Jobs are being saved in Yonkers, at least temporarily.

The city was able to re-jigger its finances to save Ladder Company 70 and stop the transfer Ladder Company 75. A municipal union, The Service Employees International Union voted to accept $58,000 in givebacks and reinstate four jobs of its members. It became the second union to do so.  Last week, the city’s Teamsters voted to give back a pay raise and allow the city to skip payments to the union’s welfare fund in exchange for guarantee that none of the 50 Teamsters slated to be laid off would lose their jobs.

It’s good to see unions and management working together to save some important jobs and services. But there will likely be more budget fires to put out soon and hard decisions may have to be made again.

Every so often, like Hollywood has sleeper movies, we get sleeper stories. They may pop up to little fanfare or promotion on the Web site, but something about them appeals to readers who seek them out and nurture them along, gaining other fans along the way.

This was the case with a story that was published Dec. 23 about a Somers teen who was ticketed for giving a state trooper the finger after the trooper pulled the young man over on Route 202. According to reporter Terry Corcoran’s story, the trooper wrote 2 tickets, one for a seatbelt violation and another because the driver didn’t have his license with him. As the teen was driving away, he gave the trooper the finger, at which point the trooper wrote him another ticket for disorderly conduct.

This touched off a lively debate among readers about the actions of the teen and the police officer, whether the disorderly conduct ticket was valid and will stand up in court, and the overall decline in civility and respect that some readers saw as the true problem with the teen’s actions. The discussion has racked up more than 125 comments so far, and posters are still at it. The debate will likely pick back up again after the teen’s appearance in Somers Town Court Jan. 5. Stay tuned for a follow-up. In the meantime, here are some of the comments from readers.

What a punk! It serves him right. You don’t have to like the rules but you must obey them!

I think there’s a little thing called freedom of speech that will come into play here. … It’s not right giving (the cop) the finger, but it’s still too bad for the cop.

I am astonished at some of the comments I read here. … What is wrong with you people? It is considered an offensive gesture because of what it stands for. … We teach our children to respect their elders. … Would you find it acceptable if your children flipped off their teacher? Would you think it’s ok to flip off your boss? Maybe those of you who are managers at work wouldn’t care at all if your employee flipped you off in front of the whole office? You think it would be ok to go to court and flip off the judge or jury because you’re just not in the mood? Maybe your kids could flip you off when they don’t feel like going to bed, that would be OK? … The problem here is that this kid is a punk. He wanted to act like a tough guy and that’s what you get. … The people of this world have lost any sense of decency and respect for one another. When I was a kid if you flipped off a cop you’d be more worried about what your parents would do to you than what the cop would do.

Personally speaking, it’s just plain dumb to challenge a cop. Law or no law. There is no law that says you can’t poke a sleeping bear with a broom stick. But would you? Having said that, some parents do deserve the finger, as well as some teachers, politicians, CEOs and, yes, cops. But kids, if you are listening out there, don’t give a cop the finger. Nothing good will come of it.

The pharmaceutical industry, quite aware of the love-hate relationship most average folks have with their products — and the incessant advertising that goes along with them — is continuing to “dial back’’ its intense pressure, and presence, in our lives and in our doctors’ offices.

Earlier this month, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Board of Directors announced that it had adopted measures to strengthen its guiding principles on “Direct to Consumer’’ advertisements about prescription medicines.

The principle, according to PhRMA’s Web site, originally went into effect in January 2006, and “provide guidance to pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies on ways to ensure that DTC communications provide accurate, accessible and useful information to patients and consumers.’’

New ones take effect March 2 and include the following “enhancements’’:

• A new principle states that DTC product advertisements featuring actors in the roles of health-care professionals should identify that actors are being used. If actual health-care professionals are featured and are compensated for their appearance, the advertisement should acknowledge the compensation.


• An added principle provides that DTC television or print advertisements featuring a celebrity endorser should accurately reflect the opinions, findings, beliefs or experience of the endorser. Companies should maintain verification of the basis of any actual or implied endorsement, including whether the endorser is, or has been, a user of the product.


• Language strengthening guidance related to the content and placement of DTC advertisements with adult-oriented content has been strengthened. The new version states that DTC television or print advertisements “containing content that may be inappropriate for children” should be placed in programs or publications “reasonably expected to draw an audience of approximately 90 percent adults (18 years or older).”


• For more information, visit www.phrma.org/principles_and_guidelines/

Lest this sounds like parsing, consider, for example, that “erectile dysfunction’’ TV commercials may no longer be aired so closely to, say, an annual Christmas cartoon special. (Instead of “Mommy, what’s ED?’’ during a commercial break, maybe we’ll get back to, “Can we make some popcorn?”)

And consider that there will be more clarity on which “real” doctors — and which “real’’ actors and celebrities — are backing certain prescription drugs. It’s a real problem. A world-renowned Harvard child psychiatrist, and at times controversial researcher, recently agreed to curtail activities financed by the drug industry while Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was doing clinical trials, investigates his failure  to disclose consulting fees that he received from pharmaceutical companies supplying some of the drugs being used. A congressional investigation this year found that Dr. Joseph Biederman had been paid at least $1.6 million in consulting fees by drug companies from 2006 to 2007, but had failed to report the income to Harvard officials for several years, The New York Times reported today.

The Times also had an entertaining story today on Page One on how starting tomorrow, the pharmaceutical industry has agreed to a “voluntary moratorium’’ on branded goodies — T-shirts, pens, clocks and the like — that clutter almost every doctor’s office and hospital. Many medical workers interviewed said it was about time; a few others sniffed that such branding and giveaways had virtually nothing to do with the prescriptions that physicians write.

Maybe. But those branded covers for the metal stirrups you have to put your feet into while visiting the gynecologist’s office sure are distracting.

Every so often I’m asked, “What is the most controversial issue you have to deal with from letter-writers?” The answer always seems to surprise people: “The Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” And with the situation in Gaza deteriorating, I’m bracing myself for the expected escalation of hostilities among some of our readers.

More so than any other issue, the Mideast crisis provokes not only harsh letters from those on each side of the issue, but complaints about our publication of same from those who say that the letters promote hatred, bigotry, etc., are full of “lies” and don’t deserve to make it into print. Some of this feedback over the years has been helpful in trying to ensure that we be fair to both sides. We do try to tone down the worst of the name-calling (and reject the truly over-the-top letters), but the violent nature of the conflict does provoke strong emotions, and it is to be expected that writers staunchly defending one side or the other will end up engaging in an unpleasant “shouting match” on our pages. And, yes, they will cherry-pick facts and interpret events through their own biases, which makes their letters about as “accurate” as, for example, letters that try to place all the blame for the recession on “the Democrats” or “the Republicans.” That is what makes them “opinion,” and, as long as there is at least some factual basis behind these opinions, each side will be entitled to express theirs on our Editorial Page.

In the days ahead, we will also likely receive letters from both sides complaining about “our biased reporting” of this issue, even though our international news stories come from wire services and are not staff-written. (A “local reaction” story did appear Sunday on the Gaza conflict, as well as another one on the India-Pakistan crisis.) At least one person will make the patently false assertion that “Whenever XXX attacks YYY, you bury it in the B Section, but when YYY attacks XXX, you run it on the front page with a big, screaming headline!” And on and on.

Obviously, we’re not going to please everyone when it comes to this issue. And when the back-and-forth letters exchanges become repetitious, or veer from the current crisis to argue about who did what to whom 2,000 years ago, that’s when we may start relegating the debate to the Web so that opinions on other topics can be heard. In the meantime, however, expect things to get heated on our Editorial Page over the next few weeks.

Lower Hudson Valley residents again will benefit from the stellar medical research that’s happening in our backyard.

The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, a state-run center in Orangeburg, is looking for volunteers to take part in the study of bapineuzumab, a kind of “vaccine” against Alzheimer’s. Staff writer Jane Lerner offers details here.

Nathan Kline’s an interesting place, doing valuable work. Last year, then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer added money for 10 new research positions there, and more for MRI equipment, including a suite tailored to children. What’s really amazing about the state investment is that Nathan Kline scientists attract so much grant money, they bring in more than taxpayers spend on them. Plus, they do important research that benefits the greater society. And Lower Hudson Valley residents are often offered the opportunity to join exciting medical trials, like the Alzheimer’s one.

For Fiscal 2009-2010, Gov. David Paterson has held the state budget contribution steady at $13.2 million. A midyear $1.5 million that state Sen. Thomas Morahan, R-New City, secured for NKI was lost to midyear cuts.

At least state officials appear aware of the benefits NKI brings to the state. It’s worth every penny of investment, not only because it brings research money to the state, but because of the important work done there to help solve the mysteries of the brain.

Details on the Alzheimer’s study:

The clinical trial is open to people between the ages of 50 and 88 whose condition has been diagnosed as Alzheimer’s. The study will last for a year and a half and will involve 15 visits. All participants will get six intravenous infusions during the trial, blood tests and study-related physical and clinical exams. For details, call the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research: 845-398-5582.

Those feuding politicians in Southeast are at it again, this time over a contract to videotape town meetings. The Town Board split 3-2 in the vote, with Paul Johnson, Roger Gross and Richard Honeck opting to go with one company, at a higher cost, than the one preferred by Supervisor Michael Rights and Dwight Yee. The vote has touched off another heated debate in this already simmering Putnam town pitting the SOS candidates of Rights and Yee against the other board members with all sorts of accusations flying about paybacks and backroom deals.

The Town Board members aren’t the only ones with something to say about the contract. Residents are also giving their elected officials, and each other, an earful—not much of which is complimentary. Here’s a sampling of what they had to say:

Get some kids from the high school AV club to come in and do it for school credit, and chuck it up on YouTube like so many other towns do. Or better yet, buy a cheap video camera and do it yourself. … I bet if you asked for some volunteers you’d get some hits. Personally I’d be happy to work on the Web site for free as a civic duty to my community. Lord knows the Village of Brewster site needs some major work, and the town site isn’t much better. Are residents just going to have to put up with a bickering, ineffective local government forever?

Does the Town of Southeast do anything without a fight?

What a joke! We need to clean house immediately. Southeast/Brewster has been the laughing-stock of this area in the world of politics. What makes it worse is that The Journal News reports on every little issue.

Read the full story by reporter Marcela Rojas here and then leave your own comments.

Andy Bicking, director of public policy and special projects at Scenic Hudson Inc.; Barney Molloy, waterfront director of Historic Hudson River Towns; and Jessica Ottney, director of state government relations at The Nature Conservancy of New York, will meet with the Editorial Board of The Journal News and LoHud.com Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. to discuss Gov. David Paterson’s proposed 2009-10 budget and its impact on some environmental issues.

The session will be broadcast LIVE on our Web site at Editorial Spotlight. Viewers also will have a chance to ask questions of the panelists. To participate in the live blogging, go to Editorial Spotlight and post your questions using Cover It Live on the right side of the screen.

If you miss the session LIVE, it will be available for viewing later through the “On Demand” feature. Go to Editorial Spotlight, click on “on demand” at the bottom of the player and select the session from the list at the right.

There are some news stories you cluck your tongue at, and then there are those you want to heave your lunch over. A recent Page One story by staff writer Ernie Garcia gets the latter — almost literally, unfortunately.

It seems that school cafeterias in seven northern Westchester school districts amassed more than 350 health violations in 2007 and 2006. Katonah-Lewisboro school district’s kitchens got the booby prize, because virtually all of them received “unacceptable” designations from the Westchester County Health Department last year. Ironically, the district has received national attention for its efforts to serve wholesome food to its students, Garcia reported.

But food storage, handling, clean facilities and equipment are just as important as the food that goes into your mouth — at home, at schools, at restaurants.

The county Health Department released the reports in response to a Freedom of Information Law request by The Journal News, which analyzed Westchester public school cafeteria inspection reports for 2007 and 2006, the most recent full years for which data are available.

Earlier reports on the results are available at LoHud. com/data. The newspaper plans to review this year’s cafeteria health reports in early 2009.
The public school districts included in the recent Journal News review were Hendrick Hudson, Katonah-Lewisboro, Lakeland, North Salem, Peekskill, Somers and Yorktown.
According to Garcia’s report, the food-safety violations in the districts ranged from employees seen not washing their hands at John Jay Middle School in Cross River to dirty surfaces and equipment at most of the Lakeland Central School District’s kitchens.

Health inspectors found rodents or rodent droppings in cafeteria kitchens at Peekskill High School, Increase Miller Elementary School in Goldens Bridge, John Jay High School, Katonah Elementary School and Somers High School.

Yuck. District officials and those hired to provide food services who were interviewed all said the violations were addressed and would continue to be.

It wouldn’t hurt to get some vigilant parents, say from the local PTA in each district, to get in on the act, too. If they haven’t already, perhaps they could form their own cafeteria committees, to watch out for food quality, nutrition and cleanliness.

Finally, for those who think county government doesn’t do much for them, here’s a darn good example of oversight and records-keeping, in this case from the Health Department, funded mostly by tax dollars. They, and reporting on what they found, definitely help to keep it clean.

It seems like everywhere you turn these days, any organization that has the authority to increase fees or level taxes is taking advantage of that ability in this recession. Of course, that doesn’t mean that residents in the Lower Hudson Valley have to like it. Given a forum, they will willingly complain about it, too; even if it is with a healthy dose of resignation.

So it’s no surprise that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s continuing push to close its budget gap through increased fares, service cuts and a proposed payroll tax on businesses in its service area is not finding favor in the tri-county region. Here’s the latest update on the situation from reporter Ken Valenti. Then tell us what you think about the payroll tax, and the MTA’s increases in fares.

Here’s what readers had to say about the payroll tax:

Another day, another tax on a service I do NOT use and never will. When will these people learn that they do not have a right to extract money from my wallet. I, for one, will be voting with my feet in the not too distant future. I urge all of you to leave this state as soon as you are able.

People should not be a piggy bank for a mismanaged transit system. (MTA) needs to make massive cuts in spending first. Taxing people will further hurt the economy when people do not have that money to buy things. Tax tax tax is not the answer all of the time. Cut cut cut. MTA needs to fire large amounts of execs to save money. We do not need a commuter tax.

As a business owner in Rockland, I have no use for the MTA. They do not help my employees get to work. … These idiots appointed to these boards and elected officials have no idea what it takes to run a business while getting sacked with all of these regulations, taxes and fees. They have no desire to cut their budgets where it’s needed.