To the Editor,
I write to urge Westchester County legislators to reject the ill-advised and financially flawed agreement with Standard Amusements that the county executive is trying to foist upon them. The agreement requires a huge expense from the county with almost no guarantee of reward for the taxpayer.
Playland has needed a huge capital investment plan for decades and it has been ignored and neglected. I support investing in Playland, but why shouldn’t the taxpayer reap the benefits of that investment? Playland can and has turned a profit when managed correctly, and since when do we judge the success of a park in monetary terms? Are golf courses held to the same standard as Playland?
The idea that the private sector can run Playland more efficiently than the county is belied by the county’s own experience. In the ‘80s, the county brought in a private operator to run the park with disastrous results. Do we really believe that Standard has the experience and the talent to not repeat history?
This whole process has been flawed since 2013 when the county executive was ready to hand the keys over to Sustainable Playland, which was a contradiction because at the end, it would never have been “sustainable” and it sure would not have been “Playland.”
I hope the county legislators rethink this Standard Amusements folly and have the courage to say that they have gone down the wrong path, and that it is time to reconsider. People will find that candor refreshing and appreciate their taking their responsibilities seriously and protecting a park that is an oasis to working folk in the area. It is a one-day vacation, the only vacation that some families can afford.
Thomas A. Murphy,
Mamaroneck
