Opinion, or Fact?

I've had discussions with friends and acquaintances regularly over the years about Wentzville government and its elected officials. Some of those conversations were calm and others  led to outbursts of language of a somewhat inappropriate manner, even to the extent of questioning my lineage. The Wentzvillian has been criticized by mayors, aldermen, and a host of ... let's say ... fans, who strongly disagree with my reviews.

 

The Wentzvillian has been called polarizing, I disagree. Those who make those claims are separating themselves by drawing lines, all I do is enlighten citizens by shining light on where the lines have been drawn. There's a fine line (like an electric fence) between ethical and unethical and I stand on that fence watching closely which side our elected officials choose to work from. It may sound strange, but some people who dabble on the "wrong side," don't like being called out for their actions. Mayor Nickolas Guccione tests that fence frequently, and that's probably why I don't get Christmas cards from him anymore. Many aldermen over the years have also scratched my name from their dance cards simply because I'm unafraid to give "my opinion" and tell it like it is ... publicly.

 

A couple of months ago, a personal friend of mine became frustrated after he asked me what was going on in city hall. The discussion was regarding a particular alderman and after I told him "...she's a lousy alderman...," he was mildly miffed regarding what I said. He disagreed and told me about it by saying; "That's just your opinion, she's one of the best on the board," I laughed and said; "No, that's just your opinion." So what's the difference between his opinion and mine?

 

I'm as informed about our city government as any regular citizen and more than the vast majority. When I asked my friend the basis of his opinion, he didn't really have a good reason other than that mine stinks, so I knew it was a personal thing and not based on fact. I know my friend, I see him at public meetings maybe twice a year, which is hardly enough contact with the government to base his opinion upon. On the other hand, for years I've attended every scheduled Board of Aldermen meeting, except for an infrequent absence, because watching elected officials deportment during the meetings reveals so much more than watching a video. In addition, I investigate public record to help connect the dots and fill in the blanks ... sooner or later it all comes together. My friend had spoken socially with the alderman in question and based his opinion on her opinion of me, and right now her opinion of me is less than ideal ... it's just that simple.

 

Opinions vary, and the validity of any opinion is education of the subject matter. My friend's opinion is "just his opinion," based on his business needs and social contact with elected officials. My opinion is "just my opinion" to him, but is based of years in city hall watching meetings and digging through public record. Am I always right when I speculate? Absolutely not, but it's closer to the truth than most other opinions of people who are not concerned and do not investigate their government. When I speculate with little or no information, that's "my opinion," but when qualified with facts gained through observation and research, it's a much different animal than "just my opinion." I wish more voters were active and attended the alderman's meetings. If they did, we would have a much better and more effective government — elected officials would know they are being observed and stand the chance of being criticized if they jump the electric fence.

I've come to see some politicians more in the family; Homo Rodentia than Homo Sapiens. When you're armed with the facts, and you corner one, look out, they tend to bite. A few years back I had one of these rodents attack me at a public meeting of a local organization here in Wentzville. He didn't like an article I published which pointed out some of his shenanigans. After raising his voice and disrupting the meeting, I asked him what it was that I printed that wasn't true? He fumbled with his papers, "Well uh ... uh," he had nothing. He hadn't expected me to ask that question, and that's when he realized he'd made a fool of himself, which was basically the point of the article!

Elected officials react differently when confronted with truths that they would rather not have publicly known. A couple of alderman were using their "charms" (for lack of a better word), to appeal to my personal friends in an effort to persuade me to back off of my investigations into their political games. To them I say; give it up, my friends know that I'm an idealist who deplores hypocrisy — as long as there's a hint of unethical behavior, and I find out about it, it will be exposed. No amount of influence you may have on my friends will change the course of my reports. I suggest to those elected officials who don't like what I have to say, maybe you need to change the way you are doing things, try acting like you are "By the people, For the people, and Of the people," not "In the people, On the people, and Through the people!" So many elected officials today don't know the correct use of a preposition.

This past weekend, my friend came up to me and said, "You need to stop telling lies on your blog." I asked him if he might share with me the lies I'm posting; "Well uh ... uh," Again, he had nothing. I know the alderman he's enamoured with, and I had to laugh at him because he's so wrapped around this elected officials little finger it isn't funny. I simply told him, "If you don't like what I post, I suggest you don't read it." His response; "I don't." Then what the hell are you talking about!

I'm amazed how most people believe the half-truths or downright lies told to them by politicians. I was told by another friend; "The Wentzvillian fueled the fire of the lawsuit against the city, and others, by Chief Harrison." If I hadn't published the findings of the County Prosecutor of September 11, 2013 (click here), the whole matter would have been swept under the rug and covered up in executive session — the citizens of Wentzville would have never know of the alleged criminal actions going on with their elected officials.

The same thing happened a couple of years ago with the Lambi scandal, had I not investigated and revealed the things that were going on then, the entire situation would have been whitewashed and plowed under. I took a lot of heat and ridicule regarding the Lambi scandal, and today, it seems to be my fault that this lawsuit was filed. The only thing I can say about these matters is; Lambi plead guilty to the Missouri Ethics Commissions charges, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit of today will have their day in court, and the citizens of Wentzville continue to be warned about underhanded things going on in our city.

Mayor Nickolas Guccione (one of the most unethical politicians to ever be elected) has stated publicly that what I do is not journalism. This is one of the very few instances when he was correct and right on target. I am not a journalist, nor ever claimed to be, what I do is more in the line of investigative critical review. People all over the country do not trust the government, they are tired of being manipulated and lied to. What I do is to enlightened the citizens of Wentzville of what our local government is really doing and how it is really being done. If some elected politicians want to continue their legacy of lies, diversion, and deceit, The Wentzvillian will be here to expose them — that is not an opinion, that is a fact.

Stay tuned, I'm onto something that may raise more than a few eyebrows in the city.
 

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Blog?

 

The Board of Aldermen meeting last evening; April 23rd, 2014 (click here), was fairly routine until Aldermen Sonya Shryock and Rick Stokes gave their farewell speeches, broke for their farewell reception, and did their farewell walk out of the front door. The moment Mayor Nickolas Guccione called the 'new board' to order, he was transformed. Dressed in his white confectioner's suit, he had banished the infidels from the kingdom and went to work with a new vigor by anointing his new board and commissions. It was his turn, the White Knight was finally able to wear his King's crown and wield Excalibur with the authority for which he was destined — Long Live the King!

 

With two-thirds of the intelligence on the board gone (Stokes and Forrest Gossett), Alderman Cheryl Kross wasn't to be denied. She proudly accepted the nomination for President of the Board by newly elected Alderman Michael Rhoades and took her seat next to the King — where she will wash his feet and polish his scepter when necessary. If I had to guess, Rhoades was tricked into nominating Kross, making the same mistake most junior aldermen make; equating time on the board with ability to lead. If anyone had been thinking about the "good of the city," which the King reminded everyone of — regularly, Alderman Chris Gard would have been elected to that post. Oh well, such is politics in the big city, and as we all know; "What's good for General Bullmoose, is good for the USA!"

 

During last night's short but entertaining get-together, I harvested quite a bit of useful information regarding our junior aldermen; Rhoades, Robert Hussey, and Linda Wright. I know that Mr. Rhoades is a tough and devout believer in right and wrong, I don't see him being misled or pushed around for long. Hussey gave a very good report stating that he is only; "Interested in doing right by his constituents and the city." He is familiar with government procedure and the next few months will tell if he is, who he says he is. Linda Wright is another story completely, Guccione put more time and effort in getting her elected than he did Michael Hays, and we all know how that turned out. I think her political life will be a mixture of the Hays, Kross, and Shryock styles — disastrous for the city, especially Ward 3. God, I don't even want to think about the future of Ward 3, we are screwed!

 

The real fun started when King Nickolas gave his "Mayor's Report." He was all puffed-up with pride and bubbling over with power, since his arch-nemesis; Rick Stokes wasn't there to correct, or steer him in the appropriate direction. Like a dragon, he spewed fire at "The Blog, it tells lies and slanders good people. Don't pay attention to it!" He slobbered on about "The Blog" for several minutes warning his junior minions of the evil that lurks within. He might want to take his own advice, but that ain't happenin', he's hooked. He reads The Wentzvillian, or has someone read it to him at every opportunity. He got rid of Stokes and Gossett, and has Gard is in his sights, but he's going to have a real challenge in his attempt to stifle the First Amendment Rights of The Wentzvillian. It will be here to tell the truth about the state of Wentzville's city government under King Nickolas and beyond. Three mayors and countless aldermen have come under scrutiny here, only a dysfunctional mayor, by any standards, would think he's going to get a pass. Take care Mr. Mayor, haven't you ever seen the old statement of freedom: "Don't Tread On Me?"

 

Mayor Nickolas Guccione's "Mayor's Report" was bloated with arrogance. At first I thought it was was just me who saw it, but two citizens who were in attendance said exactly that; they watched Guccione's new found power-trip and used the word "arrogance." Given the hubris he displayed last night, I feel confident that his administration is on the way to self-destruction — he is going to screw up royally. Citizens need to watch him closely as he wields his butcher knife (Excalibur) to Wentzville. Watch the city video (click here), notice his deportment change after Stokes left the chambers, take a gander at him foaming at the mouth when he spoke of taking apart every initiative and every ordinance that Stokes' boards passed over the past two years.

 

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King Nickolas Guccione is on a collision course with history and either he doesn't realize it, or he just doesn't care. He has brought about three employee discrimination lawsuits in just his first two years — one of which involves himself, two aldermen, two cities, three policemen, and the County Prosecutor. That's a lot of legal fees defending these aldermen, among others. The citizens of Wentzville need to ask: Who is going to pay the defense attorney's fees for the nine defendants here in Wentzville, the taxpayers?

 

According to the County Prosecutor's investigation; "Memorandum of Interview," dated September 11, 2013, most of which was posted here in; The "Unholy Alliance" Exposed (click here), clearly alleges that there were aldermen and police who overstepped their authority by acting out of their duties as elected officials. According to my sources; it is alleged that documents and testimony which will be brought out during the eleven separate trials will prove that there was a conspiracy in the mayor's office which discriminated against Wentzville Chief of Police, Lisa Harrison. So who pays for the defense of people who act on their own?

This information needs to be made public. Are the taxpayers going to be responsible to pay for attorneys fees and perhaps huge punitive damages if it is found that people went outside their regular duties? If any portion of these trials come out in favor of the plaintiff, it could result in paying out millions of dollars, who is going to be held responsible? Voters, taxpayers, and citizens of Wentzville have a right to have these answers, it should be made public by our mayor. Remember Mr. Mayor, in your own words; "I will act for the good of the people." Well, what's it going to be Mr. Mayor? Are you going to give the citizens full disclosure, or will it be another closed-door, closed-mouth process as it was with the Lambi scandal?

 

It's About Power, Not Qualifications

 

One week left to find out if Mayor Nickolas Guccione's group of groans (Mike Carter and Bryan Spencer, Michael Hays, Cheryl Kross, and John Luby) will overthrow two very engaged aldermen with Guccione's cast of clowns; Robert Hussey and Linda Wright. I know about Hussey's unethical background especially since being fired by the city government of Dardiene Prairie, but recently I got a comment from a Wright fan who tells of her "extraordinary accomplishments," so I thought I'd take a moment to see what she has to say for herself.

 

First, I know that she has no declaration; "Paid for by" on her website—campaign ethics violation number one. Then I received her campaign flier in the mail this weekend so I had to go dig it out of the trash to check out her "extraordinary accomplishments." Low-and-behold there was no "Paid for by" declaration on it either—campaign ethics violation number two. Some of you may not think this is a big deal but Guccione sent violations to the Missouri Ethics Commission against his opponents in every election he ever ran in; if our own brilliant mayor thinks it's a big deal, it must be a big deal. From this I must deduce that Linda Wright is in the category; unethical.

 

Looking at Wright's flier, the first thing I notice is the smiling face of King Nickolas (unquestionably, the most unethical politician to ever be elected in Wentzville) standing closer to Wright than any coffee filters I ever tried to separate, it looked like a wedding photo without the dress. Turning the card over, there I see Republican (RINO) Representative, Bryan Spencer's smiling face, I don't think there's ever been a Missouri state Representative publicly endorsing an alderman candidate in Wentzville history, it makes me wonder why? The answer is simple; Wright in unelectable, especially against a powerhouse alderman the likes of Rick Stokes. She must be a great mind with "extraordinary accomplishments," to garner the support (with pictures) of a morally questionable mayor and a RINO State Representative who spends more time meddling in Wentzville politics than representing his district in Jefferson City.

As with any campaign that Guccione is involved in (which is all of them), there's always unethical, or shady things going on. Sneaky as he is, he knows that an ethics violation cannot be filed 15 days before an election. So now we see two ethics violations from his candidate; Wright, which he knows will not get a black mark until after the election. He's probably stupid enough to think he can pardon her anyway. Now what's going on with his other candidate; Robert Hussey? It appears that one of Forrest Gossett's mailings has gone undelivered, and missing, tampering with the mail is a Federal Offense. I'm not suggesting that Guccione is that stupid, but someone is, because a second mailing in two weeks has been put on the missing list. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if there isn't a Postal investigation underway to see if there isn't a mail tampering charge waiting for someone! If they find that the coincidence points the finger, the election between Hussey and Gossett could be contested and somebody might get a healthy fine or imprisonment.

 

Still wondering why such an array of high-power support, I read on. Next to Spencer's image is a list of other endorsements, notably; Michael Hays and John Luby both Ward 3 Aldermen. Luby was one of the original yes-men to Bill Schuette, and member of the infamous Lurchettes. It amazed me how little he did as my ward representative, but it was his mission to go along to get along. Luby's lack of engaging at meetings is only exceeded by my current representative, Michael Hays, and his do-absolutely-nothing-approach method of leadership. So let me recap; Guccione the porn-king mayor, Spencer, the meddling Missouri State Representative, and two useless aldermen who's greatest accomplishments were to keep the snoring down so as not to wake the mayor are supporting Linda Wright, the retread that lost in last year's election to the most useless alderman EVER, Michael Hays.

Being unimpressed by Wright's inferior list of supporters I had to look deeper into the flier. Unfortunately, the closest thing to an "extraordinary accomplishment" on the flier was the list of losers she has gathered to support her. There was nothing saying what she's done, or wants to do, or change, just endorsements. I hope Ward 3 residents see what's going on here, she has no good reason to run for office other than to be another in the list of stooges Guccione has already; Hays and Cheryl Kross—who also have no good reason to be on the board of aldermen.

This is about power, Guccione needs another yes-man in order to take control of the legislative branch of Wentzville government and Wright and Hussey are his choices to take over. Guccione hates the logical good-government actions of Forrest Gossett and Rick Stokes, and he hates them personally. If he succeeds in what he wants, Wentzville will suffer. Only one person will have fun from having Hussey and/or Wright elected, and that one is; The Wentzvillian. The mayor and board of aldermen will be an even more target-rich environment than it is today.

At one time, I told Spencer that The Wentzvillian does not cover state government because we have too many problems in Wentzville. He approached me prior to his election because I had posted something about his qualifications that he found detrimental to his coming election and wanted to set me straight. I didn't want to talk to him then, and even less today, in order to get him away from me, I lied to him. I hate lying, and feel guilty that I had to do it to get rid of him. So, to set the record straight: Mr. Spencer I told you that I would vote for you then: I'm sorry but that was a lie! I didn't then, and will never in the future—Oh, and I'd appreciate it if you would stay out of Wentzville politics and do the job you were elected to do by those in your unfortunate district! I have a request of you: If you can, do you think you can get your bud, Guccione, a job as a State Representative and get him out of Wentzville too? Wentzville would appreciate it!
 

I Don't Give a Damn What the Law Says —Guccione

 

I hate to say this but Mayor Nickolas Guccione and Alderman Cheryl Kross outdid themselves last night at  the Wentzville Board of Aldermen Meeting (click here). They got all tangled up in their own web as they tried in vain to change the makeup of the Downtown Economic Development and Historic Preservation Committee (DEDHP) for absolutely no reason other than hate and revenge. The Bill was defeated by a 3-2 vote.

 

The craziness started during "New Business Section IX, Para. 9, (ID # 5043) Bill No. 3540, an ordinance Amending Section 130.150 of the Municipal Code Regarding the Make-up of the Downtown Economic Development and Historic Preservation Committee, First Reading," at 1:31:20 into the meeting. As you remember from from the last post; Kross and Guccione Need a Wake Up Call (click here), they wanted to remove the aldermen now serving on the DEDHP, and cripple any recommendations the committee brings to the city, by not funding it.

Kross began the discussion with an outright lie. During her explanation regarding why she removed herself from the committee she said: "I support this committee, I think what they are doing is good for the city, but I didn't know that they were going to come to the board with recommendations and ask for funding." I have to ask Alderman Kross: You knew from the beginning, when you begged your way onto the committee that there would be funding requests. You also actively participated in discussions of projects  requiring funding during your first eight months on the committee. Remember your suggestion of acquiring a site on Pearve Blvd. for a new pavillion and building a children's park, did you think all that would be free? If you support the DEDHP and improvements in downtown, how are they supposed make improvements, if there's no financial support from the city? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that improvements cost money and that you never had any intentions of supporting the DEDHP, you were only a member to plan a way to derail it. So your idea of the DEDHP is to remove all funding and let them keep talking for another 50 years and accomplish the same thing the city did for the last 50 years—NOTHING! Admit it Mrs. Kross, you just don't like Aldermen Chris Gard (Committee Chair) or President of the Board, Alderman Rick Stokes, and will do anything to defy them, thwarting their efforts to do something about what the city has neglected for the last 50 years—HISTORIC DOWNTOWN! That goes for you too, Mayor Nickolas Guccione.

Now we come to our illustrious CEO, Mayor Nickolas Guccione. At 1:44:50 he took over; "I don't see any representatives of business owners on the committee or members of the Downtown Business Association (DBA) on the committee." I find this statement strange, because he appointed every single member who currently sits on the committee. Where did this new-found lack of deserving members come from? He even had the ordinance changed recently to add an eighth member, and guess what, he isn't a member of the DBA either? Well Mr. CEO, if you were to ask the members of the committee you'd find there are members of the DBA represented on the DEDHP. He went on to say that he also thinks that the DEDHP is good for the city and supports their efforts. Horse pucky, how do you support them, by taking away the guidance of aldermen and give it no  teeth by not funding it? Of course my alderman, Michael Hays, who's lack of participation in city government is disturbing, voted to change the ordinance, he has to vote the way Guccione tells him to vote.

Guccione also went on his occasional rant about the blog, the blog, and being bullied by it, which he continued in his "Mayor's Report," at 2:24:30 into the meeting (I guess once wasn't enough). He even made reference to the young girl in Dardiene Pairie who hung herself because of being bullied. Please don't hang yourself King Nickolas, what would the city do without you. Then he got biblical, mentioning David and Goliath and said that he's going to get the State, County, and even Wentzville to make laws to infringe on the The Wentzvillian's First Amendment rights because it's a bully blogger.

His most disgusting comment of the night was; "I don't care what the ordinance says, I'm not going to appoint another alderman to serve on the DEDHP. It's my appointment." Where have we heard theses comments before, maybe the appointment of the most useless member of the board of aldermen, Michael Hays, and the threat of not adhering to the ethics policy (law) regarding the Mayor's Ball?

I have to ask the citizens of Wentzville; Mayor Nickolas Guccione took an oath of office stating that he would uphold the laws of Wentzville. Does he actually think that in upholding those laws, they don't apply to him? He's made several threats in his two years in office to break the laws he is bound by oath to uphold, the Aldermen need to have him impeached. If he thinks The Wentzvillian is bullying him because he's reported here to be a rotten Mayor, he needs to find another hobby because he's a complete failure in politics. As long as he continues to bully the aldermen by threatening to break our laws, the staff by threatening them with insubordination if they talk to the aldermen, to threaten the citizens by being incompetent, and threaten the The Wentzvillian by trying to stifle it's First Amendment rights, I will be here to report on him. If King Nickolas thinks that The Wentzvillian is bullying him and it leads him to buy a rope, oh well, so be it.

BTW, Where's our great new City Attorney while our mayor is bullying everyone in the city, does he approve of his actions? The last time I heard, he represents the city, not a rogue mayor.
 

The Spankings Are Coming — Tra-La, Tra-La!

 

What an interesting Board of Aldermen meeting of November 13, 2013 (click here), the proceedings were revealing to any serious follower of Wentzville government. The chamber was filled to capacity with residents to rail against the Lombardo Homes of St. Louis, LLC. plan development for the Villas at Stonemoor, but unfortunately most of the residents left before the public hearing for the City budget. Although the fireworks were flying during the Stonemore discussion, those who did leave missed some of the most exciting parts of the meeting.

 

The Stonemoore subject is complicated, but the hour-long public hearing and ensuing discussions exposed some acutely provocative arguments. Stonemoore is a subdivision within Ward 2 yet the engineer leading the drive to derail Lombardo's plan was none other than Ward 1 Alderman, Cheryl Kross. According to what I heard, Lombardo lived up to the requirements set by the City, but a blood-thirsty group of homeowners led by Kross were there to do anything they could to change it, up to and including changing the ordinance, which could have been a time consuming venture. You must remember, Kross will be running for re-election in 2015 and is trying to suck up to as many residents of other wards as she can for her mayoral run in 2016. I found it interesting that Ward 2 Alderman Sonya Shryock said nothing through the extensively exhausting discussion of the ordinance, but of course, she'll be running for re-election this coming April, so she left the controversy to her closest compatriot, Kross.

 

Kross was relentless in her stand to disallow Lombardo to build the Villas as planned, which was accepted by Planning and Zoning by a 7 to 1 vote, while Shryock stayed silent. This whole political protest was trumped up by Shryock, Kross and none other than our CEO, Mayor Nickolas Guccione. I used the word 'political' because one of the residents, Mr. Joe Howard, went off the track to accuse President of the Board, Rick Stokes, of "Chicago Style Politics," and having a conflict of interest. At 1:05 into the meeting, Mr. Howard went off on Stokes with a politically motivated tirade, culminating in demanding Stokes to recuse himself from the vote. I've heard Mr. Howard's accusations before, but not from him, they came to me through the grapevine from Guccione, Aldermen Kross, and Shryock, I know who inspired Mr. Howard to come forward with such detailed and defamatory statements. Guccione's dirty campaign tactics to oust Stokes has begun, I fully expect to see these kinds of attacks to come more frequently the closer we get to the April election.

 

The discussion became so intolerable, what I assume was the owner of Lombardo Homes threw up his hands in disgust, and after telling his spokesman, Attorney Brad Goss, "Give it up, give them what they want," he walked out of chambers. I wonder ... if Lombardo hadn't purchased the vacated lots in Stonemoore, would they have just gone back to St. Louis, never to build in Wentzville again? After the dust cleared, and the vote was taken, Shyrock gave a speech about how great the firm of Lombardo Homes was, and how proud she was to have them building homes in her Ward 2. The whole thing stunk to high heaven, I've seen a lot of builders get raked over the coals by the city, but I've never seen one the caliber of Lombardo take such a beating, it was embarrassing.

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It was truly a disappointment to see that only one citizen asked a question during "(ID # 4898) Public Hearing - 2014 Proposed Budget." The meeting was well into it's third-hour and as stated earlier, most everyone there had a different agenda and left long before. Still, it's unsettling to see how few taxpayers seem to care about how their money is spent.

I've talked about sock-puppets on our Board of Aldermen for several years and how many of Wentzville's aldermen have little or no insight, or understanding of government budgets. Thanks to this public hearing, the video captured a sock-puppet in action. At 3:33:28, Alderman Shryock's hand popped up to begin her input on the city reserve funds. Then at exactly 3:37, Alderman Kross begins coaching Shryock using both hand signals and mouthing words to her. Watch Kross carefully during this discussion and you will see the interaction between the sock-puppet (Shryock), and puppeteer (Kross). Watching this first-hand-live was a real hoot.

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Another interesting subject was covered under "New Business (ID # 4893) City Special Events." Last year, the aldermen warned us that they may very well be cutting out some of the many special events hosted by the City, i.e. Thrill of Hills, various parades, and Wabash Days. Visiting this again this year, if you paid attention to discussions throughout the year, Aldermen Kross, and Shryock were the most vocally aggressive in seeking to unfund several, or many of the events, that all changed during this meeting.

There was a long silence after Guccione asked for discussion. The problem here is that no one wants to be known as the alderman who killed special events in Wentzville. They talked about it last year during the 2013 budget meeting but there was an election right around the corner. They warned the staff that events may be cut in the 2014 budget but no one wanted to say anything, Kross, the most vocal regarding event cuts was quiet as a mouse. Finally Shryock spoke up; "I didn't want this on the agenda ... but (looking at Stokes) you can do what ever you want." Stokes restated his stand from last year; "I don't mind funding special events, what I want to know is which department is going to claim responsibility for which event?" This is all Kross and Shryock needed, they want the staff go back and cut out which ones they don't want and bring their recommendation back to the board, they want staff to be the bad guys. This discussion went on for quite a while without direction, finally Stokes spoke up to defer to Guccione to make the decision. This is a win-win for everyone; the alderman don't look bad, and Guccione looks good for not only funding the current events for 2014, but he actually increased the budget from $85,000 to $90,000.

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Mayor Nickolas Guccione gets huffy at the dais on occasion but it's always when he feels attacked or provoked. As anyone who knows him will testify, he is all-political and quick to challenge anyone with a preemptive strike by accusing them of using politics to better a position, whether they are guilty or not. He claims not to read The Wentzvillian, but I think he's fibbing — he pays close attention to what's posted here.

During his "Mayor's Report" of November 13th, he threw down the gauntlet at exactly 4:48:30 to one or all of the board members. He cited code: 105.100, section C which talks about undermining his office and interfearence with the day-to-day activities of the city. He stated; "I'm not accusing anyone of anything but I have a laundry list that I will make public. I haven't called anyone out but I will." I've heard that he's been questioning the directors about which aldermen are contacting them and he's checking emails. "Anyone wanting to challenge me for mayor in 2016, I have no problem with that."

Many of you who watched the video, may be puzzled about what's going on, but given the following information it may become clear: Monday, November 4, 2013, The Wentzvillian posted "The 'Unholy Alliance' Exposed," in which I issued the following warning: "Now for a note to Mayor Nickolas: Beware, Alderman Kross is only sucking up to you until after she secures her seat in the 2015 election. She wants to be in your good graces just until she can run against you for Mayor in 2016. Get the picture?" Then a comment posted November 10, 2013 on "Was Lambi Really Wrong," from one of my favorite readers; The Mole: "The Mole: The Wentzvillian hit it on the head. Not a day goes by when Kross is not either on the phone or emailing ridiculous requests of the "skeleton crew" directors. They are over-burdened and Kross just keeps piling it on. Where's the Mayor when all of this crap is going on right under his nose?" These two paragraphs hit Guccione right between the eyes and spurred his threatening outburst. Watch closely who Guccione is looking at during his entire statement, but he's "... not accusing anyone." Let's see if he has the fortitude to proceed with his forewarning — the spankings are coming tra-la, tra-la.

 

Biased Toward Good Government

 

I've had readers criticize me for "being biased" or "Picking on Mayor Nickolas Guccione and/or Mayor Paul Lambi." I assure my readers that I am biased, but on the side of good government, and I believe most or all of our elected officials would agree with that statement. Any time a mayor or alderman does anything unethical, stupid, or is not looking out for the good of Wentzville citizens, they will cross swords with The Wentzvillian.

Personally, I like Guccione and Lambi, and was friends with both of them, the problem with our friendships came in when they displayed unethical behavior in office and I disclosed proof here on this blog—I cannot stay silent. As a patriot of the United States of America, the State of Missouri, and Wentzville, It is my constitutional right, and my duty to  inform my fellow citizens of the wrong-doing of any elected official—if these officials dislike me for what I say here, maybe they need to change their behavior—not my reporting.

Lambi started disliking me when I discovered and reported on his unethical partnership with Mr. Ed Watkins, both have admitted and agreed with the ethics violations brought down by the Missouri Ethics Commission. It's unfortunate because I think Paul Lambi is a good and compassionate man and for the most part, one of Wentzville's best mayors, I truly believe he was misled by his former co-conspirator, it saddens me that we are no longer friends.

I was friends with Nickolas Guccione and his family for a number of years, but when I reported on his conspiratorial campaigns and his unethical method of getting elected, that all changed. He tried numerous times without success to discredit me personally yet never once thought that maybe I was correct and that he needed to change his approach to elections. The Aldermen thought my facts were in order and Mayor Lambi stepped in to pardon Guccione, saving him some hefty fines. He didn't learn anything from that because there were no consequences and he continued his unethical campaign tactics when he got Michael Hays elected. He violated the "Political Activity Policy," but the aldermen went after him for ethics violations covered under the "Ethics Policy," and failed, why they did that—I'll never understand. So where are we; Guccione and Lambi both dislike me for reports appearing here but The Wentvillian will continue as long as there is corruption in our City government.

I've reported about Guccione's inability to run City meetings and in the past few months he has improved. Under the tutelage of Lambi, he's learned to use a gavel and he even displayed sack enough to shut down Alderman Cheryl Kross last week for her side-bars, something has changed with her, she didn't used to be like she is today. Guccione is learning to control public meetings, congratulations. It may take another year and a half to master looking like a mayor, but that's not all a mayor is supposed to do.

Guccione is near sighted about his vision for Wentzville's future and I'm not sure he can fix that by himself. Issuing pardons for convenience store owners because they were late applying for their liquor license is not a good start, I can see a rush of bar owners lining up to get equal treatment. Guccione needs to talk about what he wants, and he needs to express a means of accomplishing his goal if he wants to be a successful mayor.

PSS: I'm bettin' it ain't happenin'.

 

 

Watkins, Gap-1, & The Missouri Ethics Commission

In 2011 and 2012 The Wentzvillian posted several articles which exposed alleged pay-to-play ethics violations by then-Mayor Paul Lambi and Mr. Ed Watkins. Lambi was outraged in Board of Aldermen meetings trying to defend himself against allegations regarding a mysterious $15,000 check and his connection with "Graduate America Priority 1," or "GAP-1." Executive sessions came frequently as the City Attorney, Paul Rost, Mayor Lambi, and Aldermen discussed the allegations. The Wentzvillian's speculations in the articles regarding the goings-on in those sessions are what spurred the City to have the St. Louis Police Department come and sweep the Wentzville City Hall for bugs.

 

This subject remained dormant as the Missouri Ethics Commission investigated the facts around the alleged play-for-pay scheme dreamed up by Watkins and Lambi—until a few weeks ago. The Board of Aldermen directed the City Attorney to draft a letter to the Missouri Ethics Commission to find out the status of their complaint, low and behold, last Monday case number 12E005 was filed; "Missouri Ethics Commission, Petitioner, v. Ed Watkins, Respondent; JOINT STIPULATION OF FACTS, WAIVER OF HEARING BEFORE THE MISSOURI COMMISSION, AND CONSENT ORDER WITH JOINT PROPOSED FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSION OF LAW."

 

After digesting these documents signed by Ed Watkins on June 8, 2013, I have more questions than Answers. Other than Lambi not being a Co-Respondent, under the "JOINT PROPOSED FINDINGS OF FACT" header, items 2: "Respondent Watkins is a founder, shareholder, and registered agent of WE News, LLC, which was formerly known as Westplex ENEWS, LLC."; Item 3: Respondent Watkins is the owner of the fictitious name 'Winning Endeveavors.'"; Item 4: "Respondent Watkins is the founder of 'Graduate America Priority 1,' or 'GAP-1.'" In or about September of 2011, Respondent Watkins, together with Paul Lambi, filed paperwork with the Missouri Secretary of State to incorporate GAP-1 as a public benefit non-profit corporation, but on February 23, 2012, Respondent Watkins filed articles of dissolution. In July 2012, Paul Lambi filed with the Missouri Secretary of State a registration of fictitious name for Graduate America Priority 1 identifying "WE News, LLC as the owner of the business name." Why would Lambi register the same fictitious name that Watkins dissolved just four months earlier?

 

Now to jump around a bit: Item 5: "Mr. Lambi was paid by WE News, LLC, as C.E.O. of Winning Endeavors, Paul Lambi was also the mayor of Wentzville, Missouri, from 2004 through 2012." Item 11: As the founder and owner of WE News, LLC, and doing business as GAP-1, Respondent Watkins sought to establish an educational facility in the City of Wentzville." Item 12: "Respondent Watkins approached Rankin Technical College with a proposal to locate an educational facility in Wentzville, and requested a fund-raising agreement with Rankin that would have paid Mr. Lambi through GAP-1 a salary of approximately $60,000 per year for fundraising."

 

I advise anyone interested to read this nine page public document for yourself, there is just too much to put here, but the bottom line is that Ed Watkins admitted to the facts in this document. So, where does this leave Lambi? Watkins got a $100 slap on the hand with the promise that if he violates any of the items listed within the next two years he would pay an additional $900. Some allege that Lambi may be in even more serious trouble, it depends on what the Missouri Ethics Commission does with the information they've gathered during their investigation. We could have to wait another two years, who knows?

 

I've linked just a couple of several posts revolving around this situation below. During that period of time there was a lot of excitement surrounding this case and the involvement of Mayor Paul Lambi. Time will tell, and I assure you I will stay on top of it.

 

"The Illegal Practice Of Using One's Influence..." (December 16, 2011)

"Den Of Bell-Tails" February 14, 2012

 

 

TTC

Many elected officials don't agree with  my method of reporting on what they do, or don't do, in city hall. They don't like the idea that The Wentzvillian doesn't interview them to get their side of the story. They seem to think that I can't possibly post the truth and that my opinions don't really matter anyway, yet some of them have gone to great lengths to shut me up. The opinions posted here come from persistent observation over the long haul, and most times The Wentzvillian has been spot on, in fact, so close to the truth, they thought I was bugging City Hall.

What many of them don't understand is that my observations, although more intense, are from the same vantage of the voting taxpayers who pay any attention to what our government is doing. Our view of government is pretty much the same except, from close observation, I recognize the efforts of our mayor and aldermen to spin what they are really doing via newspaper, newsletter, or other forms of propaganda. That being said, The Wentzvillian has recognized a real problem in City Hall.

Over the years of watching city meetings and seeing mayors and aldermen, both good and bad, come and go, The Wentzvillian has formulated a hypothesis, which I like to call the Third Term Crazies (TTC). Some of them come in with good motives, and others, not so much, however, I'd say, 90 percent of them come down with this malady. It has manifested itself in many forms but it always comes with the marked uncharacteristic actions of an elected official contracting the disease, and is always politically fatal. Since the data used to formulate the hypothesis is based on two year terms and the parameters of the term were modified last year to four year terms for the mayor, a new sampling needs to be had. It could perhaps be a faulty syllogism to say that mayors will now contract Two Term Crazies, but only time will tell.

TTC, although slightly different, resembles The Peter Principle, and since Mayor Nickolas Guccione reached his level of incompetence when he was initially elected to his first term as an alderman six years ago, his TTC has been extremely difficult to diagnose. Any time The Peter Principle and the Third Term Crazies intersect, it really doesn't matter anymore, the result is a full-blown narcissist in office.

I've received calls from two residents asking if there is a rift in the force on the Board of Aldermen, and is the reason The Wentzvillian went into such detail about TTC. It is my belief that the Alderman of Ward 1, Cheryl Kross, may be showing early signs of TTC.

During the last two meetings of the Board, I've noticed a glaring difference in Alderman Kross' deportment. Although there are no blatant outbursts of anger from her, she is masking something. At the Board of Aldermen Meeting of May 22nd, unless she was talking, her head was uncharacteristically resting in her hand or hands, the entire meeting. She made no eye contact with the President of the Board, Alderman Rick Stokes, or conversed with him, unless it was absolutely necessary. Another thing I noticed, Kross spent an unusual amount of time whispering with the City Administrator, T. Michael McDowell. For some reason, Kross is not a happy camper, and I believe I've deduced, by observation, what it is.

Kross is the senior Alderman with two terms (four years) behind her on the Board, and in my assessment, Kross believes that she should have been elected President of the board. To her dismay she didn't have the votes, and consequently, Stokes was re-elected to that post.

Kross started making mistakes recently, the largest of which came when she flipped on her vote to accept Guccione's appointment of Micheal Hays, resulting in the election of one of the most unpopular aldermen in recent history, who won by only 38 percent of the vote. Unfortunately, the residents of Ward 3 are saddled with an alderman they don't want all because Kross flipped on her vote at the advice of her good friend and ward-mate, Alderman Forrest Gossett. Gossett advised her: "Not accepting the mayor's appointment would be political suicide." Kross made a decision, not based on the best interest of the citizens of Wentzville, but her own political future in Wentzville.

I will offer more evidence to my theory that Kross may be in the grip of TTC next time, but for now, I'll end with this thought: Alderman Cheryl Kross used to follow her own conscience, but now may be taking too much advice from what could very well be a one-term alderman, Forrest Gossett.

No Confidence, Unethical Behavior, Time To Go!

The Wentzvillian has been called "sour grapes" more than once during elections; maybe it's time for those grapes to go rancid. There is grass-roots talk around town regarding the removal of Wentzville Mayor Nickolas Guccione from office, and The Wentzvillian agrees with this movement. The Wentzville Board of Aldermen can initiate the removal process according to state statute but has been reluctant to proceed without public support. I know there exists the necessary majority of our Aldermen who believe that Guccione is incompetent to carry out the business of the Mayor's office. They have carried him for a year, trying to keep the meetings orderly and on point, but there comes a time when that has to end. I've copied Missouri State Statute below:

Removal of officers.
79.240. The mayor may, with the consent of a majority of all the members elected to the board of aldermen, remove from office, for cause shown, any elective officer of the city, such officer being first given opportunity, together with his witnesses, to be heard before the board of aldermen sitting as a board of impeachment. Any elective officer, including the mayor, may in like manner, for cause shown, be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of all members elected to the board of aldermen, independently of the mayor's approval or recommendation. The mayor may, with the consent of a majority of all the members elected to the board of aldermen, remove from office any appointive officer of the city at will, and any such appointive officer may be so removed by a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to the board of aldermen, independently of the mayor's approval or recommendation. The board of aldermen may pass ordinances regulating the manner of impeachments and removals.
(RSMo 1939 § 7107)
Prior revisions: 1929 § 6957; 1919 § 8408; 1909 § 9310

The preceding proves the fact that Mayor Nickolas Guccione can be removed from office by the Alderman. They are aware of this Statute, yet in the public view they have remained reticent. Today, the Aldermen have enough support on the board to call for the removal of Guccione from office; after next year's election they may not. If we are to have Guccione impeached, it must be done this year.

 

After his election last year, Mayor-Elect Nickolas Guccione was pardoned by Mayor Lambi for his unethical behavior. As a consequence of his unethical behavior during last year's election, the Aldermen passed a new "Ethics Policy Ordinance," affectionately referred to as the "Guccione Policy." And this year he flaunted it by illegally using his office and the City of Wentzville to endorse Micheal Hays (Plastic Guccione) to the seat in Ward 3, which was clearly illegal manipulation of an election. Because Guccione used his office and the City of Wentzville to endorse Mr. Hays, he subesequently won the election by eight votes. In my opinion due to Mayor Guccione's unethical influence of the election, Hayes does not deserve to represent me or any citizen of Ward 3.

Through his first year in office, he has consistently shown that he cannot competently preside over the City meetings and is incapable of directing employees in a professional manner. He has proven that he cannot communicate, either in writing or orally with members of the staff, Aldermen, or citizens, and his lack of communication skills is costing tax-dollars and has become a detriment to taxpayers. The Aldermen know about his incompetence and his unethical and illegal activities, and they need to take action, Wentzville can no longer be anchored by Nickolas Guccione.

 

I believe enough evidence exists to move forward with impeachment proceedings, and since there is no initiative on the part of our Aldermen, it's time for my readers, their friends, and all citizens of Wentzville  to call their Aldermen, asking them to initiate the process of removing Mayor Nickolas Guccione for cause. Only through the actions of the people will the Aldermen take on the removal of Mayor Nickolas Guccione from office. Call your Aldermen, write letters to them, email them (with your name and address), but tell them we are fed up with our Mayor's unscrupulous behavior.

I encourage my fellow citizens to join me in standing before the Board of Aldermen on April 10th to voice our concerns regarding Mayor Nickolas Guccione's violation of Wentzville ordinance and election law. I look forward to seeing you there The future of good Government is at stake in this matter and we can not afford a leader who chronically violates Wentzville ordinances or thinks he is above the law.

 

1 Day to the Election

Tomorrow, we all go to the polls to choose how our government will operate for the coming year. Whether we want to have people of good character or people who don't, it's our civic duty to go to the polls and cast our vote. In last year's election 58 percent of those who voted agreed with me that we didn't want Nickolas Guccione to take charge of the highest office in the City of Wentzville. Out of a population of 29,070 only 2,888 people voted—and over four times that number are of voting age. In my opinion, citizens have been lied to so much their perception is that the government is crooked and they feel their vote doesn't matter.

Many cities assist non-registered citizens with the registration process by hosting a registration day in a city facility to educate and register voters. Does Wentzville host such an event, if so I am unaware of it? I believe our City should take a proactive stance on voter registration to enroll those citizens who could and should be voting. Then the next time I hear candidates crying about low voter turnout at least they can say, "We tried."

I have seen elections in Wentzville for a Mayoral race that were decided by seven votes and Aldermanic elections by less. At the State and Federal level perhaps people could say their vote doesn't count, but here it counts. Unfortunately, when we don't vote at this level and people with questionable ethics and morals are ensconced in Wentzville Government it can have a negative effect on higher levels of government in the future. e.g. The first time I met Nickolas Guccione I was reporting for a local magazine and he was running for his first term as an Alderman.  During the interview I asked about his political future and he told me that he wanted to go on to be mayor and after that into state politics. He's reached his second plateau with designs toward state government, unless of course he can get the board to call for a full-time mayor in which case he may retire in his current position. So right here in Wentzville we've allowed the dirtiest politician in recent history an opportunity to grease his way into a place where many say their vote doesn't count. Wentzville needs to be very careful about who it elects.

Cheryl Kross has four years of conservative leadership on the Board of Aldermen. In the opinion of The Wentzvillian, she has earned a third term. If I could vote for Alderman Cheryl Kross, I would.

Ward 1

Cheryl Kross

I hope every registered voter goes to the polls tomorrow to cast their vote for the candidate of their choice. I have respect for anyone who votes, even if it's for a candidate with whom I disagree. When I hear people bitching about our Aldermen, Mayor, or Municipal Judge and then find out they didn't vote, I dislike them as much or more than the greasy politician they allowed to be elected. I will vote and will be working the polls for Darrel Lackey. I believe he will be the best man to represent me in Ward 3 and I'm casting my vote for Darrel Lackey.

Ward 3

Darrel Lackey

There isn't much I can say about the Municipal Judge that I haven't said, but I am extremely interested in seeing Judge Steve Martin re-elected. His opponent Michael Carter is working hard at getting elected by bombarding our mailboxes with literature and working the streets. He even used a Christian Holiday to pander for votes, pretty sick. If elected, Carter will do the same thing he did before, alienate our police force and destroy the Judicial budget. Carter, you may remember, hit all the newspapers a couple years ago being arrested for a DUI but not convicted. The Wentzvillian is supporting Judge Steve Martin a man of high moral and ethical standards for re-election. I will be casting my vote for Steve Martin.

Municipal Judge

Steve Martin

Once again, I hope all of you vote tomorrow, and maybe I'll see you at the polls.



Blogosfear

The City of Wentzville has not posted the video from the Retreat...er...uh, I mean the "Strategic Planning Session," held Friday and Saturday, March 22nd and 23rd. During discussions at past board meetings we (the public), were promised that it would be videoed, I'm starting to wonder if the City didn't pull the same stunt they pulled last year, "Technical Problems." I can excuse it last year simply because the City handled all of that themselves, but now since they terminated staff, dissolved the City-operated IT department, and hired an outside contractor to handle the IT matters, we have to assume "Technical Problems" would be a thing of the past.

At the last board meeting the topic was discussed and it appeared to be a priority of the President of the Board, Rick Stokes, Alderman of Ward 3 to insure the Strategic Planning Session would be videoed. The only Alderman who was not pressing the issue was from Ward 2, Chris Gard who stated "The process is more important than the video." I strongly disagree with Gard, the citizens who voted for him and all of the aldermen sitting up there, have come to rely on the videos of public meetings posted on the City's website. You can't just say; "oh what the hell, we can do without it for this public meeting or that public meeting," when you tell the citizens it will be available, it should be available at all cost.

I regret not going to the Retreat last year because I was told by the City it would be recorded, and then, "Technical Problems." This year, hopefully I didn't fall for the same sad story for the "Strategic Planning Session." Maybe I'm wrong, maybe it will be posted but it's been five days since the session started, and besides, I spoke with the IT Director, Carolyn Sutton of Winning Technologies and she told me that it would be recorded, I can only hope she wasn't premature in her statement.

On to politics: A few things are bothering me. First, my mailbox is being bombarded with pretty campaign cards for a Mr. Bob Mainiri who is running for Wentzville Fire Board of Directors. I know he is supported by none other than our own Mayor Nickolas Guccione and that as of today, the Firefighters Union has donated $38,600 to his campaign. My question is; If he wins, what will he owe to the union? Secondly a question of ethics regarding the campaign of Bob Hussey for Alderman of Ward 1. It appears that on Mr. Hussey's campaign donations he has listed $400 from the Fire District. Perhaps I'm misdirected but, the Ethics Commission says that taxing entities cannot donate money to campaigns and the Fire District is a taxing entity. Could there be a little mischief afoot?

Now for some fun: Most of you would be correct in assuming that The Wentzvillian is not one of Mayor Nickolas Guccione's favorite publishers so I have come up with the word which best describes his phobia:

blogosfear (Blog´ôs-fear) n. Fear of being talked about or becoming a character in some one's blog. e.g. Anytime the Mayor talked to his friends, he was overwhelmed with blogosfear thinking their conversation would be published the next day in The Wentzvillian.

Darrel Lackey for Alderman Ward 3

I've just received notice of a campaign kickoff for Darrel Lackey: Lackey running for Alderman of Ward 3 is a long time resident of Wentzville and a very active community-minded citizen. He is a financial advisor with an office here in Wentzville located in the Trinity Building and he is very informed regarding city politics. His record of public service is long having served more time on the Board of Aldermen than any incumbent, and coincidentally, he has spent more time as Mayor than our current mayor. All in all, he is the most qualified candidate in the upcoming April election.

Wentzville Alderman, Ward 2 1987-1992 (3 terms)

Wentzville Mayor 1992-1995 (2 terms)

Wentzville Alderman, Ward 3 2002-2006 (2 terms)

Wentzville Township Committeeman 2004-2010 (3 terms)

Darrel Lackey has been and will again be a strong asset to Wentzville City Hall. My vote goes for Darrel Lackey to be Alderman of Ward 3.

DARREL LACKEY

For

Alderman, Ward 3

Please RSVP to:

314-941-5513 or leolackey@yahoo.com

Darrel Lackey

P.O.Box 387

Wentzville, MO 63385



WHAT:

Campaign Kickoff for Darrel Lackey, Candidate for Ward 3

Come out for Friendship, fun, and pizza with drinks available.

WHEN:

Tuesday, February 12. 2013

5:30 PM until 8:00

WHERE:

Maggie Malone's

990 Wentzville Parkway

Wentzville, MO 63385

636-332-1176

www.maggiemalones.com



I hope all of you within reach of The Wentzvillian come out to meet and talk with Darrel but more importantly, vote for him. We in Ward 3 will have been unrepresented for a year until the upcoming election in April when Darrel takes his seat on the Board of Aldermen, right next to you know who.

Put Up or Shut Up

On the 18th of January I posted "Where The Buck Stops." In this blog I wrote about the Mayor of Wentzville, Nick Guccione who does nothing, shifts blame, and never takes responsibility for anything. In that same blog I quoted Guccione who announced that Newstime will be publishing weekly, he said: "Newstime will fix any misinformation out there."

Inwardly I laughed at him for making that statement because I knew that The Wentzvillian was eating his lunch. Last year about this time, he and his ex-Judge Carter friend started a blog that they thought would shut me up by posting their version of the truth. They figured that by exposing me as a citizen I would discontinue my blog and slip into the night. They were going to start a news service written by Carter, which would counter my posts with their version of facts but they overlooked two very important facts:  #1, No one read or cared about their online version of a newspaper and #2 when you put two anal-retentive nit-wits together you get a disaster.

I enjoy Guccione's blathering in Newstime every week and I'm glad he's found a hobby. Unfortunately for the taxpayers I found out that we are paying for it. If Guccione were writing it and giving it to Newstime I'd be fine with it but he's not, our Publicist does, and she charges the City by the article. I don't remember the Aldermen approving this expenditure where our Mayor could have the City pay for his weekly "Gooch Truth" article. If our aldermen did approve it, our taxpayers should be outraged, after all, isn't this group of aldermen hanging their hats on cost-cutting?

Should the taxpayers be charged for weekly articles supposedly written by our Mayor? I don't see this as necessary especially since he has a paid article in our city newsletter The Vision. No other Mayor in the history of Wentzville has had a spending latitude such as this, he should be paying for this himself, or hire a writer out of his own pocket.

This is another example of Guccione over-stepping his authority and handing the taxpayers the check in the process. If you agree, I urge you, my fellow citizens, to call your Aldermen, they need to hear what we think. Guccione has no skin in the game and no right to put taxpayers on the hook for his political agenda, it's bad enough we have to pay him a salary. It's time for the Gooch to put up or shut up!

(Several of you have asked me how many hits are there on The Wentzvillian, in 2012, I received just over 58,000 pageviews, Thanks to all of you who read The Wentzvillian!)