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Our Family Tree
Dear Editor:
Let's take a look at who's calling the shots in Philipstown. Bill Mazzuca has been Town Supervisor for 14 years. His cousin, Ande Merante, has held various town positions, some elected, some appointed by Cousin Bill. After Merante lost his bid for legislator in 2003, Bill consoled him by giving him a seat on the Planning Board. In early 2007 Bill made him PB Chairman. (When running for legislator, Merante stated with no apparent irony: "I am running .. to alter (the county's) entrenched political interests.")
Tim Miller is the Town Planner who tried to bring a Westchester Sludge Plant, Point Lookout, etc. etc. to P'town; despite the looming threat of Peter Morris, Mazzuca refuses to replace him. Glenn Watson is the local surveyor who is hired by almost everyone who wants to build a house here. Despite outrageous "mistakes" (see CAC minutes) like "forgetting" to flag the wetlands in various building applications, Watson has never been censured. Indeed, he is now helping to rewrite our zoning laws - supposedly to close the loopholes he's been exploiting for years.
Tom Monroe, the Building Inspector/ Code Violations Officer, is famous for turning a blind eye to mind-boggling violations, then coming down like a hammer when a resident's new deck is 3 inches too long. People have complained for years about his selective law enforcement, and he replies that there are "too many holes in the Code." Mazzuca nods and discusses remedies, but nothing actually changes.
In 2004 Ande Merante handpicked PB member Pat Sexton, who, along with Merante and former Nelsonville clerk Josephine Doherty, make up the Tim Miller Trio, the 3 PB members who insist publicly that they can't do their jobs without his instruction. Recently there were two highly qualified candidates who sent their resumes to the PB and who, one might surmise, could come to their own conclusions. Mazzuca quickly passed them over and kept the status quo.
PB member Michael Gibbons routinely disagrees with Merante, and had Mr Gibbons been elected to the Town Board, would probably have questioned Mazzuca on several important issues. But he never had the chance, because he was blackballed by certain members of the P'town Democratic Committee, which is co-chaired by - you guessed it! Cousin Ande Merante! Have we come full circle yet?
And speaking of those who dared to annoy the Powers That Be - last summer Bill Burns, the frustrated resident who keeps trying to slow the speed on Winston Lane and who has written many critical letters, was in charge of security at The Garrison's Thursday night BBQs. Near the summer's end a person who shall remain nameless spotted him introducing then-candidate Mike Gibbons to various attendees. Several days later Mr Burns was told by a manager - reportedly with regret and some embarrassment - that he would be paid for the two days remaining on his contract, but was no longer required to show up for work. Anyone else think that the hands of power in Philipstown have become a little too heavy?
Suzie Gilbert
Garrison
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