BYE BYE RUSTON

RUSTON OR TACOMA? TAKE YOUR PICK AND VOTE ACCORDINGLY IN NOVEMBER.

The day the Tacoma Cabal came to power in 2006 the Town started on a downhill slide. In the Town less than two years and determined to eliminate it through annexation and when that did not work bankruptcy. The Commencement condominiums they hated gave the town a $4.2 million dollar cushion which should have saved the town if they had not launched a campaign of spend and squander. Even harassing local businesses and eliminating tax monies the Town needed to survive.

Two years and no history in the town they limited public comments and eliminated comments on agenda items before the town council. Instead of taking advantage of the significant knowledge in the Town they only listened to themselves and precious time was wasted. Thus problems that should of been fixed three years ago were left to fester. Take for instance sewers. Way past their life expectancy they ignored the problem until a Tacoma Cabal Council person suddenly realized his house was connected to the failing sewer system.

Unfortunately a lot of long time Ruston citizens are in financial jeopardy due to this policy of rule by ignorance. Five to ten more millions in deferred maintenance on other Town projects also is lagging.

Every surrounding community has applied for Obama infrastructure grants (Sunday TNT February 8, 2009 front and back page section one) except Ruston. Quote "Some local officials started compiling a wish list back in November. Others were still getting theirs in order last week. "

You would think with the big sewer guy and two attorneys at each council meeting we would have gotten better advice. That is if they were representing Ruston. But one attorney was hired by the another attorney as a Special Legal Counsel reporting apparently directly to him and not the Mayor. Through a pattern of harassment of the then Mayor who resigned an old cabal mayor was appointed and voila the Special Legal Counsel was hired as the Town Attorney who is supposed to be hired by the mayor and report to the mayor.

Complicated yes. A recent PRR (Public Records Request) for a town ORGANIZATION CHART was denied stating that they did not have one. The same request asked for the reporting relationship if no ORGANIZATION CHART existed. This too was also denied as the request amounted to creating an ORGANIZATION CHART which they contended they did not have to do. So who reports to who in the Town of Ruston? Your guess is as good as mine. Apparently nobody knows or if they do they are not talking. It's in this know nothing atmosphere the Tacoma Cabal thrives in mischief making and annexation fixation.

So where is the money going? The big ticket item $420,000 for the police force which before the cabal consisted of one officer for the whole town. How many do they have now or will have by the end of the year? I doubt if they will provide that information but I will try to get it.

The next culprit is frivolous lawsuits not for the town's benefit but more aimed at bankrupting the town and forcing it into annexing to Tacoma which will never happen as they have been told many times, not interested. Be prepared to become part of Pierce County and have fun trying to fix your infrastructure problems then.

Lawsuit number one a cabal member wanted to hold "ballet classes" in the space preciously leased to the Commencement for 500 years for their sales/show room. They lost and had to pay court costs for both sides. All the lawyers collected though.

Next the biggee. It started in earnest after the cabal mouthpiece was sued by the POINT DEFIANCE CAFE AND CASINO (PDC&C) and settled out of court. Soon there were rumblings of a tax increase on the PDC&C. Meanwhile two council wannabes showed up at the PDC&C asking that they take down their sign which they considered demeaning to the town's image. When the sign did not come down a twenty percent tax increase later lowered to twelve percent was imposed by a council vote of 3-2 - no public input, no second reading - emergency measure. This tax increase was promoted as a way to save the town?

This obtained the desired result and the town's largest taxpayer $30,000 per year was forced to close its gambling operations after an injunction was denied when the Town Attorney/Special Legal Counsel (TA/SLC) apparently acting on the advice of someone in the town advised him to refuse to stipulate to the 3-2 vote in the council imposing the tax increase. The biggest taxpayer operation shutdown and with it $150,000 (5 years) in taxes. Please no more poor mouthing, no grant pleading.

Then again the TA/SLC refused all efforts to settle the lawsuit out of court again either he is acting on his own or is receiving guidance from an unknown member of the town government. No documentation is available or provided on this relationship. So we don't know who is pulling the strings in the bankruptcy ploy.

What we do know is the Casino (PDC&C) sued the town for $9.7 million and immediately the Town raised its liability coverage with the AWC, Association of Washington Cities, from five million to ten million dollars. Not exactly a vote of confidence. Also we know the Attorneys will make a bundle on this win or lose as depositions are already underway and a jury trial could run up to $25,000 dollars in legal fees and court costs. Wow, nice work if you can get it in a recession. Sort of fills up the old retirement sack now doesn't it.

You know I doubt if the AWC will take kindly to paying close to ten million dollars over the aesthetics of a legal business advertising sign? So the town stands to be liable for the whole amount. Bye bye Ruston. Time to call in the Prosecuting Attorney.

It is really hard to know who is who in the Tacoma Cabal. Absolute secrecy and doing business behind closed doors is mandatory. The best measure is the displeasure of the main man Tacoma Cabal council person. The lone member of the cabal to escape his censure is his "second" mate Cabal council person. As the unchallenged leader of the cabal he has vented his anger at anyone, including public commenters, who disagree with him, even the members who appointed him to the council and voted him in: "We need him now!!!"

How could two council persons exert so much control over the destiny of the Town of Ruston? Well let's suppose the Town Attorney reports directly to one council member directly and not the Mayor as was the policy over the previous 100 years of the Town's existence.

Seven months to redemption. Seven months to the November election.

If they are replaced, voted out, what will the Town be left with? Ten to fifteen million dollars of infrastructure in need of replacement or upgrading. Even failing to apply for stimulus funding. Ten million dollars in lawsuits. Who will the Town Attorney/Special Legal Counsel report to when the council changes?

One common thing they are adamant in is not spending one red cent in supporting the Town either in increased taxes or patronizing local businesses!

Time is running out to save the Town and I will be be bowing out soon. It is a no win task.

Good luck RUSTON.