Tonight we get to bombard the candidates with questions. So be there or be square.
It starts 7 PM sharp so be in your seats by then.
Monroe Woodbury High School auditorium.
Show up, pay attention, ask questions, bring a warm coat (it's going down the the 30s).
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38 comments:
Dear Unc.
Thanks for posting the reminder.
People should also know that if they might have trouble with the stairs in the auditorium there is an elevator to take them down to the lower level. Just use the main entrance of the High School and the elevator is just past the doors to the auditorium.
And, just as you said, the forum will begin right at 7, so folks should get to their seats by then.
Thanks again.
Questions we should ask the candidates
• What are the specific changes you want to make in our community?
• Is running for this office the best way to make these changes?
• Why are you the best person for the job?
• Are you ok with the current zoning or do you want to change it?
• Will you use all the Towns services?
• What is your plan to reduce taxes now that we have a Village and it will cost taxpayer more to live here?
• Will you use the Town Master Plan or re write your own?
• Do you have any Local Government experience?
• Do you have any budget experience?
• What do think the Village Officials salaries should be?
• What are your plans for a building or renting a Village Hall and what will this cost the taxpayers?
• Do you have any idea of what your 2007 budget will be?
• Do you really want the job?
• Are you absolutely healthy and sane? (You will
• be under tremendous pressure)
Excellent questions Mike! Hopefully there will be alot of concerned citizens at the forum who will ask those questions.
On another note I have some more rumors:
Mike Queenan is really a circus freak, not a realtor as he would lead us to believe.
Jonathan Swiller is having an affair with none other than himself.
Gerri Gianzero is really a man, and IS moving out of town so he can get in touch with his masculine side.
John Burke is having an affair with Lorraine Mcneill. (I've seen the passion between them!)
But the best and most believable RALPH CARUSO does NOT lie!!
VOTE FOR THE PERSERVATION PARTY and we will all be screwed!!!!!!!!
who is exspected at the debate??
Ralph might swoop in once the sun goes down!
Mike,
Great questions, but if these people were sane would any of them want the job?
As to who will show up, my understanding is that all of them were invited. That Cirigliano, Sutz and Berean-Weeks (and her running mates) all immediately said yes.
Ralph ignored the invitation, then a week or so later he called Mele (or Mele called him) and Ralph had a long list of demands - probably designed to be rejected so he could refuse to show up and then blame the paper and Swiller.
The paper rejected his demands and he said that he wouldn't come.
Just in from the THR- a quotes from Adrienne (Burke) Fuchs-"I would repeal those new current laws....the new village government was formed to take care of zoning issues and not take over town services."
You go girl...repeal those five zoning laws and there won't be any Town services to take over, since the lawsuits that follow will bankrupt both the Village and the Town!! Real smart!
Caruso is boycotting the debate, but it looks like he'll be sending some henchmen to attack the commUNITY Party. The unfortunate part is that thought Berean Weeks will be able to defend, no one will be able to counter-attack because Caruso will not be there to answer questions. Of course I expect he has done this on purpose. For that reason, please do not be afraid to ask questions such as, "What do you think of Ralph Caruso's statement that...?"
Don't let the other candidates steal the show, they are not actual political options, but instead distractors from the true race between commUNITY and Preservation. Also don't be afraid to ask questions about blogs and cyber -attacks should you find them relevant, though I expect they won't come up.
This is also a good time to interface with reporters and to possibly get an interview. See you all there!
To UB there are no other trustee candidates for the community party to debate if Ralph and his team don't show up unlike the Mayoral position were there are other candidates. What will the trustees do all night talk to themselves??
And from the mouth of Bill Mullooly- "The Village Board has no authority in handling the finances...." Then who the hell is going to distribute all that tax money and pay the bills??? Again, real smart!
To Answer Above,
the town board can do anything that the village board hands down to them.
Then why does the preservation party need a separate Village Clerk and Treasurer if they plan on pawning everything off to the Town, but getting all the revenue??
Ralph ALWAYS boycotts because he's not sharp enough to give quick answers. He needs his prescripted answers or he's lost. He has never let "his" people attend debates. He wouldn't let the "girls" attend the Chamber's debate at the Inn at CV, and he won't let "his" trustees attend this one. What a loser!
Hey Adrienne!
Did your Daddy give that script?
It's hard to believe someone that young could be so brainwashed. STOP DRINKING THE KOOL AID ADRIENNE!!!
The other candidates should let the Preservation Party win this way they can clean up their own mess!
"What will the trustees do all night talk to themselves??"
They will talk to the public.
Any other course of action would mean that Ralph not only gets to decide if he'll answer the public's questions, it would give him a veto over all the other candidates.
By refusing to answer people's questions Ralph has forfeited the right to ask for people's votes. And I hope that Swiller says that at the forum.
After tonights forum, it became obvious that the only candidates worthy of the jobs at stake are members of the Community slate. The other mayoral candidates were ill-prepared and amaturish when compared to the Community party candidate, who had done her homework and had a good understanding of the job for which she is running.
I was also at the forum tonight and thought the Community Party candidates did a superb job. I believe that Mr. Caruso's absence tonight speaks volumes of the type of individual that he is. Apparently he thinks he does not owe you or I an explanation as to where he stands on the issues, or to explain in detail many of the statements he has already made. What arrogance to think he does not owe us his time...especially since he was apart of forming this village to begin with. Now I hear he wants a private debate with just the candidates and The Record where NO ONE else is allowed to attend. What?? Come on Mr. Caruso The people of Woodbury are voting in this election not the Record!!!
quite obvious caruso felt this was an ocean-planned event and thus unobjective in its essence
i honestly dont blame him for skipping it if he couldnt get any of his requests met by the record staff
why should supporters of one group mandate the type of forum with no input allowed by the opposition?
should be interesting to see if the record gives caruso a fair shake in its coverage of an event planned by his opposition
sounds to me from what was said that ralph was the one trying to dictate so F-him.
He lost his chance for a fair shake by boycoting the forum.. F-him.
those 2 fatasses donnely and seabold sitting there all smug. dont know what they were smiling about losers..
C'mon is that the lame excuse that were going with, Mr. Cirgiliano and Mr. Sutz had no objections to the forum and the style. No demands were made by the Community Party...in fact why did Mr Caruso have to make any demands? Does he not feel that Chris Mele and the Times Herald Record are not fair? OCEAN only organized the event, The Record and Chris Mele asked all the questions and determined which would be asked. So, I dont undestand your argument or Caruso's. Legitimate and fair questions were asked of the candidates tonight. Apparently Mr. Caruso has a problem with answering those fair questions. I hear he wanted all of the questions in advance...why??? he cant answer off the cuff...he has to program his slate to say what he thinks?? This is a very poor excuse...I am sorry. I hope the Record tells it like it is, three of the four Mayoral candidates took the time to answer the questions of the people of Woodbury tonight. The fourth stayed home like a little 2 year old becuase he couldnt have everything done his way.
Let us not attack Mr. Donnelly and Mr. Sebold (please excuse the spelling). At least they had the guts to show! Kudos to all that did!
I have a few comments about last nights forum.
Although I feel that all the candidates did well, David Sutz came off mostly as a pompous ass. He had so much wrong information that it became clear to me that he does't know what he's talking about and has no idea how government runs. Weeks and Ciriglioni questioned some of his answers that were completely obsured.
He had no idea about the sales and mortgage tax, no idea what functions would be the village and what would be the town's, and was not clear about zoning.
Ciriglioni spoke from the heart, but also did not come prepared. I kind of like the guy for being so honest and open, but again was somewhat uninformed.
Weeks seemed to be the most informed, but I think nervous. Maybe because of her age, but at least she knew what was going on. Her answers seemed to make the most sense, but I also like that she and the other Community Party members seem to have met with the town board members to start to talk to them and form a relationship.
Sutz seems hostlie towards having any relationship( Seems like another it's my way or no way) and Ciriglioni seems willing to work together with the town for a smooth transition.
I say Sutz- no way
Ciriglioni- second choice
Weeks- yes!!!!!!!
In a Democratic society, it's clear that Ralph Caruso just does not fit in. He has ALWAYS had a problem with public speaking unless he knows exactly what is going to be asked. He is a dictator through and through, and it is becoming increasingly clear that the single reason he pushed so hard for the Village was as a last ditch power grab. The writing was on the wall, and he saw the little power he had left slipping away. When he lost his 2nd bid at county legislator, he had his back-up plan in place, and that was the ill-conceived Village. Sure, it may offer a little time consumption and extra money for the party requesting annexation, but it's simple a speed bump for them, but mountains of endless cash for us in the form of taxation. The saving grace is that there does appear to be at least six or seven OTHER candidates from which to choose, who appear to be quite willing to unite Woodbury again, and work cohesively with the Town board, rather than dismantle it. It's up to us to help save ourselves by voting responsibly- which means saying a resounding NO to Ralph Caruos and the P Party.
Oops...typing too fast...that would be Caruso and the P Party!
If Mr. Caruso and company couldn't take Mr. Swiller and company, how will Mr. Caruso and company handle anybody that is tough? In the real world, you can't run and hide!
Exactly, a real leader is someone that can handle the pressure from any direction. Mr. Caruso could have proven to all of Woodbury that he is that type of man by going to last nights forum. Instead he chose to show us that he does not have the fortitude to handle tough situations and to go head to head and face those who may not be supportive of him...although in the end The Record was handiling the questions...it wasnt like Caruso was going to be dealing with Swiller
Ralph's MO has always been to play it safe..even in the legislative races he would only enter Highland Falls with Senator Larkin at his side, and then let Bill do all the talking. Here in Woodbury, he always reaches into his little Republican Committee (and now it appears the Democratic committee as well) to find his loyalists to stand at his side. Anyone at the forum last night could see how in the CommUNITY Party, five people with common concerns came together to try and unite Woodbury, rather to to keep dividing it. Even Mr. Cirigliano, and for the most part Mr. Sutz showed a sincere desire to work WITH the current Town government to unite Woodbury. And yet, all that Ralph has done with his slate is talk about changing EVERYTHING!! They've openly condemned the four board members, they've told outright lies about the fire district, and have absolutely NO diversity , so how the hell would they work with the current government and it's employees? Answer- THEY WON'T!!!
How many people turned out to see the debate?
If you want to know, why didn't you attend??
Because I am out of town. Am I allowed to know now?
Another telling piece of info from Adrienne (Burke) Fuchs..."The village leaders must return all revenues to the town so that all town services will remain intact. The new village government was formed to take care of zoning issues and not take over town services." So, in fact, since Ralph didn't get the board to vote his way, he pushed for the Village to "take care of" zoning!!! Boy Ralph, there's gotta be a lawsuit brewing with YOUR NAME on it!!!
Thanks again to everyone who took part (candidates, audience and Chris Mele).
To repeat - OCEAN had nothing to do with setting the format or choosing the questions. All that the OCEAN volunteers did was carry people's cards (all of them) up to the stage.
We handed total control of the evening over to the Times Herald Record. Mr. Caruso, and all the other candidates were informed of this.
No other candidates made any requests or demands. The Community Party (Berean-Weeks, Crouse, Kinney, Kling and Stabile), Tony Cirigliano and David Sutz all said "yes" with no questions/requests/demands.
I've been told (I didn't have a chance to count) that there were between 250 and 350 people present.
The evening was taped and will be shown on channel 22.
Our handout on campaign dirty tricks will be up on our website by this weekend (click on my name or go to www.nyocean.com)
Thanks again to all.
A fact the voters should know: In a village more positions are appointed instead of elected. The Village Clerk and Village Treasurer are both appointed by the Village Board. In the Town, the Town Clerk is elected by the voters and there is no treasurer position. The Town Supervisor serves as cheif fiscal officer and can appoint a budget officer to assist.
I do not agree with Mr. Sutz's position last night that we should form a Dept. of Public Works. Why?
Because the head of that department, which would also include parks and building and grounds, would be headed by an appointed superintendent, instead of being elected as the Town Highway Superintendent is. Seeing how bad politics in Woodbury is, do we really want our highways and related services overseen by a political hack. In the Town, if we don't like that person, we can vote them out of office. The less appointed positions and the more elected ones we have the better.
Mr Sutz said that people should elect 2 of the preservation trustees, 2 of the community trustees and him.
That would mean he was always the swing vote and it would give him huge power.
I want one team and it sure as hell isn't Ralphs. The community party all works together and they were backed by most of the town board, not Burke, I know and I am not sure where Aranowitz stands.
Tony seemed very nice and he would probably do a good job, but I want a whole team that will work together.
Just for the record, Mr. Sutz did not say that we should form a DPW, he said that it was one thing that might be worth looking into.
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