White Plains Soapbox

From John Bailey,

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From The Chairman of the White Plains Labor Coalition on Police Pensions for Open Space Acquisition:

I have to concur with a recent opinion offered by Bill Waterman regarding the sanctity of employee pension money. Although Mr. Waterman mentioned that decisions to spend pension money for open space would affect members of the police department, in fact the decisions would also impact Fire, CSEA and Teamster (sanitation) employees.

We all want open space, but to earmark pension monies in reserve for employees for that purpose, without discussing the matter with employee representatives, is a slap in the face to every city employee.

In 1973, massive revisions were made in public employee pensions in Albany slashing benefits for working men and women in White Plains and throughout the state. Our labor leaders have asked the city for modest improvements in our pensions. They have been told that the city does not have the money.

When Mario Cuomo, as New York State governor, tried to use pension monies to balance the state budget, he was slapped down by the state comptroller and the Court of appeals for the immorality and illegality of his proposal.

City leadership appears to be following in his footsteps.

Duncan MacRae
Chairman
White Plains Labor Coalition
948-4291