To the editor:
In our attack on patronage in Clarkstown, Mr. Joseph Savino seems to think that the Clarkstown Taxpayers have orchestrated a politically motivated attack on him. The only political motivation that the Clarkstown Taxpayers have is to rid our Town Board of the entrenched politicians (think Term Limits) that continue to hand out patronage jobs. Savino’s appointment by Supervisor Gromack is just the most recent example of a patronage appointment by the Clarkstown Town Board.
Savino, who just happens to be the head of the Bronx Republican Party, was hired to handle the town’s tax cert cases. However, according to Savino, he has never represented a municipality in a tax cert case; and then when the Palisades Mall challenged its assessment, Gromack chooses another law firm to handle this case. Such is the confidence that Gromack places in the ability of Savino, his most recent patronage appointment.
The Clarkstown Taxpayers are not accusing Mr. Savino of any wrong doings, but rather are asking the Town Board why they were willing to hire a law firm from outside of Rockland with no tax cert experience that had a past association with politicians of dubious backgrounds.
While Savino is the most recent patronage appointment, the history of patronage in Clarkstown is legendary. Isn’t it odd that Marsha Coopersmith, who headed the local Independence Party and gave the party’s endorsement come election time to the incumbents, had a high paying job in Clarkstown until she lost the Independence Party, then she was let go. Isn’t it also odd that Ed Lettre, co-chair of the local Conservative Party, has a high paying job in Clarkstown and Mary Loeffler, the other co-chair of the Conservative Party, also had a high paying job in Clarkstown.
Both of these Clarkstown employees always gave their party’s endorsement come election time to the incumbents. Finally, is it a coincidence that the recently hired Deputy Town Attorney is the son of Harriet Cornell, the head of the Rockland County legislature.
Clarkstown is a great town, but it could be greater if employees and contractors were truly hired for WHAT they know rather than WHO they know.
Guy Gervasi
President
Clarkstown Taxpayers
