Mayor Joseph Delfino Conducting a Common Council Meeting. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. July 14, 2005: Mayor Joseph Delfino, in a letter to The Journal News, appears to call for a daily holdover hotel for the city's wandering homeless, complete with "food, something to do and supervision." The Mayor clarifies a policy first announced to WPCNR last week when WPCNR raised the issue with Mayor Delfino's Executive Officer, Paul Wood, on whether the Mayor endorsed a possible daycare headquarters for the homeless during daylight hours from 6 A.M. when they are let loose by the County in downtown White Plains. His letter stops short of saying whether he would support establishment of such a center in the city and where it might be located and who would supervise it.

In an indignant letter to The Journal News, protesting the recent JN editorial supporting present county busing and dropoff policy of the homeless, while accusing Mayor Delfino and Andy Spano's opponent for County Executive, Robert Astorino of playing politics with the homeless issue the Mayor writes, "the county...must provide some service or supervision during the day instead of simply warehousing the individuals on our streets for 16 hours a day without access to food, restrooms and something to occupy their time."

The Mayor closes his letter with "There has to be a better way to both ensure the safety of our cities' populations and provide the much-needed services that these individuals require. Waiting for Albany to act isn't the answer. These are issues that must be addressed -- locally and immediately."

Meanwhile, County District Attorney candidates Tony Castro and Janet DiFiore got on board to support the civil commitment drive  that would authorize the state to continue incarcerating violent criminals in mental institutions after they have served their sentences.