Crestwood to get over $200,000.00 from AT&T settlement!( Click here.)

Ladies and Gentlemen,the settlement from the litigation (Mo. cities v AT&T) has been approved by the courts! If you click on the header, and run down the list, you will see that Crestwood will receive over $200,000.00 by December!

To say the least this is a "windfall" that comes (like the Calvary) in the nick of time! The reported shortfall from Macy's was in the very same neighborhood, and now it's going to be made up by AT&T!

The one and only concern I have is that it not be spent before we get it! How is that you say, well, we seem to have a "shortfall" in the budget of $600,000.00 that no one will address, and I fear this will somehow find it's way into that pot!

What should (and would) be done if this is properly managed is for the Department heads to be required to shave off the shortfall, and put that money in the bank for next year!

If this is done correctly, the "tax increase" crowd will have the wind taken out of their sails, and we may well recover sooner, rather than later.

Please call your Alderman, the Mayor, and Jim Eckrich, tell them you want this windfall saved, the budget cut, and you want to be back by the end of 2011!


Tom Ford

NO. 644

A Crestwood swim club meet last week, or who is paying for the crossing guards?

While driving on Sappington Rd. last week I, and several others noticed two Crestwood officers (in uniform, and with Crestwood Police cars) acting as "crossing guards" from St. Elizabeth to the City Hall parking lot!

Now if they were "off duty, and on secondary" I have no problem with that, at all. That said, I called City Hall and asked if in fact they were on secondary employment, but NO RESPONSE was forthcoming! I E-mailed Chief Mike, and again, no response!

At this juncture, I have become "concerned" to say the least, as I know of no police contract that allows our officers to act as "crossing guards" for the swim club!

Swim club members, I want my police officers "in the hood. not on the hood of a car assisting you in crossing illegally!

Tom Ford

NO. 643

"NOT FOR PROFIT GROUPS" bid for South County licence office!

The operative words here are "not for profit!" Please click on the article and you will notice that our own "Sappington House foundation" is one of the ones trying to land a deal in South County! Read a bit further on and you will find that none other than Mayor Roy Robinson will be a part of it as a "director!"

Now I could not care less what the Sunset Hills Historical Society, or their mayor do, but as for the Sappington Society, and Roy, well if they can do something like this as a "not for profit," well they can stop charging me for the Sappington House today!

As you may know the Sappington House is a part of our budget for maintainability, and we have the code enforcement officer living there FREE of charge, and getting $100.00 per month to do it!

Now they are going after a license agency (a very lucrative deal,)well Roy and the Board,it's time they paid their own way! You speak of cut's, well this is sure one that can be made today!

Please don't forget they have a $500,000.00 kitty, which you show as an asset on our books (it can't be touched,)so the money is there, right?

I await your leadership on this Ladies and Gentlemen of the Board, let's see you stand up for Crestwood for a change, and rid us of this ridiculous burden for once and for all!

Tom Ford

NO. 642

The 4th of July arrives next weekend, my favorite holiday (click here.)

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Nations birthday is fast approaching, and to that end I would like to make a remark intended for all of us.

I know full well that some of us are hurting, some of us are without a job, and some of us are very worried about the future of our children, and when you consider the state of the economy, no wonder!

The politics involved in this boondoggle (in Washington) are beyond any normal comprehension, but we can safely say that it will take all of us to stop the foolishness in Washington.

That said, please do not dispare, as we have seen this before, survived the idiocy, and moved on to a better Nation because of it. We will do it again, and that is why I thought that the old Jimmy Cagney rendition of "Yankee doodle dandy" was a great way of saying what I believe. I hope you enjoy it.


Tom Ford

NO. 641

Ladies and Gentlmen, the B.O.A. agenda for June 23,2009.

One thing I see on the agenda for Tuesday night is the ever popular "Car Port Ordinance!"

http://www.ci.crestwood.mo.us/docs/agendas_minutes/boa/2009_06_23/memo%20re%20carport%20zoning%201st%20amendment%20062309.pdf

We have pressing things to consider budget wise (such as the Sappington House, and the Animal control officer,how to make up for the Plaza shortfall) but we shall take up the matter of who has what in their carport!

Now I know that none of us want to see old furniture, refrigerators, washing machines in a carport, and frankly I haven't seen one yet in Crestwood unless it's going in the trash.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Board, and you Honor, is this the best use of your time and efforts next Tuesday, or should you be looking into HOW TO SAVE EXPENSES? You tell me.

Tom Ford

NO. 640

Animal control volunteers "letter to the editor" Suncrest Call (click here for the letter.)

Well, I am confused here folks. The letter from two of the volunteers of the Crestwood animal control shelter states in the second paragraph that, "The writer, Mr. Ford, indicated that Crestwood is supporting two animal control officers, which is not the case. Our animal control officer works within the borders of Crestwood and is paid by the city. The fact that our taxes may help support St. Louis County's services does not mean we do not need the services provided right here."

Now as I read this I see a direct contradiction of the original premise that we are NOT supporting two animal control officers! Please notice that "The fact that our taxes may help support St. Louis County's services" shows me that we are indeed supporting TWO animal control entities.

Ladies, I thank you for making my point, and I rest my case, WE ARE INDEED SUPPORTING TWO ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS AS I SAID!

Ladies, Please, you and I and most of Crestwood understand that we cannot afford this, and since St, Louis County will not give it up, I think we must!

Face it Ladies, it's one or the other, but it cannot be both, so which is it, we support one, or two?

Tom Ford

NO.639

Board OK's "tax free holiday," again!

At the Tuesday B.O.A. meeting our Alderman voted to have another "Tax Free Weekend" this year in Crestwood!

We did this last year, and not even His Honor the mayor could substantiate the results. I believe Mr. Eckrich has stated that there is no certain way to measure results in increased shopping in Crestwood when this is in effect, so why have it?

These are serious times for Crestwood folks. We are asked to extend Prop "S" to 2013 because we need the TAX monies, we may well see a tax increase on the next ballot if some have their way, and now we take a weekend off from taxes? I don't get it.

As far as the tax holiday goes we and Sunset Hills may well be the only communities in our area to offer it. The question I have is what happens when we give up a "Back to school" weekend of sales, (and the associated tax monies) when the weekend is over?

His Honor would like you to believe that people will return in droves to "buy Crestwood," when in fact the economy, gasoline prices, and excess travel are all factors that will keep people in their own neighborhoods.

This entire line of logic is flawed beyond the pale. We have a Federal government who say they "saved" 600,000 job's, knowing it can't be proven one way or the other, and now we have a Board going along with a "plan" that also has no grounding in facts.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Board, I implore you to start the "fiscal responsibility" we need in Crestwood to survive, after all there is just so much money available, and we (unlike the Fed's) cant print it!

(click the header for the new Federal ideas on how to fix Crestwood!)


Tom Ford

NO. 638

Well it seems that we have another "prop S" issue (click here for the story!)

It seems that the "Prop S' tax we voted on to retire the debt will have done it's job in 2010 instead of 2013.Wow, good news you say? Well that depends on to whom you speak.

His Honor has threatened to veto any vote to "sunset" the tax early (you better have six!) saying we need the funds to repay the general fund for monies borrowed due to some anomaly in the wording of the loan. The city Administrator presented four options to the board, but seemed to want to keep the tax in place, as does the Mayor.

Now, I couldn't care less whether the tax remains in place (face it, were used to it,) but I do have a bit of a problem with one more broken promise made by Mayor Robinson. When we were asked to vote on this we were assured that as soon as the loan was paid off, it was over! Well that does not seem to be the case now, as he stated at the last BOA meeting that he would veto any plan to sunset it prior to 2013 (listen to the tape of the meeting.)

What amazes me is that the Mayor, his "tax cheerleader squad" and others trumpet the need for new taxes, and then have no idea why they fail by a 72% MARGIN! Your Honor, could it be that we, the great un-washed just don't believe you any more?

Tom Ford

NO. 637