THE STORY OF SMALL BUSSINESSMAN VS. THE MIGHTY COUNCIL & BONACIO

It seems like the small businessman gets the shaft again when a big contractor like Sonny Bonacio wants the City to quash him.

The small businessman is the owner of the Fortunate Cup building, who for over a year has been trying to get his permanent CO for his building.  Unfortunately for him the City only grants him temporary CO’s.  He gave a reading of how the City has been treating him.

The City demanded that he plant a buffer of hedges and then gave him a credit line (a regular City practice) of $20,000.00.  The building owner wants to purchase the empty lot next door for a parking lot and will make the lot ascetically pleasing.  The City and Planning Board members beholding to Johnson & Bonacio- Cliff Van Wagner, Tom Lewis & Howard Pinsley say no way to the purchase and in fact the owner must remove 16 parking from the existing lot.  Now the kicker, who lives in the back of the empty lot?  Why, none other than Sonny Bonacio’s mother.  Also the City has recalled the credit line (something that has not been done in the last 20 years at least).

 Business in the building creates sales tax money for the City, so there must be a reason for the hard ball game.  The main players, the Planning Board members and Johnson & Sutton-Dowd cannot risk upsetting Bonacio.

CITY HAS A NEW INDOOR SWIMMING POOL

As of today, Saratoga Springs has a new indoor swimming pool and it has been named the Scirocco Victorian Pool.  We are so glad that the Commissioner put in new water filters at the water treatment plant so the pool has crystal clear water.  The left side of the pool is 6’ deep and slopes to 8’ on the opposite side.  It seems that when the tanks were being filled no one bothered to shut off the valve and the inside flooded.  This may be a bright spot for Scirocco, he wanted to add a new position but the budget wouldn’t allow for it and even after debate, when it came time to vote on the budget, Skip voted for it saying ‘this is a good budget’.  So he is looking for ways to make some new revenue.  The Rec. Center will lose more money than it did last year (thanks Scott & Shauna).  However, the Commissioner ever the opportunist will fill the pool with kiddy blow up tubes and rent them out ala the Carousal.   Too bad he didn’t get that new position, he could use a life guard at the new pool. Good luck Skip.

News Flash:  After promising that the houses on the East side by Saratoga Lake that he would not use the lake as a drinking source by Skip and the Republican opposition, they will now be supplied with water from the County pipeline and will add to their area by glowing at night, hopefully they will shine in different colors so they can form a Christmas wreath led by none other than Wilma Koss.

Well, some news just in.   Chris Mathiesen has just won election to his current DPS post.  This means that the only post that Shauna can have is Deputy Commish of Public Works.  This should not be a stretch for her because by learning to dig graves she would be a natural to work with the men putting new sewer lines in, as long as Donna says it’s ok.  It is said that John Harringbone (I know) is pushing Skip to get her in the trenches.

The City has a potential problem.   Following an alleged violent dispute, city police say they tracked the suspect to his home and, upon their arrival, were greeted by a man waving a meat cleaver at them. He was subsequently hit with a Taser and arrested.
Police say they arrived at the Saratoga Casino and Raceway at around 11 p.m. Saturday in response to an incident involving a man who left the premises following the dispute. The alleged head banger is accused of twice slamming a woman into a wall, pinning her in a door way so she could not move and threatening to “smash her face in” the next time he saw her.
 Upon entering his house, the officers had contact with the slammer who they described in a press release as uncooperative. He allegedly retreated into the back of the home and returned “brandishing a large cleaver above his head, waving it in a threatening manner and screamed at officers to get out of the house.”

After a few moments, the Tasee tossed aside the cleaver, struggled briefly with the cops, was hit with a Taser and taken into custody.  The problem now is the accused wants an independent investigation, it seems as he was shaking all over from the electric jolt he was alleged to have mumbled that all he was doing with the meat cleaver was cutting up a side of beef.

ELECTION NIGHT REFLECTIONS

Right now it looks like the Council table will have 4 Democrats and 1 Republican.  Congratulations to everyone that ran.  It has been rumored for some time now that if a Republican won, Shauna Sutton would be their Deputy, all of City Hall is shuddering if this comes to pass however, her role will be severely diminished and she will most likely have to do the paving and leaf pick up, among other physical jobs.

Shauna needs 2 more terms in office to qualify for lifetime health insurance paid for by the citizens of Saratoga Springs.

Also, there has been a rumor floating around that the reason that Scott Johnson did not run was because he wants to challenge Paul Tonko for Tonko’s Congress seat.  Good luck with that Scott.  Tonko is as popular among both parties as is Jim Tedisco.  Scott will never make it to Congress, but don’t tell Shauna who had a slip of the tongue election night when she said “In a few years, Scott, you and I might be working together again.” *Saratogian*.   Let’s hope Johnson goes and parks himself in Florida to work on his lobster tan and Shauna either works for Skip (where she will be 5^th fiddle) on a Council of 4 Democrats.
The race where the absentee ballots might change the outcome is the race for DPS.  The spread right now is about 121 votes for the incumbent, and if the number of the ballots that have arrived already it looks like Mathiesen will take the seat.

In closing, we say adios to Scott Johnson, it was nice knowing you, but we’re glad you are going.  Shauna, we are just super glad you’re going and hope it’s not true about Skip hiring you.

FAST & FURIOUS

With the election 1 day away it feels like the 7^th game of the World Series.  Information is flying faster than a fly over by Superman.

In startling news, if you haven’t heard it already, The Housing Authority last week hired an Asst. Director for the Housing Authority.  The announcement will be made after Election Day and the new hire is from Schenectady.  The word going around is that he is a good friend of the current Director, when asked by various people Board member Ken Ivins responded that he could make no comment.  It is very interesting that our local newspaper looks like it  hasn’t checked into the story yet  (remember, they did endorse Ivins), which is another secret the Saratogian looks like they want to keep quiet about because of the good old boy’s network.  We will read about this in the newspaper days after the election.

Let’s remember transparency is the key for good government and it looks like Ivins is already showing what he will do.

SHAUNA SUTTON-DOWD'S ENDORSEMENT

 In the Saratogian today Sutton-Dowd has received the paper's endorsement for the office of mayor, this one should come as no surprise.  The paper gives kudos to both candidates and could have gone either way, but it follows the Mayoral picks of the past.  When some of your biggest advertisers are Adirondack Trust, Roohan Realty and Allerdice who not only as I said are big advertisers but also top Republican old timers what can one expect?  In the papers reasoning, the editorial staff gives reasons like negotiating union contracts bringing all but one to completion, when in fact it was one that was signed and the rest have been working without a contract.  The editorial staff also uses the Rec Center as a huge plus for Sutton-Dowd.  The Center may have come in under budget but we know the reasons, (a) inferior materials used, (b) The was not up to code, which cost a building inspector who was fired by Sutton-Dowd after the inspector refused her request to pass the inspection anyway. (c) Sutton-Dowd had promised that after the first year the Center would make a profit, which in fact every year the Center gains a bigger loss than the year before, (d) Sutton-Dowd in her role as top overseer of the Center had it built without any parking or showers needed for the out of town players. This is a great resume to be Mayor of Saratoga and the probable threat of pulling ads from the newspaper by Adirondack Trust, Roohan Realty and Allerdice and others might have been the tipping point for the paper.

TIMES UNION ENDORSEMENT 11-1-2013

Follow the link for the TU endorsement http://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Editorial-Yepsen-for-Saratoga-Springs-4944682.php

FOLLOW THE MONEY

I got this information in the mail and thought it was pretty funny, so I thought I’d tinker with it a little.  Remember, Shauna Sutton-Dowd holds 2 FULL time jobs of at least 40 hours a week per job.  Yes, that’s 80 hours a week.  What kind of job can she do without overlapping one with the other?   Shauna also has been making noise about Yepsen taking money from unions.  I checked her donations on line and she has taken big money from large contractors, plumbers (who are union people), a local lumber company and the City’s outside attorney firm that Johnson and Sutton chose to represent the City in its lawsuits or other dealings.  Sutton will have to work with these donors so she is playing the blame game, when she herself could be accused of going the deed also.  Yes, that is Shauna smoking a pipe, working nights in a costume.

FOLLOW THE MONEY

$120,000.00 & BENEFITS

CITY HALL - $60,000.00 &

GRAVE DIGGING - $60,000.00