Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

It has been going on for years - Mayors of BOTH political parties have been in on it - and it isn't just happening in Schenectady.  

And it certainly isn't right. Padding someones pension might not be illegal, but it is certainly stealing money from the taxpayers...and for years! Farstads deal with the Mayor was illegal because as a Chief, he was unable to get overtime. Van Norden's back in the picture not to do what's right, but to do what's right for him and all the other City workers who took deals OUTSIDE their original contracts.

It's taxpayers money which is being spent without the knowledge of the taxpayer! You want to give lifetime insurance, pad a pension, then use your OWN money, not that of the taxpayers.

Pathetic Mayor SOS now will not approve his own 10 point plan to prevent illegal pension padding? First he proposes it and then he pocket vetoes it. You can't make this stuff up.

     Everyone does it? Then why hasn't the all DEM City Council (that has been in DEM control for 35 years) done something about it? Because they don't want to. Because they all knew looked the other way. Because they are fiscal incompetents who lack the ability to analyze a large budget. Hooray for me-re-elected with 100% of the vote because the other party collapsed-screw the taxpayers. Nothing changes as the City completely collapses.

    

Shame on the taxpayers for believing and trusting everything that comes out of their government officials. DVR is correct.....this has been happening for decades. Even s/he knew it and apparently was ok with it.

Well it appears that all of this pension padding and tax and spending has finally caught up with the overburdened schenectady taxpayers. They are finally not believing and trusting their elected officials. They are exposing all of the corruption that has plagued this county for decades. Better late than never I guess.

DVR is correct.....the taxpayers should have been paying more attention all of these years like s/he has. S/he knew it.....why didn't anyone else?

Quoted from bumblethru

Shame on the taxpayers for believing and trusting everything that comes out of their government officials. DVR is correct.....this has been happening for decades. Even s/he knew it and apparently was ok with it.

Well it appears that all of this pension padding and tax and spending has finally caught up with the overburdened schenectady taxpayers. They are finally not believing and trusting their elected officials. They are exposing all of the corruption that has plagued this county for decades. Better late than never I guess.

DVR is correct.....the taxpayers should have been paying more attention all of these years like s/he has. S/he knew it.....why didn't anyone else?

I am a he ...   I knew it was happening from reading the newspaper accounts of other public employees
retirements in the past  and from anecdotal evidence - in this case .. people that I knew personally -- who
were retiring.    It has even happened in Rotterdam.

By the way, earlier in December the he-she crackpot made a derogatory comment about my aunt's pension
from when she taught in a public school.    She taught for 43 years - from when the school opened to her
retirement in the year 2000.   She contributed to her pension and worked MANY more hours than was
contractually required of her.   She moderated a number of student activities without additional
compensation
and spent a lot of her own money on supplies and other items for the students.   In her 43 years, she
hardly ever took a sick day or personal time.   In fact, she had accumulated well over a year of unpaid sick and personal time for which she was never compensated.   She participated in the program where fellow
employees could put unused sick time in a bank for use by fellow employees who were seriously ill and ran out of sick time.
She always put public service as a teacher ahead of personal gain.  So I would say that she earned her
pension  .. as well as the appreciation of about 3 generations of students -- btw - she also received
recognition from the YWCA as a Woman of Distinction ... an elite group that includes Liz Bishop and a few other local female celebrities.
But for her the greatest satisfaction and recognition  comes from the many fine students who are now grown
and doing well  --  including some employees down at Rotterdam Town Hall and a State Assemblyman ...all of whom she has fond memories of.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

... an elite group that includes Liz Bishop and a few other local female celebrities.

Elite, and a great mother.   I hear she's up for mother of the year.

I don't know what's worse.....people who knew and did nothing.....or....people who didn't pay attention and never knew!

Kudos to the ones that are just finding out and finding it so appalling, that they are exposing it in an attempt to stop this abuse of taxpayer's money.

BT-has history taught you nothing?  It's worse to have known and done nothing!!!!!!!!!!!

There's too many people around here that don't want to know from nuthin. They refuse to inform themselves and refuse to hold elected officials accountable FOR ANYTHING.

     It's hardly a coincidence that you had The Mad Bomber, an elected union President in the schools and the Mayor making illegal contracts and lying to the media in the same City. The sheeple have been trained to look the other way. Few vote and when they do they better bring a pen. Worse are those in the loop that refuse to blow a whistle. Just because things are quiet don't think they have improved.

Quoted from bumblethru

I don't know what's worse.....people who knew and did nothing.....or....people who didn't pay attention and never knew!

Kudos to the ones that are just finding out and finding it so appalling, that they are exposing it in an attempt to stop this abuse of taxpayer's money.

The fact is that is has been going on for years and it wasn't much of a secret.  
Same with the abuses of a certain State Senator who takes taxpayer funded trips to Disney World and Hawaii ..
you folks knew about it ... and still remained orgasmicaly thrilled with the guy-- and reelected him.

And this is why we're here. ANYONE who knowingly participates in these secret handshale deals "just because everyone does it" should be held accountable. This is a huge reason why the State, City and government as a whole is in such a mess.

Giving illegal favors, giving benefits the average businessman would NEVER agree too...and why? Because people in government find it extremely easy to spend the taxpayer dollar anyway they want. A private business owner, on the other hand, has to assure that he can make a profit and spends his money wisely. Why isn't the government held to the same standard?

I was under the impression that the parole evidence rule (any evidence of a prior or contemporaneous understanding of the parties inadmissible if offered to contradict or modify the terms of a written agreement) made the private handshake deals or verbal agreements made from the Mayor to the City workers void.  

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

The fact is that is has been going on for years and it wasn't much of a secret.  
Same with the abuses of a certain State Senator who takes taxpayer funded trips to Disney World and Hawaii ..
you folks knew about it ... and still remained orgasmicaly thrilled with the guy-- and reelected him.

I wasn't thrilled, and I wasn't going to vote for snake eyes.  The choice was between government leech bureaucrats and a government leech bureaucrats.  When both parties are stacked with attorneys that write election law, we shouldn't be surprised when our choice is between two government swine.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

By the way, earlier in December the he-she crackpot made a derogatory comment about my aunt's pension
from when she taught in a public school.    She taught for 43 years - from when the school opened to her
retirement in the year 2000.   She contributed to her pension and worked MANY more hours than was
contractually required of her.   She moderated a number of student activities without additional
compensation
and spent a lot of her own money on supplies and other items for the students.   In her 43 years, she
hardly ever took a sick day or personal time.   In fact, she had accumulated well over a year of unpaid sick and personal time for which she was never compensated.   She participated in the program where fellow
employees could put unused sick time in a bank for use by fellow employees who were seriously ill and ran out of sick time.
She always put public service as a teacher ahead of personal gain.  So I would say that she earned her
pension  .. as well as the appreciation of about 3 generations of students -- btw - she also received
recognition from the YWCA as a Woman of Distinction ... an elite group that includes Liz Bishop and a few other local female celebrities.
But for her the greatest satisfaction and recognition  comes from the many fine students who are now grown
and doing well  --  including some employees down at Rotterdam Town Hall and a State Assemblyman ...all of whom she has fond memories of.

And many people work longer and they are lucky if they even have a pension....but they are forced to pay the taxes of the millionaires.

And they have to pay extraordinarily high taxes to to live HUGE PENSIONS to teachers.  Teachers should be making pensions of about $25,000 a year, not almost $60,000   That is a pension which, pension for ONE person is twice the total household WORKING incomeS of those who are paying that pension.

The taxpayers CANNOT afford FAT pensions.  

I guess you support people losing their homes to tax foreclosure in order to pay the overly generous pensions.  

no matter what we are definitely F'd.....it's all about survival and survival in the mode already perpetrated by the previous generation.......

Quoted from mikechristine1

And many people work longer and they are lucky if they even have a pension....but they are forced to pay the taxes of the millionaires.

And they have to pay extraordinarily high taxes to to live HUGE PENSIONS to teachers.  Teachers should be making pensions of about $25,000 a year, not almost $60,000   That is a pension which, pension for ONE person is twice the total household WORKING incomeS of those who are paying that pension.

The taxpayers CANNOT afford FAT pensions.  

I guess you support people losing their homes to tax foreclosure in order to pay the overly generous pensions.  

Quite frankly, you are the most ignorant jackass I have ever run across.   My aunt contributed to her
retirement plan and earned EVERY dollar that she is getting.
If you don't like it, make like the vile earthworm that you are and try to reproduce with yourself.