“Government is instituted for the common good:  for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men.”

John Adams

Silencing the Voters

I am political!  Growing up Lutheran I practiced the Golden Rule, RSV Mathew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them;  for this is the law and the prophets.”  Please note the use of ‘practiced’ is my free admission I do not have this lesson totally learned so I continue to “practice” with the faith I will someday be good at it and I will be able to fit through the narrow gate.

I have held many positions as a Girl Scout Leader, to a volunteer EMT, but the one thing I am not is a liar.  You can believe me when I say telling the truth can be painful, it has cost me friends, it has cost me business, my political voice/position and I am sorry to say cost my husband, Peter a mayoral election and placed a great target upon my back.

I am political!  In 1999 I learned when one has rung the bell at the top of the rope of public embarrassment, public embarrassment no longer controls my behavior.  I started going regularly to the Alcester City Council meetings after Rick Johnson was elected mayor.  Upon Rick Johnson’s seating, I started writing regular letters to the editor to give my fellow residents and taxpayers highlights of the council meetings.  One of the first things Rick Johnson did as mayor was to appoint Finance Office Mike Kezar for only four months which was ratified by the Alcester City Council of which Patricia R. Jurrens was seated.

March 17, 2014, Special meeting.  The council opened bids on Beck Drive, Pat Jurrens Pet Project.  Pohlman Excavation came in with low bid at $194,353.06 which with additional fees blowing up the cost of Beck Drive to around $250K excluding the paving fee of what I believe $60K to be the city’s expense.  The deal was the HRC/City of Alcester would be paying interest payments only until lots were sold in which the price of the lot sales would be applied to the principal.  To date Folks, only ONE lot has sold.  I do believe the interest rate amount has exceeded the reasonable price of the remaining unsold lots.  Care to guess who is going to be called upon to pony-up more taxes to pay for a street on the far side of town?

03-27-2014 Beck Drive

It was but a week or so, the Finance Officer position was posted.  LO and BEHOLD Pat R. Jurrens long, harassing critic of Finance Officer Kezar applied for the Finance Officer appointment.  In the June 2, 2014, council meeting Patricia R. Jurrens was appointed to Alcester Finance Officer with a TRAINING SALARY OF $40K PER YEAR commencing June 30, 2014, and current Finance Officer Kezar to expected to train her at his $38K salary.  In addition there was talk of a $2K bump in Patty Rose’s salary after training, within a year.  WOW!

06-12-2014 Training Salary

Upon the September 2014 Mike Kezar’s ignominious ejection after 30 some years of public service to an agenda driven upstart.  FO Patty Rose Jurrens subsequently to be referred to as FOPRJ (pronounced FO-purge) began her campaign against the citizens of Alcester by offering up changes in ordinances, changing finance office job descriptions form SDML to FOPRJ code, spending money like it was being printed on the Finance Office Copy Machine, concealing payroll figures and exceeding her employment terms.

SDML Finance Officer description

In 2013 with the advent of Rick Johnson as mayor, the city of Alcester was subjected to a petty tyrant with absolutely NO Working Knowledge of city government beyond campus cop.  On July 6, 2015, with the appointment of Tom Glas to mayor, the city of Alcester was subjected to “Mr. Magoo goes to city hall” where NO Working Knowledge was elevated to a doctorate level.  In addition to Tom Glas’ appointment, the city of Alcester was gifted with a weak mayor who allowed and continues to allow the city Finance Officer to act as a proverbial Rabid Cat Off a Leash!

When the Alcester Union-Hudsonite was sold to Shane Hill, I was black-balled from the newspaper.  Some folks didn’t like my letters-to-the editor, I guess applied pressure on Publisher Hill and undeniably it was Publisher Hills prerogative to reject my letters.  If those folks thought they could SILENCE me, they found much to their chagrin they just issued a challenge to the Mouth That Roared.  I found the internet and A VOICE FROM THE GALLERY was not silenced just as the voters will not be silenced!

I am political!  It is time for a strong mayor who will re-take the reins of city government from the Finance Office.  It is time for a strong mayor who can speak to city government, public policy and practices with knowledge without the tired comment, “…when I was in construction…”.  Alcester is a municipality not four inch slab concrete without the rebar base of oversight! It is time for our city to operate in the black without assessing exorbitant fees on the property owners for extra street maintenance fee or comp time (from which our Finance Officer who is exempt and appears to have accumulated and used comp time illegally(without prior signed approval)).  It is time to elect a mayor who will bring Alcester back into compliance! It is time to elect a mayor who will guide our recalcitrant Finance Officer back into compliance!

 

” A person that started in to carry a cat home by the tail was gitting knowledge that was always going to be useful to him and warn’t ever going to grow dim or doubtful.”

Mark Twain

Register to vote!  If registration at the city level becomes an issue, feel free to contact me or contact the Union County Auditor.  Do not be silenced!

It is time to retire the present milk-toast mayor and elect a strong Mayor who will actually work for the residents of Alcester and help to corral the cats off their leashes!

Vickie A. Larsen