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Thank you for the great coverage on the White Plains High School Cheerleaders and their participation at the 54th Annual Cheerleading Invitational at the County Center.
-- --Ann Chillemi, White Plains
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Reader Clarifies Why They Think City is in Financial Trouble.
Posted on Tuesday, November 01 @ 18:41:40 EST by jfbailey
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MR. & MRS. & MS. WHITE PLAINS VOICE. November 1, 2005: A reader tries to make it clear why the city is sailing rough financial waters:
Today a reader asked what's behind claims of poor financial management by
Mayor Delfino and what's the "substance" behind these issues. Let me clear
things up so that this undecided voter can go to the polls informed.
(More)
I believe you'll find my points are confirmed by the positions of Republican
council candidate John Carlson, and Democratic mayoral candidate Dennis
Power, both of whom have extensive financial management backgrounds.
Mr. Carlson is a career-long corporate banker I believe, and I understand
Mr. Power to have had a lengthy career leading on Wall Street as well.
To your reader(s): Yes, we have a lovely new downtown, with movies and
stores. But let's look at what's behind these physical --and financial--
facades.
At a time when Real Estate is booming everywhere, developers of course made
their way to White Plains. (This would have happened no matter who was
mayor, in my opinion.) But Mayor Delfino made a grave mistake. He "gave our
downtown away."
He gave both the property and huge concessions to developers (Capelli in
particular) where they make the profit and get the tax breaks.
Who is paying for them? You, the resident. Your property taxes have gone up
17% in the last few years. Developers get richer, you get poorer. This won't
stop anytime soon.
For instance, parking meter fines were increased and ticketing stepped up by
Mayor Delfino because the city needs the cash. Not to cut YOUR taxes (which
should be happening), but to pay the DEVELOPER'S debt. Hence the valid
positions of Del Vecchio, Schulman, Carlson and Power that we need to
negotiate contracts that benefit you who live here.
When a developer owns the downtown garage, which the Mayor gave to them as a
"welcome gift," we very well could be paying NYC prices to park 2-3 years
from now. $500/month? $25 for a few hours? Why not, if you're a developer.
This situation isn't to be taken lightly. Your car is and will be paying for
someone else's mortgage, while your taxes will keep going up. Unless proper
financial management is installed in the leadership of this city, developers
will continue to get rich off your hard-earned money for years to come.
Then Mayor Delfino let Wal-Mart come to White Plains as well-- a monster
retailer that totally decimates local, family-owned businesses around the
country. What will downtown look like when Wal-Mart kicks everyone out and
Main & Mamaroneck are desolate again?
To see City Center and downtown just on the facade is a grave mistake for
planning your White Plains of 10 years from now. "New" cities falter all the
time from poor and rushed financial missteps at their infancy.
The issue come next Tuesday is simple: Construction vs. smart development
that has a taxpayer benefit. Expert financial planning.
If two former mayors from both parties, one mayoral hopeful, and a
Republican candidate --all experts-- agree on this, I think it warrants more
attention to the future of our city than just looking at a new fountain and
theater and saying "all is well."
Joseph Manzini Sr.
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| Article Rating |
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Average Score: 3.94
Votes: 34
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