THE ANNOUNCEMENT & THE REPUBLICAN’S BIG SPENDING

Bill McTygue has announced his Deputy if he should win the DPW post.  Pat Design, Deputy Commissioner under both former Commissioner Tom McTygue & current Commissioner Skip will be the new Deputy.

For the past 2 weeks I have been getting blasted with Republican political flyers in the mail or on my door knob.  All I can say is that they are either nervous about losing or have some big money to spend (in most cases via big builders).

Although some have good information like Wirth, who we picked to defeat Matheisen for the good of Saratoga Springs, some are just laughable.

One of these jokes came in the mail today ‘A Personal Message from Four Former Mayors’, this was the headline in the return address spot.  I first thought it was restaurant coupons for 4 Guy’s Hamburgers but I opened it and lo and behold it was a letter denouncing Mayor Yepsen (what a surprise) and extolling the former Army man and who now advises homeowners associations. While it doesn’t take a degree in rocket science to run for office (we now have a librarian, dog catcher and dentist among our City’s leaders, I guess an advisor to homeowner associations is ok.  They disparage Yepsen’s accomplishments which are many (more in 2 years than Johnson had in 6) and one profound statement about secrecy ‘too many closed to the public Executive Sessions’.  This statement had to be written by someone that knows nothing about City government because all Executive Sessions are held behind closed doors.  The candidate John Safford extolls his plans if elected, JOHN, Mayor Yepsen has your plans already in operation, get your own.

The letter contains more political dribble but most of it is nonsense.  The letter is signed by 4 former Mayor’s whose terms except Mayor A.C. Riley were a joke.  The other three are Scott ‘red face’ Johnson, Mayor J. Michael ‘smiley’ O’Connell, please don’t get me started about him and Mayor Jim ‘where am I’ Murphy, who’s tenure was 1966-1969 when Saratoga was really rocking (right).    I wonder why they didn’t get one of the good Mayor’s,  Mike Lenz’s signature.

The next piece of paper was a door hanger to vote for Skip Scirocco.  His flyer is even more hysterical:

Fixed longstanding infrastructure problems

Upgraded the City water facility filters (gee, you should have done that anyway)

Fixed neighborhood flooding issues (don’t tell anyone living in Geyser Crest about this, they have been calling you for years about this problem and you ignore the pleas.)

Resolved decades long water capacity resource (this is just an outright joke, the ‘new’ holes he dug would not supply the City with enough water for a day in a drought or any new building.  As a matter of fact he had said he fixed the water supply in the Crest however anyone we talk to has water pressure so low they can pee a stronger stream.

Improved safety at dangerous intersections- where and how?

It gets better:

City Hall – restored the steps and lions (contracted out the work)

Canfield Casino is now handicap accessible (I guess he didn’t see the ramp on the side when he was first elected)

Saratoga Lake – new park & entranceway (the Park was in planning when you were still a dog catcher)

Flowers, leaf pickup & snow removal, accomplished with professionalism under Skip’s leadership.  (Seriously?  All three have deteriorated every year under your leadership.)

You left out one thing – how lousy downtown and the garages look, both have one thing in common, they look dirty.

Just a comment about this race.  A person’s last name should not disqualify them for a shot to win an election, if the person is qualified then he or she should at least be considered.

If your son shoots someone and kills that person does that mean you should be looked upon as those who look at your son?  Each of us is his own person and should be judged on their merits.

It seems in Saratoga, many City dwellers hold a grudge for life.

Please look at the previous post and see who we backed for elected office, and next time you are at Four Mayors order your burger medium with fries. 

SCIROCCO THROWING THE CITY UNDER THE BUS?

Is Skip Scirocco throwing Saratoga Springs and the taxpayers under the bus?  The granting of a million dollar waiver of water hookup fees is and will continue to burden taxpayers with higher water and sewer bills.  Since Scirocco has been in office one of the water charges has risen from $12 to $48 and will continue to escalate until these developers who gained Sirocco’s favor pays the City the money they owe.

The matter of how Scirocco runs the waiver of fees and his lame brain excuses for doing so is now in the hands of the NY State Attorney General’s hands.  The AG’s department was in City Hall weeks ago removing all relevant materials and Scirocco was warned by the AG and in a City Hall memo not to shred or remove any documents that are the property of the City’s.  It is alleged that after this warning Sirocco’s son was seen carrying out a box of materials from his father’s office,  again this was alleged to have been seen by a City Hall employee who has reported the action.

A few Friday’s ago Commissioners Madigan & Mathiesen drove down together to Albany to be interviewed by someone in the AG’s office.  Remember that Madigan last year had said that she audited the ‘supposed’ hookup fee waivers and found nothing wrong but recently has admitted that maybe she didn’t go deep enough in her audit.  This sounds like a great Commissioner of Finance.  Hopefully sometime soon we will find out what happened and why Scirocco gave these waivers when the developers didn’t even pass the 1^st requirement of having to install 12” water mains.

The trio of Madigan, Mathiesen and Scirocco are starting to sound like a bunch of out of control puppets at Council meetings.  Obviously these three have formed an alliance to make the Mayor look bad and they give her a hard time as often as they can.  Commissioner Madigan, thank God you have Christine Gilmet-Brown in your office or you would not be half the successful Commissioner you think you are.

The reason I mention the three Commissioners forming a ban is because since early last year they have decided that 1. They do not like the Mayor and 2. They want to shift any control of the Mayor’s office into their own. 

I was at this past Tuesday’s Council meeting and what a circus it was, well the second circus after the Sustainable Saratoga clan rallied against PUD’s and the desperate need to ban plastic bags in the City.  The group is slowly becoming the minority voice of the majority and we better turn out and speak up or they will get their way on every issue they dream up.  Politicians vote on issues depending on how many people show up and exert pressure at meetings.  Anyway, the second circus was during the Mayor’s portion of the meeting.  Through a technicality 3 Housing Authority Board members seats were deemed vacant by State law because the appointing Commissioner at the time (Mayor Johnson) did not inform the appointees that they had to sign an oath of office form which next to tying your shoes is the easiest thing to do.  So, Mayor Yepsen has the right as every other previous Mayor had, to fill these positions.  Yepsen being the most transparent Mayor in Saratoga’s history now advertises commission & committee seats up for appointment and chooses the appointments from the list, which by the way any citizen of Saratoga Springs can be a part of.  Well, that did not sit right with the 3 Musketeers and they argued why they were not informed of the replacements.  Scirocco went as far as saying he hoped ‘this isn’t a power grab’ and that the Charter should be changed so that all appointments have to be passed by the Council.  Again the asinine thinking of Scirocco even when Johnson made his 11^th hour mass appointments which usually goes to the incoming Mayor, his lips were sealed as they are 99% of the time unless he in stammering at Council meetings.  He was joined at the lip (yes lip) with Scott Johnson for 6 years and as Johnson systematically never reappointed a Democrat to a seat, he filled the seats with friends and Party members and did we ever and I mean ever hear 1 word out of Sirocco’s mouth admonishing Johnson, or Madigan & Mathiesen for that matter?  At the meeting Madigan and Mathiesen uttered the words that they want to be informed on who the Mayor is going to appoint, I say why?  It seems to me that the three horseman of death want to be the ones to grab power and by banding together they feel they will become 3 larger kings of their domains.  Tuesday night’s meeting was one of the most embarrassing meetings for Scirocco, Mathiesen and Madigan that I ever witnessed and by the way the Mayor did reappoint one of the SSHA board members that were removed and he just happened to be a Republican.

A very big circus atmosphere in the old chamber Tuesday night and 3 clowns highlighted the evening.

Next up, a look at the increasing number of working supervisors Scirocco has appointed at inflated salaries and how many DPW workers these new supervisors oversee. 

SCOTT JOHNSON”S BITE IN THE ASS

It looks like former Mayor Scott Johnson’s 11^th hour mass appointments to virtually every City Board is starting to unravel.  The day is December 31, 2013 and Scott Johnson make mass appointments to upcoming vacancies on City Boards and Commissions, thereby taking away the right of the incoming Mayor, Joanne Yepsen to name her own appointments.  The only thing that Johnson didn’t know about was that an appointed person had only 30 days to sign their ‘oath of office’.  The last 3 board members appointed by Johnson to the Housing Authority BOD failed to follow the law and sign the oath and had to be removed from Housing Authority Board of Directors.  The 3 (Ken Ivins, Al Callucci and Lou Schneider could reapply along with any other citizen wishing to serve on the board and had until Friday Nov. 21^st at the close of business to turn in a resume. 

Mayor Yepsen follows not only an announcement of an appointee at a Council meeting but also has that person come to the front of those attending or viewing the meeting, introduces the appointee and has them sign the ‘oath of office’, making it a little ceremony for those that will be serving on City Boards and Commissions.  The Saratogian noted that every Commission & Board member will be reviewed to make sure every member has signed the proper legal document.  The Scott Johnson 11^th hour appointments may be a silver bullet to those appointed just because of his not wanting Yepsen to have any chance for her own appointments.  This is how he ran the Mayor’s office for 6 years and should be one reason his reign gets lost in Saratoga history.

Arthur Einig Saratoga Springs wrote a letter to the editor in the Saratogian last week outing the DPS saying “In short, they extracted $30 from my pocket and put it into theirs. They did it to at least five other people too. There were probably more extractions to others earlier and later in the day and it’s reasonable to imagine that this goes on week after week. It’s a cash cow for the city, so why should they see it as unjust or immoral?”

It started for Mr. Einig on a “bright and sunny September days, I drove my wife, my mother (who just moved here) and my sister-in-law (her first visit to Saratoga) to see and shop at our wonderful farmers’ market at High Rock. The place was packed. Parking was tighter than tight. I let them off and rolled slowly away to find a parking spot. All the spots on both sides of the street were taken, so I turned into the city parking lot by the Mouzon House.”   He goes on to say that when ready to leave he noticed a parking ticket on his windshield. Every car parked on the curve was likewise ticketed. 

 The day of his court appearance he was found guilty and paid “the unjust, unethical ticket (I call it a dirty tricket). The judge allowed me to question the ticket-writing officer, who admitted there was no “No Parking” sign in that area and that the city had no plans to put one up. She also admitted that cars were ticketed in that area often during the summer.”

After paying his ticket he had asked the clerk to have the person in charge to please call him to discuss why there isn’t a parking sign there and if they plan on putting one up and since that day in September he has heard from no one.

The idea that the City would use this area as a money trap and was even backed up by the officer that wrote the ticket doesn’t sound like Saratoga, or does it?  Are we stooping to this level to grab money from Saratogians and visitors alike?  Where the heck are we heading?  Money traps, water hookup fees waived amounting to over 1 million dollars for special developers, City property being used by businesses for private parking.  Welcome to the new Saratoga.

IS SCIROCCO TAKING THE CITY DOWN?

Is Commissioner Scirocco taking the City down with him?  Listening to him at the Council meeting last night, one would think we had a 5^th grader sitting on the Council.  He just couldn’t get it through his head that the DEC cannot issue titles like lead agency.  He was repeatedly told by the City Attorney about this fact and she even read the part of State law that deals with the Racino issue.  Another item his brain couldn’t grasp was that the law also states that any ancillary buildings even if they have no gaming in them (like Vapors) is still under the State Law passed in 2001 in that the City does not have to be consulted as long as the Racino follows all the regulations that the State mandates.  It must be tough for him to try and keep up with what goes on in Saratoga.  We have to remember that when Scirocco was Supervisor he was against the Racino locating in Saratoga and he seems to have carried a lot of hate with him over the years and is bringing it out again.

A funny statement he made was that ‘no one from the Racino ever called him, ever’.  The Mayor then said that she has called them many times and has set up meetings with them and even to discuss items relating to the expansion and was always put through to someone to talk to.  She did give some important advice to Scirocco, “call them”.  I doubt that will ever happen, have you ever tried to speak with Mr. Scirocco?  Call him at City Hall and leave a message to call you back?  Try to email him seeking a short answer regarding any matter, good luck.  Many people I know have left 10 to 15 phone messages and at least as many emails with not so much as a peep back from him.  I think the reason these people called and emailed so much was to see how many times it would take to get a response but good old Commissioner Scirocco broke them down and they gave up.

The most disgusting tribute to the Scirocco era is how bad the entrances to the City and the downtown flowers look.  THERE ARE NO FLOWERS except the ones in front of stores that they themselves planted; there are however, many, many weeds in the flower beds around the trees on Broadway.  Maybe he is going for the natural look this year.

The entrances themselves are another matter, heading North on Rt. 9 past the Honda dealership the islands are mowed like a golf course and flowers are planted and look very nice.  The State takes care of these islands and you can tell where the City takes over, the islands grass looks like it was mowed to sell hay, again the flower beds are weeds with no flowers (they should be in the ground by now).  He certainly shows how visitors what to look forward to when they enter the City.

Moving on to our “gem” in the City, Congress Park.  Take a walk around our gem and visit Spit and Spat, the evergreen shrubs are half dead (the brown color looks great, just kidding) and weeds seem to be the flower of choice.  The shrubs throughout the park have a big problem, half of them are dead, now I can’t blame this on Scirocco but replacement should have started in early spring.  The hill across from the Casino looks like a hay field, the weeds must be 5’ high and the message board at the end of Union Ave. is full of prize winning weeds.  NYRA has already planted the islands they maintain on Union Ave. and the grass is well manicured, however, like everything else, the islands down Union Ave. that the City maintains have no flowers and the lawns look like hell.

Scirocco has destroyed in a few years what it took quite a while to do, namely make Broadway look clean and crisp.  When you spend over $22,000.00 on flowers and by June 3^rd the City still looks dirty and full of weeds it’s no wonder why Scirocco can’t grasp what a 5^th grader should know.

Now, on to some important matters.  The Commissioner still has not answered the question posed to him by many people and that is did he forgive the payment of water hookups at the Bonacio project on Weibel Ave. to the tune of $880,000.00?  Did he forgive the water hookups to the attorney who built 3 new homes on Jefferson St.?  This attorney has land next to these houses and it is said intends to build 8 more homes.  The Commissioner put a new water main on Gridley Avenue, was it for this attorney? Will these water hookups be forgiven also?  Will you answer these questions at a Council meeting Commissioner and offer proof of payment if made?

There has also been a problem at the landfill with the methane gas for years and the State hounded Commissioner for years to install a gas flaring system to safely get rid of the underground buildup which is at dangerous levels.  The State was very upset with Scirocco that for 3 years after the City said in writing that they would take the necessary steps to get the flare system installed it still was not acted on.  The grant section of the State was ready to take back some of the $500,000.00 in grant money the City received but the City started to act and the State decided not to request any monies to be paid back  hence the motion by Scirocco at tonight’s Council meeting to have the Council pass action to fund the program.

Another feather in Scirocco’s cap,  DPS as most everyone knows is remodeling the offices and other areas of the department.  It seems like there have been change orders like there are on any project, but in this case Tim Wales the City Engineer has cried to Scirocco that there is no one acting as clerk of the works and looking to keep check on the project and want Commissioner Scirocco to hire an outside firm to act as the overseer.  Now, the City employees a City Engineer who is paid over $101,000.00 plus benefits and an Asst. City Engineer who is paid over $95,000.00 plus benefits.   The question I have is why can’t one of these two do the job or the Building Inspector for that matter since this is an in house project?  I guess Scirocco is like former Mayor Johnson in these matters, it is better to spend 3 times as much on outside help than use our own employees who God forbid would have to work a little.

How much more can we take of incompetent leadership?  Oh yeah, you elected him to do just this.

Who is this Robert Davis guy and is he a real person from Saratoga or a comedian from Albany?

THE TALE OF BABY FACE TIGHE

It had to happen.  The blogger who hated everyone and everything except Scott Johnson & Shauna Sutton has gotten himself in a pickle.  This is the blogger that spent every day for 3 years in the Mayor’s office getting material for his written attacks on other people, what do they think of him now?  The Past Mayor & Deputy certainly knew how dirty he played and what sickening attacks on the people he wrote about without any evidence, but hey, that’s how they wanted to play.

John the blogger is now an accused child pornographer and child porn promoter who is out on bail, some of his ardent followers say that he is being set up, State Troopers say Baby Face could face more charges, his attorney said “John certainly took on a lot of very powerful people in Albany and Saratoga counties … I don’t want to speculate on anybody’s involvement in what led to the charges.”  There will be a lot more happening in this case, we may still have the Russian connection he always talked about making an appearance.

The only thing I can say at this time is that there is a supply of soap- on- a- rope at the dollar store and Baby Face should stock up now because Mamma, he may be up the river.

WHY NOT IN THE SARATOGIAN?

Anyone getting the Gazette or the Times Union knows what is going on in Saratoga Springs.  The Saratogian it seems always leaves out some key articles that we have to be made aware of by an out of town newspaper. 

Case in point:

Scott Johnson made some 20 or more appointments to various Committees and Boards while walking out of City Hall New Year’s evening.  When a Mayor makes appointments, instead of appointing under a cloak of secrecy he/she will make a public announcement, most of the time at a Council meeting.  However, Johnson did not even mention the appointee’s names or even name the positions filled.  The main point of this post is that WE STILL HAVEN’T READ ABOUT THIS IN THE SARATOGIAN.  I will put parts of the Daily Gazette and the Times Union articles here:

Times Union editorial:

“During her successful campaign for mayor of Saratoga Springs, Joanne Yepsen vowed to better engage residents by holding community forums and creating citizen task forces to address the needs of the city’s 26,000 residents.

Her refreshing openness was a sharp contrast to the man she replaced on Jan. 1, Scott Johnson, who often shunned the public’s involvement in the business of the city.

Ms. Yepsen’s community engagement is the right approach for a city on the verge of a population boom fueled by major economic development. Add to that the thorny issues surrounding the possibility of the Saratoga Racino becoming a full-blown casino in a community that voted against a state ballot measure to legalize Las Vegas-style gaming.

But this new spirit of openness has had a setback. Just hours before he left office New Year’s Eve, Johnson arranged a surprise for Ms. Yepsen: He filled 20 vacancies on a host of panels, including the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and an advisory committee on open space. The open space group hadn’t met in five years, raising the question that has to be asked about all these appointments: What made filling them so urgent that Mr. Johnson couldn’t leave it to his successor?”

…”Even if Ms. Yepsen finds she has no authority to undo Mr. Johnson’s last-minute packing of these boards and committees, there’s a civic-minded way to resolve this. The appointees should volunteer their resignations and let the mayor decide who stays and who goes. And we would look to Ms. Yepsen to give those candidates fair and full consideration.

Here’s a chance for Mr. Johnson’s appointees to renounce what by all appearances was a crassly political move, and an opportunity for Ms. Yepsen to show that she is ready to work with people from different political backgrounds. That’s the spirit of collaboration and bipartisanship the city needs as it confronts its future — a spirit both sides can show with their actions, not just words.”  Along with the editorial was a political cartoon of mini Johnson’s in a corner.

The Daily Gazette-

Story by Justin Mason

“Mayor Joanne Yepsen is questioning 20 political appointments made by her Republican predecessor during the last hours of his term, including several made to alternate positions on the city’s land use boards that were left empty for eight hours before she officially took over. Though all of the appointments were to volunteer positions, she said the timing, manner and shear volume gives cause for a legal review of what transpired during the closing hours of the Johnson administration.
   “It’s not transparent, and it’s never been done this way — at least not in a long time,” she said. “This was unprecedented as far as I know.”
   Yepsen said the appointments included posts on the Heritage Area Program Advisory Board and the Open Space Advisory Committee — an entity that hadn’t convened in roughly three years. Other appointments included alternate positions on the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals created by a City Council resolution in September 2012 but never filled.
   “Based on some of the appointments, they are clearly political appointments,” she said.
   Yepsen said she had a cordial transition meeting with Johnson prior to the holidays and that he only mentioned appointments she’d have to the city’s Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and Recreation Commission. She said Johnson’s administration wasn’t forthcoming with a schedule of appointments and made no mention of the flurry that came several weeks later.
   “It was always curious why they wouldn’t share the appointment book with us,” she said. “I couldn’t get clarification from them about which appointments were open and which needed to be filled.”
…..“Yepsen said former Mayor Scott Johnson announced the appointments by memos issued to the commissioners at City Hall at 4:31 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, less than. She said the city attorney’s office is now reviewing the appointments to determine if they were made properly.
   Appointments to such boards and advisory committees are at the pleasure of the mayor, but Yepson said they're ordinarily disclosed at council meetings or by a public announcement.”

Though both papers questioned Mayor Yepsen not releasing the names, it may be because since they have not been publicly named by Johnson and some or all may resign.

This looks like any political gains Johnson and his Deputy made in 6 years if any will be wiped out by the 6 years of secrecy and his attitude of leaving citizens out of the loop when they should be in the know.  Also included was a cartoon of mini elephants in a corner with Yepsen holding a broom ready to sweep out the corner.

PRESSING THE COUNCIL

Given the fact that the previous Council passed a resolution regarding the Casino and that over 40% of Saratogian voters cast their ballots in favor of Casino gambling, I think the red shirts should calm down and wait until the facts are known before they storm  Council meetings.  The next scenario will be the group that is for a Saratoga Style Casino to be located in our City do the same and we will have dueling opinions at the microphone.  I don’t think debate is bad but can’t we wait until we can debate on known facts?

I know many voters who have expressed the opinion that they voted against Casino’s in New York State but since the bill passed they worry that if Saratoga is not a site and we have one close by, then Saratoga will take a negative hit on business in our downtown corridor.

The year ended on a sour note for Mayor Johnson.  Johnson, who at the 11^th hour on New Year’s Eve, made over 20 appointments to land use boards and filled the expiring positions of alternate zoning board members.  The appointments should have been made by incoming Mayor Joanne Yepsen.  This game they played must be remembered if either Johnson or Sutton ever runs for any political office again.

Speaking about Sutton, it was nice to see the job given to her by John Herrick in the County Clerks Office for $65,000.00 & benefits, if the budget reads right and Herrick threw Mayor Johnson’s Executive Secretary Theresa a bone as Executive Secretary to Spencer Helwig the County Administrator, at 47,000.00 & .  What two employees did Herrick leap frog to give jobs to these two girls?

Well, hopefully we are over the Johnson games, now maybe we can get back to some honest 2 Party representation on Boards and Committees, wouldn’t it be nice to work together than 1 Party be under the control of a little Napoleon? 

THE STORY OF SMALL BUSSINESSMAN VS. THE MIGHTY COUNCIL & BONACIO

It seems like the small businessman gets the shaft again when a big contractor like Sonny Bonacio wants the City to quash him.

The small businessman is the owner of the Fortunate Cup building, who for over a year has been trying to get his permanent CO for his building.  Unfortunately for him the City only grants him temporary CO’s.  He gave a reading of how the City has been treating him.

The City demanded that he plant a buffer of hedges and then gave him a credit line (a regular City practice) of $20,000.00.  The building owner wants to purchase the empty lot next door for a parking lot and will make the lot ascetically pleasing.  The City and Planning Board members beholding to Johnson & Bonacio- Cliff Van Wagner, Tom Lewis & Howard Pinsley say no way to the purchase and in fact the owner must remove 16 parking from the existing lot.  Now the kicker, who lives in the back of the empty lot?  Why, none other than Sonny Bonacio’s mother.  Also the City has recalled the credit line (something that has not been done in the last 20 years at least).

 Business in the building creates sales tax money for the City, so there must be a reason for the hard ball game.  The main players, the Planning Board members and Johnson & Sutton-Dowd cannot risk upsetting Bonacio.

ELECTION NIGHT REFLECTIONS

Right now it looks like the Council table will have 4 Democrats and 1 Republican.  Congratulations to everyone that ran.  It has been rumored for some time now that if a Republican won, Shauna Sutton would be their Deputy, all of City Hall is shuddering if this comes to pass however, her role will be severely diminished and she will most likely have to do the paving and leaf pick up, among other physical jobs.

Shauna needs 2 more terms in office to qualify for lifetime health insurance paid for by the citizens of Saratoga Springs.

Also, there has been a rumor floating around that the reason that Scott Johnson did not run was because he wants to challenge Paul Tonko for Tonko’s Congress seat.  Good luck with that Scott.  Tonko is as popular among both parties as is Jim Tedisco.  Scott will never make it to Congress, but don’t tell Shauna who had a slip of the tongue election night when she said “In a few years, Scott, you and I might be working together again.” *Saratogian*.   Let’s hope Johnson goes and parks himself in Florida to work on his lobster tan and Shauna either works for Skip (where she will be 5^th fiddle) on a Council of 4 Democrats.
The race where the absentee ballots might change the outcome is the race for DPS.  The spread right now is about 121 votes for the incumbent, and if the number of the ballots that have arrived already it looks like Mathiesen will take the seat.

In closing, we say adios to Scott Johnson, it was nice knowing you, but we’re glad you are going.  Shauna, we are just super glad you’re going and hope it’s not true about Skip hiring you.

SIGNS, ELECTIONS AND DEFECTIONS

Well, all the candidates’ political signs are planted, joining the 4 who are running for the Independence line in the Primary this coming Tuesday, September 10th. As I stated before, I believe this will give us a hint of how the election might look like. However, Primary’s do not usually draw the number of voters that the election will. Let’s look at this Primary for instance. This will be for the Independence Party line on the ballot in November. It is reported and checked out at the BOE that a large number (50 – 60) of Republicans changed their affiliation to the Independence Party last year before the election, thereby qualifying them to vote in this Primary and we will see that number all out to vote. It is said that it took Shauna Sutton and John Arpei only 2 hours to collect the needed numbers on petitions to qualify and force the Primary, which is pretty much unheard of. There are still a very large number of Independence voters and I think you will see a larger number turn out than in past Primary’s. The campaigns will start in earnest now that the tourists have gone and everyone is home and settled. Were you invited to the fundraiser at Scott Johnson’s home to benefit Shauna’s campaign? Heard that the minimum plate charge started at $500.00 but the price was encouraged to be more generous. This, along with the anticipated Palacio de Riggi fundraiser also heard the price to be starting at $500.00 per plate, show it is good to rub noses with the rich and famous. Well, let’s see what Tuesday brings and go from there.

WHY, WHY, SHAUNA, WHY, WHY?

If the stories from Shauna Sutton’s friends are true, look out for a blast of negative suppositions spewing out in July.  This will be a nasty campaign as we mentioned before as evidenced by Suttons role as the hit lady of Johnson’s last run for office.  However, the tactic may back fire this cycle as many voters were very turned off by the Johnson camp false and very negative sprint to the finish, some even say that that tactic Sutton took in the last week of the campaign actually helped Brent Wilkes, Johnson’s opponent.  Wilkes as you remember, lost by a thin margin for being a relatively unknown in local politics.

Much of what was said by Sutton against Wilkes at the time was proved to be lies and really in poor taste by Capital District newspapers, something we can look forward to in this election campaign against Yepsen also.

Rumor also has it that big news will be coming in September, when everyone is back from vacation or from renting their homes out to track visitors, regarding Sutton and Arpei.  The news if it can be proved (and it looks like it will be) is so bad regarding Sutton she may, like so many of our State representatives be looked at for possible theft of services by taking money from the City in a no show job, while spending more time playing with graves.  There is supposed to be video from an unnamed source, who followed Sutton for 1 month, it is said the film has date and times, which will be easy to check with FOILED time cards.  Sutton also never went back to City Hall at night as she claimed when this came out in early Spring, when it was brought out about the time she MUST spend in City Hall and the time she said she made up nights to compensate for the days she worked at the cemetery. More news on this as the facts come in, but this could deliver a serious blow to Sutton and those who are playing the role of advisor’s to her campaign, as it could cast a shadow on them also, (guilt by association).

 Also, what will she do as Mayor as far as nepotism when it comes to her family and friends?  She hired her brother to a cemetery position of “head plumber”.  Here is an interesting fact:  cemeteries are not charged for the water they use.  Greenridge Cemetery had a water leak from June of last year and it wasn’t fixed by the "head plumber" until June of this year.  How much water was wasted when a 45 minute job took a year to fix?  The question, if she runs the City as she does the Cemetery by this one example, what will it cost us, the taxpayers? (see Rec. Center losses).

John Arpei who is running for Commissioner of Accounts has more baggage than Elizabeth Taylor used to tote around.  This is one of the reasons he has not publicly come out of the closet to say he is running (he is, don’t worry).  I don’t think the Party wants him to answer any questions about the position he is running for or any answers he will have to provide about the jobs he has had, organizations he was involved in etc., until it is absolutely necessary.  Look at late September to hear from him after Sutton or whoever is leading these campaigns runs interference for him.  When the election season rolls around for good, this exposure could be devastating to his run for the roses.  If the Republicans were serous about defeating Franck, the Party should have done a better job vetting him. 

Well Bat Fans, until then.

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.

IT’S OFFICIAL

Insider’s in City Hall confirmed today that the Mayor has appointed his cast of characters for the rest of his term.  He is copying the show Hawaii Five-O.

Chris Mathiesen – Steve McGarrett

John Franck – Danny “ Danno” Williams

Michele Madigan – Lydia Lei

Skip Scirocco – Chin Ho

Scott Johnson –   Wo-Fat (He will darken his hair shave his goatee and grow a fu-Manchu).  If the Mayor isn’t in the Wo-Fat role look for him as Gomer Pyle.

Shauna Sutton – Wo-Plump

A certain blogger that is very close to the Mayor, some say he is in bed with him, play’s the role of Kono “Kong”

The Mayor has issued an edict that all Commissioner’s and Her Plumpness get into their roles ASAP, he is also getting lei’s for all the staff in City Hall.

For those of you who have never watched the old Hawaii Five-O, you can watch the show on channel 556 or 13-3.  I started watching it and it is a lot better than the current one.

Aloha

IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR!

There is no snow but the Christmas Spirit abounds.  The Mayor appointed former long time ZBA member and past Chairman Robert Bristol to a seat on that board that opened when Mayor Johnson did not reappoint current member and last Democrat Amy Durland.  This completes his termination of the  Democrats that he has replaced in the last 5 years with either old guard Republicans like Bristol, Tom Roohan and Jumpin’ Joe Dalton, City  Republican Committee people and/or political favors he has to hand out. 

While it is the Mayor’s duty to make these Board appointments, it would only be natural for a smart overseer (?) of the City, to appoint some new young blood to these boards instead of the men who had served 20 – 30 years ago and are walking around with a little formaldehyde in their veins.   I guess when he said ‘he would be a Mayor that would work across the aisle’ at his first State of the City speech I’ll bet he was talking about bowling lanes and thought they were aisles.  It also doesn’t hurt to have a few appointees of the opposite party to get some opinions.  I am sure of all the appointments he has made, there must have been at least 3 or 4 capable Democrats who could have filled the positions.  Well, that’s politics.

Well, it’s time for Batboy and Batgirl to hand out some presents to a few of our friends.

• First we’ll send the Mayor a case of Grey Goose.  That should take him through First Night.
• We’ll send some ex lax to Shauna because she always has that constipated look on her face.  We only hope she doesn’t overdose on it, and no Shauna, you can’t take the pills with Grey Goose.
• For Mary Zlotnick we will send her stockings stuffed with all sorts of listening devices, donated by former Commissioner Dick Wirth.  Tape recorders, phone cameras, stethoscope (for hearing between walls), a lock pick set, so you can sneak in and get into locked file cases.  We’ll have Batman deliver your stockings because he wants to take you for a spin in the Batmobile.
• To Al Callucci, coming your way is a pipe, magnifying glass and a deerstalker so you can look like Sherlock Holmes when you patrol the hood at the Terrace.
• If I could ever find Tamara Valentine again, who has turned up MIA since she was knocked off the Tattlers team, I’d send over some of the Captain’s peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses.
• To Lucian McCarty, I still say you are the best, so just tell me what you want and I’ll see if I can get it for you; it has to be legal of course.
• To Citizen Nancy, hang in there and keep exposing the truth.

Well this is the Mayor’s list, gee, I mean the short list.  We’ll have some great news to report in early 2013, but until then if we don’t write before, have a Very Merry Christmas and a Healthy 2013!