Editorial: REMS resuscitated Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Who’d have guessed that Rotterdam Supervisor Frank Del Gallo would wind up supporting Rotterdam Emergency Medical Services Inc.’s bid to continue as the town’s ambulance service provider — in the face of all the financial troubles it has had; in the face of voters’ resounding defeat last December of a plan to create an ambulance taxing district to permanently support REMS; and in the face of a longtime campaign by Mohawk Ambulance of Schenectady to offer competing service? Not us, that’s for sure. Yet that’s just what Del Gallo did Wednesday, voting with the board’s majority to award REMS a two-year contract. And not six months ago, he was changing the locks on the town’s gas pumps so REMS couldn’t fuel its ambulances there any more; clamoring for an audit of REMS finances so he could figure out how much to squeeze REMS for the paramedic service town police occasionally provide ambulance patients; undermining REMS’ effort to establish a permanent revenue stream so it wouldn’t have to beg the Town Board for an annual grant (which Del Gallo refused to provide); and announcing that if the referendum failed, he would seek to contract with Mohawk for ambulance service. Del Gallo said Wednesday that he changed his mind because of the bottom line: REMS, which seems to have been getting its financial house in order after a couple of rocky years, will charge residents less for ambulance service than Mohawk would have.........................>>>>....................>>>>............................http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2011/may/17/0517_edit1/
Del Gallo said Wednesday that he changed his mind because of the bottom line: REMS, which seems to have been getting its financial house in order after a couple of rocky years, will charge residents less for ambulance service than Mohawk would have. The taxpayers have already prepaid their trips to the hospital by REMS through missing ALS money and being subsidized by the town for the last 2 years so they should be able to charge less. It would seem that there was some arm twisting going on behind the scenes to get FDG to change his mind. If you gave the same treatment to Mohawk I'm sure that they could charge less too. When is the REMS audit?
The taxpayers have already prepaid their trips to the hospital by REMS through missing ALS money and being subsidized by the town for the last 2 years so they should be able to charge less. It would seem that there was some arm twisting going on behind the scenes to get FDG to change his mind. If you gave the same treatment to Mohawk I'm sure that they could charge less too. When is the REMS audit?
Good point! You give Mohawk $300K of unaccounted tax money for 2 years, I'm sure they could sign a 2 year contract keeping rates artificially low. REMS were somehow able to kick the can down the road. I'm sure they will be coming to the Town with hat in had in two years. TJ Hooker will be working OT stacking the TB to assure another handout to the failed company.
We all know that Tony Jasenski has been twisting arms...let's not forget he was caught threatening 'political consequences'.
And just who does FDG think he is deciding how much reimbursement REMS should pay the Town? Does he plan to take REMS' word on how much they have been embezzling from the Town while REMS refused to even disclose that during their "presentation"? lol When asked, their answer was "it doesn't matter"....and in the last agenda meeting he insisted he would know exactly how much they have stolen because they agreed to show him their non-existent books. What a dope...and a hypocritical dope at that. FDG himself said he would never hire anyone caught stealing money from his business, but apparently he thinks it's OK to do the same to the Town.
The three amigos majority should be prosecuted for this scam...along with REMS, ST and Tony Jasenski. I wouldn't even be surprised if TJ was involved with the ALS scam to begin with. He was always close with the likes of Jim Stairs, former paramedic supervisor and President of REMS, Inc. who was the one of the most expensive do-nothings the Town ever had....Jim Constantino the child molester...and TJ himself was a paramedic very familiar with that operation while his buddy Constantino was propelling him up the ranks into the Chief's office.
The tax scheme never had any legs until TJ was elected to the Town Board...and the next thing we knew, there was the FDs and the volunteer ems squads swarming the Board to revive the tax scheme...and TJ has since employed every deceptive tactic conceivable to advance this scam.
Good point! You give Mohawk $300K of unaccounted tax money for 2 years, I'm sure they could sign a 2 year contract keeping rates artificially low. REMS were somehow able to kick the can down the road. I'm sure they will be coming to the Town with hat in had in two years. TJ Hooker will be working OT stacking the TB to assure another handout to the failed company.
You can say that again Cis...the artificially low rates was their only hope of prevailing...with the intentional ignorance of the rest of the disturbing saga that is REMS. It is well known that there are EMTs who work for both REMS and Mohawk...so REMS would know what Mohawk charges. The truth is, these rates are controlled largely by the government...does anyone believe that REMS will always charge less than they are allowed by law?
I've said it before and I'll say it again....this is the most colossal scam ever to materialize in this Town.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Did anyone notice the date on this letter? March 2011...long before their "proposal" that should have been disqualified...and after they claimed to now be operating as a "business" while they are still registred as a not-for-profit. Since when does a real business ask their customers to cover their investments? Equipment, supplies, etc. are supoosed to come out of business PROFITS. It is obvious that they intended to ask for this money before the RFP process...and then someone with a brain advised them against the solicitation while claiming to be "self-sustaining" while scamming their way into a contract....then they couldn't even produce a grammatically correct letter....next they'll hire a writer/editor and find a way for the public to pay for that too.
Also...they have only committed to one full time ambulance and one part time....what do they intend to do with two more new anbulances they want Rotterdamians to pay for, use them to scam another municipality with ambulances paid for by another???
And what about "replacing equipment and making inprovements to each of our [their] two stations"? They want the public to subsidize a state-of-the-art clubhouse for themselves, when they didn't even pay for the buildings they have.
Anyone who sends them a cent needs to have their empty heads examined.
They say that they are a profitable business now let them prove it by living on their own income without the residents help. The state should investigate the whole process that took place between REMS and Mohawk because the whole deal smells like dead fish.
Since when do you give 'donations' TO a private business????
HOLY CRAP!!!
Isn't this grounds for a law suit from mohawk?
I mean this clearly is NOT leveling the playing field.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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