WPCNR MR. AND MRS. AND MS. WHITE PLAINS POLL. AUGUST 21, 2010:

Our newest poll I am indebted to The Journal News for creating and I thank them for raising the issue.

This week we have seen another chapter unfold in the Bradley Administration.

The  City Board of Ethics was persuaded to investigate that Mayor Adam Bradley had committed an ethics breach in finding a place to live at an apartment owned by a person doing business with the city.

WPCNR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY. Photos Forwarded From John Shapiro, Director of Operations, Florida International Terminal, LLC., Port Everglades August 10, 2010 UPDATED 5:07 P.M. E.D.T.:

WPCNR presents exclusive photographs depicting the Sunday collision off the port of Mumbai in the Arabian Sea, unfolding. The MV Khalijia and the MSC Chitra collided, causing the Chitra to list, spilling its cargo into the Arabian Sea off the Port. For the story, go to http://indiascanner.com/collision-merchant-ships-msc-chitra-mv-khalijaiiiSliofficials-navigational-error-9442

Oil cargo leaks from the Chitra Monday, threatening Port of Mumbai (on horizon) For more shots of this "navigation error," now under investigation. Click "Read More"

The Bow of the Kilijia  quayside in Mumbai after the collision, reminiscent of the SS Stockholm after it rammed the Andrea Doria in 1956.

According to the Indian Scanner website, around 200 containers have been floating in a radius of 2 miles outside the Port of Mumbai. MSC Chitra is has a cargo of 88000 tones of lube oil and 239 tonnes of diesel. The Indian government says the waters off Mumbai are very sensitive and efforts are being made to contain the spill. Dispersants are being applied.

 WPCNR’S NEWS & COMMENT. By John F. Bailey.. July 20, 2010 (This column originally appeared on WPCNR on February 1, 2003, and celebrates the Dreamers, the Achievers, the High and the Mighty):

The Space Blazers:

 The Apollo 11 Crew: Nail Armstrong, Michael Collins,  Buzz Aldrin, Jr. Mr. Armstrong set foot on the moon 41 years ago today.(NASA Photo)

The two papers I receive at WPCNR White Plains News Headquarters, White Plains, New York, USA did not tell you this morning that today is the 41st  anniversary of the day when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. The exact hour  is just two hours away at 20:11 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). That was the culmination of the last great American achievement -- conquering space -- when Apollo 11 with Armstrong in command, with astronauts Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. blasted off to the stars .

Their mission was a success. But there have been the tragedies associated with striving for the stars and being the best, achieving the best, working for the good. Those are the persons who keep the dreams alive by their deaths and personal sacrifice. This column was written after the explosion of the Columbia Space Shuttle upon reentry after 19 days in space in January 2003.

WPCNR MR. AND MRS. AND MS. WHITE PLAINS POLL. July 12,2010 UPDATED 8:40 A.M. E.D.T.: 

 What was a disaster for 13 businesses last week: The Bengal Tiger fire, now presents an opportunity for White Plains, if the city has imagination to revitalize the moribund East Post Road corridor with something either completely different or the lack of imagination and deliver more of the same.

THE BENGAL TIGER BLOCK TODAY. DEMOLITION WAS IN FULL SWING OVER WEEKEND

 As demolition proceeded on the site over the weekend, WPCNR thought of just a few possibilities for the block which of course could be reconstructed the way it was or turn into something completely different and dynamic.

WPCNR thought of just a few possibilities (at the right in our brand-new poll) which the city might consider seriously to counter the economic stagnatio of pay-and-keep-out parking policies, a rowdy drinking district and a deteriorated West Side.  The city has been talking for years about revitalizing the West Side and even still has yet to tell specifics of the Lexington Avenue plan even though the developer has already been picked. Now, there is an opportunity to key note it as the Bengal Tiger block has to be rebuilt.

Here is Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. White Plains opportunity in the survey at the right to tell the city how to plan and what it needs on the burned-out block. If any of the choices appeal to you at the right, vote early and often:

New Bengal Tiger/Restaurant Mall:  Rebuild the block similar to before with a new improved (sprinklered) Bengal Tiger, and shops as before.

Bi-level Retail Shopping Mall: A two-or-three story mall with parking deck, with shops, restaurants and  retail, creating a dynamic upscale presence complimenting the Downtown Drinking District on Mamaroneck Avenue.

Multi-story Office/Mixed Use Building: A 10 or 20 story combination residential/office/with retail at the street level, bringing new residentialites, professional office space and a cosmopolitan mix of retail to the street.

New Performing Arts Center: The White Plains Performing Arts Center in the City Center has failed to ignite the imagination of the public. It lacks funding or street presence. How about building a Lincoln Center for White Plains on the Bengal Tiger block and Municipal Parking lot behind it, which would be a regional draw for concerts, theatre, a home for the Westchester Philharmonic, theatre groups and more – something the White Plains Performing Arts Center management has failed to do thanks to high rents and failed programming over the last 7 years.

City of White Plains Museum: White Plains played a significant role in New York State history but you would never know it because there is no museum in the city. The site could be transformed into a Revolutionary War history, a history of the four White Plainses: 19^th century, turn-of-the-century, the 1950s, urban Renewal, and of course, the just-ended Renaissance. The museum could serve as a base for a freedom trail through the city, and much more. Such a White Plains facility is long overdue.

Permanent Farmers Market/Food Court – Take the Bengal Tiger block, combine it with the Municipal lot behind it – acquire the office building behind the BT Block and create a Faneuil Hall International Food Court, a permanent destination with parking underneath.

Chain Food or Entertainment Complex: This would envision White Plains and the Bengal Tiger owners who own the block, again removing the office building behind the BT Block and attracting some destination chain such as SHAKE SHACK, HARD ROCK Cage, ESPN ZONE, SCORES (a neat fit with the Drinking District a weaving stroll away),

Sports Arena Convention Center Complex: Sports Arenas are a mainstay of communities I’ve visited: Charlotte, Providence, Grand Rapids. Westchester needs an intermediate facility and White Plains would benefit from a 10,000 seat facility for hockey, basketball, and big concerts. You’d fill it up with state tournaments which now are held in places like Albany, Lake Placid and Buffalo. It would also attract conventions which White Plains cannot do now.

RETAIL CHAIN BIG BOX:  Think Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond.

Transit Center:  White Plains needs a center city hub. Take out the office building behind the Bengal Tiger block, and combine the Municipal Parking lot with the Bengal Tiger block and you create a retail/transit center hub which could be a center for the Department of Transportation Bus Rapid Transit station, a taxi station, and a hub for the Ben Boykin Trolley System (coming someday to White Plains). What do you think?

New City Hall: The City again could acquire the Bengal Tiger Block and the office building behind it and combine it with the Municipal Parking lot and build a new City Hall (right across from the county office complex. Makes great sense – and opens the very attractive old city hall site for development.  The new City Hall could combine all city offices in one place. Call it the Adam T. Bradley City Hall.

New Public School; The block could be swapped out to the School District for a new public school to handle the growing elementary school population that is exceeding district estimates. Growing at a 100 kids a year, the district will need a new elementary in five years.

WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. June 20, 2010 UPDATED 4:40 P.M.E.D.T.(addition is at the close of this commentary:

 When seasoned reporter Rachel Maddow expresses by body language, facial expressions and high anxiety on her eyewitness walk-through of the beaches, the marshes and barrier islands off New Orleans, being slowly doomed for three centuries,  as she did last week, it is using television as it is meant to be.

It is astounding that we have a leader in The White House who is not there on a regular basis when  courageous reporters like Anderson Cooper and Ms. Maddow are putting it in our faces night after night, the reporters themselves incredulous that the people and the man who supposedly runs this country have not investigated how to stop this well and its chilling long term implications.

We have a President who does not have the guts to act and stop this environmental atrocity allowed to happen by BP right now by any means possible. it is not an accident. It is an atrocity. Not even explore how to stop it? And the oil companies have no clue how to stop it cold.

Where is the leadership? Sadly,  there has been none. The great hope has been revealed to be just another pretty face who says the right things and tries to get along with all to preserve his presidential reelection capital reserves funding potential (the oil companies) as he did with his Wall Street buddies.

WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. June 9, 2010:  In deleting old articles, I came across this column of mine published in 2005.

I was struck by the somewhat bumbling  orchestration of the BP propaganda and coverage of the  story that is trying to sell acceptance of the Gulf Crisis ("we're trying as hard as we can," "We are in charge," "I have to know whose a-- to kick," "We will make it right," "The oil leak will be reduced to a trickle on Monday," "There is no significant quantities of oil underwater," and the same.  All of which are carefully nuanced to make the American public feel better about something no one in their right mind feels is under control, or is fixable for a long time to come.

In reading and hearing the onslaught of propoganda and mind-clouding  statements from BP, the Obama Administration, NOAA, the Coast Guard, and all the king's men trying to put the Gulf back together again, it is worth noting how the principles of propaganda and how to make it effective are being employed today. I set these forth so the public can, though they may accept the statements of their leaders, have to question themselves, "why am I accepting what they tell me as true, when I can see with my own eyes, it is not."

The following principles and techniques are not new, but for the persons willing to face the truth of how we are given information today, you can see how all the powerful and ineffectual people today retain their power and persuade us to accept the unacceptable. The state does this. Our Senators and Congresspersons use these principles. Our County government and legislature, and yes, our city. Read them, so you may recognize when you are being played:

 The "Playbook" sets forth the principles of propaganda. They are from the one person who perfected propaganda to an evil art that worked chillingly well. These are the principals of how to lead an educated, democratic nation of decent people, to do one's will for evil.  Please note the author listed at the end.

WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. June 7, 2010 UPDATED June 8,2010. Updated June 9, 2010: 

It’s not working is it?

The best laid plans of mice and men have gone incredibly, chillingly wrong.

Now the spin of all time is on…millions are being spent – to save the Gulf Beaches?

No.

To prop up BP’s stock price. To rehab the company as it rewrites the New Black Plague crisis its way.

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE  News & Comment, By John F. Bailey. May 31, 2010 UPDATED JUNE 2, 2010:  This week’s “Journalism Quote of the Week,” reads:

“The real stories are in the back-up material. Read responsibly.”

In behind-the-scenes, unpublic maneuvers that made the Delfino Administration look good, the Common Council and the new “transparent” administration registered a new low on the Opacitometer” that measures the City’s  Transparency Index by the Council “whistling past the graveyard” vote on the budget last Monday.

That vote not only socked union and non-union  retirees (working for the city before July 1,1995) with a $1,102  payment for Single Person Coverage and a $2,395 for Family Coverage, the council coolly gave a round of raises to 21 Commissioners and managers ranging from 2.1% to 10.8%--lwhich just happened to cover the Commissioners' and managers' new 15% contribution to paying their medical benefits.

Admittedly the top brass had not had a raise in 2009-10, but the raises in an atmosphere of hand-wringing over finances  on the part of the Council and the Mayor the last five months take your breath away.

WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. May 26, 2010:

I read with interest the President of the Westchester County Association op-ed piece in the Sunday Journal News.

The WCA had a free “Call to Action” meeting last week. They featured Mayor Ed Koch addressing the need for reform in Albany, and the need to cut taxes and spending. Their President reiterated this message in his Sunday piece.

The WCA is good at talk.  Big dog and pony shows with no tricks.

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. News & Comment By John F. Bailey. May 23, 2010:  

Here I go again

He’s back in town again.

I’ll take his word again,

One more time.

Here we go again

Their promises will be made again

I’ll be their fool again.

One more time.*

*With apologies to the genius, Ray Charles, this was a great “B” side on an old Rayman  45 RPM record. The lyrics I have paraphrased sum up the significance of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s declaration of his candidacy for Governor of New York State yesterday.

Having read Mr.Cuomo’s very smooth, hard-hitting declaration of his candidacy, he says all the right things about what he wants to do to save New York State, and he is so clean-cut, heroic, macho, and charismatic – well, you want to believe he is the man. He’s got the women’s vote. He looks good. Sounds so good. You want to believe that he is really going to do all these wonderful things.

You can read it and see Mr. Charisma's video delivery of the speech at www.andrewcuomo.com/theplan

To read the complete 250-page Cuomo plan for New York State, go to http://www.andrewcuomo.com/system/storage/6/34/9/378/acbookfinal.pdf

Well, unfortunately, he has to deliver

The question the press should be asking big time now,  is how?

WPCNR NEWS AND COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. May 19, 2010:

Buried on page 18A of the Journal News today was a chilling front page story,  that should have been on the front page, but was buried as usual because it is important.. The Associated Press reported:

“The federal government announced Tuesday it was nearly tripling the size of an area in the Gulf of Mexico that’s closed to fishing because of a massive oil spill off the coast of Louisiana.

The National Oceanic  and Atmospheric Administration said it had closed nearly 46,000 square miles, or about 19 percent of federal waters.”

Well, this is sobering. Just 20%. No problem.

The new Black Death is still leaking with creeping horror into America's greatest fishing grounds.

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. News & Comment by John F. Bailey. May 17, 2010:

It’s cross-your-fingers time at the Common Council.

And for police officers and fire fighters. Rumors are the council will decide on layoffs of uniformed personnel.

Tonight the Common Council meets at 7:30 P.M. to “decide” on the 2010-11 City of $160.2 Million White Plains budget – or whatever the budget totals at this time after the CSEA and TEAMSTER union givebacks mysteriously materialized last week.

It might actually be about $5 Million lower, but no one knows because there has been no status report and recalculation of the numbers reflecting the Teamster/CSEA givebacks. Do the givebacks mean the budget does not have to pay the raises for those two unions? I think so. We will learn tonight.

However, unlike any year in the past, the exact position of the budget and the supposed deficit has proceeded with virtually no Common Council public expression and probing exploration of budget options the city faces.

WPCNR ROVING REPORTER.  HAVANA, CUBA 2010. By Charles Lederman. May 1, 2010: Panama hat in hand, White Plains' Charles Lederman visited the Cuban capitol this month and files this report on the storied capitol today, exclusively to WPCNR:

HAVANA, CUBA-- A sprawling metropolis, among the largest of the Caribbean’s historical capitols with over 2 million residents, and rich in its history as colonial trading center and epicenter of civil strife and revolution.

My family and I just returned from a visit to Cuba (there is one flight a week from JFK International for those with State Department license). We enjoyed a rare opportunity for Americans living at the top of the 1^st world, to observe life at the bottom of the third world.

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. From The New York Civil Liberties Union. April 22, 2010 – The New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Friday challenging a government regulation that unconstitutionally restricts photography on federal property, including public plazas and sidewalks.

 The federal civil rights lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of a Libertarian activist who was unlawfully arrested by federal officers after exercising his First Amendment right to take photographs and digital videos in a public plaza outside of a federal building in lower Manhattan. The lawsuit seeks a court order barring federal officials from harassing or arresting people engaged in noncommercial photography while standing in outdoor public areas near federal buildings.