If the Town Board passed a binding resolution on April 1st stating that it is in fact April 1st, Richard Barone would have a problem with it.
If the West Irondequoit Central school board formally honored the Girl Championship Volleyball team, Richard Barone would find that a government abuse.
I read Richard Barone’s paid advertisement in the Irondequoit Post today, where her rambles about some lawsuit that would essentially prohibit government from doing anything to create jobs, and I can’t help but think – what the hell is wrong with this guy?
You could write a book on Richard Barone’s body of work as it relates to complaining about local government in Irondequoit. It would be full of a lot of anger and disappointment, mainly because Richard Barone hates government, so much that he thinks about it 24 hours a day. I’m sure it would take a good deal of psychoanalysis to arrive at the roots of Mr. Barone’s utter distaste for the body politic and its relationship with our everyday lives.
I’ve always wondered if something might have happened to trigger this disdain for elected officials. Alas, I think I may have found the answer. A while ago, someone long involved in town politics mentioned to me that Mr. Barone’s tenure as the Business Manager for the East Irondequoit school district may hold the key.
If you ask any longtime resident of East Irondequoit, they are likely to tell you that Richard Barone was one of the people most directly responsible for the destruction of that school district during the 1970s, 80s and 90s. As much as the name Amelia Nugent sends shivers down residents’ spines, mentioning Barone’s name in the same context is equally as souring.
Yes, in America, I suppose you have the right to destroy a school district, as long as it’s done through the Democratic process.
Let me tell you what isn’t right.
Richard Barone has spent his entire life making elected officials feel like inadequate buffoons who couldn’t balance a checkbook. However, in the early 1980s, the State legislature was forced to pass a special law just to bail him and the district taxpayers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The laws of New York tell the tale….(Many thanks to the fine staff at the Rundel Library for their help in obtaining this information!)
Chapter 656 of the Laws of New York for 1980, approved an effective June 30, 1980:
Relates to the East Irondequoit Central School District – State Transportation Aid
An Act authorizing the state department of education to apportion state aid for transportation to the East Irondequoit Central School District, Monroe County in certain cases.
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of section thirty-six hundred twenty-five of the education law to the contrary, the state education department is hereby authorized to apportion state transportation aid to the East Irondequoit Central School District, Monroe County, for certain transportation contracts for the nineteen hundred seventy-nine – nineteen hundred eighty school year as if said contracts had been duly transmitted to such department on a timely basis, and which in fact were filed late as a result of administrative and clerical error.
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
After you navigate through all of the notwithstandings and spelled-out years, the legislative intent of this law is pretty simple: to make sure that the East Irondequoit Taxpapers weren’t punished due to the mistakes of their business manager.
And who exactly was the business manager at the time? The man, the legend, himself – Richaarrrrrdddd Baaarooooooooone!
Sure, Richard Barone has serious issues when Town government tries to construct a better community center for our senior citizens. And he may think it’s illegal for state government to try to spur economic development.
But when he needs government to bail him out? No problem.
The week that legislation was signed into law by Governor Carey, I highly doubt there were any ads taken out by Mr. Barone lambasting the state for doing right by him.
Therefore, the next time Richard Barone takes out an advertisement (with his illegal campaign operation) lecturing us about fiscal responsibility or bloated government spending, he should have an asterisk or disclaimer that states: “Oh by the way, just for background: I’m not angry with government; I’m angry with myself. This is how I deal with it.”
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Thank you for bringing this to light. Mr. Barone seems like an obstacle to Irondequoit development. He uses typical propaganda techniques like the half-truth, the innuendo, the exaggeration, and the lie while pointing fingers at everybody else because he is so much smarter than everyone else.
ReplyDeleteI think we should be glad to have a "Richard Barone" in our town who follows thru to check on issues and report facts to the rest of us. Our taxes in Irondequoit are extremely high and the schools just keep trying to get more and more. It is just a game; every year the same thing,,always going for an increase. Enough is enough. The schools and students can get by just fine the way they are or with even less funding. Too much money for administrators, most all workers have an assistant or two. Maybe because Mr. Barone WAS in the school district is why he knows what really goes on. He has the right to let us know "the other side of the story", It can't be all just coming from one side,,the board or the administrators. Let him do what he is doing, read it if you want, if it bothers you don't read it.
ReplyDeleteWe have one of the best school districts now. Unfortunately, the stink of that administration still carries such a stench that even after 10 years plus it's reputation is still poor. I would bet my money that Ms Johnson comments the way she does because she does not have children in school and if she does and she thinks their school Education is "just fine" then I question her mothering.
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