Show Me The Money

With no meeting this week I feel an overwhelming need to keep recalling the Board of Alderman meeting of February 8th. That meeting has to go down in history as the most entertaining, controversial, and insightful Wentzville meeting of the 21st century. If you were a regular follower of City meetings over the years and watched closely, you'd see things that would frighten a hard-tail mule into relieving himself on the kitchen floor.

City government is clever—taxpayers are exploited by a complete lack of public interest while government merely continues with business as usual. Since the Wentzville Union and Wentzville Journal moved out of town there has been little or no unedited critical reporting of our government. The Suburban Journal, Newstime, Community News and Patch.com are for the most part fluffy and refuse to do any investigative reporting. The St. Louis Post Dispatch, however, has no problem digging into difficult topics of a controvrersial nature and scaring the horse pucky out of those involved.

This "blog;" (The Wentzvillian), as well as a private citizen, was kicked in the cod-piece in a public meeting by Alderman Nick Guccione for telling the truth about what's going on in city hall. Perhaps, the things here are too close to the truth and finally the mayor and aldermen know that their ethics, actions and ability to handle taxpayers money responsibly are being closely monitored by The Wentzvillian.

The Wentzvillian has reported on several occasions the subject of: "Implied Contracts," defined: "...checks being cashed without supporting documentation." When Alderman Chris Gard turned one of these cashed checks over to the city attorney; Paul Rost, my interest was piqued. Gard asked: Why didn't the contract follow the check? This is troubling for a number of reasons; the check was cashed, there is no paperwork, and no legitimate address for the company." I know that the company in question is; Westplex Sports and Entertainment L.O.C. (Local Organizing Committee). In researching this company, I found that it was created by Ed Watkins of Winning Endeavors and from the 2006 election flyer of Mayor Paul Lambi I found the following bullet point:

• "Board Member and founder to LOC (Local Organizing Committee); first in this area; this committee focuses on bringing large sports and entertainment events to this area. This Committee is located in Wentzville and represents St. Charles County, Franklin, Warren, and Washington."

I remember these meetings when Lambi led the Lurchettes (Bill Schuette, John Luby, Peggy Meyer, and Nick Guccione) down la-la lane, gleefully skipping hand-in-hand singing Kumbaya,  to pass a resolution to give his organization $15,000. Lambi promised a new world-class velodrome and balloon races to equal those in St. Louis. None of these things materialized and now the organization may not even exist. This may have been a neat and noble pipe-dream but why didn't the Lurchettes investigate its probability or its corporation? The answer is simple, this group of so-called aldermen were in Disneyland and passed anything they didn't have to read or think about. What was the money used for and where is it?

The only possible reason this check was turned over to Rost is; to find the money and who and how Wentzville was relieved of $15,000 without a trace. In my humble opinion: there is only one of two men who has the money, either Mayor Lambi or Ed Watkins. Other questions are: Who endorsed the check? What did Wentzville receive for fifteen large? And, have more chickens come home to roost? It's very troubling that the same two individuals have connection with yet another complication which has been given to our city attorney for investigation. I am pleased to see Alderman Gard has the snarglees to make more noise than a jackass in a tin barn and bring this matter to light seeking to make the perpetrator skin his own skunk.