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.

TIS’ THE SEASON-LET THE GAMES BEGIN

This year we will have a new DPS Commissioner, sadly only one has any law enforcement experience.  I guess this is what’s wrong with our government, a person that has no experience has the legislative side of the job along with running,  budgeting for the department and then voting to pass the budget.

Take DPW, another shining example of someone who is not qualified to run DPW and if you look around the City you can tell that this Commissioner has no clue about the job and it is scary that he runs the department and legislate (well at least he doesn’t do the budget for his department, he lets Madigan do it for him so he doesn’t look like a complete dolt).  The question I would like to know is will the Democrats run anyone against him?  The person they run doesn’t have to know a thing about DPW as long as he wasn’t a dog catcher.  He or she should be a native Saratogian and have a lot of friends and be likable.  This seems to be the job description.

I cannot see Mark Baker winning an election, to run for office to get the ‘Baker Garage’ built isn’t a good reason to run and if people think Yepsen should be removed from office for the Hospital issue then Scirocco should be removed for all the side deals he has done.  Baker as of now doesn’t even live in the City, he does own a house here and is trying to get rid of his tenants so he can move back into town.

The other decision that will have to be made by the rag tag Republican Committee and the Skipster is, ‘do they run someone against Madigan’?  Remember 2 years ago Skip promised to work against Republican candidates if they ran the qualified person that wanted the Republican slot, will they cave into Scirocco’s demands this year?

The Commissioner of Accounts now in office is probably the only candidate that can’t be beat.  He’ll only be out of office when he decides he wants out of politics.

The Charter vote will be interesting because there is so much good information out there people should be able to read the documents and understand what change will mean, this is why people were crying not to have a May vote but wait until November to become ‘educated’ about the process.  However, the ones that were yelling the most didn’t want these next 7 months to become ‘educated’ they only wanted to have time to make up more insane stories based not on fear not on facts.

The gang of Remiga 'who needs ya' Foy, Bonnie and Dick Sellers, Carol Joyce, Jane We or Wie and her husband John Kaufman and the rest of the sorry bunch have no real factual argument against change other than they want to live in the past.  I wonder if they still use a rotary phone, they still work, do they still use a horse and buggy?  They will still get you to where you want to go, by the way, I did see Remiga going by Uncommon Grounds in a buggy.  There is no problem if you are against changing this form of government but after reading the draft Charter and looking at the financials you should have questions and then base an opinion on facts.  The crazy adage ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ doesn’t even make sense because we would still be using months of searching for one piece of information instead of using a computer.

Also, if as they say, look at our City it is the envy of the country.  There are a few things wrong with this statement, if this form of government is so good (1) why did it take 60 years to be ‘the envy’ of the country as a City?  Saratoga Springs while a nice town and mobsters ran most of the casino’s and the 50’s through the 70’s you could shoot a canon down Broadway and not hit anyone except in August.  Saratoga was “The August place to be”, remember?  The year round place to be didn’t happen until the late 70’s onward. (2) If the Commission form of government is so good and is what built up Saratoga Springs to what it is today why isn’t every City using it to transform themselves to a Saratoga like city?  We need to move on, but use facts not fear, granted this City may have been fine using the Commission form in the 20’ & 30’s but government has changed and can we really have a dog catcher or librarian running very complicated departments going into the future or professionals who can get the most out of what we have and can get? However, I have to say honestly those who held Commissioner seats had the City’s well being in mind when they  served but the days of running a complex ‘business’ with people who don’t understand the complex situations of today and have to hire outside professionals and a very large amount of money should stop.  

Now, did you really want 6 months to understand the differences between the current form and the possible new form or did you just want to use the 6 months for fear and confusion tactics?

I get my information from watching the committee meetings and interviews with past and current City Officials and a poll that 80% of City Hall employees see the Commission form dysfunctional and not getting much done as far as business goes because of the 5 separate departments, that is the first place to get ‘educated’.

SKIP, THE THEATER DISTRICT BALLERINA

After many years of the citizens of Saratoga trying to tell the Council that they wanted a multi-use Parking Garage that would bring in million's to the City every year the Council of Doom (Madigan, Matheisen & Scirocco) did not listen and went ahead with the Mark Baker Garage which pays the City $50,000.00 per year.  This new move of creating a Theater District in the unused area of the lot is designed only to see that the City Center pay’s its debt down as there was no way it can do so now (it has an annual deficit, and the bedroom tax it relies on is dwindling) and Baker's figures changed faster that Skip could say huh?

Now it is to be believed that Skippy the Wonder Boy after years of not making any sense at meetings or with contract workers or developers, save for one, comes up with a grandiose design (shown in Sunday's Saratogian) and we are led to believe that this 'District' was conceived by him.

I read the article which took most of the morning because I just couldn't stop laughing at his quotes.  The one that stood out to me was the reasoning for this Theater District.  Skip is a closet theater lover “I like theater, but I don’t go very often,” he said. “Mostly I’ve seen high school plays. I’ve never actually been to a Broadway show. So this plan is just something I think would be good for the city. It’s not because I have a personal theatrical agenda.” why this alone could make him a large lover of the theater.  I have to tell you, if this was the Skipper’s idea, he has been wasting his life; he should have been a planner for the City rather than chasing dogs.

I will dare say another thought crossed my mind, guess who will be building this Theater District?  I’ll bet that it will be Sonny Bonaccio, after all he had one of his top men on the Citizen’s Committee that brought back their ideas on the RFP’s why the multi-use garage wouldn’t work and he was appointed by non-other than Skip’s femme fatale Michele Madigan, so the saying Follow The Money still has merit.

Scirocco was quoted “We want this to be new, innovative and modern,” Scirocco said. “But we want to keep the historic connection, too. The city is so well-suited to this idea, being a community of the arts.”  Yep!  This is right next to a generic, concrete & brick ugly parking garage.  He also stated “Some benefits of a High Rock theater district would include extending Broadway show business from New York City north to Saratoga Springs; providing a year-’round economic powerhouse; offering high-quality space in which local and out-of-town troupes can perform”  I am almost sure that if ‘What’s New Pussycat’ is playing in this theater there will be busloads coming to Saratoga from NYC, ’What is Marcia from SPAC going to think about this competition?  Wasn’t one of the big reasons she objected to the Racino’s small facility was because it would give SPAC (a 4 month venue) competition?  If competition is good for business, has the Skipster changed his mind about the convention building at the Racino?  Will he now support this venue because it will bring in more small conventions and music groups, helping the City’s pocket book and again he said competition is good?

I think the next logical move would be for the Siamese majority of Madigin, Matheisen & Scirocco to build a facility on the Farmer’s Market land and construct a building that could house the National Dog Pageants typically shown on the USA network, heck we already have Miss Pekinese living on North Broadway, the Miss Capital District Pageants and all sorts of other things to use the parking garage and make some more historical moments for Saratoga. 

We better watch out, Skippy is thinking outside the box, if it really is him and not the Art District we are in big trouble. 

3 RATS RUNNING THE SHIP

Watching the Council meeting tonight makes one thing perfectly clear, Madigan, Scirocco & Matheisen are the looniest bunch of people in the City.  The fact that they are on our City Council makes those who voted for them even loonier.  The fact that they are supposed to be representing the citizens is embarrassing.  The fact that months ago it was reported by a Capital District newscaster that Madigan had her three votes to pass Baker's parking garage proved to be true even after she herself yelled that 'this is a lie' no one knows how anyone is voting.  Madigan, Scirocco & Matheisen can be seen laughing at the Mayor & Franck as the say they are representing we the citizens, it seems like they are the only two who are doing so.  Having a dentist, dog catcher and wine consumer make a decision like this is again an embarrassment.  The City Center will likely not be able to pay it's debt service or the City's share of $50,000.00 per month.  Remember that if the property was a multi use facility the amount the City would get using modest figures was $2 million per year and would employee local people, something that these three are against.

This is what happens when two henpecked men are led by a delirious woman who's greatest feat is sipping red water at Council meetings and by the way Madigan swore that the news of having the votes to approve Baker's garage were false, well she thanked them after the vote for standing behind her for 2 years.  Wait:  That's why you couldn't see the boys, they were standing behind her.  I saw Madigan the other day walking in front of Scirocco & Matheisen with a pinkie in each of their noses leading them into her office.  Imagine how many illegal meetings the 3 had to iron this one out.

Let's see if Franck's information is correct, the lease is set at .82 cents per sq. ft.  Where in Saratoga can you get a price like that?  Why only if the 3 Amigos are selling something.

  

THE DUMB BUNNIES

Some think I haven’t written because I am licking my wounds over the last election, nothing could be further from the truth.  After the election “You Asked For IT You Got IT” said it all.  It’s not that I don’t see what is going on here in Saratoga, it’s just I don’t care anymore.

Saratoga Springs has one of the lowest voter turnouts in the State.  Most of the so called” Native Saratogians” could care less about what is happening in their own City.  Let’s look at a few items.

The biggest political beach ball since the Casino is the City Center parking puke of a garage.  Now we won’t say who has her head up the wazoo of Mark Baker but I’ll give you a clue, she sits to the right of the Mayor.

This woman should have a blood alcohol test before entering the Council Chambers.  She not only looks buzzed at the table but totally disregards citizen rights.  I watched in horror yes horror, oh, the humanity, the meeting on 3/15  as the public hearing for the lease took place.  I even had to go back and watch the dialogue of the hearing again, Madigan had berated a citizen because she (the citizen) wanted to talk about finances and here was where the fun began for everybody except the lady at the mic.  Madigan went off yelling her that she was not to speak of finances (this was part of the lease) and Madigan also screamed ‘it is my public hearing and I’ll run it my way’, clearly she hasn’t seen the light of day between the vino and the wazoos, but it was doubly disgusting that an elected official would treat a citizen in such a way, she is publicly, an embarrassment as representative of the City.  Many of Madigan’s friends and owners of Broadway businesses paraded to the Mic decrying the benefits of a multi-use concept.  Ms. Sellers would be likely to say, ‘burn the non-conformers and all non-Native Saratogians’. 

We must look at the view of the DBA (Downtown Business Assoc.) and Chamber of Commerce as one of chicken crap.  These entities do not want anyone shopping off Broadway, period, whether it helps the economy, creates jobs or any businesses benefitting due to off Broadway business.  The DBA & Chamber should give free memberships to those businesses off Broadway or the City should take away their higher tax rate.  Today, it looks like the vote for the City Center to get its way may be a reality (thanks to wobbly Madigan & the wide eyed Scirocco, everyone is saying that Matheisen is the wild card and is still evaluating which I sincerely hope he is doing.  Commissioner, it is not a law that you have to vote with Madigan & Scirocco, keep an open mind and make the right decision to go into the RFP’s a little more (selfish me).  Also worth noting, Madigan’s appointment to the High Rock Park Technical Review Committee was none other than Larry Novick (a Bonaccio front man, Scirocco’s pick, Rod Sutton and Tom Roohan from the City Center plus the other picks.  Novick, Sutton and Roohan have nothing in common, right?  

You know you are in trouble as a citizen when a majority (hopefully not) would settle for $50,000.00 per year when with a multi-use garage you could have a business 1^st floor that could generate about $2 million dollars a year, create new jobs and tie Broadway into the High Rock area, now that is great leadership from a Council, again check the blood alcohol level.

The Skipster, what to say about him?  The citizens should chip in and purchase a new pair of glasses for him, it looks like he can’t read or see what goes on around him.  If you were at or watched the Council meeting from March 1^st Mark Lawton (a man who knows and can interpret the Charter) informed Skip that he was not following the Charter because he should be presenting his water & sewer plan at budget time instead of in March.  Scirocco admitted he didn’t know this and then corrected himself with a shaky excuse.  This is scary because by not knowing your Constitution (Charter) you are bound to fail.  

Wait, according to Skip, if you go against the Charter just change it to suit your needs.  Point in case, Donna Buckley, Deputy Commissioner and puppet master of Skip hires a Director of Public Works then fires him when a Veitch family member wants the job, only he can’t pass the exam.  So what does Donna & Skip do?  Why create a new position of Business Manager.  Who was taking care of business for the Department all these years?  Now that we have a Business Manager the department’s employees whose duties are going to this new position should have their salaries reduced.  Skip, you’re a nice guy I guess but you are way out of your league in your position as Commissioner as you were as Animal Control Officer (PC for Dog Catcher).

This is what happens when apathy sets in at election time.  Most people don’t care enough about what goes on in their City but boy can they complain about everything and a case of electing the good old boy’s choices (yes it still runs rampant in Saratoga, although the old guard are dropping away quietly)

MARK BAKER FIRST YOU DO - THEN YOU DON’T

First Mark Baker the head of the City Center wanted the City to be Lead Agency for the Racino expansion project. The expansion project is a force of evil for Baker and the City Center Board and now he does not want the City to be Lead Agency but wants the City Center to have that designation.  I guess Baker wants to decide who does what in Saratoga.   The big piece of information Baker has not let out of the bag is ‘how many conventions and conferences Saratoga turns away every year that the City will now be able to host with the proposed Event Center.  The City is becoming home to more and more hotels and the City Center is probably near its maximum rental capacity as Baker points out in his annual reports to the Council that convention days are increasing to the limit.

Baker is one of the highest paid City employees and the next bit of news may earn him the top spot on the list.  Have you noticed that the parking garage the City Center is proposing is slated to start construction in September?  I think that since the time between now and Labor Day is so crazy in Saratoga and many of the citizens who live here are either on vacation or have rented their houses or just can’t get downtown, it is a stretch to have all the preliminary work plus the open public comment periods during this time.  However, the information spinning out of City Hall and the Convention Center is that if Baker gets the parking garage rushed through and gets started in September he gets a nice fat bonus and a raise in salary, could that be why Mayor Yepsen wants a few more Director’s on the Board?  Maybe the current Board caves in to easily.

The new racing poles downtown look good, I wish they would get rid of the ballet butts though and get the horses out but we can’t have everything.  I was walking downtown the other day with some friends and we were crossing Broadway from the Downtowner side when we noticed the grass on the corner under the sign was high up and touching the bottom of the sign.  Hey  its tourist season, tidy up Broadway.  There also have been many complaints to DPW about the state of the Woodlawn Ave. Parking garage.  The place stinks and the residents do just about everything in there except take a bath.  Skip, it should be cleaned once a week.  Get Petunia over there to clean it when her crew is done watering the flowers.

Last time we told you about Marilyn Rivers letting the Marion Ave. garage park it’s vehicles on City property and what her reasoning is in allowing this to go on.  Well after an email to her the practice is still going on, so if an accident happens over there shouldn’t Ms. Rivers be personally liable?  Also, we spoke of the eyesore that serves as a storage facility for DPW on the same lot and it is still in bad shape.  Skip, can’t you have someone with a weed whacker like Tim get out there and trim around the building and lop down the scrub trees hugging the building?

CHAPTER 2

Well, Chapter 2 regarding the Casino/Raceway scuffle has gone to the proponents of an expansion at their property.  Round 1 went to SAVE Saratoga with a no vote from the Council as far as a casino coming to Saratoga.  I still think that Saratoga will get a casino because if one is located in E. Greenbush or Albany it will be a set back for businesses and dining establishments in and around our City and I don’t just mean Broadway.

The article hit the newspaper last Friday morning regarding the City’s status in what involvement they have in the project, Saratoga Springs was listed as an involved agency, meaning they had discretionary approval of the plans and now is a City which has none because any changes goes through the  State’s Office of General Services..  The demand from the Mayor a week earlier of ‘they (Racino) HAVE to go through the City’s Land Use Boards to I hope they will go through the Land Use Boards, sorry Mayor, I don’t think they will play ball with you on this one since you shafted them on the issue already.

I feel we need another convention center and it will fit in nicely with what we have now instead of chasing business to Albany as Mark Baker has done in the past when his City Center is booked.

It is interesting reading the comments that are written by citizens at the bottom of the article printed on the free online version of the Saratogian.  It seems the SAVE group sometimes referred by commentators as Saratogian’s Against Virtually Everything have become quite loud and nasty in their posts.  Water is an issue at the Racino with them now tapping into the County water supply, so the Councils past actions have hurt the City in this respect also. 

Talking about City water, DPW is installing 2 new water lines on Gridley & Crescent.  The project is $90,000.00 just for parts alone; labor cost information is being withheld according to sources.  These 2 water lines benefit the flat track and the City is picking up the tab.  By the way, the track gets plenty of water now but 2 years of a chlorine problem where the track had to shut down 80% of water usage for days is the reason Skip is installing the lines which is supposed to solve the City’s chlorine problem to water that goes into the track.