Welch, Cook and Andrew have no sense of financial management.

The reason the city has done what they've done is because Welch, Cook and Andrew have no sense of financial management.

Welch has overspent on far too much and poorly planned scams to the point we bought a police station for more than a quarter million from KDH who sold the entire hospital for one dollar to trilogy. Ask someone why PD has not moved in all this time. Maybe they know or maybe they don't know-that it will take between half to one million tax dollars Welch doesn’t have to rehab the building; Welch thought it was move in ready (fooled by KDH). Welch gave away millions in revenue dollars to the state from sewer and water funds just a few years ago.

He needs several million in matching funds just to have a chance at his stellar grant program and since they lost the ABC competition they didn't get even 1 million let alone the 3 they needed. On top of that they've spent more than half a million on "appearance projects” that we couldn't afford at the time while most needed projects were ignored.

Then there’s Main Street and the minimum half million it will take every year to maintain it not including repaving it or the bridge Welch traded in his moronic deal with state for a crappy bridge access. In other words every penny counts - and Welch is desperate for stellar grants. Without the money Madison isn't eligible for anything.

Since Welch, Crooke and popcorn have already over spent –they have had to cut. So no it wasn't enough to save a little or stay the same cost. There had to be big cuts and health insurance was Cooks idea because he and Welch both get Medicare and they aren't out one darn thing. In addition there's tens of thousands both men have pulled out for their own benefit via city credit cards, expenses etc.

The city was already bleeding money because of the sewer plant problems Huntington and his pal Jim Lee refused to address. Armstrong had to spend millions just too temporarily repair streets and sewers. The patches have failed and we now have raw sewage pushing through caps on the hilltop and flooding Clifty Drive and other hilltop streets.

The flood downtown on Walnut Street was caused because the city sewer had partially collapsed over by where Darryl’s Tires are on 421. Therefore all the rain rolling off from the hilltop couldn't flow out and Walnut Street area was the low catch basin. The year AFTER the flood the city spent millions repairing what they should have years ago. The collapsed sewer is across 421 along the north side of Milton street and opposite the American Legion. This sewer collapse was the primary reason for the extensive flooding at the northern portion of Walnut street.

Joe Niehaus was our lead "investigator" on all that. As a civil engineer Joe caught so many of those types of problems but - it is always after the fact when we respond to an issue. We haven't been able to stop many tragedies- only keep them from getting worse. For the record the city is headed to a big financial crisis. Several councilmen predict bankruptcy.

Mostly what you need to know is - there's not much that can be done when the city is no longer bleeding and instead it’s hemorrhaging ---and a tourniquet will not slow it down.

The money for Welch’s/crooke slush fund is coming from many sources- cutting health insurance was just part of it. Until priorities change – city employees, infrastructure and including cops insurance will not come first.