this Stevie ego gave the whole family the breaks while the demos and conservs get off lite over here this is the word from the people I know who are in the know
this Stevie ego gave the whole family the breaks while the demos and conservs get off lite over here this is the word from the people I know who are in the know
Sal, we would love for you to provide the documents that back up these accusations from you and from the people in the know over there. I'm sure you and the people in the know have such documents to share with the rest of us over here.
PDQ needs to get back of his meds PDQ. Mastro did his job? lol. He is a complete tool of Son of Sam and the Krat idiots that have ruined a once great City. 99% of City taxpayers would disagree with you.
As for as your endorsement for Town Bored, thanks but Salami got bigger fish to fry.
Who's idea was it to have a 'first come first serve' grievance day? I find it hard to believe that NO ONE thought of actual, real life, appointments. Again I must say that this was clearly a display of disrespect for the people who pay the salaries for the elected officials. They should all be voted out on their butts.
They did it with the school district....now continue....
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
Late rush, ill-prepared tax grievers, created mess
In response to your May 28 editorial, it must first be said that the majority of Schenectadians did not display root canal anxiety on Grievance Day. They were patient, jovial and extremely cooperative. Unfortunately, the few headline-seeking complainers are the ones noted by the media. There is a general misunderstanding of the grievance process: It is not a single-day event. It begins every year on May 1 and continues through the fourth Tuesday in May. This year, it included 16 business days and a Saturday morning prior to Grievance Day itself. Grievance Day is specifically designated for appearances before the Board of Assessment Review [BAR], although the assessment staff told each applicant throughout the month that appearing before the BAR was not mandatory for their complaint to be considered. To adequately prepare for the public response, the experience of the informal hearings was considered, while also monitoring the receipt of grievance applications leading up to Grievance Day. As of May 20, three business days before Grievance Day, 250 applications had been filed. On Thursday, it was 350; on Friday, 525. It was reasonable to expect that preparations were adequate. Through the efforts of City Council and procrastination of others, there was a stampede of applications on Grievance Day. Many of these applicants arrived at the assessor’s office empty-handed, asking for forms, “how to” booklets, supporting documentation and direction. Although all of this is the responsibility of the property owner, the assessment staff took the time to help whenever possible, which further delayed registration. This could have best been avoided with a better understanding of the grievance process, which is not only a problem in Schenectady, but in every part of the state. The BAR knows the process it must follow in order to carry out its quasijudicial responsibilities. Its members must be commended for their performance. Also to be commended is the Bureau of Assessment staff who extended themselves beyond their responsibilities. Most importantly, the Hellenic Center is to be congratulated and thanked for granting us the use of their facility, without which we could not have administered Grievance Day. Thank you all. Oh, and by the way, have you ever been to the dentist and had your appointment delayed because the appointment before you was a complicated root canal which happened to take a little more time than the dentist planned?
ALBERTA M. MADONNA Schenectady The writer is chairwoman for the Board of As sessment Review.
No matter how they spin it, it clearly was the responsibility of the powers that be, to make this as smooth a transaction as possible. Something they failed miserably at. Did they not think that with taxes out of control, it wasn't going to bring in a herd of people? Couldn't they have at least set up appointments to at least 'try' to make it run smoother?
The people that came 'unprepared' were clearly in the very small minority. The majority of the people came totally prepared.
Like I said before, no matter how they spin it....it was disrespect and total disregard AT BEST, for the residents!!! And obviously a mismanaged, lack of direction and poor planning by the powers that be.
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
Those foolish taxpayers didn't understand the bureaucratic hoops and deadlines like all good lob-jobbers do! Shame on them for having the nerve to be mad for paying 10 times what people in other states pay. You tell em' democrats!
"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."
Grievance Day in Schenectady was a complete fiasco. People arrived at City Hall from 6:30 a.m. to get their complaint forms stamped and receive a number from the assessor’s office. We then went to the Hellenic Center to give our grievance at 9 a.m. Upon arrival there, we all waited outside until the doors were finally opened at 8:55 a.m. We then entered and were seated, waiting there until 9:25 a.m. while the Grievance Board set up (nothing was done ahead of time). We were told we had three minutes to submit our grievances. After sitting there for almost two hours, our number was fi - nally called. When we presented our comparables, the woman in charge took two of them and returned the rest, telling us she did not want any more and for us to take them home. We used just about a minute before she rushed us out, advising that we would hear from them by July 1. How can you call this a Grievance Day when you were not allowed to speak? Most of us waited almost three hours from the time we arrived, and for what? Only to be rushed out. What kind of a democracy is this? We believe that the system of having this Grievance Day is only to make things impossible for each complainant so that they become disgusted and leave, which some did. If this is how our assessor’s office is run, we definitely need something done. Let’s think about making some changes that would benefit the taxpayers. You can only squeeze an orange so much before it becomes dry.
Maybe this will wake some of you City Sheeple up. Between this fiasco and the Krat ruined school system you can't GIVE your City property away.
The object was not fairness but to discourage you. Make the stupid sheeple jump through 2 hoops. Those that had to punch a clock had to leave. Even more priceless was the expression on the City Hall lobs faces. They have convinced themselves they are doing a great job and even an angry mob will not keep them from spending like drunken sailors.
At as recent clambake I bumped into a young couple from the GE Realty Plot. Pay over $16,000 in Property taxes, have to send their kids to Catholic schools and you can't even drive down their street-pot hole mess. Look for another for sale sign with no takers-moving to Florida.
I was talking to a girl today that went to grieve her taxes and they gave her '1' minute. She came with all of the documentation and they didn't even look at them and told her she would get an answer by July 1st. She was fuming!!
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
The controversy with the reassessment review process compels me to provide you with a less critical portrayal of the [Schenectady] city assessor and chairman of the Board of Assessment Review (BAR). Both individuals suffered undue criticism from a public that was uncooperative and/or unresponsive to the many informal sessions held in the past two years to acquaint homeowners with the process and make them aware of the documentation required to support their [grievances]. The fact that the process did experience some problems is indisputable, but certainly inherent with such a massive undertaking. Your May 28 editorial aptly suggested that tax grievers are inclined to be in a bad mood even before they become involved in the actual process. Thus a process hampered by a mind-set that had little regard for the time constraints imposed by state law, and less respect for officials who took on the difficult task of making certain that every homeowner would be heard no later than the fourth Tuesday in May. This was accomplished, and now the process enters the review stage of analyzing individual applications and affixing assessment figures. All of this has to be done no later than July 1. Without a doubt, the results will give some City Hall gadflies another opportunity to stand at the City Council rail and administer a few more whacks at Assessor [Patrick] Mastro and BAR Chairwoman Alberta Madonna for doing their job to the best of their professional ability and in accordance with state laws. With respect to the criticism heaped on [them], I am inclined to set it aside in deference to the majority of homeowners who did their homework and exhibited patience while less-responsive homeowners clogged the process. Mr. Mastro is not a stranger to criticism — it is a built-in hazard of the job that most assessors learn to live with. In other words, he is a “big boy” and never expects to be considered for the “Mr. Congeniality” award. Mrs. Madonna also understands that criticism has no boundaries. For over 50 years, she has served this city well with her volunteer work — mainly in the fi eld of public housing for the poor. She has endured all these years, and met the challenges of every task she has ever undertaken. Those of us who know her and are acquainted with her volunteer work applaud her for taking on a somewhat “nasty” job of BAR chairwoman; as in the case of Mr. Mastro, it will never garner her the title of “Miss Congeniality.” Amen!
Logged
PDQ needs to get back of his meds PDQ. Mastro did his job? lol. He is a complete tool of Son of Sam and the Krat idiots that have ruined a once great City. 99% of City taxpayers would disagree with you.
