Hermann Hearsay: A. E. Newman Issues PRESS RELEASE #3

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

A. E. Newman Issues PRESS RELEASE #3

Published by Dick Schaefer, Award-winning, Unpaid, Part-time Contributing Writer; Amateur Investigative Reporter; and Aspiring Photo-Journalist

A. E. Newman

Date: 12/22/2010
Post: 1,315

A. E. Newman sent us the PRESS RELEASE reproduced hereinbelow, his third to date, on Tuesday, 12/21. Mr. Newman announced his candidacy for the office of Southern District Associate Commissioner of Gasconade County several months ago. We published his first two PRESS RELEASES on November 5 and November 14. If you'd like to refer back to them, just click on the following links:

PRESS RELEASE #3
A. E. Newman (I), Candidate for Southern District Associate Commissioner of Gasconade County
ae_newman@hotmail.com

12/21/2010

(Bland, MO) ----- Friends and neighbors throughout Gasconade County, I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. I have been busy meeting with you in your homes and out on the stump this fall. And time has certainly flown by quickly! At this time of the year, I pause to take stock of my family's blessings and to wish others well as we end one year and begin a new one.

In my first press release and out on the stump, I talk about four (4) problems I see with Gasconade County government. These problems are:

lack of transparency by county government,
lack of financial accountability and mismanagement of public funds by county government,
lack of forward-looking vision by the county commission, and
lack of bold leadership by the county commission.

I went on to detail my concerns about the "lack of transparency by county government" in my second press release.

In this my third press release, I would like to discuss in further detail what I mean by a "lack of financial accountability and mismanagement of public funds by county government".

Financial accountability and professional management of the county's financial affairs means that the elected representatives of the people are being good stewards of taxpayer money. This is NOT happening and the fault lies primarily with the County Commission, with the Treasurer and with the County Clerk, but there is room for improvement in other departments as well. Our most recent financial audit by the Missouri State Auditor's Office plainly showed which elected oficials are not meeting their fiduciary responsibilites to the taxpayers of Gasconade County. It also showed that our financial systems and financial controls are woefully inadequate. The County Commission, Treasurer and Clerk should work collaboratively to drive improvement projects which will improve these systems and controls. Unfortunately no one seems to give a hoot in hell!

If I am fortunate enough to be elected to the office of Southern District Associate Commissioner of Gasconade County, I pledge that I will work with my colleagues in county government to identify necessary improvement projects, assign responsibility and accountability for those projects and track the projects to completion. If I am elected, we will NOT continue to have the kind of pathetic audit results we have been having in 2002, 2006 and 2010.

In addition to working with other elected county officials to improve the county's overall financial systems and financial controls, I will look into the following specific concerns which I have:

Why do we lease roadgraders instead of purchasing them outright? I'm not convinced we should be leasing vs. purchasing.
Why are we not bidding out the tire and tire service contract? I'm concerned about favoritism being shown to Jost Tire Co. and Dud's Tire Co. which just happen to have well-placed relatives in key decision making positions with the county.
Why are we reimbursing current Southern District Associate Commissioner Jerry Lairmore and former Northern District Associate Commissioner Max Aubuchon for 100% of their legal defense bills when a trial before former Associate Circuit Judge Cynthia Eckelcamp had established that they were not legally entitled to take a mid-term salary increase even though her decision was reversed at the appellate level on a legal technicality (statute of limitations)?
Why are we so obviously negligent in the maintenance of one of our greatest county assets, our multi-million dollar, historic county courthouse? Why are we allowing the courthouse to gradually deteriorate by budgeting and spending on $1,000 per year for it's upkeep and maintenance? This willful negligence is or at least should be criminal! Does someone have a continuing agenda to move the county seat to Owensville? It appears that way!
Why is the County Sheriff spending public funds for his own personal political ads in the Hermann Advertiser-Courier? And why don't said newspaper ads state how the ads are funded as required by Missouri ethics laws pertaining to campaign financing? This concern has been raised by the Missouri state auditors, but the abuse continues.
Why are we spending money to study the "feasibility" of constructing and operating a new county jail when it ought to be abundantly clear that we will never be able to properly operate such a facility for less than we are currently paying out (net of reimbursements by the state) to adjoining counties which currently house our prisoners?

I'm sure that, if elected, I will find additional specific concerns which need attention. And when I find these concerns, I will challenge the status quo thinking and "rock the boat" until my concerns are adequately addressed.

A. E. Newman
"A new kind of politician!"

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)