The true toll of persecuting good Spa City employees Part 2: Betty French an innocent victim

Everyone likes Betty French. No really, even the people who are now giving her a hard time all admit to me at least privately, they like her and she does a good job. So what went so terrible wrong?

Thirty year DPW commissioner Tom McTygue was a pioneer in this city in hiring women and minorities. Eddie Robinson a burly black man from the south was the first black supervisor in the city. To this day while there has never been a black fireman and only two black cops. The DPW department under McTygue,  hired many black and Hispanic employees.

McTygue also went out of his way to hire qualified women. I remember in the eighties we had a female foreman on the flower crew although her name escapes me. The city had female dispatchers, office staff and more than a few women laborers and drivers. Yes McTygue was ahead of his time.

One of the women McTygue hired was Betty French. Betty was a hardworking and reliable employee who excelled in every task she was given.

Congress Park was the jewel of Saratoga Springs. Unfortunately in the sixties and seventies during a period of stagnation in the city the park fell into decay. Breathtaking in its beauty, McTygue lovely restored it to a point its beauty eclipsed even its former splendor.   

During the last years of McTygue’s tenure in office he entrusted the upkeep of Congress Park to Betty French. Not only the physical upkeep of the park but all the bookings of the Canfield Casino. Betty proved that she was just as adept dealing with anxious brides as she was behind the wheel of a snow plow.

Betty was happy, the park was happy and most of all the people were happy.

Then after a particularly bitter election even by  Saratoga standards, Tom McTygue was ousted by Anthony "Skip" Scirocco. Though popular after years of being a reasonably competent dog catcher he was in over his head managing the large and complicated department.

And there were scores to settle after the bitter election. French was seen as a McTygue loyalist. While many McTygue hires had turned on him and supported Scirocco, Betty remained neutral, kept her head down and continued to do an excellent job…

In time Scirocco began to harass French. Her staff was cut; she was assigned less than stellar laborers all as a pretext to discipline her. As an hourly worker she was denied overtime. French began to file grievances.

Scirocco created the position of reservation coordinator to strip French of her duties and planned to hire Mary Lou Whitney's daughter Heather Mabee starting on2/6/12.The position had been defunded by the then republican dominated city council in 2011. Skip never got the position.Yes everybody did like Betty French.

Scirocco was undeterred and the petty harassment continued. French continued to file grievances till one day after filing a grievance in the morning she was unceremoniously transferred to a black hole in the middle of the male dominated city garage just hours later.  

This black hole is the DPW tool room where she has been assigned the menial task of handing out tools and counting garbage bags in a windowless dirty closet wedged between the toilets and the truck bay.

This final indignity was enough. French filed a grievance with PERB saying she was being punished for speaking out against her treatment. Under oath at a Perb hearing in Albany, Scirocco claimed “he was unaware of any grievance” He added her placement in the black hole of Division St wasn’t a demotion at all.

Again we are dealing with the city’s labor attorney, Mark McCarthy of Harris Beach. McCarthy  seems to have a particular loathing of uppity female employees. In this case the decision on the fairness of these actions is now in the hands of an administrative law judge.

While the cost of this action is funded by French’s, union CSEA she has also hired a private attorney in a parallel action alleging gender discrimination. She has hired the same law firm as Accounts whistleblower Mary Zlotnick, Gleason, Dunn, Walsh and O’Shea. In this case the young, talented Sarah Burger is representing French.

This time just as in the case of Mary Zlotnick, the legal bills are on the victims dime.

So how is Betty holding up? Well it’s taken a toll, anxiety, hostile work environment, filthy working conditions. All of this done to a model worker who had the misfortune to be on the wrong side of the political fence. I don’t have the costs so far of these actions as neither is near a resolution but I will.

Again a reminder that this is a soft plea for funds. So if you can give something its appreciated. I will continue to interview the homeless  this weekend and am working on a lot more.

Saratoga in Decline

We never sleep

Because politics suck

SID exclusive with documents: The true toll of persecuting good Spa City employees Part 1: Whistleblower Mary Zlotnick.

Today I present my first in a two part series documenting the cost associated when an elected official decides to retaliate against a full time city worker. Mary Zlotnick, was a committed democrat and member of the cities democratic committee. She was also committed to the democratic principles that I also adhere too. Namely looking out for societies most vulnerable. The elderly, working poor, widows etc. etc. You know those who have no power of influence. In fairness I will admit that the fact she was a democratic committee person was probably what landed her the job in the first place. Thus she was hired by the cities swinging assessor “Mambo” Johnny Franck.

I first met Franck back in 2005. Steve Towne the cities commissioner of accounts was in a heated battle with John Franck. The Broadway based CPA was running for Towne's job

He showed that Tom Roohan, Towne's boss and cousin, got 7 assessments in 2004 reduced.Including the big Saratoga National Bank building and his own headquarters on Broadway. Towne on the other hand had tripled the assessment of my modest house on Warren St to $360,000.

I fought that of course and had it reduced to $280,000 but not before a lengthy battle of lawyers and courts. I became a committed and vocal supporter of John Franck and remained a loyal friend till May of last year.

Once John was elected to office I never asked for or received an assessment reduction. I thought since we were friend it would be inappropriate to ask for a reduction. I just sat back and watched my taxes skyrocket till I sold my home in 2009. Purchase price $249,000 so I guess I was over assessed after all. But I just accepted it as water under the bridge. I continued to support Franck even after I moved to Milton.

Mary was thrilled to be starting work in John Franck’s office. She originally enjoyed the job and was quickly made a permanent employee after receiving a very flattering evaluation from John Franck.

Then things went south. Mary was shocked when she found herself disciplined for helping elderly home owners apply for star exemptions while millionaires like board of supervisor candidate, Peter Marten were given the same reduction with a simple phone call. Then she met Diane Young who was a highly paid assessment reduction specialist in spite of not being a lawyer, assessor or even a licensed real estate agent.   

She was given the run of the office and had a 100% success rate getting clients assessments reduced. In the meantime lesser mortals were given the run around or denied.

Then there there were the special assessment reductions. Deputy Accounts Commissioner Kellner-Chille had her assessment reduced shortly after taking office. Franck cut a sweet heart deal with millionaire, John Breyo, CEO/President, and founder of Ayco Co with a HUGE REDUCTION in the assessed value of his home on 51 Winding Brook Drive. The rapidly dropping value went from 27 million to $12.46 million to $8.2 million. Again Beyo is the former boss of Peter Martin and the two are great friend. Then Franck reduced the assessment of a home he was under contract to buy before the closing. I found that particularly egregious.  I could go on all day.

What I discovered was that the man I supported, gave money to and campaigned for was one of the slimiest politicians I’ve ever met.

Mary Zlotnick was finding out the very same thing. At first she naively believed Franck was unaware of the corruption in his office. She went to him privately with her concerns. Little did she know he was orchestrating it? The office harassment started. She went to the police first and then the media.

Franck was determined to crush this little fly. The full weight and power of the Saratoga Springs government was brought in to destroy this little upstart. The fiscally conservative John Franck, who saved his rich friends thousands and cost elderly hundreds, started to spend city money like a drunken sailor in a whore house.

She was terminated, she fought back. They called for a kangaroo court. The city picked up the tab. Mark J. McCarthy, attorney at Harris Beach PLLC and city contracted attorney ripped Mary to threads in the biased and city centric hearing. John Franck was delighted. Mary lost.

So how much did the witch hunt cost John Franck? 0,nothing not a fucking dime. How much did his misdeeds cost city taxpayers so far? In these exclusives documents obtained by foil request just for the costs of the events leading up to and including this one hearing

$61,340

 https://workspaces.acrobat.com/?d=SbTT0lO7JHL59nYzYXZVdw

Mark J. McCarthy, fee alone was $33,940.

Remember Mary through her attorney Mark Walsh of Gleason, Dunn, Walsh and O’Shea has now filed a 255 page article 78 in state Supreme Court against Frank and by extension the city. This won’t be a simple hearing but a full blown rule court battle without all the kangaroo rules. And now she wants damages.

All picked up by you the taxpayers of Saratoga Spring.

Tomorrow I take a look at the persecution of DPW working supervisor Betty French. I don’t have the full costs yet as she is in the middle of two separate litigation's. Neither is close to be resolved but in will be an in-depth expose.

Finally this is the soft kick off of my end of May fund drive. The hard sell is next week. This work is expensive and exhausting. Foil requests, pacer bills, document hosting and gas. Although I need little I can’t exist on air. So if you can give through the PayPal link on the top page or slip me something in UG or on the Street.

I’ve been interviewing some homeless in town and I hope to have their story soon. So please give what you can. The hard sell is next week then I won’t ask till September. Thank you. If you didn’t read me I’d be writing to myself.

Saratoga in Decline

We never Sleep

See you at the Parade today

Saratoga Springs bans openly carried guns in downtown - WRGB CBS6 - Top Stories

Saratoga Springs bans openly carried guns in downtown - WRGB CBS6 - Top Stories

Spa City Council meeting May 21 2013.Every dog will have its day

Today was another exercise of theatrics as Susan Steer and her flying monkey brigade came to the meeting to heap enough bullshit platitudes on Public Safety Commissioner “toothy” Christian Mathiesen to fill the shit stall at a rodeo.

Toothy put up a feel good reelection ordinance to outlaw the carrying of open long arms on Broadway. Not that there's any outbreak of gun carrying crazies on Broadway.

Anyway I can just see the laws impact.

Crazy guy said...

"I was going to go to Broadway in Saratoga Springs to shoot up people but now I see I’m prohibited from carrying an exposed rifle. Dam, guess I’ll go shopping."

Yea it’s that stupid. But Susan and the monkeys eat up this kind of shit.

The other notable subject was Weeping Willie questioning Anthony "Skip" Scirocco on the bog meadow water project. Look Willie, you’ve got water on the brain. Drop this shit along with using Saratoga Lake as a drinking water source. Go after Skippy where people give a fuck. Congress park, flowers, the dirty parking garages. Keep this up and you’ll be doing laundry for cupcake while she’s at city hall.

 Anyway after the public comment periods {there were three I think} the meeting started. Then it was the  Urban and Community Forest Master Plan. Everyone agreed trees are good. I did find the creation of a  "Citizen Advisory Tree Board" amusing. I suppose Toothy not wanting to be outdone will purpose a new law to outlaw the genocidal slaughter of trees for some holiday called Christmas.

Then Commissioner Blue Bunny lived up to her name by proposing the hiring of two more PATROL cops. Sounds great doesn’t it?

But here’s the rub. Even before there hired Toothy will promote cops to brass. So whatever you think the net gain in patrol offices is offset by promotions. Saratogians are fucked again. The council agreed to hire them with the Mayor voting against.

Then Skip got everything he wanted for expanding the bog meadow water fields without so much as a peep from the council. The matters passed 5 to 0. Willie the only one who cares about this shit is you. Stop wasting your two minutes of fame.

Then finally the vote to outlaw the carrying of guns downtown came up. Some flashes of the old John Franck that I once knew kept coming out tonight. He and the Mayor both voted against it. At this point it was ten.

I was in the hall and Skateboard Charlie and Lawrence {aka centerpost} White came out to challenge me. Charlie had a tape recorder in his hand. I asked centerpost  why he {who comments hundreds of times on the saratogian} "didn’t sign his name and take credit for his work?" 

He went into orbit. I asked him why he was yelling and that made him worse. I asked him "why he advocated the Civic Center breach his contract with the gun show while he himself sued his SCHUYLERVILLE landlord Blaine Ivy for breach of contract on his little art gallery."

See White was sued himself. White received a notice in the mail that he was in breach of his lease agreement on various grounds.

Ivys' attorney, Ed Connell, claimed that

"My client is an elderly lady, and Lawrence White is trying to take the building from her, and at this point is just trying to intimidate and frighten her," he said. "He brought an action against her."

See White is a bully and I pointed that out. Then he lost it accusing me of a whole ménage of high crimes and misdemeanors. He said I was “lying”. I said sorry but I read about you in the Post Star. He claimed it wasn’t true. I said Post reporter  KONRAD MARSHALL wrote it. He continued to rant and rave. I said weren’t you in NY for 9/11. He continued to rank. I said I guess "you claim you suffer from “post-traumatic stress” . 

He was slurring and yelling at this point. I said "you don’t look wrapped to tight."

Then he went on calling me "anti-American." I said "you love being a victim don’t you?" I said "I bet you blame your mother for post-traumatic stress from your birth". Then since he was losing it I told him "to go on Oprah to get in touch with his feeling." Safe to say I made a new fan tonight.

Saratoga in Decline

We never Sleep

Because Bruno sees Larry hiding in my bushes

Saratogians for Gun Safety founder Centerpost aka Lawrence White goes off the deep end.

I’ve been busy. Talking to the bishop about Father Kirwin, calling the state board of elections. I mean really fucking busy.

Them I’m told about this fucking  douchebag flying monkey Lawrence White, taking my name in vain at the Saratogian. See White is a sleazy little coward who goes by the name of Centerpost. He is a nut and very anti gun. Seems Lawrence got himself in some trouble with a landlord Blaine Ivy in SCHUYLERVILLE and was evicted. White sees himself as quite the dandy and had opened Les Fauves Fine Art Gallery. It failed miserably and he was evicted for not paying rent. I admit the story is complicated but he doesn’t want the ghosts of the past to cloud the new vision of him as avenging anti-gun hero. He and Weeping Willie Yepsen are also friends.I'm going to be doing a full story about Lawrence in the future.

So the good dentist has his bullshit anti-gun law up for a vote at tonight’s city council. Jake Palmateer of Ballston Spa is an organizer for NY2A Grassroots Coalition had a readers view in today’s paper opposing it. 

 http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2013/05/20/opinion/doc519929b421a21683327188.txt

Centerpost seems to think I’m behind every anti-gun comment. I wasn’t even following this discussion until I get a phone call that Lawrence is on a roll so I respond. The following was the exchange before moderators at the Saratogian removed any reference to Lawrence and his legal woes. There is the crazy Centerpost and someone named centerpost 2 making fun of him

Centerpost 2 said

Hey.....centerpost is my name, I now have to say...this is copyrighted. So Larry with that, you owe me a dollar!!

Your view of common sense Lawrence is not the majority, only in your mind! I think your buddy's skateboard thru town is going to get someone hurt! What happens if he gets distracted and runs into a pedestrian or child not paying attention, Skateboards are for skate parks ONLY and not for our streets here in Saratoga Springs, I will bring that up next meeting! Thank you Larry White for being the inspiration to ignorance!

centerpost • said

John Tighe. The man who hides while he attacks others.

Skateboarding on city sidewalks is illegal. Pretty soon carrying guns without being secured in a case will be illegal as well. Kids go the skate park. You will just have to abide by the law as well. Unless you intended to scoff at the law that is. Do you plan to disobey the law the John?

Saratoga in Decline said

Sorry Lawrence not me but i am working on a story about your landlord problem and breach of contract stay tuned...

centerpost said

Sounds malicious.

Saratoga in Decline said

No Lawrence it sounds like your a hypocrite.

You have on set of rules for contract law as it applies to you but another view when it applies to someone else.

Typical

centerpost said

Sounds invasive, malicious, fallacious and off point. What does this have to do with the gun show topic? Nothing. Just another personal attack which is your specialty John. It appears that this is your usual last resort. When you know you are losing the debate, which is often, you resort to this personal attacks on people on their occupations or their employers or their friends in hopes that your nastiness will just drive other people away. Well you have a not impressed me in any manner or form. I plan to keep debating the gun topic in spite of your lame threats.

Centerpost said

Boo..Hoo...Larry White, Boo Hoo! Want some chesse with that whine! Half of your rants are typically off topic due to you always creating the "I am a victim" personal attack BS, it so lame. You might think your a big shot here but your not!

Centerpost said

    Lawrence White.

others....back at you! I am not Larry by way, but if you think in your delusional mind, then so be it!

This new law that we paid off Mathieson to BS the city with

is just another ploy in our playbook for tactics to get the gun show canceled. We are going to be there in and we will have our say about it. we already know

that the city board is mostly made of demorats so it's not going to be made a supervise here. However, this walking with guns in public is only during the gun show and not during the normal course of the no gun show days. You all are doing this to put another wedge in the works and it pitiful. You and the rest have sunk to lows that are lower than the NRA. I worse then the NRA and this

proves it all along! I have my camera  people don't like their pictures taken and put on your FB page to be slandered at! I hope that mans Lawyer got ahold of you, he said he was going too....ut

oh!

 Saratoga in Decline said 

Congratulations Larry you have officially gone off the deep end. Under the safe act  I hope your psychiatrist turns your name over to the police to have your guns removed... PS See you tonight

Its barely fucking noon and I have to put up with this shit.

I'll be at the city Council tonight

Saratoga in Decline

We never Sleep

I don't even remember what sleep is

.