Tuesday, November 18, 2014

A police complaint, a notice of claim and there is still a deficit


ZALEWSKI
I was writing a Councilman Ken Zalewski vs. Councilman Gary Galuski column along the same lines as ChrisChurchill at the Times Union, but he beat me to it. And did a good job with it too.
Still, the one unanswered question – in addition to the fact the Troy City Council is squabbling over petty stuff rather than dealing with what is a major financial situation in the city – is why are they even filling a vacant position. Any vacant position. With anyone. It's in the budget, but so what. Spend it somewhere else. 
You can read Zalewski’s account of what transpired by clicking here.
Basically, the argument was about who the Council should hire as the assistant city clerk for $27,000 a year, Rebecca Sweeney or Rhonda Reed. The first is daughter to Board of Elections employee Mary Sweeney who is a loyalist to Democratic Party Chairman Tom Wade. The second is friend of Council President Rodney Wiltshire, or at least his wife. The first ran for a committee seat in District 8 and beat both Wade and Wiltshire (which is still kind of funny to me.)
GALUSKI
During the public debate, Zalewski said the last city clerk, Bill McInerney, was touted by members of the Council, including Galuski, as a hard working member of the Democratic Party. Little did anyone know at the time the hard work he was doing included forging absentee ballots.
Galuski didn’t much like that since he was indicted in the scandal. The charges were later dropped but still, it must have hit a nerve, because he allegedly said to Zalewski: “If you ever embarrass me like that again I’ll take you out.”
According to the Times Union, Zalewski filed a complaint with the Troy Police Department. Now that crime is down in Lansingburgh – history tells us the wanna be gangsters who kept shooting everything up this summer don’t like the cold weather – the TPD detectives I’m sure will send this squabble to the top of their “to do” list.
KOPKA
And still the question remains … why not leave it vacant for a while, save a little bit of money and maybe help close the deficit a little. Instead, both sides were hell-bent on getting their own person into a job.  
The latest complaint comes on the heels of Councilmen Jim Gordon and Dean Bodnar filing a notice of claim against another member of the Council, Lynn Kopka, for an email that hinted the two may have not gone along with a piece of legislation because they were bought off.
Meanwhile, the city spent $6 million more than it took in over the past three years and is staring at what could amount to an $800,000 deficit this year.


The asinine notice of claim and the bogus complaint to the Troy Police Department are indicative of where everyone’s focus is – on petty BS and personal agendas rather than the big picture and what is actually good for the city.  

24 comments:

  1. Jim, I very seldom agree with you but Bravo on this story. The entire group cares only about their own self interest and it's shown by their childish behavior and complete lack of budgetary and professional skills. Truly sad.

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  2. I hear a complaint to the ethics commission is being filed against bob Doherty this week. Should be interesting. Bob don't yell at prominent city employees

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    1. They won't do anything to him, the commission is a joke as nothing happens to any of these people. One big circus. If people had balls to sanction they wouldn't continue to act like kindergarteners.

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  3. It appears that "dysfunctional" may be an appropriate word when describing the Troy City Council. We all know why someone can come to that conclusion simply based on e-mail behavior, character insinuations of being bought off, the threat of "taking someone out" , etc. What we do not see is a council solving problems and closing budget gaps. It is rumored that Rodney had $14,000 in the budget for a new table for the council meetings. It is unfortunate that about 1/2 of the real property in Troy is tax exempt, but the council has to think outside of the box in raising additional revenue without burdening the already burdened home owner by piling on more taxes to meet budget deficits. If you are already in debt for about $6 million, then why would you do additional bonding and raise the debt ? That defies logic.
    There has to be a new job description for the City Treasurer and he has to start making meaningful monthly reports to the council and to the public. Gordon is at least making some effort to be creative and do something with an alternative plan. The council should get behind him and see what they can do to make it happen.

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  4. How about that full time job they're pushing, at 60k plus for one of the Dep Mayors buddies up at the golf course? Why isn't Guluski making waves about this? Why isn't any other council person saying anything. $60,000? Bunch of clowns

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    1. Anonymous at 5:16 am-no name ??the only one at the golf course that makes near that amount is the Head Greenskeeper-and is under paid-no one else there makes even half that amount. Coward !!
      Tom Hill golfer

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  5. Troy is better off with people who aren't afraid to talk tough and make hard decisions running the city. Not these three crybaby weenies running to the cops and courts at every little slight.

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    1. Like fire all employees that dont live in the City.

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  6. Worst city council I've seen in my life. Led by that idiot Wiltshire aka AC Slater

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  7. Ken Zalewski has been a petty person since he came on the scene. There is not an ounce of brains between Ken and Galuski.

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  8. And we thought the last council was bad...

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  9. That'll get the deficit down for sure.

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  10. Voters had a chance to keep the city rolling in the right direction, right as the voter fraud scandal hit. Bu they( the voters) chose to elect the same clowns back into control and added a mayor to go along with it all. Nice catch for Clouess getting the city pension to retire on ($175,000 per year). Sure the teacher retirement wasn't close to that amount eh? Budget problems bankrupt city look to who you (the voters) put in control.

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    Replies
    1. That's why the State has to take control. There is always the promise for change but we keep getting the same results. Time to downsize the staff in CIty Hall and get REAL experts that will deal with the issues at hand.

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  11. Why is it that Ken's first statement on the Franco show was to tell the listeners how "moral" he is. Franco didn't question his "moral" high ground, Rodney sure didn't question it. Why does Ken have to tell people he's "moral"?

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  12. How about Lynn Kopka Mocking me for the last Three years of me speaking @ Troy City Council while she was head honcho
    Come to find out she was taking her marching orders from Mark McGrath just what I needed to hear to compare Mark to Rasputin. Rasputin is best known for his role as a mystical adviser in the court of Czar Nicholas II of Russia.
    Funny I see how sneaky and how treacherous he really is and he was exactly the same way as a youth as we all know Leopards don't change there spots.
    Well the Turkey is in the oven and you turkeys call all mock me but just remember I tried to do this with Diplomacy with every last one of yas and you did not want it.
    I have got every dumb and ass backwards Quote every one of you have said for the last 5 years.
    One last sentence How about Jim Gordon s spiteful No Vote for Jack Cox buying property's in North Central well guess what Jim that was the last nail in your ( Political Coffin ) You will never be Mayor and I am just man enough to put you back in your place pal.

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    1. Bob you should get right in the oven next to the pigeon your cooking. Hell you have been wearing the foil all year anyway.

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    2. "Man enough" ? on a keyboard maybe.

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    3. Whaaaaaaaa Whaaaaaaaaa Whaaaaaaaaaaa

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    4. Bobby is Rodney's puppy. Sitting there last night listening to Rod tell Bob, this is what you can say and this is what you can't. I read these tough talking posts but saw it first hand last night. You're a good and loyal women Bob.

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  13. ZALEWSKI VS GALUSKI

    Pollock Wrestling Federations Main Event

    Brought to you by the Troy City Council and Dysfunction Junction TV & Troy Crazy Ink

    This fight will be a no holes barred six round event.

    My Hero as a kid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--hzgP82fvA

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    1. It's no holds barred, not holes. Wow.

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    2. Get some help Robert. And Jim, I'm not a fan of either Gary or Ken, but allowing idiot Cox to use the word Polack is a bit much.

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