Desso Working the Phones, Passing the Koolaide for Meeting

What a difference a month makes and a front page article in the Times Union. Mr. Desso read the rules and despite trying with sidekick Al Spain to offer a tortured explaination to justify what they did last month in gaging residents from speaking any criticism of the town supervisor, the First Amendment was restored for the time being.

Was Lou Desso nervous? You bet he was. Not only was restaurant owner Michael Moscatiello present in the audience, but Lou must of spent a roll of quarters calling everybody he could think of to come to the meeting and praise him. A room full of strangers to board meetings, people who never come to meetings suddenly waiting to come to the microphone and guess what, all wanted to praise Lou Desso. Some say it's the Koolaide causing everyone to suffer a uniformed compulsion to speak and praise Lou. Of course all clapped after each confession of praise and loyalty. It was like an AA meeting!

Well almost everyone because two folks went up to the firing line and respectfully set forth the disgraceful conduct of the Supervisor in refusing to pay a $6000 restaurant bill, even after a court order. Lou was invited to explain to all why he or any person had the right and expectation not to pay a $6000 restaurant tab,fail to report the transaction to the State Board of Elections and falsify financial disclosure reports to conceal the transaction? Not a word came forth from his usually unstoppable mouth.

Personal attacks was the mantra used by Desso and Spain along with a few in the audience that took the cue.Any criticism of Desso will be considered a personal attack and that is how these board members will try to deflect from the facts and seriousness of the criticism.

A side note that caught our attention. Our workaholic town clerk chimed in claiming that a man was in the room who attacked her mother in the same manner poor Lou is so often subjected to. Her claim was totally contrived theater to curry favor with the mob mentality of the board majority. How quickly she forgets the time when she forgot to sign the oath of office and an unfriendly board was about to declare her office vacant and appoint someone else to her job. That man in the room stood up for her at that board meeting urging them to simply reappoint her to her job and forgive the mistake. We'll leave it to the readers to figure out the definition of personal character.

So now we wait to see if stupidity or good judgement will reign  as the threat to change the rules to end public comment on any topic was discussed as a possible course of action. This they hope will end any criticism of the board members. They must love the front page.