Contractors Caught Paying Off The Books And Deducting No Taxes On Job Built Using NYS Money

Remember when the local construction unions were told that their contractors were NOT competitive enough with their bids to build the new Orange Regional Medical Center hospital?

Well, well, look at this one.

No wonder why legitimate union contractors prices were rejected as being too "HIGH".

The New York State Department of Labor has heavily fined THREE NON-UNION CONTRACTORS at the Orange Regional Medical Center for paying workers off the books, not paying them overtime and illegally deducting money from their paychecks.

Not to mention they brought in Out of State Workers to do it.

The Department of Labor announced Wednesday that it fined the three companies a total of $265,207. The workers were robbed of $118,000 in wages and illegal deductions from what little pay they did get.

It all seems pretty clear now who were the good guys, who were the bad guys in the construction of this hospital.

The ones working and building the hospital didn't pay their taxes on their pay and yet the unemployed locals paid the tax on their unemployment checks.

Thanks Orange Regional Medical Hospital for all you have done to and for our local LEGITIMATE CONTRACTORS AND WORKERS.

And thanks for showing the entire Hudson Valley and the union workers why you cannot believe the spin put on the "sin" of making a prevailing wage or that it is bad for business.

We will forever use the Orange Regional Medical Center as an example of how many contractors in the construction business submit that "lowest bid".

Thank you Thank you Thank you

Where's The Beef?

Speaking of jobs - how many economic development people do we have employed in the public sector in the Hudson Valley?

Remember how hard some of them fought the local construction workers when they begged for local jobs for local people? We do!

Or what about how hard some of them fought against even bringing up the subject of a liveable wage for local people in the jobs that could be created?

Don't get lulled to sleep because that has not changed.

Everybody talks jobs jobs jobs. All the big shots want their name in the paper for the announcement - but when it comes to actually discussing the kind of jobs or an actual number - forget it !

They can't be more clear with their motto on that-

"Don't ask and don't tell"

Here is a hint to all - That is no longer going to be acceptable.

So for starters, drop the cocktails, fingerfoods and drinks and give us the "solar details".

JOBS JOBs JObs Jobs jobs

There has been much written, many discussions had and many press conferences called in regard to our goal to make Ulster County the hot bed of the Solar Industry on the East Coast.

There is a solid effort being put forth to make that happen by the solar groups and every politician in our area. That is a great move and one that should be supported.

The goal is to create jobs. Good jobs. Putting people to work. Taking people who are unemployed and who have been displaced and involving them in a new and exciting career. One in which they can support a family.

There have been multi- millions of dollars of taxpayer provided funds and grants that have been pumped into this effort. The amount of press conferences held announcing the next grant to the next business coming in or given again to those who are in line a second time are staggering. The unemployed person who reads of these events in the paper gets some life and hope pumped into their viens that maybe things will really improve around here.

But there is a component missing in the equation - tell us about those jobs. Give us the real information on what those millions are bringing in besides headlines. Why do we NEVER read that part?

Solar/ Green jobs are always touted as the new "high paying" jobs.If that is even partly true it would definitely be an improvement for the area.

How many people have a job because of this effort? How many new hires are there? What is the starting pay? Are there health plans and retirement plans?

Some might feel that this is wrong to ask - but it is not. Too many times in the past we in the Hudson Valley have heard the great, high paying jobs story only to find out they were paying $9-10 dollars an hour with no benefits.

Let's make the solar industry a benefit for everyone - the owners and the workers.

Show us the details.