FEBRUARY GOSSIP PAGE
FEBRUARY 26, 2000
The City pays the POLICE CHIEF, the CITY CLERK, the STREET COMMISSIONER, and the WATER COMMISSIONER, a SALARY for 44 hours for a 40 hour week.
So far, ONLY the Water Commissioner does not get any overtime pay. He even lost his vacation. But, that is alright, the street commissioner took time off for him. It seems the POLICE CHIEF and the STREET COMMISSIONER think that the extra 4 hours pay, (over $50.00 a week) they received the previous weeks and months is water under the bridge, so to speak. For them, each week is a new deal. AND EXPECT overtime pay OR time off (comp time) whenever they accidentally overwork themselves, oops, I mean overtime themselves. Makes one wonder what the Mayor and Council are thinking. But, at least 187 people are happy with their Mayor and the seven voters for "no prayer here" and the16 voters for "pave my drive free".
It is too bad we can't have police officers who would take the time to find out who lives where. It seems that whenever there is any emergency call, it takes them so much time to try to figure out where the address is, it is almost too late for them to get there. MAYBE, if they lived in La Grange, and, was a resident of the City as required by law, we could have a chief that would learn where everyone lives.
Another question I was asked. Does any of the police officers EVER get out of the car? All they do is ride up and down the street with the radar gun on trying to catch someone. They wanted to know why these "officers of the law" didn't ever get out of the police car and walk up and down the street and visit with the people. In their many trips up and down the road, they never look around, or smile or wave or nothing. They look like robots.
Has anyone found that one fireman a job yet? Hurry up, the fire trucks will all be worn out before we get the new fire station up. Oh, by the way, did the council really award the electrical work to you know who? When is this insane spending spree going to end? All you have to do is be a supporter of Jennies boat and you're set for life. Someone else's money is no object for these guys.
You would think that when the council drafts and ordinance and reads it three times and pass it as a law, all in one council meeting, it would be in effect for all. Yet, one councilman "pave my drive free" seems it is ok for his relatives to be above the law. It has taken his relative all winter to skirt one little trailer. But wait, didn't the law state it had to be equal to or commercial type skirting? If so, how can his relative put on pieces of tin one way flat and another way upright. Dirty looking. It looks like a slum house. But, maybe that is what they want it to be. Maybe the bun burner could buy a lot near his house and move there? By the way, where are the state required tie down straps? Oh well, "pave my drive free" will just waive another law.
FEBRUARY 24, 2000
I received information today that a person here in La Grange was so distraught that I was elected Mayor of the City of La Grange, that on May 15, 1999, they made a false criminal accusation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I now have a copy of the complaint. Some people will do anything for the gambling boat. But that one was a Big Mistake.
Now, here is a sensible question? If you bought a house that didn't have a garage and was planning to build one, Would you plant a tree where you planned to build the garage? OK. Now.
We are all happy that the LRO has decided to construct the Main Street Memorial Building. But, questions are being asked.
Why did the City Street department spend days and days hauling dirt on this property when they are now spending days and days removing all that dirt and putting other dirt on the same place? Why was a flag pole and all the sand and railroad ties placed in the way? After the City spent days and days hauling in the dirt, a good citizen spent more days and days leveling it out, getting all the rocks out, preparing it for grass and then seeded the ground and spent a lot of time mowing and trimming. Then they dug up some of the old foundation and the good citizen spent more days leveling it out again and seeding it again. Now, what about the sidewalk?
I have been asked if Jim Ellison has a job anywhere. It seems the fire trucks will all be worn out before we can have a fire.
So far no emailer can come up with enough electrical work to justify the $10,000 quoted for the fire station. One did suggest that if the labor was charged at $100.00 per hour it could be done.
FEBRUARY 22, 2000
BOY, do you have to take time and read the Minutes below. Especially the one that did not make it to the paper. Here are some highlights.
At the February 7th meeting the mayor stated that the money from the Boat would only be used for the fire station. Yet, everyone in town thought it was going for the Maintenance building. My question would be, why was there an advance payment and it being delayed. When you sell property, you get paid.
Now the Council and mayor are having a problem with one amount of money and two buildings.
NOW, the Mayor is worried what would happen if the Boat is NOT approved. Ralph (pave my drive free) Martin, NOW says, the money was supposed to be received from the boat, but put into an interest bearing account and NOT SPENT until the Boat is approved. The City was supposed to get $39,000 but only $9,000 showed up.
NOW GET THIS FOLKS. Greg (Know it all) Heindselman has projected the cost to wire the fire station at $10,000.00. That's TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. WHERE IN THE HELL CAN ANYONE PUT $10,000.00 worth of wire in a fire station?
AND Greg (know it all) Heindselman has projected the cost to wire the City shed at $4,000.00.
HELLO, CITY COUNCILMEN, HELLO, HELLO, HELLO MAYOR. IS ANYONE HOME.
Is there anyone on the Council intelligent enough to ASK, HOW IN THE HELL CAN YOUR SPEND $10,000 and $4,000 on these two buildings?
HELLO? ANYONE HOME?
When Ralph (pave my drive free) Martin stated that the City would not have to BORROW any money to building $200,000 worth of buildings, everyone in town was wondering, where is the City getting all this money?
This last Meeting says it all, just like some of us expected. What Ralph (pave my drive free) Martin MEANT WAS. The were not going to borrow any more money from the bank. They are now hitting the boat up for ADVANCE PAYMENTS.
FOLKS, THEY ARE SPENDING FUTURE MONEY THAT MAY NEVER GET HERE.
THEY ARE GAMBLING ON THE GAMBLING BOAT, WITH YOUR FUTURE OF LA GRANGE.
In the bidding process, Ed Ensor made up the specs, put out the bids, and bid on the project himself. AND GUESS WHAT FOLKS? His bid was one half the amount of the LOWEST competing BID. Now how can that be?
AND AS ALWAYS, the votes were always 6-0. NO ONE Votes against Ralphie and Freddie, who want to thank everyone for their Jamaican Vacation.
FEBRUARY 21, 2000
There have been some interesting meetings going on at City Hall. Check this out. Click here to see the minutes of the January 13th, council meeting. Click Here to see the secret police meeting. Click here to see the Latest on the Construction COSTS of the new fire station and City building. Seems the general contractor is also a bidder and checks out the bids before he enters his bid. The other bids contain all materials and labor and his is different. Seems this MAYOR and Council still can't do anything by the book.
FEBRUARY 17, 2000
I noticed that another city that was picked to get a gambling boat, Booneville, is running ads to get a City Manager. The requirements are, to be a college graduate with a major in business administration and a minor in accounting. The applicant must also have taken courses in municipal planning and administration. The question I have here is, does anyone in our City administration have any qualification close to that? I don't think so. Get the City prepared Mayor and Council.
It seems our Mayor is more interesting in spending money on the police department rather than prepare the City for the gambling boat. For a City that is supposed to be preparing for a gambling boat, it is interesting to note that two more buildings have been torn down. The Mayor and Council also should be looking into preparing an Ordinance to prevent gamblers from borrowing money on the gambling boat to prevent the problems facing the other Cities of problem gamblers. Get the City prepared Mayor and Council.
The Mayor and Council should also be taking an assessment of housing and property that is available for workers. Nothing has been done in a positive manner to prepare the City except hire more police officers to harass the citizens. Get the City prepared Mayor and Council.
Now, let's see how the Street Commissioner handles the upcoming storm today and tomorrow. I hope it won't be so traumatic on him that he will have to take a few more days off.
FEBRUARY 16, 2000
Big Surprise! I mean I have to tell you how surprised I was to see City Council members bring up and discuss subjects and everyone make comments. It goes to show you folks that the two missing members CONTROL the Mayor and Council when they are there. These four guys at this last meeting made a GOOD council. The mowing bids were opened and read out correctly. Even Sherwood spoke up and made a great suggestion that the fire department should get items under bids. The only bad part of the meeting was Ayers stating that they should wait for Martin before making a decision on a small matter as a meeting. That statement alone ruined the whole meeting and shows the honest truth as who makes the decisions, AND it ain't the Mayor. Those 187 people have to so disappointed.
One other surprise was the fact that the Police Chief wasn't there demanding something else for himself. I guess he knows by now he has to wait until the "Other" meetings and when his pals Ralph "pave my drive free" Martin and Fred "no prayer here" Wiewel is there to do for him. But, all in all, I have to admit this was a good Council meeting. Too bad the other two will be back to spoil it.
I have been receiving some really derogatory email about the Chief. The problem is I don't know who is sending it and whether it is the truth or not. I like the gossip part, but the insinuations in these are really out there. I wonder if the Chief would like to see letters that his officer gave me about him. Oh, well he doesn't need to see me, the City Attorney has copies.
FEBRUARY 15, 2000
I wonder how there was a Council meeting last night. The real Mayor and Vice Mayor weren't there to tell the puppet Mayor what to say or do. Makes you wonder what it takes to bow to someone, just to be called Mayor. I thought that they would like to know that the Police Chief is taking care of their things for them. he he he. He has been on the job every morning arresting everyone he can trying to go to work. We all know that he came up short of fines for November and December and January wasn't much better. He knows that there is a budget coming up soon and wants to make it all look good.
The Street Commissioner wants you all to know he is still patrolling the streets everyday. But, rumors are abound about a small problem he had before is cropping up again.
Rumor has it that Jeanie "the shaker" Harmon has left the town. Darn, and she "cared" so much for the town. Don't you remember how she just stood in front of the tv camera and shook and shook.
It seems lately that every week I am receiving email from former La Grangians who have found the website. Everyone says the like the gossip page. It keeps them informed of what is going on. You can type in La Grange Missouri on any search engine and bring up the web page. It makes you wonder how some people feel to see that their name and corruption can be seen by everyone in the world and will be there forever. All in the name of the gambling boat and greed.
FEBRUARY 11, 2000
Famous Sayings.
"Read my lips, No New Taxes" another?
"I Did Not Have Sex With That Woman" another?
How about Ralph (pave my drive free) Martin? This statement was made at the Council Meeting in May 1995. "I make the motion to award the Gambling Boat franchise to Dean Phillips as I Believe that Dean Phillips will take care of La Grange". Five years later, Dean not only left the La Grange Gambling Boat, but also will not finance it. He sure is taking care of La Grange isn't he Ralph and Fred?
By those few words, Ralph ( Pave my drive free) Martin and Fred (No Prayer here) Wiewel sold the people of La Grange down the river. They at the time of choosing the boat, already had a copy of a contract already made out giving the franchise to Dean, even before they voted to accept Dean Phillips over Catfish Bend.
At that time, they turned down a check for $100,000.00. They turned down 9 more guaranteed checks, just like it. They turned down a boat already built, running and ready to move to town. They turned down a real river cruising boat. They turned down a man and company that was already approved.
In effect, they cost you the people and the City of La Grange a river cruising gambling boat, plus $100,000 a year, plus the $1.5 mil that Jenny keeps touting for the last 4 years.
Those 187 people of La Grange have just got to vote for Andy and Burbridge and Sherwood again to keep up this insane business.
If you might remember some past Council Meetings, the Mayor, several times, got on the Water Commissioner about wanting a costing to run a sewer line from behind the old Imperial station out to Route "C". This line was supposed to service the western part of town out Route "C".
BUT, when the Mayor decided to put a lift station in for the new buildings, he refused to put it a little farther west and down in the valley so it will be able to service the western part of town.
Those 187 people have to be so proud of the way their Mayor is wasting their money.
Boy, those 187 people have to be so proud.
One good thing about having a general contractor on the job, at least there is someone to get the street commissioner to actually do some work each day. Something, the Mayor does not seem to be able to do.
FEBRUARY 10, 2000
For those of you who get the Press news Journal. Look at the picture and see if you see anything wrong. Well, it was brought to my attention that the Mayor (who187 people voted for) found out that the PNJ wanted to take a picture of this new building site. He then promptly wasted YOUR tax dollars and had the City Crew to rock the whole property to make it look good.
Let's get it all straight now. First, he had the City crew, of which he personally oversaw the operation, dig several trenches the full length of the property, then he had drainage tubing put in and then "he had them back fill the trench with fill sand". The sand will run into the pipe and fill up the pipe and make it totally unusable. BUT, that is ok, he was going to unneighborly drain the water onto neighbor Jim Cottrell anyway.
Then, these 187 voters, Mayor promptly had the City crew dig across all these drains, thereby cutting them in half, making most of them unusable, to put in water lines and sewer lines. BUT, that is ok, he was going to drain the water onto neighbor Jim Cottrell anyway.
Now, with the picture in the PNJ, we can see he had the City crew rock all the property for the picture, which he also rocked where the construction crews will have to dig up to put in the foundations, electrical lines and pole holes for the new buildings.
Those 187 voters have to be so proud of their Mayor.
Rumor has it that the Mayor sold the old City property to the gambling boat. OK, so now why is the rumor running around that the City is planning to sue the gambling boat for nonpayment?
By the way, what ever happened to that concerned citizen, you know the one who stood in front of the camera that night "shaking like a leaf in a hurricane" so worried about the City being turned upside down? You know who I mean, Jeanie Harmon. I thought she "cared" so much for the City. Where did she go to? I am worried about her. Also, what ever happened to her partner McCarty? He also was so worked up about the City. Well, I guess the Police Chief keeps his trailer at Ramsey Jones Trailer Park protected at night for him.
One final thing about the article in PNJ. The 187 voters Mayor, made the statement. "WE WON'T GO INTO DEBT FOR THE PROJECT". The only thing I can guess is the Banks have cut off any more credit. SO, there goes the City investments.
The only good thing about the building project is the fact that they hired a general contractor to oversee the construction. By the above scenes, we should be glad the Mayor isn't overseeing this project or the buildings would be built door to door in front of each other. From what I have seen, Mr. Ensor has saved the City several thousand dollars. Hopefully, he will be able to do it his way and build some buildings that are straight and will stand for years to come. But, we all know, he will get help from the Mayor and especially the Fire Chief. You know, the contractor and electrician.
What keeps happening to you Baker? One minute I see and the next you are gone. I keep getting a lot of email about you. You are one son of a gun, you dog you.
FEBRUARY 8, 2000
Well people of La Grange, you may about to be screwed and sold out again. You were sold out before by Ralph (pave my drive free) Martin and Fred ( no prayer here) Wiewel and Harold (I want to be called Mayor no matter what) Ludwig, when they pulled off the scam of voting for a gambling boat. They sold you out by not accepting Catfish Bends offer of a boat in hand ready to go and a $1 MILLION dollar gift, so they would have a chance at being a part of Jenny's boat. Now you have not had a boat for 4 years because of their selfish actions for their own gain. YOU, THE PEOPLE OF LA GRANGE LOSE.
Then Ralph Martin and Fred Wiewel sold your school down the river with their fabricated lawsuit everyone knew was a no win situation. And they still refuse to say what happened to all that money. YOU, THE PEOPLE OF LAGRANGE LOSE.
Then Ralph Martin and Fred Wiewel and Harold Ludwig sold out your City to BFI and still continue to jeopardize the City Sewer System, because they need the money to keep the City afloat. YOU, THE PEOPLE OF LAGRANGE LOSE.
Then Ralph Martin and Fred Wiewel and Harold Ludwig sold out your City again to Clark County Water and tied the City up for years. Because the City needs the money as it is so far in debt. YOU, THE PEOPLE OF LA GRANGE LOSE.
AND NOW, YOU ARE ABOUT TO BE SOLD OUT AGAIN. They are now talking to the company that is running the City of Canton's street and water departments. HAROLD, RALPH, and FRED are going to sell out YOUR water system to that company. WHY?
Even Susan Dean and Jim Ellison who run La Grange Revitalization Organization refuse to print a financial statement and keep their actions secret from YOU the taxpayer and the public who they are supposed to representing.
What kind of people are these that live in La Grange, hold these offices, and yet refuse to place their actions openly and above board to you, the very people they are supposed to represent.
The Mayor and Councilmen and City hall were furious over the fact that the check register and copies of their secret meetings were made public with this service. WHY?
February 7, 2000
Well, after a busy week of sorting out the check register of the City of La Grange for the past year, the gossip page will start again. Can you figure out where the City got $435,000.00 to spend? No one else can either. Rumor has it that the City is in hock to more than one bank for thousands and thousands of dollars and are borrowing more. If their gambling boat doesn't materialize, the City of La Grange may face bankruptcy.
The check register showed that a lot of people got a lot of money last year. The fire department turned in an expense account of over $5,450.00. When Arnold Tiemann was fire chief, that amount of money would last over ten years. AND, that does not include the over $8,000.00 of other expenses. AND, that does not include the monthly costs of pageind out what our police department finds in the area behind the elevator building that is so interesting.. It seems that whenever the Chief and a certain Indian are in the car together some nights, this area gets a thorough check out. Probably just more gossip.
FEBRUARY 2, 2000
Go to see where $435,000.00 went to.
See how much your Councilman overpaid himself.
See how much money your Fire Chief Spent.
See the cost of your police department
Ask why, the City is making over $3,000.00 a month payments?
What did the City attorney do for a one time payment of over $20,000.00