What's Changed?

Last week The Wentzvillian posted  a theory about third terms in Wentzville politics. It is called Third Term Crazies. (TTC) and it is my firm belief that Mayors and Aldermen being elected for a third term somehow change the way they do business. Last weeks writing mentioned Alderman Cheryl Kross, and how according to the theory,  may be showing early signs of TTC. TTC is diagnosed when the elected official comes into a third term with newly acquired uncharacteristic traits. As much as I've appreciated Kross being on the Board of Aldermen, I have to admit, something has changed.

Kross has always been a strong ultra-right-wing-conservative alderman who vehemently opposed taxes, fees or any other form of government control over citizen's checkbooks. She opposed any form of new taxes or fees, and supported the half-million dollar real estate tax cut passed last year. She introduced legislation which resulted in cutting business license fees by 50 percent, and on numerous occasions was heard to say from the dais; "I want to stop putting layer after layer of taxes and fees on our residents," how can anyone disagree with that?

At the "Special Meeting " last night during the Work Session" portion of the meeting, City Administrator, T. Michael McDowell introduced a "Sewer Lateral Program." The program will pay for broken water and sewer mains between the street and residential homes, and result in a fee of $28 per household. The estimated cost of main repairs is between $2,500 and $5,000 per incident, which is  now paid for by the resident who has the broken main. This new fee, if adopted, will result in negating entirely, or eating away most of the savings given residents from last year's tax cut.

Bigger Government was always at the core of Kross' ideology and it's distressing that she agrees with it now. McDowell said to the aldermen; they would need to hire a person to administer the program. That equates to bigger government and Kross uncharacteristically said nothing in opposition.

In the past, Alderman Kross would have been all over this, she would have sunk her teeth in so deep, no one would have been able to break her hold, until it was failed. Uncharacteristically, she did not oppose it, what's changed? Paying for main repairs has always been the responsibility of the homeowner since sewers and water were first connected to homes. Why now, what's changed?

Kross used to take up those battles and not stopped fighting them until she'd won, but last night—not so much. Citizens loved her for that, that's why she ran for office, that's why she was elected three times, I myself actively campaigned for her in each of her three elections. So what's changed? Has she reached her level of incompetence, as suggested by the Peter Principle, I think not. I do believe she may have fallen into TTC, and it can get worse, unless she recognizes what she's doing to the Board and her constituents.

Alderman Kross: Where's the fight? What's changed? Why are you agreeing to have the City put in another layer of fees or taxes on Wentzville residents; wiping out the tax cuts you helped put in place? Have you lost your focus and gone into the Third Term Crazies?

The Wentzvillian caught a lot of flack over it's post of May 24th, and expects those same hard-core Kross fans to overlook the change going on with her; filling my inbox with more personal attacks. I will post any comments addressing the content of the posts here, but if you want to avoid the subject and come straight for me, don't expect to be seen by my readers.