Guccione Politicizes Street Renaming

Everyone has heard the talk of renaming one of our historic streets, what everyone doesn't know is how it all started and who was pushing. Once residents got wind of what the City was about to do, they began calling their Aldermen and several organizations in town  were motivated to oppose the change. The petitioner withdrew their request, the resolution was tabled, and citizens began breathing easier knowing that their historic street names would not change, unfortunately, this is when things escalated ... in the beginning:

Mayor Nickolas Guccione, owing the local NAACP for supporting him in his election last year, advised Mr. Curtis Davis of that organization, to write a formal letter to the City requesting the change of Kohrs Avenue to Dr, Martin Luther King Drive. When he received their letter Guccione drafted a resolution: "Resolution No. 12-472 Providing to Approve to Change the Name of Kohrs Avenue to Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, and Matters Relating Thereto," and presented it to the Aldermen for adoption or rejection. Interestingly, the resolution did not go through Planning and Zoning for their recommendation instead, Guccione circumvented the system and brought it straight to the Board of Aldermen. He did what he is best at; manipulation of the system in an effort to pull a fast one and put our good Aldermen on the spot. No one in the City could draft a resolution and present it to the board without going through channels other than the Mayor. If anyone is looking for who was responsible for this entire thing this is proof that Guccione was behind it all. At any rate, the Aldermen tabled the resolution until it could be investigated properly.

Since Kohrs Avenue is in Ward 1, Alderman Cheryl Kross called for the petitioner to meet in City Hall to determine what they were asking and things got hairy; George Kolb, City Administrator got involved suggesting a more high profile street to rename, and Nick Guccione took a powder leaving Alderman Kross holding the bag. He is a master of deception; it is leaked that Kross is in support of the street naming because she's running the meeting, Guccione leaves no trace of his involvement, and his plan to replace her in the upcoming election is in full swing by recruiting Robery Hussey to run against her. His only tie; the illegal resolution that did not go through the process, he must have figured no one would notice.

Today, Alderman Kross is facing another election where Mayor Guccione has recruited her opponent and he's determined to get her out. Armed with the lie that Kross is behind the street renaming fiasco, Guccione is out there hand in hand with Hussey spreading it to the HOA's and other public venues. Speaking of that, I find it interesting that Mayor Guccione is including his candidates; Hays and Hussey, and politicizing his duties as Mayor. Something stinks unethical there, but that's our beloved mayor, he is drawn like a moth to a flame whenever questionable ethics is about.

This Wednesday night at the regular Board of Aldermen meeting the resolution is back on the agenda. Alderman Kross is bringing it back off of the table to be voted down once and for all. Other than Guccione, George Kolb has been it's largest proponent and Wednesday is his final meeting as the interim City Administrator. Now we need to figure out a way of keeping Guccione from sneaking in a resolution memorializing our streets, after all he did make a promise to Curtis Davis of the NAACP and you can bet he's not finished. Mayor Guccione is responsible for a lot of our problems in the city today and this context is the only time the words "Guccione" and "responsible" should be used in the same sentence.

Real Facts, For the Record

"Special Interests
SPECIAL INTERESTS,
SPECIAL INTERESTS!"

This cry can be heard from Nick Guccione and his campaign manager, Donna Sherwood about all of their opponents. It's become a sort of chant; "HBA, Real Estate Board; HBA Real Estate Board, bla bla bla." They named those two organizations "The Bad Boys" in this election but he left out a few of his own.

I just had a look at Guccione's Missouri Ethics Commission (Campaign) Committee Disclosure Report of 2/18/2012 and guess what, Mr. Guccione's largest campaign contributors are none other than "Special Interest" groups. Unfortunately I haven't received his latest report but this one will do fine for now just to get my point across. He and Sherwood cry this chant when they have an opportunity at any and every event or gathering, he has even stated it in public meetings: "It's just not fair," Wa Wa Wa.

Guccione and Sherwood have always said that these two organizations tell their opponents how to vote and that they control the Board. They say their opponents are sock-puppets and are in the HBA and Real  Estate Board's pockets. I hope he isn't saying that "Special Interest" groups shouldn't donate to campaigns because if they didn't, Guccione and Sherwood would be walking around town wearing sandwich signs reading "Vote for Me."

The following is a list of those groups supporting Guccione and Sherwood with large amounts of cash:

International Union of Elevator Constructors Local #3, St. Louis

Sheet Metal Workers Local Union #36, St. Louis

USCW Local 88 Meatcutters, St. Louis

M Engineering LLC, Union, Missouri
IUPAT Union, Hanover MD

Nicholas Hamilton, St. Paul,  Secretary of two Auto Warranty Companies

This is just six of the "Special Interest" groups donating to Nick Guccone's campaign for Mayor, there are others. My question is; are they going to tell Guccione how to vote, is he going to be in his benefactors pockets, and are any, or all of these benefactors going to expect favors from him and our City as he claims his opponents will do for the HBA and the Real Estate Board?

Guccione has hammered his opponents with trash talk about them and their supporters. He dug up a 20-year old newspaper article and without an ounce of investigation he accused one of his opponents of being a sexual harasser. He has accused another opponent of being the ring-leader and instigator of an evil plot to "hound Mayor Lambi out of office" that would ultimately give his opponent an unfair advantage in the election. He accused a City employee of filing a false complaint about the Mayor and being in on the plot, and every Alderman in the City of Wentzville supported the conspiracy to give his opponent an unfair advantage in the election. He has divulged confidential information to the newspapers and in public meetings and blamed "the blog" for doing it. Mr. Guccione has tried to discredit his opponents in newspapers and other public media at every opportunity with his unfounded accusations and yet he believes himself to be squeeky-clean.

Whether he wins the election or not, he is a scoundrel of the first order, and truly a house of cards. If he is elected, the real loser will be the City of Wentzville. I feel sorry for the voters who have listened to his rhetoric without finding out about his total lack of accomplishments as a useless Alderman or investigating the real candidates, Leon Tow and Darrel Lackey. He smiles very nice for the camera and behind that smile is a man who knows just enough about our city and its government to be seriously dangerous to the future of Wentzville.

This election, April 3rd is crucial to our City. It's a four year commitment to either have an effective Mayor, or one who is severely handicaped both politically and in knowledge of government. Nick Guccione is not a communicator or spokesman, he will disgrace our City to other cities around the county with his lack of public speaking skills, experience, or government savvy, Wentzville can niether afford nor condone Nick Guccione as our Mayor.

The Anonymous Commet

The Wentzvillian  received an anonymous comment from someone who is obviously dissatisfied with the reporting here. It wasn't going to put it up but after thinking about it, this is an interactive site and everyone needs to be able to make their point here, if they have one, and sometimes even when they don't (as in this case). On occasion it gives me some demented pleasure to let them criticize themselves with their literacy, knowledge of our city, or lack thereof. I have edited out the name of a private citizen (whom I do not recognize) because I don't report on anyone who is not elected, or running for election unless they've done something newsworthy or committed a crime. It saddens me to see a second anonymous person tell me that "no one cares" about The Wentzvillian. I guess I can scratch one of my 6,131 page views this month. Here is the comment as submitted, minus the private name:

Can anyone tell me why Leon Tow is running for mayor. He is HBA's puppet we know that but other than that I have seen no reason for him to run. He is my alderman and I have called him and that stupid Sheryl Cross many times for issues that I have had with the city and of course I recieved no return calls. I think you are just trying to SLANDER Mr. Guccione because you know that the residents of Wentzville like and respect him. No one cares about your blog actually we as residents that know Mr. Guccione is a good man are laughing at you and Mr. Tow because all it looks like you are doing is campaigning in your descrete way for Mr. Tow. Its sad really

Now it's my turn: Leon Tow is no more the HBA's (Home Builders Association) puppet than is any candidate who garners financial support for their campaigns through an organization or Corporation. For instance, your candidate Alderman Nick Guccione not only has funding from the Unions and Animal Rescue organizations, he may even have support from the NAACP, does that mean he is their puppet? Using your faulty syllogism the answer is yes! And in Gucciones case, I'd say that it may be closer to being the truth simply because he's lobbied in city hall for some of them. I know people who have made campaign contributions to candidates in past years were those candidates the puppets of their benefactors? I know you and people like you can and never will understand what's going on here but you need to try to understand the political system and how people get elected in small cities where none declare a party.

Your aldermen are in city hall at meetings almost every Wednesday night. If you have no luck calling them for a response (which I seriously doubt), and your subject is so paramount that it's causing you physical pain or you're having trouble tearing your ass from the TV, send someone down there to confront them for you. Oh and BTW, there are plenty of seats at every meeting, unless of course your candidate is pandering to yet another special interest group.

Regarding your allegation that I support Leon Tow; I don't know how many times I have to remind you radical Guccione enthusiasts, there are four candidates for mayor. Just because I put your buddy in the bucket of excrement with his pal Bill Schuette, that's no reason to think I'm supporting Leon Tow. You forgot (or don't want to admit) that there is another great candidate running for mayor; Darrel Lackey. Guccione and Schuette are dwarfed (both in credibility and intellectually) by either of these men. I predict; Leon Tow or Darrel Lackey will be our next Mayor of Wentzville. If Schuette campaigns he will come in third (you know where that leaves your candidate). If the rumors are true that Schuette is not going to campaign, Guccione might move into the third spot. Speaking of Darrel Lackey, his new website is up and running: http://www.darrel4mayor.com/

Finally: I tried to look up your word "descrete" and it's not in my dictionary between "descramble" and "describe" where it belongs. I love words and enjoy learning new ones. I'd like to learn the meaning of it so I can make it my "word for the day," any ideas where I might find it? If you and your small circle of "residents" are laughing at me and it gives you any comfort, I laugh at myself too, but who "really cares" what you think Mr. or Ms. Anonymous. I hope to see you at the meetings and don't forget to register to vote, Nick Guccione is going to need your vote if he is going to beat Bill Schuette for the third spot. This is fun, just like pulling the wings off of flies.