I read Commissioner Madigan’s Readers View and her grandiose
plans in Sunday’s paper. First of all
she wants to appoint a Revenue committee to look for current and potential
revenue sources. Ms. Madigan, it is
because of your votes against revenue sources that may put the City in a
perilous position. The ‘new majority’ of
yourself, Scirocco and Mathiesen keep putting the City in embarrassing
positions where Council meetings have become a three ring circus. I think the three of you will be facing
strong opposition come this Fall and deservedly so. You were a very vocal proponent of getting
rid of a major revenue source which were the water hookup fees. Did your comrade in arms ever tell the
citizens at a Council meeting that a developer pays $3,000.00 for the first
water hookup then $1,000.00 for every unit after that (not $3,000.00 each), did
you or your other 2 partners ever tell the citizens at a Council meeting that
most of the work Bonacio did to offset that $880,000.00 was part of the
approval process to get his project off the ground? You, most of all could have saved that
revenue source and voted to table Siroccos’ plan to push the motion through and
ask that the language be changed so the REVENUE could be used in an area that
DPW is lacking in water upgrades. I’m
sure that there is an enormous amount of work that could be done using that
money for water & sewer improvements along with the ‘new’ revenue source
you and your buddy set up. Remember
this, Commissioner Scirocco is already raping homeowners with a special tax
that went from $12.00 to $48.00 on their water & sewer bill and a large
increase in water taxes during his 6 year reign.
Another of Ms. Madigan’s beauties is the Spa Solar Park that
you envision, which undoubtedly will be given to none other than your Deputies
husband who just happens to be in the solar business. Also, it seems that the ‘other department’
was smarter than you as some of these allegations you refer to seem to be
gaining steam with the State. I do hope
you ‘3 Jalapeños’ will still be around at election time.
What’s with the City trucks plowing private driveways? I drove by Roohan’s apartments on East Ave. yesterday
(Monday) and saw a City Truck coming down the driveway with its plow down and
also clean up the scraper bank at the bottom.
I wish Commissioner Scirocco would tell us how we can put an order in to
have our driveways done.
Does anyone think that at $300.00 per year for the daily
paper that the Saratogian is a good deal?
Almost all the daily papers start
out with State and National news, why not Saratoga news the State &
National inside?
Just an FYI, John Tighe’s sentencing on computer hacking
charges was postponed. The report in
November said he could face up to 1 year in jail for those charges when
sentenced on Jan. 7th. He
still faces a trial or a plea deal on child porn charges. We’ll see what happens.
More to come in time.
Saratoga settles discrimination suit by ex-DPW supervisor
ReplyDeleteTuesday, January 13, 2015
By Justin Mason (Contact)
Gazette Reporter
Text Size: A | A
SARATOGA SPRINGS — City officials have reached a settlement with a former female supervisor who said she faced gender discrimination and harassment at her job with the Department of Public Works.
Betty French, who was a working supervisor in the department, agreed to drop her federal civil rights lawsuit against the city after an out-of-court agreement was reached between her and attorneys representing the city. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed by French’s attorney, Ron Dunn, or by city officials contacted about the matter. French has retired and moved out of state.
“The parties are pleased the matter has been amicably resolved,” Dunn said, declining to discuss the matter further.
The case was dismissed with prejudice by U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Baxter on Jan. 2, according to court documents. Neither Anthony “Skip” Scirocco nor John Aspland, the privately contracted attorney representing the city in the lawsuit, returned calls for comment; Mayor Joanne Yepsen was unaware of what settlement was reached in the case.
Hired in 2007 by former DPW commissioner Thomas McTygue, French served as a working supervisor and was the only female among 13 working supervisors employed by the department. She oversaw maintenance in Congress Park and handled reservations for Canfield Casino prior to 2011.
French claimed Scirocco began discriminating against her shortly after taking office in 2008. She accused Scirocco of excluding her from periodic working supervisor meetings and reassigning staff she had on hand to help with park maintenance.
In September 2011, Scirocco claimed revenue from the casino appeared to be down about 31 percent and began lobbying the City Council to create a new position of city reservation coordinator. He also tabbed Heather Mabee, the daughter of socialite Marylou Whitney, to fill the position.
But the City Council refused to fund the coordinator’s $43,000 annual salary. French continued to work out of the casino until she was moved to the city garage in April 2012, where she was told to “inventory city tools and count garbage bags,” according to the lawsuit.
French accused Scirocco and Deputy Commissioner Tim Cogan of putting her in a position where her job duties changed dramatically. She said a male working supervisor was subsequently assigned to oversee workers at the casino and park and an additional part-time worker was hired to help out, despite Cogan telling her there wasn’t enough work for her to remain in her old post.
“I believe that I am being discriminated against because of my gender and that the Public Works Department is purposely attempting to harass, bully and intimidate me,” she wrote in a complaint to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in June 2012. “I believe Deputy Commissioner Cogan’s statement that I was being reassigned to the city garage because ‘there isn’t a lot for [me] to do’ at the Canfield Casino and Congress Park is pretext for discrimination.”
French also expressed surprise that her work with casino bookings was publicly called into question by Scirocco. The revenue decline he cited for 2011 turned out to be inaccurate and city officials later determined the casino ended the year on par with others.
In February, the commission issued an inconclusive determination on French’s complaint against the city and Scirocco. The commission’s ruling, however, did give French a notice of her right to sue.
French earned $55,320 with the city in 2014.
Rumor around cap is Ms. French got a nice 6 figure settlement,if it went to a jury trial the evidence against the DPW is so over whelming that they made her a high offer in order not to risk their luck with a jury were the payout got have been over a million.....it's that bad!
ReplyDeleteFYI Betty has NOT moved out of state. I'm sure Scirocco wishes she would! At least this article describes how evil & untruthful Scirocco truly is. Good for Betty, seems Scirocco picked on the WRONG person. U go girl!!!
ReplyDeleteScirocco should move out of state!
ReplyDeleteFrom the January 6, 2015 minutes
ReplyDeleteDiscussion and Vote: Authorization for the Mayor to Sign Addendum with Nixon Peabody (15-006)
Commissioner Mathiesen stated this addendum is necessary as the scope has expanded with the subpoena served upon the City Council by the Attorney General’s Office that relates to the purchase of the parcel on Union Avenue and the sale of the Collamer lot. The cost is $260 per hour.
What was subpoena?
I think the subpoena is that the contract may be flawed. I may be in error on this but if served by the Atty General it could mean something or someone was found to be doing wrong and it could extend to the whole Council or those that voted for it.
ReplyDeleteNow that the Casino has been awarded to Schenectady (Oh, so far from Saratoga!) and there is talk of reduced employment at and contributions from the Racino, wonder if all those do gooders will volunteer to make up the reduction of the revenues to the city - including those Council members who voted against the Casino in Saratoga. Saratoga had (illegal) gambling for over 100 years and the village and city grew with it in place. (remember the how and why there is a Casino in Congress Park?) So somehow, legal gambling would destroy Saratoga!
ReplyDeleteYou are 100% right. Saratoga was shovel ready for a casino and has the hotel rooms and City specialties that would have made us the perfect spot. It could have been marketed to be part of Saratoga as the old ones were, not to destroy Saratoga as our Council, except the Mayor were talked into by a minority of social activists who if you look around are nowhere to be seen helping out the City now. The new 3 person majority have done more to harm Saratoga in the last year and will hopefully pay dearly.
DeleteThe casino in congress park was only open to an exclusive few for gambling. Stop making it seem like the public and joe six pack were invited. They were not. The good old days aren't always what they seem.
ReplyDeleteThere were many casinos around Saratoga Lake that operated for years and 'joe 6 pack' could play their games of chance. The establishments also employed many Saratogians and also kept many of the large hotels busy. Most of the time the good old days are what they seem.
DeleteCasiNO
ReplyDeleteCasiNO
CasiNO
Thank you all you "minority of social activists". You did the right thing.
You may have saved hundreds of seniors from bankruptcy, and other gamblers from becoming addicted to gambling. Thank you.
And a MAJORITY of those " minority social activists " are not even legal residents is Saratoga Springs.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone interviewed the founders of SAVE - Colin Klepetar and Charlie Samuels - on their take about the Casino in Schenectady and the impact on the Racino --reduced staffing and reduced payments to the City?? How about asking Michele Madigan how she plans to deal with the reductions in payments from the Racino?? This would be a good story for the Saratogian IF they had any reporters!!!!
ReplyDeleteshe in essence voted for schnectady,now she concerned????
Deleteum ... if Quasimodo actually paid attention and listened to Madigan or read her readers views, then Quasimodo would know that Madigan has been concerned about loss of VLT revenue and has been planning for it. In fact, she is the only council member who vocally made the point (in the saratogian and at the council table) that siting the casino somewhere other than saratoga springs would have a negative impact to city revenues.
ReplyDeleteMadigan speaks out of both sides of her mouth, did she vote in favor of the Casino to be placed in Saratoga? If not then she is the leader as the person holding the financial purse to blame if we are put in any financial danger. There are 3 Commissioners who should be removed from office ASAP, Madigan, Matheisen and Scirocco. These 3 are doing more harm to the City than any other Commissioners combined in 100 years. She did not want a Casino in Saratoga, is she that stupid to think that a Casino would not be placed near by? As soon as Schenectady open their casino our Racino and the VLT money is kaput. She was one of 3 in favor of getting rid of the water connection fee. This fee could have been reduced and the language changed but to eliminate a revenue source with a storm on the horizon is plain stupid. She should not continue in any Council role.
DeleteAgree with CA. Madigan was not that concerned when she voted against the casino. So now she's worried? Only two ways to make up for the loss of the VLT revenue - raising taxes or cutting staffing. What does she propose??? Is Anonymous really Madigan?
Deletewow. it never ends with you, does it? you keep rewriting history and calling people stupid. Madigan actually said - in writing and at the council meetings - "if it isn't here it will be nearby and it will harm us fiscally". (http://www.saratogian.com/opinion/20140126/readers-view-michele-madigan-x2014-gaming-expansion-decision-needs-state-rfa-information)
ReplyDeleteAnd your friend Yepsen is the one who brought the "we don't want a casino in SS" vote forward - not Madigan. You can't have it both ways, dude.
When you are stupid you are stupid, what can I say? You need to get with the program and that she changed her mind no matter what she said at the meeting. Madigan 'We have effectively been cut out of the process, and since we have been cut out of this process I see no other option at this point in time than to vote NO CASINO', wake up and weep, Schenectady will hurt us and it will be Madigan, Matheisen and Scirocco who buried us.
DeleteDidn't the State just cut the monies they are giving us. You just can't count on it. They did it before.
DeleteCuomo pulled all the VLT money that Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County gets but did not pull any other VLT money from any other Racinos around the state.
DeleteLooking down the road:
ReplyDeleteBest case scenario: Racino folds, that monstrosity of a building(?) gets demolished. The 70+ year old nasty rat-infested barns finally get demolished.
The land is landscaped, environmentally friendly again.
The land is sold to Bonacio. New condos are built. The I-87 southbound entrance becomes a huge cloverleaf. More visitors. More tax revenue.
It's all a wash. No more gambleholics. Seniors can re-discover the beauty of the outdoors, and Schenectady will get much needed revenue from those who remain addicted to gambling, and a sedentary lifestyle.
What kool aid are you drinking? You either don't live in Saratoga or are one of the many who moved here and want to change the City to suit YOUR needs. You do sound like an out of town environmental whacko. More condos? The ones we have are half empty. You over state the gambling addiction problem here, another misconception your group promotes.
DeleteCap:
DeleteGo over there, walk thru the barn area.
Then walk thru the blinking, bonging, dinging, sidestep the oxygen tanks and the walkers and wheelchairs, then get back to me.
YOU are the kool aid drinker.
you are right, there should be a joint venture by the City and the Racino to upgrade the barn area. Also, the Racino should be expanded to allow for more machines, without 1 or the other, both will die and it will be another huge loss of income in racing also the businesses, families, jobs and farms we will lose, but that seems right by you as long as we get rid of plastic bags.
DeleteAre you for real? Joann just gave away the store, giving a million dollars in CSCA contracts. $200. boots? DPW is still down 30 employees. Joann has made a few blunders herself.
ReplyDeleteGive away the store? It was the union that most likely pushed for those boots and El Skippo most likely wanted them for his group. I doubt the number of employees are down 30. Skip has made more employees working supervisors who do nothing and has to replace them with the working man.
DeleteJoann formed some committee for Union Contracts and left out the DPW. Commissioner. Listen to Tue. night City Council meeting.
ReplyDeleteSkip has never grown in smarts since his dog catching days, including him in any relevant discussions would either mean he would get the City in some legal mess or making him look nuttier than he is. However, he is a nice man.
DeleteWell said CA!!
ReplyDeleteCharlie Samuels is commenting on the Saratogian that its no big deal we are getting pinched from VLT revenue. I think he see's himself as a future office holder or something but as usual he comes off like a stoned skater.
The capital fee on your water bill is the tax Scirocco and madigan put on us and let the DEVELOPERS OFF THE HOOK...........transparency????
ReplyDeleteI read by a letter to the editor in today's (Sunday) Saratogian by Sherry Williams. Sherry must either be a relative or an employee of Skip's. What Ms. Williams refers to as the appealing humbleness in Scirocco, is nothing more than utter confusion. Remember, when Skip was a County Supervisor and attending County meetings while earning a Supervisors salary, he was still on the City's time clock as the dog catcher, That's called double dipping. I doubt you attend or listen to Council meetings because if you did then you should know that the Mayor's agenda items come 1st and Skip's 4th. Also by the Mayor calling for a forensic investigation regarding his department it was nothing short of being transparent and showed that Skip gave $1,000,000.00 to developers and as per the Charter never brought this up to the Council which by City law he was supposed to do. I think when the dust settles down it will show that Scirocco, Matheisen & Madigan were performing actions behind closed doors and will not only have to answer to the State but also to the voters in November while proving that Yepsen did the right thing to protect the rights of the citizens of Saratoga Springs.
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to narrow down who the possible authors of this blog are.
ReplyDeleteIt's a short list.
nah, you won't get it. There are more than one of us, but you can guess.
DeleteThe Tax is from when Mctyuge took 1.2 million out of the A budget and put it in the B budget and never put it back.
ReplyDeletenah! I got my water & sewer bill and almost passed out. The bill has sky rocketed since Scirocco took over. The 1.3 could have been paid back in the 1st year if Skip wasn't playing around with funds and didn't let developers off the hook for the fees.
DeleteYou don't care about telling the truth.
ReplyDeleteAs you see it or as it really is?
DeletePS: You're supposed to be working.
DeleteIf it was on Tighe's computer it was on Sutton's computer in city hall. Better check that old machine of hers. Do you suppose this is what she had on Tighe to make him write the things he did?
ReplyDeleteI wonder why Johnson did not bail him out?
John Tighe, a former controversial blogger based in Saratoga County, pleaded guilty Monday to child pornography charges in federal court in Albany.
The 57-year-old Milton man admitted to one count each of receiving child pornography and possession of child pornography, both felonies. He faces a maximum sentence of at least five years but up to 20 years as well as a term of at least five year post-release supervision and a lifetime registration to the state sex offender registry.
As part of the guilty plea, he admitted that in June 2013 he knowingly received child pornography and in October 2013 knowingly possessed pornography involving prepubescent minors under the age of 12, according to a news release from the U.S. District Court in Albany. The case was investigated by state police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda W. Cox.
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State police arrested Tighe in February 2014 after an investigation. Computers and electronics were seized by troopers in 2013 after a warrant was obtained to search the computer equipment for evidence relating to “depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit content. Law enforcement seized more than 400 video files of the suspected child pornography, according to court documents.
As state police investigatiors were removing evidence from his home, Tighe asked if he could “get in trouble” for anything on the computer aside from NXIVM, an organization based in Colonie that many describe as a cult. Troopers said that it was a possibility, to which Tighe told them his wife has no knowledge of what was on his computer, and that she was given her own, according to court papers.
Tighe pleaded guilty to an unrelated computer hacking charge in November in Albany County Court. On Nov. 6, 2014, he entered a guilty plea to a computer hacking-related felony charge for unauthorized access to a computer system owned by NXIVM, a self-improvement organization based in Colonie that many define as a cult. He said in court in November he estimated he accessed the organization’s server between 50 and 60 times using a woman’s user name and password without permission.
He is scheduled to be sentenced in Albany for the child pornography charges on June 8.
Tighe ran an often incendiary blog, “Saratoga in Decline,” that followed and frequently criticized elected officials in Saratoga Springs on an almost daily basis. The blog is no longer in service because he is without access to a computer.
What's with Mathiesen and the back door closing time? Sounds as bad as his Collamer deal. More law suits against the city coming.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Matheisen, Scirocco and Madigan can only operate in the backroom making back room deals and operate via the back door. Matheisen's stammering of lack of transparency regarding the Mayor falls on deaf ears, these 3 are the ones operating in the dark. The lawsuits should come, if I owned a business with a bar or just a bar I'd rally support from every owner in Saratoga to sue whoever voted for this and use any means possible to remove them from office. If the Democratic Committee does not primary these 2 then they (the Party) should have no business in supporting anybody unless it is other candidates. The Republicans would be smart to cut the strings with Scirocco ASAP.
DeleteThis council is nothing but a JOKE! All three of them, Madigan, Matheisen, & Scirocco make deals in the dark behind the Mayor's back. It's such a sorry state of affairs when you have four Dems, one Repub. & they gang up on the Mayor instead of working w/her. I swear Madigan is power hungry, not to mention female jealousy, Matheisen loves to "beat a dead horse", Franke has a legal issue pending, therefore needs all the help he can get, & besides Scirocco being the dumbest Comm. ever, he's as corrupt even more! Us taxpayers are being taken to the bank having to pay for all of these legal fees. Not to mention the cost of the French settlement.
ReplyDeleteCaptain, what the hell is going on now w/Scirocco? Council approves another $20,000 for landfill investigation??? We need a new post from you please.
ReplyDeleteThe daffy trio have gone completely bonkers, waiting for the Mayor's State of the City and another will be coming.
DeleteTommy's friend nets over $200,000 on the sale, but the city pays to clean up the site?
ReplyDeleteWhat about the real estate contract between Stark, who bought the property for $20,000, and the buyer? Shouldn't the attorneys of the buyer and seller be duking it out in court, instead of the city being on the hook?