22 minutes into last Thursday's edition of Tom Depietro's typically soporific, self-absorbed two-hour weekly gab fest show on local radio station WGXC, our recently deposed Common Council "president" had this to say to his guest from Catskill (and his audience of four) about the city he still lives in and once wielded far too much power over: I JUST HOPE CATSKILL DOESN'T GO THE WAY OF HUDSON... IT'S A MESS OVER THERE.
One wonders if "Tommy D" felt that way when he was trying to get himself reelected to the Common Council last year. If he had been reelected for a fifth term, would he still have announced the same thing to the world over the airways? And if it's such a mess over here in Hudson, was Tom's eight years presiding over the Common Council -- and involvement in the Parking Study Committee that created such a mess of its own -- in any way responsible for the "mess" he so happily spoke about from across the river?
Back over here in Hudson at 5th & State... Does anyone care to venture a guess as to what the new public garbage drop-off station across from the library is actually called? Why does it include a sign that says FOOD FRIDGE? Is this really allowed on a sidewalk anywhere in the city, including on Warren Street? Does this represent the future direction of Hudson, at least for the next two years? Did anyone at City Hall give the property owner at the corner permission to install this obscenity? Is our mayor or our new Code Enforcement Officer even aware of it? Can the CEO even do anything about it, like get it removed immediately? How about the four 3rd and 4th ward council members whose ward boundaries meet at 5th & State, would they have an opinion or try to do anything about the latest mess and eyesore in their wards if they were made aware of it? Would they even care? Have Rich Volo, Jen Belton, Jason Foster or what's-her-name walked past that garbage collection station even once in the past 6 months since it appeared? (Rich has probably driven past it a thousand times!) Is there any enforcement of the City Code in Hudson? Who the fuck wants to see this constant unmaintained mess, walk near it, own a house near it or live near it? Who the hell should be forced to see this mess and walk past it? It is as if just about everyone in City Hall, including the occupants of the Mayor's Office, wants to repel people from Hudson -- both residents and visitors -- to create a city that is an unwelcoming eyesore full of garbage and dog shit, both in bags and not.
I took the lead picture 7 days ago, 3 days after I noticed a bag of dog shit on the sidewalk in front of the garbage drop-off station. This morning, the bagged dog shit was gone, and in its place was a sign I could not have been happier to take a picture of (no, I did not move it there). I think the NO DUMPING sign on the sidewalk in front of the garbage dumping station neatly sums up how our former Common Council head bully so eloquently described Hudson to the world.
.jpg)
 |
| Merry Xmess! |
 |
| According to the forgotten city code, ALL recycling must be put in a container or it won't be removed by DPW. Ha! |
This blue vehicle, one of two owned by the same (apparently unhoused) person and parked in the City Hall lot, has been unmoved in the same "metered" parking space for at least 5 months. Yesterday, I noticed lots of canned food underneath it. With a 2026 Parking Lot permit displayed, the possibly inoperable vehicle is allowed to remain in that space for the next 10 months without being ticketed or towed by the city. Captain David Miller, at Monday's Safety Committee meeting, confirmed this (though not by referencing that specific vehicle). The blue vehicle owner's other permitted vehicle -- a white van about 15 spaces away that is almost certainly inoperable, is probably being slept in and has no space for a human in the driver's or passenger's seat, often with junk surrounding it and under it, and always with junk on top -- has been unmoved in the same space for at least the past 14 months. At the meeting, I asked Miller why the van was allowed to park in the lot without moving for over a year. Our apparent new parking supervisor responded as vaguely as he could, saying, "We're working on the van," whatever the heck that means! I asked Miller to elaborate, but he refused, and Henry Haddad, the committee chair, wasn't interested in hearing anything else about the van or parking in general. It was, after all, a SAFETY Committee meeting he was trying to manage.
(Note: One minute into the meeting, without having done roll call, Henry announced that committee member Dewan Sarowar was absent due to a "religious holiday," though I could find no evidence online of an Islamic holiday on or near March 2nd.)
What a mess!
 |
| If this is acceptable for years, you know we're in trouble for a long time! |
No comments:
Post a Comment