Gasconade County Tire and Tire Services Contract Controversy

Published by Dick Schaefer, Contributing Writer and Part-time Investigative Reporter

I've been mulling over what I and other citizens witnessed at this week's Gasconade County Commission meeting in Owensville.  I've been reading Jeff Noedel's one-sided report about the meeting over on his website CNL ("Cheap News LIVE").  Now I await Dave Marner's written account of the meeting next week in the Gasconade County Republican.  Marner's report should be equally "interesting".

It's going to take me several postings (at least four) to say all that I want to say about the 7/1 county meeting as well as the continuing controversy over the county's tire and tire services contract.  I'm going to break down my reports as follows:

1. Part I:  County Commission Meeting and Road Department Meeting - 7/1/2010
2. Part II:  Presiding Commissioner Ron Jost's Conflict of Interest and Unethical Actions
3. Part III:  Irregularities Found In Prior Year Tire and Tire Services Invoices
4. Part IV:  Why Jeff Noedel, CNL Publisher, Goes Out Of His Way To Slam Matt Penning Every Chance He Gets

My written reports will be posted when I'm well satisified that I have gathered all the relevant facts and have put together reports which will be clear and understandable to our readers. 

In the meantime, if you see me in a coffee shop, let's talk.  I will give you an earful!  And it will be truthful to the best of my ability to perceive the truth.  I neither solicit nor take money from anyone in county government.  I have no financial relationship with anyone in county government.  I do not rely upon nor solicit "exclusive inside news scoops" from anyone in county government.  I do not publish PR reports for anyone in county government nor for their immediate family members.  I am free to publish the unvarnished truth.  I am blunt.  I do not spin, fabricate, fog or misrepresent.