Speak Out 1/29/15

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Ashamed of

our city govt.

I am ashamed of the direction our city government has taken in the past several months. I am ashamed the personal vendetta Pearson had against Bagby has been joined by the newly elected councilmen and new seems to be directed against the city as a whole and every resident therein. I am ashamed the council fired the best city manager we ever had. I am ashamed of the choice for mayor. I am doubly ashamed the way the mayor is representing our city. I am ashamed the judicial system did not require the city to honor Bagby's contract. I am ashamed the judicial system has not levied a multi-million dollar judgment in favor of Bagby. I am ashamed the council hired Kaplan and paid him more money than any previous city employee. I am ashamed the council let Kaplan put us in debt for $5 million. I am ashamed the council let Kaplan put us on an almost certain path to bankruptcy. I am ashamed the council let Kaplan put us on an almost certain path to a utility rate increase. I am ashamed one councilman operates his business professionally but does a 180 degree turn when he votes on city business. I am ashamed each council meeting is not standing room only. I am ashamed each councilman is not getting dozens of calls every day trying to find out answers to the problems. I am ashamed we apparently do not have a local attorney with enough knowledge to manage city affairs. I am ashamed we apparently do not have a local banker with enough knowledge to advise on financial affairs. I am ashamed the Coliseum is on the chopping block. We need to keep our civic center a lot more than we need automatic meter readers. I am ashamed the council is not doing their job, which is to have the best interest of the businesses and residents their number one priority. I am PROUD of the DAR for doing what a local newspaper is supposed to do - keep the public informed about what is going on in our community. Sure they're biased. They are biased in favor of our city, and if we do not get some council people biased for our city, we are in trouble. I think our city is circling the drain, and it is going to take great effort to keep us from going down the tube.

Watch your

records closely

With the new year, I would urge all to check on your medical records. Mine were given out in mid-October 2014 right here in Poplar Bluff by a place I hadn't went to since 2000 without consent or a court order. I also found out a week later, they got my banking records from both banks I used. They also got a year's worth of records at another place. This person had no right. My lawyer has asked me not to print the names of places, but people, keep a watch on any records, medical or otherwise. Don't let them fall into the hands of a con artist. God bless!

What they

didn't mention

(Mayor Angela) Pearson got all giddy at the last council meeting when Bob Summers of Horner & Shifrin told the council that Horner & Shifren had been able to reduce the overall cost of the Oak Grove Road project by about $600,000. This was because Pearson was anxious to award the city hall feasibility study to Traxel and Shifrin rather than our local engineering firm of Smith and Company. What Pearson failed to note and Summers didn't clarify was that the project came in under budget because one lane was eliminated.

Return money

to Utilities

Hide and watch - Kaplan is going to raise our utility rates so he can finance a new city hall. He states that he hopes to build in 2016 - what part of WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY does he not understand? Who is paying Traxel and how much? Pay back the money borrowed from Municipal Utilities then you don't have to raise our rates!