When disaster strikes there are always two types of people who show up: the people who ask "How can I help?" and the people who ask "How can I cash in?"
After every fire, every plane crash, every flood, you’ll find the Church group with blankets and food and words of kindness and you’ll find the insurance representative looking for a way to weasel out of the claim and the ambulance chaser looking to make a buck.
The reassessment of Timber Ridge was a disaster. The residents were hit hard, some of them harder than they could deal with. It hurt them then and it hurts them still.
And here’s what various people did about it:
OCEAN, with help from Lorraine McNeil and Mike Aronowitz, put together a free workshop to help people file grievances.
Bob Donnelly and Ralph Caruso showed up with a lawyer who was willing to charge people $200 a pop to fill out a grievance form.
And John Burke, Bo Haviland and Carlton Levine, knowing how much pain the people of Timber Ridge were in, knowing how angry they were, decided to exploit that pain and anger for their own advantage. They went to people who had been badly used and they lied to them.
Way to go guys.
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37 comments:
What a shame. But it just goes to show everyone the level that Burke will stoop to. If anyone knew the affect on the people of Timber Ridge from the reassessment it was Burke. He took most of the phone calls and complaints.
Then he stored away their pain and used it to his advantage to get his yes men elected. Opening up a wound that had not fully healed.
Is this who we want in office? Why won't he resign? He only got 900 or so votes in a one horse race. Over 300 people choose to vote for nobody then vote for him. That's one third of the voters who even bothered to come out and vote.
He believes that he is a stand up kinda guy, but I have heard nasty rumors about him for years. Secret meetings at his house going back to when Harry Dobson was on the board. Don't worry people I think finally help is on the way.
Their are citizens out there that will take no more. People who are not afraid to expose the truth that was buried for so long. Good people that will stand up to bullies like Burke and Caruso.
The universe has a way of giving you back what you have put out. John will get back exactly what he gave to Conroy. Pay backs a bitch.
And still, Mr. Burke and his committee insist that it's "No big deal"...a "non-issue".
Hopefully, sometime in the near future, that will be up to an Ethics Review Board to decide, and hopefully, when they do, Mr. Burke, Mr. Haviland III and Mr. Levine will be removed from the offices that they wanted so badly that they felt lying to an already wounded community of people was "no big deal".
is it true that Lorraine McNeill has a huge financial problem if Charlie Serra win his loss suit against her and the other Town Board members ??
Yes Charlie, and the Easter Bunny is a homosexual.
lets all join hands and move forward yeah I think I heard that before when these people won the election ha ha ha
Who's going to defend the Woodbury Democratic Committee if they're all hauled into court?
You won't have to worry about that, because it's never going to happen! keep crying...it will get you nowhere!
And you're proud of that?
That's what Burke, Caruso, Donnelly, Siebold and the rest of them are really like. They lie to the voters, they steal an election, they get away with it. And then they gloat.
And no matter what you do about it, you won't change anything Swiller, give it up and get a hobby, maybe next time (if you have the balls) you can run for office, until then, as a prior blogger wrote, lay down and take like a dog!
You would like Swiller to do that, but we all know that he is very effective where he is. Jonathan Swiller, like him or not, is a true community activist and it just bugs the sh%t out of you that you Ralphlings cannot shut him up!
Way to go Pieman!!!!!!
Swiller, you have sooo much support, run for office, see what happens DICK!
I already know what would happen.
I would be accused of doing unnamed terrible things backed up by no specifics, Burke and Caruso would put out lies about me the day before the election and anonymous cowards would call me a "Dick," .
But johnny, They already call you a dick. So nothing would change
That's true.
Face it Swiller and stop making excuses, you wont run for office because deep down inside besides being a coward, you know that you would lose, although you continue to scream to everyone else "dont give up, we can move mountains" what bullshit, the only mountain you can move, is the mountain of bullshit you already spread around, and yes, we already know that your a DICK.
Just a clarification, it should be "you're". Ever thought of trying second grade again or did you not make it that far?
Hey don't insult Bob, he's doing the best he can, considering his "specialness."
Hey Swiller, how come whenever anyone challenges you, you revert back to being everyone grammer teacher, DICK!
Like the previous poster stated, go back to second grade, AGAIN!
Obviously that poster has a preoccupation with that particular body part- perhaps it's penis envy since he probably lacks both that and a set of balls!
okay Swiller, I mean, DICK!
Good job Swiller, keep changing the subject, Just admit and it and it will all stop, you wont run for office because you know you would lose, it's much easier for you and your friends to hide then put your balls out and at least try, say what you want, but Bo, didn't give up or hide, he put up and ran for office, along with everyone else that you didn't support and have the balls to insult, come on Swiller, throw your hat in the ring next time, lets see what your really made of!
Your ignorance must be truly blissful. Of course you probably don't understand what I just said because you obviously have the thought processes of a first grader.
Can't wait for the first meeting to start grilling Bo & Carlton over town issues and to show just how uneducated, uninformed and uninvolved they both truly are about town issues. Someone should contact one of the major networks, as this could be the next great reality show- "Stubborn, Ignorant & Foolish"
There are many ways to to work for our towns, and there are many honorable people holding office and doing good things. But, if I held political office, I would not be able to do the work that I have been doing.
As to Bo, it is not his body parts that matter, but the fact that he lied to the people of Timber Ridge.
You're right Swiller, I guess you couldn't do a good job as a local politician and have enough time to spread all your bullshit!
Bullshit such as what? That Ralph is a piece of dog-crap?
"come on Swiller, throw your hat in the ring next time, lets see what your really made of!"
If lying to the people of Timber Ridge and yelling about genitals is how you "show us what you're "made of, I suggest you ask the Uncle for a salary. You deserve it, for all the great PR you're giving your side.
But you know what's REALLY funny? Telling people to "grow balls" without the having the pair it takes to leave a name.
Now, for those who actually have something to say besides gloats and insults-
Even if they can't be held to ethical charges this time, John and his people are in an interesting position. On a board lacking all the power they want, they now have to do a fair amount of work AND actually face the public eye for once. Look forward to seeing how that goes.
Some have mentioned Levine seems genuine/possibly able to think for himself. Can he learn from this and show an independent spirit, or will he just keep backing Ralph and John and Ralph's party line?
Either way, we need decent people to stay involved and channel that passion, even running for office. These jobs'll be alot easier if people keep coming to meetings and keeping any "grilling" that happens honest.
And lets not forget to honor hard work and integrity when we see it. We might get more people willing to run that way.
Sorry about that grilling comment- just meant that when Bo & Levine take office, their total lack of understanding of the way the board works, and their total lack of knowledge of the town's history from development to infrastructure to personnel will really show, for they didn't even have the respect of the positions to show up at any town board meetings. But lest I forget, they both had father John filling them in.
We'll be lucky if Bo can remember where to sit or what night the meetings are held!
whats a Bo?
a cross between a bozo and a ho
I'll agree that Ralpl is a piece of dogcrap, but it takes one to know one! DICK!
As a Timber Ridge resident and one that got screwed twice, once when taxes went up the roof and then again with the election fiasco I think (and this is also the opinion of my neighbor's) that its about time to bring in the crew of KJ ("Kiryas Joel") who know how to deal with taxes being that KJ is in the lowest tax bracket in the entire state!!! So who cares if KJ Village clerk Szegedin will run our town? The only one who will yell will be Johny dick swiller!! But our taxes will go down south and our pockets will get fatter!!!
Hey 12:33am. Very extreme Idea?!?! Maybe we should really think about having KJ run our town? My house will be worth triple what its worth now!
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