THE UNDERBELLY OF SARATOGA

There are certainly more positive things about Saratoga Springs than negative. It's picturesque beauty is second to none in the Capital District. However, there are issues that need to be attended to and resolved before they further spiral out of control.

In a previous post I wrote about the homeless epidemic we have here in the city that our leaders seem to not have a handle on. The other related issue to that is the heroin epidemic that is taking our storybook city by storm. The lack of affordable housing and lack of decent paying jobs are another critical issue that continue to plague the city.

Our city is generous in a variety of ways; from the soup kitchen across the street from the Batchelor Mansion and the various food pantries are certainly helpful but is it effective in the bigger scheme of things? I'm not sure what the point is if a city will provide you food but not adequate jobs or affordable housing. The ones who have become homeless have the added burden of moving in and out of various local motels like the Community Court, the Gateway and the dreaded Brentwood paid for by DSS aka you and me the taxpayer. The Brentwood and Gateway are dumps for those who live there but they are especially lucrative for those who own them. Afterall, poverty has always been big business in America, just not for those experiencing it.

Jefferson and Vanderbilt Terrace, which hasn't been a bad neighborhood since the 1980's has had an uptick of crime as of late. Drug raids and all night parties have become the norm over the past six months which is ironic since they just got rid of the mini-police station over there ostensibly because it wasn't needed.

What are our city leaders doing about this issue? What should become of Jefferson and Vanderbilt Terrace? Is it time to send it elsewhere? Certainly this area sits on a prime piece of real estate that could be better used for people that are contributing financially to the community, something it clearly isn't doing now. I have no issue with single mother's who are just trying to live and work three jobs but clearly this isn't the current demographic in this neighborhood. Just take a look at some of the cars over there. If they can afford expensive cars how is it that they qualify for low-income housing?

We need to think about where we want this city to be in five years and even ten years. Do we want our city to be comprised of extremely wealthy people and those who are living lives of abject poverty who are at the mercy of the ruling classes? That doesn't like a very nice place to live to me but that's just my humble opinion. What is your opinion and more importantly are your solutions?

ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT JUSTIFIED

The Accounts Office – Commissioner John Franck, Deputy Commissioner Sharon Kellner-Chille and Tony Popolizio and anyone else Mary Zlotnick had accused of using their positions to cheat taxpayers out of money have been vindicated and now she can be terminated.  Mary has had it good these last 4 months. While not working she received full salary with benefits.

She is now living in Albany with a mystery man, reportedly the former Pinnacle HR person who had worked for the City.  She has been earning extra income it is said by leasing her assets (her house) in Saratoga Springs.

Zlotnick’s insistence of an open public hearing in front of  officer Christopher Nicolino, who oversaw the five days of witness testimony and weighed arguments on both sides of the case, found the city proved three of the five counts of insubordination they filed against Zlotnick Sept. 13.
Zlotnick went to the media with accusations of corruption in the city’s Accounts Department, where she worked as a clerk to Assistant City Assessor Tony Popolizio.  She “exhibited a willingness to be intentionally untruthful” during a disciplinary hearing on Aug. 25; and how she contacted the media “to spread untruthful allegations of misconduct” against Popolizio.
Zlotnick will be hard pressed to file a civil suit against the City as some say she will.  Testimony given against and by her have proven that she didn’t understand the Accounts office practices and it looks like she had started from day 1 to begin a witch hunt against her superiors.  Many wonder if she could even have been a plant by the Mayor or Deputy Mayor, but there are no hard facts of this, just inside scuttlebutt.  However, think about this, the Democrats have a majority this term, the Mayor is lost, and he looks like he is a deer in the headlights at the Council table.  The Mayor looks like he is a nervous wreck and has been complaining that he can’t get his way and is red as a beet 99% of the time.  The coloring could be because of high blood pressure or worse yet, dates with a Russian liquid.  It makes one wonder.  The damage to Franck and his office have been as bad as it could get.  I wouldn’t be surprised if a civil suit were filed against Ms. Zlotnick by the three, and if she is smart, take some heat off her and bring out those who put her up to this if anyone.

 Her accusations were cloudy from the beginning.  She contacted City Police and State officials before talking to her superiors, and then she went on the radio, newspaper and TV circuit to drum up support and portray herself as an innocent lamb looking to draw out self serving attention about her alleged scheme.  She has had her 15 minutes of fame and hopefully will ride into the sunset down in Albany.


 down in Albany.

IT’S JUST TOO MUCH JOHNSON AROUND

You would think with all that is happening in Saratoga there would be other stories to be read and concerned about besides the Saratogian and Scott Johnson.  However, these two entities leave themselves hanging out there so much, that they monopolize the news and the two are joined at the hip.

Why do I think that these two, the Saratogian and Johnson are Siamese twins, because The Saratogian is a tool of Johnson’s and Johnson is a tool of the Saratogian.

Let’s start with the Saratogian.  Over the last 20 years the newspaper has been calling for a change in the form of government, a change mind you not a revision.  In 2006  when a strong mayor form was proposed, they said not to vote for it, then again in 2012 when a manager/Council form was proposed, they again said don’t vote for it.  One may ask, what form would they back, a King Johnson form?

The Saratogian never questioned why the Mayor spent over $100,000.00 fighting against putting the Proposal on the ballot or why after 4 years and countless times the Mini-me stated he would appoint a Commission, which he should have done anyway 4 years ago but was content in spending our money.  This sound like the newspaper is playing politics and cannot offend its own advertisers, some who voiced negative comments about changing, thereby endorsing some form of change itself.  It’s no wonder it looks like they will cease to exist in a few years.  They try too hard to please a Mayor’s & big business rather than be true to reporting the news ad back their own long time call for change.  Oh well, the Mayor’s businesses do spend quite a sum on advertising.

Next we bring up the dreaded BEDBUG CAPER.  The good thing that came out of this issue was the insane salary of its Director.  However, again, Johnson appointed or re-appointed the entire HA Board.  Every year Johnson failed to have the Chairman of the Board come before his Council with the proposed salary increases, then backs away from all the problems that the Council is trying to get to the bottom of.  Now the game begins for Johnson, he doesn’t re-appoint the former Chairman and it is rumored that after begging people to take a seat on the Board with no takers, puts Ken Ivins, a former political puppet of Johnson’s and Al Callucci, [no one in the City can figure this appointment out], although Callucci and Ivins along with an out of town blogger seem to be the front men for Johnson’s odd actions by their own instability.

Does the Saratogian go after Johnson for dereliction of duty by ignoring the yearly reports from the HA along with bugging out of sight when things heat up?  That would the Publisher and Editor in a bad light with Johnson and his Deputy the infamous Hound.  So they give him a pass.

The Mayor it is rumored, told the managing editor of the Saratogian to print a piece regarding the goings on at the Housing Authority and also put a piece written by Ken Ivins to be in the paper on the same day.  Ivins mentioned that the Mayor appointed himself and Callucci to the Board to bring sanity to the Board of Directors.  That is like putting Wimpy to work at McDonalds.

Again, here is another example of the newspaper being used as a tool of Johnson’s.

In the office of the Justice League, the saying is Holy Cow, Batman, it looks like the Saratogian is playing with their Johnson (the Mayor, silly).

The next item is that an idea that was put forth 6 years ago by a previous administration of revamping the parking lot across the street from the Police Station and using it for the City and the City Center.  This proposal was shot down by big business as too costly, now the City Center proposes to do a somewhat similar plan for $9 million dollars that the Mayor said “will not cost the taxpayers a penny”.  The loss of what the City receives yearly from the City Center, who has to pay off the debt, will affect the taxpayers.  More voodoo economics by the Mayor.

Last but not the end, in Monday (26^th) edition of the Saratogian, the business reporter gives a report about one of the Mayor’s restaurants i.e. Sperry’s and their plans for New Years Eve and that they are now taking reservations.  I hope the Saratogian does an article on all of the restaurants that are taking reservations for New Year’s Eve and what special things they have planned.  However, I don’t think that Michael F. O’Sullivan (Publisher) or Barb Lombardo (Managing Editor) would give away that much free advertising.  

Now, some will say, all I do is pick on the Mayor, but we like to get you info of this kind.  We promise not to make every story about Johnson, but will add those about our potentate when necessary.

ANOTHER AWARD

Well citizens, Saratoga Springs has won another distinguished award.  A well known sports magazine has listed our Broadway as one of the top 10 main streets that geese love to fly over, on the way South.  The Mayor is so happy that he gets a Golden Goose to put on his showcase in his office, the Golden Goose Award will be placed in between his 2 bottles of Grey Goose.

Speaking of the Mayor, word out of City Hall is that after he empanels his 15 member Commission to tweak the current Charter, Johnson will order them to insert 4 year terms for Mayor and Commissioners and stronger powers for the Mayor’s position.  It looks like he wants to be sure he has a longer period of time to be away from his wife, who by the way is a very nice person, and give poor destitute cemetery caretaker Shauna some extra dough.  Remember another 4 years for these 2 means life insurance for as long as they live, paid for by us.

It will also be interesting to see how the SUCCESS group deals with 4 year terms that one of their members (Mayor Johnson) will tout.  We will see if the Sellers, Klotz’s, Weihe’s, Masie, The Saratogian,Wait, Roohan’s, former Mayors Lenz, Watkin, O’Connell, and current DA Jim Murphy.  Remember they all complained endlessly that this was a very strong point that “you can get rid of the bums after 2 years”.

I want to address a sad case.  A local blogger who never had any scruples to start with and who lives off of the taxpayers and what money he can get from a few supporters, has gone to a new lower level.  No he hasn’t moved downstairs.  He used to be involved in a group of break – away Democrats and attended their meetings at Mama Mia’s every month.  However, since last year, they told him to STAY AWAY.  They do not want him around and he has added them to his vulgar and idiotic blog.  His blog is followed by a handful of readers and sadly he posts many responses himself.  It is very sad to see him try and operate as a reporter the thinks he is.  He is truly a pathetic individual.

On a lighter note, Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away.  I hope everyone has family or friends to gather and enjoy the day with.  If you do, why not consider donating some stuffing mix, canned vegetables, potatoes, a jar of gravy or cranberry sauce to a local food pantry so a family in need can have a taste of the Holiday.

Thanks

MESSAGE FROM THE SARATOGIAN 20 YEARS AND STILL NO GO!

Monday, October 22, 2012

MESSAGE FROM THE SARATOGIAN 20 YEARS AND STILL NO GO!

I have been bombarded by posters and facebook friends that have posted it for their friends and have been getting messages from Saratoga Citizen to print an editorial from the 90's that the Saratogian wrote regarding changing the form of government.  So here it is.

 The Saratogian, November 1991 Editorial "Time to Trade In Antique Form of Government"

"The faces may change from election to election, but the City Council will remain an unwieldy, five-headed monster until the form of government is changed.
Saratoga Springs is a city rich in history, but the commission form of government is a tradition whose time has come and gone.
The form has all but disappeared from city governments. Yet Saratoga Springs hangs on to the commission form, the same one in place when the city was chartered in 1915. It’s like hanging on to a Model T – and still trying to drive it.
It’s time for a trade-in.
The problem with the commission government is not its age, but its set-up.
 The City Council comprises five council members, each of whom is in charge of one of the city’s five departments. A council member cannot simply be a legislator. A council member must also be responsible for a specific department; finance, accounts, public safety or public works. The only lone ranger is the mayor, although the engineering department is under the auspices of the mayor’s office.
 The four council members who are responsible for a department get to hire their own deputy commissioner, which is a full-time administrator, to run the office. The deputy commissioner therefore serves at the whim of the one council member responsible for that department.
 No one is in charge. "Mayor" sounds important, but don’t be fooled. The Mayor of Saratoga Springs has no more power than any of the other four heads of the council monster. One head, one vote. That sounds fair, but it makes for ineffective government.
Think of your workplace with no one in charge. The supervisors are left to work things out with one another. As the "Dilbert" cartoon character has pointed out, if one department needs the cooperation of another on some matter, but the matter is not one of the other’s top 1,000 priorities, it won’t get done. At least not right away.
The only hint of accountability comes every two years at election time, when council members can take credit for what got done and blame colleagues for what got stymied.
Over the years, the volunteers and the private sector in Saratoga Springs have done more to enhance the city than has the City Council. The form of government is in part to blame.
Instead of a city run by five disparate departments, one person – be it a manager, administrator, or mayor – should be overseeing the government.
Changing the form of government should be a priority in the coming term. Mayor A.C. Dake – who is unopposed this term – has said she would pursue charter revision. She should hold fast to that commitment to bring Saratoga Springs into the 20th century, before the 21st rolls around."

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