Category Archives: City Politics

city government offenses, City Politics

More Collectivist Visions

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More faux Visions from government Visionaries            July 1, 2011

Much like the debilitated Civic Center, UAFS Chancellor Paul Beran and cronies are now in the business dedicated to breathe new life into the failed “Entrepreneurship Center”.

The story appeared in the Times Record, Thursday June 30, 2011, accompanied by the normal amount of bureaucratic jargon, e.g. Beran has “hopes of creating synergy with other outreach offices”.  Beran went on to say “people with good ideas but no college education are uncomfortable going to campus for help” ….more about this statement in a sec.    Beran asked his cronies to focus on 3 primary questions:

1.    What is community looking for from the I.E.C.?   No definition of I.E.C. but it is the Entrepreneur Center. None.
2-3.  What kind of support is there in the community for the IEC and what do you want from the IEC? None.

It turns out that the Blue Ribbon Commission on Entrepreneurs is Craig Rivaldo, president of a local Arvest Bank; Jim Partridge, president of a Bancorp South & Chairman of the F.S. Regional Chamber of Commerce (the outfit that champions open borders & cheap illegal alien labor).   Followed by Ivey Owen, Director of Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority, Ray Gosack, City Administrator and of course, Beran.

This embryonic program is all about expansion (UAFS), funding, and government indoctrination.   None of Beran’s cronies, nor himself, have ever created nor sustained a job…they are all Takers, not Makers (entrepreneurs)
Government does not and cannot create entrepreneurs.   Entrepreneurs are born with the innate belief that they will own a business or businesses and it begins at a very early age.  Entrepreneurs are willing to cast their lot on their own ambitions—no “angel fund”, they are bankrolled by a persistent toughness, desire, no course deviation, and the excitement coupled with their gambling spirit.  If the aforementioned bureaucrats had these qualities they would not be working for or influenced by government. Government’s goal is to impart a doctrinaire socialist manifesto, i.e. “Public-Private-Partnerships”.

On the flip side, what kinds of individuals seek bureaucratic-type advice on starting or maintaining a business?  Those looking for a free handout…those looking for something for nothing…unearned largesse. Entreprenuers are Makers, not Takers.  Why would a rational person based in fairness want to take money forced from producers? The Moochers, socialists, collectivists, opportunists, those seeking unearned respect and/or largesse are happy to Take it.

True entrepreneurs will make their own way, and the taxpayer carrot of subsidizing them will not play. Do you know of any government success stories?…of course not.

Joe & Barbara McCutchen

P.S. Isn’t Beran the same guy who wants to get funding for the old Mallalieu Church to form an academy for “at risk” students?  Back in the day, “at risk” meant town toughs, thugs, slugs, ne’er-do-wells, and now, illegal alien gang-bangers.  Today, only the description has changed.

arkansasfreedom.net   

city government offenses, City Politics

Government has no shame, or limits it would seem

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Government has no shame, or limits it would seem

More extravagance by the Takers                                                             June 13, 2011

Government at any level has no shame.   Two examples:

The United States Postal Service last fiscal year ran a deficit of $7.5 billion. One of the many sordid instances of government arrogance and waste is not only the fact they advertise in all numbers of sporting events and a vast array of other types while they’re forced to hire Fed Ex, UPS and any number of transportation services to distribute the mail.  Why should any government agency advertise?  If a government service cannot meet the demand of the public without advertising they should be shut down forthwith and allow private enterprise to fill the gap.   

The Postal Service’s recent conduct demands an investigation into the fact they are economically subsidizing the “London (England) Festival Symphony”.

Locally, consider the University of Arkansas Fort Smith and another example of elitist foolishness.

The UAFS is advertising on city traditional and electronic billboards.  A rational thought that any potential student for a university experience residing in the city of Fort Smith would be intelligent enough to know the school exists.   If not, one must conclude that the potential student is stupid and Chancellor Paul Beran and his administration have obviously given no objective thought to this expensive silly waste.  Other forms of advertising include bus station benches, magazines, broadcast media, etc.

The UAFS is engaged in a host of Taking stupidly dispensed forced-redistribution taken from the Makers.  Chancellor Beran has compiled a very impressive list of foolish spending, none of which the Makers were or are aware of.  An inspection of the Chancellor’s travelogue includes numerous trips to the Orient, and a plethora of other international and interstate trips.  Now the trip to Belize.

Our Republic in the throes of a national depression, yes depression, the victim of massive unemployment, some food shortages, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, etc. etc.  Chancellor Beran sends a number of student nurse practitioners to Belize for whatever the reason—more Taking.  Wonder what the cost of that sortie will be? While folks in Clarksville, Joplin, ad infinitum are desperate for medical and related help.  With all this in mind, Beran sends these young students off to Belize on an expensive busman’s holiday.

The likes of Beran, accompanied by other bureaucrats and politicians, have bankrupted our former preeminent Republic as the size of government increases.

Are citizen Makers witnessing the second coming of slavery without firing a shot?  Are you aware that 47% of U.S. citizens pay no income tax?  Government (Takers) is a parasite which subsists on the blood-money of the Makers.

Oh yes, Gov. Beebe sees fit to advertise on primetime TV, radio and print media to beg the folks (legal & illegal) to enroll in an Arkansas welfare program (compliments of Huckabee)  known as Arkids 1st.

And then there is the matter of Fort Smith’s government spending asininities…and the beat goes on.

Kindest regards,

Joe McCutchen

arkansasfreedom.net                                                         www.fortsmithtruth.com 

city government offenses, City Politics

More downtown shenanigans

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Allegiance, subpoenas, & $10,000 worth of “togetherness”                         June 1, 2011

With an unprecedented hard core dedication to implementing an unwanted prepared food tax by the Terrible Four—Directors Good, Merry, Tyler, Weber, one must wonder where their allegiances lie.  They certainly are not dedicated to the wishes of the people, i.e. a vote. 

Could it be they have aligned themselves with the downtown insiders, that would be Sammy Sicard, Richard Griffin, & Bennie Westphal, et al?  Citizen taxpayers have given their hard-earned dollars to the 2000 style of Urban Renewal in downtown Fort Smith for years.  There are no doubt other possibilities, but the question remains…why is the Terrible Four hell-bent on violating the constitutional wishes of citizen taxpayers? 

The aforementioned four Directors are the ones who should be subpoenaed to determine why they refuse to do the will of the people, not those exercising their rights to obtain petition signatures. 

Now to the matter of two very expensive “togetherness” (retreats) for the Mayor, City Mgr, & Directors led by a consultant… $5,000 per session, plus all they could eat.

All involved should be ashamed to admit they had to hire some former big government Bozo from Texas to teach them how to prioritize projects. Did they not seek their positions based on their ability to do the job?  Note all the doublespeak emanating out of their mouths right out of big government Agenda 21/Quality of Place. 

Absolute transparency and attention to detail is desperately needed NOW!  Are Manager Gosack, Mayor Sanders and the four Directors up to the job?  Presently they are failing…e.g. observe the inordinate expenditures and what they are going for.

Kindest regards,

Joe McCutchen

arkansasfreedom.net 

www.fortsmithtruth.com   

city government offenses, City Politics

The Makers & the Takers

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The Makers & the Takers                                                                           May 25, 2011

Hardly a day goes by that some expansionist politician or bureaucrat isn’t busy dreaming up some government growing scheme. 

For instance, observe the world traveller UAFS Chancellor Beran aligning himself with a Monte Wilson and a Scott Hathaway.  In short, the three of them (the Takers) want the citizen taxpayers (the Makers) to pay for a nebulous creation called The Mallalieu Center for Academic Excellence.  The proposed creation, now hold on, will be a “church of reason serving the intellectual leaders of the next generation”, so says Beran.   Beran’s description of the “intellectual leaders” and calling them “at risk” students translates into more Taking from the Makers.

The old Mallalieu Church is a condemned building, so the taxpayers would not just have to pay for a new building but for the demolition of the old! Beran and his accomplices (the Takers) are asking the city for $300,000 for the demolition work.  The ultimate cost to fruition of this project will no doubt run into millions, compliments of the Makers.  In the very next breath Beran (Taker) is proposing a new city library next to the Mallalieu site, and not to be outdone most of the City Directors favored the Taker’s (Beran) idea.  

Shades of the “Food Tax”, the “Marshall’s Museum”, “West End”, “Ben Geren Park additions”, all the while Fort Smith gets a C-/D+ on its Economic Report Card.

 Government school systems already provide every service, including welfare, to the ‘at risk” categories, which also includes illegals. Beran wants to expand this Mallalieu welfare program right into UAFS by involving his students in teaching activities, thereby qualifying for huge amounts of Maker funding.

More on the A & P (Advertising & Promotions):  After the Tuesday A & P meeting concluded and the job description was scored (?) for the new Operations Director, Mayor Sanders and Bureau Chief Legris were asked what the new Operations Director ‘s salary would be, and on different occasions both Sanders & Legris could not recall the pay range. So much for transparency.

It is noted that another “retreat” was held this week produced by Ron Holifield, he’s the guy who charged $5,000 for a past one day retreat.  He runs an outfit called “Strategic Government Resources” which instructs Takers (predators) on ways to skin the Makers (taxpayers).  His credentials are: he is a former government employee.

On his first appearance he named our Directors “Creators”, “Advancers”, “Refiners”, “Executors”, and “Flexors”.  Can you imagine grown adults participating in this type of infantile behavior? 

The question now becomes, what did Holifield charge and what was his “strategic” message to our enlightened Directors at Lake Fort Smith Monday evening?

The following phrases show up on a regular basis in the Times Record and elsewhere and should we conclude that our homegrown city government created the doublespeak, or should we rather believe that the phrases originated in the U.N./D.C. cesspool to promulgate Agenda 21 and its many other names. For instance, Sustainable Development, Complete Streets, Quality of Place, Green Jobs, Going Green, Historic Preservation, Wetlands Projects, and new entries, Providence Community, compliments of Ivy Owens, Opportunity Fund from the Bureau Chief, Major Visions Components, Strategic Deployment, Vision 2015, ad infinitum.

These phrases are pulled out of the United Nation’s Socialist Agenda 21 to tighten the suburban corral and lock the gate in the name of globalism in order to better control and fleece the populace.

A conspiracy you say?  Obviously, you have failed to do your homework and that is to the Beran’s & other Takers liking.

The question becomes:  Are we Makers going to continue to let the Beran’s & the Holifield’s (Takers) negatively reshape our lives?

Kindest regards,

Joe McCutchen

arkansasfreedom.net

www.fortsmithtruth.com  

city government offenses, City Politics

Vortex of Mass Taxation

FORT SMITH CITIZENS ARE CAUGHT IN A VORTEX OF MASS TAXATION

Naming two:                                                                                                                   May 23, 2011

  1. The Fort Smith Convention Center

The Terrible Four (City Directors Good, Merry, Tyler, & Weber) either for economics, political gain, or ideological reasons, recently voted to hang $1,800,000 in new taxes (1% prepared food tax) coupled to a $700,000 old tax (hotel tax) around the necks of Fort Smith and other citizens, placing their personal wishes above the rights of the voting public. 

 

In a special meeting Friday May 20, 2011, the Advertising & Promotion Commission adopted new bylaws and approved the rules & regulations that will govern the A & P’s collection and enforcement of “hospitality taxes”…note the word ENFORCEMENT; another case of government intrusion and heavy-handedness invading private enterprises–UNCONSTITUTIONAL.  Mayor Sandy Sanders is on the A & P Board, can we expect complete transparency without having to file FOIA’s?

 

Convention Center Bureau Chief Claude Legris, regarding his spending latitudes and in reality trying to justify the over $3 million per year dedicated to the Fort Smith Convention Center, cited the Little Rock A&P operates on a $9 million per year budget.  Claude, Fort Smith is not a Little Rock and no city official has given justification for the $3 million yearly expenditure

 

What the City Directors and the A & P must provide to citizens:

  1. The A & P Commission should publish a monthly statement of the amount of monies spent and for what purposes, and how much is on deposit.
  2. The bylaws, rules & regulations governing the operation of the C.C. must be published on the Center’s website.
  3. Are Board meetings open or closed?
  4. Is there any intention of creating 501 c3’s, c4’s, or any other type of non-profit? Non-profits equal contrived needs, fundraising, and high salaries & benefits.
  5. A complete list must be published regarding the salaries of all A & P employees, including perks and job descriptions.

Director Hutchings, you are my Director and does your appointment to the A & P Board guarantee that the above information will be posted forthwith on  a monthly basis…if not, why not?

  1. The improbable Marshall’s Museum Project was and is billed as a PRIVATE endeavor, yet city & county politicians and bureaucrats continue to subsidize its shaky christening.  Already in 2007 the state plowed in $2.2 million taxpayer money, Sebastian County dropped $215,000 in 2007, with another $215,000 to be given this fiscal year. There is no specific information regarding Fort Smith’s donation but it is known that the amount exceeds $300,000.  NOTE: THE TAXPAYERS HAVE RECEIVED NOTHING IN RETURN, NOR WILL THEY.

From circuitous financial data it appears that most of the financing comes from long-term pledges and volunteer efforts…accounting, etc. which is counted as funding, but not in real dollars.

It appears that the Museum Committee projects $2.63 million in assets—pledged, bequeaths, etc. along with a $1.87 million Riverfront property donated by the Bennie Westphal family.  It seems that an ultra-premium has been placed on the worth of the Westphal property.  The First National Bank in 2009 pledged $500,000 in 5 annual installments of $100,000.  Whether the First National Bank has started the pledged installments is not known.

The state of Arkansas’ donation to the embryonic Marshall’s Museum cannot be questioned on the basis of legality or morality since they have slush funds that can be disbursed at their choosing.   A much different question with reference to the Sebastian County government and the Fort Smith city government.  What is their authority and before disbursement why weren’t these grants brought to the attention of Fort Smith & Sebastian County voters?  Again, the nascent Marshall’s Museum has been and is billed as a PRIVATE endeavor, therefore; is it not at the very least a question of truth, ethics & financing and should be addressed by the Fort Smith Board of Directors?

Think citizens:  Can you envision what a 50,000 sq. ft. building, replete with unending amenities, and $50 million looks like?  Think further, the costs of maintaining such a behemoth, i.e. employee salaries, insurance of all varieties, maintenance, oversight, security, etc.  Citizens, have you any conception as to what the real numbers of customers and money would have to be to support the proposed Museum?  Of course not.

Monday May 23rd the Fort Smith Board of Directors will hold another one of their “retreats” at Lake Fort Smith. The agenda: “reviewing city priorities, discussing strategic & tactical priorities (a military engagement?), and major vision components”.  This is D.C. doublespeak.  Aren’t you impressed with “major vision components”?

THE MARSHALL MUSEUM FIX IS IN….LET THE METAMORPHOSES BEGIN…FROM A PRIVATE ENDEAVOR TO TAXPAYER FUNDING (THAT’S US).

Let us keep our eyes closely on this cast of characters.  Look for more proposed taxation.  The Vortex is in place.

See:  arkansasfreedom.net    &  www.fortsmithtruth.com   for details

Kindest regards,

Joe McCutchen

P.S. the Fort Smith Board of Directors surely should “review their priorities” post haste….get out of the entertainment business—remember the F.S. Economic Report Card, C-/D+ !

 

city government offenses, City Politics

Funding follows failure…in every government endeavor

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FUNDING FOLLOWS FAILURE                                                                     May 20, 2011 

Directors Merry, Good, Tyler, & Weber should be figuratively tarred & feathered… here is why.

The near defunct Fort Smith Convention Center needs to generate $1.1 million yearly to avoid a short-fall, so they say.

The Fort Smith hotel tax generates $700,000 per year, the Convention Center generates $650,000 per year, and it is said the recently ordained 1% “prepared food tax”, compliments of Directors Merry, Good, Tyler, & Weber will generate $1,800,000 per year…for a grand total of $3,150,000 yearly dedicated to the A & P.  I am aghast at their audacity!

The total of the aforementioned 3 sources of revenue is $2,050,000 in excess of what is needed to sustain the operations of the Convention Center.  Can you say huge surplus and where does it go and for what?  Chief Claude Legris envisions an “Opportunity Fund” (?), money for Bass Reeves monument (allegedly a private endeavor), festivals, the Arts Community, theater events, etc.  Legris is salivating and has the money spent before collected.

Who in their right mind could be expected to put that much money in the hands of an overpaid Claude Legris, the  A & P Commission, the City Mgr. Ray Gosack, and theTerrible Four listed above City Directors?

More incendiary arrogance exhibited by newly ordained Bureau Chief Legris:  On a question to Legris regarding oversight of these MILLIONs, Legris’ response “the A & P (Advertising & Promotion) is itself the mechanism of oversight”, i.e. they police themselves and for all practical purposes means there is no oversight.

The question arises again, what happens to the $2,050,000 surplus languishing in the hands of Claude Legris and his Commission?

Note that the $700,000 lodging tax and the $650,000 generated by the C.C. is enough to sustain the operation of the C.C. with funds left over for maintenance.  Therefore; why did Merry, Good, Tyler & Weber vote for a 1% prepared food tax while denying the citizens an opportunity to vote?   Is all of the above not malfeasance/misfeasance?

In the shadow of the invasive, non-essential tax comes other proposed taxing salvos from the terrible four.

  1. Director Tyler—“surplus prepared food tax money can be set aside, such as the U.S. Marshall’s Museum”,– (The pie-in-the-sky 1,000 lb. gorilla.) Does Tyler not understand that the Museum is a dedicated privately funded endeavor, even though the City Mgr & the terrible four (and perhaps others) have already dumped thousands of taxpayer dollars into the museum folly.  Is this not a violation of trust & ethics?
  2. The food tax is to begin in June and right on the heels of the food tax power grab, Tyler is already fanning the flames to establish “business/license fees”.
  3. Director Merry—stated “he recognizes that the Convention Center will have huge surpluses” and he stressed “putting some meat on the bone”.  (Translation=throwing more thousands at the C.C.)
  4. The aforementioned Terrible Four and Claude Legris bear watching very closely and can only be described as tax & spend Socialists. There is of course the heavy involvement of City Manager Gosack.
  5. Coercion and manipulation has produced a protection racket that envelopes the C.C., all the while the city of Fort Smith gets a C-/D+ on its Economic Report Card…and not one public comment from the Fort Smith City Directors regarding this dismal report.
  6. Are we dealing with ignorance or complicity, or a combination thereof?

Kindest regards,

Joe McCutchen

 

P.S. Why haven’t the Water Dept. checks been cashed??

 

arkansasfreedom.net

 

www.fortsmithtruth.com  

city government offenses, City Politics

City taxation without representation

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The Fort Smith city governments’ report card on entertainment & economics                             April 30, 2011

Four of the Ft Smith city directors, Good, Merry, Tyler, & Weber evidently have no problem in bullying the city’s taxpaying citizens.  It is highly likely that none of the four are constitutionally acquainted, but if they are they have no compunction in relegating it to the trash bin.

Subject: The Food Tax.  They are using the force of government to send hired government goons into privately owned businesses with the demand they turn their profit & loss statements over to the city for analysis regarding their food sales to ascertain if the city is getting their “share”. The fact that the federal government does it does not make it right. Both are corrupt and by what constitutional authority?

Any business owner who has created a business out of dreams and hard work and claim as their very own, then be forced to allow the filthy tentacles of any government to forcefully invade his or her premises is unconstitutional & an absolute invasion of privacy…Amendment IV.

This is precisely what the aforementioned named four are directing the city of Fort Smith to do:  use force to invade private businesses in the name of the “Prepared Food Tax” exacerbating the issue by not allowing a vote by the citizens on this very important economic and constitutional issue.

This is exactly one of the reasons our Revolution was fought… “No taxation without representation”.

In all likelihood the aforementioned four have never created a business, hired employees and sustained the jobs that have been created through sweat and blood.  Therefore; adding to their unpleasant conduct, these four Directors have no understanding of the further demands placed on businesses by the unconstitutional tax to be used to breathe some modicum of life into the moribund Convention Center.  This coupled with the additional millions the food tax will produce with no accountability.

There are of course the matters of the Pipe Dreams known as the Marshall’s Museum, allegedly a private endeavor, the West End Park, professional baseball, expansion of Ben Geren Park, ad infinitum. You give the economic grade on entertainment.

In view of the above extravaganzas, real & proposed, comes the city’s economic/industrial report card.  A letter-graded report ranking economic vibrancy in Fort Smith during the 4th quarter gave the manufacturing town a split grade of C-/D+ , The Compass Report by Jeff Collins published in the Ark. Democrat-Gazette under the heading “The changing nature of employment”.

Any business oriented citizen would have no problem determining where the city’s direction should be pointed.  It seems that the City Directors are oblivious to the realities of our city & government.  Raising taxes in a time of recession/depression, with citizens struggling mightily economically, inflation exploding, thousands of illegals nesting in our city absorbing “benefits” in astronomical proportions, while government agencies sit on their duffs refusing to enforce laws, clamoring for pay raises, and continuing to pursue “entertainment”…not a proper function of government….can only lead to further destruction.

As long as the aforementioned conditions exist there cannot possibly be a spirit of cooperation among the citizens.  The city government is bloated in financing, employees, and poor management. Many thanks to Directors Catsavis, Hutchings, and Settle for their votes against the tax.

Kindest regards,

Joe McCutchen

arkansasfreedom.net

www.fortsmithtruth.com

 

city government offenses, City Politics, State government offenses

Theft & Vote Buying = Funding follows failure

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Grand Theft, Vote Buying, Insolence, & a little bit of Journalistic Cover-up                           April 26, 2011

It is beginning to be painfully obvious that the Times Record skews stories and/or omits important pieces of information, P.C. reigns supreme. 

Today’s edition, in a story by reporter Ben Boulden titled “School Board okays pay hikes”, he writes “at the end of school, a one-time, “non-recurring payment” (translation: bonus) will go to employees:  $800 for eligible certified staff (?),  $500 for eligible classified staff (?), and $250 (bus drivers) for part-time transportation staff.

As a lead in to the above paragraph it was stated that public (government) school employees will receive $1,416 or 2.74% pay raise. Why and who pays? Government expands while producers are being eliminated.

The statement regarding “non-recurring” payment is really a bonus which was awarded to Arkansas teachers and ancillary help as part of a $90 million so-called stimulus awarded by Barack Obama. This nothing short of money laundering and school personnel vote buying.

What have the teachers and other personnel accomplished in the Fort Smith school district that would warrant a bonus of any amount?  The following statistics indicate the Arkansas teaching community should receive pay cuts forthwith.  To enumerate just a few:

1.      5,615 Arkansans (2010) who took a college entrance exam and failed to score high enough to avoid remediation in math or reading—both core subjects.

2.      A quarter of the students who entered college and needed remedial courses had earned a 3.00 GPA or higher in High School—grade inflation.

3.      Arkansas spent $65.7 million on remedial education during the 2007-2008 academic terms and Arkansas teachers saw nothing wrong with their academic fraud.

4.      Nearly 70% of Arkansas students need remediation in more than one subject.

5.      Observe the $65.7 million awarded to teach more than ½ of Arkansas students what they should have learned in K-12.

This screed is too depressing to continue, and only to say that no educator at any level mentions the 25-35 million illegal Mexicans & OTM’s nesting in our republic while their offspring is devastating education K-12, while stealing the minds of American kids.  Recall Superintendent Gooden’s statement referring to illegal alien attendees, “we’ll take all we can get”.  Why?  More funding.

The Arkansas $90 million Obama award was announced Dec. 22, 2010 and one Arkansas legislator had the temerity to question the validity of the $90 million printed out of thin air and a number of teachers reacted by accusing said legislator of “stealing their Christmas”.  Shades of Madison.

In the Times Record piece, school board member Deanie Mehl said “we were very fortunate to be able to raise any salaries at all”.  Insolence?  You bet.  The idea that the Fort Smith School Board would reward non-deserving bonuses and pay raises at a time when producers (those of us who are subsidizing the failed education cabal) are unemployed and struggling mightily to eke out a limited subsistence.  Obviously Ms. Mehl and the Board are dulled as to the reality of what is happening in our former preeminent Republic.

Suggestion:  Ms. Mehl and the Board, why didn’t you demand the monies going for salary increases be diverted back to those who generated it?

Major surgery, Wisconsin & Ohio style, is badly needed in Arkansas. The AEA is not about education.

FUNDING TRULY FOLLOWS FAILURE!  The fix is obviously in.

Kindest regards,

Joe McCutchen

arkansasfreedom.net

www.fortsmithtruth.com

 

 

 

city government offenses, City Politics, Political Correctness - The Destroyer

“Togetherness” in government = suppression of dissent

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Scamarama & Togetherness                                                                                  April 21, 2011

April 16, 2011 the Directors of the Fort Smith city government, save one, gathered at Lake Fort Smith for what has become wistfully known as a “Retreat”.  The “retreat” was produced by Ron Holifield, a former 15 year city manager from the Dallas area who runs a company by the name of Strategic Government Resources (taxes).  He and his wife are the principals.

Holifield, the producer of the outing designated each of the Directors as “Creators, Advancers, Refiners, Executors, & Flexors”.  For Holifield’s definition for these categories see arkansasfreedom.net

The question remains, who set this meeting up and did that individual or individuals believe the Board of Directors incapable of making the decisions for which they were elected, without government influences and indoctrination? 

Nowhere has it been pointed out what the cost of this production was, and what if anything was gained except a day at the lake and a 7 hour lecture…and who paid for lunch?

It turns out that Holifield charged $5,000 for this one-day extravaganza and used taxpayers’ building for free.  That translates to over $700 per hour.  Some of the Directors have proclaimed it was a grand experience, my question to those Directors, was their experience so grand that they would take $5,000 of their own money to pay for it?  (Remember, the easiest job in the whole world is spending other people’s money).

On the heels of this exercise in waste comes the hiring a Deputy City Administrator.  Just why do we need a Deputy City Administrator?  The city has department heads for each division and a plethora of go-fers.   What we don’t have is a detailed departmental oversight of this government by the City Directors while mismanagement is rampant, both in financing and procurement and employee’s fear of recrimination for pointing out deficiencies permeating the totality. Salaries are bloated in comparison to the private sector which generates the funds to sustain this behemoth.

Not to be outdone, County Judge Hudson and the Sebastian County Quorum Court are moving toward implementing a $1 million computer system.  No concern by the Judge re our present recession/depression.  Damn the torpedoes, let the taxes continue?    This following the murky establishment of an high-tech communication center at the old Fort Smith National Guard Armory which will allegedly be run by FEMA, the county judge, F.S. police chief and the county Sheriff…more fusion and “togetherness” with few details disseminated to the citizens, and in close proximity, a “Safe House” to be built—for what and whom?   The facility at the old N.G. building is the place where the very expensive specially made 47 work stations are to be anchored.   47 work stations for what?  An occasional tornedo?  Note the ever-expanding and militarization of law enforcement, while illegals run rampant under their collective noses out of the “shadows”.

In the J.P. discussion regarding the proposed $1 million computer system, J.P. Lisa Sellers proclaimed she was “disappointed in the spirit of animosity which was counterproductive” in their meeting, which brings to the fore one of the main purposes of these “togetherness” meetings, i.e. that is to instill the suppression of independent thought/dissenters, and indoctrination in favor of an egalitarian point of view, e.g. everyone reduced to a common politically correct denominator.

All governments are metastasizing at an alarming rate, are unmanageable and many are corrupt.  There are a number of reasons for this phenomenon, e.g. trust in elected officials, a huge mistake, citizen laziness electing the same individuals for decades allowing for the suppression of new ideas, insider trading, etc.   This has allowed the creation of ever-growing fiefdoms in each department and has given rise to vulgar over-staffing, wasteful practices, and far too much funding…which is the case of the F.S. city government.  

Arrogance, self-promotion and refusal to act in the citizen’s behalf, such as is the case of the Fort Smith city government’s refusal to allow a citywide vote on the proposed food tax, and not giving a thought to their vulgar invasions into private enterprises by government  is the disease of forced redistribution.

Past time to drain the cesspools, top down. 

Kindest regards,

Joe McCutchen