FUNNY SARATOGA SPRINGS

 

With the beginning of Fall,  a few thoughts.

When will City Hall be open so everyone can see the palace that Madigan (the Mad Hater) call her office?  The amount she spent on furniture is the talk of City workers and soon the citizens when we can see it.

Talking about City Hall, exactly how much is it going to cost the taxpayers?  Madigan’s incompetence with budget matters pre pandemic will  raise taxes big time. 

The fight between Madigan & Scirocco regarding camera’s being monitored  in Congress Park at night was a bit childish on Madigan’s part ,she has to be yelling at someone at Council meetings and the big surprise is that it was her Siamese twin Scirocco .  Black Lives Matter destroyers toppled a Civil War era monument to those Saratogians that died serving in the Civil War and other vandalism will most likely never be caught.  Madigan hired a PR firm to come up with a ‘Mask Campaign ’ about wearing masks cost taxpayers some big money and was about 5 months too late.  She didn’t want to spend the money for a position to monitor Congress Park’s cameras and a nighttime dispatcher but had the money for her projects, it’s a funny thing what happens when you have 1 person in charge of all the money – they get what they want and everyone else has to beg.

Well Charter Change is back on the ballot and this year the Democratic Committee voted to support the initiative.  The renegade ex Democratic committee members who quit the Committee last year when they couldn’t get their way are leading the group opposed to the change.  They just can’t stand not getting their way on all things.  They are as bad as Republican leaders who don't want to give up controlling the City. As one of the Anti - Change leaders Jane Weihe wife of John Kaufman the unbiased blooger (hahaha) said “Abolishing and setting up a new government is expensive, disruptive, and challenging under the best of circumstances. Why would we want to do it – imagine this – doing it during a pandemic and in the midst of probably the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression? "So our message is this…make love, not wards!”

Jane Weihe, there is no large expense in a change and saving money and better management and citizen involvement with their government is a good thing right?  And as for your words of wit “So our message is this…make love, not wards!”,I hope your husband is up for it. Sore losers all around these ex Dem Committee whiners are.

JUMPING THE GUN TOO SOON?

Feeling better after health problems and treatments gives me the opportunity to get back at this time and we’ll start up again.

Well the pandemic is still around but to many Saratogians they say what the hell.  The situation is that masks should be worn anytime you are in a setting where you will be close to people.  I see people in grocery stores going in not wearing a mask and asked to leave, people try to get in the Post Office trying to get into the lobby without a mask and are asked to leave, people standing in line without the 6 foot separation (marked by lines) and don’t seem to care, groups of kids and adults in Congress Park.  DPW workers cannot pick up plastic barrels or the paper lawn debris bags because they may catch something but ride 4 in a pickup truck and 2 in the truck that the leaves etc. are dumped in all not wearing masks why can’t they pick up and empty barrels or bags? 3 of the guys got out of the pickup truck to watch the scooper pick up the branches and leaves without masks and when asked why they aren’t wearing masks they laugh and say they are essential workers!  What a joke.  Where Public Safety Commissioner Dalton and her squad, should they be letting this happen?  You may ask, shouldn’t Skippy be checking his people but the Skipster doesn’t know there is a pandemic yet, I guess Madigan hasn’t told him.  The City wants to open up fast and we know what that means, we will be bombarded with people from areas that aren’t open and will put the people who live here in jeopardy. However, Madigan & Shimkus will be smiling again because of the clinking of money being spent. 

The Mayor and the DBA want to open before the region is supposed to open. The Mayor, Commissioner of Public Safety, the DBA are petitioning our local State representatives and the Governor to run the Saratoga meet with full crowds in total disregard of most our local residents health and safety.

Hell you say, this won’t happen, if you believe this then you are in Skippy, Kelly, Madigan and Dalton’s  world.  There was a couple from Queens that drove to Albany on a sunny warm day to order take out from a Thai restaurant in Albany, ate in the parking lot then returned home.  When asked why they said they had to take a ride to break up the monotony.  I do believe we will get overrun with out of area people and that will be unfortunate.

We’ll have some more to come.

PRIMARY WINNER PATTY MORRISON CAUGHT IN A DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE FRACTURE.

Well, the Primary and the incumbent Commissioner Madigan lost.  Madigan will not be on the Democratic line on the ballot but instead will be down near the bottom because she received the nod from 2 endorsement Party’s.  She should step down and let the Democrats run their choice if she is really a Democrat.  The Democratic Committee should now pull their endorsement of Madigan and give it to Morrison along with a $1,000.00 donation as they did for Madigan, anything short of this is political gamesmanship and further shows that along with Committee Chairman Courtney DeLeonardis as the lead instigator is further dividing the Dems.  Also having your husband  as the City Attorney (Vincent J. DeLeonardis)

 who just received his second large raise in salary she may owe Madigan for her vote. I guess in Saratoga a Democrat is not really a Democrat unless you have a friend as leader of the Party in the City to protect a loser.  Maybe, with all the large Republican donations Madigan received there appears what was talked about months ago that Madigan, Mayor Kelly and candidate for Public Safety Robin Dalton (which will be a discussion in the future)  met with the County Republican Chairman to run as a team with promises to benefit the 3 candidates.  This could be the collusion the Democrats have been talking about.  Also watching Tuesday’s Council meeting Madigan looked like a deer in front of headlights along with Super Skippy , that is dazed and confused most likely from her stinging loss but Skip did what he does best and tried to complete a few sentences.  He stated after 23 uh’s and uhm’s that he has been in politics for a long time and has never, never seen a board get along so well together (um, it looks like he truly is in bed with Madigan).

The Democratic Party should do the right thing and support the winner of the Primary so she can carry the Democratic line to victory.

Now, moving on to another topic.  The City Hall renovations are spiraling out of control with the City’s insurance company paying much less than expected.  Madigan, in her zeal of not raising taxes over her time in office which is not a good thing and spending down the reserve fund to keep homeowners from not having a tax increase may see in the bad results of this in a large tax increase in this year’s budget or certainly next year’s no matter who win the election for that position.  Madigan has duped taxpayer’s in Saratoga for years and that should be a good reason to vote for Morrison.

WHAT IS GOING ON IN DPW AND DOES THE REST OF THE COUNCIL EVEN CARE?

DPW is in a mess and Skip is to blame for not keeping his head in the game as a Department Head should.  He was under-qualified for the job when he was first elected and if he wasn’t a guitar player and native son he wouldn’t have lasted for 1 term as the department and City are both going downhill.  The fact that he is Charlie Brown to Madigan’s Edgar McCarthy is comical and she does have her hand up where a dummy has to have it placed.

First it was Skip’s son Mark who was arrested for DWI blowing a .18 and 3 other charges.  He had his girlfriend pick him up after booking and not only was she charged with DWI but also driving under the influence with their child in the car.  She has had a past DWI so her charges constitute her arrest as a felony.

Remember all this happened in February of this year over 5 months ago.  Who else would have 4 major charges against them and still as of July 23^rd still not have the case put before a judge.

Now, another story development. Frank Brimhall a DPW employee was involved in a traffic accident while driving a City truck.  SSPD issued him a ticket and arrested him for driving with a suspended license.  This could be a potential and most likely a lawsuit against the City.

This is yet another hair brained lapse for Comm. Scirocco and the Human Resource Dept. because insiders tell me that there are many DPW workers driving around without licenses also some not having the proper class of license for driving the larger trucks and equipment.  Scirocco should be doing a license abstract periodically to make sure that his employees #1 have drivers licenses and #2 don’t have any marks that would affect the status of driving for the City.

In the Brimhall case not reporting his license suspension and continued driving should be cause for immediate termination, union or not and this Council should not give him a monetary going away package as they always seem to do.

This is another case of why this form of Government should be changed not played around with like it is being done with now.  Everyone has to vote NO on the updated Charter as it will cost us big money because of all the raises everyone gets and the funny part is that this was the reason Franck, Madigan and Scirocco gave as the biggest reason to vote against Charter change last year, funny how things change when you are on the side of making more money.   Franck, Madigan and Scirocco must go next year and we hope the opposing Party’s put up qualified candidates against them, well in Scirocco’s case a monkey could probably do a better job.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, I THINK

Well it’s a New Year and let’s hope things won’t  be getting worse before they get better.  However, we still have Scirocco & Madigan in office and that could bring big problems.  Now that we have a new Mayor, my wish is that she can gavel Madigan (which will most likely be every meeting) down and put her in place as the Finance Commissioner not the out of control ego maniac  she is. If Mayor Kelly can accomplish one thing, that is to keep the Council meetings in check and moving along instead of letting Madigan bloviate, the city might get something done.

Skip Scirocco and The DPW/Water Department had a big problem with lead in the City’s drinking water in 2017. Additionally, at the end of 2017we found out even more  troubling news, Scirocco tried to hide facts from those who drink City water.   A locational average of four quarterly samples is used to determine compliance with the New York State public drinking water standard. Samples are collected at 4 locations within our system – Louden Rd., Van Rensselaer St., South Broadway and Skidmore College.  The report that he does not want you to know!

In samples collected during August of 2017, the average level of THMs was 82 micrograms per liter (ug/l) at the Skidmore College testing site.

The DPW report is understating the issue. Each testing location has to stand on its own per the USEPA Clean Water act as of 2013. Locational averages are no longer allowed. Further each position must carry that value for a full year as each measured position carries its each own average value over the course of a year.

In essence, prior to 2013, you could have a problem (hot spot) but white wash it away by averaging it across your whole system. That is no longer allowed. Each sample position carries a rolling 12-month average so 1 bad reading will have an impact for a year.

I’ve seen how poorly DPW/Water Department is negligent in their control of chlorine usage is. This is 100% a result of that lack of control and the fact that we have a shallow, organic ladened, surface water source. And poor leadership in DPW

There is a reason that back in 1977, we decided THMs and HAAs were important enough to regulate, start to monitor and establish increasing restrictions. 

Google the Saratoga County water system and the issues they had around 2013-2014 when multiple towns (Halfmoon for sure, I think CP too) shut off supply due to this issue).

It’s bullshit to suggest this is DPW report not a big deal.

THM’s According to a University of Florida report, exposure to THMs may pose an increased risk of cancer. According to Rebekah Grossman, two THMs, chloroform and dibromochloromethane, are carcinogens; and another THM, bromodichloromethane, has been identified as a mutagen, which alters DNA.  Now how many areas in the City had this problem since DPW only checks 4 spots?  Is there anything that can be done as a preventative measure, yes but DPW does not have these in place.

 The use of chlorine to disinfect water produces various disinfection byproducts, which have been classified mainly as halogenated and non-halogenated byproducts. These primary byproducts are trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids. THMs are the byproducts of chlorination of water that contains natural organic matter.

Saratoga once had very good tasting drinking water but those days are long gone, heavy chlorination has taken that away and that’s where the problem lies especially during track season.  As I said there are inexpensive measures to keep the  disinfection byproducts in check.  They should be used.

Doesn’t anyone keep the residents of the City updated about important matters especially when we are thinking about placing our relatives in places like Wesley Health Care Center or Saratoga Hospital?

In the Fall of 2016 2 lawsuits were brought against 1) Saratoga Hospital and 2) Wesley Health Care Center in connection with an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease in these 2 institutions last fall. Saratoga Springs resident Susan Gonino has sued Saratoga Hospital, claiming she contracted Legionnaire's while admitted to the hospital for surgery in October and The son of Alice Johnson, an 86-year-old woman who died in October after contracting Legionnaire's disease at the Wesley Health Care Center, has sued the nursing home.  Come on Skip, what the hell are you doing to us?

The city’s main water source - Loughberry Lake has not been inspected for 29 Years.

Yes 29 Years!!!!

The issue was brought to the council table by Mayor Yepsen, and  DPW/Water Commisssioner Scirocco said it was not needed!!!! More BS by SS.

 A City Hall insider told me that Scirocco hired an outside firm for $60,000.00 to come up with a study on how to flush the hydrant system, (you have to do it in sequence so you keep the crap moving down the line) but I was told that the Swami (Scirocco) has never followed the the plan.  The previous Director didn’t need to spend the $60,000.00 and I can’t remember anyone dying from bad water.

Finance Office

I can already hear the excuses spewing from Commissioner Madigan’s mouth. She is up to her eyes in debt and she is hemorrhaging money!  Get ready for the blame game to start. 2016 was a 1 Million dollar deficit year, 2017 will be too. She already is borrowing money for 2018.

Let us see how long before she cries poverty.  

I will bet you we get a big property tax increase in the next budget.  There is a reason she has announced that this is her last 2 years on the Council.

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.

THERE’S A NEW TRIO IN TOWN

   THE THREE MUSKETEERS                 

                   

Know it all John Franck

Michelle 'Mad Man' Madigan 

Skippy
What do you two want me to do?

Before Charter Change started heating up and John Franck promised if the date for a vote was changed from May 30th to Election Day he would take no sides.  Well, the promise was broken about 3 months later when it started to look and sound like many people were getting excited about changing the form of government and many prior supporters of not changing, switched sides and now want change.

The point of this is that as election day draws near 3 Council members are starting to show signs of cracking up and are really helping those who want change instead of their sob stories and ‘presentations’ to gob the truths about changing to a Mayor/Council/Manager form of government.

Now though back to the caption.   Before February when Franck made his promise to stay clear of the process with a Commission promise of an Election Day vote on the Charter there were on the Council the ‘3 Musketeers’.  These 3 (Madigan, Scirocco and Matheisen) voted in block about 99 ½% of the time.  Frank and Madigan could not stand one another and Madigan was picked up on the microphone once in a while swearing at or calling Franck names.  He likewise although not as constant or disgusting as she  challenged her aptitude with dealing in the finances even referring to her at a Council meeting as just a librarian.

Once Commissioner Matheisen announced his decision to support Charter Change and his reasons why, the ‘3 Musketeers’ realigned themselves (with new Cavalier feathered hats of course) made up of Franck, Madigan & Scirocco.  Folks, everything from there went downhill, Council meetings became (if you can believe it) more contentious, the 3 Musketeers  being nastier with citizens and the other 2 Council members. 

The presentations they put on at meetings can only be referred to as comedy routines.

This is a prime example of when politician’s that can’t stand each other band together when a clear and present danger, that of losing their power seems imminent.  

The 2 things to look at with these 3 are ‘follow their money’ and the ‘political patronage’ they engage in not to mention the mass amounts of money we’ve lost in lawsuits because of their decisions.

SKIPPY IS DUMB AS A JACKASS

You have to read the story at http://www.saratogian.com/general-news/20171019/spa-city-commissioner-unhappy-with-message-from-charter-commission-official  It's a hoot 

This definition fits Skippy to a tee - 

Chicken-Shit - Petty, insignificant, lacking courage, lacking manliness or effectiveness

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’.

KRAMER vs. KRAMER

Here is the scenario:  Madigan & Scirocco are against open government and are against bringing any change to Saratoga that will affect their little kingdom.  What is the relation?  Madigan who is worried that her name goes on all the checks might not have a job this fall and not because the form of government may change.  This election cycle operates the same way and a new form would not have elections until when we vote again in 2019 and take effect until 2020.  She is short changing citizens from voting on the issue in a special election that the State says is legal.  Secondly, the two of these shortsighted ‘leaders of our City’ are neck deep in two separate NYS Attorney General Investigation inside City Hall. Additionally, We will be losing most of our VLT funding because of the pending opening of the casino in Schenectady and neither one have proposed any solutions to the decline in revenues.

This is all happening at a time Madigan is signing checks to build a $750,000.00 bathroom for her finance people, for that price it will have golden toilets, sinks with golden handles and an extra size personal stall with an extra wide toilet for her royal highness the Princess Madigan.

Expenses for a referendum vote on May 30th

I have it on a reliable source that this topic has already been discussed in a small group meeting. In the meeting with Finance, the staff agreed that said money would be available from the existing Fund Balance. True, it has not been ‘budgeted’, but there are ample funds available in the fund balance carried over from 2016, according to Finance staff.”

I also did research on the last 15 years of our city budget. We have consistently received high marks and compliments based on our budget practices. Once again Madigan takes all credit (naughty girl).

 I will have a follow up post on the budgetary outlook for that past 15 years

The Charter Review Commission has had many large group and sub-committee meetings, all of them open to the public since June 2016 and I don’t know how many Commissioners if any attended the invited Mayors, City Managers and Mayor/City Managers from cities around New York State who gave insightful information.  I know Madigan isn’t one of them nor has she even looked at any meetings on the City’s website as her erroneous comment below from the Daily Gazette:

“If approved by the voters during a special election set for May 30, take effect in 2019 — halfway through the two-year terms to which council members will seek reelection in November.

Ms. Madigan, if you were truly a representative of the people you would know the facts before opening your mouth.  There is a city election this year (11/17) for a normal 2 year term of the existing Commission Form of Government.  The election for 2019 again a regular timed city election would be to elect the new Council which would be sworn in on January 1, 2020.  This would be a normal transfer.  GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD.  Pay attention instead of being afraid of losing the power you use demeaning the citizens. 

Here is some information from the Daily Gazette:

“Public Safety Commissioner Chris Mathiesen argued that a council-manager form would make city government more efficient, more democratic and more representative of the people.

He called the commission form outdated and “inherently contradictory.”  “You can’t be a legislator and an executive at the same time,” he said. “This is the United States of America — this is not a dictatorship — so you have separate bodies, and you have a balance of power.

Well that’s missing in Saratoga Springs, and the ability for people to participate directly in city government is very limited.”

He added, “These five people all have too much power — each of them, including me.”

Mathiesen, who is joined by Mayor Joanne Yepsen in supporting a special election, said the other councilors appear to be blocking the review group’s efforts to create a charter that would eliminate their positions.

“There’s a real problem here in terms of conflict of interest,” he said.

He also said putting the charter on the ballot in November would be a “very bad idea.”

“I think it would mix up the issues regarding the referendum with the politics of the candidates who are running at that time,” he said.

More from Madigan in The Gazette article

“Madigan also took issue with the commission’s decision to have the changes, if approved by the voters during a special election set for May 30, take effect in 2019 — halfway through the two-year terms to which council members will seek reelection in November.”  WRONG

“I don’t even know if I would run for commissioner of finance if the form of government is going to change,” she said. “Maybe I would run for mayor.”

 ‘Madigan said she doesn’t expect the group’s request for $37,000 in special election funding to be approved by the Council, refuting Turner's position that Municipal Home Rule Law 36 gives the commission authority to call for an election and have it be funded by the city.”

“I believe the Council has to take a stand on that,” Madigan said. “There’s not really a lot of case law in terms of municipal home rule law.”

And there is good reason that there have not many challenges. So, will the City sue itself?

Here is a copy of a recent legal opinion, look it up yourself.

The relevant provision regarding the scheduling of the election is Municipal Home Rule Law § 36(5)(b), which provides in relevant part:

(b) Such new charter or amendments shall be completed and filed in the office of the city clerk in time for submission to the electors not later than the second general election after the charter commission is created and organized. The local law or certificate establishing the commission or, in the absence of such provision therein, the charter commission shall provide for such publication or other publicity in respect to the provisions of the proposed charter or amendments as it may deem proper, and for submission thereof to the electors of the city at a general or special election held not earlier than sixty days after the filing thereof in the office of the city clerk and not later than the next general election which does not occur within the said sixty days, provided, however, that if such general election occurs within ninety days after the said filing, the proposed charter or amendments shall be submitted at such general election. [emphasis mine]

In an opinion from the Office of the Attorney General which concludes

We conclude that the local law or certificate establishing a charter commission may determine whether a proposed charter or amendments to an existing charter are to be submitted at a general or special election. In the absence of such a determination, the charter commission may determine the election at which the proposals are submitted to the voters for approval.   

The City of Saratoga Springs City Council did not place any restriction on the charter commission when it was formed in 2016, pursuant to MHRL § 36, it is the charter commission which determines whether to put the charter amendment to a vote at a general or special election.

Sounds like another law suit Kramer vs Kramer

“They are expending funds without the authority to do so right now, and that’s a problem for me,” she said. “My name goes on all the checks that go out from the city.”

So, she would be signing the checks for her new $750,000.00 ‘bathroom’’.

 Museum vs Toilet $750,000.00

Musee du Louvre vs Madigan du Loo

Now Skip & Michelle, huddle over a bottle of French wine and come up with some other blank ideas on how to stop a transparent and open government for the people from happening.

Now there is a movie Kramer vs. Kramer but I rather think the picture above is how Madigan & Scirocco look since they seem joined at the hip and Madigan has to write all of Sciroco's scripts (um).

SOME NOTES ON THE CITY FRONT

We have several projects going on by Public Works that are questionable by City residents.  The residents are not concerned about the projects but how they are being carried out.  The City is paying (1) City Engineer a salary of $109,039.00 + benefits (health ins., retirement, etc.) also (1) Assistant City Engineer a salary of $109,039.00 + benefits (health ins., retirement, etc.).

Keeping the above figures in mind the DPW Director; yes Skip Scirocco hired an outside engineering firm to plan a water & sewer job on Woodlawn Ave. for a figure of $60,000.00.  Remember we have 2 City Engineers who could have done this job and it wouldn’t cost the City a penny.  Well the code says that a water line must be at least 5 feet underground and 10 feet away from the sewer line. I can see our 2 engineers not knowing the rules but an outside firm?  they should have known this when they submitted the plans ($60,000.00) for the project.  However, the water line sits 3 feet underground and is only 5 feet away from the sewer line which is one of the old clay sewer lines.  This is incompetence at its best and another one of Skippy’s not understanding or the City Engineers understanding of the codes.

The next best thing about this project is that the job must be overseen by one of the City’s 2 engineers, so if this is fact are they as blank as most think or is a pocket being lined?

I would also like to know what plan DPW & DPS has for car, truck or equipment replacement yearly.  I remember when a 19 year old fire truck went to put out a fire and the fire truck caught on fire.  DPW has quite a bit of trucks, cars and dump trucks that need to be replaced and I hope Scirocco does not give the money back to Madigan to make her look good and put the good of the City in jeopardy by not having enough vehicles on the road or having to replace many at one time as I have heard he might have to do.

Having been following the Charter Commission( which had to be assembled by our Charter) via the City website, citizens can learn much about our form of government if they only open their ears and listen to the pros and cons of our form vs. other forms.

In a letter to the editor today written by none other than the mummy of Bonnie Sellers, Richard Sellers, this is a person that is blank and understands nothing about the Commission form or other forms.  Richard, the partner of Bonnie Sellers who make up the Abbot & Costello team in Saratoga Springs have no clue about many things and in the Commission vs other government types.  This duo, along with their uninformed friends use scare tactics not information when discussing these topics.  They offer nothing valuable to the discussion other than ‘look at other cities using another form of government and see how bad they are as compared to Saratoga’, well my friends the form of government did not make Saratoga what it is today, the business people, volunteers, to some extent City officials and having 2 race tracks and Skidmore College in our City along with the Northway led to what Saratoga is today.  If people open their eyes and look around the State there are many good Cities and since we are not #1 in great city’s in the country, there are thousands and thousands that are doing good.  I think one thing that Saratoga Springs does have are people like Dick & Bonita Sellers who spread fear and will not even listen or educate themselves to other ideas, now that doesn’t mean they can’t have their own opinion but stop the fear mongering.


I listened to a local radio show Saturday morning as Commissioner Matheisen was the guest and he spoke on various City topics that made sense and one of the topics he spoke on was form of government, he was the first City official to call for a different form of government (back in January).  You will have to speak with him about the benefits of a possible change and his ideas of why it may be better to do so. BUT NOTE, this current Commission is looking at ways to streamline our current form as well as having guest Mayors and City Managers speak so maybe we can incorporate some of their ways into our Charter to improve it.  The Sellers and their bunch have to get out of the 1920’s and realize we are in 2016 and things change and we need to do what is best for Saratoga and its citizens.  Change it or update and streamline it either one. 

What do you think of Change the form of gov't?  Stay or Change and put a good reason why you think one way or the other.

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.