Jack Sheehan's Scranton comparisons

[Guest Chris Brown Guest]

If you have even watched one city council meeting in person or on TV, you certainly have heard Jack go off on how Scranton is so much better off than Binghamton. In some ways, that is true. In other ways, not. They can't even get basic services right in Scranton. For instance, earlier this week, we had snow and ice. If you think it was hard to travel around in the City of Binghamton, you should have gone to Scranton. The streets, even in busy neighborhoods, were like sheets of ice. Lest we forget the Valentine's Day storm last year that shut the city down for about a week. We were back to business as usual here in Binghamton the day after the storm. In Scranton, even the snowplows managed to get stuck.

 

Before anyone claims I'm working in PR for the administration, let me make it clear I have no affiliation with those people. I think the DPW guys are doing a halfway decent job at snow removal, salting, etc. While I'm on this, how do you "forget" to pay the bill for the DPW workers' medical insurance? I've forgotten to pay a bill here and there. Big difference between managing a two-person household and a multi-million dollar department with hundreds of workers.

 

Back to the first point, I just think that if Jack is going to make comparisons, he should present all the facts and not just those that further his own agenda. I mean, demanding that a council member give up his/her salary for a meeting missed because of illness or another legit reason? Worry about your own business.

[Guest Trump]

If you have even watched one city council meeting in person or on TV, you certainly have heard Jack go off on how Scranton is so much better off than Binghamton. In some ways, that is true. In other ways, not. They can't even get basic services right in Scranton. For instance, earlier this week, we had snow and ice. If you think it was hard to travel around in the City of Binghamton, you should have gone to Scranton. The streets, even in busy neighborhoods, were like sheets of ice. Lest we forget the Valentine's Day storm last year that shut the city down for about a week. We were back to business as usual here in Binghamton the day after the storm. In Scranton, even the snowplows managed to get stuck.

 

Before anyone claims I'm working in PR for the administration, let me make it clear I have no affiliation with those people. I think the DPW guys are doing a halfway decent job at snow removal, salting, etc. While I'm on this, how do you "forget" to pay the bill for the DPW workers' medical insurance? I've forgotten to pay a bill here and there. Big difference between managing a two-person household and a multi-million dollar department with hundreds of workers.

 

Back to the first point, I just think that if Jack is going to make comparisons, he should present all the facts and not just those that further his own agenda. I mean, demanding that a council member give up his/her salary for a meeting missed because of illness or another legit reason? Worry about your own business.

 

Sheehan is right in many aspects. When it comes to economic development, Scranton is kicking Binghamton's a*s.

Snow removal is atrocious in Binghamton. It's really a double standard. Some neighborhoods are spotless after every storm, others have to wait for sun and rain to melt away their problems.

 

As far as Teri Rennis giving back the money -- he wouldn't be pressing the issue like he is if she didn't commit to giving back the money "if there was a mechanism in place". Sheehan proved that there was indeed a mechanism, and Rennia changed her story. Rennia needs to put her money where her mouth is.

 

Furthermore, I don't think Sheehan has an agenda anymore. His agenda was to cut council. He succeeded. I think Sheehan is a disgruntled Binghamton resident. If that's an "agenda" then I suppose the city is full of residents with agendas.

[Guest Guest]

From the day he started attending and speaking at city council meetings back in the 70's Jack sheehan has urged city council members to give back their pay when they miss a meeting.

 

This is nothing new.

 

If anything, he's consistent.

[Guest Chris Brown Guest]

Sheehan is right in many aspects. When it comes to economic development, Scranton is kicking Binghamton's a*s.

 

As far as Teri Rennis giving back the money -- he wouldn't be pressing the issue like he is if she didn't commit to giving back the money "if there was a mechanism in place". Sheehan proved that there was indeed a mechanism, and Rennia changed her story. Rennia needs to put her money where her mouth is.

 

I agree Scranton's economic development is much better. Whoever turned around their downtown is the person we need to bring here. Restoring the pride in Binghamton? We need results, not talk. However, I'd put Scranton's DPW behind that of Binghamton's.

 

Without getting into specifics, I live in a more affluent part of the city and know not everyone is treated equally with respect to services. Our street is plowed and salted before many others are. If my car is parked on the wrong side of the street, we get an officer at our door, kindly asking us to move it. I'd imagine if I lived on the North or East side of the city, the car would be ticketed, no questions asked.

 

[Couch Potato]

Sheehan's "Moocher's Bill" is absolute lunacy. If the Council Members knew the salary was $7,500/year when they ran, then SO DID THE VOTERS! The majority intends for their elected representative to be PAID IN FULL (@ only $7,500/year, they're underpaid by at least 25% - 33-1/3% IMO!). In Mrs. Rennia's case, she ran unopposed -- doesn't that "speak volumes"? The residents of the 3rd District were so well satisfied with her that nobody took up a petition to run against her last November!

 

Does Sheehan even reside in the City? (If you query the City Assessor's database on-line, you won't find Sheehan's name shown as an owner/taxpayer with respect to any tax parcel in the City of Binghamton, so where does he come off dripping all the "crocodile tears" over how the portion of the City's revenues generated by property taxes are spent?)

 

Sheehan gives the Council no credit for the good things they do for their consituents (or countless phone calls, e-mails, voice mails, and face-to-face conversations with City residents), the watchdogging they do of City departments, time spent just "thinking about" our City's problems and needs, how to make things better, sitting through meetings with the administration, department heads, and others, not to mention work session meetings and attendance at public/neighborhood events, etc.

 

So, the public City Council meetings twice a month are just a small part of the City Council Member's duties, and whether Sheehan likes it or not, there haven't been any 4-3 votes by Council yet (or 3-3 votes where the presence of an absent member would make a real difference). Ironically, if you're "keeping score" at home, you know that Mrs. Rennia "leads" the current Council in "NO" votes. "Rubber stamp"? -- NOT!

[Guest Guest]

Now that the writers strike is over, how soon until NBC incorporates Jack Sheehan into and episode of "The Office"?

[Guest Trump]

Sheehan's "Moocher's Bill" is absolute lunacy. If the Council Members knew the salary was $7,500/year when they ran, then SO DID THE VOTERS! The majority intends for their elected representative to be PAID IN FULL (@ only $7,500/year, they're underpaid by at least 25% - 33-1/3% IMO!). In Mrs. Rennia's case, she ran unopposed -- doesn't that "speak volumes"? The residents of the 3rd District were so well satisfied with her that nobody took up a petition to run against her last November!

 

Does Sheehan even reside in the City? (If you query the City Assessor's database on-line, you won't find Sheehan's name shown as an owner/taxpayer with respect to any tax parcel in the City of Binghamton, so where does he come off dripping all the "crocodile tears" over how the portion of the City's revenues generated by property taxes are spent?)

 

Sheehan gives the Council no credit for the good things they do for their consituents (or countless phone calls, e-mails, voice mails, and face-to-face conversations with City residents), the watchdogging they do of City departments, time spent just "thinking about" our City's problems and needs, how to make things better, sitting through meetings with the administration, department heads, and others, not to mention work session meetings and attendance at public/neighborhood events, etc.

 

So, the public City Council meetings twice a month are just a small part of the City Council Member's duties, and whether Sheehan likes it or not, there haven't been any 4-3 votes by Council yet (or 3-3 votes where the presence of an absent member would make a real difference). Ironically, if you're "keeping score" at home, you know that Mrs. Rennia "leads" the current Council in "NO" votes. "Rubber stamp"? -- NOT!

 

 

Rennia ran unopposed because the local GOP is in shambles! They couldn't field candidates against Rennia, Gerchman, or Kramer. They found an opponent for Weslar, then Weslar threatened litigation against the guys wife! This is how things work around here.

 

Steve Jensen stated that he simply didn't have the time to organize a campaign. He would have run. Garo also had reasons for not running. Both men stated they would support the other against Rennia.. Doesn't that "speak volumes"?

 

You speak of her as if she's some sort of martyr for public service. If anything she's a political hack who was approached by Mike Najarian in 2005 to run in a primary because the local Democrats couldn't handle Garo on council.

 

[Guest Trump]

By the way, the city's online tax database is worthless. It plainly states "The City of Binghamton makes no representation as to the quality, content, accuracy or completeness of the data presented."

 

I own two pieces of property in Binghamton and neither are listed.

 

 

[Guest Guest]

I thought Garo was a Democrat.

[Guest Trump]

I thought Garo was a Democrat.

 

He is. And his own party fielded a candidate to run against him in a 2005 primary.

[Guest Guest]

Sheehan doesn't know what he's talking about. Take a drive to Scranton sometime and ask the lifelong locals about the mob hits and activity, drug dealing, and other crimes especially by government officials that never reach any pages of the Scranton Times.