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Updated
May 01, 2026
| By
Bob Fugett
Civics 2
ADDENDUM
THE FLOW OF POWER 2
This is a breakout of the Civics page simplifying my writing process while using its "unpublished" status to advantage; nobody is likely to find it till published.
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Like I said, Phil and Benny established a purpose built shadow government within the Town government; it was built specifically to further their own business interests at the expense of all others.
Their partnership comprised the largest developer in Town; and their shadow government, with its own unwritten alternate legal system, was quite successfully blocking all other contenders.
It was handled so quietly their misdeeds often went unnoticed.
Such as when Phil laid in wait intercepting people at the Town Hall front door, people who were coming in for the first time to get approval for a project.
Big smile and a handshake, "Hi, I'm Phil, Town Engineer, tell me about your project. I can approve it right now if you'd like. No need to go through all that Planning Board, Building Inspector non-sense."
Sometimes he wouldn't even need to charge them because he could profit by making direct competitors follow lengthy and expensive approvals while he and Benny ignored the laws and built on the cheap.
Dangerous and unsustainable but profitable.
On the Planning Board we would often hear, "I don't know why I am here. The Town Engineer said I was good to go, but the Building Inspector said I needed to come here."
Indeed!
I once observed Phil in a Town Board meeting with regard to a development that was being built while Planning Board mandated septic and water requirements were being ignored.
Phil held the relevant stipulation in his hand saying, "I don't know how that got there. It must be left over from some other project, carried over by accident."
I was the only Planning Board member in attendance, and when I sputtered that it was put there for a good reason, I was once again shouted down by Margaret, the Town Supervisor, yelling at me, "Bob, sit down and shut up!"
I used to have a video tape showing me cowering back into my seat; cops were about to get involved.
I was confused... thought Margaret was my friend.
Of course Benny and Phil could never have pulled it off by themselves; they relied on close allies in the legitimate town government smoothing the way.
One of the Town Board Members, their half-partner, rented office space from them adjacent to their own offices above the Chester Mall Deli.
Plus Supervisor Margaret received a weekly check from Ben as an employee, not to mention she was sleeping with Phil — no doubt part of the Me Screw movement.
It is reported that one of Margaret's obituary notices states she worked for the FBI.
If at all true, I would bet that instead of working for them, she cut a deal to become a cooperating witness after I presented three years worth of citizen complaints to an FBI agent in my back yard.
Wish I knew some of this at the time... oh, hell no, I would have still been standing there, out on my own alone, getting pommeled.
And yep, I am still waiting for documents requested in a Freedom of Information Act Filing at the Town Clerk's office.
I said I would pay for the copies, and I will.
Maybe they'll finally have the time; it's been 28 years.
Soon I bet.
Could somebody, please, ask Betty Ann Reilly (now Village of Chester Deputy Mayor) if my documents are ready?
Fuckin' Republicans.
Vote them out.
Vote them out now and forever.
THE EXCELLENT PROCESS THEY NULLIFIED
Whoops, time for the Next Chapter.
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