Over the past 15 years I have been employed in both the finance sector on Wall Street and as a Finance Director at a Fortune 40 Corporation. At present, I serve as the CFO of a Westchester-based non-profit. Academically, I have multiple graduate degrees—in financial economics, public administration and American history. I mention this because it is relevant on two fronts. Firstly, I am both educated and extensively experienced to the nuances of large-scale budgeting, general management (both private and public) and the policies that impact them. Secondly, I am the paradigm resident who bears much of the burden of the New Rochelle budgeting process. While I enjoy very much hearing about how national and local politicians are constantly "working for the middle class," I write this letter as an established middle-class member. As such, I am demanding that the City Council execute the following initiatives so as to truly “work” for us.

1) Vote down proposed 2013 service cuts—specifically curbside leaf pickup.

2) Publicly remand and striking from the record of inflammatory September 2012 comments made by the Citizens’ Panel for Sustainable Budgets regarding residents’ acceptance of taxes and decreased services as serving some “higher public purpose.”