WPCNR MR. & MRS. & MS. WHITE PLAINS VOICE. MARCH 28, 2006: A resident of the Rocky Dell-Reynal Park disagrees with WPCNR posing the question of Tax to keep the land or sell the land in order not to tax, which appears to be the Council position. Her comment:
Dear John,
With all due respect, I have enjoyed your fair coverage of the Railside debate on your website. However, I think the poll choices do not fairly reflect the real crux of the problem.
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The city has found itself in some financial difficulty, and therefore, has turned to a long-term asset of land to temporarily fix the problem. According to the councilmen last evening, no real efforts have been made on behalf of the City to find funds to make up the difference for the operating expenses.
DO NOT MAKE this a tax issue..it has only become a tax issue because the City is faced with increased pension plans, rising healthcare benefits, salaries, etc.
Please, be true to your readers…this is not a choice between raising taxes and land preservation. This is a question of failed fiscal responsibility on the part of the city. Why is it that since the early 1990’s the Common Council has fought to keep this land undeveloped? Simple. They valued the land. I urge you to reconsider your wording in the poll as it does not accurately reflect the true question at hand.
The councilmen are in a very enviable position right now. They have the power to protect our city’s vacant lands. I urge them to reconsider their votes.
Sincerely, Anne Jordan Duffy
The CitizeNetReporter Replies: Including a question on whether council should cut budget or find other money than sell the land, does not get at the heart of the matter which putting it squarely as a matter of dollars, would White Plains citizens pay a mere $500 a year or so in taxes to keep that land? Apparently they would not. If I add the third question it provides a "cop-out" that puts the responsibility back on the Council. Polls are should be used to get at issues and gut feelings, in my opinion. The Councilmembers at last night's meeting showed by what they said that this was purely a tax issue to them, and that they couldn't care less about the land, the ambience, or The Greenway.
