http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/new-york/ward/ Ward, NY News http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/new-york/ward/content/6aa9a1974d74bcdef4c2c057a1eca87f.html ExSchenectady chief's case is latest example of pay in spite of crimes SCHENECTADY Former city police chief Greg Kaczmarek will spend up to two years in prison for his involvement in a drug ring but taxpayers will serve a doublelife sentence: paying for the disgraced excop's pension and medical care for the rest of his lifeThe scenario is not unusual Convicted politicians cops and other government workers have broken the law and the bank since 1940 thanks to the state constitution which guarantees retirement benefits in Section V Amendment 7: Membership in any pension or retirement system of the state or of a civil division thereof shall be a contractual relationship the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired That means lying stealing raping molesting murdering and any other transgressions couldn't stand in the way of a pension payout If someone went to jail they would provide us with an account for direct deposit while they were away said Emily DeSantis a spokeswoman from the state Comptroller's Office Kaczmarek who pleaded guilty to thirddegree criminal possession of a controlled substance Tuesday in Schenectady County Court will continue to receive health insurance as well his annual pension of 3609658 He is far from the first highprofile state employee to find himself on the wrong side of the law Some haven't been afraid to test the limits of the amendment ExComptroller Alan Hevesi pleaded guilty in 2006 to using state workers as a valet service for his wife and for delivering laundry but he'll still get his 104000 annual state pension payment plus another pension for his time in New York City government ExGov Eliot Spitzer who resigned in a prostitution scandal is also in line to collect a state pension when he turns 62 Schenectady police Investigator Jeff Curtis retired and guaranteed a lifetime pension shortly before he admitted in court last year that he stole cocaine from evidence lockers while he worked for the department's vice squad Kaczmarek does have one advantage over other highprofile municipal employees involved in misdeeds: He retired first Since Kaczmarek was no longer a police officer when his alleged offenses occurred Assemblyman Ron Canestrari DCohoes said he should be able to collect his benefits Had Kaczmarek still been on the force Canestrari said he would have felt differently Every misdemeanor shouldn't disqualify someone after 25 or 30 years Canestrari said But if it's related to your work during the performance of official duty it should be in jeopardy Assemblyman Jack McEneny DAlbany agreed that automatically wiping out retirement benefits for a convicted criminal would be overzealous Doing so could have dire consequences and not just for the worker He'd be bankrupting his wife and children McEneny also said withholding a worker's entire pension would violate equal protection of law because for example a worker who had put in 20 years of service then got caught gambling would be punished more severely than someone who fell to the same vice after just 10 years of service Instead of dropping retirement benefits entirely McEneny said he would support an amendment to the state constitution allowing a judge to impose a fine equal to a worker's pension for the years he had acted inappropriately You cannot have a universal onesizefitsall approach McEneny said Amending the state constitution isn't as simple as passing a law It's more than just one vote said Robert Ward deputy director of the Rockefeller Institute Allowing the forfeiture of retirement benefits for municipal employees who break the law could happen through a state constitutional convention a gathering to replace or revise the current constitution or through the action of two consecutively elected state Legislatures In the latter case voters would decide whether to approve the change David Filkins can be reached at 4545456 or by email at dfilkinstimesunioncom http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/new-york/ward/content/833c3b9f7311207d09df495e2c328528.html HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP Jessie Winans' gamehigh 21 points paced four Afton players in double figures and the Crimson Knights defeated visiting Milford 6648 Wednesday in a nonleague girls basketball game http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/new-york/ward/content/2afe341514c749444ab6dd01f36636b5.html Canandaigua and Wayne Central have not won every Finger Lakes East wrestling championship http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/new-york/ward/content/1574bb02dc7de41ec0b084582cb13013.html The state approved a 336000 grant Wednesday for the rehabilitation of 19 houses in Buffalo's newly named Larkin District http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/new-york/ward/content/c3ee3790d4ec00078328e2f10c322739.html Why is the city not enforcing the city codeThat was among the questions a group of Center City residents had for the mayor and the Common Council on Tuesday night after a revelation last week that six college students are living in a home on 7 Walnut St http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/new-york/ward/content/abdb5282468d24516ce6d4e63fb51f95.html Horace Moore accused of fatally stabbing veteran bus driver Edwin Thomas on Monday had gotten light sentences since his first arrest for grand larceny in junior high according to sources and court records http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/new-york/ward/content/fded74d3e2ca5322ea2fcdd4ac45227b.html HAVERSTRAW 8212; This was only a drill The press releases the evacuation orders and the radiation pills were fake http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/new-york/ward/content/64061295df2c82d233048602d12ff96b.html GENEVA Youth issues have been at the heart of many discussions since last summers shootings and tonight City Council will take it one step further by considering a proposal to form a city youth council