ON PAVING:

At the council meeting this week (May 29), Councilman Erickson talked about the city's paving projects for this year.   He proudly announced that a grand total of a a WHOPPING 5.5 lane miles would be paved this year.   He defined lane miles.  It's each side of the street is a lane mile.  Go to King Philips openstatemedia video on demand and get to the May 29 council meeting.  Go into it 17 minutes and 45 seconds, that's just about when Erickson talks about it, I have provided THE EVIDENCE.  

See, 5.5 "lane miles" would be roughly 2.25 miles on one side of a street, and 2.25 miles on the other side of the same street.

Let's get an idea of what a huge amount of paving will be done in the city.  Erickson did not list the streets.  But for you go get an idea of what a large number of streets in the city would get paved this year, start at the intersection of Campbell Ave and Broadway.  Go down Campbell, take a left onto Olean back to Broadway, then turn left onto Broadway and go to about Harrison St.  That total distance is roughly 5.5 lane miles.

Or lets use an example in Mont Pleasant area.   Imagine if the city paved the following streets:  Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Hodgson, and Ninth.  That HUGE amount of streets in the city represents about 5.5 lane miles


How many lane miles in the city are there in total?  Very possible that while a homeowner is paying his/her taxes, AND the taxes of the rich cronies of McCheese and dems in the city/county/plex, that the homeonwer possibly would NEVER have his/her street paved over the course of paying 30 years on a mortgage!

But there is money to give to the millionaires downtown.  Your dems can make the homeowners pay for lavish downtown and fancy lighting on Erie Blvd.   But how about the streets THORUGHOUT the city – IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.  

When do the TAXPAYERS in the neighborhoods get their streets paved in return for the “investment” they made in downtown?   Of course, no cheerleader for the dems will DARE ANSWER that question because:

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Mayor McCarthy and his team are doing a great job in the city.  Keep up the good work.

ON RECEIVING SERVICE FROM THE CITY

Then there was another guy, at 505 Pennsylvania Ave.  Watch the video, he starts talking at 33 minutes, 15 seconds into it. - again, I have provided THE EVIDENCE.    Is the city providing good service to the taxpayers in the neighborhoods?  How is the city improving when the guy can’t even get the city to remove a tree that is damaging the guys sidewalk and car.  I mean really, let’s hear the dem cheerleader explain how the city is making things better for the taxpayers, the homeonwers, based on this.  This photo is the tree and the driveway and this image if anyone notices is from 6 years ago, so it doesn’t look so bad.  Watch the video, you will hear this TAXPAYER speak about how one side of his driveway is 17 inches high and the other side 3 inches high and how it's rubbing on his car.  This taxpayer is being FORCED to pay new sidewalks downtown, the trees downtown, but  what does the city do for the guy on his own property?  

Oh yeah, and Councilman Erikson was talking about curbs and sidewalks too at about 19 minutes, 50 seconds. .  He stated that 30 feet of sidewalk and curb would cost about $10,000 at $353 per foot..  This address as a lot width of 34 feet.   Granted that includes new curbs, but this homeowner on Pennsylvania Ave has 34 ft lot width.  So, in addition to this homeowner paying his own taxes, this owner ALSO has to pay the taxes of the political cronies downtown, AND in return for paying for lavish sidewalks and fancy lighting downtwon, this homeowner may be be forced to spend about $5,000 out of his own pocket to replace his sidewalk, actually maybe more because when the city does stuff in larger quantities, they would get a better price than a typical homeowner.   So, in return for

Well cheerleader, are you MAN ENOUGH to ANSWER:   What service is the city providing to him for the taxes he pays????





But let us remember, while the city passes the buck for years on a major problem to this taxpayer (and his neighbors as he explains), let's remember the following:

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Mayor McCarthy and his team are doing a great job in the city.  Keep up the good work.

ON HOME VALUES:


How about the guy who spoke about a few topics, one which he said the city has him assessed for $100,000.   He speaks about this at about 45 minutes, 45 seconds into the video. Based on that assessment with the current equalization rate, the market value of his house shown on the assessment roll would be just about $92,600.   Of course the cheerleader of the dems  cannot explain what the equalization rate is, and thus is not MAN ENOUGH to address the term, but on the assessment roll, the figure that says full market value is what the city is claiming his house would sell for.
  
Now, any intelligent person who REALLY owns a house or property, and is a taxpayer, will know that when you go to sell your house, you get an appraisal and the bank is going to try to appraise it at the highest possible for the benefit of both the seller (to get a better price) and for the buyer for getting approved for a mortgage and because appraisal value is critical for homeowners insurance.   The bank told the guy his house appraises at $70,000.   In other words, the market value of his house is really only $70,000 at most.  

So this IS EVIDENCE of falling home values, however, remember this:

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Mayor McCarthy and his team are doing a great job in the city.  Keep up the good work.

ON THE ASSESSMENT ROLL AND "DENIED, INSUFFICIENT DATA."

Remember Mr Rodriguez.  He spoke the other night on various things.  

He didn't speak about assessment, but seeing him, reminded me, so we need to look at the FACTS (which have EVIDENCE to support them)  He bought a house on Moyston St for $30,000 in September 2011.  Remember how he spoke about the taxes (2011 taxes and fees combined) $5,685!!!!!   Run down neighborhood but the dems in Schenectady have to have the poor homeowners in the run down areas pay almost $6,000 in taxes --- that's because the homeowners have to pay the taxes of the rich political cronies of the dems because the dems have chosen to exempt the billionaires from paying taxes!!!!!

Let's go back to this post after he spoke

http://www.rotterdamny.info/m-1341877990/


For those of us that are intelligent, and can carry on intelligent conversations on here, we all can look up his house and see that it was assessed for $96,100.  So he buys the house in Sept 2011 for $30,000 and goes to the dems PAID political cronies on the assessment board (those who the DEMS PAY to deny grievances).  The guy CAN provide SUBSTANTIAL documentation that houses on Moyston St and that area are NOT worth anywhere near $96,100.  

But what did McC's paid cronies do?   They denied his grievance.   In other words, McC's PAID political cronies told the guy that his house on Moyston St WAS worth $96,100.

The homeowner sued the city and won!   Yep, just MORE EVIDENCE that market values of TUMBLED DRASTICALLY in the city.   Since the judge sided with the homeowner instead of Mc's PAID political cronies on the board, the assessed value was ordered reduced to $40,000, which in terms of "full market value" right now on this year's roll is $37,037.

PAID political cronies rubber stamping EVERY assessment grievance with "Denied", despite the EVIDENCE of drastically falling home values in the city but let's remember this:

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Mayor McCarthy and his team are doing a great job in the city.  Keep up the good work.

To summarize, let's see if the cheerleader is MAN ENOUGH to speak DIRECTLY on these items above, explain why he thinks the city is doing a good job in light of PROVEN falling home values, in light of the PROVEN bad decisions of political cronies, in light of the PROVEN lack of services to the TAXPAYERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.

Nope, either no response or a response spewing nonsense babble.

I repaired my own curbs about 10 years ago,  they look real nice. Not fully granite though. As far as the sidewalks, I know, at least up til 07, City of Johnstown had a sidewalk replacement program where the city, using dedicated crews during the warm months, would provide the labor and disposal while the homeowner provided the materials. They had a waiting list every year for this. They may still be doing it, I don't get out that way much anymore. Imagine if this city offered something along that line. Just one of the things that could possibly be done if they are really
interested in working in
tandem with the homeowner  to make this a better city.

Moyston Street. Sheesh.
It wouldn't be so bad if we had inflated taxes to pay for the things we are supposed to get. I noticed a puddle of raw sewage on Ardsley road near Rugby. Don't they pay enough taxes not to have a puddle of sewage along the curb?

Quoted from Madam X

Moyston Street. Sheesh.
It wouldn't be so bad if we had inflated taxes to pay for the things we are supposed to get. I noticed a puddle of raw sewage on Ardsley road near Rugby. Don't they pay enough taxes not to have a puddle of sewage along the curb?

Ewww. Yet they're going to blow even more money on downtown.
The cognitive dissonance at city hall is palpable.

When outsiders think of Schenectady, they don't think of the majesty of Proctors, they think of the news stories from a few days ago that showed people wading through waist high water due to storm sewer and drainage problems that remain unaddressed for the last few decades.
They think third world country where your taxes are higher than your mortgage.

Oh, by the way, before some cheerleader calls me on it, on the paving above, that's supposed to be 2.75  miles instead of 2.25 miles.  Typo


Of course, the person who says the city is improving and the mayor and co are doing a great job, notice how he REFUSES to explain how...

....  substantially reduced ESSENTIAL service, i.e. paving, means the city is improving - increased taxes and reduced services.

....  reduced ESSENTIAL service, i.e., removing trees that are destroying the TAXPAYERS' properties means the city is improving, again, increased taxes and reduced services.

....  substantially reduced home values means the city is improving

....  PAID political cronies on the assessment board rubber stamp every grievance with "denied, insufficient data" (despite tons of data and proof from the grievants), and then the boards' decisions are overturned in court.   This is time consuming for the homeowners and costs the taxpayers money for the courts' time and the staff time of all employees of all governmental entities involved.   So spending money and increasing taxes to prove reduced home values means the city is improving.


Not a peep out of him to address these points.

Quoted from mikechristine1

Not a peep out of him to address these points.

Two days.   See, told you he would not address these points.  

He cannot provide one teeny weeny shred of evidence that things in the city are improving, nothing beyond the pockets of the dems and their rich cronies.

Quoted from Madam X

Moyston Street. Sheesh.
It wouldn't be so bad if we had inflated taxes to pay for the things we are supposed to get. I noticed a puddle of raw sewage on Ardsley road near Rugby. Don't they pay enough taxes not to have a puddle of sewage along the curb?

Have you seen the condition of the streets and sidewalks in the formerly grand GE Plot? The infrastructure of the City is imploding as fast as the tax base. Abandoned property is all over especially Downtown and on the Hill. Is Albany St part of Metrograft? lol. 700 foreclosures is typical of any renaissance NE City. As far as Karl Erickson he can't even unload his second Schenectady income property. The chickens have come
home to roost-no?

Quoted from benny salami

Have you seen the condition of the streets and sidewalks in the formerly grand GE Plot? The infrastructure of the City is imploding as fast as the tax base. Abandoned property is all over especially Downtown and on the Hill. Is Albany St part of Metrograft? lol. 700 foreclosures is typical of any renaissance NE City. As far as Karl Erickson he can't even unload his second Schenectady income property. The chickens have come
home to roost-no?

Erikson put one of his Wendell Ave houses up for sale in 2011.    Perhaps this board's cheerleader for the dems, the "democratic voice" can enlighten us as to why the house HAS NOT SOLD AFTER TWO YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

How about it DV, please explain to us, you claim the city is in this grand renaissance and the dems are doing so much to improve the city, then tell us why a house in the GE plot, using Mary Mary of Prudential to try to sell it, tell us DV, if the city is oh so wonderful, WHY has the house not sold AFTER TWO YEARS???????


Can you explain that?



TOTAL SILENCE !



By the way, folks, the  city says the house is worth $167,000 based on an assessed value of $181,400.   But Mary Mary, the mayors GRAND DAME of real estate in the city has it listed with an asking price of $239,000.   Hmmm, two years, no reduction in asking price, and asking almost $70,000 more than what the city even says it's worth.   Then you look at the house, inside, and you realize that it's needs much work, e.g., woedfully outdated decor that means buyers need to redecorate - really, look at the wallpaper.   What kind of realtor is this Mary Mary who doesn't have the brains to tell sellers that they MUST remove the personal touches and the outdated wallpaper if they want to sell.   And what kind of realtor is this Mary Mary who lists a house $70,000 over what the city says it's worth and the house doesn't even have high end appliances that a prospective buyer in that price range would expect!

Think, the mayor's PAID political crony on the board of assessment is trying to sell that house for $239,000.  
The city says it's worth $167,000.
And the EVIDENCE for the past couple years has PROVEN that houses are selling for typically 30% BELOW the market values shown on the assessment roll.

So, as McCheese political crony with a conflict of interest---getting paid with taxpayer money to try to sell houses in the taxpayer funded home selling program, and getting paid to sit on the board of assessment, how many assessment reductions will she grant?

Watch the guy who paid $88,000 for the house that another guy wanted to buy for $75,000 get the tax reduction they said they couldn't guarantee the first guy. I don't believe that they couldn't legally have had the assessor assure the first guy, yes, we will review your assessment based on the sale price and revise it accordingly.

Quoted from Madam X

Watch the guy who paid $88,000 for the house that another guy wanted to buy for $75,000 get the tax reduction they said they couldn't guarantee the first guy. I don't believe that they couldn't legally have had the assessor assure the first guy, yes, we will review your assessment based on the sale price and revise it accordingly.

Won't be a problem tracking this one over time.   But as not closed yet.  Nothing will change until the tentative roll published May 2014.

Quoted from mikechristine1

ON RECEIVING SERVICE FROM THE CITY

Then there was another guy, at 505 Pennsylvania Ave.  Watch the video, he starts talking at 33 minutes, 15 seconds into it. - again, I have provided THE EVIDENCE.    Is the city providing good service to the taxpayers in the neighborhoods?  How is the city improving when the guy can’t even get the city to remove a tree that is damaging the guys sidewalk and car.  I mean really, let’s hear the dem cheerleader explain how the city is making things better for the taxpayers, the homeonwers, based on this.  This photo is the tree and the driveway and this image if anyone notices is from 6 years ago, so it doesn’t look so bad.  Watch the video, you will hear this TAXPAYER speak about how one side of his driveway is 17 inches high and the other side 3 inches high and how it's rubbing on his car.  This taxpayer is being FORCED to pay new sidewalks downtown, the trees downtown, but  what does the city do for the guy on his own property?  

Oh yeah, and Councilman Erikson was talking about curbs and sidewalks too at about 19 minutes, 50 seconds. .  He stated that 30 feet of sidewalk and curb would cost about $10,000 at $353 per foot..  This address as a lot width of 34 feet.   Granted that includes new curbs, but this homeowner on Pennsylvania Ave has 34 ft lot width.  So, in addition to this homeowner paying his own taxes, this owner ALSO has to pay the taxes of the political cronies downtown, AND in return for paying for lavish sidewalks and fancy lighting downtwon, this homeowner may be be forced to spend about $5,000 out of his own pocket to replace his sidewalk, actually maybe more because when the city does stuff in larger quantities, they would get a better price than a typical homeowner.   So, in return for

Well cheerleader, are you MAN ENOUGH to ANSWER:   What service is the city providing to him for the taxes he pays????





But let us remember, while the city passes the buck for years on a major problem to this taxpayer (and his neighbors as he explains), let's remember the following:

Hope everyone saw that Mr Monty on Monday's meeting.   Something was finally done.  And the councilman who got it done was none other than the ONLY ONE LONE TRUE REPRESENTATIVE of the Schenectady RESIDENTS, the taxpayers.

Vince Riggi, who else/


Dems don't do anything for the residents, if Riggi didn't do it, it wouldn't have gotten done.

love that pic Tommy....the best actor yet.......

I noticed someone on another website arguing emphatically for the need for these government projects "to attract new residents" because she knows people who moved here for GE and didn't buy in the city because the "housing stock" isn't good enough or some such crap. Everyone likes to think they are expert planners/developers including the mayor. The FACT is, nothing but shiny new McMansions NOT in the city will ever be good enough for some snooty snots. PLENTY of decent, hardworking young people have looked at houses here, looked at the taxes, and bought where they did not really want tobuy, in Burnt Hills. I know this because I KNOW THE PEOPLE. I also know people desperately trying to unload beautiful houses for a fraction of their assessed worth. I am so sick of these people taking our money, spending it in pursuit of imaginary future residents they find more to their liking than us, and having the nerve to talk down to us like they know.
The government DOES NOT NEED to build apartments. Period.

Quoted from Madam X

I noticed someone on another website arguing emphatically for the need for these government projects "to attract new residents" because she knows people who moved here for GE and didn't buy in the city because the "housing stock" isn't good enough or some such crap. Everyone likes to think they are expert planners/developers including the mayor. The FACT is, nothing but shiny new McMansions NOT in the city will ever be good enough for some snooty snots. PLENTY of decent, hardworking young people have looked at houses here, looked at the taxes, and bought where they did not really want tobuy, in Burnt Hills. I know this because I KNOW THE PEOPLE. I also know people desperately trying to unload beautiful houses for a fraction of their assessed worth. I am so sick of these people taking our money, spending it in pursuit of imaginary future residents they find more to their liking than us, and having the nerve to talk down to us like they know.
The government DOES NOT NEED to build apartments. Period.

Well, definitely not in Schenectady!!

Even if you build luxury apartments, you would have to be a complete imbecile to move Downtown or in ALCO....the crime, the lack of any retail, lack of jobs, the sub-par school district and living in a City which is looking at millions of dollars of debt in every budget.

Your right Madam, people do their homework before they purchase a home. In the City, once that tax bill is presented many head for Saratoga County.

The truth is........ge moved out and the city collapsed!! As ususal GOV ALMIGHTY steps up and thinks they can replace the 'good times' thru taxation. While at the same time creating patronage jobs, giving raises and paying lifetime health insurance and pensions which are clearly unsustainable....aka detroit!

the only reason why saratoga is doing as well as it is, is because they have SPAC and the RACETRACK and now Malta has GLOBAL FOUNDRIES. And does Saratoga or Burnt Hill have a town/city police force to drain their tax base?

Let's face it.....be it dems or reps running SCUMnectady.....it would still look the same today. Only the names and faces would be different.They all think that they have the answer to an obvious money pit!!!