Tony Cardone's Fascist, Washed-up Rodeo Clown Spectacular
A closer look at the events of the June 17th, Town of Monroe Board meeting.
Aside from the fascist, washed-up rodeo clown show that unfolded; you might wonder what else happened at the Town of Monroe Board meeting.
And the answer is, a lot.
*Takes a hit on the vape*
A lot.
Today is yet another long post. Based on the statistics, you like long posts. So, I'll keep doing them until our deadline of August 1st.
Remember: My goal is to have 100 monthly paid subscribers by August 1st. You can subscribe here.
100 paid subscribers prove there's a viable business model. We’re *almost* there.
200 helps me take care of those privacy measures we discussed that'd keep my ass out of the jackpot. (To put it in a way, former Mets manager Terry Collins would appreciate it.)
Oh, and it's now been 86 days since Governor Hochul complied with my FOIL Request (Reference #R001049-032524)
First up, Amanda Primiano from the Monroe Free Library gave a presentation. It was the highlight of the evening.
Everything is going great at the library. Just great. So much so that it's the only functional municipal organization in the Town of Monroe. (My words. Not hers.)
If you’re smart enough to read this, you should take advantage of their services, volunteer, and donate. If you don't, the fascist washed-up rodeo clowns may soon try to ruin that public resource, too:
Up next was Cardone Croney, ZBA Member, and frequent Dorey Houle campaign Donor, Steve Thau.
Mr. Thau came in a clever disguise as a community leader. I'm sorry. I meant to say that Mr. Thau came dressed as the Scout Master for Troop 440, a Boy Scout group I was most likely a member of thirty years ago.
Fresh off his own stinging 2023 electoral defeat for Town Board, Mr. Thau and the members of Troop 440 were back tonight with a present.
Wouldn't you know it, gee wilkers, gosh darned, it was an award for Tony Cardone to tell him how amazing he's been for the community.
Right on the heels of an incident where Cardone’s actual #2 elbowed a 145-pound woman in the chest, and less than an hour before Cardone would lie about it.
If you think the timing stinks, you're not alone.
One more thing about Mr. Thau ...
Since 2022, he's donated five times to Dorey Houle, contributing to both Houle for NYS Senate and Friends of Dorey Houle.
Mr. Thau ran on a ticket with Mr. James Patterson. Yes, the guy who was credibly accused of sexual harassment. After the harassment claim was made, Scout Master Thau donated $250 to Friends of James Patterson.
In a letter to The Photo News, current Town Ethics Board Member Mike McGinn wrote to promote both James Patterson and Thau:
"In closing, I urgently remind all of you that now is not the time to gamble the future of our Town on untested and inexperienced, politically ambitious candidates who will do or say anything to get elected. We have worked diligently over the past eight years to reverse the slide that the Town was in and to restore civility, respect, and accountability to your town government. I ask you to please stay the course and vote for the proven, reliable leadership that you have come to expect from Steve Thau Sal Scancarello, Highway Superintendent Pat Patterson, Town Clerk Valerie Bitzer, and Justice Jim McKnight." (Emphasis added.)
I can't speak for Justice McKnight. But Mr. McGinn absolutely missed the mark on the other four.
(Just ask Mrs. Bitzer some time about her illegal 90-day blanket Foil response policy.)
8 Keith Lane
We briefly discussed the farce with 8 Keith Lane yesterday. And if you're not mad about this, brother, you're not paying attention.
Here's a picture of how far 8 Keith Lane is from the Supervisor's house.
Now consider, if you will, Mr. Cardone's comments from the previous meeting on this property that come at 1:52:33 in the video below:
Cardone: "I would find out who is quicker" to post a notice of a public hearing.
Houle: "Why don't we just do it [The public hearing for 8 Keith Lane] for July then?"
Cardone: "Have you seen the number of objections?"
Houle: “I have not.”
Cardone: “There is an overabundance of objections, and I'd like to get this rectified sooner than later.”
Cardone then said, "A lot of these objections have been in the office for three months and I'm getting constant calls. This is actually in the same development that I live in.” (emphasis added.)
Houle: “We can start it (the public hearing) in June and keep it open for at least one other meeting.” (emphasis added.)
The board agreed and carried on with their fascist, washed-up rodeo clown show.
This information concerned the Short-term Rental (STR) at 649 Lakes Road. Those complaints were shared with Mr. Cardone.
Mr. Cardone did NOT share these documents with anyone until Mr. and Mrs. Carrion came before the Town Board in February. Many months later.
He just sat on them, in other words.
So, now we have two documented instances of the Supervisor hoarding information and not sharing it with his flying monkeys.
In both instances, Mr. Cardone did this for his own benefit.
The second instance was on Monday evening, when he wanted to quickly quash an inconveniently located STR in his backyard.
It's a one-person show.
Sorry, Dorey, he'll never say he loves you back.
What else can be said about the 8 Keith Lane Debacle?
Mike Egan (Like McGinn, another Monroe Ethics Board member and one of the people responsible for creating Palm Tree) and Diane Egan (also a former United Monroe member) also live near 8 Keith Lane.
So, naturally, one of the Egans would appear to speak out against it, and we got Diana.
Mrs. Egan later had words for your favorite journalist, but with a lot of these fascists, and their weirdo friends, she had no leg to stand on.
Mrs. Egan implied that Mr. Scancarello could be innocent, but since I’ve talked to the police and Councilwoman Richardson, and Mr. Scancarello and Mrs. Schnaars have declined comment, I think I got the stronger hand here. Especially given that Mr. Cardone, the other witness to the event, is someone who has no issue lying to police officers.)
The 8 Keith Lane public hearing was opened and closed so quickly that you would never know you were watching a Town of Monroe Board meeting, usually a three-hour slog.
If you ask me, it looked like the ghosts of United Monroe came out for this one. Here’s Mrs. Egan feuding with Harley Doles:
At this evening’s meeting, there were quieter of hoots and hollers, and mocking the attorney.
(To be fair, that attorney deserves to be mocked.)
Then, Mr. Cardone and Mrs. Houle were the most animated they had ever been.
EVER.
Watch the 8 Keith Lane section of the Town Board meeting, and then go back and pick a Monroe Town Board meeting at random.
Suppose you exclude the time they take to be fascist weirdos toward Councilwoman Richardson.
In that case, you will not find them more animated and looking like honest politicians than you do during this 8 Keith Lane discussion.
It's like they took whatever crazy Republicans think Joe Biden is secretly taking.
(Is it meth?)
See for yourself. Please don't take my word for it.
At a Town Board meeting where Mr. Cardone would later say to Mr. Mitts, during his time speaking for Public Comment, “we’re not going to talk anything political”, this 8 Keith Lane segment sure looked like a campaign event for Dorey Houle, who is actively running for the New York State Senate.
Contrary to what Mrs. Houle said at the last meeting about giving 8 Keith Lane another meeting for public hearings, the 8 Keith Lane STR application was tossed on the same grounds 649 Lakes Road could have been tossed on: Deficiencies in the application, as pointed out by Mr. Carrion back in February.
But it wasn't tossed, was it?
Neither were 21 Front Street and 15 Ruby Road, on and on and on.
This is a serious question. Why would Mr. Cardone immediately kill a STR application in his backyard, but find these other STRs to be acceptable for the rest of the community?
Especially when we know STRs create Zombie Towns.
Short-term Rentals are unacceptable for the Egans of United Monroe fame and Mr. Cardone.
But for everyone else in Monroe? They’re just dandy.
And if you think I'm exaggerating, remember this: Supervisor Cardone told members of the Round Lake Association—it's unclear if he's a member—"You have my cell number. You call me, and I'll make sure the state police are called out there."
He said that to them in response to code enforcement questions now that the STR was rejected.
How many others impacted by STRs in Town have had Mr. Cardone make that same offer?
Our Long Local Nightmare Has Ended
Before we get to the rest of this fascist, washed-up rodeo clown show, I do want to let you know that our long local nightmare has finally come to an end.
Supervisor Cardone has stopped dragging his feet on the tree code and closed public comment.
Next meeting, they will vote on whether or not to adopt the Tree Code. I fully expect Supervisor Cardone to ratfuck everyone and not pass it.
But that's just my opinion, and I hope I'm wrong.
"I didn't want the Boy Scouts here for this"
That’s what Mr. Cardone said before providing his official version of events at the Food Truck Festival.
We talked about what happened yesterday.
Mr. Cardone lied.
Mr. Scancarello lied.
Dorey Houle sat there confused about the existence of books, probably.
Mary Bingham looked concerned.
Mrs. Richardson was recovering from her visit to the Emergency Room.
The New York State Police Department confirmed that there is a police report, despite what Mr. Cardone and Mr. Scancarello declined to confirm to Mr. Mitts when asked.
There is an investigation.
The State police did NOT witness the event despite Mr. Cardone’s claims.
There was only one true statement from Mr. Cardone: "She admitted she came down with a purpose."
I spoke with Councilwoman Richardson, who admitted to having two purposes for being there early at the Food Truck Festival: the first was to assist in getting the Town event running.
The second was to confront Mrs. Jennifer Schnaars, the head of Human Resources of the Town, for allegedly reading her Human Resources complaints and sharing them with Supervisor Cardone.
(I have submitted a FOIL request for the emails Mr. Schnaars has allegedly forwarded to Supervisor Cardone. Mrs. Bitzer will do her best to drag her feet on fulfilling it, and then Mr. Nugent will find a reason to deny it.)
Mrs. Richardson has filed an HR complaint against Mr. Cardone and has accused Mrs. Schnaars—also Mr. Cardone's campaign treasurer—of intentionally not processing the human resources complaint with the Town's vendor.
They got into a shouting match, which escalated. Mr. Scancarello intervened between the two women and then drove his elbow into Mrs. Richardson.
Again: Mrs. Richardson is pressing charges, and the State Police are investigating.
Mr. Scancarello can sing, “I didn’t hit her” to the police when they find him.
Now let's look at these fascist resolutions passed over the objections and attempts to table by Councilwoman Bingham.
First …
Councilwoman Houle, Councilman Scancarello, and Supervisor Cardone presented and then approved a resolution banning Councilwoman Richardson from the offices of the Secretary to the Supervisor (Jennifer Schnaars), the Town Finance Department, and the Recreation office.
She would only be allowed in those offices with permission from the Supervisor, which Mrs. Richardson would have to email.
As I noted earlier, Mr. Cardone is verifiably selective about what emails he shares with his fellow board members.
This effectively means that Councilwoman Richardson is likely permanently barred from these offices.
The resolution states that Councilwoman Richardson can still access Town Records and Information, but this is also a complete lie.
For example, upon asking for information concerning Lake Sapphire—where the Supervisor owns property and has not recused himself from actions that would increase the value of that property— Cardone, to this day, has refused to provide any information to her about it. Instead, he asked her who was asking and insisted that person call him to discuss.
Most likely because the Supervisor wants to avoid talking about how sketchy that situation is.
Something fun to think about: The Supervisor is said to own 2/3 of the lake. The drainage district was created to “preserve the quality of water.”
Who in this area might you know that could want some high-quality H20?
I said this to other people recently.
And I'll share it here with you: The Lake Sapphire story ends Supervisor Cardone's political career. It may even land him in jail.
I just don't have the investigative power of the NYS Comptroller and the Orange County District Attorney’s to get the information needed to prosecute.
Mr. Cardone then continued his quest to slander Councilwoman Richardson, by saying to Councilwoman Bingham he would schedule these appointments for Richardson if the Town employers "didn't think they were in danger from her."
Second …
This resolution designated Supervisor Cardone to act as the primary point of contact for Consultants to the Town of Monroe.
Put another way: You can't talk to anyone who works with the Town unless Supervisor Cardone approves it.
Mr. Cardone is ALSO empowered to monitor and manage the interactions between the Consultants and the council members "to prevent unnecessary expenditures and ensure that Consulting services are utilized efficiently."
Cardone attempted to make a nonsensical claim here. One about how contacting the consultant could rack up an enormous bill the following year, which sounds exactly like the kind of point someone with at least one failed business to his name would make.
As someone who has worked as a well-paid consultant for most of his life, I can assure you that no consultant will fire a client for being annoying. Assuming, of course, the check clears on time.
Also, Mr. Nugent suggests his firm may charge higher fees if the Town uses him more. Still, given that Mr. Nugent is a Cardone campaign donor, I doubt he's going anywhere if the Town were to tell him to go screw during budget season.
Two Hours Into This Shit Show, A Wild Luipa Deutsch Appeared
It's true. However, since the Supervisor had his microphone off, we didn’t hear what Tony's favorite developer had to say.
Maybe it involved that Lake Sapphire water?
Mr. Mitts spoke during public comment, asking if there were police reports concerning the Food Truck incident. The answer is yes.
The Town Board didn’t give him a straight answer.
Scancarello told Mr. Mitts, "I would never put my hands to a woman," but the medical records say otherwise.
So does the video taken by Councilwoman Richardson that shows her screaming at Sal, “Hit me again, go ahead and hit me again".”
Trustee Karl spoke next to discuss a discount for seniors on garbage pickup. This is a provision in that phantom garbage contract that the Town will investigate. It’s a dollar or so in savings for seniors.
Finally, the last public speaker suggested the Town return to selling calendars.
That's a great idea.
Maybe if the Orange County District Attorney finds malfeasance involving Lake Sapphire, we can use Supervisor Cardone's mugshot for the cover.