Going back to ex-mayor Joey's slick spiel about the reason to buy the Union Hill building (What Joe says always sounds good but makes little sense when you think about it.) He used the 'henny penny' town-hall-is-falling-down argument some years ago when his administration wanted the Harm's Pinnacle property. He then claimed the Harm's site was 'perfect' for a new town hall or high school and thus the county and state should not be given an opportunity to purchase and preserve it. He didn't mention purchasing the Union Hall building then even though it has always been for lease or sale.
For those who don't know, the town sold the adjacent Pinnacle site to Bathgate, a developer with strong ties to a certain faction of the Republican party. When developed we can count on paying taxes to educate even more kids. Does this mean that the whole idea of using the Harms/Pinnacle property was just a ploy to prevent the county and state from preserving it? If they had, Developer Bathgate could not have bought it for more homes.
At the same time, when cars were falling into pot holes, and pavement crumbling under school buses, Team DiBella had West Farms Road re-paved from Route 9 to the entrance of the Pinnacle site! This section of road was hardly the worst in town and was not in need of any attention. In fact, there are a couple of township-owned dirt roads with homes on them just a stone's throw away that do not even have gravel!
Of course, this information, like Spalliera, is old news. For those who don't remember, around that time ex-mayor Joey and another member of the United Republican Club met with Spalliera in his office. There was some confusion about who said what or who called the meeting but there were accusations made and revoked that claimed the meeting was to 'shake down' Spalliera in exchange for zoning changes that made the huge 'Equestriene' family homes development on Route 33 possible. Yes, the development was built -- as retirement homes and are now being offered to families as well.
No one really knows who said what at that meeting, but we do know the meeting was held and there seems to be no reason for it.
So why bring up this past history
now? Well, only because Joe spoke at length at the recent town meeting and just popped up again. (It's like that gopher and mallet game...)
He took some of his time to cast aspersions on a political foe. He took the time to 'warn' us against problems like those that happened in the Newark School District twenty years ago that hinted of corruption. We all know who he was targeting with these vague accusations. The only employee of the Newark School District in town and a man who has considerable experience in construction and renovations of this magnitude. And someone who has been active in in Howell politics for years without any hint of wrong-doing. In fact he was here before Joey began to collect parking tickets and get arrested in his former town for ignoring local laws.
I'm amazed that Joe had to dig so far back to find anything negative that he could somehow convolute into a slam and attack while addressing the issue of our town hall! And he does this while ignoring all the more recent problems that developed under his watch.
He also ignores the fact that the person who he is trying to discredit has a clean reputation...
and who never even met Spalliero in his office.
Say on ,sister! Ginger with the facts. What ever will little Joey do now?
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