This Week's Biggest Lies
New week - new LIE!
THE LIE: At a recent meeting of the City Hall Circus, the Girlie Giggler intimated that the former mayor had misused the City credit card, even possibly, purchasing liquor. The liquor comment was kind of a throwaway made in the middle of his accusations. Just the kind of thing that sticks in people's minds, and that he even denied later. Of course, his denial was based on minutes of the meeting, not on viewing the video.
THE TRUTH: Never, never, never purchased alcohol on the City's credit card, or with any other City funds. Did spend an average of $52.09 per month on business lunches, with excellent results. That's the way business is done in the United States in 2009. Those lunches were for volunteers, board members or prospective board members, staff members or prospective staff members, Council members on occasion, but mostly people who do or were thinking of doing business with the City of Park City. Contacts made over lunch are frequently more relaxed and contacts made that way remember the subjects of conversation better. There will be no apologies for the business lunches, only a reminder that the Hartman Arena came back to Park City, there have been several prospects for senior housing, and Wild West World was sold before the City of Park City had to make bond payments on the parking lot and the bridge. Among many other business accomplishments.
THE LIE: The Ringmaster of the City Hall Circus stated at the May Library Board meeting that the plan for the new library included going to the voters to authorize funding whatever building/operating costs weren't raised through grants, donations, and the City's commitment of one million dollars to match those grants and donations.
THE TRUTH: I don't know what they're listening to, but they need to clean out their ears. NO ONE representing the Library Board, including myself, has EVER said that taxes would need to be increased to meet those costs. That three mil levy that was authorized in 1998 is one of the lowest for a full service library in the state, but the library has existed and grown on that amount. The only way it can be increased is by another vote of the peopole to authorize more funding.
THE LIE: This time it's the Girlie Giggler who's lying. He said at the Council meeting of May 12 that the former mayor had "fired" the previous judge with one day's notice.
THE TRUTH: Appointed officials are not fired, appointments are not automatically repeated. The previous judge, a man of character, intelligence, and kindness, simply did not follow the State of Kansas sentencing guidelines and, with a year's warning, was not reappointed. Unfortunate, but the mayor's responsibility is to the City's residents, not to a single person. Persons in Park City Court no longer laugh at failure to sentence or commit repeat offenses with impunity.
PREVIOUS PREVARICATIONS
THE LIE: Park City Mayor Bergquist is claiming that he brought Cracker Barrel to Park City
THE TRUTH: He was only one of eight Council members who supported Jack Whitson's untiring efforts to land a Cracker Barrel Restaurant for Park City. And he certainly did no more, and maybe did less, than the other seven Council members and the mayor!
THE LIE: (told in public at the Linda Ivy Memorial Mayoral Forum) Bergquist's wife started the Park City Post.
THE TRUTH: Mrs. Bergquist is a lovely person. But The Post was started, written, edited, and delivered by Park City Pride with no help from Mrs. Bergquist. Loree Dredge thought up the name, Der Printing Haus in Valley Center printed it in exchange for selling the ads, and dozens of volunteers delivered it to every home in Park City until the Ark Valley News took it over.
Keep the lies coming, Emil, and I'll still be telling the truth.</P>