An off-the-wall Times Record editorial published Friday April 5, 2015, titled “Increased Sewer Rates Inevitable” April 13, 2015
Quotable statements by Madam Editor, City Manager Gosack, Mayor Sandy Sanders & Director Mike Lorenz were mind-boggling.
The year 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a Consent Decree to immediately upgrade various components of the Fort Smith city sewer system.
Recall 4 years in advance of the initial EPA edict, in 1985 citizens voted for a 1 cent sales tax that was specifically earmarked, designating one half for streets and one half for sewers. During the ensuing 30 years the 1% sales tax generated $600 million, and obviously was misapplied, misappropriated, diverted, or all of the above.
2014 the EPA issued its final verdict that directs the city of Fort Smith to spend $480 million over a 12 year period to revamp its sewer system and also accompanied by a $300,000 fine. Any fool can readily understand that in 12 years there will be inflationary concerns, cost of doing business, cost overruns, ad infinitum, and in all likelihood reaching an ultimate cost of $ 3/4 Billion, meaning the residents of Fort Smith will pay for sewer upgrades that will cost well over twice the 12 year, $480 million EPA demand, that is if the city government had followed the city’s vote & trust along with the initial EPA decree. Then there is the sorry state of affairs pertaining to streets, also neglected.
The year 2014, City Manager Ray Gosack & his entourage were summoned to go to Dallas by the EPA. Returning from the meeting in Dallas, Gosack proclaimed like a conquering hero, that the deal HE (not the EPA) cut was a great deal. The arrogance of Gosack’s words is revolting.
Since the initial 1989 EPA mandate was ordered, Fort Smith has had 7 City Managers that have willfully disregarded the ‘89 demand by the EPA, couple that with all the City Boards who have been elected during the past 25 year period, and certainly applies to the present Board.
Gosack has been a key player in city government for 22 years. The present City Board, absent Director Pennartz, has been in power 35 years cummulatively….so why did the T.R. give the present Mayor, Board, & City Manager a pass? Did they have to wait for an invitation from the EPA before enacting what should have been done & completed and was voted on 30 years ago?
The following quotes expressed in the Times Record by Gosack & others are the height of absurdity and express in a woefully deceptive manner that the incompetence’s (massive debt & possible criminality) the residents are now facing are recent occurrences rather than the 25 years of actuality.
Madam Editor…”These are the guys who, almost literally, are cleaning up the mess left by earlier Boards”. These “guys” are a part of the mess. Madam Editor, City Manager Ray Gosack has been buried in this diversion for 22 years, it’s not a “mess” it is a financial calamity. The City Board had no other option but to accept the $480 million decree and a $300,000 fine, most of which Gosack bears the blame. Why are you not calling for the immediate resignation/firing of Gosack and an independent audit of city finances? Why did it take another EPA demand to force the present Board to comply with past decrees?
A quote from Gosack, “If a Consent Decree had not been approved by the city the Federal Government would have sued the city in Federal Court”. Some revelation by Gosack. Why did Gosack, accompanied by some past City Boards, put the city in these fiscally debilitating circumstances? Why didn’t Gosack think of that 22 years ago?
Trying to placate both sides, Madam Editor wrote “on top of that there would have been another $1.5 million for legal services, waiting longer to raise rates only would have increased the price and perhaps added new fines to the total”. More brilliant deduction and never does the editor or any of her reporters ask the question “Where did the earmarked $600 million go?” If city government will not obey the federal government demands, they certainly will not obey city voter demands.
Similar asinine statements were made in the editorial by Director Mike Lorenz and Mayor Sandy Sanders, but never an apology or even an excuse for their part in blowing the dedicated $600 million Street/Sewer tax from all the above.
Finally, Madam Editor states, “So we congratulate this Board for doing the dirty work”. Congratulating a City Manager, City Board & Mayor who had part in misapplying, misappropriating and diverting $600 million of taxpayers hard-earned money is an abuse of the word congratulate and a hard slap in the face of citizens, they are the problem.
The time is rapidly approaching when the ringing plea will be heard “KEEP YOUR PENNY ROLLING”. (Slogan to encourage votes for continuing the tax) Financed in large part by Griffin, Sicard, the F.S. Chamber of Commerce, & other self-serving interests.
The Bread & Circus crowd indoctrinated with Pavlov’s dog’s experiment will rush to the polls to “KEEP YOUR PENNY ROLLING”, producing millions for trails, bikeways, sharrows, signs, Marshall’s Museum, Water Park, Softball Fields, fluoridation, while at the same time, allegedly not having the capacities to fund Fire & Police pensions, proposing across the board 8% raises for all city employees, terrible streets, a $300,000 fine and the $480 million Consent Decree………and the beat goes on.
Joe McCutchen
P.S. Ward #1 Director Keith Lau, in Sunday’s edition of the T.R. seems to be expressing a desire to reintroduce transparency in city government, an extremely huge advance in transparency could be made in this Tuesday Board meeting by he or one of the other Directors asking City Manager Gosack publicly why he was one of the major instruments in diverting the 30 year $600 million. Furthermore, Director Hutchings, asking for less time on citizen appearances at Board meetings is laughable due to the fact that he is a preacher, and I personally take umbrage at any attempt to squelch citizen input.
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