Northwest Indiana Discussion

Free, I would formulate a letter, not an email.

I would foraward to the Governor and the Attorney General, your contact with both the County Prosecutor and State Police giving details of the conversation.

Lets see where it goes.

It was pure sarcasm Free, thanks for the compliment.

Matt

In reading your post, it appears that you have worked at discounting the State Audit Findings by simply lumping the whole audit into underfunded pension liability. Now your starting to sound like Fowler. Dont get angry... read on.

Reading through the post which are quoted directly from the Audit, there are serious mismanagment and misrepresentation by our Mayor. For example, I believe I read McDermott stating the Wolf Lake project was not going to cost Hammond residents any moola. Well, our share of the tab is $22,000,000. McDermott got nailed with regard to the Casino Revenue spending, that all expenditures need to be approved by the City Council. There are missing receipts which appear to be a problem in several governmental agencies starting at the port authority and untimely deposits else where.

Festival Receipts were destroyed, cash income vs expenses did not match, in effect stopping any type of audit, poor managment controlls on payroll, time keeping, benefit time. There is lots of potential play with $600,000 expenditure on the Festival. The report put together by the current CFO, is woefully inadequate and should call for his termination. He has a responsibility to bring to the attention of the taxpayers such problems and prevent them from occurring again.

Then we have the OT issue $25,000 directly for one employee Pat Moore Jr, the same guy who took a city vehicle and exposed our city to tremendous amounts of liability and I am absolutely sure he was not drinking at a notre dame foot ball game, absolutely sure.

I find it exceptionally disheartining that the Sanitary District, which I believe included our infamous Stevie Fowler, as a board member. We all know Folwer as a legal expert, having an exceptional background which qualifies him to sit on such a board. Fowler was a waiter, former dishwasher, come garbage man and now a general foreman and most recent a Talk Show Host who's program is paid for by Mayor McDermott. Fowlers promotions come at the Hand of Mayor McDermott. Fowler can be heard on the newly purchased McDermott radio station and spews bs on the airways regarding his vast knowledge base. (I actually am embarassed for McDermott that he couldn't do better than Fowler as a mouth piece).

Well Mr. Fowler and the other Sanitary District Members may have some liability here. I am no attorney, but they voted upon, approved and instituted a rate increase, collecting trash fees ignoring constitutional law. The city council needed to approve this action.



Not only did the legal eagle who represented the sanitary district, but our own Notre Dame law school graduate and practicing Attorney, Mayor Thomas McDermott missed this constitutional requirement.

There is a lotta stuff here other than underfunding of a pension plans.

I think I read some other post that we are to be a republic, but McDermott believes it is a fiefdom.

IF you read (not sure you are capable) thru this entire post, the pension issue was only one that I touched upon. Another was the overdrawn accounts. Both of these issues are minor in scope and will be found in just about every municipality of NW Indiana when audited. They are still problems, but can be explained. It was Tommy that brought up the pension and I answered his post.

Now the Wolf Lake project is completely ridiculous and a waste of money. There are definitely improvements that could be made at Wolf Lake. Hammond could bring more jobs in the form of a professional business park on part of that land bringing well paying jobs instead of the limited retail jobs he has. I think they should have built an exercise facility on the north end of the City, possibly partnering with Whiting. The size and scope of the current project is ridiculous for the little give back it gives the residents. But in that 22 Million the City will spend, they are counting money already spent in that as well. The money spent on the clubhouse (needed but way too much money) and the money spent on Indianapolis blvd (waste!). City money is also being spent on the Robertsdale little league fields Improvements can be made there, but I feel the plans are too extravagant again and are going to carve up the park even more.

I can't remember whether I answered this thread or the other post on the Moore Jr Overtime. I stated that Hamm was incompetent for not catching it. I also blamed the fire dept book keeper, and even the controllers office for not catching it. There is no excuse for it. Head should roll.

I think the Mayor's plans for downtown are almost completely ridiculous. There might be a valid argument to a new city hall, but moving it to the Bank Calumet is idiocy. Expensive, obsolete building and does very little for downtown. Some of the report (waste of money for what it said ...) is right, but is common sense and not worthy of the money spent. Hammond needs to cultivate the art and niche market that is developing in downtown hammond It won't be easy and won't be quick. You need a draw that people are willing to travel to and galleries, music and niche retail are the right direction.

And as for Recycling / Garbage being passed to Sanitation. I have been against it all along and have posted such. I think it was rearranging deck chairs for a paper gain in job cuts. I also think the charge is nothing other than a defacto tax as service fee. I don't know the legality of the City Council not passing the rate, but they did approve the transfer of the department. That would be one for the lawyers, but first you would have to find one willing to take the case. I just don't know if there is a case there. Even if you did win the case however, the council would come back and pass the rate after the fact. My guess is that the sanitation board would then up rates to make up for the payment of the lawsuit. In the end we will still pay for it one way or another.

Free,

One way or another it will have to be paid for by the sanitation dept. They are not allowed to run a deficit That money isn't just going to go away into a black hole. It will be paid on the backs of the taxpayer.

Matt, if you read some of the auditor notes, there is a phrase used with regard to paying bills without following the appropriate process which states the individuals may be personally held liable.

Let's hope there is a god, as it is clear malfeasance.

Maybe such action very well may change the electoral outcome of the next election, sort of a wake up.

Been out of town for a few days, Miami, then Vegas. Restfull, very restfull.

The story in the times regarding the audit, was fluf, there was a lot more meat there that they didn't touch upon.

What would be interesting is someone filing a freedom of informaiton request for the mayor's 2007 & 2008 expenses, along with details in the Audit report.

If I read the material correctly, the last audit stated 80% of McDermott's expenses were with out receipts. The current Audit never addressed a percent, neith report addressed a $$ amount.

As with any IRS tax audit, any expenses not supported by receipts is disallowed. This policy is the baseline established by the IRS. Therefore any money's Mr. McDermott received from the city with out receipts was income, unreported income.

As the city receives substantial federal funding, any mismangement may be a federal violation-crime. I understand from informaiton from a Radio Talk Show Host, this amount is over $100,000 during this period of time.

Free, Deep throat?

Actually Free, all the effort they put in on you should be a compliment to you. I can imagine some city employees sitting at their desk during office hours banging away at the computer trying to cover all their tracks.

I believe a calumet city mayor, Genova, went to jail for someone working on his home, directing staff during their normal working hours to do campaign work, to pay ot to city employees who were doing campagin work after hours.

I wonder of Mr Fowler or Mr. Innes used their city cars to drive to and from the radio station studio's. I certainly hope they are reimbursing the Hammond taxpayer, the mileage for this extranious travel. They should reimburse the city on a weekly or monthly basis for this personal use. I would be more concerned with regard to the liability they are exposing Hammond residents.

Are any of these municipal vehicles seen at Flat Rock? Hmmm.

There has been absolutely no focus placed on why the 2008 & 2009 budgets have not been posted on Gohammond.com. And with all the hype on the charter school and wolf lake projects, I don't think I have read anything rearding who completed the design and construction.

Wanna Bet ya there is a tie to the financial campaign to McDermott.

It would be nice to have this information come out in a scandal before the election.

Hey Free, this is a very hot topic, 1100 hits in less than what a week? Nice Job!