THE HEZITORIAL: Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano - ‘Tough Guy’ or Simply a ‘Place Holder’? By HEZI ARIS
YONKERS, NY – January 29, 2013 – It was New York
State Governor Andrew Cuomo (right) who travelled to the City of Yonkers (CoY) to
endorse the candidacy of then Assemblyman Mike Spano (center) for Mayor of CoY. In a
concise and commanding manner Gov. Cuomo advised of his belief in Yonkers and
his belief that Mike Spano is best for Yonkers. Gov. Cuomo’s assertion brought
those in attendance at The Polish Community Center to cheer his endorsement of
Mike Spano and for the kind words about Yonkers that lingered in the air like
the smell of the most expensive perfume. The scent of hope, belief, and trust
in Yonkers by Gov. Cuomo lingers in the minds and hearts of Yonkersites who
heard his pronouncement to this day. It was an elixir so intoxicatingly
captivating when first expressed and remains indelible among those who heard of
his assertions to this day. Gov. Cuomo was at his zenith then; prospects for
Yonkers were anticipated with great fanfare. Thirteen months later into Yonkers
Mayor Spano’s term has Yonkersites question whether Mayor Spano is a ‘Tough
Guy’ or simply a ‘place holder’ awaiting a control board.
Last Tuesday, January 22, 2013, Gov. Cuomo expected to maintain his “groove” in explaining his approach to local leaders frustrated by the backroom accommodations that expressed remedy of problems without proof as to how Gov. Cuomo’s agility to traverse the political gauntlet so successfully in the past has hit a speed bump. Democratic party loyalists, silent in their subservience and acquiescence to his leadership directives are testing their demeanor in challenging his unproven formulas and directives for municipalities despite the backroom attempts to keep a lid on his diminishing clout and him being questioned. Gov. Cuomo is quick to respond with a formulaic, “We don’t have the money” to bail out all the municipalities.
Accepting Gov. Cuomo’s postulation, highlights not only New York State’s bankrupt coffers but also exposes a lack for credible intellectual solutions to both state and municipal plight.
Criticism was first eloquently expressed over allowing municipalities to push their pension costs into the future by Mayor Stephanie A. Miner of Syracuse. Mayor Miner said, “Isn’t this what got states like Illinois in trouble?” Mayor Miner questioned whether continuing to kick a can of fiscal issues down the road is a solution. Mayor Miner earned her political credentials as a regional representative under Gov. Mario Cuomo.
The next day, at a pre-scheduled meeting with journalists at The Post-Standard of Syracuse, Gov. Cuomo’s surrogate, Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy said, “I would say to the mayor, if this is not sufficient, then I would suggest one viable option she would have is to request a financial control board.”
In a separate interview, Mayor Miner was quick to state, “I think that’s a false choice, to say to the people of New York State you either have to borrow more or give up democratic control of your city.”
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, less combative in nature than Mayor Miner said, “Giving us new ways to borrow money, it’s appreciated, and it is a life preserver, but it’s not going to solve our problems.”
Lawrence Schwartz, Secretary to Gov. Andrew Cuomo has frowned upon and rebuked Mayor Spano his past involvement with mayors of large cities in the state their collective efforts to find “other” options responsive to the plight of local municipalities.
“He’s a tough guy, you know?” Mayor Spano said of Gov. Cuomo. “You’ve got to respect that. He’s a tough guy from the big city; I’m a tough guy from a big city — not as big as the one he’s from.”
Continuing, Mayor Spano said, “We all are set on a path, and at the end of this path, there’s going to be a day of reckoning where we are no longer going to be able to tax our way, cut our way or borrow our way out of our problems, and when that day comes, what are we going to do?”
Gov. Cuomo believes, “If there is a fundamental economic inequity in… a public corporation, resolve the inequity. Don’t subsidize it year after year after year.”
Will Yonkers Mayor Mike ‘Tough Guy’ Spano distill a common denominator of “fair and equitable” funding for the City of Yonkers or will he take it like a ‘Tough Guy”, that is, devoid of challenge, and his frustration hidden in silence. The vision for Yonkers cannot await direction from Mr Schwartz. Yonkers vision must be drawn from within the depths of benevolence and the best of intention from the brightest minds of the City of Yonkers. That vision must be struck by circumstance and fiscal plight as easily as hammering a copper platter. The concept of the best vision for Yonkers will survive by continuous reassessment of circumstances as long as CoY is focused on exacting a “fair” response from Albany. To that end, Yonkers elected officials must find common ground in their approach to Albany and be resolute in giving voice to an equation of reality squandered in years long past by the likes of former Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone.
Welcoming the Control Board to Yonkers for a third time in its history will be an easy ride for Mayor Mike Spano; a ‘place holder’ move. The challenge falls before the door of Mayor Mike ‘Tough Guy’ Spano over whether to take it “hard” or “easy”? Choosing “hard” will make for a bumpy ride. Focus must not be eclipsed by drama or deflection.
Only ‘Tough Guys’ survive to tell the tale. What’s it to be Mayor ‘Tough Guy’?
Did they vote on the teachers contract yet. kind of hard to get tough when you are going to cut jobs on one hand that you say are needed an give raises(without some sort of struggle) on the other.
Which one is it? Everyone deserves some sort of raise , but at what cost, jobs,taxes?
Got to be one of them unless someone can give another resolve.
Posted by: threesidesto truth | January 29, 2013 at 17:34
Continuing, Mayor Spano said, “We all are set on a path, and at the end of this path, there’s going to be a day of reckoning where we are no longer going to be able to tax our way, cut our way or borrow our way out of our problems, and when that day comes, what are we going to do?”
A path that both Spano and Cuomo have exacerbated!
You gotta love these tax and spend morons!
Posted by: Really? | January 29, 2013 at 17:37
Mike spano is laughing stock throughout the state.
Posted by: Dopey | January 29, 2013 at 18:17
Mike Spano is doing what amicone and spencer never did! Cutting the waste in this city, getting rid of all the leases and using city owned property instead, cutting cars, finding ways to deal wh pensions, and keeping teachers in our schools and ending the drama!! Thank you mayor!! It's about %#^* time someone did something to try to get this city in shape again!
Posted by: John | January 29, 2013 at 19:35
How many of his brothers have a new city owned vehicle?? Those don't cost the CoY anything.......... Let me guess- it saves tax payers money.
Posted by: Fresh off the lot | January 29, 2013 at 19:55
before you get done kissing him, please answer my above posted concern?
sixty some percent of the city budget is about to get a raise, how does that keep teachers in school unless the tax base goes up?
Posted by: threesidesto truth | January 29, 2013 at 21:03
You are stoned (or a Spano troll!)
Posted by: Really? | January 29, 2013 at 21:03
"When Cuomo became HUD Secretary in 1997, he axed a federal program that had saved the U.S. $2.2 billion between 1994 and 1997 and reinstituted a system that lost the government money while earning billions for favored friends. He fired a former HUD official whose company designed the program.
That wasn’t the only money big money lost. When Cuomo was secretary, HUD reported that $59 billion was missing! It couldn’t say where they money went, because it failed to produce audited financial statements.
After Cuomo was nominated for the post, he lied in a form filed with the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee by failing to admit that he had been under investigation by federal banking regulators for bank fraud, for participating in a group that surreptitiously tried to take over a Florida savings bank. Attorney General Janet Reno, who had spent at least $9 million in a four-year investigation of Cisneros’s girlfriend problem, declined to look into Cuomo’s link to bank fraud"
http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-08-05/news/how-andrew-cuomo-gave-birth-to-the-crisis-at-fannie-mae-and-freddie-mac/
Now it's New York's turn.
Posted by: The Man Who would be King | January 29, 2013 at 22:53
Definitely a troll. Probably a paid one too. Even stoned people aren't that stupid!
Posted by: Troll | January 29, 2013 at 22:55
King Andrew Cuomo has riden into cities, towns and village and stolen all their money to give to the the king. Now the Kingdom is flush with cash but at the expense of the localities. Long live the King and pity thoe who protest.
Posted by: Long live the king | January 29, 2013 at 23:43
Mix Mike Spano with Andrew Cuomo and you have one fine self-serving political idiot called "Mandy Spuomo"
Posted by: ditto | January 30, 2013 at 07:12
your post is right on target the only problem with it is that for all the alleged waste he has cut-he negates all of that by allowing all his friends and cronies to by-pass the civil service system by hiring friends, cronies and political hacks while the deserving people of this city who need a job can't get one.
Posted by: anon | January 30, 2013 at 09:46
Slurp....slurp...slurp....
Posted by: The Suckster | January 30, 2013 at 09:57
Mike the Magnificent will end up as one of the most corrupt administrations in Yonkers History. When the whistleblowers finally talk, we’ll be stunned at the resources squandered on friends and family. When you factor in the deal making that will continue to pay dividends to the family after MTM is voted out of office, you begin to realize just how slimy this administration truly is.
Posted by: We should have known.... | January 30, 2013 at 11:40
Whatever spano has saved , he put back in, by hiring nephews , nieces, cousins , boyfriends etc
Posted by: Eisenhower | January 30, 2013 at 13:12
How the hell do you cut wasteful spending when you have half of your family on the city's payroll?
You want to cut spending? Audit the board of ed. They get more than half of the city's budget. Yonkers spends $26,000 a year per student and they are among the dumbest in the state. Little more than half graduate high school. There is no auditing to verify that students live in the city. Illegal aliens get educated on our dime. But Mayor Mike wants to go after firefighters and cops.
Posted by: MolonLabe | January 30, 2013 at 21:11
Bbbbuuttt I'm. Tttuffffff..... and sssmmmarttt....Sue said so. She also said. LICK MY BOOTS big boy.
Posted by: y@gmail.com | January 30, 2013 at 21:28
Tough? Really? you hired this idiot Sansone?
yeah you are real tough
Posted by: dumbest f#ckers on the planet | January 31, 2013 at 01:49
Hezi is a year late and $100m short on this story.
so much for free press........just an other bought news
Posted by: dumbest f#ckers on the planet | January 31, 2013 at 01:54
didn't you stupid bastards ever learn how to play chess.
really dumb bastards and i hope the feds..no... i can't wait till the feds show up with handcuffs.
Posted by: holly go lightly | January 31, 2013 at 02:05
MANDY SPUOMO.....MANDY SPUOMO.....MANDY SPUOMO
Posted by: ditto | January 31, 2013 at 07:33
I just saw a recent photo of Mike the Moron.
Holy shit did he put on a few pounds!
What's the matter Mike?
Eating your way through all of your self created problems?
Eating too much of Deputy Dog Face's shit?
Wow, what a blimp......
Posted by: Fat Rat Mike | February 01, 2013 at 18:32