A 225th Historical Supervisor Past

As most Greenburgh residents deal with their daily lives in a Town with questionable leadership, games and wastes of time and money abound. Case in point? Thursday night found our Town Board and The Paul dressed in period costumes as they greeted and mingled with visitors to reenact a Town Board meeting in celebration of the Town’s 225th Anniversary. Many of the visitors were politicians seeking favor with The Paul, probably by humoring his latest merriment and hoping for some press exposure. They recognize that he is one of the favored politicos in the Westchester media and can go far by rubbing elbows with him. Not sure? Just pick up any daily or weekly newspaper and you’ll find his press releases published verbatim. Pick up a copy of the Journal News and you’ll find their frontman, Phil Reisman and the editorial board verbally tripping all over themselves to put The Paul in a positive light – no matter the guilty verdict rendered or law that was broken! And now we have Astorino’s own Republican shill Matt Richter (formerly of the Journal News), following instructions by continuing to do the same in the social media outlets.

The evening of fun and games at the Town Hall was abruptly suspended when someone began shouting, “Here ye, here ye, the Town Board meeting is about to begin. Please take a seat inside.” The crowd filed into the main hall and the Board went to their usual seats at the dais. Trying to retain a “feel” for the period while making light-hearted comments, the reverie continued as the meeting was called to order. Several non-period inaccuracies also took place with several “players” who would not have been part of the Board back then. But we’re all having fun so we can ignore those facts. Supervisor Present certainly knows how to ignore facts! The issue at hand was Supervisor Past was tasked with finding a missing goat - said to be a common occurrence back then. Finally, there’s something our Supervisor Present might be able to do without costing the taxpayers money, incurring a lawsuit or relinquishing property endorsing some personal cause. At least this meeting started on time, without the poetry readings, musical performances, proclamations to the then non-existant Cub, Girl and Boy Scout troop members, slide shows, videos, student movies and the like.

At what cost to the taxpayers was all this frivolity taking place? There were a number of Town employees “working” the event. We don’t know if they were mandated to participate (and forced to accept overtime dollars), or if participation was voluntary? It certainly costs money to keep Town Hall open even though it may have been kept open anyway for other meetings. How much did that cost? Several vendors provided “free” refreshments – ABG always wonders what the real cost might be when vendors are solicited to help The Paul? How were these costumes paid for and by whom? Finally, as the token event of the evening was for Supervisor Past to find a missing goat, a representative from the Greenburgh Nature Center trotted in Linden, the resident actor goat of the Center, and walked him up to the center of the dais. Supervisor Past saw the goat and delivered a result to a resident without the fanfare Supervisor Present would embody.

Another fun time had by all. This meeting had no certiorari adjustments, lawsuit payouts, spot-zoning, developer gifts, or new “fees” initiated. Supervisor Future risks offering more silly and costly media events for more feel-good publicity that makes everyone around him want to burst into singing Kumbayah. Having the Journal News complicit by ignoring the illegal actions of The Paul is disingenuous and does it’s readership a disservice. It also explains their slow demise while other newspapers flourish (i.e., assorted Westchester weeklies, Wall Street Journal, NY Newsday, NY Post). The Paul’s actions with so many questionable projects throughout the Town, his mismanagement of Town affairs, his pandering to extremists and injection into projects that do not concern the Town prove one thing. No matter whether we have Supervisor Past, Present or Future, it’s time for him to go. We can only hope.

County Gifts Day Off to Select Group of Employees

ABG has previously posted about this waste of County resources. What it amounts to is nothing more than a paid day off for County employees. It was started under former County Executive Andrew Spano and perpetuated by current County Executive Robert Astorino. Astorino touts himself as a reformer when its convenient but apparently is more interested in paying back the unions with this day off for the workers who participate.

Billed as the Westchester Educational Safety Training for police, emergency services and public works employees. It billed as running between 8:30AM until 2:00PM. This ensures an entire paid day off for anyone chosen to participate AND be billed as the requisite safety training employees must receive. Most public employees start at 8AM and finish at 4PM. This gives them plenty of time to “punch in”, hop in a County owned truck or vehicle and hightail it over to the County Center. Once the event shuts down, and they get back to their respective offices, it’s just in time to “punch out”.

Here’s two copies of the flyers being circulating through the entire County system. Note that they have different topics but the same basic format and information. ABG wonders how many more of these exist that we haven’t seen?

 

When these supposed forums began years ago, it was known as the County Fleet Day. The very few “old timers” still on the job for the County still refer to it as such. Back then, the special workers chosen for this payoff simply drove their rigs to the County Center, pulled them inside and had breakfast and lunch on the County’s dime. That still happens and we pay for it all as an event under the guise of “training”. It’s not training. Not only has Astorino and everyone in his administration has turned a blind eye toward this blatant ripoff of the taxpayers dollars, but the longer they let this travesty continue and the longer he and his administration condone it, the more of our valuable tax dollars is wasted.

ABG supports legitimate safety training. Having eight uniform vendors participate in this “trade show-like” environment is nothing more than the County administrators trying to substantiate and even validate this waste of time and dollars. It must end! If Astorino has finished padding his administration with Republican faithfuls and foot soldiers, it’s time for him to really start trimming waste, spending and the highest taxes in the nation. Playing the game of proposing the elimination of jobs compared to such waste such as this is where we can start saving the battered taxpayers real dollars. ABG implores County Executive Astorino to stop playing games with the public’s money. We can only hope.