wants to understand what Bramsonism will mean for Westchester’s next generation need only drive through the heart of the City.
Start at City Hall on North Avenue, drive South towards downtown, make a right on Huguenot, take that down to Pintard Avenue and make a U-Turn onto Main Street, take that all the way down to Echo Avenue and make a left and then another quick left back onto Huguenot. Go a few more blocks and then make a right onto North Avenue and take that back to City Hall.
Along the way you will see the shuttered store fronts, the store front churches and 99-cent retail outlets, dilapidated buildings, the substandard housing, the various buildings where Monroe College is cramming the students it lures to New Rochelle with promises tuition covered by federal loans without regard to whether those students ever graduate. Come out on a Friday night any time this summer and observe the mobs that patrol our streets as they are eyed warily by our resilient but depleted police force.
If that’s what you want for Westchester then Noam’s your guy.
Noam is moderate, not liberal
Noam is a moderate, not a liberal.
To extreme conservatives, moderates appear liberal.
In fact there are few liberals in government anywhere in the USA. In general, American politics has become very conservative over the last 40 years, with both major political parties shifting to the right. So what used to be moderate is now being called liberal by conservatives. At the same time, today’s moderates perceive today’s conservatives as reactionary.
liberal v. conservative
Brian,
I found an article on liberal and conservative positions on a range of topics:
http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs/
Going down the list and based on my understanding of Noam’s position on the various issues, I would content that you can tick the liberal box for pretty much every position for Noam.
For example, gun control, same sex marriage, abortion, climate change, vouches and charter schools, use of eminent domain, taxes, United Nations and so on.
http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs/
What do you think? What am I missing that suggests to you that Noam is NOT a liberal but a moderate.
More of the same Bramson
More of the same Bramson Spew.
He has Presided over 17 years of poor performance and he wants to bring more of his talents to the County level. Run on your record Noam not on your years of Bull Sh**.
You are the Mayor of the .99 cent economy.
You have given away more to developers and got so little back for it.
You have burdened the tax payer during the process with nothing in the win column.
New Roc City exactly what is that Noam?
LeCount Place what did you bring with that Noam?
Trump Cappelli half empty no retail what an a accomplishment Noam?
Avalon’s what have they done but foster your .99cent economy Noam?
Now I am sure that most Democrats will vote blindly but anyone voting on results will have plenty of reasons not to vote for you Noam.
17 years of decline under the Bramson regime.
New Rochelle’s Problems Are Due to Undemocratic City Charter
It is the Republicans who vote blindly.
Noam has been Mayor since 2006. If you want to inaccurately call his mayorality a regime, you can only refer to 7 years, not 17 years, so you need to stick to actual facts and avoid posting your fantasies as if they were truthful.
Regarding your calling any New Rochelle mayorality a regime, there is no way to truthfully assert that for any Mayor since 1932. Since 1932, our city has been run by a City Manager, therefore any New Rochelle governmental regime must be attributed as being that of a City Manager.
By making believe the Mayor runs New Rochelle, one inaccurately places blame or credit on a political office and on persons who are not the executives managing our city, while failing to recognize that New Rochelle’s problems are due to the non-democratic form of government inherent in our city’s chief executive being the City Manager, an appointed position.
The real solution to New Rochelle’s problems is not to blame any Mayor, but to advocate for a new City Charter, where our citizens vote for the Chief Executive of New Rochelle,, and where there are no At-Large Members of our City Council.
Not wanting to take your bait
That said Bramson’s has injected his ideas and control for 17 years council person in district 5 and Mayor.
Yes I know that the charter is a City Manager form of government.
Bramson runs the roost and Chuck barely visits the rest room in City hall without phoning his friend.
I pointed to the development idea’s and structure that Bramson was responsible during his Council years and now as the guy behind the curtain moving the pieces like the Wizard of Oz.
Ikea, he is in, he is out he is indecisive. 5th Avenue has yet to recover. Hello Noam.
New Roc City, nothing going on there that is an economic boom. What is it. Entertainment? Hello Noam.
Now for the Ceremonial Mayoralty.
LeCount Place…. Bramson floats out Eminent Domain in the media threatening private owners to sell to Cappelli. Owners make deals.
He even tries the same with the USPO with his buddy Senator Schumer on the steps of the PO on a Sunday telling the USPO to drop their selling price.
Project decaying the area further bringing in the .99cent store economy. Hello Noam.
Avalon1 and 2 Taxpayers footing the bills for schoold children while Bramson understates numbers willfully on the DEIS. Hello Noam.
Ceremonial Mayor controls the NR IDA appoints his cronies gets Cappeli abatement after abatement for these wonder projects while the City gets nothing back unless you call some blue moving lights on the bridge over Hugenot St. Something.
Trump Cappelli, half empty not retail not a drain on the neighborhood but certainly not a boon either.
Hello Noam… So Sussman you can pretend he is only a ceremonial mayor and therefore not on the Hook but anyone follow for the last 17 years knows the real deal. He is running Tammany Hall like Boss Bramson and I think he needs to wear all the ribbons for his great failures. Vote him in on his record not on his hot air.
City Council & City Manager Sets NR Policies
You can blame or credit the City Council and/or the City Manager for government policies of New Rochelle.
However, Noam has only one of seven equal votes on the City Council. He can’t force any policies on our city without the votes of at least three other Council Members. So it is absurd to blame Noam as if he has unilateral executive powers, when his authority is limited by law, to his single vote on the City Council. His unique powers beyond that is limited to appointing up to two of our three Judges, appointing members to some Boards, and creating Charter Referendum Commissions.
Realistically, Noam is not the source of the problems you are concerned about, because of the limited powers a New Rochelle Mayor has.
If our city’s chief executive was elected, there would be a healthful tension, a balance of powers, between our legislative City Council and an Executive Mayor.
Obviously, that would also require our Mayor to no longer be part of our City Council, which would need either to add or drop a Council District to have an odd number of Council Members. I believe adding a Council District would be preferable as it would provide greater representation for our neighborhoods.
Under our City Charter, since 1932, there has been a problem, where the Corporation Counsel works for the City Manager, not for the City Council. So the City Council has no real independent legal guidance of its own. And since 1932, we have had the problem of our government passing the blame between our elected City Council and their appointed City Manager.
Based on our City Charter, our City Manager doesn’t have a voter constituency to support the City Manager if he differs in opinion, from the seven Members of our City Council. The City Manager can be fired at any time, by the City Council.
Sometimes the City Manager seems like a rubber-stamp of the City Council, but when it comes to ’Development,’ I think it is the City Council who tends to be the rubber-stamp of our City Manager – that was certainly true with City Manager Sam Kissinger. And I have long had the impression that when it comes to ‘Development’, the City Manager and City Council are the rubber-stamp of New Rochelle’s Department of Development. As such, I believe NR Dept of Development, should no longer be run by a Commissioner, and instead should be a small bureau of a larger Department of Building and Housing run by a Buildings/Housing Commissioner.
If you truly want to find fault in our City’s policies and economy, and more importantly to solve our city’s problems, the place to cast blame is on our City Charter, and on all the City Councils, Mayors, and City Managers since 1932, who have been constrained by the faults of our City Charter. During most of that time, our City Councils and Mayors have mostly been Republican.
New Rochelle’s down-town economy began to deteriorate in 1958 for a variety of reasons, in particular the opening of I-95 in 1958, moving City Hall from Main St to its present location at the old ALJHS around 1961, opening ‘The Mall’ in 1968, the Cedar St Project in the 1960-70’s, and tearing several blocks of Huguenot St, and parts of Division St, Memorial Highway, Bridge St and Lawton St around 1989-90. Most of that was done when New Rochelle had Republican Mayors, and a majority of City Council Members.
The Avalons were built to fill the gigantic hole left by the inane destruction of Huguenot in 1989, by City Manager Sam Kissinger, Mayor Leonard Paduano (R) and Council Members Don Zaccagnino (R), Linda Levine (D) and Robert Schaefer (D), with only Fran Judge (R) being wise enough to vote against that folly. I dislike the Avalons, and they are less than a block from where I live, but I blame the City Council, Mayor and City Manager of 1987-1991 for causing that later construction because of their destruction.
No doubt, I have not convinced you to change the beliefs you hold dear. But as you dislike Mayor Bramson so much, I suggest that his election to County Executive would result in a Temporary Appointment of a new Mayor as of January 1, 2014, a Special Election for Mayor later in 2014, and a Regular Election for Mayor in November 2015. As such, New Rochelle could have up to four Mayors between 2013-16. But if Noam doesn’t get elected County Executive, he will probably be reelected Mayor in 2015.
Most Westchester voters know that Rob Astorino is destroying our county, and he will be rejected on Election Day. Don’t forget, Astorino wasn’t elected in 2009 due to his popularity nor his beliefs, but rather because everyone, including Democrats, was tired of Andy Spano. Of course, Noam Bramson is likely to be elected County Executive in 2013.
Noam runs the show
You are the only person who I have heard argue that Noam Bramson is just another member of City Council with no particular power or influence and blameless when things go wrong.
However, if you really feel that way then I suppose you would say that Noam should likewise not take credit for anything good that happens?
In the USA, Chief Executives Run Our Governments, Not Legislator
Mayor Noam Bramson shares credit or blame for anything the City Council does, when he has voted with the majority.
And if Noam votes against the majority of Council Members, that is something Noam can take credit or blame for.
However, the City Council is a legislative body with no executive or administrative powers. The Mayor does preside over that legislative body, and our City Council does set our City’s policies, but our Mayor does not run the City of New Rochelle.
Our Mayor also appoints members to some public boards, and to charter commissions, and up to two of our three City Judges.
And Mayor Bramson presents a State of the City speech every year.
But, the only person authorized by our City Charter and by NY State, to Administrate New Rochelle, and to be the Chief Executive, is our appointed public official, our City Manager. All the City Commissioners, the Corporation Counsel and all City of New Rochelle Departments, work for the City Manager.
The City Manager is appointed by a majority of the City Council. Although Noam Bramson was a Council Member at the time of Chuck Strome’s appointment, Tim Idoni was our Mayor.
Can you quote anything in our current City Charter or State Law that contradicts that?
If you think Mayor Noam Bramson runs New Rochelle, rather than City Manager Chuck Strome, than it would be consistent for you to declare that House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reed run the USA, rather than President Barack Obama.
Likewise, it is the County Executive, not the Chair of the County Board of Legislators, who runs Westchester County.
Don’t confuse your Legislators with Chief Executives, if you want to effectively change how or what our government does.
If we had no appointed City Manager, and our elected Mayor was our Chief Executive and Administrator, New Rochelle citizens wouldn’t be confused by our City Charter, and our citizens would have far greater control of our city government.
I had hopes for Bramson early
I had hopes for Bramson early on but time has proved he is nothing more than a rich brat. Every time he runs for office it is the same old thing: attack and discredit his opponent with things not related to the issues at hand. He did it when he ran against Ron Tocci, he did again when he was up against Richard St Paul, and it is playing out again in his quest to defeat Rob Astorino.
If Bramson would take the blinders off and open his ears, he would learn that NR residents and County residents have been begging for immediate tax relief. No one in NR, and I have yet to hear anyone in the County, complain about the lack of housing for young professionals. He somehow thinks
he is going to redefine how society functions. I can say this, Noam destroyed NR and all the “visions” he had for the City have yet to materialize. Now that he left NR taxpayers with higher taxes, a library tax, and a garbage fee, he wants to jump ship for a higher office. After he does the same at the County level, he will leave behind his mess and make a move for Congress. At the national level, he can then push the country towards Agenda 21 and try to redefine how people live and work. In short, we are looking a high rise buildings, downtown density. mass transit, and high rents. The freedom of owning cars and private homes will be just for the very rich. The American Dream is finished.
NR Citizens Willingly Vote for Tax Increases Every Year
If New Rochelle voters are begging for immediate tax relief, how come our citizens willingly vote for tax increases every year in our Board of Education and Library budget referendums?
The actual facts fully contradict your assertions.
The truth is, a minority of New Rochelle and Westchester voters are begging for immediate tax relief. Those people in the USA, Westchester and New Rochelle who pay the highest taxes tend to prefer more government services rather than lower taxes. Ironically, throughout the USA, it is the people of moderate or low income and taxes who complain the most about taxes.
BTW, The American Dream has always been that immigrants can come to the USA and make a better life for themselves and their children. Except for American Indians and Eskimos we are all immigrants or descended from them. Neither George Washington nor Abe Lincoln owned a car, and I see no reason to attribute car ownership as the definition of the American Dream. George Washington did own a private house, but then again he could afford to do so because he also owned people. In many ways, the USA is a far better place than to live, than it was 200, 100 or 50 years ago. As such, the American Dream is thriving.
Brian, you need to lay off
Brian, you need to lay off the sauce. Of course George Washington didn’t own a car, in fact, nobody did during his presidency as you might recall. But if cars had been invented then, I am sure he would have had one. And of course the people of moderate and low income complain the most about taxes. They are the ones getting screwed by people like Bramson. Tell your boy to build high rises on Pinebrook Blvd. As far as services go, Bramson has decreased services in NR steadily since he has been Mayor, and at the same time, raised taxes. And where is the money going: to developers like Forest City Rattner. The County will be doomed under his, and I use this term loosely, leadership.
The American Dream is Thriving
Ouch!?!
I’m surprised you took my reference to George Washington’s car seriously.
But I am also surprised you ignored the more serious reference to the original American Dream, also including owning slaves.
And the original American Nightmare was being a slave, and after 1865, living under segregation and Jim Crow. There are still de facto segregated communities in Westchester. When I was attending Davis School 1958-63, that school was completely White, as I believe Ward School was, while Lincoln School did have at least one White kid (who I met at my 40th NRHS reunion), but was otherwise all Black. The reason Davis and Ward were segregated, was because the neighborhoods were until Whitney Young moved into my Davis School neighborhood around 1962.
Women did not get the vote until 1920. Many Blacks were unable to vote until the 1970’s. There continues to be prejudicial laws to the detriment of gays, women’s sexual freedom, and a lot of social bigotry in the USA against Hispanics and Muslims.
Clearly, the American Dream is certainly more attractive for more Americans in 2013, than it was from 1776 until recent times. For some minorities, it still needs much improvement. Obviously, America’s and the world’s economies took serious hits from 2000-2008, but the USA seems to be recovering financially,and even more than Europe and Asia.
So you’re are clearly mistaken in thinking the American Dream is dying, when it is actually thriving more now than it was for most of the USA’s past.
Perhaps its your personal dream whose bubble has burst, but don’t get your personal focus confused with the American Dream.
I’m no fan of Forest City Echo Bay, Avalon or Trump, but I don’t blame Noam for that. Rather I blame our having an undemocratic City Manager form of government. Noam has only one of seven votes on the City Council, and he doesn’t run our government as our chief executive is our City Manager.
Throughout the USA, the reason poor and moderate income people pay too much tax, is because wealthy people do not pay enough taxes. And yet it is poor and moderate income Republicans, who are the main ones advocating that the ultra-wealthy should pay less taxes, despite there being little demand for tax reduction by the wealthy.
The County will suffer from the incompetence and ultra-conservative, reactionary perspectives of Astorino. Westchester will be much better off with Noam Bramson as our County Executive.
Let me explain something
Let me explain something Brian, the American Dream is not thriving. Since the early 1980’s, life has been getting harder and harder for middle class Americans largely due to, if not solely due to, government policies. It started with Ronald Reagan and his economic policies that deregulated the trucking and transportation industries. Unions went bust and the pay for many, if not everyone, in these fields, plummeted. Then, Clinton, NAFTA, and the global economy led to thousands of US jobs being shipped overseas. Americans can’t afford homes, they are struggling to keep up with the high cost of energy, property taxes, healthcare, and education. They are lucky if they have a job with a retirement, not to mention one that pays a living wage.
When I was growing up in NR, my father had a modest paying middle class job. With that, he had a pension plan, he was able to raise three kids and my mother didn’t have to work, he owned a home, had a car, sent his kids to private schools, and only had to work 8 hours a day, 40 hours per week. Now, with a $75,000 a year job, most Americans living in Westchester couldn’t even think about enjoying the same lifestyle. Why? Because government couldn’t care less about the middle or lower class. It pushes policies without considering their full ramifications and in the end destroys life for a good many people. Once they create the damage, undoing it is slow and often impossible. This is why this country is falling apart and more and more
people are losing their homes and winding up on government benefits.
In the early 1980’s, there were hundreds of jobs in manufacturing, trucking, the airline industry, with utility companies, automakers, construction, and the like, that all had good benefits, pensions, and that paid living wages. Thanks to NAFTA and Reagan’s deregulation, most, if not all, of these jobs, cut wages, increased working hours, eliminated pension plans, and reduced health care benefits. American workers have been replaced by low paid illegal immigrants, or their jobs were shipped overseas to countries that pay low wages in exchange for long hours. Americans are lucky to be able to afford a home or live on a single income.
Meanwhile, you have Bramson, another closed minded politician who wants to push his agenda on the American people. And I emphasize, it is HIS agenda. No one is begging for his transit-oriented development plans, high-rise buildings, density, or small expensive apartments to live in. Nor did they say they want to give up their dependency on the automobile. In fact, many blue collar workers are forced to commute to work via the automobile. It is politicians like Bramson who are incapable of listening to the people, and who have this grand, distorted vision of what America should be, that have destroyed this country. Now, I know Bramson is only running for County Executive, but he is using this as stepping stone into Congress where he can push his fantasies at the national level. He is a dangerous man.
Astorino, on the other hand, is not an extremist who has an agenda to push. Nor is he using his position to obtain higher office. He was elected because County residents were fed up with high taxes and government waste. They wanted swift and immediate change. Astorino delivered what he promised. He gave County residents tax-relief that was a benefit to all middle class property owners in the County. This is what people wanted. Bramson on the other hand, will raise taxes so he can use the money to push Agenda 21, which he ultimately sees as the new world order. While increasing taxes and adding fees, he will cut government services to the core and eliminate more jobs that pay a living wage. If you look at NR, you can see that there is still virtually no meaningful retail, fees and taxes have increased, and services have been cut. The police officers and firefighters struggle to their jobs, their moral is low, and they struggle to get new contracts. Bramson is gambling with public safety. He is risking lives to benefit rich developers. He has his OWN agenda that has nothing to do with what the people want. The only thing he has done is to protect the quality of life in the northend where the bulk of his supporters live. Everyone else is just a thorn in his side who he wishes to silence. If you want a County government that is closed minded, sweeps things under the rug, one that can’t accept responsibility for it’s screw ups, one that ignores what the people want, one that refuses to release information, and one that loves tax increases, then Bramson is your man, or boy. If you want a County leader that listens to the people and places the people first, the I suggest you vote for Rob Astorino.