Rockland County workers, many among the more than 500 targeted for layoffs under County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef’s 2012 proposed budget, turned out in force at Tuesday night’s Rockland Legislature’s public hearing on the budget. Eighty-one people signed up to speak on the budget plan.
As the overflow crowd awaited the start of the 7:05 p.m. meeting, a man approached the front 
table to sign up to speak during the regular portion of the Legislature meeting. The crowd burst into applause and cheers. It was Michael Davitt, a former county worker who protested Rockland County’s employment system on Nov. 7 by dangling from a rope under the Tappan Zee Bridge. He is due in Greenburgh Town Court Thursday on charges of criminal trespass, reckless endangerment and resisting arrest, all misdemeanors, and a disorderly conduct violation. He was released on $500 bail after the four-hour unorthodox protest on the TZ.
Davitt ended up not speaking Tuesday night. There was some confusion because his name was on the public comment for the general meeting, not the sign-in sheet for the budget hearing. When his name wasn’t called as the hearing ended, he left, without addressing the Legislature as he has many times before. The regular portion of the meeting started near midnight.
JOURNAL NEWS PHOTO: Michael Davitt at Tuesday night’s Rockland County Legislature budget hearing.
1 Comment
Wackos who cheered this fruitcake do themselves no good service. It just confirms their unreasonableness and blatantly self-serving politics. With a modicum of concessions, none would be laid off.