Thursday, March 29, 2012

Gallo Rewards His Buddies, Too

Realizing this news is somewhat old, it's still worth wondering how these people get away with this stuff. The reasons have to do with not enough people paying attention to the rapacious interests that see local government as their own personal piggy bank.

The latest outrage (or last month's, depending on how you look at it) has to do with newly elected Kingston Mayor Shayne Gallo appointing Mike Madsen to be the city code enforcement officer:
Michael Madsen, a former Kingston alderman and Ulster County legislator, has been appointed city zoning code enforcement officer by Mayor Shayne Gallo.

Madsen said he also is working in the city’s Office for Community Development as a housing rehabilitation specialist, a vacant position.

He said his city salary is $29,000.

Madsen said he has taken no courses in zoning matters but thinks he is qualified for the job given his background in construction and his and time as an elected lawmaker — four two-year terms on the city’s Common Council and one two-year term as a county legislator.
Hey, what about me? I think I'm qualified to be Emperor of the Universe. Why, I even have more than a decade of management experience.

And how many jobs does Madsen need, or is he the Langdon Chapman of Democratic politics here in Ulster County?

And then we get to the money quote:
Madsen worked last year on the election campaign of Gallo, a fellow Democrat, an undertaking that he called a team effort by like-minded individuals. (emphases mine)

“He (Gallo) surrounded himself with people who had the same vision ... and if some of us happen to have the expertise of doing the job and we are all on the same mission with his vision, it seems to fit like a glove,” Madsen said.

Gallo spoke similarly.

“The individuals who have been appointed to positions in the city share a similar vision and passion to make the city the model city that I have been talking about,” the mayor said on Thursday.
They share a similar vision, alright -- a vision that includes rewarding cronies with cushy jobs, apparently.

7 comments:

  1. From Michael Madsen's blog:
    "Happy Birthday Terry Bernardo! Tuesday night's party was held at the Hillside Manor in Kingston and attended by friends and fellow politicos from across the county with a special appearance by State Senator John Bonacic."

    Enough said?

    Len Bernardo gave the Independence line to Gallo. Gallo paid for it by giving jobs to Bernardos' houseboys: Blaber and Madsen.

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  2. It's amazing. And what's up with Brian Shapiro leaving his job as director of the UCSPCA? Didn't see that one coming. Makes you wonder which Bernardo/Gallo crony will get that job -- and if the appointee will actually have any experience. Or they could just appoint Madsen. I understand he's been in the same room with dogs and cats, so he sounds qualified to me.

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  3. So lets see Madsen, Blaber, Fuentes, Defalco, I think most of them lead back to none other than Bernardo Surprise!!!Surprise ulster leader of corruption

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  4. Who is Gallo suppose to hire, his enemies? At least they all live in Kingston!

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  5. @8:32 How about someone who's actually qualified for the job? Occasionally walking through a construction site doesn't cut it, in my opinion. So what if he's from Kingston. There's no one better qualified in the whole city? Bullshit.

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  6. @8:32 You missed the point. Gallo hired Bernardo's friends.

    If all Bernardo's friends are also Gallo's friends, isn't obvious that there is a cloaca at the top?

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  7. Gallo is a puppet, too. He had all but lost the election when Ind's Lenny B backed him. They hit up the poor old folks in the nursing home to sign Gallo's petitions, all the while knowing Terry B was set to vote against keeping the place.
    He's done the equivalent of what madam chair has done since her term began. Nothing, because they're both chest-pounding, blowhard crony-rewarders.
    Someone on one of these posts called madam chair a media whore. Gallo takes it to a whole new level. He's dating Carrie Jones Ross, a reporter for Ulster Pub.(Kingston Times, etc)!!

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