Dear Editor:
Permit me once again to point out Mayor Gonnelli’s arrogance/ignorance when it comes to making an off the cuff response to anyone that he believes to be a nemesis for past political happenings. At the March 10th council meeting, after the mayor and I had wrangled over his sincerity in regard to his position over the changing of the School Board election date, for the record, we were/are both in agreement that the date should not have been changed. The mayor, having to have the last word said, “the best part, nobody believes what you write.” The arrogance of that statement speaks for itself. The ignorance of this statement is that if “nobody believe what I write”, why did he believe he had to react to what I had written? Typical Gonnelli double talk. I hit a nerve, I known him like a book.
The record will show that he was not the first mayor to take the approach that my letters, and comments made at the town council meeting were outlandish, hoping nobody would believe what I wrote, and predicted what would happen down the line, before it happened .
Take for example, Clarendon School site and design. I urged the mayor, Paul Amico, to use his influence over the Board of Education, at that time the Board was an appointed Board, to rethink the site and design on the grounds that the site was the wrong site, design was a waste of space, waste of taxpayer’s money. Time has proven me correct.
Another example: I attended SMUA meetings questioning that body. I raised questions wrote letters about what I perceived to be wrong doings at the SMUA. I approached Mayor Amico, later Mayor Just on the subject. They both took the same approach, Troyer does not know what he is talking about. Time proved me correct. I predicted, and wrote letters about the SMUA scandal before the government came in. I predicted people would be going to jail. The record will show some did go to jail. To this very day, it is my opinion, others involved in that scandal should have gone to jail. Bottom line is that Secaucus taxpayers had to pay millions of dollars in legal fees. Apparently, people in the state and federal government, believed what I had written.
One more example; When Mayor Elwell called for an investigation of the allegations as to what took place on April 25, 2004 at the North End Firehouse that resulted in gay bashing charges being filed. I did not question the need to investigate, I questioned the cost involved in fighting the case, that in my opinion, based on my investigation, the Town of Secaucus could not win. I urged mayor at council meetings and in letters to the editor to settle this matter as soon as possible. Similar to mayors before him and one after him he took the approach that I did not know what I was talking about. Bottom line, we lost the suit, cost the taxpayers thousands of dollars.
Tom Troyer