The Upside Down World of Jeff Spain

North Greenbush Democratic Chair Jeff Spain has been reduced to arguing contradictions of logic and fact as he desperately tries to excuse the incompetence of the Republicans and Conservatives he endorsed in last year’s election.

It’s a world that now can only be justified by calling black, white, calling right, wrong and the inability to accept or correct the his mistakes because they are too monstrous to embrace. His letter in yesterday’s Troy Record revising the conclusions of the State Comptroller’s Audit of Water 14, the contract overspent with the full knowledge of the Supervisor he endorsed, selling out his party in the process, says it all. Spain is desperate to excuse overpayments that became possible by Evers firing of two town board appointed supervisors who would have managed the contract in the Building Department. Instead, Evers protected the job held by Town Clerk Kathryn Connolly's cousin, who administered the contract.

Spain ignores the documents signed by Evers showing the running totals of overspending, all the while claiming he did not know he was allowing his Conservative contractor to exceed the contract and the bond price of water 14. Signatures don’t lie Mr. Spain, politicians do and you have joined your friend Mr. Evers by pronouncing the big lie, refusing to accept responsibility for the mistakes you made endorsing this man and his allies who run Casale Excavating and the Conservative Party.

Trying to blame CB Smith and Dan Ashley who first demanded the State Audit defies the public record. A look back at the facts is revealing.

On September 2, 2004 Jeff Spain attended a town Utilities Committee which reviewed the two bids received for Water 14. The low bid was Highlander Construction and high bid Casale Excavating. Spain said nothing to urge that the low bidder be given the contract and the GOP town board rebid the contract so Casale could get another bite of the apple. At the same time, Smith and Ashley were demanding an investigation of the biding process.

On June 2, 2005, Jeff Spain attended another town Utilities Committee Meeting and offered no criticism of the town board’s decision to award the contract after the rebid to Casale Excavating.

On July 31, 2006, Mark Evers signed a payment order that put Casale over the agreed to bid by $200,000. The document has the running totals of spending clearly listed and Evers signed it without the required signature of the town comptroller.

On August 29 and October 3, 2006 Evers signs away another $521,000 to Casale over the bid price without telling fellow Board members. Each of the documents lacks a required signature from the Department Head, Michael Miner, who is by this time a member of the Conservative Committee chaired by Michael Casale of Casale Excavating.

On October 24, 2006, Dan Ashley writes the town board a letter asking for an investigation of the payments. On November 1, 2006, Evers signs a check for another $105,000 to Casale without a Department Head signature.

The next day, November 2, 2006, Evers tells the Troy Record he did not know about the over runs until that week, now exposed as a clear lie.

A week later on November 3, 2006, Dan Ashley asks the State Comptroller to audit the district, followed by another letter on November 21st detailing more payments approved by Evers.

On November 1, 2006, Evers authorizes another payment of $105,836 to Casale which brings the spending over the voter approved bond limit of 7.1 million, the maximum amount that could be expended.

On December 6, 2006, the Town Police Commission writes to the State Comptroller asking for an investigation of the payments. The same week the Town Attorney sends an email to Evers “strongly advising that Mark issue no further payments”.

On December 14, 2006, the Town Board in a 3-2 vote with Spain’s allies Evers and Kern voting NO, asks the State Comptroller to audit Water 14. The very next day, Evers signs another authorization to pay Casale another $83,000 behind the back of the town board knowing there is no money left in the bond and in fact it had been illegally exceeded. Spending now rests at $7,190,335.

At the January 2007 Town Board meeting, the board formally disapproves the payment to Casale.By January 2007, Spain is Chair of the Democratic Committee. Later in the year he formed an alliance with the Conservative Contractor and the GOP by endorsing Evers and the GOP slate in an effort to deny voters a choice at the polls.

In January of 2008, the Spain coalition is running the town board with a 4-1 majority. Evers calls 3 special meetings in an effort to pay even more money to Casale knowing full well he has already exceeded the bond. The move fails to get a required third vote each time as even his board allies want to wait for the pending release of the State audit. They also abolish the Police Commission which joined the call for an investigation of the payments.

On April 15, 2008, the Comptroller releases his audit slamming Evers, Building Department staff and other officials for their mismanagement of the contract.

May 4, 2008, Democratic Chair Jeff Spain’s letter is published in the Record blaming Smith and Ashley along with the prior Board Majority that asked for the State Audit, for the mess in Water 14. Never once does he mention the Supervisor’s role in the payments or the criticisms of him in the audit including :

· 110 claims, totaling $3.7 million, were listed on abstracts that were not certified by the Town Comptroller. (Yet Evers issued the checks.)
· 20 claims, totaling $1.5 million, lacked evidence that they had been subjected to audit by the Town Comptroller. (Again Evers issued the checks.)
· Two checks (one for $407,799 and another for $2,795) were issued without the signature of the Supervisor. Instead the checks were signed by the Town Comptroller. (Editor's note:This one is interesting because the Supervisor is required to sign the checks with the Comptroller and Evers does nothing to recover the money from the contractor.)

.The Building Department staff should have actively communicated any resultant changes in project cost to the Town Comptroller and Board. Had this information been properly shared, decisions as to whether to proceed with the changes and secure the required approvals and additional funding could have been addressed in a timely manner.

Yes Jeff you’re right, Ashley and Smith along with those on the Board who tried to stop it are to blame. Try selling that to Democratic Voters in Election District's 1,3 and 7 as you struggle to keep control of the Democratic Party so you can continue to endorse and support Republicans.