Journal:City School Board Oks Contract Teachers To Help Pay For Insurance

Nice Raise for theTeachers for an extra 10 dollars a week

Teachers are starting to contribute to their health insurance some may say it is about time.  I say, hey look at those raises.  I would also agree to $520.00 /year = 20 dollars deduction from my pay check for a 3.95%,3.8%, and a 3.75 raise for 3 years.  This raise is at minimum three times greater than the 520/year.  I would say the teachers had a great negotiator.  According to Mr. Vernsey the district will be saving hundreds of thousands dollars.

I JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH MY SCHOOL TAXES ARE GOING DOWN.

Journal Article

Journal:OCFInmate Count Rises By 21

21 Inmates to OCF

Inmate population is up at OCF. Does that mean crime is up, or was it Senator Aubertine's call from the Commissioner of Corrections telling him he was sending more inmates to OCF?  That call happened during a Union meeting with staff at OCF.  Boy, that was good timing! 

This is an election year so everything is happening in the last 5 weeks before the election.  Hopefully for the sake of OCF, the Senate will not stay in control of the Democrats.  Their agenda has been to release felons, close prisons, close dorms, and now they are releasing violent felons back into society. Hopefully, in their neighborhood.

Journal

Signs, Signs, and More Signs

Ogdensburg has been covered with Darrel Aubertine signs.  Every corner, every store, Amvets, Twin Bridges, even on my corner, lol.  While out and about today I did catch a new placement for a Patty Plate Sign.  A Wishing well, that could be a sign.

Take a look at this cartoon of Patty and Darrel it  displays the good, the bad and the ugly of each candidates.  It is very factual.

Senator Aubertine opened his Watertown Office and guess who showed up with free hats.  Chris Leo, NYSCOPBA, Legislative Director was giving free hats to correctional officers that attended the opening.  Last time they gave away anything free to attend a political fan fair it blew up in the candidates face, sorry Will Barclay.

It appears not all correctional officers are behind Mr. Aubertine.  NYSCOPBA has not endorsed Senator Aubertine and it appears Chris Leo has been using NYSCOPBA to push a personal agenda.  It is hard to understand why NYSCOBPA is supporting a Democratic controlled Senator after closing prisons and dorms only North of the Thruway.  Now they are moving the inmate population back to New York City.  Mr. Leo must live and work for NYSCOPBA in the NYC area. 

Aubertine:Here Comes the Money

Aubertine Spreads Money Around, That's Not His

Is the state broke?  It appears not, Senator Aubertine has been dropping tax dollars all over the counties.  What could be coming up in the next 5 weeks? 

I understand that NYS did not receive all the Federal Money.  Multiple attempts to collect cigarette taxes on Indian Nations have failed miserably.

Where is the money coming from?  34 Million in Watertown, OBPA 3.9 million, electricity breaks to many business, it has to be an election year plus his numbers are slipping. 

Who is going to pay this back, we are in more taxes and fees. 
Journal OBPA
Watertown

Ritchie Vrs Aubertine Polls

Ritchie Leads Aubertine
48 to 45

The first public polls by Siena College have hit the news on the 48th Senate District.  RITCHIE is leading Aubertine 48 to 45.  This is exceptional news for Mrs. Ritchie, prior elections between Aubertine and Barclay and Aubertine and Renzi had Aubertine with a double digit lead at this point in the race.

Team Ritchie has done a great job and should be proud of their progress to this point in the race.  This should be a race to the end.  The Democrats will pull out the big guns and start pouring money into this race. 
NYP -Dem senators fighting for survival, polls

County Deficit $8 Million?

The race in district 1 has been low profile and not much fodder.  You would think Mr.

Flavin would be hammering Mr. Burns on the deficit the county is facing next year.  Mr. Burns is looking towards a sales tax increase instead of property tax increase.  Some say cut services, 8-10 million are a lot of services but the money has to come from somewhere. 

I see they both have signs out but it will be hard to pick between the two candidates with little to nothing in the paper.  I would like to see the candidates that represent Ogdensburg debate the issues and explain their way out of next year's deficit.    Where are our representives, what are their issues, what are their answers to this deficit?

Journal Article

Electroconvulsive Therapy at CHMC

 Claxton Hepburn Medical Center is expanding services.  Electroconvulsive Therapy may be a means of controlling depression.  I have linked a short VIDEO on VCT which appears to be an actual treatment, in contrast to the movie we watched "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" released in 1975, I am old.  CHMC is trying to expand the mental health unit by two more beds which could ultimately lead to a few more jobs.

Journal Electro Shock Therapy

Supreme Court Rules in Ritchie's Favor

It is official the Supreme Court validated 3331 signatures...Ritchie is on the TAXPAYER LINE.  Senator Aubertine and his team of lawyers tried to deny Mrs. Ritchie but fell short.  At this time Mrs. Ritchie will appear on three lines...Republican, Conservative, and after this battle the Taxpayer Line.



Ritchie Gets Taxpayer Line



Time to start campaigning, the legal battles are over, what will be next?  Hopefully it will stay clean and the best person will win a very heated 48th Senatorial District. 

Journal:Ritchie Will Be On Paladino's Taxpayer Line

Pols By Dems

Tonight I participated in a Poll which was slanted towards the Democrats and concentrated on the Governor's Race (Cuomo and Paladino) and the State Senate Race (Ritchie and Aubertine). These are two races being watched by all.  Paladino has lowered the gap with Cuomo to almost single digits.  It appears the "Mad as Hell" voters are starting to send a message to the establishment, Mr. Cuomo.

Senator Aubertine numbers have slipped to the point of no return.  In a desperate move he has challenged Mrs. Ritchie's Taxpayer Line petitions at the Board of Elections and NOW in the court system.  It appears the courts have deemed Mrs. Ritchie's Petitions valid and rumor has it, he is sending resumes to area farms indicating he is the winner of all Milking Contests.  On the serious side, the voters are "Mad as Hell" and they are sending the same message to Senator Aubertine.  

Everyone in the North Country is looking to oust the Democratic Senators that currently hold the majority.  Since they gained control of the Senate everything has become a NYC agenda and NNY is paying the price with jobs lost, increased Taxes, and Fees.     

Oxley Witness Amits She Lied

As the trial of Oxley turns.  Will we finally get to the bottom of who killed Bernard Trickey Jr?  What was the final decision on Shannon's death after the Tricky Murder.  Now one of the witnesses is recanting her testimony.

This trial has been a mess from day one.  Mr. Richards was our newly elected judge and Mrs. Duve was our newly elected District Attorney.  So many mistakes and not enough time to talk about them.  I can only imagine how much this trial will cost the second time. 




Watertown Daily Times

Advance News:BOCES Studies Achievement Gap

We set the Standard of Education   

Basically, we have below average scores and it is due to the poverty stricken area we live in.  I would like to congratulate Canton Central, Colton-Pierrepont Central, Morristown Central, and Potsdam Central for surpassing the State Average in % Level 3 & 4. 

BOCES has a new six member instructional team and a new position of Assistant Superintendent that must add up to some dollars.  The best part of this, it is available to those teachers that are interested.  I wonder which ones will be interested?  I would think this would be part of Professional Development and mandatory training. 

I find it hard to believe moving 9 miles up the road to Morristown is a major change in poverty level.  Maybe we should explore other explanations, students that do not get the basics in elementary school have little chance of getting it back later in high school.  Ogdensburg has low scores in K-4 and a big dip around 5th grade.

Time to re-evaluate the process. 
Advance News Article

CC:Political cartoons of the week

These are some very interesting cartoons and very clever artist.  This gives you a perspective of the Moderate GOP when it comes to the Tea Party. 








Capital Confidential

Kelly:Avoid NYS Layoffs

Looks like the NYS is not winning the battle with Native Americans in collecting taxes on cigarettes...thus let's get it from the public employees of NYS.  Public employees are an easy target they have been portrayed in a bad light by the media. 

I believe the rank and file employees have taken their hits over the years.  Most of the abuse publicized by the media have been Management/Confidential employees, that make over $100 K/year.  The average public employ is the person that supplies the services to you and I. 

During the Pataki Administration public employees had a 4 year contracts with zero percent raises, years with lump sum raise that did not increase their base pay, which also included multiple increases in co-pays, and premiums.  This is not the era of Tier I employees with 25/55 retirement. Public employees signed on to a Tier V system that will save the hundreds of millions of dollars over time in lieu of layoffs.

The union contracts will be up this year and they will receive zero percent raises for the next 4 years which will be negotiated and accepted. 

NYSCOPBA

Tax Cap or What?

Silver Against Property Tax Cap

Senate majority leader Sampson has been pushing a property tax cap.....Sampson believes this could prevent the Dems from losing control of the Senate.  The people of NNY have been burdened with the turmoil, corruption, criminal activity, and their inability to pass a budget by the Democratic controlled Senate.  The lack of leadership between the Senate and Assembly is the root of the legislature problem. Speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver has avoided voting on property tax caps....his action would indicate he preferred a Republican controlled Senate. 

Capping property tax, would limit schools ability to spend  and place a check and balance on their budgets.  Since NYS taxpayers pay more taxes than any other state...Looks like we need some control on spending and a property tax cap is a start.

NYP:Paterson takes cap slap at Silver

Journal:13 Candidates Visit City Seniors

Most of the candidates showed up at the Centennial Towers to rally the voters.  Each candidate lined up to discuss issues and explain why they should be their candidate.  It was hard to tell the difference between Republicans and Democrats because each each claim to be fiscally responsible.  Only Mr. Forsyth and Mr. Burns can use their records to demonstrate fiscal conservative agenda...both claim to be fiscally responsible.

It looks like the Judge race is coming down to the two hometown candidates.  Bill Small or Marsha Lemay, which will pull the votes from the locals. This race will come down to name recognition and experience. 

Mrs. Ritchie is hard on the campaign trail, not missing a chance to spread her fiscal responsible agenda. Hard to stop the Ritchie Machine.  Senator Aubertine and Assemblywomen Russell decided not to participate in the Centennial Towers open forum.  I guess they figure they spent enough time in Ogdensburg with the possible closure of OCF.  Looking at the signs in yards around town I think Senator Aubertine and Assemblywomen Russell should pull their heads out of the sand.  Neither have done much in the River City before or since the rally. 

Matt Doheny just coming off a close win against Conservative candidate Hoffman.  Matt has maintained his energy level throughout his campaign and seems to have momentum.  The verdict is still out, will Hoffman stay on the Conservative line.....that could be the difference in this race.     

The Journal _ 13 Candidates