Outstanding news about the morale of the Police Department!

Ladies and gentlemen. please allow me to be the first to tell you of a really outstanding change in the morale of the Police department! Mr. Jim Eckrige, and the Chief held a meeting with all hands to fix the issues we have all heard about.

I do not know the items discussed, but I can tell you that after talking to several street officers the feel as if someone really cares about them, and their issues for a change!

This meeting has been needed for some time now, but thankfully it has been done, and all involved have come away feeling good about the results!

This is the type of individual (Jim Eckrige) that we should have had all along as C / A as he does care about his people and it shows.

Keep up the great work Jim!

Tom Ford

NO. 561

Well we always could be worse off, click on the header here to read about the (ex) Chief of Police in Bel Nor!

This guy has got to be the height of slime to attempt to scare a "munchkin!" That's right he was taking money from an 89 year old man (Mr. Mickey Carroll) and saying it was for the Police Department!

It seems that there is a dispute on that score, as Mickey Carroll had to get a restraining order from St. Louis County to stop this so called up-standing citizen from bothering him or getting his money!

If you click on the header you will see that the "chief" has resigned (yea right) but what you won't see is "the rest of the story!"

Thank goodness we have none of that sort of thing in Crestwood, nor have we to my knowledge.

"What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!" William Shakespeare.

Stay tuned for a LOT MORE on this lovely subject from the media!

Tom Ford

NO. 561

The next time you wonder if our youth is ready to guard our freedom, please remember this!

Please click on the header (and turn up the speakers) for one of the best renditions of the "Battle hymn of the republic" I have ever heard!

Yes it's by the next generation, and thank God for it! As I listened to it, I felt secure in the knowledge that America will remain safe thanks to the ones that are following the "greatest generation," the Korean War vet's, the Vietnam vet's, and all that have fought for us in the Middle East!

May God bless and keep all of them, as Freedom is never free!

Tom Ford

NO. 559

From the Sun-Crest Call, today's edition! And here I thought we were broke!

Please click on the header to be directed to the article mentioned above. If you read this very closely I believe you will find two possible "glaring errors" in judgement (no it's not the Call's errors either!)

Mr. Eckrich has asked that we promote the assistant public works director to public works directer, with a rather hefty increase in salary, and that's all fine and dandy! BUT, I thought the position needed a graduate engineer to oversee the day to day problems, bids and various "engineering work" the city may need. To the best of my knowledge the promo-tie is not an engineer, so why the big jump in salary?

I also see that we may be placing someone in the finance department, who does not have an accounting degree, again with a hefty increase.


The remaining pay increases are in line, and I have no problem at all with them.

That said, I noticed that Police, fire and public works employees didn't seem to appear on the horizon anywhere in that proposal ( the one with the big raises,) I can't help but wonder why the folks with the "boots on the ground" seem to be last on the totem pole?

Is it me? Or do you believe we should be granting these large increases to employees who have not yet completed their degrees to warrant them? I think not. WHEN they have the degree in hand, then maybe, but not now!

Folks, we have lost a very fine African American officer to Webster Groves just this week, and I guarantee you that if the terrible morale problem in the Police Department does not improve, more will follow post haste! I am asking the Police Chief to please get a handle on this exodus before we have no one left who even knows where the streets are!

Your opinion's are greatly valued, so what say you?

Tom Ford

NO. 558

Is Crestwood planning on "retiring" the Prop "S" tax, but still keeping it till 2013?

THIS, AND OTHER STORIES ARE "DEVELOPING!" Amazing, I am given to understand that at the Tuesday night BOA meeting we will hear that His Honor plans to retire the Prop "S" tax now!

Excellent you say? Well hold on to your wallet, as I am told it will remain in effect in one form or the other until 2013!

Hard to believe? You bet it is, as the Mayor PROMISED that it would be used for one thing, to retire a debt, however, a little known clause appears to allow him to keep it active, and he will announce just that on Tuesday!

The second thing is that we have had at least 3-5 officers leave the Police Department since the "reorganization" that was accomplished by His Honor, and the Chief of Police. If that seems excessive to you, it is!

That said, the City Administrator will be absent from the Tuesday meeting, and the Police Chief will take his place. Why not ask for the "exit interviews" (surly we do that, no?") and maybe we can get a handle on this "bleeding!"

UPDATE: Click on the header and you will see that, yes, we were "hoodwinked" again! The Boy's think we need to keep prop S in place even though they will retire it! Didn't his Honor say at a town hall meeting that it would "sunset" the second it was paid off? Yes, he did!


Tom Ford

NO. 557

"Joe, say it ain't so!" Missouri investigating voter fraud?

Please click on the header for the story. Has the entire Nation become a land of liberal crooks who believe they know what's best for us?

It's bad enough we have to fight "improprieties" right here in little old Crestwood, but to see the blatant fraud associated with this ACORN group just makes me ill!

I pray that each and every one of these suspects receive a swift, and fair trial, and are then remanded to the custody of the State of Missouri for 100n years!

By the way, did you see that the Missouri Ethics Commission levied a fine of $50,000.00 on a campaign for failure to file properly? It will be reduced to $5,000.00 if paid in 90 days, but WOW!

The question / complaint reference the prop 1 fiasco is still under investigation as of their last meeting of October 8, 2008. I will advise when I have further.

Tom Ford

NO. 557

Response to FOIA form requests, or what ya mean I can't see it?

Gee whiz kids, I took a couple of forms to the City Hall requesting documents on a variety of things, and all I received were two invoices pertaining to the cost of the July / August, Crestwood Connections Newsletter.

1. 6500 copies $3240.50

2. Mailing: $1015.69

All invoices directed to Ms. Helen Ingold, City of Crestwood.

The remaining 22 questions were denied under the following paragraph in the response letter from the City.

"Please note that under the provisions of the Sunshine Law, records requests only pertain to public records. Accordingly. the questions you have asked cannot be answered by the custodian of records."

I admit there were some biting questions in there, such as I wanted a copy of the police board minutes, but hey, who am I to be granted that knowledge?

One thing you should know it that our City Clerk, Ms. Tina Flowers is doing an outstanding job up there, and none of this "stone walling" can be laid at her feet! I thank her for providing what she can when I ask for it, so please do not blame her for this.

This is directly at the feet of the Mayor, the Board, and the City Attorney ( Mr. Rob Golterman, of Lewis Rice Fingersh.) Why I cannot as a citizen see the records I asked for escapes me, but believe me, I will not stop there!

How about it boy's, when do we stop the PYA, and coverup? What really happened?

By the way, why did Brian Gross resign, and why have we eliminated the "Management annalist" position? Can it be that this was one position we really didn't need, or is there something else at work here?

Tom Ford

NO. 556

Ladies and Gentlemen, for your information I have presented the City with a list of questions.

I also included F.O.I.A. (freedom of information act forms) with the questions. At least two Alderman have asked these questions, and one (Alderman Nieder) read some of them into the City BOA meeting a short while back.

Now, I have no idea if I will get any further than Alderman Neider has (stonewalled,) but I will tell you that they have 72 hours to answer my request, and if said information is not forthcoming, I will discuss this with the Paper's. and who ever else will listen!

The cover ups, and the questionable actions of this Government will be brought into the open, one way or the other! All I have ever asked for is the truth, and so far that has been obfuscated to the point of ridiculous!

How about it your Honor, BOA, Mr Eckrich. City Attorney Golterman (of the firm, Lewis, Rice) will that be forthcoming. or not?

Tom Ford

NO. 555

Does this remind anyone of a Crestwood Board meeting? Click here and see!

I saw this last night, and as I did it seemed to morph into two entirely different people!

I thought I saw Bill O'Reilly become Alderman Nieder, and Barney Frank become His Honor, Roy Robinson!

Mr. O'Reilly has nailed it just the same as Alderman Nieder has, and it's great to finally see someone stand up for the great unwashed!

My kudos to both Alderman Nieder and Mr. O'Reilly, as they truly have the passion to get to the heart of the problem, and they are not afraid to speak for us!

Tom Ford

NO. 554