Crestwood news from the South County Times.
Please click on the header to be directed to the articles on the kids Easter Egg hunt as well as the street repair program for 2008.
I hope you had a chance to get outdoors today as it was magnificent weather to enjoy. I am starting to believe that spring is not all that far off, and with spring comes the rejuvenation of our grass, trees, and City.
Folks, please don't forget to vote in the April election's! A great many people fought and died to insure you have that right, so please do not let them down!
Tom Ford
NO. 471
I hope you had a chance to get outdoors today as it was magnificent weather to enjoy. I am starting to believe that spring is not all that far off, and with spring comes the rejuvenation of our grass, trees, and City.
Folks, please don't forget to vote in the April election's! A great many people fought and died to insure you have that right, so please do not let them down!
Tom Ford
NO. 471
posted by Crestwood Independent at 15:09
49 Comments:
Frank Myers is resigning and going to the City of Glendale as City Manager.
Say's who?
says him!
Resigning ? He is, and he did!
Tom Ford
8:37 Roy has a small problem with your idea of his plan, it's called the Charter.
2:47 PM blogger: Correct my friend! The charter is the bedrock of Crestwood, and although some would have changed it to remain in power, it remains rock solid!
Tom Ford
One never knows, maybe it's time to dust off the old Charter Review Commission and have some some more changes put before the voters.
Tom are you serious? Nothing is in stone. Who appoints the charter commission members? It's not like the mayor has never lied to the public before. I think he has enough blind supporters that will believe anything he says if it has the right spin on it. It happened before remember!
4:50 PM and 8:15 AM blogger's: The charter commission can only be brought in once every ten years if I remember right, and Fagan just did that 3 years ago! If I am right we won't see another review commission for at least seven years.
An I serious about the charter, in a word,YES!If we don't abide by the rules what good is it to have them?
The charter has served us very well since the inception of Crestwood and I see no reason to make any changes now!
As far as "pulling the wool over our eyes," those day's are over, were all a bit more watchful these days.
Tom Ford
True, so that leaves the option of not filling the position. I also see that there is an ad for a finance officer. That must confirm the rumor that the other Frank is also leaving.
We must agree to disagree. I have not and will not trust anything the Mayor says. I have known him tooooooo long and tooooo well.
12:54 Well bully for you. If you are so dead set against this mayor, you had your chance to run against him, how come you didn't take it?
Same ole, same ole, the return of the nasal gladiators, once again jumping to conclusions. This is what they do best. It amazes me. If the world burps, the downsiders blame Roy. We are used to it. He could be the 2nd coming of Christ and this bunch would find fault. What a way to help our city. Obviously Roy is doing better than expected as these bloggers and their saber rattling still cannot get over Roy; how they do go on. How apparent their "Goat Is Got."
Perhapz Mr. Meyer can better handle the smaller city of Glendale. He does seem to have a habit of changing jobs. Maybe his skills simply did not measure up to his personal expectations and if so, he did us and himself a favor. If true, then now is a good time to put heads together and determine the city's needs and priorities. Now is also the time to consider someone with all the needed skills to guide our city through the rough waters ahead. Personally, I think our BOA has 9 good minds perfectly capable of working together toward this end. Sans politics.It would be a disservice to think they will not be able to aptly measure the situation and come to a conclusion and a plan which will best serve our city. In the doing, I would suggest the entire board be part of the hiring process and that a newcomer have a probationary period and that their background be thoroughly covered. The job will be a challenge and thus will need a hard worker without a big ego, all the necessary municipal skills and who realizes Crestwood is not a stepping stone. Getting in a hurry, despite the fact we need to, could prohibit the thorough hiring process needed and not allow for thorough interviewing.
Whatever the job description, certainly it will need someone with fiscal and HR skills. Someone who rolls up their sleeves and for whom delegation is not the #1 job description.
The Charter is not an option. It is just fine as it is. But, then, the blogger with the dart gun is still pouting over that escapade.
One thing never changes with the posts on this blog and that is the blind support of Roy as exampled in posts 2:12 and 2:39. Same supporters every time with the same words responding to what they feel is any criticism of Roy no matter how small. Next they will post attacks on former Mayors and aldermen and C/A's. Just like sunrise, very predictable.
Is ROY never wrong in your minds? He must be a god if that is the case.
From the Call:
I have been a resident of Crestwood for 52 years and you (Roy) are the worst mayor we have ever had. And to think we've got you for another three years.
Donald E. Binz Sr.
I couldn't have said it better myself.
Thank you Mr.Donald Binz Sr. for your letter to the CALL! A lot more people read the newspaper than this blog, so your thoughts, which I agree with, will be read by many more people.
Let's see if the pro Roy faction who slam anyone who points any kind a shortcoming, no matter how small of Roy, have the nerve to defend Roy in any paper that requires they sign their name.
By the way, Mr Binz is Alderman Nieder's neighbor, that speaks volumes to this reader.
After reading the comments against Roy on this thread I must say I am shocked that ONE OF YOU BRAVE SOULS didn't file for mayor!
If you didn't like what was going on why didn't you put up your five bucks, your REAL NAME, and challenge him?
Oh, wait I know, it's a lot easier from the "cheap seats" where all you have to do is tell your friends how tough you were!
History has shown us plenty of people that are willing to complain, but darn few who will jump into the fray.
I think we know where you stand here as I don't remember your REAL NAME being on the ballot!
As Jack Nicholson said in a Few Good Men, " I suggest you pick up a rifle and stand your watch on that wall!" Until then, I don't give a ---- what you think!"
Tom Ford
Thank you Mr. Binz, can't wait to see if any of Roy's backers have the guts to defend their man with a signed letter to a paper.
8:42 Speaking of guts! When you have the guts to sign your name, maybe others will follow. Til then, try looking at yourself first.
To those who chose not to run against Roy, but love to bad mouth him on this blog, your give us nothing but excuses when the fact is you don't have the "guts" that it takes to run a city.
Yawn, cant wait to read your signed letter in a paper defending Roy.
Guts or no guts; Roy is still an embarrassment to the City of Crestwood. PERIOD
The previous administration was such a total financial, moral and administrative embarrassment in so many ways that its replacement would be an improvement no matter what. To say Crestwood was "Ripe for Change" would be an understatement. 11:43 brought up embarrassment by the way, not me.
If this element that hates Roy so much wasn't so obviously sour grapes, they would not continue to embarrass themselves by exposing their thin veneer repeatedly. Imagine being furious all the time because Roy is Mayor. Imagine having to realize that you are so spiteful because he was not your man; the gravy train is over and the deck is no longer stacked ...the Charter was not essentially changed, City Hall remains in its original form, the BOA has new faces, the mismanaged funds are now managed; no more paper shredding, sexual misconduct, undocumented legal bills and the power is no longer in the secret hands of a "city employee." Imagine that the only recognizable thing left from "then" is a laundry list of things to do to unravel the mistakes of the past and your ex-o-sadist crusade to belittle the Mayor and thus your city while trying to bend minds into your thinking at every "nsigned" opportunity. You know, you could be a player, a city player. What would be wrong with that? There is nothing EMBARRASSING about that? Is there?
No one said Roy was perfect or without human faults. But he is a darn site better that what he replaced,which you seem to have forgotten and which I reminded you of above. For this reason and the fact Roy was the people's choice, and residents see hopeful progress despite our difficult retail times, residents tend to approve the measures that ALL those at city hall have effected.The more we look back, the more lackluster the former bunch looks and the better this one looks. Those of you who sit in your wigwam and shoot arrows at "one" person constantly are lost. You could be part of a unified upturn for our city. Now couldn't you?
You don't sign your name, you didn't run for office, all you do is criticize Roy. What kind of contribution is that? Now how in the heck can we think of you in terms of being conscientious? You are a mad and unhappy person. A cheerleader for yesterday. You need to walk Grants Trail, shop local, use the exercise room at Whitecliff, go to the City Hall Meetings, volunteer somewhere. Rev up your happy vibes!!!
Why would anyone respond to a letter in a paper that is an "opinion" and is signed? Nothing wrong with sending in a letter. Someone can defend Roy if they choose, but why? The interview was a good one. Nit picking at his "manner of speaking" is not all that unique in this city. Now is it? You have made it a crusade. Why? I think the criticism in that letter was a stretch and I think it could have been encouraged. I really think we have a plate full of much more important things here than joining the Down with Roy Club and chewing on every bone. Is it really that satisfying? This is just not an effective way to spend your time. Is it?
It's just that this political grief you are so intent on letting ruin your digestion is not worth it. It is way too personal for you. You are outnumbered. Crestwood is full of wonderful people! We are banking on them to see our city through.
The letter to the editor was signed, if you feel so strongly about how well Roy has done and is being unfairly attacked, write your own letter in response. Oh,and by the way, you will have to sign it to get it published, but since so many of the Crestwood citizens agree with you, that shouldn't be a problem for you to be a known member of the Up with Roy Club.
4:21, name for us some of Roy's faults.
4:21 did not list Roy's faults.
4:55 Well there you are!!! I have been looking for the one person who should have run against Roy but you didn't, did you? So to you I say, "shut up". I knew there was at least one brain dead person who talks a good story but has no further substance.
If Roy is oh so bad, you lost your chance to run for Mayor. Anybody can say things against him, and you are right up there at the top of the tree, but when you could have made a difference and put your money where your mouth is, you didn't do it, did you?
Another clanging symbol, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. ...from Shakespeare.
Roy is the only one who cared enough to see the injustice done by the previous administration, and threw us a life net to at least get us on the road to recovery.
All you do is sit at your computer with your wine glass, and make stupid remarks.
Great post 6:55, attack those who ask for reason to support our mayor, bring up the past like you always do as a reason to keep Roy around while over looking his long lists of broken promises.
I guess because you didn't run against Hillary you have no right to point out her short comings? Or do you support her 100% because you didn't run against her, that's your logic.
Pass the Mogan David 20/20 pleazze.
8:39 Broken promises? Shortcomings? Nobody has shortcomings except Roy? Broken promises have only been done by this mayor? Right? He's not God are you?
I guess you also felt the way things were going, your "fella" could do a better job with a CA whom he was going to give two extremely big positions. Yeah and that's why he lost too.
You unfortunately are all about politics and are basing your instincts on politics. You couldn't see the truth if it bit you in the face.
Roy won his election by a vote of the people. So be angry with the silent majority. Otherwise, you could have run against Roy. Just think, if you did, all our problems in Crestwood that have led up to this point in time would be eradicated in the blink of an eye cause you are so smart.
Help Wanted.
Looking for this list of promises constantly referred to. And hoping one of them will give our board the ability to spin straw into gold.
Campaign material from all candidates referred to promises, but due to extenuating circumstances, plans had to change, a few promises had to be broken. Most of these promises were genuine hopes that candidates could work together and make them happen. Crestwood will survive.
In the meantime, I promise to ignor the blogger who is so insistent on making himself look unrealistic. I further promise to maintain faith in our BOA and our citizenry and be patient while they do their best. I will revamp my expectations and deal with possibilities. I will ignor the insistent blogger who is trying so hard to look bad and doing such a good job of it.
7:43 I "ditto" your thoughts.
Heavens! Most candidates do promise to change things. However, when you walk into a new job and into somebody else's shoes, many promises cannot be fulfilled. That's life. It doesn't make that person a liar.
The previous blogger reminds me of a little kid whose parents promised him that Santa would give him a brand new bicycle for Christmas but because of extenuating circumtances he got something else instead. So instead of accepting something else and hoping for the best next Christmas, he continued to cry and carry on and makes it impossible for his parents to deal with him.
All I keep hearing are these bloggers crying and carrying on about "the plan". Who in their lifetime doesn't have a plan; and who in their lifetime has to alter it; and who in their lifetime has a vision for themselves but it takes years for it to come to fruitian.
Grow Up.
"The first casualty of war is truth, the second is a plan!"
Winston Churchill
Said it better than I could have, no?
Tom Ford
" We do not need a tax increase or a plan B" .... "I'm smiling because I have good news that I can't share with you about the sale of the Mall".
Roy Robinson
5:29 PM blogger: Well there you are, all is well, and when you get your secret clearance you too will know what he knows!
That is good news, and I await the outcome (whatever it may be.)
Tom Ford
"secret clearance", I thought this was going to the most open government Crestwood ever had? What happened?
4;08 pm BLOGGER: Please tell me you do know that my remark was "tongue in cheek," no?
Good grief, if you didn't, you do now!
Tom Ford
The truth of the matter is Roy doesn't know squat. He is out of his league in trying to deal with Westfield. I am sure they get a big chuckle in the boardroom everytime Roy pipes in.
1:20 18th
You know what I get a chuckle out of, YOU. Every time you pipe in.
The real chuckle is applied when the former administration decided it would enhance the bank's collateral load (our city's real estate) by improving one to the tune of 14.5 Mil. when the city was running on a LOC. Plus running a Rec Ctr.Pool in the deep red. Not to mention the resignation of a Mayor and the known dalliance of the CA. Ah, yes, City Hall needed a good dusting.
That kind of reputation carries a big share of skepticism from developers. Roy could be J.P. Morgan and still the recent past would rear its ugly head. No one expects a small town Mayor to be all things to all people. But there are 9 officials up there now seeing to business. Your dislike of Roy actually does nothing to impress. Westfield and its future are not based upon their opinion of our Mayor. It is all $'s. And if you don't know that, you don't know squat and you are definitely out of whatever league you think it takes.
"That kind of reputation carries a big share of skepticism from developers"
Do you really feel that an out-of-town developer cares or for that matter even knows about Crestwood's piss ant local politics? Local government is simply a distraction and something that must be tolerated in business. I have never seen a market analysis or marketing model that incorporates who is sleeping with whom at city hall. Additionally, no small town mayor has the juice to tell anyone anything. Developers want incentives which equate to profits or they will go elsewhere. The mayor is not driving the bus!
Oh yeah, time to defend Roy by attacking anyone and every one who ever was in office or worked for the
City. Its over 3 years and I for one am past that because it's Roy's turn now.
Remember when Roy told Westfield and any possible developer that the Mall would HAVE TO be closed one part at a time, or else? I'm sure that was a positive statement, so much so that the deal is now dead, again. So who are you gonna blame this time, Greer, Madrid, Fagan, Trueblood, Lichlighter, Pickel or Breeding?
6:40, your shorts are in such a knot that your circulation has been cut off. However, since you don't think voices here, including Roy's, will be heard by the big $ guys then it is good to know you will be the first to admit that anything that goes awry in any way at Westfield regarding new development could possibly be Roy's fault. So, let's agree on that. Being as this is just a little burg with no voice in a bloggers note, so to speak, I am sure all 9 men on the BOA are happy to realize your contribution to this subject is to once again single out Roy and take aim. But, must say, you are entertaining.
Roy's the one doing all the talking to the papers.
11:13. I certainly agree with you that 'whatever' happens with the mall development it will not be Roy's fault; conversely, he will certainly take all the credit if it is developed.
2:07, just like he is taking all the credit for the cuts in payroll that were really made by Fagan, Greer and the Board at that time. Name one cut Roy has made since he was elected.
I agree with the blogger that said one small town mayor with a population of 11,000 is really NOT going to be calling all the shots with the sale of The Mall. But if you want to put the blame on him you only show your igorance.
Big Business comes from Big Developers with Big Bucks. And they don't care who our mayor is, they only care about one thing - making MONEY. Where's the Beef!!!
As far as the mayor getting credit if it is developed, I guess we should give the credit to Fagan, Greer, and the rest? Right? Maybe we should give the credit to the blogger who commented about it, since he/she is so worried about it!
With the state of what is happening in the midwest as well as all over the Country, there isn't one developer that is not going to ponder any new enterprise without careful consideration. Are they in a hurry just because we are? Heck No. That's why they are rich. They only develop when the time is right. It has nothing to do with who is our Mayor.
We have a lot of things going on all over the place here and in this Country that are also part of this picture. We have a war going on that is costing us plenty, we have a Presidential Election coming up and who knows what that will bring, we have a real estate crunch that doesn't seem to end, and people loosing their homes because of mortgages that they cannot pay! My gosh; if you are not worried and concerned about all of that and don't think it affects us, think again. It scares me to death.
But Crestwood will come back slowly and carefully and it will happen. Other cities are suffering as well as we are. We are where we are today because of many factors. This didn't happen overnight to Crestwood you know. And now we need to deal with it, and we will.
2:07, just like he is taking all the credit for the cuts in payroll that were really made by Fagan, Greer and the Board at that time. Name one cut Roy has made since he was elected.
8:14 AM 3/22 You already made your comment previously on this blog; must we hear it again. We got your message the first time around.
I guess the additional cuts the mayor has spoken about don't exist. Also, no cuts have been made on his watch.
12:43 PM I guess not.
2:16 March 20th. Sure Fagan and Greer made cuts. Greer made sure that the cuts were to those employees not tied to him or any of his hand picked admirers.
Don't you guys get it, Greer played favorites from the time he started working for Crestwood. He took nobody's tenure into consideration and wanted to "hand pick" everyone in his department.
He had no professional ethics. It didn't matter what was fair, what was protocal and what was correct.
The rules and regulations in Crestwood could have been sanctioned by the President of the United States, and I am telling you Greer still wouldn't have hesitated in the least to do things his way. He was that smug and sure of himself.
Don Greer felt that as a CA and Police Chief, that he was invincible and if people had to loose their jobs or be demoted, to get what he considered his own team, it happened. Pure and simple. And everybody let him do it including Kent Leichliter. And it went on and on until the day that he rolled over on Leichliter too. Some great comrade he was!
So at the same time he was supposedly "saving" the city money with his so called cuts, he turns around and gave his live in girlfriend, $72,000 a year which is more than the previous finance person was making even after being with the city many years. Oh Yeah, he sure saved the city money with his "cuts".
He got the City to pay his car payment which was over 800 per month, and he found a way to justify it, and Fagan and the rest bought right into whatever he said.
Nobody ever in the city before or now had the gall to do what he did with personnel or with city money or with civil service rules. He had his own rules and would tell you so if you asked. And nobody stopped him.
Those involved and/or his admirers can say whatever they feel they need to say to justify what that one man did, but it was never, ever to save Crestwood. It was all about building his own empire and everyone was powerless to stop him and didn't care.
Then they scorn Roy for standing up to Goliath.
He womanized like crazy at city hall and people knew it and said nothing. Secretaries and female police officers; one in every port along his long road from one place to another in his quest for total power.
Following the American Civil War there were men who tried to take political or other advantage of towns across the United States, called carpetbaggers. That's exactly what Mr. Greer was. Then when threatened, he left to terrorize the next town.
Eventually who knows how far up the chain of dominance over everyone he would have gone.
What so many fail to mention is that there were city officials who enabled Don Greer to run roughshod over our city and put into play his own set of rules, codes of conduct and then shred all the paperwork that would implicate him. He left behind a trail of doubt and debt. His cheerleaders did not have time to be city leaders, they just turned it all over to him and we almost ended up with a remodeled piece of real estate which the bank would have held and which would have set us back 20 years. We also had an emmense legal debt, all conveniently undocumented, a mayor who conveniently resigned, and more harrassment suits than you can shake a stick at. Too many people know all these facts to have it relevant for the mutants on this site to continue to defend this man and his coharts. But they cannot contain themselves. But the gravy train stopped cold and they are in despair. In the meantime the city starts anew and these Greersters are doing nothing more than defending a very bad situation. They know it, we know it and we consider the source. The new BOA is trying to work on tomorrow while faced with yesterday. The facts are deplorable. There is a handful of "unhappies" over our present leaders: anger, jealousy, loss of power, prestige, etc. but too much history and truth makes these hatemongers look ridiculous. We know the identities,of course we do, and realize they would rather defend the indenfensible than help plan tomorrow. But for some, taking this unhealthy stance is a drug. In the meantime, they have not put a dent in our city's desire to move ahead with hope for a solid recovery from the ravages of a very bad few years of mismanagement, lack of integrity and moral compass, and deplorable conditions for employees who had to toe the line or get fired. It remains hard to believe that officials and their coharts, from this unseemly political past insist on turning into "redcoats." Yes, they are easy to identify. Just as if the city, their city too, and those of us who genuinely care should turn the other cheek at every piece of nonsense they dish out. Sorry, we are not buying it and it is truly time to get over the fact that Roy is Mayor at this time.
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