Northwest Indiana Discussion

Hell, it is all over town that a certain Hammond city councilman has got some real problems. Story is a couple of more are being looked at as well. Newsflash had the heads up on this some time ago.

Jr has been awfully quite as of lately.... no wonder he didn't want to air the Hammond's budget.

Will this be let's make a deal? Jr cant be that lucky, Cantrell hasn't talked yet. Philpot story is still out. Once his appeals are gone, he might have a change of heart.

Centers around $77,000 of dumpsters at $400 rental a piece. So someone rented 1,925 dumpsters? It's sorta along that line of Festival Parking receipts. $66,000 in parking receipts. What is that about 4000 cars parked at the fest? 4 to five people in a car means over 80,000 people walked into the Fest. Maybe the used the Regional Bus System?

Attempted to check the Corporation thru the Indiana Secretary of State, no dice, web page gives a time out message.

4 others to join him. BYE BYE Mr. Councilman.

http://www.fromthestreets.net/

The sad part about this, if true, it means someone in the comptroller's office repeatedly paid invoices with out questioning them. This specific council person could have had an "intervention" when this first occurred, saving a criminal trial and $$ being drained from budget.

But I guess when the SBA writes that over $10 Million of Hammond revenue was deposited up to three months late, when some vendors were paid two and three times for the same billing, HUD money can't be found because it's use was not adequately recorded. Sounds sloppy, very sloppy and it points to one person, no actually two.

If you read any Hammond State Board of Account's report, repeatedly the auditors write the need to train staff sufficiently in their ability to identify and report fiscal malfeasance. My bet, staff in the various offices don't need additional training, they are afraid to bring this to the attention of Tommie or anyone else.

For example, a certain street rag gets paid by submitting invoices thru department heads. Rubber Stamped approval.

Another example comes from the Water Department.... a certain Tommie friend and family person has other business interest. The SBA specifically identified that person because their time sheets were not filled out, vacation time was not appropriately filled out.

Is it true that government employees can report criminal acts regarding dollars and then get a percentage as a reward for disclosing?

https://tips.fbi.gov/

More mctrouble will start if that councilman talks. If he says that he was pressured to vote a certain way on city business in order to keep a job for himself or his family. Or maybe they would take his truck away if he didn't follow orders. I think the Feds may also be interested in those things for a criminal investigation. Stay tuned.

AS I posted some time ago.. Many council members could be involved. The IRS and FBI are interested.. It could be alarming....

News.... you had nailed it, right on target.

It's not over with. Sounds like the IRS -FBI purposely reviewed the indicted taxes.

I understand at least one sitting county council person, who testified at the philpot trial has some problems.

I also understand at least one more sitting Hammond city council person is subject of a current reivew.

Thanks for the comment, but the big bomb hasn't hit as yet. This investigation could involve many. Several city heads and some elected officials.
It will be something that has been going on since the 70's and not one person ever thought they are doing wrong until they get caught.
I wonder what happened to Keisling at the times. Years ago they had a investigative reporter with the first name of "Sam". I forget the last name. He discovered a local story that would of hit the headlines all over the country. But it never hit the paper and "Sam" was let go. From what I hear, this present publisher "Masterson" is a good upright person. Keisling was good at the job so I hope he is just on vacation. Keisling had a part time job that many didn't know it was him, at a Liquor Store at Hohman and Ridge in Munster. However as most readers know, newspapers today have sort of done away with investgations unless something isn't dropped in their lap.

If he is/was so good as a writer, why does/did he need to work at a liquor store?

And, since all newspapers are always supposed to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable" and since Region newspapers are always crying for higher taxes so the poor can ride empty buses why don't they pay their employees enough so that they don't need to take on second jobs?

Because the streets are'nt lined with gold like in your Eutopia. Somewhere South of US 30 and West of the Atlantic.

Um....it's "aren't" and "Utopia". I know no one likes a "spelling Nazi" and everyone drops a typo now and then (even me). However, you'd think that Hammond cheerleaders would have more pride in what they put out in a public forum, no matter how small.

For Reege-tards and Ree-jects (yes, they are spelled incorrectly, but they are made up words for you Hammond city officials) to keep blaming absentee landlords for all of your city's ills is simply stupid. It's the people and the piss-poor leadership.

So even in Hammond, which has been touted as a paragon of casino tax spending, felonious abuse of public trust and treasure has been uncovered. Shock! The allegations against Salinas are likely the rule, not the exception. Even The Times in an editorial said it's time to end discretionary spending of the casino take. It's past time, but not too late. I wouldn't doubt if all seven current officials with discretionary control over public dollars, leapfrogged mere indiscretionary acts, to criminal ones. Let's see if enough of a paper trail leads to a trial for all our deserving "public servants".

If the infamous landlord Chuck wants to post pictures of abandoned houses ready for demolition I think it is proper to point out that most are multi unit rentals. Regardlees of my spelling your Eutopia is no better then anywhere else, especially if arrogant elitists like yourself live there. Have a nice life loser!

Seems like your obsessed pal, a stalker and/or are given marching orders pal. Carry on.

I just got off the phone with a friend, who lets just say, has an inside track. From what I hear, simply, the boys with gold badges want Tom real bad. How bad? Real bad.

Tom has had more than one recent conversation with a federal agency, hence he is being quiet, not wanting to be a target. It is is too late. Apparently there is going to be a couple of more interviews coming up.

Tom just may have to resign from office to stay out of jail, if the boy's don't still follow thru with subsequent charges. Any run for higher office, they, the boys with gold badges, will go after him.

I think who ever this guy Chuck guy is, you boys are absolutely threatened by him.


When this property's picture was first taken, it wasn't abandoned. People were living in it.


And people are living in this property.


And this property is on a main street, but empty. I wonder who cut that grass? Another favored contract with kickbacks? Is someone looking in on that as well? Yes they are.







These properties did not get like this overnight. They have been like this and getting worse for years. Not until a couple of favored contractors came along and some HUD money is in use did the city find interest in dealing with these properties. That HUD money has gone missing. So Jr's accounting practies over the last 9 - 10 years has allowed this to happen.

What Tom chooses to do is use code enforcement as a political tool to go after individuals who speak out against mis use of funds. You have the baker, the last mayor's candidate and others. That fiend, has been clearly brought to the attention of those boys with the gold badges. And as you said, it took them a long time to get Salinas, and their next target is Council Person #2 and #3 and then JR.

Keep up the good work. A few other small fry in code may be targeted because of their "directions" they were given and they followed thru with their orders instead of making a call to the FBI.

City employee have sufficient grooming to understand the difference between right and wrong; they are afraid of the consequences. Once a small fry is charged, they will begin to make those calls as well.

that fbi tip line is 219 769 3719

Hope you don't get caught up in this..... naw, I lied.

and oh, btw.... tommie and his people can continue to use city agencies to "play" with people, but those incidents sure do add up and they make for interesting conversation with those gold badge agencies. Honest!

For the feds to have gone after the people they did in this last round of indictments, they had to look long and hard and the funny thing is, they were all elected officials. Makes you think you have got a target on your back.


In Al's case, someone Al pissed off made a phone call.

Al might have some additional charges coming his way. Was it $79,000 in dumpsters spent at $450 each. That was a 175 dumpsters at $450 a piece or 79 dumpsters at a $1,000 a piece?

Since when is believing that city employees and leaders should possess the educational depth and writing ability of a second-semester high school freshman considered to be elitist?

Since when is it considered elitist to be disgusted when local officials are raping the electorate and are being hauled before judges two and three at a time?

Your problem runs a lot deeper than a relative handful of absentee landlords that hold multiple homestead exemptions. Wasn't Mayoral Favorite Michelle Fajman one of those? I know he dismissed her wrongdoing by declaring it to be "old news", but that declaration hasn't done north Lake County a bit of good, has it?

Yes, it is much better where I live.

By the way, you worked in "elitist" like a good Democrat, but you forgot "racist" and "Nazi" to complete the hat trick. Then, there is the ultimate, in-your-face insult: an absentee landlord with multiple illegal homestead exemptions (see again, Michelle Fajman--recent Democrat office holder and candidate).

How cute newsflash, it could be alarming!