This past Monday evening was the last public session at which Hanover’s Mayor Len Fariello would preside – he will be leaving office, succeeded by John Ferramosca.
In Len’s 16 minutes of prepared remarks he was consistent with his past practice of patting himself on the back with all “I” did for Hanover. I seldom want to opinionate on someone else’s remarks and I did stand up to speak and to wish Mister Fariello “All the best in his future endeavors”. He and I have always disagreed on many things– but always as gentlemen.
But I must say that in my near 30 years as a politician, I never heard such a self-serving, pompous diatribe of praises heaped on one’s self. Most politicians I would readily admit are driven by a certain amount of self- pride, but this went way, way beyond. I did not hear one mention of his fellow committee persons as in “we.” All that was heard is, “I did this, I did that,” sentence after sentence. He also takes credit for making Whippany Village a reality – couldn’t be farther from the facts. Most of what he claims as accomplishments, other committeemen past and peresent, did.
I am equally certain that our community see’s through ingenuous and they handled it at the polls as they should.
There s a phrase from the bible that says, and I paraphrase, “always take the last seat in the back.” What that means to most of us is to conduct ourselves with some modicum of modesty and humility. None of which were evident in Monday evenings speech. I am sure you’ll be able to read it in Weekly Regional News, where you can make your own mind up.
None-the-less, I still wish Mister Fariello the best in what ever his other interests are, but I would again remind him – take the last seat in the back.
