I caught the end of it it most of been a doozy ! Council members saying they are not puppets and Joe Allen questioning if people in the "audience" were from Sch'dy and if not they should be somewhere else? Can't wait to see the whole thing.
They are not puppets! Stop calling them puppets! Everyone knows they are rubber stamps! So what if every vote is 7-0? Then actually slam a charter amendment through on the consent agenda and rubber stamp it. Speaker after speaker ripping their "deliberation".
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.
Unfortunately it seems that no one really understands what is going on here.
The acting mayor appears to want to revive the law that they recinded back in 2006 that we in the city collected signatures on a petition for. That is what I spoke to at August 8th's privilege of the floor for legislative items.
That 2006 law superseded a state law giving the council the power to set salaries for elected and appointed officials at any time during their term, as opposed to the mayor setting the salaries for appointed officials and elected official positions gettiing a salary hike/reduction during the budget process in the year prior to election.
It was too much power to be granted to a part-time elected body and it would be too much power granted to this or any other part time elected body.
The referendum vote when its approved by the council is mandatory. The referendum vote that was proposed by the people in 2006 would have been mandatory after a court battle. Back at that time McCarthy tried explaining it away (he was appointed to the council after Barb Strangfeld left) by saying that the council would also be able to reduce salaries. That is not true to this day. Salary reductions also need to go by referendum.
The power to determine salaries is already set in state and local law. Stratton screwed the people with his backroom bargaining with Farstad. McCarthy is using that to screw the people even more, knowing that the ignorance of the electorate is high.
I believe that education of the electorate is paramount. I would vote this ballot proposal down in a flash. Like "Kosiurs Law" we need to vote no on McCarthy's Law.
pat, shut up, please... u are a boorish woman who does not seem to know much beyond the BS you churrn out... spar us the analysis. it is usually wrong anyways
Hull calls charter move political Mayoral hopeful accuses council of offering new hiring policy to gain edge By LAUREN STANFORTH Staff writer Published 12:01 a.m., Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Gary McCarthy, background center, Schenectady City Council president, listens as Congressman Paul Tonko talks about McCarthy work during a campaign event in Schenectady City Hall where McCarthy made it official that he is running for mayor. McCarthy has been performing the duties of mayor since Brian Stratton left. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union)
SCHENECTADY -- Mayoral candidate Roger Hull and members of his Alliance Party told City Council Monday night that Acting Mayor Gary McCarthy's proposal to give council members complete power over employee hirings and contracts is a questionable move only meant to curry favor with voters, two commenters calling the tactic "fishy" and "disgusting".
A public hearing was held Monday night on the measure, which would change the city's charter to make it clear that City Council has "the sole and exclusive authority" to determine the number of city workers and conditions of employment, including salary and benefits. The charter change will be decided by city voters in November.
McCarthy says the proposed change was necessitated by the previous deal struck between former Mayor Brian U. Stratton and now retired Fire Chief Robert Farstad that allowed Farstad to make up to $126,000 in overtime over three years to compensate him for not being enrolled in a more lucrative pension plan. Stratton stopped the overtime payments when the public learned about the deal last November.
But Hull and others contend that McCarthy, who is running for the city's top post, and city council members knew about Farstad's payments because the overtime line was contained in the budgets for three years, and that the charter change is only meant to make ruling Democrats look good as they go into November's elections. Concern was also expressed about taking power away from the mayor - particularly after voters approved the change from a city manager to a strong mayor form of government in the 1970s.
"The timing of this proposal in the middle of an election campaign this is fishy," said Robert Harvey, who said he was speaking as an individual, not as president of the Eastern Avenue Neighborhood Association.
Hull went so far as to say that McCarthy, who is still City Council President, is also ensuring he'll still be in control of the city if he loses the mayoral race.
McCarthy took over the mayor's duties after Stratton resigned to take a state job in April.
"It may be crafty politics but it's horrible policy," said the former Union College president to applause from a well-attended meeting peppered with his supporters.
On Monday night, when City Council moved the charter measure to the consent agenda to be voted on with regular city business - despite a public hearing being held right before hand- it elicited venom from commenters.
BOO! Roger Hull is coming to City Hall! All dead enders clean out your Chairman Mao posters and knick knacks. Leave immediately through the rear exits. Even the DEMS know they are finished so they want the all rubber stamp City Council to "administer" all City jobs. Like they did the $314,000 golf pro?
NO-to this idiotic charter amendment. NO-to any DEM retread candidates. Get your vision checked idiot sock puppet.
Here's the funniest part the "alleged" DEM machine could not scrap up one dupe to support this. Where was the sock puppet? Every single speaker was against it and outraged that they slammed this on the consent agenda. This included many business owners and neighborhood association leaders.
Acting McCarthy turned beat red like he always does when he steps in it. Joe Allen embarrassed himself by saying that he didn't know if the speakers were residents, when they all gave City or business addresses. Then Joe fled early. Got Hull? It turned into an Alliance Party event with huge cheers for Vince Riggi, Jackie Herd and Mayor in waiting Hull.
That's a laugh. Acting McCarthy is afraid to debate. The DEM "campaign" is in free fall. McCarthy wife is frantically calling business people to shill for money and no one is giving him anything. Roger Hull has 2X the money and will be starting TV ads. At the Council meeting they couldn't find one idiot to support this charter amendment-NO ONE. It's unbelievable the number of DEMS that are voting and supporting the Alliance Party and want every DEM idiot tossed out of City Hall. The jig is up and everyone knows it. In 35 years we would have seen a clue before now.
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
it most of been a doozy ! Council members saying they are not puppets and Joe Allen questioning if people in the "audience" were from Sch'dy and if not they should be somewhere else? Can't wait to see the whole thing.
Logged
They are not puppets! Stop calling them puppets! Everyone knows they are rubber stamps! So what if every vote is 7-0? Then actually slam a charter amendment through on the consent agenda and rubber stamp it. Speaker after speaker ripping their "deliberation". 
