Quoted from CICERO

Even if Tommasone allowed it, I didn't hear any good samaritans working for REMS  blow the whistle if they knew that this may be improper use of Town money.  I'm not defending Tommasone by any means, it's just more proof how stinking rotten Rotterdam and Rotterdam politics is.  By crook or by hook in Rotterdam.  Thee-ole wink and a nod.

Was there written authorization between the Town Board and REMS to collect these fees?  If Tommasone authorized this, then REMS and/or the Town should have record of the agreement.  And if this was a written agreement with the Town, was it written that this agreement terminate with a change of administrations?  I find it curious that REMS would just stop collecting at the change of an administration unprompted.  Smells fishy.

That is why the matter needs to be investigated thoroughly ... by an independent third party ..
we are talking about $350,000 or more  .. over the last 8 years --- not pocket change unless you are Bill Gates

Just on this issue alone, rotterdam should cancel the vote on december 14, until this issue is looked into! If this is true, and there was no written agreement or town government oversight regarding this ALS billing, while the taxpayers were funding them, than this has all the ingredients for a legal issue!

The taxpayers are entitled to know exactly where this money went while they were bailing them out of their tax evasion issue.

It would be a disservice to all rotterdamians to ask them to vote on an ambulance service before this issue can be looked into 'legally! And the last rotterdam administration needs to be held accountable if they gave rems the 'nod' of approval. IMHO of course.

I totally agree.

Quoted from bumblethru

Just on this issue alone, rotterdam should cancel the vote on december 14, until this issue is looked into! If this is true, and there was no written agreement or town government oversight regarding this ALS billing, while the taxpayers were funding them, than this has all the ingredients for a legal issue!

The taxpayers are entitled to know exactly where this money went while they were bailing them out of their tax evasion issue.

It would be a disservice to all rotterdamians to ask them to vote on an ambulance service before this issue can be looked into 'legally! And the last rotterdam administration needs to be held accountable if they gave rems the 'nod' of approval. IMHO of course.

I fully agree also...that's why I have been discussing just that with Ms. DiLeva, and she agrees...this vote should not proceed under
these latest circumstances. She has also become increasingly disturbed by the fact that the town has not sent out any of the promised
announcements informing the public of this vote and all pertinent information...which should include details about all options...but of
course it won't...and failure to do so would amount to the town financing a pro-REMS campaign.

When you consider that the revelations about ALS billing came about after all of the efforts to not only hold this unnecessary vote, but
to essentially fix the outcome through a series of manuevers meant to limit the opposing vote and to guarantee those funds to REMS...you can't help but wonder if this is some sort of omen....that this tax district simply isn't meant to be. The very elements that tarnish
the legitimacy of this vote are the same obstacles that have prevented the scheduling of this vote for years, minus the missing ALS
collections issue...that's why it was going to be forced through by a simple vote of the Town Board as part of a political deal. The
decision to put it to a vote by the public was merely an escape from that deal.

Does anyone else see the pattern here? The discussion of this tax vote goes on for years but never makes it to a ballot because of all
of the complications...meanwhile REMS swims in red ink as they struggle to merge the two existing ems squads and bailouts continue...
eventually the Tommasone administration agrees to avoid those pesky voting issues and just let five people create the tax district on
their own...but broken political promises compel Tommasone et al to take convenient advantage of opposition to the tax and defers
it back to the public...the incoming administration accelerates efforts to schedule the vote before opposition grows any larger,
conveniently claiming an obligation to fulfill the previous administration's promise to hold a vote they originally never intended to
have...meanwhile opposition is growing as the public becomes more informed on the issue....the vote is hastily scheduled during a
summer holiday week despite emerging reports of IRS issues....it is then cancelled because of outrage over snagged absentee ballots
and REMS learning that the referendum does not designate them as the ems provider...the vote is covertly rescheduled during winter
weather at one single poll the week before another major holiday under the guise of a "Special Meeting" for the Supervisor's "budget
presentation"...and the increasingly desperate suppression of opposition continues in numerous forms.

Now, just as the final stage appears to be set for executing this scheme, we find out that REMS was collecting untold amounts of
unrecorded payments for ALS services....yet another snag, and a very serious one at that. I am convinced at this point that devine
intervention has attempted to save the uninformed from themselves...and the latest developments with REMS may be the last
warning.    

But DVOR has told us that it will only cost the taxpayer a few dollars per household to fund REMS. There are a lot more expenses that have been hidden from the public that need to be addressed before even considering a tax district to fund them. This could end up being a bottomless money pit that the taxpayer will have to fund unless a complete audit of all expenses of REMS is done before any vote should take place.

Quoted from bumblethru

Just on this issue alone, rotterdam should cancel the vote on december 14, until this issue is looked into! If this is true, and there was no written agreement or town government oversight regarding this ALS billing, while the taxpayers were funding them, than this has all the ingredients for a legal issue!

The taxpayers are entitled to know exactly where this money went while they were bailing them out of their tax evasion issue.

It would be a disservice to all rotterdamians to ask them to vote on an ambulance service before this issue can be looked into 'legally! And the last rotterdam administration needs to be held accountable if they gave rems the 'nod' of approval. IMHO of course.

I think the issue needs to be investigated .. but the vote needs to go forward.    

Quoted from Shadow

But DVOR has told us that it will only cost the taxpayer a few dollars per household to fund REMS. There are a lot more expenses that have been hidden from the public that need to be addressed before even considering a tax district to fund them. This could end up being a bottomless money pit that the taxpayer will have to fund unless a complete audit of all expenses of REMS is done before any vote should take place.

The 10 cents per thousand figure that I quoted was the figure in the study conducted by the Tomassone
administration .. when they talked about creating an ambulance district in August 2009.

I am as alarmed as anyone else that REMS may have been billing for ALS and not sending the money to
the town --  that is one issue.    And I admit that it may influence my opinion on the tax district vote.

Now you seem to be suggesting that they were hiding expenses -- that is accusing them of improper
accounting --- a whole new and different issue.

Quoted Text

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason:
The Gazette article suggests that Tomassone knew that the ALS was being billed but allowed REMS to use the funds to stay afloat --- but the fact is that the moneys billed for ALS service should have been sent to the town.   I strongly urge a complete investigation of this .. and for the town to seek reimbursement for any funds that were held back.

I agree that an investigation should be conducted by NYS authorities and that, if there is found to be wrongdoing, all involved should be prosecuted.

I also agree with gadfly that the referendum should be delayed until the extent of this alleged mismanagement is determined and a full accounting for the funds received is provided.  The residents must be provided with the truth if they are to make an informed decision.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

I think the issue needs to be investigated .. but the vote needs to go forward.    

All parties involved, including the last administration needs a full investigation. If the last administration gave rems a pass for over a quarter of a million dollars that should have gone back to the taxpayers, and rems accepted, that is fraudulent.

I would guarantee that most of the rotterdam residents who will be voting on this taxing district know nothing about these allegations. The rotterdam leaders have a responsibility to protect their constituents from voting on an issue they clearly will not be totally informed about.

The rotterdam voters need FACTS before they can make an educated, informed vote. If this is all true, than rems will be costing the taxpayers MUCH MUCH more then first proposed.

A thorough investigation FIRST!!! That is clearly the responsible and right thing to do!

Cancel the vote, NOW.

This is despicable - on the part of REMS/Tommasone/DelGallo and everyone involved.  It must be stopped until the answers are out IN FULL, the residents are informed and the state gives the "all clear".

We knew they were hiding SOMETHING - thankfully, some people brought this to light before the scam was allowed to grow even bigger.

Question - Tommasone is out of office. What can be done to him at this point if these allegations are proved accurate? Can he be prosecuted?

Canceling the vote would put a feather in FDG's cap for doing the right thing for ALL rotterdam's taxpayers!

It would demonstrate to the rotterdamians that he is serious about putting forth a full investigation of possible fraud involving both rems and the last administration for the benefit of all rotterdam taxpayers!

This voting process is going to cost the taxpayers as it is. Having them vote on possible fraudulent behavior on both the part of rems and the last administration is completely irresponsible!

A FULL INVESTIGATION FIRST!!

How does this effect the estimated tax rate for the EMS taxing district?  We were told that it would be something like 10 cents per 1000 assessed.  Did Chazen take the $100k + that REMS collected in ALS money into account when they did their study and reached their figures?

Why didn't any of the board member tell the residents about the ALS collection proposal submitted this summer?  Why are we hearing this information 4 weeks before this bogus referendum vote?  

NOBODY CAN BE TRUSTED!!  How can you trust the legitimacy of this referendum vote with all the deceit and lying by our Town Officials.  Maybe if FDG wasn't so concerned about cutting Surprise's salary in order to settle a personal score, he can concentrate on Town business.

"For it is a truth, which the experience of all ages has attested, that the people are
commonly most in danger when the means of injuring their rights are in the possession
of those [toward] whom they entertain the least suspicion."  (Alexander Hamilton,
Federalist Papers, No. 25)

There better be a receipt for every penny of ALS revenue collected by REMS.  How do we know where this money spent?  The Town of Rotterdam just gives tax dollars to non-profits outside of the budget and lets them spend it as they see fit?  Wouldn't allowing the REMS to collect fees that belong to the Town require a vote?  The best part is Bob God, FDG and Gerard and Chief Hamilton knew about this since at least the summer, and didn't take issue with it, and continued to go full steam ahead with a referendum for the taxing district.

I'm not a legal scholar, but I do follow politics.  To me, it seems as if the Rotterdam taxpayer has been getting robbed of tax revenue by redirecting it to a private business without the vote of the Town Board.  It looks as if the Chief decided to blow the whistle on Gerard and the Tommasone Administration after Gerard pulled off the budget coup, gutting the money allocated to the RPD including the nice raise for Hamilton.

Nobody's going to come out of this looking good.  They're all crooks.  Pay attention Rotterdam!