Last [Wednesday’s] Warwick Republican Committee candidate votes were unethical. The bylaws were waived under the guise of efficiency when in fact they were waived in order to manipulate the vote. Roger Showalter and Glenn Ehlers amongst others went around the room and in a coordinated effort told everyone how to vote each round. The top seven candidates were not chosen in this manner, but instead it was a coordinated and obvious effort to pad the committee with handpicked people — some of whom this committee has never seen before. Associates and other dedicated Republicans should have taken priority over people that we have never seen prior to the vote. This was manipulation to undermine the Village of Florida. The three remaining candidates are all residents of Florida and more specifically registered to vote on Jayne Street. On the town level, the Village of Florida has continued to be slighted as exhibited by the neglected Jayne Street bridge. It was so nice to hear about how much the town has been doing in Greenwood Lake and in Warwick, but Florida was not mentioned as no projects or initiatives have been completed in Florida.
This Warwick Republican Committee and the Village of Florida are fractured, and the residents of the Village of Florida are the ones to suffer. It seems that this committee is being used to pad pockets with business arrangements and put people into jobs rather than picking the best candidates who have the best intentions for our communities. The Warwick Republican Committee shouldn’t be a shell company for Red Pillar. We should support good candidates regardless of who they write the check to. The Republican Party represents work values, low taxes, and strong ethics which are not being exhibited by factions of our committee. It is unethical to use tax money for personal gain, and I’ve bared witness to several people that hold a grudge because the Village of Florida will not use its resources to do work on private property without legal grounds.
It is our duty as a committee to represent the people and what is best for our Town. It is important to protect our lands from overdevelopment and our water resources, and I am terrified that certain people in the committee would sell out our children’s future for personal financial gain. Public safety and taking care of our residents should trump personal vendettas. A fracture Warwick is a weak Warwick. To say I’m disappointed in last night’s manipulated voting practices at the Warwick Republican Committee is a gross understatement.
Alyssa Werner
Florida