Steven Barnes

[concerned]

I thought this was a little odd. He was on WKTV last night being interviewed because he is throwing a Birthday party for himself at the Sports Bar near SUNY it. He asks everyone in the community to come and donate $20.00 apiece because he needs the money to get his life together. During the interview he was constantly shaking both of his legs and acted a little wierd( I can pick that out--us nuts know how we act) Well anyway he was asked if he plan on suing and he stated he has meet with his lawyer and in the process of signing documents for the law suit. He wants 3 to 4 million. He states that Picante is very cooperative.

[Clipper]

I have to think that after being incarcerated for 19 years, I might be a little nervous if I were inerviewed on live television too. I imagine that he is somewhat lacking in appropriate social skills, and will have 19 years worth of learning to catch up on. He has been confined with social misfits for 19 years, so I imagine he might be a little inclined to do inappropriate or strange things for a period of time, while he learns what is acceptable.

As far as "shaking both legs", he might have been on the way to the men's room when they grabbed him for the interview. I know if I had been drinking beer and they interrupted MY trip to the potty, I would have my legs shaking too. HE JUST HAD TO PEE REALLY BAD!! LOL

I simply hope that this guy is ABLE to adapt to society after all this time, and is able to make a decent and fairly normal life for himself. It has to be hard after a person has spent an extended period of time in a regimented routine where you have virtually NO say in what you do, or when. It is like being a child. You are told when to get up, when to eat, when to excercise, and when to go to bed. NO input or choice of what you will do, or when you will do it. Being on the street after all those years must be akin to feeling like a kid in a candy store.

My hope for him is that he will be able to cope with life on the outside, and will be successful in overcoming the injustice that has been inflicted on him. It will take a lot of guidance and help.

[frankcor]

Barnes has behaved very classy so far. If he is angry, he has not let it come out in any of his public comments to date. The people of Oneida County did him a great injustice. In my opinion, we owe him some compensation for it.

[Clipper]

I agree Frank. I would use the word "humble" to describe Steve's behavior. I am not so sure I would be able to exercise that level of restraint. He seems like a very nice guy.

I tend to believe I would be driven by outrage and disdain for those that put me in prison. He tends to simply be forgiving and simply glad to be free at last.

He would be downright stupid not to seek some sort of compensation for the lost time, and the disadvantage of starting his life in his 40's instead of 19 years ago. Those years are gone forever. He has lost the opportunity to have been married, to have children in their teens and to have a home with the mortgage paid down for the last 19 years.

I hope he succeeds in getting the compensation he desires and is able to put it to use catching up with those his own age who have had the advantage of living the "American dream" for the last 19 years.

The is NO possible way that the state or county can repay him for the suffering that he has been put through, but he can damn sure be compensated monetarily, in order to make his life MUCH better from this day forward. God bless ya Steve, and best wishes for a bright, successful, and happy future.

[bobbbiez]

Frankie, I totally agree with you. Couldn't even imagine how I'd react if it happened to me or a member of my family. Knowing myself quite well, I'd probably be ripping some heads off.

Barnes has acted very classy during this whole horrible ordeal and it's time to give the guy the credit where it is well deserved. He and his family have been through much more then we all can imagine.

It's time to leave him alone unless you want to offer him some help in a respectable way.

[frankcor]

Having said that I believe we owe Barnes some compensation, that does not give license to Picente to raise my friggin' taxes. Cut, Tony. You can start with some of your personal staff.

[Swimmy]

Agreed! And he can start with his outrageous salary too.

[dgriffin]

We should come up with a new algorithm to compute the salaries of politicians. How about keep reducing his pay 10 percent each month,until he's about to quit, then back it up a notch. Or let him go.
I think these guys are here for the power, anyway, so we could save a lot of money by making all elected positions volunteer. And no, I don't believe it would cause them to steal any more than they do.