THE HEZITORIAL: Fomenting a Crisis of Deflection By HEZI ARIS

Former New York State Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch and former NYS Assemblyman Richard Brodsky were invited to the City of Hills by Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano to warn Yonkersites of the perilous fiscal plight that foretold of a doomsday scenario that beset Yonkers with debt that would exceed $450 million plus over Mayor Spano’s first term in office. Yonkersites have for decades heard the same admonition year in and year out. The scenario has been and to this day continues to be played out every year despite no one advising where and how the deficit was overcome.

The “crisis” takes on the drama of a suspense thriller only to dissipate like the morning fog under the spell of the ever-increasing heat of a fiery sun. It is as if Yonkers City Hall believes Yonkersites are like deer caught in the intensity of headlights ablaze with high beams switched on for affect rather than need. Once mesmerized by the influence of the high beams, and stunned by its effect, or reeling from the admonition of financial collapse, one would expect scrutiny of the budget in search of relief. Instead, Yonkersites are warned once, and left to meander aimlessly, without further input from the doomsayers who shock the populace into not knowing what to do or where to turn. In time, even the resilient Yonkersite is lost in the intensity of the drama. 

Not one moment has been focused on the budget crisis foretold since its telling again in 2012. Whereas in the past, the drama would give way to silence, and the issue forgotten by its not being mentioned, this year may prove to be different. The marionette masters who pulled the strings in days gone by have had their strings cut. No longer do they control every movement of the puppets within their realm. The marionette masters now answer to a bigger, mightier master. He may be thought of as Governor Andrew Cuomo, or Larry Schwartz, Secretary to Governor Cuomo, or the local gofer / surrogate, Yonkers Deputy Mayor Sue Gerry. Their agreed charge is to exact a toll of $5 million in savings from the Yonkers Fire Department. 

In light of a $100 million contemplated deficit for FY 2013-2014, excising $5 million in savings from the Yonkers Fire Department would only be rational if the entire City of Yonkers would share in the burden of righting the fiscal concerns that threaten to destroy the City of Gracious Living. Yet City Hall’s conduct does not speak to the dire consequences that are said to be our imminent ruin, leading to our eventual, collective, doomsday epitaph.

The directive is simple… demean, diminish, belittle, enrage, and disrespect the members of the Yonkers Fire Department. Espouse that they do not work to serve the public good, that they do not answer every call, that they spend all day shopping for food to feed the crew, that they sit around, shoot the breeze, work out with gym equipment, work less than others, watch TV, are lazy, arrogant, and are not needed. All bunk, BUT seemingly palatable to too many in  CoY. 

The negative diatribes and epithets hurled at the YFD membership is appalling in its deceitful, conniving lies. Where are those among our elected officials who will stand by the YFD to speak to their relevance to the sustenance of the city, its neighborhoods, its civility, and respect for all people for whom they care. I know they get paid; so does everyone else. Why the silence? Has the Yonkers City Council President lost the dexterity of his tongue and function of his mind revealing his unwillingness all these years to serve the public good because he cannot muster the testicular fortitude to speak truth to power. Instead, be engages in gossip and tales to sustain his “relevance” by being part of the plot of subterfuge. Where are the Democratic and Republican members of the Yonkers City Council? Will they find umbrage behind the propitious celebration of Black History Month rather than speak to fiscal concerns? Have all who delight in celebrating Black History Month so quickly forgotten that it took but one voice to set things right. Have they forgotten that one voice was joined by a second, a third, eventually by hundreds, thousands, and millions? Evidently so. The expression of thought by Yonkers elected officials regarding the travesty of conduct by Yonkers City Hall has been etched into the collective psyche of Yonkersites for too long. Even so, the embarrassment of knowing that even those outside CoY's borders are aware of the plots and ploys perpetrated on our citizenry is not sufficiently embarrassing to put an end to the con game Yonkersites endure for lack of other options. To our collective shame, there is not even one “sheriff” upon which we may call upon for remedy, instead, injustice prevails unabated.

The fact that Yonkers City Hall has eviscerated the well-earned respect of the Yonkers Fire Department by the silence of Yonkersites for their fear of loss of employment, or being ostracized, or their children threatened loss of employment, speaks to the illegitimacy of this ploy to defile people, Yonkers Fire Fighters, who put their body and mind to serve the public good every time they depart the firehouse on a call. It doesn’t matter when the victim is someone else’s mother, or father, or child. It doesn’t matter whether they live or die. It doesn't matter when a Firefighter dies in the call of duty. What does matter? Does it matter only to express politically correct phrases of respect and feign appreciation for lives saved, houses kept from burning to the ground, or medical emergencies attended by Firefighters life saving minutes before any ambulance service responds. Seemingly not. It only sounds good to care, but it seems easier for too many not to give a damn. The only issue is when your mother may suffer a stroke, your father may suffer a heart attack, your child succumbs to an allergen and falls into a coma. I am starting to believe even that concern will soon be gone.

Must the Yonkers Fire Department shoot off a press release to divulge that their arrival at a scene saved an infant from suffocating to death or worse a palsy due to the lack of being able to breathe? Are these the required bona fides demanded of the Yonkers Fire Department? If so, why do we not have a daily report from every department and worker? What have the Yonkers Police Department done to earn their salary? What is the basis for the Yonkers Federation of Teachers getting a small contractual pay increase over the next three years? What have DPW done to underwrite their pay? Human Resources Commissioner Paula Redd Zeeman commutes to work digitally. Why? Is that how she validates her bloated salary? She is a terror and a liar but she gets away with it because everyone is afraid to challenge her BS. When will City Hall demand restitution for her past conduct of not complying with the demands of the job? Another enabled scammer thriving in the cesspool of silence.

The YFD aren’t scamming, yet they are being targeted. Why? Is it simply an Albany contrived lust for blood? Is the end game to bring the YFD to their knees in order to chop their heads off? Is it fiscal concerns? If so, what is City Hall doing to ameliorate the distance created between the contractual agreements signed without duress by Yonkers City Hall’s past administrations, former Mayors John Spencer and Phil Amicone specifically, and the union membership? Is Mayor Mike Spano doing an end run around Deputy Mayor Gerry? Will Mayor Spano throw Deputy Mayor Gerry under the bus? Why the lack of respect? Is everyone at each other’s throat in Yonkers City Hall? Is the wrath exacted on the YFD membership the byproduct of the exasperating climate within Yonkers City Hall? 

If Yonkers needs to get its fiscal house together, why aren’t all delinquencies ameliorated with greater urgency? Why are “deals” being concluded behind closed doors that exact more subsidies from the taxpayer rather than those that choose to build a business in Yonkers because this IS the city where riches are made? Why does City Hall continue to be an employment agency to friends, depleting Yonkers City coffers when Yonkers must replenish its coffers by collecting for services rendered? 

Even if CoY was not in a bad way financially, Yonkers must collect all monies due. If we are in a bad financial state, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano must lead. He can lead by cutting 25 percent off all the salaries paid City Hall employees. The salaries are bloated. Every perk must be closed. Gasoline for vehicles that are not driven from Yonkers must be the only ones permitted access to “Gasboy”. Perhaps the limousine services should no longer be provided at taxpayer’s expense. Every other vehicle can take off expenses through the annual taxes filed with the city, state, and federal government. Every home and business must pay their own water, electricity, traffic ticket, and other outstanding fines without being dismissed. 

Yonkers must focus on serving the public good, not individual needs or wants.

Many in government will need to answer to their conduct should they fail, choosing instead to enable by ineptitude, lack of concern, ineffectiveness, or lack of study of the People’s issues.  

So what will it be Yonkers? Have you had enough abuse or can you take more? 

An old sage said, “If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?”

Comments

[The man who would be king]

"When ______ came to power in January ____, he saw trade unions as exercising more power over the workers than he could. Therefore, trade unions were seen as a challenge to be dispensed with. _____ knew that he needed the workers to be on his side but he could not allow trade unions to exert the potential power they had." Add a name. Seems like history repeating itself.

[Mr Tibbs]

Looking over the facts and departments in the city, one might be able to see where money should be spent. Yonkers BOE has done a horrible job weeding out non students and giving raises to teachers, who's students have not performed or can compete outside our city. Then you have YFD. Building codes are stricter and better building materials are out there and to justify such a big expensive department makes little sense unless they take over ambulance services with billing. DPW is what it is, can they cut more personnel? Maybe a little, but not much. They are probably bare bones. Then you have YPD. Folks lets be honest, we would miss 30-40 less cops than firefighters. The numbers YPD puts out, show lots of calls, lots of arrests and a happy public. All this with less units. No cops in schools, no east street crime units, etc. In addition, enough with fleet cars used outside Yonkers. You live in Yonkers mr. Or mrs employee, you have it. Those outside city, sorry, leave it at city facility and switch to your car. Really people, is it that hard?

[It's a living nightmare]

Hezi wrote: "Yonkers must focus on serving the public good, not individual needs or wants." Sorry, but that won't be done because the dope we elected mayor will not do what is right. Paula Redd Zeeman won't be touched because she is connected to Mikey's father. Sue Gerry won't be touched because she is connected to Cuomo. On and on and on!

All of Spano's promises have turned out to be lies. For example, he has done nothing to have his appointees reside here and he has not really controlled the use of city-owned cars and our gas. Not only is Judge Martinelli still driving a city car, but it is unmarked and it does not have municipal plates, permitting him to use it for personal travel.

Spano won't do his job. The Inspector General, Kiteley Covill doesn't live here and is not independent. So we cannot count on anyone to control what is happening. All we can do is hope that the voters of this city finally wake up and throw this jackass out of office.

[Full disclosure]

Hezi, can you check out who paid for the three leeches - Lesnick, Sabatino, and Johnson - to go the Washington for the inaugural? Were city cars used? Were they reimbursed for travel? Thanks and keep up the good work.

[Yonker resident]

You ppl amaze me how can u justify cutting a dept like the fire dept in a city such as ours that's growing by leaps and bounds a city that has plans for more high rise residential buildings and othe projects such as gates of hell and what about ridge hill and the raceway with the I flux of ppl to the city it makes no sense and if the city is so worried about overtime soending in the fire dept how do u not use a federal grant that would fill vacancies and pay for the recruits to be trained and sustained for 2 years and would bring down over time tremendously and on the topic of overtime what about the cops why don't we hear about there over time when they are used as glorified crossing guards when there is street construction goin on or as Parkin directors for the raceway it's mind boiling that ppl can say n do these things why because the fd is only good when there runing into a burning building to save ur mother

[Stupid Spano]

Great job by the YFD.

Stupid Spano doesn't think Yonkers needs firemen responding to medical emergencies. Well ask the mother of that young child if SHE thinks we don't need firemen getting to an emergency within less than 5 minutes.

Stupid Spano probably won't even recognize the firemen for their actions. But that's ok because I bet the firemen wouldn't even want his thanks or recognition.

Stupid Spano will soon be just a memory to the people of Yonkers and he can continue to call himself mayor as a stay at home dad while his wife brings home the bacon.

[Disclosure]

Full Disclosure asked a question which can be answered simply. The three Councilmen who were at the inaugural traveled down in private cars and stayed with friend or relatives. Their trip did not cost taxpayers one penny. Even the inaugural activities they attended were paid for by private funds. The same is true for other elected officials like the State Senator, Assemblywoman and Chair of the County Board of Legislators. The access that these elected officials enjoy results in more funding for and legislation geared to help Yonkers.

[Mr Tibbs]

Mr. Resident, nobody is suggesting a large reduction of the YFD, only a Scale back. There were less than 90 actual fires. Building codes are making fires less likely. There are more firemen on clock at midnight then cops. Does that make sense? As for police ot, I suggest you look at the rank of those officers. The supervisors have made tremendous numbers and exploited the system. In addition, enough with the tax give always. Put a short time limit on these breaks to properties and lets get some revenue in this city. Let us not become a Newark, Paterson, Newburgh....

[What else is new?]

Mayor Mike Moron needs to have a scapegoat in order to deflect attention to what He, Sue, and Cuomo are really trying to do! I have some theories as to what they want to accomplish, but I am still piecing some of them together.

They want the general public to be on their side against the unions, that is for damn sure! Don’t you know that it is the Unions’ fault that this city is in the financial toilet? (sarc)

Good Grief!

One conspiracy theory that I have:
NYS has a very healthy and well funded pension system. I believe this is what Cuomo really wants. He floated the idea of borrowing against it for the TZB project, but was subsequently shot down rather quickly. Raiding this pension by a NY Governor was tried once before with negative results for “Daddy Cuomo.” Looks like “Sonny Boy” is trying to attempt the very same thing. I fear we have not heard the end of this (potential) illegal money grab!

Although this article is informative, it appears to me that the same bullshit keeps going on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on!!!!!!!!

Here are a couple of interesting factoids:

John Spencer’s X-wife still works in the upper management of Stew Leonard’s. This was a self serving condition set forth by Spencer in order for Stew’s to get final permission to be built. No, no conflict of interest here John.....

Phil Amicone owns part of a restaurant up at Ridge Hill. This “partnership” was created while he was still Mayor and the Ridge Hill Nightmare was going on. No, no conflict of interest here either Phil….....

Question: What do you think the Spano’s have in store for themselves at our expense? Don’t forget the fact that Nick and Mike worked for and/or where employed by Forrest City Ratner in one form or another before, during, and after Ridge Hill’s completion (as it sits presently.) No, no conflict of interest here Mike and Nick………

All of these Mayors have hired friends and family to City Hall. That will always be a given! This is not a Rep / Dem issue. It has simply boiled down to the “haves” wielding power and control over the “Have not’s.”

I’m waiting to see what more “Sweet Heart Deal” good ole Mikey gets for himself and family when he shoves more development up our asses!

And you are right Hezi; The Republican City Council Members have not the balls to stand up and fight Spano (in the past.) Maybe the tide is turning

The “Chicken and Bees” fiasco was just a distraction generated by Lesnick (and supported by the Democratic Council Members) in order to push through the re-districting of Yonkers while the general public was distracted. If the Democrats plan works, it will eliminate all Republican held districts thus giving total control of Yonkers over to the Democrats.

So much for a “Two-Party System!”

What could possibly go wrong?

[Lopsided schedule]

The fact that there are more firemen on clock at midnight than police officers is a misleading fact thrown about by the mayor as a smokescreen! How about at 8 o'clock a.m.? There are 6x as many police officers on duty as firemen! 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and so on......It's the midnight or overnight shift that is lacking manpower! Why??? Could it be that nobody wants to work that shift? If you have HUNDREDS of officers working during the day and so few at night, who's fault is that? Who makes this schedule? Why so lopsided? The number of firefighters remains constant throughout the entire day. Fires do not happen on a schedule. There are as many fires during the day as there are at night! Can you say the same about crime? Didn't think so....

[ditto]

Well said Hezi, the scrutinizing of the YFD, with 5% of the city budget, is nothing more than a Cuomo fed agenda. No political stooges are willing to say anything on this issue. Regarding, YPD, DPW, BOE, there is no mention? The administration feels whatever the YFD agrees to that the other depts. will get the same.

[Big plans]

Wait until the cops find out that Mayor Gerry has been working with the County to enter into another agreement with the County to have the County Police respond to Yonkers so that she may do away with the Yonkers ESU. Her boss Andy Cuomo doesn't think Astorino will win re election and therefore Mayor Gerry is working as fast as she can to get this done. In fact, she has people very close to the YPD working with her to cut through the legal mumble jumbo. Cuomo wasn't to use these Yonkers/Westchester consolidation of services as a model state wide.

Who in the YPD is helping Mayor Gerry with this diabolical plan? The whole thing with the YFD is a ruse to keep everyone off guard. In the meantime Gerry is moving the jail, transferring PD bosses and otherwise taking the "blue wall". By the time the cops figure out what's underfoot it will be too late to do anything about it

[Big plans]

After Gerry's police consolidation (elimination) plan the detention officers will be replaced jointly by state court officers while in court and county corrections for transport. Cops on light duty will be required to work the "jail" and will be required to call a fully duty cop upstairs to help o anything other than "watch" the prisoners if there are any after Chuck requires the release of all but the most violent offenders and the others will be released with a date to come back to court.

County police will provide all police emergency services such as bomb squad, has mat, SWAT, water rescues/patrol, etc and will supplement the fire department's rescue squad.

[Big plans]

And while all this is going on Mayor Gerry is using the vet public fight with the firefighters as a smokescreen. She knows she's going to lose against the firefighters but the fight is doing its job. In the meantime she's getting ready to throw her shock grenade at the cops. They'll be so caught off guard there will be nothing for them to do. The "model" will get the city and county millions in state aid and will be used as the model for other.municipalities and counties to follow kid they want any more state aid from Mayor Gerry's boss Andy Cuomo

[MolonLabe]

There were two master plan studies done years ago (under two separate administrations) that both recommended that CoY have at least one additional fire station due its size and the current and proposed developments (i.e., that would be Ridge Hill if you could not figure that out.)

The YFD does not just fight fires. Perhaps if you were not a Spano parrot, you would actually know the myriad of different calls that they respond to.

By your logic, since there were not 90 murders in the city, we should reduce cops too.

The financial waste in this city is primarily due to the bloated, unaudited school. They get over half a billion dollars and nothing is done to ensure that student graduation rates increase. Teachers are not held accountable for doing their job. The superintendent just got a nice raise and extended contract with no incentive to do better. Ya gotta love it. Only in Yonkers can the school board spend over $26,000 per student, still whine that they don't get enough money and not have to make sure students get educated.

[Full disclosure]

Sorry, Chuck (or his lackey), but you have zero credibility on this, or any other, issue. That is why I asked Hezi to look into it. As for the Three Leeches (four if you include the swine Terrero) bringing funding to Yonkers, that is more than laughable. Not one has accomplished any such thing.

[hooray]

good news to hear of PD consolidation to save money, Astorino will be glad to have Yonkers help pay the county bill for special services. another great idea to help? the taxpayers.

[Rubber Hose]

It's because the population of the city increases by at least 5X during the day genius. The amount of buildings remain the same no matter what time of the day.

[628]

There already exists a plan to share emergency services, such as should any dept have a situation that requires assistance. This goes for any municipality in the county and is not just limited to yonkers and WCPD. The county already handles some specialty services such as bomb squad, aviation, and crime scene processing. It might be wishfull thinking on Sues part to have the county come to yonkers, but I dont see it happening.Wait until some light duty cop gets hurt interacting with a prisoner, cant wait to see the millions of dollars the city will pay out in a lawsuit.

[anon]

Disclosure you are hitting yourself with your coments.

[Lopsided schedule]

So the population in Yonkers increases to one million people during the day? Do you even take the time to read what you write? 1 million people? They must all be up at Ridge Hill. This isn't Manhattan, "genius". My point was, and you obviously missed it, that the mayor compares the staffing levels in Yonkers at MIDNIGHT! He fails, once again, to mention the levels throughout the day. If there is such a huge disparity in the number of officers working at midnight as compared to during the day, how is this the fire departments fault? Sounds like a scheduling problem.

[ESU strong]

Don't the firefighters have any work to do? Go ck a fire hydrant!

[HolyCrapBatman]

The "new" jail in the Cacace Center (police hq) will be fully automated and will utilize closed circuit tv's. Take a look at the City's website for the request for proposals to install the security system.

The cameras and automated cell doors will basically keep track of the prisoners, each of who will have their own cell.

Light duty cops will be assigned to watch the television cameras and if there is any reason to have to open a cell door other than to bring a prsioner to court (by court officers) or to transfer a prisoner to the county jail (by county corrections) the light duty cops will simply be calling a full duty cops to physically deal with the prisoners.

This is the way prisoners are handled in newer jail facilities. Yonkers prisoners are only held in Yonkers from the time they are arrested until they have been brought before a judge. After that they are in the correctional/court systems. Sue Gerry plans on taking the YPD out of the equation as much and as quickly as possible.

She's also working on getting rid of police being required at con ed and other road work sites.

Sue Gerry has been working with NYC DOT and she has ordered the City HR Dept to recruit NYC style traffic enforcement agents who will wind up eliminating the traffic division from the YPD. And Sue Gerry hates motorcycle cops and will be selling those Harley Davidsons on ebay before long.

And K9? She has ordered her lap dog Chuckie to bring her all of the records and costs of hte K9 unit and as a result wants the county K9 units to handle any K9 needs for Yonkers.

Mayor Gerry has been very busy working against the YPD behind the scenes and the clouds of smoke she has created with the phantom fight with the firefighters.

Holy Crap Batman, Gotham is under attack from Gerrywoman

[HolyCrapBatman]

Hey ESU Strong it looks like the cops should start working on stopping Sue Gerry from destroying the YPD.

ESU won't be so strong once there is no ESU

[It;s Time]

It's all so simple. A paycut of 5-10% will solve the problem, however this cut must be across the board and must start with the Mayor and City Haul.
I don't think SpaNO has the guts to do it, but it's coming, maybe not today or tomorrow but this type of change will be forced on us one way or another.

The first step is to cut all overtime.