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Thread: The Ruffino Administration: "Had Enough Yet?"

  1. #46
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gorja View Post

    Next meeting, they're going to try something like that so the public can call in to participate.
    Thank you for that information Gorja.

    With God's Grace, we will all move forward to a time when Reassessments will be our biggest problem.

    We need to standby and have faith in all of those who serve us, elected officials, police, first responders; those who keep our store shelves full and our utilities running.

    A special acknowledgement to those who dedicate their lives to health care. That is you Gorja, and please know you have our prayers for your safety.
    LIDA Member Rinow to Member Ruda: You were a sitting Trustee on the Board. Did you help support Mr. Sweeney getting a seat on the CDC Board?"

  2. #47
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    JUST MY OPINION:

    Yesterday afternoon, March 16, 2020, on post #44 of this thread, I publicly wrote...

    Quote Originally Posted by mark blazejewski View Post

    The Town Council had to jump through hoops to accommodate the Supervisor's vacation last month, so I must ask, in the interests of public safety and health, has Supervisor Ruffino given any consideration to live streaming or perhaps teleconferencing the meeting?
    At the Town Council meeting last night, I understand that Supervisor Ruffino did advise that future Town Council meetings, for the duration of the emergency will be teleconferenced.

    I commend Supervisor Ruffino for that action.

    Supervisor Ruffino, and his Town Council partners Mazur, Dickman, and Leary, as well as Mayor Peterson and Mayor Schroeder, deserve our full cooperation and support. With their cooperative, concentrated, and continuous efforts, along with the support of a united Lancaster, I am confident that Lancaster will emerge vibrant and strong.

    Nevertheless, the business of government must move forward, and in that connection, however limited, I wish to briefly comment about the Mr. Ruffino's interaction with the resident who expressed concerns regarding the proposed Stutzman Road development.

    If I heard and understood the audio recording correctly, did Mr. Ruffino seem to suggest that fears for his own personal liability perhaps limited his engagement of developers during a previous time, and that he still holds those concerns in regards to the Stutzman development today?

    Although lacking the the obvious sense of urgency, proportions, and dimensions of the Coronavirus crisis, over-development has been, and remains, a significant public safety and quality of life issue. As Lancaster unites to lend support to Supervisor Ruffino in his responsibilities to confront the current health emergency, should not same reverse template be applied to the safety, health, and quality of life issues that impact all residents and at times transients with regards to over-development?

    If I have heard Mr. Ruffino's comments clearly and accurately, those comments were very disappointing, and unworthy of one who currently holds its public trust.



    (Reference: https://soundcloud.com/user-329292372)
    Last edited by mark blazejewski; March 17th, 2020 at 05:59 PM.
    LIDA Member Rinow to Member Ruda: You were a sitting Trustee on the Board. Did you help support Mr. Sweeney getting a seat on the CDC Board?"

  3. #48
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gorja View Post
    Leary's actions have been nothing but political since the first board meeting.
    NONSENSE!

    Just my observation-based opinion:

    Mr. Ruffino consistent with supporting historic precedent, by virtue of his office as Supervisor holds the position as Chairman of the LIDA.

    By similar precedent, in the past, an elected official of both the Village of Lancaster and the Village of Depew, each held a seat on the LIDA, seemingly to ensure that the constituencies of both separate government entities had a voice on the LIDA.

    For example, in 2014, Mayor Hoffman of Depew held a seat representing the Village of Depew; Deputy Mayor Kenneth O'Brien held a seat representing the Village of Lancaster.

    In 2016, the LIDA representation reflected the election of Mayor Nikonowicz.

    It is concerning that while the LIDA was quick to fulfill precedent and recognize and honor the induction of Supervisor Ruffino in 2020, the LIDA under Chairman Ruffino's leadership seemingly wishes to depart from the more broad precedent scheme described above, with the continuance of the status quo present since April, 2019. Since that time, LIDA has lacked representation reflecting incumbent elected government officials from both the Village of Lancaster and the Village of Depew.

    While the LIDA membership holds two former Mayors of Depew and one former Deputy Mayor of the Village of Lancaster, regrettably, neither Village of Lancaster Mayor Schroeder or Depew Mayor Peterson hold a seat on the LIDA.

    Moreover, attendant to the LIDA, there seems to have been a disturbing pattern of what might be termed "sloppy behavior" in connection with the application of legally-prescribed procedures governing the membership of LIDA.

    Ergo, the metaphor "Where there is smoke, there is fire" comes to my mind.

    Councilman Leary represents the Villages of Lancaster and Depew, and is advocating for LIDA representation based on longstanding historic precedent, and in the interests of honoring the will of his constituents, to the exclusion of political patronage and influence.


    After Mr. Leary expressed his concerns to the Town Council and to the public whom he serves, former Depew Mayor Steve Hoffman, a Lancaster Town Democrat Committeeman, seemingly expressed an unsupported accusation that Mr. Leary's focus on LIDA smacked of political overtones.

    Mr. Leary's refutation disclosed some rather compelling information possibly connecting LIDA member Visone to Lancaster Democrat politics. Those disclosures, in my opinion, suggest the strong possibility that it may have been Democrat Committee Member Hoffman's public presentation that smacked of wanton politics, and may have actually been a scripted exercise in "projection."

    Councilman Bob Leary was elected to be not only the voice of his constituency, but its metaphorical "Eyes and Ears." With regard to LIDA, he assumed office with a commitment to remove wanton politics from the government and its subdivisions, agencies, and entities. The reader should be mindful that, Mr. Leary was a very strong supporter of Democrat Town Clerk Diane Terranova during her 2019 re-election campaign.

    Therefore, I submit that if any incumbent elected Lancaster official has a claim to a "bi-partisan" approach to good governance, it is Councilman Leary.

    Lancaster has been home to one-party Democrat dynastic rule beginning in 1946. During that time, while there have been some very responsible Democrats that held the public trust, the functions of the leadership and endorsed 2019 candidates the Democrat Party, particularly in connection with the harsh treatment of Terranova, supports in my mind that the current Lancaster Town Democrat leadership smacks of "Family and Friends" cronyism.

    In my opinion, the McCrackens, the Chairman of the Democrat Party and his wife, the voter-discredited former candidate for Town Council and the current Deputy Supervisor, and the Gizas have long held staggering partisan power, and have never confronted the principled push-back of a Councilman Leary, Mr. Leary, in my opinion, needs to be diligent in the furtherance of his work in connection with the LIDA.

    To Messrs McCracken, Giza, Rath, et. al.: Welcome to a level playing field.
    Last edited by mark blazejewski; March 18th, 2020 at 12:35 PM.
    LIDA Member Rinow to Member Ruda: You were a sitting Trustee on the Board. Did you help support Mr. Sweeney getting a seat on the CDC Board?"

  4. #49
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    Just sayin...


    Quote Originally Posted by mark blazejewski View Post

    Thank you for posting this Gorja.

    The so-called "teleconference" was a rather puzzling endeavor applied with what seemed the technology of a dial-in radio talk show of the late 1960s.

    A telephone call-in process, in order to listen to the meeting, requiring a pin number, seriously?

    I half expected Larry King or John Otto to come on the line.

    I understand that most people attempting to engage the process were told that the conference reached its participant limit, and were hung-up on by an automated voice.

    SMH.

    This is no time to be petty, so I will hold my more substantive criticism for a later date.

    With that said, I really wish that the Ruffino administration would have followed the technological lead of other towns, such as West Seneca which I understand live-streamed its meeting on the internet.

    Could not the Supervisor at this time of crisis, apply the skills which he has used to present his musical performances to directly communicate to the people of the town that he now leads?

    It seems to me that during this time of crisis and anxiety, it is essential that the town residents be fully informed, and hear directly from its leader.

    For Heaven's sake, I know for a fact that town officials know how to use social media, because they appear to ably use social media to criticize town residents during business hours on business days...


    [size=6]Click these samples of such seeming use:/size]

    Attachment 15115

    Attachment 15116
    Last edited by mark blazejewski; April 7th, 2020 at 11:34 AM.
    LIDA Member Rinow to Member Ruda: You were a sitting Trustee on the Board. Did you help support Mr. Sweeney getting a seat on the CDC Board?"

  5. #50
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    VERY CONCERNING!

    JUST MY OPINION OF COURSE:

    Ruffino: Stubbornly Cryptic, or a vicious Tyrant?

    I pray that this is just another clumsy, ill-thought out misspeak which I fondly call a "Ruffinoism.

    Last week's Lancaster Bee quoted Ruffino as saying, to him, in a paraphrase, "going to the store to buy a loaf of bread is non-essential."

    To date, I am not aware of any retraction or clarification of that statement.

    So I must ask, what in God's Holy Name does he really mean by this comment appearing in today's Lancaster Sun?:

    "WE will be punishing people not obeying this."




    Do I correctly understand the Supervisor's un-clarified remarks to mean that if I go out to buy groceries, I am risking 'punishment'?"

    More troubling, last time I checked, the executive branch and the judicial branch are two separate branches of government that co-exist, but do not collude, together in the pursuit of the unbiased and fair administration of justice, and the executive branch does not speak for our judges and our court system.

    So I ask, "Who are the WE?"

    If these remarks were just casually phrased and clumsily disseminated, I am very concerned about the Supervisor's basic insights into human nature and a seeming dispassion for the concerns of the residents of the town which he leads.

    If these remarks have been carefully phrased and deliberated communicated, it may be a very troubling indicator of the Supervisor's legal intellect and governing temperament, just my opinion of course.

    Supervisor Ruffino, who formerly represented himself as the "most qualified and experienced candidate for Lancaster Supervisor should know what every middle school student is required to know, which is that under our system, as long as our courts are functioning, it is up to the executive branch of government to enforce the law, with the prosecutor pursuing justice "TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW."

    Then, in its role as interpreter/arbiter of the law, the court, perhaps by judge, or perhaps by judge presiding with a jury in judgement, hears the presentment of a charge, and all of the pleadings, and then upon decision or verdict, it is strictly the court which pronounces sentence, and/or assesses any sanctions or penalties. That sequence is know as the "Due Process of Law."

    I ask "Are in fact the courts still functioning, or is there present an unannounced state of martial law?"

    Clarification Please!

    What's next?...

    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by mark blazejewski; April 16th, 2020 at 07:36 PM.
    LIDA Member Rinow to Member Ruda: You were a sitting Trustee on the Board. Did you help support Mr. Sweeney getting a seat on the CDC Board?"

  6. #51
    Member Frank Broughton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mark blazejewski View Post
    Sounds like you are not a Lancaster taxpayer, just my opinion.
    So typical of bitter people.
    The above is opinion & commentary, I am exercising my 1st Amendment rights as a US citizen. Posts are NOT made with any malicious intent.

  7. #52
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Broughton View Post
    So typical of bitter people.

    ...who dare during a time of crisis express an opinion or otherwise seek clarity from one who is entrusted with the lives of the people that he it represents.
    LIDA Member Rinow to Member Ruda: You were a sitting Trustee on the Board. Did you help support Mr. Sweeney getting a seat on the CDC Board?"

  8. #53
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    Just My Opinion:

    Yea, I Have Had Just About Enough!

    In his first post-election interview, Ron Ruffino told the Buffalo News...

    "In my campaign speeches, I would ask, 'Who is Ronald Ruffino?' Not too many people knew." Buffalo News, November 20, 2001



    After nearly six months as Supervisor, now we know:

    He is someone who during a time of crisis, said...

    Going to get a loaf of bread at the grocery store to me is no longer essential,” Ruffino said. April 8, 2020
    He is someone who during a time of crisis, seemingly demands obedience to his orders and apparently says that the police, not the courts, will fine people...

    Lancaster Bee"Lancaster Police will issue tickets and fines to those who do not comply..." April 8, Lancaster Bee


    He is someone who during a time of crisis, appears to threaten to "punish" those he considers to be disobedient...

    "WE will be punishing people not obeying this." Lancaster Sun, April 16, 2020
    He is someone who during a time of crisis, seemingly wants to trace the telephone numbers of teleconferenced-Town Council Sessions...

    Is there a way to trace callers?" Town Council Work Session, May 4, 2020
    As I understand his comments, he is someone who during a time of crisis, is apparently distressed at a lack of money generated by fines, but does not appear to make a reference to any drop in crime...


    "Ruffino says the Town of Lancaster has seen major losses in court fees ..." WIVB TV, May 14, 2020

    He is someone who during a time of a crisis; a crisis which may negatively effect the value of homes and property...


    "The bottom line: The lockdown has stifled the housing market, but the dynamics will be very different when real estate agents get fully back to work. Wary consumers don't rush to buy houses."

    "Housing values will fall," Palumbo said. "We don't know how much they will fall. We don't know how long they will fall." From the Buffalo News, May 14, 2020
    ... who appears to have refused to delay his pre-ordained reassessment, so that people may in the future, actually pay more in assessed value taxes than their home may be worth...

    "In spite of those challenges, postponing the town's revaluation was never an option, said Lancaster Supervisor Ronald Ruffino..." Buffalo News, April 29, 2020
    In that very same November 20, 2001 interview, Ruffino said...

    "We want to have other communities look to us for ideas, not as another negative story in the newspaper," and "I want to give Lancaster the proper recognition it deserves for being a choice community to live in."


    After just under six months of his administration, Supervisor Ruffino's own words give him "the proper recognition" he "deserves."
    Last edited by mark blazejewski; May 16th, 2020 at 11:34 AM.
    LIDA Member Rinow to Member Ruda: You were a sitting Trustee on the Board. Did you help support Mr. Sweeney getting a seat on the CDC Board?"

  9. #54
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    This was posted on Face Book yesterday...

    Nancie Naedele Orticelli
    16h ·

    I attended a dance recital the other night at the Village of Lancaster Bandshell. The recital was for 7-9 year old children. Each child was allowed to have 2 people attend, wear masks, and social distance. Yes, it was the first time I wore a mask (an Anonymous balaclava). The recital was going fine, and as soon as the childs dance was done, you were to leave.

    All of a sudden a man came charging across the lawn, yelling at the owner of the dance studio that she was reported and would receive a citation for having more than 50 people (Outside, mind you). He was so disruptive and angry and the kids on stage stopped dancing, while some started crying. A father took the man to the side and I said "Wow, way to make a bunch of little kids cry, dude". This man stormed toward me and got right in my face where I was sitting and acted like he was about to hit me.... OHHHHH NOOOOO

    I whipped my mask off, stood up and said right in his face "BACK OFF! Get 6 feet away from me before I report YOU. BACK OFF" He took a step back and said we all had to leave. I asked "Who the heck are YOU?" He said the director of recreation for the town of Lancaster. I said prove it. He said he didn't have to prove anything to me. And I said "Well, we don't have to prove anything to you, either, you Nazi.". He left to stand by the parking lot, pointing at me the whole time .

    When the little girls dance was over, I approached him. I told him he could have handled that WAY differently and I hoped he could live with himself for ruining all of these kids recitals. He said he aplogized....too late. One little boy was too scared to even dance his dance. Ruined.I said I'll be calling his boss and letting him know what he did. He started yelling at me again and said "MY BOSS IS THE TOWN SUPERVISOR AND HE'S THE ONE WHO CALLED ME AND TOLD ME TO SHUT IT DOWN"...

    So.... Ron Ruffino, the Singing Supervisor of Lancaster .. the very same man who had a house party the other week with Mark Valentino, lead singer of Hit 'n' Run and had wayyyy more than 50 people thought that 7-9 year old little girls in tutu's were such a danger to the town of Lancaster that he had to send in a goon to SHUT IT DOWN?!
    Why don't all my friends call the town and let them know what they think of Mr. Ruffino and ask him why he gets to break the rules but little kids dancing is such a threat?
    Ronald Ruffino, Sr. For Supervisor Town of Lancaster DPWTown of Lancaster Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department
    ****Edit****

    If you know anything about me, you’d know that I couldn’t care less of Ruffino had house parties with 50 or 500 people. I don’t believe in limiting gatherings, mask wearing, or any of this governmental tyranny being forced upon us... what I DO care about is the hypocrisy and the double standards and the way his employee acted like he was going to flip out on everyone, even to the point of making me think he was about to put his hands on me. ****
    Reference: https://www.facebook.com/poonalice/p...3060914293926?
    comment_id=10223063420956591&notif_id=1597997280426364&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic


    This appears to have been the Supervisor's response...





    I submitted these questions, to the Supervisor, which as of this writing, he has failed to answer...

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    LIDA Member Rinow to Member Ruda: You were a sitting Trustee on the Board. Did you help support Mr. Sweeney getting a seat on the CDC Board?"

  10. #55
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mark blazejewski View Post
    I submitted these questions, to the Supervisor, which as of this writing, he has failed to answer...

    Seventeen hours, and still no response.
    LIDA Member Rinow to Member Ruda: You were a sitting Trustee on the Board. Did you help support Mr. Sweeney getting a seat on the CDC Board?"

  11. #56
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    Quote Originally Posted by mark blazejewski View Post
    This was posted on Face Book yesterday...


    Reference: https://www.facebook.com/poonalice/p...3060914293926?
    comment_id=10223063420956591Žif_id=159799728042636 4Žif_t=feedback_reaction_generic


    This appears to have been the Supervisor's response...





    I submitted these questions, to the Supervisor, which as of this writing, he has failed to answer...

    The Director of Recreation, is that Parks & Recreation Mark? That would be Superintendent Amatura and the Crew Chief is Michelle Barbaro. If it is the Director of the Youth Center, John Trojanowsky is the Executive Director. Out of those people, neither one would ever act in that fashion. I think this is a scam. Ron Ruffino would never give an edict like that to upset the children. It sounds like an impersonator IMO.

    That said, it is a shame that those children were upset in such a way. People need to take a chill pill.

  12. #57
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    Quote Originally Posted by mark blazejewski View Post
    This was posted on Face Book yesterday...


    Reference: https://www.facebook.com/poonalice/p...3060914293926?
    comment_id=10223063420956591Žif_id=159799728042636 4Žif_t=feedback_reaction_generic


    This appears to have been the Supervisor's response...





    I submitted these questions, to the Supervisor, which as of this writing, he has failed to answer...

    I just read your thumbprint. I'm shocked that John would do that, omit my first response to your post.. I'm disappointed, if it were the case, that Ron would conduct a party/event violating the rules - yet not allowing others to conduct themselves safely and allowing the adults to have the ability to make those decisions. Leaders in charge need to assess themselves first before putting forth mandates/edicts or whatever to keep a level of consistency. When we have a double standard of law, civil unrest ensues.

  13. #58
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by shortstuff View Post
    I just read your thumbprint. I'm shocked that John would do that, omit my first response to your post.. I'm disappointed, if it were the case, that Ron would conduct a party/event violating the rules - yet not allowing others to conduct themselves safely and allowing the adults to have the ability to make those decisions. Leaders in charge need to assess themselves first before putting forth mandates/edicts or whatever to keep a level of consistency. When we have a double standard of law, civil unrest ensues.
    Shortstuff,

    I agree that when talking about double standards concerning adult behavior strictly involving adults, your concerns have merit. I may address those concerns at a pertinent, future time.

    However, in this Recital matter, my concern focuses strictly on the alleged conduct of an adult town official, in front of the children, some of whom I understand to be pre-school age. The lives of the young ones have been disrupted enough with this COVID thing, and I feel that they should not be further impacted by, and/or burdened with, questionable adult behaviors. That is my primary, almost exclusive concern.


    With that expressed, I would be remiss if it was not conveyed to you, that I do feel perplexed as to why the Supervisor, without specifics or further explanation, seemingly attached the suggestion of "falsehood" to the posted narrative, and equally troubling to me, is the Supervisor's apparent introduction of politics into the matter.

    I hope that the Supervisor amplifies on his assertion regarding "false" reports, and otherwise, applies his efforts and good offices to remedy the problem, without any regard to motives which he may perceive to be political.
    Last edited by mark blazejewski; August 21st, 2020 at 01:07 PM.
    LIDA Member Rinow to Member Ruda: You were a sitting Trustee on the Board. Did you help support Mr. Sweeney getting a seat on the CDC Board?"

  14. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by mark blazejewski View Post
    Shortstuff,

    I agree that when talking about double standards concerning adult behavior strictly involving adults, your concerns have merit. I may address those concerns at a pertinent, future time.

    However, in this Recital matter, my concern focuses strictly on the alleged conduct of an adult town official, in front of the children, some of whom I understand to be pre-school age. The lives of the young ones have been disrupted enough with this COVID thing, and I feel that they should not be further impacted by, and/or burdened with, questionable adult behaviors. That is my primary, almost exclusive concern.


    With that expressed, I would be remiss if it was not conveyed to you, that I do feel perplexed as to why the Supervisor, without specifics or further explanation, seemingly attached the suggestion of "falsehood" to the posted narrative, and equally troubling to me, is the Supervisor's apparent introduction of politics into the matter.

    I hope that the Supervisor amplifies on his assertion regarding "false" reports, and otherwise, applies his efforts and good offices to remedy the problem, without any regard to motives which he may perceive to be political.
    I agree with what you stated in the aforementioned. I know you and I have had differences of opinions on candidates from time to time, but we both can agree that proper conduct and character holds a high position when holding office. Something we are not seeing these days. What we see are seeing is a double standard of governing and that is unacceptable.

    Keep us posted on what you find out.

  15. #60
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by shortstuff View Post
    I know you and I have had differences of opinions on candidates from time to time, but we both can agree that proper conduct and character holds a high position when holding office.
    I consider support for a candidate a personal decision which involves many facets; sometime we will agree and sometime we will not.

    With that said, I know when that when the divisions of a campaign have ended, we both can find common ground in the interests of good government shortstuff.
    LIDA Member Rinow to Member Ruda: You were a sitting Trustee on the Board. Did you help support Mr. Sweeney getting a seat on the CDC Board?"

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