County shifting costs to municipalities

[lefty]

Nr. Tanoury;

What has become of Mr. Picente's idea to create a Public Safety Department?? Havent heard to much of this in ther news media lately. It seem funny that hwe wantred to allocate fifty thousand dollars to such an outlandish idea, He would be in charge of this . Let me guess , his appointed Chief of Staff; you know the one who is already collecting a pension from the City of Utica, and making $80,000 thousand on top of that. That concept in itself sound completely ludicris, and I dont think that the average taxpayer is aware of that situation or it would be publicized. Look at how the media ate away at former Chief Pylman, when he was colecting a pension from NYS, and getting paid by the City of Utica. Well, isnt this the same type of situation??? Only this time Mr. Candido did not pass a civil service test, he was appointed to a high paying political job, and has turned his back on law enforcement in the County. The Sheriff's PBA still does not have a contract, and probably wont before the new year. That is one example of Politics in this County, DSS employess did not get an increase, but yet a double dipping Political Hack is getting paid eighty grand, where is the justification in that !! I do not believe that is fair, but yet they have to swallow it ..Wahy are your thoughts Mr. Tanoury, you are the only legislator who tell it like it is, and is not afraid to come into a forum and voice your opinions..

[tanouryjr]

You're right, Ralph. We already have enough codes issues in Utica, especially with DSS housing. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and what the two Mayors have to say about this. I will be interested to see what Mayor Brown has to say about these cost shifting measures as opposed to the Mayor of Utica's response, or lack there of.

Here is the story that the Rome Sentinel did on several issues that night, including Term Limits and the Hotel Tax...

romesentinel.com/news?newsid=20081121-141257

Maybe it's me, but these seem like important issues. Why wasn't a single one reported on in the OD?

[tanouryjr]

Lefty, I think you summed it up in a nutshell. I have raised this issue with the CE in private and in public. Unfortunately the local media allows a lot of what happens in county government to fly under the radar. You're right, if the people only knew half of what goes on, they would be outraged. That's why I've tried to go to alternative mediums to try to get the message out. Trust me, I haven't made many political friends over the last year, and I'm sure they're chopping at the bit to come after me next year. But I welcome it. I didn't get elected to worry about getting "re-elected."

I'll keep you updated on anything I find out though.

[bobbbiez]

Larry, I am very, very upset hearing the County is cutting the funds for the codes department in the cities. I don't know about anywhere else but our codes department here in Utica has been working their a**e* off trying to get things improved in this city.

Just in this last year I have seen great improvements throughout Utica where codes has forced people to clean up their properties. They are going after the absentee landlords who are a main reason why Utica has gone down hill in all areas of the city.

The new codes director, Goran Smiljic, is taking those people who will not comply to court and he is even fighting the Judges who just like giving slaps on the wrist to those that don't abide by the cities code requirements.
He has only 9 inspectors for the whole city of Utica and they are doing an excellent job for the decent people who live here and want their neighborhoods looking good and being safe in them again.

The new director has addressed and solved more problems in this city then any other director we've had for centuries.
Now, the county wants to cut their funding when they're already working with a skeleton crew. Makes no sense at all to me.

I am extremely angry! When they cut a department that is accomplishing improvements for the whole city, I feel the county legislators have no clue what the city's needs and problems are or they just don't give a damn.

[tanouryjr]

i agree bobbie. You know I will be there to fight this all the way. What we need is to call the rest of the Utica and Rome legislators (and the rest) and tell them to also fight this. We need our city leaders to fight this too.

[dan]

I've got a dumb question Bobbbiez (and a little devils advocacy).

Why should the county pay for codes enforcement that only inspects in the city? If these are county inspectors thats another story, but if they are strictly city inspectors the city should be footing the bill for them. We always talk about reducing government, maybe this is a way to start. Let the city withhold the amount it pays to the county to pay for the inspectors, keep the money local.

[tanouryjr]

Dan, these inspectors are supposed to inspect units for DSS (county) clients. Now the city will have to pick up the tab. Furthermore, the city budget runs through April. The County budget starts Jan. 1. So the city has already budgeted for this revenue through April and will get cut off four months early.

[Clipper]

With few exceptions like Larry, it is obvious to me that they DON'T give a damn about the city. Picente and company can cut THEIR budget and look better ine eyes of the rural citizens, but the city residents will pay more, but to a different tax collector.

I think a good way to save is to tighten belts at ALL levels. Passing the buck is not in the interest of the citizens of the county. the savings is in cutting programs, not just shifting the responsibility for funding them from one level of government to another.

Boneheads like Picente want to cut social programs that affect the ability of people to eat and have a roof over their head, while pandering to interests such as funding the airport at Griffiss, and renewing the EDGE contract, so his buddy Dimeo will not have to look for a REAL job.

There is money to be saved, as well as money to be gained, but negotiating with the OIN. Let's face it, we aren't going to win a suit that will force them to pay sales tax to the county or tax on cigarettes, so why not sit down and negotiate to get what we CAN get from a benevolent entity that will pay in lieu of taxes, and is one of the county's largest employers.

Take the money wasted on ads and lawsuits and fund the social programs that Picente wants to cut from the budget. The money that the morons spent on funding the airport at Griffiss would have went a long ways in salaries for either the DSS folks or the Sheriff's Department's deputies.

When will these idiots wake up and see that we need affordable housing and employment, not crystal cathedrals to house airport terminals that will never see any passengers. Not remodeled offices in the county office building. Roefaro's remodeling job was a farce too. Paint and wallpaper would have been adequate, and maybe some new furniture. Nothing like what HE spent on his office alone. He is another self indulgent bonehead. He don't give a damn as long as he and Angelo have a paycheck and a job. Somebody has to subsidize the slow times in the funeral business, so he ran for mayor so we could subsidize his income.

[bobbbiez]

Dan, I appreciate Larry answering your question to me and said most of all I won't have said. Thanks Larry .

Allow me to just add my own 2 cents also because my blood is really boiling over this, the Codes Department and the Utica Zoo.

Our legislators and the people who live in the surrounding areas better wake up and stop complaining because without decent help from the County, Utica will only side downhill even more and where would everyone else be without the city.

That's reality!

[dan]

Nov 22, 2008 20:29:06 GMT -5 @tanouryjr said:

Dan, these inspectors are supposed to inspect units for DSS (county) clients. Now the city will have to pick up the tab. Furthermore, the city budget runs through April. The County budget starts Jan. 1. So the city has already budgeted for this revenue through April and will get cut off four months early.

OK, this fills in some holes I had in the story. I agree mostly with all of you except possibly on the subject of the airport. I don't think you will ever see a passenger hub at Griffiss but as a transport hub it would help as a shipping point, especially if more centers like Walmart can be convinced to move to our area. If only our elected officials (most of them anyway) would get out of the way and let commerce work.

[bobbbiez]

Hey Dan, I see you're moving to Frankfort from Detroit in the future.

Have one question for you.

Does that mean you won't be routing for the "Red Wings" any more? ;D

[Clipper]

I think he will shift his allegiance to the Predators when he moves, haha. He can't root for the Rangers, or the sports thread will wither and die. LOL

[Clipper]

HOLY COW!!! NEWS FLASH FROM THE OD!!!! They must have finally clicked onto Clipper's Corner and read these posts. Amazingly enough, the OD says that Picente is going to take the OTB revenues from towns and villages and keep it for the county.

Damn. I think maybe we should start charging the OD for doing their work. I mean don't they pay some of their sources for new items? Hell we could get a check every month from the OD and send out dividend checks to the members that post the news first, LOL.

I can't believe that we have discussed this for 3 days or so, and finally the OD puts it in the paper. Thank God we have Larry. As usual, the OD would wait until political deals were "done deals" before they publish anything about them or allow the citizens to oppose the OD's favorites.

[dan]

Nov 23, 2008 11:54:50 GMT -5 bobbbiez said:

Hey Dan, I see you're moving to Frankfort from Detroit in the future.

Have one question for you.

Does that mean you won't be routing for the "Red Wings" any more? ;D

Just to keep it interesting I'll still root for the Red Wings, but my local team will be the Sabers ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[bobbbiez]

Hey Dan, at least it's a N.Y. team. ;D

Rangers be my very first love, then the Sabres if the Rangers don't make the playoffs, but you can ditch the Islanders who beat the Sabres yesterday 4-2.

Oops, better get back to the topic before I hear a toilet flushing. Don't want to over work Ralph.

Sh*t, forgot the topic already. Senior-Polish moments working over time.