An open reply to Judy Iradi from Ron Francioli – Quit versus retire. You decide.
I thank Judy for her candor in responding to my editorial posting on ‘And so it goes in Hanover,’ in which I draw attention to the continued ‘riff’ in the township committee causing a ‘them’ and ‘us’ relationship to continue.
In Judy’s response she politely refers to my ‘quitting’ (after 27 years, I prefer the word, retiring) and therefore causing this riff to happen - John Sheridan was appointed to my vacancy.
Judy and I have exchanged many straight forward emails on the events leading up to my leaving the committee in February of 2009 - Judy was there to witness those same events. So let’s be honest as we promised.
My leaving the committee after serving 27 years and soon after newly elected Committeeman George Coppola joined the committee creating a shift in the majority, was the culmination of the worst political tactics I had seen in quite some time. But as Judy knows, I made no issue of what was to come - I fully expected it.
You talk about political appointments and deals. Len Fariello becoming mayor was known throughout town hall only days after George’s June primary win. Not after any January 1st re-organization vote to come. Relatives of mine knew it long before I did. I accepted that, no, I expected that.
The removal of two valued planning board members, Sal Iannaccone and Maria Florio, only to be replaced with political appointee’s from this new administration, was also expected – no squawk from me.
Directorships were agreed upon and divided up amongst the new majority well before the year end re-organization meeting. As a matter of fact, I left that organizational meeting causing no issue, knowing full well that decisions had already been made. Judy, you were there.
I accepted the ‘shunning’ I was subjected to at the December, Senior Citizens holiday party – the president of the club sitting only with his hand chosen committeemen. I was seated in the back of the room. Don’t tell me I replied late - I didn’t. You were asked to swear in the new club officers as deputy mayor while I looked on. I made no issue, did I? Not a peep.
Adopted ordinances were reversed in the first weeks of the new administration. No table discussions. No circulation of the ordinances for review. Was I surprised, no? The ordinances were ready for an immediate vote contrary to our policy of circulating the draft for comments. Did I run to the Daily Record and Hanover Eagle newspapers? – No.
I could go on and bore our residents with example after example of that administrations bad politics, but you got no squawk out of me. As you know Judy, this was an administration that I could not, would not, continue to serve with. This was an administration I owed nothing to. I put in my retirement papers and left with my head high. Ken bore witness to all this as well – can’t candy coat it.
But now that the make-up of the committee has changed and some are not appointed, even elected, it’s a foul and they are the ones making ‘political’ decisions and ignoring the qualifications of others. Humm.
So Hanover, did I ‘quit’ or was it time for me to retire?
