Score the Snore

So, if you were one of the 50 or 60 folks who showed up, how do you rate the debate?

Early word has that the major fireworks weren't between Frank and Ralph, as was expected, but between James and Ralph -- and that Ralph doesn't fare so well when he is on the receiving end.

Some other points from our staff on-scene:

Everyone wants to have automated garbage collection.
F and J would like to either end the village or find a way to merge it into the town. G is against merger and for he village and R is still saying that all services should be run by the town and the village should transfer them back.

Frank was pretty much laid back. George was pretty much asleep (we think he was added to the ticket to make Ralph look exciting). James was a spitfire who repeatedly tore into Ralph and Ralph let us all know that he is a notary public.

There was consensus on many issues. One of the few splits was in answer to the question "Did you read KJ's amended FEIS on the pipeline?" Frank - yes; James - yes; George - no; Ralph - I didn't read it all, but I looked at it.

Also "How can Woodbury be made a better place to live?" Frank - keep our businesses strong; James - strengthen businesses and have a plan for smart growth; George - improve our parks; Ralph - elect me.

Most curious answer: George suggests that we may have to cut services and raise tax revenue - but not by raising taxes.

Funniest answer(s): Ralph tied with himself for this one:
1) "I've always supported full disclosure." (this was shortly before he explained that Republican Committee meetings were open except for all the ones that aren't)
2) When James challenged him about all the former Republican Town Board members who have reported that whenever they voted in ways that Ralph didn't like the Brilliant One would call the next day to ream them out: "I think that my opponent has been lied to - but I can tell you for a fact that I don't call people to yell and scream at them. I never do that."

High point of the evening: The Junior Peewee Pop Warner Cheerleaders singing America.

Low point: Everything after that.

Degrade Debate

The Pieman emerges from his slumber to inform us that there will, in fact, be a debate.

All four candidates for town council seats - Ralph, Frank, George and James - have agreed to meet on Wednesday, October 28th, 7:30 PM at the Central Valley Elementary School.

The debate will be sponsored by OCEAN and moderated by Gerri Gianzero.

The Pieman asks that people come at 7 PM to write out their questions for the candidates.

Black Ball

OK

Here's our latest experiment.

No doubt it will fail as miserably as all the others.

Who are you against (primarily for Town Board) and - now here's the tricky part - why?

The goal (ha ha ha) is to be specific.

"Because he's a back-stabbing, mother-jumping, horse-stealing son-of-a-bitch" doesn't quite explain the animus.

The goal is to convince others that the candidate that you are denouncing is bad, bad, bad. Simply heaping denunciation upon insult upon invective may not accomplish that goal.

All that being said, we turn from Scylla to Charybdis. Getting specific may invite law-suits.

sooooooooooooooo, stick to what is on the record, or, if you are saying that you are a witness to some bad act, step forward and give your name (like that's gonna happen).

Oh, I already see that this ain't gonna work out.

Well, let's give it a shot and then try something else.