What a perfect description of the bizarre political map in North Greenbush. Four party bosses benevolently referred to as “Shepherds” leading their flocks of unsuspecting lambs to the voting booths for slaughter. The shepherds are the Chairs of the 4 major political parties, Democrat, Republican, Conservative and Independence. Their plan was to endorse the same slate of candidates on all four lines so that they and not voters would decide who ran town government so they could divide of the town and its spoils.
Those spoils really hinge on the big money to be made in development. This crew loves developers. The Supervisor hatched a plan to bail out his favorite contractor whose water district construction is grossly overspent in WD 14 and is critical to developing new areas of the town. Water was the key ingredient to the new projects and the profits, campaign contributions etc which are derived from them.
To make sure nothing interfered with this new unchecked desire for growth, the Supervisor fired not one but two town board appointed heads of the Building Department which issues the permits needed to build in town. This department was also responsible for administering the overspent contract, $740,000 and counting, in Water 14. One of the contract administrators, an employee of the Building Department, is a member of Casale’s Conservative Committee. Now that’s convenient!
Keeping a manager from taking charge in effect keeps the employees unchecked, the contracts they administer unchecked and the taxpayer checkbooks in big jeopardy. One day, with a big bill unpaid for Casale Excavating, his benefactor Supervisor Evers walked into the Comptroller’s Office and ordered a check cut for $83,000. He personally handed it to the contractor. He did this one day after the town board meeting knowing it could not be legally paid and knowing the Board would not have approved it. Evers now awaits the pending decision of the Appellate Division of State Supreme Court on whether to remove him from office for this unlawful disbursement of public funds.
So the Four Shepherds are banking on voters acting like lambs as they head to the polls in 36 days. But the first test will come in just 16 days from now. They get to vote on whether to borrow another $830,00 to bail out Evers friends in Casale Excavating for their overspent contract in WD 14 which is badly mismanaged by town employees, the Supervisor and to some degree the town board itself. Poor oversight allowed the overpayments. The Board did act responsibly by asking the State Comptroller for help in the form of an audit of the district which is nearly done. Naturally, the Supervisor voted against it as did his sidekick Ernie Kern. In 16 days, its our turn to Vote on this water district bailout and our guess is it will be a decisive outcry against Evers and his Four Shepherds.
Late Financial Disclosure
Kyran Devery
Today is Day 79 for the North Greenbush Democratic Committee violation of State Election Law requiring the on line filing of a Financial Disclosure Report due July 15, 2007. Laws apparently don’t apply to the “reformed” democrats under Jeff Spain and his Treasurer, Tax Collector Kyran Devery.
Hint, we're told a lawsuit will be filed very shortly to force the filing of this report. Way to go Kyran!
10 comments:
ONLY IN NORTH GREENBUSH!! THE COMMUNIST STATE RUN GOVERNMENT- IF THE RESIDENTS DON'T GET OUT AND VOTE THE BAILOUT DOWN AND VOTE FOR SABO OUR ONLY CHANCE - THEN TIME TO MOVE!!
WHY DID EVERS NOT WANT AN AUDIT?
The answer is simple- he does not want taxpayers to know that the contract was poorly written, poorly administrated,poorly inspected,poorly done...
The taxpayers got screwed and copntinue to be screwed by high water rates and payoffs.
EVERS and that town discrace "KERN"
have given the distinct appearance of illegal activity. When the audit does come out (where is it?)(did the powers pay to have it stalled?)EVERS AND KERN will be the cause of the most elaborite scam in this towns history.
ANGER is the only word that can be used to describe the residents feelings in this town.EVERS has taken this lovely place we live to a new low. Doesn't anyone see the pattern-HE ELIMINATES ANY THIRD PARTY VIEW INORDER THAT NO ONE WILL FIND OUT ABOUT THE SINISTER PLOT TO RAPE THE TOWN.
WHEN THE EMPLOYEES IN THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT WERE FIRED, WHY DID WE HIRE THEM BACK? WHEN THERE IS A CANCER, THE BEST WAY IS TO CUT IT.
EVERS AND KERN ARE HIDING SOMETHING-WHAT IS IT?
Not that this will make it on this blog, but the building department staff and others were fired illegally by the board majority. In order to comply with the law, they had to rehire everyone who were protected by civil service law. Mark Evers and Ernie Kern are the only decent, honorable men on that board, sorry Jim. If Josh Sabo is our only hope, God help us all!
We're not afraid to publish comments that are lacking accuracy so long as they are not malicious or libelous. This is one such comment. No court has ever ruled the firings were in any way illegal. Mr. Miner accused, falsely, Mr. Michaels of committing crimes by dismissing him, misdeameanors, to be precise. His actions were reckless and Mr. Michaels blinked under the orchestrated blitz arranged by Evers and the union.
No one was rehired to comply with any civil service laws. Sorry to disappoint you, but Miner remains a member of Casale's Conservative Committee. He approved most of the applications for payment in the mismanaged WD 14 contract. The audit will certainly shed some additional light on performance.
What a bunch of double talk. they were fired in violation of civil service law, period. i'm as anxious as you are to see the sate report. i think you'll be disappointed that nobody will be hauled away in handcuffs, but i'm sure you'll manage to make a mountain out of whatever molehill might be there even if it's a honest mistake. Do you think you could find some other issues to harp on instead of the same old stuff over and over? how about those forged petitions, why aren't you trying to find out who the forgers were? At least that's a felony, something to sink your teeth into!
I have no faith in the audit. Clerk Katie has bragged that the "fix is in". Everyone will be blamed but the real criminals. The For Sale sign will be going up on our house in the spring. This is no place to raise children anymore!
To the comment two above, what documents do you point to that state the dismissals were in violation of laws? You are not entitled to your own set of facts, you need proof.
As for the forgeries on GOP petitions, that is a matter for the district attorney. Like so many thisngs political, this office ignores certain cases that cause indigestion in party ranks. For Example the $2000 contribution from a contractor to the reformed democrats committee.. The DA failed to examine this or request a special prosecutor. If its felonies that you want to sink yout teeth into, may I suggest the town council candidate, Evers running mate,presents an illutrious record to examine which includes a felony conviction.
If CANOLLI AND EVERS WANT TO GET RID OF OPPOSITION OR JUST MAKE SURE THEIR "MONEY TREE" SYSTEM DOESN'T GET UPSET- THEY USE THE REN. COUNTY. CIVIL SERVICE TO DISTORT OR PREVERT THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS BEFORE THEY ARE PUBLISHED. It's easy to see that's the reason we don't have a neutral ENGINEER in charge of the building department.As we heard, the civil service person is at every meeting sitting with the clowns in the back row-"conflict of interest?"
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