I CAN TALK TOO!

Hello Bat fans.  The run for the money has started in earnest.  Looks like Sutton will have her (2) $500.00 per plate dinner fundraisers compliments of Scott Johnson and reportedly by residents of Palacio de Riggi.  The Mayor didn’t need the fundraisers as past Republicans did but Sutton’s lack of funds needed to win (about $75,000.00) will be made up by the fundraisers and by Johnson and his out of town attorney groups.

The NYS Funeral Association convention is being held this week in Saratoga and the guest speaker will be none other than our very own Mayor Scott Johnson, it seems that a group of happy funeral home directors were walking downtown one night and passed by Mayor Johnson as he came out of Sperry’s and thought he looked like someone from the Walking Dead, so they just had to have him on the agenda to see if he indeed talks.

The Police of Saratoga Springs, handicapped by former Commissioner Wirth’s layoffs are doing an incredible job in keeping the City in fine shape, is Saratoga Springs without crime?, No.  Take a look at national averages though and our crime rates are on the low side of cities throughout the country. 

According to the Saratogian:

“Saratoga Springs does have more arrests from reported burglaries than the national average.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation collects crime data from thousands of police agencies across the country, including Saratoga Springs. The national clearance rate for burglaries is 12.7 percent, which is the percentage of arrests made from reported burglaries. The city’s clearance rate for the last decade is 16.4 percent.”

 I would call that pretty good;  as for those of you who want instant up to the minute information on what the Police are up to, one word of advice would be to join the force, why is it that in today’s world we have to know everything that is going on as it happens?

The capital budget has been set and it seems that the Mayor and his aide Shauna Sutton have told residents on the Eastern Plateau that EMS and Fire protection should not be a priority for them.  Something has to be done and if it takes a change of leadership in the Mayor’s chair to do it then the Eastern Plateau residents should tuck this info in their mind for Election Day.

City Deputy Public Works Commissioner Tim Cogan said there are intake valves at the water plant that date back to 1871 and need to be replaced.  Please, if you could wait just 8 more years, we could have another year of Saratoga 150 festivities for those intake valves.

Remember that the primary’s are coming up soon and it should be a gauge on what the election will bring, so stay tuned and please attend one of those $500.00 a plate fundraisers, I know I will.

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.