;)
Editorial - Dear Town Clerk Vincent Puleo,
Friday, February 7, 2014 at 10:23PM Dear Town Clerk Vincent Puleo,
Congratulations on your recent coup d’tat. Overthrowing New York State’s longest serving Supervisor is quite an accomplishment. And this is a twofer a Supervisor and Councilwoman, WOW! How can we possibly thank you for doing that which the public refused to do, dump Vecchio? It’s not like an election means anything, who believes that nonsense about democracy and citizens exercising their right to determine who leads them?
Oath of office ceremony Jan. 1, 2014Why do we need any of that when we have a super hero like yourself waiting and waiting and waiting thirty days and thirty nights. It must have been difficult to contain yourself at the last board meeting knowing that the residents pouring their hearts out to the board were doing it for naught. You knew the board, the votes, the actions they took were bogus. But you sat there and waited. Was Mr. Zollo in the audience to witness the mockery of democracy or was that by chance?
I can’t imagine why anyone would believe that you had a responsibility to your constituents to ensure that the oaths were filed in your office as stated on the Town Clerk’s page of Smithtown’s website item 1A. And all of that talk about a moral responsibility, what’s that about? Politics is for winners and by your actions everyone will know what an awesome winner you are.
Besides ethics, morals and integrity are concepts meant for the voters, not winners. Another concept that you exposed as a falsehood is that a conservative like yourself is about being frugal with taxpayer money. Now that’s something we can all chuckle about. What is this special election going to cost residents? I’m thinking hundreds of thousands of dollars. That’s the great part of being the winner you are, you don’t have to worry what people think of you and don’t have to explain yourself .
Town Clerk Puleo, thank you again for finding a way to rid the town of Vecchio. I don’t know when you will see this, because I understand that you are out of the office for a few days. Enjoying your success I guess. I do have a question for you: who should Smithtown voters trust. Is it you? Is it our town council? A newly appointed board member? A Conservative? Or no one?
I don’t mean to go on and on with this letter, but since you waited thirty days and nights before letting the public know that the oaths were not filed, I figure you are a patient man. Who does a winner like yourself envision as the new supervisor? Creighton? He was rejected by the voters (not that that would bother you), Wehrheim? Maybe yourself? You have nothing to lose if you ran, you could still hold on to your office. That’s what a winner might do.
One more thing awesome elected Town Clerk Vincent Puleo, on second thought, a winner like you doesn’t need any advice or support from me. I’ll reserve my support for voters.
Pat
Reader Comments (14)
Puleo's stunt stands to cost the taxpayers a ton of money (lawyers, special elections, etc) and will likely disrupt the function of our local government. In the end, the residents are the ones who lose. I understand that Vecchio wasn't his guy, and that he has aligned himself with Creighton but Creighton lost....fair and square. The voters voted and Vecchio, and Nowick won. In fact, Creighton lost TWICE - once in the primary election and then again in the general election. Puleo has shown the utmost disrespect to the voters in Smithtown and to his position as Town Clerk. He could have done the mature, ethical thing and asked for the paperwork but he didn't. I guess his own personal relationship with Creighton outweighs the rights of the citizens who turned out to voted to elect Supervisor Vecchio and Councilwoman Nowick. He should be thrown out of office and the will of the citizens should prevail.
Pat I could not have expressed my contempt for this situation any better than you have done so. I am deeply saddened by the antics, I feel there was a gross moral dereliction of duty. It is the fine hardworking people of this town who will suffer the sins of some of the enormously dysfunctional Smithtown Republicans.
Supervisor Vecchio I am outraged as to what occurred. I cannot believe something like this would have even happened. This is telling citizens that their vote does not matter. Perhaps the citizens of the Town of Smithtown should go to Town Hall this coming week and demand answers. When someone is elected it is a privilege. Their responsibility to the people should be their utmost concern and do what is right. I debated about writing this as, I too, work for the Town of Smithtown. Yet, I felt that I must speak to what I believe is truly wrong. As a sticker that is on my son's car states, "Truth is Black and White." You have been a great leader for many years. Your wisdom. your knowledge and your dedication to the citizens of the Town of Smithtown have been shown by keeping taxes down and doing what you always felt was the right thing to do. Just know Supervisor Vecchio that so many feel that what has happened is so very wrong. One last famous quote, "People who live in glass houses should not cast stones." God Bless America and let the truth be known.
I'm sorry Maureen - I don't feel it's a Republican or Democratic issue. It's the decay of intergrity regardless of partisanship. If we don't stand united we are doomed. Pat - You go girl!
Nancy Val you are 100% correct, if we don't stand united, we are doomed. I don't feel it's a Republican or Democratic issue - it's a moral issue - I was just calling some of the Smithtown Republicans dysfunctional! I'm with you on being united for sure!
This calculated maneuver was utterly awful. Common decency would demand notification before the time period expired. As I said in another post, this was just nasty behavior, and Smithtown does not do nasty. Shame on those who behaved that way.
This act by the Town Clerk is a travesty - the good people of Smithtown should demand his resignation.
It saddens me to see this behavior from Town Clerk Vinicent Puleo, I don't understand why, holding the prestigious position he holds as an ELECTED Town of Smithtown Official ! Doesn't he realize what this deception makes him look like ? He and his family are long time Smithtown residents and this has to be embarrassing for them also. What is Town Clerk Puleo thinking ? He should have made sure what had to be done was done on time. Supervisor Vecchio and Councilwoman Nowick were legally elected in a fair election by the Smithtown voters. So they are the people the Smithtown residents want in those positions. Isn't it illegal to purposely try to manipulate an election ? Do we want a Town Clerk who does things like this ? How can we as Smithtown taxpayers trust him to take care of our business correctly?
Pat, You put what we were all thinking into words,Thank You, it's embarrassing!
To Quote a very professional journalist from the town of smithtown: BAZINGA!!!!!
I think in the end this goes to the notion that bi-partisanship is dead. While I think that the Town Clerk's move is short-sighted and spiteful - Vecchio freezing out those other elected officials from his swearing in, when the expectation has always been that they attended - was also spiteful. These officials were all elected by the citizenry. He chooses not to take the high road and the response is this juvenile and potentially costly special election circumstance. I am saddened by the state of this Town's politics. We have ZERO new blood or ideas. We have this acrimony grinding things to a halt and the town still is failing to meets its obligation to devise a master plan for our next phase of growth. Regarding Pat's editorial. I am cynical enough to think it is in part an attempt to get back on Vecchio's short list to return to office. That is how jaded I have become. I hope this goes away mainly because we can not afford the expense of a special election - and lets get back to real issues. Where is the next generation of leadership in this town? Does the current leadership even care? We have plenty more problems in front of us in the next few years. And for those who supported Vecchio (I held my nose but did vote for him) remember this - the MAJORITY of voters did not want Pat back. It was split between the other two candidates but that likely means we have not seen the end of this instability in town politics. I am imploring the Republican leadership in this town to identify new non-crony talent (because we all know nobody outside of the GOP is getting elected in this town) and get things pointed in the right direction.
What an excellent editorial Pat. This situation is such an embarrassment in the name of our town and its voters. A typical example of sore losers and nasty politics indicative of parties unable to work together that is souring our national image.
Bazinga! is right.
Shame on you Puleo! Perhaps you should resign as you did not act in a manner respectful of the taxpayers in Smithtown.
What a sad commentary on our "leaders" of Smithtown ! This most recent debacle in Smithtown reinforces the notion of how some self-serving politicians strive on being vindictive, deceitful and just plain juvenile by their words and actions. Neither " side " seems blameless to me. Many actions taken before AND after Election Day 2013 by our esteemed public officials is indicative of their blatant lack of character, integrity and sense of fairness. The residents of Smithtown deserve better than this!