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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2005. News Commentary By John F. Bailey. November 8, 2005, UPDATED 11 A.M. E.S.T. UPDATED 11:51 A.M. E.S.T.: It is Election Day and the campaign for Mayor and Council is over. White Plainsians are heading to the polls opening at 6 A.M., and have until 9 P.M. tonight to vote and decide whether the Delfino Administration is to be extended for another four years, or to vote in Dennis Power, former Councilman, who has campaigned hard the last two weeks.

The weekend was punctuated by telephone calling and two Mayoral events, and the mailing of two brochures by the Mayor in a one-two punch. In the “Splat” brochure, he accused Mr. Power of distorting the facts, flinging mud, and saying the city’s finances are in great shape and that his opponents have nothing to say. The “Splat” brochure is a tecnique used with effect in November of 2001 and I believe November of 1997.

The Mayor followed that up Saturday with the “Together Brochure,” claiming among other things, he was bringing a 4-Star Hotel and 5-Star restaurant, a rubber-wheel trolley system, and a makeover of the West Side in his Phase IV renovation plan (which WPCNR was told a few weeks ago, the city has “no plan for.”)

The Mayor announced and held a Get Out the Vote Rally on Sunday, an unprecedented event in this reporter’s experience. The Mayor took the opportunity to ask his supporters to call friends and urge them to vote. Whether this means the Republicans lack volunteers to get Delfinoistas out to the polls, if they think they need them, remains to be seen.

But the Mayor was everywhere the last week — at the Youth Bureau celebration, at the Westco Gala. He is the consummate American politician in every sense of the word.

The Mayor’s Get Out the Vote Rally Sunday in Delfino Park. Photo by WPCNR News.

 

Then the Mayor pulled out the stops at the Common Council Meeting Monday evening in a brilliant heartwarming Common Council meeting. He staged a Rosa Parks event, inviting members of the African-American community to speak and an acquaintance of Rosa Parks to speak. He recognized a popular young man from Archbishop Stepinac High School whom WPCNR knows from Little League, Patrick Massaroni as Youth of the Month. He recognized a black woman, Dionne Lewin, Section 8 Administrator working for the city who did much for Hurricane Katrina victims in Houston.  

He chose the occasion to celebrate the Finance Department getting an award for financial presentation yet again from the Government Financial Officer’s Association, cleverly orchestrated to indicate that the city’s financial reporting is beyond reproach. Most persons seeing this award do not realize the award is simply for looks, and presentation, not content comprehensiveness. If the budget were comprehensive we would have nothing to write about!

On the consent agenda, the Mayor  had Rita Malmud and Tom Roach and Larry Delgado speak on various matters, doing “Star Turns” on the touchy-feely issues of the city and schools joint facilities agreement, and Mr. Delgado talking about affordable housing and a grant of funds to rehabilitate housing in the city. All demonstrated on television for the voters their hearts were in the right place and were wonderful people.

The Mayor touched all the bases. Will he reach home plate? Was he piling up insurance runs, or pulling it out?

Dennis Power did not finish his punches.

Power meanwhile sent out a powerful letter from former Superintendent of Schools Saul Yanofsky, taking the Delfino Administration to task for ignoring the plight of the school district and failing to achieve the growth he claims has come about from the downtown development. A final press conference by Power last Thursday repeated his theme that the city finances were in poor shape, and that citizens needed to be involved in planning future growth and future development of the city, and that he would do that.

 Power sent out no other mailings to counter the Delfino drive to the finish. Power also made no appearances that we know of since last Thursday. Is he laying low because he has the lead, or is it considered that the election is lost? Or do they want him to lose. Come on, you got to finish! Be a boxer!

Wife’s Illness blunts Power’s Last Weekend.

WPCNR has learned that Mr. Power’s wife was taken ill over the weekend, forcing him not to campaign as vigorously as planned, according to a source with the campaign. However, this puts Mr. Powers’ Council running mates further to shame for “not taking up the slack” and carrying the good fight to the Mayor, perhaps even playing up the illness as a campaign issue for the sympathy factor. A slogan comes to mind: “Residents and Family Come First,” or perhaps: “White Plains: It’s All About Family.” But then I am a cynical person.

Power is to be commended for the media-grabbing Del Vecchio-Schulman endorsements and the Yanofsky  letter.

Andy Reaches Out and Touches You, but Does Not Plug Power

Meanwhile Andy Spano, County Executive Incumbent, continued to reach out and touch all voters, as did Hillary Clinton, and Bill Clinton, urging us to vote for Mr. Spano, pass a bond issue, and what have you.

What was really glaringly missing from Mr. Spano’s telephone messages, or any Democratic message was any support for Mr. Power and the other Democratic Candidates in White Plains.

It’s easy to do that. The County Executive just cuts different recordings to feed to different communities. Why didn’t he do that? It goes along with WPCNR’s theory that no Democratic incumbent really wants Mr. Power to win this thing because it would upset the preordained line of succession.

More to the point, don’t you think Adam Bradley could have cut a telephone message for Mr. Power? After all Mr. Bradley is the man pulling the strings on the City Democratic Committee (Tim James  and Liz Schollenberger,  worked with him in his former campaign in Bradley’s Naomi Matusow ouster in 2002). (Jonathan Appel and Arnold Bernstein were Bradley’s Campaign Managers) Don’t you think Mr. Bradley could have helped Mr. Power just a little? A wince? Didn’t Adam want him to win?

And how about, Bill Ryan or Hillary or Bill Clinton telephone messages? Why didn’t they do something for Dennis on the phone. At the very least Mr. Power could have been in some of Andy’s TV Spots…no harm.

And how about  Bill Clinton making an appearance with Mr. Power in White Plains. That would have gotten a few votes.

With Running Mates Like these, no one could win.

Why didn’t several of Mr. Power’s running mates and Democratic personalities campaign for him? Mr. Boykin, Ms. Malmud, Mr. Roach, Mr. Bernstein and Mr. Hockley never made any passionate speeches for Mr. Power. He was treated as if he was an invisible man by his running mates. The Democratic councilpersons were not good actors in this political drama. They went through the motions, very few motions, as a matter of fact.

Why did not those kind of credibility boosting appearances by the Clintons, and who knows who else, happen?

To be sure, Mr. Power is not the only candidate neglected by his running mates. John Carlson, the Republican Councilman was kept off the mike at the Mayor’s Get Out the Vote Rally Sunday, working the crowd. Admittedly, Carlson has been criticising the Mayor’s financial policies. Then today when Mayor Delfino’s telephone message went out to residents, he said to get out and vote for Larry Delgado and Franceso Marinaccio, but did not mention Mr. Carlson. What a gaffe!

U.S. Attorney’s Office, are you listening? Perhaps if Janet DiFiore wins D.A. she can institute an election fraud investigation, or maybe Tony Castro, should he win. Fraud, what fraud? The 2005 White Plains election reeks.

However, if Mr. Power wins today. This tears up the pea patch. Remember the Democrats were going to simply not run anyone against Mr. Delfino until Ron Jackson asked to run. Then BOOM! Dennis Power leaps to the barricades. Power did not campaign for three months, finally getting started in early September.

 But, he has not beat up the Mayor on three big time issues.

Crime — Power refused to light up the Mayor on the Galleria Murder. He refused to pound the Mayor on the changing nature of the downtown at night, particulary the increase in assaults — instead he attacked traffic which he blamed on development.

7 Coverups — Power attacked the Mayor on not responding to phone calls, but refused to ream the Mayor on the coverups:

1. The sewer coverup of 2001.

2. The Silver Lake sewage spill coverup of 2005.

3.  The witholding the Moody’s bond rating coverup of 2004,

4.  The failure of the Mayor to meet the Budget and Management Committee for nine months last year Cover Up  of 2004, when the city was facing tough financial decisions.

5. The coverup of financial figures on sales tax progress in 2005.

6.  The coverup of the Performing Arts Center Fix in 2003. 

7.  The last coverup: the 2003 $27,245,000 Municipal Bond floated for LC White Plains by the County IDA which was never publicized. Coverups always play well.

Performing Arts Center Fiasco — How much is this theatre operation making anyway? Why is it nobody buys tickets and the tickets have to be given away or sold at half-price? How much is the city spending on it? Man, this is ripe for cherrypicking. Adam Bradley could have sliced and diced the Mayor on this issue alone.

 At this point you wonder what might have been had Mr. Power ran harder to win, and not tried so hard to be a nice guy.

Of course if Mr. Power wins, then it was a brilliant, lowkey, strategic campaign, taking the high road all the way against an entrenched incumbent with a quartermillion to spend, and he ran it without, as I have pointed out, any help from the Spano war chest, not much any way. Bad job by the Democrats all the way around.

In politics you have to be able to do anything to win. It is like football. You have to out-tough the other team. Delfino knows how to do that.

 

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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. November 7, 2005: Bruce Berg Senior Vice President of Cappelli Enterprises today confirmed to WPCNR News that the Louis Cappelli 221 Main Street Hotel & Condominium project under construction on Main Street will be incorporating “a 5-Star Restaurant” on the 40th Floor of the first tower of the project. Berg told WPCNR that his organization is negotiating now with several possible operators of the planned establishment. Berg said it would have wrap-around views of Westchester County.

Louis Cappelli Demonstrating Last Seen Design for 40 Story Main Street Hotel Condo Main Street side tower. Arnold Berstein foreground, and Jim Benerofe background look on. Bar Building is at left. Grace Church is at lower right March 23, 2005.  According to Bruce Berg, Mr. Cappelli has decided to add a rooftop restaurant at the top of the tower. A new design will be showcased to the Common Council within the next four weeks. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

Ambitious Copy Spills the Beans on Rooftop Restaurant. The Campaign Brochure revealing the 5-Star Restaurant Deal that Mr. Berg confirmed to WPCNR. Photo by WPCNR News.

Mr. Berg said the plans have not been submitted to the Common Council as yet, but have been in development for weeks, since the Common Council had made it known (Councilmen Benjamin Boykin, particularly, and Robert Greer), they hoped a rooftop showcase dining establishment could be incorporated into the project.

Berg told WPCNR that the hotel being considered is definitely a 4-Star hotel, and he expected to name it within 4 weeks.

The news of the hotel came to WPCNR’s attention via a last minute Mayor Joseph Delfino campaign brochure, announcing a 4-star hotel and rooftop restaurant. A call to the Mayor’s office for details has been placed.

As originally approved, the 221 Main Hotel-Condoplex did not include a rooftop restaurant.

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WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley. November 5, 2005:  On this Nov. 11 we mark the day 87 years ago that ended WWI and has now become the hallowed commemoration of sacrifice known as Veterans’ Day. Alongside local parades celebrating our fighting men and women, we will also remember those who, sadly, have fallen for freedom. The brave soldiers who selflessly risk their lives deserve all the help we can provide.  I am committed to rewarding the sacrifices veterans have made for our country and I am also very proud to serve on the Assembly’s Committee on Veterans Affairs. 

 

   

The sacrifices of over 20,000 New Yorkers serving in active duty are shared more than ever with their families, who deserve all the help they can to cope with this disruption in their lives. To this end, the Assembly passed the Patriot Plan (Ch. 106 of 2003) which has been helping military personnel for three years.  The plan helps military members by:

 

·        Imposing a cap on installment loan interest

·        Extending eviction protections

·        Allowing for the termination of car leases without penalty

·        Extending mortgage foreclosure protections

·        Extending the deadline to pay property taxes, contingent upon locality

·        Protecting against lapse in life insurance for non-payment of premiums

 

To help our military personnel find meaningful work upon their return, the Patriot

      Plan also helps our troops by:

 

·        Extending the certification period for emergency technicians on active duty

·        Waiving continuing professional education requirements and automatically extending professional licenses

·        Protecting soldiers who have to suspend their education, allowing them to retain credits, standings or scholarships, providing them the option of requesting a refund or credit of tuition and fees

·        Allowing special military make-up exams for military members who, due to military service, missed the application deadline for a scheduled competitive exam

 

We will also provide for the spouse and their children, by extending them the death benefits which all of New York’s public servants receive. And when those same kids graduate high school, the Patriot Plan will provide scholarship money for them and their parents. They can also be assured life insurance premiums will be reimbursed for policies up to $400,000 should the worst occur.

 

 

Today’s soldier is very different from the ones of the last century. Alongside 18-year-old high school graduates there are ever increasing numbers of married men and women with children and houses and mortgages. As military recruitment efforts struggle, more reservists are asked to leave behind their jobs and communities to defend democracy afar or help Americans coping with natural disasters at home. This plan helps to assist veterans and their families and provides a smooth peacetime transition for New York’s service members.   

 

For more information about these and other benefits, visit the DMNA Web site, www.dmna.state.ny.us/members/patriot.html or call the Legal Affairs Office at (518) 786-4541, or 1-888-VETSNYS.

 

Veterans of the Persian Gulf or Afghanistan conflicts can now receive, upon request, a new “War on Terror” license plate.  For more information, go to, www.nydmv.state.ny.us/armedforces.htm.

 

There is no greater sacrifice for any greater cause than that given by the American soldier. Though we take this day to honor their memory and their continued struggle, our soldiers continue to fight, when called upon, as they always do. It is our obligation to live up to the freedoms they guard with their lives, and to remain thankful, not just this Veterans’ Day, but every day.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From County Board of Legislators Press Offic. November 4, 2005 (EDITED): Bill Ryan, Chair of the County Board of Legislators, has retained an investigative firm to help determine “just what’s really going on,” at Amodio’s Garden Center on Mamaroneck Avenue, long the target of complaints by the Saxon Woods Neighborhood Association for commercial activities. The Association has never, however, issued a formal complaint about activities at the Center.

 

Ryan’s action, to hire Hawthorne Investigations, was done in consultation with Tom Abinanti, Chair of the Board’s Solid Waste Committee, conducting hearings on the issue. 

 

 

“My constituents have told me that Amodio’s business has evolved, over the years, from a small neighborhood nursery to a low-level use/ industrial type operation in the midst of a residential neighborhood,” Ryan said. “That’s of serious concern to them and to me. Are they conducting an activity that should be licensed and regulated by the county? To answer that question, the county needs a technical assessment of their operations. The county needs to determine if Amodio’s is operating as a nursery or as a nursery with a solid waste transfer operation. If it’s the latter, then the county’s Solid Waste Commission has jurisdiction to regulate the business.”

 

The county regulates and licenses solid waste businesses operating in Westchester. The local municipality determines where a solid waste business in its community can operate.

 

Distressed over the seeming inability of the City of White Plains to resolve a longstanding problem involving Amodio’s Garden Center, Bill Ryan  (D-WF, White Plains), Chair of the County Board of Legislators, has retained an investigative firm to help determine “just what’s really going on.”

 

Ryan’s action, to hire Hawthorne Investigations, was done in consultation with Tom Abinanti, Chair of the Board’s Solid Waste Committee, which has been conducting hearings on the issue. 

 

 

“Residents testified before the Committee and presented compelling evidence,” Abinanti said. “The consultant we have hired, who has significant expertise in the field, will help us to determine whether Amodio’s is running an operation that under law needs to be licensed by the county.”

 

Abinanti said that the consultant’s report will assist the Committee in determining whether the matter should be referred to the county’s Solid Waste Commission for further action.

 

“If Amodio’s is running a solid waste transfer station, as residents allege, the county’s Solid Waste Commission can then exercise its regulating authority,” Abinanti said. “The county can demand that Amodio’s secure the appropriate licenses to operate. If it secures the appropriate licenses, that’s as far as the county’s authority goes. It then becomes a local zoning matter that the City of White Plains must resolve.”

 

 

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2005. November 3, 2005: Thursday afternoon, at City Hall, Dennis Power, candidate for mayor of White Plains delivered these remarks on the State of White Plains:

 

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to a beautiful day in our downtown White Plains.

 

I say “our” downtown because that’s what we like to think, when we see all these nice new structures and bustling commotion. These facades. Well, it’s not really our downtown, and in a minute, I’m going to tell you why — and how we’re going to make sure it is in the years going forward

 

(More)

 

.

 

Our downtown is a bustling city. Yes, it’s been reborn. With the enticing neon of new retailers, the booms of construction, and the skyscrapers all starting to hang over us.

 

These times are the foundation for our city’s future and we set the stage for what happens when the construction is done: Development can benefit everyone who lives here, or White Plains can become a place where special interests play and you pay. You pay more and more, and others get richer and richer.

 

Without you as the watchful guardian over White Plains, our city will grow, all right. In a very dangerous direction.  Unfortunately, behind the facades of girders, fountains, and neon, your Mayor has already started your city down a difficult financial direction. 

 

The garages and buildings you see around you aren’t yours. But you’re paying for them. Mayor Delfino gave this garage, along with some of this other hot property, to developers.  For not much in exchange.

 

We’re not making money from it. We’re paying for it.

 

When buildings go up, your taxes should go down. Are they?  No way. Under Mayor Delfino, he’s stood by and watched them go up  17% in the last three years.

 

 

I’m not here to harp on the past or brag about the present. I’m here to take the right care of our future.

 

And you’re here today to find out what exactly is at stake next Tuesday. And here’s what it is: A White Plains that, once the noise of construction subsides, is in the hands of outside forces. Or a White Plains with smart planning that benefits you the taxpayer for decades to come.

Which do you think White Plains will prosper under?

 

All around me right now, you see a lovely new City Center, new structures, and more on the way.  I love newness in a city. I love revitalization.

 

I know something about it too. On the Common Council, I helped to bring the Westchester Mall to White Plains.  A gem of our city that many people hail as our greatest achievement in planning and quality development.  A center of attention that many people single out as the one accomplishment that used smart planning and high-quality workmanship.

 

So as I look around at our new downtown, I see how this other growth can be very seductive.

 

But to only look at new stores and buildings and say “our future is secure” is a dangerous way to think and doesn’t take into account the next ten years of our White Plains.

 

For our White Plains to grow, residents need to come first for our city to prosper. There is no vitality, there is no “new White Plains” without you being a priority.

 

Now, my policy has been and always will be: Residents come first. Period.

 

 

Let’s  get right down to it.

For openers I’m telling you that the vaunted $2Billion of development we’ve been hearing about is more like $700Million to $1Billion by the City’s most recent official budget. Let me tell you that White Plains isn’t being “sold” to the highest bidder. It’s being given away… the Great Give- away.

Why do I say that? Here’s why:

• The City has paid the developer, Cappelli, $23M for a parking garage it doesn’t own, but it is responsible for maintaining it.

• The City “sold” Conroy Drive to Cappelli in exchange for a fountain which Cappelli firm built, placing the cost of the fountain as equal to the value of Conroy Drive.

 

• The City liberalized zoning requirements, allowing greater building height and area and more attractive upper floor views, and more space––making the land it sold to Cappelli more valuable by millions of dollars ––but got nothing extra in return.

 • Through an arrangement with the County IDA, the City allows Cappelli to build kitchens and bathrooms without paying the sales tax on the fixtures and appliances which the typical homeowner pays, but he gets all the added value, which improves his bottom line while the rest of us have to make up the lost revenue in our property taxes.

• PILOTS given to City Center, Fortunoff, The Jefferson, Bank Street Common, and others are admittedly designed as developer “incentives”, often applied to distressed properties. Make no mistake, this means “give-backs”…

• Valet Parking is a nuisance and, ultimately, a non-reimbursed City expense.

• Plastic pipe, much of which was installed before approval, saved Cappelli money. The City got nothing in return.

• The City swapped the South Kensico garage for a less valuable site on Brockway Place which is in a flood-prone area. Stop and Shop and Pepe got the far better deal.

 • City Center theater is a continuing budget drain with the City paying for the theater “build-out” and having to contribute more then 50% of the operating budget each year.

 

*************

What I’ve been talking about–––the Great Giveaway–––

 

translates into money. About $50M over 8 years… That works out to about $3K+ per household, or about $400 for  each of the last eight years.

 

A lot of productive things could have been done for White Plains with that money, for instance a new City Hall, a downtown transit system and similar big-ticket items but what did you have to say about it? Not much. Delfino doesn’t want to hear from you.  He did all of this under cover, it’s simpler when you can do an end run on the public process.

 

Now the piper has to be paid. Things will have to be different from here on in, because…..  the truth is: their so-called “plan” isn’t working, That’s right. The giveaway–– supposed to more than pay for itself–– has not generated a positive cash-flow thus far and, despite what Delfino wants you to believe, things are not looking up –  the latest sales tax returns indicate that this year’s budget is probably over-optimistic by $2M.  There’s a reason for Moody’s negative rating. We’ve been spending more than we take in and our  “rainy day” reserve funds have basically been tapped out. There’s no future in that.

 

To make things worse, every indication is that the School District is in even worse shape. Have we heard talk about “remarkable prosperity”?  Well, those words better be tempered!

We’ll have to re-think the way we manage the business— that’s right,

the business— of planning— and quickly––or our combined taxes will go up big time. At the rate we have been going our combined taxes could easily double or more in only ten years.

 

What do I propose to do about it?

 

• Residents come first. To avoid further property tax increases and to STOP their bleeding, I will immediately put an end to the “give-aways” to the developers.  The City no longer needs to give incentives to rich developers to get them to build in White Plains.  Instead, it is time they paid for improvements in our City that have benefited them in these past 8 years.

Let them pay for the next public parking structure. Let them fund our affordable housing program at its real cost.  Let them pay an increasing property tax––not some discounted PILOT payment.  Let them make contributions to the School District’s construction program.  Let them contribute to building a new City Hall. We should remember that the City used this same approach under Urban Renewal –– developers paid  for the railroad station, the parking garage and clock tower and public open space. It’s time to go back to that policy.

• Further, it is time to review City expenditures in a meaningful way. I will appoint a Budget and Management Committee composed of some of our brightest and best business-oriented citizens, co-chaired by former Mayors Del Vecchio and Schulman, to guide us on how to trim our City budget. Government must re-invent itself when costs are no longer in balance with income. It will be a priority to discontinue the excess spending in the Capital Budget and I will seek financial assistance from all government sources – the federal, the state, the county – to pay for essential Capital Programs in order to take the pressure off the City’s borrowing capacity which, you better believe, has impacted our previously sterling bond rating. We’ve been warned.

• I plan to lobby aggressively in Albany for changes to the current method of assessing and applying property taxes, so that the current trend toward shifting property taxes from commercial taxpayers to the residential property taxpayers is stopped and turned around.  Why hasn’t this been a top priority for the current administration?  Is it that the current Mayor is receiving major financial support from these very same people for his re-election bid? 

•It is time to elect an energetic mayor with ideas who cares about all of White Plains, who doesn’t just visit our neighborhoods at election time.  A mayor who knows how to manage planning better. A mayor who will not be defensive. A mayor who will not be vindictive.  A mayor who will not cater to favored developers. A mayor heading an open administration, one that all White Plains will be proud of. 

 

Thank you, and remember to VOTE Power and the entire Democratic Team on November 8^th. The team that knows that RESIDENTS COME FIRST.