My View From Here.
I am Gerald J. Skrocki, 55-year-old resident of Amsterdam, New York, freelance photographer and graphic designer with a degree in Visual Communications Technology. Retired from my first career as a NYS Correction Lieutenant, I worked in New York’s most heinous maximum security prisons. I am also a Vietnam era veteran having served my country as both an enlisted Army Medic and a commissioned Army Infantry Officer.
About two years ago I bought this 140 year old house on Grove Street in Amsterdam, New York. I quickly learned about property tax and wondered why it was so high in this poverty-stricken area. That was also my introduction to Amsterdam politics and soon learned about our dysfunctional local elected officials. There was no help for owner occupied homes and no plan to keep people here. I’m determined to do my part to change that. With no political affiliation and no boss to please, I try to bring attention to situations that just need a dose of common sense and I’m not afraid of stepping on a few toes to accomplish that. My actions have brought some changes to both my neighborhood and the city. I served on the City of Amsterdam Zoning Update Committee in 2010 working with Montgomery County Business Solutions Center we presented a proposal to bring our zoning current in a way that will encourage development and commerce.
