Officials call letter upsetting
Business owner blasts YMCA’s housing planBy KAYLEIGH KARUTIS, The Leader-Herald
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Casey's Letter
GLOVERSVILLE - Several city officials said they were discouraged by a local businesswoman's letter to Planning Board members saying she would postpone plans for a project because she disagrees with the YMCA's plan to expand its low-income housing.
Susan Casey, who owns Beacon Wearhouse and several rental properties in the city, sent a letter to Planning Board members Feb. 2 asking to suspend her request for a permit to renovate an apartment building she owns at 13 Bleecker St.
Casey said she is opposed to the Fulton County YMCA's plan to renovate its East Fulton Street building, which is about one-tenth of a mile from her property at 13 Bleecker St. She said she will not renovate her property if the YMCA's plan goes through.
"... More than likely, each new tenant/client [of the YMCA] will be collecting welfare and Medicaid on the backs of the working people of Gloversville and of Fulton County," Casey wrote in the letter.
The YMCA is seeking to renovate the lower two floors of its facility into 11 apartments to expand its housing for low-income residents. The proposal is currently being considered by the Planning Board.
Casey, who has been an outspoken critic of the proposal, wrote in the letter she is postponing her plans for her Bleecker Street property in order to "obtain more information about opening a methadone clinic that would service the area of tenants being brought in by a number of these non-tax-paying/non-profits."
Gloversville Mayor Dayton King, who has expressed reservations about the YMCA's plan but has said he believes it is a feasible use for the building, said he was surprised and disappointed by the letter. He said it appears Casey is attempting to intimidate or influence the board's decision by threatening to pull her project.
"The letter was disturbing," he said. "I think we need to be treating people with respect and be careful with our words, no matter who you are or your socio-economic status. The minute we start thinking we are better than someone else and act that out publicly, I have a problem with it."
King said he thought Casey's characterization of YMCA residents as potential methadone clinic patients -methadone is a drug used to wean addicts off heroin - was unfair and inappropriate. He said he hopes to talk with Casey about her concerns.
"I know she has spent a lot of money and time on downtown," he said. "And yes, there are people at the YMCA who have problems. There are people in the community with problems too - people with high-paying jobs."
Casey said Friday she stands by her letter and will not pursue the project she had planned, which involved turning part of the property into a storefront, if the YMCA project is approved.
"These people will be collecting social services of all kinds," she said. "[The YMCA's proposal] will bring in more blight. That's what it is, blight. These people don't have jobs or pay taxes."
Casey said the YMCA's proposal, if it is approved, will bring "drug addicts and drug dealers" to the area. She said she has put several million dollars of her own money into her various properties and has "a hard enough time as it is" renting or selling them.
City police records suggest the YMCA's residential building is not necessarily more of a crime magnet than other downtown properties.
According to records from the city Police Department, the department has responded to approximately 50 calls at the YMCA's facility at East Fulton Street since January 2007. The calls ranged from larcenies to disorderly conduct to medical emergencies.
According to police, during the same time period, the department has responded to 21 calls at Casey's 13 Bleecker St. property, which she has owned since 2000. Those calls were primarily related to disorderly conduct or family offenses. Casey and her husband, John Casey, own at least 10 properties in the city, according to city assessor records.
According to city records, police have responded to approximately 80 calls at six of Casey's other properties since January 2007. Casey has owned all of them since at least 2005, according to assessor records. Most of the properties are in the downtown area, including properties on South Main Street, North Street and West Fulton Street. The police calls involved reports of burglaries, family offenses, mental health problems and child endangerment.
Casey said Friday most of the complaints involving her properties are prompted by people who are not her tenants. She said many YMCA residents cause the mischief around her buildings.
"It's not like my tenants are causing these problems," she said. "And secondly, I pay a lot of taxes over here. I support the police and fire department."
Casey said many of the calls were reports about suspicious individuals and disorderly conduct that took place outside and in front of her properties. She said one of her properties was recently robbed, and another had a large window broken. She said the YMCA's proposal will draw more crime-prone people to the area.
Casey recently received $60,000 in grant funding to pay for an apartment renovation project. She said to compare the grants she has received to the government assistance poor people receive is inaccurate.
"When I spend more than $1 million on a project and get $60,000 in Main Street grants for it, we're a little out of proportion," she said. "I didn't ask for that. All I got was $60,000. That's not even a Band-Aid. That's a little saliva you stick on a wound."
Casey said the YMCA purposely let its building deteriorate. She said the Y is now seeking to renovate the property in order to make money off of it to help pay for its multimillion-dollar new facility on Harrison Street in the town of Johnstown.
"They're taking the life from Gloversville and sending it to Johnstown," she said.
YMCA Chief Executive Officer Steve Serge declined to comment on Casey's letter.
At the Planning Board's meeting Tuesday, Serge acknowledged that about half of the 23 residents at the facility now receive public assistance. He said residents must go through a background check, and no one with a history of abuse, violence or arson is allowed to live at the facility.
Planning Board Chairman Tim Mattice said Friday he thinks Casey could have gotten her point across in a less inflammatory way.
"It's okay to have concerns and be angry, but you have to be cautious of how your comments will affect other people," he said. "Of course there are examples of people who abuse the system. That is always brought to the forefront. But to generalize that everyone is like that is risky. You never hear about the person who genuinely needs help and who improved their life because [of the YMCA]."
Mattice said he knows Casey has made a "significant investment" in the city, and he wishes more people would do the same. He said Casey's comments, however, will not affect how he reviews the YMCA's project.
"[The board] will base [its] decision on code and regulations, not on personal opinions or feelings," he said. "There is a system in place we use to evaluate projects, and we will continue to do that with this proposal, as we would with any other."
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fireNYSGOVnow
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02-11-10 2:14 PM
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Ron Paul makes a lot sense. It sure is unfortunate he couldn't get the backing he needed for the big run. What we really need is a government that isn't self serving and uses common sense. Common sense - Therein lies the answers to all of our problems.
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gonzo76
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02-10-10 4:00 PM
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Oh, totally forgot, too: Many imply that I'm just some bleeding heart liberal. In actuality, one of my favorite political figures and authors is Congressman Ron Paul. Dr. Paul believes that TRUE conservatism can only work if we're just as skeptical about corporations as we are about government spending. BOTH entities are going to try to put one over on us. This is why I have gone at Casey so hard. True self--governance can only occur if we hold ALL in power accountable.
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gonzo76
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02-10-10 3:08 PM
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LOL, OK, truce. I actually am starting to think this Casey saga would make a pretty fine movie."Grand Theft America?"
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fireNYSGOVnow
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02-10-10 2:24 PM
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why read books when the movie will come out in 6 months and be waaaaay more entertaining...
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gonzo76
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02-10-10 2:23 PM
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To no one in particular:Oh, and, for the record? Everyone is entitled to their own opinion about welfare.I don't even care what your view is. However, if you choose to personally single me, or "Anarchy," or whoever out because you don't like our views, then you're going to get attacked. It's NOT elitism if YOU pick the fight. It's REALLY not elitism to ask serious questions about Casey, a woman who has not-so-subtly implied that she "owns" the city.
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gonzo76
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02-10-10 12:42 PM
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Hey, I learned a lot this week, too. I never knew that reading books was both"elitist" and "not working class." Huh, I wonder why we're falling behind the rest of the world in education? I wonder how the future children of "Caseyville" will measure up. Will Mrs. Casey get final say on the books our children read, as "her tax dollars" pay for the schools? Oh, well, just have to wait and watch...
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fireNYSGOVnow
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02-10-10 8:17 AM
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you have enlightened me. I stand corrected. Welfare = good. Taxpayer = bad.
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gonzo76
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02-09-10 10:40 PM
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To make this a little less political, even Ann Coulter refers to "business people" like Casey as "Yuppie House Flipping Scum." Casey freaking implied that she owned the police and fire departments, for heck's sake!
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gonzo76
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02-09-10 6:38 PM
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CAP: Uhm, I gave you your quote, and you still haven't answered my questions, directly, as "Yes" or "No." I've asked them at least twice. Just want to quote you properly. Pretty sure you changed the topic. Let's put our cards on the table, eh? I could not possibly care less about debating with you. This isn't about superiority, just lack of genuine interest. It doesn't go anywhere. I'll give you a post game wrap-up of some of our finer moments, complete with quotes.For example, you asked me what govt. spending has ever done? I answered "kill Nazis, NASA, etc," you seemed to have no further comment, as you didn't like the answers. Very FOX.No, I care about one thing only: Your thoughts on Mrs. Casey and competition and enforcing labor law. 'Kay? And stop whining!
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AnarchyUtopia
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02-09-10 6:30 PM
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C&P, I have to jump in and defend gonzo here. If you go back to the first 2 pages, you will find that in both of your comments you mentioned going to shop at Mrs.Casey shop. And as far as answering questions, I have purposed many to which I see no response. I have read every post from the beginning and C&P, you go from singing Mrs.Casey's praises to jumping down the throat of anyone who showed a difference of opinion. Anyone who reads this from start to finish will find you to be boorish and aggressive. Shouting people down does not work when you and your opinion are factually untrue and quite honestly intolerant and it does nothing but pollute cordial discussions with Hate.
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DoctorLogic
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02-09-10 6:17 PM
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Conservative, you can see my posts, right? I'm just not sure, as I believe I answered your question regarding the definition of temporary assistance. If you were referring to a different question which you posed to gonzo76, my apologies.
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ConervativeandProud
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02-09-10 6:12 PM
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Your avoidance of a direct answer is plenty for me. I see that you are in a hurry to change from that subject and demand answers from others yet avoid yours. Wont play that game. Sorry Gonzo My answers are clear for most reading these posts
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gonzo76
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02-09-10 5:59 PM
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Good work again, Doctor logic!
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DoctorLogic
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02-09-10 5:54 PM
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If you look down a few posts, I've (very briefly) outlined the restrictions imposed on recipients of TANF, but just to reiterate; recipients must find work within two years of joining the rolls, recipients may not receive more than 60 months of assistance over the course of their life (not including childhood).
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gonzo76
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02-09-10 5:54 PM
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"CAP": Here's you:"I will go out of my way to do business at Beacon Wholesale now. It is time the PRIVATE sector stood up against all these "feel good" liberals that are sucking the life and money out of what runs this country - The small businesses." Now, enough of this. Feel you were taken out of context, "O'Reilly?" Freakin' sue. Now, I want you on record: Would you support the idea of a a group of financiers possibly buying the Y to convert it into rental property to compete with Mrs. Casey? Second: Should Mrs. Casey's properties and businesses be independently examined to make sure she is complying with labor law? Are you a free market capitalist, or a Casey hack? Answer up or freaking sue, whiner.
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ConervativeandProud
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02-09-10 5:50 PM
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It is funny how when YDirector cites something it is taken as gospel. Must be because he is on the proper side of the arguement. According to NYS, Fulton County spends $667 per capita on social services (Second highest in NYS out of 57 counties). With a population of 55,168 and only 500 on temporary assistance, how much is being spent on them? And how about defining how long is "temporary". Facts not sterotypes
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ConervativeandProud
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02-09-10 5:38 PM
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Maybe I should make this VERY clear for gonzo: I dont care who buys it as long as it is a tax paying entity that will keep it maintained. It would be nice for the Y if a biddding war started on it. At least they would get more to help defray the expenses of the new place. IS THAT CLEAR ENOUGH? Now a clear answer to mine wold be appreciated.
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ConervativeandProud
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02-09-10 5:34 PM
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For being so book smart you sure have a hard time with reading comprhension. I think I stated the answer to your questions pretty clearly in my response. Now how about a CLEAR response to mine. You implied and directly quote me, yet I find no such references. I again ask for you to cite where I said this or admit you made these up to suit your arguement.
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gonzo76
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02-09-10 5:00 PM
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YDirector: Thanks for the info! Facts rule, not stereotypes!
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YDirector
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02-09-10 4:55 PM
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To read some of the comments on this blog you would think there are "thousands" of people here in Fulton County on public assistance. The truth is, there are only about 500 people on some form of "Temporary Assistance" with DSS, and over 1/2 of them are children.
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gonzo76
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02-09-10 4:36 PM
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Anarchy: I think "he" got the "25 year old male" from political hackery school. It's a classic straw man.
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gonzo76
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02-09-10 4:29 PM
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So, "fireNYSGOVnow," you're declining to take a position on something so simple as "what should be done with the building?" Yes or no? Should someone buy it and do something nice with it? No big, free market ideas that could improve the city? And, you're just flat out ignoring my second question: "Should we make sure that labor law is enforced in Gloversville?" Wow, between you and "conservativeandproud," I figured I'd get at least ONE answer out of you "two." "He's" been VERY quiet.You grabbed a great "quote" from "him" though!
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AnarchyUtopia
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02-09-10 4:25 PM
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No actually, FireGOV.. you are making grand gestures without any actual information. You bring up a 25 year old healthy male, who is this person you are speaking of? If you actually go back in these comments and read them through you will see that there have been many ideas thrown out there for discussion, but I guess because you know better. Would you care to enlighten us on your ideas to solve, said problem?
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fireNYSGOVnow
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02-09-10 4:09 PM
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I have no idea how many peple are on welfare and I could care less if anyone does anything with that dilapidated building. What I do get annoyed with are people who profess to "care" so much for people "down on their luck" but have no ideas for true solutions to the problem. They only provide more rhetoric to perpetuate the convenient system we have today. As someone said earlier, if you are a healthy 25 year old man - there is no reason you can't get a job to support yourself. Now, whether or not you can afford to support yourself after finding said job is what this discussion is really about.
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gonzo76
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02-09-10 3:46 PM
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Articulately stated, Doctor Logic!
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