Dear Editor,
It is puzzling why Councilmen Muench, Reese, Weller and Kneemiller vetoed issuing a subpoena to the one person other than Mayor York who knows what led to the signing of the prescription contract with Express Scripts. In addition to this important information it might also be discovered why no record of the contract can be found in a number of places it should have been. It is a stretch of the imagination that copies of the contract could have been misfiled in so many offices from the City Clerk to the Legal Department. It is more likely either a systematic and deliberate removal of the contract occurred or the one Mayor York signed was the only copy and that was sent to Express Scripts and is the one Express Scripts is requiring the city pay them two hundred thousand dollars to void.
By the action of these four councilmen a two thirds vote of the city council to issue subpoenas not only to the previous Human Resources person, Ms. Caskey, but several people from Express Scripts and the Marsh Company resulted in the failure of the motion to pass. These four councilmen represent some twenty four thousand or so citizens of our city and I wonder how many of them feel they were considered when the motion failed due to their veto. Were they proud of Councilman Weller pompously prattling on about how the corporate world has flow charts they work through in a effort to provide answers, etc. etc. It is my opinion the two people who have the answers are Mayor York and Ms. Caskey.
Carol Diller
RESPONSE TO JOSH HAGER
In response to the letter from Josh Hager and in defense of the letter from Mr. Lehmann, I agree with Mr. Lehmann and question Mr. Hager. Some Points:
*In my time at the airport that goes as far back as the 1980’s, I do not recall of any incident where a plane struck a duck.
*I wonder if perhaps the ducks Mr. Hager encountered in the pattern he was flying were actually flying over the Hager Company Duck Club feeding lake. It seems reasonable to assume ducks would look for food in a lake as opposed to a concrete runway.
*To the best of my knowledge the airport has had an office or at least the last 25 years. For someone who has stated he has made hundreds of landings at Smartt Field but was unaware there was an office is a real stretch. It seems to me a person who has used the airport that often could make a reasonable assumption that someone must be on the premise to provide maintenance of the hangers, buildings, grounds and runways.
*Mr. Hager is correct regarding one of his points. A large part of the traffic at Smartt is the practice of take off and landings, and a good number are not based at the airport. However, there are more than 100 planes based at the airport. It is no secret throughout the area that Smartt is a great airport as stated by Mr. Hager and many other instructor pilots. However, what should be mentioned is that based on the airport is the Commemorative Air Force that have World War II airplanes and a museum, Kilroy’s Restaurant with a full menu, and seating for up to 60 located in the same building with the Airport Director.
In addition the Experimental Aircraft Group has facilities, Skylinks Aviation has a flight school, St. Louis Engine and Cylinder has a repair shop, and there also are two fueling stations. Consequently, there is a lot more activity at the airport than just students practicing take off and landings. It should also be mentioned the airport is a 24-hour facility, not 9 to 5 as implied. The ramps and runways are fully lighted to accommodate students practicing night flying and provide a haven for a cross country flier needing fuel.
*Mr. Hager alleges the expansion is based on faulty logic and incomplete data. I doubt there is any instructor that would not appreciate a few extra hundred feet of runway in certain situations with a student; it is simply a matter of safety. It is also inconceivable the County would be awarded a several million dollar grant for a project based on “incomplete data.”
*When a person with the name Hager writes a letter to the editor with incomplete data which is critical of Smartt Field, you may suspect he is a member of the Hager family duck club. If true, he would also be a supporter of the Great Rivers Habitat. I believe that group has, with assistance, stopped the runway extension and therefore lost the county a two million dollar grant.
Gerald E. Ohlms
Dear editor:
Thank God for e-mails and the computer savvy friend. It appears the Mayor got her friends all together and circled the wagons at the Express Script hearings. One had to be impressed for there were her people. People like: Ken Kielty, Kevin Kast, TR Hughes, John Sonderegger, Henry Elmendorf, Carl Maus and Raymond Stone, Tom Hayden. There were several hangers on like Steve Powell and Venetia McIntyre along with Richard Baum. Baum and Glennon Jamboretz were passing out stick on signs saying “save our Mayor”.
A lot of her supporters are from out of town and are not St. Charles residents. I understand that even Tom Hughes is moving out of town along with his right hand man, Steve Thomas.
At first I thought I was at the Mayor’s prayer breakfast, referred to as “The largest in the nation”.
Right away I knew I wasn’t at a prayer meeting of any kind when Ward 4 representative Kneemiller shouted in mid-sentence, “WHAT’S HE DOING HERE” referring to special council attorney Mr. Eric Tolen. I thought Kneemiller was going to go into cardiac arrest. He became incensed at the idea that Mr. Tolen was there and Patti couldn’t get the Council to let her have an attorney for this hearing.
Not to worry Patti. I was told by several Council people, before you have to raise your right hand and swear to tell the truth, the WHOLE TRUTH and nothing but the truth – so HELP you God, you will have your attorney, paid for by the taxpayers to get the truth out no matter what.
Also we should mention the ones not there like: Tom Dempsey and Ernie Dempsey, Chuck Gross, Joe Orthwerth and Steve Ehlman, all of who were against Charter Amendment #1 for our City. I almost forgot the union man, Roger Pryor. Did they not get an e-mail asking for prayers and support for Patti or did they just not want to be there?
Let’s look at the “Cover Up” with Marsh and Company, insurance broker for the city that got this cover up investigation started. They apparently were covering up the way they did business for quite some time for the Attorney General of New York to seek an $85 million fine against them. Come to find out they were not real truthful with the city getting the most for the taxpayer dollar for insurance. I believe the savings the Council has achieved on insurance coverage could be as high as $1 million.
I have an idea. If TR Hughes would buy that contract with Express Scripts for $200,000,that would take the taxpayers of this city off the hook and maybe it would take a little bit of wrong off of Patti. Till the City gets their subpoenas served and we get the true facts this city will continue in turmoil.
Bob Bredensteiner.
PS – Remember, Martha Stewart went to jail for lying not stealing.
