This post is in response to the glowing praise that was heaped upon the late and former New York State Senator Guy Velella, who passed away last week Thursday, January 27th, 2011, by the new editor and writer at the BoogieDowner. For the last few years, the BoogieDowner was a repository of all things Bronx by two local residents simply known to all as “ErLu”. It was a brilliant blog as there was always tons of debates back and forth between readers – pretty much no holds bar.
However, that has all seem to have changed now that the BoogieDowner is in new hands. A recent post by the BoogieDowner, “Tribute To Late NY State Senator Guy Velella” is nothing more than garbage. A tribute to the late Guy Velella? Wasn’t he the one who received contributions from those related to the Genovese Crime family? Or the same individual who according to the NY Daily News back in 1982 pleaded, via a letter to a federal judge, “asking that a mobster be spared time for racketeering charges.” What about when the shit hit the fan back in 2002 when the late state senator, along with two of his cronies, were charged on 25 counts which alleged that he received $127,000 in bribes to hand out contracts to those who paid him and as well as soliciting $250,000 to make sure his crooked friends received lucrative public works contracts? Maybe he’s not worthy of a tribute because he didn’t serve his full sentence and was still receiving his almost $80,000 yearly pension – as a convicted felon! The common man would be stripped of all benefits but Guy walked around like a fat cat.
No, BoogieDowner, the late former NY State Senator is not worthy of a tribute. A simple Rest in Peace would have sufficed, sans the “tribute”. To add further insult to injury the BoogieDowner threatened to take down ANY negative remarks made of the late senator.
BoogieDowner – You quoted Dostoevsky with the following line:
“Every time we pray, if your prayer is sincere, there will be new feeling and new meaning in it which will give you fresh courage and you will understand that prayer is an education.”
I think when referencing Guy Velella, it would have been more appropriate to quote Henry Kissinger, as NY State Senator Liz Krueger mentioned in an October 25, 2004 feature she wrote for the Gotham Gazette:
“Corrupt politicians make the other ten percent look bad.”
Senator Krueger went on to mention that she didn’t feel this quote was accurate and was in fact the opposite, but she was making a simple point that when a politician becomes a convicted felon, the public outcry makes it seem that what Kissinger said is the case.
Guy Velella, may you rest in peace.
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