Follow the Yellow-Card, Green-Box Road

Being the congenial, easy-going fellow I am, it's difficult to upset me; however, when it comes to government bureaucracy, I can get up on all fours in a heartbeat. It never fails, this time of year brings out the worst in me, it's forms, licenses, and no-tax due time.

Having been a small business owner for years has made me realize one thing—sometimes it just ain't worth it! Surely, I can't be the only person in town that spends hours and hours filling out forms, navigating through page after page of city, state, and federal websites only to find out, "I can't find this crap that everyone in government says is so easy." I finally figured out why they keep telling me that: It's because they have either never owned a small business or they had become so frustrated trying to comply they just threw up their hands and said, "I can't find this crap that everyone in government says is so easy," so they fold it in and got a civil service job where they can tell me how easy it is.

As painful as it may be, I've found that filing and paying my state and federal taxes are easier than renewing a business license. I am sure that Wentzville tries its hardest to make their processes and website absolutely idiot proof and realize now that I must not be the average idiot. I am a very special idiot; normal idiots can figure this stuff out with no problems. I have many friends who are fellow business owners but I never hear them complain about not being able to figure out this shhhhtuff.

Yesterday I received a bright yellow card that served as notice that my annual business license renewal is due—fine, I dug right into it first thing this morning. Following the instructions on the bright yellow card I went onto the city website and as instructed I looked for a tab that read; "forms & permits." There is no tab marked "forms & permits," so I went to "Business Services" and looked for it there, no luck but I did find "Doing Business in Wentzville." Under that menu item I found "Commercial Occupancy & Business License Application," I clicked on that tab and out popped a pfd with the form. Feeling home free I printed the form and spent the next half-hour locating all the appropriate tax I.D. numbers and assorted plunder to copy to the form. About half way through this four page form, I started feeling that "I've been here 10 years the city knows all this crap about my company," so I stopped and began searching the website again, knowing I had made a mistake.

After another 20 minutes or so checking every page for the elusive tab that I knew everyone else could find except me, I sat back in my chair and looked again at the half completed form. It still wasn't the right form and it was time to take drastic action; call the city. I dialed the number and after a ring or two came: "Good morning, City of Wentzville, this is Lisa." I was disarmed; all the frustration I felt was replaced with shame because I had to ask someone to help me with my problem. She replied, "The form is right on our homepage." I was still on the City homepage and I frantically scanned the tabs as she explained, "it is a bright green box." I was horrified when I saw it, I apologized to her for taking her away from her busy morning to explain to me (the idiot) how to locate the form.

I had always thought myself a fairly intelligent and somewhat literate man. I thought I knew my way around the City website but Lisa taught me a very important lesson: You can tell an idiot, but you can't tell them much. After printing out the correct form and filling it out, an hour and a half had passed, then came the dreaded State "No Tax Form." There's another hour wasted going through the state website looking for that thing. Now all I have to do is find $50 laying around so I can pay the fee. Maybe it's the city's fault, maybe they should have made the box bright yellow to match the card, maybe their yellow card should have given accurate instructions instead of saying to look under "forms & permits," maybe they shouldn't have hidden the bright green box in plain sight...yeah, that's it, it's the City's fault, I can live with that..

The Campaign Trail

The City issued an amended agenda for this Wednesdays regular meeting of the board of aldermen. It appears to be longer but it doesn't look any more interesting than the original was last Friday. Anyway, other than being longer, I think the good stuff will still be there.

I heard something this weekend that is disturbing. It's seems that Alderman Gucione paid a visit to our new police chief last week. That in itself isn't a big deal, I'm sure most of the aldermen visited her during her first week. The surprising aspect of his visit was that he took his campaign manager, Donna Sherwood with him. Now I'm sitting here wondering why he would do that, and all sorts of conversations come to mind. First of all and probably the easiest to believe was that he needed to let the new chief know that he was going to be the next mayor and Sherwood the next alderman of Ward 2. After thinking about the many possibilities, it boils down to campaigning. I can't believe that he would just show up for a visit, he actually was looking for support from the police department.

One possible scenario is that; since Sherwood showed up in sweatpants, they could have been jogging down the Wentzville Parkway and stopped by to get a cool drink of water, oh, and by the way, pay their respects to the new chief. I know that after they left there, they went to Pitman's Funeral Home to ask for support for their campaigns. It couldn't have been just another campaign stop on their journey around town looking for votes and donations, could it?

I have to say, he needs to think about the things he's doing. Taking your campaign manager, who happens to be running for office (when she has nothing to do with the city) to visit with Wentzville's new Chief of Police in a city facility, during working hours was a bad idea—a very bad idea. I could understand Sherwood wanting to do it because she likes to feel important but Guccione should know better. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get a spanking from the city. Campaigning to employees in a city facility especially during working hours is an ethical no-no, he needs to read the book. Well, the campaign trail is a long hard road filled with potholes, maybe he stepped in one—a big one, up to his neck.

"A Splendid Time is Guaranteed For All"

I am eagerly awaiting the January 11th, 2012, Regular Board of Aldermen meeting, I believe it will be a very revealing assembly. A fairly short agenda with an Executive Session scheduled just after roll call, this is unusual as they are generally held at the end just prior to adjourning. What this tells me is there could be some interesting twists to the evening's entertainment. I'm so excited I could just pee my pants in anticipation.

The major topic on my list is first on the agenda; the dreaded "Storm Water Utility" Tax is up for its final reading. I have railed for six years to have this ordinance failed but thanks to Bill Schuette, John Luby, Nick Guccione, and Peggy Meyer, they took it through the first two readings. It would have passed if not for a class-action lawsuit filed against MSD and the City of St. Louis for a very similar "utility." As I've written many times in the past, this is a terrible tax that would be placed on homeowners and businesses alike. Schuette's passion to get this inflicted on Wentzville residents was enormous. His "Lurchettes" did all they could do until the city attorney recommended postponing it until the lawsuit was settled. The taxpayers won, their lawsuit was successful and St. Louis has been appealing it ever since.

Almost three years has passed and those who led the charge for it to become law in Wentzville are gone from the scene except one; Alderman Nickolas Guccione. Guccione supported this ordinance through every stage of legislation and now it's back on the table for the final vote. He now faces an interesting dilemma, if he votes "YEA," as he did twice previously, he is staying true to his record and slapping Wentzville taxpayers across the face with more and higher taxes. If he votes "NAY," he's flipping on yet another issue and this one is going to be difficult to hide. It's interesting to me that both Guccione and Schuette who were most instrumental in bringing this tax forward are currently running for mayor. It is my opinion that Alderman Guccione, without the backbone of his past compadres will perform a two and a half, full twisting back flip off the high-dive and belly-flop. This vote ought to be fun.

This will also be the first public appearance of our new police Chief Ms. Lisa Harrison who came on duty January 3rd. I'm looking forward to meeting her to discuss her plans for our police department. Hearing very good things about her, I see nothing but positive signs for Wentzville's future law enforcement community.

The rest of the agenda is the usual political blatherings but I do so look forward to what I believe will be a surprise-filled evening of fun and frolic. Come on out Wednesday the 11th of January, in the words of the immortal John Lennon: "A splendid time is guaranteed for all."

No Apology Necessary

Since my post of January 4th, 2012, I have received emails and calls from friends to the effect that I might have been a little "less than kind" to Alderman Guccione. I admit that I should have waited a day after becoming angry about his latest "plot" but that's where it ends. Other than a few snide (and to some, "overly harsh") remarks about him, I stand by my statement. None of those who contacted me contradicted the facts I pointed out regarding his record or campaign strategy, they just desired to let me know that they think I need to be a little less passionate and overly bombastic when expressing myself about his escapades.

"The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it,

ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is."

—Winston Churchill

If there is anything that upsets me more than not having cow-paste to spread on my corn-pone, it's hypocrisy, and Alderman Guccione is a great hypocrite of the first order. Since he became an Alderman I have yet to hear any reason or platform for his wanting to be mayor other than it is a stepping stone to higher office. I have yet to see any ordinance or legislation he has introduced that was of benefit to the community (someone please show me just one). And, I have yet to hear him defend any of his many mistakes, blunders, or questions of ethics that I have pointed out on this blog.

I have sat in meetings knowing he represents me and other citizens of Ward 3 and felt shame for his lack of knowledge regarding topics of discussion and waffling on issues. It embarrasses me to watch him campaign during public meetings by letting everyone know that he supported the half-cent sales tax increase for parks and tell of how some on the board did not (I heard that one on three separate occasions). I was completely disconcerted when he openly lied in a public meeting about not compromising on employee benefits after inviting the employees to the meeting with the sole purpose of trying to make the other aldermen look bad when he flipped on the issue.

In my defense, the last straw was when Alderman Guccione adopted his "stack the board" policy in his campaign for mayor. He personally told me: "None of the other aldermen support my issues so I'm trying to get people on the board who will agree with me. If I'm elected mayor, they'll be there for me and if I lose I'll have someone on the board who will vote with me." I guess what I least understand is; if Alderman Guccione never gets support from the board on his ideas, maybe he should step back and rethink the things he's bringing forward, maybe they aren't as puissant as he concludes. The majority of our Board of Aldermen are reasonable and analytical in deciding matters concerning the city, if he can't get support, maybe it's not that they are insensitive to him, it could be something wrong with the things he wants to make law.

As far as my opinions regarding Alderman Guccione: Unless I see him cease whining and do something for his ward; he stops trying to control the Board of Aldermen by placing hand-picked candidates for the next board election; quits campaigning in public meetings: stops pandering to special interest groups, and quits flipping on issues and lying about it, I will continue to critique him and his position as my alderman. I admit I'm an idealist and that this is not utopia but I'd like to see Wentzville be all I know it can be. I respect his office and the majority of those holding office but I cannot stand by to watch it further disgraced.



"He who does not prevent a crime when he can, encourages it."

—Seneca

The Gooch Conspiracy

My mole inside Nick Guccione's political scam-camp has revealed how unhappy he is that Sonya Shryock and Jeremy Pritchett have turned tail and run away from his offer to come under his conspiratorial wing. Currently he has three candidates he's trying to get elected in an effort to control the board: Jay Weber, Ward 1;  Donna Sherwood, Ward 2; and Rodney Stratman in Ward 3. He has stated that he is upset that I have "stricken all three of his candidates" and is now in the process of gathering more candidates to run in the various ward contests. Unfortunately, I don't have the new names YET but as soon as any late filers show up, they will be exposed. I apologize to any legitimate candidates who file after today but since he's going to continue planting, I'm going to continue striking.

I urge you, the voters, to recognize mayor candidate Nick Guccione as an enemy of Wentzville, his tactics are sneaky, underhanded, possibly illegal and most definately unethical. I will be listing the legitimate candidates who have no connection with Gooch's Gooches. The known and suspected candidates who are in this conspiracy (to take representation from our citizens) will be stricken through.

I cannot believe that he and Sherwood are so power hungry they would spend this much time building a clone board of aldermen. Rather than do the right thing by representing their constituents, they are resorting to confusion and control of all the wards. He and Sherwood were spotted in the Bread Company today meeting with two possible new candidates, it is pathetic. Nick, represent ward 3 and stay the hell out of the politics of the other two wards before you get into legal problems!

If you are not a Gooch and you are wanting to run a legitimate campaign for Alderman, contact me at: thewentzvillian@aol.com, I will be happy to interview and post your bio/platform, otherwise I will strike through your name and add your name to the list of the Gooch troops.

I'm sick of these morons who think they need to control our government to promote and continue their unethical (at best) behavior. If Gooch is sucessful, you the citizens of Wentzville will lose! I will be watching Guccione very closely for the next few months and report on his actions (or lack of) in City meetings.

Please Don't Apply

Having never been (and no ambition to be) an alderman, this perspective is from an observer and student of Wentzville politics. Watching candidates run for elected offices over the years has given me a great respect for those who are successful and effective in the seat. Unfortunately, the actual ratio of those elected who are duly constituted to those who are not, is sometimes frightening. Today, on Wentzville's Board of Aldermen, the number of capable office-holders is greater than those who are ineffective. That has not always been the case and may have never been since the 1960s when our national government became polarized. The middle of the road candidate gave way to the radical right and the radical left that has dominated politics ever since.

Local government is not party sensitive and no candidate declares a party to run for office however it does not stop the right/left divide at this level of government. It's always been said: "You can take the boy out of the country but you can't take the country out of the boy" hence the political divide finds its way into Wentzville.

The salary for alderman in Wentzville (if based on a 40 hour week) is about $2.16 per hour—clearly money is not an incentive. I question every legitimate candidate for alderman to assess their reason for wanting to be elected, unfortunately there is usually either a personal or political agenda, and I've heard some doozys. "Lurch" Schuette" for example lived in a subdivision and when developers destroyed his view of  woodland to build an adjacent subdivision he got upset and joined Vickie Boedecker's flying monkeys to put an end to it. Somehow he concluded that he had paid for the view. Lurch in turn recruited several others including Nick Guccione to become a member of the "Lurchettes."

I interviewed Guccione when he ran for aldermen for the first time and he revealed some interesting things. First and foremost, he had no good reason other than great political aspirations; he wanted to be mayor and then move on into state government. He had no knowledge of the concerns of the citizens or businesses of Wentzville and has kept his special interests blinders on since being elected. An admitted Obama supporter, Guccione has brought his liberal issues before the board and made them stick until he lost his pack of Lurchettes—had he been opposed in the election of 2011 he would more than likely be out of the picture today.

The job of alderman carrys a great responsibility, if you don't like spending long hours reading, don't apply. If you don't like sitting through several long and late drab meetings filled with drollery every week, don't apply, If you don't have time to answer phone calls or messages at all times of the day and night (a great flaw of "Lurch" Schuette's), don't apply. If you want to feel powerful, important, and grandiose, don't apply. If you have no love of Wentzville, it's heritage, or citizens, please don't apply. If you really don't know whats going on and no good reason to apply...DON"T.

This message has been brought to you courtesy of: The Wentzvillian for good government, a concerned, no-profit, no-pay, no tolerance, and no nonsense, entity that believes Wentzville can be greater than it is.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

The new year holds great promise for Wentzville, not only economically but politically. With General Motors adding a new assembly line and the possibility of Ranken Technical College bringing a satellite school to town, things are looking up. With the growth of Wentzville, our citizens have brought a new sense and logic to our city hall and slowly uprooting the "good ole boy" political party. I have held vigil, watching and reporting on city hall for the better part of 15 years and can say that the ball is over the crest of the hill and beginning to roll.

It all began about eight years ago with the election of Mayor Paul Lambi. I had hopes for a better life for Wentzville after Vickie Boedecker was dethroned, but the political rubble of our city was firmly implanted. Lambi worked with the support of several good aldermen to clean up city hall but the cancer was deep and it would take two more years for Boedecker to get over the fact that her second defeat was not just "voter apathy," her style of "good ole boy" politics was no longer wanted by our growing population. A huge blow to Wentzville was the retirement of three outstanding aldermen: David Hoekel, Dave Billing, and Darrel Lackey who all left the same year leaving an opening for Boedeker's flying monkeys to take over.

During attempts over the next two years to regain the throne she brought in three successful candidates to run for aldermen, John Luby, Ward 1; Nick Guccione, Ward 3; the ultimate Vickie-clone, Bill "Lurch" Schuette in Ward 2. Even though Boedeker lost the election, her flying monkeys continued the reign of terror in Wentzville. Lambi became frustrated in his second term toward restoring sanity as it entered its blackest days. "Lurch" became the "man behind the screen" who led the fledgling "Lurchettes." They met frequently in private (the Boedeker system) to determine their strategy of taking over Wentville's political system, a clear violation of election law.

In 2009, a glimmer of sunshine appeared on the political scene; Mrs. Cheryl Kross, new alderman in Ward 1 was elected, but even she, Lambi, and Alderman Tow couldn't break Boedeker's grip on the city. Then "Lurch" made the ultimate mistake and opened the door for sanity to come to the city, he decided to run for Mayor. Unfortunately for him and the Lurchettes, Guccione decided it was also his time to make a move. What happened was Lambi beat them both by a small margin sending "Lurch" back into the spectator's seat and left Guccione all alone on the board as Luby lost to Cheryl Kross. In 2011, things started to change and when Guccione's attempt to plant a candidate in Ward 1 to replace Kross failed, and Lurch's unsuccessful bid to regain his Ward 2 alderman seat, he watched as a new order came to Wentzville; Kross, Stokes, Sample, and Gard. These four aldermen have the opportunity to close the book on the 155 year "good ole boy" brand of politics in Wentzville.

It is my belief that in the election of 2012 voters can take back the city with two clear choices LEON TOW for mayor, and the re-election of RICK "Bulldog" STOKES in ward 3. There is more to the equation and I will give that on a later blog but I think I can predict a date of the overthrow of the old order (Boedeker system), April 2nd, 2013 when Nick Guccione is not re-elected alderman in Ward 3. Guccione should have paid more attention to what was going on in Ward 3 and a little less on his upward political aspirations.

Things look very good for Wentzville but we must always keep guard, people like; Lurch, Nick Guccione, Donna Sherwood, and a host of flying monkeys will always be looking for the chink in our Wentzville good-government armor.