Dear Readers:
I attended a Peekskill Common Council meeting on 05/23/11. There was taxi business on the agenda and as a part owner of a taxi co. licensed out of Peekskill, I thought it would be in my interest to attend. The meeting was to start a 7:PM with comments from the floor. This was not to be.
I sat for two hours while speaker after speaker monopolized the microphone trying to depict Peekskill of 2011 as Peekskill of the 60's and 70's with rampant racism on the street and in the halls of government. Their focal point was the City Manager Rick Finn, whose head they wanted on a platter. There was also a side story dealing with the Peekskill Housing Authority.
I am not to familiar with all the details regarding the Housing Authority other than listening to Mayor Foster's response, when she was actually allowed to speak uninterrupted, that one problem was remedied in the first week of May and the other after a thorough police investigation backed up in a separate conversation with me by the Chief of Police himself, found no one willing to come forward to substantiate the complaint. One does not turn a whole city upside down on second hand information, no matter the source, without a first hand witness. This is the reality the Mayor tried to impart to the protesters.
On the part dealing with the City Manager, there was some merit. However that is mitigated by the part that after speaking with numerous city employees across the racial and ethnic spectrum, he treats everybody with the same condescension. So if one treats all the same, that does not make them a racist, but a it does a boor. You see the protesters are right in that the City Manager's job should be in jeopardy, but because their view is myopic, it is for the wrong reason. If the City Manager is in trouble, it is not for being a racist, but because his people's skills leave a lot to be desired, and it is after all the people he works for, not the other way around.
As for the question "Is the City of Peekskill a home for racism in 2011?", I think not. No one is denied housing, medical care, employment, service both in the private and public sector because of race. There was a time when this opposite was true. It is an insult to the hard work by those who toiled daily to correct that and on the whole succeed to infer or accuse otherwise.
A couple of side bars to this story is necessary to complete this story. 1) Is that after about a half-hour the Mayor sent the council out of the room for a period of time while she moved to Corporate Council's table to confront the protesters alone. Confront them she did. For a good half-hour she went back and forth with the protesters till most of their steam had dissipated. She should be commended for the way she handled a situation till it was diffused and did not get worse.
The other side bar happened when I got up to leave the room for a few moments and was confronted with a person carrying a sign that read "driving while black a crime", who asked me if I was ever pulled over by the police because I was white.? As a taxi driver I know something about being pulled over. It was not because I was driving a taxi, however if you ask other drivers they might beg to differ. It was not because of my race. It was because I did something wrong. This part of personal responsibility for one's actions was not part of the this particular protesters view. After fifteen years of driving on the streets of Peekskill, I can tell you the city police are color blind when it comes to traffic stops. If you are pulled over more likely then not, they will give you a good reason. Whether you agree or not, well that has been going on since the first person was given a ticket. This is my opinion, you may beg to differ.
Anthony J. Bazzo
You can read more politics on Bazzo at Work or going to http:ltpbazzo.wordpress.com
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ATOM TAXI INC. AIRPORT SERVICE:
Dear Readers:
This gives me a chance to plug my business ATOM TAXI INC. As you are planning your holiday or business or vacation travel? Instead of the headache of trying to find Airport parking, we do Airport Service to The Westchester County Airport(and ALL other airports) 24/7. Just call 1(914)879-6121 and my partner Tommy, will be glad to take you in our Airport Taxi. You will also be provided with a free copy of your local paper of record The North County News. If this is a business trip we also provide a professional receipt, just tell Tommy at the time of booking. The cost of a one-way trip to LaGuardia Airport the cost is $100.00 plus tolls. The cost to JFK and Newark Airports is one hundred-thirty-five dollars plus tolls. The tolls are $13.00 Westchester County Airport and Stewart cost $75.00. We do not take credit cards, sorry.
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E-MAIL ME WITH YOUR COMMENTS:
Dear Readers:
It has come to my attention the difficulty in posting a comment on this blog. If you wish to comment, e-mail me at the link posted below, putting "Manifesto Reader" in the subject matter, and I will "cut and Paste" your comments myself. If you DO NOT wish your comments posted, but just wish to communicate with me, please make your wishes known in the e-mail.
LINKS: atom_taxi@yahoo.com(as this a yahoo address make sure you put an underscore (-) between atom and taxi)
For immediate reply: atomtaxi@aol.com
AT NCN: abazzo@ncnlocal.com
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SITES TO LINK TO:
ellabellahairclippies: www.ellabellahairclippies.com
http://ellabellahairclippies.blogspot.com
ROB ASTORINO: www.robastorino.com
JOHN G. TESTA: www.johngtesta.com
ON TOPIC W/ JOHN TESTA: www.ontopicwithjt.com
CARS & US: www.doverracing.com
THE WINERY AT ST. GEORGE: http://www.TheWineryAtStGeorge.com
PLAN PUTNAM: planputnam@googlegroups.com/
BRUCE APAR'S NCN BLOG: http://theblogcabin.com/homebase/bapar
NORTH COUNTY NEWS:"http://northcountynews.com/
THE JOURNAL NEWS:http://thejournalnews.com/
PEEKSKILL DAILY: peekskilldaily.com
YORKTOWN WATCHDOG: www.yorktownopengov.org
PADAVANO FINE ARTS: Padovanofineart.com
ASSEMBLYMAN GREG BALL: http://www.ball4ny.com/
PEEKSKILL BID: www.peekskillbid.com or
www.downtownpeekskill.com
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CABLE SHOWS TO WATCH:
YORKTOWN WATCHDOG: Every Monday at 9:30 P.M. channel 74
Hosted By: ED CIFFON (Yorktown and Putnam Valley only)
CARS & US: Fridays 10 PM chanel 15(Peek. & Cortlant) 74(York. & Put. Valley)
Hosted By: Dennis Tate
SPEAK OUT WITH SANDY GALEF: Yorktown chanel 74 Wednesdays at 7:30PM..Ossining/Peekskill chanel 15 Wednesdays at 8PM
Hosted by: Sandra Galef
DEAR SANDY: Yorktown chanel 74 Fridays 7:30PM...Ossining/Peeksill chanel 15 Fridays
9PM
Hosted by: Sandra Galef
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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
05/30/11
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