October 28, 2011 MUS Sends Three Names to Mayor (7th Time)

The Morristown Utility Commission met yesterday. One item on the agenda was to nominate (for the seventh time!) a slate of three candidates to fill the expired term of Morristown Utility Commissioner George McGuffin.

This time around MUC nominated George McGuffin, Bruce Sluder, and Jerry Isaacs. This seventh slate of three will be presented to Mayor Danny Thomas who will then select and present one name to the City Council for approval of disapproval. 

The Council thus far has rejected all six MUC nominees selected by the Mayor. Rejected so far have been local businessmen, a CPA, an engineer, and presidents of local companies: Mike Minnich, Glenn Thompson, Carroll Fowler, Wally Long, John Allen, and Mike Davidson.

What is wrong with these people serving on the MUC Board? Why are they automatically rejected by the LeBel Five? They are NOT George McGuffin.

Although McGuffin's term expired on July 31, 2011, he continues to sit on the Commission and chair the meetings as a "holdover."  

McGuffin is seen in the video (above) sitting at the head of the table chairing the meeting.  McGuffin's brother-in-law is Dick Jessee. Jessee was at the MUC meeting wearing his MUC attorney hat.

On November 1st when City Council considers Mayor Thomas's MUC nomination, Jessee will be at the City Council meeting wearing his City of Morristown attorney hat. 

ASIDE: Jessee's law partner Herbert Bacon was nominated to serve on the MUC Board in 2000 and continued to serve until 2005 when he was forced to resign after the state attorney general opined that Bacon was ineligible to serve on the MUC Board because he was a General Sessions Judge.

The LeBel Five (Paul LeBel, Bob Garrett, Kay Senter, Chris Bivens, and Claude Jinks) have made it clear that they will vote against anyone whom Mayor Thomas nominates to replace George McGuffin on the MUC Board. 

And the LeBel Five will continue to vote "no" on every mayoral nomination while they ask Rep. Don Miller and State Sen. Steve Southerland to get the state legislature to allow the MUC private act to be changed by a vote of the LeBel Five.

They LeBel gang wants to change the law to completely eliminate the mayor's involvement in the nomination process. Then the LeBel Five will nominate and vote to allow the 34-year McGuffin/MUC dynasty to continue.

October 11, 2011 MUS Submits McGuffin, Davidson, and Sluder to Mayor Thomas for Selection of One as Nominee for MUS Board

The MUS (Morristown Utility Systems) Board of Commissioners met this morning in an "emergency" meeting to pick a slate of three names to submit to Morristown Mayor Danny Thomas to fill the expired term of George McGuffin. 

Acting according to the MUS Private Act, Thomas will submit one of the three MUS-provided names to the full council for approval or disapproval at the next meeting of City Council on October 18th.

At today's MUS meeting, Max Biery suggested George McGuffin, Mike Davidson, and John Stroud. Gene Jolley mentioned Alan Silver in place of John Stroud. Lynn Elkins then put Bruce Sluder's name in the mix, and Harold Nichols quickly voiced his support for Sluder. 

Elkins made a motion to submit the names of  George McGuffin, Mike Davidson, and Bruce Sluder to Mayor Thomas, and the vote by the MUS Board was unanimous.

At the October 18th council meeting, Mayor Thomas will nominate one (of the MUS three) to council approval or disapproval.  All FIVE previous mayoral nominees---Mike Minnich,  Glenn Thompson, Carroll Fowler, Wally Long, John Allen--have been rejected by council. Why? None of them were  George McGuffin.

So, unless George McGuffin voluntarily bows out and releases the LeBel Five to vote for someone else, we may be looking at the SIXTH rejection of a good and highly qualified person simply because that person is not George McGuffin and, therefore, is unacceptable to the LeBel Five. 

MUS Chairman George McGuffin did not come to today's MUS meeting. Harold Nichols presided.

September 21, 2011 Council Again Says NOOOObody But Frank's Daddy George McGuffin Can Have the "McGuffin" Seat on MUS (VIDEO)

Yesterday the MUS Board of Commissioners sent a FOURTH list of three nominees to Mayor Danny Thomas for the Board seat that expired on July 31, 2011.  The three were George McGuffin, Wally Long, and Mike Davidson.

For the FOURTH time, the Mayor picked one of the names (Wallace "Wally" Long) and presented that name to Council.

Mayor Thomas barely got the name of his FOURTH nominee out when Paul LeBel immediately moved to reject the nomination and Bob Garrett, who worked for MUS/George McGuffin for decades, quickly seconded.

Five councilmembers then voted "YES" on LeBel's motion to reject Wally Long: Paul LeBel, Bob Garrett, Kay Senter, Chris Bivens, and Claude Jinks.

Two voted "NO" on LeBel's motion to reject Long: Gene Brooks and Mayor Thomas.

Now FOUR citizens that were considered and nominated for the MUS Board have failed to gain the approval of the group on council that wants George McGuffin to get yet another 5-year term to add to the 34+ years that he has already been on this Board.

The four that LeBel and followers have decided thus far are not acceptable as MUS Board members(despite their nomination by MUS and selection by the Mayor) are: Mike Minnich, Glenn Thompson, Carroll Fowler, and now Wally Long.

For LeBel, Garrett, and followers only one person in the City of Morristown can hold what these councilmembers apparently think has become the "McGuffin" MUS seat. That one person is...George McGuffin. 

September 20, 2011 King Paul (LeBel) and the Mayor's Office, Mayor's Cell Phone, and MUS/McGuffin (George and Frank)

Councilmember LeBel, aka "King Paul," sent out a letter just over two weeks ago to fellow councilmembers encouraging them to sign on to his plan to take away the Mayor's cell phone and convert the longtime office of the Morristown Mayor at the City Center into a "timeshare" room where (supposedly) councilmembers like LeBel would meet with constituents. Click on LeBel's letter.

After getting three other councilmembers to sign his letter (Prince Bob Garrett, Prince Chris Bivens, and Princess Kay Senter), King Paul had city staff prepare an "Office Schedule" showing the days and hours that each councilmember could occupy the small office that had served as the Mayor's Office for previous mayors over a period of many years.

Paul's schedule for everyone is here.

Naturally, King Paul scheduled himself first for a grand appearance to meet with his subjects/ constituents from 7 am-12 noon on Monday, September 12. 

Surprisingly (or not), King Paul was not there at the appointed time. I was at the City Center from 7:30-8:30 waiting for his majesty's arrival in order to discuss city business. The King was a no-show.

I heard through the grapevine that King Paul finally showed up at 10 am, stayed about an hour, and then left his "City Council" office to get to his "County Commission" Committee meetings which started at 11:20 at the Health Department.

Why wasn't Paul at council meetings expressing concern about the "Mayor's office" when Sami Barile was sitting in the "Mayor's office" or when his one-time/former special buddy Gary Johnson was sitting in the "Mayor's office"?

Fiscal responsibility is great, but why is Paul so worried about saving money on a single cell phone while going totally silent about Princess Kay's huge use of taxpayer dollars for travel? Click here.

What makes King Paul obsess about the Mayor's office and the Mayor's cell phone and the Mayor's nomination for the MUS Board? 

LeBel can't accept that his buddy Frank McGuffin wasn't elected Mayor in May 2011. LeBel and the other councilmembers wouldn't be saying a thing about the Mayor's office or the Mayor's cell phone or the way MUS appointments are made if Frank McGuffin were Mayor.

Paul is simply trying to get revenge for Frank McGuffin's mayoral defeat by opposing and nagging at the person who defeated Frank --Mayor Danny Thomas.

Using the Mayor's office and cell phone as attack points, King Paul is the pointman in keeping Daddy George McGuffin in a lifetime position on the Morristown Utility Board. Thus far, LeBel has made sure that every single person (Mike Minnich, Glenn Thompson, Carroll Fowler) that Mayor Thomas has nominated to replace George on the MUS Board has been rejected by council. Click here.

King Paul and the "only George" group plan to continue to block ALL mayoral nominations of anyone except George McGuffin until 2012 when they will then ask local legislators Sen. Steve Southerland and Rep. Don Miller to help change the current law that worked just fine with the "only George" group----right up until Mayor Thomas was elected.

What about Bob Garrett and Kay Senter, co-leaders in the "only George" group?

Councilmember Bob Garrett was elected in 2009 and supported Frank McGuffin for Mayor in 2011 after working for Daddy George McGuffin at MUS for decades. 

In 2009 and 2010 Sami Barile was Mayor. Councilmember Garrett never said anything about Mayor Barile keeping a cell phone, never tried to share/use Mayor Barile's office, and never tried to change the MUS Private Act to get rid of the process of Mayoral nomination (from a list of three names submitted by MUS) followed by council approval or disapproval.

Fast forward to 2011. Danny Thomas defeats Frank McGuffin for Mayor. Garrett signs on to take the Mayor's cell phone, share/use the Mayor's office, and is ready to change the MUS Private Act to get rid of the the Mayoral nomination process followed by council approval or disapproval.

Kay Senter has been on council for decades and was fine with a Mayor's office and cell phone during that time.

Fast forward to 2011.  Danny Thomas defeats Frank McGuffin for Mayor.  Kay suddenly signs on to take away the Mayor's cell phone, share/use the Mayor's office, and change the MUS Private Act to get rid of the Mayoral nomination process followed by council approval or disapproval.

Playing games to get revenge for Frank McGuffin's defeat?
Fiddling while Morristown continues to burn financially?
Childish, petty politics at its worst.

September 16, 2011 Attorney General Opines that McGuffin Is a Holdover

State Senator Steve Southerland recently requested an opinion from State Attorney General Robert Cooper as to the status of George McGuffin on the Morristown Utility Board of Commissioners.

Cooper's opinion is that McGuffin, who has served on the Board for over 34 years and whose most recent five-year term has already expired, remains on the Board, acting as a "holdover," until a successor is approved by the Morristown City Council.

The full opinion is here.

Thus far three individuals have been nominated by the Mayor to succeed McGuffin. A core group of councilmembers who think George McGuffin (pictured below) is the ONLY person who can serve in this position has blocked all three of the Mayor's nominees from serving on the Utility Board. 

To keep anyone from taking "the McGuffin seat," councilmembers did not approve Mike Minnich and voted to disapprove Glenn Thompson and Carroll Fowler as noted here, here, and here.

At this point, most of the "only George" councilmembers have indicated that they will continue to block the appointment of anyone except McGuffin to the Morristown Utility Commission until January 2012 when the state legislature goes back into session.

In January 2012, they would ask State Sen. Steve Southerland and Rep. Don Miller to change the Private Act governing the MUC so that they can "officially" put George back in instead of blocking the nomination of anyone and everyone else.

George is not the manager of the utility. Jody Wigington is.

Why are certain councilmembers, led by King Paul LeBel along with Prince Bob Garrett and Princess Kay Senter, going berserk and crying that the "sky is falling" at the thought of someone other than McGuffin  serving as a utility commissioner? 

Is George McGuffin, one of five Utility Commissioners, indispensable or just powerful and power-hungry?

Is the management and staff of the Morristown Utility System--the people who run the place--so weak that George McGuffin must be on the Board in order to keep the utility going? No. 

What happens when McGuffin, at some point, is unable to serve or resigns? Does the utility collapse? No.

Why won't George step aside, let someone else serve, and contribute to the community outside of this particular Board?  Does McGuffin think he is indispensable?

What is the real reason that McGuffin is so desperate to hang on to this position?

Follow the money/power trail...Wheels within wheels.

September 7, 2011 Carroll Fowler's Nomination to MUS Board Rejected by City Council

The video (below) tells the tale. Yesterday, the "only George (McGuffin)" group on City Council rejected Mayor Thomas's nomination of Carroll Fowler to the MUS Board of Commissioners.

Paul LeBel made the motion to reject Fowler. Sidekick Bob Garrett, former MUS employee, seconded the motion.

Voting "Yes" on the Motion To Reject Fowler: Paul LeBel, Claude Jinks, Chris Bivens, and Kay Senter.

Voting "No" on the Motion To Reject Fowler: Bob Garrett and Mayor Danny Thomas. [When the vote flashed on the screen, it was obvious that Garrett was confused when he voted "No."  Garrett had seconded LeBel's motion to reject Fowler and meant to vote "Yes" with LeBel in favor of rejecting Fowler.]

Abstaining: Gene Brooks.

This is the third MUS Commissioner nominee that the Council has rejected. 

The MUS Board sends the names of three qualified individuals to the Mayor. The Mayor then selects and nominates one of those individuals to the full Council for approval. With yesterday's vote, the City Council has now rejected three different Mayoral nominees (Mike Minnich, Glenn Thompson, and Carroll Fowler) on three different occasions.  Click here and here.

And what's wrong with Minnich, Thompson, and Fowler? They are not George McGuffin!

SIDENOTE: The McGuffin flash mob at yesterday's meeting was smaller than the contingents that showed  up at the two previous meetings where votes were taken.  George McGuffin was there yesterday. MUS General Manager Jody Wigington was there. John Stroud was there. David Wild was there sitting near County Commissioner Doe Jarvis. Doe was treasurer of fellow County Commissioner Paul LeBel's campaign for City Council, is LeBel's sidekick on county commission, and has begun attending city council meetings to watch and cheer his special friend on.

NEXT: The MUS Board of Commissioners will meet again and send the Mayor another set of three names of individuals that the Board deems to be qualified to serve on the MUS Board.

August 17, 2011 MUS Appointment (VIDEO): CPA Glenn Thompson Voted Down by City Council

George and Judy McGuffin showed up at yesterday's council meeting with the McGuffin flash mob  (employees, friends, and business associates).  The flash mob appeared to ensure that certain councilmen (Jinks and Bivens) voted against CPA Glenn Thompson's appointment to the Morristown Utility System (MUS) Board of Commissioners to replace George McGuffin.

The McGuffins want to prevent anyone--other than George McGuffin--from being appointed to the MUS Board. Yesterday, they were successful---for the second time.

Yessterday, Mayor Thomas renewed his nomination of Glenn Thompson to the MUS Board.  Councilman Bob Garrett, a former employee of MUS, made a motion to reject Thompson. Voting To Reject Thompson: LeBel, sidekick Garrett, Senter, Jinks, and Bivens.   Voting For Thompson: Brooks and Thomas.

The "only-George" group, led by LeBel, sidekick Garrett, and Kay Senter, and joined by recruits Jinks and Bivens is bent on preventing the appointment of anyone other than George McGuffin to the MUS Board. 

Now, some of the members of the "only George" group are toying with the idea of changing the City's Private Act on MUS. They want to alter the current process of Mayor's nomination (from a list submitted to him by MUS) and council's approval or disapproval.

Why does this group suddenly think that the current process of Mayor's nomination/council's approval needs to be changed?  Because they think that the only acceptable nominee that has been or will ever be sent to Mayor Thomas by MUS is George McGuffin and they are ticked off that Mayor Thomas has chosen other individuals.

Back in July, the Mayor nominated Mike Minnich who was on the MUS list.  He fell one vote short of election when Bivens abstained. Click here for that vote.

On August 2, the Mayor nominated Glenn Thompson, a local CPA, who was on the MUS list.  No vote was taken on Thompson on August 2. Click here.  Yesterday, Thompson came up for a vote and was voted down.

These five councilmembers apparently think that men such as Mike Minnich and Glenn Thompson are not good enough to serve on the MUS Board.  No one is good enough for these five except George McGuffin. The MUS Board must submit another list of three names to the Mayor within 14 days.

Some people have jokingly said that the next list of three will be George McGuffin, Frank McGuffin, and Patrick McGuffin.

[George McGuffin has already served on MUS for 30+ years. The five councilmembers apparently think McGuffin should have a lifetime appointment ---five years at a time].

It really looks like Warren Buffett or Bill Gates would be rejected by these five if the right calls were made by the right people--and the McGuffin flash mob showed up.

Sadly, Mr. McGuffin won't step aside graciously and acknowledge the great honor of having been allowed to serve for 30+ years on the Morristown Utility System Board.

Instead, McGuffin continues to pressure councilmembers and has his money/power friends inundate councilmembers with calls and appearances at council meetings as he desperately tries to get another 5-year appointment to keep anyone else from taking the "McGuffin" seat.

Money and power have a lot of influence. Money and power can change votes.

Very few people have the integrity and strength to withstand social, economic, and political pressure and  remain true to their core beliefs when it is so comfortable--and often very rewarding--to go along with the money and power group.

August 3, 2011 Mayor Nominates Glenn Thompson for Morristown Utility Commission Seat: Council Takes No Action

At yesterday's city council meeting, Mayor Danny Thomas submitted his nomination of Glenn Thompson to the Morristown Utility Commission Board to the City Council.

Thompson is a local CPA with the firm of Craine, Thompson & Jones.

Thomas asked for a motion to approve the nomination. There was none.

Thomas asked for a motion to disapprove the nomination. There was none.

At the previous meeting of council on July 19, Thomas had nominated Mike Minnich for this same position. While no motion was made, a vote on Minnich was taken and resulted in 3 FOR (Brooks, Jinks, and Thomas); 3 AGAINST (Garrett, LeBel, Senter); and 1 ABSTENTION (Bivens). Click here for the video of the vote.

The nomination by the Mayor is for the seat currently held by George McGuffin in what has turned out to be something akin to a lifetime appointment. McGuffin has been on the Board for over 30 years.

Just prior to the meeting, Attorney Ron Perkins, standing in for City Attorney Dick Jessee, provided the Council with a summary of the procedures for filling the position as outlined in the Private Act that established the Morristown Utility Commission. [Dick Jessee is the brother-in-law of George McGuffin.]

The important parts of the summary at this point:

A) The Mayor selects his nominee for the Morristown Utility Commission (MUC) from a list of three names provided to him by MUC. A majority vote of Council is required to elect the Mayor's nominee. Should Council fail to approve or disapprove a nominee within 30 days following notice to Council of the Mayor's nomination, the nominee is deemed to have been elected.

B) If a nominee is disapproved by Council or fails to receive a vote of approval by a majority of Council, the nomination procedure is repeated, except the Commission has 14 days from notice of the disapproval to submit the names of three more nominees--which list may include the two not previously selected by the Mayor.

There were numerous discussions taking place after the meeting regarding the effect of the lack of a vote on Thompson's nomination.

[Former Councilmember Frank McGuffin, son of George McGuffin, came to yesterday's meeting. Frank was also at the last meeting along with his father George and McGuffin supporters.]

You can bet there will again be visits and phone calls to the Mayor and councilmembers during the next two weeks--just like there were in the lead-up to the meeting on the Minnich appointment and in the lead-up to yesterday's meeting on the Thompson appointment.

This time the situation is clearer. 

If the Council continues to take no action to approve or disapprove Thompson, he will be deemed elected after 30 days. If Garrett, LeBel, and Senter want to continue to keep anyone else from ever taking the "McGuffin" seat, then they will have to take timely action to get a vote that gets Thompson out of the picture.

In one of the post-meeting discussions with other councilmembers and Attorney Ron Perkins, Kay Senter said she hoped there would be a consensus by the time of the next vote since, in her opinion, no one would want to take a position by "default," i.e. without a vote.

The Mayor has made the nomination. The election by "default" that Kay spoke of only comes about if Council fails to vote the nominee up or down within 30 days.

The ball is in the Council's court, but there are plenty of powerful coaches out there.