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Thread: Tran$parency,Ethic$,and pay to play from the Lanca$ter playbook.Erie county edition.

  1. #1
    Member Greg Sojka's Avatar
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    Tran$parency,Ethic$,and pay to play from the Lanca$ter playbook.Erie county edition.

    Water Authority does about-face on transparency
    New leaders at county agency take steps to reverse secretive practices
    By Sandra Tan
    NEWS STAFF REPORTER
    Odd changes are occurring at the Erie County Water Authority: •The staff posted the agency’s 2017 payroll to its website without being asked.

    •Complete agenda packets are being posted several days ahead of the board’s regular meetings, instead of a partial agenda being posted less than 24 hours in advance, or not at all.

    •Public committee meetings have been called to hash out troublesome issues instead of one-on-one powwows in private between individual commissioners and authority staff.
    Could the Water Authority – a public agency that has spent the last several years solidifying its reputation for stonewalling and secrecy – actually be turning into a more open and transparent organization?
    It’s early to know for sure, but initial signs are promising.
    At a special committee meeting last week, Chairman Jerome D. Schad and Commissioner Mark S. Carney spent nearly two hours reviewing a draft report from the state on the authority’s operations, governance and transparency. The draft findings included a long list of failures in transparency and governance and asked for an agency response.
    In a nutshell, commissioners admitted that the Water Authority made mistakes.
    And they said it in the open.
    Over the last two weeks, Carney has called the report a “blueprint for change” and pledged to end the “hide-andseek shell game” that has embodied the authority’s relationship with the media and good-government advocates.
    “We have to give you access to everything,” he said. “It keeps everybody in check.”
    Meanwhile, Schad and other top administrators have denounced the authority’s past practice of foot-dragging and heavy redactions when it comes to answering Freedom of Information Law requests.
    “We’re going to end the minimalist approach,” Schad said.
    Terrence D. McCracken, who has been elevated as the new secretary to the authority, said he intends for the authority to eventually embody the “gold standard” of public transparency and openness. After the Buffalo Niagara Coalition for Open Government gave the authority an “F” on its transparency report card in March, McCracken said he intended to act on every recommendation.
    Amherst lawyer Paul W. Wolf, president of the Buffalo Niagara Coalition for Open Government, said he has heard back from McCracken and the two commissioners since the report was released.
    “The score that they received was shameful,” he said.
    But the outreach from the Water Authority since then has been a pleasant surprise.
    “They seem to be responding and taking some good steps, and I hope they will make changes,” Wolf said. “They’ve certainly been more responsive than a lot of other organizations.”
    Among efforts in the works, the agency has begun seeking input and proposals to:
    • Update the website to provide more information and make it user-friendly.

    • Hire a new public relations firm after firing Zeppelin Communications, operated by Republican strategist Michael R. Caputo.

    • Video-record board meetings.
    The board has also discussed providing an opportunity for the public to comment at its meetings, and opening up its meeting space so that members of the public can easily find a seat. Several policies regarding how the Water Authority deals with the media are also being updated.
    The change in tone by Water Authority officials corresponds to a change in leadership. The Legislature majority changed hands from Republican to Democratic in January.
    That led to the appointment of Carney, a Democratic commissioner and big party donor, and elevated Schad, the Amherst Democratic chairman, from a regular commissioner to board chairman. It also elevated the voice of Water Authority staff attorney Margaret A. Murphy, another high-profile Democratic lawyer and fundraiser. All three have spoken out repeatedly about improving openness and transparency at the agency. “I don’t think we were transparent enough,” Schad said, reflecting on his past service on the board.
    Schad, who at times felt marginalized as a member of the board minority, says he’s now committed to embracing a new culture at the authority that keeps all commissioners and staff in the loop and provides proper notice to the public about coming discussions. Decisions made via one-on-one See Water on Page B2





    Trying to repair ‘a bad reputation’
    WATER • from B1 conversations between a commissioner and a staff member will be curtailed or halted in favor of group discussions that include everyone, he said.
    It is clear that the new leadership team blames previous Republican leaders for fostering an “us-and-them” mentality at the authority.
    Former Republican board Chairman Robert N. Anderson stepped down from his position in December. Joseph T. Burns, a friend of Erie County Republican Chairman Nicholas A. Langworthy and gatekeeper of agency information, also has been removed from that position and reassigned. The remaining board Republican, Karl J. Simmeth, resigned his commissioner’s seat last week in advance of his retirement from Erie County Medical Center on Wednesday.
    “The Water Authority certainly has a bad reputation as far as openness goes,” Wolf said. “There’s some new leadership there. They’ve expressed a desire to change,and I hope they will.”



  2. #2
    Member Greg Sojka's Avatar
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    Step up Legislator John Bruso ! Would UPS of stood for this type of activities? Be a leader Legislator Bruso.

    ECWA

    Speaking of folks who like to spend someone else’s money…

    Outgoing Authority Chairman Earl Jann has applied for the position of executive director, which pays $145,000 annually. The qualifications required for the position, as the Buffalo News has noted, are a bit loose. It certainly makes it easy to make such an appointment when the Board of Directors doesn’t worry too much about qualifications.

    I have noted three things in previous posts on the ECWA: (1) it is essentially a small public works department that should be rolled into Erie County government; (2) viewing it as a small public works department, the salaries are way out of line with those of other public works positions in county government; and (3) there are way too many duplicative administrative positions in an organization that is as small as the Water Authority.

    The commissioner of the Erie County Department of Public Works is paid a salary of $131,317 or $14,000 less than the executive director of the Water Authority. The County DPW has 40 percent more employees than does the ECWA, with a much broader agenda of responsibilities. But, as they say in TV infomercials, there is more.

    Noah’s Ark only took on two of each species of animal, and Noah was planning on their procreation. Not having such needs, the ECWA nonetheless likes to pile up administrators with duties that are like carbon copies of one another. Consider this:

    The Authority has an executive director at $145,000, plus a deputy director at $147,574; a director of administration at $138,399; and a deputy director of administration at $126,750
    The Authority has four human resource executives who make a total of $427,076
    The Authority has also contracted with Michael Caputo’s public relations firm for $60,000 per year. The responsibilities, as noted on The Investigative Post, seem to include hiding information from the public and escorting reporters out of public meetings.

    The Erie County Legislature could appeal to state government to repeal the legislation that created the Authority and simply make the Authority a department of county government. The legislators could then brag about how they reduced the water rates for the tens of thousands of homeowners and businesses that get their water from this public monopoly. Ahh, but why would they want to do that?

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    T. McCracken elevated to Secretary wants to be part of the “transparency” process?

    Let’s hope the Authority keeps moving in the right direction, now that it is out in the public’s eye, simple math here, the cost is becoming unsustainable... kudos to whoever is responsible for bringing this out in the open.

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    Member gorja's Avatar
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    It's very nice to see that with the Dems in power at the ECWA, transparency has become a priority

    Georgia L Schlager

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    Jerry Schad is a louse. This is typical Dem crappola, playing to their press pals who report their every word as gospel. Let’s see, which Dem Governor was it who was going to bring integrity back to state government. If was Eliot Splits-her...no, wait, it was Il Douche, Andy Cuomo. Or was it the drunk, Hugh Carey?

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    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Greg Sojka:
    The Erie County Legislature could appeal to state government to repeal the legislation that created the Authority and simply make the Authority a department of county government
    Our NYS senator Patrick Gallivan whom I've voted for since 2010 could propose that legislation but you don't hear a 'peep' about the ECWA from the Gallivan camp.

    Georgia L Schlager

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    Quote Originally Posted by gorja View Post
    Our NYS senator Patrick Gallivan whom I've voted for since 2010 could propose that legislation but you don't hear a 'peep' about the ECWA from the Gallivan camp.
    Please, you don’t seriously believe, even for a second, that handing the Water Authority over to that bumbling scumbag, Poloncarz would be an improvement!!

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    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by grump View Post
    Please, you don’t seriously believe, even for a second, that handing the Water Authority over to that bumbling scumbag, Poloncarz would be an improvement!!
    No way. Just there is a poster that whines that Wallace and Bruso (both Dems) are not doing anything about
    the workings of the ECWA but has no mention of Gallivan from his own party.

    Georgia L Schlager

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    Quote Originally Posted by gorja View Post
    No way. Just there is a poster that whines that Wallace and Bruso (both Dems) are not doing anything about
    the workings of the ECWA but has no mention of Gallivan from his own party.
    Just out of curiosity, if you think turning the Water Authority over to the retard Poloncarz is a bad idea why would you Gallivan to introduce legislation doing that?

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    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by grump View Post
    Just out of curiosity, if you think turning the Water Authority over to the retard Poloncarz is a bad idea why would you Gallivan to introduce legislation doing that?
    I screwed up. My point is that none of the them (politicos) want to introduce any legislation to put the kabash in all the political hiring in the authorities.

    It was my mistake in not reading fully the other poster's comment.

    Look at when they hired McCracken for the Director of Employee Relations post. They then decided he wasn't qualified

    McCracken Fired from Water Authority

    Sources say former Erie County Legislator Terry McCracken was fired yesterday from his job at the Erie County Water Authority as Director of Employee Relations.

    Just three weeks ago, Democrat McCracken resigned his patronage position as the Recreation Director in the Town of Lancaster to accept the $96,700 per year gig at the Water Authority - a big jump in pay. It is unclear whether or not his prior job remains available and if he will return. Sources say the town is in talks with Peter Jerebko, the current ECC Athletic Director, to assume the Recreation Director position.

    Insiders say the Erie County Department of Personnel notified Water Authority leadership that McCracken did not meet the civil service requirements for the job. There are competing rumors for why the Water Authority really let McCracken go. One version says he lied on his resume and claimed false academic credentials. Another: he was Erie County Democratic Committee Chairman Jeremy Zellner's point man for town committee races on Primary night, and he lost them all to the Pigeon/Max faction, tipping the scales of power away from Zellner.
    But then there was this

    McCracken Back In at ECWA
    In a September 12 PoliticsNY.net article, "McCracken Fired from Water Authority", we wrote that sources told us former Erie County Legislator Terry McCracken was fired from his job at the Erie County Water Authority as Director of Employee Relations. Apparently this departure was short lived: McCracken was in attendance as the Director of Employee Relations at the November 25th ECWA board meeting. And this time, he's bringing down $97,000 taxpayer dollars. Merry Christmas!
    The ECWA is one big political ClusterFu¢k

    Georgia L Schlager

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    Gorja, your last statement is right on. Truer words rarely spoken. Same for NFTA with its chairman, the sneak and liar, Sister Denise Roche.

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    Member Greg Sojka's Avatar
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    Is it to much to ask the elected officials in power to acknowledge we taxpayers are footing the bill for political patronage appointees from both parties? Legislator Bruso and Assembly woman Professor Monica Wallace ran on ethics and many paid for mailers . I hope they find the courage to do the right thing and try and be brave . We posters acknowledge their is a problem as does the Buffalo News . When can we expect these ethical politicians to do the right thing for US ? Even if they have to slap the hand that feeds the political advertising! Whining? This is a corruption and ethical problem that their mailers said they would be transparent and ethical . Ohhhh maybe the story changes when they win or see that have to address their Lancaster Chairman ???? Maybe their next mailer will read Lancaster for sale ! Follow the money 💰 and donations.

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    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Greg Sojka View Post
    This is a corruption and ethical problem that their mailers said they would be transparent and ethical . Ohhhh maybe the story changes when they win or see that have to address their Lancaster Chairman ???? Maybe their next mailer will read Lancaster for sale ! Follow the money �� and donations.
    The ECWA is the political equivalent of "The Price Is Right Showcase" to the prevailing political party. Neither the Rs or the Ds are exempt from its patronage taint.

    I am curious about Ms. Tan's apparent failure to mention that Mr. McCracken is the incumbent Lancaster Town Democrat Chairman.

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