Some (relative) fireworks last night as a City council member actually asked some tough questions of Mandy Clause and the Lampasas Economic Dunces Club (LEDC) about their “business” park. Kudos to Herb Peace for asking some tough questions that former council members like Delena Toups would never ask.
Let’s get to some highlights:
15:20 mark: Mandy says “this project is fully funded by the EDC”. This is not true. You are borrowing $1.5 million and posting future sales tax collections as your “collateral”. Sales tax that would otherwise be going to the CITY and its citizens for services.
The LEDC budget is only about $350,000 per year (skimmed off sales tax) – a FAR cry from $1.9 million this “Phase I” will supposedly cost. Not to mention the OTHER big loan you still have that runs for another 19 years, thanks to you giving in to BancorpSouth demands to do so (and costing the taxpayers another $207,000)
15:40 mark: Mandy “We receive RFIs from the governors office on a weekly basis – and they’re all looking for acreage and, currently, as it stands, there is nowhere to put someone…that’s looking for even 2 to 5 acres…we’re having to pass up on some possible prospects because we don’t have the land and we’re not fully developed“
From the way Mandy paints this picture, you’d think the poor, underfunded LEDC was just formed last year and operates on a shoestring budget.
“Everybody wants to come here and set up shop! We’re missing the boat!!”
The LEDC has only spent 17 years and millions of dollars so far – and you expect them to have a finished product? Especially after they basically said in 2015 “Hey, we have a finished product!”
You think that because they spent a million bucks in 2015 to get “shovel ready”, took pictures breaking ground, and made bold proclamations about an imminent influx of companies that they are actually ready??
What do you think they are, miracle workers??
Not fully developed? Wait a minute here! The LEDC said over and over the Business Park was “shovel ready” SIX YEARS AGO after they begged for, received, and wasted the LAST million dollars. Remember? I do. Here is a picture of the sign they put up: “Shovel Ready Q4 2015!”
Guess that was another lie. They sure have a way of piling up when the LEDC starts talking.
Let’s be clear about something else: the “prospects” are not looking for acreage, they are looking for a handout from the taxpayers. Period. There are TONS of acres around here. I see them every day. So let’s cut the shit about “no land available” – what the prospect wants is free or subsidized acreage, courtesy of the taxpayers. Huge difference.
In fact, Mike Cour and Eco-Strong strung Mandy Walsh, Misti Talbert and TJ Monroe along for about a YEAR and THEN said “hey, we need $1.85 million from you to start this thing” – and it promptly fell apart.
As a reminder, I had to get my lawyer involved to get this information from Mayor Transparency:
17:15 mark: New councilman Herb Peace asks “do you have a list of names of the people that have contacted you from the governor’s office?“
Bravo Herb! I have been arguing for that info repeatedly for years. They always keep everything a huge secret. Mandy’s answer??
“I have a list of the projects…the names are confidential….until they choose a site and are ready to start building and developing”
BAM. That is absolute bullshit. I don’t care what the “procedure” is, there is ZERO reason to keep the “prospect” a secret until the very last second. The thought of some clever businessman/scam artist going up against Mandy, Misti and TJ Monroe at the “negotiating table” in a secret room makes me nauseous. That is because Misti Talbert, TJ Monroe, and the rest of the LEDC are incapable and incompetent when it comes to vetting a “prospect”.
How do I know that the LEDC is incapable of “negotiating” a “deal” with a prospect? Because their last “prospect” (which they also kept super secret) strung them along for a YEAR before being dumped. Not a single person on the LEDC (all of whom are STILL there) thought to do a cursory Google search on Mike Cour or Eco-Strong.
Let me repeat that: their ONE and ONLY “prospect” they have had for their ‘Business’ Park and who they tried their best to keep secret, was a CON MAN who has been in the paper for CONNING clients out of money!!
Don’t believe me? Check out “Triton Financial in Austin Texas Lawsuits“
Triton Co-Founder Michael Cour Named In Lawsuit”
In fact, I did ALL the heavy lifting for them. I posted REPEATEDLY on these pages that something stinks about Mike Cour and Eco-Strong. The LEDC members are so naïve, incompetent and desperate to get a deal done, they didn’t see this guy was a scumbag from day one, like I did.
But we are supposed to trust them with the “secret list”. Yeah, ok.
Much more to come….