Did they make it to 26 weeks?

I'm not surprised at the layoffs. I'm just surprised it took this long. I have no faith in Congel or Destiny. How soon before more are layed off?

Anyone suprised by this? All they are is political pawns in this. They were probably smokers also!

i missed my CALLING. ishould have been CONGEL; destiny is a major rip-off ;the original people hired was a SHELL GAME, a major scam on the city and with participation fro other higher officials. the people hired were freinds of politicians and the usual number of minotiyies and welfare recipients; with no experience and no talent. when is the world going to wake up and see the corruption of politics and kickbacks. CONGEL has no concern of finishing the project , it was in his contract ; what kind of a city writes up a BS contract like that and the coomon council signs on . i dont feel bad for theses people who are layed off ; they acting like fools ande promoting a project that was corrupt and illegal; let them collect welfare, that whats wrong with this state; free handouts and corrupt deals with scam artists. i want to say hi to congel in the CAMEN ISLANDS with 100 million dollars of the state and city money

The workers were originally hired solely to brow-beat the city into doing Congel's bidding.  Now that we are on the hook for millions of forfeited tax dollars, the workers are expendable.  I am surprised they kept them on for this long.  I mean really people, Congel didn't get halfway to being a billionare by paying unskilled workers 60K / year.  Oh yeah, remember how the Post-Standard and other local media outlets acted like an advertising arm of Congel Inc. urging the city to get out of the way of progress.  Some see steel, others see STEAL!

Y0 yo yo what dit yall think letin that bob c get his ends on da citys papers!  I pttty the fool whod think dat he be upfront and not screw wit us.  More papers to bees fillen out at da welfare office. Tanks alot bob!  Damm as cracker!

Congel should be ashamed of himself. Mr. Aitken how long will you continue to try and sell us this garbage. This is a major scam that should be investigated by every level of government. Congel promised to these workers that at the very least they would help build the mall expansion. The mall has just started to be built and already Congel is laying people off. Sadly, what you are not hearing is that other employees have been wrongfully terminated months ago. I hope these employees find a lawyer and fight back against this joke of a man they call Bob Congel.

It is all a ploy to get tax breaks for Congel.I seen this coming before it even happened. the wind mills are there to line someone else's pockets just the same.where do you think the green power is coming from. There is the golden rule he who has the gold makes the rules.  

Everyone on this forum is really dissapointing, your all a bunch of babbling bafoons, you have absolutley no idea what you are talking about, this is a wake up call for anyone who wrote anything negative about destiny on here. No one on here has any idea how much work it takes for people at destiny to do what they do, and for David Aitkens to do what he does. I may be a senior in high school, but i job shadowed destiny workers for 2 days, i personally met David Aitkens and learned about everything that went on with destiny. The information that I learned none of you could ever have learned unless you were actually apart of the whole destiny project. In fact the days i was with destiny they were salvaging the marble from the mall and selling it at very reasonable prices to people (like everyone on this forum) who can't really afford nice marble countertops. Its a shame to see how every ADULT on here is so oblivious to everything that is happening, and the propaganda they believe. Just because one guy gets on the news and says that he knew destiny was a waste from the start, doesnt mean you should take his opinion for it. You are the very people that hype things up to the point where you over exagerate. Destiny USA wouldve have provided living space so that SYRACUSE COULD ACTAULLY hold NCAA tournaments in syracuse. It was the very thing that was supposed to set an example for all you fat lazy people who waste their time spreading more propaganda on this site to actually become more physically fit so that you could maybe watch your son or daughter graduate from college before you die from obeseity. It really ticks me off to see the kind of people that have negative remarks on here. People don't realize that destiny was supposed to be more energy efficient, and help stop/slow pollution, it was supposed to be a role model to other people nationwide to start conserving energy. The dawn of a new Age is upon us, like the medieval, and industrial era, the birth of the Green era has come. Right now most people may not know but England has a soy-bean pump at almsot every gas station (soy-bean will be the new alternative for gas) and that they have already started to enter the new era of conservation. I am glad that the people on this site will be to old or dead to make the world a better place and actually care by the time im older, because then they will be out of my way, so i can actually support projects like this, and i can actually try......try to at least make a difference in this world, every person makes a difference.

Everyone on this forum is really dissapointing, your all a bunch of babbling bafoons, you have absolutley no idea what you are talking about, this is a wake up call for anyone who wrote anything negative about destiny on here. No one on here has any idea how much work it takes for people at destiny to do what they do, and for David Aitkens to do what he does. I may be a senior in high school, but i job shadowed destiny workers for 2 days, i personally met David Aitkens and learned about everything that went on with destiny. The information that I learned none of you could ever have learned unless you were actually apart of the whole destiny project. In fact the days i was with destiny they were salvaging the marble from the mall and selling it at very reasonable prices to people (like everyone on this forum) who can't really afford nice marble countertops. Its a shame to see how every ADULT on here is so oblivious to everything that is happening, and the propaganda they believe. Just because one guy gets on the news and says that he knew destiny was a waste from the start, doesnt mean you should take his opinion for it. You are the very people that hype things up to the point where you over exagerate. Destiny USA wouldve have provided living space so that SYRACUSE COULD ACTAULLY hold NCAA tournaments in syracuse. It was the very thing that was supposed to set an example for all you fat lazy people who waste their time spreading more propaganda on this site to actually become more physically fit so that you could maybe watch your son or daughter graduate from college before you die from obeseity. It really ticks me off to see the kind of people that have negative remarks on here. People don't realize that destiny was supposed to be more energy efficient, and help stop/slow pollution, it was supposed to be a role model to other people nationwide to start conserving energy. The dawn of a new Age is upon us, like the medieval, and industrial era, the birth of the Green era has come. Right now most people may not know but England has a soy-bean pump at almsot every gas station (soy-bean will be the new alternative for gas) and that they have already started to enter the new era of conservation. I am glad that the people on this site will be to old or dead to make the world a better place and actually care by the time im older, because then they will be out of my way, so i can actually support projects like this, and i can actually try......try to at least make a difference in this world, every person makes a difference.

Yeah you go ahead and support this, that way you can have your minimum wage job there if this waste of taxpayer dollars ever gets finished. Sorry but through all the smoke and mirrors, I still see steel.

Im almost certain that the people hired to do the dirty work get paid 60k and they are the minimum wage walking on (they have absolutley no training besides what they learn onsite everyday), the bigger more elite job which i would persue would get paid very highly, with a 4 year degree in the field of green at either OCC or other schools like wells college in Aurora, i could almost guarentee you i would get paid very well, and i can almost bet that field will be high in demand in the near coming future.

I do feel sorry for these poor people who are nothing but pawns for a super-rich, super-corrupt devil.  Syracuse doesn't need more shopping mall with minimum wage jobs, and the city is so small minded that it is embarassing to think of how the city leaders bought into this sham.  Typical for this city if you ask me- until there is a brain in local government, just one perhaps, we will continue to be a joke to folks like Mr. Congel.  I don't know one single person who ever believed this hype, and shame on the media for it's terribly one sided coverage pushing this sham of a project.  Tax breaks for the mega rich!!  If you support that, I hope you are a millionaire too or the joke is on you.  Joe R, maybe you are the bafoon along with those involved in the corruption and stupidity that abounds in this town and this country.

These poor (now literally) people.  They have been duped into believing that they could make $60,000 a year with no skills and some with no education.  It just doesn't happen.  One woman was screaming on the news that she was never put on the welding team- SHE'S NOT A WELDER !  These people were brought in and given civic lessons, some field trips, safety lessons, and team building excercises.
There are not trades people and they never earned close to $60,000.  The sad thing is many of them will now lose homes, cars, and perhaps families. If it sounds too good to be true- it is!  Shame really.

Joe R. said it all....Destiny was suppsed to be!!
The unskilled workers' making 60k a year, kind of sounds like a person making 30k a year getting a home mortgage for 200k, resulting in the situation this country is currently enduring.  Perhaps not getting the financing for the hotel is a blessing in disguse...

I knew when the announcement was made that this blog topic would immediately crucify Bob Congel and anyone around the project.  I'm also not surprised to see the delays announced, and the layoff which follow that.  Now, I do NOT defend Mr. Congel or his managers, but let's look at a few issues surrounding Destiny.

1.  It takes a pretty big imagination to think that a project like Destiny could ever succeed in Central NY.  I've lived here for over 3 decades, and the negative attitude that pervades this area could be cut with the proverbila knife.  Some of it reflects the corrupt political environment tht existed for years, and osme of it is just the way people are.

2.  I've never been convinced that all the special tax breaks and consideration should have been granted.  If the financial success of Destiny depends on receiving large reductions in one cost area, it send a signal that its ultimate success will be, at best, risky.

3.  Building something as huge at Destiny requires massive amounts of funding, i.e. loans, and these days, the banks and other financial institutions are extemely reluctant to make any loan considered risky.  To that extent, Destiny is a victim of the sub-prime mortgage debacle.

4.  The laid-off workers are probably just pawns in the "dance of the elephants."  When all the high-powered corporate execs and the political leaders get together, it's best that the mice and the ants stay off the dance floor.  As others have noted, paying someone with few, if any, credentials or qualifications these significant salaries should have raised a red falg long ago.  

I suspect that eventually, most of Destiny will be built, probably years late, at a greatly increased cost (since inflation is now rising again).  Whether it's ever worth all the efforts and civic stress remains to be seen.

Personally I can't wait for Destiny to be built. I want to be able to have 4 minimum wage jobs that I can walk to because I can't afford a car or insurance. I want to work 90 to 100 hours a week so I can clear 25,000 dollars a year, that would be awesome. New York and more so Syracuse political leaders have nothing but MY best interest at heart, they care that I can make a living and feed my family at the same time owning a house and never ever have to worry about outsourcing or lay offs.  Oh if only this was OZ....... Again Congel robbed this area, again you all fell for the crap of promised jobs and economic growth, again like scolded dogs you must hide in your corner with tails tucked. Here is a tip BRING REAL JOBS BACK TO CENTRAL NEW YORK. Not a bigger Mall or another pizza place or a gas station. GET A CLUE ABOUT THIS AREA.

JOE R, you dont know squat about business , politics and also LIFE. ITS BLIND MORONS LIKE YOU THAT ARE CAUSING THE DESTRUCTION  OF AMERICA. ill bet your voting for obama; you and the other 18-25 year olds are mindless and GREEN; to quote you ; your geen alright, inexperienced, unaware, shallow and limitede in intelligence. also, no respect for history and how you got this easy ,lazy life you live.talk to real people learn about everything in life and experience it yourself before you talk again. get back to us in about 20 years.

Yea boy! dat dare Joe R can sure play x box like a mo-fo!  He tink i is an idiot just cuz i do gets ta g.e.d.  de gree. My man bobby c is a white thug who robbin da poor to help da rich.

I have a permanant new name instead of joe r. if u guys havent noticed, but to Jon CH, im not goin to vote for obama, i think when i wrote that i was juss upset with the lay-off, and i juss was in a cuff of emotions that made me mad that my life long dreams and goals of having a job in green were ruined. I will admit i probably dont know as much about politics as i should, and i do not have an "easy, lazy life". I dont pay bills i dont pay taxes, i dont even have a car so i wouldnt know what u guys really take im sorry. Some day i will get older and experience what u guys r goin through then ill really appreciate what i had, and understand more.

OHH and hillary C, i have a ps3, and i do own people like a mo-fo! lol

In case you haven't figured it out. Bob aka the I want to bulid "Destiny" with taxpayers money. Want to have the town were his Villa is in Galen. To turn over the roads to him. Near his Savannah Dauh, so he can fence off his hunting preserve. He is buying up the area for what reason. He should be spending the money on his dream.

Well, I did personally see the Contract put out by Mr. Congel and his "people" and isn't it amazing that even though he is doing something "so wonderful" - hint to JOE R., that it is in the contract that NO ONE is to be paid until all parties involved are satisfied?  That means the Architect, Engineer, Investors, Banks, Congel, ... yada yada yada, must be "satisified" with the work before ANYONE will be paid.  Why the heck do you think that no one local will work for him?  He has already burned bridges with his first project and I can tell you that he STILL owes money to A LOT of people for that.