In keeping with my now famous moniker of chief " Gateway muckraker" (a journalist that reveals injustice and strengthens democracy) it's time once again that I raked a little muck in Stoneybrook. Stoneybrook has so much muck it should be cited for having muck 2 inches too deep. Stoneybrook has so much muck, I may need a bigger rake.
As I've written many many times something mystical happens to people when they cross over to the other side. When a person becomes one of the elected few it's as if all common sense used to win that election was nothing more than lip service. Just give them time and it will happen. It happens the most when there's nobody around to search for the muck, because they think nobody will find out. To me, it's a question of integrity.
We've found yet another example of how a candidate will say, or do, whatever it takes to win an election, then once that election is over decide to get in the hypocrite line and request a double serving. Here's today's example of hypocrisy boys and girls.
As you know Stoneybrook residents are having some problems with recently installed "No Street Parking" signs throughout the community. Nobody on the SB H.O.A. is willing to admit who requested the CDD install the signs. Nobody is dealing with whether or not they are even legal. Nobody has even said whether or not tickets are enforceable. And, best of all, this board just hates it when the Gateway Gazette gets in their business and writes stories about the signs. Stoneybrook board members have been writing nasty e-mails back and forth to each other about the sign issue and who keeps "leaking" the information to the Evil Gateway Gazette Grand Pubah Muckraker. I think they may either be constipated or have a rash. After this story, for sure, one of them is going to need that special pink juice.
Here is an e-mail snippet from Stoneybrook board member Joe Targia "a fellow board member cannot keep their mouth shut or their fingers off the keyboard as well as follow instructions and doesn’t believe in fiduciary responsibility". Targia is alleging that someone on the board is feeding the Gazette information about the signs. Duh! You guys might as well just copy me on all your e-mails. It'll save me some time. Get real Joe. Your not protecting national security. It's a sign. Release your self-inflicted wedgie and get over it.
But the fact that Joe is not "keepin it real" is not the issue here. That's an epidemic for the Stoneybrook H.O.A. Here's really what you need to know. Here's why you all need to look at every candidate with doubt. Here's why you can never really believe everything they say because when they cross that line they over-dose on dumb dumb pills.
Remember THIS STORY several months ago about how Sheri Bucar was trying to get Stoneybrook residents to pay her legal bills. My story, amusingly, if I do say so myself, describes a knock to the back-door of my business where legal documents were passed to me, hush-hush. On the QT as they say in the elite journalism circles. The documents detailed how Bucar would go after the SB management company to try and recoup her money. I think you see where this is going.
It quite certainly seems appropriate now for me to tell you who the Stoneybrook Deep Throat is now. Now that he believes the way things operate are only for him and not for anyone else. It was none other than Joe Targia, the candidate, who called then slipped me the documents. Seems he was quite willing to "leak" whatever he could to the Gateway Gazette before he was elected when he had a different agenda. I pondered it a bit but I do not recall him accusing himself of "not being able to keep his own mouth shut". Oh what a tangled web elected officials weave when they accuse others of being the source of a leak. Don't sweat it Joe, you're in good company.
When Targia was running for the Stoneybrook board, here is one of the quotes he sent to us when we interviewed him. "The board needs to be better in touch with the residents, the residents have some great ideas and without open dialog it will never be heard. Additionally it is important to rebuild the trust and honesty that the residents have lost with all the nonsense and personal agendas by previous members".
One idea the residents in Stoneybrook have is for a clear explanation on the signs. That's not asking much. You can post it on your website. You can e-mail it to your list. Or you can allow the item to be on one of your meeting agendas. How about building a little trust and providing a little honesty now that you are in a position to do so? Instead, you'd rather berate a board member for trying to get the information out. You people are not running a private club over there. More information is ALWAYS better, whether you like the information or not. If you can't come clean with the residents about why they aren't allowed to park in the street, why should they trust you with any of their H.O.A. dues? The answer is, they shouldn't.
Oh by the way, I noticed the Stoneybrook residents have really taken a liking to your new signs. Now what's the ruling here? Can you get a ticket if you can't really read the sign? And don't try to charge the rest of us for the soap and the sponge. 