A Taxpayer-Watchdog Publication
Issues
April 10, 1998
Classroom 2000 Vote Appealed to Supreme Court . . .
Monticello Prepares New Budget . . .
Village Board KO's Citizen Input . . .
The People's Voice returns . . .
Taxes have increased 362% in 13 years . . .
The hidden tax . . .
March 17th elections . . .
The Sullivan County People for Action, a political group whose stated objectives included advocacy of honest and frugal government, later joined forces with the Sullivan County Action Coalition and dissolved. People for Action published this newsletter anonymously throughout the nineties to allege government corruption and issues of the day that its author felt were being ignored by more respectable media outlets. The anonymous underground newsletter was distributed door-to-door and in local businesses. A few examples are posted here as examples, as relics of the 1990s. Years after the People for Action, Inc. was formally dissolved, a final issue of The People's Voice was put out by Monticello resident John Barbarite (the first issue to which he signed his name as author) aimed at getting his job back after being fired as Deputy Village Manager for allegedly referring to his neighbors on Cottage Street using an ethnic slur. Mr. Barbarite publicly denied this charge and in March 2008 was rehired by a vote of 3 to 2, under the control of Mayor Gordon Jenkins. Barbarite, Jenkins, and the Village of Monticello subsequently faced the specter multiple civil rights lawsuits in Federal District Court for reasons stemming from the factors that led to Barbarite's firing as Deputy Manager. These sample newsletters are posted here as historical curiosities.
RELATED LINKS Village of Monticello should be dissolved opinion by Bill Liblick, Sullivan County Democrat, August 15, 2008
Joseph Kowalczyk and Alil Pericic, Plaintiffs vs. John Barbarite, Sue Flora, Gordon Jenkins and The Village of Monticello federal Civil Rights lawsuit, jury trial demanded by Plaintiffs
John Barbarite main focus of lawsuit Sullivan County Democrat, August 19, 2008
Barbarite named Monticello manager Sullivan County Democrat, April 11, 2008
Focus on Barbarite Sullivan County Democrat, March 14, 2008
Fired village official presents results of lie detector test to back his claim Times Herald Record, March 12, 2008
Village of Monticello says new mosque lacks proper permit Times Herald-Record, October 15, 2007
ANOTHER RELIC OF THE OLD DAYS (REMEMBERING MIKE LEVINE) '93 CAMPAIGN CONFIDENTIAL ON PRIMARY BOXING MATCH
By Mike Levine
Thursday, September 16, 1993 - Round One of ``Campaign '93 - The Power and the Ice Cream'' is over. The results of Tuesday's primary packed some big surprises. Favorites lose, unknowns win.
The bottom line is mid-Hudson voters can't be trusted to do what the old boys dictate.
Hallelujah.
This special edition of Campaign Confidential with the ``Not Ready For Primary Time'' players is sponsored by Dairy Queen, the official dessert of the Peter Panse campaign.
Dumping the dumper. In Sullivan County's biggest political upset ever, Town of Thompson voters last election chose independent unknown John Barbarite supervisor.
The other night, Barbarite didn't even make it past the Democratic primary.
What gives? Barbarite should have stayed an independent. He had no Democratic base. Tony Cellini, a likeable, popular figure in the community, had the handshake advantage over the often-stiff Barbarite.
The Barbarite crowd fears this will bring back the old Democratic machine. Even more incredible, the hot rumor is if elected, Cellini will campaign for Willie Rosen to be named county attorney again. Rosen was one of the arch-enemies of the reform crowd.
Cellini said yesterday the whole Rosen thing is ``premature.'' The Barbarites take that as meaning yes.
Source: recordonline.com
