Westchester Guardian Article.

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A Genuine Public Servant

Breathes There A Genuine Public Servant?

It has been a tough, depressing winter here in Westchester, made more so by the constant revelation of corruption and misconduct in office by individuals who have been entrusted with our hard-earned tax dollars, not to mention our faith and good wishes. Even those of us with a healthy distrust, born of decades of involvement with, and observation of, government at every level, are experiencing a sense of disappointment that seems to know no floor.

It would appear, particularly in County government, that the upper level, the administrators, commissioners, deputy commissioners, of so many departments, in so many instances, are not only unqualified and incompetent, but also far too willing to go along with the program. For 12 years under the incubator environment installed by Larry Schwartz and protected by both Jeanine Pirro and Janet DiFiore, the culture of corruption, the germ of infestation, has multiplied and thrived to the point of complete dominance.

Megalomaniac that he is, Schwartz would go about intimidating Seniors who might get in his way, telling them he was “the most powerful man in Westchester;” and, indeed, he was. No County employee would dare upset him. No candidate for public office, including State Supreme Court Judge’s, Could run without his blessings. Not one penny contributed to the Democratic County Committee existed that wasn’t under Larry’s control.

He controlled not only all of the funds contributed to the County Committee by raising them at event after Spano event. But, more importantly, he controlled the nearly $2 billion County budget. Under Larry Schwartz, a $70 million, 5-year contract renewable for five more years, was flipped and turned into an $87 million deal with a carting company New York City refused to do business with. After all, he had his super-majority in his pocket, having financed their election to the County Legislature. When he told them to jump, they only asked, “How high?”

If the extra $17 million to haul trash wasn’t enough of an insult to wary County Taxpayers, he had a mold-infested, leaky old building in Ardsley that one of Andy’s big contributors couldn’t unload on anybody else, having tried for more than five years. At public hearings, not one citizen spoke in favor of the sweetheart deal, but we own it anyway, and the cost may very well reach $20 million!

A year ago, Larry brought his talents to Governor Paterson; and, look at all the good he’s done up there.

Meanwhile, back here in Westchester, we’ve had our share of political antics and crime what with the election fraud of Ken Jenkins, Jose Alvarado, Wilson Soto, and Wilson Terero and Company, supported by Commissioner/ Chairman Reggie LaFayette and his staff of tax payer paid collaborators.

Adding a new dimension to the Board of Legislators, we now have a coke-snorting legislator from the 15th District, Gordon Burrows, a 52-year-old so snowblind that he couldn’t wait to getto his hotel room and decided he would snort with his buddy at a gas station. Interestingly, in each of his public statements of supposed regret, the last group he acknowledged, just before his dog, were his constituents.

Mind you, though, he’s not giving up that $1,000-a-week parttime job for anyone. Hey, where’s he going to get the money for blow if he does the right thing?

Then, there’s Mayor Bradley of White Plains.

Keep in mind this three-ring circus of crime and corruption here in Westchester is going on with the full knowledge and culpable protection of one DA Janet DiFiore, whose husband tried to bribe the Right-to-Life candidate of the ballot when she ran in 2005. Janet DiFiore ran as a Republican for County positions three times, but, was really a Democrat at heart. Not.

It’s so comforting to know we have someone of her character and principle to protect us from all of the crime and corruption of her buddies and cohorts; isn’t it?