Letter to the Editor –Journal News

December 20, 2007

William “Boss” Ryan’s remarks on crafting his own compensation harks back to the arrogance of other political bosses like, Tweed, Marcy, and Hague, who wound up on the trash bin of history. Ryan is a product of a disturbing trend in this country and area, of the one-party political reality. For whatever reason, we have seen more and more areas of our country devolving into the so-called “red or blue,” rotten boroughs. The resulting consequences are less and less accountability to the general public. Most incumbents are never challenged in a primary, and without a two-party system, November doesn’t even count. Well in today’s paper, Democratic Party Leader Liz Shollenberger gave a ringing endorsement to Ryan’s arrogance and “let the public be damned” attitude. In a crass example of letting “one hand wash the other,” Ms. Shollenberger justified his outrageous remarks and salary demands, by saying that “…he could command a large salary as a lobbyist.” An enraged electorate should give him that choice. He has chosen the line of work he is currently doing. The job specifications were made well aware to him and his colleagues. Since when does someone apply for a job (running for an office) and then vote with his fellow employees (his colleagues on the County Board) to determine their compensation, embellished with overly generous committee perks? Though I am a life-long and active Democrat, I see a great flaw developing with the loss of our electoral “checks and balances,” as the two-party system in Westchester fades..

Richard J. Garfunkel