JACK WATCH 2011

AND THE LOVE-FEST BETWEEN THE MINEOLA AMERICAN & JACK MARTINS CONTINUES . . . 

Yesterday's edition (3/23) contained at least SIX pictures of Jack Martins.  Of course our favorites were the two shots of the back of his head.  DEFINITELY his better side!

Plus there were the two big article headlines starting with "Sen. Jack Martins: (blah, blah, blah)"  Then of course, there's his weekly Op-Ed piece accompanied by his Glamor Shots photo.

NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE MINEOLA AMERICAN HAS THERE BEEN SO MUCH  BLATANT FAWNING OVER ONE INDIVIDUAL. 

What is Anton Community Newspapers thinking?  Why are they SO eager to lick Jack Martins' boots?  If the editors at the Mineola American aren't careful they can very well ass-kiss themselves out of business because people are getting tired of it and THERE ARE OTHER LOCAL PAPERS OUT THERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO.

Seriously people!  Are you journalists or TOADIES?

CARL PALLADINO & JACK MARTINS: TWIN SONS OF DIFFERENT MOTHERS?

Say WHA-A-A-A-T-T-T-T-T?

Unlike Dan Fogleberg and Tim Weisberg, Carl & Jack don't look alike, but they sure do act alike.

Upstate, Carl Palladino, homophobic father of a love-child with a woman he's not married to, bangs the drum of "Family Values."   Then today it comes to light that he has collected rent in the past from two gay bars that leased space in his properties.  Then in an EXTREMELY lame attempt to smooth ruffled feathers, he lets slip that his nephew is gay.  Way to prove you're down with the people Dude! https://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/10/13/2010-10-13_gop_governor_hopeful_carl_paladino_cashed_on_buffalo_gay_clubs_cobalt_buddies_ii.html

Meanwhile, back downstate, Jack Martins boasts that he is the one who can bring integrity back to Albany.  In a March 2010 letter to the NY Post addressing that paper's March 25th editorial "For Sale - and Stupid," the senate hopeful stated, "An elected official's greatest responsibility is to prove to constituents that our system represents them. Yet we have people who systematically break the public trust and compromise the ideals of public service.  Their greed and arrogance undermine the American spirit, erode our faith, breed cynicism and rob us of hope.  It's only a matter of time before the hard-working and honest New Yorkers roll up their sleeves, come together and set things right."

Only a year earlier, Martins lied regarding his knowledge about conflicts of interest within his administration, and on September 22nd he lied about why he eliminated a union position.  He also has no problem accepting $19,000 from his uncle, an ex-con who served time in the Federal clink for bribery. ( http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/reform_pol_bribe_donors_went_to_ZgL14MeV2r9Czr4KaOfdyL )

"My history of outstanding public service isn't changed by what is their supportive gesture," said Jack.

"Right!" said Fred.

So:  Carl and Jack.  Twin sons of different mothers?  Or two men who share the same lame brain?  Election Day is less than 3 weeks away.  You decide.

(http://glencove.patch.com/articles/lavine-backs-johnson-in-stand-against-extremism)

So Long, Farewell and Kiss My True Grits!

MNYT wonders if that's what Barbara Bellis-simo Mattina was thinking as she departed 155 Washington Avenue for the last time as a Village employee back in January. 

Mrs. Mattina was raised and educated in the Incorporated Village of Mineola and started working for VOM in 1974.  By all accounts, she was a dedicated employee with a very strong work ethic.  You know the type:  coughing and sneezing, but reporting to work anyway because that is what you do.  (People like that are SO annoying, don'tcha think?)

To quote a recent letter to the Mineola Ame-rican acknowledging her retirement, " . . . she was totally dedicated to her duties and the people of Mineola.  She was someone you could always count on.  She seldom took time off and was always there when you needed her."  (http://www.antonnews.com/mineolaamerican/opinion/5617-letter-enjoy-your-retirement-barbara.html )

Whether her dedication was inherited or learned, there is no doubt the apple didn't fall far from the family tree, because Barbara Mattina's father was the late Anthony Bellissimo, well-known for his community involvement with Kiwanis, the Mineola Republican Club, Mineola's Fire Department and the Board of Trustees - to name a few.  Tony Bellissimo was not a slacker and apparently, neither was his daughter.( http://www.mfdaction.com/news/bellissimo.html )

As a matter of fact, Mrs. Mattina was the subject of a Mineola Ameri-can article back in 1999 entitled "25 Wonderful Years."  At the office she was feted with a tiara, sash and balloons in honor of what was by then 1/4 of a century of civil service with the Village of Mineola. (http://www.antonnews.com/mineolaamerican/1999/07/23/news )

Here are quotes from some of her colleagues that were part of the article:  "You can put her in any department and she's excellent at it.  She is well liked by everyone in the village."  And, "She likes helping senior citizens and those in need.  She really likes what she does."

Most resounding is the subject's own take on the situation:  "This is a wonderful place to work.  It's like working in a little family."

Sounds ducky.  So what happened?  Why would someone who clearly loved the community she grew up in; who enjoyed working with the public (and let's face it - "the public" can be real ball busters); who derived a true sense of pleasure from assisting other people, leave her position the very first day she was able to retire with her full union benefits?  And without any fanfare or retirement luncheon.  Surely somebody who has been a faithful civil servant to VOM for over 35 years deserves some kind of formal recognition.

You'd think.

Let us suppose, gentle reader, that for the last seven years of your tenure with the Incoporated Village of Mineola you'd been subjected to a hostile work environment.  Suppose you were harassed by your boss.  Now suppose you complained to his boss and nothing was done.  Suppose that even after you transferred out of the department, the harassment continued and was extended to your co-workers as well.  Suppose that with only about 6 weeks to go before your retirement date, you were brought up on trumped up charges that were subsequently dropped because they were completely without merit.

Would you want ANYTHING from such people?

Because that's exactly what Mrs. Mattina's work life was like.  And it all began with a slip of the lip. 

UH-OH!

The day she let slip to her Building Department co-worker that she knew she was "doin' the nasty" with their boss was the beginning of the end.  Think about it:  if information like that got out it could cost boss man and his gal pal/secretary their jobs and jettison his marriage.
Bit of a sticky wicket, that.

So what's a "gentleman" to do?  How about embark on a campaign of harassment to make Mrs. Mattina's life miserable?

And when this harassment was brought to the attention of the big guy in charge, what do you suppose he did?  You might expect him to fire the boss and transfer the gal pal because such a relationship is totally
inappropriate in a government agency.  It compromises the integrity of the department and leaves the village open to a possible sexual harassment lawsuit down the line.  Add to that the creation of a hostile work environment towards Mrs. Mattina and the behavior crosses the line from merely inappropriate to COMPLETELY EGREGIOUS.

But the mayor's solution to this problem was to transfer Barbara Mattina from the Building Department where she had already worked for seven years, and send her back to the Justice Court.  No matter that she had done nothing wrong or that she had not violated the trust of the village taxpayers.  It also didn't matter that she had more years in that department than both the supervisor and the other secretary combined, or that she had a wealth of knowledge that neither of them had.  What mattered was keeping Building Superintendent Dan Whalen happy.

Why?

Why would the mayor allow the Building Superintendent to keep his job under such circumstances?  It's not as if he had a long history with the Village as somebody who had worked his way up the ranks.  Whalen was a newcomer with very limited experience in the field and with dubious qualifications.  He exercised extremely poor judgement when he decided to embark on a deeply personal relationship with his subordinate (for whom he managed to obtain a 15.48% pay increase in 2004 that was followed by another 9% at the end of that year).  But his further decision to engage in a campaign of harassment and intimidation against Mrs. Mattina was unconscionable.  And the only other person who holds more accountability than Danny B is the mayor - for allowing it to go on despite the complaints he received from village taxpayers, not to mention the employees union.

What, exactly, does Mr. Whalen bring to the table?  Or maybe it's what's under the table that counts. . .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The situation got so bad that Mrs. Mattina had to report to work early every day so she could be escorted up to the second floor to punch in her time card, in the event that her former boss was there.  And even though Whalen was instructed to maintain his distance from Mrs. Mattina, he always managed to find a way to cross paths with her when court was in session.  Back and forth through the Justice Court offices he would go.  Back and forth.  To and fro.  Just to make his presence known.

But the lady stuck it out with grit and determination.  What else was there to do?  Give in and throw in the towel?  Should she have caved, quit the Village and lost out on benefits she had worked so long for?  Should she have given in to thuggery?  Because that's what all of this really amounts to.  Thuggery.

Thugs rule by intimidation.  They steal what isn't theirs to have.  And it doesn't have to be something like money or jewels.  They can steal your pride, your sense of self-worth, your sense of safety and security. 

They can try to anyway.  For instance, according to a written complaint filed by Mrs. Mattina and one of her co-workers, as they were heading towards the door at the end of one work day they encountered Whalen coming from the opposite direction.  He then pulled out his cell phone as if he'd gotten a call and made a disparaging remark about them as he passed by, referring to them as "a herd of cows."

Their word against his.  But if you've ever had any dealings with Whalen, you know that (a) he's not a gentleman and (b) he is a coward.  If he called these women "a herd of cows" to their faces, that would have been a direct verbal assault.  But he did it in a sneaky, cowardly way.  And even when these women filed complaints in writing with the village they received no support.  Can you possibly imagine what the response was?  You really can't because nobody is that creative.

Except for the Village's attorney.  Because as usual, John Spellman was there to clean up Danny B's mess.  Attorney Spellman's response?  The reported incident happened after 4:30 - "after working hours" - so there was no action for the Village to take.  It didn't matter that it occured within the confines of Village property and only a few minutes after the official end of the work day.  It didn't matter that a complaint had been filed with the Teamster's Union and that THEY had instructed these women to put the Village on notice.  No siree.

You see, John Spellman is the Teflon® coating to Danny B's frying pan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So instead, Mrs. Mattina put in for an early retirement and counted down her days.  Not because she's filthy stinkin' rich and never has to work another day in her life.  Not because she didn't enjoy helping the public any more.  Not because her job was no longer challenging.  But because life is too short to allow people to shit on your head and call it rain any longer than you absolutely have to.

But even then, the harassment didn't stop.

For some reason the Village Clerk decided to get in on the action, grilling the Justice Court supervisor when on the video surveillance system he saw Mrs. Mattina standing in front of the building on one of her union mandated breaks.  Weeks later he filed charges against Mrs. Mattina for leaving her post early and without permission - accusing her of putting the villagers at "jeopardy" by leaving the Justice Court unstaffed.  In the meantime, with her supervisor's prior knowledge and permission, Mrs. Mattina had worked through her lunch so she could keep a medical appointment .  And the office was not left unmanned.  There were two other workers there.

Thankfully, the United Public Service Employees Union stepped in and got these ridiculous charges squashed.   But again, it cost the taxpayers because Spellman had to get involved to represent the Village.  All because the Village Clerk had to try to stick it to Barbara Mattina.  And to what end?  For what purpose?  What was he trying to prove?

And this just a few weeks before Christmas.  Ah, the spirit of giving !! 

So adieu Barbara Bellissimo Mattina.  Stomp the muck off your boots and forget 155 Washington Avenue.  At least forget the last six or seven years.  There's life beyond Mineola.  And if you do decide to return to the workforce, whoever is smart enough to hire you will be greatly rewarded.  And maybe, maybe some day the Village taxpayers will recognize just how reprehensible certain of their civil servants are, and how badly they're being hosed by certain of the people in charge.  Maybe then they'll demand a change.

In the meantime Mrs. Mattina, enjoy your newfound freedom from all things Mineola.  And remember:  Life is a Beach . . .  

A HORSE IS A HORSE OF COURSE ~ But What is a Building Superintendent?

Interesting question, that.

The Village of Mineola's job description for the position of Superintendent of Buildings calls for:

"(1) a High School graduate and eight years of experience in planning and construction of buildings, including five years of progressively more responsible experience in all phases of building inspection work, at least three years of which must have been in a supervisory capacity;
OR
(2) completion of at least two years of college, with courses in engineering and six years of experience as described in (1)."

That seems fairly straightforward.  So let's see.  Who would plan and

construct buildings?  An architect. 

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT

A structural engineer.  A licensed general contractor.  A carpenter perhaps.  Maybe even a parking meter attendant.

Whoa!  Wait a minute Mr. Postman !!!  Did you read that right?  A parking meter attendant?  Why would anybody hire a parking meter attendant to be a Building Superintendent?  That's as crazy as promoting a former carpenter from the Nassau County Correctional Center to be Manager of a Hempstead town cemetary.  And we know how that turned out:

 ( http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/cemetery-worker-suspended-for-blunder-1.1603789 ) 

OK, so you can expect that kind of tomfoolery from the likes of  Uniondale.  After all, they're just a lowly hamlet, and we know how THOSE places are run what with all the cronyism, the corruption, and the political favoritism that is de rigeur.  But such falderol doesn't go down in an Incorporated Village like Mineola.  Especially with someone like Jack Martins at the helm.  No siree Bob!  Why he's the paradigm of integrity.  He would never put the Village at risk by allowing someone with a questionable pedigree to man the helm of Mineola's Building Department.

Would he?

Let's take a gander at Daniel B. Whalen's employment history with the Nassau County Department of Civil Service.  He started as a seasonal park worker in June 1994 at $10 per hour.  He continued along this career path until April 15, 1998 when he took the position of part-time parking meter attendant with the Village of New Hyde Park.  The pay was better - $17.68 an hour - but maybe it wasn't good enough because he resigned his position on August 20th that year.

Now you may be wondering - how could he support a family on a part-time salary like that?  According to urban legend, Mr. Whalen had an interest in a bar - or two (as in drinking establishments).  So maybe civil service was a way for him to earn some steady scratch.  Who knows?  But he was climbing that career ladder because six months after he left New Hyde Park, Whalen was hired by the Village of Westbury as a bonafide, full-time Complaint Investigator at $32,500 yearly.  Congrats Dan!  Momma's got a brand new bag!

Here's the catch.  The CI post was a competitive position, and Whalen was hired on a provisional basis meaning he had to pass the Civil Service exam within nine months of his hire date.  Clarification:  he not only had to pass, but he had to obtain "reachable" status.  In other words, he had to score high enough to be among those at the top of the list in order to be considered for the limited number of jobs.  But he didn't.  The Village of Westbury was thus required by law to terminate his provisional employment as a Complaint Investigator.

So what did the Trustees of the Village of Westbury do?

Effective November 15, 1999 they promoted Dan Whalen to Building Superintendent - an EXEMPT position requiring NO TESTING - at a salary rate of $49,000 per year!  That's a 50% salary hike for someone who couldn't even qualify to be a Complaint Investigator!

Were I a resident of the Village of Westbury, I'd be mighty pissed off.  But it seems those good people have been doing the Happy Dance since 2002 because as of that September, DW became Mineola's problem.  A $100,000 a year problem by now.

That's right friends.  When he left Westbury, Whalen's salary was up to $67,000 per annum.  When he joined VOM in September 2002, it was at an hourly rate of $43.13 which works out to $78,496.60.  That's more than a 17% pay increase in one fell swoop.  As of June 2008 his hourly pay rate was $54.70 for an annual salary of $99,553.14.  Just in case anybody's counting, that works out to nearly a 4% annual increase every year.  No civil service test required.  No customer service skills required.  Sound judgement not required.  The ability to ascertain where to draw the line in terms of personal relationships with subordinates? Not required.

So what are the taxpayers getting for their money?  Well, over the years a number of complaints have been filed with the employees' union against Mr. Whalen.  He has issued permits for non-conforming structures in violation of both the Village Code and NYS code.  He has allowed a certain property owner to take years to construct a house without requiring a single permit extension.  He issued that same owner a final Certificate of Occupancy despite the fact that there are no leaders, gutters or downspouts on the house - another violation of NYS law.  Nor had a final survey on the property been done at the time as is also required by law. 

He allowed another already non-conforming house to be expanded without requiring the owners to go before the Board of Zoning Appeals so the public could comment on the proposed construction.  Now this matter has gone to court.  And there are so many other examples.

In the interest of full disclosure, Whalen received certification as a NYS Code Enforcement Officer on August 31, 1998.  So he's got book learnin', which is a plus.  But the job description calls for PRACTICAL CONSTRUCTION  EXPERIENCE. 

As in: does he know the face end of a hammer from the claw end?

Prior to being appointed as Westbury's building superintendent, had he ever installed or repaired plumbing other than plunging the toilet in his own house?  Had he ever overseen or otherwise participated in a concrete pour or the shoring up of a foundation?  What prior supervisory experience did he have in the construction field?  (Looking over your bartender's shoulder to ensure he's not being too generous with the whiskey in the highballs doesn't count!)  What does his college transcript show?  Did he take any engineering courses?

Here's an experiment for you.  Go to the Village of Mineola and submit a request under the Freedom of Information Law to review Dan Whalen's Curriculum Vitae or job application.  See what response you get.  He's a civil servant paid with taxpayer dollars, but according to Mineola's Board of Trustees the taxpayers don't have a right to review his qualifications. "Unwarranted invasion of personal privacy" is what they'll tell you - even though he's a public servant and the courts have ruled time and again that public servants are not entitled to the same level of personal privacy as those who work in the private sector.  The Committee on Open Government has offered opinion after opinion about the right of the public to have access to the employment history and job credentials of their employees.  But Jack Martins doesn't give a rat's ass.  He's hell bent on protecting Dan Whalen despite the complaints he's heard from village residents, contractors and Whalen's fellow employees.

And that says it all.

So, getting back to the original question:  What is a Building Superintendent?  Go to your Webster's to look it up.  But DON'T expect to see Daniel B. Whalen's picture next to that definition.