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Sam Davis Needs to Learn the Art of Compromise
To the Editor:
The article "Putnam Valley Ethics Law Once Again Center of Controversy" by Ed Greiff in your last issue was thought provoking. It can be interpreted that the Putnam Valley Supervisor was requesting an investigation of the lives and practices of Town Employees and Residents without their knowledge. In reading the new Ethics law I see that there are two types of inquiries which can be made to the Ethics Board. In the first, a person can ask for himself if a contemplated action, his own, is ethically acceptable. This is totally confidential and the response is given to the inquirer confidentially. The person receiving the report can, of course, make the decision known. In the second type of inquiry, allegations are made about the conduct of others and questions raised as to their possibly falling into an area of either conflict of interest or impropriety. It appears that this is what the Supervisor really was asking about the 20 plus Townspeople.
It appears to me, that, having received the knowledge of possible improprieties, the Ethics Board is bound to address them. The Supervisor seems to want the Ethics Board to do that without the people knowing that they are being investigated! Even more disconcerting and confusing, is the fact that the Supervisor on the one hand implies, by bringing an Article 78 against the Ethics Board and the Town Board, that the current Ethics Law has no standing, yet he asks that very Law be used in his quest to have these Townspeople investigated. Everyone who has gone before the Ethics Board has recognized their integrity and high level of confidentiality and professionalism. However, if there are 20 or more people being questioned, how can one be assured of any level of confidentiality on the part of those being called in?
The continued vitriolic behavior on the part of the Supervisor as seen in his posts on PlanPutnam and his distorted understanding of reality is disturbing to those of us who put forth his candidacy and voted for him. Having been elected with two other Democrats and thereby given the Town on a silver platter, he has managed to alienate the others by his actions and behavior, which can only be characterized as self destructive. Unfortunately, he sees the other Council members as the problem, yet they are the ones who have been working together, in a bi-partisan way in the midst of this chaos.
Can we remember the history here? It was the PVRC, a highly Democratic organization which called for an Ethics Board, it was the Democratic Party that campaigned on the platform of not raising taxes, environmental concerns, housing issues, and openness in government. Sadly, the party has been betrayed by its own candidate for Supervisor. I do believe that Sam Davis has good intentions, but as an inexperienced politician, he still needs to learn the art of compromise. It is far more effective than the art of war.
One thing is quite certain, the people of Putnam Valley will be asking more questions of the next candidate for Supervisor.
Mario Mercado
Putnam Valley
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