Raising Awareness About Child Sex Trafficking in Westchester
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- Written by Stacie M. Waldman
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On April 2nd, State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, Sarah Porter from a group called End Child Prostitution And Trafficking (ECPAT) and Stuart Perrin, author of "Little Sisters" and founder of a safe house in Nepal sat on a panel at the Scarsdale Library to discuss the realities of child trafficking in our own backyard. They asked for a call to action against this $32 billion industry that enslaves 27 million people around the world, including over 200,000 in America.
Stuart Perrin began by describing human trafficking as "...one of the most important issues in the U.S. and internationally today." He ran a safe house in Kathmandu, Nepal for four years in hopes of saving girls between the ages of 8-14 from a life of prostitution and slavery. Young Nepalese girls are worth a lot of money in India. "Pimps" woo the fathers of these girls in remote villages, offering them $200 for their daughters, an amount equivalent to as much as twenty years of a salary in Nepal. These girls are usually one of many children, so they may be sold by their fathers with empty promises of returning home, rich from their time in India. However, if the girl returns disease-ridden rather than wealthy, often the family will not welcome their daughters home. "By starting this safe house," he stated, "there's the chance that we have saved up to 10,000 girls from a lifetime of slavery." He pointed out that his audiences are almost always women, as was the audience at the Scarsdale Library that night. "Women understand it, but men are deeply involved, too," he said. Perrin added, "In a place like Nepal, this often occurs because of extreme poverty. In the U.S., it commonly occurs in dysfunctional families."
Amy Paulin spoke next, chronicling New York State's laws regarding human trafficking. In 2006, as 
Executive Director of "My Sister's Place" in White Plains she first became aware of this issue. In 2007, New York became a precedent-setting state by adopting the first law in the country to make sex trafficking a crime. "Before this, pimps could be accused of other crimes," she said, "but not sex trafficking. This law turned that into a crime." In 2008, the Safe Harbor Bill was passed designating young girls through age 15 as victims, not criminals. But prosecutors needed still more to convict pimps, and in 2012, a bill was passed that made sex trafficking a violent crime while increasing the age a girl was a victim to 16. By acknowledging that these girls are victims, they are treated as such and can access services. In the last few months, Westchester Police (using a Safe Harbor grant) have identified 35 girls from Yonkers alone that were sex trafficking victims. Ms. Paulin pointed out that under federal law (not state law,) for girls under the age of 17, sex as a prostitute is not considered rape, but in all other cases it would considered statutory rape.
Sarah Porter, a Development Associate at ECPAT spoke about how girls who become victims of prostitution don't usually choose to sell sex for money. Many girls become vulnerable as runaways or residents of foster or group homes where they have little support. "It's so important to help change people's attitudes here about prostitution," Ms. Porter emphasized. "How can a 12-year-old or 14-year old make a rational decision to become a prostitute? The answer is they can't, and they are victims of sex trafficking." Ms. Porter visits schools where she educate students on this issue, using a peer-to-peer leader learning methodology. ECPAT also works with the tourism and hotel industry to develop codes of conduct. "We have partnered with some well-known hotels and airlines to make sure staff are trained on the specifics of sex trafficking and can identify a victim," she said. "No hotel wants to appear in a newspaper for a child sex trafficking bust, so there's something in it for them." ECPAT seeks to increase awareness, advocate for victims, ensure that policy helps the victims and fights for improved legislation.
Ms. Paulin ended the evening with some real stories of girls who were victims of child sex trafficking in Westchester. "One girl I met was the daughter of a doctor who ran away from home. Her pimp continuously threatened to hurt her sister if she tried to leave," she shared. "Another," she continued, "was kidnapped at the age of 9 and kept in a closet. She was beaten regularly then sold to another pimp. She finally got out at age 14." "We have to make pimps accountable for their actions," Ms. Paulin reiterated. "New laws will make sure perpetrators are held accountable for their decisions. No more saying 'she looked older'."
Carolyn Gallagher, an audience member representing the Ursuline School said that John Jay College published a study concluding that 45% of sexually exploited children in New York City are exploited in hotel rooms.
Another audience member said, "If you have a $32 billion demand for this type of service, what do you do about the demand side of things? How do you prevent this from happening in the first place." Ms. Paulin responded, "My bills address this demand by strengthening the penalties against the people committing the crime."
Another audience member stated, "I don't mean to sound old fashioned, but it seems to me that kids today look like baby hookers. Kids try to have sex appeal earlier and earlier. Young girls go clubbing. What can we do about this?" Ms. Paulin said, "We need to be careful that we never blame the girls for what they look like. If they feel vulnerable, that's the approach the pimps will use. Victims are not usually the best- dressed and best looking girls. They prey on vulnerabilities."
So what can you do? If you suspect a child sex trafficking situation, call 911 or the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888 373 7888. To raise awareness or get involved, donate to ECPAT or to Little Sisters. Also write to your legislators. There are two lobby days coming up in Albany on May 7th and May 13th. You can even become a foster parent, although one person recommended first gaining experience by hosting a child for a short amount of time through the Fresh Air Fund.
New Home Valuations Now Available Online -See Whether Your Taxes Will Go Up or Down
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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At long last – the Scarsdale Village Assessors Office has the announced the results of the Village-wide revaluation of all Village properties. The new valuations have now been posted online – allowing homeowners to find their new assessed value and calculate your estimated taxes for 2015.
Here's how to find out where you stand:
Go to www.scarsdale.com and click on the On-Line Property Inquiry link in the middle of the home page of the site.
On that page, look up your home address and find your new valuation which is highlighted by dark blue bars.
Find your new home value, and multiply the assessed value by a factor of .02241 (the 2015 estimated tax rate) to find out what your real estate taxes will be under the new assessment.
For example, if your home is valued at $1,000,000, multiply that by .02241 to find that your new estimated taxes would be $22,410.
To see whether your taxes have gone up or down, look at your record on the site to see your 2013 tax levy. Remember these new valuations will not go into effect until 2015, so for 2014 you will pay taxes based on your previous assessed value.
If you have questions about your new valuation, the Village Assessor's office will direct you to speak to a representative from Tyler Technologies, the company that conducted the revaluation. They will be conducting informal review meetings for the purposes of answering your questions.
Meetings will be held from March 31 – April 26 during the following hours:
Monday - Friday ............. 9 am - 5 pm
Monday and Wednesday ........ 6 pm - 8 pm
Saturdays ....... 11 am - 4 pm
You can make an appointment for a meeting with Tyler Technologies at Scarsdale Congregational Church by calling 722-1324, between 9 and Monday through Friday. All informal review meetings will be held in the basement-level offices of the Scarsdale Congregational Church at 1 Heathcote Road and residents are asked to park across the street.
What happened to your tax bill – did it go up or down? Share your story in the comments section below.
Investigators Ask Metro North to Value Safety Over Speed
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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After the devastating Metro North train crash at Spuyten Duyvil in December, many in Scarsdale started to wonder if our commuter line was safe. Before that accident, you rarely heard anyone express fear before stepping on the train. In fact, most preferred the train to driving to Manhattan because they thought the rails were safer than the parkways and they valued the convenience and cost savings of commuting by rail.
But four accidents on the line in 2013 resulting from lax standards spurred the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to investigate management and procedures at Metro North. The result of their study, issued on March 14, is deeply disturbing and cites three key problem areas:
- An over emphasis on on-time performance
- An ineffective Safety Department and poor safety culture
- An ineffective training program
The FRA concluded that Metro North has compromised safety in order to meet train schedules and neglected maintenance and infrastructure. In order to remedy the issues, the FRA has directed Metro North to come up with plans and procedures for track inspection and maintenance, railroad operating rules, qualification and training of engineers and conductors, signal inspection and maintenance, worker protection, operation control and worker fatigue.
Representative Eliot Engel, who now represents most of Scarsdale in Congress has written a letter to Metro North President Jospeh Giuletti demanding that "the commuter rail official take immediate steps to correct safety issues raised in a federal report." According to Engel, "The report raised several, serious red flags. Thousands of commuters depend on Metro-North in order to travel from home to work and back each day. It's shocking that they would cut corners in terms of passenger safety....There's no excuse for compromising passenger safety. None. I am asking President Giulietti to show better leadership by implementing the safety guidelines outlined in the federal report. Failure to take immediate action cannot, and will not, be tolerated."
Joseph Giulietti, the newly appointment President of Metro North Railroad, took over for Howard Permut who served as President since 2008 and retired after the rough ride in 2013. Giulietti thanked the FRA for the report and said that it validated many of his concerns. He vowed to take their recommendations seriously and "change the culture" at Metro North. The New York Times reports that new train schedules to be released this spring will "reflect longer commuter times." So be prepared – safety will come at the expense of speed.
Here is President Guiletti's response to the FRA report. (or click here to listen to it)
"I want to thank the professionals at the FRA. The report that you've seen is deeply troubling and it raises real concerns. The issues that were uncovered at the time confirm my initial assessment of Metro-North's culture and priority. Their professionals actually had more time than I had, so it was invaluable to me and necessary for me.
"And part of my 100-day plan was that I needed to hear from the professionals that were involved, and that report has affirmed what we already felt were the issues going forward.
"Safety was not the top priority. It must be. And it will be. I have a clear message for our customers and our employees: Safety must come first at Metro-North. I will not allow any Metro-North trains to run unless I'm confident that they will run safely.
"We at Metro-North are heartbroken at the loss of life that has occurred on this railroad – most recently one of our employees in the past week.
"I take seriously each and every one of the report's observations, recommendations and mandates. We are committed to work with the FRA and the NTSB to ensure that we heighten the safety awareness of everyone who works here. And we will incorporate as well the findings from the MTA's Blue Ribbon Panel and the TTCI experts who have done analysis on our corridors.
"Again, there is a problem with the culture. As I've learned in the last month, it's not just a problem with one or two departments. Culture develops over years. And it will take time to change culture as well.
"You have seen my draft 100-day plan. As I said, we will revise that plan and it will address the specific issues that the FRA has identified.
"We will improve how we train our employees and how we monitor their performance. We are reorganizing our Safety Department. We have agreed to and are creating a confidential close-call reporting system so that employees can report safety issues without fear of reprisal.
"We are improving how we inspect our tracks and equipment, and how we perform maintenance on the right of way. We are buying new equipment. We are hiring more staff. We are changing our management structure and we're reaching out to our partners in labor – all to make this railroad as safe as possible.
"We are asking our board for permission to move forward on installing cameras in all our trains, as the NTSB has recommended. And we will install Positive Train Control – the most modern type of train protection – as quickly as possible.
"Governor Cuomo and Chairman Tom Prendergast gave me a straightforward mission – to make changes at Metro-North to have a safe and reliable railroad. And that's exactly what I will do. Tom Prendergast has had over 10 years working in the safety arena. I value his insight. I value his expertise and I value the support.
"Connecticut Governor Malloy and the Congressional delegation in New York and Connecticut all have high expectations but all have offered their unwavering support to make the changes that are necessary.
"FRA Administrator Szabo, the regional administrators who serve this area, the NTSB and our own MTA Blue Ribbon Panel are all providing valuable help as well.
"But this is not just Metro-North management. It will take each and every employee to work towards improving our safety culture.
"We have a lot of work ahead of us. But every problem I've seen here can be fixed – and will be fixed.
"The FRA report stated they are 'encouraged by the many good employees who met with our Deep Dive teams ... their dedication and desire to turn Metro-North into a safe, professional railroad serving the citizens of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.'
"This also confirms my initial assessment of this railroad. And we will continue hard until we achieve that goal.
"And I know I have the support of the management and the labor here in going for that, as they've all come forward in their efforts to say that they want to support this and move forward."
(Remarks received from Adam Lisberg, Director of External Communications, Metropolitan Transportation Authority)
Edgemont School Foundation Announces $500,000 Pledge to the District
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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On March 25, the Edgemont School Foundation announced a $500,000 pledge to the School District in support of its Five-Year Capital Facilities Plan, addressing the Edgemont School District's critical need to upgrade facilities and infrastructure.
A press release from the foundation's Board of Directors says they "strongly believe that the proposed capital improvements – including enhanced security and accessibility, repairs of infrastructure, a new multimedia lab as well as much needed renovation of athletic fields – are not only imperative, but also fit squarely within the Foundation's mission to "ensure and enhance the value of an Edgemont education." The Board said that these capital improvements will benefit every Edgemont student as well as the larger community for decades to come, which was a key factor in the Foundation's decision.
Co-Chair Steven Heineman, said, "Our financial support for the capital improvements is easily our largest grant ever to the school district. Importantly, given the generous contributions from the hundreds of community members who support the Foundation each year and conservative estimates of returns on the Foundation's investment portfolio, we expect to not only honor this fifteen year pledge, but to be in a position to continue to award grants going forward – without reducing the Foundation's endowment."
Dr. Victoria Kniewel, School Superintendent, thanked the Edgemont School Foundation, saying, "We are so grateful for the Foundation's extremely generous pledge. The pledge not only represents a substantial financial commitment, it also clearly demonstrates the broad-based community support for this capital facilities initiative. A major component of a successful school district is a strong partnership with parents. In Edgemont, this partnership moves to an extraordinary level through the generosity of the School Foundation."
Foundation Co-Chair Andrew Falk added, "We congratulate the Edgemont Board of Education for its leadership and vision at this critical juncture for Edgemont's schools. We are very pleased to provide our support for this historic initiative and look forward to continuing to work the school board to ensure that the Edgemont School District – the very center of our community – maintains its tradition of excellence."
About the Edgemont School Foundation:
Founded in 1993 by a group of concerned parents, school administrators and alumni, the Edgemont School Foundation (the "Foundation"), through its endowment, awards monetary grants that support and enhance the Edgemont School District's curriculum, its students, and its teachers. ESF's endowment is funded primarily through private donations. The Foundation is a fully qualified IRS 501(c)(3) not-for- profit charity. The Foundation has awarded approximately $2.0 million in grants to the District since inception. For more information, or to donate to the Foundation, visit our website at www.EdgemontSchoolFoundation.org.
Tough Times for Village Government
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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These are hard times for small local governments. Feeling the squeeze from the tax cap, shrinking revenues and increases in mandated costs the pressure is on to cut services or consolidate with other municipalities. Grant support from the county and the state for infrastructure improvements has dried up as well. Though Scarsdale is efficiently run, each year it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain basic services without excessive tax increases.
The stress on the system is visible at Village Hall with broken seats and worn woodwork in Rutheford Hall, which serves as the Village Court and primary meeting room. Other Village facilities also need attention: Freightway Garage needs to be waterproofed, painted and equipped with a new elevator and at Crossway Firehouse the kitchen dates back to 1939. The harsh winter has caused extensive damage to our roadways, and with just $456,000 to spend on repairs, we will be driving around potholes for months to come.
This year, the proposed Village Budget is $52,690,745, which translates to a 3.33% tax increase, exceeding the 2.49% tax cap. However, unlike the school budget, the Village budget is not voted on by the general public, so the Village Board has the power to approve it.
The 2014-15 budget will fund some Village improvements and equipment. Here are a few of the items on the list:
A clean-up of the Hutchinson River in conjunction with neighboring towns
A new playground and drainage system at Hyatt Field
Digitization of historical files at Village Hall
Two new police cars
A new dump truck and sanding equipment
1 new sanitation truck and 2 refuse scooters
Funding from Cablevision and Verizon for cable equipment
Repairs to the fire training building
Street tree planting program
Replacement of water pumps at the pool and a pool facility study
What to do?
The Fiscal Affairs Committee of the Scarsdale Forum has studied the proposed $52.6mm Village budget and made suggestions on how the Village can cut costs and continue to operate independently.
They noted that pension and health care costs continue to rise and have recommended that the Village bargain with unionized workers for more favorable terms for the Village.
As the police and fire departments already have shared services agreements with neighboring towns, the Forum suggest that the Departments of Tax Collection and the Assessor explore similar agreements to cut costs.
They offer suggestions on cutting costs for leaf pick-up by requiring homeowners to bag their leaves and leave them at the curb for pick-up. The Forum had previously suggested that trash pick-up could be cut back to once per week and residents could be required to bring trash bins to the curb, both which proved to be unpopular with residents. Instead, the report suggests that the Village purchase robotic trash removal vehicles that would decrease personnel costs and increase efficiency.
Village revenues from country clubs could be increased if the Village charged a commercial tax rate for these businesses that rely on Village services such as trash pick-up.
These are just some of the recommendations made in the committee report: You can read it in its entirety here:
