By Eric Wolf Schoen To the tune of Santa Claus Comes to Town:
You better watch out,
Or you’ll start to cry.
You better watch out I’m telling you why.
The Yonkers City Council is up to their antics again!
Collins-Bellamy, Rubbo, Diaz and Breen,
It’s hard to believe what four people will do
Screw the voters like me and you.
The Yonkers City Council is up to their antics again.
They pulled off a trick in a mere 7 days,
Typical way they do business now a days.
The Yonkers City Council is up to their crazy antics again!
They never ever sleep.
They are scheming all the time,
The Yonkers City Council is up to their antics again!
All of it on the taxpayers dime!
You better watch out,
Here they go again!
You better watch out,
I am telling you my friends.
The Yonkers City Council is up to their antics again!
Well, I am no poet. I do not lie. But this whole term limits situation has made me cry. If you were away last week ,the Yonkers City Council voted pending the Mayor’s signature a change to the City Charter to allow the Mayor, City Council President, and Council members to serve 4 terms in their offices of course with voter approval. This after they pulled the same shenanigans 4 years ago in 2018 going from 2 terms to 3.
How have Charter changes always been done in the past. By city wide referendum. The council could have put it on the ballot for next November but the Mayor and City Council would have lost the perks of the office if they like Mayor Spano had completed 3 terms. It doesn’t matter so much to Spano as it does to Breen, Colllins Bellamy and Diaz. They are building their pensions and need 10 years of city service to get their pensions and all the other perks of the job like lifetime free health and dental care. Nice work if you can get it, and through schemes like this they try pretty hard.
Westchester County Legislature is term limited to 8 years, so why does the Yonkers City Council not follow them. This is more of a question of integrity than anything else. And Collins-Bellamy, Rubbo, Breen and Diaz have lost all their credibility in my book. They could have waited to do this but it’s simply a matter of greed.
This is not a question of Mayor Mike Spano. Take Spano out of the equation. As I have told you Before at a city public event in 2018 Spano assured me he was not going for a third term. ‘Eric, you know how difficult this job is and how much it takes away from your family. I would never go for a third term.’ Weeks later the Council extended the term limits from 2 to 3. I called Mayor Spano a liar then and his public statements prove once again this year he is lying to the residents of Yonkers. I have known Mike for for a long time and his behavior on this matter shocks me.
His behavior has split people that are pro-Mike Spano and long time friends like me. It isn’t that we don’t like Mike. It isn’t that he’s not doing a good job. It’s simply that his their are many people who would like to step up to the plate and run for Mayor. Mike Spano is not the only person capable of being Mayor. There are many Hispanic, Black, Asian, Christians and Jews who would like to take a shot at the Mayor’ office. Why are they not given the opportunity?
Let me explain to you as of today how the City Hall scheme is going to go. Collins-Bellamy will be appointed a judge in January to take over the seat vacated by Goldberg-Velasquez on her elevation to the Supreme Court. Collins-Bellamy really has had no accomplishments in her term of office. Diaz will be appointed Council President. The Mayor will fill Diaz’s seat with someone from the Hispanic Community. Spano can’t run for County Executive as the job is promised to Ken Jenkins when Latimer retires. So he will run and win for another four years. What does Rubbo get out of the deal? He will be appointed either a Deputy Mayor or Economic Development head where he can use the experience gained in the restaurant business to help bring other businesses to Yonkers.
So this is how deal making goes in Yonkers. It’s that way with the division of jobs and other economic activities. Everybody gets a piece of the pie until someone in the crust is unhappy. Then all hell breaks loose and everybody gets together and tries one again for a deal out the goodies. Then peace is made once again. The cycle goes on and on. As my grandfather would say, ‘There’s plenty for everybody. When some people or person gets greedy that’s when all hell breaks loose.
I read with interest the article last week on why the Council President and Council members voted the way they did. Collins-Bellamy said ‘this is toughest vote I have taken.’ Wait until all the stimulus money is gone and layoffs begin. Try telling someone they will be losing their job. That’s a difficult vote taken oh so many times in Yonkers.
Diaz said, ‘the show is over and we stick together.’ Yes the deal was made and she got her piece of the action come January. At a recent event Diaz attacked me when I asked her if she was voting against the term limits. Apparently she has a disagreement with Pineda-Isaac as she, rather loudly said if she didn’t vote for the term limit extension Pineda-Isaac would become Mayor.
Breen said some bizarre thing about the democratic process but the election still exists next year.’ Breen will get his piece of the action when all these deals come together. Rubbo said we wouldn’t have the leadership Mayor Spano brings if we don’t have the ability to elect him. Rubbo was rumored to be in line for Mayor so I guess he doesn’t have the leadership to be elected Mayor.
Friends, it’s all one big game until someone doesn’t get what they want. But again to quote Grandpa, ‘there’s plenty for everybody. When some people get greedy, well that’s when all hell breaks loose’.
You haven’t heard the end of this saga yet. Congratulation Council persons Pineda Isaac, Merante and Williams for doing the right thing and voting no on extension of term limits. Congratulations to the Yonkers Republican Party for issuing a statement against the extension.
This saga is far from over! This, too is the corrupt, self serving politics of Yonkers!
A brief note: Thank you to Toy guru Richard Gottlieb for his appearance on my last radio show. Richard is a Consultant and Commentator in the toy industry. When the networks want someone to talk toys Richard is their man.
Listen to Eric Schoen on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
