The Hezitorial: Political Psychology 101 By HEZI ARIS

Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone must have taken a course in Political Psychology 101. How else would he have become so adept at the finger-pointing antics by which we have become familiar judging his temperament. He became proficient at engaging others to do his bidding. He was superb in nurturing strife over inconsequence. The superficiality of those engaged in those pointless adversarial chapters in Yonkers historical pages brought about no better understanding over any of Yonkersites’ concerns. We were simply caught in the treadmill-like existence we were astute in recognizing in other communities, among others, but not among ourselves. If we did, we would not admit to it. We were either on the side of those who perpetrated these irrelevant sideshows, or we found ourselves incapable of extracting ourselves from the mesmerizing hold it had over us.

We have become consumed by the game unaware that the fights we have fought have been pointless and have exhausted our will. In fighting for control, engaged in a rut for supremacy, we have lost the strength to continue. Those whom we loath have stepped before us, won the prize, and have lauded over us for well over a decade. We got giddy when we were the ones to call others “naysayers,” even though we knew that they were not necessarily so. That was the game. We would carry out the “ploy” with which we were entrusted to win favor among our “friends and family network” brethren. We were family. We were “right” in our thinking and in our vision.

We never did learn the fights were pointless; even though forks in the road forced a time out, here and there. We had a quick respite to reassess. But we would not. We were now in fear of the “friends and family network.” We knew all too well the retribution they could and would exact. We were stuck in the plot of our choosing. We were no longer in control of our destiny.

Still we endured; enjoying the momentary opportunity we had in blocking our adversaries from moving forward on their vision of control of us. We never did learn to get along. We didn’t want to find a bridge; we forgot that such a mechanism existed. We were within our comfort zone when we could point a finger of admonition and derision toward another, brandishing them the naysayer, the outcasts within our midst.

Believers and skeptics alike would “bitch and bicker” among themselves. They no longer cared if the end game would come to pass; so long as they could be in the game, they would be sufficiently sated. We loved kicking our adversaries in the shins. Laughed our heads off at the pain it would exact their gait. We enjoyed the ancillary aspects of the fight. We had long since forgotten why we were adversaries.

Even so, we hoped to proselytize anyone we could into the fold. It was a futile effort. Some would gravitate to one side; others to the opposite side. There was no proof by which to judge who was right and who was wrong.

We have been unable to raise logic beyond the ground floor where it is seemingly stuck. We are still bickering over our belief system. What I believe is superior to your belief system, or vice versa. It is as though your God is stronger and wiser than mine; or vise versa.  We have yet to get beyond this superfluous issue. God is the ultimate no matter how you may address him/her.

There is no rational perspective to change the skeptic’s mindset, or that of the believer. Neither is certain of the foundation upon which their beliefs are held.

The paradigm defined above describes all Yonkersites, and those within other communities. We are alike in many ways; in our obtuse recalcitrance and in our earnestness to explore. Shouting at each other, pointing fingers within our midst will not do.

We are at another fork in the road; an opportunity often before us, trampled by our not knowing what to do.

If you believe, shout it out. Find the vehicle to celebrate your knowledge. Reach out beyond the comfort of your friends.

Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone continues to rape the City of Yonkers in broad daylight. There has yet to be found, even one among us, who will challenge him from the “burn and slash” departure he has chosen as his farewell.

Media will not be able to stop his plunder. We can only bear witness for his lack of benevolence, his arrogance, his retribution, and the shame with which he has soiled the City of Yonkers.

Comments

[Union and proud of it]

Hezi, the first 11 paragraphs were tough to follow. But, you hit the nail on the head with the last two paragraphs. January 1st cannot come fast enough. It will take years to undo the damage that this little arrogant man and his inept commissioners have inflicted on Yonkers.

[Anon]

The person who should be saying something is Mike Spano, but his silence is defaning....

[uihijim]

Thats Mayor Elect Spano

[Educator]

Hezi, you must be more factual and direct with your articles. News 12 this weekend asked him the tough questions but let him slide when he lied because they lacked the facts. He claims he never gave the orders to discard the newspaper boxes and the schools have improved under his watch. Both lies are factually incorrect. He destroyed our school system. We went from one failing school to 17 under Pierorazio. As for the newspapers....a judge would not have held him personally responsible if he had not given the directive. He is a disgrace.

[You can run but can't hide]

Mike Spano deserves the mess he is going to inherit.

[Concerned Citizen]

great job on the hezitorial, hezi. this mayor is so remarkable as was his performance on newsmakers this weekend. truly amazing.

[anon]

Did you really expect anything else-this man has always been a follower and not a leader during his entire time in Albany-this man is in way over his head as mayor-elect.

[No Dollars]

I predict major cutbacks in all aspects of city operations come the next fiscal year including police overtime,education and garbage services. The current mayor gave away the store, pissed away millions of dollars in patronage jobs, etc. Albany is broke, the mayor elect is going to have a very difficult time paying to maintain services. We are really up $hits creek without a paddle.

[WontYouPleasePleaseHelpMe]

CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT against the council member that voted to inflict the taxpayers of Yonkers with this dimwit's PERSONAL settlement. CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT against Phil Amicone, the dimwit who wouldn't understand the CONSTITUTION if he read it every night. Everyone on this site talks the talk, but nobody walks the walk. Grow up Yonkers. No wonder we keep getting sleaze bags for Mayors, Council, Commissioners. It's because we ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN. You want change, make change happen. CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT>NOW!

[Darren]

Let's be ready to move Yonkers ahead for the benefit of those who live here today, and the generations to come.

[Mikey Likes It]

Mike Spano blabbing nonsense today about Lisa Mrijaj appointment even though he knows he can do nothing about it.

Trying to sound tough or concerned since he has been criticized for being MIA since the elction.

Yet he failed to make a peep about the amicone $400 K indemnification which he could put a stop to or try to reverse since it is an illegal council action.

Kept his mouth shut on that one because he's afraid of the City Council or at lest is laying the groundwork for playing footsie with them for the next four years (or some shorter period of time if the Feds wake up)

These are just signs of the horrific mayoralty that we are in for under Mikey.

[really?]

@Mikey Likes It - I love how you are questioning Mike Spano's 'mayoralty' regarding his response to the current mayor's ridiculous and dirty tactics. Yet, you fail to mention or question the current mayor's lack of 'mayoralty' for contractually instating basically a $600,000 contract for a position in an agency that proved it didn't need an Executive Director for years only weeks before he leaves office. Way to criticize the response and not the heinous action.

[Here Come The Feds]

Amicone's mayoralty has been a disappointment. Too many staffers around him were naive, stupid, weak and/or corrupted. Why didn't anyone try to stop John Flemming and company from removing those newspapers? The truth is that it took a team effort to ruin the Amicone administration, on every front.

Worse, it does seem plausible that all kinds of organized crime influences were affecting Phil Amicone's judgment as Nick Spano or any number of political stooges for the Lucchese crime family.

Have we learned anything from this fiasco and will Mayor Elect Spano finally show the courage to tell his brothers (and father) to retire from politics while HE runs the city?

Or will the same mobsters and friends of mobsters ruin our city again? Or is Mike Spano a one-year mayor who will be indicted, only to be replaced in a special election by another chum of organized crime families?

Why don't we just put the Lucchese crime family in charge of Yonkers City Hall and let them run the city from New Jersey or Florida? It would be less hypocritical.

While a Democrat is in the White House, betting money finds it unlikely that the Justice Department will indict Larry Schwartz, Inc. or anyone else in New York State running roughshod over our Constitution.

God save us all.