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MAKEYENKO DEFENDS USING HIS INFLUENCE TO WIN JOBS FOR
OTHERS

Published on December 18, 2000
Author: ***MARGARET HAMMERSLEY
News Staff Reporter
© The Buffalo News Inc.
Lackawanna School Board member John Makeyenko, who is also chairman of the city's Democratic Committee, makes no bones about it: He helps "qualified" people get jobs at many different governmental levels.

"I've helped out many people in the school district," said Makeyenko. "Some are my friends. Some I knew politically. Some I didn't know, but they had the qualifications. If you don't have the qualifications, you're not going to get a job from John Makeyenko." School Superintendent Monica Kole, in an unusual move, told the board publicly last week that hiring should be free of politics if the Lackawanna schools are to rise from a published rating of 96 among 98 Western New York districts. (Buffalo is at rock bottom).
"Everybody here is related to everybody," Kole said later.
Makeyenko agrees.
"If they do a family tree in our school district, and I'm talking from the day it started, there are a lot of people related to one another," he said. "But you ain't going to see no Makeyenkos."
Makeyenko, now in his second full term as a board member, ran last year's successful mayoral campaign of John J. Kuryak. He was elected city Democratic chairman three months ago.
Before he became Democratic chairman, and before a turnover on a bitterly divided School Board, there was a hint to him that good jobs were available to his relatives, Makeyenko said.
"I refused to put my family on the payroll," he said. "I've had many offers."
His brothers and sisters have good jobs, but there were times -- during the Our lady of Victory Hospital layoffs, for instance -- when a job might have been attractive, he said.
Three board members are current or former employees of the Lackawanna Police Department. The board's appointee as school attorney, Carl Morgan, is a former Lackawanna police lieutenant. Their relatives who are employees include:
Susan M. Motyka, a teacher's aide, hired after her husband Kenneth, a police complaint writer, was elected to the board.
Jackie Piotrowski, teacher's aide, hired after election of her father, Edward Piotrowski, retired police lieutenant.
Carolyn Friend, cafeteria monitor, on the payroll prior to election of her relative, School Board member Robert Friend, a Lackawanna detective.
John Kozak, hired last year as an English teacher and let go, is the son of former School Board member Diane Kozak.
Now teaching with the Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Kozak said he really wanted to work in his hometown and worked actively with the students in extracurricular activities.
The state Education Department has ordered the board to place him on a preferred eligibility list.
"Being a Lackawanna resident and a graduate of St. Bonaventure with a 4.0 grade average, I could do a service for my Lackawanna community," he said. "Unfortunately, I was one of many political casualties."
Makeyenko said relatives can get caught in the middle in School Board disputes and he would not want that to happen to his. He said he is one of the few that has no kin in jobs but he is not averse to recommending school job candidates, provided they are qualified.
"If they want positions in the school district, city, state, county, I'll go to bat for them," he said.
Board member Nancy Parker said she is aware that some relatives hold school posts.
"I don't see a problem as long as they are doing their job," she said.
Parker said Lackawanna has a great board, a great new superintendent in Monica Kole, and now, a great future.
Two months ago the board reinstated Lackawanna residency as a job requirement, a policy Makeyenko strongly backs.
Makeyenko notes that he personally does not have a lot of friends who are certified teachers and that the schools do not produce many students who become teachers. He would like to see that change.
"That's why I want to have residency," he said. "If we're going to pay a teacher $50,000 a year in 10 years, I want to see them own a home in Lackawanna. The only way we're going to attract young families is by hiring people and making them live here."
A former Golden Gloves champ and Marine, Makeyenko is in the odd position of recommending others for jobs when he does not have a paid position himself. After three herniated disks, he is on Social Security disability.
"I live on $705 a month," he said.
The divorced father of two owns a house in Bethlehem Park that he bought at a tax sale. Neighbors include his parents and two of his six siblings. Three months ago he was elected city Democratic chairman.

BILL WIPPERT/Buffalo News
Lackawanna School Board member John Makeyenko, here in Bethlehem Park near his home, says that nepotism should have no place in the district's hiring practices.


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