Connect the dots......

We know that the saratogadecline blogger uses poetic and not so poetic license.  He obviously has an agenda. However, why does he feel it necessary to use so much profanity?  Is it a way to avoid cogent discourse on real issues that face our City, a city he doesn’t live  even in?  Instead of asking for donations, you would think that a person who has the skills to put up graphics on a blog makes good money at a well paying job.  Or does disability pay to well to give it up.  You who donate are paying for him, you, Saratoga Springs, are paying though the nose.

The problem is that his kind of language brings out those as foul mouthed as he. They post comments that spare no one, not men, not women, nor even children.  The blogger once told me that he spent time in Gaza on holiday.  Could that be true?   Could it be one reason he features me so prominently in his blog.  Perhaps he learned his sociological terrorism there, using the internet and his rhetoric to sow dissatisfaction and dissention in our community.  What other reason for such negativity?

We have just had an election in our City.  Instead of wishing our elected officials well for the betterment of the City some of them have been roundly trashed as drunks, idiots and the like.  Let’s recap.  Those trashed include newly elected Madigan and Mathiesen; Val Keehn, no longer in the city; Commissioner Sirocco (Republican ) and his family some of whom don’t ever drink; Kathy Moran because she represents working people, Brent Wilkes, Dennis Yusko (Times Union reporter), John Herrick (Chair of the Republican Party), Thilo Ullmann (Chair of the Democratic Party), and Pat Kane to name only a few.
  

Those not trashed are Mayor Johnson, understandable if the blogger is a Republican; John Franck not understandable if the blogger is a Republican; Jasper Nolan, understandable if the blogger is a Republican.   Question:  why is the blogger who trashes the newly elected Democrats always seen sitting at the same table with Lou Schneider and Bill McTygue (founders) when the Democratic Club meets at Mamma Mia’s?  What connects these dots?

Since the blogger seems to be fixated on the physical appearances of his targets, one could ask if he has ever looked in the mirror.  Certainly his early experience with food and financial deprivation taught him neither compassion nor humanity.  Had it done so he would not be so judgmental and vitriolic about those with whom he disagrees?  Or perhaps he sleeps through the sermons at his church.  With that, I am done reading and commenting on the blog of a corpulent narcissist.  Rage on ye foul mouthed churl.  I won’t know it. 

Back to the City.  If you read the Charter, you will know that it is honored in the breach.  We have a Commissioner form of government.  We do not have a strong Mayor form of government.  Yet, the Mayor defunded the human resources position; he has defunded the Parks and Open Space position.  In short, he has ignored the law of the City.  These are not optional positions.  They are mandated by the existing Charter.  And yet, the Mayor sues those who want Charter change.  Apparently he finds it easier to ignore the Charter for his own purposes rather than change it for our consideration.

 

Did you know that under the ethics of the Charter a private investigator is precluded from being the Commissioner of Public Safety?  The Mayor was happy to serve with a Commissioner of Public Safety who says he is a working private investigator.  Oops!  The Deputy Mayor is another interesting case.  I thought that the Deputies are paid more than Commissioners because they are full time positions.  Why is the deputy Mayor seen working at a grave yard during the time when she is supposed to be working at City Hall?  Are we to believe that she does it for free?  Has she paid the City back for the hours she spends out of city hall during the working week?  Has she paid us back for the weekday time she spent going door to door for her bosses reelection? Is that in her job description?

What’s with Ms. French who has made renting the Congress Park Casino such a hassle?  Why is she being so difficult that some of the usual charities and brides are not using the Casino any more?  Is she trying to embarrass Commissioner Sirocco by tanking the Casino revenues?  Hey, Marilyn Rivers, risk manager, have you ever gone to the basement of the Casino?  Are not the existing mold and asbestos dangerous for people working there?  And, Ms. Rivers, what about the code violations on the “new” recreation center?  The fire insulation is not up to code.  Why is the roof leaking already?   Did you give back the builder’s bond before making sure the roof didn’t leak?   Do you ever go around to the City facilities for which you responsible? 

Now we know that the new City Engineer with whom you are supposed to work has not yet taken his examination that would qualify him for his job.  We know that his friend, the new building inspector, is also studying for his examination that will qualify him for his job.  Saratoga, we are already paying these two men as if they were indeed qualified for the jobs they hold.  We understand they are both hired by the Mayor.  But, Ms. Rivers, you are supposed to protect the City from risks for which we can be sued.  Why haven’t you made these situations known to the public who uses these facilities?  Why don’t we hear about them at the City Council meetings and what is being done to address them?  Like flowers, you were put up for an award by your supporters.  Winning doesn’t make you as useful to the City as flowers. When flowers just sit there, they don’t put us at risk.  Remember when I came to you and told you that I had just walked into the building; the old City Hall steps were crumbling and needed some yellow tape put up to avoid accidents.  You said to me, “don’t tell me, tell Pat Design.”  I thought we paid you to do that.