Why does Marcia White, President & Executive Director of SPAC hate Saratoga Opera?

As my friends and readers of this blog know I am a classical arts aficionado. I was raised in SPAC as my father was director of Fire Safety until his death in 1975.During those magical summers as long as I behaved, I had the run of the house. I bounced on George Balanchine lap at pool parties and watched Eugene Ormandy conduct from the front row {I was much more adorable as a child than I ever was as an adult}. I have a deep love of SPAC. That is why the mismanagement of Marcia White infuriates me.

Years ago for those who remember, the New York City Opera had a short run at SPAC. That is before the idiot Herb Chesbrough eliminated them. I still remember summer evening on the lawn, enthralled by magical performances. I seem to share those memories with Public Safety Commissioner” toothy” Christian Mathiesen. So we do have at least one thing in common and I must say his deputy would make a great Brynhildr, better known to Americans as Broom Hilda in Richard Wagner's opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen. Yes that is the “Fat lady who sings",but let’s get to the heart of this story.

Once City Opera was terminated Saratoga became an operatic black hole. In 1998 the Lake George Opera moved to the 500-seat Spa Little Theater on the grounds of Saratoga Spa State Park. They have become a wonderful regional Opera company that has simply been a delight to watch. Last year they officially changed their name to Saratoga Opera

Operating independently from SPAC, Marcia White has treated them as the red haired step brother she never liked. This year is the unkindest cut of all. Saratoga Opera only has 10 performances a year. To survive they must practically sell out all 10 performances.

Bone headed Marcia has scheduled many NYC ballet performances to conflict with Opera performances, but that was just a minor inconvenience compared to what she has done this year.
Perhaps hoping to destroy the independent Opera, she has scheduled the widely popular Phish directly opposite three of the Opera’s ten performances.

On Friday July 5 Phish takes the stage at 7:30, Saratoga Opera a stones throw away puts on the masterpiece of Italian opera, Rigoletto at 8.

On Saturday Phish at 7:30 the Opera at 8, this time the Mighty Casey, which brings the nostalgic era of America in thirties to life through a musical and dramatic setting of the quintessential American poem “Casey at the Bat".

Sunday is a little better with the Opera at 2:00, with Trial by Jury/Le 66. Twin operetta’s by England’s Gilbert and Sullivan and France’s Offenbach, which will feature the 2012 Opera Saratoga Apprentice Artist performers.Phish again takes the stage at 8.

Now I know many of you are saying “what’s the big deal”?

Well Phish is best known for its fan culture. With fans flocking to venues hours before they open, the concert is the centerpiece of an event that includes a temporary community in the parking lot, complete with "Shakedown Street": at times a garment district, art district, food court and illegal drug district that fans simply call “the pharmacy”. For many, one concert is simply a prelude to the next as the community follows the band around the country.The State Police will set up road blocks around SPAC. Route 9, Route 50 and the Ave of Pines will be impassable for hours before and hours after the concert, not to mention the poor souls who booked a wedding at the Hall of Springs at the same time.

Let me paint a picture for you. A bride and her family who spent upwards of $25,000 for daddies little girl on her big day will be heartbroken. Most guests will be hours late for the reception if they make it at all. The area around the Opera and the Hall of Springs will be an open air drug market. The patrons of the Opera will have no chance to make it to the show at all. The performance will be a disaster playing to an almost empty house for a SOLD OUT show.
So whose fault is this clusterfuck?

Marcia White, President & Executive Director of SPAC. You know the nurse who makes $300,000 a year.

She signed the contract with Live Nation, she owns it.

So I call on Public Safety Commissioner” toothy” Christian Mathiesen DO SOMETHING. You spout off about Caroline being “out of control and dangerous” GO TO A FUCKING PHISH CONCERT. You want mayhem? You want Chaos?

Will you as the highest ranking law enforcement officer in Saratoga Springs guarantee that public roads will be open? Will you as such an officer tolerate the blatant and flagrant use of illegal drugs in many cases by children? Pick up the phone and call Marcia White to your fucking office and read her the riot act. We are counting on you to save the OPERA and Saratoga Springs itself.

I will be at the City Council pre agenda meeting tomorrow and the actual meeting Tuesday night. I will have a completely new NXIVM story later this week

This is also the soft start of my spring fund raising drive. This will be it, till after the summer. So if you could give just a little. The PayPal button is on top and I’m always in Uncommon Grounds. I have no advertisers and without you this wouldn’t be possible. I’m writing more and more and the stores keep on coming and I do try to keep up and be timely.

God willing I will be able to continue to bring my videos and tails of cults and governments to you my readers. Love me; hate me you do read me.

So please give so me, the wife and Bruno the dog all live to fight and write another day.

GOOD NIGHT AND THANK YOU ALL

Charter Change; Let the voters decide

Let me start by saying I am unequivocally against the city manager form of government. I believe having an unelected potentate is undemocratic.

That said since Saratoga Citizen has cleared all the legal hurdles, the issue deserves its day at the polls. Anything else would be equally undemocratic.

I have nothing personal against Pat Kane. Sure he is a touch bombastic, with a streak of arrogance but most politicians {and make no mistake he is a politician} share similar traits.

And just to be clear I supported the lawsuit challenging their petition and the further appeal but they have been fully adjudicated and right or wrong Saratoga Citizen prevailed, so be it.

Time to let the full citizenry of this fair city voice their own opinion at the polls.

So let the games begin.

The rich just got a little richer; John Breyo to receive one million dollars from Saratoga taxpayers

John Breyo, CEO/President, and founder of Ayco Co who later sold the company to Goldman Sachs Group won a multi-year lawsuit against the City of Saratoga Springs and their assessment of his home at 51 Winding Brook Drive and the surrounding 29-acre estate. Under the terms of the settlement, details of which were filed in the Supreme Court of Saratoga County on April 17, the home's new assessment will be $8.2 million, down from a $12.46 million assessment given in 2011.The City and the school district will reimburse him in over paid property taxes to the tune of one million dollars.
This officially ends a saga that began in 2007 as the secretive Breyo has fought the cities assessment given by Saratoga Springs Accounts Commissioner John Franck every year since.

Breyo’s house is listed as the eighth largest privately owned home by square footage in the United States. HERE Personally I find it has all the style of a mega drive in Funeral home in Palm Beach Florida. So who is John Breyo you ask?

Beginning with his involvement as vice chairman of the board of directors of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Breyo has been involved in some shady dealing. Under John Breyo's leadership SPAC consistently lost money while Breyo continued to increase the compensation of SPAC president Herb Chesbrough.
Chesbrough in turn hired Ayco to advise SPAC on investment policies, and investment vehicles, and in turn Breyo hired Chesbrough as a consultant for Ayco.

All of this started to unravel when SPAC’s endowment continued to lose money and Chesbrough tried to save money by eliminating the New York City Ballet. All hell broke loose as the sleeping public was rudely awakened to the possibility of losing our beloved ballet. New York State ordered an audit and Herb, John and the rest of the Board of SPAC was sent packing, but not without an obscene compensation package for Herb.

To further spit in the eye of the public after the unceremonious sacking of Herb Chesbrough and his own firing under a cloud of nefarious suspicion. Breyo created the Herb Chesbrough Scholarship in the Arts at Siena College,his Alma Mater and funded it with a $500,000 gift to the Loudonville School.

Breyo has also taken an interest in City Politics and fronted his friend and retired Ayco attorney Peter Martin's campaign in the cities Commissioner of Finance race in 2009 where he was narrowly defeated by Commissioner Ivins in his successful reelection bid. Martin was one of the attorneys who successfully negotiated the sale of Ayco Co to The Goldman Sachs Group, thereby making both wealthy men. Martin is said to be interested in running against Johnson in the next Mayoral race and I am sure Breyo will be standing right behind him. This is a man who is loyal to his friends.
Martin is often seen at City Council meeting and lives in his own mansion just off North Broadway.
In in case you think you would have nice neighbors in Breyo’s Beacon Hill subdivision his immediate neighbor is convicted felon David Silipigno.
In June 2009 federal agents armed with sealed search warrants raided the Broadway offices and several storage lockers around Saratoga County used by David B. Silipigno, a convicted felon, his business associates and their various companies.
Silipigno, who was convicted in another mortgage fraud scandal involving a Halfmoon company had avoided a 10-year prison sentence after more-or-less embezzling $5.6 million from his mortgage banking company before it dissolved and left nearly 400 people without work

Search warrant documents indicate the FBI's raids sought "evidence of conspiracy, loan origination fraud and false statements, mail fraud, wire fraud, and bank fraud."

You can read much more on him HERE

No word if he will be seeking public office.

City awash in cash, Democrats vow to spend it.

Ken Ivins got a bad rap. While not the sharpest dresser or fast talker he always put the interest of the city’s taxpayer FIRST. Now after criticizing Ivin’s 0% tax increase for the 2012 budget we have our newly minted Commissioner of Finance Michele Madigan proclaiming that Ivin’s 2011 budget has left the city with a larger than anticipated surplus.

The unrestricted fund balance stands at about $6.2 million, up $2 million from 2010. Madigan believes the balance is supposed to be between 10 and 12.5 percent of the annual budget, and says by policy any excess or deficit needs to be addressed by the Finance commissioner. My question first is why? Policy can be changed.

She has some suggestions about how to spend the cash.Mindful the PBA was one of her biggest supporters, taking their endorsement and $1,000.00 from them she has proposed spending some of the surplus on police station renovations. This despite the fact there is already $50,000 in 2012 Capital Budget for renovations.

Now I know most of you read the Saratogian story today. I hope some of you read the Gazette story yesterday by Lee Coleman on the surplus. In it Madigan blames the surplus “on devastating cuts to essential services.”

Really Madigan, can you quantify that? I still see cops parked sitting for hours, sometimes with two to a car. We still have card games at the cities garage and working fireman roam the aisles of Price Chopper. Drastic cuts Michele?

The last council trimmed an ounce of fat on a 300 pound sow. No one even noticed.

Now want to know my predictions?

First thing Madigan and Public Safety Commissioner” toothy” Christian Mathiesen will passionately argue for restoration of a Personnel Director at over 100k a year, than they will lobby just as hard for “Screwy Louie” Benton’s return to city director of parks and open space for 100k a year. A useless patronage position created for him by Val Keehn and eliminated by Scott Johnson.

Of course they will also argue for more personal across the board in all departments, because their Democrats it’s what they do.

But the big one, the whole enchilada is a NEW POLICE STATION and eastern fire station.

Madigan and Mathiesen will be doing a lot of “new research” in the coming months and just like “Dear Leader” Ron Kim before them they will independently conclude “never been a better time to borrow money”

And this has been the plan from the first day they ran for office.

Remember you read it here first.

Federal Marshal’s poised to serve Keith Raniere and other leading NXIVM henchman.

Sometimes the government gets things right. As I first reported former NXIVM advisor Joe OHara has filed a multi-count, multi-million dollar civil lawsuit against NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere and a host of other cult-related people and entities.

Now comes word that O’Hara has received approval from the local U.S. District Court to proceed in forma pauperis, which means, among other things, that he won’t have to pay any filing fees as the lawsuit moves forward – and that the U.S. Marshall’s Office will be responsible for serving all of the named defendants in the lawsuit.

Of course NXIVM attorneys strenuously objected to O’Hara being granted forma pauperis status but to no avail. I find it richly ironic that NXIVM objects to a man being granted pauper status, a status that their very actions caused in the first place. Now the very government agents that Raniere professes to hate to his followers will be acting on the behalf of his greatest protagonist. Fucking sweet.

The list of NXIVM members that have already been named as individual defendants and that will soon be served by the U.S. Marshal's includes the following: Nancy Salzman a/k/a Prefect , who serves as the ceremonial President of NXIVM; Sara Bronfman,HERE who will be getting married to Basit Igit in a few months and who still aspires to be a leader in the rebuilding of Libya.Clare Bronfman,HERE who is reportedly running low on cash and seeking financial assistance from other Bronfman family members to help pay the cult’s staggering legal bills; and Kristin Keeffe,HERE the self-proclaimed baby momma of Gaelen, the 5-6 old boy who is reportedly being raised by several illegal immigrants in accordance with Raniere’s “theories” about child development And O’Hara has already indicated that he expects to be adding to that list in the near future.

Of course, the best part of the O’Hara’s lawsuit (at least in my opinion) is that he has also included several of NXIVM’s lawyers and their law firms as named defendants. What kind of chaos and back-stabbing this may cause remains to be seen but you just have to love the thought of what the first court hearing is going to look like with so many pissed off attorneys crowded around the defense table!
Steve "the man" Coffey HERE
Pam Nichols AKA "Lipo Pam" HERE
O’Connell and Aronowitz HERE
William Savino AKA "The Trutle" HERE

And let’s not forget two of the other prominent defendants that have already been named in O'Hara’s lawsuit: the County of Albany and its current District Attorney, P. David Soares,HERE who, as it turns out, has apparently used several aliases over the years to cover up his own brushes with the legal system: See HERE and HERE for more info on that matter. Will Albany County cough up the funds to pay for a private attorney to defend Soares, the only known District Attorney in the State of New York who has never appeared as an attorney in a court of law? Or will it take the position that Soares’ involvement with NXIVM was outside the scope of his office and force him to hire his own attorney?

Meanwhile, the Bronfman brats have been attempting to re-open the lawsuit that they and several other NXIVM members first brought against O'Hara back in August 2005 and which was settled back in 2007. But that move may have been stymied when the local District Court decided to combine the Bronfmans’ claims against O'Hara with his new lawsuit. (See HERE for the court’s ruling on that matter).

So stay tuned folks because this latest edition of David v. Goliath looks like it’s going to get real interesting real soon. Especially if some of the rumors about the case that are currently circulating prove to be true. (Be patient, loyal readers, for all will be revealed in the near future).

And don't forget ESPIANS the NXIVM Festival of Flowers is May 17 - May 20, 2012 At the NXIVM cult club Route 9 Clifton Park.
I hear Keith might even be there but I bet he doesn't introduce his latest little plaything to the flock. I hear this one is over 18. No word if baby mama and whack job Kristen Keefe approves.

Caroline Street: is it safe?

Today is a good day. I have great stats with four stories being read and commented on. Love me, loath me, you do read me. I have also come under some healthy criticism for shaking the hand of Housing Authority Executive Director Ed Spychalski. Not only do I allow criticism of me I encourage it. I firmly believe that everyone, myself included need to be scrutinized and criticized if ones feels that it's necessary.

Now let me tell you of a meeting I had with Toothy in the basement of the cities police station. Toothy thought I needed some education on the dangers of questioning his judgment. I taped our discussion for your viewing pleasure as Chris asks me “is it safe?”



This has been a parody. Anyone foolish enough to believe this was a video of an actual meeting between I and Commissioner of Public Morals Christian Mathiesen is for all intents and purposes brain dead.

Commissioner of Public Morals Christian Mathiesen kicks Saratoga downtown in the teeth AGAIN.

Saratoga is blessed for many reasons one being two local reporters, Denis Yusko of the Times Union has been doing a bang up job covering many different local issues but today I write about Lucian McCARTY of the Saratogian.

In a recent blog post HERE on his city desk blog he spotlight a sound off left by a gentleman in Chicago. That goes
"I was out in Chicago on business the other day and I was having lunch with a client. They live in Chicago and normally they come to the track in August with their family and this fella said 'You know I've heard of all of the violence in the streets and all of the movement down there to try to clean up the streets and how horrible it is.'So they are not going to take their vacation this year and come to Saratoga …."

It continues for great length and that is the reason it didn’t make the sound off cut to long.

What I find really amazing when asked to comment Toothy says.

"To the person who wrote this Sound Off, it is hard to understand why anyone who has been coming to Saratoga Springs would not now come because we are trying to clean up 'all the violence in the streets'. Such a person would know that we have been referring to late night activities in the nightclub district. One would think that such a person would not return to Saratoga Springs if we were NOT addressing these problems.

It is hard to understand how eliminating this blemish on our reputation as a safe, fun place for tourists, conventioneers and Skidmore students is 'not necessarily what's best for this area'.

And yes, I do provide excellent dental services for my patients. Thanks for the compliment.

I am also doing a really good job as I serve on our City Council as well as in my oversight of the Public Safety Department. It is the late night problems in our nightclub district that are 'really giving this town a bad name.'

Please feel free to have the Chicago businessman call me. (518 587 3550 X 2627)

Chris Mathiesen"

So once again Mathiesen as arrogant as ever continues to bash our good name and destroy all reputation all for his narrow political agenda.

Adelphi Hotel SOLD

Well for months the rumors have been swirling that the famed Adelphi Hotel was under an option to purchase. I spend time during the winter trying to confirm the buyer. The Adelphi Hotel was once eyed by the notorious cult NXIVM as a site for a potential conference center. Later Expian Barbara Bouchey spearheaded another group hoping to buy the hotel.

Now it appears Capital District Properties LLC is the successful buyer{ I guess they didn't get the Memo by Toothy that downtown was a “dangerious,toxic,HELLHOLE”}. Headed by Toby Milde Capital District Properties ("CDP") calls itself
“An experienced, fully integrated real estate development company that specializes in the land acquisition, development, finance, construction and management of residential communities throughout the Capital Region of New York State.CDP's principals bring with them decades of real estate development, construction, finance and management experience. Headquartered in Latham, New York, CDP was formed for the purpose of developing quality real estate throughout the Central and Upstate regions of New York with an emphasis on the Capital Region's Tech Valley to take advantage of the high technology job growth now taking place in this area. With collective real estate, development, construction, finance and management experience involving over $35 billion of real estate, CDP represents one of the most experienced real estate partnerships in the region.”

The sale price was listed at $4.5 million. That was a drastic price reduction from five years ago, when owner Sheila Packert tried to sell it for $10 million. She later came down to $7.8 million. No word what the purchase price was now.

Saratoga in Decline wishes all the parties involved the best of luck.

Hell freezes over; I and Ed Spychalski shake hands, trespass order lifted.

Well today was full of surprises. After making my speech in the public comment period of the SSHA board meeting today I received a phone call from a respected neutral source asking if I would be willing to meet with Housing Authority Executive Director Ed Spychalski.

The standing policy of this blog is I am willing to meet with anyone to discuss any relevant topic. Another long standing policy is to accept any rebuttal or criticism of this blog and publish it on this blog free of charge with no edits.

So after a phone call I was invited into Ed’s office for a discussion. Now the last time I met with someone like this it was failed mayoral candidate Brent Wilkes during his campaign. That meeting started out by Brent threatening to sue me for slander. Believe it or not things went downhill from there.

So knowing I had no intention of apologizing I didn’t have high expectations for the outcome. I was pleasantly surprised.

Ed was friendly even gracious. I shook his hand and said I’m John but people call me Lucifer. He said I’m Ed the tenants call me Satan {Just Kidding} seriously we had a long talk, some was chit chat but much was substantial. He never apologized but neither did I. The order to lift the trespass order was called in to the police in my presence. No concessions were given and in fairness he never asked for any.

Are we friends now? No but we understand each other a little better. Ed invited me to write a local history column for the resident’s newsletter. I invited him or staff or residents to write a piece for the blog.

I have a much better understanding of resident eligibility rules policies and such
Who knows? I’m sure many of the problems land squarely at the feet of the ever missing Eric Weller and ousted Board president Dennis Brunelle.

For now I’ll give the devil his due {and that comes from Lucifer himself, just ask Nancy Muldoon she’ll tell ya}

Thank you Ed and it was a pleasure to talk with you today {no kidding this time}

Saratoga Springs Housing Authority Board meeting 4/19/11: A new beginning?

Well the newly constituted SSHA board met for the regular April meeting with newest member former Saratoga Springs Finance Commissioner Ken Ivins in Stonequist Apartments at 11am today.
The meeting had the usual suspects present. A few of the building residents praised Housing Authority Executive Director Ed Spychalski, it had all the sincerity of a North Korean rally called to praise our “dear leader”. I fully expected someone to call on the board to make Ed Spychalski, Executive Director for life.

I got up and asked them to drop the no trespass order against me. I pointed to the American flag in the corner and asking why there wasn’t a flag salute in a public meeting of a governmental agency I went on to add freedom of speech is not a privilege but a constitutional right, and that the right to be a pain in the ass of government organizations as long as its conducted lawfully is guaranteed by the constitution and the flag that represents it in the corner.

Next city resident and Housing Authority gadfly John Kaufman spoke and I will put up that Video.


Finally a nasty rumor was put to bed that Executive Director Ed Spychalski, had been given a 3% raise again without City Council approval. It now appears that a committee has been formed to do a performance review but no word if they will be presenting his salary to the Council.


Till next time enjoy the beautiful weather

Saratoga City Council 4/17/11.Somebody shoot me.

Well if anyone went to this Council meeting hoping to find resolutions to anything, you were sorely in for a disappointment.
Self-appointed Commissioner of Public Morals Christian Mathiesen was in rare form. Arguing with anyone or everyone who disagreed with his agenda or opinions and no facts or laws would stand in his way. Starting with his little swamp walk then continuing to any get together of Council members, it's only a meeting if he says so. Notice? We don't need no stinkin' notice. Open meeting laws only apply to the little people not to me. Even Commissioner Franck { who wisely chose to skip the swamp boogie for that very reason} disagreed with him but Toothy was undeterred. He will only give the public notice when he feels they deserve to know.


Next, Charter Change nothing resolved. They will study it for the next council meeting and no hint from the Mayor if he has any inclination if he will appoint a Charter review commission.

Next, Discussion: Saratoga Springs Housing Authority. Franck again led the charge in a very articulate and measured tone going step by step outlining all the failures of the Board of SSHA. Then out of left field Toothy chimed in defending the Board much to the aggravation and chagrin of Commissioner Franck.

Franck is simply calling for the Council to call on the Board of the SSHA to submit a plan of correction to address their deficiencies like I don’t know, maybe hiring a Watervliet petty crook to run the show for $ 160,000 a year.


Next, Discussion and Vote: SEQRA for Zoning Text Amendment to all existing Tourist Related Business Districts (Alternative to Maple Dell request) Toothy beat that down to never, never land. After an hour augment it was tabled till next meeting. Commissioner of Public Works Anthony “Skip” Scirocco finally spoke up asking the council to keep it down as their discussions were waking up his deputy Tim Cogan {kidding}.

Next Finance and public works nothing of note.
I would like to point out that at this time it was well past 11pm.This for a meeting the started at 6pm.

Next after successfully stalling the meeting for hours Toothy got up to the plate.
His ambulance service? Thank you for asking, it’s Brilliant just Brilliant

Closing the bars? He doesn’t seem to care that he can’t legally do it, unless of course the entire county government agrees with his wise council. He will have public hearings and this time his deputy will round up the trained minions of his followers to demand the bars be shut down.


I will be adding more videos tomorrow.
Saratoga In Decline
Wading through the crap of city government so you don’t have to.

And for a refreshing alternative viewpoint on the cities Complete Streets initiative check out Ben Arnold at Capital Aquarium

Saratoga in Decline tested and approved

HERE

The Week ahead.

The pre agenda meeting of the Spa City Council was a snooze today. Johnson wasn’t there so Madigan got the precious gavel. There were no wardrobe malfunctions this week.
The Agenda is HERE

The City Council meetings are taking on the air of Senate hearings as each commissioner seems enthralled by their own voice. Posturing, pontificating until most of the public goes home. Except for Skippy who doesn’t say much of anything. The cities infrasture keeps deteriorating the Carousel is shuttered and everyone seems to have been promoted in DPW but Skippy just grins and naps without a care in the world

The meeting begins at 6pm and will easily last till midnight.I will have a post with video Tuesday night or Wednesday morning

I will be at the SSHA authority meeting at 11am Thursday and will have a post and will have a new NXIVM story Sunday night.
So stay here for a fun filled week just don’t expect the City Council to resolve anything.
As a professional courtesy I am providing a link to this Saratogian Blog Post about the SSHA mess. I highly recommend it

Kaufmann-atogian HERE

And for a surprising alternative take on the the SSHA story, check out my good friend Ben Arnold of Saratoga dis-utopia fame at his new blog. Provocative stuff indeed.

Capital Aquarium

HERE

Saratoga Tattoo Expo rolls into town: Don’t tell Commissioner of Public Morality Christian Mathiesen

I admit it’s a slow news day so I will review the Saratoga Tattoo Expo for my more timid readers who couldn’t make it, but by all means check it out yourself, runs through 7 tonight.

Saturday was just one of those picture perfect days in downtown Saratoga. The homeless were awaking {more on that later} the peaceniks {god bless them} were protesting and the very tattooed and pierced bodies of the Expo were mingling with the nice ladies of Saratoga. I love to see a diverse crowd in Saratoga. The well-scrubbed and well-coffied of Saratoga can frankly become a little boring.

I and Joyce wandered up to the Saratoga Tattoo Expo to check out the action. I like to think of myself as a guy who is just as comfortable at a Hells Angels pig roast as I am at the Metropolitan Opera. I’ve been to countless gun shows and gay pride events, protests and riots from Buenos Aires to Paris, nothing shocks me but this was hard to watch.


Yes she was skewered by meat hooks in her knees and lifted abet briefly into the air by said meat hooks. The group is called “Just Flesh”.
Now I’ve broken both my knees and had a compound fracture {I can still remember the sound, it was like a chicken bone breaking} of the right fibula in my right leg but this looked painful.

All I could think of is she looked like someone who would be hooked up to a trolling rod and cast out to be used for shark bait while fishing the gulf. I was half expecting Commissioner of Public Morality Christian Mathiesen to come charging in with a squad of Saratoga’s finest shouting “this is out of control and dangerous STOP STOP”. But in the end the crowd gasp and covered their eyes, she was hoisted down and limped away. I swear there has got to be an easier way to make a living.

There were some great T-Shirts in the crowd.
My top three
number 3- Satan is my copilot
Number 2-I love children there tasty
And Number 1


Now I don’t want readers to think the entire event was mayhem and pain. There were great artists, a Johnny Cash cover band, food and fun. The event was packed with people and the Tattoo artists tables were covered by bodies wincing in pain. So by all means check it out today, till 7pm.

The other thing I noticed yesterday is since the new parking garage displaced the city’s homeless from their usual perch, they have relocated to Broadway. Contrary to what the rich elites in this city want you to believe we’re not the fabulously wealthy Beverly Hills of the North.

The homeless population in general is growing and the city is no exception. While Cops and Fireman pull in 100k a year the working classes are taxed to oblivion. As poverty grows the rich elites such as Nancy Goldberg and the public sector spongers the Benton’s become more and more frightened of the great unwashed masses. This leaves the wealthy dentist Christian Mathiesen to call for more and more police to placate the fears of the rich. By constantly banging the drum of fear, the populace comes to believe they need more police to protect them from the hungry mob. Programs for the poor are cut,the public safety budget grows and more cops get more overtime and more toys.
The end product in this arms race? Higher taxes, more poverty, more crime, at least that’s how I see it.

So please don’t think I’m making light of the homeless in this next piece, I’m just using satire to ridicule the vast wasteland we call “American culture” and reality TV.

I think I'll write a script for a new pilot for a reality TV show.

Homeless apprentice dude, Saratoga Springs .

You know pick a team of young newly homeless guys and girls. Pair them with one of our hardcore experienced homeless. The competition possibilities are endless.

Let’s see homeless cooking, and the winner is?
Homeless couple one, who dazzled our audience with Congress Park Duck and dumpster diving salad.

Next bottle recovery contest.

Moving on to the Bogart the bottle Contest.

Then who can be first in line at the free clinic ?

Then best improvised shower at a Public bathroom?

Sleeping in Libraries,bring a pillow or not?

Then we come back next spring to revisit our contestants to see who froze to death and who lives another year.
Anyway you get the point.

I will be at the City Council pre-agenda meeting tomorrow morning. Till then look at the poverty that’s growing around you and remember “But by the grace go God go I”

Ed Spychalski's empire just got smaller

The empire Ed built just keeps on crumbling after he and Saratoga Springs Housing Authority Manager Gerard Hawthorn resigned from the board of the Saratoga Affordable Housing Group after their meeting at 8:30 am Tuesday at Longfellow’s at Saratoga Lake.

Housing Authority gadfly John Kaufmann had tried to attend the meeting but was unceremoniously told to leave by Dennis Brunelle who was the chairman of the Saratoga Springs Housing Authority Board of Commissioners until he refused to resign and wasn’t reappointed by city Mayor Scott Johnson.

I have long been troubled by the cloudy relationship between the SSHA and the nonprofit Saratoga Affordable Housing Group. They basically had a monopoly over affordable housing in the city and both were effectually puppets of the will of Ed Spychalski. Piss off Ed your chances of finding decent affordable housing in the city were zero.

Many people have accused me of abandoning the city but I can attest to the scarcity of affordable housing, relocating to Milton only after an extensive search for anything decent for $800 to $1000 a month proved fruitless. Thanks to friends I was able to secure my current location that accepts pets and doesn’t mind I’ve been stalked by the NXIVM cult, but like MacArthur when my current pets die of old age to the delight of some and the chagrin of others I shall return.
That said I’m in a unique position to know just how important that a fair and honest Affordable Housing Group is in the city.

I’m afraid this group with the messy co mingling of funds along with the letter from Grassely that states
“SSHA financial documents do not indicate that SSHA has any nonprofit affiliates”

Somebody is lying or trying to cover up something and I still want to know about the contract with A J Arpey Inc who the Affordable Housing Group. paid $1,074,941 in 2010.

Till next time I’ll be at the Saratoga Tattoo Expo HERE at the civic center. Wait till our intrepid Commissioner of public morality Christian Mathiesen gets a look at these folks at 4am. You know Chris maybe you should broaden your horizons a little. Prejudice can take many forms. Just because you may not like the way someone looks or dresses it’s your problem not theirs. That was until you were voted into power. With power comes reasonability and hopefully wisdom, try using both for a change and lighten up. Hell come on down and get some ink.

Things just got worse for Ed Spychalski.

The Buffalo office for HUD has confirmed that our local government along with the State have control of Saratoga Springs Housing Authority.
Correspondence HERE

The letter from HUD emphatically states
“Such state and local governments, through the boards they appoint, accordingly have a primary oversight responsibility with respect to (public housing authorities),”

HUD also told Ed his plan for dealing with the bedbugs was dangerous and inadequate on December 8. On Dec 20 he lied to the City Council.


The letter was in response to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) questions about the running of HUD HERE

It also states you illegally hired family members,
My own opinion Fuck Spychalski

I have been doing extensive research on the board’s termination of former Director Gerry Zabala.
From all the documents I’ve read, the then board members aided by Val Keehn and Lew Benton conspired to remove the ill Zabala to make room for Spychalski and they were ruthlessly efficient. After 17 years of service they offered Zababa two weeks’ pay and no health insurance. This for a man who was suffering a serious mental illness brought on by the undermining of his authority and the various plots against him.

He sued of course and this is part of the public record. The final discharge of the suit is sealed.

So again fuck Ed fire him. Let him sue.

Just remember the dark forces that carried out this palace coup against Zabala are back in power in city hall so remember who you’re dealing with

Saratoga Taliban suffer setback.

The Democratic Taliban Party of Saratoga Springs was dealt a setback in their plans to regulate behavior according to a story in today’s Saratogian HERE.

Seems the New York State Liquor Authority, believes any roll back of barroom closing times must be done countrywide. Our intrepid Commissioner of public morality Christian Mathiesen was undeterred by their opinion as he is of any opinion that differs from his own, calling it a “huddle”. The story by Saratogian reporter Lucian McCarty states that Mathiesen has described our downtown entertainment district as, "It’s out of control," calling it "dangerous" and having a toxic atmosphere.
Cheer up Chris, Utah wasn’t built in a day. This guy support you

Now I know your busy telling us what to believe but do you think if you and your boys aren’t too busy could you give us an update on the New Year’s Eve stabbing at the Metro? The guy was shanked in front of a hundred people at 1:30 a.m. and not a word since. Story HERE. I bet if he was stabbed at 4:15 you wouldn’t shut up about it.