No Christmas Card Again This Year

I've been thinking about the report I wrote last week regarding the mysterious $15,000 check and a few things that I recalled from years gone by. The number $15 large kept rolling around like a pinball racking up points as it made it's way down the course—It reminded of other times when $15,000 or a similar number would be spent by the city and Mayor Lambi's part in those expenditures.

The most recent was when he was ready to spend taxpayer's dollars to the tune of $18,000 for a donation to the 501c3 organization; LINC. Fortunately, the board saw the problems with a "contract for services" for this venture—had the Lurchettes been in power they'd have passed it as fast as the bean soup they had for lunch. I seem to remember several other similar expenditures in the range of $10,000 to $19,000 to other organizations or companies, and, I've formulated a hypothesis: Lambi possibly regards money in that range as pin-money and nothing to concern himself with. Perhaps it was a mind-set because he had been a fairly successful salesman in the financial services field when he was elected for his first term. I guess when you wield millions of dollars around everyday, 10 or 15 large is nothing, it isn't worth the hassle, there are bigger fish out there with fatter wallets.

One case in point came in about March of 2005, just prior to his second-term election: City staff recommended that the City buy a "folder/inserter" in the amount of $15,383 for mailing of water bills the City Administrator (CA), Andy McCown further justified it by saying that it could also be used for mailing the Vision newsletter. This whole thing was problematic from the beginning as it came with an extremely costly service contract. The staff said that this purchase would save on mailing costs because they could cut out a local business that was contracted to handle that service. After doing the math, it would have taken 600,000 mailings to break even, at that time they were mailing 7,500 water bills per month. Even figuring today's population of 29,000, that's a long time. Lambi said, "We're going to save money with the mailing of the "Vision" also, and more importantly, it would save one day in mailing out our water bills which means the city would get paid sooner." I've heard some strange logic but there's a good chance the buses don't go where he lives.

One other important fact: The Vision newsletter was printed on gloss paper and as anyone in the printing industry can tell you, small commercial folder/inserters do not like stuffing gloss paper into envelopes. The vote was split 3-3 by the Board of Aldermen and Lambi broke the tie by saying; "I'm going to go with staff on this one, I have all the confidence in the world in them and if it will help, and save the city some money at the same time, I vote to make the purchase, the staff deserves it."

I was really pissed that Lambi would not listen to someone who had over 25 years in the industry Subsequently, I wrote an article which was printed in a local publication protesting the purchase of the over-sold machine. I provided technical details and stated that it would not work for what the city wanted. That article started the downward-spiraling relationship between the Mayor and me, when it hit the streets he was madder than rabid dog slobbering all over himself. I was supporting him for the upcoming election but that didn't mean I was going to cover up his illadvised decision.

At the next Alderman meeting, Lambi was still fuming and he walked out to me in the audience and threw a four-inch three-ring binder in my lap (it was heavy, and a good thing I was wearing a cod-piece). "If you want to talk about something, talk about a $54 Million dollar budget, not some measly $17,000 machine." He made me feel lower than a snake in a wagon track in front of everyone there, the romance was over.

This is not the end of the story: The next month's meeting was interesting; The CA during his report announced: The Machine we bought to stuff envelopes does not work on the "Vision." We will be able to mail water bills, but, the "Vision" will have to continue being mailed by a private company. So much for the savings to the city. I grinned colder than a pawn-broker at the mayor, and the aldermen who knew about my concern looked at me smiling too. After the meeting, Lambi came up to me and said; "I guess you can tell me 'I told you so.'" It wasn't necessary, he knew he'd pooched the moose and the whole city knew it too, but what the hell, it was only 15 grand—a drop in the bucket.

This whole deal today is strange, I'd like to know who endorsed the check and strongly believe it was Lambi. Is it possible that he thought no one would ever question this expenditure? Lambi's displayed attitude toward amounts of money like this has made me curious, maybe he really doesn't think it's money. I wonder if he spends his own money like that? Maybe it's an "easy come, easy go" thing with him.

Since the light has been turned on by the St. Louis Post Dispatch regarding some of Lambi's other questionable dealings thanks to Alderman Guccione, maybe Guccione will drop a dime on him about this situation too. Needless to say, my friendship with Mayor Lambi has been somewhat diminished—I haven't received a Christmas card since.