THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR

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WPCNR WILMA REPORT. By John F. Bailey. October 30, 2005: WPCNR interviewed a mother and her six and seven year old son and daughter who have been living in the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma’s rampage across Florida, and have returned to live with relatives  today in White Plains while awaiting Florida Power & Light to restore power to their home in the Pompano Beach area.

 

Life in FWE (Florida Without Electricity). Electric Birds Fly North “Cannot Take It Anymore.”

 

Talking to Amy, the young mother who has made her way North, WPCNR learned first hand what’s taking FP&L so long to restore electricity. She reports that her home was very lucky, with no damage done to the home but she believes a tornado, spawned by the storm just missed her community, because cars were tossed into yards and fences were swatted down in a swath immediately to the rear of her home.

 

She told us that FP&L is taking longer than expected to restore power because the concrete power poles used in their area “snapped in half, and it’s taking longer to replace them.” She reports 236 of 300 schools still are without electricity and there has been no school for a week. Amy reports that communities which had underground utility cables did not lose electricity.

 

She noted that electricity was restored to the Florida Keys first, because they had a separate power company.  FP&L worked on the South Miami-Dade area, which has been restored. Now, she reports they are working their way up into Broward and the Palm Beach area. She said FP&L is promising all power will be back on by November 22. Asked what explanation Florida Power & Light has for the slow pace, she volunteered that “there was more damage to the power substations than expected.”

 

Her two children, Alexis and Austin, have been amusing themselves with a portable battery run T.V. but they were not going to have a Halloween in their area because that has been cancelled  because of the lack of street lights, wreckage, and conditions.

 

Amy says the cooler weather in Florida since the hurricane strike has been “a Godsent,”
because people have not been as testy. She remarks police in her community of half-million homes, have driven past offering ice to keep food from spoiling. She says mostly they have been living from canned foods using a hand-can opener. She has had to boil water, and has used a generator, but says unfortunately, once gasoline for the generator is gone you cannot get gas because the gas station pumps are powered by electricity.

 

She told us FEMA has been providing food and if you cannot get them, you can call and they will bring you supplies. However, cellphone towers have been knocked out and there is still no telephone service in her area in Pompano Beach.

 

Domestically, ther family has had to take cold showers with contaminated water. It gets dark about 7 PM and, of course there is no light. She said the family could not take it anymore and she and her husband have come north to stay with relatives. Her husband will be working out of the New Jersey office of his firm. The family moved to Florida a year ago and has experienced four hurricanes.

 

Austin, six years old, reports he was not scared, but he hurricane was “bad.” Alexis, 7 years old reports the hurricane was also “pretty bad.”

 

Amy says the media have not been running regular network programming and instead has been running 24 hour a day information on where to go for supplies, if you need help, and informing residents how to deal with the onset of inconveniences.

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WPCNR FOR THE RECORD. October 29, 2005: On Thursday, Mayor Alfred Del Vecchio and Mayor Sy Schulman, the previous two Mayors of White Plains delivered statements on the Mayoral race at a news conference at City Hall supporting Dennis Power for Mayor. Robert Stackpole, a longtime member of the Planning Board, also read a statement. Here are the transcripts of those statements:

October 27-05
Statement by Alfred Del Vecchio

Good morning!

On so glorious a morning I would like to report that our elected
officials have done their jobs well. That will not be possible. Let me
tell you:
    • After eight years of promoting “economic prosperity” with
taxpayer’s money, our tax base has actually decreased in the face of
claims of an increase in economic growth worth more than $2 billion.
That’s quite an achievement–or would you call it a dechievement? In
previous administrations development created wealth for the City and
actually lowered taxes. After eight years the current development is
driving us to the poor-house.

Alfred Del Vecchio, Mayor of White Plains 1975-1993 addressing News Conference Thursday.Photo by WPCNR News
    • Not only did we give a developer $23.4 million to build a garage
for the city center, we then turned around and gave him the whole
garage. To compound the felony we agreed to take care of all major
maintenance in the garage. What a deal!
    • Moody’s independent investment service recently issued a
“negative outlook to White Plains municipal bonds warning all buyers
that “White Plains had the last three years of operating losses.” No
surprise.


Dennis Power has asked me to endorse him for mayor. I heartily do so.

My experience as mayor includes having worked with each of the
candidates when they were councilmen, I know how they think and how
they work. Let me tell you, Dennis has the confidence to listen to
others.  Dennis has the background to manage.  Dennis has
people-skills: he is clearly better equipped to lead. Given the
opportunity, Dennis will enrich the quality of life of our city.

Dennis Powers understands that good government makes the best politics.
I think he will serve all the people of this city very well . Given the
opportunity I think he has the capacity to become one of the great
mayors of our city. Please think about it. I will vote for him and urge
you to do so as well.

Thank you.
_____________________________________________________________


October 27-05
Statement by Sy J Schulman

My colleague Mayor Del Vecchio has just disturbingly outlined how the
current administration has frittered away the fiscally sound government
it inherited in 1998.

Equally serious has been the Delfino failure to review the 1997
Comprehensive Plan annually, and to update it every five years as
prescribed when it was endorsed by the Common Council in 1997. Only
after prodding by a grass roots citizens’ group did the City start to
review the plan, albeit with little or no effort to enlist significant
citizen participation.  In sharp contrast, the 1997 Plan had the input
of more than 400 citizens.

Mayor Sy Schulman, leader of White Plains from 1993-1997, delivering his statement at Thursday News Conference for Dennis Power.  Photo WPCNR News

The many changes during the past eight years have not been universally
welcomed –– far from it. Thirty-five- and forty-story- buildings were
never contemplated by the Comprehensive Plan.  There was never any
intention that the City donate $23 million to a private developer
––virtually stripping the City of its available funds. And what has the
City received for its largesse?  The developer just raised condominium
prices by one hundred thousand dollars each. (So much for affordable
housing!)

Let’s get down to it. Our City needs to re-visit its plan:
    • to reflect new pressures and needs faced by the School District
    • to reflect changing population characteristics
    • to reflect compounded traffic and parking problems
      • to reflect the need for a coordinated urban design

Dennis is a man of integrity, a hard-driving, “get-it-done” kind of guy
who can be counted on as the Mayor to involve us all in addressing  and
correcting these problems. I will be pleased to assist in every
possible way.

Thank you.
_____________________________________________________________

October 27, 2005
Statement by Robert J. Stackpole

I enthusiastically endorse Dennis Power for Mayor of White Plains.

I.    Dennis is a man who believes in the bedrock democratic principles
of public participation in making vital decisions –– open government.

II.   Dennis is a man who is not afraid to encourage vigorous debate of
the issues–– not afraid to listen to the concerns of our citizens.

III.   Dennis is a man whose dynamic personality will thrive in his
role as Mayor.

IV.  Dennis is a man who does not recoil from criticism.

V.   Dennis is a man who will not govern by intimidation.

Robert Stackpole, member of the Planning Board, endorsing Dennis Power Thursday. Photo, WPCNR News

VI.  Dennis is a man who will not hide behind non-elected spokesmen for
the administration

VII. Dennis is a man who will not be beholden to developers or similar
special interests.

VIII.Dennis is a man who will not squander the wealth of the City in our
joint quest to move the City forward.

IX.   Dennis is a man who understands that engaging citizens in the
conduct of City government will ensure that the outcomes will be
embraced by the many.

X.     Dennis is a man who will reach out to all the citizens of White
Plains to be the leader of us all.

Because Dennis Power recognizes that the future of White Plains and the
substance of our municipal government is far and away the most
important issue we face in this election, and because Dennis has the
requisite personal and professional resources to deal with our problems
on a mayoral level, and because he is able and willing to use them, he
is, without question, the man to lead us for the next four years.

________________________________________________________________

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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. October 28, 2005: Pat Casey, the new publisher of The White Plains Watch announced to WPCNR Thursday that her newspaper is expanding and will publish weekly beginning in January introducing a new force in White Plains reporting, the White Plains Times

Pat Casey of The White Plains Times in front of City Hall. Photo, WPCNR News.

Casey said the paper will remain the same length and size as it is now, 20 pages, but will change its name to the White Plains Times. Casey said the paper’s logo is being redesigned by Berlin Associates, a city-based design firm, but the format will remain the same, retaining the color photographs. She plans no change in editorial style.

She said the paper will report hard news affecting the quality of life in White Plains, and present features focusing  on the activities of White Plains personalities, provide profiles  and continue its roundup of events and happenings around town.

Casey reports she has expanded the staff of the new Times to 7, with a Managing Editor, Associate Editor, an Advertising Sales Manager, and full-time writers, supplemented by a free-lance staff up to 25.  She said the paper will publish on Thursdays of each week, beginning January 5.

The paper will be circulated by mail at no charge to a resident population of 25,000. Subscriptions are $25, she said and will avail subscriber supporters of  certain privileges and benefits that are in the process of being determined.

The White Plains Times will join the White Plains Crusader as the second weekly in White Plains.

 

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WPCNR Campaign 2005.  By John F. Bailey. October 27, 2005: The final Candidates Debate unfolded in the friendly confines of Battle Hill Condominiums last night. Mayor Joseph Delfino and the incumbents and challengers (councilpersons) fielded a series of general questions. The right to ask questions was limited to  Battle Hill residents by the chairpersons of the Battle Hill Association, apparently to avoid alleged “embedded agents” from asking pointed questions which marked last Wednesday’s uncivil exchange between Mayor Delfino and alleged Dennis Power supporters prompting  the Mayor to refer to citizen complaints against development as “minutiae.”

 

The Battle Hill Debate Wednesday Evening”: Left to Right on the dais, Mayor Delfino, Rita Malmud, Larry Delgado, Tom Roach, Glen Hockley (standing), Dennis Power, Frank Mastraccio, John Carlson. Photo, WPCNR News.

Incumbent councilpersons Roach, Malmud and comeback candidate Glen Hockley as well as the Mayor  and Councilman Larry Delgado defended their $1.2  Million in grants of Affordable Housing Assistance Funds to Kensico Terrace and Lake Street Partners to build affordable housing projects at 24 Kensico Avenue and Silver Lake, but offered no explanations why they did not make the grants in the forms of loans to be paid back as suggested by Council Candidate John Carlson to perpetuate the funds.  

 

Tom Roach said the funds did not come from the General Fund, but were earmarked specifically for affordable housing assistance or for the building of affordable housing, without addressing why the money was just given away with no guarantees. The Mayor said market rental housing was a minimum of $1,500 a month and that level was simply not affordable and affordable housing needed to be addressed. He also did not defend the outright gift nature of the “grants.” Rita Malmud justified the grants as being the city’s way of “partnering with developers” to create affordable housing

 

 

Larry Delgado said he felt making the affordable housing grants was good use of the money since the city was partnering with non-profit organizations to build these projects, whose object was not to make a profit (though the cost of the units by WPCNR calculations approach the cost of the city’s most recent cost/per unit built in the North Tower at City Center).

 

Mr. Power, the Mayoral candidate expressed his desire that the set-aside for building units be raised to 15% from the present 6%, and that it be expanded to the whole city, including the outer neighborhoods. He said the city should be more aggressive with negotiating with developers for affordable housing, and that the city should work more with the county.

 

Power said he supported the county senior citizen project planned for the former Post Office parking lot behind the Board of Elections building.

 

The Mayor said he was adamantly opposed to expanding the set-aside affordable housing legislation to include the outer neighborhoods. The Mayor said developers, especially Louis Cappelli have given more than their fair share, noting that Mr. Cappelli had contributed $1.5 Million beyond what he was required to do regarding his 221 Main Project.

 

Frank Mastraccio, a candidate for Common Council said that affordable housing had to be targeted and discussed with individual landowners as a way to spur growth in Affordable Housing.

 

A question about the rise in school busing costs to the Youth Bureau, and day care charges for after school programs prompted a range of responses. Glenn Hockley, bidding to make a return to the Common Council, said “We’re one city,” and that the city should combine purchasing power with the schools and see how they could work together to lower costs.

 

 

Finances Not Touched By Candidates.

 

 

John Carlson brought up the point of eroding commercial assessments and city certiorari givebacks,  and said he would work and lobby hard with Albany to find solutions to stop this trend which he said hurts all taxpayers. The other candidates did not address this canard. Though Rita Malmud said the city had tried to hold the line on taxes, but occasionally a tax increase is necessary. Tom Roach, deferred with Carlson saying the city’s financing was on the upswing, and the Council had addressed the problems of the past, saying that other cities “would like to have our sales tax ($40.9 Million).” The sense of Roach’s take on the finances was that the city had turned the corner, dismissing Carlson’s concerns.

 

Dennis Power, Mr. Delfino’s opponent, called for a joint meeting between the School Board and the Common Council “on a regular basis” to address common problems. The Mayor said he met regularly with the Superintendent of Schools, but that the Board of Education had never expressed their desire to meet with the city regularly. The City School District expressed dissatisfaction last spring in getting specific PILOT tax payment projections from the city last spring, however, the City Assessor did meet with the Board of Education to give them a short-term view of tax payments to be expected from the new development.

 

Battle Hill Issues.

 

The questioning was turned by the moderators to Battle Hill issues which revolved around traffic and enforcement of housing codes. Larry Delgado said, “we listen to your concerns.” Tom Roach said he was concerned that housing code violations were taking too long to work their way through the court system and he would be working to speed that process of litigating against the landlords. Mr. Hockley maintained that speeding enforcement had to be stepped up. Dennis Power, the Mayoral candidate, said there had to be better speed enforcement and that the neighborhoods had to be involved more by city hall, referencing the city’s Comprehensive Plan review needed to continue with more neighborhood input sought.

 

When John Carlson tried to raise the issue that violent crime was actually more than it was in the year 2000, Virginia Falzarano, the Moderator attempted to cut him off saying the discussion was on traffic. The audience said they wanted to hear him on it. Carlson noted that violent crime was steady and an issue that needed to be addressed in the downtown.  Later in the evening, the Mayor said, he did not care that as far as he was concerned crime was at a new low. What Carlson has brought to light is, and the police agree with him, that violent crime, especially assaults is 10% more than it was in the year 2000, and it is only when property crime figures are mixed with the violent crime figures that crime shows to be down.

 

A questioner asked the candidates what their visions were for the city.

 

Mr. Power said he wanted “A very open city, more responsive to needs of residents, ” and that the city not be developed “at the expense of the residents.”  He said the vision of the Comprehensive Plan of 1997 had to be followed, and he would make sure that was implemented. He shied away from attacking the Mayor for his “minutiae” remark of the previous week where the Mayor characterized the vast majority of citizen complaints as “minutiae.” Power’s comment on finances called for holding property tax increases to 3% and projecting a three year budget plan. In fact, Mr. Power was diffident this evening, as were all the candidates, as if trying smooth over the unseemly rancor of last Wednesday’s debate.

 

 

John Carlson said he wanted to “restore financial health to the city,” and he would work to find solutions to the city’s dwindling tax base, and expenditures. Mr. Delgado said he wanted to expand the “rejuvenation” of the downtown, extending it to Post Road and South Lexington Avenue.  

 

Frank Mastraccio, the Common Council Candidate said he wanted to work for a viable public transportation system for White Plains.  

 

In a question about what the candidates would do for the Hispanic population, all candidates lapsed into platitudes about the diversity in White Plains, and the many opportunitys except for Mr. Hockley who said more had to be done for Hispanic Day Laborers. Hockley revealed that he had been working to set up a building in the city where day laborers could meet to be available for day hires, eat, and receive counseling if needed. Hockley said a prominent Hispanic leader whom he did not name was responsible for at least temporarily blocking this initiative of his.

 

Salaries

 

In a question on council salary increases, the Mayor responded he had not had a raise in eight years. The Mayor has had a lapse of memory. According to the official budget, he received two raises in 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 from $125,000 to $130,000 in 2003-2004, and an increase from $130,000 to $134,875 in 2004-2005. Budget Books for previous years were not immediately available to check back further. The Mayor said he would be willing to serve without a raise next year.

 

 

WPCNR thought it would be interesting to note how the Mayor’s Cabinet Salaries have fared over the last four years.

 

The Mayor has raised salaries of key Commissioners roughly 4% a year since 2000-2001 over the last four years, (through 2004-05), while the city was running deficits. WPCNR thought it would be interesting to note how the Mayor’s Cabinet Salaries have inflated over the last four years when inflation was under 2%.

 

The Assessor’s salary has gone up over $20,000 from $82,560 in 2000-2001 to $104,000 today.

 

The Budget Director has moved up $17,000 from $108,275 in 2000-2001 to $125,381 this year.

 

The Commissioner of Building’s stipend has moved up $17,000 from $102,168 to $119,521.

 

The Commissioner of Finance has moved up $17,000 in four years from $108,214 in 2000-2001 to $125,381 in 04-05.

 

The Information Services Director was paid $92,880 in 2000-2001, and is paid $108,655 today, up $16,000 in four years.

 

The Corporation Counsel has had his salary increased $20,000 in four years, from $121,401 in 2000-2001 to $140,661.

 

The Personnel Officer has moved from being paid $101,962 in 2000-01 to $124,480, an increase of $23,000 in four years.

 

The Mayor’s Executive Officer has gone from a salary of $104,000 in 2000-2001 to a salary of $130,000 today, a $26,000 increase in four years.

 

The Planning Commissioner’s Salary has moved from $115,528 in 2000-2001 to $134,822 .

 

The Public Safety Commissioner position pays $20,000 more than it did in 2000-01, from $126,000 to $146,894 today.

 

The Commissioner of Public Works position  is up $21,000 from 2000-01 to $142,896, compared to $121,000 in 2000-01.

 

The only commissioners not participating at the same level are the City Clerk, up $11,000 in four years, and the Commissioner of Recreation and Parks, up $10,000 from 2000-01 to $118,060. 

 

 The Mayor recounted his accomplishments and said he wanted a chance to continue the work he had begun in redeveloping the city. He promised to pay attention to all the issues, including “the small ones.” Overall the Mayor appeared in complete command this evening in one of his strongholds which has long supported him. He made no gaffes, projected an air of concern and earnestness and benevolence. He said he had involved all the neighborhoods in projects concerning them.

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2005. From The Power Campaign. October 25, 2005: WPCNR News has received a news release from The Power Campaign announcing that former White Plains Mayors Alfred Del Vecchio and Sy Schulman will endorse Dennis Power for the post of Mayor at a news conference Thursday. The release reads:

White Plains Mayors Aflred Del Vecchio (1976-1993), left, and Sy Schulman (1993-1997) will formerly endorse Dennis Power for Mayor of White Plains Thursday, according to an official announcement received by WPCNR today. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

 

PRESS ADVISORY — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-10/25/05 Contact: Paul Schwarz

 

FORMER MAYORS TO ENDORSE DENNIS POWER FOR MAYOR OF WHITE PLAINS

 

White Plains, October 25, 2005 – This Thursday, two former Mayors of White Plains will endorse Democratic Candidate Dennis Power for Mayor of White Plains at a City Hall press conference.

 

Alfred DelVecchio, former Republican Mayor (1975 – 1993) will join Sy J. Schulman, former Democratic Mayor (1994 -1997) in endorsing Dennis Power, former White Plains Councilman.

 

On hand will be:  NYS Assemblyman Adam Bradley; NYS Assemblywoman Amy Paulin; Chair, Westchester County Board of Legislators Bill Ryan; Westchester County Legislator Lois Bronz;  White Plains Council President Tom Roach and members of the Common Council, Rita Malmud, Arnold Bernstein, Ben Boykin and Council Candidate Glen Hockley; former Councilwoman Pauline Oliva; and other local elected officials, community leaders and friends. Power is also endorsed by the Working Families Party.