Did Ralph Get The Message?

Just kidding.

Of course he didn't.

The Common Sense - Independence slates swept.

Big time.

David Sutz beat Ralph two to one.

And Ralph knows exactly who's to blame.

Manny Mangual, who wasn't able to stop the Democrats from nominating someone to run against Ralph.

So, at this very minute, Ralph is planning his come back.

As soon as he can arrange to run unopposed again.

                           To read other posts by Uncle Betty click here.

What's At Stake

Tomorrow we vote for the Town and Village Boards.

I'm guessing you knew that.

You may already know the rest of this, but let's review anyway. OK?

The Town Board

Caruso is running for re-election.  

The only difference from last year was that he couldn't arrange to run unopposed. 

The best laid plans of mousy men...

Caruso currently controls two votes on the board, his own and Lyn Prestia's.

Why Lyn, a seemingly intelligent and well-spoken person, would give up independent thought and vote with Ralph on everything, including things she opposed before he became Supervisor, is a mystery.

However the other three members of the Board, Republican Tim Arone, Democrat Bob Hunter and independent Frank Palermo, have denied Caruso's moves to consolidate power.

So, even if, heaven forfend, Ralph wins reelection, he will continue to be impotent.

The Village Board

Of far greater importance is the Village election.

First of all, villages can over-rule towns on matters such as zoning.

Second, under New York State law, village mayors have far more independent power than town supervisors.

This hasn't come up before in Woodbury, because Mayor Queenan and majorities on both boards have worked sanely together.

Ralph's chosen candidate for mayor could change that.

"Working sanely" isn't Ralph's strong point and Tommy Burke will do as Ralph says.

And what makes me call Tommy Burke Ralph's pawn?

First of all, Ralph's proxies and Manny Mangual's proxies control the Democratic Committee.  That's how Tommy was chosen.

Then, as soon as he had the Democratic nomination, Tommy Burke carried petitions for Ralph's Perversion of Woodbury Party for himself and for opponents to his Democratic running-mates.  

Petitions notarized by Ralph.

And now Ralph and Tommy are walking, hand-in-hand, campaigning together through Woodbury.

If Tommy becomes Mayor, Ralph will have more control over Woodbury then he's ever had.

This stuff matters.

                           To read other posts by Uncle Betty click here.

The Democratic Committee's Auto-Colonoscopy

Based on reports from the Pieman:


At last Monday night's meeting of the Woodbury Democratic Committee (theoretically separate from the Woodbury Republican Committee) Swiller (theoretically sweet as pie) pointed out to the committee members that Tommy Burke (theoretically the Democratic candidate for Mayor) was walking door to door in Strawtown with Ralph Caruso (theoretical friend to all and prince among men) campaigning against David Sutz, (actual Democratic candidate for supervisor).

Willa Frieband (theoretically chair of the Democratic Committee) wasn't at all concerned.  "We're not interested in personalities. We're only interested in five issues."

If the party isn't interested in personalities, why does it have candidates (some of whom may actually have personalities)?

And as to those "five issues."

Robin Crouse asked what they were.

Willa couldn't say.

As Rick Perry would say:  "oops"

                            To read other posts by Uncle Betty click here.

Robots Come To Woodbury

The Uncle just got a robo-call advising a "vote for Row A all the way."

Democrats were never mentioned.

Ashamed?

When it comes to the Democrats' candidates for the Village a robo-call is most appropriate.

Tommy would definitely be Ralph's robot all the way.

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.

                                           To read other posts by Uncle Betty click here.

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.

                         To read other posts by Uncle Betty click here.

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.

                                        To read other posts by Uncle Betty click here.

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.

Alan Kula's Odd View Of Free Speech

It seems that the Pieman has returned to the Burma Shave type signs that he previously used in 2004 when OCEAN supported Bonnie Kraham in Monroe for the State Assembly.

What are Burma Shave signs?

They look like this:

Great poetry it ain't, but it does seem like a pretty straight forward sentiment. 

Yeah, so?

Well, a fellow named Alan Kula has a problem with it.

Here's what he posted on Facebook:

Anyone in touch with someone from the Town Clerks office in Woodbury? On Ridge Road heading toward RT105 someone put up small signs sending some sort of message that makes no sense. Unless these were approved by the Clerk's office I would like them removed first thing Monday.

I will be calling.

so?

Well, first of all, does it really make no sense to suggest that you should know the facts before you vote?

But more to the point, let's say that Alan Kula honestly can't get his mind around that.

Why does that mean that the signs should be removed?

Is there a new Kula test for free speech?

If Kula doesn't understand, then you don't get to say it?

Mistreating Ralph

The Uncle has been accused of being just a Caruso bashing site.  

How unfair!

We bash so many others as well.

Actually there is a different site that appears to go out of its way to create the impression that Ralph is a lying megalomaniac.  

I'm not recommending them, they're filled with rumors and out right lies.  

But if you're going to accuse us of painting a terrible picture of Ralph, you should see who's really doing that.

For What It's Worth

The Uncle's new blog (this one) has passed 15,000 page views.

That's either 15,000 different people reading it once

or one terribly lonely and bored person reading it 15,000 times

or some mix in between.

What should that mean to you?

Not much, I guess.

Ordered To Volunteer?

So, now that Caruso's own district (the folks who know him best, perhaps?) have voted him off the Republican Committee, which sitting member of that happy group will Ralph order to resign so that Don (the Ankle Biter) Siebold can appoint Ralph to the vacancy?

Switching Gears

With the primary done and almost two months until the election, the Uncle is switching from sprint mode to marathon.

The posts will keep coming, 'though not necessarily on a daily basis.

But, whatever the pace, keep your eyes on the prize.

If you're interested, this might be a good time to catch up on previous posts.

To read other posts by Uncle Betty click here.

The Invisibles

In November the Republican line will carry six names for the Town and Village Boards.

Town Supervisor - Ralph Caruso, Town Council - Lyn Prestia and Tim Arone.

Mayor- Mike Queenan, Village Trustees - Tim Egan and Tom Flood.

The thing is, Ralph Caruso only wants Lyn and himself on that line.

He's running four other candidates on the Perverse Woodbury ticket for the other seats.

He very much wants Queenan, Arone, Egan and Flood to lose.

So...

It will be quite interesting to see what signs the Republican Committee will put up.

Who appears on their website.

Who is mentioned in their ads.

Stay tuned, this is going to get interesting.

To read other posts by Uncle Betty click here.

We All Remember

Caruso: “I've always depended on the blindness of strangers”

Tim Arone is on his way.  Ralph Caruso Isn't.

In the Republican Primary for Town Council Tim pulled in 284 votes.

The second nomination went to Lyn Prestia with 253 votes.

Doc Cooper finished out of the running with 220 votes.

This puts a major crimp in Ralph Caruso's plan to take over a majority of the Town Board.

Now he's got to hope that Cooper, still running on the Woodbury Perversion line, can win, despite having been rejected by a large number of Republicans.  

But the cherry on top was Caruso getting kicked off the Republican Committee.

The Republicans of Ralph's own district, the people who know him best, voted to replace him with Arone and Queenan.

Didn't Caruso learn the lesson from last year's election?

The only way he can win is if he runs unopposed.

Ralph had hedged his bets by running no one in District 9,  so now he can have Don Siebold appoint him to a vacant seat.

Now, Ralph has to tell one of the current Committee members to take a hike so Don can appoint Ralph to that seat.

That's got to be embarrassing. 

"Hey Donny, I got locked out, lemme in!"

But here's what you have to keep in mind.

Taking over the Town Board would have been nice for Ralph, but the real prize is the Village Board.

And now he's seen that people who know who he is and what he's doing don't want to vote for him and his puppets.

So he is going to have to rely on those Woodbury voters who have no idea who he is and what he does.

People who have no idea that Ralph's number one puppet in the November election is Tommy Burke, who is on the Democratic line.

Our job will be to convince those voters to take the time and make the effort to learn what's going on.

To read other posts by Uncle Betty click here.

Trump Explains

The Pieman reports that The Donald The Trump has released the following:

When I talked about Fiorina's face, I wasn't talking about her face. Only a perverted Mexican rapist would think that I was talking about her face. I was talking about her PMS.

The networks all called me to apologize for misquoting me.

Fiorina called me and apologized for her face.

I love women, I cherish them. They all tell me I'd make a wonderful woman. I'd be the best woman.

I'd be so much better looking than Bruce Jenner. I have super models calling me, telling me I'd be beautiful. And my breasts would be so much better. They'd be yooge, yooooge!

Arone or Stay Home

If you're planning to vote for Tim Arone, what are you waiting for?

Get up.

Get Dressed.

Go to the Polls.

If you're running late, skip getting dressed.

If you're not voting for Tim, it's a great day to sleep in.