Paul Pontieri, Mayor of Patchogue Village, Patchogue, NY, has been accused of the following actions by Patchogue Village Deputy Mayor Stephen McGiff and Trustee Gerard Crean:
• Selling his old car back to Patchogue Village, via his relative that was a car dealer, at a profit of $500 to his relative. Mayor Pontieri said he saved the village thousands of dollars.
• Paul was accused of hiring a relative as a custodian. Details are not definitive, but Paul also says that he saved the village money.
• Taking event tickets from a friend, who ultimately did business with the village!
• Making a loan of $150,000 to "Art Space," without consulting the trustees.
• Mayor Pontieri has been accused of pushing the acceptance of the 291 Tri Tec apartments? In actuality two trustees were in favor of accepting Tri Tec, two were opposed, and the mayor held the deciding vote. To this day I am opposed to the Tri Tec complex without the hotel and tower. Hopefully this project could be returned to its original configuration.
• Paul Pontieri was accused of increasing his salary by 3.4 times! This issue brought to light the fact that Paul Pontieri was receiving only $15,000 for a job that required 60 hours of work per week; a trustee received only $3,600 compensation! How ridiculous is that! Salaries were increased to $36,000, and $12,000 dollars respectively. We have five people that are qualified Professors, lawyers and principals, working for us at a substandard wage! These people deserve a medal!
It was Paul Pontieri in conjunction with the Village trustees that created an atmosphere for change in Patchogue. The mayor and the trustees constitute the Patchogue First caucus that with the help of local activist residents, ousted the previous ineffective Patchogue Village Government.
I do not believe in pursuing an issue without first considering the consequences! Paul Pontieri and the current slate of Patchogue Village officials were and still are tough on crime; the former slate was not!
I love to play Slot Machines! "So what does that have to do with this issue?" "Please bear with me!" Before I play a slot machine I test it with quarters. I keep inserting quarters into the slot machine and observe what happens. If I see that a particular machine is a "winner," I then feel safe to put more money into that particular machine. In my personal opinion, I believe that Mayor Paul Pontieri and the village trustees are indeed the best slate of Patchogue Village officials, that we have ever had!.
We as a population, have for the most part, lost touch with what makes a successful business, government, or village! Top down management always results in dismal failure due to gridlock. Administration talks down to Middle Management which talks down to Supervisors who talk down to the rank and file workers. Everyone is busy defending themselves against the people above them, and nothing gets done!
"And now;" we have Patchogue First! From its inception, "Patchogue First" was determined to leave the political rubbish behind and actually address real village issues that effected us all. It was the Patchogue First Team which consists of the Mayor and the trustees that jointly addressed and solved the critical problems, that ultimately resulted in the Patchogue that we now enjoy today. Seventeen years ago our village was not a desirable place to live!
Patchogue First has from it very beginning, followed the "bottom up" model for government; everyone including the worker, was an important part of the team. Everyone worked hard because they were appreciated and recognized as an important part of the overall solution to local problems! The Mayor and trustees worked closely with the Neighborhood Watch, and the Police Department. We, the residents of Patchogue Village, enjoy a good quality of life because our current government is accessible. We as a village have moved forward from what was a questionable quality of life, to what is now a vibrant community! Most of all, go to the Patchogue Village Facebook page and read what the new generation has to say about our village! It is obvious, our young people are very proud to be connected with Patchogue village! I rest my case!
"A chain is as good as its weakest link." The fastest racing car in the world cannot win a race with a second rate pit crew! I personally would rather see the Paul Pontieri and the trustees resolve their issues and continue performing miracles as the "Patchogue First Team."
Yes Paul is a "country boy," and my personal tendency is to view the "Car," family "hiring," and Art Space "loan issues," to be sketchy at best. I would rather see them just go away!
As a gambler, you've got to know when to hold, you've got to know when to fold, and you've got to know when to walk away! As a village resident that believes in the "Patchogue First," slate of Public Officials, I am not quite ready to walk away!
