To the Editor,
As a well-respected civil rights and disability rights advocate and whistleblower for close to 20 years I must respond to the Town of Bethlehem’s attempts to try to silence and intimidate me or any other town resident for bringing critical town matters to light.
Supervisor VanLuven, all town board members, Bethlehem Police Chief Cocchiara and Town Attorney James Potter all have been informed of the death cover-up scheme occurring at the NYS Justice Center (Unjust Center) across from the Delaware Plaza. Instead of taking appropriate EMERGENCY actions to ensure that these horrific state and federal crimes are stopped, they have tragically chosen to turn a deaf ear and look the other way and do nothing.
Almost all reported criminally negligent deaths of people with disabilities occurring throughout New York State in known unsafe and deadly mental health facilities and group homes literally disappear here in the town of Bethlehem at 161 Delaware Avenue. All town officials mentioned have in their possession numerous documents and evidence, including the official state document, the Jane Lynch Affidavit, which clearly explains the “coherent oversight scheme.” The evidence of the deadly scheme, the motives, the obstruction of justice, criminal conspiracy, public corruption, and fraud is in our town official’s possession.
As between 11-13 deaths of people with disabilities are reported on average EVERY SINGLE DAY here in the Town of Bethlehem, most are never reported by the corrupt Unjust Center to county medical examiners or coroners. The sole purpose for this lawlessness is for these deaths, for these types of people, to not be investigated, but instead covered up internally. The law says that all institutional deaths are to be investigated, and the cause of death determined by county medical examiners or coroners, yet people committing heinous crimes at the Unjust Center ensure in most cases that county authorities are never notified or aware of these deaths.
The scheme also includes the obstruction of justice of keeping thousands of reported physical and sexual assault crimes from 911 call systems, local police, district attorneys and the entire criminal justice system. I have been blowing the whistle on it all and have simply asked town officials to request in writing for all the appropriate federal authorities, the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI to investigate. All top town officials have refused to honor my EMERGENCY appeals.
When I brought up the fact to town officials that people with disabilities are equal U.S. citizens and NYS residents with constitutional rights to equal protections of laws it still would not move them to do what is right. Countless lives are endangered as very dangerous people are being regularly protected from prosecution. My numerous EMERGENCY appeals to town officials via email, certified mail, and at the public comment periods at town board meetings continue to be ignored. The town board’s recent official act, instead of requesting the feds to investigate, is to have law enforcement escort me out if I go beyond 5 minutes in the public comment time as I plead for the safety and lives of our most vulnerable.
Michael Carey,
Delmar
