By Eric Schoen
(Sing along to The Muppets Tune It’s Not Easy Being Green)
It’s not that easy working for Yonkers;
Having to spend each day worrying whether you will have a job.
When I think it could be nicer working for a municipality or company that respects its employees all the time!
It’s not easy working for Yonkers;
Because every Spring time things go Bonkers.
The people in power tend to pass you over ’cause you’re the little man,
Simply trying to pay the bills and provide for your family!
But Yonkers truly is a great city,
With some wonderful and friendly employees who care about the public.
But it seems every year there’s never enough money and come spring there’s talk of layoffs, 200 here, 200 there, in all they make you very sad!
When you are a dedicated city employee,
It make you wonder why, wonder why you get treated so poorly,
But Every year At the last minute money is found and yes you’ll be okay for another year;
You are okay Until next year when the game continues and you feel very, very sad all over again!
Granted I am no Marvin Hamlisch, but I think you get the point. Here we go again friends. My sister warned me not to use the term ‘budget tango’ again. So let’s call it ‘The Yonkers Budget Roulette.’ Things just seem to be going round and round and the next year you go through the same nonsense all over again.
With the constant threat of termination, how can you do your job? Every year we play this same game no matter who is in office. The Mayor, City Council, Governor. It’s simply no way to run a city let alone treat city employees. The period between when the Mayor and Superintendent of Schools announce their budgets and the savior coming in to save the day is humiliating for teachers, principals, clerical staff, police, firefighter, public works employees and everyone else who works for Yonkers.
This year we hear rumors that despite the proposed layoffs a former Yonkers elected official who has moved up to higher office will be getting a job very soon. I asked the Mayor’s spokesperson if the job is with Yonkers City Hall and for details and she referred me to the Yonkers Public Schools for a response. As of press time no response from the district.
Instead of passing resolutions regarding the census with which they have nothing to do, handing out proclamations all over town and dragging students and their teachers to Albany losing precious class time, why don’t we lock the Mayor and City Council in a room until they solve the budget issues facing the city. That’s what they get paid to do. It is their responsibility. Not taking pictures when a new water fountain opens in town!
We end with a touch of Peter, Paul and Mary. ‘When will those in power ever learn, to respect Yonkers employees all the time? When will they ever learn?
HOT TOPICS:
-In urban planning, a transit-oriented development (TOD) is a type of urban development that maximizes the amount of residential, business and leisure space within walking distance of public transport. That’s the big word now in Yonkers and many other communities close to public transit. I just read about a new project in downtown Yonkers with the broker saying that one of the only complaints potential buyers had was there was no on sight parking. Fortunately there is a parking lot not too far away. But do our government leaders both elected and appointed truly believe that in a city like Yonkers one will not need a car? They are allowing these TOD buildings to go up with no parking saving developers lots of money. In Yonkers my friends, you need a car to get around and pick up your Napoleon Cake from Delite Bakery and pastries from Anna Artuso’s Pastry Shop!
Mayor Spano announced a Health Advisory Board of distinguished health professionals, but the only thing missing is a psychiatrist or other mental health professional. With the way city employees get treated every spring at budget time, it’s really a surprise that a psychiatrist or other mental health professional (other than a doctor who deals with opioid dependency) was not selected for this panel!
We all read about the fire over the weekend in Trump Tower and the man, a former Westchester resident who was killed. His apartment as all apartments about the 50th floor haVe no sprinklers. My question is does President Trump’s apartment and the apartments of his family members living in the building, most of which are on the higher floors have sprinklers?
We have a beautiful Century 21 Department store selling beautiful clothes for European bodies, a Marshall’s and a T.J. MAXX in the renovated Cross County Square Mall, but an eyesore as you enter from Central Avenue. National Wholesale Liquidators roof collapsed and other than fencing nothing has been done. They had a wonderful international food section but the food has been sitting there for over year. If the owner of the building doesn’t knock it down quickly it’s time for the city to act. Neighbor’s complain of rats. That’s disgusting and not fair to neighbor’s. Someone has to do something. (I learned from Cooperative Extension years ago that the best way to get rid of rats is to put a sweet carbonated beverage like coke in the tops of mayonnaise jars in the infected area. The rats like the sweetness, but their bodies can’t take in the carbonation and they die.) Let’s wake up everybody and deal with this rotten food, food over a year old problem.
Why do companies feel they have to update their websites every few years. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. You learn how to maneuver around one website and all of a sudden they change it. Speaking of the Internet, what’s more boring. Half the United States Senate getting 4 minutes each to question Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg of having to listen to this answers. Those old I Love Lucy reruns come in so handy!
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen and Dan Murphy on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM or download the SIMPLE RADIO app for free from the APP STORE.
