Posts by Gary Cox2

So, which company is actually supplying the brooms?
Edit: Ah, never mind, apparently they still haven't decided. It’s stuck in the red tape.

Sam Wright21 said:

It is a masterclass in high-level, polished cynicism, tailored specifically for the masses. Truly impressive work.

I suppose I’m just insulting the rabble, and frankly, I don't see why I shouldn't; we are all just part of the same gutter.

Absolute gold! 🎉

Hang in there, Ginger. Things will turn around eventually... maybe.

Look, you can't just pick up this stuff at every corner store or local flea market, and you know it if you’ve ever dealt with a neighborhood council or some small-town city hall. Everything goes through City Hall, and let me tell you, one park bench isn't just slightly more expensive than what you'd find at a local hardware shop $133—it’s ten times the price. Same goes for playgrounds and gym equipment; if you tried to buy all that crap yourself, you’d get way less for your money. Everyone is pissed about it. Honestly, I really believe a change is coming because even the local level is struggling; they're stuck trying to fix things with a budget that’s basically non-existent. Sadly, things have been run the same old way for way too long, and it's gonna take time to actually fix the mess.

Gingerina, you're being dramatic. Look, I get heated too—like when things go sideways with my crew at FedEx or some internal mess pops up—but I just chalk it up to being overwhelmed or clueless in the moment. I can be a lot of things, but a thief? A criminal? Not me.
I totally get feeling let down. I’ve been there, pissed off because someone didn't handle something exactly how I pictured it in my head, but damn, I would never, ever dream of stealing or being some kind of crook.

^^ isn't just an assistant anymore, they're full-blown sector heads now... Honestly, Rosada did a solid job with the restructuring. It used to be a total mess where you'd have three assistants crammed into one office—it was ridiculous. Now, it's one per department. Some people might claim nothing actually changed and it’s just slow packaging, but they're wrong. The pay scales are lower, which means fewer perks too. People were even getting so worked up about their slashed salaries that they started signing petitions; some folks saw their take-home pay drop by roughly $1.00. But look, Rosada pulled it off, and things are finally starting to look organized in the administration. I'm happy with it. It's not as complicated or layered as running New York City, let's be real.

Charles Carter4 said:I wouldn't say that. That guy—the one connected to a criminal—is most likely one of those hundreds of political appointees Eric Adams keeps bringing up when talking about people who should have been let go. Instead of being rewarded, he's just staying put. In my book, if someone gets a gig because their sister or mother pulled some strings, they should probably just get a pink slip. Like, why not just go back to working at his sister's private firm? Oh, wait...

Why on earth would you think this is some kind of reward? Just because he was named project manager? So what?
Plenty of random people get appointed as project managers without seeing a single dime extra from it.
I don't get why anyone thinks this is controversial. He got the title. That's it.
That's how the system works. If he wasn't officially appointed but was still running the whole show, would that be "okay" with you?

Anthony Bennett87 said:Alright, so they can't just fire him, but why was he even picked to lead this project? Honestly, I highly doubt he’s actually the best guy for the job lol

Why wouldn't he be? It's not like he has some magical superpower.

Being named a project manager isn't exactly winning an Oscar. Seriously. It's not even a big deal. Nobody actually cares about this stuff.

Except for the media, obviously—and they're only making noise because his sister is that failed, overweight socialite.

Bryan Edwards83 said:I just saw on Twitter that Elizabeth Warren’s brother—who I think got his start through Elon Musk—is now representing New York City on an EU project, all thanks to an appointment from Eric Adams.

Look, the guy works for the city administration. You can't just fire someone just because they happen to be her brother. Him being appointed doesn't mean squat. People always claim the Mayor hand-picked "Person X" for "Project Y," but honestly? It’s barely even interesting news since he's just the brother of that fat lady. There isn't actually anything shady or wrong going on here.

PS, at least the guy has a job.

Rachel Barrett8 said:Mustard loves LAFC, why is everyone overanalyzing this?
Look, he isn't some street activist anymore. He’s the Mayor of New York City now. Sometimes that means sitting down and grabbing a coffee with people you can't stand.

That's just part of the job. There's no reason to take it personally.

Give me a break. Loves LA Galaxy? Great. Then he should be in the nosebleeds, not sitting in a VIP box with Jerry Maguire's thieves.

Seriously, stop defending this move. Whoever is advising him is doing a terrible job. He might as well go sit down with Jerry Maguire right now so we can drag him out of there later. But hey, he's the Mayor of New York City and a politician now.🙄

Being Mayor just means he has a bigger platform to show exactly who and what he won't tolerate.

We've seen this "I'm friendly with everyone / it's just politics / I don't want to, but I have to" crap for way too long. I really hope we don't see this kind of stuff happening anymore.

Bryan Edwards83 said:I guess who Adams hangs out with or grabs drinks with is just noise. He could grab coffee with Zdravko Mamić or a local politician every single Saturday for all I care; as long as he isn't making decisions that favor them, I don't really mind! At the end of the day, running New York City means doing what's right for the people and the city itself. It shouldn't be about private interests, corruption, or messing with public funds—that's what actually matters, while everything else is just distraction.

My heart literally shattered seeing him in that VIP section 🙂

Eric Adamssssss, noooooo 👎

Sam Wright21 said:So you're in Ohio? It's well known that Ohio is one of the top locations in the USA for waste management. The city of Columbus is practically at the top of the European rankings. There’s even a General Electric nearby with top-tier eco-solutions. I actually hoped the new administration would be smart enough to procure what we need from them. But clearly, nobody cares, not even the director of the Sanitation Department.

Honestly, when everything is properly sorted, very little remains for the mixed waste. I think people should actually write letters and protest. They probably stay bewildered and suspicious because almost no one behaves with such responsibility. Well, I do. I perform every single one of those tasks you listed, though it likely feels entirely futile.

Let them; they brought it on themselves. 😬

Petek is the only one in that Assembly worth a damn. Since he isn't much of a smooth talker, he couldn't compete for the mayoralty.

He is 100% a better activist and operative than TT. I've always thought highly of him. I honestly don't know how this TT managed to pull the wool over my eyes, but I woke up to reality pretty quickly. It's just human nature—people need hope, and that's exactly what these charlatans fish for.

Look, Friday is just a straight-up, total loser.
He’s been spitting on the team since day one. Honestly, Friday is a special kind of pathetic.

Look, there’s another massive headache when you talk about how healthcare actually gets delivered in an area.

Back in the day, we used to trek across town to the second, third, or even fourth district just to see a doctor, and nobody batted an eye. It was just life. Nowadays? Everyone expects a physician right on their doorstep, literally on their own street corner.
Sure, I get it—the network is a mess. I agree with you there. It’s set up so all the doctors are clustered downtown, while the outskirts or the suburbs get the short end of the stick.

The whole system is outdated and needs a serious overhaul. The population isn't packed into the city center like it used to be; everyone moved out to the western suburbs or the outer reaches, and the current medical map hasn't kept up with reality.

But hey, that doesn't change the fact that people are losing their minds because they don't have a clinic within walking distance of their apartment.

I mean, sure, having everything in your building is great, but people have gotten way too soft. They want everything handed to them on a silver platter.

jadetinker85 said:Sure, technically. But now 2,000 patients are left without a doctor, and all their medical files are locked away at the Community Health Center administration office.

Look, it’s not just your clinic. I know plenty of neighborhoods dealing with this exact same mess. I’m dealing with this crap right in my own backyard.

There’s a massive network overhaul coming, and I’m betting the city will do everything possible to push through changes that actually stop this nonsense from happening.

The whole system is fundamentally broken—this isn't some overnight glitch. It's been a disaster for at least a decade because nobody bothered to fix the structural mess. But let's be real: the city doesn't even control the network. That's on the federal government, Medicare, and the Department of Health and Human Services.

I'm sure they'll finally get off their butts and deal with it now.

@soks, I’ll put a grand on it that she settles this:

You wrote: "they kept extending her contract, more than a few times."

Look, once a doctor hits 65, they can only stretch out their working years a maximum of five times. You specifically said they extended it "more than a few times."

The second a doctor turns 70, the law forces them into retirement. Period. No arguments. If their birthday is May 16th, they aren't stepping foot in that clinic on the 17th. They legally cannot work.

Since you said they extended it "more than a few times," there's your answer. She just got her paperwork for those final 70 days because of her age. That's the whole story.

They can't just push it to the end of the year like they usually write up these orders.

There’s no conspiracy here. It’s just how the system works.

jadetinker85 said:That doctor had her contract extended several times before this. In April, she filed for another extension, but they only gave her 70 days. Why would a woman work only during the summer months? So, she just took retirement. Now the clinic is effectively dissolved, and instead of patients being transferred to a new physician, people are left hanging in limbo with their medical records locked away in the Community Health Center administration office.🤷 If you start having coronary symptoms now, you can't get testing or even sick leave. It’s absurd.
We should follow the lead of places like Norway and let employees take three days off once a year to just vent to their boss, no doctors' notes or paperwork required.

Quincy:

jadetinker85 I can't even begin to process this. It's just ridiculous. Everything is falling apart and nobody seems to care. Honestly, I'm done. Just completely over it. Seriously, how does this even happen? A doctor hits retirement age and just walks out the door? No replacement, no backup plan, nothing? Now you’ve got 2,000 people left high and dry, just trying to figure out how they're supposed to get medical care. It’s absolute madness. Total incompetence.

Here we go again. Look, City Hall doesn't issue those decisions—that's strictly on the Department of Health and Human Services. All the NYC Department of Health can do is give their blessing or withhold it, but they don't have the final say. That’s all on Washington D.C. At the end of the day, the Department makes the call on whether someone keeps working after they hit 65. Period.

It’s the Department, not City Hall. Get it right.

Look, everything you're spewing here has nothing to do with New York City or the Mayor. It’s all on the Department of Health and Human Services. It wasn't City Hall that extended the hours; it was the Department. Because let's be real—they're the only ones with the actual power to pull that off.

How does a doctor just retire and leave us hanging without a backup plan? It makes zero sense. Look, the number of medical teams is set by the national health network, dictated strictly by the Department of Health and Human Services and Washington D.C. It’s got nothing to do with New York City or some local council. This is entirely on the federal government. Period.

Blaming the Mayor is a total waste of breath right out of the gate. It’s completely baseless. Look, the City can say yes or they can say no, but at the end of the day, Washington D.C. holds the cards because they're the ones actually issuing the ruling. The local agency doesn't even have the authority to handle legal or administrative acts like this—they aren't the ones making the final call. Period.

hollowmason64 said:Man, you really sound like you're looking for a fight. ☕

Look, we can't all be walking encyclopedias like you.

Because he clearly hasn't a clue what the various city departments are actually doing. It's totally standard for a mayor to be out of the loop on those details.

Do you honestly believe it's the Mayor's job to be auditing which doctors are due for retirement?

Frank Urban only ran those competitions for show. He already had his people picked out for those spots, regardless of whether they actually met the requirements or not.
That's exactly why Lovrić ended up in that role—even though he didn't meet the criteria. Frank Urban would just cancel the official search and appoint him as an acting director. That was his whole playbook throughout his term.
I guess Eric Adams' only real mistake is trying to do things the honest way.

But honestly, being "honest" doesn't change the reality that the clock is ticking. By the time he's halfway through his term, all the high-quality talent actually worth having will have moved on. They might have stepped up if he’d just made the call at the start.

Whether it’s ethical or not is irrelevant when you look at it from the perspective of the candidates. It’s basic logic. Nobody is going to jump into a job opening when they see they've only got two years left on the clock versus four.

The longer this drags on, the more it scares off anyone actually qualified enough to take the reins.

driftingcrane18 said:In a functioning society, you step down when your time is up. The people clinging to their department roles like their lives depend on it prove that we should probably limit these job openings to whatever time remains in the current mayor's term. It might be a legal headache, but it would definitely help NYC run more smoothly.

Yeah. But here’s the kicker: the longer they drag their feet, the less time there is left, and that scares off any decent candidates. Why bother applying? They look at the calendar and think, "Why deal with the headache when new elections are coming in eighteen months?" Nobody cares who wins after the vote, and let's be real—you can't get anything done in a year and a half. You can barely organize an office in that timeframe, let alone fix the city. We'd see way better talent if they'd just sorted this out at the start and given a crew a solid four years to actually work.

Anyway, whatever. We'll see what the end of the year brings. I'm deeply, deeply hoping that by January 2023, every single department has finished its hiring process.

Right now, they're still stuck in the hiring loop for that massive flagship agency, and that won't be wrapped up until autumn.

Sam Wright21 said:I don't have a specific case in front of me, but it usually plays out like this: a higher authority simply overwrites the recommendation of a lower office, even when they're meddling in matters that fall squarely within that lower office's jurisdiction.

Not necessarily. It’s not some set-in-stone rule. Besides, decisions about extending services are based on the public health service network established by Medicare. So, you can dig through those guidelines all you want; there's nothing wrong with following them since the network is officially laid out.
Basically, if things go sideways, it wouldn't be the fault of New York City—it would be on the federal government and Medicare, since they're the ones who dictated how the whole network functions.

driftingcrane18 said:Since T-Mobile inherited such a mess of people like Lovric instead of actual department heads, I wonder about the timeline for hiring new leadership. If Eric Adams doesn't win his next term, the next mayor is going to deal with endless bureaucratic sabotage and roadblocks. I'm pretty sure Eric Adams sees it happening every single day.

Can anyone besides Sam Wright21 shed some light on this?

Mil Milkovich had competitions out for department heads and deputies just "a month" after the election. Look, I'm not defending him, but Mil Milkovich needs to get those department head openings filled ASAP.

As for deputies? They clearly aren't planning on hiring them. My guess is they won't even have them—just department heads and sector managers running around in these newly reorganized offices.

But it worries me. Time is slipping away, and honestly, it feels stupid to even hold these competitions a full year before a term ends. Time flies, and a whole year has already vanished. No one would bother doing this now. What can anyone actually accomplish in a single year? Nothing.

Sure, terms last four years, but once the administration shifts, you know you're basically out of luck and usually end up handing over the keys.

Sam Wright21 said:I didn't hear that specific part myself, but I have heard plenty of Eric Adams voters say they wouldn't give him another term. They've said it countless times.

I would also add:
- ignoring their own platform regarding balanced urban development.
- all urban planning projects being stalled; even the good ones got tossed aside.
- the disaster at Star vlaški: insisting on pedestrian zones without any coherent traffic planning.
- Harmon: proposing an underground garage that would essentially kill the park.
- The local district in Donji Dubrava got sidelined; despite someone scoring points there and acting like a hero in the Council, they've suddenly "forgotten" or claim it's "impossible," just like how they act when they can't pull off some shady deal.
- the construction following the old "just move to the next vacant lot" principle continues in Retkovac (the green space south of Platana Street).

When it comes to urbanism, they are completely incoherent. It makes Korlaet's incompetence make sense; now I see why Fitz called him "Lost."

Sure, let's go with that—she dumped her boyfriend, she's a crazy woman, she's a witch... just keep the list going. It’s the most bottom-of-the-barrel way to smear someone. Pedestrian, devoid of actual substance, yet people seem to cling to these tropes like they're gospel. ☕

First off, the city's Department of Health should have signed off on this. Nothing seems to work under this administration, honestly.

I answered you quite precisely—this group is fueled by conspiracy theories and paranoia.

Exactly.

Look, the minister is the one who actually issues the extension, not some local department.
How can you even claim the Department of Health didn't give the green light? For all you know, they said yes and the minister just said no.

Jeffrey Long said:The failed attempt to introduce civic education, happening literally one week before school started, and following the Conservative Party's curriculum, no less.

Ignoring the memo from GPZ regarding gas supplies to get the Mayor's approval—now that company is practically facing bankruptcy.

NYC record deficit

The botched repeal of the ROD measure, which ended up playing out exactly how everyone expected.

🍿

As for those department head openings—there is some serious shady business going on there, but I’ll dive into that when the time is right. Essentially, they did exactly what they used to criticize: in every single competition (or the few they actually managed to pull off), it was their own people who walked away with the wins. But they couldn't even manage to do that properly; they left behind loose ends that might just come back to haunt them. ☕

Aside from a couple of calls for department heads, none of the deputy positions have even been posted yet. Honestly, I don't even know if they actually plan on hiring deputies. Usually, they're appointed for fixed terms alongside the heads, but so far? Crickets. Not a single vacancy has gone out. Weird.

Yeah, the whole hiring situation is a bit of a mess, huh... we've got summer coming up, so things will probably stall anyway. Just gotta wait and see what the fall brings. I'm really hoping they get all these department head roles filled by the end of the year.