No Country For Sane Men: News That Matters - Something Smells Fishy in Southeast.

News That Matters

News That Matters
Brought to you (Almost Daily) by PlanPutnam.Org

Telling it like it is for 10 years and counting...

Folks,

Southeast's Roger Gross ran successfully for the town board but was apparently aware during the campaign that he would be selected to fill the county legislative seat vacated by Tony Hay who is now serving as Supervisor of that town. This denied voters of that town a fair selection.

Now he's about to quit the town board without serving a single day and join the Legislature, swearing to serve them and all that jazz.

Many residents of his town are justly upset. For as Senator Leibell knew he would never serve as County Executive, Mr Gross also knew he would never sit a day on this town board. And in both cases the voters got screwed while the county Republican Party laughed at our inability to have an open and fair democracy and at their virtual, absolute control over our political lives and representation in government.

To make matters even worse, his selection and his replacement are all happening in backroom deals made by Republican committees even though the majority of voters in this county - and his town - are not members of that Party.

Some might say this is just politics as usual for Putnam County. So, I'll agree - it is. It's a shame and ought to be illegal and Mr. Gross should be forced to serve out the term he was elected to in Southeast and some sort of law implemented to prevent this from happening in the future.