"Fairview Hts. Administrator learned from Crestwood crisis"!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please click on the header to be directed to the story in the Post Dispatch. This one speaks for it"s self.
Sheesh!
Tom Ford
No.200
Sheesh!
Tom Ford
No.200
posted by Crestwood Independent at 07:02
213 Comments:
Oh Boy, we are going to have fun with this article on this blog. I can just imagine the comments especially from those who feel that Don Greer was yesterday and we have to move on.
I read the article and clicked into it per the aforementioned subject. So the almighty Greer has learned from Crestwood's crisis so he says. Excuse me while I "hurl"! And little Timmy Trueblood thinks he was sooooo wonderful! Excuse me again! I think I just lost my lunch! What a crock! I wonder if Ms. Cutie Pie Diana is his finance person! Triple Hurl!
In my life and times, I thought I had seen, heard and learned about people so well that nothing could ever surprise me again.
I thought I had a pretty good idea about how people treat others, and how bad their motives and actions can be at times, but nothing ever remotely prepared me for the likes of Don Greer and what he has gotten away with.
I have seen innocent people dismissed like "dogs" at city hall that didn't fit into his plan. I saw the civil service employees have 70% of their rules and regulations changed to suit Don Juan Greer and nobody including Leichliter said a word about it. Work ethics and tenure of employees meant nothing to the man who wanted to build his own empire. He wanted his own people and if that meant getting rid of, demoting or firing people, he found a way. Good people, and people who were good workers. But first he made sure the civil service rules were in order, so no one had a chance in hell to fight for themselves. Everything he did was for his own honor and glory and to heck with being a servant of the people.
I saw it, heard it and witnessed it. And if I were the only one, then maybe you could consider my judgment impaired. But there were so many good people whose lives were destroyed by him.
I am not sure what he is up to, but heaven help Fairview Heights if they think that Don Greer is their hero. Don Greer is a dictator and will always put himself first, and the employees at their city hall and the people in that city last. The only thing he loves is power and the "high" he gets from it.
So, you bloggers can go ahead and say whatever you want to say, call me names, or treat this comment any way you so desire, but I have had more than just several months to understand what this man can do and did here in my town. So, take your best shot! I just hope that you don't rake me over the coals too badly for speaking out. Thank you for your consideration.
Thanks, Sandy!
Your welcome Tim.
If he was still on the board, Trueblood would have probably tried to up Greer's car allowance or salary.
Has someone actually looked at when Crestwood really went into debt in the general fund? It appears that all of the lines of credit and “notes” were taken out under Mr. Greer’s watch.
Glad to see he’s not going to repeat the same mistakes that he made in Crestwood over on the East Side.
For once I totally agree with Murphy. I loved the comment by Tim Trueblood. If he had any chance of getting back on the BOA he just flushed them down the toilet!
10:19 8/13 He may not make the same mistakes in his new city, but that won't stop him from finding new ways to gain control. Greer never does anything without a plan and his ultimate focus is always on what's in it for himself first.
And I don't think I would even go as far as saying he won't repeat what he did in this city. I can't see him keeping the same employees, at least not all of them because he always has to have his own people. New ones preferably where they won't question him on anything or the ones who are already there but will obey his every command and desire. A snake never changes their stripes and knows exactly when ti strike!
Is this the same leftist Jim Murphy who was kicked out of the Republican Party?
Yeah, this is the same "pro-life" Rep. Jim Murphy who cast the deciding vote to make pro-choice Democrat Bob Griffin the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Griiffin was later sent to prison for four years. Yeah, Murphy is the guy who betrayed his pro-life supporters. Sheeesh!
10:48 am 8/14 blogger. Yeah and the same Jim Murphy who, thank God, spearheaded the petition to stop the 14 million dollar police station that we needed like a moose needs a hat rack.
The issue isn't Jim Murphy or Tim Trueblood. The issue is the new administrator in Fairview Heights.
Let's not get on a tangent about Murphy or we could go on for another 150 comments he is either loved or hated! Stick to the article. He and Trueblood gave their opinions in the article, nothing more. If you don't like either of them, it's your call, but let's stick to Mr. Greer. The Unsinkable Don Greer and his thirst for fame, fortune and his herim of woman that go from east to west.
12:48 PM blogger Yeah, this was also the same Jim Murphy that was behind the referendum political power play designed to prevent over 9,000 Crestwood voters from voting on the Crestwood Charter amendments. That makes you also give thanks to God.
Hey, last blogger, you know what we actually thank God for. Well, for the fact Don Greer is gone. However, this wonderfull fact is pretty well overshadowed by another one - that being our sister city Fairview Heights didn't dig deep enough into his background to know they had best watch him like a hawk. He has a bad habit of leaving a trail of disaster behind him, plus two wives. He did not one thing for the betterment of Crestwood. Good lord, he did everything but somersalts around the parking lot to get a $14.5 Million dollar police facility when the city was smarting with a 3.5 Million Dollar line of credit. A city administrator fully aware of this fact simply does not go on this kind of spending spree. Nor does he dismantel civil service and then have an affair with the Finance officer he hired. Come on, blogger, get real. Or, perhaps you would rather just blame all this on Trueblood and Fagan and their contingent. Your call.
For the record, Greer was not the City Administrator when the Aldermen approved the idea to our police station legal up to state and federal codes. He was not the City Administrator who gave the Board was misleading information about City's finacal condition.
He was the C/A that when the bids for the police station came in over budget and the aldermen to stop the building, he was the C/A that uncovered the misinformation the Aldermen were getting prior to him taking the job, and because of this misinformation asked the Board to borrow money because the books had been so cooked no one could be sure how much was over spent. Reason, would you have voted for a tax increase if Greer couldnt have told you the exact money that was needed? NO you wouldnt have and it took how many audits to find that figure out?
Your killing the person who brought you the bad news.
You can dislike him because he was your boss, or he was divorced or he likes golf or he has lost his hair, but the 1st poster on this thread is so wrapped up in their sickness of hate that it seems to have become an infection and spreading.
Why did the newspaper interview Murphy, he wasn't in office when Greer was C/A?
Is Murphy taking credit for "stopping the police station"? How and what did he do to make that happen, anyone know?
The Truebloods have a unique writing style.
A little over 2200 signatures were collected to reconsider the city hall relocation to Crestwood Plaza.
It's the 2200 people that wanted the board to reconsider this issue. Murphy, along with a lot of other concerned Crestwood citizens helped to collect signatures, that's it.
Whose idea was it to make Greer City Administrator while he was police chief?
That gave one man an awful lot of responsibility and an awful lot of power. He became manager of the city while being a 'manager' of one of its units.
Wearing these "two hats" wasn't fair to him or to the city, was it?
2:28 PM Probably because he is the person who telephoned the St. Louis PD and made negative comments about Greer to try to get them to do a damaging story about Greer.
Blogger at 2:25 8/14 So Greer was the one that found the problem? Horray! He was the one after bids came in on the police facility that told us we were broke. So did he stop this fiasco after he found out the money was not there?
NO. So instead of putting the building on the shelf since sales taxes were also down and we had no money, he still wanted us to build it. All the other departments knew we needed to tighten our belts but not him.
If you thought you had 10,000 dollars in your bank and found out that through a slew of problems, you only had $500, would you stop before you bought that car you wanted or whatever else you had planned? Would you borrow money when you are broke or wait for a better time? What money were we going to use to maintain the facility once it was built. How would we do that, if we have no money and are not sure what our sales taxes would be bringing in the next few years.
And remember please, that right before then, the fire department had to settle for a second-hand fire truck for $200,000, because we couldn't afford a new one. Are isn't as glutinous.
That police facility may have come from a different administrator but it was Don Greer's idea to keep it going. Who in this conservative community thinks like that?
All department heads were told in staff meetings that money was tight. But that never applied to Greer. Oh No, he wanted to build a multi-million dollar facility for sure, and nobody except the people of this city said Wait, this is not the time.
Lastly, No, I am not full of hate. But you sure have been fed a lot of "bull". You ate it up and thought it was caviar. Sorry but I don't touch the stuff.
The bonds were already sold, the money was in the bank for the funding of the building, the voters had said yes to the sunset extension on the capital improvemnts tax, the law did not allow the bond money to be spent on the general fund which was the fund with the short fall.
the police station is still not up to federal and state code and needs to have something done.
Blogger from 4:23 PM, August 14, 2006 - I don't think so.
Blogger 5:05 PM, August 14, 2006 - Fine, then you pay for it or find the money to do so. Tell me, how is the general fund? How is economic development going? How much does Crestwood have in the bank, besides the deed to the city hall and police station? You and your friends want a new police station? Find the money. We already have a high sales tax. Want to go for a sky high real estate tax? Move to Webster Groves.
Wasn't the consulting firm that recommended a new police station actually an architectural firm that specializes in police stations? Isn't that like asking a siding salesman if your house needs new siding? What's he going to say? No?
Blogger 5:05 PM, August 14, 2006
Let me ask you a question - if your kids or grandkids are starving, do you take any money you may have left and go buy a Mercedes? How absolute silly and horrible Crestwood would have looked if it built a state of the art police station while going bankrupt. It's too bad previous administrations and board members cannot be held accountable.
Welcome to Crestwood! We borrow money to pay our light bill, but did you see the beautiful new police station?
We were the laughing stock of St. Louis County at one time. When I told people I was from Crestwood, they used to say something like "Oh yeah, doesn't your police chief drive a Bimmer and aren't you guys broke?"
It's amazing how short people's memories are. Mr. Greer started asking for a safer, larger working environment for his officers beginning in the early 90's when he arrived. He was vocal in getting his officer's new weapons, the newest equipment, and fair pay. He did what he was supposed to do....he was an advocate for his employees.
It isn't his fault that the then City Administrator told him the City had the money to afford this facility. This was the same City Administrator that approved the go-ahead on a pool that we had no business building considering our financial condition.
Anyone involved with city politics or was a member of the police board during Mr. Greer's time as police chief knows the history here. He may have been the scapegoat for the culmination of financial negligence from the previous administration, but no one involved in his work as police chief can possibly say that he was 'empire building'.
5:12 PM When you want financial advise you go to a casino instead of an investment advisor? What is it going to say? No?
Blogger at 5:05 - For a 14 million dollar police station, the powers that be did NOT PROPERLY get the word to the people about how the capital improvement tax was going to be used. The board of aldermen and mayor talked about it amongst themselves, but there was no information specific enough to tell the people that it was for that specific building AND A BIG GIGANTIC BUILDING.
The capital improvement sales tax extension was thought by all the people I know as being for improvements to existing buildings and things of that nature, NOT a brand new building. Why on earth do you think the petition to stop it had so many signatures. All these people just didn't sign on a whim! Come on give people in Crestwood more credit than to sign something they were not in favor of.
And again, the master of deception, Don Greer, was at the helm with his Mayor at that time, and it should have been his responsibility to make sure the people knew everything. After all, this was to be a new building of sizable proportion not just some addition or extension or a new roof job or new windows, etc.
I think it was deliberate because we were in no financial shape to do it in the first place.
There should have been architectural renderings available posted to show people. But when you've got an individual who only thinks of himself and keeps his board of aldermen in the dark (and they talk about Leichliter) and only tells them what he wants them to know, that's why the people had to stop it. Leichliter got fired over it, Greer was saluted and it was disgusting and an abomination.
No and No again, the people were deceived period! End of argument. Nobody in my neighborhood knew about it and many of my neighbors and friends go to the meetings and keep up with it all.
Like I said before - the people in the honest and God-fearing town were all duped and the board of aldermen hynotized by the master himself.
And the beat goes on!
Blogger at 5:34 Bull! Big deal he wanted everything new for his department. What about the rest of the departments. Wow what a great man he is. Maybe we can get him back. Apparently, you were never the one he forceably and deliberately got rid of because you didn't fit in his plan.
Yes he was and is an empire builder but you apparently were one of those who kiss his ring and one he could boss around.
Big deal you got nice weapons and whatever else.
The man is a first class Hitler and wanted his own perfect society.
Excuse me, but you should have been on the other side and see how much fairness and justice you got.
Maybe you can go to Fairview Heights and he can use you as another one of his foot soldiers. If you are a gal, we'll your chances are even better. If you are a young gal, oh my gosh, heaven only knows what kind of money you could make with him as your boss.
Ask all of them he had in the past. They know how to get around Don Juan Greer.
6:02 PM You have made it clear that you don't like young city employees under the age of 45, especially women. Too pathetic for further comment.
"Wasn't the consulting firm that recommended a new police station actually an architectural firm that specializes in police stations"?
I am not sure if the firm specialized in police stations, but the did get a handy chunk of change for the TWO designs (over 1 MILLION if memory serves.)
I am wondering if any of the board members, from any of the boards or commission's (in Crestwood,) at that time also were connected in any way to the firm. And if so, did they recuse themselves from any vote concerning the building?
I have been asked that question before, and I throw it out in hope's that someone can answer it for us all.
I have no idea who spawned this interview, but I will say were seeing a lot of "Hutspah" here on the part of the old C/A, Beemer and all! Good luck in Fairview Heights Mr. Greer, and I hope all turns out well for you.
Tom Ford
When Mr. Ford posted this article, I knew this would get people worked up.
The Illinois correspondent to the Post Dispatch originated the article. I believe it was one of several about Fairview Heights.
I'll get the name of consulting firm that recommended a new police station.
To the 6:43 Pm blogger, Yes Mr. Ford did know that this would inspire a few comments. You see that's what a "blog master" does, inspire's comment's!
Think of it this way, my job is to keep the main post's on the blog interesting, and worthy of you remarks. Your job is to make thoes remarks. If we both do our job's, well, we have a very interesting site, if not?
I hope to keep up my end of the bargan, and I hope you will too!
Tom Ford
I'm glad you posted it, but I knew this would add some pepper to the salsa!
6:09 8/14 No you are the one who is pathetic. I have had many friends who are younger than 45. In fact many of my friends are about 38 to 40. We have a ball together.
But you just don't get it or don't want to. I have a problem with a man who hires nothing but young woman - not YOUNG men - just young woman. When Greer became CA, every man was replaced by a woman. AND NO, I am not saying that those he hired were not intelligent and smart. The ones I know are smart and good workers. It's just that it was planned that way. No need to even interview men for any jobs working for him. He might have some competition and that's no fun. Can't mess around with competition.
Being the planner and deceptive manipulator he is, he would never hire a male for jobs that were done by males in the past. Don Greer is always on the prowl and he wants no competition with other male egos to worry about.
Like I said before with my comments, you can say what you want about my opinions, it's all sticks and stone to me. I know what I know.
If there is any "hanky Panky" to be done, he wants to be the one to do it and he has in the past with at least 4 employees I know about.
I have see it all for myself, and I know that Don Greer loves to surround himself with woman. It's just another ego trip.
So like I said before, call me what you want if it makes you think he is innocent, but patty cake doesn't belong in the work place. And I don't care what century it is.
Thank you.
7:46 PM Someone is off their meds.
I seem to recall that our current Mayor was on the Police Board at the time the police station issue first came up. I also believe that Alderman Roby may also have been on that board as well, but am not sure.
In any case, since the Mayor was'nt in the fore-front against the new station at that time, would it be safe to say that he was mis-lead by the City Administrator just like Chief Greer was as to our true money condition? In fact I think the records will show that the Mayor supported with his vote the concept of looking into a new police station. We needed it then as we still do today.
As has been said before, the money had already been raised and was in the bank that was needed to pay for the building if the costs had not gone out of site as all building projects did with China buying steel to feed their growth needs.We would have had it built and be safer for having done so if the costs came with in the budget that Greer promised to stay within. When it went over budget he pulled the plug on it after trying to reduce costs.
Does someone really expect us to believe that people voted for the extention of the sunset on the Capital Improvements tax and didnt know what the money raised was going to be spent on? Does this person think the voters in Crestwood are stupid and can't read the 3 local papers that told us weeks in advance what the money was in part to be used for? Or are they saying that they were stupid and they didnt know what they were voting for? If that is the case then if there ever was a reason to require voters know how to read that voter has to be one.
To understand and believe what I just written doesn't mean you have to love Don Greer, that is not the point I am trying to make. You can still hate him for what ever personel reasons you want to, but the fact about the Police Station, do not include any magic spell cast by Greer over ever voter in the City who voted on the extention. He didnt use voodo or tamper with the water supply.
crestwoodindependent: "I am wondering if any of the board members, from any of the boards or commission's (in Crestwood,) at that time also were connected in any way to the firm." I have done some quick checking and the answer is YES and the individual is a Mayor Robinson appointee.
The ordinance to extend the Capital Improvements tax AND the ballot language to extend it stated nothing about the building of a new police station.
Sure, the local papers mentioned the issue, but there were and are voters that don't look at the local papers - they may read USA Today or the internet - but there are people out there that pay little attention to the local papers. Is that good or bad? You could debate that point. But the city should have made an effort to at least put it on the ballot language. And yes, for good or bad, there were some residents I spoke to that did not know a new police building was planned in the capital improvements extension.
Blogger 9:42 PM, August 14, 2006 - pray tell, who? Don't tease us, enquiring minds want to know.
It's the police, not the police station that counts. If our cells get full, St. Louis County can hold overflow. Have we ever had overflow?
I really don't know where some of these comments come from. Check the BOA meeting agendas and the work session agendas. The extension of the Capital Improvement was well outlined and discussed.
Do you know how much money is in the Capital Improvement Fund? Doubt it - the new CA has not shared any information.
As far as the architectural firm goes, I too wonder why the city had no recourse. They provided an amount to spend (2 times) and both times came in way over budget. I thought this was their expertise. This does not seem right.
"I really don't know where some of these comments come from. Check the BOA meeting agendas and the work session agendas. The extension of the Capital Improvement was well outlined and discussed."
True. But how well was that information delivered to the public? I know that citizens should take an interest in their community, but I still think that something should have been put in the ordinance or the ballot language. Why it wasn't, I don't know.
All of the talk about the renovation of City Hall and the Police facilities doesn't matter any more because the Mayor and Miquel got us out of debt. So now we just make do with the new Police Chief drinking buddy of the Mayor's and inadequate City Hall/Police facilities. The voters will never again support such renovations and Maddox's saving to pay as you go is and will get us nowhere over the next ten years. I hope some resident or policeperson doesn't die because of inadequate facilities. But then the Mayor says we can also do without new police communications equipment and new police cars. We will see how long he is right in his continued strong support of the police department.
Ok then! Take a deep breath, relax.
How far did we get in the past ten years? Ten years ago, we had the deed to city hall. Now the bank has it.
Pay as you go...I like that! It's much more comforting than sinking millions into debt while borrowing to pay the electric bill.
But what the heck, let's build a trillion dollar police station. Let's really go for it. Multi story, state of the art, 100,000 square feet, bio-control security, steel reinforced, with marble flooring for the offices, the whole deal -
After all, these are the MEAN streets of Crestwood. Why, not even Al Capone if he were alive, would not come into Crestwood. Come on, doesn't crime, danger, depravity lurk around every corner??? Oh the horror!!! Watch out!!! Crestwood makes the Bronx look like Sunset Hills! BEWARE First there was Tombstone - then Crestwood! Is no one safe???
Blogger at 9:48 PM 8/14 Thanks for restating what I said earlier.
There was no big effort on the part of the city to EXPLAIN IN DETAIL TO THE CITIZENS about this humongus new major capital improvement. Proof of that is when THE PETITION TO HAVE IT STOPPED WAS SIGNED BY 2200 RESIDENTS. WOULD THEY SIGN A PETITION TO STOP THIS BUILDING IF THEY WERE INFORMED IN THE FIRST PLACE AND WANTED IT? SO MUCH FOR THE RESIDENTS BEING STUPID. NEVER EVER THOUGHT THEY WERE STUPID; SOMEONE JUST ASSUMED THEY WOULDN'T CATCH ON.
The ORIGINAL Capital Improvement Sales Tax THAT WAS PASSED was not initiated for anything THAT WAS 14 MILLION DOLLARS IN MAGNITUDE. So when the EXTENSION of this tax was voted on, how in the blazes were the people who don't get the newspapers to know about it or THOSE WHO DO NOT READ THE NEWSLETTER. There should have been a big effort on the part of the city to make sure that the citizens were properly educated. That didn't happen. Why? Lack of Communication. The politicians in this town don't have a problem communicating at election time!!! There are signs and letters and information scattered everywhere. You see it on street corners, at local establishments and it never stops. Everyone is so anxious to get the word out. That's what I am talking about.
You should know there are a lot of families that have both spouses working, they come home and take care of their children and go about things that others took care of all day. That's one thing we can't buy at the store - a box of time! Also, didn't we elect officials who are suppose to be watching out for us. They all sit in their seats like a deer in headlights!
Thanks blogger for your comment. I may not be the sharpest knife in the box but I knew by the petition that others felt the way I did. I am glad to hear that there are others like myself that were in the dark.
And I don't care if the mayor was on the police board or where he was or what he did or didn't do.
Don Greer always has a plan. Never leaves home without one. He wanted that new police facility in a big way. If Fagan lost the election, he may get put back in the police department. If he did, boy he would go back into a state of the art, 14 million dollar police facility which was worth more than the whole government center. He would be King in a brand new castle. If Fagan won, Greer would have taken credit for it, with a big feather in his cap and he would have it named after himself that's how conceited he is.
You are not kidding!
South Central LA? A cake walk.
Southside Philly? Easy streets.
The Bronx? Like a peaceful park.
Southside Chicago? No problem.
BUT.....Crestwood??? WATCH OUT!!!
Wow if crime is so bad in Crestwood, the heck with the police station! Let's get tanks! Call in the National Guard! Road blocks at every intersection! Choppers in the sky! Sharp shooters on top of Crestwood Plaza!
That police station has worked for us for thirty years. If it needs modifications, let's do them as we can at a reasonable - time and money - rate.
Run the city like a household or business. Use caution, discretion, and common sense.
Heck, let's have the County Police protect us instead of our own Police force.
The issue of the Police station was
not the number of cells but the manner in which under age suspect were held was/is in violation of the law.
As for as informing the voter, don't you think the voter has the responsablity to understand what they are casting their vote for?
Do you sign a contract without reading/understanding it? Of course after reading about how Jim Murphy misused some of our fellow citizens in stopping the Charter vote from being held, maybe we already know the answer to that question.
That's just it. There was nothing on the contract - ordinance - or proposal - ballot language - that mentioned a police station. All it called for was a capital improvements extension.
What was the reason(s) behind Crestwood not mentioning a new police station in the ordinance and on the ballot language?
Is there an official definition of a capital improvement?
Why on earth would Tim Trueblood EVER subject himself again to the unique brand of vicious hatred Crestwood residents evidence on this blog? You are even more ignorant than I gave you credit for if you think he would ever have any interest in running for alderman again! Just remember - hatred causes all sorts of health problems - including CANCER. Perhaps that has more to do with the cancer cluster the junior fbi agent claims to have discovered than the water.
Blogger at 11:29 PM 8/14 That's the best blog comment yet. You are so right. Let's use common sense and do things at a reasonable rate. And that's what the people fought for in the petition to stop the facility.
Also the blogger is right who said this is basically a safe city. Why do we need some high end police facility? What about the Fire facility! Like someone said earlier, the fire department settled for a second-hand fire truck. Who cares if it isn't brand new, it works and that's all we could afford. That's what makes me angry. Everybody was using discretion with money except Don Greer. And Kent Leichliter let him get away with it and put pressure on the Finance person to find a way to purchase everything Don Greer wanted, OR Greer would threaten to leave.
Greer wanted to be city administrator for many years and Leichliter's failure was Greer's opportunity. And don't tell me he said "he didn't want the job" and you fell for it!! He planned it. He said it but used pshycology not to make it look so obvious - it's called how to make people think you are not the sociopath you are!!!! Oh Yeah, he knows all the tricks. How to win friends and influence people.
Chief Kramer knew it and Greer admitted it to him years before. Once again, Greer had a plan, he always has a plan.
Blogger at 8:06 8/15. Go ahead and make excuses about the jail cells. So you are saying that because of the jail cell problem we should build this elaborate facility? So, instead of finding other methods like shipping persons to the county headquarters temporarily or having other cities assist us, we decide to build this 14 million dollar building we can't afford. What do other cities do? Boy did you get sucked in!
Like I said before, come election time, you see signs on every street corner for candidates and issues, and signs plus communication about candidates never stops when people want to be elected. It's all over town. But something as important as this, is somehow ONLY the responsibility of the voter?? What about ballot language. If people don't get a chance to read the newspapers, you would think the ballot language at least could be written in an understanding manner. What about the responsibility of the people who govern this city? Do they not need to step up communication??? They would if they really wanted the residents to understand. Leaves me absolutely dubious to put the blame only on the citizen. What are they up there for? To keep us in the dark?
Whether you want to bring Jim Murphy into this discussion or not, this is a common sense issue. If you want to slam Murphy, do it under a new title - LETS SLAM MURPHY. This title had nothing to do with him.
It has to do with the people who govern us who fail at their jobs. And I mean, any mayor, any board of aldermen member and city administrator and anybody who thinks that justice can be served for their people by not being forthcoming.
Blogger at 9:06 am 8/15
What was the reason for the ballot language? This police facility was the idea of one person who got the previous city administrator to go along with this fiasco. That person eventually became the CA when the facility issue came to fruition, and it was the mayor at that time and his CA that had the responsibility to make sure the ballot language was correct; in cooperation with the board of election commissioners assistance.
Don Greer tried to pull a fast one by making things look good on paper but lacked information. The city clerk at that time had no say. I also wondered why she retired way before 65 years of age. It's called being fed up when someone who tries to do your job is also your boss.
This whole thing reeked of multiple and deliberate failure and deliberate personal gain for the man who would be King.
You don't agree, suit yourself!
9:55 Good, I am glad Trueblood doesn't want to run again. As far as hatred goes, well I guess you had to be there to understand how it feels to be subjected to the tyrant that Don Greer is. Tim Trueblood and many others were totally in awe of him. They never bothered to see how he used people and ripped their lives apart while he was making his way to the top.
Don't judge others if you haven't walk a mile in their shoes.
Don't judge those of us who saw him condone the sexual harrassment going on in his department when he protected the harrasser who was his friend and cost the city $40,000 for two female cops who filed suit. Then instead of 86ing the guy, he finds him a good job!!!! What a guy!!!!
That's just one reason. Another person filed suit and he protected the mayor and kept quiet about what really happened. After all, the mayor was the one who made him City Administrator.
Don't even start that "oh my, shame on me" routine. Have your life turned upside down and have your family suffer, then write a comment on this blog.
Blogger 11:08....there was a tremendous effort on the part of the entire police department to let the residents know why a new police facility was needed, in fact several editions of the city published newsletter covered this very topic.
Make a trip up to city hall and ask the city clerk to pull the crestwood connections from the time period before this subject was put before the voters. It will outline the attempts made to 'retrofit' the current facility, and why it wasn't working.
As you look through these editions, pay special attention to the issue where several officers of the department speak out on the need for residents to support this facility. You'll find comments from the current police chief, Mike Pailou, asking residents to support this new facility, as well as comments from officer Mike Ford.
Don't forget, the police board was the biggest supporter of this facility, after touring our current facility and having been involved in attempts to 'fix' what is wrong. This police board also toured facilities throughout the community that had safe conditions for their employees. This same police board supported the decision to move forward with this building. Oh, and, your mayor, Roy Robinson, was part of that police board that supported the opinion that our officers and employees were in unsafe, inadequate conditions.
I only saw ONE issue of Crestwood Connections that discussed the police facility before the Capital Improvements extension. That's it. Why the words "and for the building of a new police station" were not included in the ordinance AND ballot language is something of a mystery.
If the mayor and the board at that time had been paying attention to economic development and finance and a little less to facility building, perhaps Crestwood would not be in this mess.
11:19 AM, August 15, 2006 blogger. If "our officers and employees" are in "unsafe, inadequate conditions", maybe we should consider going with St. Louis County Police instead???
Well that settles it for me, if Chief Pailou and Officer Mike Ford and if then member of the Police Board but current Mayor Robinson said we needed the police station upgraded/improved, I am all for it being done now. The experts have spoken!
Let's ask the Aldermen to draft a ballot for next election asking should the City upgrade Police station to meet current legal requirements. No wait, lets get an INITIATIVE started requiring the ballot be on the next election. Only need 12% of the voters registered to vote at the last general municipal election to sign a petition and it is a ballot.
It could read like this
SINCE THERE HAVE BEEN MANY PEOPLE IN CRESTWOOD WHO SAY THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY VOTED FOR WHEN THEY VOTED TO EXTEND THE SUNSET FOR THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS SALES TAX, AND SINCE MANY PEOPLE SAY THEY DID NOT KNOW THAT BY EXTENDING THE SUNSET THEY WERE VOTING FOR A POLICE STATION UPGRADE, WE BY SIGNING THIS ARE CLAIMING TO BE SANE AND ABLE TO READ WHAT WE ARE SIGNING AND BY SIGNING THIS ARE INSTRUCTING THE BOARD TO HAVE ON THE NEXT ELECTION A BALLOT ISSUE CALLING FOR THE END TO THE CAPITIAL IMPROVEMENTS SALES TAX. WHICH IF PASSED WOULD REDUCE THE COST OF BUYING STUFF IN CRESTWOOD.
What do you think?
Want to bet some will sign this and then later claim they didnt know what they signed? I wouldnt take the bet.
OH, I forgot to add the part about how all of this is due to the EVIL DON GREER, AND THAT "MS CUTIE PIE DIANA" (who makes some poster want to "TRIPLE HURL", can you say jealous older woman?) who planned all of this while still in diapers and had a full head of hair, but then maybe that would confuse people.
I couldn't sign the petition because I'm not sane, but I am wearing diapers!
Blogger at 11:19 a.m. I don't care what board the mayor was on and the police board supported it and the officers wanted it. Sure, if I worked for the police department, I would want a new facility too. But the people in Crestwood, 2200 signatures said no.
End of subject. If the mayor and police board wanted it, who cares; they were wrong too.
Blogger at 12 NOON 8/15 You are 100% right. Good comment.
12:14 8/15 Blogger. The people signed a petition saying no way do they want a new police facility. Had this all been stated on the ballot, all these insane people you talk about would have said no to the extension.
People, young or old, have a right to their opinions. Yours just happens to be wrong. But don't get your booty in an uproar just because some of us see things differently than you. Act mature, not like a stupid juvenile.
I predict these blog comments under this issue will go way past 100. I also predict that those who wish to give opinions will be called names. But those of you who have not worked for Don Greer, or have no idea of the reputation of Ms. Madrid that goes back many years, can go on living in a world that makes you think you have all the answers. You may have some answers but they are not based on fact.
Whether or not you are young or old, why make that a point of dissention? If you feel that people of all ages don't have a right to speak, you are going backwards in life instead of going forward.
I personally love young people but there are young and old people who cross the line.
Unless you have a history with City Hall and have been around long enough and research issues, don't be sure that you won't wake up some day with egg on your face by barking up the wrong tree.
That's all I have to say. And for heaven sakes, calm down and have a brew!
Truth is - Murphy planted this story to take the focus off the fast one he and his mayor are finally putting into action by trying to go back to one giant slush fund account. Ask the reporter - bet he tells ya who gave him the idea for the story. Don't fall for it - keep working to stop the merging of the accounts!
Is that you Tim?
Do we need to merge the accounts to pay off Proposition S and the line of credit?
Is the city running out of money?
Has anyone received the Westfield survey call? Supposedly, Westfield wants to blight the mall and obtain a CID which is Community Improvement District bond CID. The shoppers at Westfield will pay an additional sales tax to reimburse the CID.
Who will pay for the lost real estates dollars from the blighting? Will this hurt Lindbergh School District, Police, Fire and St. Louis County Libraries?
If this goes through, expect doubling or tripling of your real estate dollars. Someone has to pay the real estate bills! It might as well be you!
By the way, who audits a CID since it is not part of the city of Crestwood and the bond will be 20 years as stated by the market surveyer?
To respond to the blogger from 4:39 PM, I have on good authority that the reporter from the Post Dispatch, Illinois bureau, contacted Murphy, not the other way around.
Phil Sutin referred reporter to Murphy. I don't know how Tim Trueblood was contacted.
Furthermore, Jim Murphy is not in favor of blending the accounts into one fund. After the financial crisis that burdened the city, it is imperative that all financial accounting be accurate and straightforward as possible. It is much easier to track spending and income with separate accounts.
Thanks
Nope, it is not Tim, is it Sandy or Sue or Don or John?
So is Jim going to start a petition drive to stop the blending of the accounts into one?
7:25 PM I smell a lie. Who is your 'good authority'? Further, who are you to speak for Jim Murphy? Apparently Murphy won't speak publicly for himself . Jimmy? Is that you? Jimmy???
12:14 blogger, it's not nice to shout! And while were at it, didn't we all agree to be nice?
Catty remarks do not become you (or anyone else for that matter,) so please, let's all slow down a bit!
Tom Ford
To the 4:39 blogger. Just what advantage would Mr. Murphy have in "blending the accounts"?
I wonder just how you can blame Mr. Murphy for all the ill's you have imagined in Crestwood?
When last I looked, the Mayor, and Mr. Murphy were not exactly the best of bud's, so why now?
Tom Ford
7:25 PM blogger: Now let me get this straight. Phil Sutin of the Post-Dispatch calls Jim Murphy for quotes for a story he doesn't intend to write. More likely, Jim Murphy called Phil Sutin in an attempt to get a negative story published about Greer and Sutin refused and brushed off Murphy to the writer of the article.
See the link for round two at the next BOA meeting! Is this what's it going to come to in Crestwood?
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/08/15/D8JH1IDG0.html
Tom Ford
The Mayor and Mr. Murphy are OK. They just disagreed on Prop S and now they disagree on blending the accounts. It happens. Life would be boring if we agreed on everything. If we agreed on everything there would be no blog!
8:35 PM, August 15, 2006 blogger.
You should write fiction. You are quite good at it.
How do we know that one of Greer's fans, maybe Tim Trueblood didn't try to plant a puff piece for his favorite City admin?
From a reader of the blog, who know's you could be next.
I just received an interesting call from a person from an opinion poll. It was entirely about Westfield Plaza/Crestwood. Lots of questions and seemed pretty obvious it was sponsored by Westfield and the questions to help determine a course of action. i.e. would I rather have a 1% sales tax for 20 years to help Westfield pay for fountains, improvements, etc. or imminent domain. I was asked to rate favorability regarding Mayor Roy Robinson, and questions about how many times I shop at WalMart. Ratings were usually: Very Favorable, Favorable, Unfavorable, Very Unfavorable. Other questions like how many years have I lived here and how many children do I have enrolled in the Lindbergh District and how many times do I shop the Plaza, etc. etc.
They were very interesting questions and appeared to be totally pertinent to decision making. In several cases part of the question was favorable to me, but the other part not so much. So if you get called, get him to repeat the question and be ready in a couple of cases to think a minute. Some of you may already be aware of this poll, others may not. Just wanted to share the info in case you are interested.
Tom Ford
Mr. Ford,
If a lie or slander is posted on this blog, can anonymous entries be tracked to its owner?
Thank you.
Are the charter amendments going to appear before the voters this November?
Yeah posters 5:35 7:46 11:07 on 8/14 and 9:55, 10:22 12:14,2:31 on 8/15 the Blogmaster says NO CAPITALS, it's not nice to shout!
To 8:48, Nope, anonymous is just that! That's why so many post's come out that way!
Tom Ford
Tim Trueblood has email, it's
stltimt@hotmail.com,
email him if you want to know how he was contacted by reporter, then take his answer an post it here.
8:51, the Chrter ammendments will be on the November ballot. Why, I have no idea, as the Charter is just fine the way it is!
Tom Ford
tom,
is it a fair question to ask you why your son supported the rebuild/new Police Station? I am sure when he did so it wasn't as politcal an issue as it is now, so I am sure his reason was non-politcal.
thanks
Better yet, contact the Post Dispatch and see how the article originated. Go to the source. You will find that they were the point or origination.
9:42 blogger, who is that person please!
Tom Ford
Blogger 8:57 PM, August 15, 2006
Why did the board and mayor push for a new police station while the city's finances were deteriorating? Ask Robertson and friends.
To put Mr. Ford or his son on spot is not fair, but that's how it goes.
If the station needs to be retrofitted, so be it, but only as time and money allow. What good would an expensive police station be if the city collapsed?
Why was Robertson and the board playing with architectural plans while the finances dropped? Who was minding the store? You can point fingers at K. Leichliter, but the C/A serves at the pleasure of the mayor and the board. So I ask again, who was minding the store?
T the 8:57 blogger, I have no idea why, as I have told you in the past, we do not discuss Crestwood politics.
He is on the night shift though, so you can call and ask him if you wish. You will need to give your name though, but please ask away.
Tom Ford
9:42 PM, August 14, 2006
Yes, who are you?
Tom,
I meant your son no harm with my question, drop it in your view would damage him or be unfair for him to answer.
We are getting fairly nasty here people. Please think before you write.
Thank you!
Tom Ford
Having read over 100 comments on this blog, I am amazed at the divisive nature of people. If the good of the city was part of their nature, the city would be well on the way to solvency, however, the bitter and divisive nature of ex-officials and employees and their pals past and present is really pathetic. Sadly we recognize their MO and their identity. Gladly, some are out of office or no longer employed here. Long live term limits.
I went to a meeting at Whitecliff where the topic was the police facility. Many Many Many residents spoke up to object to its being built, amazed it was even being considered. Now, if Don Greer, was then city administrator, which he was, and was in this position because Kent Licklider had fuzzied up the books(as mentioned by an earlier blogger) then Mr. Greer knew full well the desperate state of finances. If they were not desperate, Kent Licklider would not have been moved out and Don Greer moved ever so neatly in. Correct?
Nevertheless, that evening, at that meeting at Whitecliff, knowing all this, Don Greer never once said "we better halt things 'cause money is tight.' I even recall someone mentioning the size of the Chief's office and Don Greer said "really, I didn't know it was that big." Whew, talk about hurling.
So come on now folks, he had a huge chance here to call it like it was, but he really did not think in a million years that 2200 residents would say no on a petition to stop the insanity. So, he sat there mute, led the architect on, talked about change orders and continued to encourage the Fagan weighted board to lease space at Westfield. Which space was leased as the final act of Fagan before he left office.
So, since Don Greer replaced Kent Licklider due to critical finances, why would he want to encourage a $14.5 Million Dollar facility that would then become collateral for a $3.5 Million Dollar Letter of Credit? Better that "old faithful" be the collagteral eh!
As for the ballot wording being misleading, well it was misleading as were the financial facts. Had Don Greer in his new position and new found knowledge advised the board that a new police facility was not now an idea whose time had come, the architect fees, and bids, would have stopped, and Crestwood would have been able to deal with facts rather than fiction.
Which leads me to the fact that ballot language on the Charter issue is cunningly and intentionally confusing just as bad as on the Capitol Improvements ballot which some bloggers seem to think approved the aforementioned Taj Mahal. This, too, is the result of the Fagan folks trying to make a comeback by voting OUT term limits. So folks, better listen up and ask questions. Because you are paying for it. And frankly, Crestwood cannot afford any more blunders.
Long after the political differences of today fade into tomorrow, Crestwood will feel the earthquake of the "small" people who thought they were wise enough to serve as leaders.
In reviewing what happened with the proposed police building, you can point fingers at whomever you choose, but ultimately, the responsibility for what happened rests squarely (and appropriately) on the shoulders of the 8 people elected to represent the city's residents.
As I said at the May 5th 2005 work session, there was room for compromise. When residents approved the extension, their approval was not linked to a specific building plan. The board had an opportunity for compromise at this work session and failed to capitalize on it. Had opposing sides yielded a little, it would have increased the chance that the city would have an improved police facility at a fraction of the cost of the proposed facility. Both sides would have won.
Unfortunately, impasse defeated compromise and everyone lost. The new board would do well to learn from this and recognize the value of compromise.
Martha Duchild
Boy, I tell you what, I'm stinkin drunk! But that is ok cause' all I care about is whether my bow tie is straight and my color is good! Honestly, I need to stop falling asleep in the tanning bed because I am starting to get blisters.
Yes, blogger 10:19 AM August 14, this is the same RINO Jim Murphy who made a substantial campaign contribution to a Democrat legislative candidate while he was a Republican representative.
Do people really not have anything better to do than bash on current aldermen? It's a good thing this is all typed. Otherwise, you'd be wasting your breath on this hate. I appreciate a good argument or a discussion now and then. But let's keep it civil. If not, we're just falling into the angry Crestwood blogger stereotype, which is mostly false.
People bash on everyone. Just look at the comment before yours. It's not always easy to debate the facts and stick to the issue, but I guess it's easy to bash.
"The Rev. Earl Nance Jr. and other leaders of the St. Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition called Murphy a racist..." from 'Stadium Comment Sparks Racism Charge, Angry Words' in St. Louis Post-Dispatch, News Section, page 12, February 23, 2002.
Your true hatred is showing. It's funny how obsessed you have become.
Tim, are you using your Lexis-Nexis search you like so much?
I wonder if those who are complaining about the ballot language being clear are as concerned about the fact that the mayor is inventing an idea that the tax increase from April = voters approving carrying long-term debt so he can take out a long-term loan and circumvent the constitution. HMMM? there was nothing on the April ballot approving long-term debt - that's why the city attorney is advising there are problems with renewing the loans this fall. Why is he purposefully lying about that ballot language to suit his own purpoises?
Duh - that is why Prop 1 was provided as an alternative to renewing loans, year after year. (long term debt)
It could have always been paid off early without penalty.
Now we face not enough income in the General Fund. Not new news.
Intentionally putting all the funds into one account, violates the purpose of those funds.
Sorry the General Fund is lacking in income (again, not new news) but to deliberately put all monies into one account is wrong. Check the State Audit.
You have to prove he is lying. So far you haven't. The ballot language coming out of Crestwood is much clearer than before.
And it's "purposes" not "purpoises".
If you're concerned about long-term debt, look at the ones who let it happen.
"Sorry the General Fund is lacking in income (again, not new news) but to deliberately put all monies into one account is wrong. Check the State Audit."
Right!
Isn't porpoise a fish?
Hatred on this blog??? No. Love just oozes out for Greer, current and former aldermen, Madrid, former mayors, city employees, etc.
Yes, let's remember the past, but focus on the present and future.
What is best for Crestwood?
Horray for the Blogger at 10:44 PM, August 15th. If you have not read this blogger comment, please go back to it, it is worth reading. It is long but Oh is it "right on" about everything. I stated the same on this article several times but this person said it so clearly that anybody can see what Don Greer and others did and did not do on this police facility and on other issues like the upcoming Charter.
I don't know who you are sir or madame, but you get an A Plus on your comment. Very well done! I commend you!
hahhaha you're kidding right? IF a lie or slander is posted? happens everyday!
yeah thanks for point that out - the ballot last April didn't say anything about taking out new long-term loans this fall. I hope the city attorney makes sure to point that out as many times as it takes. Seems the ballot would have had to say "in concurrence with Section 26(a). the City of Crestwood shall become indebted in an amount exceeding in any year the income and revenue provided for such year plus any unencumbered balances from previous years." that's the wording from the constitution anyway. I don't remember the ballot saying that - and I'm shocked our new C/A would say the constitution is an impediment to what he wants to do. Reminds me of the night the mayor said he didn't care what the charter says, he'll do what he wants to do. We can't let this happen folks.
I did talk to the writer of the article, and no it was not his idea. The little birdie already named put the idea forward.
Does the "little birdy" have a name?
News flash, Mr. Myers is quoted in this week issue of the Call that the City has"no cash" and a "negative $2million". There for using the $225,000 in the non-expendable trust will reduce the neagative figure to $1,775,000, but the City will still have to borrow money to operate and now have no cash in "any of its three funds".
What is the answer to this problem?
One checking account, with a balance of ZERO, how can that save anymoney when we now have 3 accounts with zero balance?
I agree with Alderman Jerry Miguel, we need to go REAL SLOW ON THIS, like maybe wait till after the year to hire any one in the accounting dept, since we have no cash to pay them. What is the rush?
Oh come on! Don't worry about the debt. We've got to build a new police station! Don't you know, it's against every code known to man and it has bad feng shui?
Can Alderman Miguel run for Mayor?
Possibly but I'm not sure he wants it. Would you, after the mess that has been made?
Maybe the GO Bonds were the best way to go, Prop S hasnt solved our problem, not building the Police Station has not solved our problem, electing Roy has not solved our problem and hiring Mr. Myers has not solved our problem.
Yes, but he was there when the mess was being made, so maybe he knows what the answer is to fix this mess.
Blogger 5:19 PM, August 16, 2006 Are you saying we would have had to have specific and clear ballot language to let the voters know what they were voting on?
Wow! What a great idea!
5:59 PM, August 16, 2006 I don't think so Tim. So Fagan would be mayor, we'd be building this huge police station, and we would be slung with a GO bond? How long do you think it would be before St. Louis County would have to come in and take over?
5:59 PM, August 16, 2006
False. He came in to clean it up.
So has Alderman Migiel said or acted like he would run for Mayor?
Not that I know of. Has anyone else heard anything?
I am not sure, but I would guess that Alderman Miguel is happy where he's at. At any rate it's a while before that race takes shape, and we have a few "fish to fry" in the meantime.
Before you know it, November will be upon us, and we will be asked to vote on the Charter amendments.
I don't know how you feel about it, but this is going to be a decisive ballot issue as to the future of Crestwood!
I feel that the Charter has served us very well since it's inception, and I see no reason to change it now. In fact, I question the legality of forming a "committee" a year earlier than the Charter call's for. This sort of political manuvering smacks of a faction that wishes to keep their people in power, and only their people!
Look for "balot language" that is more "convaluted" than the police building. Folk's, in my opinion, we need to go to the poll's, and vote NO on the entire thing, so as to preserve Crestwood as we know it!
Tom Ford
I read the Call today and the letter from Tim Trueblood. I find it very sad that the residue from his service as an Alderman has left him with an obsessive need to downgrade our Mayor and on many many occasions on this blog chastise Mr. Jim Murphy in a noticeably vindictive way. Now he has chosen to publicly display his contempt via a newspaper letter as he drums up false accusations about the Mayor. Tim Trueblood has once again come up on the short end of decent. Mr. and Mrs. Trueblood really need to get a firm grip on reality and see if there is something they can take to dilute the acid of their hate. This board did not initiate the Charter which saw fit to wisely include term limits. But they did vote 8-0 to disengage from your friend Don Greer. Tim, you cannot continue this way. You have lost your dignity.
Look's like Greer's tax increase plan on the East Side is getting a wonderful response. From the Belville News Democrat Sound Off Section..."Live within means
Brilliant! After a few months on the job, Fairview Heights' administrator Don Greer comes up with his solution: new utility taxes. Just what we need to go along with Ameren's pending increases in 2007. It that's his answer, fire Greer and hire someone with the management skills required to work with the resources that the city already has."
Seems like the Honeymoon is winding down...
Sounds like Mayor Robinson's and Frank Meyer's plan in November, 2005: Raise residential and business utility taxes and increase the gross receipts tax on business for good measure.
6:06 AM Poster you are wrong. Frank Meyers was not city administrator in November, 2006, although Robinson was mayor. It was Robinson and Frank Meyers who together pushed for the massive property tax increase in April, 2006. They should have lived within their means. Fire them and "get someone with the management skills required to work with the resources the city already has."
Poster at 10:04 you are dead wrong. All Trueblood did was quote the mayor and city administrator's OWN WORDS. It's not his fault they said them. You need to get a grip and stop being so paranoid that every post on this blog is from Trueblood. LOTS of us have similar feelings about what the mayor is trying to do. If you get the call from the polling firm, you might try asking them what kind of feedback they are getting when they ask about opinions of the mayor. They told me almost every comment they received about him has been negative. Long live Trueblood!
Why would the pollster who called me, ask questions about the Westfield Mall and then want to know about my rating of the Mayor and BOA? Why would those two be connected? Who is paying for the poll?
Mr. Ford, did you ask who was conducting this survey? That is the first thing I do when approached to participate. Thanks.
7:35 AM, August 17, 2006
Like previous administrations lived within their means? Both were too busy trying to build a new police station and one was busy buying office furniture.
This is now - are you here????
Pay attention to what is happening now in Crestwood. Trust and but verify! I don't think much verifying is going on.
I'm here, where are you?
No, seriously. You are correct in saying that there needs to be better verification and cross checking. Crestwood needs this no matter who is in office.
To the 9:37 AM blogger, No I did not because I have not been called. The information came from one of our citizens who was.
As I stated the post was from "a reader on the blog", but you bet i will have a lot of questions if I am called. Like who is paying for this survey, who do you report to, and why are you doing it.
You can bet the farm it's Westfield, and or someone in cahoot's with Westfield. The only reason for a survey like this is to help them make up their mind as to spending money on a re-hab of the plaza.
Tom Ford
hmm glad you suggested that Tom - SOMEONE in CAHOOTS with westfield. Like perhaps our city administrator? Didn't he cook up a similar scheme for the mall where he used to work? Why oh why would anyone be in favor of our city exercising eminent domain on the mall? Why would the city go into the mall business? How can we afford that?
6:37 blogger, we can't afford the "mall business", I only hope the Westfield folks can afford to do the changes needed to re-vitlize their investment.
If not, may they sell it to someone who can, and will.
Tom Ford
I was called by Richter Research and one of the questions they asked was about my impression of the Mayor. I wish I had asked what they were getting in the way of answers to that question.
hmm isn't that interesing? wonder what local politician has the money to fund a poll?
I doubt it was a local politician who put forth the poll, sounds more like Westfield to me.
I think they are on a fishing expidetion to find out if the plaza is still a viable entity that they should invest in.
I could be wrong, but these things cost a lot of money, so a retired guy woulden't be doing it. Could be a lawyer though, the have the cash for that sort of thing.
Tom Ford
Richter Research is a local political polling organization well known among politicians.
haha tom you reveal too much - who mentioned a retired guy doing it? of course it makes perfect sense that westfield would be polling and asking what people think of the mayor. sure it does.
"haha tom you reveal too much - who mentioned a retired guy doing it? of course it makes perfect sense that westfield would be polling and asking what people think of the mayor. sure it does."
I reveal too much? If you mean anyone on the board, or the Mayor, that's exactly what I ment when I posted it.
Why would any of the "City leaders" be interested at this point, with the mayorial election for mayor two years away? I still think if you follow the money, it will lead back to Weatfield. Why, cause that's what I would do if I owned the Plaza.
I don't see any deep dark plot here, just a company looking out for it's self, and I don't see it as a slam against the Mayor, or Crestwood, just good business practice, nothing more, nothing less.
Tom Ford
Yes, I believe Mr. Ford is correct. Westfield is checking the political climate in Crestwood before it asks "for help - e.g. TIF, tax abatement" to remodel and update the mall.
Tom - try this. don't follow the money as you said. follow the research company. who are they? why do they care what residents think of the mayor or board of aldermen?
Did you say TIF? TIF? we don't want NO STINKIN TIF's. now that the mayor is in charge of this town, there will be no more TIF's like the one for Value City! absolutely not! I hope you are all giving that survey company a piece of your minds. TIFS are definitely off the table.
Hmmmm. The two most recent major improvements to the Crestwood business district are the Kohl's store and Watson Plaza redevelopment. Both involve the use of TIFs. We can't have TIFs in Crestwood. Complain to the mayor and your aldermen about these TIFs. While you're talking to them, you can tell them we don't want the use of eminent domain either.
Here is a link to Richter Consulting Co. It could be one in the sameor not.
http://www.richterconsulting.com/
Tom Ford
It looks as though the new Police Chief is off and running! See the link to the South County Times for some of his ideas!
Good job Mike!
http://timesnewspapers.com/
Tom Ford
Blogger 11:10 AM, August 19, 2006
Dear blogger,
There was no TIF for Value City. There was a TIF for Kohl's and for the Walgreen's-Greer property. If you are so concerned about TIFs, contact your friendly TIF Commission. Speaking of Value City, they have great items and reasonable prices. I was there today. Maybe we can go shopping sometime?
Dont you mean the Gruwe property at Watson Plaza? Yes,one of our mayor's camapign supporters has a TIF and if you can find the agenda for this next Board meeting you will see Mr. Grewe now wants the City to sell the TIF Bonds, which we were told will cost the City $85,000 a couple of meetings ago.
wanta bet who sells the bonds?
To whom do you refer?
Tom Ford
sorry tom that's not the right richter. try again.
Blogger 8:49 PM, August 19, 2006
Upset about the Grewe TIF? Here is some information for you taken from the city's website -
http://ci.crestwood.mo.us/docs/agendas_minutes/tif/2004_07_26/04-07-26%20tif%20minutes-continuation%20of%20public%20hearing.pdf
"Resolution Approving the Redevelopment Plan
Carol Wagner read the Resolution prepared approving the Redevelopment Plan for the Watson Plaza Redevelopment Area by title only:
Resolution of the Real Property Tax Increment Financing Commission of the City of Crestwood, Missouri approving the Redevelopment Plan for the Watson Plaza Redevelopment area, approving the redevelopment project described therein and expressing its recommendation to the Booard of Aldermen of Crestwood, Missouri.
Ms. Wagner moved that this resolution be adopted. Mr. Bratsch seconded the motion. On voice vote, motion carried and was declared passed by unanimous vote of members present."
-taken from City of Crestwood Tax Increment Financing Commission, Minutes of July 26, 2004 Meeting
Here are the names of the TIF Commission members:
Patricia Duwe Alderman - Ward 4
Victor Lenz Alternate Member - TIF Commission
Patricia (Pat) Kapsar Chair - TIF Commission
Jerry Bratsch
Kenneth Fey
Glen Powers
Tom Curran
Bill Dermody
Denise Keller
Karen Schuster
Philip Sidlo
Carol Wagner
Forrest Miller-Secretary - TIF Commission
Patrick Lanane Vice Chair - TIF Commission
Taken from the city's website - Board of Aldermen meeting minutes: August 24, 2004 (coincidently, this was the same meeting that Fagan was sworn-in as mayor)
http://ci.crestwood.mo.us/docs/agendas_minutes/boa/2004_08_24/04-08-24%20.pdf
"Ordinance Designating Watson Plaza as a Redevelopment Area: Approving a Redevelopment Plan; Approving Redeveloment Project and Adopting Tax Increment Financing
Bill No. 04-24 Introduced by Alderman Breeding entitled:
An Ordinance Designating a Portion of the City of Crestwood, Missouri, as a Redevelopment Area; Approving the Redevelopment Plan for the Watson Plaza Redevelopment Area; Making findings relating thereto; approving the Redevelopment Project Described in said redevelopment plan and adopting Tax Increment Financing with respect thereto; and authorizing certain actions by city officials.
Alderman Breeding read Bill No. 04-24 by title only, for the first time. It was moved by Alderman Breeding, seconded by Alderman Trueblood, that Bill No. 04-24 be read for a second time this evening. On roll call vote, motion passed by the following vote:
AYES: Miguel, Trueblood, Breeding, Kelleher, LaBore, O'Keefe, Maddox, Duwe
NAYS: None
ABSENT: None
Alderman LaBore read Bill No. 04-24 for the second time. It was moved by Alderman LaBore, seconded by Alderman Duwe, that Bill No. 04-24 be adopted. On roll call vote, motion passed as follows.
AYES: Maddox, Kelleher, Trueblood, LaBore, Duwe, Breeding, O'Keefe
NAYS: Miguel
ABSENT: None
Subsequent to the meeting, Mayor Fagan endorsed his approval thereon and Bill No. 04-24 being duly enacted was assigned Ordinance No. 3855 of the City of Crestwood."
So if anyone is upset about the Grewe/Watson Plaza TIF, you need to contact the following who approved it:
TIF COMMISSION - Pat Kapsar, Jerry Bratsch, Philip Sidlo, Carol Wagner, Karen Shuster, Patrick Lanane, Kenneth Fey, Flenn Powers, Bill Dermody, Tom Curran, Denise Keller - please note, that at this time, July 2004, then Alderman Fagan was the Aldermanic Representative to the TIF COMMISSION (According to the website, Duwe is the current Aldermanic Representative)
BOARD OF ALDERMAN - Don Maddox, J. Kelleher, Tim Trueblood, Richard LaBore, Patricia Duwe, Richard Breeding, O'Keefe
Please note that this was approved approximately 8 months prior to Roy Robinson taking office as mayor.
If you read the minutes of the BOA meeting, August 24, (http://ci.crestwood.mo.us/docs/agendas_minutes/boa/2004_08_24/04-08-24%20.pdf) you will find that right before the vote, resident David Brophy "stated that he had spoken before the TIF Commission and that he supported issuing these TIF bonds."
Furthermore, frequent critic of Robinson and former Ward 2 Alderman Tim Trueblood voted in favor of this TIF. While his wife, Karen Trueblood, has been openly critical of Robinson and the fact that Grewe was a contributer to Robinson's campaign, her husband voted in favor of a $2,000,000.00 (per BOA minutes 8-24-04) Tax Increment Financing Packaging for that property some eight months prior to Robinson taking office.
"Dear blogger,
There was no TIF for Value City. There was a TIF for Kohl's and for the Walgreen's-Greer property."
6:46 PM, August 19, 2006
My mistake - it should have read Walgreen's-Grewe property.
check the minutes since robinson became mayor. he has put through several financing packages for grewe. oh and guess what? the paper says we have less police staff than we did a year ago. it wasn't announced - just cut without public comment.
11:05 blogger 8/19 Thank you and thank you and thank you. Your comments may shut some of these people up who blame everything on this mayor. Then again, they never shut up. Please real the aforementioned blogger comment. It was wonderful. Minutes are approved and in the file, go up to the city clerk's office and read them.
Less Police? Yep there are, but I wasn't aware that we needed to approve retirement's, and resignation's.
The open slots are from the above, not from any sort of downsizing in the dead of night.
Tom Ford
You are very welcome!
tsk tsk sounds like murphy, robinson and miguel are just jealous that trueblood has a better reputation than they do! people are begging him to come back. meanwhile, the survey is discovering the majority of people in this town have a negative opinion of the mayor. I'm sure that will improve when he merges all the accounts and spends the capital improvement funds on general fund expenses. just remember your blogmaster said it first - the ship is going down.
well my goodness yes, I'm sure all the lies and conniving are finally coming to light - should more and more interesting when the city can't get a loan come 10/31. remember - vote no for any new taxes, no matter how many times the mayor asks you for them!
Oh yeah! Sure! You bet! Uh huh!
I remember when Mrs. T. complained about the financing deal for watson plaza. Mrs. Tripolitis told me she called her and asked about it, and found out what she was addressing was the priorities of the mayor's first months in office. Seems that the only way Grewe had gotten the TIF in the first place was that PILOT funds were exempted and everyone could see the watson corridor needed improvement. Trueblood never took any campaign donations from Grewe. At the TIF meeting where they voted to send the proposal to the board in 2004, Grewe said he would NOT come back asking for a CID. Then Grewe becomes the major donor to Roy's campaign, and within months he's back asking for a CID - after Roy ran on this platform of moral outrage about the city's priorities being screwed up he makes paying off a campaign supporter a priority. That's what I heard anyway.
At the August 24, 2004 BOA Meeting the redevelopment of Watson Plaza was authorized by ordinance using TIF Notes. No ordinance of intent to issue TIF Bonds has ever been passed by the BOA for the Watson Plaza TIF redevelopment as was done for the Kohl's TIF. On June 27, 2006, when Trueblood was out of office and Robinson is mayor, Grewe whose registered agents contributed big bucks to Robinson's campaign sent a letter to the City requesting that the TIF Notes be replaced with an isssuance of TIF Bonds. At the July 11, 2006 BOA Meeting Stifel Nicolaus (an investment brokerage banking firm which provides investment advise) recommended to the City that TIF Bonds NOT be issued for the Watson Plaza TIF because the TIF Notes will be paid off by late 2009 anyway and because it will cost Crestwood $81,000 and because the City will have to establish a $80,000 Debt Reserve Fund thereby unnecessarily expending and/or tieing up a total of $161,000 in City funds. However, Stifel Nicolaus recommended that TDD Bonds be issued. If the TIF Bonds are issued now, Grewe is the only one who will benefit and it will make the City's current poor financial condition even more tenuous.
To the 10:28 Blogger. Thank you for the information you have provided. I think, if your information is on the level, that is provided with good intent, that you should send a letter with your specifics and backup to the BOA (each alderman and the mayor separately) and sign your name, or address the BOA at the next meeting. Good ideas and suggestions certainly can do no harm.
From the Federal level no doubt, but never the less interesting.
I am not under any circumstances linking to, or suggesting anyone of our past, or present officials in Crestwood, or any other community when I post this quote, but rather it is posted for your edification only, and is not intended to represent any person,or persons, alive or dead, nor any political persuasion, religious belief, race, creed or sexual preference!
We just saw omething like this in a North County town where the City Manager is now under indictment as of today. Hence the reasoning behind my post.
Now that we all understand that (we do, don't we?) Here's the quote.
"It is not humanly possible for our so-called representatives to represent us if they are taking money by the millions from corporations who do not have our interests at all in their plans or concerns."
~ Doris Haddock
Tom Ford
Mr. Maddox, regarding your comment "Neither Mr. Greer or the current administration has used this fund as intended." -
This is not a totally true statement. It takes the BOA to amend the ordinance to have that happen. Never did make the agenda.
A few years back someone put an item in the paper about Leichliter being in office way way too long and what a mistake that was. Anybody remember that? Anyhow, Greer had no more than moved here and was given permission to do a lot of Leichliters work. The former CA wasn't in the best of health and the new police chief offered to help his 'new buddy' with his work load. Mr. Greer professed to be a novice at the computer but in reading his background and listening to the woodriver people, he was as slick as snot! It looks as if Mr. Leichliter loved having someone do the work he no longer wanted to do and so if Mr. Greer had access all along to Mr. Leichliter's computer, you can't possibly believe he did not know everything there was to know about the finances of Crestwood. You can fool some of the people some of the time-remember that one?
10/06 PM 8/21 "I do not recall saying we should pay for police station improvements on a pay as you go basis." No thanks but I will pass on the Kool Aid.
If it's not true the funds are broke, then why did Mr. Myers say it?
11:12 PM 8/21 You got it right on target Mr. Blogger. I was there and I saw it happen. Mr. Greer had a plan from the beginning of his employment in Crestwood to get Leichliter's job. Greer does nothing without a plan based on his own selfish motives.
Mr. Leichliter was suppose to have a background check done on Greer (as per protocol for all prospective department heads) and didn't do it. Pat Killoren kept reminding Leichliter to get it done and I heard her remind Kent over and over, but Leichliter never did follow through.
Chief Loyd was the one who did it on his own and told me about it and still Mr. Leichliter never had a full investigation done into Greer's background like he should have. Chief Loyd was very upset about it.
Mr. Greer played Leichliter like a "fine fiddler" and used Leichliter even though Leichliter was unaware of what "his good buddy" was doing.
If Chief Bill Kramer were still alive, he would give your comment an A Plus because he told me at my desk way before any of this stuff hit the fan what Greer was shooting for. If you still don't believe me, you can ask Chief Kramer's wife or daughter and they will back up my statement.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sandy Grave
Mrs. Graves, not that it makes your situation any better but please - politics then, politics now. It will always be....no matter where people go for employment. Personally, I am tired of hearing about it.
is that just a way to change the subject from the impending debacle with the bond sale for Grewe and the fact that we don't know how we're going to renew our loan if long-term debt is against the constitution? someday we're doing to have to deal with the current situation and stop rehashing peoples' personal grievances or suppositions. why should the entire town be held hostage to the fact that a former employee cannot move on?
If you are worried about the "debacle" with Grewe, look at those who approved the original TIF. It went through lightening quick. Then Grewe supported Robinson. Now all of a sudden, there are problems?
Poster 2:33 PM, August 22, 2006
Really? Then what is your opinion about Trueblood attacking the mayor in his letter to the editor? Shouldn't he just "move on" too?
Trueblood's letter was current and in response to an article reported less than 10 days old.
It was not an attack letter,for an example of a good attack letter check out the ones ghost written by Jimmy Murphy and signed by Bob Deutschman or Roger Anderson. They are the best!
Tim, I thought your letter was somewhat hostile. And I liked Jimmy Murphy's letters. He makes a lot of sense!
I've seen all the letters by those mentioned: Trueblood, Murphy, Anderson, Deutschmann, etc. In one way or the other, they have a bite to them.
Paying for police station improvements on a pay as you go basis is a good idea. Some difficulties may present themselves, but a gradual improvement in safety and design should be considered as time and money allow. The public services that Crestwood offer are excellent. During this time of budgetary crisis, we should do our level best to keep those services top notch while exercising fiscal caution.
how fascinating that you think the city has $80,000 to waste. no one who passed the original tif took a campaign contribution from grewe. and the tif was not to cost the city anything. now he's coming back for a special deal? seems pretty suspicious.
TIF costs. Just ask Lindbergh School District.
the school district funds still go to them - that was exempted from the tif for watson plaza.
11:14 AM 8/22 Blogger. If you are tired, go to bed. Or, You can just skip over my comments if they annoy you. That's what I am going to do with yours. You must get tired fast, as I hardly ever comment at all.
It would probably be different if the shoe was on the other foot. Then you probably wouldn't want to brush it off by saying politics then and politics now. If your family members were involved, it would be a different story.
Needless to say, I am sorry I made you tired but I have as much right to say what I feel on this blog and if you don't like it, skip it and go to the next comment.
Thanks for telling me how you feel.
Nighty Nite!
2:33 PM 8/22 No you are wrong, the major topic on this blog is Fairview Hts. Administrator learned from Crestwood crisis not Grewe or Bonds.
If someone else started talking about Grewe and bonds, then they are getting off the subject not others who are speaking of Mr. Greer. All comments should be about the original subject. Your comments doesn't belong under this Article, just to set the record straight.
your right we keep getting off the subject of c/a of fairview heights. we'll hear more because the word on the street is that some of the citizens over there are asking a lot of questions about our former c/a and those of us who know the truth are telling them, so we'll see.
careful - if you cause someone to lose their job they can sue you.
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