By Dan Murphy
A wise Yonkers democrat recently told us, when asked whether republicans can win elections in Yonkers for statewide and federal office, that is has been 11 years since then-Assemblyman and now Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano switched parties and changed his registration from republican to democrat.
“Spano decided more than 10 years ago that the future in Yonkers was with the democratic party and things haven’t changed,” said our democratic elected official. “They may have even gotten worse.”
Joe Pinion said he believes he can win as a republican in the 90th Assembly District, which makes up 80 percent of Yonkers. Even in the middle of a blue wave of democratic and progressive enthusiasm and a backlash against President Donald Trump in Yonkers, Pinion can hang onto the fact that two republicans, former County Executive Rob Astorino and former Council President Liam McLaughlin, both won the 90th District in their respective races last year.
Pinion is a lifelong Yonkers resident, raised by a mother who, like many moms and dads, “mortgaged her happiness for me” so that her son can achieve and succeed. Pinion has experience in the non-profit community; his mother worked for a health center in Westchester and Pinion has worked on giving impoverished students in the state scholarships and grants to get a higher education.
Pinion’s slogan is “Believe in Yonkers,” and his major theme is, “Our delegation going to Albany has been unable to deliver for Yonkers.”
“Last year’s city budget had a 6.5 percent property tax increase, and if you elect the same people again, the result will be the same next year and we will bust through the tax cap again and the burden will be on the people of Yonkers,” he said. “Yonkers has invested in the State of New York, but the State of New York hasn’t invested in Yonkers.”
Pinion understands the challenges of running as a republican in an era of Trump and the blue wave. “This is a difficult environment where we have tribalism, and democrats vote democrat and republicans vote republican,” he said. “I’m asking for the people of Yonkers to take a different look.
“I’m not running to defend or criticize the president. I’m running for my grandmother and those who are being forced out of their homes. Yes, I understand the anger and frustration. I hear it when I knock on doors. That is why I got into this race – I have the pain and suffering of Yonkers inside me.
“And I don’t care what party you are enrolled in, or whether you are black or Italian, the greatest threat to Yonkers is politicians in Albany who believe that the people of Yonkers have no value,” said Pinion. “If we don’t question and challenge that, things will never change, and the budget crisis will continue in Yonkers.”
Pinion began his campaign for Assembly before former Assemblymember Shelley Mayer ran for, and won, a State Senate seat. Pinion was ready to run against Mayer and is now running against democrat Nader Sayegh on Nov. 6.
“It doesn’t matter who the democratic party puts up, we have a delegation of democrats that has not delivered results for Yonkers and has stood by while we have been treated fairly,” said Pinion. “There has been a supermajority in the Assembly for decades. We gain nothing by sending another person to the Assembly who will toe the line and rubber stamp their actions, which hurt Yonkers.”
Pinion said his first actions, if elected, would be to push for the repeal of the income tax surcharge in Yonkers. Enacted in 1984, the law has a sunset clause for its removal in 2019. Pinion said he is hoping that he can sponsor legislation in the Assembly to do just that. “Let’s repeal that tax and let the money stay in the pockets of the people of Yonkers,” he said.
Pinion would also ask the state to pay property taxes on some of the 450 acres of state-owned land in Yonkers, and re-examine the revenue-sharing agreement between the city and Empire Casino, he said.
We followed up with Pinion on the question of how he could deliver for Yonkers as a member of the Assembly republican minority, if elected. “Anybody who tells voters that a democratic majority in the Senate and a democrat representing us in the Assembly help Yonkers is lying or uniformed,” he said.
“Under the democrats, Yonkers lost over $100 million through the Gap Elimination Adjustment since 2010. It’s not about selecting a party. It’s about electing a leader with the courage to speak truth to power and stand up for Yonkers. And the solutions can only be achieved through bipartisan cooperation.
“Additionally, perhaps I have more respect for the integrity of (State) Sen. Stewart-Cousins and Sen. Mayer than my opponent, but I believe if I propose legislation that will improve the lives of the people of Yonkers, neither of them will vote against it just because I have an ‘R’ next to my name.”
We also asked Pinion if he would consider running as the Republican candidate for mayor next year, if no other candidate comes forward. “I have no desire to run for mayor,” he said. “I plan on being in Albany, fighting to end 40 years of systemic neglect in Yonkers. The decisions made in Albany will dictate the future of Yonkers.”
