WPCNR BACKROOM BULLETIN. By John F. Bailey. April 19, 2007: As first reported by WPCNR two weeks ago, incumbent councilman Arnold Bernstein has decided to shun a floor fight and go right to a primary to defend his seat – after being told he would not be endorsed for reelection by the Democrat Party Nominating Committee, Bernstein confirmed to WPCNR Tuesday evening he was definitely primarying and was not even going to go for a floor fight before the Democrat City Committee April 25.
Claire Eisenstadt, Don Hughes and Robert Stackpole, three other candidates will take their wares to the floor of city committee attempting to persuade the district leaders to pick them over incumbents Benjamin Boykin, Dennis Power and the nominated Milagros Lecuona.
Bernstein told WPCNR, “I look at each issue based on the issue. The fact that many of my votes are in tune with the administration is a function of the issue not a function of supporting one entity or another entity. My not getting the (Council) nomination is a form of punishment. It’s a retribution for not toeing the party line. The people ultimately have to decide what kind of person do you want to represent you. I am the best candidate and I’m going to win.”
Bernstein is already campaigning, having fired a salvo across the bows of incumbent Benjamin Boykin with an exchange on the growth of the city budget Wednesday evening. Bernstein expressed the concern during an acrimonious Budget Committee meeting Wednesday evening (only the third meeting of the committee since last Spring). Bernstein said, “Our population is growing up 53,000 to 57,000. They don’t want services cut. We have to find sources for revenue.” If not, he said, “Then let’s find cuts.” It was the first time any councilman has uttered the word "cut."
In the two council reviews of the budget this week, the council has not suggested any cuts in the $154.5 Million city budget, with raises for Commissioners, the Mayor, the Executive Officer and the Mayor's staff still to come. This discreet decision on paying themselves traditionally adds another $600,000 to the budget which next year should reach $164 Million assuming another modest 5% increase -- making the budget a million short of what the school budget was this year ($165.8 Million).
Meanwhile, three other challengers discarded by the party Nominating Committee are going to take their case to the District Leaders of the party by arranging to have their names nominated from the floor. They are Don Hughes, the city’s provider of hard-to-find, hard-to-get city documents on his website, whiteplainsonline.com; the architect Claire Eisenstadt, open space advocate and Robert Stackpole, the finance expert and member of the Citizens Plan Committee which prodded the city into reviewing its comprehensive plan for the city in 2005.
