Letters

I was disappointed to read Bill Manger’s letter in The Southampton Press attacking a resident, specifically for defending village employees and their right to organize under New York State’s Taylor Law [“False and Malicious,” Letters, October 3]. Manger’s decision to publicly attack a private citizen is not only unbecoming but shows how rattled he is by this resident’s accurate observations.

His letter, titled “False and Malicious,” is, ironically, just that, for several reasons.

First, he denies there have been “multiple” improper practice charges filed by the Civil Service Employees Association, when, in fact, two charges are known, with the possibility of more. Manger downplays these charges as “minor” — but improper practice charges are serious. They result from his administration’s failure to collectively bargain and provide a fair workplace for village employees.

A prime example of Manger’s misfeasance was his submission of a falsified 211 waiver application to the New York State Civil Service Commission, which ultimately led to the forced resignation of Anthony Carter from his position of Southampton Village administrator.

Manger also attempts to compare improper practice charges during his administration to others, but during my tenure as mayor, he and his political allies controlled 80 percent of the Board of Trustees. As Joe Shaw once said during a debate he moderated, “If you control the majority of the board, shouldn’t you share the majority of the responsibility?”

Further, Manger falsely claims there has been no retaliation against CSEA employees. I have personally witnessed Manger and his associates go out of their way to target employees they don’t like. One such employee, a dedicated civil servant whom Manger inappropriately and publicly mentioned in his letter, was deliberately mistreated and labeled a “problem.” I even witnessed village officials conspiring against her. Manger’s use of attorneys, and village resources, including surveillance footage, to target this clerical worker over a wage dispute for about $48 is disgraceful and a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Manger concludes by denying any violation of the Taylor Law, but I believe he has, in fact, violated the law meant to protect public employees from exactly this type of behavior. Manger likely will continue to waste taxpayer money defending himself before the Public Employee Relations Board, but he should never have allowed it to get to that point.

As a former mayor, I find his actions reprehensible and detrimental to the hardworking CSEA employees of Southampton Village. I, too, have observed and experienced the lengths to which Manger and his inner circle will go to harm individuals, both personally and professionally.

Jesse Warren

Southampton Village