Tempers boiled over again in City Hall Friday when embattled, incompetent DPW Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco suggested he would give the Cities lucrative Transfer Station contract to one of his largest campaign contributors,
This contract has the potential of paying off 
Investigators from the Department of Environmental Conservation and the state Attorney General's office conducted the raid.
This week the company agreed to pay a nearly $1 million fine to resolve the complaint. The state will also collect $250,000 in penalties,
But in the sweetest part of the deal the whistleblower — a former employee of the company who alerted authorities — will receive $163,651, said a spokesman with the Attorney General
HEAR THAT BOYS
This law allows a private citizen with inside knowledge of fraud to bring a qui tam action on behalf of the government and to receive up to 30% of the proceeds.
So if any off you DPW workers would like to turn in Skip call (914) 517-5000
The city is entering a new and dangerous time in its history. The Saratogian by ignoring this story has shown itself to be as corrupt as Scirocco. It is time for a bipartisan motion by the Council to remove this Commissioner. His willingness to hand over one of the cities most lucrative revenue stream to a possibility mob connected, corrupt waste removal company is unacceptable. While other politicians are running away from
26 comments:
Ben, I think you are giving this idiot to much credit for crafting an idea to bring this scam to fruition. No doubt, County Waste is dirty and they contributed large sums of money to Scirocco, but do you really believe they could sand bag the local public into paying a big increase to get rid of their own trash at the City's Transfer and Trash Dump Station...and get away with it??
I really don't think Scirocco knows what the fuck he's doing.He can't handle simple inventory and cash flow. So his buddies in County Wide offer him a quick fix with maybe some bennies on the side.
You mean I can make money just by blowing into a whistle?
Tweet, tweet!
Now pay up. Make checks payable to my campaign.
Oops, I spilled the beans again, didn't I?
Maybe we could but a few snow plows on the front of County Waste garbage trucks and solve a few more of the Skippies problems
A politician or political leader is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making.
This includes people who hold decision-making positions in government, and people who seek those positions, whether by means of election, appointment, electoral fraud, conquest, right of inheritance or other means.
Sometimes we are blessed with wise man sometimes we get puppy killing assholes who can't get their head out of their ass.
Guess which group you fall into Skip
How did Thilo do in his first meeting today? Could anyone understand what he was mumbling? Did he speak in Spanish or English? Was it a public meeting? Was Al T there pouting? Was Ron there swearing at JT? Was Lew there shitting in his diapers? Did Val get to say "um" a hundred times? Were any true Democrats in the room by some fluke? Did Wyatt have his magic pencil? Did Peter find a date? Did the total IQ in the room approach 500?
Just wondering. Was anyone there to report back?
The Democratic Committee meeting was the same old shit. A little more civil than usual Tighe and Kim weren’t there, that helps .Martin gave a long winded speech about paid parking. Their No1 concern still seems to protect the cities bloated Police and Fire Forces along with their buddy Skip. I have no idea what these people are so afraid off. They don’t want to hear about layoffs, givebacks or union concessions. They just want to raise Taxes, fees and anything else to protect the union status quo. I think the Democratic Party will be irrelevant for the next couple years.
LOL at you John. You can't have it both ways. Either the DPW gets privatized, or you keep what you got. And if the DPW gets privatized that means that County Waste will get the trash contract.
I know for a fact that there has been alot of tightening up about the garbage bags. There are fewer people who have them. Now they are under lock and key.
The only dangerous times going on in this city is the total lack of respect for what the voters wanted. and the incopentant City Council. It's time to get rid of this archaic and harmful form of government. We need to go to the type of government that every other city has. We need a strong mayor who makes the decisions. And get rid of both the finance and accounts departments. They should be one Comptroller's office. We need to revamp the City Charter. This should be a priority.
And instead of tearing down the DPW how about some positive suggestions that might help the city out. Or is this beyond the scope of this blog? I get it, you don't like der Skipper. However, he was elected by City residents. You don't live here. You need to chill out.
You say that you want to move back to the city but I don't see anything positive coming from you. So what is it? Are you for the city or are you just a guy who gets his jollies off sitting in his living room in Milton?
Dear fat lady I respect your opinion but part of the reason I along with many people I grew up with were forced to move out of Saratoga were higher taxes. I am also aware the majority of City employees don’t now or did they ever reside in Saratoga Springs. In fact for all I know you commute in from Corinth
The only reason Skippy tightened the controls on the garbage bags is because he had too. That kind of pressure comes from blogs like this. So I think I am doing a service to Saratoga. The current pay and benefit structure of the cities work force is unsustainable. And yes I used to be one and at that time cops made about as much as Nurses and DPW made about as much as Skidmore’s groundsman, plumber’s and other maintenance staff. Now cops make more than professors and Dpw drivers make more than RN’s. Something got to give and no tax increases or paid parking fees will solve the problem in the long run.
The City will face many challenges in the coming years and you can help solve them or see you ass replaced by cheaper private contractors.
As far as changing the form of government what do you propose Albany, Buffalo or Utica as an example to follow.
And finally contrary to what is written on Mark Scirocco’s little circle jerk of Bevis and Butt-head wannabees dissenting opinions are welcome on this blog as long as they have at least some merit and aren’t just a middle school obscene rants. You can save them for the DPW crappers stall.
Don't worry fat lady Zuzia Kwasniewski is giving out happy ending massages to laid off city workers.
There my favorite thing when I get out of the hot tub
Thanks you the #phone number with any luck I'll have a nice vacation fund for summer and Skippy can cool his jets in John Sweeneys old cell. Maybe he can do some community service in the County Animal shelter euthanizing strays. Not as fun as shooting puppies in the landfill, but gets the job done.
The Fat Lady is Patrick Kane in drag. That incopentant head of the historic review board is the change the charter movement. Hey, Kane we already have a strong Mayor. The last thing this city needs is a dealmaker that puts his personal needs in front of the city’s. Privatize the trash (competitive bid this time), but take the revenue out of the DPW manpower budget.
It’s time to bust the Union grip on this city. Ben is right. It is out of control. If Skip can’t do the work – fire him. If his people can’t follow direction – fire them. It is going to catch up to them. Spring is coming and their three month furlough is coming to an end with nothing to show except a manroom, more personal liability claims, garbagebaggate, and an ugly mob mentality behind the DPW compound fences. The City needs to review what all of those employees have done since November. my guess is very little.
Sounds like The Fat Lady don't like his buddy taking it in the ass? The Fat Lady is apparently feeling sorry for this moron that, admittedly, City voters chose to occupy the DPW seat at the Council table. No doubt Fat Lady, Commissioner Skippy could easily serve as the poster child for the failures of our form of government.
While The Fat Lady is working up tears for this incompetent public official, here's an idea that he can take back to his friend Skippy. Is it really a sign of good government and good management to have three high paid supervisors (Foreman) in charge of six people? Unfortunately, this is what's going on in the DPW today.. thanks to the good judgement (or laps thereof) of City voters. No wonder the City is in trouble with this level of high powered decision making going on.
And, one last comment to The Fat Lady (or Fat Man for all I know) Just think of what we would be facing if it were Mayor Skippy in charge of the City and we we were playing under your system?? Something that could realistically happen if the voters were duped again into believing Scirocco was really up to the task...
It is unfortunate that one man should shoulder such ridicule. However, this blog is offering City voters the chance for dialogue that is absent from the local newspaper. The author of this site is right for posting comments from anyone with anything meaningful to say. Ben can't help it if most all the newsworthy stories emanate directly from the newest version of the DPW Mancave...
well fat lady, demroc and the rest of the DPW rabble your union has sold you down the river.Start looking for jobs as a grease monkey at Jeffy lube because layoffs and privatization are coming.
You asked for it
You wanted it
Now you got it
Been away for a while but intrigued with todays posting.
Without trashing Pat Kane, after all he is an ally of Commissioner Skippy, Pat Kane should be encouraged to step forward with his ideas on how to fix the City budget mess. And, that should not start with his usual mantra about changing the form of government. How about a blue ribbon committee to weed out incompetence and corruption??
What do you mean privatization is coming... What about my high paid City Job for knowing nothing and doing little?, What about my new DPW truck? What about my bennies as a CSEA Union Lackie? What do you mean you want to change the current form of City government?
I'm calling my Union Rep...I'm calling Jr. "Big Deal" O'Neil. I'm calling anyone who will listen. This is totally unfair..Screw the Taxpayers!
Good guesses as to who I am. I don't even know who Pat Kane is. I don't work for the city. I do have some thoughts as to the present form of government and why it needs to be changed.
We have a halfway near decent mayor, a questionable public safety commissioner., an idiot finance commissioner and an incompetent DPW commissioner. They can't run the city at all. And we are the ones suffering.
Change the charter to have the Mayor appoint his people in. Have the DPW split up into two groups, grounds and maintenance and have one supervisor for each. Have the Public Safety position abolished. Have the Police Chief and Fire Chief report directly to the Mayor. Merge the finance and accounts offices into one comptroller's office. And add a real city clerk to take care of all the regular stuff that you and I need from the city. And have written in the charter the right to recall any incompetent public official.
As for the high paying city jobs, the city cut the workers who were making the least. Your average worker there is being paid at what the last guy set for rates in the last contract. I don't think that the rates are too out of line with what the public sector gets. The water dept. guys get about $20 an hour. The last time I had to call a plumber to my house he cost me $90 an hour. Same with the electricians and the heavy equipment operators. So where do you get overpaid from?
I agree about the bullshit with the trucks. These trucks could be run a lot longer before they are replaced. And the supervisors could be riding around in Rangers, using less gas than the big trucks that they are now.
The city is broken. Who in their right mind budgets money they don't have and won't get? That is so stupid that I can't believe someone actually did this. This is the measure of incompetency. There is more than one Commissioner who should be going.
We need to fix the city fast before we get deeper in the shit we already are.
"Sorry In Saratoga" has it partly right. I work for the DPW and it's true there are three foreman for six people. However, the six people include the three foreman. That's actually one person per supervisor. This is an important fact.
“The last time I had to call a plumber to my house he cost me $90 an hour.’
Well you just proved two things.
1. You are not very bright
2. You never worked for the private sector.
My plumber charges 47 a hour. That is his company charges me 47 an hour, he makes about 20 but only charges for time worked. Not time for getting coffee, playing cards or writing on blogs.
The same with a auto Garage, they charge about 70 an hour but the mechanic makes about 20.
Both these people pay for their own health insurance and only get paid for actual work.
Numbers! Stop it! You are confusing me with these numbers.
The fat lady sings has some good ideas about the charter change. As far as the plumber comment that is way off. The water dept. doesn't really do that much plumbing compared to a real plumber. But private sector plumbers do their fair share of raping the public. Like disappearing for 2 hours to get a part at their shop that is 5 minutes away. Basically charging me for his lunch hour.
Yeah, plumbers do their fair share as does electricians. These local guys, Orsini Electric for example. For a job that may cost 3-4 hundred bucks ends up costing 1200 or so because instead of sending 1 guy they send three. So you don't pay $50 per hr. You pay 3 guys at $50 per hr. Plus their add ons and OT ends up costing a fortune. Municipality workers are no prize but the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
Pat Kane the fat lady - one and the same. For a guy that doesn't work for the city hall he certainly has a lot of ideas about how it works. Say fat lady - give me 5 reasons that the city with your charter change (under Pat Kane the incopentant or someone the onipotnet) will be better. Now WILL BE BETTER must be part of your answer.
Hey! 8:44 are you braindead? The fat lady just pointed out good reasons why it would be better. Most of the ideas cut the fat. Save money! Understand? And no it's not Pat Kane. Kane helped get Skippy elected and is no fan of the Mayor. Keep digging on who it is. Or just contribute and stop wasting your time.
I work for $11 an hour. I know what a bitch it is to pay my taxes. I would like to see some of you try to make it on my pay. You want some reasons why it would be better under a one Mayor system? Here we go.
1. You have one person accountability. If something goes wrong there is only one person to blame. Not 5 separate branches.
2. You save money. The 5 branches would be consolidated to save costs. No Commissioner, Deputy Comm., Executive secretary x 5.
3. Work would get done faster. No having to please 5 different people from possibly 2-3 different parties.
4. One face on the City. You know who represents the City. Like Jenkins in Albany, Jack Diamond in Glens Falls, Harry Tutunjian in Troy, etc. etc. They run their cities.
5. The buck stops here. You know that if you elect someone else to the position that whole policies are going to change.
You want some more ideas to save money? How about charging a vehicle use fee at the Racino? This would accomplish two things. Replace lost budget money and foster use of CDTA. These vehicles that go there put extra wear and tear on our streets. They bring extra people who add a burden to our infrastructure. A small fee will not scare away these gambler's. You go to any casino and they have paid parking. Charge a fee for people who drive in to there.
Condo tax. It is time for that now. Why should these people be getting a free ride? It's time for these residents to shoulder their part of the burden. They may scream. I know I would. But just because they live in a condo shouldn't give them a get out of jail free card. I would love not to pay taxes but that isn't reality. It costs to keep the City up. They need to pay too.
How about the union contracts? This is the time to make some really big changes. Most of the jobs wages now are locked in and really can't be changed. But the new blood coming in can be affected. Why not have a 2 or 3 tier system for new hires? With appropriate wage scales. And also larger contribution to health care? Or for that matter, why not have a self insurance fund? This should save money.
Saratoga is on the cusp of change. We can either be a City moving forward. A destination that all want to live in. Or slide back into a local little burgh that is slowly dying.
with all these complaints i dont see anyone stepping up for the job
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