Sack on Offensive Tonight?
We took a closer look at agenda item # 12 for tonight's city council meeting: "Consideration of a resolution whereby all matters which affect the City of Rye shall be made known to the entire City Council and be subject to the assent by vote of a majority of its members."
Councilman Joe Sack is the sponsor. MyRye.com asked Sack to give us a little color on where he is going with this one. He told us: "I start with the basic belief that this [resolution] is a fundamental proposition that is not open to dispute. In that case it is worthwhile stating. If it is not happening, all the more reason to reaffirm it. I must admit that I have a sense that it does not always happen, but in most cases if it is not happening, I have no way of knowing for sure. However, I would expect my colleagues to acknowledge it. If this becomes an issue at the meeting, I am sure we will get into a discussion about specific instances then."
Sack is no shrinking violet and has tangled with other council members before. We'll have to watch this one.
C’mon Joe – don’t you know your place here yet?
Don’t you know The Gang of Steve and their embattled highly compensated legal “counselor” are running the joint as they see fit? It’s apparently their birth right.
A “City Manager” run government? Phooey they say. They reserve the right to meddle and cover-up and deliver serial verbal beatings to an old man who now appears to be fully right and squander buckets of our tax dollars in fatuous litigation and then – how shall we say it – be “less than entirely candid” as to their actual motives and actions?
And as exhibit number one, let’s just ask former city manager O. Paul Shew – oh wait, he’s still under that phony baloney legally questionable “cone of silence” which was likely custom fit (tightly) for him by Mr. Plunkett and Mr. Otis. No transparency coming there any time soon. (And you and that Judge and the other rabble ain’t gettin your so called “investigation” neither.)
So now Joe get ready – because you’re about to be accused of having a suspicious mind, a litigious streak, a partisan agenda, a quest for personal glory, a bad attitude and maybe even an occasional bad haircut.
Please don’t take any more of their crap for a minute.
It appears to me that Mr. Sack is trying to eliminate duplication of another Hen Island cover-up. If the entire city council was aware of what was transpiring on Hen Island during the original inspection in 2007, the building department would have been instructed to write the violations that were in place. Instead one person with the city attorneys help, made the ultimate decision to cover-up leaking sewage pits, bird feces infected water being collected from roof tops for domestic use and an entire community that has never required to meet the code of the city of Rye. Good luck Joe! We are both fighting uphill battles.
It is quite telling how dysfunctional our City of Rye government has become when a Rye Councilman has to do a resolution forcing the City Manager, Mayor and other Council members to allow him and other Council members to participate in meetings and discussions concerning City of Rye business.
This comes on the heels of the last City Council meeting where Councilman Sack had to present a resolution forcing the Mayor and City Council to televise Special City Council meetings and Budget Workshops.
Given the extensive history of non transparency and secret meetings by Otis and others, Councilman Sack should be applauded for bringing about the change that is sorely needed in the unresponsive, unaccountable and dysfunctional way Rye is now operating.
Getting rid of Otis should be the next step. 12 years of Otis, where we were burdened by Novak and Shew along with Culross making numerous and very profitable encores, has run it’s course.
Rye taxpayers can’t afford 4 more years of Otis, his very poor judgement, his patronage and his rewarding incompetence with our money.
The Deer Hunter
Winner of 5 Academy Awards this 1978 Hollywood release “explores the moral and mental consequences of war violence and politically manipulated patriotism upon the meaning of friendship, honor and family in a tightly knit community.” Despite the many accolades garnered by the film, most critics (and ticket buyers) complained about the film’s running length which exceeded 3 hours. Widespread criticism also focused on the film’s repeated depictions (forced and voluntary) of games of Russian roulette with their gruesome, fatal outcomes.
Last night at Rye City Hall, council meeting viewers were presented with a zero Academy Award winning 4+ hour saga of G Rated political theatre interspersed with gruesome flashes of revelation about the true standing of taxpayer citizens in our own tightly knit community under the Otis administration.
The 1st of these flashes is that apparently the standards for potable (i.e. – safe to drink without fear of disease or other contamination) water in Rye are very different than we all think. City Manager Culross (an honest able man) sited a NY State statute governing water quality standards applicable to Rye that would shame a 3rd world nation. An analogy to Russian roulette appears entirely appropriate here.
The 2nd of these flashes is that to some folks, $30,000 of cash a year is a “nominal amount of money. The moral and mental consequences of this kind of realpolitic lead me to think – Only in Albany folks, only in Albany.
The 3rd flash is that certified, credentialed hydrologists who are good enough to save the City’s derriere just a few short years ago in a toxic waste spill remediation and clean-up at The Rye Nature Center are now somehow high bench “questionable” when they provide their services to apparent taxpayer victims of Rye City environmental errors of omission or commission. Political manipulation? I’d say so.
And the 4th and final non-flash is that ultra excessive public bloviation – pragmatic, partisan or otherwise – will not be missed at all come January. Silencing this particular stag will give new and joyous meaning to the phrase “culling the herd.”
I was not able to attend last nights Council Meeting.
Had I known that Bob Zahm and Elizabeth ? were there to present their opinions on pedestrian safety I would have surely made my way there.
It blows my mind that it took the death of a child for everyone to even take notice how very dangerous our streets truly are!!
I did notice that Elizabeth was making the same points that I have been stating since 2006!!!
Nice to know I’m not completely nuts!
Elementary kids need more attention and more protection because they are guilty of one thing…THEIR AGE!!!
And as usual there was Coucilman Pratt doing his best impression of MiMi Otis!
Thank You Mr.Pratt for pointing out that Council has been reviewing the Osborn School/Sonn Dr. troubled area for something like the past 12 years.
How disturbing that you find that something to boast about!!!
Tell us George, just how hard has Council been working on this? once a week? once a month? once every 6 months? once a year?
HOW HARD GEORGE???
So what you are saying is that in 12 years you could not even come up with a temporary solution to protect our children!!! PATHETIC!!!
I challenge all of you to go back 12 years and present to us all the conversations you have on tape or in writing of how hard you have been working at this solution!!!
The intersection of Sonn Dr./Osborn School Driveway has been a tragedy waiting to happen for neons! It is an absolute miracle that no one has been seriously injured there!
All of our streets and our childrens safety has been ignored by this council for way too long!!!
WAKE UP EVERYONE, STAND UP AND BE HEARD ON NOVEMBER 3RD!