Yonkers Employee Travels 70 Miles Roundtrip Daily Discovering Putnam County By Hezi Aris

YONKERS, NY -- Planning the trek into Putnam County conjured anticipation and trepidation. The rationale behind a possible expedition grew after an initial sighting. No, it wasn’t in Putnam County then; it was sighted along the Taconic State Parkway. Interestingly enough, it was always sighted heading toward northerly climes. But why? And where to? In time the intrepid demeanor within the cadre of acid-tongued bloggers who were witness to numerous encounters with the emblazoned white behemoth, stirred a need; to know more.

Powered by Qumana

While the seed of interest was piqued on the Taconic, it would in time lead to spotting the intrepid traveler parked on Horton Drive first on Saturday, February 16, 2008, at about 12:00 Noon. Our collective hearts quickened at spotting it again last Saturday afternoon, on May 3, 2008. To confirm the “chatter,” the editor inaugurated an assisted adventure northward during the dinner hour of Saturday May 10, 2008. Would the effort be fruitful or fruitless. With the cost of gasoline prices rising almost daily, it was propitious to undertake the investigation now. We might not be able to afford a similar excursion after Memorial Day. Shifting the transmission into gear, the adventure would get underway and unfold.

Thirty-five miles later, engrossed in finding Horton Drive, my co-pilot spotted vehicle number 952 before the sign designating Horton Drive was realized. Wheels screeched, and a legal u-turn was accomplished down the road using a round-about. Approaching the vehicle conjured a sense of trepidation - a possible confrontation; being personally challenged , despite being on a public road; or having to contend with local law enforcement officials, despite doing nothing illegal or untoward. That momentary hallucination of concern evaporated as I would snap image after image into the memory card of my trusty Olympus.

Exhilarated by the finding, we departed the scene. In so doing questions came to light. Why is vehicle number 952 used in traveling a daily commute of 70 miles? Based upon a five-day week, the distance traveled is 350 miles a week; approximately 18,000 miles a year and costing the Yonkers taxpayer $5,000 in yearly gasoline costs. Besides the gasoline costs, the commuting habit is accelerating the depreciation of the vehicle’s value by the increased mileage accrued yearly. Review fuel economy of 2008 Chevrolet Silverado onlione:  http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2008_Chevrolet_Silverado.shtml

The public is certain to know of similar circumstances. How may others take a City Hall vehicles beyond our borders? If they are designated first to respond, in the case of vehicle number 952, it would likely take 45 minutes to arrive in Yonkers proper. It may behoove Yonkers to consider having local residents responsible to be first on call.

Deleting this individual’s “privileges” would go a long way to correcting a “wrong” in City Hall policy. The “perks” now expected, as if they were “entitlements,” are encroaching on the quality of life for Yonkersites and driving Yonkers taxes through the roof as services are diminished, economic development is stalled, and a $120 million budget deficit is slated for next year. Being tardy to the table of fiscal responsibility should not dissuade City Hall from doing the “right thing” now. The public is still awaiting getting a list of the vehicles in the City Hall fleet, and to whom they have been authorized for use, and why.

  Yonkers is watching and waiting for a response.

Sincere thanks to the acid-tongued bloggers who recognized the temerity and incongruity  of a policy that permits abuse of taxpayer funds and bringing it to the public arena for attention, scrutiny, and  possible remedy.

Comments

OK. Settle the mystery. Who is using that city truck # 952?

Car 952 who are you?

Hezi -- follow the truck from Putnam County into Yonkers and get a picture of who is driving it.

IS THAT HORTON DRIVE IN PEEKSKILL?

Just another example of Emperor Phil's abuse of power and refusal to make any significant cuts in City hall expenses.
There is NO justification for this absurd take home car policy that is costing the taxpayers hundreds of thousands per year!

Can't wait for Spinson's spin on this one

You would be surprised on how many city vehicles leave the city each and every day. From all city departments. Did you know that EVERY police captain, and EVERY detective Sergeant, and Lieutenants also take home cars every day and have these cars for their own personal use. If they are ever called back to work, why cant they commute in their own personal vehicle and pick up a city car to respond to a scene. They generally have enough on scene personnel on duty to handle any emergency that may occur.

The mayor will not cut back on city car usage to say, he is just going to say screw the taxpayer, we will just raise taxes.

Good for you Hezi. Solid stuff.
Now let's see what News 12 and the JN do to increase the public's right to know. Will they be silent?

Is that number 952 out of the thousand or so take home cars?

So FILL says he's decreased the cars to about 140, however they just take the trucks home instead.

IT MUST BE SPENCER'S FAULT, AFTER ALL AMICONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR NOTHING.

BLAME SPENCER, AFTER 5 YEARS IN OFFICE AMICONE.

Hezi, fantastic piece. Great legwork and let's see what the official response will be.

Thanks for making my Mother's Day.

CAR 952 WHERE ARE YOU???

Something very wrong with Yonkers. We have no money and are greasing up the property taxpayer for huge tax increases, and DPW trucks are traveling to upstate counties.

It's time to recall FILL.

RECALL THE AMACLOWN

GREAT SCOOP HEZI!!! Last night while driving on tuckahoe road near the McDonalds I spied a Yonkers DPW street cleaner, cleaning the streets at 7:52pm in the dark.

Is this OT?
Cleaning in the Dark, how crazy is that?

I suppose they'll have another wonderful excuse for that!!

I guess that's Yonkers.

Forty -five minutes is close compared to many city vehicles which are taken out of the city. Almost none of these employees respond to an emergency as they are not called because they live to far away or the roads are impassable where they live.
Where is the the fiscal management????

Just take back ALL CITY CARS & TRUCKS

During the ice storm we had on Lincoln's bithday the DPW was off and the Commissioner said that most of the staff lived outside Yonkers and do not want to be called in.

Fire this jerk and his boss.

Councilmember Annabi has called a May 15th Legislation & Codes Committee Meeting at 5 pm in the City Council Chambers to address her Safe Housing Legislation and Gronowski's legislation to install GPS tracking in all city take home vehicles. Let's see who's interested.

GPS is a good idea but expensive.
Better to just yank the cars from all but the top emergency folks who need them... that can't be more than the two dozen indicated in the city code.
Get rid of these take home cars and trucks now and we'll save a bundel.

Hezi should get a Pulitzer Prize for this one.

I AGREE WITH 9:48 POSTER. GPS IS A GOOD IDEA BUT WE NEED TO GET RID OF ALL OF THE CARS.

THE AMICLOWN WON'T DO THIS BECAUSE HE AGREES WITH ALL OF THIS PORK. IF HE DIDN'T HE'D END IT.

LOOK AT HIM AND DEVELOPERS HE'LL DO ANY THING THEY ASK FOR AND I MEAN ANYTHING, BUT HE CANNOT GET RID OF THE AUTO FLEET.

...AND ANYONE WHO SUPPORTS HIS POSITION IS EITHER A PARTY HACK, OF WHICH THERE ARE MANY OR SOMEONE ON THE CITY TIT.

A Pulitzer Prize for a photo of a truck? The Pulitzers have been cheapened to a great extent, but not that much. LOL.