 |
| Is there "Substantial, Persuasive Evidence"? |
Mr. Sciorra, it appears you have been down this road before...he understands the system and will put City Council through the ropes. The question will be! Do the charges show "substantial, persuasive evidence"?
Hopefully the City Council will act in unison and everyone can get on board, at least for the tax payers. The hearing will be sometime in January and we will not miss listening to the rhetoric of Nicky (I do not pay taxes, I am still in school) Vaugh.
Mr. Sciorra is calling for a public hearing and this should be very interesting. I would think this would be handled by Law firm hired by the City. He should handle the hearing and the councilors would decide at the end.
Journal Demands
39 comments:
Council has already made its findings and has no further burden to meet the threshold outline by Uncle Arties attorney. The purpose of the hearing is for Art to dispute the charges and either convince Council to give him his job back or agree to terminate w/out cause and pay severance. Everything else is legal manuvering and posturing trying to fabricate some type of leverage for Art to extort severance and settlement packages from the city - like he did in Horseheads..
4 months ago I would have said pay him and get rid of him, but now after what he's done to try to take everyone down with him, meanwhile neglecting his duties and the regional economic development councils ($0 of $105M for the burg), I say fuck this guy and don't pay him a cent.
This is perfect analysis. Art cost us lots of needed money because he is hellbent on extorting a settlement. This "procedural" ruse is sheer nonsense designed to cow council and scare them into settling. This asshole had his chance months ago to go down the mediation route. He has done this to himself. Regardless of who's to blame for the Knox St folly, Art bears sole responsibility for his moronic statements to press. He could have made this the small potatoes it is. Instead he willfully gave the city a black eye.
Another Horseheads ruse by Art Sciorra. I can already see that his buddy Dan the drunk wants to give him everything but the kitchen sink.
Maybe Dan should also leave with this idiot. The above statements are on point. When will this idiot Art stop receiving taxpayers money?
Boys, boys, boys, you are not following the money. It's not in Horseheads or Michigan. Cut through the "smoke" and follow the money to White Gate on Caroline Street. Why do you think the Wades and Burkes (of Knox Street) think Justin Woods is such a great guy, and Art Sciorra is a bad guy? Who do you think gave them the taxpayers money, as opposed to who tried to take a stand, and stop this nonsense? Maybe The Journal ought to put a competent and unbiased reporter on this story rather than Justin's best friend Chris.
To 9:01;
Nice shift of blame, Dan.
The Wades didnt get a penny of grant money. Now Hosmer on the other got a boat load of grants and loans, dillingham, philips diner, movie theater, library, remmington also got grants. Pretty much most of the construction and demolition going on around town is as a result of grants Woods secured to benefit our community.
Or was it really Art and Nick Vaugh writing all those grants? Did you see MAyor Grahms blog today? Pasted below:
Councilor for the Ages ?
In his farewell address via Facebook, one term Ogdensburg City Councilman Nick Vaugh tells us he has fought, led, been humbled, retooled, re-staffed, made the Maple City a better place, put the people first, been an outspoken advocate, been a public servant who rebuilt the waterfront, challenged the status quo and lived through a period of progress, innovation and development in a city now without a city manager and by implication still saddled with one time Vaugh friend and mentor Bill Nelson as mayor.
Mr. Vaugh says he brought hi tech jobs to the 'burg and fostered better relations with the area's colleges. He did so much in fact, he decided to retire at age 24 to take a step back and admire the fruits of his labors.There is no mention of the horror on Knox Street, which is really the take-away event as the Maple City's legislative calendar draws to a close.
https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150647601139692
I don't know why certain people on this blog try to identify anyone who has something good to say about the city. Did you read the paper this morning. Just about every member of council lauded the results of the city. Lower taxes, Ford street rehab, budget surpluses......... I bet Art's lawyer loves getting a copy of this article. During the recent election all we heard about was the great successes of the Mayor. And you don't think this guy has a case? This city is being run by a bunch of uneducated morons who have been lead by Steve Rose and Buddy Mike Morley like lemmings into a disgraceful place to even be associated with.
Art did a decent job. The best decision he made was hiring Woods - look at all the accomplishments listed - Waterfront, Brownfields, ShadeRoller, etc. Woods was the one bringing in the grants that got all of this going. Mike Powers doesn't even like Woods and he said it.
Exactly right.. All of the acomplishments of this city are to be credited to Art Sciorra.
Nelson and council did not interfere with Art in any case thus what got done got done because of Sciorra.
Woods did a good job also he just got ambitious.. He along with Cosmo decided that they could screw Art and make Woods manager no doubt... Nelson had his part to in stalling on the firing of Woods for Nelsons political agenda...
Sciorra is fired and Cosmo should be.. Woods was insubordinate and never should be praised like some of you people do... It was Sciorra that seen Woods talent and brought him here. Lets not forget the leaches like the housing council, the contractors like Steve kRose that made out alright ..
Pay the man what he wants and end this shit.. We cant change the makeup of the council but certainly we should strive to make them accountable, but we wont...Four more years of sameose sameole....
I wouldn't get carried away giving Art all the credit - there were a lot of people involved in all these efforts (and it was Woods managing these projects), but the bottom line is that Art lied about several things, including Woods alleged insubordination in the Main St program. Art destroyed his own credibility and has spent the last 6 months destroying the City's improving image. That is why I voted to fire him.
Whew!!! Am I still spinning? A guy could get dizzy reading THAT rationalization. Didn't the Mayor escalate this whole thing in order to have "an issue" to get re-elected? Didn't the Mayor throw Art AND the city under the bus in order to get re-elected by 11 votes. What has Sciorra gained over the last 6 months from this blown out proportion mess created by Nelson and Morley? No wonder Jeff Graham says you guys are wasting your money on attorneys, and are going to end up paying Sciorra anyway. You are clueless!! OR, you ARE Nelson or Morley, and trying rewrite history to cover yourself. You can talk all you want to The Journal, but on the witness stand, under oath, you won't be able to control the conversation. Get out your wallets boys.
No doubt Art has lost his credibility but the results of his administration are indisputable. He was micromanaged by Nelson from day one. Given that Nelson had no business experience and the fact that he was demoted at the hospital and the well known fact that Nelson is a chronic liar gives no city manager a chance. He ignores and manipulates the charter to his advantage to bully his way. That may be good if he knew what he was doing. We no longer have the Ausbury's, Newells, or Hackets providing guidance from a business perspective. What we have is a pole climber scamming a back injury, a OVRS guy who only cares about the squad, a theatrical CO, a college grad who has never had a job, and a school teacher who is most educated but is all alone on the council. Face it folks, Ogdensburg is going down the tubes. Our population is aging, our young people are leaving and not coming back. It's only a matter of time before we are a ghost town. We will be like all of those sunken ships that went off course in the St Lawrence.
Thats who blew it all up.. Nelson, Nelson and Nelson... The mayor put number one first himself.. He took this job to represent us the taxpayers. He hasnt represented anything but his own interests so far..
What logic was there in entire senerio except attention.. Sciorra was just suspended.. Until the courts say differently hes still our worry. And it will cost dearly.
It could have been very simple. Just not to renew his contract.. He would be gone.
Do you all see the transparency missing in our government.. Gebo was the attorney helping the icty at the time. He has been santioned for things contrary to an attorneys actions and lost his judges job in another county.. He got this job through Nelson. He screwed up along with Cosmo and Wood and Sciorra... Wood left on his own accord. Sciorra was fired but Geobo got a partime judges job in Ogdensburg oh yeh by Mayors appointment and Cosmor gets to ne the boss for a while to enhance his retirement...
This council was self serving from the go.. Cilley only represents the Rescue squad and Powers only spoke up for the prisons and his job.. Every thing else was OK Bill.. Vaugh was OK bill for three and a half years but ended up with a blown up head and no accomplishments .. Skamperele is a complete idiot. Morely the same but controled by Nelson..
I agree with the previous blogger. When the truth comes out in court under oath better not play politics or lie guys
Hey! What happened to Morley??? Probably doesn't like it when everyone isn't hanging on his every word, and drinking the poisoned Koolaid. Or maybe he's running down to The Journal so his friend Chris can twist another story in his favor. That will make him feel better.... Until he gets in court.
He's here, but smartly posting anonymously so as not to provide more evidence for Art's ridiculous case
Hi Mike. I know it's you. Because you are the only one on this blog who thinks you're smart.
Read facebook page.. What a moron. Let me give you all a sample of Nicks writing and you figure out the rest...File this post under the "you can't make this stuff up" bookmark because it is bizarre. Read the two statements below from Nick Vaugh, running for the 118th Assembly district, and Matt Doheny, running for the 23rd congressional seat held by Bill Owens, and then tell me someone isn't plagiarizing.
Nick Vaugh's Fundraising Appeal to Republicans Posted on NewzJunky.com on March 4, 2010:
"I owe my values and success to my family. My mother and father along with my grandfather taught me firsthand the dignity of hard work, the sanctity of family, and the value of service to the community. It is with these values that I seek your assistance in representing the citizens of the 118th Assembly District and the rest of New York. It is with these values and experience I will aggressively work to create an economic environment in which businesses and families can thrive."
Matt Doheny's Letter to Local Republican Committee Members Dated January 21, 2010:
"The value of hard work in the North Country, the sanctity of family and the importance of service to the community was passed down to Matt at a young age directly from his parents. It is these values and the values that he learned from his work in the private sector that Matt will use to represent the citizens of the 23rd Congressional District."
These two paragraphs sound like outright plagiarism to us. And it appears that either Vaugh and Doheny are brothers, or one of them copied the others letter. Seeing that Dohenys was posted first it seems Vaugh did the copying.
Also Vaugh missed four or five consecutive meetings in 2009 and when Matt Flynn ccalled on his dismissal from the ocuncil Nelson protected him..
WANNABE
I think Vaughs resolution for making the Lockwood hockey rink to be named after Jimmy Howard was a bit premature to say the least.. Yes this kid is great and talented and was nice he shared the moment with us in the Burg.
I can only recall my memory about a football player from OFA which changed the face of football as we knew it in the late sixtys and seventys.. Peter Gogalak . The late great Ben Cordwell saw something unique in this fella and trained him in the soccer style of kicking in the NFL today.. He played for the Buffalo Bills until jumping leagues to become a memeber of the NY Giants.. His brother Charlie starred for years with the Washington redskins.. Why has no body honered these two gentlemen with some sort of dedication and the coach Ben Cordwell who seen the future then..
Edwin Dobisky another Ogdensburg giant was honored by dedicating our visitor center to him.. Nelson wass in a big hurry to tear it down and build a new one to have his name put on it... Why not name the new center the same for the late Edwin Dobisky...
Mrs Baltratous was supposed to be honered with something like naming our walkway after her but Nelson never allowed that to happen... Whats up Mike Morley.
Jimmy is having a great season this year, but we named the rink after him for being a 3rd string goalie w no role in winning the cup... It was a great party at the placean but Only in Ogdensburg does a guy get a rink w out either earning the cup or making a big donation for much needed repairs/improvements
Five things...
1. How did this debate get to Jimmy Howard Rink?
2. Name another pro hockey player from Ogdensburg. I agree naming the rink was a bit early, but it seems prophetic now.
3. Jimmy Howard is not responsible for maintaining a rink that Ogdensburg Minor Hockey said they would pay for and now the city is. Sounds just like how Ogdensburg lacrosse said they would pay for the sport and now OFA does. Same group of people...typical O'Burg. Me, me, me, I, I, I, my boy, my boy, my boy. The ignorant few influence the even more ignorant in power.
4. And one more, crazy how Mike Morley was killing people for being anonymous and now he does the same thing.
5. Also, how hypocritical is it that Nelson and Morley tell the paper and anyone foolish enough to listen that we need to wait for the lawyers to speak when months earlier they didn't care what the lawyers advised and demanded the Sciorra report.
I just heard it from the horse mouth, Nelson and Morley are making a resolution to re-name Morrisette Park for VAugh and the new community center will also bear his name.. Wannabe park and used to be community center... He knew when he got out he wasnt going to win if he was the only person that voted in the next election...
As far a Nelson and Morley I dont know.. I guess half the city plus six people like Nelson so I have to live iwth that.. Morley will be out next year...
Does any body know why the Wades and Lawson's are so mad at Sciorra? He must have done something bad to make good people like them go out of there way to hate him so. They seemed tolike Woods alot though, so they don't t hate everybody like some people.
The Wades liked Art until he started lying about agreeing to help them w grants to rehab lauson's building
Every dog has its day.. Art will get his justice but it will come at a cost.
Any one attending the meetings at city hall suddenly notice our mayor dosnt talk much. Hes the one that led the charge to fire the manager. Hes the one who let the crowd at city hall act disorderly when anyone said something contrary to firing Art.. When the big deed was done it was his right hand parrot Mike Powes reading the charges with glee. With his big booming voice squeaking at times because of the dramatics. (Is he related to the Powers who burnt down the stores afew years ago and got off almost scott free(.. I hope a court will put an end to this charade so life will get back to normal..
I predict that the court will back Art.. He has no burden of proof to meet however Nelson, Morley and Council do, as they made the accusations.
I am confused. If the Lauson building was OK for a grant, why didn't the Wades just apply, and get the money like every body else? Did anyone else have trouble appying or just the Wades? Besides wasn't wWoods the grant guy, not Sciorra? Why didn't Woods help the Wades? So, why did the Wades have to talk to Sciorra to ask for help to get a grant? This dos not make sense. Were they trying to bend the rules or something? What was there for Sciorra to lie about if the Wades wereOK for a grant? Sciorra seems to have gotten in alot of trouble over this, but I can't figure out why.
She was on the committee that hands out the grant mOney, The Growth Fund. Art saw it as a conflict of interest.
I am befuddled. Everyone said it was Sciorra, can't we stick to the scapegoat?
Here it is in a nutshell:
Kathy Wade was on a committee approving grant funds for a different grant in the downtown.
She and Brian went to Art to see if the City could help them acquire Lausons building and convert it into another bed and breakfast. Art said the City would do whatever it could and set up a meeting w the Wades and Justin.
Justin said the only money available was for the Ramada, but since it wasn't being used, he ask the state to allow it. The state approved and things were good until the Wades got cold feet and backed out of sale, in part because lauson took too long to empty building.
Someone went to Art and said Justin was illegally moving money around. Art panicked and threw his #2 under the bus. Art backed himself into a corner and one lie led to another.
This was all before Knox St ever became public, and Justin was going to leave quietly. Then Art startes lying about Knox, and Justin called him out on it and asked Council to investigate.
Fast forward to December, the programs all checked out and now Art is being fired for lying and mismanaging the whole affair.
Forget all this BS - Art gets a public hearing to dispute the charges and either ask for his job back or beg for severance. That's it!
7:19 Absolutely correct, as confirmed by the state's audit of the program. Kathie was on the committee for the original program area. The Marina District was a later program and the City was having trouble finding people willing to take the money according to the terms of the program.
Art was too dumb to explain this to Council, just as he was too dumb ever to mention the pretty minor situation on Knox Street. Partly because he snuck one of those contracts through Growth Fund to avoid council oversight. Partly because he's a secretive, arrogant moron. If he had just talked about these things publicly, we'd have grant money today, he could still have his job, and he could have gotten rid of Woods, too.
What a chump.
The really sad part about this conversation is that people are acting like people "made money" on these grants. Have you seen the Dillingham building? The diner? The cinema?
Sure, they look nice. But it's pretty minor cosmetic stuff. This is small amounts of money being applied in target areas to clean up appearances and encourage investment. The idea that anyone's getting rich off this stuff is so laughable.
And this nonsense about grant money being "moved" is so crazy. Just because Skamp and Lil Nicky don't know how grants work is no excuse for everyone else not to know. Monies are given on a reimbursement expense after pre-approved qualified activities are performed. For some reason, Art made it sound like Justin was moving one sack of money from one place to another. Not only an exaggeration that earned us negative press and cost us grant money this year, but a totally ludicrous thing to say in any light.
How much money did Dillingham, the cinema and the dinner get each? It did not sound like a minor amount.
Too many gaps in these stories. Something smells here. So, Kathy Wade was on a grant committee? She must have known how the grants worked. Why did the Wades have to go to Art for "help"? Why not just apply for the grant like everyone else? Someone said Justin Woods was "moving the money around"? The Wades and Lausens have a lot of good things to say about Woods, but not Sciorra, was Woods moving money to them? The same for the Burkes on Knox Street, they loved Woods, and hated Sciorra because sciorra was trying to stop their free ride. Was Justin Woods so popular because he was "playing god" with the money, and bending the rules to help the Lausens, Wades, and Burkes? Were the Wades asking Sciorra to approve an unethical move by Woods by moving the grant Catchment area to include Lausen's house? Then the Wades "call in" Sciorra's offer to help by asking him to do something unethical? When Sciorra refuses, they call him a LIAR because he SAID he would help? So, you offer to help someone, and they ask you to do something illegal or unethical, and you refuse, then you are a liar? That doesn't smell. THAT STINKS!!! Then "Chris" (as he is referred to as a friend of this blog) Robbins takes it over to defend his friend Justin Woods. Instead of Wadegate , we got Liargate. Then Nelson and Morley pile on because of the election, and pick up the Liargate theme, quoting it over, and over, and over again until Chris Robbins made it a fact in The Journal articles. Three other city council members say Art has to go because HE created a mess(WHAT???). Two members defended him. Christopher Robbins rarely interviewed them because he decided to go with a COVER UP of Wadegate and go with Liargate. To me Art was simply trying to be ethical, but he didn't know how revengeful some people can be if they don't get their way, and how afraid the city councillors are of the Ogdensburg Journal. If the city council and Ogdensburg Journal were doing their jobs, they would want to know who got the money, and why Justin Woods was treating some people more equally than others. While looking into it, look for friends and relatives of the Mayor and city councillors.I bet there are other people in the city who would have loved to have Justin Woods bend the rules for them too. I wonder if there are people who were turned down because they were not in the grant catchment area? I bet Mr. Woods would not be the big hero his friends, benefactors, and The Journal makes him out to be if the real story got out. But now we have Acting City Manager Cosmo (Who didn't collect rent from the Burkes) running things. I wonder if the Wades, Lausens, Burkes, or other people like them, have been in to see HIM yet?
Well somebody finally get's it right. The two on council who have been criticized the most are the ones people need to listen to. They refuse to be part of the corruption. I have seen first hand what you have described. You have no idea how deep this goes. Nepotism rheaks throughout city government and the people who will say I am Dan or Nick are scared to death that it will come to light. Art is hard to work with but he can not be bought. I sincerely hope the people of this town wake up see what is really going on. The focus of the election was on Art which was quite a smoke screen. The real issues in this town were never discussed or were allowed to surface. Hopefully the new council will not put up with Neslon's dictatorial bullshit and realize he is only one vote. Thank you anon 12:30
I totally believe what the last two authors wrote.. This is how our city is and always will be run..
Justin Woods was an arrogant a--hole who was very good at his job.. His Arrogance run off him like sweat. He was rude and loud and tended to look down on people but if he liked you or though you could promote him to higher levels he would do favors for you and bend the rules.. I remember hearing his speach when Nelson called him back to talk.. I did nothing illegal he said... He didnt but did he follow Sciorras instructions ..NO>>> His arrogance came back with him when councilor Vaugh asked for the floor that night to state something Woods acted like the touchhole he is by talking on the Mike like he was testing it.. Nelson never called him out of order...
Only time will tell but the new council does have a chance to end this type of BS in the future... Morley and Nelson are only one vote each... Cosmo needs to go and obviously we need a new legal advisor...
For the new year lets all make a New YEars resolution... Attend at least half of the ocuncil meetings this year . Have some input, ask questions and if you dont get an answer demand it.... Remember Mike Morley want and open session of quesitons and answers for the public, Lest hold him to it..
Wow!! That guy at 12:30 has it down. I could never figure out why Mr. Sciorra had positive evaluations for 6 years, and then suddenly he's a liar , and can't get anything right. It would have made some sense if all of the city council went along with blaming Mr. Sciorra, but they didn't. The two who didn't go along happen to be the most educated, and maybe because of that, not so small minded. It happens all the time where people get elected to office, and get a big thrill out of firing someone who is more qualified than they are. Especially people who never held down a job or were as successful as thy would have liked. But, I got to tell you this one takes the cake for being mean spirited and vicious. They could have simply followed Mr. Sciorra's contract, and fired him without cause, but no, they are getting some kind of cheap thrill out of burying the guy. Not only that, they have control of the newspaper to twist the story day after day in their favor (How many times did Mike Morley get interviewed as opposed to Nick Vaugh or Dan Skamperle?). Having a "free press" is important in our country, but with it comes responsibility. I've read a lot of history, and the propaganda The Journal puts out from only Nelson and Morley reminds me of how the one-sided press operated in Nazi Germany. These people and The Journal have taken the once proud River City, and made it like George Orwell's "Animal Farm". Sad. Sad. Sad.
How much did Dillingham and the dinner get in grant money?
The Parks and r4ecreation director was a journal reporter who never put any negative press in the paper about Nelson or Art.. Got him a good job folks... Now we got Robbins.. He may be the next city manager. This new planner we have is trying to push too hard. She certainly is a breath of fresh air from Justin Woods but not nearly as capable in her duties.. Time will heal that...If she decides to stay on she might learn to watch her back with smiling Willie in charge for four more years.
If she's young , bright and talented she'll leave the Burg like all of our children do to advance themselves in a locale with POTENTIAL rather than rot in this cultural backwater .
This trend has never been seriously addressed and countered by real sustainable economic development that retains our young talent base.
Post a Comment