WPCNR MR. & MRS. & MS. WHITE PLAINS VOICE. June 14, 2006: A reader offers their opinion of what they allege is developer favoritism by the city government:
Any number of things help make our country great, but one of the most fundamental is the rule of law. Not just any laws – not the crushing prohibitions of the dictator, nor the Byzantine restrictions of the religious zealot, but the basic laws that address the inevitable points of friction that arise when large numbers of people must live, work, and play in close proximity.
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In order for a society to prosper, these laws must be well known, they must be applied equally to all citizens, and violations must be quickly punished. If we fail here, our organizations drift into anarchy and eventual collapse. We organize into structures such as states, counties, and cities, and accept restrictions on some of our basic freedoms - not because we like to pay taxes or want someone to create yet more laws, but because we understand the need for a well defined and proscribed means of applying and enforcing our laws in a fair an unbiased manner.
When a city gives a developer special consideration, ignores illegal behavior, or worse, participates in illegal behavior, there can be no justification, no claim of offsetting future benefits, because doing so undermines the very foundation that makes our society work.
It is very sad when the lights of a roof top restaurant blind our city to the theft of our integrity. That our elected representatives cannot see past the language of a few ordinances to the real issue - an issue that most of the residents can quickly grasp. The disappointment is magnified when you realize that the institutions that you created to prevent this are active participants, that any avenues of discussion have been closed off, and that the violators count on the fact that legal challenges are too expensive for individuals to peruse.
Don Hughes
