As the Westchester Republican Party and many local, county and state GOPs try to find a way through the blue wave of Democratic support and through many Republicans who are “never-Trumpers” and cannot support President Donald Trump, we continue our dialogue and discussion about the future of the Grand Old Party here in Westchester
Last week it was Sarmad Khojasteh, a Bedford attorney. This week, it’s Joe Pinion, who is running for Assembly in the 90th District to represent the City of Yonkers in Albany, and to replace Shelley Mayer.
Pinion, an African-American small businessman and self-described Conservative who acknowledges climate change, is trying to return this Assembly seat back to Republican control for the first time since 2007, when then-Assemblyman Mike Spano was a Republican.
Pinion recently opined on the City of Yonkers, and its recurring budget crisis, specifically in the Yonkers Public Schools, and the education of 32,000 students.
He writes:
“After over three decades of neglect, it’s finally time for the State of New York to invest in the City of Yonkers.
“In 1984, my hometown was in dire straits. There was racial inequality in our schools and negative balance in our bank account. Our resources were so badly depleted, the city school board announced it would be forced to close schools in April instead of June. Former Gov. Mario M. Cuomo eventually intervened to bail the city out, the schools didn’t close, and Yonkers lived to fight another day.
“The cost?
“Local government would impose a personal income tax on the people of Yonkers, and temporarily cede its authority to a state-appointed control board to oversee the city’s finances. The same control board would again assert itself in 1988 after the landmark decision in U.S. v. Yonkers exposed decades of systemic social and economic abuse in our public housing and public education.
“Albany had the opportunity to heal our broken community. Instead they handicapped our most vulnerable at a time when our most vulnerable should’ve been experiencing unprecedented potential.
“To this day, Yonkers remains the only city outside the five boroughs that levies a personal income tax on its residents, one that’s set to sunset in 2019. Letting it expire will require strength and leadership from elected officials who recognize this tax for what it is: a relic of our painful, complicated past. We need closure, not continuity.
“New York is already the most taxed state in the nation, depressing business startup, and forcing over 1 million residents to flee for their financial lives over the last seven years. Discontinuing the personal income tax would be the first step toward fueling a Yonkers renaissance unseen since the end of World War II.
“After getting trounced in Buffalo by Carl Paladino, Andrew Cuomo earmarked $1 billion worth of taxpayer money for Nickel City, already the proud recipient of a 98 percent capital infrastructure subsidy. Rochester, too, receives the same 98 percent reimbursement.
“Meanwhile, Yonkers, the fourth largest city in the state and its 200,000 taxpayers get the short shrift to the tune of 28 percent less. That’s on top of our state-mandated income tax.
“Once again, Yonkers is forced to fend for itself, while the rest of the state outside of the Big Apple gets abundant pork barrel appropriations from Albany.
“We cannot let this continue for another generation.
“High school graduation rates are on the rise for the first time in decades, however, it’ll take significant – and more importantly smart – investment to turn a one-time spike into a long-term trend.
“New York’s ‘hold harmless’ provisions are the antithesis of smart investment.
“Hold Harmless, an education policy provision adopted by many U.S. states, ensures every school district receives equal state aid funding regardless of need or enrollment.
“Unfortunately, this means school districts that see an increase in enrollment but a decrease in local tax base, suffer most.
“Yonkers has experienced the fastest new student growth outside of New York City in the last 10 years while enrollment statewide has decreased 6 percent. According to the Citizens’ Budget Commission, 216 of New York’s 950 school districts exceeded state aid targets in 2016, yet still received funding on parity with school districts that didn’t.
“Business 101: shift resources from divisions that flourish to shore up divisions that struggle. Albany still can’t seem to grasp this very simple concept.
“When I look around at the city I love, I see the fear on the face of every single retiree, afraid they might have to sell their own home due to runaway property and personal income taxes.
“My heart aches for the children who suffer due to drastic reductions in after school programs. Last November, Yonkers Section 1 athletic council announced high school football would consolidate down from eight teams to just two.
“I was able to attend college thanks in part to an athletic grant to play Division I football. This consolidation will eliminate that same opportunity for thousands of talented children.
“We can do better. A 21st century Yonkers deserves better.
“But if we do not act now, if we don’t elect representatives who will actually stand up and fight instead of treating the position like a low-show job, then the same dream that brought my mother and so many other families to Yonkers in the first place could slip away forever.”
Joseph Pinion, III is a small business owner, founder of the Conservative Color Coalition, a spokesperson for climate change advocacy group RepublicEn, and a candidate for State Assembly in New York’s 90th Distri
