Politics on the Hudson

Hugh Fox, chairman of the Westchester County Conservative Party, issued a “Dear Fellow Conservatives” letter today denouncing Yonkers mayoral candidate Mike Spano, who to the chagrin of party leaders has the party’s ballot line in Tuesday’s election. Fox wrote that Spano does not share the party’s ideals and principles, and called even an attempt for Spano to gain the party’s line the “absolute pinnacle of hypocrisy and calculated political opportunism.” Here’s his letter for more:

The New Rochelle Uniformed Fire Fighters Association Local 273-IAFF’s executive board is firing back against an accusation by City Council candidate Roberto Lopez that a supporter saw firefighters campaigning in uniform for his opponent, Lou Trangucci. The union leadership’s statement says:

This weekend’s Nor’easter resulted in a nearly 500 percent increase in emergency calls to the New Rochelle Fire Department.  Considering that the city had only 27 fire fighters on-duty to respond during the weather emergency makes this allegation unlikely baseless.

The fire fighting unit being referred to, responded to an emergency at the assisted living apartment building and then was immediately dispatched to another emergency incident at another site.

City officials said Thursday they would look into the matter.

Editor’s note: The union initially called the allegation unlikely, then issued a revised statement about an hour later changing the wording to “baseless.”

Hey, we’re not putting words in his mouth. That was the headline of an emailed letter Yonkers mayoral candidate Carlo Calvi sent out earlier today to his GOP opponent, John Murtagh, and the press. It seems Calvi and Murtagh were at a candidates’ night last night in Yonkers and Murtagh made what was a not-so-well received crack about Calvi’s wife. We’ll let Calvi take it from here:

November 4, 2011

Mr. John Murtagh:

Last night at the Mohegan Heights Civic Assoc. candidates’ night you made a comment towards me which that confirms your arrogant, condescending, pompous, ignorant attitude towards other people.

While I was speaking your cell phone rang aloud. I deferred for a moment, so that you could silence it. You then looked at your phone and said to me before the entire audience:

“It’s your wife. She wants you to go home.”

This bizarre statement, patently false, demonstrates a serious flaw in your character, which has been observed by many during your time in public life. Many have called you arrogant, rude, condescending, pompous, demeaning and insulting. Your comment certifies all of those appellations.

Obviously, you were annoyed that you had to turn off your cell phone, a gesture which others might consider common courtesy at a public forum. Yet, with indignity, you lashed out bringing a member of my family, into an insult directed at me.

By the way, don’t flatter yourself. Julie is way out of your league. You are probably one of the last people who would be honored to receive a phone call from her. Rest assured, however, that you insulted her, as well, in making the absurd statement.

You show that you have little regard or sensitivity for others unless they bow to you. How dare anyone challenge you or disagree with you?

The conclusion to be drawn is that you are unfit to be a public servant. You have little ability to care for people. If you can make such a sexist, insulting statement in a public forum to a peer or an elder, how could you sincerely have any desire to respect a constituency? You are unable to view others, except as inferior to you.
Members of the audience approached ma at the conclusion and expressed their outrage at your statement and conduct.

Your recent political mail had the theme of what nice words people use to describe you. You falsely complimented yourself by issuing that literature.

You also omitted one thing that many people do say to describe you:

“You are a Pompous Ass”.

No apology would be accepted, since it is sure to be insincere and vacant.

Carlo Calvi

The Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee issued rulings late Wednesday in two southern Westchester county legislature races, slapping the wrist of of incumbent Sheila Marcotte, D-Eastchester, her challenger, Democrat John Fitzpatrick of Tuckahoe, and incumbent Judy Myers, D-Mamaroneck, and the “Friends of Judy Myers” political committee. Myers’ challenger is Republican Suzanna Keith of Rye.

In the Marcotte-Fitzpatrick race, the committee found that each candidate had distributed a piece of campaign literature that did not indicate who had paid for the material. In addition, it faulted Fitzpatrick—the former mayor of Tuckahoe—for claiming in the same mailer in question that he had been appointed “Deputy Mayor for Planning.” The committee found no such position existed.

In the Myers-Keith race, it faulted the Myers camp for sending an email Oct. 26 to supporters of the Westchester Children’s Museum suggesting Keith did not support public parks or county funding for children’s educational programs and related groups. Keith was able to prove to the committee that she has been a longtime supporter of the Children’s Museum, it said.

The committee either discounted or made no finding on a number of other complaints brought between the parties.

The Fair Campaign Practices Committee has no force of law; its decisions are meant to influence candidates toward better behavior.

The Westchester Women’s Bar Association has found all three candidates seeking two seats on the state Supreme Court in the 9th Judicial District as “well qualified.”

Acting state Supreme Court Justice Robert DiBella of New Rochelle, Judicial Hearing Officer Edward Borrelli of Yonkers and Somers attorney Paul Marx are seeking the seats.

DiBella has the Republican, Democratic, Conservative, Working Families and Independence party lines. Borrelli has the Republican and Conservative lines. Marx has the Democratic, Working Families and Independence lines.

The 9th district covers Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess and Orange counties. State supreme court justices serve 14-year terms.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Thursday signed a law that enhances job security for public employees serving in the military, according to Assemblyman Robert J. Castelli, who authored the measure.

According to Castelli, “The new law amends the Civil Service Law and the Military Law to prohibit public employers from abolishing positions based on a person’s military status. Under the measure, public employers are mandated to comply with the Federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act (USERRA) of 1994, and public employers are expressly prohibited from denying employment, employment benefits, or re-employment rights to any person or prospective employee based on past or current military service.” He also thanked state Sen. Greg Ball for steering the bill to passage in the Senate.

Jorge FitzGibbon of The Journal News and Jonathan Campbell at our Albany bureau have this follow-up to our story on cost overruns on the I-287 project, published Sunday:

New York State Assemblyman George Latimer, D-Rye, wants the chamber’s Transportation Committee to look into delays and cost overruns on the reconstruction of Interstate 287. Latimer, the only Westchester County legislator serving on the committee, forwarded The Journal News’ May 1 report on problems with the decade-long road project to committee Chairman David Gantt, D-Rochester, on Tuesday.

“I met with (Gantt) after the meeting and asked him to read it so we could have a conversation and determine what the next step should be,” Latimer said. “I could theorize a lot of different steps, but rather than theorizing it, my job – and I contacted my fellow colleagues in Westchester – is to have a conversation and figure out what the next step in the game plan will be.”

“But there’s no question, you can’t read a report like that and just say, well, that’s the way things are,” he added. “That’s not an acceptable response.”

The Journal News report revealed that the I-287 work, which began in January, 2000, has cost an average of $63 million per mile of construction. The work, which is now due for completion at the end of next year, has cost nearly $544 million in state and federal money, with more than $67 million in cost overruns. (more…)

The chairman of the Westchester County Board of Legislators is calling for an investigation into how county leaders dish out small contracts.

Democrat Ken Jenkins’ request comes just after The Journal News published an article highlighting the fact he gave a $20,000 contract to a nonprofit where his wife is a trustee.

Now Republicans are crying foul — saying his call for a probe is mostly political grandstanding and theatrics.

Read Jerry McKinstry’s full story from today’s paper here.

Longtime County Legislator Martin Rogowsky, D-Harrison, announced tonight at a county Board of Legislators meeting that he will not seek re-election to another term this November.

“‘All good things must come to an end’ is a proverb I don’t really believe in,” Rogowsky said in a statement. ”However, one good thing will come to an end this year, and that is the honor and privilege I have had to represent the people of Port Chester, Rye Brook and Harrison.” Rogowsky will have served his district for almost 13 years.

Katherine Brezler, a Yonkers teacher’s assistant and former Democratic district leader, plans on Thursday to officially announce her run for the Yonkers City Council’s 5th district seat. You can find more information about her on her website. Her official bio is after the jump: (more…)