HAPPY NEW YEAR, I THINK

Well it’s a New Year and let’s hope things won’t  be getting worse before they get better.  However, we still have Scirocco & Madigan in office and that could bring big problems.  Now that we have a new Mayor, my wish is that she can gavel Madigan (which will most likely be every meeting) down and put her in place as the Finance Commissioner not the out of control ego maniac  she is. If Mayor Kelly can accomplish one thing, that is to keep the Council meetings in check and moving along instead of letting Madigan bloviate, the city might get something done.

Skip Scirocco and The DPW/Water Department had a big problem with lead in the City’s drinking water in 2017. Additionally, at the end of 2017we found out even more  troubling news, Scirocco tried to hide facts from those who drink City water.   A locational average of four quarterly samples is used to determine compliance with the New York State public drinking water standard. Samples are collected at 4 locations within our system – Louden Rd., Van Rensselaer St., South Broadway and Skidmore College.  The report that he does not want you to know!

In samples collected during August of 2017, the average level of THMs was 82 micrograms per liter (ug/l) at the Skidmore College testing site.

The DPW report is understating the issue. Each testing location has to stand on its own per the USEPA Clean Water act as of 2013. Locational averages are no longer allowed. Further each position must carry that value for a full year as each measured position carries its each own average value over the course of a year.

In essence, prior to 2013, you could have a problem (hot spot) but white wash it away by averaging it across your whole system. That is no longer allowed. Each sample position carries a rolling 12-month average so 1 bad reading will have an impact for a year.

I’ve seen how poorly DPW/Water Department is negligent in their control of chlorine usage is. This is 100% a result of that lack of control and the fact that we have a shallow, organic ladened, surface water source. And poor leadership in DPW

There is a reason that back in 1977, we decided THMs and HAAs were important enough to regulate, start to monitor and establish increasing restrictions. 

Google the Saratoga County water system and the issues they had around 2013-2014 when multiple towns (Halfmoon for sure, I think CP too) shut off supply due to this issue).

It’s bullshit to suggest this is DPW report not a big deal.

THM’s According to a University of Florida report, exposure to THMs may pose an increased risk of cancer. According to Rebekah Grossman, two THMs, chloroform and dibromochloromethane, are carcinogens; and another THM, bromodichloromethane, has been identified as a mutagen, which alters DNA.  Now how many areas in the City had this problem since DPW only checks 4 spots?  Is there anything that can be done as a preventative measure, yes but DPW does not have these in place.

 The use of chlorine to disinfect water produces various disinfection byproducts, which have been classified mainly as halogenated and non-halogenated byproducts. These primary byproducts are trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids. THMs are the byproducts of chlorination of water that contains natural organic matter.

Saratoga once had very good tasting drinking water but those days are long gone, heavy chlorination has taken that away and that’s where the problem lies especially during track season.  As I said there are inexpensive measures to keep the  disinfection byproducts in check.  They should be used.

Doesn’t anyone keep the residents of the City updated about important matters especially when we are thinking about placing our relatives in places like Wesley Health Care Center or Saratoga Hospital?

In the Fall of 2016 2 lawsuits were brought against 1) Saratoga Hospital and 2) Wesley Health Care Center in connection with an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease in these 2 institutions last fall. Saratoga Springs resident Susan Gonino has sued Saratoga Hospital, claiming she contracted Legionnaire's while admitted to the hospital for surgery in October and The son of Alice Johnson, an 86-year-old woman who died in October after contracting Legionnaire's disease at the Wesley Health Care Center, has sued the nursing home.  Come on Skip, what the hell are you doing to us?

The city’s main water source - Loughberry Lake has not been inspected for 29 Years.

Yes 29 Years!!!!

The issue was brought to the council table by Mayor Yepsen, and  DPW/Water Commisssioner Scirocco said it was not needed!!!! More BS by SS.

 A City Hall insider told me that Scirocco hired an outside firm for $60,000.00 to come up with a study on how to flush the hydrant system, (you have to do it in sequence so you keep the crap moving down the line) but I was told that the Swami (Scirocco) has never followed the the plan.  The previous Director didn’t need to spend the $60,000.00 and I can’t remember anyone dying from bad water.

Finance Office

I can already hear the excuses spewing from Commissioner Madigan’s mouth. She is up to her eyes in debt and she is hemorrhaging money!  Get ready for the blame game to start. 2016 was a 1 Million dollar deficit year, 2017 will be too. She already is borrowing money for 2018.

Let us see how long before she cries poverty.  

I will bet you we get a big property tax increase in the next budget.  There is a reason she has announced that this is her last 2 years on the Council.

ELECTION NOT QUITE OVER

Well, the election season is almost over.  There are 3 races left to be determined, the Commissioner of Public Safety post which if Peter Martin holds onto his lead will be the biggest upset in Saratoga Springs voting in years.  The second position will be that of the 2^nd Supervisor post, Tara Gaston currently holds the lead and the third is probably the most important vote in Saratoga Springs in the last 100 years, yes Charter Change.  In a surprising vote at the end of election night The Yes vote had a slim 48 vote lead over the No voters.   With over 500 absentee votes to be counted on Tuesday it will be nail biting time for all those involved with the outcomes.  If I am not mistaken most of the absentee ballots are from senior housing and nursing homes so this will be an indication of how or aged population is up to date with the goings on in the City.

Again, it is very sad that our Democratic & Republican Chairmen cannot handle their jobs.  One of their functions is to make sure every position has someone from their respective Party running for office.  In a City as great as Saratoga Springs that can’t be too hard of a job, there must be many people that want to take part in keeping this City great, right?

One of the most notable and pathetic things that came out of this election was to show how bad of a job our unopposed Commissioners are doing especially one that was highlighted throughout the campaign season and that is Commissioner Skippy Scirocco, not only can’t he do his job but it seems there is no direction coming from the Deputy position.

It was highlighted during the season that the water in Saratoga Springs tastes terrible, some areas had lead in the water and low pressure was a problem in many areas of the City.  Pictures showing the disgusting shape of our water lines were shown by groups with the hope someone in DPW would get it.  Well some revelation must have happened election night.

I want to start off by saying that the picking up of leaves and lawn debris has come down to once every 4 weeks, Skippy has sheared off staff to help Madigan keep her budget deficit under 2 million dollars this year, so he hasn’t got the staff to work the streets and has to pull them off that job and put them on other jobs.

That being said, Skippy is feeling the heat for the condition of water pressure, and of the water lines which I had showed you in pictures in previous posts.  I’ll put one up here.  

Now, at this time of the year, with freezing temperatures, Skip, Donna or his Deputy has decided to FLUSH the hydrants.  The problem with this is, it’s the wrong time of the year, not only is it freezing out but the water will pick up and carry the leaves that haven’t been picked up by DPW workers (as they now have to flush the hydrants) will be floating and will cover the water  drains.  What type of leadership do we have here and how can this Commissioner sit at the Council table saying how much worse off we will be under a new form of government?  This man in incapable of doing his job and has been for the last 10 years.  This is what we get for having Party leaders giving someone a free pass at election time.

Flushing of the hydrants will begin Nov. 13^th and will continue through, THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING, November 24^th. 

Anyway, we wait to see what shakes out Tuesday.

Just one other tidbit, on election day, candidate and loser Mark Baker stopped in to most voting places handing out apples, something I don’t think was kosher for a candidate to do.

WELL IT’S TIME FOR THE ENDORSEMENTS

Next Tuesday is Election and I hope everyone will seriously think about the 3 unopposed Commissioners running and use your right to write in a name.  Below are my picks.

Mayor – Meg Kelly – she has experience running the office, is smart and reacts great with people

Commissioner of Public Safety –  Peter Martin -  He worked out well as Supervisor and his legal background is a benefit.  Mr. Braim is a retired police officer and on a City pension, not a good mix as I think a non -police person should do the job as Commissioner with the Police & Fire Chief running their own show with the Commissioner working with them when they need anything.

City Court Judge – Francine Vero – she has the experience being on the bench and also no one knows who the heck her opponent is.

Now to write in these names :

Commissioner of Accounts – Gordon Boyd (you don’t need to be a CPA, just good)

Commissioner of Finance – Jeffery Altimeri – CPA, Former Senior Vice-President of Finance of a company doing 19 Billion dollars of business a year, yes,  $19 BILLION.  I think I would trust his financial recommendations over who we have now and he most likely wouldn’t have put the City in a 1 million dollar Budget deficit this year.   Also as John Franck said at a Council meeting  about Comm. Madigan – paraphrasing ‘she is a librarian not a finance director’.

Commissioner of Public Works – Patrick Kane – why?  He found out Skippy’s nickname - Chicken S.

County Supervisors:  Vote for 2 out of the 4 running

Matt Veitch, John Safford, Tara Gaston, Pat Freisen

This is a tough one to pick as all 4 are very good candidates and I wish we could vote for all 4.  Alas, it cannot be, so here it is.

1.    Matt Veitch – he has the experience, gets things done and works with Republicans & Democrats equally

2.    Tara Gaston – Young, great ideas and a background to get things done.

As I said they all are good candidates and good people so good luck to all 4.

CHARTER CHANGE – VOTE YES – turn your ballot over and vote YES to proposal 4.

WHAT IS THE MOTIVE BEHIND MADIGAN & FRANCK’S BEHAVIOR

Many City residents, both for and against Charter Reform are dismayed at the behavior of Michele Madigan & John Franck both at the Council table and in the newspapers.  Both are elected City officials voted into office by those for and against the change.  Both represent all Saratogians not just those against the Charter change.  They should be the voice of reason at the Council table, they can state their vote of no confidence of the new form of government but the way they have been acting this year makes me wonder if they have just lost their minds and have been overcome by so much hate that they can’t control themselves and both have looked that way in the media and especially the eyes of the citizens of Saratoga.  

Why didn’t Commissioner Franck disclose when a Commissioner his CPA firm was hired to do a study in Mechanicville and he himself was paid thousands of dollars to do this study and told the City (who happens to have a Commission form of Government) that the study and he were recommending that Mechanicville switch to a City Manager form of government. This is a quote from his recommendation “It is the team’s view that a City Manager per se, may be unaffordable in Mechanicville’s present financial situation.  Alternatively, a city administrative officer, accountable to a Mayor and City Council, could be established, rationalize administrative functions, be affordable and be accountable to the elected officials of the city.  In either case, a significant revision of the City Charter is warranted.”

This revelation should have been disclosed by Franck, his professional credibility was put on the line as it is now.  He should have at least disclosed this information to the citizens of Saratoga instead of making himself one of the embarrassments of our government. 

He now raises questions about the Commission of trying to buy the election.  He should know but because of his actions this year that the City through an approved budget to the Commission HAS to pay for informative mailings, the Commission does not have to get Council approval to send out these mailings as another brilliant Council member (Scirocco) indicated and tried 3 times to make a motion without success and have the Asst. City Atty phrase it in the form of a resolution that the Council had to see everything and approve any literature before being mailed out, WRONG.  The Council cannot interfere with a Commission.

The bottom line is this, 3 unopposed Commissioners thanks to the inept Democratic and Republican Party’s, are insanely opposed to change while 2 outgoing Commissioners want the change.  The whole thing smacks of keeping power and   don’t believe Madigan’s promise not to run in 2019.  She has been one not to be believed and I wouldn’t take anything she says ‘to the bank’.

Flip your ballot over and vote YES for Charter Change, it is one of the only things that makes sense along with keeping Mark Baker out of City Hall.

Talking about Skip and our great water supply.  Do you think the taste of our water has gone down the last few years?  I have been told by many that they can’t stand the taste of the drinking water.

Both images below were provided by Property owners in Gyser Crest.

THERE’S A NEW TRIO IN TOWN

   THE THREE MUSKETEERS                 

                   

Know it all John Franck

Michelle 'Mad Man' Madigan 

Skippy
What do you two want me to do?

Before Charter Change started heating up and John Franck promised if the date for a vote was changed from May 30th to Election Day he would take no sides.  Well, the promise was broken about 3 months later when it started to look and sound like many people were getting excited about changing the form of government and many prior supporters of not changing, switched sides and now want change.

The point of this is that as election day draws near 3 Council members are starting to show signs of cracking up and are really helping those who want change instead of their sob stories and ‘presentations’ to gob the truths about changing to a Mayor/Council/Manager form of government.

Now though back to the caption.   Before February when Franck made his promise to stay clear of the process with a Commission promise of an Election Day vote on the Charter there were on the Council the ‘3 Musketeers’.  These 3 (Madigan, Scirocco and Matheisen) voted in block about 99 ½% of the time.  Frank and Madigan could not stand one another and Madigan was picked up on the microphone once in a while swearing at or calling Franck names.  He likewise although not as constant or disgusting as she  challenged her aptitude with dealing in the finances even referring to her at a Council meeting as just a librarian.

Once Commissioner Matheisen announced his decision to support Charter Change and his reasons why, the ‘3 Musketeers’ realigned themselves (with new Cavalier feathered hats of course) made up of Franck, Madigan & Scirocco.  Folks, everything from there went downhill, Council meetings became (if you can believe it) more contentious, the 3 Musketeers  being nastier with citizens and the other 2 Council members. 

The presentations they put on at meetings can only be referred to as comedy routines.

This is a prime example of when politician’s that can’t stand each other band together when a clear and present danger, that of losing their power seems imminent.  

The 2 things to look at with these 3 are ‘follow their money’ and the ‘political patronage’ they engage in not to mention the mass amounts of money we’ve lost in lawsuits because of their decisions.

SKIPPY IS DUMB AS A JACKASS

You have to read the story at http://www.saratogian.com/general-news/20171019/spa-city-commissioner-unhappy-with-message-from-charter-commission-official  It's a hoot 

This definition fits Skippy to a tee - 

Chicken-Shit - Petty, insignificant, lacking courage, lacking manliness or effectiveness

WHEN DOES POWER CORRUPT GOOD PEOPLE

THE CHARTER CHANGE REFERENDUM IS NON PARTISAN. THE ISSUE IS FOR THE CITIZENS OF SARATOGA SPRINGS NOT ANY ONE POLITICAL PARTY

Power starts corrupting good people once they get elected to public office (not all but most).  You can see the difference when men & women run for office  versus the conduct when in office and then how they go back to normal when they leave office.

I met a married couple downtown one day over the summer and got talking about local politics and of course charter change came up.  The couple are relatively new to Saratoga having lived here for about 12 years (carpet baggers to quite a few ‘native’ Saratogians) and they had helped out on Commissioner Madigan’s campaign, how much they didn’t say, but they said that as a person she is like night and day from when she was a candidate.  They said she seems bitter about most things today and when they watch a Council meeting they cannot believe how she treats citizens and fellow Commissioner’s from the Council table.

This couple have an insight most Saratogians don’t, many Saratogian’s didn’t know Madigan before she got elected and like so many elections you get elected either because (a) your opponent did something citizens didn’t like, (b) no one is running against you or (c) your Party is swept in as a group.  B has become the norm in Saratoga politics in recent years and not because everyone is doing a great job.

Take this Council for instance and a single issue CHARTER CHANGE.

Many former Mayors, Commissioners and longtime City Hall employees are heavily behind the movement to change our form of government to a more representative, cost effective and a well managed government where you need not worry about getting kicked out of one Commissioner’s dept. for trying to suggest in getting something done in another Commissioners dept.  What a concept.

The prevailing voting block was most always Madigan, Mathiesen & Scirocco against Franck & Yepsen.  This shifted once Commissioner Matheisen spoke out that it would be in the best interest of all Saratogians and the City itself to approve a change in the form of government. You can visit the Charter Commissions website to view letters to the editor written by past Commissioners and Deputy’s.

 He (Matheisen) has said “The commission form of government has no separate legislative body and no structure for central management. Instead, five different members of the city council are responsible for executive oversight of their respective departments while at the same time serving as at-large legislators, a recipe for serious conflicts of interest. Due to political and personality differences, the five city departments work well together on occasion while at other times not so well. There is much redundancy in operations as the five departments are separate but equal. It is difficult to find candidates for city government due to the increasingly complex nature of each of the five council seats.

The Saratoga Springs Charter Review Commission has given our voters the opportunity think long and hard on what form of local government will best meet the needs of our City today and in the future.”

Well, now the new voting block are Commissioners Franck, Madigan & Scirocco versus Mayor Yepsen & Commissioner Matheisen.  See what happens when you are afraid that the power you have and will continue to get might seep from you and into the citizens hands?

Here is another example:  The Commission early on wanted a separate election for the Charter which was May 30^th.  The wailing from the new voting block was heard all the way to the east coast.

Commissioner Franck is quoted in a Feb. 21, 2017 Times Union article from a City Council meeting  "If there is a special election, even if it's to tweak the charter, I'm against it," said Franck. "If it's November, I won't take a side on the charter vote."

Now, here is a quote by Commissioner Franck from a 9/19/17 Council meeting putting his spin on the Proposed Charter.

“Am I missing something? Does anybody outside the planet Mars really believe that one person is going to be able to do all this work?”

Franck took issue with the elimination of the deputy commissioners and asked: if the deputies are eliminated, who is going to do the work to run city government? He threatened to block the funding to send information about the charter change to the public.

“If they cannot do this in a rational and fair manner, and not have material misrepresentations in it, then I’m not going to OK it,” said Franck.

Does this sound like his quote from February?  This trio can see that the power may have a chance to slip away from them and well out with their past promises.  Skip doesn’t sense anytime so when he tries to explain something heads almost always fall asleep as soon as his lips part.  What is coming from Franck and Madigan however is mind boggling.

This trio cannot understand the concept or are just plain acting dumb.  I have heard that other than the Mayor no Commissioner spends 30 hours a week in City Hall running their departments.

Franck , Madigan & Skippy can’t understand that by getting rid of the Deputy’s no one person can do all that work.  Well as many citizens, as I do, understand we already pay a Police Chief to run the Police Dept., we already pay a Fire Chief to run the Fire Dept. and they can report or go over their budget with their boss (City Manager), Why do we need a Deputy of Public Safety?  We already pay a City Assessor to do his departments work and he will answer to the (City Manager) his boss, we already have a paid City Clerk who will guess what?  Answer to his or her boss.  We have a paid Finance Department, we already have 2 paid City Engineers and already pay too much for outside engineers so why not have 1 engineer run DPW and fund the Direct of Public Works whose line is in the budget?  Mr. Vietch’s position was created by Skippy (he says it wasn’t a political move) but you could defund that position and add an office staff person for ½ the salary he is paid. 

So you see we already have the paid employees in place and we will eliminate a layer of middle paid bosses we won’t need.  It will not be 1 person (City Manager) that will have to make up all the work the Deputies do, he will be the City’s CEO overseeing the operation of the City by the already knowledge and capable workers employed by the City already.  Rocket Science, no just common sense that three members of the Council seem to lack.  Does POWER CORRUPT?

Another question to ask yourself as a anon did in the previous post, will you take the word about the costs of savings from a Finance Commissioner whose leadership resulted in a 1.125 million budget shortfall for the fiscal year ending 6/30/17 and who has said she will have to have cutbacks in this year’s budget or a former Senior Vice President of Finance for a Company that does 19 BILLION in sales a year and happens to also be a CPA?  Again, not rocket science.

A times Union article written by Wendy Liberatore on September 28, 2017 quotes some former City officials:

 “A.C. Riley, Saratoga Springs supervisor from 1980 to 1987, and Mayor from 1990 to 1995, agreed.”

“Managing the city isn’t a job for amateurs,” Riley said.  “Everything in our world is getting more complex, including local government. In the old days, most people could fix their own cars, or the kitchen sink. How many people can do that today? We call a professional, someone with training and expertise, so we get good results. Under the new charter, that professional will be our city manager, who will be the leader of all city departments. Our elected city council will make all the important decisions, and direct the manager to carry them out. The charter will require the manager to be educated and experienced in how to read and carry out laws and regulations, how to develop and manage a budget, and how to negotiate with unions. The council will rely on the manager to direct several projects at once and get things done on time.”

Former Mayor Raymond Watkin previously opposed charter change, but now sees things differently.

“I look forward to supporting the campaign to adopt a new city charter,”  Watkin said. “Our city government is unable to keep up with the demand for services from our growing community. In-fighting and a ‘me-first’ attitude among the commissioners has prevented progress on meeting infrastructure, public safety and community needs.”

Another Times Union piece also said this:

“The commission's mailing to city residents won't determine the outcome of the vote, but it's an important part of educating the public.”

“Ms. Madigan and Mr. Franck have all that at their disposal, too, as well as the bully pulpits of their positions. They're free to use them, but not to abuse those positions to unilaterally block the commission from doing its job to inform city residents — an abuse that they might find could be its own case for reform.”

POWER CORRUPTS

For some light entertainment go to http://saratogaspringsny.swagit.com/play/09192017-1334  and listen to the following times

Public Safety  14:55 until you stop laughing at Skippy

Public Safety especially 27:25

Public Safety especially 31:20 – to the end.

Unfortunately not anymore, Michele Madigan offends everyone all the time and it is not funny!

REPORT CARD TIME

         It's time for an annual report card for the candidates.  We'll start with Ms. Madigan

ARE WE BEING FILLED FULL OF LEAD?

When an office holder runs unopposed he or she does not have to be answerable to the citizens. 

When we stop to think are we electing Commissioners to represent us or is it ‘taxation without representation’?  If we don’t get anywhere with one Commissioner we are stuck in the mud with no other elected official able to help us.

Today I was informed by someone in City Hall that there is a hell of a story developing and once again Skippy Scirocco is in the middle of a dangerous situation that could pose a threat to city residents.  The Department of Health has found high concentrations of lead in our drinking water.  The best part is that neither Scirocco or anyone in his department will comment to anyone who calls his office and you can’t find out any information from any other department, again so much for our representative form of government.  

I spoke with many friends today that called the DPW office and our elected representative would not come to the phone.

There is also information that there are adults at Wesley that have gotten sick by Saratoga Springs drinking water but we can’t verify this yet.  The meeting between the State & Scirocco scheduled today was called off and a phone call between the two was supposed to take place instead.  

We all know that if Scirocco doesn’t have Madigan and 3 other people speaking for him he will not talk on the phone or in person so I doubt he made the phone call either.

There will be much more coming out of this and hopefully he will have to be removed from office.

STOCK UP ON BOTTLED WATER

WHY SHOULD WE BELIEVE HIM?

Some have said that Joe Dalton has spread nothing short of untruths & scare tactics in his anti Charter Change speeches.  We feel he might have a background in mumble jumble tactics in the past that he could be using in his position in SUCCESS.  Below are some pieces from an article written in the Washington Post in 1997.

 AN ABRASIVELY AMBITIOUS DEVELOPER BRINGS ENERGY, AND ENMITY, TO SARATOGA SPRINGS

By Nick Madigan, The Washington Post - September 1, 1997

“For those with a taste for the grand manner -- from thundering hoofs and pheasant hunting to mineral baths -- Saratoga appeals much as it did a century ago, when members of the high-living elite first rested on their laurels here.

But blemishes lurk under the perfect facade. As the summer racing and social season draws to a close, attention has turned to the upcoming trial of three Chamber of Commerce officials accused of trying to blackmail a developer.

The scandal sent shock waves through this placid city of 27,000 people in the hills south of the Adirondack Mountains.”

“Saratoga County citizens, Levinsky [Developer Bruce Levinsky] wrote, "should not be led around like bovine animals" and ought to hold a referendum on whether to allow gambling away from the legendary Saratoga Race Course.”

"Until legitimate votes by the people are tabulated," he concluded, "I believe all we have heard and will read from the grass-rooters is pure Shakespearean sound and fury, signifying nothing."

Such language did not sit well with the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. Chamber President Joseph W. Dalton Jr. was incensed but, according to a report in the Albany Times Union, was persuaded by his colleagues to meet with Levinsky like a "gentlemen."

“But after digging into Levinsky's past, chamber officials allegedly threatened at a July 2, 1996, meeting to reveal damaging facts about him unless he ceased criticizing the establishment. The officials were alluding to Levinsky's 1978 conviction on a misdemeanor count of Medicare fraud, for which he served two months in jail, and a brief suspension of his driver's license in 1995 over an insurance matter.

Levinsky surreptitiously taped subsequent meetings with chamber officials and gave the recordings to law enforcement authorities. A special prosecutor's investigation led to Dalton and chamber Chairman Brian Cumming being charged with coercion and conspiracy. Chairman-elect J. Thomas Roohan was charged with coercion. A trial is scheduled for Oct. 9.”

“CAPTION: Developer Bruce Levinsky's sharp criticisms angered some in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where three officials now are accused of trying to blackmail him.”

VERDICT - ALL 3 FOUND GUILTY

Remember this when Joe Dalton speaks of what’s best for Saratoga, if a person stoops to this level how can you trust anything he says?

-Our What About Skippy Section-

We hear tell that not only is the Skipster not moving the DPW Garage with it’s dangerous materials across from a school but he is installing a rec room with a gym, lockers & showers for the workers in the current site.   What can you say, a workout station for his Dept. and a $750,000.00 toilet for Madigan.  It’s a wonderful City to work for.

Speaking of Skip, why does he have the crew trim the hedges and mow the lawn on Circular St. just before the track opens?  The same hedges and lawn that looks like crap during the rest of the year, many are asking –What about us Skip?  We live here year round and you can’t even keep this City clean.

Enjoy summer

CALL A DOCTOR: SKIPPY HAS GONE COLOR BLIND

The reason City vehicles are usually the same color and always identified with the City logo is because they are easily identifiable and uniform.  Saratoga has always had white pickup trucks and orange trucks.  However, since Scirocco has taken over DPW we now have a rainbow of color for City vehicles with no markings, vehicles for Commissioner, Deputy Comm. And other Departments who have cars come in green, blue and grey and orange and brown large trucks (sorry, the brown is rust) and these new vehicles have no logos but do have city plates.  Skip, is this a ploy so these vehicles can be used for personal use?  The City also provides the City Center Director with a car.  Where does Marilyn Rivers stand on the missing markings on City vehicles?

Installing new sidewalks City Code requires the sidewalk be of concrete 5’ wide with a metal mesh put in to help prevent heaving and cracking, many of the new sidewalks installed by the City are not up to code and at least 2 places 1 business & 1 home were granted an exemption of the City Code by the Skipster to install pavers to replace concrete.  The inside scuttlebutt is that City Engineer Tim Wales wants to change the City Code to make it law that all sidewalks be installed with pavers, what nonsense.

 How does the Commissioner and his Deputy keep track of their employees, all crews to work out of the City garage, now they work from 4 or 5 different spots and no they are not Stewarts, Cumberland Farms, Shirley’s or their homes.

What is the status of the new City Garage to be built at the skating rink property?  The City also owns 2 garages near the Marion Ave. Mobil and recently put a new roof on them, are they using the building?  The garages would make a great paint garage (maybe they could then repaint the working orange and rusty trucks orange so they look in good shape or the wood shop, Skip what about this?

The Democrat & Republican Party’s must be in cahoots.  The Party’s refuse to put a candidate up against 2 Commissioners that can be defeated this year.  Michele Madigan could have been in a primary by a fellow Democrat but Chairman Charlie Brown took her into a room and when they came out the woman said she wasn’t going to run.  Skip also had someone that wanted to primary him but the Republican Chairman Matthew Hogan refused to consider his request, as I said these are the 2 candidates who could easily lose their positions this year.  However the Democrats will not run anyone against Skip (or can’t find a candidate) and the Republicans will not run anyone against Madigan (or can’t find a candidate) which also leads us to the conclusion that this form of government cannot find candidates to run for office.

Speaking of Charter Change the Charter Commission held an open house on Tuesday May 30^th at the City Center and contrary to the 14 members of the anti - charter change group the open house was very successful.  I visited the open house 3 different times and there were many people asking questions of the Commission members and being able to take a copy of the proposed Charter and financials.  I have listed links from the Capital District newspapers and a TV station, one article noted that this year the Charter has a better chance of passing because of the mass defection of the anti-charter members to being pro Charter, while many citizens were getting informed of the proposed change, the anti-charter group were at Gaffney’s celebrating at a table for 8.

There was one most notable quote from anti charter spokesman Dick Sellers husband of Bonnie (Sour Puss) Sellers.  “Sellers said he opposes a charter change because he believes the proposed charter is too ambiguous.”  “Very little is in there, "We don't know what will happen in the transition”. “the discussion about a new charter every 10 years (as the current charter requires) is not worth the time or effort.”

Sorry Dick but other than spreading fear and untruths about change, the quotes above show why your group is also a sign that you just hate the thought of change even when proof shows this form does not take us forward in a professional way but keeps putting us backwards with an unmanaged future to look forward to.

Oh, by the way Dick, the form of government didn’t put the springs in Saratoga, didn’t put a State Park in the middle of the City, didn’t put the 3 Northway entrances to come into our City etc. and Dick and group, think about this, as you keep saying that this form of government has made Saratoga what it is today, why wasn’t Saratoga the City that was the envy of the country in the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s 60’s, 70’s?  Give real facts if you can, not quotes that say looking at a professional form of government “isn’t worth the time or effort”

As I promised the links to TV and Newspaper articles:

http://wnyt.com/news/saratoga-springs-will-vote-on-change-of-government/4499435/

http://www.saratogian.com/government-and-politics/20170530/open-house-showcases-proposed-charter

http://www.timesunion.com/allwcm/article/Saratoga-Springs-Charter-Commission-discusses-11183584.php

https://dailygazette.com/article/2017/05/30/outgoing-saratoga-mayor-urges-new-form-of-government

Here is the Charter Commission website.  I got all of this information because I want to be informed and Dick, it’s worth my time and effort.

https://saratogacharter.com/