Bite my tongue

troutbum21
Clint, perhaps I can shed light on why they need a gymnasium.  I was the Assistant Director of Training at the Zone 3 Police Academy (Westchester, Putnam & Dutchess counties), I oversaw the recruit training program.   Back the late 90's the Bureau for Municipal Police adapted the Cooper Standards for physical fitness training.  Cooper Standards are the same criteria used by US Military, it is based upon gender and age.  Each recruit has to meet a basic standard of 50th percentile to be hired and 70th percentile in order to graduate.  It's my guess that ENCON and Rangers must now meet that same criteria.    

MY point is that good administration would have anticipated a need like that before they dropped the big chunk of change for the Portly Angler, or maybe there was a touch of the " sweetheart" happening here.  Oh, but that's right, no democrat or friend of Andy Cuomo would ever do anything underhanded!

Well either way, equipment will still need to be bought.
I built this for my grandson for under $50.00. It's his little training equipment.
Maybe I can sell it to the state for 5 grand

What year did the state buy The Portly Angler?  Found the answer, Nov 2008.  David Paterson was governor after Eliot Spitzer resigned in disgrace March 17 2008.  Joseph Bruno then Dean Skelos served as Lt Governor just after Paterson took office.