Will the election heal the rift that divides Monroe?
By Bob Quinn
MONROE — Tony Cardone said he was left humbled by his election to the Monroe Town Board following a campaign in which United Monroe demonstrated once again that it is a player in local politics.
John Allegro, one of the founding members of United Monroe, said the election “gave me a renewed faith in the process, that if you continue the fight, right will prevail.”
‘That organized the town’And in his post election remarks, Mike McGinn thanked Monroe Supervisor Harley Doles III for giving him this opportunity.
For it was Doles and the rest of the Monroe Town Board, which purchased the movie theater at auction for $880,000 in 2013, who ignited the movement that has since grown into United Monroe.
That “organized this town,” said Cardone, who has been a resident since 1970.
The group’s agenda has expanded, focused on the annexation of lands from the unincorporated portion of the Town of Monroe into the Village of Kiryas Joel.
Influence growsCardone and McGinn ran on the United Monroe and Republican lines, and received more than 8,300 votes each. Each polled about 1,200 votes more on the United Monroe line than on the GOP one.
United Monroe also has a presence on the Monroe Village Board and more than half of the members of the Monroe-Woodbury School Board have had United Monroe support in their elections.
Members of the KJ Alliance, an opposition group to the ruling members of Kiryas Joel, also supported Cardone and McGinn, perhaps offering a glimpse of future voting patterns, particularly in local elections.
Said David Falkowitz, a board member of the KJ Alliance: “We wish to demonstrate to the citizens of the Town of Monroe – and indeed all of Orange County – that by mutual respect and open dialog, diverse cultures can co-exist in harmony. We are confident that beginning with today’s election, a new atmosphere is about to dawn in the Town of Monroe.”
The spirit of MonroeCardone said the election was “great for the spirit of the town that has been decimated for so long” by what he called a lack of respect on the part of the town board.
“The community is at odds with itself,” he added, “as is KJ at odds with KJ.”
He said it was not his particular election, but rather the power of townspeople coming together as one group that was humbling for him and hopefully for Monroe.
Cardone also said he plans to serve only one four-year term. Of course, circumstances could change.
“I am not a politician” he said. “I don’t want to have to worry about making a decision that could affect any re-election.”
Allegro, too, said he looked forward to “healing the divide between people of different cultures. We have the same concerns, of family, or home. And we do not want bad government.”
So many people are looking for fairness, for respect, for a chance to be heard, Allegro added.
So many people, he added, were previously silent.
No more.
‘A man of integrity’In an interview Wednesday, Doles said Dan Burke’s “integrity was beyond reproach. He is a man with whom I share Democratic principles. I look forward to a new chapter in the life of Monroe and I ask God to guide us in making our community better and to bring peace once again to all of our residents.
“These guys can do it,” he said of Cardone and McGinn. “I can work with them.”
Cardone and McGinn take office Jan. 1. They will fill the seats now held by Burke and Dennis McWatters, who was serving a one-year term.
Originally a member of United Monroe, McWatters fell out of favor once he was on the board. He ran as an independent. He had sought the GOP endorsement, but lost that to Cardone and McGinn in a primary.
Kiryas Joel Alliance congratulate Cardone and McGinn
KIRYAS JOEL — Members of the Kiryas Joel Alliance supported the candidacies of Anthony Cardone and Michael McGinn for Monroe Town Board because they impressed the group's leaders as men who will represent all residents of the town.
Cardone and McGinn won decisive victories Tuesday running on the Republican and United Monroe lines.
Honest, hard-working, fair“We voted for Mr. McGinn and Mr. Cardone for several reasons,” David Falkowitz, a board member of the group, said in a press release. “One, over the years, both candidates have garnered a respectable reputation, as hard-working, honest and fair gentlemen, which we’ve heard from many residents in town."
“Secondly, during our meeting with both candidates," Falkowitz added, "we came away feeling that they understand the needs of our community, understand that different cultures have diverse traditions and requirements, and offered to work with all the citizens of the Town of Monroe, regardless of which village they live in or what religion they belong to.
'Demonstrate to all of Orange County'
“Additionally, we wish to demonstrate to the citizens of the Town of Monroe – and indeed all of Orange County – that by mutual respect and open dialog, diverse cultures can co-exist in harmony," Falkowitz concluded. "We are confident that beginning with today’s election, a new atmosphere is about to dawn in the Town of Monroe."
Kiryas Joel Alliance wishes the elected Town of Monroe council members good luck in their
Who is the KJ AllianceEstablished in 2001 as the opposition party, Kiryas Joel Alliance is involved in political, social and health activities in the Village of Kiryas Joel.
During the first-ever mayoral elections in Kiryas Joel, the KJ Alliance candidate had 38 percent of the vote.
The organization, in its press release, said: "Today, KJ Alliance represents nearly half of the Kiryas Joel residents."