{"id":1049,"date":"2016-02-25T21:34:30","date_gmt":"2016-02-26T03:34:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/?page_id=1049"},"modified":"2016-02-25T21:34:30","modified_gmt":"2016-02-26T03:34:30","slug":"the-prosecutor-strikes-again","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/?page_id=1049","title":{"rendered":"The Prosecutor Strikes Again"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Prosecutor Strikes Again
\n<\/strong>By: Liz Oliphant and Susan M. Halpern
\n<\/strong>(Addison councilmember 1992 \u2013 99)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

<\/u>A trial was held in Addison on Tuesday night.\u00a0 Well, not exactly a trial \u2013 and not a fair trial, certainly \u2013 but the event had most of the components of a trial. \u00a0Actually, it was a city council meeting.\u00a0 But Addison\u2019s mayor turned it into a trial, with a clear purpose to \u201cconvict\u201d the two former city managers Meier has so openly detested and mistreated.<\/p>\n

There was a jury (council members, the audience and citizens watching by video), a prosecutor (the mayor) and a witness (the forensic accountant employed by the council).\u00a0 But there were no defense attorneys, no cross-examination of the witness was allowed, the \u201caccused\u201d were not present, and, in fact, were never notified that they would be targeted.\u00a0 Only Todd Meier was allowed to present a case.<\/p>\n

Of course, we have no recognized processes in this country where only one side is allowed to present evidence.\u00a0 There are always<\/em> procedures that allow for cross-examination and an opportunity to present other evidence, a clear recognition of the danger of hearing only one side of any story.\u00a0 Unfortunately, Meier and his cadre have taken Addison in a different direction.<\/p>\n

Meier is one-hundred percent about telling only one side of any story \u2013 his<\/em> side.\u00a0 Everything he does is rigged to make it difficult, if not impossible, for opposing viewpoints to be heard, for anyone to make corrections to his many misstatements, or to provide additional information so often necessary for the all-important \u201crest of the story.\u201d\u00a0 Indeed, Meier\u2019s ability to succeed has been dependent<\/em> upon the public hearing only his<\/em> side of any issue.<\/p>\n

And so, there are always \u201crules.\u201d\u00a0 Public speakers at meetings are limited to three minutes each.\u00a0 \u201cTown Hall\u201d meetings consist of lengthy presentations but very little time for questions.\u00a0 When then-Councilmember Chris DeFrancisco attempted to add his own views to our Town\u2019s newsletter, Meier claimed to own both the newsletter and the email list associated with it, and even wrote that the Town\u2019s Charter gave him the exclusive right to communicate with Addison\u2019s citizens (don\u2019t worry, it doesn\u2019t!).\u00a0 Then, when citizens who obtained the email list through an Open Records Act request tried to use it to publish an alternative newsletter, Meier (and Addison) took a different position regarding the email list, threatened these citizens, and then orchestrated a council vote to sue them.\u00a0 Meier cannot afford for the other side of the story to be heard.<\/p>\n

So, here we were on Tuesday, with Meier orchestrating yet another one-sided \u201ctrial,\u201d this one regarding the supposed \u201ctransitional audit\u201d that was started more than two years ago when Ron Whitehead retired.\u00a0 With none of the former employees in attendance (read that no one to challenge what was said) Kanter claimed that a long time ago, when Lea Dunn was still the City Manager, he experienced an \u201cintense lack of cooperation\u201d from town management.\u00a0 He claimed that Lea Dunn told him: \u201cWhy are you here?\u00a0 We don\u2019t want you here.\u201d\u00a0 Hmmm.\u00a0 Really?\u00a0 I wonder what requests he made for information, and when, and whether they were disruptive of the real work employees were doing?\u00a0 Watch the video and consider what tone he took with Addison\u2019s employees.\u00a0 Surely there are documents that will address these issues\u2026\u00a0 But you didn\u2019t see them on Tuesday\u2026<\/p>\n

The witness offered his credentials, but no mention was made of his publicly-declared lack of experience with government accounting and processes. His exhibits were interesting, but of course there was no defense attorney present to point out possible explanations for his concerns or his harassment of employees as he sought privileged information. And, there wasn\u2019t a discussion of how the current (and some previous city councils) declined to fund technology and adequate staffing levels that could have impacted the issues raised.\u00a0 None of it served the purpose of this council, with three key Meier allies now up for reelection\u2026\u00a0 So you didn\u2019t hear it on Tuesday\u2026<\/p>\n

Kanter\u2019s ultimate conclusion was that he didn\u2019t find anything missing, he just claims he \u201ccan\u2019t tell\u201d from the records.\u00a0 But then, without any basis for believing anything untoward had actually happened, he insinuated and speculated about all the bad things that could have<\/em> happened.\u00a0 Despite the fact that he \u201ccan\u2019t tell.\u201d\u00a0 You have to ask yourself: What motivated Kanter to make inflammatory suggestions about what might have<\/em> happened, and to attack prior management (who wasn\u2019t there to tell their side of the story), even though he \u201ccan\u2019t tell?\u201d<\/p>\n

And no one asked: Why are we only hearing about this now<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

So what was the point?\u00a0 Well, it\u2019s election season and three viable candidates, not beholden to the mayor, are running. The trial charade was staged to persuade citizens that only the mayor\u2019s three cronies, up for re-election, can save the community from all this unsubstantiated, hinted-at, speculated-about, sort-of-suggested, kind-of-alleged mismanagement.\u00a0 Expect to see a BIG section about all this our Town\u2019s newsletter tomorrow, and our prediction is that this created issue will be the springboard for the three cronies\u2019 common campaign.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t ever forget this: Addison was united<\/em> and wildly<\/em> successful before Meier.\u00a0 <\/strong>And how sad is it that the only way he and his cronies can succeed is to attack and undermine the 30 years of innovation and excellence that made Addison what is was before these guys got their hands on it.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be fooled, and don\u2019t ever trust that you get the whole story on any issue from this mayor.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n