What does Town Atty. Fenz do to earn $50,000 a year

[SOMETHING SMELLS]

This weeks West Seneca Bee had an article by Town Atty. Fenz explaining to residents that the public does not have a right to speak at Town Board Meetings. Fenz a political appointee by Hart assumes the roll of. protecting the board from the public. Fenz should start earning his $50,000 a year salary. Why does the Town pay another law firm to represent our interest in the Seneca Mall project ? Why are we paying Fenz $50,000 a year This man 4 years removed from school sits at Town Board Meetings with a timer that rings after 4 minutes earning a town salary $50,000 plus benefits for part time work! I am tired of paying out tax dollars to friends or family of politician.

[4248]

You answered your own question - " What does Town Atty. Fenz do to earn $50,000 a year"

Here's the factual answer, "Fenz a political appointee by Hart assumes the roll of protecting the board from the public."


That's a vary telling and misunderstood fact - The tax funded - Politically Appointed Town Attorney is installed to protect the Board.

He's/she's there to insulate the Controlling members from taxpayers. Not to represent tax payers interests.

The primary job is to give them advise on how to side step accountability and responsibility for their decisions. The most common question asked of the Town Attorney by those he represents is - can we be sued or held accountable ?

Tax payers need to understand - the Town Attorney is a "Party Player" - he doesn't answer to taxpayers. You cant fire him - you cant control his pay or tax funded compensation - he keeps his own hours.(means he works when he wants).




Sorry - but until voters demand the "Patronage systems change" - your stuck with this !

[grump]

Any responsible attorney gives his best advice to his client. Whether his client chooses to follow it is up to the client. I guess the town attorney wrote that there is no right to speak at a town board meeting. Is he wrong? If so, please provide some type of proof other than your outraged opinion...an opinion of the attorney general...something. For all you know he may not like it any more than you but he owes a duty to his client to advise them of the law...even law that he might disagree with personally. If you know his opinion is wrong present your proof. Otherwise, don't accuse him of being a stooge.

[4248]

OK - you guys win again !

The voting taxpayers want a Government run by Party Cronies - staffed by friends and family - protected by a lawyer they appoint to defend their actions - OK I get it - you win !

I guess the taxpaying voters also want the tax funded voters to always sway the elections so as to continue the patronage and Party Favors - OK you win - I accept that as factual.

So again you justify your own mindset - create reasons why its correct - Great - sleep well ! I do !

If tax payers don't care - then just keep running NY into the ground !

Keep raising taxes so as to run seniors and retirees out of the state ! You win !

Some day NY will be awash with tax funded players - feeding their tax funded leaders - going into court to use the laws to discontinue paying the tax funded retirements they promised all you lemmings.

"Remember Detroit" - can be your slogan !

The "Dems will bail us out" - can be your Party Standard !

__________________________________________________ ___________________________________

You win again - I, as one of the "Losers" will be in one of the less taxed sunshine states - fishing with my grand children !
But hey - You Win Again ! Thanks !

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Actually the biggest influence in my educational time was the wife of a prominent Democrat - they actually rode into the White House with President Clinton. Jack Kemp was also a great influence .

[4248]

So you agree - his "client is the Board Members" -

Regardless of the issue being discussed - he is hired because he will do/say what's good for the controlling Parties Agenda.

Me thinks that equals - in your words "Stooge"

[grump]

So you agree - his "client is the Board Members" -

Regardless of the issue being discussed - he is hired because he will do/say what's good for the controlling Parties Agenda.

Me thinks that equals - in your words "Stooge"

I think his client is the corporate entity known as the town of West Seneca. nogods, if you're listening let me know on that. I dont believe his clients are the 44,000 people who live in town; otherwise who does he represent if there is a legal dispute among them? I don't know whether or not he adequately represents that client. Time will tell, I suppose.

On another note, do you know that his opinion re speaking at town board meetings was wrong legally?

[nogods]

Unless the town board is conducting a public hearing, persons attending a public meeting of the board have no right to address the board without permission. 1957 NY Ops Atty Gen Aug 14 (informal).

Except in certain situations, members of the public attending town board meetings are not entitled to participate in the proceedings. The public should ordinarily be permitted to attend regular town board meetings, but an executive session is an informal meeting from which the public may be excluded. 1963 Ops St Compt #64.

[4248]

Heres your typical Lawyer double speak - slice and dice to not truly answer a direct question - "Who does the Town Attorney work for" - "Do tax payers have a right to speak at Public Board Meetings ?

Unless the town board is conducting a public hearing, persons attending a public meeting of the board have no right to address the board without permission. 1957 NY Ops Atty Gen Aug 14 (informal). Notice he through in "Without permission" - so your elected tax funded official has the right to silence and ignore you. Although he sited a informal decision - I don't believe that's a legal decision - its more of a opinion of another tax funded/Party Controlled Group of Lawyers.

Aren't all scheduled Town Board Meetings open to the Public(tax payers) - Yes or No.


Except in certain situations, members of the public attending town board meetings are not entitled to participate in the proceedings. You see here where instead of - can the public speak at the meetings - he changes that to, " public attending town board meetings are not entitled to participate in the proceedings" -


The public should ordinarily be permitted to attend regular town board meetings, but an executive session is an informal meeting from which the public may be excluded. 1963 Ops St Compt #64.

Everyone knows "Executive sessions" are the Boards Legal Maneuver to shut out those they don't want to witness their doings. No one asked about that !

The issue is and was - "Do tax payers have the right to address the Town Board at open Town Board Meetings - Yes or No -

The other question of who the Town Attorney works for - I believe was answered - Your tax funded Party Appointed Town Attorney works for the Elected Officials.

He does not represent the tax payers who pay him - his hours are his own - he works another full time job - his hours aren't tracked or verified - he does not care what tax payers want, he is there to protect and advise the other Elected Officials who also don't have to or want to hear from the tax payers who elected/funded/pay them.

They are there to further their Party's agenda and control."

[grump]

4248, in another thread a few weeks ago, I said I would try to be nicer. But I gotta say sometimes your rants remind me of the way my kids acted when they were 4 and didn't get their way. At least you seem to grasp that the town attorney works for the town and not for the individual taxpayers. In many respects he is a corporate lawyer whose duty is to the corporation. What happens when there is dispute among the "corporate officers" of the town probably raises a host of legal ethics issues that I'm sure nogods could address better than any of us can. By the way how do you know Pontius Pilate was a lawyer?

[nogods]

Heres your typical Lawyer double speak - slice and dice to not truly answer a direct question - "Who does the Town Attorney work for" - "Do tax payers have a right to speak at Public Board Meetings ?



Everyone knows "Executive sessions" are the Boards Legal Maneuver to shut out those they don't want to witness their doings. No one asked about that !

The issue is and was - "Do tax payers have the right to address the Town Board at open Town Board Meetings - Yes or No -

The other question of who the Town Attorney works for - I believe was answered - Your tax funded Party Appointed Town Attorney works for the Elected Officials.

He does not represent the tax payers who pay him - his hours are his own - he works another full time job - his hours aren't tracked or verified - he does not care what tax payers want, he is there to protect and advise the other Elected Officials who also don't have to or want to hear from the tax payers who elected/funded/pay them.

They are there to further their Party's agenda and control."

Hey...here's an idea...challenge the rule in court...petition your state assembly person and senator to clarify the town law requiring question and answer period at each town meeting...get a majority of fellow citizens to elect local candidates who pledge to rescind the rule...

Or you just continue the rants here.

[4248]

Thanks for your observations - we do agree - "At least you seem to grasp that the town attorney works for the town and not for the individual taxpayers" - that explains his not being accountable to the tax payers or their requests. His first consideration is to protect the "Corporation's agenda/needs" in this case the "Corporation = Elected Officials -

As far as your kids - maybe their smarter than you think - their arguments aren't clouded by your learned adopted reality - its simply based on right or wrong - try it !

Tax payers deserve the truth - the truth is Party Players control our tax funded Government. Their Party influenced/tax funded lawyers help protect them from being accountable to us - the tax payers.

Our tax dollars are actually used to further the Controlling Party's agendas - not the interests of the actual taxpayers. They minority is controlling the majority.

The voters also are driven by their own agendas - usually Party formed - many are dependent on or are related to tax funded players. This is why the elections are a scam - they are driven by those who receive benefit from the results - mainly the patronage - contracts and land use control.

Not the best interest of the tax payers - but the continual building of a bigger tax funded system. Now I get it - do you ?

[4248]

Oh - now you haven't hurt my feelings - we just agree the Tax Funded Town Attorney works for the Elected Officials ! Thanks !

I can only hope that clears up the misconception that he works for the people who funded his salary - that's all !

Why do you guys get so hostile ? Its how the system works to protect itself - I understand but many tax payers don't - now we helped them understand !

Taxpayers have no right to be heard at Town Hall Meetings - Town Officials can deny them the right to speak at Town Hall Meetings.

The tax funded attorney doesn't have to answer to nor does his job depend on the likes or dislikes of tax paying home owners - just Party Agenda and protection.

Why do you all get so twisted over the truth - did I lie ? There is also a fourth choice a fifth choice and even a sixth choice tax payers have !

Go to Town Hall Meetings - stand up and be heard.

Actively Campaign against the Officials and their Party - that means no more writing checks to them or their Party.

Yet a sixth choice - sit down and shut up !

That's all I'm saying and that's what you all said - just you keep acting like I am attacking your way of life - why ? !

[grump]

4248, apparently you were the only one operating under a misconception about for whom the town attorney works. I wasn't; I explained it you. You seemed really surprised that the town attorney works for the town that hired him instead of some amorphous group of taxpayers.

[luv2fish]

Jack Kemp was a good man. Very kind and understanding and influenced many.

[nogods]

Oh - now you haven't hurt my feelings - we just agree the Tax Funded Town Attorney works for the Elected Officials ! Thanks !

I can only hope that clears up the misconception that he works for the people who funded his salary - that's all !

You really need to see a lawyer to sue your school district for malpractice.

The "town" is the people who reside in the town. The elected officials have been chosen by those people to manage the town.

The fact that you don't agree with the choices of a majority of your fellow citizens does not change any of that.

The town attorney is representing the resident of the town when he represents the people they have chosen to run the town.

There's a big difference between you voicing your disagreement with the the majority of your fellow citizens versus you just taking it upon yourself to declare what the majority of your fellow citizens think.

You are like a child in a large family who all but you want to go to the zoo but you whine because you want to go to an amusement park. Telling your parents "but we want to go to the amusement park" when in fact your brothers and sisters want to go tot he zoo is delusional. No they don't. If you can't convince them to change their mind then you are going to the zoo despite your whining and false claims about what they want.