The Trial of the Century Begins

It’s the trial of the century as far as the City of Schenectady is concerned. The jury selection process has begun in the case of Steve Raucci former Bulding Services Director of the Schenectady School District. He’s facing 26 charges of arson and even terrorism.

(Hat Tip Daily Gazette)

From left, School Superintendent, Eric Ely, School District Lawyer Shari Greenleaf and former

School Board President, Jeff Janiszewski.

Today the list of witnesses was red and it’s a who’s who of people working for the school district, former and current.  The most interesting name is Superintendent Eric Ely who  according to The Daily Gazette is looking for another position anywhere in the country.  That’s not a good sign for him is it?

Let the Games Begin!

Nintendo via last.fm

As Mario of Nintendo fame would say,

“HERE WE GO!”

The Daily Gazette and The Albany Times Union Newspapers have filed a joint lawsuit against The Schenectady School District for withholding information regarding the investigation of former school facilities manager Steven Raucci and his alleged terrorist activities.  HT Daily Gazette.

When the school district released the report most of it was blacked out.  So now the papers are suing the district to get the full report.  Clearly the district and superintendent Eric Ely have something to hide.  They’re covering their own backsides and perhaps some others as well.

So now that the suit’s been filed, “Let the games begin!”

A Big Step In The Right Direction!!!

Image via Wikipedia

A new citizens group has formed in Schenectady to recruit new members to the school board.  (HT Daily Gazette)

And as anyone who follows this blog knows

THE SCHENECTADY SCHOOL DISTRICT NEEDS HELP!!!

So mega kudos to  Schenectady Citizens for Openness in Public Education

(aka SCOPE)

“One of the group’s founders, Marjorie Karowe, said the idea started from a letter to the editor she wrote, seeking a citizens’ coalition to improve the schools. She said the group, which has about 15 members currently, is looking for people who will bring transparency and integrity to the board to improve its “tarnished” reputation.

Karowe said among the issues are the arrest of former facilities director Steven Raucci in September. Raucci faces a 26-count indictment charging him with arson and terrorism for allegedly planting explosive devices at the homes of people he viewed as his enemies. Authorities say the acts were part of a pattern of intimidation. Allegations have been made that Raucci curried favor with school officials to consolidate his power in the district.

“We have to turn around what has been a downhill slide of the perception of the school board,” she said.”

You can tell she’s understating her case to be be diplomatic.  It’s more like a runaway train to perdition, but hey!  Whatever they can do to help is fine with me.

If Only I Were More Like Bill

Image by futureatlas.com via Flickr

If only I were more like Bill…

Bill O’Reilly that is.

Even if I could only get a show on the public access channel I’d do it.

Just so I could get pinheads like Schenectady County Court Judge Polly Hoye to come on my show.

(Dream sequence)

Hello everyone and and welcome to “The Larry Factor” here on SACC Channel 16 in beautiful downtown Schenectady.

With me tonight in the no stupid zone is Schenectady County Court Judge Polly Hoye who recently ruled that an estimated $120,000 in cash seized from former city schools facilities director Steve Raucci’s Niskayuna home should be returned to him claiming there has been nothing to show it is connected to any of the crimes alleged.

(HT Daily Gazette-)

Judge with all due respect Raucci was a glorified janitor and yet he had over 120K in cash at his house.  Don’t you find that a little odd?

Judge Hoye :  “Well you know, legalese speak etc etc etc.”

Me:  JUDGE JUDGE!  THE MAN HAS A 26 COUNT INDICTMENT AGAIN HIM

Judge Hoye: If you’d just let me . .

Me: HE’S PLANTED FOUR BOMBS!!!!   TWO OF THEM WENT OFF  (THANK GOD NO ONE WAS HURT)  BUT SOMEHOW YOU CAN’T CONNECT THE DOTS

Judge Hoye: The law states . .

ME:  LAW SHMAW    THE MAN’S A MENACE!!!

Judge Hoye : Well gee I dunno!

ME:  Alright judge thank you for coming on   Next as the factor moves along we’ll have Steve and Jackie from WROW along with Uncle Vito from PYX 106 and of course veiwer mail.

(And then the alarm went off)  SIGH!

Where’s Elliot Ness When You Need Him?

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Things are piling up in the case of Steve Raucci and the Schenectady School District.  Now we know how much overtime he was getting.

HT Daily Gazette-and Carl Strock

Seems this guy was set for life.  He could claim all the overtime he wanted and not provide proof.  Since his position was supervisory he should have been on a salary not hourly.  And it’s one that requires a civil service test.  So to get around this they invented a working supervisor’s position just for Raucci.

Since pension is based on the last year worked the man is set for life even in prison.  Seems like quite the deal to me.  All for a man who’s accused of 26 acts of terrorism.

So who’s pulling Raucci’s strings?  Is it just the school board and Eric Ely the superintendent?  Or does it go farther than that?  This has mob and union markings all over it.

Who knows who got the proverbial “offer they couldn’t refuse?”  Unless someone goes into a witness protection program we may never know.

Where’s Elliot Ness when you need him!

Another World, Another Location

Image via Wikipedia

Yesterday was a day filled with some good news, some bad news, and some really good news.  First the bad news.  My one horse in yesterdays race lost by over fifteen hundred votes.  -From The Daily Gazette

“Dominic Dagostino, a Conservative running with the Democratic backing, captured the position of Schenectady County sheriff Tuesday night by more than 1,000 votes in unofficial results. Dagostino, 43, defeated Joseph Lazzari, a member of the Independence Party running on the Republican line. The sheriff’s race was the only contested countywide race.”

Now for the good news.  Looks like Ayatollah Dear Leader Obama got his first setback in his goal of forcing his Marxist regime on the entire USA!!

From FNC-

“Republican gubernatorial wins in New Jersey and Virginia mark a troubling turn for President Obama, whose personal efforts couldn’t stop the fall of Democrats facing a voter backlash over the economy and a notable uptick in the government’s would-be role in people’s lives.

Obama’s 2008 victory in Old Dominion had marked an historic breakthrough for Democrats who hadn’t won Virginia’s electoral votes since 1964. The fight in the Garden State was more grueling than usually accompanies Democratic campaigns in the reliably blue state of New Jersey.

So the setbacks demonstrate the difficulty of presidential leadership following a campaign built on promises of unity followed by divisive policies and a relentless campaign approach toward big legislative issues like the stimulus and health care bills.”

And now for the really good news which had absolutely nothing to do with the elections.  Which, all things considered, weren’t that big a deal for me this year anyway.

It seems Downtown Schenectady is finally getting rid of a stain in its downtown area.  The Another World Bookstore will be closing it’s doors at its current location.

Also from the Daily Gazette-

“The last holdout in the bitter two-year battle over Erie Boulevard has waved the white flag.

Rocco Palmer, owner of Another World, has agreed to accept a “fair deal” to relocate his adult business out of downtown.

“We’re willing to negotiate,” he said on Tuesday.”

Even if they move to another place in the city, it will most likely be one that’s not as conducive to all the other (AHEM) activities that went on there.

In fact the sidewalk in front might be a good place for a little “Street Fishing.”  

Using A.I. for 100th Post

Image via CrunchBase

This is my one hundredth post. It’s a traditional place for a retrospective. I’d like to use it to commemorate all the people so far that I’m bringing along with me on my journey through the blog universe.

For example there’s the best blogging tool so far that I’ve found for promoting your blog called “Alpha Inventions.” It’s a bit clumsy at first but well worth the trouble.

A. I. is also a handy tool for discovering like-minded bloggers you might not have otherwise met.

Places like Conservatives Defending Liberty

Insight Analytical-Grrl

Gospel of Jesus Christ

Rights For Mothers

and an awesome music page about the most incredible rock band of all time (IMHO)

YES!

Now as far as fellow Word Press, Blogger, and Type Pad folk found the usual way,

there’s fellow NY Capital area blogger According to Kim, (whose command of the English language is far better than mine)

Plus a number of bloggers who know more about what’s going on in the world than ever lovin’ Fox News.

There’s News Max reporter Pam Geller’s blog,  Atlas Shrugs ,

a team blog that gives libtards a reality check about our enemies

called Bare Naked Islam, (It’s not Islamophobia, if they’re really trying to kill you!)

Hannity’s show prep blogs (At least it seems like they are) Gateway Pundit

and Pundit and Pundette and Christian Bloggers

Caffeinated Thoughts and Sword at the Ready,

these plus some local help from The Daily Gazette and Capital News Nine

have been my inspiration for these 100 posts and will certainly give me inspiration for a hundred more in the weeks to come.

-LarryK12309

Political Schizophrenia

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If anyone ever decides to follow this blog (Hey!  I can dream can’t I?) they’ll soon discover there’s three ways I role.

1) Mega-churches Rule!  (Religion)

2) Democrats and Wimpy Republicans are evil! (Politics)

3) Schenectady NY is cursed!  (Local Topics)

Today it’s a cross between two and three.

This is about as off, as an off year election cycle can get.  It’s not just all the focus on the mid terms next year. It’s that there really is not much going on this year.

There’s a special election going on in New York‘s 23rd congressional district but I’m in the 21st.  The biggest thing we have down here is the mayor‘s race in the city of Albany.  Since I’m in Schenectady that won’t effect me.

I get to look forward to the big race for county sheriff!

(Cue the crickets)

Well actually there is something notable here.  It seems so many Democrats control this area they even have control of the so called Conservative Party.

“It’s an alliance that has “a school board feel about it,” according to one Schenectady Republican who wishes not to be identified, referring to the local Board of Education that has been so much in the news.”-Hat Tip Carl Stock Daily Gazzette

(Don’t get me started on the school board!)

Of course it helps that Judy Dagostino, the mother of Democrat Party candidate for Sheriff Dominic Dogostino, is a Schenectady County legislator, a former Republican, now a Democrat allied with the state’s Conservative Party.

Meanwhile Dominic (No Surprise here) is also a Conservative allied with the Democrats.

But it gets better!

Democrats in New York, also get piggy backed by the Working Families Party.

Which means we have the Democrat for sheriff getting the Right Wing Conservative party nod as well as the Far Left Working Families Party.

Total Political Schizophrenia!!!

And totally a good reason to add Joe Lazzari, a registered independent allied with the Republicans to my opposition section.

Now somebody please shut those crickets up!!!

The Sequal-My City is a Third World Country 2

It’s true.  Sometimes I feel like I live in a third world country.  With the way Schenectady officials boldly display their corrupt practices for all to see.

So it doesn’t help that New York State goes right along.

This from The Albany Times Union.

Former city schools facilities director Steven Raucci will receive a state pension of $79,067 every year for the rest of his life for his work with the school district.

Raucci is in the Schenectady County jail awaiting trial on a 26-count indictment that alleges he placed explosive devices at homes and on cars, spray-painted homes and slashed tires in an attempt to harass and intimidate co-workers and others since at least 1993.

State law is clear that even those convicted of crimes are entitled to their share of the state retirement system, thanks to an amendment to New York’s constitution in 1940.

It must be nice.  Commit crimes for union officials.  Have your conduct covered up by the school board.  And  even if you’re caught you’re set for life with a cushy pension.

Meanwhile The Daily Gazette had a story that sounded like a plot from a grade B movie about the depression.  It was all about city workers sacrificing to help close the cities’ budget gap.

“

Harry Brand said that every city employee should check 10 parking meters before going home every night — although it’s unlikely the fines would make up for the $2.5 million that the mayor has proposed to collect in new taxes.

But with the idea that every penny helps, Vince Riggi also offered to give back the $300 promised to his wife Donna for showing up every day as a crossing guard. The incentive was added to get guards to come to work in foul weather, but Riggi said his wife would be willing to forgo it.

“My wife doesn’t need an incentive to go to work,” he said. “Add that into the budget; maybe it will help somebody.”

Pat Zollinger suggested that the council members begin with some personal sacrifice — giving up their health insurance.

The council agreed in 2007 to start paying 20 percent of its insurance cost, but only in exchange for a $4,000 raise. Zollinger told them that they should now give up the perk altogether.

“We just can’t afford it anymore,” she said.”

I’m not sure where the paper’s coming from.  Do they want us to feel guilty about complaining about hight taxes?  Or just to realize it’s not the regular city workers fault.

To me it all sounded like a B movie.

“Don’t worry Maw, we’ll make it.  Uncle Joe can sell his tractor and Aunt Millie can get a couple hens so she can sell their eggs.

Me an’ Sissy can sell papers.  Don’t worry Paw.  We’ll git by.”

Either way I’m living in the third world.

They Must Be Smoking Crack!

Image via Wikipedia

They must be smoking crack and I’m not talking about the Nobel prize,  I’ve already given my opinion on that.

This is about something going on in my city.  Now before you ask why should I care about what’s going on in New York’s Capital District hang in there.  Even if you can’t find Schenectady on your map let alone pronounce it this is is going to hit your funny bone.  (For the record it’s pronounced schuh-NECK-tah-dee)

There’s this ongoing investigation regarding a former Schenectady School District employee and if the school board knew how bad this guy was.  It all boils down to what did the school board know and when did they know it?

From the Albany Times Union . . .

“The school district commissioned the report to investigate what knowledge staff and administrators had about alleged misconduct by Raucci, a former employee who is facing criminal charges of arson and terrorism for allegedly placing explosive devices at the homes and on cars of his perceived enemies.

Prosecutors allege Raucci, a former state Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) union head and retired school manager, for decades used violence and vandalism against perceived foes who got in his way. Raucci, 61, faces a 26-count indictment, including terrorism, arson, conspiracy and weapons possession related to alleged incidents in Clifton Park, Glenville, Rotterdam, Colonie and Schodack dating back to 1993. The Niskayuna man has pleaded not guilty to the charges, but has been denied bail three times. The matter has spawned several lawsuits or people asking the court to take civil action against Raucci.”

So here they are waiting for a report about who knew what and when it comes out 90% of it is blacked out!

SAY WHAT?!

“SCHENECTADY – Dozens of pages are entirely blacked out in the school district report on an investigation into possible workplace misconduct by retired facilities director Steven Raucci.

The 192-page document, dated June 15 and released Thursday, dashes hopes of those who anticipated learning new information about Raucci’s interaction with senior administrators and staffers he supervised. In several instances, all but one word — “employee” — is blacked out on a page, with no context to give it meaning.”

Did they think they could get away with this?

They must be smoking crack!!!