PIGGY BANK BREAKIN

Who does the $4.2 million the town received from the Commencement land sale belong to? Apparently not the town of Ruston at the rate it is being laundered and squandered by the Cabal council. Almost all spent on capricious personal vendettas or whims. When does it stop?

.Running a $500,000 deficit.

.Losing $150,000 gambling tax five years (see SCROOGE TOWN Ruston Insider Dec. 7, 2008)
.Losing $100,000 not imposing utility taxes on residents. (BALANCING ACT TWO Ruston Insider Dec. 3, 2008)
.Losing $90,000 on a ill advised lawsuit vs. the Commencement to kick them out of their sales room on which they had a 500 year lease so ballet classes could be held there.
.Losing $125,000 town's half of chief Reinhold lawsuit settlement.
. Spending $350,000 on Salaries and 1,500 hours overtime for the Police department which used to get by with one employee
. an unknown amount in hourly legal fees to the Special Legal Counsel/Town Attorney (take your pick) because of private vendettas and obsessive secrecy.

.running TOTAL so far: $785,000 per year (remember the deficit is $500,000)

In the pipeline:

$108,000 for a TA, Town Administrator/Manager
$$$$$$$ for a CPA, Certified Public Accountant to assist with budget.
$950,000 lawsuit by Point Defiance Cafe and Casino (they didn't like their sign)
$$$$$$$ enormous legal expenses. Even more enormous if they stop the Silver Cloud hotel (hideous structure) or fail to approve occupancy permit for the Commencement (saved the town BC, before cabal).

Meanwhile back at the town being ignored there are major public projects, namely:

.street lights replaced and underground wiring
.sanitary sewer system replaced
. storm sewers upgraded replaced to EPA standards
.storm sewer outlets to Commencement Bay, eliminate contaminants
.streets rebuilt surface and sub surface
.electrical system, poles and wires replaced, hopefully underground
.Paving alley

They have enough in the Commencement trust fund to fund these programs but choose not to. Why?

And paying their bills? Jane proposing Utility tax increase because we need all the income we can get at several meetings, discussions. According to AWC (Association of Washington Cities) average utility tax is 14.5 percent. We could raise below maximum tax rate and triple our income. Estimated $300 per year, $25 per month per household.

Dan and Wayne were having none of this. Dan, Dec. 1st (BALANCING ACT TWO Ruston Insider) estimated $100,000 per year $1,600 per household. Wayne, Dec. 15th (BUDGETLOO Ruston Insider) estimated $1,500 per year. No statistical background or information supplied.

So was there a compromise? How much did Dan and Wayne and the residents of Ruston pay in utility tax increases? ZERO? Why tax yourself? Just add it to the deficit and take it out of the Commencement trust fund. See how easy it is? Laundering?

At the final Regular council meeting Dec. 22, 2008 this item mysteriously disappeared and the 2009 budget passed 5-0 without council discussion or public involvement. Was there another violation of the Open Meetings Act? Was this discussed and decided at a secret meeting in a private home?

Time for another PRR (Public Records Request). So long for 2008 blogging.

Town of Ruston officials:
Mayor, Bruce Hopkins
Council, Bradley Huson
Council, Jim Hedrick
Council, Wayne Stebner
Council, Dan Albertson
Council, Jane Hunt
Attorney, David Britton