First Capitol News,
Subject: Mr. Reese Fist Capitol News, December 17, 2005
I was rather surprised that the editorial articles concerning Mr. Reese were printed in the First Capitol News. Though I am not a regular reader, I must say that I agree with the comments. Mr. Reese may be well educated, however he appears to lack common sense in my opinion, or at most does not seek all of the facts before acting.
Mr. Reese does not appear to be capable of administering a small Condo Association let alone the affairs of a City the size of St. Charles, MO. For example, due to minor hail damage he and the board members had beautiful wood like aluminum siding replaced with dark gray vinyl siding, (insurance$$) there was no backing put on under the vinyl siding. It was not applied properly and therefore; every time a gust of wind comes along the siding is loosened and sometimes blows off completely. The siding was applied by an out of town contractor with unskilled, non english speaking workers. Nothing against non english speaking citizens, just that they should be skilled. If anyone doubts my word just have them drive down the alley behind Forest Hills Drive and look up at the siding. You will notice loose vinyl siding ends and bulging vinyl siding, and gaps between the ends of the siding due to not overlapping enough when installed. I had vinyl siding installed on my house by a local contractor 10 years ago and have had only one minor incident.
I probably got off the subject a little here but just wanted to give an example of how little some people care about the welfare of the general public, and I could go on and on. I have informed Mr. Reese of this siding problem sending three letters and promised to bring it to the media’s attention. Therefore, could not pass on this opportunity.
Sincerely,
Citizen of Ward 5
Dear Phyllis & Tony,
On behalf of my wife, stepdaughter and me, I want to extend my Christmas greetings to both of you and also all of the best for 2006. It was a interesting year for the First Capitol News, as you have done consistently since 2001, you have provided a hometown newspaper that is very widely read by those in St. Charles.
I agree with you in the recent editorial that we have a City Council that is pretty much doing their job. There is nothing wrong with a 5-5 vote. It is what it is and it needs to be accepted. I feel that the City Council this year has done its job despite much interference it has received from interest groups and several residents and non-residents. I am very disappointed with the conduct of our Mayor, especially this year. I do believe that she has overstepped her boundaries of her job and has made some decisions that could be interpreted as going against the St. Charles City Charter and possibly the Missouri Constitution.
At my day job, I recently signed an agreement that I obey the policies and procedures of “conflicts of interest.” In my case, I am not supposed to play favorites when it comes to selecting vendors for the day-to-day operations of my department and the company where I am employed. I believe that the Mayor as well as members of the City Council must adhere to similar standards.
I originally thought that Mayor York was being picked on by certain individuals who wanted her out. But after looking at the big picture in the second half of this year, I am starting to see a graver picture of a leader and her administration abusing power and denying any kind of check and balance to anyone that is in their way or affects the agenda they have for the city.
There have been many issues that I have disagreed with Mayor York on, mainly anything concerning beautification. Sometimes beautification of a City isn’t really the responsibility of a City administration, unless there is something considered as a public nuisance. Her beautification agenda reminds me of the 1960s when President Lyndon Johnson’s wife wanted to “beautify America” by placing items along the new Interstates as eye candy to motorists. They disappeared in the 1970s due to expansion of the Interstates and improvements to the system. I’m afraid that Mayor York is in a very similar mode.
As a runner, I was offended when she and several of her friends wanted to place a veterans memorial at McNair Park, right in a place where high school cross country runners compete and where recreational runners like myself want to run. I consider McNair Park to be part of my “backyard,” since I now live across the street from the park. I can tolerate the soccer fields, baseball diamonds, tennis courts and the swimming pool. But the park isn’t designed for memorials. I am pleased to see that there was an alternate site for a memorial and most residents accept it at the current location.
The company I work for in my day job sells material to T..R. Hughes. In fact, T.R. Hughes built my sister and brother-in-law’s current residence in O’Fallon. I don’t think he is a bad developer and from what I have seen of my sister’s house. It is in great shape. However, I believe that Mr. Hughes is overstepping himself as an individual in trying to be a lead person of influence in St. Charles. I don’t think that a business person, whether or not they live inside the City or not, should be able to act the way that Mr. Hughes had recently conducted himself at City Council meetings. I have watched a number of proceedings and I think Rory Riddler catches javelins and has a difficult job when it comes to who speaks before the Council. Rory has done a fine job as Council president. I know he wants to be Mayor, but he does have a role as presiding officer of the legislative branch to check on the executive branch. It’s part of our system of government here and in this country.
I have always held a rule even when I was a senior manager of a mom-and-pop operation in St. Charles during the 1990s that not only are you a business person, you also have to play by the rules and the laws established by the community or municipality where the business is based. As President Nixon said, “no one is above the law.” Mr. Hughes might pay more taxes compared to someone like me. But he still has the same rights and the same obligations as me when it comes to our votes and citizenship.
I do not want to see a City Council act as a rubber stamp for anyone, whether it is the Mayor or an influential businessman. I saw it too many times when I was a young child and my grandfather was the street commissioner for this City. Looking at historical documents when my grandfather worked for the City, I noticed that there were many “influential” people who tried to get their way and did all kinds of things just to get their way. Unfortunately what I see today, compared to the 1950s and 1960s, is more childish and more degrading. Who do those influential people think they are? Have they learned anything from their parents and grandparents who lived here before?
As far as Allan Williams, I might have met him before during the 1990s, but he has got to go. Since the St. Charles City Charter was enacted in 1982, we have had more trouble with anyone who has become a City administrator. I was never for the provision in the Charter that called for a City administrator or “City manager” as it was once known. Being a lifelong resident, I know that the charter was formed in 1981 as a way to curb the powers of the then-Mayor Douglas Boschert, who at that time took advantage of loopholes in state law concerning municipalities. I know that most of those loopholes have been cleared up by members of the Missouri General assembly in the last 25 years. But I believe that Mayor York has been just as abusive as a Mayor compared to Douglas Boschert. The only difference was that Boschert was a Mayor who presided over the Council meetings. Mayor York has done many things unilaterally without the consent of the City Council. There is a time and a place for executive decisions and Mayor York’s timing and tactics is unacceptable. I have seen better Mayors such as Frank Brockgreitens (Mayor during the 1970s) and Melvin Wetter act as true leaders of this City and showed some respect and dignity for the office they held. They were true representatives of St. Charles.
I am not thrilled with the recent stories in other media, whether it is Elliot Davis, John Sonderegger or Ed Watkins (who lost all of my credibility this when when he literally libeled a long-time friend of mine in his publication), Davis and Sonderegger have been way too soft when it comes to news in St. Charles. But you have done quite a good job. I admit that there have seen moments where I thought a story or two published in the First Capitol News was going to get you into trouble. But in the long run, it looks more like Watkins went off the deep end. Lately his publication doesn’t tell me anything. It’s all political rhetoric and nothing really news worthy. Watkins can’t even write a good column in good taste. He doesn’t know anything about writing for the media and I knew that going back to when I was a journalism student at Lindenwood College during the 1980s when he was a vice president under Jim Spainhower.
Being interested in newspaper style and design, I have seen nothing significant in Watkin’s publication. It tries to mock or imitate the First Capitol News and I think that he doesn’t really know how to practice good journalism or even good taste.
I didn’t send too many Christmas cards this year due to my wife being ill. She’s doing better and is recovering from surgery. But this year, I did cross Ken Kielty's name off of My Christmas list. I had a lot of respect for the gentleman back when he had the license office. He got things done and he and his sons were great customers during the 1990s when I worked at a local video store. But I have grown very disappointed with the Kielty family. I would have thought that a veteran politician would have more decorum and taste than to resort to threatening a letter writer on the telephone. When I read that, I thought it was quite sophomoric. I still don’t understand why he needed to do that. I don’t know Bob Bredensteiner. But Bob makes his points quite clear in his letter writing and I hope he continues to write letters to the editor. I wish he would get his own column. He would make quite a columnist.
When I was in high school 25 years ago (I attended and graduated from St. Charles West), I wrote numerous letters to the editor in the school newspaper. I made a difference and people enjoyed reading my letters. It was one of the things that convinced me to change my ambitions from engineering to journalism. The other factor that convinced me was my work during high school with a lifelong friend of mine named Richard Vinson, who was establishing his collection while I was in high school. I now see that Frenchtown Museum (especially in my Saturday morning runs) and I am proud that there are people in this community who have great intentions to preserve a collection that he built. The collection celebrates its twenty fifth anniversary in 2006. I hope those who are operating the museum realize that.
Overall, you have a great group of contributors to the First Capitol News. It has grown to become quite a newspaper and I am proud to be a part of it. I enjoy covering the Missouri River Otters during the winter and I’m looking forward to a full season of River City Rascals baseball during the summer.
I am looking forward to quite a productive 2006 and I do hope that our City improves as the residents take charge away from these different groups and influential people who try to make the place a personal playground. Keep up the good work. I also hope that the River Otters will win some hockey games this winter.
Louis J. Launer
Dear Mr. Brockmeyer,
January 3, 2006 is a day that will go down in infamy. It wasn’t as drastic as Pearl Harbor, but we saw some Council members and Patti fly bombs over the rest of the Council. I looked for the red circles on the planes but there was too much smoke in the air to see them.
There is an interesting book out by Tracy Campbell from the University of Kentucky, “Deliver the Vote”. Mr. Campbell is a historian. He suggests there is a deeply embedded culture within American politics that considers cheating fully justifiable...part of a game.
We certainly had this with the petition drives. We had spouses signing for their away from home spouse, we had a government teacher willfully sign the petition two times, a deceased man signed the petition. The list goes on and on..
I heard our Prosecuting Attorney Jack Banas said when the police investigation is finished he will not do anything with the illegalities. I hope to God this is a rumor but I do believe I heard it last night.
Mr. Chrismer (Director of elections) is a dead end. He refuses to talk to anyone. I should know as I called him for some information. The poor ladies in his office put me through to his office and he did not pick up the phone. The ladies said he was in his office. When is he due for reelection if we so choose?
The only course left for a person wanting justice is to call the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. Maybe they can get Mr. Banas to do his job.
JH, A Ward Seven Voter
An open letter to the community,
There are no words that can express the gratitude and thankfulness our family is feeling for your incredible outpouring of love, concern and generosity. On December 19, 2005, our brother, Brian, his wife, Julie, their daughters, Alex and Jordan, and our mother, Joyce, lost their home, all they owned and their two dogs in a house fire. While this was a horrible tragedy, you, our community and friends, turned it into the most wonderful holiday season this family has ever experienced.
From the first moments of the fire when Brian needed a pair of socks and 15 pairs appeared for his sock-less feet, to all those who showed up, called, e-mailed, sent letters, and gave and gave and gave, the words “thank you” are never going to be enough. Your generosity, especially just days before Christmas, has reinforced in our hearts the goodness and kindness of mankind. The extent that so many cared and how much or community stands beside it’s own can never be measured and is so very much appreciated.
Our sincerest and heartfelt thanks, prayers and best wishes for a glorious New Year, go out to each and every one of you.
With eternal gratitude,
Tammy (Vipond) Lawing
Dear Editor,
Kevin Kast and TR Hughes need to get off their high horses and get down here on a shetland pony like the rest of us. “It’s We the people, Kevin. It’s not we the movers and shakers, who should be trying to control our City Council.
If you and TR can’t make things happen fast enough, you TR the stand up guy that you are, or you think you are, go ahead and do the right thing and get State Rep. Tom Dempsey to get legislation passed to benefit you and your company. You might talk to Dempsey and the Governor and see maybe if they would be interested in do the right thing in Jeff City.
Kevin and TR decide to do the right thing as they and Sonderagger backstab Riddler in the very article they are tying to convince everybody else they should do the right thing.
Lets bet Kevin & TR and Cleaver dictate how our Council should be. They probably would have Kneemiller president of the Council and Weller vice president. Kneemiller was president when he and Patti and the lockstep six were in power. They along with O’Connor, the administrator, gave away our old police station for about $3250,000 shy of what it should have been. Remember Corporate Group and how Jerry Scheidegger got the old County building on 2nd street from the City for $100,000 and now its worth about $1 million and the City is now paying rent to them for offices for the Fire Department.. Remember the Waterworks property. Remember Ernie and some of his real estate deals with the City. Think about this folks and ask Kevin and TR if the lockstep six and Patti and O’Connor would fit again for a do the right thing Council so TR and the rest of the movers and shakers could move forward and spend more of our taxpayers money. (TR to Kevin) “Hey Kevin lets do the right thing and go to the Council meeting with a group. I’ll holler Kangaroo Court real loud and we can squash their Express Script deal and the subpoenas for the people that just might tell the truth and get the Mayor booted out of office. We can’t have that. We may need her before 2007 when you take office Kevin and then we can really do the right thing if you know what I mean.”
According to TR, a 21 year veteran police officer of our City, he is very upset with Rory Riddler for using our police department for political purposes. Can you imagine that folks! I wonder what he thinks got a lot of these problems we have in our city started. Open your eyes TR you are living in the fantasy world that Patti is in.
Remember the opening of the police contract? Remember the 200 hours comp pay for friend and ex-officer Tommy Maye?. Remember the take home cars that left our City every day? Remember the photograph of Patti addressing the Fraternal Order of Police? About 75 of our officers do not live in our town. Remember the 73 who said they were stressed out and filed to get an injunction against our council for apparently stressing them out? I’ve got to check with Chief Swope and see how he handled all that and what disciplinary action was taken if any.
Remember the full page ads that ran in the newspapers with the FOP and SCOPA footing the bill with Dean Meyer’s signature? About 75 officers don’t live in St. Charles yet they are allowed to take part in our choosing the way our charter should apply. (Charter Amendment #1) they don’t vote here. They don’t pay taxes here and all the rest anyone does in the town they live in. (Political I guess!)
TR & Kevin are trying to pull a CON over the citizens of St. Charles. About 95 percent of the problems we have in our City government started at 200 North Second Street Suite #400 (Mayor’s office). If you and your cohorts and her cronies don’t quit covering for her and she gets control of our City Council, she may just pull off one of the biggest CON’s by any Mayor in the State of Missouri past or future. You give her enough cover and she’ll show you, TR & Kervin the exact way to do the right thing - Patti’s style.
Bob Bredensteiner
An Open Letter to Senator Chuck Gross & Others
The front page of the January 4th Post Dispatch read “Shock Waves Sent Through Congress”, and it seems to us that some of the same kind of power grabs that are coming to light in Washington D.C. are also occurring in St. Charles City.
We residents of St. Charles City have recently been subjected to a rash of recall drives, two of which have been orchestrated by a group of people whose political objectives seem to be to take over City Hall and to rid themselves of people who get in their way.
One example of this is the recall petition drive leveled against Ward 7 Councilwoman Dottie Greer. You would think that in a Ward recall, the citizens of the Ward would be the ones making accusations, passing petitions, and going door to door. However, in this case only one resident of Ward 7 was involved in the recall process. From where did the other petitioners come? They came from Kirkwood, Wentzville, Florissant, St. Louis County, St. Louis City, St. Peters, Wright City, Rolla, Ferguson, Berkeley, Belleville, Illinois, and Cahokia, Illinois.
You might wonder why these people would travel from as far as Rolla just to collect signatures for a St. Charles City Ward recall. Of course, the answer is obvious. They were being paid. The more important question is who was paying them and from where did the money come? The Citizen Empowerment Committee raised nearly $35,000 for this effort. A large sum of money was donated by Glennon Jamboretz, a public relations man who lives in St. Louis County, and a fundraising effort for this committee was sponsored by Ken Kielty, Richard Baum, builder Tom Hughes, Kevin Kast, and builder Mike Sellenschuetter, none whom live in Ward 7. However, builders Hughes and Sellenschuetter have a financial interest in keeping “friends” on the Council and Mr. Kast has been mentioned as a mayoral candidate backed by these people. The Citizens for Responsible Government, a group headed by Carl Maas and Raymond Stone, neither of whom even live in St. Charles City, loaned the group $7500. Citizens for a Responsible Government has been trying to gain a foothold in St. Charles City politics for several years now.
After several months and much badgering of the Ward residents by the petition gatherers (who were looking for their paycheck), the petitions were turned in. Residents report that these petitioners came to their homes repeatedly banging on their doors, intimidating some of the residents if they did not sign, encouraging some to sign for spouses who were not home, and asking some to sign twice. There were so many irregularities in the petitions that the police have started an investigation. So far, according to Ms. Greer who attended the deposition, one of the petitioners stated that she was instructed to sign and have her signature notarized on a petition sheet on which she had not collected all of the signatures, and one of the petitioners was instructed by her attorney, Michael Kielty (son of one of the backers of the recall), to take the Fifth Amendment so as not to incriminate herself.
Similar tactics were used in the Ward 3 recall drive which was also instigated by the same people who organized the Ward 7 drive, and none of whom live in Ward 3.
As for the Council people against whom the recall is aimed, they have been subject to different forms of intimidation. The home of Councilperson Greer, who sponsored a bill limiting fireworks in the city, was bombarded with fireworks on the 4th of July, and the neighbors (and one of the letter writers is a neighbor) were actually afraid her home would be burned down. Councilman Brown tells us that after he refused to accept favors from one of the builders (he tells us MJ Developers offered him money for any project he wanted and they also offered to put in a retainer wall around his house if he would vote their way), he and his wife were subject to a sudden rash of tax audits (which were all clear) and the state attempted to take his wife’s certification for her business.
We are writing to you today because we are concerned with the direction our city is taking. We noted in a December 31st article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that St. Louis City is taking steps to solve its’ problem of recall fraud (see “Possible Fraud Stops Recall Drive, pg. A4). If recall is to be instigated, should it not be done by the constituents of the Ward who elected the official? Shouldn’t there be set rules governing the appropriateness of recall? This is a rather complicated issue which affects the voting ability of the average citizen and it would seem there should be an overriding set of state and/or federal laws which guide individual municipalities and which would prevent special interests from taking advantage of the recall process.
Allowing people who have outside interests and the power of money behind them to promote recall effectively negates our vote and undermines our democracy. It’s time to start putting an end to the greed and the power-grabs. We are asking those of you to whom we write this letter to consider creating some laws requiring more stringent rules regarding recall and/or to start shedding some light on what’s happening in our city.Sincerely,
Jane Horning, Eleanor McCune,
cc: Rich Chrismer, Sen. Christopher Bond, Sen. Jim Talent, Rep. Todd Akin, Alice Fisher, Attn. Gen. Jay Nixon, Rep. Tom Dempsey, Gov. Matt Blunt, Sen. Chuck Gross
