Desso Recuses and Can't Restrain Himself

Some people just don't get it. When you recuse yourself from a matter, you first, don't turn around and vote on it anyway, as Lou Desso once did here on the North Greenbush Town Board involving the hiring of his attorney on the town payroll. Second, you don't participate in the debate or at a public hearing on the matter. You have acknowledged a conflict of interest, in this case, an intent to personally gain financially from a law, so you step aside and let others who lack that conflict carry the ball.

Apparently Lou Desso and his colleague Michael Cristo couldn't retrain themselves last night at the County Executive's Public Hearing on the GOP sponsored Double Dipper Law. Both removed town board members spoke in favor of the County Executive signing the measure and allowing them to double dip again at taxpayer expense.

Today's Times Union reported the action of each in this article. We guess that the dollar signs and extra pension credits were just too much to resist keeping one's mouth shut at the Public Hearing. Each left with a bone and is heading back to their respective towns where they will spend the next several months campaigning instead of devoting themselves to solving the county's fiscal crisis. We're sure Lou Desso will use the opportunity to hold another fundraiser as well. He'll again solicit town employees fearful of their jobs and worse, the town police department as he did before.

So Thursday night at the next town board meeting get ready for a Desso driven Dog and Pony Show. He'll orchestrate his version of "community support" in favor of double dipping and we'll all pretend the parade is a non inspired outbreak of true public sentiment. Hell, town taxpayers just love double dipping and those that engage in it. We can't wait to help out double dippers looking for a second public paycheck and all those extra retirement credits. In North Greenbush, we just love this kind of stuff!

Take a minute to read Dan Ashley's letter to the County Executive opposing the law, that is if they make room at the trough.
Jimino Letter 410