WPCNR MR. & MRS. & MS. WHITE PLAINS VOICE. November 8, 2005: A reader objects to the Mayor's Mud Brochure.

John,

I am angry.  I just received a mailing from the Delfino campaign that follows the typical Republican strategy.

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1) Make up issues to accuse the other side of.

2) Repeat things often enough until people believe them.

3) Do it at the last minute so the other side cannot respond.

The Power campaign has NOT been throwing mud.  We have been campaigning on the issues.  There are major differences between the candidates on who should be in control of the city’s future – the politicians or the residents.  Despite claims to the contrary, Dennis has laid out an extensive and specific platform. 

Delfino paints a city 8 years ago that was ghost town with deteriorating parks, abandoned buildings, and depressed and downtrodden residents which he single handedly rescued.  That’s just poppycock. 

The main problem was the pullback of the city’s two major employers – IBM and AT&T.  And once again, instead of building a broad base of many small and medium size companies, the city is counting on a few large retailers to pay the bills. 

It will not take much, and it will be ‘dejavu all over again’.  Maybe there were not as many bars downtown then, but I could find most of what I needed in the small locally owned shops where the staff knew you well enough to say hi.

The renaissance is happening all around us, not just in White Plains.  The main difference is that the surrounding cities did not Manhattanize their downtowns to do it.

Don Hughes