MR. JAFFERY, IT’S TIME TO STEP DOWN---JOEL GINGOLD

MR. JAFFERY, IT’S TIME TO STEP DOWN--JOEL GINGOLD

In all of our lives, there often comes a juncture at which we realize that we were wrong and, as difficult as that may be, we must take action to rectify the situation we have created. To Ali Jaffery, that time is now. And the correct, decent—and intelligent—thing for him to do is to abandon his quest to become Croton Village Justice, step down from the campaign, and leave the field to Sam Watkins.

Sam has distinguished himself as our Village Justice through decades of service, and has created a court that the overwhelming majority of Croton residents wish to keep and who enthusiastically oppose its transfer to the Town of Cortlandt—a stance adopted, at last, by the Croton Village Board. Many of the comments made by citizens of our village at the recent Board meeting considering the closure of the Croton court included praise for Sam, his fairness, and the outstanding court he has created for our village over those many years of service.

It would be one thing if Sam had announced his retirement. But he has strongly expressed his desire for another term as our Justice and his willingness to place his name before the electorate once again. And there is nothing in his recent actions that would even suggest that he might be slowing down.

Yet, despite Sam’s profession of his availability, the Croton Democratic Committee, in its infinite wisdom, unceremoniously dumped him from the ticket and designated Mr. Jaffery as the Democratic candidate for Village Justice in November. It was a procedure mimicking the medieval Star Chamber, shrouded in secrecy and devoid of the participation of or input from the thousands of registered Democrats in Croton. It was never made clear exactly what grievous sin Sam Watkins had committed or why Mr. Jaffery was considered the superior candidate. Could it have been Sam’s vocal support for maintaining the court in Croton, a position, until recently, opposed by most members of our Village Board? I don’t know, but the whole process was highly suspicious.

But Sam demonstrated his vitality by refusing to accept the Committee’s edict and simply slinking quietly away. He immediately sought another ballot line for his candidacy for Village Justice and was rapidly rewarded by the endorsement of the Voice of Croton, the principal opposition in Croton, which recognized his sterling qualities and the experience he brings to the position. So Mr. Jaffrey and the Croton Democratic Committee notwithstanding, Sam Watkins will appear on the November ballot as a candidate for Croton Village Justice.

This alone should be adequate reason for Mr. Jaffrey to step down. While I am certainly not a professional pollster, informal discussions with a large number of Croton residents suggest that Sam will win the position in a landslide. Mr. Jaffrey will likely suffer an ignominious and humiliating defeat in his first run for public office.

And what are Mr. Jaffery’s qualifications for this office? He is an attorney with a relatively brief residence in our village. One of many, many lawyers in Croton, and not yet a particularly distinguished one. He is known by relatively few outside of the Croton Dems. In his only public action of which I am aware, he proved himself to be offensively partisan by publishing a letter in the Gazette in which he promulgated disparaging—and erroneous—comments about a candidate for the Village Board who dared—dared—to run against the Democratic establishment in our village. So perhaps that makes him qualified for a position in the Democratic party, but is this the character of an individual we want on the bench, making judgments about us and our neighbors? Is this the action of one who would be pledged to be evenhanded and unbiased for or against anyone who appears before him? I think not.

There is no question whatsoever that Sam Watkins is the superior candidate for Village Justice and he should be returned to office for another term, regardless of which party line he runs on.

While it may be none of my business, but, as one who has been involved in village affairs for more than six decades, I would advise Mr. Jaffrey, “Step down now. Do not pursue this position this year. Over the next four years, become active in the affairs of our village, not the party. And do something beneficial for your fellow Crotonites, rather than simply disparaging them.” If you follow this route, and you can actually make a contribution to our village, perhaps at that time, your fellow citizens might just find you qualified and worthy of an elected position in Croton.