Mark Lindsay Click on photo for larger image

Uncouth Dean an embarassment for Wilson
By Mark Lindsay / [email protected]
Monday, October 04, 2026

ItÕs time for the people of Wilson to march on Town Hall.

They need to get upset. They need to demand Supervisor Jerry DeanÕs resignation. Plain and simple.

Dean called in last week to WLVLÕs talk show program ÒDialog,Ó hosted by Scott Leffler. The supervisor spent much of the phone call complaining about state Sen. George Maziarz, R-North Tonawanda, because the state put up a Òno turn on redÓ sign against his wishes.

But after a couple of minutes of griping about the issue, Dean changed course and decided it was time to fight dirty. Dean leveled a personal attack on Maziarz that was well beyond the bounds of decency.

And while some people felt I should print exactly what Dean said, I didnÕt feel it would be fair to Maziarz. Further, I donÕt think DeanÕs argument should be given any validity whatsoever in print and certainly not in this column space.

If you want to know what Dean actually said, feel free to call him up and ask. You can reach him at 751-6704 or on his cell phone at 628-5205.

ÒI considered it to be an attack upon my fiancŽe and my stepchildren,Ó Maziarz said about the comment. ÒI think itÕs particularly cruel.Ó

What I will say about it is it was completely uncalled for, especially coming from a town supervisor. It was a comment you would normally hear in a junior high school locker room.

The people of Wilson deserve much better representation than they are getting from this joker. Ignore for a moment what the nature of the attack was and just consider whether you think it is intelligent to personally attack a state representative whose district includes your town.

Who would blame Maziarz if he spurned the town from now on? For his part, Maziarz says that would not be the case.

ÒWilson is one of the nicest, friendliest communities along the entire lakeshore,Ó Maziarz told me. ÒJerry Dean is an embarrassment to the Town of Wilson.Ó

Embarrassment is too tame a word for my liking.

ÒHeÕs incapable of having a discussion about public policy without some personal rumor-mongering,Ó Maziarz added. ÒI think thatÕs his modus operandi.Ó

When I asked Dean what he meant by his comments, he first described them as an Òopinion.Ó When I pushed further, Dean responded by saying, ÒIt was just a joke between myself and somebody else.Ó

That doesnÕt cut it. For a government official to go on live radio and make an off-color ÒjokeÓ about another official is ridiculous. Dean didnÕt want to discuss the issue any further, however, and ended the conversation by saying he didnÕt want to answer any more questions before hanging up on me.

He called me back later and tried to lead me into a discussion about what little work Maziarz has done for the area. I am more than happy to hold that discussion, but I told him I wanted to hear what his rationale was for stooping to personal attacks. He said he didnÕt mean anything by the comments.

It shows he is incapable of having an intelligent discussion. Maziarz is right, Dean is an embarrassment to his constituents.

If I lived in Wilson, I would not stand for it.



Reporter Mark LindsayÕs column appears Mondays. Contact him at (716) 439-9222, Ext. 6248, or [email protected].
View Printable Story

Add a comment