A Fool and His Microphone
Ed Bergen and Charlie McCarthy
IAFF General Secretary-Treasurer Ed “Edzo” Kelly was in the 7th district this week making a fool of himself while simultaneously embarrassing our union as he campaigned in the district vice president race there.
In a reprise of the famous ventriloquist Ed Bergen and his side-kick Charlie McCarthy, Kelly was Shady Schait’s little lap doll, saying the words Schaitberger dare not.
The “Edzo”
The net effect was to make Kelly out as a fool and to further degrade the IAFF.
The Evidence
Schaitberger
There is now a mountain of un-refuted evidence proving beyond doubt that Harold Schaitberger and his accomplices have run an operation which has ethically ruined the IAFF.
To cite but a few:
-They improperly took hundreds-of-thousands of dollars in phony per diems even after being told it was not allowed.
-Schaitberger has engaged in repeated instances of conflicts of interest which have materially weakened our ability to be effective as a union.
-Schaitberger has denied IAFF members their rights of due process and confidentiality while demanding he receive both, at all times.
-He hired private detectives to spy on us; the bill was over $300,000.
-He engaged in a $1,000,000 property deal with a crony who does substantial business with the IAFF and hid it from the Department of Labor (DOL) who then found him at fault.
Walsh as Source?
Rick Walsh
Let’s talk about that last one for a minute since “Edzo” thinks working to keep our union honest by going to DOL makes an IAFF member a “rat”, in his words.
I filed the DOL complaint regarding the house conflict of interest.
I had multiple sources coming to me with the information.
Ricky Walsh was not among them and their identities would make Shady Schait soil his drawers.
Walsh never volunteered a single bit of information about Shady Schait’s corruption yet Edzo tries to make him out to be the dark force because it suits his needs.
Edzo went on to say in his ignorant rant that the many folks who want an honest IAFF are engaged in a “conspiracy” and that we want Schaitberger removed in “handcuffs” and to cause “chaos.”
In fact, it’s Schaitberger and his cronies who have engaged in a conspiracy to defraud and destabilize the IAFF.
Only in the world of Harold and Edzo do those who want basic honesty become criminals, rats and worse.
Dead Men Tell No Tales
Mike Mullane
“Edzo” stoops low.
In his speech he invoked former longtime district vice president and now deceased Mike Mullane to further, and very selectively, trash Walsh.
Mike Mullane knew that Schaitberger was off the reservation when the spying started and he said things were going to far.
Mullane also aggressively defended Pete Gorman to Schaitberger and others because he knew that Gorman was a man of integrity.
“Edzo” should leave Mike Mullane to rest instead of dragging him into what amounts to trash-talk politics.
In choosing to do so he reaches a new low.
The Race in the 7th and the IAFF
“Edzo” thinks the race in the 7th is about the entire IAFF.
That’s more smoke and mirrors bullshit.
Ricky Walsh was never my source for anything.
He was, however, an occasional independent voice on the board and Schaitberger and “Edzo” can’t stand that.
They need to be in total control of the board and Schaitberger has a long history of crushing dissenting voices.
Not sure?
Give Joe Conway or Louie Wright a call.
Speakers were doling out the catchphrases at the meeting including, “leaders never take the easy path.”
True enough but there aren’t many leaders these days, either.
When it comes to wise (and prophetic) words, I choose these:
“The men who go first are rarely popular with those who wait for the wind to blow.”
R. V. Jones
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