Ed Kosiur has been in our community and doing things for our community for many years now, so when you see him driving around in his car with the license plate that reads “FORSCHDY,” you can believe it. Since I have known Ed I’ve seen him as the president for PTOs and on many committees and boards, I’ve seen him involved in after-school programs from elementary school to high school. He’s worked for the Boys and Girls Club and volunteered for Little League — even when his own children were no longer involved. The children of our community are like his own children. Just ask any child around who “Mr. Ed” is, and they will tell you. You’ll hear things like, “He’s the guy that bought me an ice cream sundae when I made my first big catch of the Little League game,” or “He’s the guy that helped me find a job and had confidence that I could do that job.” He will do anything for anybody. I have seen him umpire Little League games with a strained back because the regular umpires didn’t show up and the kids wanted to play ball. I have seen him arrange trips to major league baseball games or to the Great Escape for kids who would not likely be going otherwise.
With his legislative position on sex offenders, he is looking out for our children once again. He doesn’t want to send the sex offenders off of the face of the earth; he just wants to keep them away from our children, by keeping them away from parks and schools. I strongly believe that Ed is a good man, and that he has been the right man for all of the many challenges that he has taken on, including the city council, and the county Legislature. Now let’s bring him to the next level. Ed Kosiur for New York state Assembly. He has my vote! LISA CENTER Schenectady
This was a created position...plain and simple. And from the way this Lisa girl talks, Eddy Kosiur will be a wonderful influence to the kids. He can be a prime example of what 'no education' can do for ya!!! He can teach them that it isn't 'what' you know but 'who' you know. Or better yet...what political party you belong to. And how these kid's mommys and daddys are working to pay his 'created' salary while the parents are struggling just to pay their taxes.
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
Re Feb. 6 letter, “Kosiur deserves a chance, not critical barrage”: The writer misses the point entirely. No matter how you spin it, the issue deals with blatant patronage, not an individual’s qualifications for the created position. The writer states that the additional funding for this new position had nothing to do with the cutbacks at various Schenectady County library facilities. Accepting this, how about using the library savings for, oh, I don’t know, reducing Schenectady County property taxes, rather than creating another patronage-based position? I recall the Jan. 17 letter from county Legislator Joseph Suhrada, pointing out the quid pro quo offered to Mr. Kosiur for his unsuccessful service to the Schenectady County Democratic machine. There is no need to repeat Mr. Suhrada’s position, but there is a need to commend him on trying to protect the taxpayers of Schenectady County — regardless of their party affi liation. JAMES D. CARANGELO Rotterdam Junction
Thank you Mr. Carangelo for pointing out Ms. Center's clearly partisan article. Someone has to stop this democratic dictatorship beast. It is just growing into one big socialist government handout program with the dems on top sucking the life out of the working people!
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
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
In a vacuum, it would be hard not to support Schenectady County’s plans to get into the summer camp business this year. There’s undoubtedly a need for recreation programs for low-income kids. Swimming, learning how to play tennis and learning computer skills certainly makes more sense than just hanging out, re-enacting drive-by shootings (see April 20 Gazette) — or worse. But ... there are a bunch of buts here: (1) There are already several day camps for city kids, including those run by nonprofit organizations that give assistance to low-income families. They include the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, Girls, Inc. and Jewish Community Center. Even if the camps aren’t located in the city, transportation to at least some of them is included. (2 )The kids the county most needs to target with such a program probably won’t be able to afford the $50 per week tuition, and so far no provision has been made for the lowest-income families. (3) The aforementioned programs are fullday, which for most working parents (and probably nonworking ones as well) is preferable to the half-day program the county plans. Wouldn’t it make more sense, rather than starting up a whole new program (and finding qualified personnel instead of usual patronage appointments), to sponsor a few dozen kids for these camps? For example, the tuition for a week at the Boys and Girls Club’s Camp Lovejoy is as little as $40 per week (depending on family income), including transportation to the Altamont site. That’s $10 less than the county plans to charge. So why not use the $21,000 earmarked for the county program and let 87 kids go to full-day Camp Lovejoy instead? Yes, these nonprofits’ camps are typically at or near capacity every summer, but with a little advance planning and the county’s commitment, perhaps an accommodation to expand them slightly could be made. The county should try that instead of spending more money in an attempt to justify former legislator Ed Kosiur’s $80,000 job as special assistant to the commissioner of social services. That’s what really seems to be going on here. How else to explain the Legislature’s willingness to provide $21,000 for this new program when the most in any one year it ever gave Shane Bargy, its former Youth Bureau director, was $2,000. Bargy, forced into a lesser (but higher-paying) job after Kosiur lost his bid for Paul Tonko’s Assembly seat, recently left the county’s employ to become director of a Boys and Girls Club in Atlantic City. Not surprisingly, he reacted with derision when informed about the summer camp plan. County taxpayers should also question it.
With all of these hundreds of thousand/millions of taxpayer dollars being spent on jobs and organizations to support the high risk/poverty population, I don't see any improvement in this area. Our government's solution to everything is to create an organization and throw money at it and it will remedy the problem. It obviously isn't working.
The benefactors of county programs, such as this, are the bureacrats who administer them. The letter writer makes a convincing argument that these program offerings are best left to non-profits who already receive public revenues.
At a time when we are debating consolidation in government, why is Schenectady County government entering the summer camp business that is already offered by fine organizations like the YMCA and the Boys and Girls clubs?
SCHENECTADY COUNTY Youth Bureau leader facing harsh critics Kosiur in fifth month on job BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
When majority Democrats in the Schenectady County Legislature handed Ed Kosiur an $80,000 a year job as head of the county Youth Bureau Jan. 1, they promised he would make the agency “more robust.” Nearly five months into Kosiur’s tenure, several youth-service professionals in the community are wondering whether the well-respected bureau has instead gone bust. “You mean the defunct youth bureau?” asked Nancy Jones, a member of Schenectady’s Promise, which had close contacts with the youth bureau through former director Shane Bargy. “Realistically, I am still waiting to see what he will do,” she said. Schenectady’s Promise is a collaboration of agencies and people seeking to provide education and job-training skills to youths at risk. They and other youth-service professionals said Kosiur appears more focused on providing directservice programming and athletic events, such as a pitch, hit and run competition, than on running established programs that empower youth in the community and teach them leadership skills and job competencies. These programs, they said, in the past gave the Schenectady Youth Bureau a statewide reputation. Matthew Beck of the state Offi ce of Children and Family Services called the Schenectady County Youth Bureau “one of the best, if not the best, youth bureau in the state.” Jones agreed: “Shane really beefed that bureau up and it had a name. He was involved in everything and with helping everyone. He made it a part of the community in all different aspects,” she said. Kosiur was named to a brandnew position, assistant to the commissioner of social services for youth development, which majority Democrats created after eliminating Bargy’s civil-service position, director of the Youth Bureau. County officials then moved Bargy to the new position of director of temporary assistance and employment services, a field he had no experience in. Bargy resigned from the county April 30 and is now director of the Boys and Girls Club in Atlantic City, N.J. KOSIUR’S PLEDGE In a written statement, Kosiur said he believes he is the best-qualified person for the job. “The real issue is commitment, dedication and enthusiasm,” he wrote. He cited his years of employment with the Boys and Girls Club and his prior experience as a Schenectady County legislator. “In January, the County Legislature renewed its commitment to our county’s youth and set a goal of developing a more robust youth services program. I have dedicated my career to working with youth and have been working diligently to implement the county Legislature’s vision,” Kosiur said. County Attorney Chris Gardner said Kosiur is bringing innovative programs to the forefront and is continuing existing programs. “I think you will have a lot more activities for your youths throughout the county that will help a number of situations,” such as reducing the number of children arrested for delinquency issues, he said. DIFFERING OPINIONS Schenectady County Youth Board member and past chairwoman Elaine Troy said it’s early to judge Kosiur. “The more-qualifi ed person being removed was unfortunate, but Ed has certainly invested a lot of himself in this job,” she said. Troy said she intends to advise Kosiur in his new role, ensuring that “the legacy that Shane left, which is one of strength and innovation, remains, and to see that all of the programs that benefit the youths in the entire county continue.” That approach may put her at odds with the Schenectady County Legislature. Chairwoman Susan Savage, D-Niskayuna, said Bargy “delivered a lackluster performance while at the youth bureau.” Savage said Bargy resisted changing and expanding programs to make the youth bureau more relevant and did not want to increase its role in serving young people in the community. “We had years of the same old tired initiatives at a time when your county was looking for change and innovation,” she said. Bargy said “those ‘same old tired programs’ they are talking about, they cheered about.” The programs were all added by Bargy. And County Manager Kathleen Rooney gave Bargy an outstanding evaluation on his last performance review, documents show. Bargy and other youth-services professionals said Kosiur has set back the youth bureau’s efforts by at least a year. “I think the strategy we put forth — youth empowerment — has definitely taken a hit. It was a strategy developed with the United Way and Schenectady’s Promise and other groups,” Bargy said. The manner in which Kosiur was appointed to the position remains a point of contention. Republicans on the county Legislature said Kosiur, a Democrat, got the high-paying job as a consolidation prize after losing the 105th Assembly District race last summer to Republican George Amedore Jr. Kosiur had to resign his District 2 seat on the county Legislature, thereby forfeiting a $14,000 annual stipend, to run for the Assembly seat. He was working at the time as a director with the Boys and Girls Club in Schenectady, earning approximately $30,000 annually. Bargy believes the Democratcontrolled county Legislature tailored the job specifically for Kosiur. They changed the job’s minimum qualifications to include six years professional or paraprofessional experience working with children and eliminating the prior job’s requirement for a master’s or bachelor’s degree. Kosiur does not have a college degree; Bargy does. Rooney did not return a phone call for comment on why the job specifications were changed. Deborah Kerr-Rosenbeck, executive director of the New York State Association of NYS Youth Bureaus, said state regulations are ambiguous on job requirements for youth bureau directors. “It says they must have educational and experience qualifications commensurate to the duties they discharge. It leaves it wide open,” she said. Another significant change was that Kosiur was hired without having to appear before a screening committee, and no other candidates were considered for the post. Kosiur earns more than most upstate youth bureau directors and, at $80,000, is one of the higher-paid administrators in county government. Bargy earned $56,000 as director. This time last year, Bargy was spearheading Student Solve in the schools, had chaired several committees on National Youth Service Day and had performed a job shadowing program for students, among other initiatives. Kosiur said he has been enhancing the summer youth employment program, Student Solve and National Youth Services Day. But people with knowledge of these programs say Kosiur’s contribution to them has been limited or non-existent. The Schenectady Job Training Agency runs the summer youth employment program and did all the legwork this year to secure funding. Kosiur said he wrote a grant for the program, but there is no grant, these people said. Savage said he created the program; Bargy says former SJTA Director Fran Ricci created the program and that Kosiur helped expand it as a county legislator. Kosiur said he will launch Student Solve in the fall. The program engages high school students in solving real county problems; it traditionally begins at the start of the school year, with student responses submitted to the county Legislature in May or June. And Kosiur was not involved in National Youth Services Day at all this year, according to Jones. He sent a letter to Schenectady’s Promise, which organizes the annual event, saying his supervisor indicated he could not devote time to the program, she said. As more than 600 youths fanned out across the county April 25, cleaning areas and planting trees, Kosiur sought media attention for an Aquafina Major League Baseball “Pitch, Hit and Run” competition. Bargy said that competition would have occurred with or without the youth bureau’s connection; the Rotterdam Boys and Girls Club sponsored the same event during the same week the county did. “He claims credit for all these activities, but when you drill down to the details there is no substance there. He is a politician through and through and has fooled a lot of people,” said a county official familiar with Kosiur’s current efforts. The official did not want to be identifi ed for fear of retribution. NEW PROGRAMS? Kosiur also claimed credit for adding “fresh new programs,” including the “Stranger Danger Program” and the Police Athletic League’s sleep over at Center City. Savage said Kosiur has added at least five new youth programs to the schedule for this year. But Jones said Stranger Danger is an existing, mandatory program in school. Kosiur said he submitted an application in conjunction with Northeast Parent and Child for a $750,000 grant through the Governor’s Office of Small Cities. The county did submit the application as lead agency, but Kosiur had little to do with the actual grant, according to Peter Stoll, vice president of career development for Northeast and author of the grant. He said Kosiur got involved in the grant a week before it was to be presented to the county Legislature. To be sure, Kosiur can put his own stamp on the youth bureau, as the state grants youth bureau directors wide leeway, Kerr-Rosenbeck said. “It varies by county. The main mission is to coordinator youth services. Some do provide direct services. It’s a local decision,” she said.
Schenectady’s Central Park has played host to some of the world’s finest tennis over the past quarter century — first with a free professional tournament for several years, then with a World Team Tennis entry the last 13. Sadly, that run has drawn to an abrupt close, as New York Buzz owner Nitty Singh announced Thursday the team will play in Albany this summer. Her decision, based on the need for a weatherproof venue to guarantee the success of her team’s two marquee events, is understandable, but it still seems that the city and county could have made a stronger bid to keep her. Singh was getting a free ride from the city in Central Park — no rent, no utilities, no bills for added security, etc. She also got $25,000 from the county last year to defray her cost of running the team, of bringing in magnetic players like Serena Williams and Pete Sampras. This year, however, the county cut her grant by 10 percent and then never ponied up. Then the county Chamber of Commerce, which provided $3,000 last year, cut her by two-thirds. Singh, still trying to recover thousands in losses from 2005, when three matches were moved inside because of rain and a last-minute lighting snafu, says that about a month ago she told Mayor Brian Stratton she wanted to move at least one of the team’s two biggest matches of the summer (featuring Serena Williams on July 9 and Anna Kournikova on July 22) to an indoor venue in Albany County. Stratton promised to get back to her, she said, but never did. (He says he tried.) Singh says she finally gave up trying to work out a compromise and last week signed a deal to move the entire schedule (seven matches) to the Washington Avenue Armory. Game, set, match. Too bad. But who knows? Indoor tennis in an old armory may not be nearly as appealing as tennis in an outdoor, tree-lined park. If so, Singh should be welcomed back — even if for only part of the season. After all, some World Team Tennis — even the matches without big-name players that attract only several hundred people — is still better than none. It’s hard to determine the kind of economic impact an operation like this has, but when most of the patrons are coming from outside the county (according to recent surveys), there has to be some residual effect, with people eating and sleeping here. In the meantime, let’s see if, for this year, anyway, city and/or county recreation officials (Ed Kosiur?) can figure out a way to make some lemonade from this loss.
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