An open letter to George Pawlaczyk, BND ReporterArchived Message
Posted by Informed voter on March 27, 2017, 9:54 pm
Mr. Pawlaczyk gpawlaczyk@bnd.com 618-239-2625
Whatever happened to verifying information before putting it into print, or in this case, putting it into digital print?
The Nameoki Highway Department has always employed a secretary / assistant in their office, regardless of who the commissioner was. Mr. Luehmann knows this, everyone knows this. Why did you not verify the claim that this position was formed only to employ Mrs. Moore? Helen Hawkins, Nameoki Township Clerk could have easily verified this information for you as she is clerk for the Nameoki Township Highway Department as well as the township itself. She could have verified for you the existence of clerical staff for the highway department long before Donald Moore was commissioner. Under Commissioner Buddy O'Brian, there was a secretary / office worker, and under Commissioner Gene Baker as well.
The Nameoki Township Office has a long record of nepotism. For example, the prior supervisor Ken Davis employed his wife for years at the township office. This continued until the last election in 2013, when Mr. and Mrs. Davis both retired.
Mr. Luehmann decries nepotism yet sat silent as three members of the McKechan family worked in the township. Linda McKechan, Patrick McKechan and Mark McKechan under Buddy O'Brian and Gene Baker. Currently, the Mayor of Pontoon Beach, Mike Pagano, has a son working in the Nameoki Township Highway Department. Does Mr. Luehmann consider that nepotism or cronyism? If you would have done some research you would have found the article covered in your newspaper about Patrick McKechan and Edward O'Brian (Buddy O'Brian's son) stealing and destroying the campaign signs of Donald Moore in the last election. Was this a convenient oversight on your part?
Our current supervisor, Randall Viessman's daughter Tammy Davis was hired by him to work in the township office. She is currently employed as well as Mr. Viessman's friend Laura Marchetti and retired highway department Lonnie Bettis' wife Mel Bettis. Nepotism?
Where is Mr. Luehmann's outrage about these examples of nepotism sitting right under his nose for the duration of his time as trustee? Is his outrage selective, reserved only for his opponent Don Moore?
Your scathing article regarding Mr. Moore's personal life, citing occurances from twenty years ago, was a well played filthy ploy by Charlie Luehmann, who has no qualifications nor skills to run a highway department. He knows he cannot win this election based on merit alone, because he does not possess any. This disgusting revelation of his character is disturbing. It appears there is no depth of cheap, dirty tricks he will not visit to win this election.
BUT, Mr. Pawlaczyk you missed the real story. Mr. Luehmann has sat as trustee for the last four years on the Nameoki Township Board of Trustees. During his watch, as the eyes and ears of the township residents who entrusted him with their vote, he has not audited, nor have the other three trustees, the township's General Assistance Fund, which is his fiduciary duty as a trustee.
You see Mr. Pawlaczyk, the General Assistance Fund and its management by Laura Marchetti and Randall Viessman is where the real story is. And the lack of oversight by Charlie Luehmann and the other three trustees is where the real story is. A line by line forensic audit, checking ledger posts against actual canceled checks from the fund is in order. A forensic audit will explain the checks being written to cash, signed by Randall Viessman and endorsed by Laura Marchetti, all under the not so watchful eyes of Charlie Luehmann and his fellow trustees. This questionable practice was brought to the attention of Charlie Luehmann and the other trustees who failed to act on behalf of the township residents. A forensic audit will finally put to rest the rumors that are flying around of mismanagement of this fund, and whom was involved or not, who turned a blind eye and who did not.
Mr. Pawlaczyk, ask the township staff about opening the mail of another elected official, Mr. Moore's mail for the Nameoki Township Highway Department is routinely opened by the staff of Mr. Viessman. The staff was warned by the township attorney, Mr. Jumper, to stop opening another official's mail. They continue to this day, helping themselves to the mail of Mr. Moore. Who is to say what is hidden, misplaced, lost or misdirected, and whom it would serve if that were to happen.
Ask who misrepresented themselves as Highway Department personnel in order to secure copies of documents regarding the suspension of insurance. A document that was posted in this very message board, that was not given under the FOIA officer of the highway department, but released under very questionable circumstances to a disgruntled Luehmann supporter.
Mr. Pawlaczyk you broke the rules of unbiased journalism by not verifying Mr. Luehmann's claims of intentional nepotism. You did not question Mr. Luehmann about not auditing the General Assistance Fund and why checks are being written out of it for cash.
And ultimately, Mr. Pawlaczyk, you did a chop job on a man and his wife who have long healed from issues that have nothing to do with running the Nameoki Township Highway Department. Mr. Luehmann has to be jumping for joy, because he knows YOU MISSED THE REAL STORY, and he led you by the hand to make sure it happened.
on March 27, 2017, 9:54 pm