Like you, I received a letter in the mail from Mayor Calderone this weekend reiterating, for the third time and at your expense, that the $20k raise proposed by Commish Mark Hosty for Tim Gillian was just a “comment,” Commish Rory Hoskins is a politically motivated poopyhead, and that the Review’s story was irresponsible, factless and salacious.
Lots to consider here but blatant cheating in the first sentence of your taxpayer funded Truther Bull/etin will, for most readers, undermine your argument, i.e. crush your cred.
Here is the first sentence of the mayor’s letter to our residents and businesses:
“You may have read in a recent edition of the Forest Park Review that our Village Administrator ‘nearly received a ‘Christmas bonus’ in the form of a $20,000.00 pay increase.” (No, I have no idea where the mayor’s missing end quote is and strongly suggest a proper proof reading for Bull/etins sent on the taxpayers’ dime. Onward.)
On the other hand, here is the sentence from the Review’s news story that Calderone fake quotes:
“Village Administrator Tim Gillian was almost given a hefty Christmas present – a 20 percent raise – by the Forest Park Village council on December 17, but three commissioners reportedly shot it down in closed session.” http://www.forestparkreview.com/News/Articles/12-27-2012/$20K-pay-raise-for-Forest-Park-village-administrator?/
Having attended grade school, I understood that there are hard rules regarding the use of quotes, e.g. “Use quotation marks to show the reader the exact phrase being borrowed word-for-word from a source.” As a courtesy to readers, and for the writer’s credibility, it is also a common convention to provide the source of the quote: http://www.wikihow.com/Sample/Quotation-Marks-Usage-Chart See, like that.
The rest of the letter is essentially Calderone justifying Calderone as the total owner of ‘the truth.’ I’m sorry, Mr. Mayor, but in what universe is an elected official’s closed meeting pitch to award a 20% raise considered a ‘remark?’ While there has been a dizzying spin/re-writing of this event, I’m sure you will agree that not one person in that room perceived the pitch as a “remark” or a “starting off point” for discussion.
In fact, it was suggested (and now completed) that Gillain’s salary be comp’ed to similar villages. In fact, a straw poll was taken in which most of the electeds said, and I’m paraphrasing here, Hell no! Are you crazy? Voters and taxpayers have a right to know if a crazy person is sitting on the council, right?
Mr. Mayor, I don’t know how many folks call you on the phone to “personally” discuss the “perceived as real” voices in their head but most residents do not believe that Hosty’s pitch was a just a “remark'” (It was a joke! Gosh, can’t you people take a joke?!?)
Nor do they believe Gillian was involved in the pitch. I suppose it could have been a conspiracy, but that didn’t occur to most of us until you brought it up.
Nor are most residents suffering the “terrible ill effects” you speak of – only Hosty and, I guess, you.
You are losing your public marbles over the fact that Hosty screwed up badly. You could have let Hosty take the hard knock he deserved and you would have, if you were truly acting in the village’s best interests.
