Although last night’s master plan hearing was supposed to be about the plan, it did provide an opportunity for speakers to attempt to score political points in our current campaign season. A perennial favorite in Geneseo is to attack something you don’t agree with as the product of pointy-headed academics who don’t understand the real world.
This anti-intellectualism was taken to new heights by the statement of Village Planning Board Chair Matt Griffo who spoke out against those who he claimed “editorialize and make personal attacks.” I wonder who he was talking about?
While I fully agree that personal attacks are inappropriate in any policy debate, wasn’t that statement itself a thinly-veiled personal attack on Bill and I? I challenge Mr. Griffo, or anybody else, to produce evidence of personal attacks made by either of us in the editorials and columns of the former Clarion newspaper, on the clarioncall.com web site or anywhere else. Just hit the comment button!
I think Bill and I have done a good job of confining our comments to policy matters while steering clear of personal attacks. On the other hand that does not mean we will avoid calling a spade a spade.
For example, our current town supervisor is a master at saying one thing and doing another. He has made a series of policy decisions too long to recount here that are all designed to bring the Newman Development project to a quick approval. Yet at the same time he has continually professed his neutrality in the matter.
It is not a personal attack to point this out, but simply a matter of stating the obvious. Mr. Kennison has the right to support the project. He does not, however, have immunity from having his false public posturing pointed out. That is just fair criticism.
Posted by corrinstrong 
