A Taghkanic reader writes to vent about a local newspaper’s account of a recent Town Board meeting, during which “serious and chronic problems” at the Highway Department were disclosed by its new reform-minded Democratic Superintendant, Tom Youhas:
“I love the way all of the credit for Tom’s report seems to be going to Supervisor Betty Young and Town Board members Richard Skoda and Carolyn Sammons.
“That would be the Richard who has been in charge of the Highway Committee and the Salt Shed Committee for over two years. He ‘knows the garage best’ ... yet seems to have set foot in it for the first time last week.
“That also would be the Richard who has lived here his entire life but just figured out the size of the garage and the composition of its non-floor.
“That would be the Carolyn, Richard and Betty troika which paid zero attention to Erin Edwards every time she publicly stated at Town Board meetings that they needed to prioritize—and that their ‘New Town Hall’ didn’t belong at the top of the list.
“These would be the same Republicans who nominated Ed Waldron to run on the Republican line for Highway Superintendent to continue his ways of the last 35 years.
“And they’re getting accolades for charting a new course?
“Oh, and the icing on the cake: Tom read ‘his report aloud, a change in itself’ according to the Register. This would indicate that there had actually been Highway Superintendent reports all along.. just not ones anyone got to hear.
“I apologize for venting, but the Register-Star can be a very annoying newspaper.”
Among the “unsafe and unhealthy” conditions which reportedly had accumulated over the past 35 years were a decrepit garage (which doesn’t fit the Town’s snowplows), inadequate tools, the lack of a salt shed, and a failing fleet of vehicles—all compounded by shoddy record-keeping.
