01x03 - Part 3

[bunniefuu]

Yeah, I was on hold, but I got disconnected.

From Yonkers.

The mayor of the city.

Yeah, Wasicsko.

W-A-S-I-C--

No, no, no, "C," as in "Charles."

"S," as in "Sam."

"K," yeah, right.

Yeah, yeah, I called before.

From Yonkers, that's right. Yonkers, New York.

Because if the governor were to act and maybe remove some of these recalcitrant council members, then we could get the city out of contempt and get some control over the...

Yeah, sure, I'll hold.

Believe me, I've been calling Governor Cuomo's office nonstop, and they keep trying to pass me over to the Westchester Republicans.

Like the Republicans are gonna ride to the rescue of public housing for a Democratic mayor.

I-- That's true, no doubt, but Senator Moynihan has been known for taking politically courageous stands.

And I think that if he were to come down to Yonkers--

Okay, you know what?

Tell Mario that I know that he knows he's got the power to bounce these buffoons for malfeasance, misfeasance, nonfeasance-- any of the "feasance" family.

( music playing on phone )

What if the senator issued a statement saying that he supports the City of Yonkers obeying the judge's order?

All right, yeah, you know, just like a-- a paragraph saying that we're trying to do the right thing here. Nay!

Sure, yeah. Can I-- can I just talk to the governor?

Can I, please? Can I hear that from him?

Well, because I was under the impression that Mario Cuomo was like, you know, some great white hope for liberals everywhere.

And I could really use a little hope right now.

S-I-C--

No, no, "C," as in "chump."

"S," as in "Sam,"

"K," as in "kite," O.

Right, "O," as in "Oh, sh*t, it's that guy from Yonkers calling again, asking if he can get any help from anybody in the g*dd*mn Democratic Party from the State of New York."

Sure, I'll hold. Why not?

That's fine.

( music playing on phone )

( music continues )

Sure. There are two black girls on my bowling team.

I haven't been in their homes, but I've driven them home up in, uh, Runyon Heights.

So, it's not about race?

No, no.

What is it, then?

It's an economic issue.

People are worried about their property values.

They're worried about the dr*gs and crime that are in the projects.

Have you seen those pictures that Councilman Spallone has?

Yeah, I heard about them.

But does Mr. Spallone speak for you?

I think he speaks for most of the people in Yonkers. I do.

But why are you talking to me? Talk to him.

You came all the way to report on this.

I will, but you've become one of the most vocal of the Yonkers residents.

Well, I don't miss a council meeting.

I don't miss a community meeting or a protest.

No, you sure don't, Mrs. Dorman.

I joined "Save Yonkers" because of this Judge Sand and what he's trying to do.

He wants to take low-income housing and put it all in one place in East Yonkers.

That's seven, eight hundred people-- and just drop them right here.

So, if the housing gets built, will you move from here?

I love this house. I have always loved our little house.

It's on my favorite block in the whole city.

It's true. I always said to my husband, "Buddy, if I can't have a brick house on Saint John's Avenue, I don't want a house."

It is beautiful.

It is. Thank you. It really is.

I fell in love with it the first time I saw it.

Do you think the families that might move into these houses-- do you think they might see those houses the same way as you see yours?

Well, if they did, then Mr. Spallone wouldn't have those pictures to show everyone, right?

If they did, then they wouldn't need to move out of the projects in the first place.

They'd take care of their homes.

I just think you shouldn't take people with one lifestyle and, uh, put them smack in the middle of a place with a different lifestyle.

( horn honks )

( chattering )

Woman: Come on. Come on.

Woman: So we've been staying up in Mulford Gardens, um, with some folk, but

( baby crying ) that's my grandmother by my husband, and he d*ed, so we can't stay there long.

Other family here in Yonkers?

My parents, they live all the way in Jersey.

( crying continues )

I live here now.

Well, with the baby, you're on our priority waitlist.

But right now, you know, we have nothing open anywhere-- not School, not Schlobohm, not Mulford Gardens--

You don't have anything?

Not in Yonkers.

Um, we do have a room in emergency housing in Yorktown Heights if you want that.

Yorktown Heights?

Where's that?

( crying )

Shh.

Who lives here?

Nobody.

Who owns it?

I don't know.

It's been on the market forever.

I've been coming here for, like, a year.

Look. Look at this view.

Wow.

Right?

I mean...

This is where I imagine myself, right up here.

You, me, a couple of kids running around.

I mean, I could walk to work from here.

Kids ask, "Where's Dad?" And you point over there.

You're like, "Council meeting's on tonight. See?

Lights are on. He's in his office."

Unless, of course, I'm in Congress already, in which case, you'd point somewhere in that direction over there.

So you want to buy something like this?

Are you crazy?

Yeah, probably.

Come here.

I mean this-- this could be the best house in Yonkers.

You know, a little work, a little money.

A lot.

Always wanted a house like this.

How much is it?

I have no idea.

( giggles ) You don't know?

No, no, no. I never called the number.

sh*t, I didn't have you with me.

I wasn't mayor of Yonkers.

"Youngest mayor in America," right?

Mm-hmm.

No, I was just a councilman.

I hadn't done anything to deserve a home like this.

You know, I was-- I was against the housing and I won?

And now I'm for the housing, and I'm getting my ass kicked for it, so maybe I had it coming to me.

But I think for the first time in my life, I am on the right side of something, and I am all alone.

I'm not getting any help from the council, the party--

Cuomo, Moynihan-- none of them.

Why won't the governor just remove Spallone and the others, you know?

He-- he won't even get on the phone with me, much less lose votes over this thing.

But the thing is, people just want a home, right?

It's the same for everybody.

This whole mess is over 200 homes in the city of tens of thousands of homes, and so what?

I mean, we lost our f*cking minds over this sh*t.

We're about to bankrupt the city, and, I mean, at some point people come to their senses and I win.

And I come out of this looking better than ever.

Maybe I come out of this and give D'Amato a run for his money, you know?

I don't know. Senate might be too big of a jump, but congressional seat at least.

Right?

Yeah, it could be a beautiful house.

I know, right?

Mm-hmm.

( giggles ) You're gonna call on it?

Yeah.

Well, maybe it's cheaper than we think.

Maybe it's haunted.

( giggles )

Maybe it's on an Indian burial ground.

No!

Oh, sh*t, maybe it's on Oscar Newman's list of alternate sites for public housing units.

( laughing )

Ma, we ain't taking no.

Now, this is what they call an "intervention."

So, I'm 47 years old, raised both of you out of diapers and piss pants, and now you intervening in my life?

You need some help.

Pat and Phyllis come over most every day.

And Tasha here--

What about when I'm in school?

The government will pay for a home health aide to come help out.

We just have to fill out the application.

The same government that turned down my disability paperwork?

You finally got that, though.

Because of Pat.

But you got it, and we'll get this.

Ma, you'll still be able to go out, and we'll still be here with you. Come on.

Woman: Carmen. Carmen, Carmen?

Carmen!

( switches off )

Your mom called from the DR.

She wants you to call her back when you can.

Thank you.

Anita, it's Carmen.

Felipe?

Emergency Financial Control Board of Yonkers is now in session.

In light of the pending fines proposed by the US District Court, the resolution before the board is to freeze all hiring and discretionary spending by the City of Yonkers.

Madam Chair, if I may?

Instead of tying the city's purse strings, how about the board ask Governor Cuomo to step in and do something about it?

Mr. DeLuca, this is the City of Yonkers' problem.

"You have the responsibility to yourself and to your city's future to express your reasoned concern to the four people you elected who have brought you to this precipice.

If the council does not purge its contemptuous behavior, you face the prospect of no municipal services whatsoever.

No policeman when you call for help, no firefighter when your house is burning.

No garbage pickup as the trash piles up on the curb.

No senior citizen services, no water as the tap runs dry.

The question is, can you reasonably accept these consequences, which loom as a direct result of your city council's refusal to uphold the law?"

( baby cries )

Shh. Shh.

It's okay.

We got this, little man, huh?

All right.

( crying continues )

Shh.

All right.

( cries, coughs )

( coughing )

Okay. Let's just check it out.

Shh.

I swear to you, Javier, you're gonna regret the day you were born if Felipe doesn't come back.

Right now, m*therf*cker.

You're not gonna do that to him or to me.

Listen to me. Listen to me, Javier, because I'm gonna tell you in English.

English, yes. Do you know why?

Because, Felipe, he is a US citizen, and you cannot kidnap a US citizen.

Because if you do, I am going to have you rot in--

Javier: Idiot!

Javier?

( car horn honks )

( line beeps )

Operator: - Please hang up.

There appears to be a receiver off the hook.

( hangs up phone )

This is what they call "Upstate," isn't it?

Upstate New York?

Hmm. I guess.

People say this is where the Ku Klux Klan at.

I mean, people say that.

We downstate girls, ain't we?

The "Doomsday Plan" calls for laying off 447 employees, almost a quarter of the workforce, by Saturday in order to accommodate the million-dollar-a-day fines that begin Friday.

Madam Chair? I do not see the need for 447 workers and their families to be hurt.

The city's plan extends services through November 24.

Besides, a solution might come this week.

This is really severe.

Madam Chair: With all due respect to the city manager, the board feels the most essential priority is to keep police and fire protection as long as possible.

And therefore we're making more cuts upfront.

The City of Yonkers must confront reality in a very decisive way.

The time for finger-pointing is over.

The time for punting is over.

This board was sent from Albany to save Yonkers from itself.

Do you wanna go to Tuckahoe, get something to eat?

You mean something other than Gail Shaffer's sh*t?

This is humiliating.

Nick, if you have the votes, then--

f*cking Yonkers and its weak mayor system.

You know, even if I had control over more of their patronage, I'd at least have a chance of pulling more votes.

But between Spallone, Longo, and even DeLuca, I'm like a fifth wheel.

How did Martinelli do it?

Angelo didn't have to deal with this f*cking housing nightmare.

I saw to that.

Mr. Mayor?

More good news?

The Second Circuit upheld Sand's contempt finding against the city and the councilmen both.

On the upside, they capped the fines at a million a day, which the city hits on day 15, and then it's a million every day after that.

So the city goes bankrupt more slowly?

How about the Supreme Court?

The Appeals Court is counting on it.

They're holding the fines a week so we can ask the Supremes for a stay.

Okay. And what about Spallone, Longo, Chema, Fagan?

They're still in contempt?

Each of them pays 500 a day.

They still face jail time beginning September 5.

All right. That's nice to think about.

You know, those four hotheads in the cooler?

Maybe that'll change some minds.

What about the Supremes? What do you think?

Don't hold your breath.

All right. That's something.

Yeah.

( crowd chattering )

( chatter continues )

Man: Oh, here's the baby mayor.

Wasicsko!

Pete: Hey, hey, hey.

No, Pete. It's all right. Let them come.

Hey, what can I do for you?

What you can do for me--

Come on.

What you can do for us is you can fight the housing or resign.

Crowd: Yeah!

I can't do either of those things, Jack. I'm sorry.

Yeah, that's 'cause you're gutless.

I'm sorry you feel that way. What's your name?

Oh, like you care.

Bobby. Bobby Amalfitano.

I live over on Nevada Avenue.

Nick: Okay.

And I voted for you.

We all voted for you.

I trusted you.

Thank you for your vote, Bobby.

Now explain to me what I've done to let you down.

Explain to you what you've done to let me down?

Are you serious?

You ran against the housing, and we thought you'd fight for us.

We believed you.

Mary, right?

Right.

How have you been?

We trusted you, and now 200 of these damn townhouses are within walking distance of my house, and I don't want it.

I understand--

Understand? That's 200 families with who knows how many in each house?

Mary, I understand your frustration.

You don't understand!

What would you do about it if it were your neighborhood?

But it's not, is it? And if you can't fight for us, then you step aside, just like Jack says, and make room for somebody who is not afraid!

Man: Come on, step up.

( crowd shouting )

( stammering )

So I took him to the doctor, and Dr. Chadha said that the baby just can't be healthy living like that, what with his bronchitis.

His father had asthma real bad. He d*ed from it.

"My patient, Jaron Watts--

It is imperative that Jaron reside in a well-ventilated home where his mother is able to tend to his needs."

Right there. You can see.

Woman: No, that's a three-bedroom.

No, that's a bedroom.

He called me at work this afternoon and said he wasn't bringing Felipe back.

He's keeping him.

I should've never taken him back to DR.

That was a mistake.

Whatever money I thought I could save gets used up on long distance.

And, yeah, it's better there than here, I know!

Dama, but, God, I miss my children.

I told him--

I told him, "Javier, if he's not back in 24 hours, I'm going to go down to DR myself.

And I'm gonna go to your house and I'm gonna k*ll you and all your family."

Oh, my God. Carmen--

I told him, "People think you're crazy? They don't know crazy.

I'm crazy."

What did he say?

He hung up on me.

Imagine that.

No. One thing I do know is Felipe needs to come home.

He's only five. He belongs here with me.

And when Javier refuses?

I'll have to k*ll his whole family.

A shame, too. I kind of liked his mother.

( chuckles )

( music playing )

♪ oh, la, oh, la, ay ♪
♪ oh, la, oh, la, ay ♪
♪ rollin', rollin', rollin' with Kid 'n Play now ♪
♪ rollin', rollin', rollin' with Kid 'n Play now ♪

( shutter clicks )

♪ oh, la, oh, la, ay ♪
♪ oh, la, oh, la, ay ♪
♪ rollin', rollin', rollin' with Kid 'n Play now ♪
♪ rollin', rollin', rollin' with Kid 'n Play now ♪

♪ now, Play... ♪

( shutter clicks continue )

♪ I don't know what it is ♪
♪ about this b*at that we have here ♪
♪ but it sure is funky ♪
♪ oh, la, oh, la, ay ♪
♪ oh, la, oh, la, ay ♪
♪ yo, Kid, I don't know what it is ♪
♪ about this groove that's here making us move ♪
♪ but it sure is funky ♪
♪ oh, la, oh, la, ay ♪
♪ it's time to rap ♪

♪ shall we? ♪

♪ sure ♪
♪ Kid 'n Play back rollin' strong ♪
♪ we can get funky with the best ♪
♪ we're just hyping it up ♪
♪ you know, just how it had to be ♪
♪ just take a look around, boy, can't you see? ♪

Who are them taking little pictures?

♪ Wiz rocks the scratch, while Herb's on percussion...♪

We not doing nothing.

♪ I bust a rhyme and the dancers just jealous ♪
♪ so get off, because you bit off... ♪

Well, there you have it.

When I showed that first batch of pictures to the council meeting, there were people there who thought I was trying to exaggerate.

See for yourself.

What do you expect?

If you don't respect yourself, you can't respect anybody else.

Councilman, I spoke with Oscar Newman, and he argues that by concentrating the poor in projects like this, you pretty much guaranteed the outcome.

He said that by scattering low-income housing--

Yeah, I know everything Oscar Newman said, and it doesn't work.

All it takes is one or two bad houses, and pretty soon the whole block goes to hell.

Just ask people what happened in the Bronx.

Well, the Bronx--

Oh, now you gonna tell me what happened in the Bronx?

Don't bother. I know. I was there.

♪ ...of that funky go-go-go rhythm ♪
♪ you wanted a dope jam, that's what we're giving... ♪

Oscar Newman and Sussman and that goofy judge, they don't know what the hell they're talking about.

I mean, look at it. Look for yourself.

The buildings, the trash, the dr*gs... and them mutts want to move these people to our neighborhoods in East Yonkers.

I mean, you want this living next to you? Huh?

No, g*dd*mn right you don't.

Yeah, write that down.

They don't never know how to leave nobody alone.

Anyway, I was talking to Mambo, and we're gonna go down Friday night and...

You go to school today?

I'll see you later, Billie.

What you doing home from school?

Huh?

I was shopping. I been shopping.

I'm not going to school no more.

Really? No more school?

And what you gonna do instead? Shop?

How long this been going on?

Girl, you tripping.

All right, well, you leave school, you need to find a job.

Ain't no free out here.

I've been looking for a job.

Well, there's plenty of openings at the home.

Working with those children will give you a good taste of what it's going to be like working the rest of your life with no schooling.

I'm not going--

You're not what, Billie?

You're not working?

You got another thing coming, baby girl. You're gonna work.

Hey! Leave me alone!

♪ so shake it ♪
♪ your butt, shake it down ♪
♪ we got the best music all around ♪
♪ Herb's the producer, Wiz is the DJ... ♪

( phone rings )

( Nick groans )

( rings )

Hello? Yeah, of course I'm awake.

I had to answer the f*cking phone.

( Nay groans )

Yeah?

Yeah.

At midnight?

Oh, sh*t, I--

I'd hoped that they had stayed the fines until October.

You know? Give me some room to maneuver.

What?

Why? What was the logic in that?

Oh, all right.

Uh, let me get my act together here.

I'll call you back, all right?

What happened?

The Supreme Court refused to stay the contempt finding or the fines against the city, which now begin at midnight.

Meanwhile, they lifted the fines on the f*cking Fantastic Four assholes until the court can hear the case.

So Spallone and them are off the hook?

I kind of imagined it was gonna be the other way around.

Oh, Jesus.

Where are you-- where are you going?

Wait, wait.

I need you. Come here.

I need you now.

Don't leave me.

I'm not gonna leave you.

No matter what happens, all right?

Okay?

I'm not gonna leave you.

Let me get it.

No, I'll get it. All right.

You guys wanna get the mattress?

I'll get the chairs.

Thank you.

Hey.

What you think, little man?

Better than that welfare motel, right?

Yeah, you know it.

( baby fusses )

Oh.

Oh, yeah, that's right. You're a superstar.

That's right.

( doorbell rings )

Sussman: Hi.

Thanks for coming.

Of course.

You, uh, you got any coffee?

I even have doughnuts.

Great.

Foosball?

Female reporter: Protesters have gathered here at the Grinton Will Library to demand its reopening.

It was closed by Mayor Wasicsko in compliance with the state control board's emergency management of the city's finances.

Man: It's bad enough that the mayor is not listening to people about the housing.

And now he wants to close our library?

Yeah, right. Yeah, I'm closing it.

Enough is enough.

Female reporter: This is Cristina Andrada, reporting live from the Grinton--

Now enough is enough.

Everything up until now was just a walk in the f*cking park.

You thr*aten to lay off 600 workers, nobody blinks.

Talk about bankrupting the entire city? No worries.

You close one library and senior center?

Did they think this was all make-believe? Christ.

Well, you know what? He's right.

When he's right, he's right.

I am wrangling four f*cking votes or I'm gonna die trying.

Woman: Hello?

Yeah, get me Longo.

And it's Sanchez, who goes to Rodrigo.

Rodrigo back to Sanchez, who forwards the ball up to Sussman.

( doorbell rings )

Sussman, the lone Jewish import on the team in Brazilian soccer, and Sussman sh**t.

Then he scores! It's unstoppable!

Sports fans, there's no defense for the Hebrew Hammer.

I was gonna play him for the housing plan till I saw his bank sh*t.

He skunked me 7-0.

Yeah. I play to win, gentlemen.

No, tonight.

I want a vote tonight.

f*ck Fagan and Spallone already.

f*ck them both. They're lost balls in tall grass.

I got me, Oxman, and Cola. That's three.

And I either pull Longo or Chema and I ram it through.

I'll shove the layoffs and the closings in their faces and rub their f*cking noses in it until they cave.

Yeah.

Look, I need to round up these guys now.

I'm almost scared to say it, but this is actually going pretty well.

Get the politicians out of the room, the lawyers get reasonable.

Hey, I'm a politician. Well, sort of.

You're a city manager.

You're, uh-- you're only half a problem.

( all chuckle )

Uh, maybe somebody ought to tell the mayor what we've been up to.

No. Now, what we need to do is call Chemo and Longo at home, get them down here, and see if they'll sign off.

Okay.

Neither of them? What the hell?

Are they playing ball together?

I got Oxman and I got Cola.

I need three to make a quorum.

Just find these mooks.

( phone beeps )

Hold on.

Man: Hello?

Yeah?

Nick, It's Jim.

Yeah, Jim.

Look, I found them. You won't believe this.

They're at Pickelle's house.

What? They're where?

At Pickelle's house.

Well, did anybody think to maybe call the g*dd*mn mayor of the city?

Christ Almighty!

Fucks!

Where to, boss?

Wherever the f*ck the government of Yonkers is at the moment.

Yeah, well, I can't believe I might have to change my vote after all this.

I mean, how am I supposed to do that?

Woman: On your left.

Nick: Thank you.

I'll call you back.

Is this your conspiracy?

Just trying to get the train back on track, Nick.

Yeah, right. Okay.

Well, I'm done being mad, all right?

How's it going? You got something?

I thought so. We just called the judge.

He refused to hear any compromise plan.

Sand just sh*t us down.

Sussman: You know, he even surprised me.

He just does not want to hear about change or compromise, not until after the city complies with his order.

Longo: You know, look.

I thought about it, you know. I just--

I don't see what I can do here, you know?

I promised my constituents--

sh*t, people.

I just talked to Gail Shaffer, and the control board has agreed to suspend the layoffs if we vote to comply tonight.

Pickelle: And the judge did say we wouldn't have to pay the fines for yesterday and today if the ordinance is approved before midnight.

And that's a million-eight right there.

Nick: Look, there's five of us.

That's a quorum, right?

So we go back to the City Hall and we do our g*dd*mn jobs.

We govern.

The fines may have been overturned, but Judge Sand could still order you jailed for contempt, Councilman.

What do you say to that?

Judge Sand has me arrested, I'm ready.

I don't go anywhere without one.

Woman: Way to go, Ed.

There you have it from Councilman Ed Fagan, who says he's not changing his vote against the plan and he's not spending any more time this weekend talking about it.

Skulnick: What else-- what else could he do?

It's a no-brainer.

The Supremes leave you guys dangling, it looks worse changing the votes.

That would look like it was about the money.

Yeah, now you could say you came around because of the layoffs to the other city employees.

It scans way better.

Come on, Nicky, what's it gonna take for you? Huh?

Pete, what about you?

Look, I can't vote for this as it stands now, right?

There's got to be some room for negotiation.

Negotiation with who, Judge Sand?

Nicky, get a grip.

Our backs are to the wall here.

Hank was never gonna vote for any plan, anyway.

We're better off without him here.

Yeah, Fagan neither.

It comes down to you two guys.

( music playing )

( men arguing outside )

( g*nshots )

( men arguing, dog barking )

( music continues )

Crowd: Vote no! Vote no! Vote no!

Vote no! Vote no! Vote no!

( chanting continues )

Jesus Christ. What do you think?

You think Nicky and Pete are gonna feel that?

They're going to melt into that noise?

Oh, yeah. That's gonna blow them down.

All right, get me the police commissioner.

It's bad.

f*cking idiots.

Do you want a cup of coffee or something?

Does it look like I need a cup of coffee right now?

Yeah?

Oh, for Christ's sake.

( door closes )

How's it going?

Joe, hey, look, is it possible that we can get the noise level down out there?

It's just-- it's important it not sound riotous.

And I don't need Pete and Nicky to get cold feet.

There's no meeting going on.

If there was, I'd have a reason.

Okay.

Crowd: Vote no! Vote no! Vote no!

Vote no! Vote no!

( crowd booing )

( chanting continues )

I call to order the meeting of Friday, September 9, 1988.

( chanting continues )

Let the record reflect that this meeting has been called to order at 11:57.

We'll now take a 15-minute recess.

I thank you for your patience.

What is he doing?

What is he doing?

Hank! Hank!

All right. Now tell them to go shut the f*ck up.

You got it.

Crowd: Justice!

When do we want it?

Crowd: Now!

What do we want?

Justice!

When do we want it?

Now!

What do we want?

Justice!

When do we want it?

Now!

What do we want?

( booing )

Hey, man! f*ck you, pig!

( booing and jeering )

Ladies and gentlemen?

Ladies and gentlemen, the council meeting is in session.

So, if you persist, I'm going to have to ask you to move 300 yards from the premises so that the council can conduct its business.

f*ck you! Go f*ck yourself, you m*therf*cker!

Get him out of here. Get that guy out of here.

( jeering continues )

( muted shouting outside )

630 layoffs.

Chema: Jesus Christ.

That's right. The cost is real, guys.

There's no more bullshitting ourselves.

He's right, Pete.

We're about to go from martyrs to murderers.

We're about to economically m*rder 630 families.

Oh, look at this.

Oh, my God.

I mean, these are people I shared backyard barbecues with.

I attended their weddings, the christenings of their children not as their councilman, but as their friend.

I'm gonna be sick.

What do you think about all this?

To be honest, I can't believe this is happening in Yonkers.

After all we've been through, to have a day like this and a night like this?

I mean, I just don't...

Man: Give 'em hell, Hank!

You bet I will. You bet I will!

I'll fight for the city.

Crowd: Vote no! Vote no! Vote no!

Vote no! Vote no! Vote no!

( chanting continues )

( crowd booing )

( booing and shouting )

Man: Traitor!

Man #2: You're all going to rot in hell!

I'm calling this recessed meeting back to order.

( booing and jeering continues )

I want to thank everybody for their patience.

I want to remind everybody that this is the most important council meeting I think that the City of Yonkers has ever had, and I'm going to demand that--

Man: You chickenshit!

I'm going to demand that everybody in, uh, the audience be respectful of the councilmen as they conduct their business.

And I have directed your police commissioner to ensure that.

Mr. Longo, do you wish to speak on the item?

Yes, thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Woman: Oh, God, no!

Uh, this is, uh...

( shouting continues )

This is not a very pleasant time for anyone who serves in government.

( booing intensifies )

Ladies and gentlemen, please.

For anyone who-- for anyone who serves in the government in the City of Yonkers.

Or for anyone who lives in this city!

Ladies and gentlemen, please.

It seems to me that we have no alternative at this point but to adopt the ordinance as is and contin--

Man: Longo, you piece of garbage!

( stammering )

We did not vote the consent decree because--

Man: It was fine the day before, you stinking bastard!

Man #2: We fight! No way!

( shouting continues )

( gavel banging )

Man #2: Nicky, you no-good...

( booing and shouting )

Roll call vote, Mr. Clerk.

Mayor Wasicsko?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Spallone?

No.

( applause )

Majority Leader Cola?

Yes.

Minority Leader Longo?

Yes.

Councilman Fagan?

No.

Councilman Chema?

Yes.

Councilman Oxman?

Yes.

Five ayes and two nays. The ordinance passes.

( shouting )

Man: How could you do this to us?

Stay back.

Shame on you, Mayor! Shame on you!

What's the matter with these people?

Mr. Mayor, you need to go!

It's okay, sweetie.

( Nay screams )

Jesus Christ.

Come on, you guys.

( pounding continues )

Nick: The clerk will call the roll.

The clerk will call the roll.

The clerk will call the roll.

( shouting )

It's okay. It's all right.

( music playing )

Ma?

It's me, Mom.

Norma: Yeah, I'm in here.

Where's the health aide?

She's supposed to start this week, right?

I waited all day yesterday, and she never showed up.

So I called her agency, and they said she couldn't find the apartment.

What?

I think someone's telling stories somewhere.

Well, are they sending someone else, somebody with a map?

They said so, but nobody so far today.

See, these places are certified by the government.

They got to follow the rules.

Where's their number?

In the kitchen.

I'll call them.

Ain't no way. I'm not going back there.

Not with that boy. Nah, I'm quitting.

You took the job. You can't just walk away.

Do you like doing this every day?

I do what needs doing.

How many people in the world you think get up every day and do what it is they like doing?

Some.

And how many of those people do you think live in Schlobohm?

Or School Street? That's what a job is, Billie.

I don't care. I'm not going back there.

I'm not washing that boy.

Him in the tub, banging his Ret*rded f*cking head against the wall, water going everywhere, him screaming.

This is the real world, girl.

Live with it!

You live with it.

What did you say?

Nothing.

Mm. That's what I thought.

Woman on PA: Call for American Airlines flight 953...

What is taking so long?

...now boarding at gate six.

( chattering )

Boarding call for flight 953...

What are we going to do if he doesn't come?

Just calm down.

I don't know.

My God...

Carmen: Felipe!

Woman on PA: American Airlines passenger Mary Jane Donahoe, please report to the information desk.

Give me a kiss.

Thank you.

Woman on PA: American Airlines passenger Mary Jane Donahoe...

Are you okay?

I'm sorry. This is not the court's problem.

Your Honor, you saw what it took to get the consent of the city council to even a general statement of compliance with the court.

I am asking you, in the name of all that is holy, to please name a replacement location for the housing units that were formerly sited at the St. Joseph's Seminary.

Been quite a year for you, Mr. Mayor.

Uh, yeah, you could say that.

And now you're facing a reelection campaign just around the corner.

Two-year terms. What fun.

Well, my best wishes to you going forward, Mr. Wasicsko.

Thank you, Your Honor.

But let's keep those sentiments to ourselves.

You know, your endorsement doesn't exactly bring out the vote in the City of Yonkers.

( men chuckle )

Justice is not about popularity.

No, it's not, but politics is.

Please?

Well, since the Yonkers City Council again refuses to act and Mayor Wasicsko has asked that I take the decision out of the city's hands, I am formally picking the Gramercy location as the replacement for the St. Joseph's Seminary site.

Thank you, Judge.

Your Honor, if I might?

Judge: Mr. Newman.

Newman: I realize our options are limited here, but there's a number of problems on the Gramercy location I feel I have to bring up.

Bring up again.

Again.

First off, because only seven sites are apparently all that's ever going to be available to us, as many as 48 townhouses will have to be built on the Gramercy site.

And?

And my research shows that crime increases with the number of units in a housing project.

I've tried to limit that number to a maximum of 24 per site.

Now we're looking at twice that.

Oscar, you're fighting the last w*r.

But consider this, because of the configuration of this site, putting that number of townhouses here will require an internal road system be built at a significantly increased cost.

Well, as I've said, any increase in cost beyond the HUD guideline is going to have to be borne by the city.

Here's my real worry.

On the Gramercy site, I can't make the townhouses disappear into the fabric of the middle-class neighborhoods.

It's too isolated.

And my concern is that isolation will allow a criminal element to flourish that the public housing residents alone can't control.

Oscar, you're fearmongering, and it reflects your ideological baggage.

I got to tell you this is-- it's basically r*cist.

Oscar: What's so difficult about this?

The smaller the site, the greater the contact, the more the middle-class neighbor is going to exert their values and control.

Simple as that.

We are going to build these houses.

The judge and the council vote have seen to that.

But let me ask, do we want this to succeed or not?

Billie: She just knows.

Knows if I'm late, if I take the day off, if I go home early.

( music playing )

I really don't get it. Just tell her.

She's not gonna let me quit no matter what, not unless I go back to school.

So what are you gonna do?

I got to get my ass fired somehow.

Man: Ladies, ladies.

Hey, Hot Stuff.

Hot, this is Billie.

John my real name.

Anyone for a beer?

I'll take mine in a glass.

Glass, huh?

( both chuckling )

Meeka, you?

A bottle is fine.

( television chatter )

I talked to Miss Clarkson myself.

You should've asked her to send a Jamaican health aide.

Those old Jamaicans don't scare.

( chuckles )

I'm sure she's just running late.

Nobody's coming, child.

( music playing )

♪ I hold you in my arms ♪
♪ as the band plays ♪
♪ what are those words whispered, baby ♪
♪ just as you turn away? ♪
♪ I saw you last night ♪
♪ out on the edge of town ♪
♪ I want to read your mind ♪
♪ to know just what I've got ♪
♪ in this new thing I've found ♪
♪ so tell me what I see ♪
♪ when I look in your eyes ♪
♪ is that you, baby? ♪
♪ or just a brilliant disguise? ♪

What is it with Yonkers?

It's like that-- that game where you-- you hit the animal that-- where it keeps popping up?

Whac-A-Mole?

That's it.

Every time I resolve one problem, another one jumps up.

But this-- insisting on two apartment walk-ups rather than single-family homes is just so shortsighted.

Mr. Smith, does the city housing authority agree?

Yes, Your Honor. We've bought Oscar's "Defensible Space" theory.

We believe it's the way to go.

Well, then what is HUD's objection?

Cost. They think it'll be more expensive to build the townhouses.

And it may well be.

But the idea of walk-ups just flies in the face of everything I've tried to bring to this project.

There can be no interior public areas.

No stairs to a second unit. Nothing.

And every family must have its own front and rear yards, and the front entry must be directly off the street.

Why the hell can't they see that?

Cost can be a prohibitive hurdle, Oscar, even for the government.

Newman: Public housing residents are no different than any other renters.

They will jealously guard and maintain what's theirs.

Problems arise when projects have nebulous public areas that are like a sort of no-man's-land.

That's the place that gets trashed.

That's the space that gets used for loitering and drug dealing.

You know, every year HUD spends millions repairing the vandalism done in the public areas of the high-rises and the walk-ups.

It's a given. It's in the budget.

And?

And...

I'm just wondering if an argument can be made that the townhouses would be cheaper in the long run.

I mean, without the public areas, we don't have the additional cost of maintenance and security.

It's an argument we could offer.

♪ P for the people who can't understand ♪

You guys want a sh*t with me?

♪ S for the way you scream and shout ♪
♪ one by one I'll knock you out... ♪

John: ...my father used to b*at me bad when I was little.

For real?

Well, he wasn't my real father.

I mean, my real father walked out before I was born, but I called him my father.

I didn't find out till a couple of years ago he wasn't.

He walked out, too, when I was 12.

I would never do that to my son.

You have a son?

Yeah. He's named Noel.

He was born on Christmas.

Oh.

I don't see his mother no more, though.

She wanted to get married.

I told her I was too young for that stuff.

She thought I was older.

So, can I kiss you?

Huh?

♪ sweeter than honey, sugar and spice ♪
♪ told her my name was MC Schoolly D... ♪

You mind if I kissed you?

♪ she said, Schoolly D, I know your game ♪
♪ heard about you in the hall of fame ♪
♪ I said, Mama, Mama, I tell you no lies ♪
♪ 'cause all I want to do is to get you high, and, uh ♪
♪ lay you down and do the body rock ♪
♪ took a walk to the corner, got into the car ♪
♪ took a little trip to a fancy bar ♪
♪ copped some brew, some "J" some coke ♪
♪ tell you now, brother, this ain't no joke ♪
♪ she got me to the crib, she laid me on the bed ♪
♪ I f*cked her from my toes to the top of my head ♪
♪ I finally realized the girl was a whore ♪
♪ gave her ten dollars, she asked me for some more ♪

Deluxe Homes of Berwick, Pennsylvania, has the low bid for the first 142 units.

The good news is that they'll be built out of state.

That eliminates any potential trouble like threats, protests, vandalism.

So the prefab units will be trucked into Yonkers?

And then literally bolted onto the foundations here.

The bad news is the bid came in five million more than what we have.

Under HUD's guidelines we have 11.3 million available.

Deluxe came in at 16.1.

That's about $33,000 a unit.

Mayor Wasicsko has raised the shortfall possibility with HUD, as have we.

Also, Senator Moynihan has started working back channels for us, and Jack Kemp has told him that he will find a way to make this happen.

Believe it or not, we have a pretty good relationship with Secretary's office.

With such open lines, you would have thought the last w*r of the Walk-ups could have been avoided.

Well, Your Honor, sometimes the magic works, sometimes it doesn't.

The important thing is HUD made the right call despite themselves and we're finally on track.

It's all a technical problem now, right?

The politics is done.

Which is why I'm here today to announce that I am running for Mayor of Yonkers.

( cheering )

Never before has the opportunity been so right to bring about meaningful political reform...

And I will restore the government of Yonkers to the people's government!

( cheering )

Yonkers is at a crossroads.

Together we can return Yonkers to a city of gracious living.

I am asking that you return me to a second term as your mayor.

And this mayor, who has been shortsighted in handling the whole thing, he has shown absolutely no compassion for either the homeowners or the people of Yonkers.

( cheering )

And I also ask that you reject the four councilmen who caused our city to be held in contempt and any candidate who would support it.

Let's clean up City Hall.

( cheering )

Thank you very much. Thank you.

Crowd: Clean sweep! Clean sweep!

Clean sweep! Clean sweep!

Clean sweep! Clean sweep!

( chanting continues )

Doreen's voice: "Dear Jaron, you are my son and I love you more than anything... but you've been born in a hard place.

And you and your mama are alone now.

I didn't plan it this way.

Truth is, my daddy says I didn't plan anything-- that it's because I didn't have a plan that you and me are in this mess.

But I know that isn't true.

I loved your daddy, and I wanted you to be a part of that love, to come from that love.

And I don't have any regret about that.

People who say that isn't a plan don't know my heart.

What I didn't plan was for being alone so fast.

I knew what having a kid meant, that it was all kinds of responsibility.

But I thought I'd be doing it with your daddy and every day would be a little bit better.

I thought if I could get a place of my own and a family of my own, that everything else would come with that.

I'm not sure where I'm going or even where I am.

This was supposed to feel like home for us.

This isn't home..."

Excuse me.

"...and I don't know what comes next.

I know that I can't stay here without falling down, and I know I can't go home.

I can't listen to my father tell me his lessons, and I don't know how to learn the lessons my own self.

I'm just here waiting.

I'm waiting, and I'm not sure what it is I'm waiting for."

( beeping )

( beeping )

( coughing, retching )

( beeping )

( beeping )