LEGACY OR LUNACY?

The City of Saratoga Springs Republican Party is looking hard to find a legacy for Mayor Scott Johnson with no luck.  The Recreation Center that was supposed to be a money maker for the City in its first couple of years is bleeding money big time.  The newest Parking Garage was the idea of a past City Council as was the Lake Front.  The things I will remember about him and his cracker jack terms would be his haughty attitude to fellow Commissioner’s and citizens of Saratoga, his suppression of the citizens right to vote on the Charter issue, having to FOIL any bit of public information from his office or the Building Dept., and the issuance of orders for employees to not give out any public information that citizens asked for.  The Building Inspector debacle will also cast his terms as a dark spot.  There were questionable decisions that were made regarding issues at the Recreation Center and the new Parking Garage which resulted in the Inspectors being let go after not bending to the will of the Mayor or Deputy Sutton, and if I remember correctly, after the City’s Inspector wouldn’t pass an item the Mayor wanted passed at the Recreation Center he was let go and an Inspector from Albany was called in and even she agreed with the City Inspector’s ruling and against the wishes of Johnson/Sutton. Should we trust a Mayor who, with only the Commissioner of DPW makes a back room deal with Wilton to get our precious water?

 Today another attempt was made regarding the sanctity of Johnson’s decisions. 

Ms. Sandi Cross, a current City Republican Committee person and former President of the City Republican Woman’s Committee and one who was taken under the wing of former County Chairman Jasper Nolan.  She is Saratoga County Director of the Office of the Aging (appointed by the County Supervisors yearly), and is now under the service of current chairman John Herrick. Ms. Cross was also the campaign manager for Skip Scirocco for a few campaigns.

Director Cross has penned a Letter to the Editor in Sunday’s Saratogian, stating “City Democrats are obstructionists”.  I don’t think anything could be farther from the truth. 

Ms. Cross is upset because the 3 Democrats who with popular support will not cave into Mayor Johnson’s elite appointments.  While the majority of the Council agrees that all the appointments (some who don’t even live in Saratoga Springs) are fine people, I don’t see the relevance.  I feel the appointments are good people looking out for their own interests (nothing wrong with that, if you can get away with it).  The Democrats however, would like to see citizens from different areas of the City that would be affected by the changes that will be envisioned by this Plan, not too much to ask for.  The Mayor has assured the Council as well as interested citizens that they will have their say during comment periods before meetings (we all know how that works at Council meetings), the Mayor will also set up a web site so citizens can ask questions, keeping them away from meetings. Ms. Cross and Mayor Johnson, we have plenty of caring and smart every day citizens that can be committee appointees, why even keep the consultant to keep the committee on track.

In the first paragraph I stated that Mayor Johnson was suppressing voter’s rights according to Saratoga Citizen in not allowing a lawful proposal to be put on the ballot while spending at least over $70,000.00 and very costly City employee time in fighting Saratoga Citizen in Court and losing both lawsuits.  The majority Party at the time (Republican) had no qualms about siding with the Mayor that time.

So, Ms. Cross accuses the Democrats of being obstructionists, while the citizens are clamoring for equal representation on the CPR.  Ms. Cross accuses the Democrats of being obstructionists because they don’t feel the $65,000.00 consultation fee is a tad too high for what the Mayor wants to bestow on a friends Company.  It is said, just follow the money, The Mayor spending well over $70,000.00 to outside Attorney’s & internal employee time devoted to keeping citizens from voting on an issue and wanting to spend $60,000.00 + on consultation when citizens can’t even have a say on who should represent their interests.

 It’s no fun to keep writing about County or City Republican Party lunacy.  The past 2 weeks have shown us some of the bad side of Republican strong arm politics regarding job spots, things are not what they used to be.  There are no more political bosses, people who care can raise their voices and make things happen.  Citizens of Saratoga, let’s raise our voices and demand equal representation on the Comprehensive Planning Review Committee, remove some of the special interest reps, businesses or non profits  that pay no taxes and put on some good, smart and willing citizens of our City.