Quoted Text

Van Dyck may have a bar, but it’s hardly a ‘gin mill’

    John McLoughlin, in his June 17 column, “Take Two,” had an amusing story about Freddie the Iron Worker’s get-rich-quick scheme to get money from Metroplex by threatening to move away if not placated. The humor was funny enough until he got to referring to the Van Dyck Restaurant as a gin mill — and then it was no longer funny.
    The Van Dyck building was rescued by the McDonald family from bankruptcy court; renovated (after vandals had their usual copper stripping); and it is now back on the tax roll as a thriving venue for food and entertainment. And one of its former attractions, a brewery, has also been revived.
    This is the same McDonald family that separately purchased the totally dilapidated Millington House and the adjacent Gillette House across the street from the Van Dyck. The Millington House has been totally renovated and is no longer an eyesore. And, yes, it’s back on the tax roll. The Gillette House was part of that same purchase, and the McDonald family is proposing to make that into a bagel shop after seeking and receiving neighborhood support for commercial activity while maintaining the appearances of the building consistent with the historic neighborhood.
    For all these reasons, I think it was grossly unfair to refer, even in jest, to the Van Dyck Restaurant and micro brewery as a “gin mill.” Mr. McLoughlin needs to learn a little more Schenectady history now that he has arrived here from Albany.

    RUTH E. BERGERON

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00704&AppName=1

How dare John McLoughlin refer to a gin mill as a gin mill? This is a sign of renaissance! Another watering hole for do nothings at DSIC and Metrograft.

     Besides it's not a gin mill-everyone knows it's a governmental gin mill. Keep writing John-you already got all the right people in a panic.

The Van Dyke was "rescued"? Wow. Vandal had their way with it. Was the Gilette House "dilapidated" too?

Van Dyke was rescued? Rescued from the Metroplex flop it became! The Plex gave the prior own hundreds of thousands of taxpayer money and the guy skipped town!

Then the Plex (trying to recoup its absconded loan), sells the place for $250K (1/3 of its value) to McDonald as he's a regular Plex player.

They also sold the two buildings across the street (the Gillette House- the one the County Leg invested over $300K for soil clean up and exterior work) and the Millington House to McDonald -BOTH PURCHASED FOR $88K!?!

The plex gives away property, gives connected businesses hundred thousand dollar loans and this is free enterprise? No, that's Fascism.

Again -- more whining from the Dirty Diaper Gang .. they don't DO anything to help their community  .. they just  sit in their soiled diapers all day and whine about  everything

Schenectady isn't in a Renaissance, it's a Reign of Terror. Hopefully November will end the hypocricy and the destruction.

A million taxpayer dollars was dumped into the Gillette House to make it a tourist center. For the five tourists that are lost Downtown. Then it was hot potatoed over to the Chamber for a big dollar. A dollar is the going rate for property in a renaissance. The Chamber pocketed all profits and no one said nuthin. Kinda like Proctor's with 440 State? The fleecing of the County taxpayers continues by the DEM morons and their running dogs.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Again -- more whining from the Dirty Diaper Gang .. they don't DO anything to help their community  .. they just  sit in their soiled diapers all day and whine about  everything

Uh, DV, how about many of them pay MORE than their share in taxes.   What to the millionaire dem buddy socialists do?    Take more from the taxpayer.

DV, WHY, explain WHY should the homeonwer taxpayers pay for the VanDyke??????    Tell us WHY, DV.   Provide an explaination, will you?   Provide an explanation of WHY the homeowners, who are struggling in this economy, and having to pay ever increasing taxes while trying to support their families and maintain their homes, tell us WHY taxpayers should be forced to bear the burden of a for-profit business?????    

Then tell us HOW the businewss has provided tax relief for the homeonwers

I don't give a damn what you think ...  very few people do ...  so keep howling at the moon.

Quoted from mikechristine1

DV, WHY, explain WHY should the homeonwer taxpayers pay for the VanDyke??????    Tell us WHY, DV.   Provide an explanation, will you?   Provide an explanation of WHY the homeowners, who are struggling in this economy, and having to pay ever increasing taxes while trying to support their families and maintain their homes, tell us WHY taxpayers should be forced to bear the burden of a for-profit business?????    

Then tell us HOW the business has provided tax relief for the homeonwers

People only see what they want to see. Take Ms. Bergeron who wrote this article, she sees a bar and thinks 'this is growth' when in reality, her tax money has provided for the wasted hundreds of thousands which have been used at the VanDyke. The lost $350K for the Gillette House and the partial tax exemption the Stockade Inn has down the street. Clintons Ditch just ended their 10 year tax partial exemption, wonder how they feel finally paying their fair share of taxes?

Quoted from rachel72

People only see what they want to see. Take Ms. Bergeron who wrote this article, she sees a bar and thinks 'this is growth' when in reality, her tax money has provided for the wasted hundreds of thousands which have been used at the VanDyke. The lost $350K for the Gillette House and the partial tax exemption the Stockade Inn has down the street. Clintons Ditch just ended their 10 year tax partial exemption, wonder how they feel finally paying their fair share of taxes?

According one idiot, Death Ray was going after the squandered taxpayer funds-with a personal suit. How did that turn out? ROTFLMAO!! City residents are coming off the ether to understand that Metrograft is destroying the City tax base. It would be better for the City to take a bigger check every year for sales taxes. Like all the towns do. That would provide some property tax relief and they could pay the schools/pave some washed out roads. Ms Bergeron should concentrate on denying City reassessment appeals for "lack of sufficient documentation".

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

I don't give a damn what you think ...  very few people do ...  so keep howling at the moon.

It's not what we "think" DV, it is what we know to be the total FACTS, and proven/

You keep doing the chers, but you REFUSE to answer what you are cheering for.  Well, you keep cheering for what you call the renaissance, however, you NEVER provide any explanation that even remotely indicates the city is in a renaissance.   Why do you refuse to point to any FACTS?   Obviously you refuse to point to facts becuase ALL THE FACTS prove that the financially struggling homeonwers have been robbed to give money to the friends and family well-heeled downtonw.  You REFUSE to comment on the FACT that people are trying to flee the city in droves as PROVEN AS FACT by the HUGE numbers of houses for sale.   You REFUSE to comment on the FACT that taxes have ONLY gone UP since metroplex, never down.  You REFUSE to comment on the FACT that crime is up while the tax dollars have been spent on downtown instead of making the neighborhoods a safe place to live.

Why do you avoid providing any proof of what you say?   Becuase there is no proof.  You are a dreamer.  

YES, DV, everyone would like to city come back, but it WILL NOT come back until your buddies STOP stealing the homeowners money and giving it to the millionaires.   The city wil NOT come back as long as the neighborhoods are ignored.

AGain, DV, can you state why you is a Forbes multi-billioniare exempt from paying taxes?   Why to the homeowners who are struggling to pay their own taxes, why do they have to pay Paul Mitchell's taxes?   WHy DV, WHY????????    

And why to you cheer for stealing over and over from the taxpayers to keep bailing out businesses from bankruptcy?   WHY do you cheer for stealing from the homeonwer to TWICE bail out a for-profit business?

Obvoiusly you cheer for increaseing the taxes on the struggling homeowners in order to bail out the Parker Inn, too, right?  

I wonder how the folks at the dss and unemployment buildings like the van dyke? Wonder if they view it as a restaurant or a ginmill while they're waiting for their name to reach the top of the list for their section 8!!!!!

totally wrong about your facts.. just saying -- but that is not surprising.. ho hum. another day in fantasy land..

Ruth should concentrate on her stack of assessment reviews instead of writing stunad letters. Stop calling a gin mill-a gin mill. It is not a gin mill! It is a vital part of the unified redevelopment bozos "planning". Besides they can slurp up free drinks.

     Stop worry about little things like helping create jobs, wasted governmental hand outs, or missing tax revenues. Run to the nearest governmental gin mill and tie one on! Smells like renaissance!