Friday, October 16, 2009

Havin' a bad day

Ron Kim should do himself a favor and leave Friday’s paper on the front stoop; maybe even refrain from turning on the television, answering the phone or logging onto the Internet for a while. In fact, the best thing for him to do at this point is to stay in bed with the covers pulled over his head; or tuck into a Snuggie with a good trash novel, 'cause he's havin' a bad day.

After nearly four years of abject neglect, Ron Kim's failure in office is finally starting to bite him on the ass. Last week, he was told his overspending and the city’s budget deficit is prompting more than a dozen layoffs in his department. This week, he learned that his politicking with the Police Department’s lack of a ladies room was going to cost the city $80,000 –twice what the city had initially expected. And then just when things looked like they were settling down, Kim caught word of a the legal proceeding filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union over the city's failure to release the police department’s Taser usage records.

Thursday's host of surprises started off with word of the settlement, ending the well-documented debacle over the female bathrooms; one Kim was keenly aware of when he first came to office in 2005. In fact, it was well enough known that the city even allocated money to correct the situation long before the female officers ever filed suit. But the police brass –namely Chief Ed Moore –wasn’t interested in correcting the problem because they were busy stumping for a palatial Public Safety compound. And they had support from Ron Kim, who decided to join the rally cry for a new station instead of monitoring the performance of his department.

Editor’s note: As the Saratogian reporter asserts in the comments section, this might not be true. Andrew Bernstein says Moore did try to rectify the situation by converting a jail cell into a female locker. He was allegedly blocked by the dynamic duo of Curley and Dreyer. There is no written confirmation of this in published accounts, but Bernstein is a fairly straight-forward reporter, so we'll take his word for it.

Given the facts, the state Human Rights Division’s doubling of the award should come as no surprise. After all, it’s hard to sympathize with a city police department that built its first employee ladies room nearly four decades after hiring its first female officer. In truth, it’s a miracle that the city escaped the whole case with a paltry $80,000 fine.

As could be expected, Kim tried to shift the blame for his own mismanagement onto other people and entities. He argued the fine wouldn’t have been nearly as steep had the city simply built a new station. This assertion was promptly shot out of the sky by division spokesman Jim Mulvaney.

“If there is a continued problem, we assume there will be a subsequent complaint,” he told the Daily Gazette Thursday.

Kim might be able to avoid much flack from the Taser action –at least among those voters with memory issues. Saratoga Springs Police received the electric “nonlethal” weapons last year under Kim’s stewardship, and took no time in putting them to use. By some accounts, the weapons have electrified the nightlife on Caroline Street; something that subsequently caught the attention of the NYCLU.

At this point, it should be noted that the NYCLU isn’t against the use of Tasers, per se. Instead, the organization wants officers to use them under circumstances when they would use lethal force. They have targeted several Taser-happy departments in the Capital Region, including the Guilderland and Glens Falls police; both of whom have some pretty hellacious tales about zapping unarmed and non-violent suspects. In other words, including the Spa City cops with these departments is not a vote of confidence for them or their Taser policy.

The legal proceeding is also a blow to one of Ron Kim’s main campaign slogans: Open Government. Admittedly, the Taser records were not released by long-time Assistant City Attorney Tony Izzo under the advice of Chief Moore. But Kim, as it happens, was the only city commissioner aware of the NYCLU’s request under the state’s Freedom of Information Law.

Oddly enough, Moore’s reasoning for not releasing the Taser records is almost identical as the reason Ron Kim gave for not releasing the police department’s manual or contract to the Saratogian in June: Such documents could jeopardize the department’s safety.

“They constitute intra-agency materials that are exempt from the Public Officer’s Law,” he told the Saratogian Thursday. “Those records are also exempt under that law as they could endanger the life and safety of persons if disclosed.”

Well how about that? The so-called “open government” candidate for mayor is openly allowing a subordinate and the largest department he presides over to duck into the shadows so they can avoid public scrutiny.

These are messages that voters should keep in mind as they make their choice for mayor next month. Kim’s tenure in office would be wrongly characterized as being rife with mismanagement. After all, you have to try to manage something in order to fail at doing it. Kim’s nearly four years in office have been marked by his refusal to uphold a single responsibility of the public safety commissioner. And while some would argue the city couldn’t do much worse by re-electing Mayor Scott Johnson, Kim seems destined to prove them wrong.

49 Comments:

Anonymous Mad Mardigan said...

Ho,

You are reallt reaching on this one. Must be you got the word that Johnson's numbers in the poles are awful. Kim will defeat Johnson unless something changes drastically. Looks like you trying to fabricate a non story to help Scooter J. is your feable atempt to turn the tide. Good Luck!

9:39 AM  
Anonymous Cheese and dog Pizza said...

Kevin Connolly who? said...
So who is Kevin Connolly?
An Albany UNION hack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRQuIOLHd98
A very well paid union hack.
Taxation & Finance Connolly, Kevin Annual $73,112

This man is hand picked by Kim to carry his personal agenda and is campaigning hand and hand with Kim.

11:04 AM  
Blogger Bologna Bob said...

HO, please tell me what the aprox odds are that Ron Kim gets elected. is there a chance? im really hoping there isnt a shot in hell that he wins, but i get the feeling that its just wishfull thinking on my part.

11:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Man this sucks. we have two heaping bowls of sh!t running for office. one that has to go and one we would be crazy to elect. I vote Gumby for mayor!

12:33 PM  
Anonymous Vanguard Springs said...

Are you kidding me Ron Kim have a bad day? A man with that big a size ego. According to the world of Kim ,he is the smartest the best looking and the only one with a clear vision of what the city needs are.
Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman founded NXIVM of which Kim and Connelly belong
Kim is a graduate of NXIVM who have just successfully engineered the takeover and purchase of the Adelphi Hotel from Sheil. NXIVM and its members continue to grow their real-estate holdings and own at least 12 properties in the Capital Region.This "Cult of Personality,” has the Salzman and Bronfman futune at their disposal.Vanguard the leader of this cult lives in Sara Bronfman’s $6 million Manhattan apartment, with unlimited access to the Bronfman jet. Former NXIVM insiders claim to have witnessed the gifting of a $20-million “tribute” from the Bronfman daughters to Raniere{VANGUARD} at his 2004 weeklong birthday celebration, “Vanguard Week. With an ego like Kim's is it any wonder he sees himself tooling around in the NIXIVM jet and turning Saratoga into a little NIXIVM vanguuard world.Their demeanor is invariably morose, sullen, clownish and repulsive. I should think there is not, on the face of the earth, a group so entirely destitute of humor, vivacity, or the capacity for enjoyment.

Led by Kim and Vanguard with Val Keehn along for the ride they will rule aratoga with no clear political view except that the City should be a nicer place and that they should be loved and trusted by everyone and questioned by no-one.
They will talk down to anyone who disagrees with anything they believe or worse try to destroy them.
In The woords of Ron Kim {little Vanguard}
More than any time in history this city faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let us pray that we have the wisdom to choose correctly.

12:42 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well worded, Kim is an incompetent ass who makes his living through the misfortune of others. It is obvious that he is only concerned about issues that will move him to further political office, and anything that stands in his way is someone else's fault. However he should pause and look at how successful that incompetent Val has fared in politics. Hope he is flushed down that dirty toilet by the voters in November.

3:24 PM  
Blogger Andrew J. Bernstein said...

"But the police brass –namely Chief Ed Moore –wasn’t interested in correcting the problem because they were busy stumping for a palatial Public Safety compound."

Not True.

Chief Moore was advised by Captain Biss in 2003 that a new officer coming through basic school would not have a locker once she arrived at the department. Moore went to then-deputy Erin Dryer with a plan to convert a juvenile jail cell into a larger locker room for the female employees, and was turned down. Subsequent plans were similarly quashed by the Curly/Dryer administration.

Problems were further exacerbated by the policy of former Public Works Commissioner Thomas McTygue to charge the police department an hourly rate for work conducted by his employees -- a policy that Commissioner Scirocco did away with.

The improvements put in place in the police station in 2008 were done immediately after the department learned that a human rights complaint had been lodged.

This is all documented as part of the investigation on the human rights violations.

In your quest to oust Ron Kim, you're playing loose and fast with facts -- be careful!

3:36 PM  
Anonymous It just keeps getting better and better folks said...

More bad economic news for the city.The now Nixum owned Adelephi Hotel will seek non-profit educational exemption status from city and school property taxes thus taking another 100,000 in taxes from the city operating budget for 2010

4:32 PM  
Anonymous No room at the Inn said...

I’m not surprised the Adelphi Hotel was sold to a bunch of crooks Sheila had given up on running a decent hotel and the nasty reviews prove it
If I were pregnant and there were a census I doubt they'd even find me a barn. Left in the lurch for Travers.”
My husband and I pulled into Saratoga the Thursday night of Travers weekend, ready for our upscale hotel experience with another couple, especially since the NY Times had just recommended the Adelphi. Yet the front desk did not have our reservations! Even though the hotel had cashed our deposit check! There we were stranded on Broadway for Travers - indeed there was no room at that inn, nor most anywhere except for quite the opposite accomodations across the street at the Community Court. Don't ask. So in the morning we went to get things made right, and aside from waking up the owner to say this was a first for her and she was sorry, they merely cut us a check and turned us out quite ungraciously and unhospitably. We were left to find our own substitute accomodations (did I mention it's Travers Weekend?) and even our request to try to make it up to us with some seats at the track were rebuffed. If this is how they treat a pair of patrons when they make a mistake shows their true colors, the color of money. They had a full house so bah to the rest of us despite our rightful claim on a room. I will never have a nice thing to say about the Adelphia. Never
As a fellow traveler of No1DMBfan and the individual who wrote the deposit check that was never credited to our rooms, I have to pile on here. Instead of meeting our situation with concern and just-even the slightest hint of TLC, the front desk staff at the Adelphi were hostile and incredulous (we have never had this situation happen before). Until, that is, we presented them with the canceled check (love online checking). Still, they were unable to muster any sincere hospitality. Cup of coffee or breakfast on the house after having to spend the night at a welfare motel? A concerted effort to find us a decent hotel room in town (they started calling hotels five miles out of town)? Free tix to the races? Nope. And, even though the owner had several of our cell phone numbers, she never called back after our initial conversation to find out how we made out and perhaps offer us a complimentary drink. Sheila Parkert needs to send her entire staff, and even herself, to take lessons from Karan, the front desk manager at the Inn at Saratoga.

6:23 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ron Kim has been a dismal disappointment and failure. He abandoned his responsibility to the citizens of this City who pay taxes and trusted him for managing the Public Safety Department. Now as he campaigns for Mayor, he has proven in four years, that he is unable to separate his myths and politics from reality.

With the Public Record, there is no denying his inability to work with first, a political majority council and then within the present political minority body to develop a respectable consensus in order to accomplish reasonable and often necessary public agendas. Myopically addressing the PS building, he was never able to understand the difference between the effective need for efficient services versus the blatant imperious demand for monument construction that threatened to financially cripple a city with unrealistic future resident tax burdens. This obvious recklessness coming at a time when this Nation experiences the worst financial storm in eighty years. A strong Department administrator would have addressed the task of redefining and providing more efficient processes – while at the same time addressing non-essential services within his own department yet Ron Kim, abrogated that vital challenge from the start.

Lost in his translations of effective mismanagement, Kim who once campaigned to “Take the Politics out of Public Safety” has demonstrated not only did patronage and politics play a substantial role in his performance, but that he now fails to comprehend the irony of his present slogan of “Responsible Priorities”. Having polarized opinions and failing to provide “Responsible Leadership”, he is solely responsible for damaging the bond between the residents and the police and firemen of this City through his inaction and political impotence.

Truly, this man who would be emperor, has no clothes.

4:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The chief already took home a $60,000 settlement because a deputy was "picking on him" so we need to be careful here.
He could sue us again over this line of questioning. Don't put it past him.

7:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Andrew, public saftey had over$200,000 in their budget for capital repairs in 07 for the purpose of improvements in their work place,what were they saving that money for?STick to commentating,or what ever you do,lick boots maybe?

10:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Andrew 4:32

As an investigative reporter, you might ask:

1. Why is the Public Safety Department in City Hall, the only department that is claiming to be falling apart?
2. Who (which PS Commissioner(s)) authorized the modifications over the years to create an alleged non-code compliant atmosphere and work space?
3. Who (which PS Commissioner) authorized placing the "victim's bench" out in the hall in front of the vending machine from inside behind closed doors?
4. How is it that the one department with Public Safety Building Code Inspectors on staff is the one department that complains about their workspace being non-compliant?
5. Who wired and bundled the computer lines with the electrical conduits in the ceiling and left the panels off exposing a jumbled mess?
6. Who is responsible for the management of the PS department?
7. To see the requisitions for all of the documented illegal modifications that have resulted over the years and question whether they were done as part of a process with contractors (who should be licensed and following required protocol and be required to correctly rewire, etc.) or just with little regard to competency or consideration for the personnel?
8. Why couldn’t someone requisition a plastic desk chair floor protector to be placed under the office chair that has wormed its way into the floor for all to see on the 6 o’clock news?
9. How is it that other departments are able to budget moderate expenditure for furniture and occasional carpeting and painting while the PSD is not?

In your quest to be the investigative reporter – ask the "investigative questions", not just whether or not you can quote someone's opinion.

12:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Andrew, Once and for all let's clear up the myths surrounding the Police Department's lawsuit fiasco,and who is really to blame for the conditions that led to that case. Under Title 6 ,section G titled Public Safety facilities and equipment it states: The Commissioner of Public Safety shall be responsible for the management and care of lands, buildings, equipment and apparatus of the Police and Fire Departments as may from time to time be vested in the Dept. of Public Safety by the Council. There was a line item in the budget for $200,000 for Public SafetyMaintenance, which was neglected by that DEpt. Comm. McTygue, who was charged with the responsibility to maintain all city facilities, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES, offered to have his dept make the necessary renovations and that offer was rejected by Kim. You can be sure the space occupied by the police dept. would have been clean and upgraded had not the CHARTER delegated this responsibility to Public Safety. The lawsuit brought on by the policewomen had another dimension aside fromthe complaint about the lack of facilities for them. That second complaint was the harassment, offcolor remarks and potty talk they were subjected to by their MALE CO-WORKERS. Since they were awarded double what was originally expected, can we conclude that the amount was doubled because of that harassment? It certainly was part of their case. So once again the taxpayer has to take responsibility for boorish behavoir and coarse talk by the "professionals" who are charged with protecting us? Maybe those women would be justified suing their union for that...or just maybe the city should sue the union to recoup half of the award because of the hostile atmosphere towards females that has been tolerated in headquarters and allowed the harassment to persist. And by the way, charging Public Safety for work done by public works meant nothing morethan transferring funds, fromthe public safety budget line item for maintenance to public works line item for labor and materials. Once again Skippy has illustrated his complete ignorance .Now we have a precedent. Public Works can now absorb all of the cost for Public Safety Maintenance. No wonder Skippy the local MADOFF hasn"t paid back the $l20,000 so called "loan" to the Accounts dept. budget. But what does he know, he can't even read the numbers on paper.

12:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

HO:

Time to change the name of this blog. "i-Saratoga" doesn't fit anymore. It should be renamed "Paid for by the Scott Johnson for Mayor Campaign."

You used to make a pretense of evenhandedness, but now, as Scotty's hopes of re-election are fading fast, you've become more and more desperate.

All your anti-Democratic propaganda is too little, too late. Voters are tired of the world's smallest mayor. In January, he'll be out of office and back at his Florida vacation home. Then you can call the blog "i-Miami."

12:46 PM  
Anonymous TweetSaratoga said...

Visit TweetSaratoga on Twitter to get in on this action:

Wagering is Now Open!

Race 1:
The Mayor's Cup
#1. Scott Johnson (Odds: 3-5)
#2. Ronald Kim (Odds: 6-5)

Place your bets!

1:32 PM  
Anonymous Johnny Bravo said...

Does anyone give a flying shit about Nxium? I mean really! Is this guy a retard? All he talks about is cults and stalking. Is it any wonder who this asshole is? How did he make out with his settlement with DPW when he drove his car out in front of a plow? He follows the lead of Phil Diamond the skidmore student stalker at election time by stalking Val and Ron.

3:40 PM  
Blogger Andrew J. Bernstein said...

anon 10:24 a.m.: 2007 is a separate issue. I was talking about 2005.

Lick boots? No thank you.

7:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't think NXIVM bought the Adelphi Hotel.

9:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Andrew,07 is not a seperate issue,kim didn't want Mctygue to do the work, in that way he could continue to critize him kind of like what he's doing to johnson with the rec center and the outside lawyers,never mind that Kim voted and supported the rec center...and as far as the outside attorneys goes the city needs them to untangle the mess Kim created when he negotiated on his own,proving to be very costly to the taxpapyers!Kims' campaign MOTTO is... " tell the lie enough and people will believe it".

5:31 AM  
Blogger Horatio Alger said...

12:05 and 12:20,

Great points. To take a wild stab at questions 1 through 9, wasn't Lew Benton PS commissioner for a while? I'm not sure if he has anything to do with answering some or any of those questions. It should be noted that some of these transgressions happened under his watch(i.e. the bathrooms).

Dont ask don't tell,

While all that may be true, I simply can't post what you wrote. The idea is to keep this blog going, not nail a torpedo through the hull.

Johnny Bravo,

Let me be the first to say I care very little about NXIVM, and I really don't buy too heavily into the notion that they're the ones energizing the DFC. But on the subject, NXIVM is a somewhat frightening group. I kind of doubt they'd buy the Adelphi. Still, a part of me says a stunt like that is right up their alley.

12:46,

Ya got me. Shit.

OK folks, the gig is up. I'm admitting now that I've been Scott Johnson all along, blogging here, from my living room. I can't believe it took you this long to figure it all out.

Now that you have, I'm going to legislate a modest $1.5 million annual stipend to i-Miam...oh..umm...i-Saratoga, so that I can rest easy, drink bourbon and go hippie...er...skeet shooting in the afternoon. Brilliant. Hopefully this doesn't come out in the paper.

1:32,

It's going to be a close race, but I have FAR to much faith in humanity to believe there are enough imbeciles in this city to elect Ron Kim mayor. Keep in mind, Saratoga County is still Jasper Nolan's ground. He's got his back against the wall right now, because the Republican establishment is crumbling. So what do you do when the barbarians are at the gates? Fall back to the keep. Or in this case, Saratoga Springs.

In fact, that might make an interesting Sunday post...

5:35 AM  
Anonymous The Man with the Highest IQ in the World said...

Citizens,

You thought I was gone. But the truth is that I never left.

During the past few months, I have developed a 3-part plan to:

a) Establish my world empire's headquarters in your city; and

b) wipe out my media critics, and

c) Place my obedient servants into positions of power within your government.

Obviously, the first of the three has been leaked. But that matters not: for it is in the works; the funds are lined up and we are about to close the deal. A funny looking bankruptcy attorney and a glassy eyed special ed teacher are both standing by to do the honors at our ribbon cutting.

Next, it should be apparent to you that I do not tolerate public criticism. Just ask Rick Ross, Metroland, or that funny fellow who used to have a blog here in town that was very similar to the one you are now reading. (Note: are you reading this, Mr Alger?)

The third (and most important) part of the plan will be accomplished after I unleash my October Surprise on you. You just wait: when it happens, catch your breath and then realize it was MY doing!

NEVER should you doubt me!

1:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Annon 12:21 - Consider for a moment, that a reason that the DPS didn't want DPW snooping around their part of the building is because they probably had a peephole (or electronics)directly into the McTygue's office since they shared a common wall (and maybe that’s why Skip opted to build his own office with insulation in the walls and away from the DPS/DPW common wall). I wouldn't put it past a department that requires a SWAT team and Tasers to get into the spy vs. spy mentality. That said, they didn't make code compliant repairs when required to their well documented miserable old part of the old building -- instead just filling up their space to complain that they would need another building (all their own – A Citadel!), that the DPW wouldn't be in charge of.
Billy should get his office debugged.

2:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am deeply concerned that Ron Kim does not have the style or courage to carry out the responsibilities of the Mayor of Saratoga Springs.

He has avoided taking a position of courage or carrying out his promises to voters.

We are very at risk if Ron Kim wins -- at the very time when we need the best minds to create solutions to our deep $$$ woes within the City.

And, he does not take responsibility for what happens on his "watch". He could have fixed the women's facilities issue the moment he was elected Public Safety Commissioner - but wanted to use it to get an unaffordable PS new Building.

Scott Johnson is not a perfect candidate. But, he is way better than Ron Kim.

Vote for the City!

2:52 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

12:05 – Add these to the reporter's list:

10. Has there ever been an objective study to determine the ideal size (the most bang for the buck – Efficiency man!) required for a Public Safety Department for Saratoga Springs considering its auxiliary coverage by the State Police, County Sheriff and neighboring communities' fire and emergency services mutual aid?
And if not, why not? (… because we’d probably find we already have plenty of personnel)

11. As Commissioner, why hasn't Ron Kim ever addressed the abuse in overtime scheduling in order to save the public money? Isn’t that a part of an effective administrator's responsibility? Do his priorities reflect the residents or the shop stewards? (With such misguided priorities as Commissioner and a dismal record as a manager, how could he expect people to consider him for another post?)

3:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Again, the debate stirs about changing the Commissioner form of government to one headed by the potential omnipotent administrator who could exclusively vote capital projects, with little concern for those residents who would have to leave voicemails on their ward leaders’ phone machines in hopes to be heard.

Consider that the present form under most circumstances (when there hasn’t been deliberate efforts to sabotage it from the inside by Council members) has functioned to provide the citizens of this city with a working responsive government and a wholesome community that is the envy of many.

The present annual budget has to be divided by the Council and if we can only afford and enjoy a medium two topping pizza for dinner, that is it. Some would demand a large five topping super supreme, bloating themselves and the taxpayer’s wallet because it fills their personal agendas, but that would be unhealthy for the residents. In the end, the city has to manage its budget and spend what it can afford – just as it has done so successfully in the past. There are too many communities whose budgets bankrupted their residents with department expenditures they didn’t need. Small soda medium pie.

3:48 AM  
Anonymous mamie said...

I see the saratogian published a letter by Phil "Dumb" Diamond in today's paper. What a pile of crap! He claims to be a democrat? Right! He is just a McTygue puppet with no real nuts of his own.
Let's remember he is the one that harrassed the skidmore students at the election polls. He also had an order of protection against him by a fellow democratic committee member. He continued to stalk and harass him and others even at uncommon grounds he would heckle anyone coming in the door. He and his protege(John Tighe) were both ousted from the democratic committee because of their antics of trying to bully people.

4:04 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A cult taking over the Adelphi Hotel if true would ruin downtown business as well as lose tax dollars. Hard to believe if it is true there is not a groundswell of outrage by the chamber etc.

5:09 AM  
Anonymous The chosen one said...

Mamie at least Phil had the guts to sign his real name something nether you or I do.

6:49 AM  
Anonymous Ron Kim ate my homework said...

The Chamber? You gotta be kidding?

They are just puppets for the real estate industry. They don't care if this cult buys the hotel. They no doubt are all for it.

7:31 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The only cult that exists in this town goes by another name. It's called the Independent party. Fortunately no one buys in to the Gordon Boyd/McTygue drivel. Ed Miller is their last hope to salvage their credibility in Saratoga. Image that! A guy that sells hot dogs as their spokesperson. You know what they say. Every dog has his day. But this guy is just a weiner.

8:52 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Adelphi/cult rumor is not true.

12:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Citizen John W. Kraus writes in today's Saratogian about his so-called, "Team Saratoga". This carpetbagger moves into my neighborhood, builds a half million dollar new home and then complains that all his neighbors don't pay enough in taxes! He then joins the PS team promoting a humongous PS facility and has the nerve to publicly call himself himself, “The Taxpayer’s Watchdog” no less! Thanks but no thanks Buddy.
Oh, by the way … someone should tell this card carrying Public Safety Construction Committee member and Charter Revolutionary that when you illegally convert the space over your garage into a second household without permits or reviews, you don’t quite have the voice of righteousness – and you certainly do not speak for this City.

3:47 AM  
Blogger Ben lives on said...

A new blog in town.
http://saratogaindecline.blogspot.com/

5:53 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

well at least the adelphi (the buliding) will be maintained

6:19 AM  
Blogger Horatio Alger said...

Guys/Gals,

I'm really getting bored with the so-called humorous posts...some are mildly funny and I post them. Others are just sultry and aimed at flaming. Sometimes, I can't tell the difference. Needless to say, they kind of break up the dialog here, which is why I've stopped posting a bunch of them.

I pose some very interesting points in this post, and some readers have posed some very thoughtful comments in response. Others...well...not so thoughtful. Nevertheless, I'm not a proponent of obfuscation, and the off-topic posts are pretty much an attempt at that. So before you bang the 'publish your comment' tab, take a minute and re-read your thoughts. Maybe dig a bit deeper into the recesses of your cranium and come up with something we'll all appreciate reading, at least for the sake of introspection.

7:34 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I thought water was the big issue in these here parts?

9:51 AM  
Anonymous BEN LIVES ON said...

Each day on
http://saratogaindecline.blogspot.com/

We will be naming the worst letter of the day.

Public comments are welcome
Today’s award goes to
This wins the award as worst letter in the day.

http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/10/20/opinion/doc4add25713e544040753170.txt.
And JOHN W. KRAUS as worst person in the world. Johns not really the worst
Somewhere somebody’s ending freedom, or sticking a shiv into a witness, or defrauding an orphan, or bombing a home but his letter is pretty silly

10:54 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lets just allow Tommy McTygue and Nancy Muldoon to run this town.

Yeah..... thats the ticket!

12:13 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I’m in full agreement with you Ho.

We shouldn’t be inundated with vile, crude and lascivious messages aimed only rewarding their writers with perverse pleasures whose only redeeming value could be found somewhere deep down in the long dark dank burrows where these people hide. So, discriminate freely in that we - those cloaked in anonymity and those like the naked Mr. York may experience a meaningful dialogue that can only further a forum of true political intercourse.

4:05 PM  
Blogger Ben lives on said...

Today is a day to raise a glass to toast I-Saratoga.

Not only was Saratoga’s premier blog DAMED not once but twice at the last Saratoga Democratic Committee meeting, but at last nights City Council meeting, comments found on the blog were read into the official minutes of the City Council in the public comment period by none other than Saratoga’s favorite rabble-rouser Kyle York as if they were verses in the KORAN.

So here’s to you HO and keep sticking it in the shady politicians eye.

4:20 AM  
Anonymous My dog just left a Ron Kim on the carpet said...

So the union membership was out in force again last night, dominating the proceedings with their "don't touch us" broken record.

The Question for the Union leadership is this:

"IF you are saying 'nada' to eliminating jobs, decreasing salaries or cutting back on benfoits for your membership--then what do youmpropose as the alternative(s)for the city as a means of balancing its budget, as required by law?"

Is that a 40+% tax increase?

How else do you get there?

Help us out---it is important that we understand your position on this matter.

Because you have yet to sate it. All you've done is say 'not us'.

We await....

12:58 PM  
Anonymous Kyle Dork said...

12:58
Can you put two sentences together without misspelling a word?

I don't get why the city will not pay for legal council for Keehn and her former attorney for a case that McTygue created through his usual bullying? He clearly broke the law of discrimination and should pay the price.

3:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Kyle Dork: Bully is as Bully does and the Keehn along with the Finneran did their share of bullying. The attorney did what he was told which was nothing. The rules of engagement were always clear except to that space cadet of a mayor(small m) and her tribe of idiots.

6:45 AM  
Anonymous Awaiting the unions' response to a previous question said...

We await some sort of response from the unions.

Dum dee dum dee dum dee dum....

Anyone know some good jokes?

Dum dee dum dee...

(Still waiting)

Oh, I got one!

Question: What has 5 heads, no brains and a blob on its far-right hand side?

Answer: The Saratoga City Council!

dum dee dum dee dum...

(still waiting)

Let's have it, union folks!

12:07 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It took a grand jury to get rid of Erin Dreyer and over 30 years to get rid of Tommy McTygue. If Dickworth gets elected public safety commissioner, we'll be right back to the same old thing. The only people who get hired or promoted will be the ones who come across with sexual favors. Taxpayers looking for a well run public safety department will, instead, get handed the bill for sexual harassment complaints like Dickworth racked up back in Long Island.

3:28 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hmmmm, ben lives, now connected to isaratoga, what gives? Be careful, I think it's bringing the product down. It's one step below the old lady's gossiping at a clip joint. (hair salon) Make that 2 steps below.

6:34 AM  
Blogger Horatio Alger said...

6:34,

I'm always willing to give a plug to an upstart blog. I'm not going to continue posting links to all of the work over there, but figured I'd give the site a little push during its first couple of weeks.

BTW...and along these lines...Folks should really check out this 'idiot' at his new...er...well...kind of new Saratoga-centric blog. Very witty, informative, and an all around good read. Give him some traffic if you're reading this:

idiotsbeingidiots.blogspot.com

7:58 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just hot off the press: Ron "Shifty" Kim's new Tuesday the 27th, mailer.

Ron "Shifty" Kim will:
1. Maintain essential services (code for: DPS will continue to bankrupt the city through its budget busting practices and inefficient management)
2. Begin building our reserve (which DPS has wasted through overtime abuses and will continue to bleed future reserves)
3. Seek public input and listen (Does this guy think after four years of his behavior, that we could swallow that one!)
4. Govern openly and follow civic and legal processes (unless those processes put members of the DPS at risk and then all bets are off)
5. Help us choose responsible priorities (“us” means the DPS)

So for a REAL LEADER for Saratoga Springs on November 3, DON’T CHOOSE SHIFTY because everything he promises will shift to accommodate his own personal DPS agenda.

That Shifty - He's no friend of mine.

8:33 AM  

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