Desevo Resigns

By Art Gallagher

Alex Desevo officially resigned his candidacy for Middletown Township Committee this afternoon, less than 8 hours after MMM reported that he was still a candidate despite press reports to the contrary.

According to The Asbury Park Press Middletown Democratic Chairman Joe Caliendo faxed Desevo’s resignation letter to Monmouth County Clerk of Elections Bertha Sumick at 3:30 this afternoon.

Caliendo told the APP that the Democrats have three volunteers to choose from to replace Desevo and that a decision will be made on Thursday evening.

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Desevo Still A Candidate

By Art Gallagher

The headline in the Asbury Park Press print edition said “Candidate Quits” but as of yesterday afternoon, Alex Desevo was still a Democratic candidate for Middletown Township Committee, 10 days after his arrest for possession of crack cocaine at the Holmdel Motor Inn.

Bertha Sumick, Monmouth County Clerk of Elections, said she has not received a letter of resignation from Desevo.

Desevo might have been able to save his family the embarrassment of his troubles being front page news had he resigned his candidacy as soon as possible…like the Monday morning after his arrest.  However, judging by the reaction of Middletown Mike, the Middletown Democrats didn’t learn of Desevo’s situation until after the APP published the details.

This could be great for business.  The longer Desevo drags this out in a Weineresque style, the more traffic and silly comments from Middletown Democrats this site will get.

Maybe Anna Little will launch a DESEVO MUST RESIGN ad campaign.

Word on the street is that Desevo was always intended only to be a “place holder” candidate, while Middletown Democratic Chairman Joe Caliendo searched the township for “a candidate who can really represent Middletown well.”

Caliendo’s problem is that all of the people who represent Middletown well are Republicans.

Just to be neighborly (and to demonstrate to awesome reach of MMM) I’d like to help Caliendo out.  Any Democrat who wants to run for Township Committee, should contact Joe Caliendo at [email protected].   Hey Joe, even Mike didn’t do that for you!   No charge this time.

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Politics doesn’t have to be a blood sport

By Art Gallagher

I was in Maryland on business this afternoon when I received the news of Alex Desevo’s arrest.    Someone was calling me with a scoop.  Word of the arrest had made it to the holmdel-patch police blotter and the sordid details were leaking out.

My first reaction was sadness.   A member of my community, someone I know by name and who knows me by name, was in the middle of a personal, family and career crisis that was about to become very public and very humiliating.

That Desevo is “on the other side” didn’t even occur to me until my friend who called with the scoop said, “do you know what they would be doing it if was one of us?  They made stuff up about our guys and called their employers trying to get them fired.”

“True, but we’re not like that,” I said.  The truth is some of us are like that.

Within an hour I was receiving more calls.  The APP had the story. Desevo’s professional head shot was on the front page of the paper’s website.   The APP beat me to the sordid details and salacious implications that I wasn’t relishing reporting.

Desevo was not the only Middletown resident charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance by the Holmdel police on June 18.  He was the only one who became front page news.  That is part of the price one pays when you’re a proverbial big fish in a small pond.

Sometimes, especially on a local level, I think it is appropriate to relate to each other and to both good news and bad news  not as us and they but as we.   

There is no point piling onto Desevo.   He won’t be a candidate much longer. His arrest should not be a campaign issue, assuming he resigns his candidacy.  He needs to get help and do some serious work on himself.  His career is likely in shambles.  His family must be under a lot of stress.

Desevo’s problems are not Democratic problems or Republican problems.  They are  human problems. 

Desevo does not deserve our sympathy, as he brought this upon himself.  Nor is his plight a cause for celebration or scorn.  Concern is appropriate.  Holding to account is appropriate.  Support of his recovery is appropriate.

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Grenefage And DeSevo File To Run In Middletown

By Art Gallagher

Jim Grenefage and Alex DeSevo have filed petitions for run for Middletown Township Committee as Democrats.

Grenefage ran unsuccessfully in 2008 and ran for Assembly in 2009.  DeSevo ran for Assembly in 1999 and for Township Committee in 2003.

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