A brief pause in our nostalgic look at Woodbury’s recent
political past to look two weeks into the future.
As we’ve been attempting to show, political parties in
Woodbury are a rather vague concept.
Ralph Caruso runs the Republican Party. And the Conservative Party. And to a large degree the Democratic Party.
Also he has the Preserve Woodbury/Woodbury Preservation/Woodbury
Committee to Preserve the Preservationists of Woodbury Party.
And while Caruso controls the apparatuses of these parties,
he doesn’t control all the members of those parties. In the case of the Republican and Democratic
parties he doesn’t even control all the members of their committees (just the majorities).
And he doesn’t control ALL
the elected officials from those parties.
For example, three members of the Village Board are
Republican, one is a Democrat and one has submitted paper-work to become a
Democrat. AND
NONE OF THEM ANSWER TO RALPH!
On the Town Board, along with Caruso there are two
Republicans, one Democrat and one Independent.
One of the Republicans, Marilyn Prestia, echoes every position Ralph
puts forward. She has even reversed her previous positions on
various issues now that Ralph is leading her, something that she has never been willing to explain.
But the other three councilmen have stood up to Ralph and
prevented his repeated attempts to take powers from department heads and the
Town Board itself and give those powers to himself.
Those three are Robert Hunter (Democrat), Frank Palermo
(Independent) and Tim Arone (Republican)
.
That fellow Republican Tim Arone has stood in the way of
Caruso’s power grab is especially galling to Ralph.
And Ralph doesn’t accept being told “no.”
Ralph tried to keep Arone from being reelected by denying
him a place on the Republican ballot, but Arone carried petitions and won the
right to primary for the nomination,
So on Thursday, September 10th, Woodbury Republicans
will have to choose among Tim Arone, Lyn Prestia and Raymond Cooper.
If you want Caruso to have three votes on the board you will vote for Prestia and Cooper.
If you want an independent Town Board that doesn’t act in
lock step with Ralph you'll vote for Arone.
I hope you will vote for Arone, and neither of Ralph’s
choices.
To read other posts by Uncle Betty click here
As you point out, Tim Arone is a Republican. He had nothing to gain and everything to lose by not going along with Ralph Caruso. But he thinks that he was elected to serve the town and not one man. If you want to encourage intelligent and honest public service go out and vote for Tim Arone.
ReplyDeleteI should point out the obvious. The Conservative Party candidates are Prestia and Cooper. The Citizens for the Perversion of Woodbury candidates are Prestia and Cooper. What a coincidence!?!
ReplyDeleteIn light of the mania happening on the Monroe board, I have ZERO interest in voting in someone with "power grab" issues
ReplyDeleteCaruso used to scare all of us in Woodbury but he doesn't scare us anymore and he doesn't get it.
ReplyDelete