I still feel wretched but I am the home of the wretched
after all. Seriously I stuck my head out today and the sun felt warm upon my face.
I think illness is God’s way to remind us to appreciate our health.
I’m trying to keep up and expect my posts to be a bit
limited as I recover. But enough about me.
The long awaited ambulance year-end report came out and “Toothy”
is giddy with joy. He claims $667,000 in revenue for 3,223 calls. That 200k in
uncollected bills? Well kiss that goodbye. They average about $200 a call and that’s
about the industry standard. That’s as good as it’s going to get folks and reimbursements
rates will continue to trend down.
The untold story in this affair is the behavior of the “Beast
of Lake Ave” Fire Chief Williams. Chris “toothy” Mathiesen has no idea what goes
on in his department. Sources tell me “toothy” is a complete stranger to
his men. One rank and file member told me “I wouldn’t know him if he was in front of me at Wal-Mart” To make these
numbers look good and ensure Mathiesen’s reelection Williams has run his man to
the bone.
The department has two levels. The “untouchables” descended
from fire house royalty and everyone else. Some do no wrong. All the others do no
right. All least 20 members are looking to transfer out. And remember folks the
rank and file are no close friends of mine. By reaching out to me they show how
truly desperate their situation is.
In funny news. Val Keehn raised her head out of the dustbin
of history this week. She reached out to Saratogian reporter Lucian McCarty
HERE. Keehn who was voted out of office and relocated out of the city took
great umbrage with Mayor Johnson’s comprehensive review commission. But I’m
going back to my cave to rest for a fight another day.
Saratoga in Decline
We never Sleep
Because I keep coughing.
37 comments:
Frank and Madigan need to involve themselves and help Mathiesen out with a certified accounting. I think there are unaccounted for costs.
Finally, Val is back to save us.
I am weeping with joy.
Bless you, Val. We love you and look upon your days in office with reverence.
Will you please run again?
If you say yes, I will return to the city as well. The Dream Team again!
Mayor Scott Johnson told me in a one on one meeting in his office soon after he was elected that there was little value or support for "that" plan and he intended to have it sit on a shelf ( as he pointed to a shelf in his office). He was true to his word. In contrast, Amy Stock, my co-founder of Sustainable Saratoga, recently announced at a public meeting that there are many good aspects to this 79 page report and there should be no reason why the Mayor's review commission should have to start all over.
Joanne
Yeah i look hot now, it took me leaving your cheating ass to see what i could be without you.a beautiful, strong HEALTHY Man.I married a hot young russian, suck on that fucker
You really should try to get to a doctor. You have spent too many days in the hospital. You do not need another near death experience.
JT,Kevin "M" is commenting in the rag today in regards to the EMS imaginary numbers,I'm beginning to see why finance is so screwed up,the dept. is being advised by an actuary who can't count and I don't think that's the worst of it.
John, so sorry to hear you're so sick. Please take care, this city needs you & your input.
That being said, since "Toothy" is being transparent regarding the EMS & it's revenue, what exactly has the revenue been for the Rec Center? It was my understanting that the center would be staffed by volunteers. Could you check that out as well?
John - is that really Cupcake Joanne commenting at 3:46 PM ?
Get well !
That is a true E-mail sent out to the Democratic faithful but I doubt she posted it here
Jt,why is Yepsen so opposed to ones' right to bear arms,is she still dating albany DA Soares?
Yepsen likes to bare her own arms.She is sleeveless all the time.
She's been dating Soares on and off for awhile,what's the big deal,they attend one anti-gun show rally--speak out against it (although it's perfectly legal) and their item?
I thought Yepsen was dating Bill McTygue. Frank and Madigan? A bookkeeper and a dingbat with a husband who can't count to ten. These two have done more damage to the city than anyone has in twenty years. That was the last time Hank K. had his hands in the pie.
There are only so many dollars in the EMS pie. That figure is aorund $1million peryear at 100%. As John has stated re-imbursments will continue to be reduced. That is fact. The original proforma no longer has value. The original reflected 8 people and associated costs. It's more like 12 or more at a much higher wage since the new contract. HC costs have risen, pension costs have risen. The utilization of another vehicle plus five additional FF has a cost associated with it as well. The lifespan of that vehicle is greatly reduced. Soon new ambulances will be needed. A new five year proforma must be drawn reflecting the legitimate costs including adjusting the rent number in the original and the taxpayer has to see the true picture. With the assumption that this effort will soon will become at least partially a taxpayer expense the correct humbers need to be presented and than with taxpayer input move forward or make another decision. Personally the quality of EMS I feel has been outstanding. The question is if the program is viable long term. Those are the hard facts.
As far as the Rec Center it was never stated that ot would be staffed with volunteers. It was planned that the recreation department employees would relocate there and they have. That is a separate debate for another time because their direct revenues are not the only revenues the Rec Center creates for the City. As to the Comprehensive Plan I have completely read the plan and there are some good ideas in there that could be incorporated but in lieu of the amount of change to the cities footprint today vs. five to six years ago much of it is outdated. A new plan should be utilized using old and new ideas. Anything short of that would reflect a lack of comittment to the taxpayer. Hopefully common sense and not obstruction will be the course taken.
7:37AM "Common Sense" (according to our democratic process) would dictate that all elected Council members provide candidates in order to have some skin in the game and to support the work of the Committee. Precisely why Payne's 1776 Common Sense was written (anonymously).
The key to EMS is whether it will support itself.
The recent and current projects have not strayed far from what was imagined in 2008. The overlay buffers in the last Comp Plan was a key feature.
The person writing as Kevin M at the Saratogian and elsewhere is not the husband of Madigan. Dingbats. But, I think someone with a PhD in Math and an Actuary, well he can count and then some.
Kevin M can't count to ten? Maybe so but the dingbat is still a loser and needs to be replaced. Let's go David Harper. Franck and Madigan must go. Where are your candidates?
10:04AM,always the tease.PhD in Math and an Actuary and can't put a five year plan together for the wife and Toothy...Well buster he might just as well be Kevin M..
Focus on the issues of the here and now. Val Keehn is not the issue. Its the Dumocrats that are there now. Franck should have been bounced when McTygue and Keehn were bounced. He flew under the radar but now he is front and center with a major mess in the accounts department that should be investigated further. Mattigen is a dumb broad who just follows the leader. Take down the crooked Accounts guy and all the cards will follow.
Being an actuary does not necessarily mean you have budget experience. There are several types of actuaries that could not generate a budget. This may not be the case with Kevin but sure is a possibility. She wears the pants in the family anyway.She is being tutoredd by other Democratic Operatives including John. That is apparent.
What the Commissioner has actually accomplished is justifying the existence of a Fire Dept. by creating an ambulance service. How else can they justify havinf a fully paid Fire Dept. He has worked his people to the bone and that is why he stated at a Council Meeting that is was a bad year for sick time which in essence created more OT. The only number not reported was the amount of fires the city had last year. There were no major fires but there should be a total number on fire calls included. They probably didn't even have it on their mind. he alos stated there were no additional hires but two FF were wpron in at end of year and two more have been hired. No discusssion about the $26,000 just approved for training or the purchase price of the ambulances which were approved through the consent agenda earlier in the year. That's what I call total transparency. My personal feeling is that the consent agenda which hides a number of purchases and cash trasaction should be eliminated by the Charter Committee and I plan on making the recommendation.
On the Saratogian blog someone obviously from the SSFD quoted they netted $500,000 in net revenue. Another mental giant. At the current number if you took the Safer grant out it would have been a taxpayer expense.Don't forget that major increase in insurance premiums that Accounts tried to fluff off on two DPW drivers. Anyone with any level of intelligence would understand that because of the liability of starting an ambulance service the increase was mostly created by liability insurance.The public is being duped because the Council either thinks no one pays additiona or we are a city of dummies. $200,000 for purchase on anew ambulance scheduled for 2013 according to proforma. Vehicles with ten or less years of life should not be in the Capital Budget. Would you pay for a car payment if your car lasted six or seven years. Most of the mabulance we have are glued together and held upby rubberbands. That comment came directly from a FF that was harrassed daily to support the program.
Anon 5:06 PM You have a hard on for Franck. You constantly write your gibberish about Democrats like they're all the same. Keehn was in a class all her own. She went after McTygue and did not care for Franck. She left office just as her predecessor with little public support. Franck has held office in spite of your loathing for him. You’re not transparent Bunky. See you in May.
I know why these guys keep defending Franck and the dems. Power hungry people who manipulate the system with their agendas. Let's stop the guns in saratoga. Maybe if we stop the guns us democrats won't continue to shoot ourselves in the foot. Face the facts. Matheison,Madigan and Franck are failures. Time to splits ties with the failures.
Lucian,"the newest Scirrcoal toadie"censors'comments that are truthful,Skippys'son's first day at work was masterful to say the least,first thing he did was to lock himself out of vehicle with the engine running..fact..second thing he had to do was to call in to work on(OVERTIME)was the $70,000plus head mechanic to locate the spare keys $200.00 later things were normal?????? Any office holder in this city who has hired a relative and it becomes a campaighn issue are VOTED OUT--Fact.I don't even think Skippys'patron uncle and chairman of partime legitement Civil Service Commission Elio Desettie will be able to save him! "Mambo Johnnie"and "Val the Impaler"were an item back in the day,I never thought that nastiness would rub off,see? ya never know.
6:42 and 6:52, obviously someone who knows their stuff.
Brings up really good points too:
1. How many fires were there in Saratoga Springs? Why wasn't that information included in the report?
2. Do the number of fires justify a fully staffed, fully paid, full benefits fire dept.?
3. Why do we call them firefighters? Why not just call them our fully staffed, fully paid, full benefits, EMS people?
That's all I have.....for now.
Anon 11:53AM - “Power hungry people who manipulate the system for their own agendas”. Could you be referring to our Mayor, or any partisan person who runs for office for that matter? Or is this vile about your guns?
Can you elevate that discussion on its own merits without personally attacking those who disagree with your point of view? The issue will find its resolution in some sort of consensus between the far left and the far right, but don’t expect it to necessarily be in the middle.
No one wants to take your gun out of your little hand, just the automatic rifles and weaponry that have no place on safaris or in the neighborhood. Consider joining the Army or the Guard or some Foreign Legion. The second Amendment doesn’t protect you from your own fantasies and paranoia about apocalyptic dreams. Those guys usually end up in a cabin somewhere simply smolderin’ in the grave.
Anon 3:56PM -
The newspaper used to publish this but it got embarrassing for the FD because there would be years between actual fires. The newspaper used to publish this but it got embarrassing for the FD because there would be years between actual fires. That is why they started chaperoning SEMS with the keys to the public senior housing facilities to clock in “service calls”.
The FD would rather not go to fires, in a perfect world all buildings would be fireproofed and sprinklered, but that would negate the reason for there being a FD in the first place (given all their training). So now, we do have an overstaffed overpaid bunch of epaulet strutting peacocks on the top that would rather parcel out overtime and favors and have the City be responsible for buying more equipment that gets insured but receives little to no maintenance. Time will tell, but my money is not on that horse that promises a gross money maker for the taxpayer.
2:00 pm
Agreed. Lucien (French?) McCarty (Scottish) is quite the moderator for that saratogian blog of his.
Even the truth gets deleted. C'mon Lucien, is it a blog, or isn't it?
I know you spy on this blog, so why not figure out how a blog is run? Are those marshmallows between your legs?
Lucien is a LIGHT WEIGHT in the scheme of things going on in this great city,I think Babs is still breast feeding this cub from who knows were,he's your basic wanna-be but doesn't know what he wanna be--- a no-count! but as a reporter of a no count statis I'd be careful covering up the butt of scirocco cause there's a tidal wave heading his way.
LUcien loves Scirocco,they got there GED together Lucien finished third.
I don't think you would be shocked if you knew who 6:42 and 6:52 was. He/she watches city operations and budgets very closely. Not a politician but always has the best interest of the people in mind.John T. - Hope all is fine. See you soon hopefully.
7:09 - Where is the tidal wave coming from? No one in the city will run against him. The only people capable are disinterested and the people interested have to much baggage themselves so we will again have Skippy in 2014.
Now we even have the Saratogian coming out in an editorial stating that $approximately $670,000 of gross revenue created $500,000 in net revenue. The definition of net revenue simply is how many dollars are left over after expenses. Are people, pension costs, HC cost, payroll tax, fuel, liability insurance sick time, vacation time, comp time not included in expenses or are we using robots to perform this function. I realize now why the Saratogaina has little credibility but to fall for bogus numbers and the fact they were doing it already is bogus. The taxpayer should be outrgaed by such dribble and misrepresntation.There were additional people hired after recieving the Safer Grant which opened tthe door for this expansion. I have a high level of respect for the FF and the ability of Chief Williams as an excelllent manager of his department. They have done an admirable job. But to expect the taxpayer to think the statements included in this editorial are accurate is an insult to any intelligent person who has any understanding of budgets. I ealize that the SSFD was partially already involved in the process but that was by choice. Obviously with the small amount of fires in saratoga Springs they needed to justify their existence. The opportunity came when SEMS failed due to poor management. When the initial proforma was presented it had more holes than swiss cheese but at least had representaive cost numbers which included people and the other items I described above. Now it seems those costs are being represented as net revenue. It is close to being hypocritical and the Saratogain bought the story hook, line and sinker. Now I know I was correct when I cancelled my subscription some time ago and get the Gazette or the Times union where at least fact is respresented.
I hear that Sharon is not happy that Scirocco hired the son. Their Dept. has 2 reader meter readers and one installer. One is out with heart problems, that leaves one reader for the whole City. They ues to have 3 readers but one was never hired. Most of the lay offs were due because Billy T. wiggles his way into the Finance Dept. and tells them that DPW doesn't need this or that. Then the DPW Commish is left holding the bag.
Half the fireman now are pussys & scared of fire believe me I know first hand. The officers will just sit at the door and pull hose, also pussys. This city is screwed 5 years down the road if they get a fire. The department will have ZERO fireman by then. People are going to get hurt or worse.
I agree that they should change their name from firefighters to something else.
9;37 - You are absolutely right. Billy is the advisor and Michele is the puppet. Sharon can't even get her job accomplshed. It is a legitiamte hire. He was on the list. With the proper waiver from Civil Service it can be done. Did not Tommy hire Billy and his then son-in-law. What is so different about this.
9:51 - You make a good point. Consider this scenario. Two ambulance calls five minutes apart. These EMTs are also part of the Fire dept. as well not additional people on the shift. Now we have 4 people out in two ambulances and at least one fire truck following with five FF's. A major fire occurs. You can't backfill that fast. The result would be jeopardizing the structure, the residents of that structure and possibly a few of the first responders as well. Let's hope that never happens but ti could especially if the eMS is taking 90% of the calls and looking for 100% if I know the Chief.
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