There are some points the Uncle is going to make repeatedly in the run-up to the election in November.
First, there is a reason that Woodbury politics seem so confusing.
Confusion is one Ralph Caruso's favorite tools.
If transparency would unmask Ralph's unending quest for total power in Woodbury, then he's going to muddy the water.
Second, Ralph controls the town's Republican Party, Conservative Party and the Woodbury Perversion Party, and, through Manny Mangual, he holds sway over the Democratic Party.
If you think that Manny has left Woodbury you should attend the Democratic Committee meetings. Manny is still a member of the Committee and his control of the majority, by way of proxies, continues.
Third, because of the above, parties don't matter in Woodbury. Candidates matter.
The following timeline is one illustration of Caruso's control and methods:
2001
Sheila Conroy ran, for the first time, for Town Supervisor. She ran as a Republican and with the backing of the local Republican Committee.
She was surprised to see that her Democratic opponent ran no real campaign against her.
She won and a week after taking office she received a phone call from Ralph Caruso "instructing" her on how she was to vote.
She explained to him that she would make her own decisions.
She never again had the backing of the Republican Committee.
2003
Ralph Caruso and John Burke decided that John should run against Sheila as the Democratic candidate. However, when John reached out to the Conservative Party for their endorsement without first clearing it with then Democratic Committee Chairman Charlie Serra, it put Charlie's nose out of joint.
Charlie stopped John from getting the endorsement and he himself ran instead.
The Republican Committee refused to endorse Sheila and she had to walk petitions to get on the ballot.
Despite having no backing from her party, Sheila won.
2005
Ralph's man Bob Donnelly had become Democratic Party Chairman. He saw to it that John had the nomination.
Again, the Republican Committee refused to do a thing for Sheila.
On the day before the election a flyer was distributed anonymously throughout Woodbury filled with lies about Sheila's record.
John Burke won.
2007
John Burke runs as a Democrat and Ralph's Republican Committee allows him to run unopposed.
2009
John Burke runs as a Democrat and Ralph's Republican Committee again allows him to run unopposed.
2011
John Burke runs as a Democrat and, yet again, Ralph's Republican Committee allows him to run unopposed.
2013
John Burke runs as a Democrat and Ralph's Republican Committee once more allows him to run unopposed.
Sensing a pattern here?
2014
After John's death a special election was run to choose a Supervisor to fill out his term.
The Republican's nominated Ralph.
This time it was the Democrats, now under Chairman Manny Mangual, who refused to run anyone against Ralph.
David Sutz ran as a write-in candidate and came close to beating Ralph.
2015
A major outcry by Woodbury Democrats has forced the Democratic Committee to endorse David Sutz.
For the first time in a decade we have an actual choice!
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Often wonder why Mr. Burke ran unopposed for so many elections?
ReplyDeleteHe might have won anyway, but we will never know since voters didn't get a real choice.
Although Caruso ran for the Village Board a couple of times under the party he created, wondered why he did not run for Supervisor. Guess we now know the answer to that.