Breaking News;Times Union editorial board slams Spychalsk and the Saratoga Housing Authority HERE
Also a story in The Daily Gazette Today
One of the most frequently asked questions I get is ‘Where did this Spychalsk clown come from”? Well it took some digging but let me take you back to the days when Val Keehn was mayor of our fine city.
Now for a trip down memory lane
The time was 2006, Gerard Zabala, had been Director of Saratoga Housing Authority for over 16 years, starting in 1990 when he took over for the retiring Jim Collins.
Zabala who was a Republican , had fallen out of favor with the Housing Authority board that summer after he went on disability leave due to recurring migraine headaches, anxiety and stress, according to a testimony from his doctor . He was fired by the Housing Authority board on Oct. 24 2006.
The Housing Authority board had claimed they would conduct a search. Spychalsk who was hiried by the Housing Authority in 1997 in maintenance would have his job in less than a month.
Then board chairman Lee Weiser said. "We had to run a search." But the search was just a sham as Weiser added "We knew from the beginning that we had the strongest candidate in Ed,” Mayor Valerie Keehn said she had heard concerns from several residents who want to keep politics out of the decision. She kept the position exempt from Civil Service law, which meant Ed never took a civil service test for his 152k a year job.
Mayor Valerie Keehn, who had the power to appoint housing authority board members, weighed in on the debate claiming residents had contacted her, asking for her to support the promotion of Spychalski to executive director which she did. She said “Spychalski was the best candidate because he listened to residents' problems and addressed them.”
He serves at the discretion of the board but I hear in recent years he was given a muti-year employment contact. He referenced it to me as he threw me off Authority grounds when he said "you should see my contract"
Zabala sued the housing authority in state Supreme Court seeking $542,134 in back pay, sick time and damages I don’t know the outcome of that case.
Valerie Keehn lost her bid for reelection for City Mayor in 2007
13 comments:
Ed used to listen to tenants, and at first when he got this position he was still listening to tenants and doing good things. It was short lived because the position went to his head and he has become an evil person.
To the person who is trying to contact me my confidential Russian E-mail address is
kaisersoze1914@mail.ru
All information held in strictest confidence. Do to my writings about the Cult NXIVM my e-mail servers are in Moscow
I will publish your comment if you wish just let me know
Unchecked authority is the most common catalyst of fraud, according to The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Take a large dose of hubris, combine it with Lord Acton's famous dictum ("power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely"), and you emerge with an explosive, reckless abuse of authority such as Spychalsk.
John, you left out the part about Ed campaigning for Valerie. One good turn deserved another. Oh, but I forgot, Valerie was above all that.
Whatever Ed has become, the Board has to take a lot of responsibility. They approved his enormous salary increases and knew his kids were working there and did nothing. Are they also looking the other way as he charges Stonequist residents $100 if they lock themselves out? They certainly haven't shown much concern about the bedbugs.
I agree with 7:11 above. It is not just Spychalski who must answer these concerns but the board that was under a duty to use due diligence to oversee his actions.
John, there's another editorial in the TU today on this issue specifically relating to Ed, his fiefdom, his salary and investigations which have been prompted by this. Ed-should have called "Cat's Eye"!!!
That useless Mayor. That vapid look into space took the Democratic Party and sent it down the river. Surrounding herself with a collective bunch of angry cohorts, she completely missed an opportunity and ruined it for anyone trying to run for the job with real credentials supporting a more populist program. Although Finery is still collecting chairs to sit in, she will in the end, be her Commissioner’s downfall.
In this case, the Board like so many are seat occupiers. Individually, they would rather let someone make decisions than to provide the minority report. The larger the Board, the worse and watered down the initiatives and missions. How can they look themselves in the mirror and pretend that this is not about them? They will blame their Director and he will blame them for lack of direction. Board presidents are not without blame. Instead of moderating debate and providing a meaningful discussion, it is often mired in politics and personal agendas.
The Housing Authority has a black eye. Its Director and the Board are responsible. The residents are victims.
There are times when a Board should RESIGN... and allow a new board to take over and correct this situation.
Throw the bums out!
The Board does need to resign. also each one needs an attorney. Ed obviously needs to go.
Knew this had to have a NXIVM connection somewhere. Thanks to Val Keene it does.
Times Union editorial, Daily Gazette coverage, but not a word in the Saratogian -- the Saratoga Springs newspaper.
Where the hell is the Mayor on this? He's just as responsible as the rest of the board!
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