Sunday, September 21, 2008

Mayor Says Calls For Accountability From DPW Head Are Just A Witch Hunt

Ok, so here is the short version. City of Kingston Department of Public Works Superintendent Steve Gorsline has "billed" the City about $14,000 for work performed this year over his normal weekly forty hours. Problem is that no one seems to know what Steve did or when he did it. That's a lot of "extra" money to make between only January and July. He cashed the hours in during a dispute over whether he would be or he was actually suspended in regard to the harrassment case now pending against the city. ( Most city officials had no idea what his status was.)

Gorsline makes $71,000 in yearly salary and another $15,000 in Medical coverage. His extra pay of $14,000 represents 20% of his YEARLY SALARY. But, he claims this $14,000.oo in extra work was done within just the first 7 months of this year....so it is actually a 40% raise on his salary paid for that time period. That's a lot of dough. However, if that is LEGITIMATELY what it is, then so be it. Everybody should get paid for what they do.

But that is the dispute. There are no credible records of what he did or when he did the work. The records he handed in to show what he did were best described as chicken scratch. A quick calculation shows this comes to $2000. oo - extra pay - PER MONTH - EVERY MONTH for this seven month period. That's alot of time. More disturbing is the Mayoral reaction. It's a Witch Hunt, that was Sottiles response.

Let me help the Mayor out. Here are some good responses:

"I will be calling Gorsline in and getting an indepth review of what he did and when he did it."

"I will investigate this and make sure the documentation matches the hours he put in for."

"I expect a full accountability of this exhorbinant amount of money and extra hours in such a short period of time."

"I will make sure that the City of Kingston taxpayers are getting what they are paying for and report back to them what I have found"

"I will fire any employee, even Superintendents, who misuse the public fisc and I will be certain to account for every hour and dollar, that is what I was elected to do."

I know a sure fire way to get the Mayor to turn over every stone to get to the truth.

Change the name of the person involved from Steve Gorsline to Troy Ashdown of CSEA.

The Mayor would have an entirely different approach then. He would be very concerned about the "abuse going on in the DPW". He would gladly show all of the unacceptable "Chicken Scratch" records he found to the press, he would promise that heads would roll and he would have so many concerns to voice about the taxpayers and their money. YES,then you would truly see what a witch hunt is all about.

His response that the other department heads, such as police and fire department heads, get the same type of pay is just a smoke screen. They are capped at 80 hours - Mr. Gorsline turned in over 400 undocumented hours, that is quite a different situation. What's wrong with accountability Mayor? Stop the double standard and show the people of Kingston all of the records. The Common Council seems just as confused on this as the general public. Let's clear the air here.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Something seems very wrong with this picture. The Mayor looks like he is helping someone hide a little fib.He is done politically in this city. What a #%$@&@#$%^&! joke!

Anonymous said...

Even the common council seems to be in on this scam. They have not once taken a stand on this issue. Except Alderman Teetsel, who apparently saw the records that don't exist. Did i mention his son was recently hire by Gorsline.

Anonymous said...

Some witch hunt. Let me get this right, Gorslines has been stock piling chemicals the city doesn't even use, provides no safety training for his men, despite 35 PESH violations, hires his girl freind he left his wife for and is in the middle of the biggest sexual harassment suit. Witch hunt hell burn him at the stake.

Anonymous said...

Someone should forward this so-called "documentation" to the NYS Comptroller's office and the AG's office. Gorsline has no proof that he ever worked or what he did during those hours and Sottile is defending it. Do you think that maybe Sottile is benefiting from this windfall too? I guess that puts a new twist on the term "profit sharing".

Anonymous said...

Earth to Jim Sottile....

...this is not a witch hunt.

Do your job, investigate the allegations. If there is basis for the allegations have him drawn up on charges. If the allegations are false, announce them as such and then close the books on this.

This is a distraction to you and all of Kingston. Fix it now!

Anonymous said...

oooooh, oooooh, I know. Why don't we check the GPS in Gorslines truck and see where he was when he said he was working? Oh thats right, the GPS threat was only to bust the CSEA's balls. Too bad the Mayor has been watching the wrong people huh? I wouldn't want to be in the Mayors "boots" right now.

Anonymous said...

better be careful hudson valley labor report.... Sottile will try and shut you down like he did KPA

Anonymous said...

Alderman Teetsel's son gets a job at DPW, shows up late constantly and keeps his job. Teetsel'ssold out to the good ol boys club. Being a banker he was smart enough to get one of his family members $50,000. Some bribe.

Anonymous said...

How do we get the State Comptroller down here to audit the DPW books. This is highway robbery.

An Alderman takes a bribe to say eveything is OK, when he hasn't even seen the paperwork.

How much more do the working family's in Kingston have to endure.

Gorsline has stock piled chemicals he never intended to use, for a few free golf outing from the salesman. Ignored the Public Employees Safety and Health office to the tune of 35 violations, hired his 26 year old unqualified girlfreind to sit on his lap at lunch. Is in the middle of at least 2 law suits against the city, and now has stolen $14,000.00 of taxpayer money.

where will it end.

Jen Fuentes said...

Bill Reynolds, the Majority Leader works for the NYS Comptroller's office. Ask him to investigate.

Anonymous said...

Troy Ashdown is fastly becoming one of the great union leaders in Ulster County. He is not afraid to take on the labor unfriendly politicians and thier cronies. I only wish we had someone like him runnig the County CSEA.

Anonymous said...

If the mayor or the county bosses ever started enforcing the contracts, there would be some pissed off union people.

A Progressive Hudson Valley Union said...

On the contrary, he should enforce the contract language. Both sides negotiated it and agreed upon every word in it. Nobody would be suprised or pissed off. That's the beauty of having a NEGOTIATED WRITTEN AGREEMENT - everybody knows the rules and agreed to live by them. Don't think it is full of suprises because it's not.