The Definition of 'Hypocrisy'

Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promises, for never intending to go beyond the promises, it costs one nothing. - Edmund Burke

What is the definition of "hypocrisy"? Try this on for size! Legislator Sparaco has sent out an email which states:

Sparaco Proposes Eliminating County Executive & Legislators Salaries Until Rockland’s Deficit Is Eliminated - New City (November 8, 2013)
Rockland County Legislator Frank Sparaco has proposed a "groundbreaking" resolution calling for the elimination of the salaries of the Rockland County Executive and the members of the Rockland County Legislature until the entirety of Rockland County'’s deficit is eliminated.

This resolution highlights the concern Legislator Sparaco has expressed for years over the state of the increasing deficit, and the need to focus on budget reform and reduce Rockland’s tax burden. It is the most far-reaching proposal to date from any branch of Rockland government that aims to address the incredibly growing deficit.

"Until we are able to right our wrongs and put the county back on the right fiscal track, none of us should accept a paycheck from taxpayers,” Legislator Sparaco stated. “With the lowest bond rating out there, Rockland County is in shambles and in need of real leadership. This legislation will provide just that." 

Look around you - the town taxes on your house and that of ten of your neighbors are needed to pay for Sparaco's $75,000 part-time 'Constituent Services' job in the town of Clarkstown. His hours are flexible - supposedly five per day - he does not punch a time clock - and his sole contribution seems to have been the surreptitious videotaping of his colleagues, collecting absentee ballots in political elections, sending birthday cards, and now the writing of hypocritical emails. 

Here is a really "groundbreaking" resolution - Rockland County Legislator Frank Sparaco should not accept a paycheck from Clarkstown's taxpayers until the entirety of Clarkstown's $110 million debt is eliminated.

But don't hold your breath! The Clarkstown Town Board could not find anywhere to cut its budget before it raised taxes by 3.5% for 2014. The hypocrisy by the members of the Town Board is to have continued to fund Sparaco's 'Constituent Services' position. Equally hypocritical is that Sparaco has not proposed a "groundbreaking" resolution to the Town Board asking them to reduce his salary to zero.

Let's face it - it appears that the only time the Town Board will eliminate a position is when someone is caught in a criminal act of charging for overtime that was not worked or when the FBI charges someone with trying to fix the mayoral race in New York City. 

That was the situation with Jay Savino.  He had a patronage job in Clarkstown doing the Town's tax cert work and "sitting in" on the Palisades Mall case in which the Town had to give back $20 million to the mall and has thereby effectively bankrupted the Clarkstown Schools system. The Town Board was forced to cut Savino's job when he was arrested by the FBI for allegedly accepting a bribe. 

Then we have the amusing case of Christopher Smith, who ran for the tax receivership job that is being eliminated in the Town of Orangetown and about whom it was claimed he wouldn't have to learn the job he was running for because it would soon disappear anyway. Smith questioned Sparaco on the latter's facebook page as follows: 

Does that (Sparaco's proposal) mean you will eliminate YOUR 75k patronage job salary to help bring down the proposed tax hike in Clarkstown? 

Sparaco's mother-in-law, Debra Ortutay, who perhaps with the help of the legal skills provided by her lawyer, Jay Savino, went to prison for 4 months after allegedly helping Sparaco fiddle with the election process for the Independence Party, jumped to Frank's defense on Facebook asking Smith:

"Would you sacrifice housing and feeding your children, because that is what you are asking here?"

Apparently Ortutay's concern that Sparaco would be "sacrificing housing and the feeding of his children" is not OK as part of her son-in-law's proposal but it would be OK for Ed Day, a guy who had a REAL job in the private sector and who has just resigned from it to become County Executive, to be paid nothing. 

So here is the deal being proposed ....

Sparaco would sit in the County Legislature opining in emails about salary suspensions and send out birthday cards to myself and others while holding, what Larry Weissman, a Democratic Party attorney discussed with him, a b***S*** patronage job in the Town of Clarkstown provided for him by Gromack and Ballard. 

Ed Day, on the other hand, as the County Executive should have zero income and no longer be able to pay his bills thus sacrificing his housing and the feeding of his family!

This, according to the hypocritical wisdom of Legislator Sparaco "is the most far-reaching proposal to date from any branch of Rockland government that aims to address the incredibly growing deficit."

Sparaco's proposal is either clownish or idiotic.  Perhaps an application of the idiot test above would provide the answer. Hint - the square is blue!

This blog is authored by Michael N. Hull  a retired senior citizen who suggests that the time has come to bring ethics and transparency back into local government. Crony, patronage politics in local government is an expensive and unnecessary tax burden on the electorate. Hull contributes to the Facebook page Clarkstown: What They Don't Want You To Know .