SARATOGA SPRINGS IS GOING TO THE DOGS

The news on T.V. last night revealed some interesting items about the said ‘First Family’ of Saratoga Springs, The Riggi’s.  I must have been in a coma for a while because I didn’t realize they are the ‘First Family of Saratoga’.  However, that is what was spouted by Greg Floyd last night when he told us that the Riggi’s will have their own  Reality series on the E Channel named Palacio de Riggi, I kid you not.   The things that make the Riggi’s famous is their house, the fact that they have a real English Pub in their palace (you can’t take the waitress out of Michelle from her Cock and Bull waitress days) and the fact that their lawn is heated in the winter so her dogs paws don’t get cold when they practice the doggie ballets they are famous for.  I hope this show won’t be an embarrassment to Saratoga or the Riggi’s like the Kardashian’s do to themselves.

We all know that government costs grow every year, that’s to be expected.  The huge part of the budget increase is payroll, overtime and benefits, which makes up 70% - 75% of the budget.  However, costs could be reduced dramatically if the overtime in the Police and Fire departments didn’t have to be offered by seniority.  Nothing against our Police or Fire Departments, they do a great job, however a starting officer’s pay is what $32,000.00 or so?  These officers should be given 1^st crack at overtime not the $80,000.00 - $90,000.00 ones on that level of pay scale.  Senior officer’s work quite a bit in their last 3 years to boost their retirement checks, but it costs the City more every year.  If this is a contractual issue and the union won’t give it up, the City should perform the Reagan nuclear decision like he did with the air controllers. Let all the Police officers go and contract with the Sherriff’s Dept. to cover the City until such time that the force is back to full strength.  The process will not be a drawn out affair and I’m sure that the deal would be completed in a matter of weeks.  The City could even hire out of work officers to work along with the Sherriff’s department.

The main thrust isn’t that the departments are not doing their jobs; it is because the cost of overtime is killing us and because overtime is based on seniority.

"THE PEEPER" IS RUNNING

Well, we would say its official; Dick ‘Peeper’ Wirth is running for Commissioner of Public Safety.  Tuesday night’s Council meeting was graced with his presence which indicates that when a name of a person is floating out there about running for office and they start showing up at Council meetings, they are running.

One of the most amazing things about Wirth’s appearance was when he spoke at the microphone and gave his approval regarding the cameras to be put up downtown.  The amazing part you may ask?  Wirth said more during that stretch at the microphone than he did in the 2 years he was Commissioner, he did start the head bobble but caught himself.  I didn’t even think he could string that many words together.  We also love the picture in this morning’s newspaper of Al Callucci looking longingly at Wirth up at the microphone.

There is interest in a hotel being erected at the former Weathervane fish restaurant.  Brad Birge did his routine about Planning Boards, Design Review Board etc.  I have a word of advice to the person who wants to put the hotel up, hire Bonacio Construction and you will be able to break ground this May and will have a completed Hotel by summer of 2014, end of story.

Had some friends come up from down State over the weekend and unfortunately had to park in the Woodlawn Ave. parking garage, how soon that became a slum.  We had to park on the 2^nd level which is no problem, when we noticed the elevator was out of order; we then walked down the stairs, all of them littered with cigarette butts, paper, Trojan wrappers and dirt.  The first landing we hit, we noticed that someone relieved themselves and left everything there but the toilet paper, it also looked like that corner of the wall was being used as a urinal, the same down at the next landing.  Hellooooooo, is anyone taking care of this garage???  I thought this was under the jurisdiction of DPW.  I wonder if the Commissioner or his Deputy or any Commissioner (Mayor included) or their Deputies ever park there?  Please get word to Commissioner Scirocco, he hasn’t returned 3 calls from Justice League members, so I don’t know how many people have complained.  I have an idea for the Commissioner, take some of the water we are selling Wilton, start at the top of the Parking Garage and hose the darn thing out, please.  This is a very bad impression to leave for visitors or shoppers of our once pristine City.

HANGING OUT AT THE WATER COOLER

I was talking with some members of the Justice League at the water cooler and heard some interesting news.  It seems that The Republicans have set in stone another block to run on their ticket making it 4/5 complete.  Along with Ivins, Scirocco, A. Jarosh is the newest retread R. Wirth.  Wirth as you heard was not going to be supported by the Party but a combination of events changed Harper’s mind.

a. They (Republicans) can’t get anyone else to run.  They are even brokering deals for someone to run for Mayor.

b. Like the other 3 named above, Wirth gave in and swore allegiance to Chairman Dave Harper’ edict, that if any Republican candidate wins election, they MUST hire Shauna Sutton as their Deputy to give her the necessary 2 years for lifetime benefits.

Since it looks like the Democrats on the Council will retain their seats and the fact that Yepsen is almost unbeatable (however, you never know, she still has to work hard), b. above would include Commissioner Scirocco.  If Deputy Cogan hasn’t taken the hint by now, a piece of advice, be prepared pack your bags and get a swift kick out the door.

The only other post except for Mayor, on the Republican side are the 2 Supervisor seats that will be on the ballot.  It’s a sure bet that Matt Veitch will run and win.  It is not clear however who the other Republican will be or if indeed there will be one.  The picture is also unclear who the Dem’s have, if anyone yet.  If 4 run, the top 2 with the most votes get the nod.

Scirocco will need some big help this year if the Democrats have a credible candidate to run against him.  For starters, we hear that Shauna Big Bear will be tapped to run his campaign.  If she runs his campaign like she did Johnson’s last time (so negative it even turned a big number of Republicans off) he’ll have a big nut on his hands.  The water deal with Wilton will only be getting worse this year and with so much more to come out, the Democrats can’t let him slide anymore, it could be a big water fight.

Someone in the know also let it slip that whoever gets the nod for Mayor on the Republican ticket won’t have Johnson’s personal wealth to use for the campaign, so the Riggi’s will be hosting a $500.00 per plate dinner ala Mike Lenz later this summer.  The event will be held at, surprise, The Palicio de Riggi.  The Green Hornet also heard that for entertainment, Mrs. Riggi will have her 38? Pomeranian canines, dance to ‘Swan Lake’, bring your Kleenex; Michelle won’t be able to stop blubbering, Gee, when the dogs did a Sammy Davis routine last summer, she passed out from all the excitement.

Just one other piece of information,  longtime Saratogian’s say that the Old Boy’s Network is dead in Saratoga and they are giving way to a younger, kinder type of politics. Ha, I say, Ha. 

• Walk by Tom Roohan’s Realty Building, there is construction going on and guess what, like the Mayor and the Parking Garage, Roohan has no visible Building Permit.
• Walk by Adirondack Trust on Broadway – The street sign doesn’t name the street – the street sign says ATM -----à.  I guess that means any business can remove the street signs, put their name on it with a pointer and whistle a happy tune.

Until next time, same bat Time, same bat Blog.

COMPROMISE

When things work out, you have to give credit where credit is due.

Your Captain was at the beginning of the Council meeting tonight and it was good news that a compromise was reached regarding the Comprehensive Plan Committee.  The Council led by Commissioner Franck had said from the beginning that the Council needed more input and as past CPC’s showed this to be the way it was done.

The Mayor to his credit did indeed drop people from his Committee and each of the 4 Commissioners appointed 2 of their own picks that were added to the Committee.  It was with great pleasure that one of the Mayor's drops was Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation Executive Director Samantha Bosshart.  That one almost feels like a demolition.

I know this result pleases me and it should also please the citizen’s that were opposed to the first Committee, now if you don’t like the choices, call the Council.