Did you ever feel the hairs on the back of your neck bristle while walking along a dark road in the night, or get the feeling that you were being watched, or maybe a sense that you were being followed? Doing what I do — exposing politicians who don't always color insides the lines — has from time-to-time put me in a somewhat less than desirable position, and I'm fine with that. You can't rack up the number of political enemies I have made without expecting some retaliation, especially from those I've been critical of. I started this post with this because I want to let those who are following me know that I know who you are, where you work, and who ordered it. To those who pursue me I say; follow away, but don't get so comfortable that you don't look over your own shoulder occasionally, you too have an observer. When the time is right names will be posted here.
Last week's meeting of the board of aldermen of November 20, 2013 (click here), had it's moments. I will be pointing out a few of the highlights, but first an observation: It's just a little more than four months to the election and perhaps technology is responsible, but the usual array of hopeful candidates are no where to be seen. Leading up to every election in recent memory there has always been several would-be-aldermen seen at every aldermen meetings. Almost every wanna-be started showing up at the meetings about six-months prior to an election, to either mouth off, have a photo-op, or just take notes, but they aren't here yet. From what I've heard, Mr. Joe Howard may be running against Sonya Shryock for the Ward 2 seat and that may be why he stood up to offer a rant against President of the Board, Rick Stokes. If you'd like to watch it, it takes place during the "Open Forum" section of the agenda. I've also been informed that another lady may be entering the Ward 2 race, but as yet there's nothing concrete. In Ward 1, rumor has it that Jay Webber may be coming out of mothballs after his 2012 loss to Forrest Gossett. If everything is as before, Mayor Nickolas Guccione will play a big hand in helping Webber once again, beware of the King Nickolas brand of mud-slinging to be flying around again this year.
Retiring Purchasing Director, Jerry Hillin, gave his farewell address to the aldermen recapping all that has been accomplished and his hopes for the future. Hillin has been a very busy man during his time here, he wrote the new City purchasing policy and along the way, made a few enemies in City Hall. Always outspoken, Hillin once again took a shot across the bow of the elected officials ship. He said he would pay for a plaque to be placed in the entrance of city hall which would read: "BEFORE YOU ENTER, LEAVE YOUR POLITICS AT THE DOOR." Shortly after that impromptu message, Mayor Nickolas told him to move on. The City owes a lot to Jerry Hillin for all he's accomplished for the future of good government in Wentzville. I for one will miss him and wish him well in his retirement.
I ask all of my readers to go to the city video of this meeting at 3:38:30, and just watch the discussion of the signage for "Double Fine Zones." The presentation was given by Acting City Administrator, Doug Lee, and Public Works Director, Susan Mueller, who showed examples of the proposed "Double Fine Zone" signs. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail about the discussion, it's something you need to see, to believe. Alderman Sonya Shryock dominated the discussion with what appeared to be like someone picking out drapes. She made some strange statements about elderly drivers and how she thinks the signs should be much larger. In her opinion, what is good enough for neighboring cities is not good enough for Wentzville's (seemingly blind) elderly drivers.
There seems to be a mystery revolving around the report given by President of the Board Rick Stokes. From what I saw, Mayor Nickolas has singled out Stokes by having the directors send an email to Guccione anytime Stokes contacts them by phone or email, regardless of of the subject. It's funny that Guccione puffs up his chest and begins barking with hostility anytime Stokes or Gossett ask him a question. He really hates those guys, which means they must be doing the right thing, and that makes them okey-dokey with me.
Stokes asked him straight up if he was the only alderman that the directors report to Guccione about anytime he contacts them. Guccione got his hackles up, and for the second time in as many meetings he cited 125.100 Section C, stating, "It is a violation of City ordinance to undermine the duties of the Mayor." Unfortunately, Guccione doesn't seem to understand that his argument is not germane to that ordinance. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, Mayor Nickolas must have forgotten that unlawful use of the City logo is a real crime. The Mayor is stirring the political pot with no basis of fact, he's after Stokes to get anything he can to use against him in the coming election, whether it's fact, or not.
Back to the discussion: The ethics policy was revised after the incident involving Mayor Paul Lambi who confessed to the Missouri Ethics Commission his guilt in taking charitable donations for his benefit. Guccione wants to have this section repealed so that he can solicit donations for charitable organizations.
During the discussion, Alderman Forrest Gossett tried to explain why the policy excluded allowing elected officials to accept charitable donations without pointing fingers at Lambi. Guccione got huffy again and in his paranoid way barked; "This is pretty insulting Sir. You talk about a Mayor in the past using charitable donations for their own benefit, Sir, but I never saw that, show me that in writing, Sir!" Guccione has either got a real short memory, or he was asleep in the closed sessions of that time, because the report clearly states that very thing. At one point during the battle with Gossett, Guccione said. "That sucks!" I've never heard a mayor use that term from the dais before, then again, Guccione does a lot of things I've never seen a mayor do or say before, and he doesn't do a lot of things a mayor should do and say.
Guccione used Shryock to bring the ethics policy back to the board, he will do anything to get it changed. I wish Shryock luck with her April election, she's gonna need it. When she's sitting at home after losing the election, I wonder if she'll remember how much she hated Guccione when she was a contributing member of the board during her first year in office? Please watch this "Mayor's Report," I think you'll find it both informative, and entertaining.
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Retiring Purchasing Director, Jerry Hillin, gave his farewell address to the aldermen recapping all that has been accomplished and his hopes for the future. Hillin has been a very busy man during his time here, he wrote the new City purchasing policy and along the way, made a few enemies in City Hall. Always outspoken, Hillin once again took a shot across the bow of the elected officials ship. He said he would pay for a plaque to be placed in the entrance of city hall which would read: "BEFORE YOU ENTER, LEAVE YOUR POLITICS AT THE DOOR." Shortly after that impromptu message, Mayor Nickolas told him to move on. The City owes a lot to Jerry Hillin for all he's accomplished for the future of good government in Wentzville. I for one will miss him and wish him well in his retirement.
* * * * *
I ask all of my readers to go to the city video of this meeting at 3:38:30, and just watch the discussion of the signage for "Double Fine Zones." The presentation was given by Acting City Administrator, Doug Lee, and Public Works Director, Susan Mueller, who showed examples of the proposed "Double Fine Zone" signs. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail about the discussion, it's something you need to see, to believe. Alderman Sonya Shryock dominated the discussion with what appeared to be like someone picking out drapes. She made some strange statements about elderly drivers and how she thinks the signs should be much larger. In her opinion, what is good enough for neighboring cities is not good enough for Wentzville's (seemingly blind) elderly drivers.
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The "Aldermen Reports" were interesting, and there was a first. For the first time, perhaps ever, Alderman Cheryl Kross didn't prattle through a mountain of questions and minutia. When asked for her report she simply said, "I have no report." I need to think about that for a while.There seems to be a mystery revolving around the report given by President of the Board Rick Stokes. From what I saw, Mayor Nickolas has singled out Stokes by having the directors send an email to Guccione anytime Stokes contacts them by phone or email, regardless of of the subject. It's funny that Guccione puffs up his chest and begins barking with hostility anytime Stokes or Gossett ask him a question. He really hates those guys, which means they must be doing the right thing, and that makes them okey-dokey with me.
Stokes asked him straight up if he was the only alderman that the directors report to Guccione about anytime he contacts them. Guccione got his hackles up, and for the second time in as many meetings he cited 125.100 Section C, stating, "It is a violation of City ordinance to undermine the duties of the Mayor." Unfortunately, Guccione doesn't seem to understand that his argument is not germane to that ordinance. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, Mayor Nickolas must have forgotten that unlawful use of the City logo is a real crime. The Mayor is stirring the political pot with no basis of fact, he's after Stokes to get anything he can to use against him in the coming election, whether it's fact, or not.
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The next item to look at is the "Mayor's Report, Ethics Policy Discussion." This item has been hotly contested for the last few weeks and it has become clear what's going on. Shryock has been asking to discuss this at several prior meetings and it has to do with accepting charitable donations by elected officials, here is where the story gets messy.
Shryock really doesn't have a dog in the ethics fight other than to be Guccione's front man. Guccione has recruited Shryock to do his bidding and she thinks it's in exchange for his support in the coming election. What she knows is; because of her poor record she has absolutely no chance of being re-elected on her own. So she figures if she nuzzles up to Guccione, he would support her campaign, I hope she tells me how that strategy worked out for her. She's begun following him around town like a puppy, but what she doesn't know is that Guccione doesn't care if she gets re-elected or not, he can use her now and for the next four months. He has her replacement waiting in the wings and he will use Shryock until that time, afterall, he still has Hays and Kross in his pocket, it's pretty pathetic. Her job performance rating is the lowest on the board and in her effort to salvage her seat, she turned from her opposition of Guccione—caving in to his politics, for that reason alone she really doesn't deserve a second term. Kross did that very thing about 10 months ago when she turned her back on the board to flip on her vote for Guccione's appointment of the unpopular choice of Michael Hays. I wonder today if, Aldermen Chris Gard and Gossett regret their vote to approve the appointment?
Shryock really doesn't have a dog in the ethics fight other than to be Guccione's front man. Guccione has recruited Shryock to do his bidding and she thinks it's in exchange for his support in the coming election. What she knows is; because of her poor record she has absolutely no chance of being re-elected on her own. So she figures if she nuzzles up to Guccione, he would support her campaign, I hope she tells me how that strategy worked out for her. She's begun following him around town like a puppy, but what she doesn't know is that Guccione doesn't care if she gets re-elected or not, he can use her now and for the next four months. He has her replacement waiting in the wings and he will use Shryock until that time, afterall, he still has Hays and Kross in his pocket, it's pretty pathetic. Her job performance rating is the lowest on the board and in her effort to salvage her seat, she turned from her opposition of Guccione—caving in to his politics, for that reason alone she really doesn't deserve a second term. Kross did that very thing about 10 months ago when she turned her back on the board to flip on her vote for Guccione's appointment of the unpopular choice of Michael Hays. I wonder today if, Aldermen Chris Gard and Gossett regret their vote to approve the appointment?
Back to the discussion: The ethics policy was revised after the incident involving Mayor Paul Lambi who confessed to the Missouri Ethics Commission his guilt in taking charitable donations for his benefit. Guccione wants to have this section repealed so that he can solicit donations for charitable organizations.
During the discussion, Alderman Forrest Gossett tried to explain why the policy excluded allowing elected officials to accept charitable donations without pointing fingers at Lambi. Guccione got huffy again and in his paranoid way barked; "This is pretty insulting Sir. You talk about a Mayor in the past using charitable donations for their own benefit, Sir, but I never saw that, show me that in writing, Sir!" Guccione has either got a real short memory, or he was asleep in the closed sessions of that time, because the report clearly states that very thing. At one point during the battle with Gossett, Guccione said. "That sucks!" I've never heard a mayor use that term from the dais before, then again, Guccione does a lot of things I've never seen a mayor do or say before, and he doesn't do a lot of things a mayor should do and say.
Guccione used Shryock to bring the ethics policy back to the board, he will do anything to get it changed. I wish Shryock luck with her April election, she's gonna need it. When she's sitting at home after losing the election, I wonder if she'll remember how much she hated Guccione when she was a contributing member of the board during her first year in office? Please watch this "Mayor's Report," I think you'll find it both informative, and entertaining.
Last year, before the elections, we heard a resident say that he stands on the platform of Ethics, Morals, Sound Business Controls and Standards of Business Conduct. Word was that Kross was supporting him politically at one time. It looks like those 4 traits in a city politician are abhorent to her these days. Too bad, because she could have learned something from someone like him.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a good fundamental platform to run on. Gosh, someone like that in this city's politics would be great if he could keep his sense of balance when dealing with the plethora of absurd city issues and undermining that is going on.
DeleteBefore the aldermen vote to allow the mayor to solicit money, they need to take a long, hard look at his personal ethics, especially during elections. If he lies, cheats, and steals to get himself (and others) elected, he'll do it any time at every opportunity.
ReplyDeleteYou have a valid point. Let's hope the alderman use their caps of common sense, instead of the ones they have been using, by letting Nick slide at every opportunity.
DeleteIf you don't solicit you don't have to be beholding to anyone. if you are doing the job right businesses will recognize it and be willing to donate as it is the right thing to do to benifit everyone around you.and those who need a helping hand.What happened to helping our fellow man? Thought the 'good book' had some good messages on that topic.
DeleteSeems like everyone wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to go now!
Gooch has only 963 days left on the throne before he can be flushed.
ReplyDeleteIsn't there a country song that is titled "Flushed from the bathroom of my heart"? The Mayor is a good Christian man but unfortunately that isn't enough these days.
DeleteHow can Gooch say that he's never seen it in writing that a past mayor used charitable donations for his own benefit? I seem to remember that Gooch was an alderman through the entire Lambi fiasco. Gooch was Mayor when Lambi admitted it to the MEC, it's public record. If Gooch never read it, what the hell was he doing during the whole two years of the scandal? I suggest to him that perhaps he should have someone read it to him, or perhaps he could direct his IT Manager to make him an audio disk to listen to it.
ReplyDeleteGooch is a master of smudge-politics and smear-campaingns, he can smooth-talk voters into thinking mouse crap is Cheerios! He will be coming out hot and heavy bashing Stokes and Gossett...it has already started when he fed Mr. Howard some Cheerios and sent him into open forum to spew his low-ball brand of politics!
Happy Thanksgiving Wentzvillian, you miserable old fart. I hope you choke on a turkey bone!
ReplyDeleteNo turkey, there's a real treat this year! I'm havin' the 'possum papa shot. Thank you just same, and I do appreciate your wishes..
Deleteit sucks to be you wentzvillian.
DeleteIt seems that the ill will wishers are in abundant supply this year. There most be something in the city's water supply that makes everyone so cranky lately. Hey, Ms. Mueller, can you check this out before it contaminates the whole city and evryone runs amuck with the illness and hope it hasn't got into the Directors drinking water.
Delete