Why does Suffern reject St. Lawrence?
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- November
- 8
Over the past few years, Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence directed his clout Suffern’s way on numerous occasions, for what would seem to be the benefit of residents.
He worked to get Avon Products to keep its research and development operation going in the village. He arranged to acquire the Tilcon quarry as a way to reduce the threat of flooding in the Squire’s Gate neighborhood. He offered to pony up some town cash to help buy the Schwarz property and keep it from development. He also worked to keep power plants out of the nearby Torne Valley.
So why didn’t more villagers vote for St. Lawrence? Six polling places had him lagging Anthony Mele, his unsuccessful challenger, by 386 votes, 940 to 554, according to unoffical results still being verified this week.
Why?
This entry was posted
on Thursday, November 8th, 2007 at 3:12 pm by James Walsh.
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Community View: Anthony Mele’s Mother
I am outraged at the latest smears sent out by Supervisor St. Lawrence, slandering my son Anthony Mele. I was not going to dignify it by responding to such garbage, but let me set the record straight. As the parent of two sons, who I am extremely proud of, my eldest a Gold Shield, 1st Grade retired NYC Detective and the youngest, Anthony, who is the Preserve Ramapo and Republican Candidate for Ramapo Town Supervisor.
For a "seasoned" politician like Supervisor St. Lawrence to stoop so low, as to smear his opponent gives us all a glimpse into his mind-set and leaves a great deal to be desired. (Is this an act of political desperation?).
If he has done such an excellent job as Town Supervisor, why resort to such dirty personal attacks against his opponent. Obviously he has nothing else to offer us; but as a parent, he is attacking me, and for that I will not keep quiet. Here is what I know:
As a teen, Anthony was a counselor working with young people in the Neighborhood Youth Corps (Each one, Teach one Program) in the South Bronx and East Harlem; prior to that he was involved with a Catholic church program in the heart of the S. Bronx called; Casita Maria, is this a gang? As for his formative political experience, as a High School student he clerked for the Bronx Borough president, the honorable Robert Abrams, he also worked for Councilman Barry Salman, 11th Congressional District, who later became a Judge; they were his political mentors.
While most kids from the neighborhood were struggling with drug addiction; Anthony earned medals for projects he presented in Drug Awareness from his Junior High School. His adult perspectives on city living and knowledge of street gangs drawn from his life experience, served him well enough, since he was recognized by Congressman Ben Gilman and General Barry McCaffery, the President's Drug Czar, as well as the Rockland Journal News, for leadership seminars he designed to help our youth avoid these pitfalls. Anthony overcame all the challenges facing our youth back then and developed a keen understanding of what faces them today. Throughout his career he has also been involved in numerous community organizations, was decorated for heroism by the US Army, and now presents himself to his community for public service. His credentials speak for themselves. I wish this letter to be published. Unlike Mr. St. Lawrence, I will not hide behind anonymous bulk mailing he used to deliver his libelous material. No one is fooled by how this filth is delivered and timed so that my son does not have time to respond. Let’s hope that the decent people of the Town of Ramapo respond for him on Tuesday, Nov. 6th.
Hope Lopez-Beauchamp
Outraged parent and proud mother of Anthony Mele
Sorry Mrs. Mele, but on WRCR radio your son stated as a youth he was a gang member.
Now, having grown up in NYC, in a bad neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, I know that when it comes to street gangs, you're "blood in and blood out".
You may be a proud mom, but the voters spoke. Now, some can say "bloc", but you know what? Any voter is part of a "bloc". Some people voted on certain lines because they knew they registered on that line and it's important to them, or they just wanted to.
Some may say that because of an ethnicity, such as Hispanic/Latin, in some areas, that's a "bloc".
But you know what? The reason some lose, like your son, is because of the fear they tried to instill in residents. That isn't healthy, nor is it productive.
Plus, who cares he's a foriegn agent? Maybe some countries are having problems because of his being an "agent".
Just let it go. Elections are over. Period.
The elections are over. Mr. Mele lost because the public displays of Preserve Ramapo, including some of his actions and words, cost him the election.
If you're going to interrupt meetings, try and get an elected official into an argument during meetings, claim you need to "save" a Town.
On local radio, state that you were in a GANG AS A YOUTH. State being a "foriegn agent", you're going to lose an election. His demeanor, etc. actually came across as intimidating. He tried to use fear, and lies to make people believe what he was saying.
You may be proud of him, and I'm sure in most circumstances he's a nice guy, but a politician and/or elected official he doesn't make.
I've seen this same post in a number of places. It's the same old for Preserve Ramapo, beating the same dead horse until it's ready for the glue factory. Please give it a rest. Your little boy lost and that is Preserve Ramapo's greatest gift to the town. They really have preserved Ramapo.
I agree Airmont Dem. Got a feeling it was Anthony Mele himself that wrote that first comment.
Dear Airmont Dem and Oy Vey, no Anthony Mele did not write the first comment, his mother did. You two need to give it a rest and put your heads back in the sand where they belong. I am glad I don't live in your town. I kept up with the entire campaign and was sickened by the petty behavior by people like yourselves. By the way, Mr. Mele's mother wrote the letter BEFORE election day. It was published afterwards which since this paper endorsed St. Lawrence, I'm sure was meant to be a sucker punch to Mr. Mele. It's one thing to insult the candidate, though, people should stick to the issues and not insult the people, but to insult his mother, you are one sick puppy and there are a few other words that come to mind that I can't use since this is a public forum. Your guy won, you should be happy. Nothing like having an elected official who lies about being a Harvard Graduate. Yeah, now that's integrity.
NJMama,
We're NOT NAIVE. WE KNOW she was put up to it, IF she wrote it, etc.
She and HER BONE HEADED SON should give it up. IT'S OVER YOU PRESERVE RAMAPO NUTS.
GOD, JUST GO AWAY FROM ROCKLAND. VERY FEW AROUND THE COUNTY RESPECT THAT GROUP. FOR GOOD REASON
Now look who's lying. We weren't the first to post, "Anthony Mele Mother" did and she posted the same letter on multiple blogs. This has nothing to do with what the Journal News publishes or doesn't publish. The blogs are live and it was posted THREE DAYS after the election was over.
Do not lecture about sticking to issues. If you had any issues to stick to, that would be a first. Instead you use mob mentality to interrupt honest debates, cultural events that have nothing to do with politics and scare tactics. Meanwhile you cry about fictitious bloc votes as an excuse for a lack of support from your own people. Look at the results. The incumbents did not win in New Square or Kasar alone, they won because the general Ramapo population is not fooled by a one issue campaign. Had you put up a viable candidate, you might have made a race of this election, but instead you consistently ignore the qualifications needed to run a town as large and diverse as Ramapo think you can fool the people with your sleight of hand tricks. I'll be the first to admit Chris is not perfect, but he has proved that he has the management skills to execute his office's duties and the fairness to deal with all the ethnic groups in the town. By making this a Hasidic issue, you insult the Jamaican, Haitian and Latino communities that make up a good portion of the town's population.
your responses are amazing and you've made quite a few assumptions based on them, all wrong. many years ago, i had a manager at work tell me that whenever someone insults you, consider the source. with that said, i leave you to your bitterness, biases and insults. anyone can insult others and make complaints, even small children learn how to do that at an early age but a true sign of maturity is when people point out what's wrong and also talk about solutions.
if you want to consider this a lecture, then consider yourself lectured.
Njmama,
We know you're with Preserve Ramapo, that the "anthony mele mother" letter was written by Anthony himself because the wording used, spefically the grammar, etc. are classically his.
And, it was us who lectured you.
Now, you and the rest of Preserve Fear just stop.
Oy Vey, you are 0 for 2. I do not live in Ramapo, therefore, I could not vote for Mr. Mele. But as someone who does not live there and was able to sit back and look at all of this objectively, I felt very strongly that Airmont Dem crossed the line when they insulted this man's Mother. I am a 52 year old woman with a 26 year old son and I found it very offensive when I read that comment. I don't care what your political affiliation is, that was very unprofessional and disgusting.
You commented about Mr. Mele trying to be intimidating but you fill your responses with threats and attempt to be intimidating. Your responses and attempts to be intimidating don't bother me one bit and is only further evidence of your unprofessional behavior.
I wish the very best to the people of Ramapo.
If you saw an insult in anything I wrote, you must have very thin skin.
What's insulting is Preserve Ramapo's latest email that accused Chris St. Lawrence of "baseless attacks and illegal tactics" while claiming that they "stuck to the issues and were true to ourselves". The accusation of illegal tactics is libelous at best and it would be humorous if it wasn't for PRs candidate Joe Meyer's using his powers of office to illegally lift Withers campaign signs off of people's lawns. So, enough of the attacks and accusations. The election is over. The people have spoken. Let's move forward instead of dwelling on the past.
NJmama,
It's easy for you to say you do not live in Ramapo, etc.
Most of us know better. So stop lying. You're with Preserve "Nuts" Ramapo. And, Mele wrote this initial reponse to this blog himself.
No one in Ramapo is that naive to think he didn't.
Enough…No one will believe you, so it's pointless. Mele isn't liked, deal with it.
NJMama,
How come you have such a strong interest in Ramapo politics, Anthony Mele and Christopher St. Lawrence if you don't live in Ramapo? You c an, I guess. But it takes some effort and interest to find this blog and this item and comment.
JustCallMeCurious
AirmontDem and I figured it out. It's obviously someone who either lives in Ramapo and is making a "moniker" to make someone believe he/she isn't.
Anyway, I know my opinion still stands. LOL
Airmont Dem, Oy Vey you seem to have everything figured out. Unfortunately, none of what you have figured out is reality, only your own assumptions. JustCallMeCurious, why should you care what my interests are? My family, personal and business interests or affections for Ramapo are irrelevant. I have interests in other matters that don't always happen in my own backyard. You can be curious but no one else can be?
Your bitterness and neurotic behaviors come across very strongly in your letters. Your responses are based on pure emotion, rather than facts. When I commented that Mr. St. Lawrence lied about his educational background, you did not deny it, you simply said basically, yes, but he's a good manager. So on one hand, you admit that he is not truthful, but out of the other side of your mouth, you say he's a good manager. When a person lies about one thing, they usually lie about other things as well. Not having graduated from Harvard does not make him any less of a person, but the question is, why would he lie about that in the first place?
This was a filthy campaign, why would anyone clone their opponents signs by putting VOTE ROW A on them. It is also known that severely mentally disabled adults with down syndrome were bused in to vote for your candidate. While that is not illegal, it is certainly IMMORAL and DESPERATE. I've spent years doing volunteer work with disabled children and adults and I found that to be especially disgusting.
So, why did the town of Suffern reject your candidate? Maybe since he lives there, they know too much about him?
Instead of writing blogs about conspiracy theories, you need to be helping your supervisor come up with ways on how to heal Ramapo. That would be a much more productive use of your angst.
It's not a conspiracy we're talking about.
All of your posts, "Njmam" REAK of Preserve Ramapo and that's that.
If you haven't noticed the only ones reading your posts, and ours, are just the 3 of us.
So, Anthony wasted posting as his Mom, no less, and so have you.
St. Lawrence won because he deserved to. PERIOD. End of whining and complaining that you and "The Gang Gorilla" and that's Mele by the way, are doing. It's DONE.
To answer the question: "Why does Suffern reject St. Lawrence?"; from the perspective as a candidate who campaigned in Suffern, door to door.
The folks I spoke with and who clearly rejected CSL and the village endorsement of him was about credibility, the harm being done to the village businesses and real estate, as a walk through the village will demonstrate, and the many who turned to me in response to the vitriol my opponent desperately promoted. (a sampling of it on this blog: racist innuendos and attacking a 72 year old fiesty mother expressing her opinion in the well written language of her birth)
They like my solid plan for greater village autonomy and less Town Hall interference. Also, the folks knew the truth of the matter regarding Avon and such, because it was the true Harvard graduated executives at Avon who crafted and presented their proposal and CSL who had little choice but to accept it or lose them as well.
46% of the voters who cast their ballots (10,590+) to me represent 90% of the residents in Ramapo (i.e.: 9 out of 12 villages.) CSL is realistically the Supervisor of Monsey. Thank you for the opportunity to answer that question.
Thanks NJMAMA for your eloquent expression and clear contrast between the rational and irrational. Do not let this dissuade your interest in investing in Ramapo real estate, those persons do not represent the hospitality of our town.)
It didn't help PR that Mele is a total buffoon, and relys on his mother for backing. Can the guy not stand on his own feet? Just reading his latest post is a sure sign he is completely incompetent. He was a last resort for a candidate and I heard that most of the PR people didn't even like him, they just humored him hoping for a win. Thankfully, he didn't get in. What a mess we would have been in then! Pity they didn't get a few seats on the town board though – that would have been a more balanced approach. Hopefully next time, there will be a more viable and intelligent candidate at the head of their ticket.
NJMama,
For someone who doesn't live in Ramapo, you sure know a lot about the campaign – including the nuances. Again, why do you defer from explaining what your interest is in Ramapo – and boosting Mele, and tearing down St. Lawrence. (I am not saying there is not good reason for either or vice versa). There is more to you than meets the eye, is my point. You are not an outsider without a purpose. That's all. And you declined to expound, which is your right. Again, you are not someone who wandered without knowledge.
Thank you Mr. Mele, these individuals have in no way dissuaded me from investing in Real Estate in Ramapo. I know that most of the people who live in Ramapo are good, decent, hard working people and Oy Vey, Airmont Dem and Ramapo Resident (who sounds a lot like Oy Vey and Airmont Dem)does not represent the masses. JustCallMeCurious appears to be a more rational person, just nosy.
Oy Vey, the term that you used reeks of racism by the way and if anyone has been whining, it's been you. You have only resorted to name calling, while I have stated facts. I told you at the beginning that your guy won so be happy. Stop whining and name calling, and dreaming up conspiracy theories and come up with SOLUTIONS to help him heal Ramapo.
The solution to healing Ramapo is mutual respect. Not everyone wants increased density, sidewalks, and street lights! I looked long and hard for property in a two acre zone to suit our family needs, we've paid our taxes and asked very little in the way of services on that property for many years. Now see I it being continually downzoned. If I wanted to live in an R-15 zone, I would have bought in an R-15 zone!
I love it when a candidate for political office talks about credibility. How credible is it to get in the face of a constituent at a Montebello Day event? How credible is it to use excuses that a certain are (Monsey) lost you the election and then call the other side racist. When you refer to Monsey, we all know what you are really saying. It's like that first episode of West Wing, when the Religious Right made a reference to "those New Yorkers" as a catch phrase for a certain religious group. Same scenario, just replace New York with Monsey. Anthony, you lost because Ramapo residents saw behind the curtain at what they were facing if you were allowed to run the village. Please take a basic course in statistics, because your numbers are more fiction than reality. Keep deluding your self that you lost because of Monsey. You lost because you were ill qualified for the job and clearly not up to the task.
Well said, Airmont.
As for NJmama talking about me being negative, name calling, etc. that's all a ruse.
I've never know people from outside areas to post frequently on Rockland topics. Even with Westchester related blogs, I don't post there because they have nothing to do with my area, though I know people who live there, etc.
Let's all just let it go. Sheesh