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From the Desk of Ed Foster, Mayor
What does a bankrupt municipality look like?
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Welcome Friends
AUGUST 21, 2010 -- As we enter yet another phase of attack, I would
like to take this opportunity to share with our friends and
supporters you some of the results of our research.
Lest you believe that the 'Ad Hoc' effort currently underway in an
effort to circumvent the will of the people that elected me, let me
assure you that many professional people [lawyers and elections
specialists] have weighed in on this issue and all of them -- to the
'last man' -- have said that this is a ridiculous attempt and cannot
succeed.
In light of the fact that the Town of Quartzsite -- last month
alone -- paid Pamela Walsma, the 'Town Attorney' in excess of $
14,000.00, it is questionable how much of these monies were
allocated to the effort to remove me from office.
A Mayor can be removed from office in three ways:
A. He can move to retire, resign or move away, thereby
'relinquishing' his position voluntarily.
B. He can be recalled.
C. He can die.
I have no intention of facilitating this effort by methods A or C --
and I hope to do such an outstanding job as Mayor that I will not be
a candidate for Recall. But were I to ever to face the will of the
people in such an effort, I would do so with dignity and not try to
impugn those that did not agree with my position.
The truth is that Quartzsite is embattled, embittered and searching
for a means of 'hanging on.' It's unfortunate that the situation is
what it is and I hope to bring a sense of camaraderie and community
back to Quartzsite -- for the sake of its future.
Sometimes, things must get worse before they get better. I would
encourage those that want to understand better the issues facing our
community to read this
document I realize it's a bit long and somewhat
tedious -- but in as clear and concise form as this issue can be
addressed, this document does an excellent job -- and it clearly
illustrates the issues facing us today.
Once the picture is clear, the solutions are evident.
Best Regards,
Ed Foster, Mayor
ATTACKS ON THE INCREASE, THE BATTLE IS HEATING
UP
For Such A Time As This
I want to inform my constituents that I am thankful for this -- the
opportunity to serve Quartzsite -- and I believe that we will
ultimately be instrumental in preventing this municipality from
seeing total devastation.
After announcements from exiting acting Mayor Walter Akin and
exiting councilman Hal Davidson that Quartzsite 'is broke, broke,
broke,' we are suddenly hearing from Councilman Lukkasson that
Quartzsite is fine: that there is no financial crisis facing this
municipality.
What?
Apparently, the town's manager has suddenly put forth documentation
to show that there is no problem with the town's fiscal wellbeing.
In fact, in a letter to the editor another individual has stepped
forward to announce that there are actually surpluses for the last
two years.
What a feat! From financial devastation to a position of solvency in
the blink of an eye!
But for the discerning -- the intelligent, concerned and aware
citizen -- these 'revelations' are simply more red flags, indicating
that someone, somewhere is concerned that there are simply too many
'critical eyes' looking at the town's financial position and asking
for answers.
Please note that the budget, not made available to me until a
Thursday afternoon, was followed by a work session on Friday, giving
me less than the required by law 24 hours
notice that there was going to be a work session to review a 49 page
document that represents the entire one year of budgeted items
totaling
$ 11,357,000.00 to establish what questions I might want to
bring up at the work session.
I have been responsible for budgets throughout my career and I am
quite familiar with how such matters are to be handled. This --
clearly -- is not the way to do a thorough job.
That Tuesday they passed said budget, essentially without review
much less comprehensive questions -- because given the short
timeframe involved for proper review [2 hours Thursday, 2
hours Friday and 8 hours each on that Monday and Tuesday] gives them
a total of 20 hours to accurately review for passage a 49 page
document encompassing well over
$ 11 MILLION in expenditures.
Then -- AS IF BY MAGIC --
someone somewhere is suddenly willing to throw Mr. Akin as well as
Mr. Davidson under the bus of public opinion and state --
unequivocally -- that there is no problem with the town's financial
condition.
It would be entertaining were it not such a ridiculous effort to
disguise and distort the facts that are given to Quartzsite's
citizens, most of whom are still looking at these sitting officials
in startled surprise.
WHAT IS THE TRUTH?
At no time has a forensic audit more plausible, more necessary, more
appropriate.
For months we've listened as the town's officials have touted
Quartzsite's dire financial position as the reason behind the
drastic water rate increases, the reason for calling in RDS to go
after whatever revenue sources remain untapped in our community --
even the consideration of a prison complex!
Yet, in spite of all of this, the announcement has been made
that Quartzsite is now instantly, documentably, magically solvent.
You'll excuse me if I ask to see those documents, won't you?
Because I've seen efforts to
disguise true insolvency issues before, and this has all the
earmarks of a smoke and mirrors job that would rival the best in the
land.
I'm Ed Foster. 'The guy' that's going to continue asking the tough
questions.
Best Regards,
Ed Foster
Welcome, Friends:
There still seems to
be incorrect information circulating pertinent to the Mayoral
position, I hope that this document will clarify those issues.
[See: MAYOR]
As some of you may remember, under these rules, Richard Oldham had
had to forfeit his council seat in order to run for the office
of Mayor. As this document clearly shows, the Mayoral office is
an official position. Thus, those that insist on referring to me as
'Councilman Mayor Foster' can clearly see that that is an incorrect
term.
Again, I want to stress that I am committed to discovering what
actions have resulted in creating the financial disaster that
Quartzsite faces today. While I do not wish to cause difficulty for
our sitting councilmen, I do find it interesting that they are so
dedicated to blocking my efforts to properly review what financial
records do exist -- and it is of grave concern that records have
been removed from the Town Hall offices in the absence of Ms.
Norris, whose job it is to control those records.
It is my intention and my hope to work toward consistency and
competence, accountability and transparency in government. While I
am disappointed in Mr. Winslow and Mr. Lukkasson's efforts, I will
not be dissuaded from accomplishing the task at hand: it was the
platform on which I ran and I am accountable -- first and foremost
-- to my constituents.
I wish to thank those -- both local and those following Quartzsite
from afar -- for their letters of support and for their dedication
to understanding these issues. It has made my position a far more
enjoyable task to know that there is widespread support for my
position, and that others before me have discovered themselves
facing the same plight.
By standing together, these issues can be surmounted. Quartzsite
only stands to benefit from a strong and dedicated leadership,
interested only in serving the greater good.
Best Regards,
Mayor Ed Foster
UPDATE: At the
regular meeting of the Quartzsite Town Council yesterday evening, I
was promised the documentation that I would be provided the
documentation I've been requesting concerning funds that have been
paid to two town employees totaling almost $ 2,000.00 for a two week
period.
I was to be able to pick up that paperwork today. When I arrived at
Town Hall to pick up the paperwork, I was verbally assaulted in town
hall by Councilman Joe Winslow. My readers know Winslow as the
councilman that threatened -- on the town's tape as the mics were
being turned on -- to "machine gun about five of 'em in the front
row..."
When I arrived to pick up the pay vouchers as promised, I was
informed that the pay vouchers would not be shown to me as promised.
Ms. Taft informed me through Karen Norris that I would not be getting
access to the pay vouchers but would be receiving a report 'okayed'
by the attorney. I stepped into the doorway of Ms. Taft's office to
inquire why I had been provided the pay vouchers for Dan Field and
Mark Skogland when they left the employ of the town, but now -- even
as Mayor -- am not allowed to see these records pertaining to what
amounts to significant payments made to two town employees via
'direct deposit.'
Mr. Winslow and Ms. Anderson were in the office
with Ms. Taft and Mr. Winslow jumped up and charged toward me,
shouting that I had no business in that office and he said, "Get the
hell out of here."
Ms. Anderson was alarmed enough that she
shouted at Mr. Winslow, "Don't touch him!"
I backed away, not wanting a confrontation with
Mr. Winslow and left town hall.
On the way home I met Larry Pickett at the post
office and was informed that a call had gone out for police
assistance at town hall.
In fact, as I continue to raise questions pertinent to
the actions of our sitting council as well as the Town Manager Alex
Taft -- and as I question Quartzsite's legal counsel -- as is my
responsibility to do -- one councilman, Jerry Lukkasson, wrote
me and then published his letter to hand out at the council meeting apparently concerning a comment I raised about the
Rules of Order and proper meeting protocol.
To clarify this matter, it must first be understood that the
Quartzsite Town Policy and Procedures Manual now comprises a
considerable amount of information and is constantly being revised
-- while the format in which these changes are communicated to
elected officials is essentially antiquated.
Providing our councilmen with a searchable database of information
[DVD, CD, or online] would allow them to be absolutely clear on what
rules and regulations govern our meetings.
Mr. Lukkasson may want to familiarize himself with the terms
'argumentum ad hominem' and 'ad hominem abusive.'
His efforts to impugn my character and attack my methods are
indicative of a larger picture -- an effort to distract us from the
issues at hand. We cannot afford to deviate from the course of
action on which we've already embarked.
1. The citizens of Quartzsite have a right to know [See: FOIA] what
monies are spent and how they are allocated.
2. The amount of Town of Quartzsite checks and DIRECT DEPOSIT
TRANSACTIONS are also a matter of public record.
3. It is ILLEGAL to withhold information from the Mayor and other
elected officials.
4. It is ILLEGAL to withhold information from the citizens of
Quartzsite who have taken the time to submit FOIA requests.
5. It is ILLEGAL to transport Town of Quartzsite records outside the
Town Hall property.
6. It is ILLEGAL to transport Town of Quartzsite records away from
Quartzsite.
7. It is ILLEGAL to violate Arizona State Law concerning the
handling of Town records.
8. It is ILLEGAL to violate Arizona State Law concerning the
disposal of Town records.
9. It is ILLEGAL to violate Arizona State Law concerning the
recycling of Town records.
These are not suggestions: they're LAWS. Our Town officials and Town
employees are required BY LAW to OBEY these laws and hold themselves
accountable UNDER THE LAW.
There are many more areas currently under review at this time. I
will suffice it to say this:
I was elected to be the Mayor of Quartzsite. For those that may not
know it, the position of Mayor, historically, has been one of a
liaison between the people and their government.
It is correct for the people to come to me with their concerns and
it is my responsibility to carry those concerns before our elected
officials to allow them to respond to those concerns.
It is widely known that a wide segment of Quartzsite's citizens
believe that there is wrongdoing on the part of our leadership.
All I have done both before and since my election is make the effort
to obtain the truth -- to perform my duty as the duly elected Mayor
of this town to develop and promote transparency in our government
-- to allow the citizens to find evidence of wrongdoing or lay aside
their suspicions.
Instead, the efforts of our Town Manager and all of our councilmen
have been geared not toward addressing these issues
straightforwardly while utilizing methods that could be described as
'above board' but -- instead -- toward stonewalling, the suppression
of information, the smuggling of documents away from Town Hall while
the person rightfully responsible for those documents was away on
vacation, the willful 'dumping' of Town documentation into recycling
bins.
Such activities as have been undertaken are a tragedy for our
citizens and a travesty of justice. And such activities clearly lend
credence to those many charges of corruption that have already been
leveled at these same individuals.
Mr. Lukkasson's attacks against me -- point for point -- are vague
and without merit and so transparent are his efforts to deflect the
negative attention from the true issues that I point them out here
only to properly refute his charges.
'Ad hominem abusive' is defined as "usually insulting or belittling
one's opponent but can also involve pointing out character flaws or
actions which are irrelevant to the opponent's argument. This tactic
is logically fallacious because insults and even true negative facts
about the opponent's character have nothing to do with the logical
merits of the opponents arguments or assertions."
I would suggest to Mr. Lukkasson that he stick to the elements of
these cases at hand and abandon the effort to attack my personal
integrity. If he has any complaints against me -- if anyone has
complaints against me -- I ask that they direct their comments
according to true standards of conduct, and address the issue or
issues without flagrant attempts to attack that have no merit.
In an apparent attempt to discredit me, Councilman Lukkasson, has
attempted to point out that the Mayor does not have the
responsibility of directing the meeting nor the Power of the Agenda.
In fact, the attempt by the council in two heavily criticized
motions to remove the Power of the Agenda from the Mayor only after
I was elected and had not even been allowed to assume my post has
not yet become law. And since the disempowerment of the Mayor [as
directed by Alex Taft during the last two meetings during which she
placed these items on the agenda for passage by the council] will
likely not be allowed to be passed, his comments are premature, at
best.
Mr. Lukkasson is mistakenly assuming that these items are not going
to become referendum issues. And even if the new rules were
accepted, before the agenda can proceed, Taft first must have an
agenda meeting and then have a meeting with the Mayor. All the
agendas over which I -- as Mayor -- have presided since being sworn
in as Mayor have been illegally presented.
Mr. Lukkasson's letter implies that these changes have already taken
effect -- but they have not and, actually would not have until June
26, 2010. Now, it looks as though the effort to disempower the
position of Mayor has essentially been prevented. We cannot
know with certainty until the Petitions for Referendum have been
turned in but the numbers have consistently indicated that this will
be so.
Mr. Lukkasson has seemingly forgotten that my entire campaign was
based upon my promises to the good people of Quartzsite that I would
investigate the causes behind the financial insolvency that is now
plaguing Quartzsite. That I would review and bring forward the
issues that I believed were contributing to the demise of business
within the town -- and that I would strive to make certain that all
of the citizens of Quartzsite were being fairly and equitably
represented.
I am specifically doing the job that I was elected to do --
for the people, by those people that elected me.
In my successful careers -- first as a Marine and, later, an
engineer -- it was my responsibility to educate and train others and
to hold myself to a high level of accountability.
It is actually I that have repeatedly requested that our elected
officials behave themselves professionally and ethically, leaving
personalities aside and, hopefully, striving for a strong and
committed community, working toward the betterment of all
Best Regards,
Ed Foster, Mayor
DENIALS OF DOCUMENTATION REQUESTS RAISE
MORE QUESTIONS
Editor's Note: During my campaign as
Mayor, I discovered that there were many people in Quartzsite that
harbored suspicions about the Town and the handling of those
'community' funds that are part of the property that belongs to the
town.
Among those that voiced their concerns during that time were some
that were actually on the town's payroll. These people understand
that they are not only privy to what happens at the governmental
level in Quartzsite -- they are also responsible for those matters
that come to their attention that are not within the realm of
'normal.'
It is these people that brought their concerns to me that are now of
primary concern to me.
I have, since my election, begun to ask questions based upon the
information these dedicated people brought to my attention.
There are no easy answers for their questions. And the pointed
questions that I am asking since my election are intended to put an
end to speculation that there are things wrong in Quartzsite that
everyone wants to remain hidden.
That's simply not true. There are concerned people that are employed
by the town. I intend to see that their questions are answered once
and for all -- and whatever wrongs committed, made right.
It is unfortunate that Ms. Taft has taken this position. It is
interesting to note that when an angry response to these revelations
occurs, it only brings more whistleblowers to the fore -- and the
citizens win either way.
It is much the same with the transparent effort to withhold this
information. With that, I am handed the very tools I need to bring
more officials into the fray and the situation breeds more interest,
more onlookers and more legal assistance.
And once again, Quartzsite's officials are publicly seen as rogue,
unprofessional and incompetent -- or worse.
It is for this reason that I am disappointed to have to report
that efforts are being made to block me from obtaining the
documentation that I need to do a comprehensive investigation of a
series of questionable payments -- and to whom those monies were
paid.
$8,977.31 was paid to person or persons unknown over a two week period, and
the information pertinent to these expenditures is being withheld by
our Town Manager, Alex Taft.
She has effectively [albeit temporarily] prohibited my acquisition
of these reports, forcing me to resort to FOIA to obtain the
information that should be readily made available to me as Mayor of
the town.
Taft has also taken steps to remove the Town Clerk from my direct
supervision, and placing her under that of Ms. Taft.
And at that same Council Meeting [of June 9, 2010,] I am also -- at
the behest of Joe Winslow -- prohibited from asking for any reports
not approved by the entire council in advance. Thus my questions are
now being blocked -- to obtain the name of the payee, the amount
of the additional payment and the stated reason for payments above
the approved payment [or salary] amounts are all viable questions
that must be answered.
And so, at this point in time, I have no alternative but to resort
to FOIA because the council can not legislate away a citizen's
right to know under the Freedom of Information Act. Ignoring or
denying the FOIA requests only works to bring the town under
questioning from FOIA officials.
The referendum, of course, is already underway and enjoying
widespread support.
Such a referendum will provide a permanent injunction prohibiting
these actions from taking effect until the next general election to
be held in May 2012.
Most legislative bodies will generally choose to repeal an unpopular
action without allowing a referendum if it is actively challenged by
the citizenry, in part because once it comes to a referendum, it
becomes a permanent law and only the people can change it in the
future.
I am, at this point, hopeful that the councilmen with whom I share
my responsibility will begin to act according to the best interest
of the people of Quartzsite, recognizing that they were elected to
represent the people and not the select interests of the
few.
Best Regards,
Ed Foster, Mayor
Editor's Note: By now, most of you know
that I was sworn in as Mayor of Quartzsite Tuesday evening, May 25, 2010
and I happily look forward to serving
my community and beginning the process of keeping my promises and
developing a dedicated policy of transparency in our local
government.
I am aware that there are -- and have been throughout my candidacy
-- many rumors circulating concerning what
actions I will take once in office. I can and do assure my
constituents that there will be no tremendous changes. I do not
intend to 'do away with the police force nor the library,' and I am not part of any
effort to defame or undermine any of our officials.
I am, after all, just one of seven voices on a council. My
responsibility is to 'officiate over the meetings' and administer
council actions. I am to be straightforward in my approach and
directly accessible to the people as well as to my fellow council
members.
While Quartzsite faces a dire financial future, we can and will work
to assure our town employees a future with the Town of Quartzsite.
We have much to which we can look forward with anticipation and good
will. I am of strong faith in our people that we can work toward
healing and a sound effort can only result in working well with each
other.
I intend to honor my commitments to my constituents regarding the
concerns brought forth during my candidacy. Every effort will be
made to rebuild the community participation in our governmental
structure and I hope to make those changes with the support of a
strong and dedicated council.
In all, I am honored and humbled to be given this opportunity to
serve this great community and I look forward to working with all of
you.
Best Regards,
Ed Foster
P.S. While I, personally, am a
teetotaler,
in the early days of my campaign I enjoyed the support of a
karaoke group
at the Quartzsite's infamous
Yacht Club and that
of a group of people that frequently gather for pizza at Silly Al's
Pizza, also on Main Street. I also still visit the
Citizen's Coalition
meetings held at Paradise RV Park on Moon Mountain Road as well as
other locations where my supporters and constituents gather
periodically. My goal is to remain accessible to those people that
put me in office, and to maintain dedicated to them, willing to
listen to any concerns they may have.
Please feel free to contact me at the number listed on the contact
page and join us at your convenience. I look forward to hearing from
you!
Buried in the Dirt in Quartzsite
It's anything but a typical small town.
Quartzsite's embattled town hall has a reputation for
humiliating diatribes from the bench, unparalleled limits to
free speech, inaccountability to taxpayers, unqualified additions to
state law [to prevent people from running for office that are
accused of owing the town money,] nepotism [hiring relatives to paid
positions,] hiring the unqualified without putting positions out for
bid, slander of people that stand
in opposition to their activities, retaliation against those people
attempting to hold them to some level of accountability, back room
deals, habitual and constant violation of this nation's Sunshine
Laws, raising fees [cap fees, water and sewer fees] to compensate
for missing funds on their watch, and other activities that are not
considered legal nor 'ethical' and more.
No one that cares about the Town of Quartzsite could subscribe
to the actions of the sitting town council.
The town is insolvent [broke] and OVER $ 4 MILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT.
They continue to spend money without accountability and have BLOCKED
ALL EFFORTS TO AUDIT THE BOOKS to see what happened to all those
missing funds. Yet many of these leaks have been exposed and are not
stopping. What are they hiding and why?
The MINESHAFT came into being because
only one side of
the story was ever being told.
The MINESHAFT is not affiliated with those in charge when
missing monies became a problem.
The MINESHAFT is not affiliated with any of the
relatives of those in charge when money went missing.
The MINESHAFT has an impact because it represents those who have
had no voice until now - Our Citizens.
The MINESHAFT has not criticized law enforcement.
The MINESHAFT will continue to tell the truth,
the complete truth,
without exception, about what's happening in Quartzsite.
The MINESHAFT prints only what can be proven.
The MINESHAFT is not funded by the town and will take no funds
from the town, ever.
The Truth About Recalls
- The 'acting Mayor' of Quartzsite, Wesley Huntley,
and others that have [or have had] recall papers created or pending against them present
the 'fact' that recalls are costing the town money.
How much is it costing Quartzsite's citizens to leave these
people in office when they WILL NOT BE ACCOUNTABLE for MILLIONS
IN MISSING FUNDS?
Quartzsite citizens repeatedly asked the council to:
1. ] Stop holding meetings away from
Quartzsite's citizens where they cannot be attended BY CITIZENS
as provided for under our LAWS;
2. ] Not appoint a Mayor but allow the
ELECTION of one as provided for under our LAWS;
3. ] Honor the Sunshine law as written to
prevent the council from engaging in secret meetings as provided
for under the LAW;
4. ] Allow the citizenry to speak at public meetings without
fear of humiliation or retribution as provided for under our
LAWS;
5. ] Stop any and all CONFLICTS OF INTEREST as
provided for under our LAWS;
6. ] Hire PROFESSIONALS who can do a
PROFESSIONAL job as provided for under the LAW;
7. ] Determine established PROTOCOL and do as
other municipalities do without malice or regard for particular
persons or groups, treating all citizens equally as provided for
under the LAW.
Since these matters were so insignificant as to be IGNORED
by Quartzsite's sitting council, it is the RIGHT OF THE
CITIZENRY to recall these elected officials.
- No Recall is even remotely as expensive as having
people in office -- spending the public's monies -- while
refusing to be accountable to their constituents. Transparency
in government was the platform on which I ran my campaign -- and
transparency in government is what I strive to accomplish.
- Recall is also the only remaining recourse for the
election [or appointment] of officials who are unwilling to
represent the interests of their constituents.
There is a way for officials to avoid RECALL: LISTEN to the
CITIZENS.
The Truth About FOIA Requests
- Foster's use of FOIA document requests is PROTECTED UNDER
the LAW.
- Officials of the Town of Quartzsite have ignored many of
Foster's requests, which is AGAINST THE LAW.
- Foster is entitled to the documents which he has
requested UNDER THE LAW.
- Foster's use of FOIA to request water related
documents is APPROPRIATE UNDER
the LAW.
- Officials of the Town of Quartzsite may refuse to answer
which is AGAINST THE LAW.
- Foster is entitled to those water related documents which he has
requested UNDER THE LAW.
Don't Be in the Dark!
Click here
To Make The MINESHAFT Your Homepage!
Edward L. Foster
Post Office Box 956
Quartzsite, Arizona 85346
E-MAIL:
DeepInTheDirt@QUARTZSITEMINESHAFT.COM
Related resources
Verifying the Facts:
In Quartzsite, when listening to complaints about the media, find
out why they're complaining.
Then read whatever publication they've said they're reading and
make certain they are not misrepresenting the content. Compare facts
to fiction.
Then find out how they're related to the sitting town council or
representatives of the sitting town council and ask them this:
Why are they afraid of The MINESHAFT?
E-MAIL:
DeepInTheDirt@QUARTZSITEMINESHAFT.COM

Related resources - Key Information