Disgraced and embattled Peekskill Councilwoman Drew Claxton and ethically challenged Councilwoman Vivian McKenzie are at it again. Their tag team approach of attacking fellow board members and members of the general public have reached new lows.
It seems that the quiet lull created by the beginning of summer has convinced both Claxton and McKenzie that their legal and public relations battles are over. Nothing could further from the truth. In fact, the investigations are continuing. As more and more facts emerge, the investigations continuously extend. It will take months but more will be coming out on Ms. Claxton’s dealings and those she did business with.
Before we get into the lies, deceit and embarrassment to the good citizens of Peekskill perpetrated by these two so-called government officials, we need to clarify what is likely to be the single most self-serving ruse ever inflicted on the pubic – the FAKING of being sick to gain sympathy and shelter from criticism. Yes, Drew Claxton did not recently have cancer as she led people to believe and as the Democratic Party minions spread. At the height of her public exposure for illegal grant funds she obtained and the laws she violated, she devised (along with her advisors) a plan to turn a routine colonoscopy into a case of cancer. Cries went out to back off while she battled her ‘disease.’ Have sympathy it was said, have a heart was said. We even received emails about it. It worked – until now. Claxton herself exposed her ruse recently in a meeting by stating she had missed meetings being away in Florida and California. She was not in the process of treatments as the public was led to believe but rather gallivanting and visiting family. She not only further lost the public trust by such action, she totally abandoned her responsibilities as an elected member of the City government. She should be ashamed of herself.
On top of her criminal acts of obtaining grant funds and orchestrating an illegal meeting and budget vote (each alone are grounds for resignation), she premeditated a way to remove herself from the public eye to let things cool down surrounding her actions. Her mentor and advisor, Michael Morey, taught her well and most likely helped in the planning of the whole thing. It almost worked. Now, she can expect a renewed outcry for her resignation.
In recent weeks, both Claxton and McKenzie have been attacking members of the public wishing to give donations to the City, including the Peekskill Rotary Club! Hard to believe but the focus of City government has been arguing over trees and gazebos, not moving forward projects waiting to begin. Projects, like the Abby (St. Mary’s property) and Gateway on Main Street, that will bring the city much needed revenue. The Peekskill Democratic Party has been against many projects from their inception and, thanks to former Mayor Mary Foster and her majority Council, they were all stopped in their tracks. Developers have millions of dollars invested and want to see their plans move forward. The Democratic Party appointees to boards such as the Peekskill Planning Board have made sure there have not been enough members in attendance to be able to vote on items. It has been months now that this sleazy tactic has been used by the Democrats to prevent approvals. They know the community wants these projects to move forward so voting against them in public would be a political liability. So they use the usual deceptive tactics they are known for.
It has become common knowledge that McKenzie plans on running for mayor next year. She has become very vocal and has attempted to make her voice one of the loudest. The problem is she has exposed her lack of understanding and knowledge of the issues by doing so. She has been desperate to deflect away from her breech of ethics for sharing a confidential email to the press. At one point she attempted to falsely implicate a fellow council member of doing business for the City and getting paid for work done at the Paramount Center. She asked for invoices be produced from the previous two years. Mayor Catalina then requested that the invoices to be produced should go back farther than just two years, up to seven years. Well, not only did the maneuver by McKenzie backfire when it was proven no such payment was made to her Council colleague – by looking back that far, MacKenzie knew it would be shown that she herself was the one who committed the violation. (Yes, her business, Kathleen’s Tea Room, was the beneficiary of funds for catering Youth Bureau events – while she has been a sitting councilwoman!) Unbelievable! No wonder her continuous probing for Paramount related invoices abruptly ceased.
So not only has she violated the ethics code by exposing confidential email, she has garnered personal financial gain through her position as an elected official. Wow – and she wants to run for mayor?!
Here is the critical underlying mistake that will surely come back to bite the Peekskill Democrats: they made the Paramount Center a focus of discussion. Something they know should never happen as it would expose their actions related to the new operators. Seeing the opening handed him, Mayor Catalina asked to review sweetheart lease the Democrats gave them – he continues to be prevented from doing so. Why? InsidePEEK is attempting to obtain a copy of the lease to bring you the details in the future. We have received numerous emails on this issue and one of our readers strongly suggested we look into the matter stating: “the members of the committee that selected the present operators are all Democrat elites who have close ties to the hastily formed organization that was awarded the lease.” Sounds interesting to us. Expect more details to follow once we obtain it.
Finally for this post, we need to mention the most recent ‘you can’t make this stuff up’ moment. It involved Councilman Noodle (yes, there is a City of Peekskill Council member that goes by the name Noodle –and no, that is not what we are referring to). It was brought to our attention that Noodle was forced to attend the June 27th Common Council meeting by his Democratic Party bosses because they needed his vote to turn down the aforementioned gazebo donation. He was not planning on attending because he contracted the highly contagious Conjunctivitis, aka ‘Pink Eye.’ He at least had the sense to want to stay away from a public gathering but his handlers refused to let him – so he wore sunglasses to the meeting.
It’s sad to see the level that the Peekskill City government has sunk to – continuous ethics violations, deceiving the public about illness, preventing much needed projects from advancing, sweetheart deals for friends, fights over gifts from the public, Noodles, Pink Eye and sunglasses. What could be next?
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/ July 5, 2016Many thanks to Inside Peek for their fearless coverage of the Lib Dem transgressions that seem to never end. Just like their peers on the Federal and State level, the Peekskill Pols stand firmly in the way of any free market, capitalist enterprise that does not allow them to line their pockets. Instead of encouraging retailers and other small businesses or helping property owners to improve their buildings, the Dems have always been about increasing the size and scope of government and endless regulations that strangle economic growth.
For years the driving force in Peekskill’s economy has been the Federal and State Government that provides tens of millions of dollars in services for The Poor and Needy, many of whom are illegal aliens who have caused Peekskill to be come a sanctuary city.
The biggest single project in recent years in the downtown BID was the refurbished Health Center located in a prime Main St. location that received over $5 million dollars for the last round of purchases and renovations. The Health Center does nothing to bring money into the City; in fact, it is a Medicare/ Medicaid mill that costs the taxpayers dearly to provide these services. it does not attract tourists or visitors with money to spend. Quite the opposite.
Claxton, McKenzie and St. Jeannette Phillips are three birds of a feather. They set themselves up as so called public servants who are there to help the citizens while never missing a chance to help themselves. Has anyone ever checked to see how many properties are owned by Rev. Phillips or members of her family and what they are worth? How about the other two? Nobody dared to ask these politically incorrect questions until now for fear of being called a racist or worse. Keep up the good work.
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