Thursday, December 9, 2010

Journal:Ritchie Hires Three Staff For Her Three Offices

Senator Ritchie Starts Staffing Process
Senator Ritchie has started the process to build an office of employees that will be receptive to the voters and most of all loyal to Senator Ritchie.  Mr. Peck, Director of Operations Watertown, Holly Carpenter, Office Manager Oswego, and Patricia McMurray will be Senator Ritchie's Personal Assistant are the first staffers on line.  Will St. Lawrence be represented or will the voters of the Big County and the River City be driving to Watertown?


Mr. Peck, Director of Operations
 This is a transition period for Senator Ritchie and hopefully Mr. Aubertine and his staff will meet to make a true transition.  Senator Ritchie will have some difficult decisions to make...the transition with Mr. Aubertine will be crucial in keeping continuity in the support of North Country issues.  With an estimated 10 billion dollar deficit next year some serious cut will have to be make.  With 5 correctional facilities in Senator Ritchie's district a balance should be maintained between balancing the budget and losing jobs. 

Correctional Facilities appear to be on the chopping block in next year's budget.  With over 7000 empty medium beds, closures seem imminent.  Closure are sure to come but hopefully they target all facilities not just those located North of the Thruway.  Senator Aubertine was instrumental in saving OCF, but he supported releasing violent felons and drug dealers back to the community, and supported the closure of dorms only in NNY.  That would have been an easier pill to swallow if they closed down dorms at every medium facility across the State of New York.   

This will be a difficult year for any freshman legislators.

Journal Article

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I for one believe OCF will be closed within the year . I odnt want to pay taxes on the principle of leaving the prison open just to have jobs for the N.Country. I also believe the state should balance the cutbacks somewhat. Possibly put prisoners from OCF into Riverview, Gouv. Malone, Cape V and any extra staffing needed come from OCF..

Anonymous said...

I agree jobs without workload and productivity can NO LONGER be carried . Re-allocation of both prisoners and staff to other sustainable and justifiable facilities would be right on target .

In that scenario it is still likely that some not all jobs would be retrenched .

As a taxpayer who has to LIVE WITHIN MY MEANS and on a FIXED income without any raises in 2 yrs the Days of Wine & Roses for NYS are long over . Time to retrench and reshuffle the priorities.

Let downstate keep their criminals housed downstate .

Anonymous said...

Jobs is what makes the economy going, not unemployment and not social services. In saying that prisons have to be shut down. It should be done through economics and those with run down facilities and high expenses should be considered first. If OCF happens to be that prison, so be it.

We have seen nothing of this in the last two years. North country has been targeted by City Democrats. It should not be a political process but it will be.

Anonymous said...

No 5:37 taxes are too high , payroll costs and associated fringe benefits and retirement costs are sinking the state budget and taxpayers .


The state prison system IS in need of a cost containment. OTHER states do it for MUCH less and NYS can no longer afford the current system .

Cost and system effectiveness must be held to nationally normed benchmarked data on cost per FTE prisoner.

Managerial economics ,uses comparative data analysis rather than "emotions" to make difficult decisions designed to enhance productivity by reducing cost and increasing effectiveness.

OCF will no doubt be closely scrutinized and may well be targeted . Ogdensburg is small , and has a disproportionate share of state facilities given the city population OCF RV, Psych center and the quasi state investment here in OBPA and all the schools .

Other communities DO NOT have this ratio of state investment so it may well be an issue

Anonymous said...

I think NNY is going to pay dearly for the next two years for what has to be the biggest outrage of this decade in voting Pat Ritchie in as Senator.. With no political experience she is at the mercy of NYC GOP and will vote consistantly with them on issues. She is so indebted to outside interests shes going to find it hard no doing favors.. I still am annoyed that she refused to do a AARP survey. She apparently has a problem with her thought process on older retired people.. God Help Us

Poly Information said...

Anon 7:35 pay dearly for the next two years. We paid dearly for the last two years. The pork, tax increases on clothing, cigs, and increase spending, give me a break.
Senator Aubertine voted 98% of the time with NYC not NNY. Talk about indebted, the dems paid millions for his seat each time he run. They donated 100s of thousands of dollars this year and he dropped pork money in the 100 million range 6 months prior to November. That 100 million could of spared 890 jobs in NYS. Darrel owes his loyalties to NYC. NYC, the same individuals being expelled, charged criminally, stealing, campaign fraud, and many ethic law violations; which included Mr. Aubertine.

You must of condoned these actions it appears you supported Darrel.