WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE EXAMINER. From Councilman Larry Delgado. August 7, 2004: Last Monday evening, Councilman Larry Delgado made his first appearance at the monthly Common Council meeting since being sworn in to the Council two weeks ago, and Glen Hockley removed by enforcement of the Attorney General's quo warranto action on his behalf. Mr. Delgado sponsored a buffet and celebration in the rotunda and spoke at length to the public from his Common Council seat. Here is the text of Mr. Delgado's remarks upon his return to the Common Council:
White Plains Common Councilman Larry Delgado, shown during his Democratic Party imposed exile, 2003. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.
Thank you Mayor and Members of the Common Council. Well, a little time has transpired since the council elections of 2001, but it’s great to be back on the Council and feel I honored and privileged to again be able to represent and serve the residents of White Plains. We all know that in the 2001 elections a broken voting machine in the Westminster Ridge neighborhood put in doubt who was the 3rd place council race winner.
After 2 ½ years in the courts, the NY Supreme Court ordered my reinstatement as the winner of the election. This situation will hopefully never happen again, but I am so pleased that the Mayor and the Council recently moved ahead in upgrading our ancient and obsolete voting machines. Voting machines are meant to accurately count votes, not to determine the outcome of close elections.
I thank the voters of the City of White Plains. To those who voted for me, you have my thanks and appreciation for your trust and support. To those who didn’t vote for me, I hope I can earn your trust and support in the next year and a half. To those who didn’t vote at all, well here you have ample evidence that every vote does truly count!
I also give thanks to our judicial system and all the judges at all levels who participated in this case. We are so fortunate in this State to have fair and dedicated judges who wear their robes for the sole purpose of imparting justice. The judicial system may be slow and ponderous, but it is fair and just.
Thanks also to NYS Attorney General Eliot Spitzer whose office investigated the 2001 election results, determined that I had won, and went to Court to restore me to office. Mr. Spitzer demonstrated that as the people’s lawyer he will seek justice whether at the highest levels of Wall Street or in a local election in the small City of White Plains, and always in a professional and non-partisan manner.
Thanks to all the volunteers who worked on my campaign, my attorney Jeff Binder, and lastly, I thank my family for their support- my wife Anita, my son Jason, and my mother in law Rosa.
And now I am focused on the future, on the important work to be done in the next 1 ½ years such as:
1. achieving responsible development that is responsive to the City’s needs
2. ensuring sufficient parking that is also resident friendly.
3. acquiring open space and preserve it for future generations.
4. ensuring that every penny of sales tax revenue collected by the State on our behalf is accounted for and returned to us.
5. promoting affordable housing so young families and seniors can remain here.
6. relieving congestion on our streets by promoting mass transit options.
7. promoting art in the downtown and other quality of life improvements.
8. maintaining and improving our City’s infrastructure.
We can accomplish these and so many more things by working together, in a spirit of optimism, cooperation and bipartisanship. We are a diverse City, but I will listen to all voices with the same enthusiasm. After all, we are all neighbors who care for each other, and united by a great City.
Thank you and I look forward to serving all of you.
Larry Delgado
White Plains Common Councilman
Address to the People of White Plains
August 2, 2004
