As you probably know, I am one of the founding members of United Citizens for a Better New Rochelle–the group responsible for the thousands of “no echo bay” signs all over our city. However, I am not writing this on behalf of that group; I am writing this as a resident of New Rochelle and a fellow citizen of Westchester County. I love living in New Rochelle and am so happy to be raising my kids here. I am a Democrat and I voted for Noam Bramson in the last mayoral election.
Noam Bramson is a member of my community; he is friends with many of my friends. Based on my conversations with him I can attest that he is affable, smart and well spoken. But that does not qualify him to be a good mayor nor a good county executive. His actions and his record are what matter.
Noam distorts facts and speaks in circles. He speaks of bringing communities together and building consensus, yet he repeatedly suppresses dissenting views. He surrounds himself with those who faithfully support him, isolating himself from the virtues of healthy debate. When the opposition mounts–as is the case with Echo Bay–he shuns criticism and cries partisanship. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
When I first began learning about the development that he is pushing at Echo Bay, I reached out to him to better understand why, despite all evidence to the contrary, he thought this project was economically advisable. We spoke for hours over the course of a few days. To summarize:
HS: moving city yard will cost the city $25-$30 million. Money the city will need to borrow, requiring an increase in taxes. If we are going to raise taxes and borrow millions, is city yard really our number one priority?
NB: the city yard is in desperate need of repair. In fact it’s beyond repair. It needs to be moved, we have no choice.
HS: Why wasn’t the yard properly maintained? How did it become irreparable?
NB: It would have been wasteful to throw money at repairing it years ago when we were anticipating moving it to foster development.
HS: So it needs to be moved because it’s beyond repair… But it’s beyond repair because you stopped maintaining it because you were planning on moving it?
NB: Exactly, and now it’s beyond repair. Did I mention that we don’t earn any tax revenue from this land presently? It’s a good project that will bring in new revenue to the city.
HS: The additional costs of acquiring new land, amortizing the bonds, etc. will significantly overshadow any new revenue. And you’ve also promised them a 20-year tax abatement—so we won’t be seeing any real revenue for a long while.
NB: Howie, reasonable people can disagree. Let’s just agree to disagree on this one.
And so it has gone for about a year. This argument would have been the same had it occurred a few years ago in advance of the Avalon buildings. Now Avalon is a financial drain on the city, which the mayor now acknowledges, but here we are going down the same path again.
I can appreciate that everyone won’t always agree on every issue, but I’m sure we can agree that our government should always advocate on behalf of its citizens.
Rather than doing his due diligence to understand the true economic impact of the proposal, and steadfastly negotiate with the developers (who have also generously contributed to his campaign), our mayor proudly walks arm in arm with Forest City Ratner to promote this project.
Mayor Bramson has tried every angle to push this project through. Thousands have protested in New Rochelle. He stills try to play this off as a partisan effort to derail his election—despite the fact that the democratic members of UCBNR outnumber republicans 3 to 2. He still tries to play this off as an economic windfall for New Rochelle, despite the actual numbers to the contrary. He still tries to play this off as a project with overwhelming support–despite the public outcry from local and county planning boards, neighborhood associations, members of the school board, the fire department, and taxpayers from every corner of New Rochelle.
Representing others—as a Mayor or County Executive—requires putting others’ interests ahead of your own. Noam Bramson has repeatedly demonstrated that his own interests come first–or at the very least he esteems himself significantly higher than the collective body he was elected to represent–and so it appears that he puts his interests first. That hasn’t turned out so well for New Rochelle… and certainly won’t fare any better for Westchester County.
Please vote on November 5, 2013.
Sincerely,
Howard Stevens
Registered Democrat
New Rochelle Resident
Co-Founder of United Citizens for a Better New Rochelle
I am right there with you Howard!
I am right there with you Howard,
What I do and say have no political motives, I am not tied to any party or group. My motives are purely to be able to live in the home I was born in and raise my family. Under the current methods and leadership that is getting more and more difficult. Noam is not the only one responsible for where we are today, his is just the loudest voice and the one pulling the strings. There are six other Council Members and an entire City Staff that need to be held accountable. I have always been taught to speak up for what is right, fight for your beliefs. Others are beginning to gain a voice and step up, we need that right now. The time may be right for change.
Back in the day when Noam was a young new voice running for The City Council of New Rochelle, I voted for him for District#5 City Councilman. He was working hard and seemed to be going in the right direction. We met several times back then to deal with neighborhood issues. Especially when Howard Rattner the Finance Commissioner of the City of New Rochelle was trying to sell off every available piece of city land he could find. At the end of my street was Barnard Woods where there was a stream and wetlands with a walking path that was used by people from the neighborhood walking to school and those just parking to go to Beechmont Lake to fish of go for a run. The finance commissioner was trying to sell off this land to a developer who wanted to build four houses in a riverbed and marshland. We fought together for the area and sat with the developer and members of the city staff. Only half the area was sold. One half was fixed up for the people that use that area and the other half was sold and a single family house was built. Compromise and communication is a wonderful thing. I was not able to vote in the last Mayoral election but would probably have voted for him at that time. That person that helped me in my old neighborhood disappeared over the years, I am sorry for that.
Back in March of 2012 I responded to a post by Warren Gross about ethics, the enablers of weak and prideful political figures in New Rochelle who put politics before people. It would be interesting to go back and read this post. In my post from 3/30/12, Dump the New Dump and all of Dump Forest City’s!!!, I referred to two articles by Phil Reisman that put an interesting spin on it all. When reading them they brought to mind one certain City Council and its leaders. Here is warrens post and the other info from my post back then. Nothing seems to have changed but the date.
Enablers Part II — Those Who Vote for Forest City/Ratner and Citizens Who Are Silent
By Warren Gross on Fri, 03/30/2012
http://www.newrochelletalk.com/content/enablers-part-ii-those-who-vote-forest-cityratner-and-citizens-who-are-silent
In a previous post Warren had said,” Please stop enabling, stop accepting, and don’t be in denial in our city. We have lost a lot of ground. It will take a community to restore and rebuild. We need every black, brown, yellow, red and white hand we can get that wants to see change. We need revenue pronto. We need a City Charter that is adhered to and respected. We need a Code of Ethics. We need to understand what sustainability is. We need each of our elected officials to put residents ahead of colleges, checkbook Enablers, and past political doyens who are anything but interested in the hungry child on Union Street or the lonely child on Lockwood”.
He couldn’t have been more right then as we are today because nothing has changed. In order for there to be change more people like yourself must step up for what they feel is right. Word is getting out and people have begun to get together and discuss the issues and problems this city face.
Here are the two articles by Phil Reisman That I referred to that put an interesting spin on it all. Keep in mind when reading them what has been written and said over the years about one certain City Council and its leaders.
Phil Reisman March 19, 2012: Official is fluent in bureaucrat-ese
http://www.lohud.com/article/20120320/columnist08/303200030/official-fluent-bureaucrat-ese?nclick_check=1
“Somewhere there must be a school for government bureaucrats that feature an advanced course on how to respond to questions at length and with gravitas, but also in such a way as to say absolutely nothing. The desired effect, I mean, is to lull the questioner into a brief coma”.
Phil Reisman March 29, 2012: Corruption can sometimes be legal
http://www.lohud.com/article/20120329/COLUMNIST08/303290044/
“Corruption is rotten and needs to be rooted out of government, but it isn’t always criminal. And that is what drives honest, taxpaying citizens crazy — they wonder how greed-driven officials can wrongfully gorge at the public trough without fear of penalty. They ask: How come these nickel-and-dime chiselers get away with it”?
The mayor and his enablers on City Staff and those on City Council have always been big on saying that perception not as it is. As I have said, “Perception is everything.” Back then, just when I thought I had seen enough parallels, I saw the CBS Morning Show with Mayor Michael Bloomberg on 3/29/12 the day prior. What he said was so true in our political climate here in New Rochelle.
On 3/29/12, on The CBS Morning Show Mayor Bloomberg said, “Most career politicians generally only care about three things. 1) Get re-elected because that is how they make their living. 2) Keeping their party in power by pushing the party agenda which makes it easier to get re-elected. 3) See number one”.
Howie if I hear,” reasonable people can disagree. Let’s just agree to disagree on this one” any more I will get sick. This will not be a perception of getting sick, I will. Just like our perception of the trouble in New Rochelle. The perceptions are real and need attention fast. It is time to Dump the New Dump, Dump Forest City and get on with making an actual plan for The City of New Rochelle. Go back and take inventory of ourselves and our priorities, follow the City Charter as intended, follow the Code of Ethics, Follow the 1996 Comprehensive Plan. Do it for now and the future of our city.
“Common Sense for the Common Good”.
A change is needed
Bob, Thanks for your reply. You provided a lot to think about, but the thing that most resonated with me in your response is that a change in needed. And as you said, for change to occur more people need to step up and demand it.
Through the work that UCBNR and many others have been doing in and around New Rochelle (and the reporting that Talk of the Sound provides), more and more people are awaking to the realization that a change is needed, and beginning to use their voices–and hopefully their ballots–to ensure that it does.
Unfortunately a common refrain that I’ve heard from many people since I published this, has been, “I’m planning on voting for Noam because I want him out of New Rochelle.” Unfortunately, that doesn’t solve anyone’s problem–and is not really the type of change that New Rochelle, or Westchester, or America needs.
Democracy only works when we hold our elected officials accountable. And we can only hold them accountable when we are vigilant. We can’t afford to be silent any longer.
Mayor Bramson Wrong for Westchester County
Mayor Bramson needs County Executive on his resume. If people think he will stop at this office, they are sadly mistaken. Next stop Congress after he destroys Westchester County.