Bourbon has been a ghost town since the Closure of Hwy N. The Editor of the Bystander missed the April Alderman meeting and even in my absence Teresa owner of Zipper's cafe on Main now building a new location at the North Outer Road and C right next to the motel. From what I understand was blaming me for all of Bourbon's woes. I will do my best to make it in May. As many of you know my name is Jeffrey R. "Bulletinman" Weinhaus and I manage and edit the Bystander. I have filed for the office of Coroner of Crawford County. Since 1989 I have dedicated my life, talent, treasure and just plain hard work in promoting what I believe to be the most pristine, scenic and ideal location within the Midwest. Crawford County. The problem I have encountered and those who contract for my services are simply put the law enforcement community. Since Martin Mazzei appeared in the Riverfront Times about his crackdown on the river. I hear all to often, I will never come back to Crawford County because of the police and courts. This county needs people to come visit and spend their money in our area. Tourism is a 30 million dollar a year industry in CC. It could be twice that if we could just get rid of the Come of Vacation, Leave on Probation as the County Slogan. The reason I'm running for Coroner is for the expressed purpose of investigating the deaths of numerous citizens of this County. As well as restoring integrity to the office of the Coroner. The Coroner should not own a Funeral home and profit from his position by preying on poor people at the most inappropriate time. The Office of the Coroner is there to keep the Sheriff in line with the Constitutions which they have both sworn to uphold and sad to say in this day and age they are not upholding. Crawford County doesn't need an undertaker for Coroner it needs an overtaker. A Coroner who cares for your soul. Jesus is coming soon and we all need to accept what He did for us on the Cross. Time is running out and soon very soon we are going to see the King. It is high time for us to be ready.
Bulletinman Address Coroner Race
With the dropping of the ticket for Larry's sign last Thursday the 12th we thought that we would be able to make peace with the powers that still be in Bourbon. The next day Larry got a letter from the Chief of Public Safety saying Larry had to do a list of things. So I guess there will be no peace in Bourbon for now. We would like to thank all the people who voted in the April Election. We have more information for the Citizens of Bourbon we will be sharing in the next few days. Stay tuned.
Did you Know?
1) There is going to be an election for the positions of Mayor and Aldermen on Tuesday April 3rd 2012 in the City of Bourbon? Only 204 People voted in the last one.
2) The current Mayor and administration boast of the progress being made in Bourbon because of the Dollar General Store though the amount of Sales Tax revenue in FY2011 was actually down $5,000 from FY2006. The City of Bourbon sold 118 business licenses in FY 2010 and only 109 in FY 2011, is that progress? These figures are available at City Hall. FY (Fiscal Year)
3) Did you know that the City could/should have bought the best corner in town but the DID-NOT. The current City Hall was bought for 95% of the price the MODOT could have been bought for. The MODOT property sold for S151,000 and had over 3 acres and building on it. The “New” City Hall has only 2 acres. Did you know when MODOT sold the land the to the private unaccountable BCDC. Part of the deal was to put the Tax-Payers of Bourbon on the hook for maintaining Route 66. The City of Bourbon not to be confused with the BCDC now has title to and the responsibility of maintaining Route 66 through the City of Bourbon. This was at one time owned by and the responsibility of MODOT and not the Citizens of Bourbon. Did you know the City of Bourbon was talking with MODOT since it closed the Bourbon Facility in 2001? The City was no longer interested in the property when Mayor Armstrong took office.
Did you know the Bourbon Community Development Corporation operates as a non-profit status though has never made their books available for public inspection nor released them to the Media. You do realize that the “Mayor” Leonard Armstrong is the head of the Corporation which he founded shortly before he became Mayor. You did know that non-profits pay NO property tax. No county tax, no city tax. The former MODOT site is totally tax-exempt. Except the property that was sold to the Dollar General Store by the BCDC. That property will be taxed for 2011. Though to date NO property tax has been generated. NONE what so ever!
4) Did you know that the City of Bourbon, the tax-payers, spent at least a hundred thousand dollars on infrastructure and fill to prepare the land to be marketed by the private Bourbon Community Development Corporation? Did you know that the City provided dirt from the City Owned Industrial Park to be used as fill and the best we can tell it appears that the City even paid to have it moved. The City also has spent at least $50,000 on the “New” City Hall.
5) Did you know that the City of Bourbon has spent well over 25,000 in fuel purchases at the Mayor’s daughter gas station since Leonard took over. This in any other town would be a huge conflict of interest just like the other 4 facts we pointed out above.
6) Did you know that City Equipment will be missing and then mysteriously reappear on a regular basis? Did you know that the Mayor uses City Hall to have meeting concerning the BCDC on a regular basis. We know of one in particular that had to do with preparing the private owned BCDC property for sale. The Mayor actually held the bid meeting in the City Hall.
7) Did you know that things happening at Bourbon City Hall just aren’t right.?
Did you Know that you can stop all this monkey business and return sanity back to City Government by voting for Larry Maserang for Mayor Tuesday. “Larry M the poor man’s friend” has no agenda, will keep no secrets and run the City as a city not a business to benefit a select few at the expense of us all. For more Information go to bourbon bystander.com.
From one of our Facebook friends.
first off NO ONE wants to visit bourbon its a notorious speed trap and second if u want to do something for the kids how about the best place to start is the park. arcades havent worked.lets get rid of the 40 year old equipment and put some new shit in. The only semi new edition is a walking trail. woopty doo we have a public track. dont tell me u cant work towards the funds. As far as teenagers go u ask ur child what the kids do for fun and they will tell u get drunk and do drugs. im a bourbon product of that. not everyone can go bowling or to the movies but with the right peers u see everyday, they will introduce u to a new world of pharmacology. i would like to see more factories in town. we have a grocery store and paramount (80% by the way that go to work high). 2 gas stations 2 eateries and 4 bars all together in a one mile radius. Rediculous. Bourbon u need to check urself because there is no growth in ur immediate future.
Is there seriously anyone that cares for or about Bourbon Mo? It is a town I forbid my family to drive through...The cops give people tickets for BS reasons. In my opinion Bourbon PD should be stripped of the power to give tickets. Criminals.... The cops there are criminals!!!
The current government is waging war against the people and business' of this town. These IL-informed or should we just say sick people have forgotten who pays their salary and who works for whom. Bourbon is known through-out the world has a speed-trap and should be avoided or it will cost you. Because of a select few people Crawford County has got the reputation of "Come on Vacation, Leave on Probation" Below are some examples of your City and police at work to make a Bourbon a better place. Do you realize in the 2010 election only 204 people voted. That means the majority of people the ruling class is 110 people out of 1348.
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nui·sance
noun
1.
an obnoxious or annoying person, thing, condition, practice, etc.: a monthly meeting that was more nuisance than pleasure.
2.
Law . something offensive or annoying to individuals or to the community, especially in violation of their legal rights.
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Jobs, jobs, jobs. Though what happens when the government that is supposed to work for the people and is funded by the people do everything they can to prevent job producing business from coming to town? Well there is but one solution change the government.
Now we get back to restoring sanity and holding those in power accountable for their actions and their blatant abuse of their offices of public trust. What is going on here in Bourbon and Crawford County is going on every where in this Country. Our elected leaders are enriching themselves and their family, friends at the expense of the rest of us and some of us are not going to stand for. As we enter 2012 be mindful that our government is supposed to benefit all the people just not a select few. Justice for All, not Just-Us. Here is a post that was put on Facebook by a brave young lady. The question was justice for all or just-us.
We all know the answer to that, if you live in Bourbon. If your one of the few privileged to be related some how to the gov running Bourbon. Then you get away with anything...even murder. If not, your screwed.
She said it all and that is simply the truth. These folks only get away with this because most don't know or realize just how bad it has got and how far it has gone. Well Bourbon is waking up and beginning to realize that they are being played for fools. You can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all of the people all the time. We will be working hard as we go into this new year to further point out and expose the ongoing corruption at the City and County level. Thanks for helping us, with your tips and leads. If you love this City then you need to stand up with us and make your voice be heard. What we have uncovered in the last 120 days is just the tip of the iceberg.
If you go to the Bourbon BS tab you can see what laws appear to have been broken by the current City administration of BOURBON MISSOURI.
Bourbon Alderman Meeting 12-20-11
Larry goes to Court 12-15-11
Larry Maserang filed for Mayor of Bourbon. Here is the Video The election will be held April 3rd 2012. So Citizens of Bourbon you now have a choice. In the process of filing we learned a lot. We will be sharing with you the facts that we have found out. It is amazing simply amazing how your elected leaders are playing the citizens of this town for fools. We have done some work under the Bourbon BS tab.
Sign and wonders click here
Here is the Video from the Council Meeting Part 1 Audio is not good so crank it up.
Here is Part 2 Here is Part 3
Ex Post Facto Laws, while at the City meeting this evening Bob the city attorney didn't know what that means so Bob here you go. It was business as usual otherwise like nothing happen, simply amazing.
Any law, which makes criminal an act that was not criminal when done, or which inflicts a greater punishment than the law annexed to the crime when committed, is an ex post facto law. For example, a law cannot be created tomorrow which will hold a person responsible for something he or she does today. Laws are binding only from the date of their creation or from some future date at which they are specified as taking effect.
Article I, Section 9 of the constitution makes clear that Congress cannot pass a law which criminalizes or penalizes activities committed before the enactment of a law.
Your tax dollars hard at work click here.
So is not only the Mayor of Bourbon forming non-profits and then making deals that put the citizens and taxpayers on the hook to secure control over the most valuable piece of property in Bourbon. The police chief who we understand is related to the Mayor and who we know lives outside of the City limits is sending out letters to not only business but whole trailer courts demanding people clean up their places when the City has a dump on their property. When you call to ask what the problem is the police come by in short order and bully you and then threaten to arrest you and take your children. Little old ladies are afraid to drive around town and people throughout Missouri hear about the police traps and harassment resulting from the BPD. The Police are simply out of control and not doing their job despite the fact the people of Bourbon have them driving around in brand new black police cars. In fiscal year 2010 the Court sucked a little under $200,000 from the people who passed through Bourbon a little too fast. We see the Bourbon police out of the highway and in Leasburg more than in Bourbon. We not only see this but the thieving people of the County see it too. Thus breaking into local business’ numerous times. We heard that the Judge GOD Bless him was an hour late for Court and threatened to shoot down a plane, the plane judge, the plane. The water has poop in it and now we understand that they have raised the rate to turn your water back on to $100. We heard that they have hired a person to take care of the water treatment plant full time. If you have someone living with you and they owe the city for water they will come shut you off and then call their good friends over at the Electric Company. We could go on and I assume that we will if need be. Though here is the bottom line. The people of Bourbon really need to wake up and realize that the City really serves no purpose other than to harass and rob the people it is supposed to serve. Perhaps it is time to dissolve the city and do away with it. It has been run by the same families for the last 60 years and we are sad to say that they have only run it into the ground. We have heard many other stories which we don’t have space to share here. Who can you trust in this town? Are you going to let the CITY and it’s leaders keep on robbing you and your neighbors or are you going to speak up and out demanding them to quit? There is only one solution and that is simply do away with the City of Bourbon. Maybe that is a little to drastic though these are drastic times that we live in. In the meantime with what we have uncovered about the BCDC, MODOT deal the only solution to that is for the BCDC to be dissolved (which we believe technically they are all-ready since they have not followed the law) Deed the property back to the City of Bourbon and then take the money they have made and give it back to the Citizens of Bourbon. There is big trouble in Bourbon it is the poster child for government gone wild. The governments in the STATE of MISSOURi govern by the people consent. If you have no problem with these problems than so be it. Though we believe that this is America and the people in positions of power need to be first of all trusted and secondly accountable to the people who they are supposed to serve. The question is real simple who works for who? Do they work for you or do you work for them? The power belongs to the people. Now you know the problems at least some of them. Do you consent to this crap?
We have made a video Big Trouble in Bourbon Click Here
Here is Take 2 of Big Trouble in Bourbon
Do you want the Truth? Well we do and it’s like pulling teeth to get it. The whole goal of the Bystander is to tell the truth to the citizens of Bourbon. Though since none of the elected leaders will even talk to us we have a huge problem. Here is a look at what is going on in Bourbon as seen by the Bystander. When we started the Bystander we told the powers that be, that if we accuse you of something and you don't refute it than it stands as truth as far as we are concerned. We put out the first Bystander at the end of August with our challenge and guess what we have not heard a single word from any members of the government including but not limited too, the Mayor, the Aldermen, the Police Chief despite our attempts to make contact with the aforementioned people. "They" have simply ignored us and to make matters worse have intimated the few people who dared to advertise with us. "They" have done everything "they" can to make us go away. Well, we are not going anywhere! You need to realize just what is going on in the City of Bourbon. The only thing that stands against you and total absolute unchecked wickedness is a publication such as the one you are reading. Now we realize that some of the people of this town simply do not care or in the alternative are simply scared to speak up as too what is going on with your local government. Back in August we went to the Alderman meeting and we had a few questions for the Mayor and the members of this group called the BCDC. The Bourbon Community Development Corporation. The BCDC was formed back in the summer of 2006. According to an article which ran in the Cuba Free Press on August 24th 2006. Local business and community leaders spearheaded the BCDC to help work together for the benefit of Bourbon area. The BCDC was/is designed as "public benefit corporation". All adult residents of Bourbon are considered to be members of the BCDC. Associate memberships are supposed to be open to any other person, group, business or industry that are interested in the purpose of the group.There are no membership fees to belong to the group. The original incorporators (sic) where Leonard Armstrong, Edward Wallis, Donald L. Dillion, Deborah Rakes and Lisa Storz. The board of directors at it's inception also included Kelly Murphy and Eldon Harris. At the organizing meeting of the BCDC the Board approved the Bylaws and elected the following officers. Leonard Armstrong was elected President (who was an Alderman and Mayor Pro Tem if not the Mayor he was the next in line) Lisa Storz was elected Vice President and Deborah Rakes was elected Secretary/Treasurer. The BCDC was/is supposed to meet quarterly. Upon further review the BCDC is very suspect to say the least. First of all the BCDC ended up with the former MODOT property which had the Mayor not been in the BCDC should have been bought by the City. The property over 3 acres should have been put up for Bid and the City should have bought it. In the Video the Mayor and Mrs. Rakes claim that it was advertised for bid though we have spoke with the folks from MODOT and they said it was never advertised. So our first concern is why didn't the City buy the property? It would have made perfect sense. After the fire in 1997 which consumed City Hall and the Police Department. The City was "given"( which is a whole other story) the now Patients First building by Town and Country Bank (Where Mrs. Rakes works). The City sold the City Hall building for $140,000. The BCDC bought the MODOT property for $151,000, in July 2007. Had the City bought the property the City could have put City Hall, Public Works and the Police all in one place and had a couple of acres for "economic" development. The City has since bought another piece of property the current city hall for you guessed it $150,000. We haven't quite figured out what happened to the money the City "made" off the sale of "City Hall" to Patients First. Though we understand there is a note on the current City Hall and a payment of something like $900 a month. The City borrowed the money from a out of town bank!
The BCDC has developed the STATE property and has sold off a part of it to folks who brought a Dollar General Store to Bourbon. Never mind there is one in Sullivan and one in Cuba. The BCDC is now offering for lease/rent the former STATE garage which we have to admit has been redone quite nicely. The only problem with this is that first of all there were already three business in town which carry most or the products the DG does. So what did bringing the DG store to town do to attract people off the interstate and into Bourbon to increase the tax base? To get the DG store to town the City created a special tax district especially and only for the DG store. There again a whole story can be wrote about this community improvement district. We have touched on it on our website
bourbonbystander.com. To top it off the BCDC we hear has been soliciting existing business to move on over to their side of the street. We have also mentioned on the website that the City gave the BCDC fill dirt from the City owned Bourbon Industrial Park. We did tell you that the head of the BCDC is Leonard Armstrong who is also the Mayor of the City. Is this not a conflict of interest? Can you see how this is simply not right. There should be a file on record as to what the BCDC has done. Though the file is no where to be found and repeated attempts to locate the file have proved fruitless. It was supposed to be at the physical address of the Crawford Electrical Coop. Dan the head of the Co-Op is supposed to be the registered agent. Now we pointed this out at the meeting which we posted on youtube which some 440 people have viewed. Mrs. Rakes said that she the file at her residence and gave me a number to call so we could arrange a viewing of the BCDC file and minutes. When we called the number we got a recording stating it was the Rakes residence and the number to book the Bourbon Community Meeting Hall. We heard back from Mrs. Rakes. She felt that the BCDC didn’t fall under the Sunshine laws which we beg to differ, Though she was going to email the board members to see if we could get a look at the file. She assured us that Leonard was not running around to the local business to get them to move and he wanted to see Bourbon grow. We also contacted the MODOT and they let us have access to their file on the deal. On the inside you will find the MEMO which is the smoking gun and the notes. So do you have a problem with this deal? Well we do and obviously the STATE of MISSOURI should have since the oath the STATE makes Everyone of our elected officials take Mo Const. Art 3 Section 15. Every senator or representative elect, before entering upon the duties of his office, shall take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation: "I do solemnly swear, or affirm, that I will support the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Missouri, and faithfully perform the duties of my office, and that I will not knowingly receive, directly or indirectly, any money or other valuable thing for the performance or nonperformance of any act or duty pertaining to my office, other than the compensation allowed by law." Any member convicted of having violated his oath or affirmation shall be deemed guilty of perjury, and be forever disqualified from holding any office of trust or profit in this state. Folks this is just the tip of the iceberg which is going to sink the whole City government of Bourbon. We could go on and on but I think you get the picture. Is the Mayor and the Aldermen who have turned a blind eye to this gross dereliction of duty guilty of perjury in the least? Not to mention a whole host of “other” crimes? Such as stealing by deceit. Is the STATE guilty as well for not putting this property up for bid? The 12 acres next to this property is for sale for $900,000. So the STATE should have been able to get at least $225,000 of course the STATE property had a building on it and doesn’t have a huge ditch that needs to be filled in. There is more to the story though this should make the people of Bourbon wonder what other backroom, underhanded, unethical deals your elected leaders are doing over at City Hall. The whole point of this publication is to restore faith and trust in our elected officials. Can you trust the people who are in charge of this City?
Bourbon Council Meeting 8-16-11