Smart people know how to get ahead in life.  They take advantage of each opportunity and they don't waste any.  They do good and God blesses them.  They prosper.

    This reminds me of biblical Matthew 25:14-30 which tells the parable of a Master entrusting a subject with the care of five talents, to another subject two talents, and to another... one talent, to each according to their own ability.

    Upon returning from a long journey, the Master rewarded the first two subjects who multiplied the talents entrusted to them.  But to the third that simply held the money without multiplying it, the Master cast him out.

    The one that failed sounds very much like the Newberry CSD that has held onto the Kiewit Pacific funds for 18 years and has allowed the funds to greatly devalue over nearly two decades of inflation.

    Intelligent people look for ways to maximize and stretch the benefit of their funds.  Public officials hold a responsibility to properly handle the public funds entrusted to their care.

    Our CSD board of directors, including incumbents Robert Springer and Jack Unger, have literally gone out of their way to minimize the benefit of the community's remaining Kiewit Pacific funds that amount to slightly over $139,000.  They have looked for excuses to minimize the practical uses for the funds.

    The Kiewit Pacific fund represents a real opportunity to apply for different kinds of grants to benefit the community in areas other than fire, park, and lighting services.  As the Kiewit fund is not taxpayer revenues, it can be used for economic development, public relations, tourist promotion, etc.  An ideal use would be using the funds for grants that require a partial matching contribution.

    The history behind the fund is clear.  Despite the fog of some subsequent misrepresentation in a couple of documents, including a misrepresentation orchestrated by CSD president Robert Springer due to a poorly drafted letter that he wrote requesting legal advice, the intended use of the funds is supported by public CSD documents.

    Based upon the documents provided in my previous blog (9/25/22) of a workshop on November 19, 2004, and a subsequent community survey, the intent of those who gifted their portions of the settlement funds to the CSD directors was to have the funds available for benefits beyond the limited scope of taxpayer funds, that can only be used for fire, park, or street lightings.

    The Newberry CSD directors have now ignorantly breached the fiduciary trust established at the fund's acceptance.  You can't trust morally corrupt politicians even in Newberry.

    The CSD directors have all demonstrated that they can not think outside of their mental boxes.  Even Roberts that voted nay did not speak up against the proposal.  Common sense clammers that keeping the Kiewit Pacific funds separate and the funds available for possible use outside of LAFCO's (Local Agency Formation Commission) fire/parks/street lighting scope is a no-brainer.

    Keeping the funds properly separated had been done for 18 years until the unintelligent suggestion by director Paula Deel was made that her CSD cartel and the other sheepish board members followed.

    Separating the funds does not limit the funds from being used on fire, park, or lighting.  It just allows the funds to be used on other opportunities outside of LAFCO's normal allowances.

    The earlier background that is documented supports the keeping of the funds separate.  No one is going to challenge it and any fear to the contrary is ignorance.

    Unfortunately, each director currently on the CSD board isn't bright enough to move Newberry Springs forward so Newberry Springs will continue to degrade.

The ineffective fiddling Nero
while Newberry suffers.

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