Act 1, Scene 1: “Camera moves into Close-up of mayor rolling his eyes, in a sign of disrespect as a female resident, facing mayor, reads aloud at Board of Trustees meeting.”
“Camera slowly pans expressionless faces of four trustees, seated with mayor, on a dais.”
Announcer: “Listen up, you actors playing the part of trustees. You are not allowed to speak. I repeat, you are not allowed to open your mouths.”
The End
Where is it written that newly elected trustees abide by a mandatory code of silence?
In typical “See no evil, hear no evil” posturing, four elected trustees seated high upon the dais, rarely if ever open their mouths to speak.
Silence may be golden in some places, but public Board of Trustees meetings should not be one of them.
This business of silence is only more disturbing in the presence of a mayor who is widely known as being openly hostile, openly aggressive and bullying towards female residents and female expert guests, alike, who do not agree with him and would dare to question him.
As you dear readers have learned elsewhere, silent bystanders further embolden a bully. Why then does this predominately male board consistently exhibit silent behavior?
After two years of attendance at these insufferable meetings, the answer revealed itself. Some of the trustees privately acknowledged that they are advised not to speak at Board Trustee meetings.
Question 1: If the mayor exercises authoritarian control of his trustees in public, does he also suppress their point of view in private? Especially those views that contradict his own beliefs?
Question 2: Does the mayor bully the elected trustees? If so, are they merely window dressing in his administration?
Can it get any worse? See for yourself.
Through-out 2017, two female residents posted scientific articles, exposing the dangers of LEDs, on Facebook.
Soon afterward, orders were presumably issued to certain male residents, known to the women as being part of the mayor’s inner circle. The male residents were presumably told to bully the female residents online.
These exchanges, on social media, were known to get downright ugly. The women involved, not at all naïve, recognized the source of the hateful dialogue.
So, the same mayor who speaks of grandiose plans to revitalize Middle Neck Road, while simultaneously wiping out years of finely tuned zoning laws, is a presumed supporter of social media bullying.
Question 3: Is it ever permissible for female residents to be bullied when they present or post peer-reviewed articles that contradict the mayor’s personal agenda?
Question 4: Does anyone truly believe this administration has the interest of the community and its citizens at heart, with a subsequent project that entails multimillion-dollar contracts (on Middle Neck Road and East Shore Road) spanning several years?
A serious injustice has already been perpetrated by VGN government against its citizens.
It’s been a well-kept secret.
Between 2016-2017, village government pulled the wool over its citizens’ eyes so many times – even those few dedicated residents, who pride themselves on regular attendance at village board meetings were shaking their heads in disbelief.
Why was the Smart City wireless pilot program (contract signed in December, 2016) not revealed to residents until July, 2017?
Even then, few residents were in attendance because there were no Public Hearings in all of 2017.
Today, in 2018, most residents continue to have zero awareness of what’s been authorized and installed on their residential streets.
In front of single-family homes and bedroom windows, unsafe selections and controversial products have been installed. Who says so?
The American Medical Association and multiple peer-reviewed studies. The lighting products and wireless technology already installed on VGN street poles present a double threat.
*The Mayor’s selection of lighting (bare bulbs) is worse than that of the other Great Neck villages who have converted to LEDs. Worse than most other residential communities on the North Shore.
Question 5: Isn’t it interesting that the Mayor, who authorized the unprotected lighting products, the fixtures and the wireless technology, resides without a street pole near his family’s home?
It feels like VGN residents have been hoodwinked and deceived. But only an informed resident would recognize the deception.
Can village citizens afford to “make like an ostrich” – content in the belief that fair government practices are taking place at the unassuming location they call Village Hall?
Final Question: What will you do about it?
Judy Shore Rosenthal
Great Neck
