So, I was pleased to read in the press that there is a renewed push to address nepotism in the Ulster County government. Michael Hein will start the new year with an executive order banning the practice in his administration. Sound good?Hein doesn't have to ask the Legislature to follow his lead more than once. As the next Legislature takes their place as the last 33 member body, we will be already discussing the issue in our caucuses. Yes, we are aware of the mayhem in the Health Department offices since the expose' on the Palens, but there is plenty more to look at throughout the county.
Mike Hein quoted: “It is my firm belief that the people of Ulster County deserve a high-quality government and the highest level of integrity. That’s why we were so aggressive in addressing the Health Department concerns, and this is a pillar of my administration’s commitment to transparency.”The 2008 proposal by the County Legislature to remedy some of these issues went nowhere and gave the appearance of being focused on one particular office holder. But with this renewed sense of transparency in government, at least at the onset of a new year, we will take the wind at our back and get right to work on finalizing a bill to address this issue.
I'm glad to have finally read about this anti-nepotism measure in the press. It's usually the killjoy of the conversation because no-one believes the next group in power will want to change the usual way of doing business. I guess we'll wait and see what becomes of this in months to come.
I'm anxious to see the executive order from Executive Hein so that I can compare to other examples I've seen in the past from this and other Legislative bodies. The Freeman closed their article by pointing out that there was a change in leadership rendering the Legislature as an opposition party to the Executive. I don't think the push for this change had as much to do with party affiliation as it did the fact that the public can no-longer turn a blind eye to what was so obvious for so long.
Now what do you suppose will happen in City Hall?
16 comments:
Mike; it's a hard sell. New years resolutions are made annually and this one is no different. The incident with the Palen family may spark a new attempt to alter the practice, but this too will be short lived.
It's much too easy to award those who have ties to leadership, both in the Exec and the Legislature.
Don't mean to pick on Ulster...It's everywhere!
TRB
Mike
Shouldnt he start with himself and the favor jobs he handed to his friends?
This guy is smoking something good.
He calls for no favors but cost us $500,000.00 a year (if they all stay on for 10 years thats $6 million is BS funds for friends) for his friends to have cushy positions.
He is a BS'er and if you start to suck his ass and fall in line with him I will lose all respect for you as well.
Tell him to get that million dollar staff on the road and attract something other than more affordable housing and social service cases!
I cant stand all these lying cheating ignorant politicans that think we are all stupid!
My business shows a profit yearly, which is more than I can say for the county!
Mike, they all think we're stupid. It's a load of bull. You and a hand full of new Legislators might be outside of this practice, but those who are in power will surely try to use their influence to help their friends & family.
It happens in the City of Kingston, Poughkeepsie and Newburgh. It's also not limited to cities, its in small towns too. Will it ever end?..no! Hein should not be frothing at the gills over this Palen nepotism issue when he knows even he and his staff will fall right back to the old ways as soon as they think noone is looking.
Lets see what the Republican lead Legislature will do while on watch these next two years.
Mike: A good head start- One that is often used in successful "non family" business. At Chemical Bank family members could not work within the same district or region. Many large corporations maintain strict discipline regarding nepotism. Without attempting to broadwash or broadpaint the situation, nepotism eventually creates major problems towards success. As related to the many comments on yer board today, many do not distinguish between family nepotism and friend nepotism. Qualifications are sometimes overlooked for political payback- oops what am I saying. On the positive side, there are many political jobs that do go to the most qualified persons. oops what am I saying? and on that note time to go back and review City & County and develope a theme for next years January 5th show- watch for special guest.
take care and to all those that called the show : THANK YOU and a large especial THANK YOU for those that called to ask me where they can find the book Undaunted Valor
so to all: Best wishes for a HAPPY HEALTHY 2010
szzzzzzzzzzzzz
Mike stand tall and lots of luck with the new legislative desk! You deserve the best
Dart is gone so there is 50% of the problem. Provenzano, Felicello, Loughran, Donaldson, Aiello and Gernetine all have relatives working for the County. Let's see what they do.
I say we "do over" city hall employees. Let's see where nepotism and cronyism abound. Eliminate any questionable "favors". I also wish that only qualified people move ahead instead of the mindset of "its your turn" Anybody who is a "buddy" of someone in power cannot be hired in a high level city job. And lets not forget the councilman....Term limits. A thorough housecleaning every 4 years gets rid of deadwood, cobwebs and filth(dirty politics)
7:37... This is probably the last term for those you mentioned since the single member districts drop from 33 to 23 in 2011. It's going to be quite refreshing.
8:44... Term limits is an option, but 8 or 10 year limit would work. Right now, the voters decide their limits. Looking at the current City Hall staff, I'd say Murphy & Finkle will have to hit the door with the Mayor in 2011.
I have no problem with anti-nepotism rules.
Can I suggest another hiring rule. No elected official should be able to hire someone who donated more then $100 to his/her campaign.
Aren't term limits exercised every election day?
I think Mr. Hein will be doing a lot of "cleaning house" if he is going to STOP nepotism in the jail.
OMG,you might as well have a new test for every position,and go from there.Taking Nepotism out of the jail is like taking nudity out of porno magazines. OH,that was a bad example huh Undersheriff?
Nothing will change at City Hall because of Mayor Shrek and his merry band of Shrekkies on the council most notably that rotten overly self serving prick Landi and all the participants in the war against CSEA and DPW.
Mayor Shrek is counting on his war with CSEA and DPW to save his fat arse politically against a backdrop of the common way of doing business--and his great rhetoric that "we cannot do business any more as we have." In laying off 14 laborers in DPW in favor of the others who retain their positions many of whom do not work in the core functions of police, fire, and sanitation, the city coundil just did business as usual! Hah.
Shelly Z--who failed on this rare occasion to sign his name--is right. Large corporations have and enforce policies against nepotism, and so do many smaller businesses. In that case where can a poor soul look to have nepotism? Well...is anything inherently wrong with nepotism, ie, the so-called "friends and family" system in government? Not necessarily...a case by case basis is usually the way to go...however, since the animus against nepotism is currently "in vogue", the politicians will scream and holler about it but in the end never get rid of it because they know it helps butter their bread. The only one in the city of Kingston to actually do something about this issue in any way was Mayor Gallo, who got rid of Jay Hogan at DPW because his mother was such a force for so many years in the city and in fact considered city hall her home for many years even when she had no official function with the city(this was an "Irish Mafia Neptotism" that puts the Noble family to shame in its overall activities and lust for influence in the city). One can even question now particularly historically as things developed in that dept. whether that was a wise act(and I do), but it certainly was consciously designed against the friends and family system as related to that department. Jack Kennedy appointed his brother Bobby as Attorney General and as a result J. Edgar Hoover never had such a hard time with his own ego issues--which may certainly have been a good thing. The Kennedy's war against the so called Mafia wasn't really as righteous as they received credit for, and contrary to popular belief, no, such a thing didn't lead to Mafia retaliation in the JFK Assassination. That was a conspiracy story(as I state this phrase since Mayor Shrek is insistent on attacking me for allegedly alleging same against him, the details of which will come out publicly this year) that was born of the desire of any author to cash in on interestingly concocted fiction born of a sense of the American people having less and less say over what their Federal government did, the anxieties of the Cold War prominent in such a psychology.
Evidently Mayor Shrek has inherited this level of animus from Mayor Gallo and one also may wonder logically as a result if Mayor Shrek has any actual thoughts of his own as a political figure in what Mayor Gallo often in a verbal slip of the tongue(or perhaps it was some type of Freudian slip to reveal what he actually thought of the city government)---referred to as "the shitty(trying to say "city" while doing so of course)."
From the November 20, 2009 report by Comptroller Elliott Auerbach:
Standard:
Employees in familial relationships ought not to work within the same department and division, especially in a supervisor/staff relationship. The standard of appropriate checks and balances between duties and responsibilities among staff is fundamental no matter whether or not a familial relationship exists.
Significance:
The marital relationship between Dean and Debra Palen created unequal working conditions between Debra other staff. The relationship was the source of many employee grievances and appeals to the Legislature and Board of Health. The situation fostered a contentious working environment within the UCDOH.
to 10:21. Yes , I guess you could say that term limits are enacted at Election Day. The problem is that the same people continually run and it narrows the field. To say they can no longer run might induce new candidates to throw their hats into the ring without the intimidation of an incumbent.Usually incumbents have accumulated a war chest in funds and that too can be a source of dissuasion for an individual to challenge the position. And most important the same people getting elected doesn't mean they can do the job well. It just means that the voter has not taken the time to view and read of City Hall proceedings and make an educated decision in the voting booth. As it gets near election time, the politician says what the elected masses want to hear but with no true sincerity.Thus my argument for term limits.
And yes, to 10:18. It should be a goodbye to Finkle&Murphy. That would start the "no buddy zone"
Hi: 6:09
I usually don't sign in a second time- but for the record- have to believe that I am the sole producer of City & County which does identify myself along with the fact thatI did end the comment with a szzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
but will now sign off with
Shelly Z
A "warchest" ? Please, most alderman or county legislators raise about 2k at the very most and have close to nothing when they are done. If they can't raise the money, they can run going door to door. It is the most effective anyway.
Term limits are a not the answer for a lazy, uneducated, unmotivated electorate.
9:52. Sometimes you have to step in for the "lazy,uneducated or unmotivated" Are you saying that we all have to go down the tubes because of the above mentioned individuals? Encourage and give other people the chance to serve on the council. Right now there is no real leader/charismatic individual in Kingston that causes excitment in the city because we are just use to the "ho hum" of politicians sitting too long on the council;fresh out of ideas and creativity and maintaining the status quo. Am hoping that Alderwoman of ward 1 will jumpstart the council. Possibly Councilman of ward 9. Not sure of Ward 5 and her agenda.
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