An Explanation Of Diversions To Come

From time to time in the past I have strayed into commentary on politics of the non-regional variety.

Almost always, one or more of you has said: "Talk about Woodbury! Leave national politics off this blog!"

On the whole I expect that Woodbury (and Orange County) will be the main topic of conversation, but as almost anyone who wasn't born in this country will tell you, seeing American politics from the inside, after you've seen them from the outside, is a mesmerizing experience.

Couple that with months spent forty-five minutes from Washington, DC and the spell is even stronger.

Feel the damp and chilly breath of mortality on your cheek and the tendency to please yourself grows stronger as well.

So, on occasion I'll post what interests me even if it isn't about Ralph Caruso, Kiryas Joel or Eddie Diana.

And you will be free to a) complain, b) skip that entry or c) avoid your Uncle entirely. You might even choose to join in the discussion.

The Creative Mind At Work

How does he keep coming up with those brilliant ideas?

Two years ago when Caruso and his Perversion Party ran against the Community Party in the first Village election he came up with that great slogan "Your Community Team."

Now that his funny animal friends are running against both the Community Party and the Common Sense Party they have a new slogan: "Common Sense Ideas."

With creativity like that, how can they lose?

The Twilight Zone

Municipal leaders: Kiryas Joel should submit plans to Orange County


By Chris Mckenna
January 27, 2009 6:00 AM
Times Herald-RecordKIRYAS JOEL — Several municipal leaders are pushing for the Village of Kiryas Joel to comply with a state law requiring that certain types of construction projects be reviewed in advance by county planners.

The group has drafted a proposed resolution for the Orange County Legislature, demanding that all municipalities in the county obey that planning mandate, and sent copies to the other towns, villages and cities for their support.

“It happens to be the rule of law, and being law-abiding people, we comply with that,” said Blooming Grove Supervisor Charles Bohan, one of four officials who signed a Jan. 20 cover letter that went out with the draft resolution.

Kiryas Joel has never submitted development plans to the county Planning Department for review, despite nearly constant construction of condominiums and other buildings to keep pace with the village’s rapid population growth.

Village Administrator Gedalye Szegedin didn’t respond to a request for comment Monday. When asked almost two years ago about the village’s refusal to give building plans, he said he feared “another level of government review” would delay projects and increase their cost. And Szegedin said he worried even more that the village’s critics would scrutinize those plans and try to impede development.

Under state law, all municipalities are supposed to send the local Planning Department any plans to build within 500 feet of another municipality, parkland, county or state road and certain other areas, so that planners can weigh the potential impact and issue recommendations.

But county Planning Commissioner David Church, who has pressed in vain for Kiryas Joel’s development plans, cautioned Monday that he still hasn’t learned if the village has a zoning law and Planning Board, without which it need not comply with the referral mandate.

“I’m not totally convinced they’re in noncompliance,” he said.

Kiryas Joel does indeed have a zoning law, filed with the state Department of State on July 21, 1977, shortly after the village was incorporated. The law was amended in 1978 and 1984.

Caruso's Team Unwrapped

Ralph Caruso's invisible petition campaign (untouched by human eyeballs) is done and Uncle Ralphie is now willing to inform us of his choices for the Perversion Party's slate: Ben Meyers, George Pedersen and Frederick Ungererer.

This handpicked team of stale warts (sorry: "stalwarts") have announced (well actually, Ralph announced it, but Ben, George and Fred moved their lips at the appropriate times) that their top priority will be to "stop government waste by consolidating expenses."

Isn't the whole problem of waste from unconsolidated expenses due to the fact that Ralph and his crew scared us into creating a village?

Oh well, nobody's perfect.

Back To The Front

Hello all.

I have missed you grievously (is that actually a word?)!

After a longer than expected sojourn in the great city of Baltimore, I have made it back to the cool, crisp, mountain air of Woodbury (in truth, I am freezing my ass off).

And not a moment too soon I see. We are once again in (oh thank you Lord) an election campaign.

What fun!

So far two slates are known:

Stephanie Berean Weeks, Sandy Capriglione and Fred Lindlaw.

Mike Queenan, Tim Egan and Tom Flood.

Yet to be heard from are the stalwarts representing the
Caruso Puppets for the Perversion of Woodbury
Party

Unlike the first two slates who are so old fashioned that they circulate their petitions publicly, The CPPWP knows that knowledge is power and power must be kept out of the hands of the public. As ever, their petitions are moving surreptitiously through the backdoors on De Palma, lest anyone find out who Ralph is trotting out this time. Ben Meyers? George Peterson? Someone or another’s son, daughter or in-law?

You’ll find out when Ralph is damned ready for you to find out! So back off and mind your own business.

Ah Woodbury, how I have missed you.