This Weekend at the Movies

The Last Supper

The candidates' Q and A was not terribly well attended.

As it began there seemed to be more candidates on stage then folks in the audience.

By the end there were about 75 people there.

It is doubtful that anyone who went didn't have their votes decided before-hand.

"Highlights" might be too strong a word, but here are a few noticeable moments:

Jim Freiband told us "I've been attending Town and Village Board meetings."  He didn't name the town and village he was talking about, but it hasn't been Woodbury.  

Matt Higgins thinks that we can make money by putting ads on the channel 22.  Could someone please explain Public Access channels to him?

Richard Mednick wants the Village to fix Route 32.  Apparently the town planning background he touts never covered that towns and villages can't repave state roads.

Lyn Prestia said "I am not associated with unknown, questionable leadership."  True enough.  Caruso is known, questionable leadership.

Tommy Burke told us "I am not beholden to anyone."  One hopes that Ralph gave him permission to say that.

In his closing statement, Bo Haviland said: "I am fortunate to be running with a team who work well together."  Considering that his running mate, Tommy Burke, is campaigning for Bo's opponents, this has to be the funniest line of the night.

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Early Reportage From the Q and A

While, due to unforeseen circumstances and the World Series, the Gazoo was unable to attend the candidates Q and A, we are pretty sure that Ralph Caruso was the best one there, that his answers were perfect, brilliant and beautifully sung and that he was the handsomest looking man on the stage.

More as this story develops.

Ralph’s Good Little Boy

Ralph wants control

It's slowly (oh so slowly) dawning on him that, as the Town Supervisor lacking a majority of votes on the Town Board, he's not going to get it.

Time for plan B.

That's B as in Burke.

Well, to be honest we're far beyond plan B.  

We're past Q and R and S.  Ralph has tried so many times to take over Woodbury.

So let's call it plan T as in Tommy.

Tommy isn't even pretending that he's not Caruso's boy.

The two of them are knocking on doors together.

Tommy suffers from delusions of adequacy.

He may actually think that he's going to be Ralph's partner, but that's not the way things work in Carusoworld.

Give the boy a lollipop.

Just don't give him anything dangerous.

Like a vote.

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What We Don’t Know and What We Do

So far we don’t know why the Town Board suspended Police Chief Vasquez and so we have no way to evaluate the move.

However, the Chief’s release of a recording that he made during a meeting some months ago with Ralph Caruso does give us a great deal of information about how Caruso acts as Supervisor.

The tape can be heard in its entirety here:

https://soundcloud.com/vasquez4sheriff/woodbury

Starting at around 6 minutes in and then again at about 28 minutes Ralph attempts to force the Chief to give police vehicle repair business to McKenzie motors stating repeatedly that as Supervisor he wants work to be given equally to all town vendors.

In and of itself this would be quite laudable.

However the Chief explains that McKenzie has not only been ripping off the police department, but has done dangerously shoddy work on the police cars.

Amazingly, Ralph states quite plainly that he doesn’t care.

“I want it done, plain and simple,” he says.

For some reason Ralph is willing to allow tax money to be wasted and police officers to be put at risk in order to enrich Glen McKenzie.

Ralph says: “I’m the guy with the ultimate responsibility.” But if something goes horribly wrong it’s Woodbury tax payers who’ll be on the hook.

Also, Ralph doesn’t get that he isn’t the guy with ultimate responsibility.  Ultimate responsibility lies with the Town Board as a whole.

If a town board wishes to give a supervisor special powers it can vote top do so.

During the town reorganization Ralph repeatedly asked for more power and the board repeatedly said no.

Ralph doesn’t understand that. 

He’s never understood that. 

And as long as he’s Supervisor he will refuse to understand that.

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OK, Now It Matters

Ten more days until the election, so the Uncle will stop binge watching Netflix and pay attention.

Among other things we've got the Chamber of Commerce sponsored Q and A on Tuesday, and with all the various Town and Village candidates invited it will look like a Republican primary debate.

Can we borrow that nifty Air Force One from the Reagan Library?

As the Uncle understands it (which may well be wrong) the event will take place October 27th at the Central Valley Elementary School starting at 6:15.

SIX FIFTEEN?  

Can that be right?

OK, we'll double check that.