By Rosalie Tirella
Isn’t life rich? Just this past winter, I was struggling away in lower Vernon Hill, wishing for the perfect Christmas, a Christmas in a beautiful home in a beautiful neighborhood, with a beautiful husband and beautiful kids … Money, great furniture, the nicest clothes, perfectly coiffed and hi-lighted hair. Maybe a fun winter skiing vacation just around the snow-driven corner. A life of love, family and family-values! Just like the life of Bob Spellane and his wife Susan and family gushingly depicted in a glossy Worcester magazine for all of Worcester County to read and turn pea green with envy over. There was Bob and his wife amidst home and hearth in the kind of magazine that never makes it to my neighborhood. There was Bob Spellane – the standard bearer for everything that’s fab about Wormtown! Worcester’s best! A Worcester winner! Don’t we all wish we could have Bob and Stacy’s life this holiday season? this story seemed to ask.
Not in a fucking million years!
Deck the halls with boughs of bullshit because Bob Spellane was celebrating Christmas by balling some hottie local TV reporter. His wife was deciding on a divorce, and they both refused to pay the mortgage on their home in Whitinsville for a year. And THAT was OK in Bob Spellane’s world because one of the captains of the banking industry was letting the Spellane loan slide so that he could reap the benefits later on! The banker was a contributor to the Spellane campaign, as were countless of his colleagues, funneling thousands of dollars into Spellane’s campaign war chest.
Unlike most people in my neighborhood, who would have found themselves living at the PIP under similar circumstances, Bob Spellane was allowed to coast because he was a politician. The Whitinisville banker who was holding the mortgasge was giving Bobby a break, kissing Bobby’s ass, hoping Bobby, the vice chairman of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Fiancial Services, would some day return the political favor.. But then UniBank for Savings runs a legit and fair biz and when they got the loan – they wanted the money! They threatened to foreclose on the Spellane abode.
Good! you say. Bobby Spellane got we he deserved.
Hardly. Daddy in law, Arthur J. Andreoli, according to Shaun Sutner’s stupendous T & G article, “a well-known city insurance executive,” gets “the kids” off the hook and pays off their $200,000 bank loan! Whoa! Daddy – O! This is why your daughter and son in law have not yet grown up. This is why they are still spoiled children and an embarrassment to themselves and the greater Worcester community. Daddy-O, you have probably enabled these losers for years! The bank in now suing Spellane, 38, for $50,000.
Now, according to the Sutner article: “Spellane’s home, which he owns with his wife, Susan, is under threat of foreclouse for nonpayment of a $60,000 home equity loan the couple took out in 2006. … the bank may foreclose or seize the house as of Nov. 15 if the debt is not repaid.”
And this straight on the heels of Bob Spellane paying a fine – one of the largest settlements ever with the state Office of Political and Campaign Finance – for using $50,000 of his campaign funds to buy things like membership in the Worcester Club and make car payments on his shiny new automobile. The T & G article states that wife Susan’s lawyer says Spellane used the loan to pay the fine – settle his case with the state. (He had to put $32,500 back into his campaign account and making a $10,000 civil forfeiture.)
Once again State Rep. Bob Spellane says he didn’t divert funds. Once again he thinks he can blatantly disrespect his district, the voters and any other politician who plays by the rules.
Where does Spellane get the ego and arrogance? Who does this guy think he is? He deserves more fines and (which is coming) the loss of his family and home life. The one that was depicted in that Worcester glossy – THE BIG LIE.
The smartest thing we can do? Not vote for Spellane this Nov. 4! When you get your ballot, leave the little bubble next to Robert Spellane’s name unmarked. Or vote for someone you think is more ethical. This will send a message to this cheating little boy.