"Kick the Common Council
up a notch!  Vote for John
Carlson on Election Day,
Tuesday, November 8th."
Carlson2005
Elect
John Carlson





to
White Plains
Common Council
on
November 8th
John Carlson will work for you.  He will take the initiative to
question, speak up and identify matters needing attention.  He'll do
what the incumbents didn't.  He'll do what the other candidates
won't.  He'll work for you."

John Carlson has answers to problems that affect you:

Who runs White Plains?
  • Some people feel the developers and special interests run
    White Plains.
  • The downtown skyline has grown too fast, too high.
  • Our quality of life is in jeopardy.
Solution:
  • Stop spot zoning.
  • Revise the City’s comprehensive plan again.
  • Actively involve the citizens of White Plains in the revision
    process.
  • Develop a governance standard that assures honest, non-
    conflicted representation by elected officials.

City’s shaky financial health:
  • Moody's put the City on Negative Outlook.
  • Debt is equal to $3,800 per household.
  • Lavish or foolish spending.
  • The City's “Enron-type smoke and mirrors" reporting and
    financial management.
Solution:
  • Cut waste.  
  • Accurately report and project City’s revenues, expenses and
    level of debt.
  • Develop a plan to restore City's financial health.

Homeowner real estate taxes are skyrocketing:
  • The shifting tax burden onto homeowners -- homeowners now
    pay 38% of real estate taxes vs. 28% 10-years ago.
  • The School System's and the City's dwindling commercial real
    estate tax base -- commercial properties now pay only 45% of
    real estate taxes vs. 58% 10-years ago.
  • Giveaway PILOTs and "Tax Certs" for developers and
    commercial property owners.
  • Commercial assessments were 8% lower last year while
    homeowner assessments were the same.
Solution:
  • Fight for fairer, lower homeowner property taxes.
  • Stop “give away” PILOTs and Tax Certs.
  • Make commercial property owners pay their “fair share” so
    that they “give back” what they “take - take - take" out of our
    City.  
  • Work with Albany to end the unfair "rules" that allow the shift
    in the real estate tax burden onto homeowners.

Parking / Traffic:
  • The high parking meter costs.
  • Increased parking fines.
  • The ticket "blitz".
  • Traffic-blocking valet parking.
Solution:
  • Lower the parking rates.  
  • Stop the "ticket blitz" -- create governance standard to assure
    that ticket quotas don't exist.
  • Propose legislation to properly control or eliminate obstructive
    valet parking.

Crime is too high, violent crime has increased:
  • White Plains is the 4th largest city in Westchester
  • White Plains' violent crime rate ranks 3rd highest (more violent
    crime compared to New Rochelle and Peekskill)
  • White Plains' property crime rate ranks 2nd highest  (higher
    than all cities and towns except Mt. Vernon)
  • Violent crime in White Plains increased 10.4% since 2000 while
    the USA's violent crime rate declined 8.1%.
  • Common Council incumbents have allowed the increase in
    violent crime to be "hidden" from you by combining violent and
    property crime data.
Solution:
  • Call the police commissioner “on the carpet” to get at the truth
    about the City’s crime rate.
  • Determine what additional resources the police need.
  • Develop action plan for crime reduction.

Lead in drinking water:
  • City has measured too-high lead concentrations that are above
    the Federal action level.
  • Significant but unknown numbers of homes are drinking water
    with lead concentrations that are too-high .
  • City has not acted but “hush hushed” the lead problem.
Solution:
  • Stop the cover-up.  
  • Immediately start testing our drinking water to find the scope of
    the problem and the cause of excess lead.
  • Develop action plan to get the lead out of our water.

Illegal rooming houses:
  • Lack of enforcement.
  • Safety hazard.
Solution:
  • Enforce City codes so that illegal rooming houses are closed.
  • Develop user-friendly voice and web-based system for
    citizen's complaints -- so that you don't feel like the wrong-
    doer and your complaint is addressed.

Seniors are under pressure:
  • Seniors feel they’re being pushed out of White Plains.
Solution:
  • Offer Discount Meter Keys for seniors.
  • Higher Affordable Housing Set-Aside for seniors.
  • Lower homeowner real estate taxes.
John Carlson
"The fresh
candidate with
the right skills
for serving the
citizens of
White Plains
better."
John Carlson
“He can do a better
job serving the
people of White
Plains -- November
8th is time for a
change.”