10 New things to bat around for a change! How do you all feel about these items as it relates to Crestwood?

"The animal control issue is a hot topic. A relatively constructive debate overall until it gets preachy. How about if we also entertain this kind of intense debate over other issues which affect new residents and those who have lived here 45 years. Possibly we could ferret out enough funds to solidify the bottom line and then go on to resolve priorities. Since so many facts and figures have been posted,how about going a step further.
1. Salaries
2. Personnel
3. Perks
4. Autos and insurance and mileage
5. Cost to pay Afton Fire District for the annexed section of the city, in other words 2 fire departments
6. Invoices from city attorney
7. Sappington House Cottage
8. Private Pool using our city parking lot
9. Lateral Sewer fees/usage???
10. Purchasing

If someone with the idea to shutter Whitecliff, or say combine our fire, police, public works, animal control etc. with another city, or un-annex part of the city or CUT SALARIES and consolidate jobs ..... the uprising would no doubt be just as emotional as this animal control issue. Intensifying just one issue in a time of city need and pounding it to death only satisfies some. Then there are the rest of us who want all options on the table.

So,how 'bout we go the extra mile and delve into answers to the above top 10 while we are at it.
There is more to running a city than inventing new ordinances.
P.S. How about a review of our court cost vs revenues???"

"Anonymous"

The above was suggested in an earlier post on this blog and I believe it has merit, and should be looked into, so here we go! Please comment on any or all of the 19 items brought up by the reader.

Tom Ford

NO. 724

From "letters to the editor, South County Times" newspaper today's edition.

“Important” To Keep Crestwood Animal Control

"A recent incident involving the family of a neighbor illustrates the importance of keeping our Crestwood Animal Control service rather than turning to St. Louis County Animal Services.

My neighbor's daughter, who lives in unincorporated St. Louis County, had two young boys who had a pit bull staying with her family. One day, that dog attacked her family's own two dogs. When her teenage daughters and the two boys tried to pull the pit bull away, they were injured. One girl, as well as the two boys, had to be taken to the emergency room by ambulance. The other girl was taken by her mother, who had also been bitten. Both of the family dogs had to have veterinary care, and one of them was seriously injured.

St. Louis County Animal Control did come to the house and removed the pit bull. Several days later, however, when my neighbor called St. Louis County to ask if the boys would be able to get the dog back, she was told that, if the father, who was the official owner of the dog paid the required fee, it would be returned to him. My neighbor then asked Crestwood Animal Control if that would be allowed in Crestwood and was told that it would not.

Incidents such as this demonstrate the problems which will occur if Crestwood turns over its animal concerns to St. Louis County. No one was killed in this case, but serious injuries did occur. Since the pit bull will presumably return to its owner, there is nothing to prevent its causing similar or worse incidents in the future. Keeping Crestwood Animal Control is an important safety issue for both animals and people!"

Elaine C. Moser
Crestwood
February 04, 2010

Now this is exactly the type of emotional rhetoric I have been talking about. I thank the Lady for pointing it out so beautifully for me.

Ms. Moser states that her neighbor's daughter in the County had a problem with a dog they took in (Read all about it above.) Se further states that St. Louis county came and removed the "vicious?" animal and took it to county (that's what they are supposed to do.)

Now here is where I get a bit lost as the system worked perfectly (Bringing in the dog was the flaw, not County!) Yet she states that "Incidents such as this demonstrate the problems which will occur if Crestwood turns over its animal concerns to St. Louis County" Incidents like what? Is Ms. Moser saying that had the family been in Crestwood this NEVER would have happened? Is she telling us that Ms. Sutton would have experienced a "harmonic convergence," and rushed to the scene before it happened?

As I have said before Ms. Sutton is afforded "cult status" by her followers (which is fine with me) but please don't attempt to tell us that "IF ONLY" things would have been different! I like many others are saddened to see any child injured but Ms. Sutton could not have prevented this any more than Ms. Moser did. This was a sad ending to a family who attempted to help two young children and a dog, nothing more, nothing less!

Ms. Moser, I regret to inform you that this will not be the norm in Crestwood if the BOA does the right thing and removes this duplicate position. As you told us the dog could be returned to it's owner, and it should be.

An animal will attempt to establish the ALPHA dog in the "pack mentality," and I believe this is exactly what happened here, the problem was two Lab's and one Pit Bull in the same space, not County animal control, and Ms. Sutton certainly can't change nature, or can she?

Now I suggest that you (and the dog's owner) thank goodness that the Neighbor's daughter didn't live in Webster Groves or Kirkwood as they would have shot the dog (according to Mayor Robinson!) Oh wait, he retracted that one didn't he, sorry!

By the way, stories like this usually make the News or the Post Dispatch right? How is it that no-one I have talked to today had ever heard of this happening? Just curious.

Tom Ford

NO. 723

A new site on the links pages in the right hand column (under links.)

Please visit the "Conservatives of America" site, review it, and join with me and several of your neighbors who have joined this new organization! This is a great clearing house for the "Tea Party" as well as other conservative meetings and programs on a local and National level, as well as a new voice for individual freedom in America today!

If you don't like what's going on at the National level, this is the place for you! I look forward to seeing you on the site soon!

Tom Ford

NO. 722

Our City Administrator Mr. Jim Eckrich is on extended medical leave!

Mr. Eckrige became ill last Tuesday and did not attend the Board Of Alderman meeting Tuesday night. At this time we have no further knowledge of what, or how serious the illness may be, but we wish him well.

Please join me in a silent prayer for Jim and his family as he is one of the finest Gentleman I know, and a first class Crestwood employee.

Get well soon sir, we look forward to your speedy return!

Tom Ford

NO. 721

Ms. Mary Wheat testifying to the animal control "ad hoc" committee.(please click here for the audio)

A few points to consider.

What three pools? She did not name the 3!!!! Public Pools supported buy our tax money. Please name them.

Ms. Wheat seems to forget the police officers, firemen, and other civil service employees we have lost and not replaced.

I assume that Ms. Wheat thinks these people are less important to our safety, property value, and desire to live and buy property here.

I will assure you that when I purchased a home in Crestwood the service??? of dog catcher was not on my check list for reasons to buy the house. No value added to my house.

Ms. Wheat admits in the testimony that the dog catcher is a tax payer funded adoption agency. In my opinion the dog catcher is an added expense which we cannot afford to have at this time.

One point I will give to Ms. Wheat and her group is the fact that the word duplicate appears to be redundant here as St. Louis County has us beat hands down, consider these facts.

St. Louis County: 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. (8736 hours, period.)

Crestwood" 7 1/2 to 8 hours a day, 5 days per week, 351 days per year. (2000 hours maybe.)

So you see Ms. Wheat your correct Crestwood Animal Control is not a "duplicate service," it's a much lesser, and much more expensive service for Crestwood than St. Louis County now provides (and we pay taxes for.)

Folks, I will soon have the cost of Vet. bills, and food that we pay out every year so that these animals can be "adopted." That's yet another expense we really do not need. You will be told that the "adopting family" pays those expenses, but that's not nearly always the case now is it? So when they don't pay, Crestwood Citizens do, and with monies much better earmarked for Police and Fire, no?


Tom Ford

NO, 720

Excellent OP-ED by Mr. Mike Anthony of the CALL. (click here to read it.)

In his weekly editorial Mr, Anthony opines that the voter turn out in April may be slight due to the lack of races (especially Crestwood with only one contested seat.)

The very unfortunate thing here is that he is 100% correct! Crestwood is known for a light turn out anyway, and this is not going to help one bit.

May I please remind all of you that there will be underlying issues in this election that may well impact the way life in Crestwood (as we now know it) will continue in the next few years. How can that be you say? Well let's look at the existing Board for a minute here.

We are spending money like the Mayor has a "money tree" on his farm, we have people on the Board who seem to be more interested in Governing by emotions rather than hard dollar facts, and we cannot even seem to put a "work session" together to decide employee regulations for campaign work.

I live in Ward two, I will be there to vote for Mr. Schlink, opposed or not, and I pray that you too will also get out and vote in your Ward, contested or not. Please remember that we have people from Crestwood (who gave their lives) to insure that we have the right to vote, so please, please do not let them down, use it!

So that said, we have one contested race, and that's ward four. Both candidates are equal to the job, and both are dedicated to their constituents, and the City of Crestwood! How do you know whom to vote for? Well I suggest that a Ward Four debate on the issues your most interested in be arranged.

I call on Messrs. Foote and Nieder to make that happen, it's the American way, tried and true, and it's the best way to really get to know who is best for the position as you get to see their body language and reaction's to questions, not to mention sincerity, and honesty.


Tom Ford

NO. 718

Dog bites firefighter who rescued him from a river (click here for the story!)

Read the story and then you tell me why we should accept this sort of liability in Crestwood? I for one do not want our Police or firefighters injured because we failed to call St. Louis County Animal control.

Yes I said St. Louis County animal control! They have very well trained professionals, we have a "hobby group" dedicated to animal adoption that cost's us a fortune every year!

May we please face the fact that this is one of the most irresponsible things we have ever done in Crestwood ( possible litigation, possible personal injury,) or are our elected "leaders" more worried about votes than the safety of our first responders, as well as our budget?

We now know that the "ad hoc" committee on animal control plans to make no recommendation to the full board, so why waste the time, and further exposure? Ladies and Gentlemen of the Board, please do what you were elected to do and VOTE on this wasteful expense and useless exposure NOW!

Tom Ford

NO. 717

Crestwood will pay THREE times more for pool repairs! (click here for the Call story.)

"Instead of reducing work on our streets for these kinds of activities, we should be drawing off of this money that we've laid aside. That's what it's for," Robinson said. "Now we're suggesting that we put off our street repairs or not have adequate chairs for our (community center) when we have the money laying there that can take care of this difference that we need on this project."

Wait one second "your Honor" haven't we cut up that pie before? It seems to me this is at least the third or fourth time we have used that money for........

"Your Honor" and Board members Piclel, Foote, Duncan, and Beezley, wasn't it but a short time ago you all couldn't live without a tax increase? What happened, surly it wasn't Crestwood Court's or all the new retail brought in by the economic development commission (Oh wait, they never meet.)

Well what ever it was I for one am glad to see your off the tax wagon for at least ten minutes! By the way, I know where you can save a whole bunch of cash for ALL YOUR NEEDS, TERMINATE THE ANIMAL ADOPTION CLUB! There is at least $130,000.00 to pay for the pool repairs, and the new chairs!

What's more important, pool repairs, new chairs, street repairs, Police and Fire retention or the ANIMAL ADOPTION CLUB? You tell us because we can't afford both can we.


Tom Ford

NO. 716

The Mayor retracts his "Crestwood Court's" statement. (click here for the audio.)

Well after all the blustering and promises his Honor is sort of forced to retract his statements and admit the C/C is a dead issue for now! To bad as he was on a roll for a while there, it's just that the OWNERS have a different plan (Darn them anyway!)

Tom Ford

NO. 715

Animal control should be re-named "Crestwood animal adoption!" (click here for the story,)

The new name was suggested to me in a post below but I hesitated to do that until I saw this in the "TIMES" yesterday. Now I am all for assisting in the placement of lost or unwanted animals (I have had several over the years,) but not with any tax money!

I requested the call report's of the animal control officer and received two recap. reports with nothing to substantiate them at all. From what I was given (vs what I asked for,)it seems animal control works from memory when she fills out the monthly recap.report (one to two weeks after month's end.) Also there are no vehicle reports, nor are any report's for mileage, fuel, or repairs given.

From what I can tell from what I have requested animal control operates with NO supervision, and in the "NRN" (no report necessary) mode, and we are budgeting $150,000.00 for this duplicate service (don't we deserve a call report after each call for the money we pay her!) I have no idea why daily report's are not required. nor do I see the need for 129 hours of "overtime" as it is reported that 23 calls were handled by our Police department!

Clearly we must DE-FUND this "hobby group," and use the money where it will be more effective, as we can no longer afford to pay for an "animal adoption service" or the related Vet, bills that go with it.

The Nation is on the verge of a depression and full blown hyper inflation and if Crestwood is to survive we must start using common sense in our budgeting! I challenge the Board of Alderman to make the right decision for Crestwood (don't Wait till the election is over,) and cut this from the budget now!


Tom Ford

NO. 714