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

Reciprocal Links: http://www.DSchaefer.Vemma.com (Nutrition For A Lifetime), http://www.Heart2HeartLyrics.blogspot.com (Song Lyrics Seeking Singer-Songwriters), http://www.HermannHappenings.blogspot.com (Calendar of Events), http://www.HermannHealthandFitness.blogspot.com (Health and Fitness), http://www.HermannHearsay.blogspot.com (Local News and Hearsay), http://www.HermannHospitality.blogspot.com (B&Bs, Restaurants, Bars and Wineries), http://www.HermannMoNews.blogspot.com (The 'Drudge Report' of Hermann), http://www.Mizzou-Rah-Tigers.blogspot.com (Missouri Tiger Stuff), http://www.RivertownRecipes.blogspot.com (Great Local Recipes)

Other Recommended Links: http://www.AccuWeather.com (Weather Forecasts), https://stores.healthmart.com/berlenerdrugstorepharmacy(Professional Local Pharmacy Services), http://www.DorasSpinningWheel.com (Embroidery), http://www.HermannAdvertiserCourier.com (Gasconade County's Newspaper of Record), http://www.MUTigers.com (Official Website of the Missouri Tigers), http://www.RushLimbaugh.com (Conservative Talk), http://www.Time4Pie.com (Great Pie, Coffee & Conversation), http://www.ToedtmannGrosse.com (Obituaries), http://www.WatkinsOnline.com (Watkins Natural Products)

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Letter To The Editor - A. E. Newman Recommends Jobs.com

Published by Lois Lame, Assistant Editor

Date:  1/29/2011
Post:  1,587

A. E. Newman emailed a letter to us and asked that we publish it.  Newman is a "friend of the unemployed and the underemployed" and a candidate for the office of Southern District Associate Commissioner.  Here's A. E. Newman's Letter to the Editor:

Dear Mr. Oldsun,

As you know our county suffers from a high unemployment rate.  As of December, 2010, the official rate stated by the BLS was 10.1%.  If you add to that a significant number of our citizens who are underemployed based upon their skill and experience level as well as others who have become discouraged to the point that they have dropped out of the labor market, we have a major problem in Gasconade County. 

Are our politicians and community leaders doing anything about it?  The answer to that question is that they are obviously NOT doing enough!

I want to try to help the situation.  I have found a website called Jobs.com which advertises jobs in Missouri.  Would you please provide your readers a link to this website.  Tell them to click on the following hotlink:

Missouri Jobs

Sincerely,

A. E. Newman
"Friend of the Unemployed and Underemployed"

Reciprocal Links: http://www.DSchaefer.Vemma.com (Nutrition For A Lifetime), http://www.Heart2HeartLyrics.blogspot.com (Song Lyrics Seeking Singer-Songwriters), http://www.HermannMoNews.blogspot.com (The 'Drudge Report' of Hermann), http://www.RivertownRecipes.blogspot.com (Great Local Recipes)

Other Recommended Links: http://www.AccuWeather.com (Weather Forecasts), http://www.DorasSpinningWheel.com (Embroidery), http://www.HermannAdvertiserCourier.com (Gasconade County's Newspaper of Record), http://www.MUTigers.com (Official Website of the Missouri Tigers), http://www.RushLimbaugh.com (Conservative Talk), http://www.Time4Pie.com (Great Pie, Coffee & Conversation), http://www.ToedtmannGrosse.com (Obituaries), http://www.WatkinsOnline.com (Watkins Natural Products)

Letter To The Editor - Richard Smoker speaks out regarding recent decisions and actions by Presiding Commissioner Ron Jost

Published by Jimmy Oldsun, NDRIRSRWRAFTC & Editor

Date:  12/7/2010
Post:  1,248

Hermann Hearsay received an email from Richard Smoker of Hermann late on Monday night.  Smoker is a regular reader and commenter.

Publisher's Notice/Full Disclosure:  Mr. Richard Smoker has been a long-time FREE subscriber to Hermann Hearsay.  Mr. Smoker has no beneficial ownership stake in Hermann Hearsay. Furthermore, Mr. Smoker has no current or past employment relationship with Hermann Hearsay. And in addition to all of the foregoing disclosures, be advised that Mr. Smoker is not related in anyway to any member of Hermann Hearsay ownership, management or staff. And if these disclosures in and of themselves were not enough, it should also be noted that Mr. Smoker has never purchased a lunch or an intoxicating adult beverage for any member of Hermann Hearsay ownership, management, or staff.  In other words, we here at Hermann Hearsay barely know Mr. Smoker. It must be plainly understood that Mr. Smoker speaks entirely for himself in his "Letter to the Letter".

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in Hermann Hearsay "Letters to the Editor" and/or Hermann Hearsay forums or other reader comments are not necessarily those of the ownership, management and/or staff of HermannHearsay.blogspot.com.  We publish this particular "Letter to the Editor" knowing full well that some of our readers will disagree with the content of the letter.  Opposing viewpoints are welcomed and encouraged.

That said, here is Mr. Smoker's letter .....

Dear Mr. Oldsun,

I want to formally express my sincere personal gratitude for the service you provide as Editor of Hermann Hearsay.  I feel you work hard to serve your readers, and you have always been willing to publish letters from your readers as well as their daily comments.

During the course of the past several weeks, I have discussed with you my concerns about the way Presiding Commissioner Ron Jost has handled the shameless requests (demands) by current Southern District Associate Commissioner Jerry Laimore and former Northern District Associate Commissioner Max Aubuchon for the county to reimburse legal expenses which they incurred as a consequence of defending themselves in the so-called "salary overpayment" lawsuit.

To reiterate my concerns and considered viewpoints for the benefit of your readers .....

1. Presiding Commissioner Jost has decided to reimburse the attorney fees and legal expenses which Messrs. Lairmore and Aubuchon have submitted. I understand that the sum total which Jost intends to reimburse Lairmore and Aubuchon is in excess of $52,000. I have no idea whether these bills have been closely audited, authenticated or verified in any way.  I just know that this is sum total of their requests.
2. The county can ill afford to pay out this amount of money for attorney fees and legal expenses which these two individuals incurred because of their stubborn and arrogant refusal to return back to the county "salary overpayments" which were made to them and subsequently deemed "unconstitutional" by the Missouri Supreme Court.  My understanding is that they were asked to make partial repayment when the mistake was first discovered and that they refused to do so.
3. Former Associate Circuit Judge Cynthia Eckelcamp issued her final ruling and court order on the "salary overpayment" case after her initial ruling was reversed by the Missouri Eastern District Court of Appeals on a legal technicality as opposed to the merits of the case. The legal technicality was that the "statute of limitations" had been exceeded. It is my understanding that, in her final ruling, Judge Eckelkamp ordered that all parties pay their own legal expenses, court costs and attorney fees. She did not provide for any provision that these expenses might be reimbursed to Lairmore and Aubuchon by Gasconade County or by Santa Claus.
4. In authorizing the payment of these legal bills, Presiding Commissioner Jost acted unilaterally, and I believe in direct violation of RSMo 49.220. There was no 2/3 majority vote by the County Commission to authorize such payment as is normally required by Missouri statute. Commissioner Lairmore was forced to abstain from the vote, because he obviously has a materially and beneficial interest in the outcome of the vote. Commissioner Matt Penning also abstained from the vote on advice of his attorney, presumably for the reason that he also had an interest in the "salary overpayment' lawsuit, being one of the listed plaintiffs in the original complaint against Messrs. Lairmore and Aubuchon.
5. During this past week's County Commission Meeting which was held at the Owensville City Hall on 12/2/2010, Presiding Commissioner Jost signed reimbursement checks for a portion of the legal bills presented to him by Messrs. Lairmore and Aubuchon. In this meeting, Commissioner Penning again appropriately went on record as "abstaining" from the vote to authorize payment of the legal bills. In response, Presiding Commissioner Jost stated that he was authorizing the payments entirely on his own and that he was signing the checks to Messrs. Lairmore and Aubuchon. Presiding Commissioner Jost cited RSMo 49.070 as his legal authority to act on his own in making the payments. I have read this statute, and I have discussed it with other people. None of us believe that this statute applies in this situation. We believe that Presiding Commissioner Jost has acted unilaterally and without proper legal authority. Whoever advised Jost in this matter, and I believe it was Attorney Ivan Schraeder of Camdenton, is either incompetent or incapable of objective impartiality. Furthermore, it is not clear to me that Mr. Schraeder's legal services were properly engaged by the County Commission. My understanding is that you Commissioner Penning did not participate in a vote on this matter during an open and public meeting of the County Commission. Therefore, I believe that Schraeder's services have been illegally contracted for by Gasconade County. I should think this would be a point of great concern for the Prosecuting Attorney of Gasconade County.
6. By and through her direct involvement in preparing the county checks for the Presiding Commissioner's signature and subsequently transmitting said county checks to Lairmore and Aubuchon, I believe that County Clerk Lesa Lietzow may now also be complicit in this illegal act of issuing and transmitting payment from county funds to Messrs. Lairmore and Aubuchon without a proper and legal vote of authorization by the County Commission. Again, I refer you to RSMo 49.220.

Jimmy, it is possible I may have missed some important material point(s) regarding this matter which we have discussed several times during the course of the past two weeks. Hopefully I have been able to summarize it all in a way which is understandable to you and your readers. If you feel I need to clarify something, don't hesitate to request that I do so.

I shudder to think where this situation may lead.  The Presiding Commissioner has acted hastily and without proper legal authority to make payments to his buddies.  This MUST NOT and WILL NOT be allowed to stand!

Respectfully,

Richard Smoker
Hermann, MO



Reciprocal Links:  http://www.DSchaefer.Vemma.com (Nutrition For A Lifetime), http://www.Heart2HeartLyrics.blogspot.com (Song Lyrics Seeking Singer-Songwriters), http://www.HermannMoNews.blogspot.com (The 'Drudge Report' of Hermann), http://www.RivertownRecipes.blogspot.com (Great Local Recipes), http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/richardhschaefer (Watkins Natural Products)

Other Recommended Links:  http://www.HermannAdvertiserCourier.com (Gasconade County's Newspaper of Record), http://www.Time4Pie.com (Great Pie, Coffee & Conversation)

Letter To The Editor - Yosemite Sam Rips Into Daffy Duck

Published by Jimmy Oldsun, NDRIRSRWRAFTC & Editor

Date:  12/6/2010
Post:  1.242

A letter was received today from Yosemite Sam, one of our loyal FREE subscribers.  As a preamble to this particularly angry letter, Hermann Hearsay is posting the following Notice, Disclosure and Disclaimer:

Publisher's Notice/Full Disclosure:  Mr. Yosemite Sam has been a long-time FREE subscriber to Hermann Hearsay.  Mr. Daffy Duck, whom Yosemite Sam viciously criticizes, is also a FREE subscriber to Hermann Hearsay, albeit for a much shorter period of time.  Neither Yosemite Sam nor Daffy Duck have any ownership interest in Hermann Hearsay.  Furthermore, neither Yosemite Sam nor Daffy Duck have any current or past employment relationship with Hermann Hearsay.  And in addition to all of the foregoing disclosures, be advised that neither Yosemite Sam nor Daffy Duck are related in anyway to any members of Hermann Hearsay ownership, management or staff.  And if these disclosures were not enough, it should also be noted that neither Yosemite Sam nor Daffy Duck has ever purchased a lunch or an intoxicating adult beverage for any member of Hermann Hearsay ownership, management, or staff.  In other words, we here at Hermann Hearsay barely know these two characters.  It must be plainly understood that Yosemite Sam speaks entirely for himself in his "Letter to the Letter"

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in Hermann Hearsay "Letters to the Editor" and/or Hermann Hearsay forums or other reader comments are not necessarily those of the ownership, management and/or staff of HermannHearsay.blogspot.com.  However, we do have complete control over what we choose to publish.  Sometimes it is helpful in growing our readershop to publish sensational, salacious and scandalous articles and reports.  We cannot be held legally responsible for our editorial standards regardless of how low and sleazy they may be.  Our readers like to read this trash, so we publish it!

Posted hereinbelow is Yosemite Sam's letter.  BE WARNED, IT IS VERY GRAPHIC!

Dear Jimmy,

This letter is to inform you that you have an A-hole amidst your FREE subscriber membership base.  His name is Daffy Duck.  This damned duck is no good!  He has never been any good!  Just ask other Hermannites!  They will tell you that he is a dad-blamed, stinkin' varmint!

Daffy Duck

Be advised that this no-good-for-nothin', dirty, dastardly duck has done the following despicable things:

1. He has dishonored and knocked up my young niece!
2. He has crapped all over #2, #4 and #5 putting greens over at the Loutre Shore Country Club just before my foursome played through.
3. He has passed a bad check to me when he bought a shotgun at my garage sale last year.
4. He got drunk down at the Barrel Bar a few weekends ago and did the Duck Dance on their bar.
5. He shed his filthy dirty black feathers all over my wife's full-length white fox fur coat at our company's Christmas party this year.

This dirty, dastardly duck is a real dickhead!  Please be advised that it would be wise to cancel his FREE subscription and publish a public service announcement advising all your readers to avoid having anything to do with the bastard!

Yosemite Sam

Yours truly,

Yosemite Sam
Hermann, MO

Reciprocal Links:  http://www.DSchaefer.Vemma.com (Nutrition For A Lifetime), http://www.Heart2HeartLyrics.blogspot.com (Song Lyrics Seeking Singer-Songwriters), http://www.HermannMoNews.blogspot.com (The 'Drudge Report' of Hermann), http://www.RivertownRecipes.blogspot.com (Great Local Recipes), http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/richardhschaefer (Watkins Natural Products)

Other Recommended Links:  http://www.HermannAdvertiserCourier.com (Gasconade County's Newspaper of Record), http://www.Time4Pie.com (Great Pie, Coffee & Conversation)

Letter To The Editor - Chubb E. Buttocks says "Thanks for your FREE online service!"

Published by Jimmy Oldsun, NDRIRSRWRAFTC & Editor

Date:  12/2/2010
Post:  1,215

We received a 'Letter To The Editor' from long-time FREE subscriber, Chubb E. Buttocks, today.  I'd like for the rest of our readers to read it.  Chubb says .....

Dear Jimmy,

As you know,  I have been a FREE subscriber to Hermann Hearsay for almost two years, and I have also been a FREE member of your online dating service subsidiary, Hermann Hookups (http://www.hermannhookups.blogspot.com/).

I just wanted to say thank you for all your FREE services.  Times are tough, and I'm currenly laid off from my job cleaning horse and mule stables.  People have had to sell off their horses and mules and that disturbing trend has "trickled down" to reduce my employment opportunities in the local area. 

I just can't afford to pay $19.95 per annum for that other so-called "news" service over there on Fifth Street.  Plus I don't like the fact that they hide the best news reports from the eyes of us FREE readers.  That's why I now read Hermann Hearsay and Poor Richard's HermannMoNews(http://www.hermannmonews.blogspot.com/) exclusively.  You probably know that HMN is also FREE.  I love FREE services to death!  I only wish I could still get a good nickel cigar and a good cold draft beer for just a quarter!

Keep up the good work, Jimmy!  I hope you never have to resort to hiding news stories or charging for your service!

Yours truly,

Chubb E. Buttocks
Rhineland, MO
chubb_e_buttocks@hotmail.com

Reciprocal Links:  http://www.dschaefer.vemma.com/ (Nutrition For A Lifetime), http://www.heart2heartlyrics.blogspot.com/ (Song Lyrics Seeking Singer-Songwriters), http://www.hermannmonews.blogspot.com/ (The 'Drudge Report' of Hermann), http://www.rivertownrecipes.blogspot.com/ (Great Local Recipes), http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/richardhschaefer (Watkins Natural Products)

Other Recommended Links:  http://www.hermannadvertisercourier.com/ (Gasconade County's Newspaper of Record), http://www.time4pie.com/ (Great Pie, Coffee & Conversation)

Letter To The Editor: Jethro Bodine says ... "Sheriff's Jail Just Don't Cipher Out!"

Published by Jimmy Oldsun, NDRIRSRWRAFTC & Editor

Date:  11/9/2010
Post:  1,043

Jethro Bodine, one of our FREE subscribers, sent in the following 'Letter to the Editor' today .....

Dear Editor,

I've been readin' a lot about a new county jail which the Sheriff and a few of his supporters are pushing.  Now the way I look at it, we should do some careful cipherin' before we get too far down the road on this idea.  And IF it does cipher out, we need to remember that by statute, the doggone thing needs to be built in the county seat of Hermann ..... not in Rosebud or Swiss or any other place.

I pulled out a #2 lead pencil and my Big Chief writin' and cipherin' tablet last night, and I commenced to cipherin'.  I recommend the Sheriff do his own cipherin' rather than rely upon the Columbia consulting firm he went out and hired to give him the answer he wants.  (Ooooops!  Did I actually write that?  Naughty me!)

Here's how I figured it last night on my 'Big Chief' tablet .......

Total Capital Cost of Constructing a Jail = TCC
(Get three estimates and average them together.  Don't forget that county jail design will need to meet minimum construction standards as well as all pertinent local, state and federal regulations.)

Total Annual Operating Expense of the Proposed Jail = TOE
(Calculate this by plugging best available estimates into the formula shown below.)

Total Annual Net Fees to House Prisoners in Jails of Adjoining Counties = TNF
(Calculate this by subtracting Missouri state reimbursements from the fees charged to Gasconade 
County by adjoining counties.)

TOE = DL + CL + UE + IE + OS + IT + ME + BM + PM + AE

where:

DL = Annual Direct Labor Expense (including benefits) for County Deputies Required to Staff Jail
CL = Annual Indirect Labor Expense Billed by Contractors Engaged to Provide Service to Jail
UE = Annual Utility Expenses (electricity, water, sewer, etc.) to Operate Jail
IE = Annual Increase in Cost of Liability Insurance and Property and Casualty Insurance Associated With Operation of the Jail
OS = Annual Operating Supplies Associated With Operation of the Jail
IT = Annual Information Technology Expenses, Computer Expenses, Telephone and Fax Machine Expenses
ME = Annual Medical and Dental Expenses Associated with Care of Prisoners
BM = Annual Building Maintenance and Custodial Expenses Associated with Operation of Jail
PM = Annual Cost of Prisoner/Detainee Meals
AE = Annual Advetising Expenses for Sheriff's Bearcat Affinity Ads

If TOE > TNF, then we really need to question why we would want to construct out own county jail vs. contracting the job out to Crawford County (currently) or Montgomery County (formerly).

If TOE < TNF, then what is the estimate annual savings to the county?  Let's call this estimated annual savings = EAS.

Now if this EAS amount is sufficient to both service the debt (interest payments) and retire the debt over a 15 or 20 year period (principal payments), we should double-check our cipherin' and perhaps consider the county jail project.

If however this EAS amount is not sufficient to both service the debt (interest payments) and retire the debt over a 15 or 20 year period (principal payments), we should back away from the project and vote out of office those who have been pushing the project without first running the numbers.

Sheriff Esphorst  and Southern District Associate Commissioner Lairmore, I still have several pages left in my 'Big Chief' writin' and cipherin' tablet and a few #2 lead pencils.  You are welcome to use my cipherin' supplies ...... that is if you'd like to "put a pencil to paper" yourselves!  According to my best cipherin', a new county jail just doesn't pay out for Gasconade County at this time!  I've tried various assumptions for the elements of cost to operate the jail, and I just don't see how we could get our operating costs down below the approximate $500,000 net jailing fees I am told we have paid out over the course of the past 5 years.



Reciprocal Links:  http://www.dschaefer.vemma.com/ (Nutrition For A Lifetime), http://www.hermannmonews.blogspot.com/ (The 'Drudge Report' of Hermann), http://www.hermannadvertisercourier.com/ (Gasconade County's Newspaper of Record), http://www.rivertownrecipes.blogspot.com/ (Great Local Recipes), http://www.time4pie.com/ (Great Pie, Coffee & Conversation), http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/richardhschaefer (Watkins Natural Products)

Letter To The Editor: Richard Smoker says ... "Observing Proper Protocol Requires Common Sense, Common Courtesy, Good Judgement And Professionalism"

Published by Jimmy Olsun, NDRIRSRWRAFTC & Editor

Date:  10/6/2010
Post:  853

"Letters to the Editor" addressing the lapse in communications and protocol associated with the recent visit to Hermann by Governor Jay Nixon have been appearing in other local news publications.  This morning I opened my home-delivered October 6th edition of 'The Hermann Advertiser-Courier' and found Mayor Larry Miskel's response to the letter which Gasconade County Sheriff Randy Esphorst had submitted for wide publication the previous week.  By 2 p.m. this afternoon my inbox was flooded with emails from our readers wanting to comment on this situation.  I have chosen to publish just one of the emails I received.  I picked Richard Smoker's email.  Richard is one of our FREE subscribers and has frequently commented on this site.

Richard had this to say .....

Dear Mr. Oldsun;

I want to comment on the highly controversial situation involving Governor Jay Nixon's recent visit to Hermann.  This impromptu visit which involved poor communications and lapse of protocol has received more attention (and ink) than the actual purpose for the Governor's visit itself!

I believe that Mayor Larry Miskel was entirely justified in making his strongly-held opinion known to Presiding Commissioner Ron Jost during the commission meeting which immediately followed the Governor's visit to Hermann one day in September.  Mayor Miskel expressed his concerns openly, honestly, directly, professionally and face-to-face with the County Commission.

Why Sheriff Randy Esphorst felt a need to grandstand with "Letters to the Editor" published by both CNL and The Hermann Advertiser-Courier is still a great puzzlement to me!  But he did!  I wonder if Sheriff Esphorst approached Mayor Miskel openly, honestly, directly, professionally and face-to-face?  If anyone knows the answer to my question, I would certainly like to know.  I think the Sheriff should have handled any concerns he may have had with Mayor Miskel (or anyone else) in just that direct, professional and man-to-man way ..... but he apparently and presumably didn't.  I think he chose to use the press to get his message out more broadly than it really needed to be disseminated.  If I am wrong on this and have misread the situation, I hope someone will correct me.  I really would like to learn that I am wrong and that our County Sheriff is, in fact, a professional and not a grandstanding politician!

Mayor Miskel, whether he wanted to or not, was almost forced to respond to some of the statements in the Sheriff's "Letter to the Editor".  I'm glad that he did!  I'm glad that he wasn't cowered by an elected public official of the county just because that elected county official happens to wear a badge!  I must say that I wholeheartedly agree with everything Mayor Miskel said in his letter published today, and I am now wondering if our current County Sheriff has the requisite wisdom and good judgement to occupy the office he currently occupies.

Sincerely,

Richard Smoker

Letter To The Editor: Barry Schmelly says ... "Unity is much over-rated!"

Published by Jimmy Olsun, NDRIRSRWRAFTC & Editor

Date:  9/30/2010
Post:  820

We're receiving a lot of "Letters To The Editor" regarding the subject of "County Unity".  Seems that a lot of people of have an opinion on this controversial subject.  Here's a letter from one of our FREE subscribers, Barry Schmelly.  Mr. Schmelly lives in Hermann.

Dear Mr. Olsun,

A number of Gasconade County polticians and media personalities have called for "UNITY" in Gasconade County.  It's a complete puzzlement to me as to what the hell they are talking about!  They probably don't know themselves!  In fact, I think they are just mouthing things they have heard others say and haven't really considered the implications.

Personally, I could care less whether we have "UNITY" in this county or not!  "UNITY" in and of itself is over-rated!  The things I want for the county are:

• openness and transparency in government,
• professionalism and accountability in government,
• honesty and integrity in government,
• fiscal responsibility in all government departments, and
• responsiveness to the voters ... all voters.

In my experience, it is sometimes necessary to "ruffle a few feathers" in order to accomplish these worthwhile objectves.  And if "feathers do get ruffled", so be it!  That's just fine and dandy as far as I'm concerned.

I will always support and back elected officials who "make waves" and "ruffle feathers" for these are the elected officials who make a difference.  These are the elected officials who properly and effectively repesent the constituencies who elected them to a position of public trust in the first place.

Feel free to publish my letter if you wish.  If not, that's OK too!

Best regards,

Barry Schmelly
Hermann, MO

A. E. Newman Calls For COUNTY UNITY In Letter To Editor

Published by Jimmy Oldsun, NDRIRSRWRAFTC & Editor

Date:  9/29/2010
Post:  813

In a Letter to the Editor received this morning, A. E. Newman of Bland calls for COUNTY UNITY.  Newman's letter is reproduced hereinbelow:

Dear Editor,

I have observed with great interest all the calls for "county unity".  It seems to be the thing to do by politicians of all stripes. 

But do they actually understand what they are asking for?  I wonder!

IF they are calling for Northern District Associate Commissioner Penning to cease and desist from pointing out improper and illegal actions of other Gasconade County officials, then count me out of that kind of "county unity".  I think improper and illegal actions of county officials should be confronted!

IF they are calling for Northern District Associate Commissioner Penning to cease and desist from pointing out wasteful and inefficient spending by departments of Gasconade County, then count me out of that kind of "county unity".  I think wasteful and inefficient spending should ALWAYS be confronted!

IF they are calling for the Mayor of Hermann Larry Miskel to shut up and remain silent when he is not properly notified that the Governor of Missouri will be visiting the city which he has been elected to represent, then count me out of that kind of "county unity".  I agree with Mayor Miskel that it IS proper protocol and just common courtesy to notify the mayor of any city in the county when a high ranking government official will be visiting that city.  The Mayor was justified in voicing his objections for not being notified of the recent visit of Governor Jay Nixon to Hermann.  Those who seek to categorize his recent objections as improper are idiots!

IF they are calling for citizens of the county to cease and desist from filing a formal complaint with the Missouri Ethics Commission if and when they believe a county official has done something unethical in the conduct of their official duties, then count me out of that kind of "county unity".  The Missouri Ethics Commission is tasked with investigating legitimate ethics complaints.  Anyone who seeks to intimidate a citizen of this county and dissuade them from filing a formal complaint against a government official who has potentially acted unethically is not a person I can respect.

Yes, we do need COUNTY UNITY, but not the type of unity that some having been advocating!  We need to unite together as citizens of Gasconade County in our common demands for:

• transparency in government,
• accountability in government,
• honesty in government,
• professionalism in government, and
• efficiency in government.

Please feel free to publish my letter on your website.

Sincerely,

A. E. Newman
Bland, MO
Candidate for Southern District Associate Commissioner of Gasconade County