A front page article in todays Journal News (www.lohud.com) and outraged comments from residents of the town about plans to schedule a special Town Board meeting for the 2nd day of Rosh Hashanah might have led to the Board's decision on Friday to cancel the meeting. I had expressed concern about holding a Town Board meeting on one of the most important Jewish holidays of the year and had tried to persuade Town Board members not to hold the meeting. Board members should show respect for the religious beliefs of others.
There was never any need to hold the meeting on Rosh Hashanah. Some of the Board members are now looking to blame town staff for the proposed meeting. This is unfair and wrong. The request for a special Town Board meeting on Rosh Hashanah came from Town Bd members.
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49 comments:
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Is Sir Francis, after throwing Mr. Lewis under the bus, yet again, now going to tell the town folks that they can not have their "approved" block parties?
Or did Sir Francis forget about that old canard he was trying to pull.
At least, the Town Board will get more time to try to rehabilitate the prospective ETHICS BOARD attorney that, within his rights, has the "freedom" to defend terrorists.
Yeah, I feel comfortable with that typical Team Bernstein tortured logic!
This is a 1st. HOLD THE PRESSES! Sheehan Backs Down!! Sheehan demonstrated his insensitivity toward members of the Jewish Faith by ordering that a Town Board Meeting be held on Rosh Hashanah and then showed his contempt by "excusing" Steve Bass from it. This blog and the comments contained therein forced Sheehan to reverse course. Without this blog, Sheehan's contempt for the public would have gone on without a forum to sound off in. Now, what we all need to do is get Kevin Morgan elected. Sheehan has now shown that he is not rock solid, he can be brought down. We need someone with Kevin's strength on the Board to hold him in check.
you mean the strength to
1. vote for madison square garden helioport in the face of neighborhood opposition
2. carry petitions for an anti choice judge
a vote for morgan is a vote for millions going from greenburgh to valhalla
Morgan should have the courage of his convictions.
When he showed up two years ago for an interview by the district leaders of the town Democratic Committee, he said he was in favor of laws that require parental notification and consent before young women may get an abortion. He explained that he had a college-age daughter and that as long as he was paying her tuition, he should have a right to consent were his daugher in that situation.
Around 50 of us in the room heard what Morgan had to say. Some of us agreed with him. Many did not. Some of us think that the purpose of parental notification laws is to discourage the very women who may need abortions from exercising their right to have one. And that's about as anti-choice as you can get.
But Morgan didn't have the courage of his convictions. A few months later, he denied ever saying these things. To some of us that showed Morgan does not have the courage of his convictions and it also makes him a bald-faced liar.
Flash forward to this year. Morgan doesn't even show up for an interview by the district leaders of the town's Democratic Party.
He then carries a nominating petition for an anti-choice Republican judge. Betcha he never told Feiner he was doing that.
And now Morgan proclaims that he's 100% pro-choice.
Morgan has no credibility. He's a loser on all counts.
I'm not going to have time to comment on the absurdity of the continued debate over pro-choice and its irrelevance to Greenburgh Town Council voting.
I'm still reading Mr. Sheehan's book on canceling the meeting.
10:40 certainly has the writing style of Super Bob himself! Well Mr. Bernstein, how did you feel as a member of the Jewish Faith, that your fellow Dromore Road crony Sheehan ordered a meeting to be held on Rosh Hashanah and then EXCUSED Steve Bass from being able to attend? This is the guy who you joined forces with. You should be ashamed of yourself.
You over-reacted to this matter, Mr. Feiner, particularly in freaking out about the ethics board attorney, and in general regarding the scheduling of this meeting. Even if the meeting did have to be held on Friday, it would have been no big deal for the three members available to simply sign off of on two block parties and a grant application. You need to pick your battles more carefully.
The CABAL is wrong again! Don't forget about that little line in the agaenda that said And Any Other Business. Having a meeting OPENS UP THE POSSIBILITY of hiring the attorney who defended a client who supports the destruction of Israel.
Bernstein,
You are a huge Sheehan supporter. How do you defend the fact that Sheehan's Ethics Board is set to hire an attorney who defended a convicted terrorist who supports the complete destruction of the State of Israel along with all the Jewish People living within its borders???
Where is Suzanne Berger on the issue of taxpayer money being spent on an attorney who defended a terrorist who supports the destruction of Israel.
I don't have a problem with an attorney who defended a terrible person. Lawyers are supposed to do that if they are honorable and believe in justice.
I do have a problem with an attorney who has criminal experience but no experience in ethics issues, and who is unknown to anyone other than Mike Sigal. Sigal has conflicts himself, and he has played a too active role, almost that of an accuser. It would be better if the Ethics Board and the Town Board selected an attorney from a list of qualified ethics specialists formed by a small panel of respected citizens.
In fact, it would have been better if Sigal and McLaughlin had been selected based on the same kind of interviews that were applied to Jennings and Bunting, instead of being selected by the Town Board which is dominated by Sheehan and Bass.
Francis has his nerve blaming Tim for a decision he made. Francis blew it big time.Admit your mistake.
SHEEHAN:
Why do you blame Tim Lewis for calling the meeting on a Jewish Holyday.
What's wrong with you.
Sheehan you are a disgusting liar.
We do not want you on the board any more.
Sheehan ,your explanation about the meeting that you called is full of hot air not to say another word.
Why is it that you cannot take full responsibility when you are wrong.
You called the meeting because you knew dam well that the people who would be objecting to your way of doing things.could not attend because of the holyday.
Some one called you a coward ,I concur with their findings.
How the hell would Feiner know one or the other whether town attonrey Tim Lewis, whose given bad advice before, blew it again?
Feiner didn't show up for the work session on Tuesday where the matter was discussed. He didn't even know the issue was on the table. In fact, he was so clueless he thought the special meeting was about him - about hiring the attorney the Ethics Board has recommended to pursue the ongoing ethics investigation into Feiner's March 2004 fundraiser (which Feiner's been stonewalling).
A normal elected official would pick up the phone and speak to one of this colleagues and ask what was discussed, why the meeting was scheduled, and what was on the agenda. Not Feiner. Since he's evidently not even on speaking terms with his fellow town board members, Feiner simply issued another of his hysterical press releases, showing the rest of us that he truly is unhinged and unsuited for continued public office.
Stop picking on Mike Sigal and Jack McLaughlin. Don't you know they're both Feiner loyalists. Both were Feiner appointees to SCOBA, and Sigal has given Feiner five times as much money in campaign contributions than Rosenberg has. Why would anyone ever think these guys are loyal to Sheehan of all people? Sigal has done nothing this primary season to upset the Feiner team, and neither has McLaughlin.
The anonymous poster who wrote at 1:49 says that Mike Sigal gave Paul Feiner "five times as much money in campaign contributions than Rosenberg."
I don't know what amount, if any, Mike Sigal has contributed to Paul Feiner's campaigns. But I don't recall ever contributing to Feiner's campaigns.
Maybe the poster can enlighten me. How much did I give? When did I give it? Where are these conrributions shown? I'd be surprised if the poster can provide positive answers. But who knows? Not that there would have been anything wrong in making such contributions. In the past I have contributed to Steve Bass' and Francis Sheehan's campaigns, so anything is possible.
Rosenberg is being cute. He gave $50 not to Feiner, but to Kevin Morgan, on June 19, 2007. Morgan, who's raised very little of his own, is relying almost exclusively on Feiner's $150,000 warchest. Part of that warchest includes $200 that Sigal gave Feiner on April 20, 2006. All contributions may be found on the New York State Board of Elections website.
Am I being cute? My wife thinks so, but all I was being was truthful, which is more than I can say for the blogger who falsely said that I contributed to Paul Feiner's campaign when I had not done so, and now admits it by an evasive answer. He should try to be honest, if it is possible for him to be so.
Indeed, I contributed to Kevin Morgan and I hope, for the sake of the town, that Morgan wins.
The blogger's point was that Sigal gave a lot more to Feiner's campaign that Rosenberg gave, which is true. Rosenberg, who is supporting Feiner, gave indirectly to Feiner's campaign by giving $50 to Morgan. Sigal gave Feiner $200, or four times as much. The blogger found it hard to understand why Feiner supporters were attacking Sigal, when he too appears to be a Feiner supporter.
Hi: As a first time poster and probably last I am a district leader in HOH and would like to set the record straight. Two years ago I listened to Mary Jane and others bash Morgan and at a time had questions about him. However I was at the forum the idiot talks about and vividly remember that He stated, I UNDERSTAND THE PRIVACY ISSUES AND NOTIFICATION ISSUES. AS A MATTER OF FACT HE HAD A COLLEGE AGE DAUGHTER AND ALTHOUGH HE PAID FOR HER TUITION HE COULD NOT RECEIVE HER GRADES. HE NEVER AGREED WITH PARENTAL NOTIFICATION.
sO TO THE BOLD FACE LIAR PIECE OF !!! S--T PROBABLY STEVIE, BERN OR SHEEH. TRY HARDER. When you accuse someone get it right.
As a district leader and someone who does not need problems I was advised that Morgan called Ken T. and wanted to address the committee however Morgan was never notified of the interview dates. He WAS TOLD they would not hold any other interviews. In other words screw you. This was also passed on by Sheehans wife the sneaky secretary.
As to thecomplaint that Morgan did not notify Feiner this is an OBVIOUS SIGN that he is not a rubber stamp for Feiner and Did what he felt was right. I was not not going to vote Feiner however after seeing how the bit-h berger handles herself and lies and uses her position I will vote for Feiner and hope someday Morgan seeks his job.
Further more the writing on the wall is that the WCLA should fire PLASKETT for obvious ethical violations and harm to her cause. It is a shame that she would side with liars and become one. We need Polly Rothstein to come back and bring credibility back to the WCLA. She never interviewed Brown and LIEDDD about her conversation with Devlin. But then again this is her style, her husband tried two years ago to assault Feiner.
I was told to read this blog to get a kick out of it however I am extremely upset and will never return. So you should get a life and I hope to god you never act this way in front of your kids and should me ashamed of yourself.
Holly shit Rosenberg gave Morgan $50.00. Was this his first check at his bar mitzvah. You know if he gave money to Morgan he felt strongly about him. Get a life
how come bass/barnes are stabbing alfreda williams in the back? they never mention her.
is bass supporting beville?
no one's supporting alfreda williams ... all sides agree that it's time for her to move on
As for the debates, We had more than they had for mayor in NYC and at any time did steve the weave, or eddie do nothing ever stated what they did for the community or party. Did they ever coach our kids or play BALL with someone ( steve HMMM ) wrong idea . It is easy to blow smoke up our a-s but we all know your bs and are tired of it. Cry to sir francis he will make it all better. Hope he likes bubba when he goes to jail for his actions.
Speaking of support for alfreda HA HA HA ?? If sir francis and do nothing juettner teamed up with Bill Greenawalt most of this BS would be mute and feiner would have been gone. But alas the kingdom of sheehan would never exist. Bill they screwed YOU.
And as the world turns the rats will jump from the ship. Just ask Abinanti ? Steve the slime ball backed stabbed him and Brodsky let it happened. Speaking of back stabbers Mary Jane in Hastings who now works for Brodsky would lie for anyone to get ahead. So this is the largest town in NYS. What an embarassment. A laughing stock and full of degenerates. You all deserve to be fired. If it was against the law for your actions you all would be in jail
Bass support Williams, what are you thinking, He supports only himself. He is a two timing looser who could give a shit about anyone else.
What he so disgraceful is that he was on the payroll for Sen. Cousins who does not have the balls to see through their crap. She will see when it is to late and they drag her down.
Cousins supports BASS and BARNES because they are incumbents and the party choice. She they stays out of the supervisors race? that took a lot of guts, Was'nt BASS a paid lacky for Cousins and she nows owns him and he led around by her nose. She needs to go.
Now the second day of Rosh Hashanah is also sacrosanct to Feiner? Funny, any schul goer knows how attendance plummets on the second day in any non-orthodox synagogue. Perhaps Mr. Feiner should think twice about playing the religion card.
Some Bass supporters won't vote for Barnes because they know that Kevin will win. Does Barnes recognize that she is being stabbed in the back?
10:45
Have you been following Feiner around town since you stated that he was not a religious Jew.
I know a lot of Jews WITH CHILDREN that did observe Thursday and Friday, the reason being to teach their children the tenants of their Jewish faith.
10:45
Do you observe your Holydays.
I was in Temple both days, and I am not overly religious. Paul and I were incommunicado for those two days, and he like millions of others has a right to observe in his own way. From my perspective, he did not campaign or call people. I believe that is correct because I usually speak to him daily!
The point of all of this is respect for one's self, one's religion, and one's own people. To call meetings and to force people to make unconfortable decisions is obnoxious, wrong-headed, and insensitive.
We have Freedom of Religion, and the Establishment Clause which precludes any state body of forcing any religion or religious practice on anyone. Thanks to our wise Founding Fathers and the Bill of Rights.
For the Town Board to schedule a meeting on a major holy day of obligation, whether it be Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, or any other, reflects cultural and religious insensitivity. This action slings mud on one of our most sacred rights, the right of one of the Four Freedoms articulated by FDR, the right of the Freedom of Religion.
This meeting was called to place the Supervisor in a difficult position. If he went to the meeting, he would be seen as a religious hypocrite, or an individual lacking in respect for his own people. If he refused, he would have beeen seen as abrogating his responsibilities as a public servant.
Sheehan was ready, willing, and able to slip through a whole litany of proposals. He was licking his chops over the possibility that he would be "Queen for a Day."
His explanation defies credulity and as the Supervisor said, all of his rationalizations about "neighborhood funding" deadlines was "smoke and mirrors."
He just wanted the door opened so he could storm through. He used the Bass "beg-out" as his convenient justification. His hiring of his hand-picked attorney would have breezed by everyone, and it would have been a fate d' accompli. Any one who cannot see through his cynical approach to government and power is blind.
He used the religious day to manipulate the direction of the Board and the Town. He knew what he was doing. So he compounded his insensitive act along with his obvious malice of fore thought.
Unfortunately it backfired. The newspapers understood right away what he was doing and the public outburst forced him to concoct his ridiculous answer.
Please understand, that it isn't a management problem with the Supervisor. It is a problem with Sheehan and his constant undermining the process and the Supervisor's executive authority. Sheehan has literally "black-mailed" the commissioners to be at his beck and call. With his votes he has almost completed his coup d'etat.
But you, the electorate, have the chance to redress this palace coup. You can give Feiner the support he needs to blunt this power mad character and stop him in his tracks. Now it is up to you!
Richard J. Garfunkel
What a crackpot Garfunkel is.
As everyone knows by now, the purpose of the Town Board meeting was ministerial -- the board had been advised by the town attorney that it needed to schedule a public hearing on an affordable housing grant.
Feiner would have known all about it had he not thrown a temper tantrum before last Tuesday's work session when he found out that Morgan was trying to put an anti-choice Republican on the Democratic primary ballot -- an action Polly Goldstein, founder of the Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, called "overly anti-choice."
But Feiner lashed out not at Morgan but at his fellow town board members, calling them "scumbags" at town hall in front of town employees and residents alike.
Feiner then boycotted the work session, took his tantrum to the Scarsdale Inquirer, and never came back.
When Feiner found out that the special meeting had been scheduled, he issued a press release condemning it without even bothering to ask his town board colleagues what the meeting was about.
Feiner was so paranoid he accused the board of conspiring to hire an Ethics Board attorney even though this was never on the agenda and had never been discussed. That didn't stop Feiner -- without knowing the facts, he said it anyway.
Then, when the town board was able to find a way to put off the special meeting, Feiner continued his hysterical tirade about a Rosh Hashanah meeting -- perhaps hoping that the noise over that would drown out the noise over his having lied to the town about Morgan being 100% pro-choice when, in fact, he had engaged in an "overt anti-choice action."
Garfunkel doesn't seem to understand that many in Greenburgh see through this charade, and have lost patience with Feiner's petty and childish behavior.
Bravo MR. Garfunkel,your comment was fantastic.
I as a catholic detest what The devil Sheehan was trying to do.
He must have planned this meeting some time ago ,thinking that he would catch some residents sleeping.
Does he realize what he has done to the residents of the Jewish faith.
I hope that we could put this behind us and continue to live respecting one another.
Dear Francis (aka 4:12 pm):
Still trying to throw good ol' Tim Lewis under the bus are we?
Will you be leading the tear brigade when he resigns due to the foolishness he gets subjected to? (You could always blame Supervisor Paul!)
Did you tell the communities that needed their block parties to be approved at that religious faith ignorant special meeting on Friday (along with the terrorist defending attorney - not that I have a problem with that (as Seinfeld would say)) that the party couldn’t go on because Attorney Lewis is still under the bus?
I must admit that I do acknowledge and appreciate your ability to keep all your cock-a-mammy stories straight.
4:12
Your comment is not well received by the residents of Greenburgh.
Stop covering up for the dictator Sheehan.
Feiner never used that language so stop with ths nonsence
We all know that Sheehan was behind this meeting all the way and when the manure hit the fan he blamed Lewis.
This is supposed to be our town board representative,who needs him maybe Bernstein and McNally.
Sheehan has been one of the biggest liars that ever had a seat
on the town board.
He cannot say that he did not know that it was Jewish holyday,because he was off from teaching,because the schools were closed.
Who was he trying to kid,only himself.
To top the cake he excused Bass from the meeting. wasn't that nice of him.
Who is running the show here in Greenburgh.Sheehan all the way.
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The great Rosh Hashanah scandal of 2007:
Paul wrote the following on the Greenburgh website:
"As a Jew, I am outraged that the Town Board rejected my request to cancel a meeting of the Town Board on Rosh Hashanah, an important Jewish holiday. The meeting is scheduled for Friday at 5:30. I have always observed the 2nd day of Rosh Hashanah."
Paul is correct. The second (and final) day Rosh Hashanah ended at sunset on Sept. 14th which was about 7 p.m. Consequently, Sheehan was religiously insensitive by not postponing the start of the meeting from 5:30pm to 7PM on Friday. Feiner does not state, however, whether he isshabbos observant, which should be further and (for most practicing Jews) and ever stronger reason for objecting to conducting business on Friday evening.
FILE UNDER RELIGIOUS INSENSITIVITY
Greenburgh Town Board has scheduled a meeting for the evening of 9/26 - the first night of the Jewish festival of Sukkot!
anon 4:12 pm Moron!
You must be delusional to believe that any one other than Linda Loveless would swallow that horse pitute.
Your story about Sheehan and the terrible tirade by Paul Feiner is pretty laughable. I assume that after years of absorbing the bull tickie that His Duckness flings, the Supervisor would feel a bit exercised.
I recall, without fondness, when his Duckness, (aka Francis the Talking Mule) the pedantic beancounter, used to nit pick the Board to death over the $50 claims the Board had agreed to at their work sesions. He was showing his anal retentive attention to detail.
This incredible fatuous boorish bore could put anyone to sleep with his micrometer mind. Thank the heavens there is a five minute limit on his useless diatribes. In any other town he probably would have been tossed out on his hairpiece. It was so perfect, the inspector general from John Jay doing his Sherlockian best over awards regarding dented fenders. Maybe all of you can remember when he brought in his video taping equipment. Only Captain Queeg would be thought of to be more paranoid.
Of course, he intimidated the Board so much that Juettner, desperate for another term, decided, like the Tarryton cigarette commercial,(in reverse) to switch rather than fight. As a result of that poor judgement, and since the Troy Scandal, Juettner has taken a vow of silence after being sucked in by Sir Frantic the Quacking Duck!
So when we see him using his alter ego to make his case, it almost as
laughable. Of course no one in their right mind would believe that silly story. The Shadow Group, which observes everything, and has the power to cloud men's minds, has nothing on Sir Frantic, the Sissy, whose mind has been clouded forever.
Let us not forget that Sir Frantic
also ate the strawberries. This blog has been wonderfully entertained by the ghost written contributions from the uncrowned rotund King Zog II of Edgemontania, his consort Queen Michelle, and the Princess Whopper with Double Chee Chee Berger-Jones.
Her whoppers have been regularly coming by snail mail, and after tomorrow they will be silenced forever, unless she runs on the Fulani-Newman Hate Line.
The Shadow Group LLC
The Shadow LLC
4:12 is none other than Francis Sheehan himself. Notice the pontificating writing style.
Sheehan, you slappped all Jews in the face by ordering a meeting to be held on Rosh Hashanah. You then add insult to injury by "excusing" Steve Bass from this meeting. You further demonstrate your insensitivity toward Jews by being set to hire an attorney who defended a terrorist who wants nothing more than to kill Jews and destroy Israel.
You need to come clean and explain this insensitivity that you have toward Jews.
9:56PM - and don't forget next week's meeting schedule for sukkos!
A message to Eddie Mae,
Departing from the religious aspect, there's no excusing that the vote, if necessary, should have been scheduled much earlier on the calendar, not at the last minute. If the Town Board were doing its job, there would be no cause for alarm and no "crisis" creating a conflict with religious observance.
Since the "critical" matter concerned a vote regarding eligibilty for housing related grants, then the blame should be placed squarely at the desk of Eddie Mae Barnes who, for campaign purposes only, wants voters to know that affordable housing is her "bag".
So, why weren't you doing your job, Eddie Mae?
At least Bass in conducting secret meetings with the Dromore developer can "say" that he was doing it for the Nature Center.
Eddie Mae, what's your excuse?
Hal,
Sheehan might have "excused" Edie from excuses!
I would love to know why Gil Kaminer doesn't just identify himself when he posts here. He is a town employee (Sheehan's personal assistant) and we pay his ridiculous salary to be a political ruffian. Don't you all agree that he should identify himself?
ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!
i doubt he is posting - he is probably working on his resume
One of the promises that Paul made,if given the chance to represent Greenburgh again,was to get rid of Kaminer.
Keeping this promise is one to save a salary,for a nothing job but most of all the newspaper will give us back Freedom of the Press.
Between Sheehan,Kaminer,Bernstein and Mcnally there was no hope to have the truth printed.
To the four mentioned above,our faith has saved us.
SHALOM
the best person won!
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