The calculated spin the people of Hastings witnessed on April 12 & 14th, was frankly despicable. Auditing changes were not thrust in the Mayor's lap hours before the meeting, he and the village manager were informed of these changes last year, they have been aware of being unable to pay down village debt (from my research, since Dec 1, 2009. The minutes of this board meeting can be found on the village website or with a simple google search). For the Mayor and trustee Armacost to then calculatingly shift blame to the auditors and last minute bad timing, and toss the crisis into the laps of collected department heads, is odious at best. The mismanagement and the shell game of carrying massive debt, especially in the times we find ourselves, pales however in comparison to the gall shown by the Mayor on April 14th, as he insulted not only the hard working village employees, but all of Hastings residents alike.
Ms. Armacost was quoted in a recent Rivertown's Patch article. "I believe the most effective way to shape the budget is to ask department heads to make self-assessments and make reductions themselves.
A reader comments and hits the nail squarely on the head.
"She is in essence handing the gun to department heads and asking that they shoot themselves, rather than the Mayor and trustees getting blood on their hands."
It does not surprise that trustee Quinlan was not present on April 14th. Trustee Quinlan is a straight shooter, quite simply he is a real person, an increasingly disappearing entity in village government. He is not a calculating, posturing, elitist, who is playing politician. Mayor Swiderski stated that 'this is not what he signed on for." What then did he sign on for? The Mayor is in essence the C.E.0. of the village, he is responsible for it's fiscal maintenance and well being. For him to state that he 'hasn't paid much attention to," the issues of accounting is an insult and in my opinion strong cause for his recall. He, as a direct result of his hubris and overriding interest in how he is perceived, has insulted the intelligence of the village.
I have called the Mayor out on his never ending transparent attempts to maneuver, cover up and spin at any cost, his incompetence. Mayor Swiderski's primary interest, above all else is how he and his agendas are perceived, not, the well being of the village. He exemplified this, and continues to exemplify this, in his mishandling of the deer issue, with far too many examples to list here.
I was shocked that not a soul opposed him in the recent election. The village of Hastings can ill afford this "leadership," as we embark on what are sure to be difficult days ahead. This must not happen again, as the very life of our village depends upon it. This man's image, which in many ways is the face of Hastings, is not representative of the village in which I was raised.
The diversity which has always drawn others to Hastings, is now threatened. Peter Swiderski knows nothing of this diversity. His character, constitution and life experience make any true understanding of this, an impossibility . He knows of this diversity and what Hastings has been, only in theory. As I, and his own trustee, Bruce Jennings have stated, a village is only as good as it's people. I find it so telling, that Mayor Swiderski and his board talk so often of 'art' and artists in Hastings. 'Spirit houses,' 'Carry A Poem in Your Pocket Day,' and the handful of successful artists and musicians whom call Hastings home, is not and has never been what the true "art" and attraction of Hastings has been all about. For the "real art" that is in fact the village of Hastings, has always been, it's people. To myself, trustee Quinlan is the lone representative of this art, currently seated on the board of trustees. He is his own man, I may not like certain of his positions, but I respect them, for I respect the man. Ironically had trustee Quinlan headed up the deer issue, there would have been no need for the creation of Buck Van Deer, for Quinlan hasn't any interest in posturing, people pleasing, playing politics or covering his own ass. Peter Swiderski's lack of character draws the opposition that he faced, as hopefully it will again at the meetings scheduled for next
week.
April 26 and 27 are most crucial, as they will forecast whether the village's true character will survive.
Buck Van Deer
