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Thread: Will Monica Piga Wallace and John Bruso do the right thing?

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    Member Greg Sojka's Avatar
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    Will Monica Piga Wallace and John Bruso do the right thing?

    ERIE COUNTY LEGISLATOR CALLS FOR BAN ON PUBLIC FUNDS FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT SETTLEMENTS

    By Ryan Whalen | January 11, 2018 @7:15 PM

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    BUFFALO, N.Y. — While the state considers a proposal to prohibit using taxpayer money for sexual harassment settlements, an Erie County legislator said there's no reason for local governments to wait.
    "We're hearing a lot about it certainly at the national level and we heard the governor make mention of it at his State of the State address," Legislator Lynne Dixon said.
    The Independent is asking the county executive and county attorney to immediately institute the policy.
    "For the moment, we've sent a letter. Certainly we have resolutions pending that would explore this further. I do believe that it should be policy though," she said. "I don't believe that an abuser should be protected in any way."
    The legislator pointed to the recent resignation of County Social Services Commissioner Al Dirschberger amid accusations of a serious incident involving a female subordinate as a reason for concern. She was clear she has no additional information surrounding those circumstances, but said it's not the only impetus for the letter.
    "This isn't one alleged incident that has prompted me to take this action. This is more along the lines of what we're seeing out there right now in this country and in this community and in this state," Dixon said.
    Dixon also asked if there have been any harassment settlements in the past five years and how much the county's spent. The administration said the county attorney’s office conducted and initial review and found none.
    "If there haven't been cases in the past, great," Dixon said. "Can we do something to ensure that there won't be incidents in the future where an abuser is protected? We absolutely should do that. Why wouldn't you want to?”
    The county executive's office said all lawsuits involving the county are a matter of public available to anybody who submits a Freedom of Information request. In addition, all claims against the county are "clocked in at the Legislature and available for any legislator to see."
    While the office did not address whether it will ban using public funds, it said it will take all steps necessary to prevent sexual harassment in county workplaces.










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  2. #2
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Greg Sojka View Post
    ERIE COUNTY LEGISLATOR CALLS FOR BAN ON PUBLIC FUNDS FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT SETTLEMENTS
    [


    Well, perhaps after a year in office, the great "Ethics Expert" will shift her priorities from support for late-term abortion, and, albeit belatedly, fulfill her pledge to make ethics her number one priority.

    Let's see if her 2016 campaign was sincere, or just another chapter in her "Story Telling."

    As far as Bruso, and the new Democrat majority, as a first priority, would turn our police into teachers with hall supervision duties, busting those who smoke in the company of 16-year-olds.

    Ethics is a subject rather obscured by the smoke coming from the smoke stacks of such showboats.

    Yep, elections have consequences.
    Last edited by mark blazejewski; January 15th, 2018 at 10:16 AM.

  3. #3
    Member Greg Sojka's Avatar
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    Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    BUFFALO, N.Y. — While the state considers a proposal to prohibit using taxpayer money for sexual harassment settlements, an Erie County legislator said there's no reason for local governments to wait. "We're hearing a lot about it certainly at the national level and we heard the governor make mention of it at his State of the State address," Legislator Lynne Dixon said.
    There is no reason to use state money on sexual harassment settlements. I believe we had issues in Cheektowaga with this. Employees suing the town for sexual harassment issues at the property owners expense. If I was supervisor we would work on eliminating that. If the employees were liable for their own actions they would behave better. I would also want the people who allow it to continue to be held responsible. I wouldn't care how many petitions you got signed, how many raffle tickets you sold or who you are related to. No one should have to work in that type of environment and us property owners should not pay for that. Local, County or State wide.

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    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    WNYRes: No one should have to work in that type of environment and us property owners should not pay for that. Local, County or State wide.
    Well said; perfect.

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    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    A lot of what I say is basic common sense.

    If we could eliminate the BS the local political parties cause in Erie County we would all be better off.

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    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    I do not know if anything like this exists regarding sexual harassment and elected/government officials, but I do think it is an idea worth throwing out for thought.

    Doctors, lawyers, and other professionals carry malpractice insurance.

    Since this issue is a rather broad, costly, and timely one, perhaps elected officials in New York should be required to carry an errors liability policy concerning sexual harassment allegations and findings.

    If these people had to spend their own money to protect themselves, and those costs would go up as incidents increased, perhaps the human emotion of selfishness would arouse significant peer pressure to mitigate the situation.

    If the taxpayer is picking up the tab, indifference will overcome responsible behavior.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mark blazejewski View Post
    I do not know if anything like this exists regarding sexual harassment and elected/government officials, but I do think it is an idea worth throwing out for thought.

    Doctors, lawyers, and other professionals carry malpractice insurance.

    Since this issue is a rather broad, costly, and timely one, perhaps elected officials in New York should be required to carry an errors liability policy concerning sexual harassment allegations and findings.

    If these people had to spend their own money to protect themselves, and those costs would go up as incidents increased, perhaps the human emotion of selfishness would arouse significant peer pressure to mitigate the situation.

    If the taxpayer is picking up the tab, indifference will overcome responsible behavior.
    Great idea Mark!

    Taxpayers should not have to foot the bill to defend these scumbags. To continue this practice, only solidifies it. Change will never come. It is apparent that honorable reputation(s) are no longer held with dignity. Therefore, to insure that this type of practice is eliminated, there needs to be a consequence to eradicate this behavior.

    Monica & John needs to stick with their campaign promises and make sure their decisions are the decisions that best serves the people & not the agenda.

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    Member Greg Sojka's Avatar
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    Assembly woman Professor Monica Piga Wallace and 143 legislator John Bruso can you weigh in on this sexual harassment issue ? On using taxpayer money to protect perverts? WE are all Lancaster NY residents. The Lancaster taxpayers deserve answers . I know you both read these comments as we have mutual friends in Lancaster. Has Marc Poloncarz told you to keep quiet? Who are you representing?

  10. #10
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by [QUOTE
    Greg Sojka;1775578]Assembly woman Professor Monica Piga Wallace and 143 legislator John Bruso can you weigh in on this sexual harassment issue ?
    Given the recent history of the 143rd, Assembly Member Wallace should be leading the charge on this issue. After all, she was represented as some sort of "ethics expert," during the 2016 campaign, and suggested, that if elected, ethics would be her top priority.

    Now, seemingly: CRICKETS.

    The 143rd did have an outstanding candidate in 2016, who, during his entire public service tenure, worked tirelessly on ethics reform and transparency, only to be scorned by some, including one who was impacted by "ethics" and the appearance of "conflict of interest" issues. Assembly Member Wallace appeared to heartily accept that individual's support.

    In the 2016 campaign, apparently promises transcended past performance.

    I can't say I'm surprised by what seems to be Ms. Wallace's silence.

    As far as Bruso, the Democrats made Mr. Morton's so-called "character" an issue. If ethical purity is the measure by which one is elected, it should be the foundational cause when they lead.

    Just sayin'.
    Last edited by mark blazejewski; January 18th, 2018 at 04:19 PM.

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    Member Breezy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Greg Sojka View Post
    Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Martin Luther King, Jr.
    Does that include your excoriation of children in the Lancaster schools who happen to struggle with gender identity ????


    --------

    And just what evidence do you have that the two Democrats you attack on this thread would not support Legislator Dixon's reasonable call ???

    You and Mark B. are just trolling again.

    Did you even attempt to call these Dems to ask what they think ???

    Very doubtful.


  12. #12
    Member Greg Sojka's Avatar
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    I called Lynne Dixon today and she answered the phone .We spoke at length about this crime and the wasting of taxpayers money. Lynne told me that John Bruso and Professor Monica Piga Wallace have not taken a stance on the issue. The Legislature majority decided today Thursday to send it to committee for now. I called John Bruso and left a message about my concerns and also suggested he change his voicemail message as it still says Ted Morton on it. I called Professor Monica Piga Wallace and she was not in so I spoke to her helper. I left my name and number and expect a call back as a Lancaster resident taxpayer but more so because we are Lancaster neighbors. I will update this when ( if) I get a call back.

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    Member Greg Sojka's Avatar
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    I-Team: Erie County social service commissioner's resignation raises questions
    Legislature chairman says he ran agency well


    Charlie Specht
    6:20 PM, Dec 29, 2017
    6:21 PM, Dec 29, 2017
    wkbw | al dirschberger | social services commissioner | resignation | john mills
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    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) - - Erie County Legislature Chairman John Mills was “shocked” to hear about Thursday's abrupt resignation of county social services commissioner Al Dirschberger, who is under criminal investigation for an alleged incident with a female subordinate in Albany earlier this month.

    “This came out of, as far as I'm concerned, came out of left field,” Mills said.

    Mills was satisfied with the way Dirschberger was running the largest department in county government with a budget of nearly $600 million per year.

    “I thought he did a reasonably good job at social services,” Mills said.

    Prior to his appointment as social services commissioner in 2015, Dirschberger worked at Gateway Longview, a social service agency for young people, and as a teacher at Erie Community College.

    Now many in Erie County politics are raising questions about whether there may have been warning signs earlier in Dirschberger's career. One source, who did not want to be identified because of the criminal investigation, said Dirschberger was known to have an "aggressive" personality.

    “There are rumors going around, which I won't comment on,” Mills said, “but there are rumors going around about some other things that may have happened in the past.”

    Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Dirschberger passed a criminal background check and came highly recommended -- in part because of his work with Journey's End refugee services, which is another social service agency.

    “He was not a member of county government before,” Poloncarz said. “He came from the not-for-profit sector. He had very, very high recommendations from those that he served with.”

    The county now finds itself looking for its third DSS commissioner in as many years after Dirschberger's predecessor came under fire for an alarming number of high-profile deaths of children at the hands of their relatives.

    “It's tough to find the right person, it seems like, for whatever reason,” Mills said. “I thought Al was the right person.”

    But when Dirschberger appeared before legislators last week to discuss budget issues, Mills said he seemed pre-occupied.

    “There was something about him that was different at that time,” Mills said. “That bothered me. I said to a couple of my colleagues last Thursday, 'Is something going on with Al?' And sure enough, bingo.”

    Copyright 2017 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    --------
    And just what evidence do you have that the two Democrats you attack on this thread would not support Legislator Dixon's reasonable call ???

    You and
    Mark B.
    are just trolling again.
    Curious comment from one who was so consumed by what you described as Mr. Morton's silence on "frat house behavior" last year. What evidence did you have that Morton remained SILENT on any such possible behavior?

    But to your point, Oh Nauseating One, if you define trolling as questioning the existence of Ms. Wallace's promised, expert-based leadership on the ethics issue, yep, I guess I'm trolling. Perhaps, like other Democrats on the national level, Wallace may be "leading from behind."

    As far as evidence that she supports or opposes the legislation, I have not heard either way, and that is why I commented. Perhaps she could articulate her stand for press publication?

    But, I have had suspicions about Ms. Wallace's seriousness regarding ethics as a number one priority since, I understand, that she never disavowed this piece of "campaign information," that was mailed apparently supporting her primary campaign in 2016:

    Hot and Spicey.jpg

    At that time, September, 2016, I heard from many Democrats, female, and uncommitted or non-Mazurek supporters, that use of the term "Hot and Spicy" struck them as entirely inappropriate, ESPECIALLY given the history of the 143rd.

  15. #15
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Breezy;1776085

    Did you even attempt to call these Dems to ask what they think ???[/QUOTE
    BTW, if a constituent has to call to determine their representative's position on an issue that they promised to make their number one priority, it says a great deal about their prioritized leadership.

    A bold campaign commitment to lead on an issue, should not devolve into timid, shy, and complacent elective service.

    (After all, we all don't have the inside track, or have the luxury of having a neighbor who is a committeeman.)

    Just sayin'.
    Last edited by mark blazejewski; January 19th, 2018 at 01:02 AM.

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