Category Archives: city government offenses

city government offenses, City Politics

Transparency badly needed in all levels of government

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Times Record: “Late Project Frustrates City” January 11, 2017

Lack of transparency from Fort Smith City Mayor & Board of Directors. Why did the Mayor & Board award the 2 professional politicians, Files & Webb, with no business credibility, along with what appears to be a list of business failures, a contract for the building, maintenance and oversight (ownership) of a 3 year ongoing project to build 8 softball fields, accompanied by nonessential amenities?

Several inquiries have been made to the Board regarding the why of awarding this program to 2 professional politicians with checkerboard business backgrounds. (Search Files/Softball on arkansasfreedom.net )

The Mayor & the Board have also shown they are not competent or has this been an example of payola, e.g. Arkansas state taxpayer money (at least a million) for the nascent Marshal’s Museum (stated by Griffin & Sicard to be funded privately) compliments of State Senator Jake Files in exchange for being awarded the 8 field softball complex? The Fort Smith city government has also dumped hundreds of thousands into the Museum without a citizen vote.

To further demonstrate the Mayor & Board’s business inabilities & incompetency, here are some examples: contract extensions with no penalties, Director Mike Lorenz said there is no stated finish date. The response from some of the Directors was frightening. Director Good stated he did not know how they could pull the plug and that is exactly what must be done. Pouring more money into this collapsed venture shows an utter lack of responsible business experience & expertise also by the Mayor & City Board. It further indicates that Files & Webb are financially deficient and when Files speaks of “in kind services” and “donations” he simply means more taxpayer dollars into this mismanaged government farce.

The curtain must be drawn, the Board cuts our losses, removes Files & Webb from the scene and pursue other routes with competent individuals, corporations, etc. who are willing and able to invest, & keep grungy politicians out of the mix. The Fort Smith City Government, with all their “feel-good”, “look-good” Agenda 21 directives are proving themselves to be colossal failures.

Observe the City Government’s fiduciary failures…look no further than the circa 25 year street & sewer fiascos, resulting in double taxation—multiple $600 million x 2 !

When are the new City Manager & Chief of Police going to be publicly introduced to Fort Smith citizens accompanied by their visions for the city?

Joe McCutchen

city government offenses, City Politics

City Capitulation

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They capitulated as we knew they would. That would be Directors Lau, Good, Lorenz, Settle, & Hutchings. Congrats to Directress Pennartz & Director Catsavis. December 8, 2016

The above pertains to the Board breaking a contractual agreement with Frontier Engineering for construction of a trail.
The original contract called for $156,000 taxpayer dollars and the aforementioned Board members voted to break it by allowing an increase of $50,853.00. Parks Director Doug Reinert and new man on the block City Manager Carl Geffken recommended the scuttling of the contract to the Board.

Reinert came forth with a litany of excuses why the taxpayers should cough up an extra $50,000 + , i.e. delays, additional man hours, day by day, week by week, long hours documenting, and a host of other nebulous reasons.

The contract was flawed by both parties and proved to be another example of Ft. Smith government incompetency. Pertaining to the Trail, Reinert came forth stating “we cannot let this crown jewel fail”.

Reinert, the City Manager, and the 5 Board members, let me explain to you what the “Crown Jewel’s” quotation really is.

First, circa 25-30 years ago citizens passed a 1 % sales tax strictly dedicated for sewers & streets and during that period the tax generated over $600 million dollars. The $600 million was misapplied, misspent, and perhaps criminal conduct. Now the taxpaying citizens of Fort Smith are beneficiaries of a $300,000 EPA fine, accompanied by another $600 million EPA edict to pay for sewer improvements over the next 12 years. With inflation, etc., the $600 million could easily balloon to somewhere south of a Billion dollars, paying twice for sewers and receiving no substantive street improvements and/or sewers. Additionally, a shortage in Fire & Police pensions, a massive increase in water, sanitation, etc. consumer bills, spending millions on downtown privately owned Urban Renewal projects, the nascent Marshal’s Museum (ultimately, citizens will inherit the bills), the failed Convention Center, paying tuition costs for city employees, proposing to give them a 1% cost of living increase, homeless shelters, ad infinitum.

Director Good scoffed at only a 1% city employee raise. Mr. Good, the financial status of this city due to you and the remaining Board of Directors & past Boards’ incompetency; employees deserve no pay raise of any kind. By the way Directors, detail the procedure used in purchasing equipment, particularly rolling stock.

It should be noted that the 5 Directors that voted for the $50,000 giveaway have all been involved at various times in the wanton spending of the first $600 million.

Those reading this, next time you have an occasion to look into a mirror, ask yourself who is responsible for the incompetency and unbridled spending that the Fort Smith city government is involved in on a day to day basis. Same for all governments. They have far too much money that they can lay their self-serving hands on.

Joe McCutchen

arkansasfreedom.net

city government offenses, City Politics

Another carrot to grow government

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ANOTHER CARROT TO GROW GOVERNMENT!

The Fort Smith Mayor, City Directors, former City Manager & City Finance Director—nothing short than a collection of Taxpayer of bandits. September 28, 2016

The fact that the FS City government is paying city employees’ college tuitions and/or other equivalent institutions is the height of an UNCONSTITUTIONAL ACT, taxpayer dollars taken by force, grand theft, and immoral. NOT A PROPER ROLE FOR GOVERNMENT.

This same city government misapplied $600,000 MILLION of city funds and claim they are in arrears on City Fire & Police Pensions.
In all likelihood these debacles & treacheries commenced with former City Manager Ray Gosack & Finance Director Kara Bushkel and this & other past Boards—replete with no transparency.

Obviously, in addition no oversight, no taxpayer dollar amount spent since the programs inception and how long this unethical stupidity has existed. Furthermore; total enrollment, total completion, and again how many taxpayer dollars spent on this circus, the names of cow colleges attended, how many graduates and/or other institutions are unreported?

The audacity that this present collection of bandits would continue and revise this criminal practice with more tentacles than an octopus and move into another stage is unconscionable and has no possible chance of a detailed oversight.

Here are the names of the bandits who are involved in this thievery with no apparent shame.

Mayor Sanders, Board Members Catsavis, Lau, Pennartz, Good, Lorenz, Settle, & Hutchings. Is the new City Manager now complicit?

One would think Pastor/Director Don Hutchings would be the moral compass of this crowd, but certainly does not appear so, he is as guilty in this thievery as the rest.

Joe McCutchen

P.S. Did it never occur to these pickpockets that the taxpayer they robbed might like to pay for their own tuition or child’s, but now cannot afford to??? Proving once again, THE EASIEST JOB IN THE WORLD IS SPENDING SOMEONE ELSE’S MONEY!
arkansasfreedom.net

city government offenses, City Politics, Education Morass

Bad Newz Idiocy

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Dadgummit!! The newssez is bad! June 19, 2016

Once I knew an attorney, not a very good one, was fat & sweated a lot, but a pretty nice guy & when he would approach me he would exclaim “G.D…The newssez is bad”.

Every day, if you are not comatose you will be aware that the newssez is bad, most always leading us directly into a Cultural Marxist suicide mission.

To begin: the benevolent Fort Smith School Board, under the auspices of Superintendent Benny Gooden and his sycophants are again providing free breakfast & lunch meals to all comers. It is said that 72% of the students in the FS school district receive free breakfast & lunch meals. The district administration touts this as though it is a badge of honor. These meals are also available to all adults, i.e. “come one, come all”. WHO PAYS?? How many illegals make up these percentages? Do these fools (School Board) not understand that these unconstitutional acts they are providing only invites more of the same? Of course they do…it means MORE FUNDING! The corruption that permeates all government school systems is breathtaking. Just another part of the government protection racket, i.e. expansion.

The reportage of the week stated Arkansas has an unemployment rate of 3.4% (plus or minus a point), simply put over 96% are employed; therefore why are 72% bathing in the producers food bowl? Each of you knows the 3.4% is an outright lie, more government corruption, i.e. all government.

Now the matter of Republican Senator Jake Files regarding his personal financing. Reported today (certainly not the Times Record), but in the Dem-Gaz, he owes $111,000 in federal back taxes…not Files’ first economic foible. Unfortunately the Senator is not alone, there are others with questionable economic “problems”.

What makes this even more revealing/ironic is the fact that Files is Chairman of the ARK Senate Revenue & Taxation Committee. Recall also that Files & Democrat Lee Webb were awarded a lucrative plum…the FS softball complex with the city dumping in millions into said complex, and Files & Webb to pay the balance from donations & in-kind services. Sure they will. It further illustrates that the former City Mgr., the Mayor, the City Board are grossly incompetent and in all likelihood this was a quid pro quo payoff for the millions of Ark. taxpayer dollars that Files secured for Griffin & Sicard’s albatross, the F.S. Marshals Museum…originally billed as a private endeavor. Numerous requests have been made as to what prompted the City Board to award the complex to Files & Webb…no response. Transparency?

And finally, the Southern Baptists, in what has to be the decade’s most colossal act of stupidity that could be contrived; the act is Baptists in a phony ecumenical movement is subsidizing Muslims nationwide & perhaps internationally in the building of Mosques. These fools apparently do not understand they are subsidizing not only their demise, but mine. That is like someone voluntarily helping to build the scaffold upon which they are to be hung, until DEAD. Mighty long way from “that ole time religion”.

Dadgummit, the newssez is REALLY bad when this is only a small sampling!

Joe McCutchen arkansasfreedom.net

city government offenses, City Politics

Questions concerning criminal activity in local government/where is transparency?

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http://5newsonline.com/2016/03/08/fort-smith-police-conducted-criminal-investigation-into-former-sanitation-director-records-show/

Questions: 1. Why was this person not vetted sufficiently before being hired?
2. It appears that known improprieties were going on for years, why?
3. Why should redacting be allowed, especially at this level…no top secret information was at risk?
4. Who will be held accountable and when?

FORT SMITH (KFSM)—Documents show a criminal investigation into the city’s former sanitation director Baridi Nkokheli began in September 2015.

It was prompted by the city auditor, who reported allegations of possible kickbacks from vendors, misuse of travel funds, misappropriation of city property, misuse of sanitation funds and other accusations, which acting city administrator Jeff Dingman redacted.

“Those items weren`t necessarily used as reason or justification for the termination, and so on the advice of the city attorney, they were redacted,” Dingman said.

Investigators noted in the report there was an “Unmistakable conflict of interest and ethical violation” to ask for and receive a loan from a vendor with which the city does business.

It goes on to state, “It should be noted this allegation is from many years ago and would be far outside the statute of limitations” to file criminal charges.

The eighth page of the criminal investigation conducted by the Fort Smith Police Department is completely redacted.

“As far as what specifically was redacted, I don`t recall exactly what all those redactions are,” Dingman said.

The report also states Sgt. Tony Bowers and the city auditor discussed the fact that Nkokheli had been formally known as Kevin Wesley Kellough, and that he apparently legally changed his name many years ago.

“I think I had known for some time that the name that he was going by here wasn`t his given name,” Dingman said, “but I didn’t really pay attention, people change their names for different reasons. I didn’t really pay attention to why or when or how or anything like that.”

In a deposition conducted by his ex-wife`s divorce attorney, Nkokheli said under oath his birth name is Kevin Wesley Kellough, and he legally changed his name in Houston in 1997.

“I don`t know that was ever made any sort of an issue with the city, not that I`m aware of,” Dingman said.

The auditor told investigators Nkokheli also used the alias Castain Metoyer.

5NEWS has reached out to Nkokheli for comment, but we were not able to reach him.

We also sent the Fort Smith Police Department a request to release the information in the the criminal investigation documents redacted by the city, and we are waiting for a response back.

To see the investigation documents in full, click here.

city government offenses, City Politics, Cultural Marxism destroying United States

More government boondoggles

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Pay incentives February 11, 2016

It has been heralded for months that there were funding shortages in city government, then comes the hue & cry from the City Directors about cuts in various spending habits, which of course never occur. Then always their solution–RAISE TAXES.

Then comes information today, apparently purely accidental, that the private sector taxpayers are paying huge sums of money ($500,000 per year) for Continuing Education for policemen and firemen.

Policemen & firemen, apparently not worried about their pensions and are happy with their CE private sector paid-for perks.
Now it gets better: Director Lau, hearing grumblings from other city employee types puts forth his solution, the city should pay for all employees to have CE. How generous Director Lau! Lau even describes the CE as “higher education”. The phrase “higher education” denotes college/universities.

And now the preacher, not to be outdone, that would be Pastor Hutchings, speaks up and postulates “I think our city workers have sacrificed so much, so let’s leave this in place”. Reverend, tell us what these sacrifices are and why they should be left in place (the CE for police & fire).

Director Good made the only intelligent statement at the meeting by stating “After nearly 8 years on the Board, he was only recently aware of the incentive pay”. This speaks volumes for the deceit that ruminates through the Fort Smith city government.
Here are some questions that need to be answered immediately:

1. What specifically does the CE entail? High School or college academics, government indoctrination—be specific.
2. What is the financial incentive and how much?
3. What & who qualifies for the stipend?
4. Does the CE have anything to do with international protocols for police & fire that already have taken control of the FS police department out of the hands of taxpaying citizens? Lindsey’s corps of cops is already controlled by D.C. and U.N. Agenda 2030. Why and who authorized?
5. Have any FS police been trained by Israelis here or abroad (an ongoing practice across the nation—think torture, snipers, spying, etc.)?

Where do the Directors get the idea that government, e.g. “we the people” should pay for CE for government employees? If these two groups & others want to enhance their educational skills, let them pay for it, just as the private sector must. They certainly have the time on their hands to do it. They are hired to do a job, not to be coddled.

Director Pennartz absolutely knows about receiving monthly taxpayer subsidized checks; she’s been in the trough at least for her adult life. What generated this statement is her quote, “Right now, they don’t have that incentive to better themselves”. The words of a Cultural Marxist. Director Pennartz, that is the silliest statement I have heard you make up to now.

Joe McCutchen
arkansasfreedom.net

city government offenses, City Politics

City to provide transport for folks to gamble money in another state.

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More corruption and incompetence foisted upon “we the people”. Headline: TR Saturday, January 30, 2016 “City Adds Casino bus service”. (Fort Smith, Arkansas)

Only minds molded & embedded in government could hatch such a double-edged theft and implement it…all in the name of altruism, i.e. government expansion.

All governments are enmeshed in this kind of thievery. Producers i.e. taxpayers generate the massive funds to subsidize the nefarious program, known as the Fort Smith Transit Authority.

One cannot complain too loudly about taking oldsters to markets, physicians & hospitals, but transporting any and all to a gambling institution is the height of arrogance, stupidity and self-service offered up by ever-expanding city employees, in this case, present & past Mayors & City Directors.

If anyone seems to care, Fort Smith is just a microcosm of the crime that is being committed. Admitted by the TR, the producers are subsidizing the nefarious Transit Authority to the tune of $2 or more millions per year just in Fort Smith. Imagine if you will what the subsidies are nationwide. More unearned largesse and Communist inspirations, and the number of government balloon heads grow & grow while the producers remain mute.

Are you aware that our nation is rapidly approaching a $19 Trillion national debt?

“We the People” are the fools for letting this type of conduct prevail!

No follow-up questions, as usual, from the TR.

Joe McCutchen

P.S. If you fail to comprehend, it is said the riders are for the most part, poor, old, unemployed, on welfare, and the city of Fort Smith will transport them (for almost free) to blow their money in a Casino in another state…. (Oklahoma)…now boys & girl of the city government the above is incompetency, theft & stupidity.

arkansasfreedom.net

Agenda 21, city government offenses, City Politics, Cultural Marxism destroying United States

Media–the Parrot for government & special interests

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The Parrot & the Fort Smith Insiders and oh yes, Trail Mania. January 24, 2016

There were days when the Times Record was a respected news outlet, an important dispenser of substantive news & views, a valuable asset aiding citizens in making informed decisions, particularly political. For example, the times when Donald W. Reynolds & Jack Mosely and others before were the editors.

Those days are gone! Due to deaths in all probability, the T.R. was sold to the Stephens Conglomerate and later to Gate-House Media. Before the first sale the editorial section disappeared and continues to be absent to this date. Occasionally the present editor publishes touchy/feely politically correct pieces of Socialist garbage, e.g. “giving back”, & “making a difference” tripe.

The T.R. serves as no more than a Parrot for downtown interests: Civil, Political & Economic. The management and reporters print only what serves city government and downtown economic interests. The tragedy of it all is simply that T.R. reporters never pose meaningful follow up questions in the stories they are reporting on…which is their primary and obligatory function as an alleged news gathering organization.
The present owner—Gate-House Media, own over 500 newspapers, albeit mostly small but is patently obvious they too have shut the doors on investigative reporting and Q & A’s, most particularly political.

Examples: T.R. edition 1/18/16. Frontpage: “Riverfront Park plans to be unveiled.” T.R. –not one question asked by reporter Chad Hunter regarding details of the plan presentation.

I. Crafton Tull (where is it located?) is said to have formulated the plan. At what cost? Why not a city architectural firm?

II. Proposed cost of the Park: $1.5 million—source of the funding? Why the rash of new parks & what are the anticipated total projected numbers? Projected cost of maintenance & numbers of new city government employees required?

III. Aaron Lee, Parks Secretary (? more government bloat), stated “In October residents filled out surveys asking for their preferred park amenities”. (Government’s phony way of giving the impression that there is complete citizen involvement.) There are approximately 150,000 residents in the Fort Smith metroplex, therefore what percentage & how many residents filled out surveys? How many were illegals? What were the specific demographics? What percentage of the 150,000 is projected to use the parks?

IV. Parks Commission Chairwoman, Lorie Robertson, said in October 2015 “In our minds we should be viewing this as a “TOURISM CORRIDOR”, park options also include walking trails & MIRACLE FIELDS”. Robertson appears to be the Chosen to distribute Agenda 21’s (now called 2030) words & phrases designed to impress the citizens, making it easier for the government to fleece “we the people”. A few other Agenda 21 buzzwords & phrases used by Robertson, Diane Morrison & others are “multi-county trail systems, place making, wayfinding signs, sharrows, event nodes, quality of place, sense of place, smart growth & sustainable model”. Does anyone believe these words and phrases were hatched by local bureaucrats & politicians? All of what you are reading is accomplished by U.N. Agenda 21, now called 2030 and their destructive non-governmental organizations called NGO’s. Does Robertson in any way receive taxpayer stipends from the city or any other area source– if so, how much for her participation as Chair for the Parks Commission?

V. Back to Ms. Robertson. As previously noted Robertson is the Parks Commission Chairwoman and also Chaffee Crossing Marketing Director. Is this not double dipping and a huge conflict of interests? Are there not competent genuinely interested citizens, not ensconced in government available for this position?

Trails are designed by Agenda 21 to severely and ultimately alter or erase significantly various modes of transportation, this strategy and others are encompassed in the U.N.’s grand plan—SUSTAINABILITY AND/OR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

VI. Certainly, not to leave out another of the Trail Hustlers, which would be the Chair of the former, moribund Frontier MPO that suddenly came to life and became an important player in the Trails’ game. Frontier MPO is another NGO. Dianne Morrison is another poster girl for S.D. Morrison claims to have expertise in 34 areas dealing with SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT…all having to do with the reshaping, remodeling, and in some cases removal of private property in every facet of the city and is very comfortable using the term SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. Dianne Morrison can factually be described as a Cultural Marxist.

Question: is Morrison involved in any manner, contractually or otherwise, in the construction of the park previously alluded to, and does she have any material connection with Frontier Construction?

VII. Arkansas State Representative Matt Pitsch is another double dipper. He also serves as CEO of the MPO—RITA (Regional Intermodal Transportation Agency). This immediately brings up the question of another huge conflict of interest

MPO’s (are NGO’s) serve as liaisons between local governments and federal agencies run by appointed (not elected) individuals with vast authority. Thereby eliminating the public from all conversation.

NGO’s are the enemies of “we the people” in that duly elected government officials farm out their various duties to their political bosom accomplices and then the created NGO’s assume full power and are in no way responsible to “we the people”. Regional NGO’s are twice as dangerous as a city NGO. NGO’s are involved in numerous ways of disrupting Americans’ way of life from a local perspective to an international one, e.g. activities such as the U.S. involvement in the overthrow of duly elected governments, e.g. Ukraine.
Recent statistics indicate there are at least 22 NGO’s in Fort Smith—all unelected.

VIII. Hiz Honor, Fort Smith Mayor Sandy Sanders, in a frontpage story appearing in the T.R. crowed that Simmons Poultry and Zero Mountain were allegedly engaged in the act of creating, at some future point, 100 new jobs.

In the article Sanders was so excited that it gave the impression he may have peed his pants, well now forget that, let’s just say the Mayor was ebullient. Questions the TR should have asked: Are these alleged 100 jobs to be filled by Black & White American citizens, or illegal Mestizos (more commonly referred to as Mexicans/Hispanics). Now if the Mestizos capture the jobs, which then could very easily balloon into another 500-600 consisting of their families jumping on the welfare bandwagon? No question that would be a very lucrative deal for Simmons & Zero Mountain, but certainly not the case for we the middleclass American producers.

Another very disturbing set of circumstances laid at the doorstep of the Mayor & City Directors—that would be State Senator Jake Files (R) & Lee Webb (D), the Sebastian County Election Commission chairman—— being awarded a lucrative contract to operate the new 8 field softball complex. A black cloud hangs over this “deal”. Additionally, Files record as a businessman is one of incompetency and failures. He has also been instrumental in securing and awarding huge sums of taxpayer money to a “private endeavor”, i.e. the Marshal’s Museum. Most recently, he has cozied up to a state lobbyist to cover a hot check while at the same time owing thousands of dollars in back taxes. The irony is with all the aforementioned baggage, Senator Files is the Chairman of the Arkansas State Senate’s Revenue & Taxation Committee.

Senator Files introduced SB 757 that gives Arkansas state government power to preempt private property, i.e. expand state government imminent domain capacities. SB 757 contains 15 points that lead to NO RECOVERY FOR CONFISCATED PROPERTY.

The city of Jonesboro, AR is now practicing SB 757 and has expanded Files unconstitutional powers act into what Jonesboro calls Property Code 105-2. Files claims he and his partner are going to fund the softball complex with donations and in-kind services. It is said they have previously used the National Guard to complete dirt work for the fields—that is taxpayer dollars used for purposes not a part of functions for the National Guard. Donations—what are the sources? In-Kind—what is & what kind?

I would say the Mayor, the City Directors & to Ray Gosack—this deal is corrupt to the core and at the very least a quid pro quo. Not to be left out, Files is busily coning the city to involve him & Webb in the Trails Mania.

The transparency of the Fort Smith city government, at the very best, is somewhere between opaque and blacked-out.

The question now is, not for the Times Record Parrot, but to each citizen who resides in Fort Smith, are you going to continue to reelect and put up with this type of government corruption that permeates the whole spectrum?

Joe McCutchen
arkansasfreedom.net

Asa Hutchinson, city government offenses, City Politics, Cultural Marxism destroying United States, Education Morass, Forced redistribution

Government faux pas

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January 12, 2016

Are “we the people” being snookered another time by the Fort Smith city establishment?

Something does seem to be agog.

A year or two ago, without warning, citizens were told by various members of the city establishment that the police & fire retirement funds were in short supply. All these utterings showed no signs of concern or emotion. These same sentiments have been put forth on any number of occasions without a modicum of explanation. Were the funds misspent, allocated to other departments, or gross incompetence?

Then comes an edict from the Nationalist government, more commonly referred to as the Federal Government, that orders the city of Fort Smith to spend at least $600 million to upgrade its sewer and waste water systems, accompanied by a $300,000 fine, all of which should have been accomplished 2 decades ago and the funding was available. Followed on the heels of these travesties and almost in unison, no explanation by appropriate officials, the prompt exodus of decades old employees City Manager Ray Gosack followed by City Financial Director Kara Bushkuhl.

After a year or so, still no explanations from the City Directors or Mayor pertaining to the Fire & Police Pension Funds! Publicly, there have also been no reactions from Police Chief Kevin Lindsey & his band or the City Fire Chief and his crew. If there really is a shortage in the two retirement funds, why are the victims so composed?
Maybe, because there is no shortage.

You see, the city of Fort Smith and all cities are for-profit corporations. In the case of Fort Smith insiders will exclaim that Fort Smith is not a for-profit entity and remember citizens all local governments are controlled from on high, in this case Little Rock, D.C. & the United Nations, e.g. Lindsey and his band of merry men belong to 2 international policing organizations who set the protocols for the FSPD, not we the people who pay their salaries & perks.

Pension fund accounting (and others) are required by government to project out 35 years ( government safety net) to satisfy all projected payments to participants (in this case police & fire) with what they will be paid at TIME OF RETIREMENT. They use Max-projections.

Example: employee making $50K today at retirement, after pay increases, projected inflations, etc. will be making $185K, additionally: governments DO NOT ACCOUNT for the projected income for the fund out 35 years in full. They redact much.

Here’s the crux: based on the new accounting, the pension fund that may have been 150% funded today, in the snap of a finger, could now be adjusted to being 60% funded (40% underfunded). City governments may project whatever financial position referencing pension funding they wish. Additionally, they use Liability Accounts, Enterprise Ops & NGO’s.

It appears the city has not prepared a financial statement since 2011.

Most local pension funds/systems are strictly Participatory. What that means is the employee does not own ONE CENT of the retirement fund; they just have a ticket to ride under the contract terms.

The local government owns 100% of the FUND BALANCE. Now if the employees owned 100% of the balance, what the accounting used by local governments would be 100% fraud and an indictable offense.

If the employees owned all their retirement funds (and they should) when they retired they would receive hundreds of thousands of dollars and most of these funds are so huge there would never need to be any more contribution.
The Fort Smith city government is a pay/play pal like the Fort Smith City School Board where the transparency window pane has been blacked out.
Notice: when you ask a City Board member, a State Senator, a School Board member they always plead ignorance (“I don’t know”), which some don’t, but that’s their crude way of being evasive, i.e. not answering the question.
So you must know that Lindsey and all the rest know there is no real pension shortfall, but perhaps they do not know the devils in the details.
More reasons to impose term limits on all politicians and bureaucrats.

More pertaining to the Fire & Police Pension Funds: Times Record 1/11/16…Acting City Manager Dingman, “Our particular issue is based on the amount of funding we haven’t put into the past”. An open honest statement that past & present City governments failed to recognize the oncoming pension shortages, demonstrating gross incompetence or ………???

Now our alleged “public servants” are pushing for issues & taxes that have been previously turned down by the voters. The Board and others are assiduously exerting effort to resuscitate the moribund Civic Center & the “prepared food tax”, and no doubt increase their bloated administrative numbers.

I have written rather extensively on at least 2 occasions that the only means to subdue this tax eating piranha is to implement Zero Budgetry immediately.

If you do not understand the mechanisms involved in implementing the accounting measure of Zero Budgetry log on to the website arkansasfreedom.net and search the term.

One of the finer points of Zero Budgetry is that it demands each government department head indelibly justifies & anticipates every expense of his or her department each and every year for their upcoming budget. Some departments could actually show profits. A loose governmental budgeting process is the formula that allows government to make tax pincushions out of citizens…raising taxes. Zero Budgetry is a must.

Examples of non-essential spending: Trails; sharrows; quid pro quo softball complex which could & should generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for taxpayers; a strict bidding process for city equipment; $777,000 for Convention Center; cancel Delta Dental’s bribe of F.S. officials to mass fluoridate pristine drinking water; cut all financial assistance to the stated private enterprise project known as the Marshal’s Museum; terminate downtown Urban Renewal for private property owners; utilize competent negotiators in construction projects, e.g. the recent $2 million cost overrun in the Waterpark; reduce the bloated F.S. city work force by eliminating duplication & non-essentials; discontinue taxpayer subsidized services to illegals and numerous 501c3’s, 501c4’s, & NGO’s like Frontier MPO; The city’s lavish spending on multi-ladder fire trucks, high dollar SUV’s, pickups, flatbeds, etc.

The Fort Smith School district is spending 10’s of millions on programs for illegals that range from infants to able-bodied adults. Gov. Hutchinson, this past week, made another one of his self-serving political statements regarding the newly minted 220,000 Arkansans presently enjoying Obamacare, i.e. the Private Option, compliments of the producing taxpayers. Hutchinson fails to identify these 220,000 as mostly young, unmarried, unemployed males. Notice these faux compassionate souls are most always on the tax teat, i.e. welfare/government check themselves. In Hutchinson’s case he is recipient of at least 6 welfare/taxpayer checks in his mailbox monthly. Remember when he had compassion for illegals when he was the U.S. Drug/Border Czar and “worried about illegals ability to sleep for fear of deportation”, similar to Superintendent Gooden referring to illegals when he said “we’ll take all we can get”. Never mind the cost to our beleaguered middleclass and the destruction of our language, borders and culture.

The principal constitutional functions of the city are fire, police, streets, water, and waste water sewerage control, not entertainment.

It seems the city’s priorities have long gone astray for the benefit of a few.

Joe McCutchen
arkansasfreedom.net

Asa Hutchinson, city government offenses, City Politics, State government offenses

Government slush funds & no accountability

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Fort Smith city government, taxpayer distribution money policy.
November 2, 2015

It appears they have no policy except tax & spend, never a “make do” policy.

Re: City Manager Dingman stating to the TR last week that the Board was not to use this year’s General Fund remaining balance in calculating the new budget. Why? At the very least an obfuscation and lacking in ethics

Therefore: EXACTLY HOW MUCH TAXPAYER MONEY IS LEFT FROM THIS YEAR’S GENERAL FUND, THAT THE MAYOR & CITY BOARD ARE PROPOSING TO LEAVE, UNACCOUNTED FOR (HOW MUCH?) IN THE GENERAL FUND AND NOT TO BE USED AS A START FIGURE IN NEXT YEAR’S BUDGET.

On whose authority did this directive originate –Dingman, the Board, the City Treasurer or the City Attorney, or…..?

This type of misconduct always sets the stage for more taxes. Whatever the amount, $1,000 or millions, it needs to be accounted for in next year’s budget, to the penny & taxpayers made aware of the exact amount of the surplus.

Last week I posed a number of questions related to depositing this year’s budget surplus into the General Fund and what makes this act even more sinister is the horrific debt this government has incurred due to malfeasance, misfeasance, etc. The article can be found at arkansasfreedom.net.

Another matter pertaining to tax dollars—thievery at worst.

The Arkansas General Assembly empowered themselves several years ago with a bank account known as The General Improvement Funds (GIF) which has most recently been shown some interest by the FBI. Wonder what got their attention?

This year the legislature set aside $20 million for Gov. Hutchinson to use as he sees fit, and another $20 million for the General Assembly members to use as they see fit.

More ethical corruption and political thievery. If the legislators policy is to give 35 members of the Senate and the 100 Representatives equal amounts, that would be $150,000 each, but I believe state senators receive considerably more. This is nothing more than a vote buying, power buying, corrupt scheme.

I’m sure Senator Jake Files will come forth and relate to his constituency how he has divvied up his shares over the years he has been in the legislature, as a Rep and a Senator.

What would you bet that Files has dumped in thousands to the so-called “private enterprise” (huge lie) known as Griffin & Sicard’s Marshal Museum and to the financially bloated UAFS? Sooner rather than later, if the MM is completed the taxpayers will inherit it in toto.

Joe McCutchen
arkansasfreedom.net