"The High Road."

Bill McClellen of the Post Dispatch had a great article Wednesday about Ellisville's Mayor Adam Paul being removed from office; Ellisville shows how government can be, well, fun, and  the Wentzville Board of Aldermen meeting of April 10th was, well, fun! Including myself there were three people who stood up in "Open Forum" to complain about the Mayor and Alderman Hays. Later in the meeting Mayor Nickolas Guccione said; "Three people don't make up the city." I find that statement remarkable simply because he listens to, and acts upon less than that when it suits his purpose, like setting his goals for 2013. He's even ready to change the very way business is done in the City when only one person gets his ear.

Guccione squirmed in his seat as the three citizens pummelled him for his lack of ethics and manipulation of the election. After the second person finished criticizing him Guccione said, "I would comment on that but I won't because I'm going to take the high road."  "High road?" I almost laughed out loud when he said that. I have news for him, he can't get to the high road from where he is. That statement coming from him is like your dog telling you (if he could talk). "I'm not drinking out of that dirty old bowl anymore, next time you leave the lid up, I'm drinking out of the toilet." His "high road" didn't last long, he finally cracked during his "Mayor's Report," when he threatened one the three (one who had already left) by saying, "One of them I beat in the election last year. He likes to say things about me and some things are going to be coming out about him." Here comes the trash he used against him last year, that's just like Guccione, when he can't defend his screw-ups he turns to mud-slinging. Watch out Mr, Lackey, here it comes, the Guccione "high road." I got the feeling that Guccione while looking down at us from his golden throne, at the three of us who spoke against him, were essentially the dregs of the City, we weren't concerned citizens, but rather usless box-dwellers who just don't appreciate his high standards and great brand of leadership..The "high road," Pfffft!

I've stated many times that Guccione will not take responsibility for any of his foul deeds, even when he gets caught with the smoking-gun still in his hand. His M.O. has always been blaming someone else for his unethical tactics. I was sure he was going to dump on Alderman Hays for putting the title "Mayor" on his flyer, but he didn't, after all when your name is Guccione and you're the Mayor of Wentzville, friends on the Board are scarce. Instead, our high-riding Mayor took the "high road" and blamed the printing company. Had Hays lost the election and he'd been no more use to Guccione, rest assured he would have blamed Hays for everything.

I want to talk more about the Mayor and Aldermen Reports but it will take more than I can put here today, so I'll close with this: For those of you who are thinking; "Guccione never gets in any trouble, why aren't our Aldermen doing anything?" The pile of dung the Mayor is shovelling on him self is growing substantially, the Aldermen are aware of it and our concerns. The day is coming when it will cover Guccione's "high road" and a long overdue spanking will be had for him.

Do We Pay A Mayor To Campaign Against Us?

The St. Louis Post Dispatch headline this morning read: "Ellisville Council Ousts Mayor." First year Mayor Adam Paul of Ellisville was removed from office for a number of items, interestingly enough one of the charges was; "the council found Paul guilty of failing to control meetings." Does this sound familiar to anyone, does anyone know a Mayor who consistently fits this description?

I'm wondering if our Wentzville Mayor Nickolas Guccione read the paper this morning during his smoke break? If he did, I'm sure he couldn't help but feel there may be some similarities between himself and the "ousted mayor" of Ellisville, but maybe not. In my opinion, I don't think he sees anything even remotely similar to his Ellisville counterpart. I believe Guccione feels himself bullet proof when it comes to being removed from office. I feel bad for Mayor Paul and his family, but if the charges for his removal are supported by what will now be a court challenge, then he'll just have to live with it. It all boils down to ego now and how far he wants to go to get what he wants.

I brought up this whole mess in Ellisville this morning to illustrate some of the similarities between him and our own Mayor. I found it interesting that he had just completed his first year in office, the same as our Mayor. And obviously, Mayor. Paul was incapable of running meetings, same as our Mayor, but that may be where the similarities end.

As my readers know, one of Mayor Guccione's difficulties is in the illegal usage of our City logo on campaign literature. You also know, Guccione was pardoned last year for the exact same thing he did this year, using the City logo on campaign literature, this time on a flyer supporting Alderman Michael Hays. Some may say: "Oh it's barely noticeable," but both men knew it was there and both men made no effort to remove it. In the photograph, Hays was cropped in in front of Guccione but the placement of the mayor was such that they made sure his Wentzville logo pin was obvious. If indeed the board wrote law to prohibit the unlicensed use of the Wentzville logo then both men are in violation of Wentzville law, and both should pay the price.

Some may say that Hays wasn't here and he didn't know about the law, unfortunately, you or I would be told, "ignorance of the law is no excuse." Guccione did know about the law, it was written for him, so his illegal use must be considered chronic and untreatable by a slap on the wrist. This is reason number two for his removal.

The third, and I believe the most serious was the use the office of Mayor, and the City of Wentzville to endorse a candidate in a different branch of Government. I am a voter in Ward 3 and I feel disenfranchised when our Mayor uses the office of Mayor, the Executive Branch, and the City of Wentzville to endorse an unpopular candidate in the Legislative Branch. Ward 3 citizens don't pay taxes to pay a Mayor in Wentzville to have the Mayor bringing the force of his elected office to campaign for an Alderman candidate who won by eight votes and elected by only 39 percent of the voters of Ward 3. Every Mayor in the history of Wentzville knew better than to openly do what Guccione did—the voters of Ward 3 need protection from this sort of unethical behavior. Every voter in Wentzville should complain about this—it is guaranteed that if nothing is done, next year you will see our Mayor Guccione, his office of Mayor, and the City of Wentzville helping him elect an unpopular candidate in the Legislative Branch of our Government, and this time in your ward.

It should be the opinion of every disenfranched voter of Ward 3 and any voter in the City of Wentzville who believes in our free, fair, and impartial form of Government to stop the insanity in the Mayor's office. We the taxpayers do not pay a Mayor a salary to campaign against us. I urge our Aldermen to do the right thing; let Mayor Guccione join Mayor Adam Paul of Ellisville in the unemployment line. There are people who are just not cut out to be leaders, Nickolas Guccione is one of them, Guccione won't quit, he needs to be stopped, and after all—it's in the air.