Monday, October 17, 2011

OPINION: Selective Enforcement of Town Code by Islip Town?

       Last week Newsday's Rick Brand wrote an "Our Towns" piece about Republican Legislator, Tom Cilmi of Bay Shore complaining that his campaign signs in Islip were being removed by Town of Islip DPW workers at the behest of Supervisor Phil Nolan and George Hoffman, Mr. Nolan's top aide.  The quotes from the Town representatives pointed to the fact that it is a violation of Town Code to put signs on poles or public rights of way. (Newsday October 13, 2011)

Mr. Nolan said "The Town took action in response to civic associations upset by the proliferation of illegal signs on poles."  Mr. Hoffman claimed in the Newsday story to have piles of the illegal signs from all political parties...in a heap at the three Department of Public Works (yards).  "The option is to ignore the law or enforce it fairly.", Hoffman noted.

             Selective Enforcement?

   Why then did they not remove the illegal- 'No-Parking' signs that Islip Town Commissioner Lawrence (Larry) O'Leary allegedly had workers put up in the middle of the night?

'No-Parking' signs which were never authorized by the Town Board, were allegedly placed illegally on telephone poles by the same Town workers who Mr. Cilmi says removed the political signs.  An Inter-office memo from the Town proves that over two years in a row, the Town distributed more than a hundred forged and illegal parking permits to the residents who lived in the two block radius by the Town marina.  Read the article and see the documents in the story below:
                               Town Employee Voted onto  Islip  Board of Ethics