WE WERE WONDERING...XVI
6-27-07
*WHY Mayor Perkins was so determined to keep the incompetent Jimmy Martin as Police Chief? Then, we discovered that if the Mayor is a candidate in the City Election, the Police Chief is the official in charge of the City Election. Can you imagine what a mess that will be with Perkins running, and at the same time telling Martin how to conduct an election. There wouldn't be enough Federal Poll Watchers or Federal Marshalls to keep an election from being stolen by someone with Martin in charge. This is just another reason MARTIN NEEDS TO GO NOW!!!
*WHY the City is paying the St. James Investors Group $20,000 to let the investors group get out of their lease with the City WITHOUT THE INVESTORS GROUP HAVING TO PAY A DIME FOR DEFAULTING ON THE LEASE? Then we found out that the main investor was the LARGEST LISTED CONTRIBUTOR TO MAYOR PERKINS' reelection campaign in 2004. The hotel is in shambles. It will require from $200,000 to $250,000 just to get it in shape to operate as a first class hotel. Instead of the St. James Investors Group paying this as required by the lease, they go FREE and either the City or the next management group will have to pay what the St. James Investors Group was REQUIRED BY THE LEASE to pay, BUT NEVER PAID because Perkins would not enforce the terms of the lease against his financial supporters!
*WHY no more that 25 City Employees asked for a raise, and especially why none of the hard working, laboring people in Public Works, Cemetary, and Recreation did not ask for a raise? Were they threatened if they put in a request for a raise? Our opinion is that there are 5 ladies who DESERVE a raise because out of more than 350 City Employees, they DID NOT receive a pay raise when the Mayor's Pay Plan took effect. The few things they all had in common was that they were all women, all white, and all worked for the City during the Smitherman administration. We think they have good grounds for a lawsuit against the City and encourage them to file one.
*WHY there has been no news from the Mayor about the recent lawsuits filed or about to be filed against the City by Attorney Toure? She has filed notice of intention to sue the City about the SHOOT OUT ON WEST STREET A NUMBER OF MONTHS AGO ($5 million is her asking price) and also filed an affidavit indicating a claim is to be brought on behalf of Mr. Holliman, the 64 year old man, supposedly handcuffed and kicked by Police Officers in the recent Gordon incident. We do not know the amount asked for in this notice.
*WHY the Mayor and City Council do not want to release the 2 week report on the Police Department Evaluation? We are told that it would put pressure on Perkins to remove Martin immediately if it were made public. We heard the entire report would be completed by August 15th. WE WANT THE ENTIRE REPORT MADE PUBLIC, so the citizens of Selma can see the lack of morale, disarray, and lack of leadership in the SPD by Martin and his boss, Mayor Perkins. The public is paying $48,000 for this report and has a right to know!!
