Well, I got my FOIL response today. A month ago I asked for material detailing
contact between Town officials, contractors and/or employees with the Casino
corporation or its various identities. I
also asked for material that the Town Board had used to educate itself with
regard to casinos before its vote on the Resolution of April 16th.
Supervisor Langley and Deputy Supervisor Gilbert did not
submit any material responsive to the FOIL request. There was no response at all from anyone with
regard to the educational material.
With regard to the contacts with casino people, the first
documented contact was April 23rd.
That’s a week after the Resolution.
This raises the obvious question.
Where did that Resolution come from?
Immaculate Conception, right? Langley and Gilbert won’t respond to the FOIL
request about contacts with casino people and the Resolution appears a week
before the documented contact. I’d say
that they are hiding. Just can’t tell
the truth. Atta boy, Ethics Chair.
Bottom line – Langley and Gilbert refuse to disclose their
contacts. We know from other sources
that contacts were in place at least as early as February with the police and
the Planning Board.
So we’ve got the Supe and his Dep and probably the Rep Chair
cooking up a deal with Feathers and maybe some other local machine players secretly,
and then springing it on the people of the Town.
This is not acceptable performance from elected officials on
a matter which would change the total character of our Town.
Consider the possibility that Langley received the wording for the resolution and some easy to follow instructions from the County. The message carrier could be one of the attorneys with County connections that Langley put on the OUR payroll under instructions from the County.
ReplyDeleteIf something like what is described above is what happened, it could be true that there was no direct contact. A person who, like Langley, has no intellectual curiousity could easily be duped with no personal contact.
Is the CasiNO Attorney we saw at the public hearing in contact with the Attorney General and the State Comptroller about this? The Committee on Open Government Robert Freeman might also be interested in the lack of records from Mr. Gilbert and Supervisor Langley.
ReplyDeleteWell as you can see from the previous thread, Supervisor Langley acknowledged to Chris Churchill that he received a call.....which he declined to disclose in the FOIL response. What else is he declining to disclose?
ReplyDelete"According to Supervisor Langley quoted in an April 24th TU story by Chris Churchill, the April 16th resolution had to be added late because the developer called only a few days prior. “We had conversations of interest, nothing more than that, with Saratoga Casino and Raceway,….that’s what led this resolution to be put together.”
This Town deserves better than this kind of monkey business.
Eddie....this is exactly why we need to Save East Greenbush.
Would it be worthwhile to send the Langley/Gilbert immaculate conception chronology to the Gaming Commission? Might shake things up just a little.
ReplyDeleteYup. The FOIL response is a matter of record. Seems clear to me that there was some collusion and conspiracy going on. Certainly no transparency and involvement with the citizens of the Town. Looks like secrecy and purposeful exclusion of the taxpayer.
Deletehow about FOILing Langley's calendar?
ReplyDeleteRemember Nixon said he'd wished he'd burned the tapes?
DeleteAt the public hearing, Mr. Gilbert failed to introduce himself as the Deputy Supervisor and chair of the Ethics committee. Mr. Gilbert's sarcasm, personal attacks, and insults to a group of tax-paying citizens, was a clear indication of his character.
ReplyDeleteIf Mr. Gilbert cannot control his negativity when faced with a majority of people who disagree with his position, then it is obvious that he should not be involved in politics in any way. I would expect nothing short of an apology from the Town Board at the next meeting.
This is not the first time that Mr. Gilbert has demonstrated inappropriate negativity. This is a pattern of behavior that is unacceptable.
Tax-paying citizens have the right to express their opinion, and have a right to join as a group without fear of repercussions, without open criticism, and without personal attacks. Mr. Gilbert's actions at the public hearing are detrimental to the community because his open criticism will inhibit the public from dissenting from his opinion. Mr. Gilbert is a detriment to the democratic process.
Cry me a river!
DeleteHe didn't win me over once I realized who he was. He just reminded me of the Cowardly Lion. I'll fight you with one paw tied behind my back. I'll fight you with my eyes closed. If he were king of the Thompson Hill FORRRRRRRRRRREST!!!
DeleteThe Langley administration and the entire board for that matter made a serious miscalculation in their approach to the casino issue. First, they bought the sales hype hook, line and sinker without asking any due diligence questions at all. Second, they calculated that the only opposition would come from the "reformers" and the "gadflys," and they continue to behave as though this is the source of opposition. Third, instead of initiating an open process to examine the impact on the Town and its citizens, they kept the initiative secret until the last possible minute.
ReplyDeleteIt's really tragic that the Board has such a warped understanding of what its role is in governing. This initiative would change the character of the Town forever, and there are some negative impacts which are just not acceptable. Instead of asking good questions, they turned the process over to the developers and became servants of the casino interests instead of servants of the people of the Town.
County Executive Jimino herself was on the first mailer these Casino people put out supporting this casino. We're getting a casino like it or not. Our Governor wants a casino, our County Exec. wants a casino, our County Legislature wants a casino. Once again, a casino is coming.
DeleteThis guy has never heard the words "we, the people." When governments start conspiring against the interests of their subjects, they're gone. In the coming days you'll see that this is exactly what happened here. Mr. Langley turned the keys to Town Hall over to the casino interests.
DeleteAnother good one from Fred LeBrun:
ReplyDeletehttp://m.timesunion.com/local/article/LeBrun-State-just-can-t-leave-gambling-alone-5536499.php?t=6525412d8d
When does Jimino run again?
ReplyDeleteTo 5:17 AM I agree Cuomo wants a few casinos, but NOT necessarily in East Greenbush.
Is anyone sure Cuomo knows this casino would be next to a Girl Scout camp? Would he really want to run for president with that over his head? The Reps would have a field day with that.
ReplyDeleteWhere the hell does Kathy Jimino live? She can dictate that Feathers can screw around with our wetlands and woods and leave her's intact? She can go play in the street. This whole operation is being run by the "big boys and girls" at the expense of the local taxpayer who pays most of the freight in this Town and County.
ReplyDeletePower to the People!!
I can see the signs now if any of the follow run for office again.
ReplyDeleteMalone did not protact little Girl Scouts
Why doesn't Matters like little Girl Scouts?
Would Langley OK a casino if a Boy Scout camp was next door? 0r
Why doesn't Langley like little Girl Scouts?
This can go on and on, but I am sure you have the idea.
WE WILL BE READY