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Op Ed - Nero Let Rome Burn, Vecchio’s is Setting Smithtown on Fire
Thursday, July 3, 2014 at 7:00AM Nero Let Rome Burn, Vecchio’s is Setting Smithtown on Fire
Maureen Rossi
Supervisor Vecchio at Jan. 2014 swearing in ceremonyMy studies of Ancient Roman History took place in the late 70’s at all-girl’s Catholic Academy in Queens. Although removed by many decades, the story of Nero The Great Roman Emperor has been resurrected before my eyes as I watch Political Theater play out; the show is starring our very own Town Supervisor.
He recently announced that he would like to have the elected position of Town Clerk and Receiver of Taxes become appointed positions. He says this decision came about to save money – it came about because of a 2008 report by the New York State Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, 21st Century Local Government. He says that very study recommends town and county administrative positions be converted from elected to appointed offices.
Hmmm…..that’s curious, that’s not a common practice in New York State. Nor does it seem to be popular here on Long Island where all townships the positions of Town Clerk and Receiver of Taxes are still elected positions. Let’s take a look at good look at this new concept and why it might or might not work, but let’s do that in reverse.
It might not be an optimal approach because it has the potential to remove a level of transparency. It could also create a scenario where the Town Supervisor has more power. Some critics who have knowledge of the inner workings of Smithtown government feel our leader already has too much power. Some say there are policies and procedures that he is remiss in following. He is known for not consulting with all his Department Heads, he hasn’t uttered a single word to Town Clerk Vinny Puleo in two years. He also fails to communicate with members of his very own Town Board on many issues. Take for example, this issue; there were three work sessions in the last month and Supervisor Vecchio never uttered a word to Councilman Wehrheim or Councilman Creighton about this idea and eliminating two election postions. However, he did speak about with Councilman McCarthy and Councilwoman Nowick and yes of course he consulted his friend Dave Ambro of The Smithtown News. However, he also failed to mention anything to the two people who hold the positions of Town Clerk and Receiver of Taxes. You know those people that the voters elected.
He never let the Town Clerk know that a complaint had been filed against him in early May and that his First Deputy asked to be transferred. As a matter of fact he didn’t even apprise the Town Attorney.
Also, who would do the work of these elected officials if their positions were eradicated? Let’s take a peek at the Town Clerk’s office. An incredibly busy hub, many would say the main hub, it takes in over $650,000 a year. Over twenty-thousand people show up at their office on the first floor of Town Hall and they handle over eighteen-thousand phones calls annually. The Town Clerk’s Office does all the licensing for the Town of Smithtown; all marriage and death certificates, birth certificates, licensing for garbage trucks, tow trucks, clam moorings, boats, taxi cabs, ramps etc. A few weeks back they logged 200 calls in one day.
Why might this work or why might this have to work? Money – money is a problem, taxes are a problem. They are a problem endemic to all Long Islanders. The 2% tax cap that was implemented in NYS two years back is a meritorious concept, however, it has the potential to hurt small municipalities where salaries plus medical benefits plus pension costs create an unsustainable situation.
The Dreaded C Word
We are all going to have to get used to the dreaded C word when it comes to municipalities – CONSOLIDATION. From a fiduciary standpoint the consolidation of services, jobs, small school districts is a dialogue we are all going to be forced to partake in over the next few years. The system we have is unsustainable and we will all be taxed off the Island if this trajectory does not change. Suffolk County Government has done an extraordinary job in leading the way with some of their consolidation efforts.
NERO
Nero was a famous Roman Empire who ruled for a great length of time, for decades. He was known to be a brilliant man who was well-versed in an array of subject matters including philosophy, the arts and theater. However, despite his luminous intellect he was also known as a tyrant. Anyone who dared to cross the great and powerful leader would come to fully understand the meaning of REVENGE. He was known to be ruthless. Unfortunately, in the final years of his rule, the Roman Empire began to decline. The Empire’s worth declined and currency was even devalued. He is most known for what happened at the end of his rule – he is best known for letting Rome burn down while he danced and played music with no regard for the people of his Empire or the future of the Empire.
Critics loudly decry Vecchio’s recent antics to remove the elected positions of Puleo and Varrichio as purely political; as an act of REVENGE. I hope this is not the case. Smithtown is a beautiful township, a crowning jewel of Suffolk County. Vecchio’s decades of rule have served us all well overall; we do owe him a debt of gratitude for our beautiful beaches and parks and marinas and high quality of life here. However, I fear REVENGE is consuming him. I fear all the good he has done will be forgotten by the decline of his final days of rule.
Reader Comments (6)
Dear Pat B,
You approved this fiction? If this article stays on, you will clearly tarnish Smithtown Matters. I am not waiting for that moment though, you just lost a supporter and reader. Even the Kings Park Patch is better than this bull.
Joe
Dear Mrs. Biancanello,
I wake up on a day that America declared independence from Tyranny to read this on your Smithtown Matters? Do you not have any morals or at least control of you writers? Shameful.
Ms. Rossi is not an employee she is a freelance writer. I do not pay to have people write Op - Ed pieces it is their opinion. The view expressed in the article is Ms. Rossi's not Smithtown Matters. I am a student of history and I use certain criteria when deciding what comments and or letters to include. My belief in freedom of speech is not eclipsed by my opinions. The Federalist Papers come to mind. As our nation celebrates Independence Day please remember what the true meaning of the celebration is about. People deserve to be heard.
Ms Rossi was a vocal supporter of two elected officials who, through hubris, never bothered to sign the required paperwork after a recent election. Ms Rossi came close to slandering another elected official who, in Ms Rossi's opinion, should have been a water-carrier for the hubris-laden two. Now Ms Rossi apparently would like us to forget all that stuff as she manufactures another issue. Methinks that Smithtown Matters needs to constantly have a controversy to keep it relevant and Ms Rossi has been charged by the powers-that-be with keeping that controversy front and centre.
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Under common law, to constitute defamation, a claim must generally be false and have been made to someone other than the person defamed.[1] Some common law jurisdictions also distinguish between spoken defamation, called slander, and defamation in other media such as printed words or images, called libel.[2]
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Wow! Talk about overreaction by readers! Someone states an opinion and the first thing they do is threaten the editor when they don't agree with it. One person even demanded the OPINION piece be taken down or the individual would stop clicking on the Smithtown Matters website.
Something tells me the op-ed hit a little too close to home for some people and they refuse to see even the potential for truth in the piece.
Can we look at some of the facts that Ms. Rossi offers up and attempt to determine if they are in fact true or if they are erroneous?
Did Mr. Vecchio discuss this with ALL councilpeople or just Mr. McCarthy and Ms. Nowick? If Mr. Creighton and Mr. Wehrheim were not apprised of this information, it lends credence to Ms. Rossi's essay.
Did Mr. Vecchio apprise either Mr. Puleo or Mrs. Varrechio of this proposal? Common courtesy would indicate that Mr. Vecchio would at least inform them of his plans. Again, if he failed to do so, and allowed them to be informed by the Smithtown News, credence is given to Ms. Rossi.
Are there in fact Department heads that Mr. Vecchio has not spoken to in years? Has Mr. Vecchio shunned Mr. Puleo? These facts need to be known.
If, as Mr. Vecchio states, this is a cost saving measure, how exactly would the cost savings be recognized? Surely if there were to be appointed positions replacing the elected officials, they will need to be compensated. Would there be a large cost savings, or would it be minimal?
What is glaring is that Mr. Vecchio has not mentioned, or reconsidered, the greatest opportunity for consolidation in the Town of Smithtown. With a Highway Department and a Parks Department, there are two independent organizations that have overlap in functions and responsibilities. Why not look for true cost savings and combine these two departments into a Department of Public Works run by an appointed Director? Seems to me that this would afford the town greater economies of scale. Trucks and manpower could be deployed with efficiency, there may not be the need for as many trucks/equipment. Has this not been studied, mentioned? Why not? Where did the current Highway Superintendent fall in the political escapades of last year? If he supported Mr. Creighton, then Ms. Rossi's argument falls a little short. If he supported Mr. Vecchio, then the current proposal does reek of revenge.
I have my own theories as to what is behind the current political acrimony, I have some facts, and I have some hearsay. In sorting out the different viewpoints, and looking back at previous history, I have a strong idea what is going on behind the scenes. It is my estimation that what Ms. Rossi writes about is factual, and in truth less than the total picture of what a vengeful, spiteful elected official is capable of.