As the great Yogi (Yogi Berra) would say: it's deja vu all over again.
Cars, the only issue in White Plains Sunday, September 21, 2008
Today I forwarded a New York Times article about pod cars to the city e-mail ID...
The sole issue in White Plains: move 'em, park 'em.
The sole solution: more lanes, more garages.
This is an escalating cycle that cannot be continued...
White Plains needs elected officials who have the imagination to consider new and different ideas. Otherwise, there will be more speedways slashing through downtown and more monster garages.
_______________________
from: Kenneth Matinale
to: commoncouncil@whiteplainsny.gov,
Tom Soyk <tsoyk@whiteplainsny.gov>
cc: letters@lohud.com,
digital@lohud.com
date: Jan 31, 2020, 12:52 AM
subject: NYTimes: A Novel Plan to Fix One of New York’s Worst Highways: Remove Lanes
A Novel Plan to Fix One of New York’s Worst Highways: Remove Lanes
The proposal to shrink the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway is the latest effort to reduce congestion that is strangling the city. By Winnie Hu Published Jan. 30, 2020
Friday, January 31, 2020
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Write in apartment residents for Common Council.
Of course they won't be elected but at least you'll have sent a message to the two national major political parties that on ground level they need to deal with quality of life in downtown White Plains.
One current Common Council member lives in an apartment. None of the candidates do. They all live in houses. The only issue for people living in White Plains houses is being able to drive into downtown White Plains and park in ten minutes. Preferably for free, if the candidate is a Republican.
The Democrats brandish their humanitarian credentials by favoring affordable housing but they make sure that they don't have any skin in the game. It's not affordable houses but affordable apartments, which means nowhere near them or their constituents.
None of the candidates view people living in apartments as their constituents. So why should people living in apartments vote for them?
Why aren't people living in apartments involved enough to be candidates? It's because we're dumb and lazy. It would help if the structure of White Plains government were changed to electing Common Council members by geographic districts but that change won't happen. It would take people living in apartments to dominate the voting and electing Common Council members who live in apartments. Once that happens the tyranny would simply change from houses to apartments.
So if you live in an apartment, stop voting against your own self interest. Write in your own name, a neighbor in your apartment building, your board president, ... Just stop voting for people who live in houses.
The condo and co-op board presidents should get off their asses and form a group to counter the Council of Neighborhood Associations (CNA), which has undue influence over White Plains public policy to the detriment of the majority who live in downtown apartments.
Quality of life matters.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Common Council candidates do not live downtown.
2019 C I T Y F I N A L R O L L
https://www.cityofwhiteplains.com/DocumentCenter/View/4858/2019-Final-Assessment-Roll?bidId=
Democrats:
Hunt-Robinson: 126 WALWORTH AVE. 10606
Victoria Presser: 112 ALEXANDER AVE. 10606
Jennifer Puja: 24 UPLAND AVE. 10604
Republicans:
Andrew Custodio: 16 GEDNEY WAY 10605
Brian Peroni: 24 DOYER AVE. 10605
AnnMarie Encarnacao: 27 COBB AVE. 10606
Kat: Brezler not in it. Lives off Bryant Ave.
______________________
The Democrats hate developers and favor affordable housing ... just not anywhere near where they live.
The Republicans avoid the topic.
None live in area codes 10601, 10603. They all live in houses, not apartments (maybe except Brezler).
Affordable housing hypocrisy expands. Saturday, April 13, 2019
https://www.cityofwhiteplains.com/DocumentCenter/View/4858/2019-Final-Assessment-Roll?bidId=
Democrats:
Hunt-Robinson: 126 WALWORTH AVE. 10606
Victoria Presser: 112 ALEXANDER AVE. 10606
Jennifer Puja: 24 UPLAND AVE. 10604
Republicans:
Andrew Custodio: 16 GEDNEY WAY 10605
Brian Peroni: 24 DOYER AVE. 10605
AnnMarie Encarnacao: 27 COBB AVE. 10606
Kat: Brezler not in it. Lives off Bryant Ave.
______________________
The Democrats hate developers and favor affordable housing ... just not anywhere near where they live.
The Republicans avoid the topic.
None live in area codes 10601, 10603. They all live in houses, not apartments (maybe except Brezler).
Affordable housing hypocrisy expands. Saturday, April 13, 2019
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
ShopRite downtown up to its old tricks.
Both bought at ShopRite downtown. The one on the right purchased Oct. 14, 2019 with an "expiration" date of Oct. 15, 2019. On the left: "expiration" date of Nov. 4, 2019 and already in my refrigerator from a purchase the previous week. In other words, the more recent purchase was three weeks older.
What the heck? The almost expired product was returned. Expiration dates are a joke. They are set so far in the future that they are almost never passed. The fact that the old product was within two days of expiring indicates how unacceptable it is.
Updated 10/17/2019:
Subsequently looked for another quart and found several with the date 10/28/19. But way behind them were some dated 12/7/19:
So ShopRite had product with dates 10/28/19 and 12/7/19. Which would you buy on 10/15/19?
ShopRite: food dates not the most recent. Friday, February 9, 2018
ShopRite of White Plains
13 City Place
White Plains, New York 10601
(914) 539 - 4500
__________________________
ShopRite downtown has gotten even worse. Saturday, February 2, 2019
Columbus day parade 2019 in New York City, not White Plains.
Watch a short video highlight from local CBS TV about the 2019 Columbus day parade in New York City: https://cbsloc.al/2qc4N8o
Eastchester had three days of festivities: https://eastchestercolumbusday.org/home
Italian day might be a good description.
White Plains had nothing.
Monday, October 14, 2019
NYTimes: Cars Were Banned on 14th Street. The Apocalypse Did Not Come.
from: Kenneth Matinale
to: commoncouncil@whiteplainsny.gov
cc: digital@lohud.com,
letters@lohud.com
date: Oct 14, 2019, 6:29 AM
subject: NYTimes: Cars Were Banned on 14th Street. The Apocalypse Did Not Come.
Cars Were Banned on 14th Street. The Apocalypse Did Not Come. https://nyti.ms/2OFsHDr
You Common Council members who live in houses don't give a damn about downtown White Plains being pedestrian hostile. None of the candidates do either.
___________________________________
NYC closed 14th Street. What's White Plains doing? Friday, August 9, 2019 Friday, August 9, 2019
to: commoncouncil@whiteplainsny.gov
cc: digital@lohud.com,
letters@lohud.com
date: Oct 14, 2019, 6:29 AM
subject: NYTimes: Cars Were Banned on 14th Street. The Apocalypse Did Not Come.
Cars Were Banned on 14th Street. The Apocalypse Did Not Come. https://nyti.ms/2OFsHDr
You Common Council members who live in houses don't give a damn about downtown White Plains being pedestrian hostile. None of the candidates do either.
___________________________________
NYC closed 14th Street. What's White Plains doing? Friday, August 9, 2019 Friday, August 9, 2019
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
What street or intersection has been improved this millenium?
About four years ago the mayor criticized the urban planning of half a century before, especially the many one way 4-5 lane streets in downtown. However, not a single improvement has been made. And the streets are more pedestrian hostile than ever because of the ever increasing number and size of the buses that have a very low percentage of their seats filled with passengers. This includes the $115 million a year Westchester County Bee-Line bus system.
Based on observation in downtown White Plains, including the bus depot at the train station, a reasonable guess is that 90% of Bee-Line buses are less than 50% occupied. Casual observation seems to be way more than anything experienced by White Plains Common Council members, the county executive and county legislators.
The only issue in White Plains is people living in the houses in the suburbs of White Plains being able to drive and park in downtown White Plains in ten minutes. Bingo bongo end of story. Oh, and attending the occasional candidates debate at the library to extol the virtues of White Plains being walkable, an alien concept to them, much like pedestrians. Maybe if they rode the Bee-Line, ...
Based on observation in downtown White Plains, including the bus depot at the train station, a reasonable guess is that 90% of Bee-Line buses are less than 50% occupied. Casual observation seems to be way more than anything experienced by White Plains Common Council members, the county executive and county legislators.
The only issue in White Plains is people living in the houses in the suburbs of White Plains being able to drive and park in downtown White Plains in ten minutes. Bingo bongo end of story. Oh, and attending the occasional candidates debate at the library to extol the virtues of White Plains being walkable, an alien concept to them, much like pedestrians. Maybe if they rode the Bee-Line, ...
Friday, August 9, 2019
NYC closed 14th Street. What's White Plains doing?
Rhetorical question.
Cars — including taxis and those working for ride-hailing apps — will be banned from driving across a one-mile stretch of 14th Street from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, under an 18-month pilot program that could be made permanent.
_______________________________
Nothing. White Plains is doing nothing. Oh wait, White Plains got itself declared a transportation hub for the lower Hudson Valley. Why? To get more money for the cheap MTA to finally improve its train station here: catching up on 30 years of neglect and correct fundamental problems with the original design.
In exchange for that White Plains gets a huge influx of regional buses, that not only go to the train station but also drive through the already overcrowded downtown streets. What percent of the passenger seats on those buses are occupied in downtown White Plains? The Hudson Link buses are a complete joke as many, if not most, have had ZERO passengers. ZERO.
Common Council members,:
- Have you ridden a bus in White Plains this millenium?
- Have you traveled to city hall in other than a private car?
- After your ten minute drive from your house to downtown do you walk more than a block from your car?
Common Council candidates and their house constituents drive to a debate at the library and talk about:
- White Plains being walkable
- sustainable White Plains.
Candidates Debate takeaway: Tuesday, June 18, 2019
The half century old White Plains car model is neither walkable nor sustainable but no White Plains decision makers show any real understanding, much less inclination to actually change anything.
Not one downtown 4-5 lane street has been improved. Not one.
Not one downtown street corner has been improved. Not one.
White Plains decision makers have no idea how pedestrian hostile White Plains is because they don't live downtown. They only visit the city for which they make quality of life decisions.
The only issue in White Plains: residents in suburban White Plains houses being able to drive to/from downtown in ten minutes. And they think they're entitled to park for free and don't understand why that's not the policy. White Plains decision makers all know it but none will address it.
Solution: election districts instead of Common Council members being elected at large. The reality is that the house residents keep their own in power and we downtown apartment residents are too dumb and lazy to take over as our numbers would support.
So White Plains schlepps along, the convenient compromise.
The city takes its crackdown on cars to 14th Street, a crosstown route for 21,000 vehicles a day, which will be virtually off limits.
By Winnie Hu Aug. 8, 2019 nytimes.comCars — including taxis and those working for ride-hailing apps — will be banned from driving across a one-mile stretch of 14th Street from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, under an 18-month pilot program that could be made permanent.
_______________________________
Nothing. White Plains is doing nothing. Oh wait, White Plains got itself declared a transportation hub for the lower Hudson Valley. Why? To get more money for the cheap MTA to finally improve its train station here: catching up on 30 years of neglect and correct fundamental problems with the original design.
In exchange for that White Plains gets a huge influx of regional buses, that not only go to the train station but also drive through the already overcrowded downtown streets. What percent of the passenger seats on those buses are occupied in downtown White Plains? The Hudson Link buses are a complete joke as many, if not most, have had ZERO passengers. ZERO.
Common Council members,:
- Have you ridden a bus in White Plains this millenium?
- Have you traveled to city hall in other than a private car?
- After your ten minute drive from your house to downtown do you walk more than a block from your car?
Common Council candidates and their house constituents drive to a debate at the library and talk about:
- White Plains being walkable
- sustainable White Plains.
Candidates Debate takeaway: Tuesday, June 18, 2019
The half century old White Plains car model is neither walkable nor sustainable but no White Plains decision makers show any real understanding, much less inclination to actually change anything.
Not one downtown 4-5 lane street has been improved. Not one.
Not one downtown street corner has been improved. Not one.
White Plains decision makers have no idea how pedestrian hostile White Plains is because they don't live downtown. They only visit the city for which they make quality of life decisions.
The only issue in White Plains: residents in suburban White Plains houses being able to drive to/from downtown in ten minutes. And they think they're entitled to park for free and don't understand why that's not the policy. White Plains decision makers all know it but none will address it.
Solution: election districts instead of Common Council members being elected at large. The reality is that the house residents keep their own in power and we downtown apartment residents are too dumb and lazy to take over as our numbers would support.
So White Plains schlepps along, the convenient compromise.
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Candidates Debate takeaway:
Boring unimaginative questions and worse answers.
More affordable housing (apartments), which means nowhere near the candidates, who live in houses.
Affordable apartments for police officers and firefighters because they don't get paid enough money to work and live in White Plains. The obvious solution is to pay them more but then people in the houses would be paying extra, not developers. Plus, paying them more means they can live where they want, including a house.
No tax increases. Make developers pay for affordable apartments, which means pass along to market rate renters, who are not considered White Plains residents by people living in houses. The purpose of those renters is to subsidize the people living in houses
Green and sustainable but downtown parking free for residents so that people living in houses can drive and park downtown in ten minutes.
Have the malls replace some retail stores with services, whatever that means, and supply meeting space. Oh, and be sure to have enough income to pay your taxes to subsidize the people living in houses.
Bask in their humanitarianism.
Did these four Democratic candidates for the three open seats on the Common Council just arrive from another planet? Their thoughts are impractical, unrealistic and contradictory. Get real.
Have any of them ridden the Bee-Line bus this millennium? Live on a street with sidewalks?
In White Plains people living in houses want downtown to be a place for their amusement and only a ten minute drive away. But they don't actually live with the consequences of their decisions. The people living in the downtown apartments do.
More affordable housing (apartments), which means nowhere near the candidates, who live in houses.
Affordable apartments for police officers and firefighters because they don't get paid enough money to work and live in White Plains. The obvious solution is to pay them more but then people in the houses would be paying extra, not developers. Plus, paying them more means they can live where they want, including a house.
No tax increases. Make developers pay for affordable apartments, which means pass along to market rate renters, who are not considered White Plains residents by people living in houses. The purpose of those renters is to subsidize the people living in houses
Green and sustainable but downtown parking free for residents so that people living in houses can drive and park downtown in ten minutes.
Have the malls replace some retail stores with services, whatever that means, and supply meeting space. Oh, and be sure to have enough income to pay your taxes to subsidize the people living in houses.
Bask in their humanitarianism.
Did these four Democratic candidates for the three open seats on the Common Council just arrive from another planet? Their thoughts are impractical, unrealistic and contradictory. Get real.
Have any of them ridden the Bee-Line bus this millennium? Live on a street with sidewalks?
In White Plains people living in houses want downtown to be a place for their amusement and only a ten minute drive away. But they don't actually live with the consequences of their decisions. The people living in the downtown apartments do.
Monday, June 17, 2019
Questions for tonight's candidates debate for Common Council.
At the library, tonight 7-9 PM. Hey, what else is the library good for?
Democratic party primary debate for THREE open seats on the seven member Common Council. Since White Plains voters registered as Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to 1, the Democratic nomination is tantamount to election, or more accurately selection.
The three candidates were selected in secret with no party wide vote. Then a fourth Democrat challenged and the matter eventually went to court and forced the Democratic party to have a primary Tuesday June 25, 2019.
The White Plains League of Women Voters is organizing tonight's debate; the League will not take questions from the floor but asked for them before in writing. Here are the four candidates for the three Common Council seats:
Nadine Hunt-Robinson, incumbent
Victoria Presser
Jennifer Puja
Kat Brezler, challenger
Ladies, here are some questions:
Do you live in a downtown apartment or a house?
As a candidate have you attended a condo or co-op meeting?
Is the only issue in White Plains having people drive from their house to downtown in ten minutes?
Are you a citizen of the United States of America?
Would you support controlled demolition of the Galleria and its garage for the purpose of creating a central park?
Open space on Galleria parking lot roof could be a park. Saturday, February 17, 2018
Do you favor changing White Plains government from electing Common Council at large to having them represent geographic districts? You know, like legislatures of Westchester County, New York State and the United States of America.
So, how do you feel about all those huge buses inundating downtown White Plains, especially the Hudson Link?
lohud blasts Hudson Link bus system. Email sent to Common Council. Saturday, May 4, 2019
Bus mania is to get train station money as hub for east-west Lower Hudson Transit Link? Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Democratic party primary debate for THREE open seats on the seven member Common Council. Since White Plains voters registered as Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to 1, the Democratic nomination is tantamount to election, or more accurately selection.
The three candidates were selected in secret with no party wide vote. Then a fourth Democrat challenged and the matter eventually went to court and forced the Democratic party to have a primary Tuesday June 25, 2019.
The White Plains League of Women Voters is organizing tonight's debate; the League will not take questions from the floor but asked for them before in writing. Here are the four candidates for the three Common Council seats:
Nadine Hunt-Robinson, incumbent
Victoria Presser
Jennifer Puja
Kat Brezler, challenger
Ladies, here are some questions:
Do you live in a downtown apartment or a house?
As a candidate have you attended a condo or co-op meeting?
Is the only issue in White Plains having people drive from their house to downtown in ten minutes?
Are you a citizen of the United States of America?
Would you support controlled demolition of the Galleria and its garage for the purpose of creating a central park?
Open space on Galleria parking lot roof could be a park. Saturday, February 17, 2018
Do you favor changing White Plains government from electing Common Council at large to having them represent geographic districts? You know, like legislatures of Westchester County, New York State and the United States of America.
So, how do you feel about all those huge buses inundating downtown White Plains, especially the Hudson Link?
lohud blasts Hudson Link bus system. Email sent to Common Council. Saturday, May 4, 2019
Bus mania is to get train station money as hub for east-west Lower Hudson Transit Link? Tuesday, April 16, 2019
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