Taxpayer money to fight political damage

The Kingston Freeman published an article (October 9, 2007, click here to read) stating that the Rochester Town Board was appealing the Court decision awarding Manuela Mihailescu damages for the emotional distress she suffered at their hands (so the Court has found). The following is a response I submitted to the Freeman's online forum:

While I am outraged by the Rochester Town Government's willingness to use taxpayer money to appeal this case, I am not surprised. The self-serving attitude of this Town Government has been flaunted in our faces since these people took office. The accusations leveled at Ms. Mihailescu by the Supervisor and her cheerleaders are nothing but political mud-slinging. The Town Government wanted to keep her off a Town Committee simply because she was deeply involved with the local Republican Club and because her husband, as webmaster for the Club, is one of the Board's most outspoken critics. This is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt at violating one of our neighbors' Freedom of Speech. Nothing more, nothing less.

This Town Board has turned its entire term in office into a political purge, removing those who disagree with the Board, filtering out new applicants who are critical of the Board's actions and appointing those who toady up to them to the positions thus emptied.

One important question: Why on Earth would the Town Government spend so much money to defend this case, especially given that the costs likely outweigh the actual award? Simple. They are using taxpayer money to deflect the political damage caused by their own actions. They are desperate to retain their seats in November, regardless of the expense to the hardworking people of the Town of Rochester.

Shame on them.

If they are so intent on fighting this case, they should reach into their own pockets to pay for it. The excuse that they were acting in their official capacities just doesn't fly. Barely a handful of people, even among actual supporters of the Board, think that what was done to Ms. Mihailescu was justified. The Board simply was not acting on behalf of the people of Rochester. They were acting to further their own, selfish political agenda.

They did NOT do this despicable thing in my name and I, for one, should not have to pay a single cent towards its defense. Nor should any of my neighbors.

You pay the piper for the acts you commit. It's called being a responsible adult. Then again, the only meaning of the word "adult" the Town Board seems to understand is the one meaning "porn."