New Rochelle, Remaining open and on the record takes more courage than remaining silent!
I encourage you to read the two following articles:
Journal News:
Phil Reisman: A show of courage from Mayor Bramson
Phil Reisman, preisman@lohud.com 7:31 a.m. EDT July 22, 2014
http://www.lohud.com/story/opinion/columnists/phil-reisman/2014/07/21/bramson-guts-autism-new-rochelle/12977943/
From Mayor Noam Bramsons News Letter:
Child, Home, Neighborhood, Community & Conscience
July 9, 2014
http://www.noambramson.org/
The Mayor said,
“Now here’s where I make an admission that will get me in trouble: I disagreed with the City’s decision to file an objection, and I recommended against submitting it” How about letting the citizens of New Rochelle know about the proposal first?
Showing courage would have been not remaining silent, but being open and transparent with the citizens of New Rochelle. As I have said it is not all about the group home. Is there another agenda at work here? It almost feels like a campaign and the mayor is running for something.
The objections were mainly steeped in NIMBYism—the idea that it’s OK somewhere else but “not in my neighborhood.” Is not a provable statement for either side of the discussion? The mayor said the same thing about Echo Bay which was defeated by the community, not just the neighborhood but a vast number of the community that spoke up for what was right.
Noam Bramson on Overwhelming Opposition to Echo Bay: “Democracy Not About Counting Heads, or Will of the People”
By Moises Valencia on Fri, 07/26/2013
http://www.newrochelletalk.com/content/noam-bramson-overwhelming-opposition-echo-bay-democracy-not-about-counting-heads-or-will-peo
You see heads did count and the great number of lawn signs placed on lawns of resident from all parts of New Rochelle out number any amount of likes on Face Book. If Grumpy Cat smiled he would get more likes. Heads do count as was shown with regard to the Forest City Echo Bay Project. Remember the studies done by The Army Corp of Engineers that no one knew about that magically showed up.
GETTING RESULTS: 10 Months Later, Army Corps of Engineers/Echo Bay Report Documents Suddenly Appear, Discussion Set for May City Council Meeting
By Robert Cox on Thu, 05/01/2014
http://www.newrochelletalk.com/content/getting-results-10-months-later-army-corps-engineersecho-bay-report-documents-suddenly-appea
This is not about likes on Face Book and NIMBYism, It is about the mayor deciding for himself what is right rather than putting out to the citizens and the City Staff for that matter. No one is against group homes. It is the flawed practices and planning here in New Rochelle. New Rochelle has welcomed many such group homes in the past.
By the way, the Beechmont home he speaks of is in a prime location on the corner of North Avenue and Beechmont Avenue with access to shopping, transit, recreation and close to medical and emergency services. This is nowhere close to Pinebrook area.
Just because something will most likely be approved anyway does not remove the responsibility of open and transparent government. Remember what happens when you ASSUME something. New Rochelle residents remain silent out of frustration and anger. Rather than wasting their breath and energy, they move to other cities in the area like Larchmont, White Plains and Port Chester. Remaining open and on the record takes more courage than remaining silent!