Talk about brass and the press release faxed out yesterday by Lou Desso and Al Spain, brothers in Conservative political arms, takes the cake. The title of the release says it all, “State Comptroller’s WD 14 Report Shows Need for Independent Audit. Lack of Oversight by Previous Town Board Majority Criticized.
Desso and Spain took the criticism which blasted their Conservative ally Supervisor Evers and twisted it to the Board members who voted for and demanded the State Comptroller’s audit. They seem to forget, albeit deliberately, that Evers and Kern voted against the resolution asking the State Comptroller to audit Water 14’s contract held by their Conservative Party benefactors in Casale Excavating. Spain and Desso must have forgot that Michael Casale is Chairman of the town Conservative Party which endorsed Evers,Desso and Spain. Forgot that the Town Clerk’s cousin, Mike Miner is Casale's Conservative Commitee member who heads the Building Department who signed the authorizations that allowed the overpayments and who never bothered to inform the town comptroller or the elected town board he was overspending either the contract price or the bond limit.
Maybe, just maybe, Desso and Spain forgot that Supervisor Evers fired both town board appointees retained to oversee the Building Department employees and the contract in WD 14. They surely must have forgot that it was Evers who gave out an $83,000 check to the Conservative contractor after admitting to the Troy Record just a month earlier that he knew all the funds in WD 14 had been expended and exceeded. And just maybe, Spain forgot that Desso is Casale’s Vice Chairman in the Conservative Party and maybe Desso also forgot he holds the dubious title and link to Casale.
How else can we explain their willingness to try and blame the lack of oversight in WD 14 on the 3 board members who tried to gain control and oversight of the department and the contract only to be thwarted by Evers. And how else can we explain their attempt to use the mismanagement documented against the Supervisor and staff of the Building Department as solely the failure of 3 of 5 Board members to the total exclusion of Evers and Kern and then to claim that their support of routine annual audits of budget years in 2006 and 2007 were called for solely because the majority failed in WD 14’s audit and might also have failed elsewhere in town finances? Yes, maybe they forgot that the Supervisor, not the town board is the chief budget officer who signed that $83,000 check and nearly all checks in town. Never once did a town board member sign a check to Casale or anyone else, yet their press release would have you believe the Board, or at least 3 of them, had this total authority over town checks and contracts and the Supervisor, well, just what does he do around here besides appoint people unilaterally without town board votes to town jobs and committees?
““We are prepared to go even further than what the State Comptroller recommended by requesting an independent audit”, said Desso. Spain and Desso said they are concerned with the costs and impact from the failure by the previous Town Board majority to exercise needed oversight for the Water District 14 project.”” Now that’s a relief, hey? They are so concerned about the overpayments to their Conservative Party Chairman and contractor that they forgot to criticize Evers for issuing that $83,000 check to Casale back in December at a time he knew the contract was overspent with no funds left to pay. So concerned they forgot to mention that Evers called 3 special board meetings in January in an effort to get them to pay Casale even more money the town did not have in the form of retainage fees already expended on cost over runs? You remeber boys that neither of you were willing to vote to make those illegal payments at those embarrassing meetings, yet you criticize the prior majority for leaving you with those very same unpaid bills? Now tell us again how it’s the prior Board Majority you are trying to protect us from.
“We are disappointed the previous Town Board majority left us with a pile of unpaid bills from the Water District 14 project.” So do the pair wish the majority had just continued to allow those bills to be paid to the Conservative Chairman’s company illegally, knowing that all of the bond had been given away without all of the work being completed and knowing that law prevented further payments without voter approval? Gee fellas, you better stop drinking that water, you’ll start to think better in no time.
Desso and Spain took the criticism which blasted their Conservative ally Supervisor Evers and twisted it to the Board members who voted for and demanded the State Comptroller’s audit. They seem to forget, albeit deliberately, that Evers and Kern voted against the resolution asking the State Comptroller to audit Water 14’s contract held by their Conservative Party benefactors in Casale Excavating. Spain and Desso must have forgot that Michael Casale is Chairman of the town Conservative Party which endorsed Evers,Desso and Spain. Forgot that the Town Clerk’s cousin, Mike Miner is Casale's Conservative Commitee member who heads the Building Department who signed the authorizations that allowed the overpayments and who never bothered to inform the town comptroller or the elected town board he was overspending either the contract price or the bond limit.
Maybe, just maybe, Desso and Spain forgot that Supervisor Evers fired both town board appointees retained to oversee the Building Department employees and the contract in WD 14. They surely must have forgot that it was Evers who gave out an $83,000 check to the Conservative contractor after admitting to the Troy Record just a month earlier that he knew all the funds in WD 14 had been expended and exceeded. And just maybe, Spain forgot that Desso is Casale’s Vice Chairman in the Conservative Party and maybe Desso also forgot he holds the dubious title and link to Casale.
How else can we explain their willingness to try and blame the lack of oversight in WD 14 on the 3 board members who tried to gain control and oversight of the department and the contract only to be thwarted by Evers. And how else can we explain their attempt to use the mismanagement documented against the Supervisor and staff of the Building Department as solely the failure of 3 of 5 Board members to the total exclusion of Evers and Kern and then to claim that their support of routine annual audits of budget years in 2006 and 2007 were called for solely because the majority failed in WD 14’s audit and might also have failed elsewhere in town finances? Yes, maybe they forgot that the Supervisor, not the town board is the chief budget officer who signed that $83,000 check and nearly all checks in town. Never once did a town board member sign a check to Casale or anyone else, yet their press release would have you believe the Board, or at least 3 of them, had this total authority over town checks and contracts and the Supervisor, well, just what does he do around here besides appoint people unilaterally without town board votes to town jobs and committees?
““We are prepared to go even further than what the State Comptroller recommended by requesting an independent audit”, said Desso. Spain and Desso said they are concerned with the costs and impact from the failure by the previous Town Board majority to exercise needed oversight for the Water District 14 project.”” Now that’s a relief, hey? They are so concerned about the overpayments to their Conservative Party Chairman and contractor that they forgot to criticize Evers for issuing that $83,000 check to Casale back in December at a time he knew the contract was overspent with no funds left to pay. So concerned they forgot to mention that Evers called 3 special board meetings in January in an effort to get them to pay Casale even more money the town did not have in the form of retainage fees already expended on cost over runs? You remeber boys that neither of you were willing to vote to make those illegal payments at those embarrassing meetings, yet you criticize the prior majority for leaving you with those very same unpaid bills? Now tell us again how it’s the prior Board Majority you are trying to protect us from.
“We are disappointed the previous Town Board majority left us with a pile of unpaid bills from the Water District 14 project.” So do the pair wish the majority had just continued to allow those bills to be paid to the Conservative Chairman’s company illegally, knowing that all of the bond had been given away without all of the work being completed and knowing that law prevented further payments without voter approval? Gee fellas, you better stop drinking that water, you’ll start to think better in no time.
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Troy Record Column
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Today's Troy Record, which according to another blog, is run by idiots, has a column by the City Editor on the state audit and the clowns in town hall. Here is a link to that column and another link to a Pulse of the People letter on the subject here.
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Comptroller's Recomendation Could Lead to Spairana?
It's rumored that Joe Spairana has let it be known that he's interested in the chair of the soon to be formed utilities committee. Joe's background with the New York State Dept. of Transportation as a engineer in charge of major highway contracts would seem to make him a perfect candidate for this position. We can think of no one with better qualifications,honesty and the willingness and ability to work with others than Mr. Spairana.
Cold Weather Friend
We got a few comments from friends who read the New York Post about our cold weather Penguins featured in Tuesday's Pipeline. These birds ask precise questions in their letters to local government, so when you craft questions, provide all the detail you can. Dates and specifics are favorite fodder.
4 comments:
Good luck to Joe but this new board majority has a record of appointing attorneys with criminal records or former judeges removed from the bench for misconduct. Spairana is just too clean to suit this crew.
Interesting point.
These folks have no shame. Those responsible for this mess should resign, including the Supervisor.
Spain and Desso are being sucked in to protecting and defending indefensible acts. They had better learn to use a little truth instead of blaming others for Evers actions and those of the employees in that department who gave the store away.
Please don't forget the mismanagement of the Tazbir/ Ashe team....they gutted the town's business office-an act that continues to this day to cause difficulties in the town. Among the employees dispatched by Tazbir were the very people that most efficiently managed the funding aspects of utilies bonding. That lost expertise-which was developed over years, will not likely be replaced anytime in the future.
If criminal action is sought...let's not leave these guys out of the action.
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