residents come out a little too late....must have been giving away peanuts....this town is a joke.....everyone talks after the fact...
ya voted them in....now take the cake..
True!
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
yer kidding right? Redneck ROTTENdam has made their ignorant voices clear.....they don't want the color RED!
so now they can all live with that decision!!!
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
Good question, where does the $600,000 "savings" go? It isn't really a savings unless you save it. In Schenectady, we were going to "save" one million a year, for ten years, by closing schools and busing kids around. Sometimes these savings end up costing money, as they allow the powers that be to hide waste in a budget that looks balanced at first glance.
there's the old adage......rob Peter to Pay the piper....and it seems that residents are following the piper who is leading this town down to bankruptcy.
Good question, where does the $600,000 "savings" go? It isn't really a savings unless you save it. In Schenectady, we were going to "save" one million a year, for ten years, by closing schools and busing kids around. Sometimes these savings end up costing money, as they allow the powers that be to hide waste in a budget that looks balanced at first glance.
Quoted Text
Schenectady County warned about fiscal stress Analysis does not mean current problem Wednesday, September 25, 2013 By David Lombardo (Contact) Gazette Reporter Text Size: A | A A man leaves the Schenectady County Office Building on Veeder Avenue Wednesday. PHOTOGRAPHER: PETER BARBER A man leaves the Schenectady County Office Building on Veeder Avenue Wednesday. SCHENECTADY — Schenectady County needs to be wary of fiscal stress, according to an updated report released Wednesday by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
The assessment is part of DiNapoli’s monitoring system for municipalities, which looks at indicators such as available cash, past budget deficits and the local economic climate to raise awareness about potentially impending fiscal disasters. Schenectady County isn’t currently facing significant or moderate fiscal stress, the two most severe classifications, but the monitoring system determined the county is susceptible to fiscal stress.
The determination was based largely on the county’s recent string of budget deficits, its small amount of available cash compared to total liabilities and its relatively small fund balance, according to the report.
Despite the warning, spokesman Joe McQueen noted the county appears to be in a better fiscal position than Albany and Saratoga counties, which scored worse than Schenectady County in grades released in June.
“It’s difficult not to feel some stress when 84 percent of our budget pays for state-mandated expenses,” he said. “[Half] of our property tax alone pays for our share of Medicaid, something that no other state in the country passes on to their local municipalities in the way New York state does.
“Additionally, our retirement costs have increased from $4.8 million in 2009 to $13.6 million in 2013.”
According to DiNapoli’s monitoring system, the situation could get worse for Schenectady County, which is projected to fall into the more serious “Moderate Fiscal Stress” category next year.
DiNapoli said in a statement the point of the monitoring system is to keep municipalities from making the same mistakes that have been made in the past.
“We can jump start discussions at the state and local levels about fiscal stress so that corrective actions can be taken,” he said. “There is a continued need for better long-range planning and honest conversations about how local governments operate when their regional economies, demographics and traditional revenue sources change.”
McQueen said the county is making the right choices for the future, noting that earlier in the week the county manager unveiled a budget for next year that raises taxes by less than 1 percent.
“This is due to a long-term strategy of cutting costs and finding efficiencies,” he said. “We don’t just budget from year to year, and that strategy has resulted in an average property tax increase of 1 percent since 2009 — in spite of the mandate increases we’ve seen in that time.”
The proposed spending plan allows county legislators to avoid the controversial override of the state-mandated tax cap they approved during last year’s budget discussion before ultimately hiking the tax levy by 5.9 percent. The budget relies on $5.7 million in reserve fund spending, which is slightly less than the amount in the current spending plan.
In response to criticisms of the monitoring system, which gave a clean bill of health to the city of Gloversville and warned Saratoga County, the comptroller’s office has noted the system focuses primarily on a municipality’s budget and whether it is susceptible to fiscal stress. The monitoring system is not an assessment of a municipality’s local economy or its tax base, and it doesn’t consider how high or low taxes might be in a municipality.
The fiscal stress scores are based on information provided to the comptroller’s office.
the $600,000 will disappear into the same deep dark hole.....
IT'S THE LEVY....PAY ATTENTION
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Good question, where does the $600,000 "savings" go? It isn't really a savings unless you save it. In Schenectady, we were going to "save" one million a year, for ten years, by closing schools and busing kids around. Sometimes these savings end up costing money, as they allow the powers that be to hide waste in a budget that looks balanced at first glance.
Quoted Text
Schenectady County warned about fiscal stress Analysis does not mean current problem Wednesday, September 25, 2013 By David Lombardo (Contact) Gazette Reporter Text Size: A | A A man leaves the Schenectady County Office Building on Veeder Avenue Wednesday. PHOTOGRAPHER: PETER BARBER A man leaves the Schenectady County Office Building on Veeder Avenue Wednesday. SCHENECTADY — Schenectady County needs to be wary of fiscal stress, according to an updated report released Wednesday by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
The assessment is part of DiNapoli’s monitoring system for municipalities, which looks at indicators such as available cash, past budget deficits and the local economic climate to raise awareness about potentially impending fiscal disasters. Schenectady County isn’t currently facing significant or moderate fiscal stress, the two most severe classifications, but the monitoring system determined the county is susceptible to fiscal stress.
The determination was based largely on the county’s recent string of budget deficits, its small amount of available cash compared to total liabilities and its relatively small fund balance, according to the report.
Despite the warning, spokesman Joe McQueen noted the county appears to be in a better fiscal position than Albany and Saratoga counties, which scored worse than Schenectady County in grades released in June.
“It’s difficult not to feel some stress when 84 percent of our budget pays for state-mandated expenses,” he said. “[Half] of our property tax alone pays for our share of Medicaid, something that no other state in the country passes on to their local municipalities in the way New York state does.
“Additionally, our retirement costs have increased from $4.8 million in 2009 to $13.6 million in 2013.”
According to DiNapoli’s monitoring system, the situation could get worse for Schenectady County, which is projected to fall into the more serious “Moderate Fiscal Stress” category next year.
DiNapoli said in a statement the point of the monitoring system is to keep municipalities from making the same mistakes that have been made in the past.
“We can jump start discussions at the state and local levels about fiscal stress so that corrective actions can be taken,” he said. “There is a continued need for better long-range planning and honest conversations about how local governments operate when their regional economies, demographics and traditional revenue sources change.”
McQueen said the county is making the right choices for the future, noting that earlier in the week the county manager unveiled a budget for next year that raises taxes by less than 1 percent.
“This is due to a long-term strategy of cutting costs and finding efficiencies,” he said. “We don’t just budget from year to year, and that strategy has resulted in an average property tax increase of 1 percent since 2009 — in spite of the mandate increases we’ve seen in that time.”
The proposed spending plan allows county legislators to avoid the controversial override of the state-mandated tax cap they approved during last year’s budget discussion before ultimately hiking the tax levy by 5.9 percent. The budget relies on $5.7 million in reserve fund spending, which is slightly less than the amount in the current spending plan.
In response to criticisms of the monitoring system, which gave a clean bill of health to the city of Gloversville and warned Saratoga County, the comptroller’s office has noted the system focuses primarily on a municipality’s budget and whether it is susceptible to fiscal stress. The monitoring system is not an assessment of a municipality’s local economy or its tax base, and it doesn’t consider how high or low taxes might be in a municipality.
The fiscal stress scores are based on information provided to the comptroller’s office.
the $600,000 will disappear into the same deep dark hole.....
IT'S THE LEVY....PAY ATTENTION
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Does everyone know that Wayne Calders son in law is a big wig at Mohawk ambulance. That's where this is coming from just like last time, they are trying to wipe out a not for profit started to protect the town and its residents. All to make the green and white devil more money to shove in their greedy pockets. S 600,000 for no paramedics and no price reduction and the bills from MAS that your insurance doesn't cover will fall onto you and they will take you to collections
S 600,000 for no paramedics and no price reduction and the bills from MAS that your insurance doesn't cover will fall onto you and they will take you to collections
It already falls onto the residents through taxation. Why don't REMS team up with an insurance company and offer the residents a voluntary ambulance policy for those that like the service? If it cost $50 a year for all the residents to pay for the service, then maybe it will be a $100 a year for half the residents that choose to have the coverage.
the issue is TJ Hookers(past police chief) creation of the paramedics to keep REMS alive - without the paramedics REMS as a ambulance provider would most likely no exist - as REMS chooses to soft bill - ie pay if you want
under NYS Heath law the Ambulance provider is the "provider of service" and is therefor the collector of payment
Under NYS Health law if the provider of service outsources ALS services, in this case Rotterdam Paramedics - the provider of service is required to pay the out sourced entity for their service, in this case the town of Rotterdam
Mohawk does not have to pay the town one dime as they provide the ALS service inhouse
in 2013 the town of Rotterdam paid at least $175,000 civilian paramedic(14) 100,000 civilian paramedic(3) 6,500 controlled substance stuff(?) 5,830 supervisor pay 15,000 fuel(est) 5,000 uniforms(est) 307,330 total savings with out retirement info
income related to paramedics in 2013
$70,000 with 69,000+ paid as of 9/23/2013
if REMS were to collect all the ALS fees and give them to the town per NYS law - maybe they would still have a chance 307,330 - 70000 = an estimated cost of 237,330 to operate the paramedic program no the $600,000 number that everyone is tossing around
this issue must have more clarity before it is passed
so the big question is just where is the BIG savings???? - are 9 of the retirees paramedics???
another possible solution beyond the one where REMS hires the paramedics and provides the ALS service is to move the paramedics to the 8 fire districts and hid their salaries with in the FD budgets as so few voters actually vote on these budgets - this would get the paramedics a wage, tax benefits of being a semi volunteer firefighter and rock solid retirement - and Rotterdam residents would have better "fire service" for those "help I cant get up" calls -and REMS can continue their illegal practice of keeping money due the town taxpayers
Quite obvious he's gone into hiding. Unable to dream up anymore fairy tales.
Wonder how he's going to the hospital when needed?
October 8, 2011
May 12, 20111
And just over two years later, the headline, "Town might cut paramedic program."
And the reaction?
WOW! Over two weeks and not a word, not teeny weeny little peep spoken.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
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
many of these rems folks...moonlight for mohawk!!!
However....i'm a bit confused here.....i am hard pressed to believe that buffarti, caladoor, tjhooker would EVER sell rems/parametics down the road....I MEAN REALLY!!! tjhooker, if word on the street is true....was the biggest defender/supporter of rems/parametics when the FDG administration was tossing around the idea of mohawk.
it appears that this just may be nothing more than all smoke and mirrors....ya know...it's an election year!!!
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
There's 1 maybe 2 REMS employees that work at Mohawk. Everyone else quit Mohawk. The paramedic program has been in existence since 1980 and was originally staffed by police officers/paramedics and as they retired they were replaced by civilian paramedics. They weren't started to bail out anyone. The ambulances were run out of the vfds at the time.
There's 1 maybe 2 REMS employees that work at Mohawk. Everyone else quit Mohawk. The paramedic program has been in existence since 1980 and was originally staffed by police officers/paramedics and as they retired they were replaced by civilian paramedics. They weren't started to bail out anyone. The ambulances were run out of the vfds at the time.
again fund the paramedics thru the VFD's - house them out of south Schenectady, curry rd and Carmen where the budgets will pass
Logged
