The Crestwood Independent leaves for the Walleye wars!
Ladies, and Gentlemen, I will be on the trail of the elusive Walleye with my esteemed brother-in-law, and my friend, Mr. Pat Chrysler (Cabella's field tester, and guide,) off the Twin Sisters islands, and the Niagara Reef until Tuesday, June 27, 2006.
It has been your messages, and suggestions that have kept this blog going, and I appreciate every one of them, as, I am sure all Crestwood residents do.
Please keep up your fine posts on this blog, and I look forward to re-joining you upon my return.
Tom Ford
No.171
It has been your messages, and suggestions that have kept this blog going, and I appreciate every one of them, as, I am sure all Crestwood residents do.
Please keep up your fine posts on this blog, and I look forward to re-joining you upon my return.
Tom Ford
No.171
posted by Crestwood Independent at 17:53
33 Comments:
Enjoy your trip, and we look forward to your return.
Once again, thank you for this blog.
My pleasure! The Blog has given us all a chance to comment on our City, and by golly, it's working!
Tom Ford
Why go away?
Why not join the Crestwood Swim Club?
There are "Big" Fish to catch with with lots of money in this club.
You can retire early when you join the Crestwood Swim Club!
You might even get your name in the St. Louis Magazine if you are German!
Are you looking for the $750,000 that has been misplaced from the Crestwood Interservice Fund?
This $750,000 has been moved into a new cost account but no one knows which one!
You can take up scuba diving to find the money at the bottom of one of the three "pools" of money in Crestwood!!!
It was in this account before former Finance Manager Robert Wuebbles had his car accident with his daughter.
Somebody was apparently not invited to play with the popular kids as a child and is still bitter about it!
Why do you think Mr. Wuebbels moved away from Crestwood so quickly after his 'retirement'?
Why don't you ask Mr. Wuebbles?
Ask his wife?
How would you feel if you husband is accused of stealing when the $750,000 was in the Interservice Fund before your serious accident?
Has anyone asked the Wuebbles how the City of Crestwood reacted to the lawsuit?
Are you implying that Mr. Wuebbles is guilty because his family moved out of town during the lawsuit?
Do you know someone about the $750,000 and $1.4 million that is always out-of-balance?
What is your definition of a popular child?
Is Alderman Breeding and Alderman Kelleher a poplular child based on your definition?
Is a popular child like Alderman Breeding who is talking about the Kohl's deal but not at the alderman meetings?
Have you done a study on all of the popular children in Crestwood to find out who had cancer or birth defects in all Wards?
Are these popular children only members of Crestwood Swim Club and have stock in Rosebrook Real Estate Company?
Have you done a study on the popular children in Crestwood to know their heritage?
Why would you be interested in why Bob Wuebbels wanted to get out of Crestwood. Are you now interested in why Gary Vincent is so anxious to leave. Good grief, some of you are so nearsighted you cannot see the forest for the trees.
I think Mr. Wuebbles has been through enough. The "Forensic Audit" clearly states that there was not evidence of any criminal activity. The State Auditor didn't find anything either.
Look folks, this was a case of somebody getting into a horrible car accident and living in unbelievable physical pain for YEARS. Bob’s only fault was that he didn’t step up and say “I can’t do my job anymore.”
Then along came Robertson/Greer…. They took an unfortunate situation and turned it upside for their own twisted/sick personal ambitions. They concocted a lawsuit that said that Bob, Kent and Co. had this grand scheme to willfully mislead the Board Aldermen and did so through secret late night meetings with the Auditing Company…. What a pile of crap. As it turned out, all Robertson\Greer proved was they new how to WASTE $750,000 on lawyers and more on BMW’s, office furniture, accounting software that couldn’t count.
I will say this for Bob, when presented with “Settlement” Agreement which was drafted by Greer and his buddy lawyer Hesse, (The one who got $400,000 of our tax dollars!) that was full of lies and other crap, he refused to sign it, because he knew that it wasn’t true. After this, why on earth would Bob want to stay in Crestwood?
If you think you have problems in Crestwood, try living on an island being governed by 3 township trustees who could not make a living on the mainland if their life depended on it!
To the Blogger at 12:01 pm, 6/24, CONGRATS! You are a person who tells the truth. And you hit the nail squarely on the head. Bob Wuebbels was thrown out with the trash because Robertson and Greer wanted their own regime. And Robertson would have given Greer the moon if he would have continued on as mayor. Too bad that one grey winter's night, Mr. Robertson was a naughty boy and soon retired "for personal reasons". And the Mighty Greer covered up his sins as a payback. Don't let the title of "lawyer" make you think everyone with it is above reproach!
If you ever, even remotely knew the honesty and integrity of Mr. Bob Wuebbels, you would never say anything that could possibly taints him in any way. If there was anything negative you could ever say about Mr. Wuebbels, it would be that he was too "darn" good for the likes of the deviant conspirators who plotted and planned how to get rid of him and Leichliter. Read the audit and you will see for yourself, how people are expoited.
Make sure you get ALL your information before you act like you are an expert on this issue. Like I said, make sure you are not lead down the primrose path and think that just because people have big titles, they are on the up and up!
By their deeds, you will know them!
If Bob was that great an employee, may the Mayor should re-hire him? There is an opening for his position isn't there?
Blogger at 7:07 PM. Bob has grave health issues now. Accompany his physical pain with the pain he has suffered from the likes of the City of Crestwood, it would be the last place he would ever want to work again, even under the best of circumstances. But by this blog, give him the respect he deserves and leave him be if you have one ounce of care in your soul.
This is in response to comments on 6/24 12:01 and 6/25 4:26 - apparently they have not read the audit provided. You want fact, here they are:
Brown, Smith, Wallace LLP 10/31/03:
"It is our professional opinion that this attempt to explain the Operating Fund shorfall was MISLEADING. This presentation served to cause the serious financial problems of the City to go unexplained to the Mayor and Board during a time when the City was experiencing declining sales tax revenues, decreasing reserves and extreme, predictable periods of negative cash flow."
"In reviewing minutes of Board meetings, we noted that there were questions posed to Leichliter to explain his bedgets in further detail. The answers provided were designed to MISDIRECT the questions with either vague or non-responsive answers."
"We have concluded that Leighliter's and Wuebbel's actions in these matters represent mismanagement of the City's funds and improper financial reporting to the Board."
6/25 4:26 blogger, maybe you should "Make sure you get ALL your information before you act like you are an expert on this issue."
Per this blog, Bob had grave health issues while he worked for Crestwood. Were they grave enough where he could have made mistakes and should not have been working? From what I have read that seems to be the case, if that is fact, then who covered up his mistakes and who uncovered them? Shouldnt the person who covered for Bob be the one who is at fault, not the ones who uncovered them?
What a nasty group of people on this blog. Bashing this one and blaming that one. how sad. Bob Wuebbels is a greaty guy and you should be ashamed of yourselves to slander him so. That is all over and done with and he should not be dragged through the mud again for doing NOTHING wrong. I would love to know more about the folks who are SO QUICK to criticize all of the past administrators, employees and elected officials. There are two sides to every story and before you start slandering someone, it would be a good idea to do your research.
Blogger at 10:53 am 6/26 ....so Wuebbels and Leichliter were bad.....but Robertson and Greer and Madrid were pillars of the community right? Someone else quoted the forensic audit on this blog and stated differently than you.
If you are the one with all the facts, and can quote the audit, it bothers me that you fail to go further with your expertise and point your finger at the others in high positions who put the last nail in the City of Crestwood's coffin after the Leichliter/Wuebbels demise.
I totally admire your intention to set the record straight, but that isn't where the story ends my friend! Why don't you go further and tell us ....if Leichliter/Wuebbels put us in the "toilet" financially, whose brain storm was it that said we should go out and try to build a 14 million dollar police station including spending mucho denaro for architectural renderings?
Remember? We were going to save all this money per Mr. Fagan by having Greer at the helm. Then Greer gives the Wuebbels Finance Officer position to Ms. "talk of the town for years" who couldn't add two and two. Why? Who do you think did all Madrid's work? Couldn't have a real intelligent person in that position because that kind of person wouldn't allow Greer to do the job. That was the only way he could CONTROL everything.
You want to talk about Wuebbels mismanagement? What was Ms. Madrid's contribution to Crestwood; everybody knows her other contributions by her reputation. Are you condemning Wuebbels but praising Madrid? What a joke.
So let's go further with this subject. Whoever you are, it seems you have all of the answers so what about it....do you build a state of the art house, when you have no money? Do you buy a 75,000 car, when you are broke? Better yet, do you make your financially distraught city pay for it? Do you hire unept people so you can do their work and still have nerve enough to pay them a hefty $72,000 a year for it? Who was saving the city anything after Leichliter/Wuebbels. Certainly not GREER AND COMPANY!!!!
Enough said. Guess you put me in my place HUH!
My goodness, to the previous blogger. "Read the audit and you will see for yourself, how people are expoited."
I don't even know these people or have said anything bad about them. I was just setting the record straight from the previous comments posted regarding that administration.
No where did I state that "Robertson and Greer and Madrid were pillars of the community right? "
Seems you are talking about 2 different administrations. Why drag me into your obsession?
Slander! Who has been slandered by this blog and it's posters the most? Greer, Madrid, Fagan, that's who has been slandered. Look at the posts and what they have said about these people. But when a simple question is asked about Bob and who covered for him and who uncovered him, well, that's different. That's draging him through the mud.
What was Wuebbel's contribution to this City, that he worked when he was in so much pain he couldn't do his job correctly? Who gained from that? Bob did that's who, he got paid every month. Who did it cost, the City and it's tax payers because he couldn't do the job right. How many audits did it take to clear up Bob's mess?
Who covered for Bob during his last years at Crestwood and why did they do it should be the questions being asked and it's answers demanded, not BMW's, Swim Clubs and Term Limits. Bob and who ever covered for him cost this City big time $$$. Why did they do this another question that should be asked. But no one who has ever posted to date on this blog has had the guts to ask that question until now when the great white wash of Bob started.
I agree with the blogger at 12:01 June 24th and the blogger at 4:26 pm 6/25
You think it's slander when someone speaks about Robertson/Fagan and Greer! Keep on dreaming and call it whatever you so desire. But slander it is not.
Bob Wuebbels has been through enough. Bob Wuebbels made mistakes and was very sick at that time and still suffers from debilitating headaches that will not go away. Every day he wakes up and just hopes he has one good day. Conversely, what was Diana Madrid's excuse for getting a 72,000 salary when she couldn't add two and two by herself? But Don Greer always gets his girl! Any port in a storm!
Bob Wuebbels reported to Leichliter. Bob Wuebbels was not allowed to communicate with the board members or the mayor and would have been sited for improper protocol if he tried to overstep his boss. So let's leave him alone. He was severely ill at the time and has gone through enough hell.
All things being on the up and up, Bob Wuebbels would have been replaced by Greer anyway if he were allowed to stay because Greer needed someone he could maneuver in the Finance position, so he could control the budget his way.
And if you want to talk about mismanagement of funds, take a look at the newspaper for Wood River back in 1988 when Greer was in charge and see that when he was there, they received the worst management letter ever and it took them 6 months to get things back in order. So we went from Wuebbels to what? Something better!
And you say shame on me?
Blogger at 4:38 pm, 6/26. Put a sock in it and stop your mouth from overloading your posterior. You are one of those people whose claim to fame is far worse than those you lash out at.
You only see the costs to the city that you want to see.
Bob Wuebbels did an excellent job for many, many years. He has no claim to fame except that he was a faithful and loyal employee. It was only after he suffered a severe car accident that things got tough for him. Yes he tried to work while he was in pain. What would you have done? Would you not try to stick it out and hope things would get better. Oh sure, you would just hang it up and forego your job and salary "for the good of the city" right? I doubt it.
He had to at least try and hope that through medication and therapy he could continue to work. Most people do that, you know. Most people have families to support, love their jobs and try to hold on to it hoping their health would improve.
When you stop to consider, if you can, all the years he did an excellent job, maybe you should just cut him some slack.
So let's draw a line down the middle and see who and what costs the city the most money. Bob Wuebbels or lawsuits from employees, a mayor who acted unprofessional and resigned and had it covered up by Greer, a 14 milliion dollar police facility plus the cost of archtectural renderings, and an 800 dollar car allowance for x number of years so the city administrator could pay for his BMW.
You do the math.
Bob did a wonderful job? That's not what the auditors said.
He was covering for Leichliter who was allowing Matt C. to do his job. If Bob had told the Mayor/Alderman the real balance of the City books he would have exposed his boss to having lied to the City. The Mayor at that time was Brasfield, who later caved to the current Mayor by delaying the date of release of the Charter Commission Review, after Roy had a meeting with him at his house. Wonder what the Mayor offered to do or not do if Brasfield held off with the release? Maybe a little bit of news of how Jim had allowed Leichliter to mis-lead the City?
So, if Bob had been well enough to have said to the Mayor/Alderman that the books were being cooked by his boss, a lot of what has been written on this blog would never have happened, including Greer, Madrid, Fagan. Bob's job required him to blow the whistle, he couldn't or chose not to do for reasons only he knows. I think it was out of a misplaced loyality to Leichliter, misplaced in that Leichliter was his boss and had kept him on the payroll after the car wreck when he should/could have taken disablity leave. But if Leichliter had allowed that, then Bob's replacement would have uncovered what had been withheld from the elected officals of the City and Kent would have taken the hit. Which is what the audits and to some degree Madrid did anyway after Bob and Leichliter were gone.
7:40AM Blogger.... So now you're blaming Matt C. Why don't you check with City and you will find that Matt C had no access to the City's Accounting Software, had no access to City bank accounts and did not deal with Auditing Company. How could he possibly do Bob's job? Talk about slander!
He did help put together the Capital Improvement's and Park Fund Budgets - with financial information provided to him by Bob.
Go look at the Forensic Audit you worship like the bible! However, you should know that it was written by Greer/Madrid... the Forensic Auditor, Larry Panicky admitted that in his Deposition taken during the Leichliter Lawsuit.
Hay, I wrote, if you would take the time to read, that Matt did Leichliter's not Bob's job!
This string is all I need to never read this blog again, it's posters are so blind to anything other than what they have been told by their in the "know buddies" to be the truth, it's sad.
Bottom line with you closed minded people is it was 100% Greer, Madrid, Fagan, Robertson's fault that the City has it's problems, the Swim Club is a the source of all evil in the City, and only Roy and Miguel can fix things.
Good by and good luck, your going to need lots of it, you can't fix stupid and I will not waste my time trying.
BLOGGER AT 11:46 am 6/27 - if I knew I could do it, I would kiss you right now.
I am SO GLAD YOU TOLD EVERYONE INCLUDING THE BLOGGER AT 10:53 am, 6/26 THAT THE WHOLE FORENSIC AUDIT THAT HE SPEAKS OF...BROWN, SMITH AND WALLACE LLP, 10/31/03, WAS WRITTEN BY DON GREER AND DIANA MADRID AND SO STATED AND TESTIFIED IN THE AUDITOR'S DEPOSITION IN THE LEICHLITER LAWSUIT. DO YOU GET IT BLOGGERS! I'LL SAY IT AGAIN. "STATED BY THE FORENSIC AUDITOR IN HIS DEPOSITION" THAT THE AUDIT WAS WRITTEN BY DON GREER AND DIANA MADRID. HELLO!
SO MUCH FOR MR. BLOGGER'S REMARKS TO ME at 10:53 am, 6/26 TELLING ME TO MAKE SURE THAT I GET ALL MY INFORMATION STRAIGHT BEFORE I ACT LIKE AN EXPERT. It seems that maybe I am a better expert on the previous city administrator than he or she, and know about what the magnetic Don Greer was capable of and the havoc he incurred on this city.
He had his hands in everything just as I have stated so many times on this blog, but people still elect to honor him as such a great man. There was nothing in CRESTWOOD; no rules, regulations, documents, certificates, laws or anything that he didn't change to suit himself. NOT TO MENTION HIS PAPER STREDDING PARTY HE AND DIANA MADRID HAD UP AT CITY HALL MANY MOONS AGO (CERTIFIED BY A SLIP OF THE TONGUE FROM HER MOUTH). SO MUCH FOR PROFESSIONALISM AND ETHICS!
But keep on condemning Wuebbels if you so desire. But you are wrong, so so wrong.
Boy how I hope EVERYONE READS Mr. Blogger's remarks at 11:46 am, 6/27. Maybe then ALL will see that what you know about the real PERPS AND CAUSE OF THE CITY OF CRESTWOOD'S PROBLEMS, can fill a thimble when you hear the information REGARDING THE DEPOSITIONS. IT IS TYPICAL OF GREER AND THE INFORMATION CRITICAL.
WHY DO YOU THINK THE LEICHLITER LAWSUIT WAS SETTLED INSTEAD OF FOUGHT IN COURT BY THE CITY, IF THEY HAD ALL THE CARDS? BECAUSE THE CITY KNEW THEY DIDN'T HAVE A CASE.
Next time BLOGGER AT 10:53 am 6/26 maybe you will realize that you are not such an expert yourself.
The depositions by the way can be made public, if you still believe the audit to be gospel.
Don't you think it is time to move on. Last I heard, Leichliter, Wuebbels, Robertson, Greer and Madrid were all gone. Bonds have been defeased. Expedenditures put on hold. Why try to place blame any longer? It is not productive. We need to build and diversify our revenue stream to gain stability for the future. Rally behind the troops that we have and fight for a victory in today's battle. Not yesterday's.
The past had people not worth a dime, just as the present does. There will always be a handful of employees doing the majority of the work, a handful that can't do their jobs, and the majority in between keeping the paperwork flowing.
Matt Conley suffered the same fate that some other long-time employees did....a city administrator that was lazy and didn't do his job, nor bothered to hold his employees accountable for doing theirs. One only needs to look at former Public Works Director Mark Payken to know the lethargy that existed under the Leichliter administration.
The few that were held accountable for professionalism and knowing their job after Kent's departure are bitter because they had a free ride for a long time. They can blame Greer or Robertson or Board members or anyone that they want, but the truth of the matter is that there were a whole handful of people that were wasting our tax dollars by being employed there.
Unfortunately, we have another administration lining up to be just like that one. Employing buddies for department head positions and ignoring professionalism and talent among employees.
I guess that just goes to show you, no matter who is there, somebody suffers. Greer and Robertson are gone, so there is very little point in continually whining about that group. Those individuals would benefit all of Crestwood by worrying about what is becoming of Crestwood now.
If the forensic audit was tanted, then so was the State Audit as it used almost every bit of the Forensic audit in its work.
Maybe we should start a drive to get another State Audit that will be based on facts not the forensic audit? Anyone else agree with this?
I fully agree, in fact I don't know why the City would not want a complete audit since we changed the C/A. If you ask me I feel we need to know where we stand right now.
Why not petition the state auditor to get this done now, before we sell these TDD, CID bonds everyone is so interested in. Ronald Reagan said it best "Trust but verify".
Tom Ford
I agree with the bloggers who state we need to move on. It is imperative that we do. But sometimes in order to answer a blogger, the past has to be brought up. It is true that the old problems are gone and new ones start. It is true that we should let the old regime and their sins go bye bye, but some people on this blog can ridicule and make statements that force us to go back and get things straight.
The audit was thrown up in my face when I mentioned it. I was called an expert (tongue in cheek) and it provoked me to the point where I needed to answer back.
All things considered, we need to work on today, but to forget yesterday and what it caused should always be remembered.
Thanks
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