That hiring freeze Bob Godlewski was soooo proud of at the beginning of the year didn't last long. They are hiring a FULL TIME position in the clerks office!? Really Bob!? Oh and don't let the fun part go unnoticed.....the employee is the NIECE of Holly Velano! Coincidence???
Nepotism is alive and well in Schenectady County. Those in charge enjoy spending our tax dollars to benefit themselves, their family members, friends, and campaign donors.
What's changed? In August Eunice was up in arms when the previous administration wanted to give someone $1,700 to serve as Deputy Clerk. Eunice said in an article printed in the gazette: "“Adding yet another patronage position to our already overburdened taxpayers at this time is an action that I cannot endorse." Apparently $1,700 was unfair to the overburdened taxpayers but $32,500 + benefits is A-OK in Eunice-Land. Well I don't know about the rest of you but I don't live in Eunice-Land or LA-LA-Land (are they one in the same?) I live in the real world. And here in the real world this looks worse than anything we have seen in town hall since Jim Constantino was in charge.
This town board has won the price for the most incompetent in town board history!!! They have clearly become blind with power and greed. They are disgraceful and make many embarrassed to say they are from rotterdam. Rotterdam is now clearly the laughing stock of the capital district.
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
This crew has brought nothing but shame to this Town in just 4 short months. They are spending like drunk'en sailors and telling everyone that they are financially responsible. They seem to create a patronage job a week. As I see it the only way they will be able to cut spending is to cut services because payroll is going up and up. Run the town like a business my a$$. Budget time will be a hoot but mark my words we will not enjoy the same services next year that we have for so many in the past.
ROTTERDAM Deputy clerk hire expected tonight; Esposito on leave BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net.
With longtime Town Clerk Eunice Esposito going on an extended leave, town officials expect to appoint a current part-time worker as her full-time deputy. Michelle Golden is to be appointed retroactively as of March 29, according to a resolution the Town Board will consider this evening . The position will pay $32,500 annually with full benefi ts. Golden has filled in for Esposito for more than two weeks and served as clerk to the board during its last meeting in March. Esposito has taken a 90-day leave, according to her son, Mickey, who said the 83-year-old clerk is pleased with the appointment. “It’s totally being done with her blessing,” he said Tuesday. He declined to elaborate on Esposito’s leave, other than to indicate that she expects to be back long before her leave expires. Esposito, when contacted at her home Tuesday, declined to comment. Golden was hired in August 2009. She previously worked part-time with no employee benefits, earning $11 per hour. The appointment follows a juggling of workers between the Rotterdam Senior Center and the town clerk’s office in February. Two union grievances were later fi led against Esposito, but one has since been dropped. The staunch Democrat was elected to an unprecedented 11th term in November. She has consistently warded off rumors of her retirement and has instead insisted that she plans to serve out her fouryear term. Last summer, Esposito vehemently protested the board’s attempt to appoint a deputy registrar of vital statistics. Former Supervisor Steve Tommasone, then presiding over an all-Republican board, had proposed giving the position with a $1,750 stipend to Cindy Dumar, a full-time typist they hired to the clerk’s office over Esposito’s protests in May 2009. In response, Esposito issued a memo to the board, demanding that it refrain from adding “yet another patronage position” to Rotterdam’s budget. At the time, she said hiring a deputy registrar would be a waste of taxpayer dollars. This history was not overlooked by Gerard Parisi, the board’s lone Republican, who said he wouldn’t support the appointment even though he agrees a deputy is needed. He criticized Conservative Supervisor Frank Del Gallo’s administration for breaking campaign promises to freeze town hiring and Esposito for contradicting the sentiment she had conveyed in her memo last year. “Its the height of hypocrisy,” he said. “Unless someone can explain to me what has changed since Eunice’s press release until now, I’m going to vote ‘no.’ ” This sentiment was echoed by Dumar, who questioned why Esposito would endorse hiring a fulltime deputy when she offered to serve the capacity free of charge and in addition to her normal work in the office. She also indicated she has since been removed from her position in the clerk’s office but still works for the town. “I find it difficult to understand why I was removed from the town clerk’s office when I have worked there for quite some time and I have always completed assigned tasks with integrity,” she said in an e-mail.
He declined to elaborate on Esposito’s leave, other than to indicate that she expects to be back long before her leave expires. Esposito, when contacted at her home Tuesday, declined to comment.
If she's coming back "long before her leave expires" - why hire another full timer - at least hire her "provisionally" or temporarily ... this doesn't make sense.
Here are comments by none other than Laura Cagnina from her facebook page.....
Laura Cagnina: Nothing like being stabbed in the back by people you helped get elected, "we want to hire you back, but there just is no money in the budget", well, they must have found some, cause tonight, they are appointing a NON civil service person to take over my job at 4,000 more a year than they paid me, 2 hours ago • View Feedback (2)Hide Feedback (2)
Laura Cagnina: I was good at that job, the residents liked me, that is why I am so hurt. Not to mention the empty promises of rehiring me when they got elected. 2 hours ago
Poor Laura....what an adult--you put it on Facebook???? You people are laughable. Where was your outrage when the Reps got the majority and starting firing people about 5-6 years ago. Oh it was ok then because they were Dems. Yes Dems who were doing an EXCELLENT job. And to hire HV's niece IS an outrage. But patronage--how do you figure? HV is a REp/Con...ya'll weren't taken in by that last race as a Dem were you?
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
Poor Laura....what an adult--you put it on Facebook???? You people are laughable. Where was your outrage when the Reps got the majority and starting firing people about 5-6 years ago. Oh it was ok then because they were Dems. Yes Dems who were doing an EXCELLENT job. And to hire HV's niece IS an outrage. But patronage--how do you figure? HV is a REp/Con...ya'll weren't taken in by that last race as a Dem were you?
Did the firing of the dems back them, cost the taxpayers MORE money???
Listen, we all know that whenever there is a changing of the guards, there will be people going and new people coming. That is a given and done all the time.
What I have a problem with is when it costs 'us the taxpayers' MORE money.
And as far as being an 'adult'......I hear Deb R. is still pissing, moaning and crying in her beer about her exit of 'how many years ago'????
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
Not to mention Brick, Riitano, Macejka, Wickam, Mastroianni, Marciniak, Germano in Glenville et al. Were there lawsuits then??? Don't think so and there won't be any now. To the victor goes the patronage... unfortunately or fortunately the poiticians end up losers in the end....Tommasone, Signore, Suhrada, Mertz ended up losing to the new crew because they think they are smarter than the average Rotterdam voter when in reality they are very stupid politicians with bitter, personal demons gnawing in their heads. Reap what you sow fella's. Good luck and Godspeed Eunice...we love what you did to these guys. Keep the fire burning. Joe Suhrada's mother's boyfriend would be proud of you!
Like I said.....they all come and go with the changing of the guards. Do these changes cost the taxpayer more money? That is my concern.
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