Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Ethics in Fishkill

A few weeks ago, the Supervisor published a letter in the Southern Dutchess News regarding ethics. This is my response to that letter, published in the 8/28/13 issue of the SDN.

Fishkill Supervisor Bob LaColla recently wrote a letter to this paper. He gave a sermon on ethics, and quite frankly, he is the last person in town to criticize anyone regarding ethics. LaColla has presided under the most unethical town board in Fishkill’s history. Here is a list of just a few things that LaColla and his fellow Republicans have done, since they took over from the last Republican administration.

1.       LaColla repealed the Financial Disclosure Law and failed to replace it with an alternative. How dare you know what he makes in addition to his full time taxpayer job?

2.       LaColla and crew, failed to notify the public of their right to an appeals process regarding the botched FEMA flood maps that cost Fishkill residents thousands of dollars.

3.       LaColla just last month violated the PBA contract, the Taylor Law and the Collective Bargaining Agreement with our fine police force that will cost us tens of thousands of dollars in litigation.

4.       LaColla has politicized the police department to his own personal benefit.

5.       LaColla has failed to hold anyone accountable for the fiscal disaster that his political party did to our town. In fact, LaColla continually blames the previous Republican Supervisor without any proof. Does that sound ethical? Sounds slanderous to me.

6.       LaColla this month, held a Public Hearing regarding a 135% sewer tax hike. At the beginning of the meeting, he criticized members of the audience for letting their neighbors know about the meeting with handouts. This was after he encouraged the public to attend, but never sent out a mailing to the public advising them of the meeting.  That sounds ethical to you?

7.       At the same meeting LaColla admitted that he “overlooked” the $1.9 million of debt in sewer district, but still refuses to conduct a forensic audit. What is LaColla hiding and why is he refusing to protect the public? Any numbers he shows you cannot be trusted. What’s the baseline (year) that he is working on?

8.       After the above public hearing and after the audience had left the 135% sewer tax hike meeting. LaColla illegally introduced a resolution raising taxes.  A violation of the Rules of the Town Board that he passed into law! He also admitted that it was wrong at the end of the meeting.

Does any of this sound ethical? Now LaColla and his fellow RINO’s want to limit free speech at board meetings. How dare the public question the economic jackpot that LaColla contributed to. LaColla promised transparency and open government, so much for that. But what do you expect from an administration that lacks ethics and operates under hypocrisy and fear.

Ozzy  Albra


Fishkill 

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