Sound Shore

Good afternoon. Here’s a curated look at the weekend’s opinion conent:

Sunday, Nov. 20
We carried a pair of editorials on budgets proposed by the leaders of county governments in Westchester and Rockland counties. Tough choices loom on both sides of the Hudson as services and programs are slated to be slashed in significant ways in 2012:

Tough choices loom for budgets
Debate over cuts, spending in Rockland

Astorino and HUD: Community View
Bennett L. Gersham, a frequent contributor on legal issues and a professor at Pace University Law School and a former Manhattan prosecutor, weighs in on the impasse between Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development over the 2009 settlement on affordable housing.

Monday, Nov. 21
Flood-insurance reform: Commentary
Eli Lehrer, Joshua Saksand and Shana Udvardy offer a comment on the need to reform flood insurance, an issue that’s sadly near and dear to Lower Hudson Valley residents affected by Tropical Storm Irene.

The Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation has launched Choose NY Hudson Valley, an effort to help grow certain business sectors — and jobs — in the region. At 2 p.m. today, HVEDC President and CEO Mike Oates joins the Editorial Board for a discussion on jobs, the economy and the future of the Hudson Valley. To view the LIVE interview, go to LoHud.com/editorialspotlight; to submit a question, engage the CoverItLive feature on your screen.

Reporters Gary Stern and Cathey O’Donnell will lead a discussion on their special report, “Too Big to Fix,” today at noon at LoHud.com.

The analysis, which examined 456 school buildings in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties, found that one in three received unsatisfactory ratings through state inspections. The cost of repairs to all 456 buildings could exceed $1 billion over the next five years.

Experts will join the conversation and readers are welcome to submit their questions and comments via our CoverItLive blogging feature.

Good Monday morning.

Here’s a glance at opinion content published over the weekend:

Saturday, Nov. 12
Prescription drugs: Editorial
We comment on the cases of David Laffer and Conrad Murray. Laffer was sentenced last week to four consecutive life sentences after he admitted that he killed four people during the robbery of a Medford pharmacy. Murray was convicted on involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of Michael Jackson. Both cases shine a light on prescription drug abuse.

Sunday, Nov. 13
Crumbling Schools: Editorial
We comment on a Journal News investigation that examined the condition of Lower Hudson Valley School buildings. One in three, reporters Gary Stern and Cathey O’Donnell found, are in need of significant repairs. We write:

… School districts get little help from Albany figuring out what to fix or when. While state law requires school districts to have buildings inspected every five years, and to draw up a plan for addressing unsatisfactory findings, no distinction is made between serious safety issues and inefficient, outdated equipment. The state Education Department only reviews capital plans if building aid is sought.

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Here’s a glance at today’s opinion content:

Astorino and the election: Editorial
In our Westchester-Putnam edition, we carried an editorial that analyzed the still-unclear results of Tuesday’s election. The Democratic “supermajority” on Westchester County Board of Legislators is in play and we look at the implications for Republican County Executive Rob Astorino.

Rockland’s vote
The day after Tuesday’s election in Rockland, in which voters selected a sheriff, town and village officials and members of the County Legislature, it’s clear that the regional trend toward Republican leadership is waning. Democrats scored key victories.

Election: Reisman
Phil Reisman weighs in on Westchester’s election results, focusing on the county board of legislators races, Mike Spano’s mayoral win in Yonkers and the return of Ernest Davis in Mount Vernon.

Rockland legislature: Baird
Bob Baird examines the results and implications of the Rockland County Legislature elections in today’s column.

Here’s a glance at opinion content published today in The Journal News:

Westchester County Board of Legislators endorsements: Districts 9, 13, 14, 15
We offered endorsements for candidates seeking seats on the Westchester County Board of Legislators:
District 9: Catherine Borgia, a Democrat
District 13: Lyndon Williams, a Democrat
District 14: Bernice Spreckman, a Republican
District 15: Gordon Burrows, a Republican

Here’s a digest of opinion content we published over the weekend:

Saturday, Oct. 29
Iran and Iraq: Commentaries
We ran a pair of commentary pieces addressing the American withdrawal from Iraq and the implications of an increasingly powerful Iran:
Withdrawal means a victor for Iran: Commentary, Frederick W. Kagan and Kimberly Kagan
Ending an unnecessary war is cause for rejoicing: Commentary, Bob Ray Sanders

Sunday, October 30
Rockland County Legislature endorsements: Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8
We offered endorsement of candidates seeking Rockland County Legislature seats:
District 1: Michael Diederich, a Democrat
District 2: Michael Grant, a Democrat
District 3: Jay Hood Jr., a Democrat
District 4: Ilan Schoenberger, a Democrat
District 8: Denet Alexandre, a Republican

Westchester County Board of Legislators endorsements: Districts 1, 2, 3, 5 and 17
We offered endorsements of candidates seeking Westchester County Board of Legislators seats:
District 1: John Testa, a Republican
District 2: Peter Harckham, a Democrat
District 3: John Nonna, a Democrat
District 5: William Ryan, a Democrat
District 17: Virginia Perez, a Democrat

Tappan Zee Bridge: Baird
Bob Baird assesses the potential infrastructure losses for Rockland County in the new plans to replace the Tappan Zee bridge.

Monday, Oct. 31
Immigrants and the GOP: Commentary
Justin Akers Chacon, a professor of U.S. History and Chicano Studies in San Diego, comments on the Republican presidential candidates’ approach to immigration.

Here’s a look at opinion content published today in The Journal News:

Rockland County budget: Editorial
We comment on the 2012 budget proposal advanced Tuesday by Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef. The proposal would, among other things, defund the county’s nursing home and hospital complex, lay off as many as 800 county employees and ask homeowners for a one-time $160 surcharge. We write:

… Vanderhoef’s proposal makes the kind of hard choices that Rockland has somehow managed to duck — for years. Lawmakers now get their chance to vet the county executive’s proposal and to re-shape the budget plan; taxpayers get to weigh in as well. A final budget must be in place by Dec. 7.

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Good Tuesday morning. Here’s a digest of today’s opinion content:

PEF contract: Editorial
We comment on news that the Public Employees Federation, the second-largest union for state workers, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo have reached tentative accord on a new contract. The union voted to rejected an earlier contract last month and faced approximately 3,500 layoffs; the new deal would avert that blood-letting. We write:

… Now it appears there’s hope of averting the mass layoffs — thanks to fruitful negotiations between union leaders and the Cuomo administration. A tentative accord on a new contract still must be approved by the 56,000-member PEF. Members rejected the earlier agreement 54 percent to 46 percent; the state’s largest public employee union, the 66,000-member Civil Service Employees Association, already OK’d a similar agreement.

The union said the new contract “better meets the needs of our members”; Gov. Cuomo said the agreement would remain “revenue neutral” and come at no additional cost to taxpayers. The new contact would be for four years instead of five, and includes reimbursements for nine furlough days instead of four; a $1,000 cash payment over two years was removed.

The concession-laden agreement reflects the kind of shared sacrifice that many public employee unions have made during this period of great economic upheaval, usually in exchange for protection against job cuts. …

Good Monday morning. Here’s a glance at opinion content published in the weekend editions of The Journal News:

Saturday, Oct. 15
Nov. 8 election: Commentary
Marianna Stout and Ina Aronow, officers of the League of Women Voters in Westchester County, offer tips for voters in advance of the Nov. 8 general election.

Sunday, Oct. 16
Tappan Zee Bridge: Editorial
We comment again on last week’s news that a replacement for the aging Tappan Zee Bridge had been fast-tracked by the Obama administration. Mass transit, we argue, must be a component in any new crossing. We write:

The Obama administration, looking to speed up job creation in this stalled recovery, has put plans for a new Tappan Zee crossing on the fast track; the Federal Highway Administration has taken over as lead agency for the project, and public briefings are already scheduled for next week. The new breakneck speed follows a decade during which planning and progress moved as slowly as Rockland-bound traffic on the Tappan Zee during the evening commute.

With the new developments, it is as if Robert Moses was being channeled by the White House. The project’s sudden rapid pace is reminiscent of the master builder behind the region’s highways, parkways, bridges, tunnels, playgrounds and parks. But another aspect of Moses looms large. The man called “the power broker” shoved through massive projects with little (or in spite of) public input, and all but ignored public transportation as he laid the groundwork for suburban sprawl.

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