Westchester Herald

New York Civic Strawberry Fields Forever By Henry J. Stern

City Honored John Lennon Naming Strawberry Fields, Which Yoko Ono Rebuilt

First published on October 12, 2010

Saturday was the 70th anniversary of the birth of John Lennon, born and raised in Liverpool, England, but a New Yorker by choice for the last nine years of his life. His tragic death on December 8, 1980 in front of his home led to outpourings of sorrow from around the world.  Mayor Koch led a memorial gathering at the Bandshell in Central Park on Sunday, December 14 attended by an estimated 100,000 people, to honor his memory. Recordings of Beatles' music were played for the crowd, but no speeches were made.

New York Civic: Drinking Sugar By Henry J. Stern

Free Soda on Food Stamps Challenged by Bloomberg, Bottlers Play Race Card.

The proposal by Mayor Bloomberg and  Governor Paterson that people receiving food stamps should no longer be able to use them to purchase sugared soft  drinks, particularly soda, has drawn the inevitable controversy that accompanies public health innovations that are intended to change eating or drinking habits.

New York Civic: Jail to the Thief BY Henry J. Stern

Hevesi Cops a Plea,

Cuomo to Accept It

26 Days to Election.

Today is October 7, 2010

     There was little surprise in  Alan Hevesi's confession that he was a corrupt Comptroller. News of the Attorney General's investigation had leaked over the years, and the guilty pleas of his co-conspirators made it clear that his office was a cesspool of favoritism obtained through bribery.

New York Civic: Betrayal of the Public Trust BY Henry J. Stern

 Disgraced Hevesi is Plea bargaining; Cuomo Gets His Man

September 29, 2010

Election Day is 34 days away, and people are slowly beginning to pay attention to the contests. We do not endorse candidates or predict the outcome of elections. We do make observations as to what is happening.

New York Civic's Henry J. Stern Hosts Annual Fundraiser with Special Guest Hon. Ed Koch

 New York, NY, September 29, 2010 -- New York Civic's annual fundraiser, featuring special guest Ed Koch, will be held tomorrow, September 30, from 6 to 9 pm, at a beautiful penthouse apartment near Gramercy Park with a private rooftop. 

For more information about how can you come to our gala, please call 212-564-4441 or direct email to  morgan@nycivic.org. The minimum contribution to attend the event is $100, but larger sums will not be refused.

New York Civic: Abuse of Process BY Henry J. Stern

Brooks and Howard Seek Legal Reform;

Is There a Chance to Secure Justice?

September 27, 2010

An insightful conversation is shaping up between two gifted commentators on American government and culture.

New York Civic: King of Kings (County) BY Henry J. Stern

Pedro Espada Es Terminado; and

Press Focuses on  Vito Lopez, Poverty Boss, County Leader,State Assembly Housing Chair

September 20, 2010

First of a Series

With Pedro Espada defeated for re-election, the new target of reform in New York City is Vito Lopez, the Democratic county leader of Brooklyn who doubles as chair of the Assembly Housing Committee.

New York Civic: The People Speak BY Henry J. Stern

What We Learned from the Primary;

Today's Puzzle;

Contest Winners; and 

Gala Fundraiser September 30, 2010 (Date change)

September 15, 2010

In an initial take on yesterday's primary, we offer some nuggets of fact, surmise and opinion.

1. The Democratic and Republican party organizations continue to weaken. They are most influential in races where no one knows who the candidates are, usually for judgeships or at the bottom of the ticket. For more important offices, where voters have familiarity with the candidates, they make their own decisions as to whom they will support, guided to some extent by the campaigns and the media.

New York Civic: The Power of the Purse BY Henry Stern

Newspapers Tell Us: Throw the Bums Out, But Who Will Do It? 
September 14, 2010

Today is  Primary Day. The polls will close shortly. If you have not voted yet, do so, particularly if you are thinking of running for public office someday.

We do not advise people for whom to vote. We do call to your attention to two remarkable headlines on page one of the Daily News and the Post.

The Post's headline, on the block, which means in huge type, is BUMS AWAY.

New York Civic: Sleeper Candidate BY Henry J. Stern

 Rattner Credits Harry Wilson with Saving General Motors, Praises his Financial Acumen

September 8, 2010

A surprising article came in yesterday on the Internet -- Wayne Barrett of theVillage Voice wrote a column on Runnin' Scared, the Voice's political blog. That title was used in the 1960's for a Voice column written by Mary Perot Nichols(1926-96), a scourge of corrupt politicians.

New York Civic: The Great Giveaway BY Henry J. Stern

 Gargantuan Tower Approved Two Blocks From King Kong

September 2, 2010

The Sunday Times carried dueling quotes on the City Council's decision to upzone an entire block of mid-Manhattan so that a new office tower, over 1200 feet tall (just 30 feet short of the Empire State Building) could be built on the site of the Hotel Pennsylvania, opposite the underground railroad station.

New York Civic: Back to the Future 2021BY Henry J. Stern

 Two Editorials Assail Charter Commission Over 11-Year Delay on Term Limit End

August 30, 2010

Once again, we take pen in hand (figuratively) to criticize the actions and inactions of the Charter Revision Commission. We do that not because there is overwhelming public interest in the subject at this time, but because there is an issue of trust and credibility here which should be discussed openly.

Today, the New York Post joined The Daily News in sharp editorial criticism of the Commission. We quote extensively from these hard-hitting editorials. If you wish, you can click on The Daily News and the New York Post for the full text.

New York Civic: Justice Delayed is Justice Denied BY Henry J. Stern

Commission Delays Two-Term Limit for City Officials Until A.D. 2021, However the Public Votes this Year

August 24, 2010

The Charter Revision Commission appointed by Mayor Bloomberg voted last night to postpone by eleven years the effective date when a two- term limit would take effect, even if the voters approve it in  referendum this fall.

New York Civic: The Seven Questions - Answered BY Henry J. Stern

Seven Questions You Asked Us to Answer:

Why Two Houses, Rating Legislators, Gracie Mansion, Why 51 Councilmembers, New York Baseball Cubans,Unfunded Healthcare Mandates, Hell in a Handbasket

August 18, 2010

Question: Since one man (person), one vote eliminated a legislative body representing geographic areas like counties, why do we need 2 houses, their cost and their incompetence in NY? - Robert E. Adamski

New York Civic: Eleven Years-a-Waiting BY Henry J. Stern

Public to Vote in 2010 on Term Limits, But Under Current Commission Plan, They Will Not Take Effect Until 2021

August 17, 2010

NOTE: New York Civic is now looking for fall interns. You will learn a great deal about New York City and State  government, and meet interesting people. In past years, many students and post-grads have enjoyed the experience. If interested, call 212-564-4441 or emailmorgan@nycivic.org.

Take a Free Tour of the NY Federal Reserve Bank with New York Civic's Henry J. Stern

NEW YORK CIVIC
in cooperation with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York

is pleased to invite you to a

TOUR OF THE FEDERAL
RESERVE BANK OF NEW YORK

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
33 Liberty Street

Intrigued by the possibility of seeing inside the world's largest  golddepository 
- with over $250 billion on hand? Interested in learning more about the 
Federal Reserve System and its role in the U.S.  economy?

Then join New York Civic on a group tour of the New York Fed to find out what really goes on inside the building where America's  monetary policy is implemented.

FREE ADMISSION

The tour must be limited to the first 25 people to reach us. 
Please accept only if you are certain that you will be able to attend.

To attend, please RSVP to morgan@nycivic.org or call (212) 564-4441.
For directions and further information, visit: 
http://www.newyorkfed.org/aboutthefed/ny_directions.html

New York Civic: The Axeman Cometh BY Henry J. Stern

All We Are Saying Is Give Geese A Chance;

StarQuest in the News;

Last Chance for Questions; and

In Search of Fall Interns

The "Pelham Parkway 87" are mature trees, primarily lindens, with some elms and oaks, who have the misfortune of living too close to a " road improvement", as the $36 million reconstruction of the two-mile long roadway is euphemistically called. Not enough is being done by the city to preserve these historic trees.

New York Civic - Death Be Not Proud BY Henry J. Stern

 87 Mature Pelham Parkway Trees Face Deracination Under City Plan

Do you know about Pelham Parkway?

It is a magnificent park and boulevard, 2.3 miles long and 400 feet wide. It connects Bronx Park and Pelham Bay Park. You should read its fascinating entry in Wikipedia. There is nothing quite like it in the City of New York, in terms of greenery and grandeur enhancing a public thoroughfare.

New York Civic: Budget - Late, Unbalanced BY Henry J. Stern

Budget Passed, 125 Days Late,

Oil Spill Took 105 Days to Fix Togs Taxed,

Sweet Soda Spared

NEW YORK, NY, August 4, 2010 -- The ice broke at about 8:30 p.m. last night, the 125th day that the New York State budget was overdue. The state's fiscal year begins on April 1, and  FY 2010-2011 was more than one-third over when the State Senate passed a revenue bill that purportedly closed the budget gap.

New York Civic: Wine is Fine, Liquor is Quicker BY Henry J. Stern

Budget Deadlock - Day 119

Albany Mulls Sale of Wine in Groceries

NEW YORK, NY, July 28, 2010 -- We often complain about laws or conditions that we believe are wrong or unjustified. Sometimes we ask how these conditions are allowed to continue, when the injustice of the situation is relatively apparent.

New York Civic: Cops Go Forward; Geese Come Back BY HENRY J. STERN

Budget Deadlock - Day 113

Police Will Scan Data Manually to Comply with Stop and Frisk;Geese Returning to Prospect Park

NEW YORK, NY, July 22, 2010 -- Our Tuesday column on stop and frisk legislation produced interesting reactions. The first emailed replies received were negative, some castigating me for going over to the dark side. The next day, Wednesday, predominantly supportive emails were received. Today (Thursday) people are no longer writing us on the subject. This shows that, although the opinion of our readers is divided, the opponents of the bill feel more intensely about it. Further comments are welcome. You may go to this link to post your thoughts.

New York Civic: To Catch a Thief BY HENRY J. STERN

 Budget Deadlock - Day 110

Albany Democrats, Paterson Ignore Bloomberg and Kelly, Limit Use of Stop and Frisk

In most places, state legislatures enact laws which assist local authorities to prevent crime or catch criminals.

New York State is an exception.

New York Civic: The Prospect of Goosegate BY HENRY J. STERN

Budget Deadlock - Day 106;

No Activity in the Yankee Bullpen; and

Goose Gassers Ignored Own Seven-Mile Rule on Airport Proximity

NEW YORK, NY, July 16, 2010 -- In the last two days, we received 28 emails in response to our article on the slaughter of the 400 Prospect Park geese because they were viewed as hazardous to air travel.

New York Civic: Air Rights - To Die For? BY HENRY J. STERN

Budget Deadlock - Day 105

400 Geese Killed in Prospect Park; Was It Necessary?

NEW YORK, NY, July 15, 2010 -- Federal agents swooped down on Prospect Park last week, removing hundreds of  Canada geese and gassing them. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the culling was necessary to protect air travelers. Others dispute that claim.

New York Civic: Hot Air - Albany, NYC, Syracuse BY HENRY J. STERN

Budget Deadlock - Day 99 Heat Wave - Who Invented Air Conditioning? 

Barrett, on Albany Strife, Criticizes Paterson Vetoes as Unjustified Pessimism on Funding of Medicaid

NEW YORK, NY, July 9, 2010 -- A great deal of what has been going on in Albany for years is confusing to most people.

Media reports shed some light on events, but do not reveal the motivations of the actors.