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Tamagna is a Mainstream Ideological Republican
Dear Editor:
Some of the misperceptions surrounding the current election campaign for the town board compel me to write this letter. A few members of the community seem to have the view that the Republican candidate for supervisor, County Legislator Vinnie Tamagna, is a liberal environmentalist. The reality is that Mr. Tamagna is a mainstream ideological Republican.
He was a staunch supporter and campaign worker for both Sue Kelly and Al D'Amato. His political ally, Greg Ball, (who used to work at the Bush White House) is one of the most rightwing Republicans in New York and a polarizing figure in state politics. However, in this campaign neither Mr. Tamagna nor his supporters seem eager to disclose their true political views. For example, when Greg Ball placed a pro-Tamagna advertisement in this newspaper last week he neglected to identify himself as a Republican or to state that his district does not include Philipstown.
Mr. Tamagna has been less than forthcoming on local issues too. He has deliberately fostered a perception that he has no ties to local developers. That is simply not true. For example he has previously accepted a campaign contribution from Badey & Watson. This is in no way intended to criticize Glen Watson - I have used his services myself and expect to do so again in future.
It is, however, hypocritical of Mr. Tamagna to pander to those who object to Glen Watson's voluntary role on the zoning advisory committee while simultaneously failing to make clear that he has accepted money from Mr. Watson. Mr. Tamagna has also accepted campaign contributions from many others who are involved in development (anyone may check this by looking at the NY state campaign contribution website at http:// www.elections.state.ny.us/ NYSBOE/finance/ ContributionSearchA.htm and searching for "Team Tamagna").
The reality about Mr. Tamagna's views on environmental issues is starkly illustrated by his recent vote to eliminate the position of County Health Commissioner. As reported in the press, Mr. Tamagna's objection was that Dr. Amler had been "overly stringent" in her enforcement of county environmental regulations on new septic systems and he therefore felt she had to go (The Journal News, October 11, 2007).
It seems that what is really driving the environmental issue in this election is dissatisfaction with the current town board. Some degree of dissatisfaction is inevitable as any elected official who makes hard decisions is bound to leave someone feeling disgruntled. We should not lose sight of the fact that tremendous progress has been made under Supervisor Mazzucca - on the Comprehensive Plan, steep slopes and groundwater management to name just three areas of concern. Those who care about environmental stewardship in our community should support the Democratic candidates for the town board.
Nicholas Groombridge
Cold Spring
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