Lack of a degree was not a big secret at City Hall

Lack of a degree was not a big secret at City Hall

EDITOR:

Being a new mayor, maybe Jay Williams didn’t know about Carmen Conglose and his bogus college degree. I, an ordinary Youngstown resident, knew about it for years. Almost everybody who works for the city knew he had no college degree.

Poor Carmen didn’t know there was a false diploma in the Finance Department. All of a sudden he got a pay raise. A college degree is not equal to a surveyor’s license. He wasn’t even a competent deputy director of public works and/or traffic coordinator. But he was arrogant, demeaning to his employees and the public and a typical “know-it-all” political hack.

Who were the mayor and finance director at the time his miraculous document appeared in the Finance Department? That’s a good start for an investigation. I was very disappointed with Mayor Williams when he “suggested” Carmen return as the traffic coordinator. Whose bright idea was that — Williams or Conglose? When I heard he was retiring, I thought, finally he’s gone and they might actually hire someone with knowledge, sense and tact. Mayor Williams couldn’t find anyone else in Youngstown or Ohio? Everybody has to start somewhere. Wouldn’t it make more sense and save money to hire a newer or younger person. All we hear is “young people have to leave the area to get jobs”. When one is available, they hire the same one who just retired.

Conglose has made enough money off the city. Just his sick time and accumulated time was a nice chunk of change — $54,246. Hard to believe he seldom took sick days, and with a salary of $93,132, what kind of accumulated time did he have to earn?

Then the city spends $65,626 to buy two years of retirement time and are going to pay him $42,577 for a part-time job. He’s been working part-time for the last 30 years.

Kudos to whoever sent the anonymous letter to the mayor. Conglose says people are jealous of him that he retired and came back to work. People are fed up with the abuse he continues to perpetrate on the citizens of Youngstown. Enough is enough.

I hope this investigation results in some justice. He should be made to reimburse the money and get some jail time for fraud.

It will be interesting to see the outcome of yet another Youngstown political scandal.

TERRY GALLAGHER

Youngstown

There’s a reason levies fail

EDITOR:

I wish people would stop raising the idea of racism every time the Youngstown Schools tax levy fails. It is more an issue of behavior. My family and I have been verbally threatened and intimidated on more than one occasion. We even had a basketball thrown at the back of our car simply for interrupting a basketball game on the street by some high school age kids.

I don’t know how these parents are raising their kids, but most children are rude, loud, they fear no authority, have no respect for adults, are inconsiderate and enjoy bullying others around. Unless that situation changes for the better, no school levies will pass.

And secondly, people cannot afford it. The economy is in a recession and existing jobs don’t pay high wages. Milk, bread, and other products are going up. Utility bills are rising. And gas will reach $4 a gallon this summer. Residents do not want to be taxed anymore. We must find a different way to fund our public schools.

NICK STRATOS

Youngstown