That's $36 Million On Kate Murray To Show

"80% of life is just showing up."

-- Woody Allen

Winner of "Where's Kate Kontest" Announced. Kate Sightings Abound On Paper ~ In Real Life, Kate's Nowhere To Be Seen

Yes, we have a winner in The Community Alliance's "Where's Kate Kontest." Jessica Rodriguez of East Meadow, New York, has sent in the most photos of the Town of Hempstead Supervisor - 273 - from all the brochures, newsletters, postcards and other assorted Murraygrams received in the mail, picked up at the local library, or handed to her at Town beaches by fee booth personnel. [Actually, we did receive 594 photo op pieces from another Town of Hempstead resident, but he had to be disqualified. Joeseph J. Ra of Franklin Square, New York. Joe happens to be the Town Attorney. "Come on, Joe. You know you can't pull that material off of the Town Hall printing press and mail those Murray pics to us using Town postage! You should have mailed the photos from Sanitary District 6, wearing your General Counsel hat. No conflict there!"]

Congratulations, Jessica. For your diligence, as our Grand Prize winner, you take home Whamo's electronic Whack-A-Murray, the gaming sensation that's sweeping senior centers throughout the township. Whenever you see a Murray pop out of its hole, give it a good whack. Hit a Murray -- get 10 points. Miss a Murray -- lose 20 points, and pay an additional tax of $1500. [Tax may be "hidden" as a "Bond." SEE Rule 28.] Break a Murray -- Call Sanitary 6 to send a truck, and forfeit your wallet and first-born!

Sure, its easy to spot a Murray on taxpayer funded campaign literature. A Murray in the mail and a chicken bone in every recycling bin. But just try to find a live Kate Murray -- or to pin her down on the many issues (or any issue) -- and the Murrays are more scarce than a Democrat on payroll at Hempstead Town Hall.

Why, even Harvey Levinson, Democratic challenger to the "same old, same old" at Hempstead Town Hall, is having trouble tracking down the real Kate Murray.

The Levinson camp reports that for the second time in less than two weeks, the incumbent Supervisor failed to show up at a previously scheduled candidate debate forum. On October 11th, a debate was organized by the League of Women Voters and held at the Hewlett Library in the Five Towns area. No Kate Murray. On October 5th, Murray failed to attend a voters’ forum organized by several Elmont civic associations. Hey, when you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, or a record of accomplishment, well, you know...

“Kate Murray has been a ‘no show’ on lowering taxes, a ‘no show’ on illegal housing, and now she’s a ‘no show’ in public debates. It’s insulting to the people of Hempstead who deserve better information than slick and misleading TV spots,” said Levinson.

Organizers estimated the crowd gathererd for the Hewlett Library debate at over 100 people. [Almost as many people as Don Clavin brings out to his appearances -- if you include Town employees. :-)] Despite having a packed house, the Murray camp showed blatant disregard for Hempstead voters by what the Levinson campaign characterized as a last minute cancellation. "Whoops. Sorry. Have to get a wash, cut and blow for tomorrow's photo op at the Coliseum Deli. Gotta go..."

At both the Elmont and Hewlett forums, voters voiced concern over Town tax hikes that increased 15% this year alone for the Town's unincorporated areas, the Levinson team reports. In addition, several speakers questioned the Town’s spending priorities, citing the over 300 Republican committeemen on the Town payroll and the blizzard of taxpayer funded Murray political mailings.

It has been related to The Community Alliance that one individual in attendance at the Hewlett "debate" questioned why the Town found it necessary to send him a personal letter and certificate commending him for flying a flag in front of his home. "At a time when Town taxes are being raised by Murray, the Town needs to cut the wasteful patronage spending," said the concerned citizen.

Ah yes, debating that proverbial empty chair. When you're a no show, you don't open yourself to criticism. You don't have to hear complaints. The questions go unanswered. The issues, never discussed, the problems of community, unaddressed.

Worse still, when you are a no show for forums sponsored by the elite of the non-partisans, such as the League of Women Voters, you snub not only the electorate, but the democratic process itself -- a process that thrives on the open exchange of ideas and the give-and-take of national, regional and truly local debate. [Could it be that Kate is just a closet Misogynist (the very "woman hater" Kate called her detractors at the campaign's outset) who won't have anything to do with a league of WOMEN voters?]

At the very least, Kate could have sent a stand-in -- or a life-size photo reproduction -- to sit in that empty chair.

Yes, Jessica Rodriguez of East Meadow found her Kate Murray. The paper Murrays, each bearing the famed cookie-cutter grin, seemingly oblivious to the every day trials and tribulations us troops in the trenches face; content to avoid the one-on-one, opting instead for the comforts of incumbency, the safety of being in front of the camera instead of in front of a live, breathing, thinking, and possibly less than all partisan audience.

Makes your blood boil, doesn't it? Angry, even. Chill out, dear friends. There's a Whamo electronic Whack-A-Murray at a National Wholesale Liquidators near you. Pick one up today. Watch the smiling Murrays pop up and down. And then, catch one if you can!