I got back from a short vacation yesterday and some fellow posted that everything that has happened in the last 6 days passed me by, but nothing I feel important has passed by in 6 days worth writing about. This person (who I have named Pete) insists my name is Ric, so I’ll humor him or her for a while, as I said before; I get a chuckle when I hear names dropped regarding who Captain America
I do read the paper when I am away either on vacation or business so really it’s the same old hash of Shauna hating non Natives etc. Ken Ivins did make a funny statement that with a 19-3-1 Republican majority on the Board of Supervisors he thinks he should be elected not for what he can do for Saratoga Saratoga
I did see Dick Wirth walking down Broadway to meet with his think tank at Uncommon Grounds and he looked very happy as he was bobbing his head up and down (it reminded me of his days at the Council table).
Mayor Johnson, voted his conscience (with a no vote) a few times tonight (he must have found it behind the bar at Sperry’s), I find it funny, not that he found his conscience at Sperry’s but that he is still not thinking rationally when voting. He is showing Shauna how to play the mind games with the opposition.
What do you think? Should we have last call at 2am year round except between 6/1 – 9/15 when last call is at 4am, or do you think we are the hoot toot tootinist City in the good old US of A?
Have you seen the Mayor’s Secret Service detail blending in behind Stewarts, across from the new 11 screen movie plex? Have you noticed how his detail has grown since he has been Mayor?
Last night the Council voted to hire 2 more police officers, good job Council. I don’t think the Charter stipulates that officer’s live in Saratoga, so look for 2 police officers who may be out of a job but are fully trained and can start immediately, now can we restart the DARE program that Wirth eliminated? We are now one of the leading Cities in the nation of student binge drinking both in Junior and Senior High Schools, a designation we don’t want. The only no vote came from Mayor Johnson, whose grasp on reality is starting to worry some people. I think he knew this was going to be his last term in office (he would have been beaten by Yepsen) so he bowed out. That with some other personal demons is leaving him look dazed and confused. He also voted no on the gun issue, and the ambulance proposal.
There was some other good news from last nights meeting but it also comes with a question mark. The DPW appointment of an arborist position was passed. This was long overdue. The position will be provisional for 1 year at which time that employee must take a Civil Service test and place in the top 3. The thing that bothers me about this is a few months ago the idea was brought forth by Commissioner Madigan that the City had the monies to create a FULL TIME in house Human Resource person as called for in the Charter. The Mayor eliminated the full time position and contracted with an outside firm to work 20 hours a week at $75,000.00 or more for the person’s service. First of all, our City staff is large enough for at least a full time HR person. The Mayor, as an excuse, did not want a provisional employee appointed for the HR position reasoning that the position would have to wait until the next Civil Service test then a person from the top 3 from the list, then last night he voted for a provisional arborist. Then the Mayor stated, that since he voted against the City taking over the ambulance service he has to be consistent and vote no on the EMS Operating Certificate motion, Why the inconsistencies between personnel and ambulance?
This last part makes no sence.
ReplyDeleteThe Mayor, as an excuse, did not want a provisional employee and then have to wait until the next Civil Service test to make the employee permanent. If, as the Mayor stated, that he maintained he followed his line thinking that by voting against the City taking over the Ambulance Service, he could not voting for the sign agreement with Hinman Straub for anapplication for certificate of need for EMS Operating Certificate, because he must remain consistent. Why the inconsistencies?
Thank you for pointing it out, I was flossing at the time I typed it.
ReplyDeleteReally! Really. Consistency? There is an existing valid civil service list for the position of zoning building inspector that expires in September 2013. The mayor rehires Shaw as an assistant building inspector and two days later promotes him to zoning and building inspector for a $25,000 a year boost to $78,000.
ReplyDeleteThis is the same Shaw that the mayor, in a letter to the civil service commission, said was not qualified for the position six months before. They are now giving for him a promotional exam; the only requirement is that he had to be an assistant building inspector for six months. He has limited experience and a degree that is not of a technical nature. I think it is in music or history.
Shaw is also a yes man. He says yes to everything the mayor or specifically Shauna wants, including holing up projects that compete with the mayor and allowing projects to operate that are not safe that have received the mayors blessing.
You're only fooling yourself Ric.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment Pete, but the only one fooling themselves is you and you are doing a good job at it, if I may say so.
DeleteFull diplomatic greetings to a fellow League member. You have covered much in your return. As a fellow Justice, I have to say I agree with this opinion in part (perhaps most), yet disagree in part, and wish to add these points of clarification:
ReplyDelete1) Ivins gambit: I agree that his statement was hilarious; but viewed in the context that he is, at bottom, a buffoon, perhaps he did not realize how stupid that statement was. What he probably meant to say was something along the lines of: 'I need to find the easiest way to get back on the public payroll. This is it.' The fact that he is saying between the lines that he will be (another) elephantine rubber stamp on the Board of Supervisors is hardly a dynamic, auspicious beginning to a campaign. Given the fact that he touted the buildup to the announcement of his candidacy as something akin to LeBron's 'decision,' this is best viewed as a nincompoop attempting to reach into the public till, than any vision or motivation towards public service.
2) Bobblehead wars: OK, on this one Captain, the Justice League throws the flag on you for conduct unbecoming of a Super Hero... The League understands that you have issues with former (perhaps future) Commissioner Wirth, but admonishes you to convey your disagreements in a more professional manner. To focus on a person's physical characteristics is as unbecoming as the Flash laughing behind your back at your choice of uniforms (see me privately about the whole shield thing). Now, having said that-- let's look a little deeper. Justice Flash dissents here because it is completely ignored that Richard Wirth and his advisors met at UG- a public place, hardly a smoke-filled room-- a place where presumably, the actual public might approach him with concerns, etc. Justice Flash sees very little interaction with the public by the candidates and current office holders in general, and I believe it is a technical miscue on brother C. America's part that he does not encourage candidates to have regular, public, office hours.
3) Finally, the Flash cares not at all about Captain America's secret identity, just that he continues to do his generally superior crime-fighting. But even the best Super Heros need a little coaching now and then.
Thanks Flash and look forward to have some good dialogues in the future. I agree that candidates that are out and about making themselves available to take questions is a good thing as long as they can do it one on one and not in front of 3 or 4 ‘advisors’. Your idea regarding a candidate making themselves available should be a standard during election season, instead of mud slinging. We could call them Flash nights.
DeleteAlso, when I find myself writing, what I think is tongue-in-cheek may not come across as such but after all, I am only a Captain not a General.
I will have to ask you to pick up your flag, but can understand if you don’t. My reference was based on the fact that Commissioner Wirth never had much on any of his agendas and was barely heard to speak out on issues, only going along with the Mayor on votes, (hence the bobble head reference).
The League recognizes your coaches challenge, and while the analysts note that it is unusual for a challenge to be used so early in the first half of the election season, the flag on the field is now being reviewed...
DeleteWhile this is review is underway, a few more amplifiers from Justice Flash:
1- The idea of a standard for candidates (and also office holders) allocating time for one-on-one public contact is nothing new, and should be the subject of a mandatory advocacy from all journalists/bloggers/super heros at the beginning of the election season. Justice Flash will not hold his breath, however, for he believes that some candidates and office holders regard the public as a nothing more than an inconvenience... and in truth, the entire 'press' in all its forms as an even bigger pain in the ass that must be ignored.
In that connection, any attempt by a candidate to be available should be regarded as a step in the right direction. You might advocate a refinement of Richard Wirth's approach, that is fair. But the Captain erred in ridiculing the attempt.
One man's 'advisors' are another man's 'public,' and if we read the Captain correctly, he is stating that it could be intimidating for a lone voter to approach a table of 'wise men.' This may be true, yet the Captain has submitted neither anecdotal, must less empirical evidence to support this claim. Yet the League recognizes that perception can some times be reality, and so we suggest that the Captain (or one of his minions) put this proposition to the test... in other words, walk up to the table, ignore the wise men, and stick out your hand to Mr. Wirth and say you want to discuss the election. See what happens.
As a side note, perhaps Mr. Wirth will also announce some public one-on-one availability hours at the UG during the campaign. If so, that might be a point of distinction, as the League believes that the current PS Commissioner has previously declared that the UG's sumptuous pastries are deleterious to good dental health; also a clear and present danger to Saratoga Springs' collective waistline and therefore must be kept in a case (heretofore to be known as a 'bag') when carried in the Downtown Zone.
That's tongue-in-cheek, Flash style-- and note the lack of personal acrimony.
2 - Mayoral lockstep: The League has not performed a quantitative analysis of the number of times Mayor SJ and then Commissioner Wirth voted the same way, but qualitatively it acknowledges that it appears to be the preponderance of the time. A few sub-points:
a) This vote door swings both ways. How many times has the Mayor supported PS propositions when Wirth was in office? For better or worse, this is the life (read: form of government) we have chosen.
b) While Wirth's agenda was not as full as the Mayor and some other depts., that is the nature of the way the Department agendas fall-- as well as a reflection of management style and particularly, one colleague supporting another's running of their respective departments as they see best.
c) Many who attempt to sit through an entire City Council meeting, regardless of politics, see them as generally too long and tedious... is the Captain advocating that the Public Safety Commissioner (who, it must be noted, is the last department to be heard from) make his/her agenda LONGER? If so, why don't we just have one continuous meeting?
After further review, the League has ruled that, with the proviso that the Captain will give Richard Wirth, indeed all candidates, a fair shake as they define their respective platforms-- relying on analysis and, where appropriate, criticism-- but not sarcasm or snark (there are enough outlets for that kind of bile); behaving in a manner that is more in concert with Justice League Code of Conduct (now available to all via Amazon under the title: "The Book of Mensch") -- the flag will be picked up and play will be resumed.
The Captain will not be charged a timeout, but still must convert a third-and-long. Good luck.
Thanks for the pick up (flag, of course). I still maintain my thoughts of the substance of Wirth's agenda. The length of the meeting doesn’t bother me because after the first hour or so just the people, the 3 or 4 who regularly attend are still there. I feel that more interest in meetings can be maintained by having a different mix of Commissioners who would swap the order of their presentation after the Mayor on the agenda every meeting. However, remember that the Supervisor’s come last and it wasn’t too long ago that they were first on the agenda. I have been a proponent that the Supervisors have a vote at the Council table. As representatives of Saratoga Springs at the County level, they carry no political weight from the City to that Board as every other Supervisor does, but that is a discussion for another time.
DeleteVery good, Captain. You completed a short pass, but danced on the sideline with your signature verve and style which made you a top draft pick back in the day-- first down!
DeleteSeriously, you have an opportunity to make this a forum for intelligent political discussion amidst the chaos of incompetent daily newspapers and blogs that have an agenda and/or are written by people who would never be CONSIDERED for Justice League membership.
This might be the most important election season of our lifetime-- at least the juiciest. Do not squander this opportunity!
Please develop a case for the ideas you have identified in your last post when things get slow... which may be awhile.
In the meantime, the entire League is cheering you on-- don't make us sorry.