Welcome to Mayberry?

Well, since the North Greenbush Pipeline hit the Blogosphere a couple of months ago, even we’ve been surprised by the activity on the site. We do get mail which is not posted as comments and some of it is rather interesting, providing material for the postings.

Case in point: Mayberry RFD
If we had to title the email, the above label provides the right gist. We will always keep the names of those writing anonymous unless specifically told to disclose them. That way we can be assured that people will not hesitate to say what they feel. This is the same logic that keeps the Pipeline itself anonymous.
This letter comes to us from someone who benefits from town funds. Her view of North Greenbush is as follows: “…You are dragging peoples names through the mud because you don’t like the Supervisor. Get over it. You all live in Wynantskill not New York City. You are running a town comparable to Mayberry. Not a metropolis.…”
First of all, we don't run the town. We do try to use facts when writing pieces about substantive issues. If persons in government engage in conduct that is unseemly or illegal, it’s a difficult leap to claim it’s “mud” if it's true. She uses no specific examples of the “mud” because, we suspect, the actions discussed are true.
But isn’t interesting to read her view of the town and justification for the way they do business in the community and with the town? “You all live in Wynantskill not New York City. You are running a town comparable to Mayberry. Not a metropolis.”
So venders should be able to take advantage of towns run like “Mayberry” but it’s different with them big cites like New York, right? We’re all just a big happy family of unsophisticated hicks and therefore we shouldn’t be bothered by a public official giving out a big check without appropriate approvals as long as it’s going to one of the gang.
We’ll there are a great many people who disagree that the town should be run like a Mayberry and in fact, it may well be that Mayberry was run better. The fact is that all towns are governed by State Law. All venders and town officials have to play by the same rules. When they act like it's Mayberry, officials from the State Comptroller’s Office rightfully step in to straighten things out and remove the Mayberry elements from town administration.
That goes for vender claims, contract administration, town purchasing practices and indeed every facet of governmental operations. The problem here is deeper than the way the town is run. It’s about people with a vested interest in doing business with the town and making money trying to use politics as a means of controlling the town itself. Venders giving contributions to political parties and candidates within the parameters of the election law is ok. But venders should never be allowed to put themselves in a position where they have the power to run candidates for town office and take control of the administration by taking over the political parties themselves. In Mayberry, maybe the local hardware store owner was the mayor. But would you like to see the local holder of a multimillion dollar town contract become Town Supervisor or have sufficient influence over the person in the office that he can get himself a hefty check by circumventing the laws?
Perhaps it time for the Town Board to take a look at playing field and protect the town from plays that cause fouls and abuse of the rules. Time, in other words, to choose between Mayberry and a professionally run town.