PUTTING MY MONEY WHERE MY MOUTH IS

Dear Readers:

I have sent my resume to the Yorktown Republican Nominating Commitee to be considered for the chance to run for Yorktown Town Council. As you readers know, I do not drink anybodies kool-ade. I look at the issues not from either the Democrat or Republican stand point, but only from my stand point. So an honest assesment of my chances of actually getting a nomination are slim at best. However I am willing to put my money where my mouth is, so together we will see what happens. I will keep you posted.
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THESE RELATED ARTICLES FROM THE JOURNAL NEWS, ONE AN EDITORIAL, THE OTHER A "COMMUNITY VIEW", DEAL WITH MY "COMMUNITY VIEW" LAST WEEK RELATING TO THE PROPOSED "NEW BOTTLE BILL", MY COMMENTS FOLLOW:


Ending a bottleneck in Albany over an improved deposit law
(Original publication: March 29, 2007)


Does it make sense that New Yorkers pay a nickel deposit on a bottle of Pepsi but nothing on a bottle of Snapple? A nickel on a bottle of Bud, nothing on a bottle of water? Of course it makes no sense, which is fine with the beverage makers and wholesalers, supermarkets and their lobbyists, but undeniably bad for our environment. For years, those groups have beaten back attempts to expand the nickel-deposit law to include, well, containers for the other stuff that people drink - sports drinks, juice drinks, teas and water. Alas, a new governor means another try for a better bottle bill. Here's hoping the fizz finally comes out of the industry folks' defense.
As part of his budget package, Gov. Eliot Spitzer has proposed expanding the deposit law to include most noncarbonated beverages, which were only a small part of the beverage business when the deposit law came into being a quarter-century ago. Expanding the law should be a no-brainer, despite industry's claims of inconvenience and additional expense: Where some 80 percent of deposit containers are recycled, only 20 percent of non-deposit containers are recycled. Where do these containers end up? All of the places where sensible people don't want them - along the highways, our waterways, in trash heaps. The nickel holds an awful lot of sway.
But Spitzer doesn't just want to make the law more inclusive. Since the existing law was hatched, distributors have pocketed more than $1.6 billion in unclaimed deposits - a windfall denied their counterparts in many other states. Spitzer would increase the handling fee for returns from 2 cents to 3.5 cents while transferring the unclaimed deposits - up to an estimated $180 million annually - to the state Environmental Protection Fund, which supports recycling programs, parks and a host of other environmental projects.
It's easy to see how taking that many millions of dollars off the table might ruffle feathers. Suffice to say that beverage concerns should be properly compensated for their necessary recycling, storage, transportation and related costs. But there is no reason to countenance their continued enrichment from unclaimed deposits. At long last, those millions should more properly support public projects, not additional profit.

NEXT:

Expanded bottle bill would be a win-win for New York
By JOHN F. CALVELLI
(Original publication: March 28, 2007)


If you haven't heard, there's a new way into the Bronx these days without a bus or subway. Just ask José, the Big Apple's first immigrant beaver in over 200 years. José was likely born in Westchester and made his way into the city by way of the Bronx River. Thanks in part to New York's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), the lower Bronx River is finally cleaned up to the point where a beaver can once again call it home. That's all the invitation José needed to jump on the opportunity to build a lodge, fittingly enough, on Bronx Zoo property. Like other New Yorkers, this intrepid beaver is the beneficiary of a revitalized river - resulting from years of cleanup and restoration efforts by Rep. José Serrano (the new settler's namesake), and organizations like the Bronx River Alliance and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
José is banking on his river environment getting even cleaner and more litter-free. That includes less non-returnable bottle waste floating around - thanks not only to volunteers removing trash in years past but to the proposed "Bigger Better Bottle Bill." When New York's original bottle bill was enacted in the early '80s, bottled water and other non-carbonated beverages were not nearly as prevalent as they are today, and therefore not included in the legislation. Because of this, only 20 percent of these containers end up in recycle bins today. This stands in stark contrast to the containers that are covered under the existing bill, 70 percent of which are returned for deposit and recycled. Stated another way, 2 billion additional bottles per year would end up recycled if they were covered under an expanded bill, which means 2 billion fewer would end up on the ground, in landfills, or in waterways like the Bronx River.
Thanks to Gov. Spitzer's proposed "Bigger Better Bottle Bill," the benefits for the environment of an expanded bill would not be limited to just reducing New York's waste stream and saving taxpayer dollars. If the new bill passes, it will dedicate money from uncollected bottle deposits to New York's Environmental Protection Fund. The EPF is critical to safeguarding New York's air, land, and water, protecting endangered species, and in inspiring and educating tomorrow's environmental stewards through the zoos, botanical garden, and aquaria program.
The presence of José in the Bronx River is a sign that our efforts, and programs like those funded by the EPF, are making a difference and we are headed in the right direction. But we still have plenty of work to do and an expanded bottle bill is long overdue. The Bigger Better Bottle Bill is a win-win for New York - serving our state on multiple levels and benefiting the futures of all of our citizens - even those with flat tails and buck teeth.
The writer is senior vice president of public affairs in the Wildlife Conservation Society in the Bronx.

MY COMMENTS ON THIS:
Dear Readers:

After my brilliant "Community View" from 03/23/07, these are the best arguments that can be put forward. I have always said that the ONLY way liberal ideas(read socialism) can exist is in a vacuum. When you put their idea's into context (like the real world) they fall apart. The liberals know this too. So you will notice in BOTH posts that the real world arguments are ignored. You see, if we pretend they are not there, they are not there. Ignored are the facts that the beverage makers ALREADY pay taxes on those nickels. They don't have a separate bank account marked "nickels". They are classified as income to be taxed, AND THEY ARE!!!!! What you are seeing is pure class warfare, where you are suppose to be angry at big bad industry for having the temerity that after paying taxes have the nerve to STILL profit, and by God this profit is too much. How do we know it's too much, because we said so, that's how. We don't want those greedy companies keeping those profits and spending them the way they see fit, oh no, we, the government, we the frustrated socialists want to take that money because we know better how to spend it for the public good. They totally ignore the fact that they are not entitled to that money, they already got their'S in the taxes paid. It is not the fault of the beverage makers that the state cannot and will not control their spending. Let's get one thing straight, I am not opposed to the nickel deposit on non-carbonated beverages. If they would just make a law about that, then fine, let it be done. I AM opposed to the second part where the state feels they can confiscate after tax profits.

Both pieces prove my point that the frustrated socialists will ignore all arguments that disagree with them because all they want is the money. You will notice also have they have totally ignored my arguments dealing with our state government. It does not matter to them that there is nothing in the recent history of our state government to lead on to believe that they would dedicate that money to where they say they will. It is really not that important to them, ONLY THE MONEY. If this is the best they can come up with, then I still stand by my initial position that this bill must be opposed on principal.
By the way, as there is no way I can respond to Mr. Cavelli in his assertion that the beavers returned because of a bill that has not yet passed without getting really nasty(something I oppose anyone doing), I will just wonder "what the hell was he thinking?"
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A MESSAGE FROM COUNTY LEGISLATOR GEORGE OROS

George Oros
Legislator, 1st District




NEWS RELEASE



March 27, 2007 Contact: George Oros
Tel: (914) 995-2828
Goo6@westchestergov.com
Champion Peekskill basketball team honored
Coach Panzanaro and Red Devils recognized in county chambers for sensational season


Minority Leader George Oros (R-C/Cortlandt) was proud to honor Coach Lou Panzanaro and the Peekskill High School boys basketball team for their two recent state titles at the Board of Legislators’ March 26 meeting.

So extraordinary were the accomplishments of the Red Devils in capturing their third consecutive New York State Class A championship and second straight New York State Federation Tournament of Champions crown that March 26 was declared Peekskill High School Red Devils Basketball Team Day in Westchester County.

“All of us from the Peekskill area are extremely proud and honored by their accomplishments,” said Oros, who presented each member of the team with a special proclamation.

Oros praised the leadership of Coach Panzanaro, who led the team to an extraordinary 25-4 record.

“He instills in each of these young men a sense of character and a commitment to teamwork, which obviously produced some tremendous results,” Oros said.

Panzanaro, who has won five state championships and three federation titles at Peekskill, thanked Oros and the Board of Legislators for the recognition.
“It was an unbelievable year again for us,” Panzanaro said. “The teamwork really came to the front and showed itself. Through that teamwork we were able to
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THIS WAS IN THE NORTH COUNTY NEWS:

The Race Is On: Martorano, Patel join Peters on Dems ticket
By Adriane Tillman

Yorktown Democrats presented a united front at their caucus on Monday.The board unanimously nominated Peters for supervisor to lead the ticket with 16-year incumbent James Martorano and first-time candidate Vishnu Patel for the two council seats.Ilan Gilbert will vie for town judge on the ticket, after the Democratic majority voted for him to finish the remainder of former Town Judge Jeffrey Cohen’s term. Longtime Town Clerk Alice Roker also received the nomination for another term.The committee also endorsed incumbent Michael Kaplowitz and challenger Domenic Volpe for county legislators. Volpe previously lost to incumbent George Oros to represent the district that includes Peekskill, Cortlandt and part of Yorktown. Kaplowitz represents the district that takes in the remainder of Yorktown, New Castle and Somers.
Set on superPeters, the owner of Sports Barn on Route 202, said he looks forward to carrying the Democratic theme, and imagines the party seizing every seat. “Now it’s time for Donnie to lead,” Martorano said of the popular sporting goods store owners.Peters narrowly lost to Supervisor Linda Cooper in 2005 by 93 votes, his first political race. While Peters has never served on a board or committee with the town, he is involved with local youth groups and has donated the field behind his business for use. Despite his lack of previous political experience, Peters wouldn’t be the first candidate to make the leap to supervisor. “Not one of the supervisors has ever been a councilman before,” he said. A long life in Yorktown led him to the seat. He said his family has lived in the town for about a century and his grandchildren now attend local schools. “I want to keep taxes down and listen to the people,” Peters said. “That’s my bigthing. This is where you learn what is going on in town.”
Popular choiceThe Democrats had plenty of praise for Patel, who serves as secretary for the committee and is making his first run for public office. Committee Chairman Joseph Apicella said it was one of the most exciting years for the Democrats, in part because Patel is running. “He will drive the ticket home,” Apicella said. “He is the hardest working guy I have ever met.”Roker echoed that sentiment. “I have never met a man so committed to a community as Vishnu,” she said. “If anyone needs anything done—especially if it involves kids—Vishnu is your man.”Patel said people have been asking him to run for 15 years but his commitment to his job at IMB was too great. Recently he has found more time on his hands to devote to the town. “Right now the town is in the right direction,” Patel said. “I want to make sure the board doesn’t go to one side or another or wreck it… Things have changed and we quickly need to address the bigger issues—the environmental issues, traffic and open space.” Patel, a 26-year resident, added that education is a top priority for him, and that he’s so involved with the schools he sometimes attends school more often than the students.He said a priority would be to install a light at a corner in his neighborhood after five people were killed. Patel has served on the Yorktown Museum Board for 14 years, which he now chairs. He’s spent the past 20 years helping to host the Yorktown Grange Fair. When his children were young, he volunteered for the Yorktown Community Nursery School for five years. When his son became involved with Boy Scouts, Patel joined the board that he’s now served on for more than eight years. Patel’s even earned the nickname “flower man” for maintaining flowers around town.He’s donated 30 IBM computers to local schools.“Vishnu has never run for political office but he’s run his life like he’s been training for it,” Apicella said.
Looking aheadMartorano said if he is re-elected again he still aims to build a senior center, and that Senator Vincent Leibell has pledged $35,000 to study the project. Congressman John Hall has also said he will find the funds to contribute.He also spoke of the town’s need for more energy efficient initiatives. “We need to work on some of the things Al Gore talked about in An Inconvenient Truth,” he said. The committee joked that Roker was a shoo-in for town clerk, but she chastened such rhetoric. “Don’t say that,” she said. “Each time I run, I run as though it was my first time.” Roker said she has tried to reinvent the position to bring it into the 21st century. Her latest focus is on the Yorktown Museum where she wants it to evolve from exhibits to more educational displays that serve the schools. Seat of justice Democrats nominated Gilbert to continue as town justice, who is now completing Cohen’s term that ends December 31. “We were given a hard time that the Democrats had a play in his appointment—Lou, Metz and I—but people are already talking about what a great job he’s doing,” Martorano said.At one point in the early 1980s, councilmen Matt Metz, Lou Campisi, Martorano and Gilbert all worked together at the Supreme Court in the Bronx. Metz was once an assistant district attorney and Campisi a corrections officer. Martorano and Gilbert continue to work there, having served 30 and 25 years respectively. “When people gave us criticism, they didn’t understand how well I knew [Lanny],” Martorano said. “Gilbert has helped run one of the largest criminal courts not just in the state but in the country,” Metz said. Gilbert is a Principle Court Attorney to Judge John Collins.Gilbert said he was appointed “not because of a 20-minute interview but because of more than 20 years experience and knowledge gained in the workplace.”He said he is even more energized to continue serving Yorktown since he was appointed in January. The Democrats’ war chest is brimming this year. At the annual Democratic brunch fundraiser on March 11, the party raised $14,000, 30 percent more than last year.“It’s indicative of what’s going to be ahead in this campaign season,” Apicella said
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ANATOMY OF A HIT PIECE PART 3

THIS WAS IN THE JOURNAL NEWS:

Peekskill housing security contract disputed
By ROBERT MARCHANT THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original publication: April 1, 2007)

PEEKSKILL - A contract to install security cameras inside a public housing project that was awarded to a politically connected local company that did not submit the lowest bid and has no apparent experience in the security field is drawing criticism. The decision to award the contract to Advantech, an Internet service provider with ties to city government and elected leaders in Peekskill, is also coming under review from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Housing Authority has already been roiled by controversy this month after its executive director was forced to take a suspension under circumstances that have yet to be made public. The Peekskill Housing Authority sought bids during the winter to upgrade and modernize the surveillance system at the federally subsidized Bohlmann Towers. Seven companies submitted bids, and the Housing Authority chose Advantech for the job at a cost of $69,250 to put in 55 new video cameras. One of the losing bidders, Strategem Security Inc. of Elmsford, has filed a complaint, claiming that Advantech does not have the proper license to do the job. Strategem executives say their low bid of $64,220 should be the winning one and have called on the Housing Authority to rescind the award or face legal consequences. "It did not sit well with us," said Strategem sales manager Charles Rinka, whose company has worked on security systems for Manhattan hotels, Mount Vernon City Hall and a number of local homes and businesses. "Advantech is an Internet service provider, and we're the low bidder. It doesn't make any sense. If they think we're just going to go away silently, they're wrong. Why put it up for competitive bidding if it's fixed from the beginning?" No listing for Advantech turns up on a search of the state Department of State's Web site under the heading of all licenses and alarm installers. The chairman of the Housing Authority board, Mel Bolden, who also serves on the City Council, said the board went with Advantech based on the recommendation of a consultant who reviewed the bids and the various technical aspects of the job. Since it appears the award to Advantech may go against HUD policies, he said the Peekskill housing board would consult with the HUD branch office, and the award could be "rectified" at the next meeting in mid-April. Representatives from Advantech did not respond to requests for comment last week. Advantech has done work for the city and has contributed to local political campaigns. According to campaign disclosure forms at the Westchester County Board of Elections, Advantech gave $1,000 to the Friends of John Testa mayoral re-election campaign in January 2004. A top company executive, Michel Ajram, also donated $150 to Friends of Testa in August 2006. The mayor's campaign committee paid $1,200 to Advantech to create a Web site for Testa in January 2006, according to the forms. Advantech also hosted the city's Web site for a period after it launched in 2002. While Testa appoints members to the Housing Authority board, he said he was not involved in operations at the authority and stressed he had no role in the bidding process. "I have nothing to do with policymaking at the Housing Authority," Testa said. "The Housing Authority operates independently." He said he had no special relationship with Advantech and any inference that he was trying to influence the bidding process was "politically malicious." The longtime mayor, a Republican, is up for re-election this year. A spokesman for HUD, Adam Glantz, said the department was aware that the bid process had received criticism and was looking to gather more information on the matter. "We have the complaint and we are reviewing it. We'll be in contact with the Housing Authority to discuss the relevant issues," he said. Glantz said HUD guidelines called for bids to go to the "lowest responsible bidder," though there can be other factors involved, depending on the nature of the request for bids. The agency's board voted in mid-March to enact an immediate 30-day suspension with pay for Executive Director Gheevarghese "Thomas" Thankachan, which angered some residents and activists who claim that city leaders want to get rid of Peekskill's public housing stock. Testa and others have denied that charge. Thankachan was not immediately available for comment. Reach Robert Marchant at rmarchan@lohud.com or 914-666-6578.

MY COMMENTS ON THE ABOVE ARTICLE:

Dear Readers:

NOTE: Moral equivalency regarding this topic will not do. This tactic used to change the subject from that which is at hand will not wash. It matters not what would have happened if this was about a Democrat. Whether you like it or not, we will concentrate on the issue at hand.

As many of you regular readers of mine are aware, I have been chronicling political "hit pieces" in the local media. This is another prime example of one. Together we will dissect the above. To believe this article two things must be believed without question as obliviously the writer does. 1) Mayor Testa = Republican = crook. 2) Mayor Testa is a puppet master over the Peekskill Housing Authority Board. As I do not subscribe to the previous two points I was able to read this article in a more open light. I have said before, bias in the media is not always what is written but what is left out. You will notice the writer left a lot out to produce the needed slant.

One of the first things I noticed is that the reporter did not inform us if the Housing Authority was obligated by law to take the lowest bidder. If not, than taking the recommendations of the consultant who the Board asked to review the bids, would seem proper or else why need a consultant. If the Housing Authority was required to take the lowest bid, then there would be a problem. The fact is that the Housing Authority IS ALLOWED to accept a higher bid if the reason is justified. That IS why the consultant was hired, for their expertise in the matter of secuity systems and to see if all the bids included the same services. Regardless, any problems regarding the contract would not be with the Mayor, but with Executive Director Gheevarghese Thomas Thankachan who authorized the contract and who we may all agree is NOT a puppet of the Mayor's. If this is not a hit piece, then I have a question: How is it the reporter got a copy of the complaint by the lowest bidder and the Housing Board members did not?

Second thing that sticks out is apparently according to this reporter, the only ELECTED official in the civilized world that Advantech and Company director Michel Ajram contributed to is Mayor Testa as no others are listed.It would have been nice if this reporter mentioned if any other elected officials benefited from this companies largess. To do so though would not have helped the subtle message of this article that the Mayor is a crook.

It is truly a shame that the local media dresses up democratic press releases as news. If the reporter had done the necessary homework to produce an accurate account, I would then think this story more news worthy than a political hit.
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SITES TO LINK TO:

ON THE OTHER HAND W/ FORMER PEEKSKILL COUNCILMAN SCHMIDT: http://peekskillperspectives.blogspot.com/
PLAN PUTNAM: planputnam@googlegroups.com/
PEEKSKILL GUARDIAN: http://peekskillguardian.blogspot.com/
NORTH COUNTY NEWS: http://northcountynews.com/
THE JOURNAL NEWS: http://thejournalnews.com/
PEEKSKILL DEMOCRATS: http://www.peekskilldems.com/
PEEKSKILL REPUBLICANS: http://peekskillgop.com/
PEEKSKILL MAYOR JOHN TESTA'S STATE OF THE CITY ADRESS: For further information about the City's progress in economic development, neighborhood revitalization, downtown revitalization, waterfront redevelopment, code enforcement and quality of life initiatives, infrastructure improvements, business growth, historic preservation, and open government, read Mayor Testa's complete State of the City Address, which is available by clicking this link.

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CABLE SHOWS TO WATCH:

ON POINT ON PEEKSKILL: Every Tuesday at 8PM chanel 15 (Peekskill only)
Hosted by:DARREN RIGGER

DON PETERS AND YORKTOWN: Every Tuesday at 10PM chanel 22
Hosted by: DON PETERS *********************************************************************************** EDITOR'S NOTE:All articles re-printed in this blog from the North County News are with the permission of Bruce Apar Publisher and Editor-in-Chief.

BAZZO 04/01/07