Now we have seen the auditor’s report and it is not pretty.
First off the E.M.S. fund has been has been employing one of the worst financial management practices any business could do. It is called carry forward negative balance calculation. Where the expenditures of this department where allowed to rise above the revenue being generated and it was just carried over from budget year to budget year.
But even carry forward negative balance calculation requires a minimum payment to be paid, followed by a payment plan to pay this debt back and that did not even happen.
Try getting away with this with your Bank or Credit Card Company and see how many fees you will have to pay, until that debt is paid back.
So my first question is, was management awake or a sleep at the wheel starting in 2007 when maybe this entire department only needed a little fine tuning?
Well if I go through the record I can see management was doing the exact opposite of what they should have been doing. Instead of cutting back on expenditures they kept stockpiling it on. Instead of measuring the performance of this department, they continued on with a management system which clearly was not working.
Well by not fixing it back then it broke and now we are living the effects of this past mismanagement fiasco.
But what takes the cake for me in this whole mismanaged mess is the fact that public records were being changed in this very City by our City Administrator and our very Fire Chief.
The thing about this is in 2008 when I should have seen expenditures in a protected fund; I see $345,075.00 that has somehow just vanished.
This automatically sends red flags up and I combine that missing money with the fact that records where being changed..
If they are changing records this easily and have the audacity to ask Council “did I do anything wrong”
To that I will say yes something wrong was done and both our former City Administrator and Fire Chief broke the law.
ORS 162.305 Tampering with public records. (1) A person commits the crime of tampering with public records if, without lawful authority, the person knowingly destroys, mutilates, conceals, removes, makes a false entry in or falsely alters any public record, including records relating to the Oregon State Lottery.
(2)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, tampering with public records is a Class A misdemeanor.
(b) Tampering with records relating to the Oregon State Lottery is a Class C felony. [1971 c.743 §205; 1991 c.962 §16]
This is only one of many criminal law violations that this could lead to.
So if you do not believe this happened read it for yourselves.
Cody
71 comments:
I agree Cody.
It is like a cheating spouse.
If they cheat on you once and do not get caught they will do it again.
well, why ya bitching, ya got yer wish, partner. pritcher is gone. but do you throw out every citisen who makes mistakes? especialy when they're valuable in a skill set.
let's kick sandra kelly out 1st.she's got no specificaly good or valuable skill set. no education. teachin kids its okay to be a doper and a smoker. few in town like her. she's got a long listed tallied...
take the cocaine kid, sullenger jr. this community should have made hs ass fess a long time ago rather than plea bargian.
maybe we should pitch stutterers and peeps that can't hold jobs. i know my tax dollars suport ya and ya eat off food bank food. lets get rid of you-
No one threw him out he resigned.
As a matter of fact I knew long ago that a little discipline was needed and it may have prevented this whole thing.
As far as his management abilities, it is Council which has to set the policies for that and that should have happened long ago. But those Councils and this one needs to start that process with a goal.
Your tax dollars do not support me.
I worked for everything I get.
As a matter of fact because of how much I paid into my retirement, I make far too much to get a dime from any state assistance program you’re so called tax dollars pay for.
I have been to the food bank 3 times in all the years I have lived here (off and on my whole life)(27 years in a row since childhood).
That was back when I had no income due to being disabled, had a son to feed and just before what I paid into began paying me back by a judge’s decision, as well as before a suit of law that was settled out of court.
But that was years ago.
So you are a few years late and many dollars short on what you think I live on.
But I have never lived off of anyone’s tax dollars other than my own and my sweat paid for that.
So get off your high horse on that unfounded issue.
Cody
Well, now I know which side started it first. I just love a good fact-based debate, wonder when we're going to have one?
Thank you for posting this, Cody. It's time that citizens read what happened instead of getting their information from their gossip circle(s).
My sentiments exactly Kate.
There is no denying it now.
And the hits I have been getting means it is getting out there.
Yet the comments are dying down.
Go figure.
Cody
only because you bore me
They are running out of nasty-ass stuff to say. There is just so much dirt you can fling, you know?
Stand fast, wait for the midnight crew.
So why are you here then?
I just watched the City Council meeting on T.V. George the mayor just got back from a needed break. I think he came back to soon,He asked Tiffany if he could buy a vowel.Don was looking at his phone all night.I think Gyda-ann is texting him on what to do, thats sad.He should be home enjoying retirement.But Gyda won't give up power.It's all about the flowers.
Boris and Natasha Sullenger,The spies that drive around town,burning gas.For no apparent reason.Somebody said when he was in the Big House, he was close to his cellmate.Thats why they drive around a lot,looking for BuBu.
As if this behavior is going to win you a recall.
Anyone know when and where Tina and Robb's Nazi hunt club meets? (I've been looking for someway to give back to my community). Also, is it byob, or does Robb bring the refreshments?
Thanks for the help
Bubba
Blah blah I lied to council,
blah blah I falsified reports,
blah blah, I'm incompetent,
blah blah I'm bankrupting the city,
blah blah Do what I say or everyone will quit, oops, change of plans, blah
Guess what? Not only is the old administration illiterate, but they can't count either!!
Hey, I ain't illiterate.
They may have been siblings, by my parents was married!
The bullet points counted as words?... whoops.
That is way too funny.
Better luck next time “idiots”.
We completely deny the accusations that we made any mistakes.
We didn't pay Bernard $18,000 he wasn't legally entitled to.
We didn't spend $140,000 on wages and benefits for a city employee.
We didn't borrow $450,000 and then make no repayments for over 2 years.
We didn't encorage a city employee to spend over $60,000.00 that wasn't appropriated to his department.
We didn't mislead (lie) about the CL Fire; Not in service.
We didn't miss our flight out of a city we never should have been in in the first place.
We didn't waste public funds on attorneys in an effort to abuse the public's trust.
We didn't use our office to promote our business' and settle old scores
AND WE DIDN'T MISS COUNT, it's all a fabrication!
We are infallable. You heard what I said, INFALLABLE, look it up.
P.S. We still have some prime "Lighthouse Keeper" niches available for purchase, your loved ones would be proud of your choice to trust us. Act now, this lighthouse could fall down, I mean could be sold out before you know it!! (rotten roof and seagull poop provided at no extra charge!!)Also available, Sahalah, Harmony Heaven, and Angel Heights lots and residences available, very limited supply, act now or miss out!
P.S.S You might want to check out the ArtBeat reruns, they are cool!!
P.S.S.S When Tuna and Rubb find those Nazi's, we're gonna run em out'a town, you have our word on it, (unless the they have badges, we like badges, they are cool 'cause you get to tell people they are gonna die if your not there to help and then they get really scared and do what you say and that's really cool 'cause I like it when people have to do what I say 'cause it makes me feel impotent and I really like that feeling!!!).
The "cheating spouse" simile is right on target. They screw you, lie to you , leave you broke, and then say it was all your fault.
Tuna and Rubb, now that made me lol.
Forces of evil on a bozo nightmare
Ban all the music with a phony gas chamber
’cuz one’s got a weasel and the other’s got a flag
One’s on the pole, shove the other in a bag
With the rerun shows and the cocaine nose-job
The daytime crap of the folksinger slob
He hung himself with a guitar string
A slab of turkey-neck and it’s hangin’ from a pigeon wing
You can’t write if you can’t relate
Trade the cash for the beef for the body for the hate
And my time is a piece of wax fallin’ on a termite
who's chokin’ on the splinters
I’m a driver, I’m a winner; things are gonna change I can feel it
What the hell?
Tuna and Rubb, yeah that had me lol too! I needed a good laugh.
Those are lyrics from a song called Loser. The chorus says, "I'm a Loser, Baby, so why don't you kill me."
IF AROUND TEN CERTAIN CHARACTERS IN THIS TOWN UP AND LEFT, IT WOULD BE A MUCH BETTER PLACE...
YEAH, BUT WE CAN'T DECIDE WHICH TEN...
How about those with no CHARACTER first.
Lets see, abandoning you duties as a volunteer, Heck there's 10 right there.
Two things that may assist everyone with conversations about this.
1) Don't call them volunteers. Everyone who serves on the council or on a committee or helps out at the rec nights is a volunteer. They are firefighters. You demean the rest of us by indicating that they are the only volunteers that count. They demeaned us by not showing up when called on.
2) The discussion needs to be about the two separate jobs Jeff held. The job he was hired for and the one he moved into and expanded past the comfort level of the town. We don't care that we lost the fire chief and even so, he can be replaced. We do care that we lost the EMT, and that's the main problem and the one we should target.
Jeff said we had 5 EMT's in the department and one was nearly a paramedic. What we need to find out is, will another department take over our administration? and at what cost to the city? Do we have a competent contact person in our volunteer department that can work under another Fire Chief?
That would be a good start. I read in the paper that Chief Devon Wells was going to try to help with restructuring. Hopefully that works out.
I think it's time to separate the two departments.
The fire department is payed for by the citizens of Cascade Locks. As the owners we have the right to expect our equipment will be available when WE need it.
The ambulance service is a completely different animal, it requires highly trained staff and is expected to support itself through the charges it gets for services rendered.
Mixing the two together has led to the impression that by helping with ambulance calls volunteers are funding the fire service, sort of paying for the whole operation through their efforts. If that was actually the case, I think they would have a valid complaint and they should have more say in how things are done. The problem is it's not even close what's actually taking place. Even with the city paying for the equipment and using lots of volunteer time and effort, the ambulance service can barely pay it's bills.
Separate the two so people know what is being spent and what it's supporting.
Stumbled upon this blog. Looks like there are a lot of people here that care about the city and the Fire/EMS Department.
Without getting into the "He Said, She Said" debate, support your local departments and purchase a shirt from He Said Tee Shed. Every little bit helps.
25% of sales from the Cascade Locks shirts will be donated to the Fire and EMS Department. Visit www.hesaidteeshed.com to order.
If you're on Facebook, be sure to like us at: www.facebook.com/hesaidteeshed
Owner, He Said Tee Shed (Cascade Locks Resident)
Bullshit you live here.
Not with a 503.564.2422 phone number you don't. You're just not-very-attractive spam and didn't start this scam until July 19th of this year. Friend of Jeff's?
25% of 19.95? You get $17.91 and the CL non-responders get $4.99. big deal.
If you really care about the fire department donate the whole $20.00 to the department and wear your own shirt!! Then the deficit would only be $59,980.
Yeah, and some people have $500.00 in their pocket, that would have helped a lot with the Christmas food baskets. Just sayin.
Another $9,000 on the command (aka I'm compensating) vehicle, while the ambulance roof leaks down on volunteers and patients alike.
That's what I call priorities.
Thanks Ex-chief, your legacy lives on.
At least there is consistency to their madness. The heater in the old fire hall was causing fires in the building and instead of fixing the heater they asked for money to buy a command vehicle. Now there's a track record of good financial planning! Lets put a million dollars of the city's equipment in jeopardy over a hundred dollar heater!
That command vehicle was also bought instead of replacing, according to Pricher, "outdated bunker gear that doesn't meet standards".
You can buy new equipment, someones life is a little more difficult to replace.
Priorities.
Yeah but he looked real purty goin down the road! Hey I've got a song for you. "You're so vain...."
You all are vultures pecking at the living waiting for it to die so you can pounce on the carcass and eat the flesh. You are disgusting.
You think we're waiting?
And you are the spoiled little brat who lays on the grocery store floor kicking and screaming, "I WANT IT,I WANT IT"
We've counted to three, time's up.
Here we go again with the capitals. Why do you think yelling louder makes you more right?
Tuna, Rubbe,
I think I seen a couple of them Nazi's in town just a few minutes ago.
They was trying to play the ol "we're just buyin' ice cream" trick, but I can spot those %&^*$s way to good to fall for that one. I'm sure they was scope'n out our town for a full scale...I don't know, but something bad fr sure. I'll keep an eye on 'em for ya.
Bubba,
P.S. Rubbe, if your done with my binoculars I could sure use 'em back.
The signature sheets are now available for the Petition to Recall Lance Masters.
How can they really file a recall due to the council breaking supposed "city laws"?? What about the laws that jeff pritcher broke? Not to mention running this town into the ground. Where is the integrity jeff? That's right, you don't have any.
All of you need to pull your head out of your ass, pritcher is finally gone!
And he ain't coming back, no matter how loud you whine, scream, recall or bitch.
To those presenting the recall petition for Lance Masterss:
If you could mention how to find a way to sign it, it would be nice. Are you going to be in front of the Post Office like Rubb and Ralphie?
I don't know if anyone will be in front of the post office. I'm not.
I'm in the phone book.
If Brad and his 5 alarm gang get back in city council no one will be able to afford to live in Cascade Locks. Their answer to everything is raise the rates, raise the fees it's just that simple. They don't think about the people who just can't afford more expenses. This town already voted no to a fire district and they voted the initiatives in that restricts the increase of taxes or fees without a vote of the people. Some people just don't get it.
5 alarm,
Your recall statements are all LIES based on opinions, you wouldn't know a fact if it hit you in the face! You say that George Fischer and Don Haight caused Seeger to quit and wow they weren't even sworn in yet! Seeger quit during Brad's term. You morons! Hey if they are that powerful maybe they shouldn't be on council! They could just sit at home on their couches and send in subliminal messages.
Don and George: "Make Seeger say something stupid".
Seeger: "Everybody loves Stevenson, nobody loves Cascade Locks"
Don and George: "Now Brad"
Brad: "It's kinda like having a hole in your fence...."
Don and George: "This kind of power is pretty cool! Let's make Pricher overspend and behave like a complete arrogant prick".
Don and George: "Damn, that worked a little too well"
Don and George: "Okay, now everybody quit".
Ha Ha Ha!
what immature freaks you are.
I can tell it's one of you every time. No sense of humor.
No sense of right or wrong either.
No common sense either.
How dare they talk about comments made on this blog, they are just as bad as everyone else on this blog! They need to be honest about why they really don't like this blog, because it shares the facts to the rest of the citizens!
Also, we are on to jeffie's little plan.. I think it is interesting that he didn't have an ounce of integrity the entire time he was the chief, now he is suddenly this "great guy".. I call BS! He is only buying time to see if his dumb recall goes through so the present council won't hire anyone else. Get it through your head jeff - you were a worthless chief when you were paid to be one; my guess is you would be even worse doing it for free.
Hey Robb, if you have a problem with my right to free speech on the internet or in the paper ever again:
1) Talk to me about about it and don't act like a weasel in front of the Council meeting.
2) If you think I wrote something, then first prove it and then accuse me of it.
3) If really you think I write every fricking thing on this blog, think again. I have a life, unlike some people in this town. I'll give you a big hint. I am in Portland two days a week and I go to bed by 10:00 at night, except when I am pissed off at someone I thought was a reasonable person. Not an immature neighbor who although I disagreed with politically, thought I liked personally and vice verse.
Like you, like tonight. I thought better of you.
OMG..HERE WE GO AGAIN..Recall is almost there.YAHOOOOOOOOO.Now as far as these little groups they want to appoint.so far there has not been one person that would deserve to be on that commitee..they all know nothing about anyting.especialy the californian.go home where you come from your not wanted here.you think you know something but wow your way off base.go get a real job and leave this stuff to somebody that knows what is going on.PS get a life.ya need one..
Are the citizens of this town so blind that they cannot see what is going on? Do they not realize that all of this harping & inane statements & downright lies are from the discontents that lost the last election, were recalled themselves & their minions? What do they hope to gain by all of their lies and half truths? They want the power!!! They are trying to discredit the elected Council members & now bitching about the City Services Committee. They do not want the truth to come out do they? The Committee is charged with looking into the "facts" and advising the Council on any, if any, solutions to be worked out. For the past 3 or 4 months I have listened to the same crap spouted from the same people (read discontents) over & over & over. The people who are listening to them & supporting them obviously cannot read the facts. The lies are just too much & I truly respect the Council for sitting there quietly listening to this crapola & insults. They have acted like mature grownups unlike the other side. Despite all of the posturing the truth will come out about the mismanagement of funds and the lies that have been told. Fight as they will they cannot prevent the truth from coming out. Crawl back under your rock you idiots.
I don't understand the hole-in-the-fence gang (both Lorangs, Ralph, Rob, Sarah, Tina, both Storms) and of course, Lance, sitting there last night saying nothing is getting done and then trying to block the formation of a previously established committee charged with fixing the problems?
Is it that they don't want the problems fixed?
People are so mean to me, help me Rubb, Rubb me Rubb, help me.
Help me, Obi-wan, help me.
do this.
The puppet master continues to pull the strings of Cascade Locks fire volunteers. When the most qualified and already second in charge of the volunteers steps up to the plate to be the lead person for the department and keep the mutual aid agreement going he is asked to step down by who? SELF APPOINTED CAPTAINS Megan Webb, Jessica Bennett, and Shawn Parrish. Wow, really? It would seem that these three are causing problems instead of working to solve them. Who wants to protect the citizens anyway? Not these three so called captains. The Mayor appointed Jess Zerfing to be in charge and the volunteers can't change that. It would seem that only Jess Zerfing has the best interest of the community at heart. According to the HRN Aug. 10th Jim Trammel is quoted saying that Cascade Locks won't recognize the fire department and can't take care of it's fiduciary responsibilities. Hey Trammel where has your head been stuck for the last four months (oh, I think I know) Fiduciary responsibility give me a break!! Our former mayor Brad Lorang, our former fire chief Pricher, our former City Administrator Bernard Seeger and our current finance officer had no fiduciary responsibility when they ignored reports from the auditor that our fire department is consistently spending over revenues and this practice is negatively affecting the other city funds. This council for the last seven months is the only administration to be financially responsible for the overspending. They have reduced the expenses and are addressing the debts not to mention are now paying for the fire department loan from the city light department for the first time since it was built.
Oops forgot to sign my name to the above blog.
Darlene Sullenger
i forgot to mention that this council addressed the debt without raising your taxes, fees or utility rates. We all heard Brad Lorang's answer to the debt, just raise our franchise fees to the utility departments. Hhmmm....wonder what that will do to our utility rates?
Darlene Sullenger
Darloony, for the last seven months this council has been an embarrassment to the community.Their stuck in the past with no vision for the future.Their in this black hole and it's getting deeper and deeper.Moles like you and Codys Blog buddies are ruining this town.Your puppet master is Cody,and he controls the mayor I mean (Pinocchio). He lied so much that his nose grew erect for Four hours.Woody has problems .
Kate, you also are an embarrassment to this community. I watched your reactions on T.V. during the council meeting monday.What a freak, looked like you where promoting a WWF cage match. For the City service commitee, we don't care if you worked for the police dept.If you call writing out parking tickets 'experience'And we don't care if you go to Portland twice a week for shock treatment.We need new blood flowing in this town,We need to take a big step forward not back. Please move
The council is stuck in the past because that is where the last administration has left them. You know, to deal with all of the misappropriations and to figure out how to make the first loan payment on the fire hall that was built three years ago on a five year loan with not one payment ever made. Not to mention the verbal agreements made by past city administrators that required payments to be made. No vision for the future? What would your vision be? To bankrupt the town? To continue business as usual with no accountability to the taxpayers for irresponsible spending of their taxes and other public funds? Gee when Jess Zerfing said at the council meeting that he didn't want to steal Brad's thunder the thunder god must have came down and zapped him right out of the department.
Darlene
I believe Tina, Brad, Rob, etc. should make a recording & play it at a Council meeting. It is the same lies and garbage each time, so save your breath & our ears. You have done your best to corrupt and tear this town in half. You have disrupted the Council meetings & then complained because they are not getting anything done. Well, shut up & they will have more time to straighten out the mess you left. Shame on you all as you only have yourselves to blame for the hurt, discontent and the bad publicity for our town. Your lies and half truths are shameful.The present Council was dealt a bad hand in January and are still wading through all of the mess financially & otherwise. They don't get paid and serve to help the community. Then they have to put up with the disrespect from the corrupt past leaders. Support your Council and show the discontents that the town means more to you than they do.
This Council is about as much use as a Betamax video recorder. The four must have been born on a highway because that's where most accidents happen. In the words of Groucho Marx, "He may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot."
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