Democracy In Albany

So, we have a mayor who employs people he knows are criminals.  

He also kept a police chief on board after the chief admitted to lying to cover up an illegal investigation.  

And let's not forget the firing of the officer who reported the cops were stealing taxpayer money via false overtime.  

I'm all for employee rights.  All i ask is for once, one time, to have our supposedly honorable mayor come out and say, "We will not accept criminal behavior from any employee of the city of albany".  now i realize he can't say this because he'd probably have to resign as soon as he said it.  But, that is what i would like to see.   Rampant DWIs among the police.  No comment from the mayor.   Reports of corruption at DGS.  No comment from the mayor.   The police chief admitting he lied.  No comment from the mayor.   The person running this city has multiple criminal scandals going on during his watch and he refuses to say a thing.   And yet you want to give him the benefit of the doubt.  As I said earlier this week, this city suffers from people who want to like the mayor because he once helped out their mom while at the same time he is screwing the city over.   You need to earn the benefit of the doubt.  Anyone who thinks the mayor has earned that has not been paying attention.  

Turley lied to cover up an illegal investigation.  He admitted he lied.  In the TU. He said something along the lines of , "i lied, it was wrong, and if I'm fired for that, so be it".   The mayor never made a public comment.  

Last week we were treated to a story in the metroland where it was reported the mayor instructed the police force to not talk to any elected officials after one member had reported corruption in the police department.  That sounds like an order to cover up corruption to me.   Regardless of where anyone "landed" it is obvious that the mayor is covering up corruption.  Now it would appear that is happening in multiple departments.  

A while back there was a report that a city worker was using city equipment and materials to pave his own driveway.   While i'm sure you are confident that it was properly investigated, we never heard another thing about it.  I'm not so confident.  

This city and adminstration has a track record of lying to the public and covering up corruption.  

scrap metal - initial reaction by head of DGS was to lie about what was happening and then to threaten employees who reported it.

overtime - initial reaction of mayor was to threaten employees and then fire the one who reported it.

And then there was the "safe full of cash" in jack neilsen's office.  That, like the intial reports on scrap metal, was used for "parties for the employees".  At least that is one of the things we were told.   Never heard anything else about that one either.

Photos were sent to the Mayor's office and we were asked to contact the Mayor's office by the Registry.  As far as we know no action was taken.  It was also very dangerous.