April 6, 2004
I received a phone call from Tim Whitmer on my cell At his request, I called Mr. Whitmer back from a land line. Mr. Whitmer informed me that Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard had meet with representatives of River Birch Landfill to discuss the Jefferson Parish landfill. Mr. Whitmer further advised that Mr. Broussard was not happy with the way Waste Management treated Bobby Bourgeois and River Birch was a good partner and known in the community. Mr. Whitmer further informed me that Mr. Broussard was inclined to retain the services of River Birch Landfill to operate the Jefferson Parish landfill. Mr. Whitmer further informed me that Mr. Broussard discussed with representatives of River Birch your role with Waste Management. Mr. Whitmer stated that Mr. Broussard wanted me to understand that River Birch was willing to retain my services in a similar capacity that I presently serve with Waste Management.
But it gets even better than the above memo from Dutchie Connick as we also have the entirety of Gwen Bolotte’s depo, all 266 pages.
Happy hunting to all and be sure to post away the most damning parts in comments. This upcoming public meeting on River Birch promises to be a hum dinger!
sop
So this really brings into question what the hell Letten and Company are doing – Waste Management shows that the fix was on since 2004 at least-
You have to wonder how much Letten and his wife have been paid to fix this case and let the statue of limitations expire.
And you really have to wonder what the hell is wrong with the Attorneys for waste management.
You have enough information in these case to amend the lawsuit and include a Civil Rico Claim and make them all defendants.
I suspect Waste Management is not out to bankrupt the Parish depsite the fact I agree with you that Civil RICO is an option. The outisde law firm the Parish is using is certainly costing a small fortune as well.
NAAS nailed it earlier in comments when he talked about Waste Management having the means to crush every one of these corrupt mofos including Team Heebe. I can only see it getting nastier from here as it is a safe assumption this isn’t all the dirt.
sop
Ashton and Whitmergate – The Seventh Circuit has made some very interesting law for you to look at and have some conversations about.
Honest Services brings on a whole new meaning!
The Parish Government and its employees can actually be classified as a criminal enterprise.
This would prevent Bankruptcy filings on the Parish part.
Look no farther than Illinois to see that this has happened several times and it cost the taxpayers healthy assessments and money.
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has held that the Cook County Court System was a criminal Enterprise when Greylord was in full operation.
And on top of that
October 25, 2010 —
RICO – October 11, 2010 – Chicago
The Federal Court of the Seventh Circuit sustained both civil RICO and Honest Services charges in the suit against Cook County Board of Review Commissioners Larry Rogers Jr., Joseph Berrios and Brendan Houlihan, along with members of their senior staffs. The ruling is significant because the RICO (Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization) Act is rarely successfully pled in a civil lawsuit. This case maybe the first time since the U.S. Supreme Court decision narrowing its scope, that the charge of denial of Honest Services has been successfully pled. The benchmark case, Santana v Board of Review, now proceeds to discovery and trial.
Does anyone have a polygraph reading on Bolotte’s testimony?
When questioned about the budget changes for the landfill disposal fees that opened the door for the Parish to cancel the Waste Management contract she doesn’t question the CAO:
Page 136
Q. All right. So Mr. Whitmer called you and told you to make the change and you —
A. And that’s why we got it written down here.
Q. — and you made the change?
A. We made the change.
Q. Did you — Did you question why the change —
A. No, sir.
Q. — was being made?
A. Don’t — I don’t question the CAO.
Q. Okay. But did you think that that was unusual?
A. I don’t question. I just did it.
When questioned about the cost analysis for the River Birch contract presented at the council meeting:
Page 155
“I put my hand up and said, “The Finance Director had nothing involv — no involvement at these calculations at all.”
Which she then changes to
Q. Just why — why — why did you –why did you volunteer to say — what —
what — when you said, “I put my hand up and I said, ‘My department didn’t have anything — I didn’t have anything to do with it'”?
A. ‘Cause I wanted it stated on –said that I had nothing to do with that.
Q. Yeah. Is that on the record?
A. No. It’s just between him and I, but — And I’ve said it openly —
Q. Okay.
A. — to others.
Q. “Between him and I” being between you and — you and Mr. Whitmer?
A. Yeah, just sitting right there.
Q. And what was — what was his response?
A. I don’t remember the response,but I just wanted to make it known.
Q. Uh-huh (indicating affirmatively).
A. And I’m sure others heard, but I don’t know who, but —
Q. Right.
A. — I wanted it known that the Finance Director did not have anything to do
with this.
Q. Okay. Now — And when you say “this,”you’re talking about the —
A. That analysis or whatever theypresent — presented to the council.
To ” fifthcircuitjoke”: Not to get “too” far off track, I made Civil RICO claims against a Federal Judge (the “DisHonorable” Duval-Daley-Fayard) and the State of Louisiana (through Foti and the “Special Assistant Attorneys General” he “annointed”, including the Judge’s “close personal friend of long-standing”, plaintiff’s lawyer Calvin Fayard), in Civil Action No. 08-4728 which, like all of my other KATRINA litigation, was SHUT DOWN by the “crooked” Eastern District. The claims, including the RICO claims, are available on PACER, and make the Jefferson Parish/Waste Management/River Birch stuff look like “chump change”. But I can’t get a forum. Ashton O’Dwyer a/k/a “The WHITE Henry Glover”.
Well Ashton it would seem to me that you simply filed it in the wrong place.
Rule 17. Procedure in an Original Action
* 1. This Rule applies only to an action invoking the Court’s original jurisdiction under Article III of the Constitution of the United States. See also 28 U. S. C.
Of possible help to the M&M ladies and their letter:
“On RFPs the purchasing department always has a representative on it only because of the function of being purchasing. … the — one of her functions, that — you know, the purchasing department’s function.”
– pp. 229-230.
“ALWAYS”.
Not a mere “informality” there.
More on that point:
“Q. Okay. So bottom line is there
was no one on there from your department.
Doesn’t the parish ordinance
require someone to be on the RFP evaluation
process from your department?
A. Right. Like I said, it’s a
process that —
Q. Yeah.
A. — someone from purchasing should
be on the —
Q. Okay.
Did you —
A. Either the director or a
representative of.”
– pp. 231-232
Hmmm, under oath Bolotte said she did not question Whitmer on the budget sleight of hand with the $ for the Parish landfill? oh noooooo Gwennie…you actually DID …
You told him ( and I quote you ): ” I told them both ( Whitmer and Wilkinson) that it was not that easy to disappear that much money in one lump sum.”
Did you forget telling the fbi that during the subpoena process? Out loud and in front of other people?
So here are your choices: Lying under oath in a deposition OR Lying to a FBI agent in an investigation.
Guess you just forgot huh? Or did you forget the Slabbed Nation is following all this VERRRRRY carefully and cross -referencing everything any of you lying pieces of doo-doo say.
There is power in numbers Gwen: both financial and human … and Slabbed has your number.
“Q. Okay. Were you asked — Were you
involved in — in any way in issuing the RFP?
A. In issuing the RFP?
Q. Yes, ma’am.
THE WITNESS:
Can I say something?
…THE WITNESS:
Can I say something on that one?
… MR. PEYTAVIN:
If you issued it, yeah.
THE WITNESS:
I mean I didn’t issue it. I got
a phone call from Mr. Whitmer —
EXAMINATION BY MR. TALLEY:
Q. Okay.
A. — to — it was initially ordered
out as a woody waste one.
Q. Right.
A. I got a phone call from
Mr. Whitmer to push it through.
Q. Okay.
A. Which means hurry up my
purchasing department to process it through.
Q. Okay.
A. It was a phone call.
Q. Okay. Another phone call.
A. Didn’t quite understand why.
Didn’t ask why he — I mean why that would be
an emergency, but push it through.
– pp. 221-222
“Q. Okay. Are you aware that the RFP
was originally for yard waste and wood waste
and then was changed by the administration to
be a broader — a broader RFP that went
beyond —
A. That was part of my surprise too.”
– p. 223
“Q. Okay. Before you got the phone
call from Mr. Whitmer about — about rushing
it through, did you — Let me just ask this:
Did you have any involvement in terms of
writing the RFP or providing any information
that went into the RFP?
A. Nope.
Q. Okay. Are you aware that the RFP
was originally for yard waste and wood waste
and then was changed by the administration to
be a broader — a broader RFP that went
beyond —
A. That was part of my surprise too.
Q. Okay. Before I ask you about
your surprise, though, I just want to ask you:
Did you have any involvement in the RFP
changing, in the changes in the RFP?
A. I was not aware of any changes.
Q. Okay. But one — But then you
saw the RFP when — when it came back from the
administration and you saw the changes?
A. No. I didn’t even see the RFP.
I just — If I re — If my memory serves me
correct, it was actually when they went
through with further discussion of it —
Q. Okay.
A. — later; later, later, later.
Q. Okay.
A. That just — Yeah.
Q. And you were sur — you said you
were surprised.
A. Just as — Yeah.
Q. What do you mean by that?
A. Uh-huh (indicating
affirmatively). Just surprised that it now
contained something different than woody
waste.
Q. Okay. And were you — was it —
was it your appreciation at that time that
that RFP as it was written would — would
result in the — in the complete closure of
the Jefferson Parish landfill?
A. I didn’t know — Remember; I
don’t know how the landfill worked.
Q. Okay.
A. I just knew that they — that
change was made. We knew of the change, I
should say —
Q. All right.
A. — not knew — you know.
Q. And as a result of the change,
there was a response by River Birch that —
that would have resulted in complete closure
of the Jefferson Parish landfill ’cause they
were going to take all the waste. Did you —
A. Whatever —
Q. — know that?
A. Whatever it was. I mean I didn’t
know of it.
Q. Yeah.
Okay. Well, what was it that
surprised you, though? I’m trying to figure
what — when you said you were surprised by —
A. I think it might have been at the
same meeting with the savings of the contract.
That’s probably when I saw a change —
Q. Okay.
A. — or heard of the changing.
Q. Yeah. And — And why were you
surprised by that?
A. Surprised that it — I — I
thought initially it was just woody waste.
Q. Okay.
A. I mean that was —
Q. Do you know —
A. — that was the last time in a
sense I knew of it.
Q. Right.
Do you know why it changed?
A. No.
Q. Okay.
A. That’s why I was surprised.
Q. Yeah. Do —
A. It went from a woody waste to
that whole thing.
Q. Okay. Now, Ms. — …. have testified that they
didn’t have anything to do with the change.
Did you know that?
A. I knew they would — I — I knew
they were just as surprised.
Q. Okay. Did — You had — Did you
have discussions with them about that, about
them being surprised?
A. No. I mean we both were
surprised.
Q. All — All of y’all just —
A. Yeah.
Q. — were very surprised by it?
A. Yes.”
– pp. 222-226
More preview snippets by participants in the criminal conspiracy to award River Birch an illegal landfill monopoly:
October 12, 2007
15:53 p.m.
From : Buller to MWinter
Subject: updated landfill closure memo
Marnie
…after updating the numbers it doesn’t look so good…
Rick
————————-
November 19, 2008
7:43 AM
From Buller to Bolotte
cc M Winter; M VanPelt
Subject: landfill budget
Gwen
…this year’s budget is ridiculously low. That will cover 2-3 months . It has no basis in reality. Why is this line being cut so drastically again, when we know that more money is needed. Rick Buller
Rick:
We have been instructed by Mr. Whitmer to budget three months for 2009 and amend every month there after as instructed.
Gwen
Gwen:
I thought it was something like that. I don’t understand why they want to do it that way.
Rick
Rick:
There is some language in the contract that states if funding is available. That is the basis.
Gwen
Wow, the budget director of JP is completely out of the loop on a multi-million dollar RFP that gets grossly bloated and “pushed through” quickly by Tim Whitmer. Either gross incompetence, absurd ignorance, or blatant criminality. Take your pick.
In 2008 Gwen Bolotte knew that Whitmer was trying to disappear $ to make it look like the money was not there for the Waste Managment contract anymore so the Parish could get out of the Waste Managment contract and give the monopoly to River Birch.
Marnie Winter knew the Woody Waste RFP had ballooned into an omnibus Garbage Contract and when she balked at it she was told to keep her head down, to stay in her lane and not to talk to anyone about the illegal changes or the fact that the Parish Closure memo had …” no basis in reality…” per her Landfill Engineer Buller. She sat mute on the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) lending her presence to the TEC in an attempt to cover-up the fact that she was not allowed to vote. She voted to keep her job and lose her integrity IMHO.
Having written extensively on this River Bitch crap, let me remind everyone that this conspiracy began in 2004 when conversations took place amongst the initial woody waste committee members, which included Council members Lee and Lagasse, together with Wilkinson, about the use of the the non-appropriations clause to get rid of Waste Management. And it was through the efforts of Val Bracy in preparation for her interview with Wilkinson that we were to first learn of the genesis of the criminal conspiracy of River Birch to be awarded an illegal landfill monopoly.
http://slabbed.wordpress.com/2010/08/04/river-birch-landfill-anatomy-of-corruption-a-guest-post-by-whitmergate/
Val would have found out who holds the postal permit and had a story solving the mystery!
Telemachus, your excerpt from pages 222-226 reminded me of Beavis, Butthead and Gomer Pyle.
Surprise ! Surprise !
Fire Her ! Fire! Fire ! Heh Heh !
What are you people talking about “bankrupting the Parish ?”
These MFs haven’t thought twice about wasting HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS of taxpayers’ money on River Birch so far and possibly MILLIONS to Waste Management and Cytec/Renovar in the very near future…
And by the way for the benefit of Walt and anyone else whose is overly concerned about not wanting the Parish to incur anymore monetary exposure and mitigate by doing another dance with the RIVER BITCH, let me suggest, and I’ll be nice:
1) You tell Young to get off his knees and direct his new hot shot Parish Attorney to start suing Whitmer, Broussard and Wilkinson to recover all monies expended to date on this criminal conspiracy called River Birch. It is obvious by now that they acted beyond the scope of their authority as a result of their criminal conduct,
2) You tell Connick’s punk to file suit against Wilkinson, Fos and Gandolfi for legal malpractice for their incompetent conduct while members of the RFP Committee,
3) You tell johnnie boy Young to sue Wilkinson and Barton to recover the MILLIONS OF DOLLARS paid out illegally to non-elector Asst. PAs and to non-existent and non-qualified para-legals FOR SOME 14 YEARS !
4) file a Civil Rico suit against River Birch, it’s principals Heebe, Ward, Sneed, et al, together with all elected and/or appointed JP Officials whose have played any part in this criminal conspiracy.
All of these Public Officials have income, property and of course the junkie’s jewel…retirement funds…some huge, really huge, like Whitmer and Broussard…get the judgements and seize them…
What we need is very aggressive legal action on behalf of the taxpayers to recover as much money that can be squeezed out of these POSMFs ! Hell let’s hire some hungry competent lawyers on the come, at an attractive percentage rate and sic them on these POSMFs and bankrupt their asses.
I cant believe that – Snap, I had meant to plug in a Gomer video there…
Are there any hungry competant lawyers out there who want this case on the come as it were at a very attractive fee arrangement?
Could a citizen exercise their rights to sue in some fashion and hire said lawyer?
Could the citizen allege malfeasance or misfeasance or some such legal term and sue to recover $ from the corrupt politicians?
Has this ever been done anywhere else?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Oh and corrupt politicians be-aware: HERE WE COME TO GIT YOU.
Oy gotenyu.
Dutchie ?
A chazer bleibt a chazer !
Crapla
Forgive me for being slow but even Google Language tool was no help in translating your comment….I tried all sorts of different languages…care to help a dumb hick out
Nowdy: translated from the Yiddish Crap’s comments mean
God help us
and
A pig remains a pig.
Thanks for the translation unslabbed…english is hard enough!!! The only thing I got was Dutchie LOL
Unslabbed, it was” belmando1092″ who asked for the translation – but I didn’t have a clue and thank you for taking the time to post the English version.
You see, English is my first language and, other than a little Latin, I don’t have a second.
Recently, I had a reader “read me the riot act” over his frustration with the use of other languages on SLABBED with no English translation provided. I share that frustration and feel certain he and I are not the only ones frustrated to be left out of the conversation when other languages are used.
I wouldn’t think of asking for an English-only blog but feel it appropriate to ask those who use other languages to offer a translation.
Comments on the subject are welcome – in English, if communication is the intent.
Another translator is at google: translate.google.com
Truth be known it may be better some of our readers don’t translate as the use of foreign languages here at Slabbed tend to be a wee bit salty LOL.
sop
nowdoucit- Here is a link to translate languages with cut and paste-
http://www.stars21.com/translator/latin_to_english.html
Thanks, I bookmarked the link – but before I could use it, I’d have to know what language to select for translation. If you’re still up when I post this reply, check your clock and you’ll see that even if I knew the language, time would be a consideration.
fifth, I lost my ear for other languages at age five when my family moved back to Mississippi. Unlike my younger bi-lingual sisters who were born here, I was born in my mother’s home state, North Carolina, and began speaking (in English) in Ohio. Although an early and able reader, I was taught to read phonically. Consequently, it became clear that the English spoken here would be my second language when I began spelling words as I heard them – “wauter”
Arma virumque cano. Trojae qui primus ab oris. Italiam profugu lavinaque venit.
Nowdy: Bela posted while I was doing the translation. I did it for you because I know your frustration with not having a translation. Bela just got in between with a timely note.
Hang in there Nowdy, I’ll translate and Sop don’t worry I’ll ‘tone down’ the SALTY parts.
Arms and a man so I sing. Of Troy who was the first from the shores of. Italy came the Lavinian a fugitive.
Sock?
And just for fun:
Semper ubi sub ubi.
Pretty good Virgil translation, unslabbed. But I never did agree with the advice to always wear sub ubi.
Did anyone notice this snippet from the Dutchie memo?:
“At his request, I called Mr. Whitmer back from a land line.”
Ok, maybe that’s bad reception.
Or… maybe that’s trying to avoid recording.
Huh.
Well, I’m sure that’s nothing.
***************************************************
Have we thought about this memo enough?
Why is Dutchie important?
Why?
He had been a campaign manager for DA Connick and had faced off vs Chehardy – no love lost there.
October 2004 – the first pustch to install River Birch, from the 10.13.04 TP:
“””Waste Management, a national company that now holds the contract, and the Harvey-based River Birch Inc. are facing off over a council resolution that could open the door for competitive bids on the contract at least five years before it is set to expire.
Waste Management has held the contract since 1998 to run the 700-acre Jefferson Parish Sanitary Landfill at Waggaman, parish administrators said. Under current garbage volume estimates, it is set to expire in June 2009. But parish and company officials said Waste Management began lobbying the administration in August for a six- to 12-year extension.
Officials with River Birch, which operates a 238-acre landfill nearby, said they saw Waste Management
Telemachus that is one Macdaddy comment my man. Now I can roll out the Maestri connection and why I think his name keeps popping up.
Your comment will be part 1.
sop
Tele…outstanding work…one could not have imagined the exponential significance of Dutchie’s memo without your detailed and documented research…Kudos to you again !
Just as a side note, the reference as to the use of a land line with Whitmer reminds me of the thread of e-mails between Hubbard to Whitmer to Coulon and back Whitmer mentioned as the insurance scandal broke. Hubbard, learning that his case had been alloted to Judge Zainey, e-mails Whitmer and asks if he (Whitmer) can find out anything about the Judge. Whitmer, knowing that Zainey and Coulon are joined at the hips, e-mails Coulon telling him (Coulon) of Hubbard’s allotment. Coulon immediately e-mails Whitmer to advise him that he would discuss this matter on a land line only !
Funny thing here Tele, it seems communication amongst this JP politico mafioso must be clearer and more transparent on a land line…or so Carlos Marcello thought too !
Since this post was published a Civil RICO case has indeed been filed by Waste Management against River Birch. Today I’ve made this post sticky for a couple of reasons:
1. ‘Gate asked me to bring this post back up in light of the last T-P article on this topic last Staurday that Maurepas referenced in a comment of his that I bumped.
http://slabbed.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/did-i-mention-with-all-the-shit-going-down-a-few-of-us-are-engaged-in-what-ill-term-high-stakes-blogging/#comment-39617
2. IMHO this post is the gateway to our coverage of the Civil RICO suit filed by Waste Management, which I will be updating before Sunday.
This old post and prior comments are well worth the read.
sop 1-12-12
Aaron … limbo will not be an option as there are several more tides of indictments charted that will engulf you away to prison …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4pPPQCpPdo&feature=fvst