Political Coruption?

How Elected Officials Take Money from Lobbyists WITHOUT having to Report It?

The South Davis Fourteen (SD14) — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 01:49:05 GMT

Q. Have you ever wondered how to take large amounts of money from Legislative Lobby Groups without having to report it?

A. Get a job at a School District Educational Foundation and then run for office. Take a look at Sheryl Allen, who is the Executive Director of the Davis Education Foundation, and her Assistant Director, Louenda Downs. Sheryl is also the Utah State District 19 House Representative, and Louenda is a Davis County Commissioner. Any lobby groups who have business before the Legislature and the Davis County Commission, need only funnel their monies into the Davis Education Foundation, which has no obligation to report to anyone.

Take a look at what Sheryl was doing seven years ago. Please see: www.publicintegrity.org/oi/iys.aspx Do you think she is doing anything different today or is she just frying bigger fish?

Q. Have you ever asked how much these two ladies make in their Davis Education Foundation roles?

A. Go ahead and try...these Education Foundations do not have to tell you, even though their "purpose" is to bring in monies for the kids in the affiliated school districts. We are sure however that their salaries are much higher than the teachers that they are trying to help.

Q. Also, ask who gives them free office space and telephone lines on their telephone switch?

A. The Davis School District, and hence Davis County Tax Payers. So how does that work? A government entity in bed with a foundation that does not have to report anything like a government entity does. Looks like a way to cover up coruption....Take a look at what a secretary of the Weber Education Foundation was able to do. Please see: www.standard.net/live/news/97528/

Comment: It is always interesting to see Sheryl Allen posing for a photo in the Clipper with a big donor to the Davis Education Foundation, and then see our Elementary School Teachers send home notes stating they need monies for field trips, which are to be paid from School District monies. Where is all the money that Sheryl and Louenda are soliciting and obtaining? Oh we forgot, it was to pay the Ross' for their Title 1 books that were produced criminally to line their pockets. Also don't forget the Ross' appear to have been campaign contributors to Sheryl.

Bountiful should take a cue from Syracuse and Fire Tom Hardy

The South Davis Fourteen (SD14) — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 23:40:57 GMT

On February 2nd, the Syracuse City Council voted unanimously to fire City Manager Ken Hubler. This vote was then ratified on February 8th making it official. The reason Ken Hubler was fired was that the Council and Mayor felt that Mr. Hubler was taking Syracuse City in the wrong direction. Please see www.clippertoday.com/default.asp

It's too bad that the Bountiful City Council does not seem to have the fortitude to do the same thing to Bountiful City Manager Tom Hardy. He has been taking the City in the wrong direction for over a quarter of a century. City Councils and Mayors have come and gone, and yet he has been able to remain. He seems to be too powerful to get rid of, as he has orchestrated a base within the City that would make it very difficult to remove.

City Manager Tom Hardy has put a stop to city record keeping so that he does not have to answer for any wrongs done by he and/or his staff. There is no record of any complaints made by citizens regarding anything in the City. When requests for copies of complaints are made, the City Staff simply shrugs its shoulders and says, sorry, we have none, and states that it is City Policy not to maintain written records of complaints. Yet the City acts upon these complaints, or at least the ones that it wants to..... Is this proper? Is this democracy? Maybe, instead of the "assault on democracy" decried by Representative Sheryl Allen about those evil school vouchers, she should be looking into why the City Government that represents her constituents is not keeping records. We would like to see "sunshine" in Bountiful City.

During Tom Hardy's employment, the number of businesses as a percentage of population in the City has decreased. The result of this has put an extra burden upon the residents and the remaining businesses in the City. Tom Hardy has also been very sneaky about making up for much of this revenue shortfall. He has raised power rates several times, and has shuffled surplus power monies into the general fund. Businesses have also been allowed to build on small land lots without adequate parking, etc. just to try to make up for his failings. Look at Del Taco and the old new Carmacks. Fortunately, Iceberg, who bought the old new Carmacks building, also bought the house next door to provide for adequate parking and drive-through facilities. We need better City planning and foresight. This will not come from Tom Hardy. He has had long enough to do something about the same old problems with business development in Bountiful City. He is not a true friend to business and he is certainly not a friend to the residents.

Also, have you wondered why the South Davis Recreation Center has not opened to the public yet? Yes, they had a swim meet for the high schools there a couple of weeks ago, but the general public has still not been given full access to the Center. This was the Center that was supposed to have opened in September, then October, then December, then January, then February. We shall see if it makes it by the end of this month.... This Center, while a South Davis County Project, was driven by Tom Hardy. All along the way, he has made mistake after mistake. He sold the bonds at an unfavorable time to finance the construction. He cut things from the project and then added them back in. He has missed his opening deadlines, one right after another. He got the City to lend the project monies. On top of that, the building is an ugly eyesore. The project management has been abysmal. Yet, Tom Hardy, still maintains his job. He needs to be terminated. If he cannot handle a building project, how can he handle the City of Bountiful?

The Bountiful City Power System has been suffering under the rule of Tom Hardy. He has robbed the monies that should be going to maintenance and upgrades and has been stuffing that money into the general funds to cover up his mismanagement. One of these days, we will all pay for this one. We need to get him out before we have a system-wide failure.

Why oh why have our elected leaders not gotten rid of him? Perhaps, because they are part of the same crowd and clique that maintains power in South Davis County that protect one another at any cost. When will we as an electorate boot them all out? It is time for the good and honest to run for office in this community.

Kim Burningham and Sheryl Allen - Orchestrating the Media and Public Hearings?

The South Davis Fourteen (SD14) — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 03:52:04 GMT

Did you happen to see the headline photo on tonight's Davis County Clipper? Please see: www.clippertoday.com/default.asp Please notice the caption identifying the focus of the photograph, that being Mr. Douglas Merridith of Bountiful. The photo was inadvertantly attached to the former story on the online version but actually was referenced to the following story on school vouchers in the print addition. Please see: www.clippertoday.com/default.asp Do you think that it is a coincidence that he is there? He also happens to have been on the unpaid campaign staff of both Sheryl Allen and Kim Burningham during this past election cycle. Concerned parent maybe?...but no coincidence that he was there and most likely at the urging of Sheryl Allen and/or Kim Burningham. Probably no coincidence either that the Clipper was pushed to take this picture... Are Sheryl Allen and Kim Burningham orchestrating the media and public hearings on the issue of school vouchers?

Sheryl Allen and Kim Burningham Full of Themselves and Full of It?

The South Davis Fourteen (SD14) — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 15:00:30 GMT

We are not what you would call voucher heads. Our children attend and have attended public schools. We feel that the social interaction provided in public schools is important. While we don't feel that our public schools are the best that they could be, we do feel that they provide a great service to our community in educating our children. Now having said that, we do support the concept of school vouchers.

We do need to do something different from what we have been doing. Competition for the schooling of our children, we believe will bring about a better education for all. Competition is the great leveler and bar raiser. It works very well in the market place. It is indeed the American way. Looking at what has been going on in the telecommunications industry will show you that.

Innovation in the telecommunications industry is rampant. Cable companies have jumped into the Internet and telephone business. Telephone companies are now developing the delivery of television service through its telephone wires, and scrambling to sell you Internet DSL at very low prices. Satellite companies are delivering TV and Internet through their receivers. IP telephone companies are sprouting up to serve you with dial tone. Everyone is benefiting from this. Consumers are seeing better service and lower prices; Telecommunications companies are experiencing healthy profits and their best customer satisfaction surveys in history.

If you would have listened to the telephone companies years ago, they said that allowing this kind of competition would have ruined and bankrupt the industry. They tried to block this competitive landscape from occurring at every turn. Instead the country has something much better due to a few lawmakers having the foresight to allow competition to proceed.

Sheryl Allen and Kim Burningham also seem to lack this foresight when it comes to competition in education. They are scared that things will change. We believe that their UEA background and support dictate this position. We also believe that they believe that their opinions are more important than that of their constituents.

Recent polls show that a majority of Utahns support the concept of vouchers. This is also the case within Davis County, which is the constituency that elected Kim Burningham and Sheryl Allen to office.

Sheryl Allen has gone on a rampage though, wrapping herself in the constitution and trying to scare people into seeing things her way with regard to school vouchering. She has even decried school vouchering as an assault on democracy itself. Please see www.clippertoday.com/default.asp Why is she so full of herself and full of it ?

Kim Burningham is also doing the same thing. Please see: deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650221621,00.html

To see what the voucher bill before the legislature really will do please read the full article: www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660191518,00.html Please note from this article that the voucher bill is not for the rich as Kim Burningham has stated and is not an assault on democracy as Sheryl Allen states.

To get an idea of what vouchers have done for education in Florida, please see www.opinionjournal.com/cc/ Yes, they are seeing court challenges against their voucher program, but they are also seeing a dramatic change for the better in the education of their children.

We need to let Sheryl Allen and Kim Burningham know that the world will not come to an end if we allow school vouchers. We need to let them know that they are going against what their constituents as a whole think. We need to exercise our democracy and allow for competition in the education of our children. We believe that education for all will be better off as a result, including those of us who have our children educated in the public schools.

Conflict of Interest with Bountiful City Councilman R. Fred Moss?

The South Davis Fourteen (SD14) — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 22:04:10 GMT

R Fred Moss is the current Bountiful City Councilman over Bountiful Power. Please see: www.bountifulutah.gov/MayorCouncil/MayorCouncil.html

Fred Moss is also the owner of Dominion Engineering and Dominion Power Services. Please see: www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20050914/ai_n15363784 Search for "Moss" in the article.

Dominion Power Services is an operator of a power plant in Idaho (Dry Creek Project). Please see line 539 of the following spreadsheet: utility.rti.org/download/EIA867contacts.xls Also please see line 1721 that shows R. Fred Moss as the president of America West Hydro that operates yet another power plant in Idaho (Smith Falls Hydroelectric Project).

The question that arises is whether R. Fred Moss is still in the power production business selling power on the open market? If so, is he selling power to Bountiful City? If he is selling power to Bountiful City, should he have a position of authority at Bountiful Power? Does Bountiful City have an obligation to say who it is buying power from, and is it one of its City Council members? We wonder if Bountiful City keeps records on this or is it like other record keeping at the City, non-existent... or are the records kept by UAMPS in this case?

We believe that all Utah office holders need to declare potential conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from acting in these conflicts of interest. What do you think?

Davis School Employees John and Sue Ross Indicted on 47 Federal Counts

The South Davis Fourteen (SD14) — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 15:13:36 GMT

On Wednesday, Federal Officials unsealed a 47-count indictment against former employees of the Davis School District, Susan G Ross, 62, and her husband, John Ross, 64, of Layton. It is alleged in the indictment that the couple defrauded the school district of at least $4.3 million. Federal officials say that they believe that this has been going on since the year 2000, but fear that it may go back to 1985. For details, please see: deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650209565,00.html and deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650209574,00.html

The big question is how did all of this go on for so long right under School District Officials' noses? And is this just the tip of the iceburg?

How did this husband-wife team work so closely with one another with such blatent conflicts of interest? How is it possible that these two worked at the same place of employment? In the corporate world, this would not happen in most situations.

How did the husband write the grant proposals for the monies that were used to purchase these books from himself? How does the wife, as Director of the program, buy books from herself? Without making a dime, there is a very big problem here....

Then there is the issue of copyright infringement and inflated prices. How was this allowed to happen and for so long? These are educators to boot. They should know better. Their lawyer's excuse is also deplorable that "[if] I could buy something for 18 and sell it to you for 200 dollars, don't blame me because you're a moron." Please see: www.ksl.com/ Are we not teaching our educators ethics, oversight, and responsibility?

Superintendent Brian Bowles stated that the material that was sold to them by this couple was "crummy." That crummy material was also sold to them at seriously inflated pricing. Please see: www.sltrib.com/ci_4709850 Nobody noticed for years that large amounts of money was spent on crummy materials. They did not notice the fact that for a whole lot less, they could provide so much better. What does this say about how our schools are held accountable for what they teach and at what it costs?

In addition, how did the wife become the Director over so many programs at the District? Please search for the word "Ross" at the following website: www.davis.k12.ut.us/communityrelations/Districtoffice.pdf Where was the division of responsibility?

Also of interest to us, is whether the John and Sue Ross, formerly of 3877 Bountiful Blvd (listed as campaign contributors to Representative Sheryl Allen in 2000), are the same people as the above, or are they just unfortunate enough to have the same names? Please see globe.utah.gov/allcont/allcont.aspx Is there a link between this couple and Sheryl Allen?

Futhermore, could there be a link between this couple and the Davis Education Foundation? Please see: www.davis.k12.ut.us/staff/diane/index.html It would be nice to open the records of the foundation and see what is going on there as well. The manner in which these educational foundations are able to operate in secrecy and impunity needs to change.

Please note that Sue Ross' Secretary, Stella Smith, was also indicted for allegedly running her own fraud skeem. Where there is smoke, there is fire, and this has been smoking for a long time. However, instead of putting out the fire, some people have been asking where the barbeque was so they could stuff their faces too. How many others are running such a skeem?

These are all questions that need some answering....

For those of you who believe the public trust has been betrayed by a public officeholder or someone in a position of public trust, you can call 1-866-50-BRIBE (1-866-502-7423). The time to call is now. Let's stop corruption in South Davis County.

Salt Lake County Votes to Declare North Salt Lake City Property Open Space - The Epitome of Hypocrisy

The South Davis Fourteen (SD14) — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 04:38:46 GMT

The Salt Lake County Council voted 6-2 this morning to declare 80 acres of North Salt Lake City-owned property as open space if North Salt Lake succeeds in disconnecting the property from Salt Lake City. Please see: www.sltrib.com/news/ci_4699944

This is the epitome of hypocrisy. Salt Lake City has butchered the hill along Beck Street for years with the literal removal of all moveable dirt and gravel from the mountain side, exposing great gashes for all to see when coming into the City from the north. Salt Lake City, in a successful attempt to block the extention of Bountiful Boulvard into Salt Lake City, allowed the gravel pit operations to move up the hillside, thereby removing the bench where the proposed road would be placed. The South Davis County Legislators including Sheryl Allen tried without success to change this through State intervention. They failed... So much for Sheryl's ability to carry the day.

North Salt Lake City wanted to add some homes and a cemetery on the property in addition to placing most of the property in park and trails. What could Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County see in this evil? ...especially after what they have allowed to happen to the nearby mountain side...

This would be a great return on investment for North Salt Lake City, and would be a benefit to its citizens. The property in question is also not directly accessable from any point within Salt Lake City or Salt Lake County. This is just bad government, where the powerful exert their will on the weak.

This is something that our new representative in District 20, Paul Neuenschwander; longtime District 19 Representative Sheryl Allen; and Senator Dan Eastman should be pushed into action on. Let's see how they respond. Committe meetings have been occuring on the hill the past couple weeks. Do you think this has been discussed?

Bountiful City Manager Tom Hardy should also be showing support for his sister city. We wonder what his thoughts on the subject are? Let's see how he helps with North Salt Lake City when their chips are down. He sure expects the other cities in South Davis County to always help and follow him.... Want to bet that we will hear narry a peep?

Secrecy in Government Challenged - Judge Issues Restraining Order Against Davis County School District

The South Davis Fourteen (SD14) — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 14:35:39 GMT

This past Thursday, 2nd District Court Judge Michael G. Allphin issued a restraining order against the Davis School District on the basis that the Boundary Advisory Committee's closed meetings violated the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act. Basically, the school district's policy of closed meetings of advisory committees has been struck down. Please see: www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650208126,00.html

We understand that it is always tough in redrawing school boundaries, and no matter what the District comes up with, there will be disgruntled parents. Nobody believes that this process is an easy one. However, the climate of secrecy around making decisions that permeates through South Davis governments needs to stop. Government needs to operate in the open. Tough decisions need to be worked out in the light of day. Minutes of these tough decisions need to be made public. People need to see what their government is doing. This is the chief cornerstone of a free democracy.

The challenge now is to take this ruling and apply it to all government entities in South Davis County. It is one thing when committees in secret mess with people's children and where they go to school, and yet another thing when cities and counties do not operate in the open, when it affects only a few people. People in southern Davis County seem to be so apathetic to what is going on in their communities unless it directly affects them. What they don't understand is that a clandestine government does affect everyone, and chips away at the fundamental freedoms of our American way.

When government is allowed to operate in secrecy, arbitrary and capricious decisions are made. Favors are granted and harm can be done. Recourse is limited and injustice is perpetrated. Corruption is allowed to seep in and everyone loses.

Please make your thoughts known regarding open government in each of your communities in South Davis County. This is an important right that needs to be preserved.

Acquisition of Property - Where is all of the Property that Bountiful City is Aquiring?

The South Davis Fourteen (SD14) — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 03:45:14 GMT

Have you ever taken a look at Bountiful City Council Minutes? Please see: www.bountifulutah.gov/MeetingsMinutes/CCMinutesSelect.aspx

Have you ever noticed the number of times that the City Council goes into executive session (read no public access) to discuss property aquistion? With the number of times that they do this, one would think that they would own half the city by now. Well...do they? Or is something entirely different going on here?

Bountiful Bubble Closure - What was the reasoning behind that?

The South Davis Fourteen (SD14) — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 15:11:33 GMT

Remember when the Bounitful Bubble closed? Bountiful City closed it so that they could get the parking lot for the new South Davis Recreation Center in, was their reasoning. It was also where the Skate Board Park was going to be placed, which is now slated for a bigger parking lot instead (needed to get rid of the possibility of that "nasty" Skate Boark Park before resistance in the Community to the removal became too great).

As anyone knows who has been following the situation, this required Viewmont, Woods Cross, and Bountiful High School's swim teams great harm. You see the new Center was to have been open before the Bubble went down. Instead the swim teams had to find other places to practice and schedule all of their meets away.

Now why couldn't Bountiful City have waited until the High School swim season was over? or waited until the new pool was useable? Go figure!...as the new recreation Center won't open now until at least February.

One thing is for sure, everyone involved is being very tight lipped about it. Some of the swimming folks contacted by us about it, feared retaliation if they said anything....

Do you think that there is something more to this?