Cover-ups + incompetency = The Fix……Absent transparency February 1, 2017
Fort Smith City Manager, Mayor, City Directors, State Rep. Matt Pitsch and other principals.
City Manager Carl Geffken terminated yesterday the curious expensive contract between the city of Fort Smith and State Senator Jake Files (R) & Democrat Lee Webb pertaining to the building of a softball complex at Chaffee Crossing, which was a good thing and none too soon, but Geffken is sweeping away this mess in typical government fashion. If the board has not voted on the matter how can Geffken state the contract has been terminated?
Geffken was interviewed last evening by TV5, and over & over he would state pertaining to the termination of the contract, “we must move forward”—absent solutions. His swift evacuation poses a number of questions.
1. Is this a cover-up?
2. Why were Files & Webb awarded this contract in the first place, particularly since it represents an aggressive conflict of interest and the fact these two have never proven they could create and manage a business successfully?
3. Was there no agreement in the contract that addressed fiduciary responsibility by the two, and in case of failure (which is the case) were there no terms regarding restitution or breach of contract? No public mention of what oversight tools were in place.
4. Geffken did not bother to state or suggest what the plans were for salvaging this mess which seems to be laced with unfettered corruption.
5. Did one or more of the Board of Directors request an audit pertaining to the manner in which $1.08 million given to Files & Webb by the city for construction of the complex was spent on who, how, & when?
The above information has not been made available to the citizens and can only be described as sleazy corruption by the city of Fort Smith.
State Representative Matt Pitsch, full time federal employee of RITA and the state of Arkansas. How can Rep. Pitsch work two full-time government jobs (double-dipping—state & Fed) and represent his constituents in a dutiful manner? He can’t.
Pitsch was quoted in today’s T.R. “It’s a regional approach to transportation”. This simply means that Pitsch is an advocate for government control of transportation and the word “regional” means that in this case city government, i.e. Fort Smith, has delegated its authority (citizens) to the U.N.’s Agenda 21 and the Feds. Pitsch is also Speaker of the House and wields huge political power, and there is no evidence that he is using any of it for the benefit of his constituents & Arkansas citizens, just big government.
Also in today’s T.R. titled “Firm presents downtown plan”. Kelsey Berry of Gateway Planning stated in her selling job “Downtown should have more of a regional emphasis to support businesses & entrepreneurs.” (The word “regional” again) More questions: who is paying for the grand plan for downtown? The plan is simply a warmed-over 1960’s project for a new age Urban Renewal, where the city/taxpayers pay for refurbishing and subsidizing downtown property owners. Look no further that the Sicard/Griffin cabal.
Joe McCutchen
arkansasfreedom.net