It was shocking to learn that the president of the MTA/LIRR, James Dermody, had again decided to participate in an invitation-only, non-public meeting with a local political group whose fellow citizens of Floral Park had soundly rejected as their elected representatives. It has been discovered that Mr. Dermody had met secretly with the Unity Party Executive Board once before. Because their discussions were held behind closed doors and not open to the public, there is no record of what was said or what was promised during their apparent ongoing collaborations.

Does anyone seriously believe that Mr. Dermody and his taxpayer-funded lobbyists - who were present at all six scoping hearings, witnessed thousands of concerned citizens from Queens and Nassau County attend open meetings complying with open meeting laws and heard hundreds of questions, concerns and suggestions and yet remained stoically silent, failing to respond to the scores of questions and concerns placed on the public record - would now suddenly be forthcoming and truthful with this unelected minority? In my judgment, the primary purpose of Mr. Dermody in personally visiting with these accommodating, albeit misguided, few is not to inform but to divide not only the citizens of Floral Park but Floral Park from its neighbors.

Mr. Dermody's cynical efforts are no doubt in response to the successes we, as a united group, have achieved. Our elected representatives in Albany have hammered out an unprecedented requirement being placed on the MTA/LIRR in order for it to receive final approval of its Third Track mega project. The MTA/LIRR must now provide full disclosure of its plan before a state board even considers final approval.

Does anyone honestly believe Mr. Dermody would take time from his busy schedule to meet anyone besides his bankers and lobbyists if the Main Line's mega project budget had been approved? We all know the answer is no.

I fervently believe Mr. Dermody's efforts, and those of his local politically pandering collaborators, will be for naught. Communities from Queens Village to Hicksville have spoken as one. We stand shoulder to shoulder in complete and united opposition to the Third Track Main Line Corridor Improvements Project.

Thomas Tweedy
Floral Park trustee
C.A.R.E. (Citizens Against Rail Expansion) liaison