Tuesday, July 14, 2009

THE COST OF REVEALING THE TRUTH - IN RESPONSE TO THE ANONYMOUS BLOGGER

The following post is from Mr. Larry Rezentes in response to an attack levied against him by an anonymous commenter on July 10:
In a recent blog to the topic “The Right to Be Heard”, anonymous said, “Mr. Rezentes would like to have you believe he is a local CPA, but he isn't. He is not licensed in the State of Montana to call himself a CPA.” The individual posting the statement has not revealed their identity, and so there is no way for me to confront and challenge the individual personally as to the position he or she has taken.

The facts, however, are these:

· I am a CPA, correctly represent myself as such, and have been a CPA for 34 years, with an active license in Texas, where I first became certified. I joined the U.S. department of Justice, Office of the United States Trustee four years ago. To become so-employed, I submitted to an extensive background check of my educational and professional credentials; including my status as a CPA; my educational background with an undergraduate degree in accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and an M.B.A. in finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business; a criminal and general character background check; credit check; employment history check, etc.

· As my practice as a CPA is strictly in my employment with the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the U.S. Trustee, I have no need or requirement to be licensed in the State of Montana. Any individual with the knowledge to post such an allegation would know this.

· I am a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and have been a member for over 14 years. To become a member, obviously, one must be a Certified Public Accountant.

· I began my career by working for three years in public accounting with Arthur Andersen and Company.

· I also hold a membership in Financial Executives International; an organization whose membership is limited to those holding senior financial management positions. I qualify because of a 25 year background serving in Chief Financial Officer roles; including 17 years serving in such positions in Public, Venture Capital and Private Equity financed businesses. I also hold memberships in the Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors and the Society for Human Resource Management.

· I possess extensive experience in dealing in complex financial and accounting issues, including those in turnaround and bankruptcy settings. I have served as CFO of two businesses in bankruptcy.

· The designation of me as a “local” CPA and “local” accountant has come from others; including the Great Falls Tribune and KFBB.

· In all cases where I provide statements to the media, I ask that the following legend be provided stating my background: “Lawrence Rezentes is a Certified Public Accountant with experience as CFO in public, private, venture-capital and private equity financed companies. He currently works in the public sector for the US Department of Justice, Office of the United States Trustee. The views expressed herein are his own and are not intended to represent the views of the US Department of Justice, nor those of the Office of the United States Trustee.” As a compromise, I agreed in my interview with KFBB to a designation as CPA; KFBB chose the alternative title as “local CPA”. I have never introduced myself as “Local CPA”, and did not do so at last Tuesday’s meeting. Given my background and experience, why would I “like to have you believe that I am a local CPA”, as indicated by our anonymous blogger.

No, the accusation is a scurrilous and malicious attempt to malign me by those in, or allied with, city government, who object to my having brought to light the misrepresentations by those in city management and elected city officials, of the large losses sustained, and that continue to be sustained, by the city’s operation of Electric City Power; the cause of those losses; the questionable accounting used now to hide them; and of the city’s flagrant violation of Electric City Power’s founding ordinance. It is a retaliatory attack against me by such individuals in or allied with a city government that has abused its power, selectively applied and knowingly violated its own laws and harassed those, such as myself, who oppose its actions and the incompetence, misrepresentation, and illegality of its entry into and continued operation of Electric City Power, and its involvement in the Highwood Generating Station program. It follows other such attacks against me by the city, and those allied with its views.

I have challenged elected officials of the city, the City Manager, the City Attorney, City Finance Manager, any or all, to debate me on the issues surrounding the establishment, financial results, and legality of the operation of Electric City Power and its involvement in Highwood Generating Station. I did this most recently in a letter that I sent to the Great Falls Tribune with copies to the Mayor, City Commissioners, City Manager, City Finance Manager, and City Attorney dated February 17, 2009. The attacks upon me personally are a cowardly substitute by those without the character, courage or integrity to face me to defend what they know is their indefensible use of taxpayer money in support of the ill-conceived, and incompetently managed Electric City Power and associated Highwood Generating Station ventures.

My statements of the facts surrounding Electric City Power at last Tuesday evening’s City Commission meeting, where the Commission approved the hiring of a consulting firm and the wasteful expenditure of $60,000, in knowing violation of Ordinance 2925, in an attempt to acquire a consultant to whitewash their actions, is what led to Mayor Stebben’s interruption of my talk.

Lawrence C. Rezentes,
CPA

Monday, July 13, 2009

ECP July Meeting

The ECP board meeting is tonight at 5:30pm in the Gibson Room at the Civic Center.

Agenda:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT
Financial Reports
Financials - Year to Date and Projected
Energy Consumption Charts (to be handed out at meeting)
YVEC vs. Southern, et al. (Cause No. DV 08-1797) Defendants’ Motion and Brief for Partial Summary Judgment

Miscellaneous Reports
Presentation by Mr. James E. Morin, Director of Shell Energy North America, regarding the gas industry

NEW BUSINESS
Accept Board Meeting Minutes from June 1, 2009

BOARD MEMBER REPORTS
Energy Consultant Proposal Award

COMMUNICATIONS
Public Comment

NEXT ECP BOARD MEETING
August 3, 2009
ADJOURN

Here is the agenda packet for tonight's meeting.

Neighborhood Councils - Week of July 13, 2009

No meetings are scheduled this week.

NC#7, which normally would have met this evening, has postponed their meeting to Monday, July 27. An agenda is forthcoming.

NC#8 is holding an ice cream social on Wednesday, July 15 from 6:30pm-8:00pm at Memorial Park at 19th Street and 2nd Avenue North. Enjoy ice cream cones and root-beer floats. Kids can also enter a sidewalk chalk art contest with prizes for the winners.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

The Secret Box

Two very important questions were asked at last night's City Commission meeting:

1. Will the consultant hired to evaluate ECP have access to the secret box?
2. Why haven't the Commissioners (albeit Jolley) looked into the secret box?

Greg Doyon indicated that he would encourage SME to cooperate with the consultant, but he did not think there was anything in the box that would help them in their review. He claims he knows this because of conversations he's had with Commissioner Jolley. He himself has not looked in the box.

Not surprisingly, the second question was not answered. The mayor had her usual smug grin on her face and Bronson sat there with his chin resting in his hands, staring off into space.

At the end of the meeting, Rosenbaum indicated that when the occasion arises that would warrant looking into the box, he would. Now, how exactly does he know what occasion would warrant looking into the box when he doesn't know what's in it?

I bet I know. He calls Gregori.

Coleen Does It Again

Last night was a tough night for the supporters of ECP and its director, Coleen Balzarini.

First, Larry Rezentes took her to task and then Kathy Gessaman inquired why the June power payment of $650,000 was once again not listed on the over $5,000 report. Coleen said it was paid on time, but she forgot to list it.

To recap: At the June 16 City Commission meeting, it was brought to Coleen's attention that no power payment in the amount of $650,000 had been reported as being paid to SME for the month of June. She indicated that the wire transfer was made on time, but missed the report for the 16th so it would be on the next meeting's report, which would have been last night's.

Mr. Gessaman inquired of her later how many other couple hundred thousand dollar expense items have been forgotten.

That evidently sent her over the edge, because she left the meeting and never came back. (You may remember that just over a year ago she did the same thing). This time though, her boss didn't go out after her.

For her sake it was probably just as well she left, because Ed McKnight's comments wouldn't have made her feel any better.

She has nobody to blame but herself.

The Right To Be Heard

At last night's City Commission meeting, Larry Rezentes, local CPA, was told to "wrap it up" in the middle of his explanation as to why he doesn't think the city has the authority to hire a consultant to determine the feasibility of ECP.

Evidently the mayor didn't like hearing Mr. Rezentes take the city to task for being in violation of Ordinance 2925 (section 5.20.070) and for a pattern of misrepresenting ECP numbers.

The majority of his explanation was technical, and because he was speaking rapidly, it was not at times easy to follow, but he was speaking during NEW BUSINESS, which does not have a time limit. He was on topic and deserved the right to be heard to the end of his dialogue.

At least his remarks are on the record and the mayor once again proved how much she dislikes OTAG; Open, Transparent, Accountable Government.

Monday, July 6, 2009

ECP Board Meeting - July 2009

Normally, ECP meets the first Monday of each month, but because of the holiday, they rescheduled their meeting to Monday, July 13th.

Guest speaker will be Jim Morin, Director of Shell Energy North America

Bob Pancich, past chair and current board member of ECP, requested that Jim cover the following topics:

* Current infrastructure to deliver gas to HGS
* Is there sufficient capacity to deliver the needed gas for HGS and the City of Great Falls?
* How large are the existing gas supply lines?
* Is there sufficient excess capacity to provide for growth into the next 20 years?
* Do we have to consider building a pipeline to supply the plant? How long would [it] be?

Mr. Pancich also wants him to address the supply of gas now and into the future as well as these other areas of concern:

* What is the source of the gas supply? Canada? or where?
* What about proven reserves? How large are they?
* What about price? Can prices be 'locked in" for 20 years?

I'm acquainted with Mr. Morin and am looking forward to his remarks.

Police Department Open House

When: Wednesday, July 8 from 5:00pm-7:00pm
Where: Police Department

Tours of the building, 911 Center, video firearms simulator, police cars and firing range will be given.

Neighborhood Councils - Week of July 6, 2009

One council is meeting this week:

NC#9
When: Thursday, July 9 at 7:00pm
Where: Camp Fire Office at 1925 2nd Avenue South

Agenda:
Police Levy
Committee reports
Neighborhood concerns

Friday, July 3, 2009

Declaration Of Independence

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation: For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences: For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies: For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

John Hancock

For an interpretation of the Declaration, click here.

Final Slate Of Candidates

Yesterday was the final day to file for the Mayoral seat and two City Commissioner positions on the City Commission. Following are the candidates for each office, listed in alphabetical order:


Mayor:
Bill Bronson (current City Commissioner)
Sandra Guynn
John Hubbard
Michael Winters
Michael Witsoe

City Commissioner:
Fred Burow
Kathleen Gessaman
Robert Jones
Roland Leitheiser
Ed McKnight
John Rosenbaum (incumbent)
Donna Zook

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Budget Meeting

What: Budget Work Session
When: Wednesday, July 1 at 1:30pm in the Gibson Room, 2nd Floor, Civic Center

This is a follow-up to the City Manager's budget presentation

Monday, June 29, 2009

My Mayoral Campaign Blog

I've just published my mayoral campaign blog. Material will be added on a regular basis so visit often.

The latest post is about what YOU think are the important issues facing our city. Please take the time to let me know.

Gessaman's Website

Kathy Gessaman, a candidate for City Commission, has her own website. Stop by and pay her a visit!

What's Going On?

Last Wednesday (6/24), the city manager's office e-mailed this memo to the Commissioners and certain city staffers:

We have confirmed the date and time of July 1, at 1:30 p.m. in the Gibson Room for Greg to do the follow up on the Manager’s Budget presentation and allow a question and answer period for the Commission. The agenda meeting will take place in Greg’s office immediately following the budget discussion. We will do a press release announcing this schedule. Joyce

Joyce Thares
Executive Assistant
City Manager's Office
455-8450

As of now, this meeting is not listed on the city's website and the Tribune did not publish it in today's paper.

Why the hold-up?

Neighborhood Councils - Week of June 29, 2009

No meetings are scheduled this week.