Fort Smith City Manager Ray Gosack and the Board of Directors have been extremely disingenuous in refusing to voluntarily provide detailed data re the proposed Marshall’s Museum.

Remember if you will, the proposed project is and has been billed as a private endeavor, yet hundreds of thousands of tax dollars have already been spent on the projected MM and millions more projected—by what authority and whose say so?

Is the city working for Richard Griffin or is Richard Griffin working for the city?  At this point there appears to be a for-profit arrangement buried in the belly of the MM plan. Is Griffin using HUD and New Market Tax Credits in the MM venture and his downtown investments?  Couple this with a never-ending growing Social Services Campus for deadbeats and a $60 million food-processing plant.

This FOIA (others will follow) should begin to reveal detailed information which could expose Griffin and his merry men.
Griffin and associates are looking for $25 million from the Arkansas State Parks & Tourism Department.  This authority is compliments of Senator Jake Files Senate Bill.

How much does the City Board know?  What Griffin and the city are developing is a monumental taxpayer subsidized boondoggle that citizens will be paying for decades and Griffin & handymen will smile going to the bank, if we citizens do not act and act now.  The FS City Board & City Manager must be held accountable and all information surrounding the MM must be divulged by them.
Note that recently the city donated $50,000 to the Museum Foundation and the county $230,000 more.  Who and what is the Museum Foundation?  How many employees and how much is Jim Dunn being paid and from what?

Citizens, the MM at $50 million & 50,000 sq. ft. makes the Convention Center look like a piker.  Our union is broke, 16.4 Trillion in debt and 75-100 Trillion in unfunded mandates, Social Security, Medicare, & Medicaid, yet corrupt politicians and opportunists continue their self-serving spending sprees.

Joe McCutchen        (The FOI follows)

December 19, 2011

CERTIFIED MAIL – RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
1 Capitol Mall
Little Rock, AR 72201

Arkansas State Treasurer
220 State Capitol
Little Rock, AR 72201

Re:    Freedom of Information Act Request

Dear Sir or Madam:

Pursuant to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101), I hereby request copies of the following public records:

(a)    All checks, drafts, and other documents making or evidencing any payments, contributions, donations, or other transfer of funds from the State of Arkansas or Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism to, on behalf of, or for the benefit of any corporation, non-profit corporation or entity, or other entity that was established to:  (i) honor the United States Marshalls; (ii) establish a museum honoring the United States Marshalls; or (iii) national center of heritage and legacy within the State of Arkansas dedicated to United States Marshalls; and

(b)      All checks, drafts, and other documents making or evidencing any payments, contributions, donations, or other transfer of funds from the State of Arkansas or Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism made pursuant to the United States Marshalls Museum Grant Program or otherwise made pursuant to Act 679 of 2011.

The requested information may be provided to me at the address specified above.  I offer to pay the actual cost of reproduction, as defined by statute, either in advance of copying or pursuant to a statement or invoice from you after copying occurs.  Please notify me in advance if the cost of copying will exceed $100.00.

Alternatively, if you are otherwise unable to comply with this request, I request reasonable access to the identified public records and reasonable comforts and facilities for the full exercise of the right to inspect and copy those records.  

Thanking you for your attention to this matter,

                    Yours very truly,

                    Joe McCutchen