Mayoral Candidate Geoffrey Szymanski's Platform

[andreahaxton]

*Remember,
There is always things going on behind the scenes that will/have happened that no one tells the average Citizen about. Stay vigilant regarding all of the dirty poli-tricks.
*Remember,
Back in 1999 the absentee/affidavit vote box disappeared and someone/s got two cushy City jobs out of it?
*Remember,
In 2003 a certain current City employee was going to run for Councilman, BUT.......
*Remember,
We have had 12 years of "TEAM POLANSKI family and friends"----is OUR City any better?
*Remember,
Who are the "50" or so Democratic Committee People and How they have voted to endorse. Check who they voted/supported over the years------This Speaks volumes!
*Remember,
Politics makes strange bed-fellows---watch and see.


*PLEASE Remember,
September 13 and November 8, 2011 who the good guys/gals are and who the...........self-serving are!

P.S.
*Remember,
I hate poli-tricks, I am a grass-roots type of person, I want to effect change through clean politics because I like to help people and want to make Lackawanna a better place to live and do business in! NO hidden agendas, hard *** (guy term, sorry) for anyone, games, or........ from me. I use my own name on here and am proud of it!

[Lackcitizen]

Good for you Andrea, you should be proud!

[Caz5]

My sister-in-law just called me...seems Mr. Szymanski's posted on Facebook that he's now WALKING THE STREETS and telling people to vote YES to adopt the budget...because he's "for the children" of this city and doesn't want them to suffer. What about the conditions of the playgrounds in your Ward, Mr. Szymanski???? Why are you so interested in the School District and not with the children's welfare and safety AFTER SCHOOL, on weekends and during school holidays and summer break when they want to play in the playgrounds that are in disrepair?

[mnb811]

I thought he was for fiscal responsibility? How can you vote no on your city budget but tell people to vote yes on the school budget when it makes up most of your property tax bill? You can't have it both ways. Besides the only reason this guy didn't vote for the city budgets 2 years in a row is because the budget cut JOBS!


While Jaworski is on vacation. Council President Pro Tempore Geoff Szymanski calls a:
Special Meeting August 26,2010


Ordinance- Budget Amendment – Reinstate Employees

An ordinance amending the 2010-2011 budget ordinance adopted June 1, 2010

Be it enacted by the City Council of the City of Lackawanna, New York as follows:

Section 1. That the 2010-2011 budget is amended to reinstate the laid off employees and provide funding for one additional laborer and season laborers in the department of public works.

Section 2. That the budget is amended to add $25,000 to code A1620.0101, $5,000 to code A3120.0101, $7,000 to code A3410.0101, $23,000 to code A3620.0101, $37,000 to code A5110.0101 and $6,000 to new code A5110.0104

Section 3. That the 2010-2011 budget is amended to appropriate $38,000 of the city's fund balance and transfer $40,000 from Code A9000.9050, unemployment insurance and $25,000 from A3120.0101, 1 (one) police captain position removed upon retirement.

THIS ORDINANCE SHALL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY.

Moved by Szymanski, seconded Schiavi, to amend ordinance.

Yeas: Noman, Szymanski, Kulczyk, Schiavi. Carried 4-0

Moved by Szymanski, seconded by Schiavi to adopt ordinance as written.

Yeas: Noman, Szymanski, Kulczyk, Schiavi. Carried 4-0



Moved by Szymanski, seconded by Kulczyk to adjourn meeting.

Yeas: Noman, Szymanski, Kulczyk, Schiavi. Carried 4-0

GEOFFREY SZYMANSKI, COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRO-TEMPORE

[mnb811]

From Council meeting minutes at very next meeting:

Approval of Minutes:

Moved by Schiavi, seconded by Kulczyk to adopt the minutes of the regular meeting of August 16 th and the Special Meeting of August 20 th , 2010 as written.

Yeas: Noman Szymanski, Kulczyk, Schiavi, CARRIED 4-1

Nays: Jaworski


Council President "pro tempore" Szymanski called a special meeting to reinstate jobs that were cut in the June budget. Jaworski wouldn't allow this previously so they waited till he went on vacation called a meeting and threw Jaworski under the bus. In his recent Front Page article Mr. Szymanski said that the spending of the "reserve fund " as the reason why he did not vote for the last 2 budgets. If you would have went to the meetings you would have saw the reason as being that "Were cutting jobs." I can't vote for this." His biggest issue on the most recent budget was the police captians position. That is the reason he gave for not voting for the budget. Nothing was ever mentioned about the "reserve fund".

[mnb811]

Wow no rebuttals after a week amazing!!! Remember If it don't look kosher it isn't kosher lol. Council meeting minutes confirm it!

[mnb811]

Councilman Szymanski votes against City budget/tax increase



2nd Ward Councilman and endorsed democratic candidate for mayor Geoff Szymanski

was the lone vote against the council amended budget for 2011-2012. In fact, Councilman

Szymanski also voted against the 2010–2011 budget as well. With regards to his votes the past

two years, Szymanski had this to say: “Yes, I did vote against both budgets. There has to be a

better way to balance the budget than raising taxes and raiding the reserve fund.”


Szymanski continued, “When we raise taxes, everybody is affected. It hurts all of our

residents, especially our senior citizens, who are on fixed incomes. To have taxes go up and

pensions or Social Security payments not keep pace, their ability to maintain a quality standard

of living is adversely affected.”


“It doesn’t stop there, however,” Szymanski declared. “What about our businesses?” I

know many business people who have invested their lives into making a go of it in Lackawanna,

many of who grew up here. We can’t continue to raise taxes and overspend as a government to

the point where our local businesses, the backbone of our community, may have to either leave

or close their doors,” continued Szymanski.


“I also want to emphasize that besides raising taxes, we have transferred funds from the

city’s reserve fund in both budget years as well. Reserve funds are “rainy day fund,” used in

case of unforeseen circumstances, should they occur. In 2010–2011, we transferred $1,000,000

from the reserve fund to balance the budget. In 2011–2012 it was even worse, totaling

$1,250,000. We just can’t continue to operate like this. At the rate we’re going, the entire

reserve fund will be gone in a couple of years. We will be unprepared when we need it most

and I just can’t support that. The time has come to change the way we do business,” concluded

Szymanski

NO specifics just political rhetoric that means buisness as usual for the City of Lackawanna under Szymanski's watch! What actually is the amount of the "reserve fund" no specifics given once again. It must be a lot if you took 2 million plus out of it in the last 2 years. BTW how can you claim to be fiscally responsible if you voted yes for a 5 million dollar bond which will burden the city with even more debt?? Shouldn't the reserve have been used for repairs repaving etc..Top this off with the previous 2 posts regarding jobs this guy is just spewing BS!

[andreahaxton]

"“I also want to emphasize that besides raising taxes, we have transferred funds from the

city’s reserve fund in both budget years as well. Reserve funds are “rainy day fund,” used in

case of unforeseen circumstances,""

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

If they had an appr. $6 million " Fund Balance " in 2009 and they used over $ 2,125,000 million from it because they over-spent/mismanaged The City Budgets for 2010/11' and 2011/12'.................. and had to use ""rainy day funds"" to balance the tax levy; in order to keep Lackawanna taxes from sky-rocketing the past two years; something is not jiving!

Now they have to "Float that $5.1 million Bond" to do critical maintenance of public buildings/road paving that they let go year after year.....then ........ They are leaving the next administration/Lackawanna Citizens a huge DEBT-Load to pay off and No more ""rainy day funds""!
BTW: They refuse to tell us how much was/is spent on "Norman's Way", behind the Mayors' house on Martin Road!
What's Up With ALL of THEIR management/fiduciary responsibilities of public funds?

BTW....Where did the $15,000 "Retirement Bonus" for the 7 or 8 employees each who were going to retire anyway last year, come from? The ""rainy day fund""?
Were their retirements "unforeseen"?
Is this a legal way of buying their family support? I am sure we could think of many other ways the >$100,000+ could have been spent. Their generous NYS Retirement on top of their top of the scale Social Security checks is more than enough to live on. (Not knocking the hard work of those who really earned their paychecks at all----but an extra lump sum of $15,000! For What?)

Greed:There is no fire like passion, there is no shark like hatred, there is no snare like folly, there is no torrent like greed. (Quote by - Buddha)
P.S. My post is not meant for anyone specific---just stating the facts.

[sunflower]

Any particular reason Szymanski signs are being posted on people's properties??? Lower Franklin Street to be specific. Thought there was some sort of City ordinance about this??????

[Caz5]

City Code 230-41-B-5 Political Signs


"Political signs not exceeding four square feet in area erected no earlier than three weeks before an election and removed within seven calendar days following the election."


QUESTION: WHY ISN'T CODE ENFORCEMENT JUMPING ON THIS CODE VIOLATION???????

[andreahaxton]

" The City " ( Democrat Club)because they ALL backed Stahowski, hauled Tim Kennedy's Headquarter Office into court last year March 2010, when he put his signs in his storefront windows on South Park at Ridge........Thank goodness he persevered and won out----he did NOT play into their election year tricks!

Selective Enforcement is the name to their game!

[mnb811]

Councilman Szymanski votes against City budget/tax increase



2nd Ward Councilman and endorsed democratic candidate for mayor Geoff Szymanski

was the lone vote against the council amended budget for 2011-2012. In fact, Councilman

Szymanski also voted against the 2010–2011 budget as well. With regards to his votes the past

two years, Szymanski had this to say: “Yes, I did vote against both budgets. There has to be a

better way to balance the budget than raising taxes and raiding the reserve fund.”


Szymanski continued, “When we raise taxes, everybody is affected. It hurts all of our

residents, especially our senior citizens, who are on fixed incomes. To have taxes go up and

pensions or Social Security payments not keep pace, their ability to maintain a quality standard

of living is adversely affected.”


“It doesn’t stop there, however,” Szymanski declared. “What about our businesses?” I

know many business people who have invested their lives into making a go of it in Lackawanna,

many of who grew up here. We can’t continue to raise taxes and overspend as a government to

the point where our local businesses, the backbone of our community, may have to either leave

or close their doors,” continued Szymanski.


“I also want to emphasize that besides raising taxes, we have transferred funds from the

city’s reserve fund in both budget years as well. Reserve funds are “rainy day fund,” used in

case of unforeseen circumstances, should they occur. In 2010–2011, we transferred $1,000,000

from the reserve fund to balance the budget. In 2011–2012 it was even worse, totaling

$1,250,000. We just can’t continue to operate like this. At the rate we’re going, the entire

reserve fund will be gone in a couple of years. We will be unprepared when we need it most

and I just can’t support that. The time has come to change the way we do business,” concluded

Szymanski

NO specifics just political rhetoric that means buisness as usual for the City of Lackawanna under Szymanski's watch! What actually is the amount of the "reserve fund" no specifics given once again. It must be a lot if you took 2 million plus out of it in the last 2 years. BTW how can you claim to be fiscally responsible if you voted yes for a 5 million dollar bond which will burden the city with even more debt?? Shouldn't the reserve have been used for repairs repaving etc..Top this off with the previous 2 posts regarding jobs this guy is just spewing BS!

This per 2008 city council meeting minutes:
Budget Committee

To: City Council

Governor Patterson is calling for drastic state funding cutbacks. I ask your body to schedule a work session to discuss our future city budgets. I suggest a budget committee, which I volunteer to chair, to meet regularly in order to keep proactive on budget matters.

ANDREA HAXTON, COUNCIL MEMBER

Moved by Haxton to form a budget committee, no second on motion – motion failed.

If your for fiscal responsibility why would you vote against forming a budget committee? All talk and no action makes you look very stupid Geoff!

[andreahaxton]

This per 2008 city council meeting minutes:
Budget Committee

To: City Council

Governor Patterson is calling for drastic state funding cutbacks. I ask your body to schedule a work session to discuss our future city budgets. I suggest a budget committee, which I volunteer to chair, to meet regularly in order to keep proactive on budget matters.

ANDREA HAXTON, COUNCIL MEMBER

Moved by Haxton to form a budget committee, no second on motion – motion failed.

If your for fiscal responsibility why would you vote against forming a budget committee? All talk and no action makes you look very stupid Geoff!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++

Special Council Meeting

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Special session of the Lackawanna City Council met in the Council Chambers, Council President Chuck Jaworski presiding. The meeting was preceded by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Council President Pro-Tempore Geoffrey Szymanski.

Meeting called to order/Pledge of Allegiance

NB: Meeting being recorded.

Roll Call: Present: Noman, Szymanski, Kulczyk, Schiavi

Excused: Jaworski
Ordinance- Budget Amendment – Reinstate Employees

An ordinance amending the 2010-2011 budget ordinance adopted June 1, 2010


Be it enacted by the City Council of the City of Lackawanna, New York as follows:

Section 1. That the 2010-2011 budget is amended to reinstate the laid off employees and provide funding for one additional laborer and season laborers in the department of public works.

Section 2. That the budget is amended to add $25,000 to code A1620.0101, $5,000 to code A3120.0101, $7,000 to code A3410.0101, $23,000 to code A3620.0101, $37,000 to code A5110.0101 and $6,000 to new code A5110.0104

Section 3. That the 2010-2011 budget is amended to appropriate $38,000 of the city's fund balance and transfer $40,000 from Code A9000.9050, unemployment insurance and $25,000 from A3120.0101, 1 (one) police captain position removed upon retirement.

THIS ORDINANCE SHALL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY.

Moved by Szymanski, seconded Schiavi, to amend ordinance.

Yeas: Noman, Szymanski, Kulczyk, Schiavi. Carried 4-0

Moved by Szymanski, seconded by Schiavi to adopt ordinance as written.

Yeas: Noman, Szymanski, Kulczyk, Schiavi. Carried 4-0

Moved by Szymanski, seconded by Kulczyk to adjourn meeting.

Yeas: Noman, Szymanski, Kulczyk, Schiavi. Carried 4-0

GEOFFREY SZYMANSKI, COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRO-TEMPORE

JACQUELINE A. CAFERRO, CITY CLERK

************************************************** ************************************************** ***************************

COUNCIL MEETING

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2010

COUNCIL CHAMBERS

Roll Call: Present: Noman, Szymanski, Kulczyk, Schiavi, Jaworski



[B]Approval of Minutes:

Moved by Schiavi, seconded by Kulczyk to adopt the minutes of the regular meeting of August 16 th and the Special Meeting of August 20 th , 2010 as written.

Yeas: Noman Szymanski, Kulczyk, Schiavi, CARRIED 4-1

Nays: Jaworski[/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++

Plotted, planned, and executed to their perfection.......They ALL were using people's jobs/livelihood as their political pawn----it came back to bite them all because, They forgot, WE were at the " Special Meeting ".
How could anyone say they voted NO for the budget and then a few weeks later hold a " Special Meeting " RE-VOTE and put EVERYTHING back in and pretend they were for cutting taxes for Seniors because they care sooooo much about their financial struggles?
What Gives----" is he on foot or horseback "?

(I did not agree that anyone should ever lose a job---it should be done through attrition.....I know where lots of hidden pork is that should have been cut, starting with their free gas, vehicles, insurance, free magazines, etc.,etc.,etc.,!) Citizens should demand to know where THEIR money is spent!

Yes, I I I!

[mnb811]

" The City " ( Democrat Club)because they ALL backed Stahowski, hauled Tim Kennedy's Headquarter Office into court last year March 2010, when he put his signs in his storefront windows on South Park at Ridge........Thank goodness he persevered and won out----he did NOT play into their election year tricks!

Selective Enforcement is the name to their game!

You can best believe that Lackawanna will get no help of substance from Senator Kennedy for doing this to him.

Did you ever wonder why the city never gets any help from anyone here's one reason: Stupidity! See Below:



Council Meeting Minutes January 2010

Lack of Federal Aid:

• To: City Council

Recently, the Buffalo News reported that a massive bill of 1.1 trillion dollars was passed by congress. Western New York was getting forty (40) million dollars. Call it congressional pork or legislative earmarks or simply our local representatives making sure they get their fair share. We in the City of Lackawanna did not receive anything. It is apparent that Senator's Gillibrand and Schumer and Congressman Higgins have forgotten the City of Lackawanna again, as usual. We as a community should forget them.

Three million dollars more for the waterfront projects, when will they improve South Park Avenue ? This letter is to inform the council and our citizens about the lack of concern from our representatives for the City of Lackawanna .

NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR., MAYOR

Moved by Jaworski, seconded by Schiavi to receive and file.

Yeas: Noman, Kulczyk, Schiavi, Jaworski

Nays: Szymanski
Look who voted not to recieve and file? Geoff Szymanski. Mayor Polanski's attitude toward other people in high places is one of the main reasons why the city gets stiffed. With him backing Szymanski and Geoff following his every whim you can best believe that the city will continue to get nothing from anybody!

[andreahaxton]

Disagree Quotes


I particularly recognize that reasonable people can disagree as to what that proper balance or blend is between privacy and security and safety.
John Pistole

I think every American has a role in saving this country. Whether you're Democrat, Republican, independent, it doesn't matter. We all know the country's in trouble. We may disagree on how to solve it, but we all know the country's in trouble.
Glenn Beck

I've learned by hanging out in Hollywood, where I disagree politically with most people, that most people's hearts are in the right place, and the only thing we have to argue about is the way to solve the problems.
Tom Selleck

If two men on a job agree all the time, then one is useless. If they disagree all the time, then both are useless.
Darryl F. Zanuck

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++

You forgot the past 8 years they shunned/bashed Erie County Government because the Dems are not in!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++
Wisdom

What is CLASS?


Class never runs scared. It is sure-footed and confident in the knowledge that you can meet life head on and handle whatever comes along.

Jacob had it. Esau didn't. Symbolically, we can look to Jacob's wrestling match with the angel. Those who have class have wrestled with their own personal angel and won a victory that marks them thereafter.

Class never makes excuses. It takes its lumps and learns from past mistakes.

Class is considerate of others. It knows that good manners are nothing more than a series of small sacrifices.

Class bespeaks an aristocracy that has nothing to do with ancestors or money. The most affluent blueblood can be totally without class while the descendant of a Welsh miner may ooze class from every pore.

Class never tries to build itself up by tearing others down. Class is already up and need not strive to look better by making others look worse.

Class can "walk with kings and keep its virtue and talk with crowds and keep the common touch." Everyone is comfortable with the person who has class because he is comfortable with himself.

If you have class you don't need much of anything else. If you don't have it, no matter what else you have, it doesn't make much difference.



Ann Landers Encyclopedia

Class Can't Be Bought at ANY Price!