By Jerry Haferkamp
I thought after failed attempts to intimidate the FCN advertisers, the FOP (Friends of Patti) would give up the attempts to eliminate the only newspaper in St. Charles. I was wrong. They are now willing to spend thousands every two weeks on a tabloid insert in Patti’s other paper. They claim they will report on issues, but they haven’t brought up an issue in their weeks of publication. Their only issue is that they don’t want the FCN to give you information on issues. I dislike giving them any publicity, but I see by reading it their readers are being given a lot of misinformation. I will attempt to enlighten them.
First, Karen Hoffman: Karen, I’m sorry you had a “very negative” reaction to the moving of the Mayor from the Council dais. You will be relieved to know the Mayor liked the idea. She must have had one of those John Kerry moments. (“I actually voted for it before I voted against it”) Of course, that was when she had puppets on the Council and it would have been to her advantage to say, “see…I’m for this issue down here and so are my puppets up there, so it must be good”. Then again, maybe it was just so she and Councilman Riggs could exchange “winks” easier without trying to look past Councilman Hoepfner who was seated between them. By the way, the Mayor never was, as you implied, “part of the Council”. You may have inferred she was with the previous Council, since she ran the Council back then. “What does this city have that works?” you asked. Answer: Everything. Finally, they even have a newspaper that works.
Next, ETM: If you get angered watching Council meetings, maybe you should take the blinders off and see how this Council is making department heads responsible. Sure, the former meetings were much easier on the delicate senses since everything brought to the Council from “staff” was just rubber-stamped. I’m sure the Mayor shares your angst since it is now harder for her friends to get sweetheart treatment. Oh, and can you cite an incident of “intimidation”, or is that just another untrue hit and run slap at the Council?
B.P.: What Pearl Ridge Scandal? The Public Works Department approved a developer’s plans that nature proved inadequate. Since the developer didn’t have the money to re-do this storm water retention basin, there was little choice but to have the City accept responsibility for the work they approved. If they didn’t, the property owners affected by the Public Works Departments miscalculations could have sued the City as well as the developer. Do you think a Councilman shouldn’t be allowed to vote on something which affects residents in his ward? Is your Councilman involved in a “scandal” if he votes in favor of replacing a crumbling street that happens to go past his home? If so, don’t vote for your neighbor, no matter how good he or she may be. Mr. Brown did not give up his rights as a resident just because he was elected to the Council.
J.F.: The Sister Cities program has been in place for years and we exchange visits regularly. Funny thing, though, you only attacked 2 Councilmen for participating. Why didn’t you mention the Mayor? She has gone there, too. Oh, that’s right. “Teflon” Patti.
Mr. Launer: Your letter proved you to be the best informed of the writers. I would, though, disagree with the part about “unwarranted and unprovoked attacks” on Stephen Powell. In the past, Mr. Powell was enjoying jaunts to foreign countries to promote St. Charles as a “world class destination”. What a waste of taxpayers’ dollars! He appears to have used inflated tourism figures to get increases in CVB budgets. We also have evidence of the meting out of work to a certain business in small increments in what to many would appear to be an attempt to by-pass the bidding process. This was not a business registered with the State, so they wouldn’t have been allowed to bid if ordinances were followed. Lo and behold, as soon as the State audit was announced, they quickly got registered. Did you ever see a cat covering up its deposits in a litter box? Same activity. Add to that he repeatedly ignored requirements to submit his expense reports to the Council and you get a less than stellar public “servant”. When “ETM”, who was mentioned above, spoke of “intimidation”, he should ask some of the South Main businessmen and businesswomen about tactics used by, lets say, a certain CVB employee.
You know, this all makes you wonder what Mr. Ed and his cronies are missing out on to make it worth their while to spend thousands every two weeks to attack the First Capitol News. Maybe it’s because in a few years we will have a new Mayor and they want to put their bid in early. My advice would be to wait and see if the office will be for sale. You may be trying to make the purchase too early. Actually, what you thought was a previous sale was only a lease, and the landlords (resident taxpayers) are looking forward to getting a new tenant.
That’s all for today. I have to go to therapy because someone over at stchuckwatch called me an idiot. (I hate it when they agree with my wife) I hope therapy will help me recover. By the way, that wailing sound you hear on the first Monday each month at 9a.m. is the testing of our storm warning sirens, not the pinheads at stchuckwatch posting on the site, as some folks think.
Has Steve Powell been fired yet? Why not?
