Letter To The Editor: A. E. Newman Discusses The Status Of The "Roetheli Properties"

Published by Jimmy Oldsun, Editor

Date:  3/13/2011
Post:  1,827

We recently received an email from A. E. Newman of Bland, MO.  Mr. Newman is a candidate for Southern District Associate Commissioner here in Gasconade County.  Here is the text of Newman's email:

To the Editor of Hermann Hearsay;

I've observed that it can sometimes become more difficult than one could possibly imagine to bestow a valuable gift upon another.  Sometimes people are ungrateful, unreasonable and inappropriately 
circumspect.  Sometimes people look too hard to find the faults in a gift rather than the value and benefits.

In my humble opinion, such is the case with "The Roetheli Properties" which the Gasconade County Courthouse Society (GCCS) has been endeavoring to transfer over to the county via two (2) general warranty deeds.  Lot's of questions and concerns are being raised by Commissioners Jost and Lairmore.  And legal opinions are being shopped.

You've no doubt heard the old proverb "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."  The meaning of this proverb is:  "Don't be ungrateful when you receive a gift, and don't be inappropriately circumspect."

Proverbs are 'short and expressive sayings, in common use, which are recognized as conveying some accepted truth or useful advice'. The gift horse phrase is often expressed as 'never look a gift horse in the mouth'.

As horses age their teeth begin to project further forward each year and so their age can be estimated by checking how prominent the teeth are. This incidentally is also the source of another teeth/age related phrase - long in the tooth.

The advice given in the 'Don't look a gift horse ... ' proverb is this:  When given a present or gift, be grateful for your good fortune and don't look for more by examining it to assess its value or find fault with the gift.

As with most proverbs the origin is ancient and unknown. We have some clues with this one however. The phrase was originally "don't look a given horse in the mouth" and first appears in print in 1546 in John Heywood's "A Dialogue Containing The Number In Effect Of All The Proverbs In The English Tongue", where he gives it as:

• "No man ought to look a gift horse in the mouth."

Heywood is an interesting character in the development of English. He was employed at the courts of Henry VIII and Mary I as a singer, musician, and playwright. His Proverbs is a comprehensive collection of those known at the time and includes many that are still with us:

• "Many hands make light work." 
• "Rome wasn't built in a day."
• "A good beginning makes a good ending."

and so on. These were expressed in the literary language of the day, as in "would ye both eat your cake, and have your cake?", but the modern versions are their obvious descendants.

But I digress.  Back to the main point of this email message.  The GCCS (and the Roethelis) are attempting to make a very generous gift of potentially very useful property to Gasconade County.  The two "Roetheli properties", which are located immediately west of and east of the county courthouse in Hermann, are estimated to be worth approximately $800,000.  These two properties will be very useful for the purpose of any future expansion of county government office facilities along with improved access road(s) and parking space.  The county should accept this generous and potentially useful gift and agree to the transfer of the properties via the general warranty deeds which have been drawn up by GCCS Attorney Don Althauser.  If minor changes to language or terms of transfer in the warranty deed are desired by the county, I am sure the GCCS (and the Roethelis) will be open to consideration of the same.

But IF Commissioners Jost and Lairmore persist in finding fault with the terms of the gift of the property, they should be called upon to explain their concerns not only to Dale Ridder, President of the GCCS, but also to the citizens of Gasconade County.  They should be called upon to show cause as to why the transfer of the "Roetheli properties" to the county does not enure to the long-term interest and benefit of the county.  I don't believe they can show such cause.  I believe the terms of the warranty deeds have been drawn up in such a way as to protect the interests of both the Roethelis who desire the property to be used by the county to expand and improve our county government center as well as the people of Gasconade County. 

As closely and critically as Commissioners Jost and Lairmore may "look in the mouth" of this generous gift of property, I believe they will find no actual fault.  That's why I question their motives.  Are they intentionally trying to find fault with the gift because of some ulterior motive?  Is this a "gift horse" they don't want to accept on behalf of all the people of Gasconade County?  Are they trying to delay or scuttle this property transfer?  IF so, why?  Are Jost and Lairmore representing the best interests of the people of Gasconade County? Or are they representing the interests of a small minority in Owensville?  Are they actually dragging their feet and obstructing the transfer of this property, because they do not support the future renovation and expansion of the seat of government in Hermann?  Despite an overwhelming defeat at the polls in November 2008 on the question of relocating the county seat (Prop. B), are Jost and Lairmore, under the direction of their wealthy Owensville puppet masters, actually obstructing progress in Hermann so that the county seat proposition may be brought before the voters once again (as early as 2013 if by special election or 2014 if in conjunction with a general election)?  And IF Commissioners Jost and Lairmore should continue to look askance at the Roethelis ' gift and obstruct progress by throwing up one objection after another, will the GCCS, under the leadership of President Dale Ridder, exhibit the patience of Job in answering and responding to their real and imagined concerns with the property transfer?  Will the GCCS and the Roethelis become frustrated with Commissioner Jost and Lairmore and just withdraw their offer to transfer ownership of the property?  And IF they should ultimately do so, is this what Jost and Lairmore secretly desire as the outcome and the consequence of their obstruction?

I would like to see our local news organizations investigate this story.  I would like to see the principles involved with this proposed property transfer be interviewed and questioned.  I would like to see these interviews published as the process unfolds.  I want the people of Gasconade County to understand the process as it unfolds.  I want the people to have the facts and to know the truth.

Now I admit that I am just speculating about what seems to be going on with regard to the Roetheli properties.  I really hope that I am proven wrong!  If the leaders of Gasconade County do ultimately accept this "gift horse" on behalf of the people, then we can move forward with necessary improvements to and renovations of our historical county courthouse!  And that would be a very good thing!

Sincerely,

A. E. Newman
Candidate for SDA Commish

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