3-15-2024:
Caesar said, “Beware The Ides of March.” On March 15th, the Buffalo News fittingly ran an article titled, “Groups urge state to reform FOIL and boost transparency.” The “Town of Evans” and transparency are mutually exclusive terms!
Obtaining documents via a FOIL request from the Town of Evans is at best difficult and too often impossible. I always suspect that when the town denies FOIL requests, they are hiding something.
- So far in 2024:
- They provided town employee W2s EXCEPT the W2 for former Supervisor Mary Hosler.
- They did not respond as required by NYS law for electric bills for the:
- Sturgeon Point Marina restaurant
- Sturgeon Point Marina maintenance building
- Sturgeon Point Marina → Everything else
- They did not respond as required by NYS law for the engineering report on the Kennedy Avenue sidewalks.
Over two centuries ago, Patrick Henry had it right when he said “The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.”
Spending on the water improvement project will cross the $100,000,000 threshold when phase two of the current project begins. How was all this money spent? We will never know! We know it will take 30 years to pay off all the money the town borrowed. When you get your water bill in April, make sure you are sitting down when you open the envelope. [ View Past Water Bills ]
According to the US Census, as of 2022, Evans had 15,142 residents. Each resident’s share of the $100,000,000 debt is $6,604!
The 2023 campaign is over and it is business as usual in Evans.
Maybe the New York Coalition for Open Government will convince the state legislature to put some teeth in the state’s FOIL law.
The Town of Evans will continue to deny documents requested via a FOIL request until the state legislates consequences for breaking state law.
“When there is a lack of honor in government, the morals of the whole people are poisoned.” — Herbert Hoover
When to talk at Hamburg public meetings: Town supervisor capitulates: Click-Here
Censorship in North Korea – Wikipedia: Click-Here
QUOTE: “They have all rights to come to the town board and take the privilege of the floor and ask US questions.
I answer the questions.
I feel like a broken record.“
Mary Hosler
“The Mary Hosler video is 17 seconds long. The Tommy George video is 36 seconds long. Can you watch these two short videos and tell me that Evans has open government?“
QUOTE: Deputy Supervisor Tommy George On Privilege of the Floor: ” . . . each individual . . all your remarks should be directed to the town board as a body and not to any individual member. Please remember this not intended to be a question & answer period but rather an opportunity for the board to gain input from the general public.” Tommy George
