The Vanguard

FOJSJ Receives Nearly 30% Salary Increase Reaching Almost $60,000 for Part-time Position

Posted by Jefferson Davis on Jan. 25, 2011

FAlls Cable Access FCAC

Another FOJSJ (Friend of Joe Greco, Sue and Jim Jeskewitz) has been taken care of because of whom he knows and not what he knows or does with a nearly 30% increase in his part-time salary over the last three years that is now approaching $60,000 a year.

While so many public employees are being asked to take furlough days, pay freezes, cutbacks, make higher contributions for health care and pensions or are outright losing their jobs, the Village of Menomonee Falls gives this part-time employee a nearly 30% increase in salary that is closing in on $60,000 a year.

Ever wonder how that might go over for the some 30 employees who have lost their jobs with the Village or had their contracts bought out over the last 3 years? 

Like it or not, Joe Greco and the Jeskewitz's run everything in Menomonee Falls even though only Jim currently holds public office as a Village Trustee and County Board Supervisor where votes are cast.

Too bad, a lot more would get done in Menomonee Falls if everything didn't have to go through them to get approved either formally or informally.

The nearly $60,000 a year part-time Falls Cable Access (FCAC) Director reached his new nearly $60,000 part-time salary plateau in 2009 according to FCAC's 990 Federal Income Tax Return for non-profit corporations on the website of Guidestar (www.guidestar.org).

It is estimated that the nearly $60,000 part-time director's salary is even higher for 2010- 2011.

The Vanguard will look at FCAC's Federal 990 Income Tax Return for 2010 later this year to find out.

The Falls Cable Access part-time director had only been doing his part-time responsibilities for approximately 3 years when he received his nearly 30% part-time salary increase to nearly $60,000 a year in 2009.

FCAC Cited by IRS and Attorney Generals Office History

The Vanguard, along with its contributors and volunteers, have been trying for years to get information about this secret non-profit corporation created by the Village Board in 1992 to no avail because the Village Manager, Village Attorney and Village Board have done everything they can to wash their hands of any responsibility or accountability of this organization because FCAC has been cited by the Wisconsin Attorney Generals Office and the IRS for violating Open Meetings Law, Open Records Requests and its failure to file Federal 990 Income Tax Returns since 1992 (http://www.menomoneefallsnow.com/blogs/communityblogs/43791802.html).

The Village Board, Village Manager and Village Attorney did absolutely nothing to hold this part-time director and or FCAC accountable for these many violations since 1992.

FCAC did not file Federal 990 Income Tax Returns for nearly 15 years on income to the non-profit corporation well in excess of $1,000,000.

The part-time director was also paid thousands of dollars in the early 2000's to produce a promotional video by Village taxpayers and to date no one can find the video because it was never produced.

The income was probably never reported on anyone's income tax returns either.

The Vanguard has a copy of the Village check to the part-time director for the services that he was paid for but never did.

FCAC  was finally found out by the IRS for not filing income tax returns while costing taxpayers thousands of dollars in legal fees to deliberately and knowingly mislead the IRS into believing that FCAC was part of the Village Government which the IRS soundly, quickly and decisively rejected requiring FCAC to finally file 990 Federal Income Tax Returns for the previous 3 years and into perpetuity starting in 2006.

What a deal if you are an FOJSJ so that an individual can receive thousands of dollars in non-reportable income for themselves and their friends without receiving any W-2's or 1099's.

Only in Menomonee Falls would the Journal Sentinel knowingly allow appointed and public officials to get away with this type of egregious and repeated behavior for so many years and not call for investigations and resignations of those same officials by the proper legal authorities in their editorials. 

Programming Requests Blocked and Open Records Requests Stymied by $60,000 Part-time Director

Even though FCAC has been cited by the IRS and Attorney Generals Office, the part-time $60,000 a year director continues to block programming requests and stymies open records requests because he can and because the Village Board and FCAC Board won't hold him accountable for these violations to FCAC Policy and State of Wisconsin Open Records Law. 

The part-time $60,000 a year director does everything he can to block any programming that he personally doesn't approve of for personal reasons which directly violate the policies of FCAC (http://www.fallscableaccess.com/FCAC%20Policies%20and%20Procedures%20trial.pdf) which provide for open and free access to the local cable access channel according to Village Ordinance Chapter 102 (http://library2.municode.com/default-test/home.htm?infobase=13290&doc_action=whatsnew).

As a matter of fact, the Village Board is so happy to wash their hands of the part-time nearly $60,000 a year director that they gave him a nearly $1,000,000, 10-year, no-bid contract in 2009 (http://www.menomoneefallsnow.com/blogs/communityblogs/43791802.html) which is in violation of the 2004 Village Board Policy (http://www.menomonee-falls.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1305) for similar bidding projects and Wis. Stat. Sec. 66.29.

The part-time director also spent some $150,000 + of taxpayer money at the high school in 2008-09 without getting any competitive bids for one measly room.

Clearly another violation of Village and School Board Policy, but was never held accountable for that expense by either Board.

Consultant's Report on FCAC Ignored

True to form, the Village Board spent tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money in 2005-2006 on a consultant and then chose to completely ignore the suggestions of the consultant for the supervision of FCAC by the Village Board.

The consultant basically reported that FCAC needed much tighter supervision by the Village Board and that the parties should meet on a regular basis for oversight and overview (i.e. every 180 days).

To date, it is believed that FCAC and the Village Board have not met in years since the report came out in 2005-06.

Thuggish Public Behavior at Recreation Activities on Display by Part-time Nearly $60,000 a Year Director

Repeatedly displaying sophomoric and thuggish public behavior at recreation activities from 2003-2008, the nearly $60,000 a year part-time director was finally confronted about his threats and physical violence directed at an opponent by the Menomonee Falls Recreation Commission a couple of years ago, but was given a pass because the nearly $60,000 a year part-time director, it was also found out, was also feeding from the trough with the school district.

Fortunately, the part-time director no longer participates in those types of activities so participants can relax and enjoy participating without the fear of being threatened.

The nearly $60,000 a year part-time director is on retainer with the school district for an additional some $6,000 a year at last count.

This type of behavior came as to no surprise to anyone who has had to deal with the part-time director as he repeatedly threatens anyone who gets in what he perceives is his way or tries to hold him accountable for his behavior or what he actually does to receive a part-time salary that is now approaching nearly $70,000.

Ever wonder why taxes are so high in Menomonee Falls which now owns the 3rd worst tax rate in Waukesha County (http://www.waukeshacounty.gov/uploadedFiles/Media/PDF/Elected_Officials/Treasurer/2009_TaxRateChart.pdf) when the Village Board and School Board allow spending to go on like this?

The Vanguard was contacted by one reader, who is in the printing business in Menomonee Falls, some time ago to share an experience he had when he was threatened by the part-time director to pull his business from the printer if he continued to associate with "certain people" on the Village Board.

The Vanguard also has a copy of an email from 2003-04 when the part-time director threatened a Village Board Member who smelled a rat when it came to FCAC when the part-time director said that, "...people were out to get him (the Village Board Member)" and how could this Village Board Member possibly ask questions of the part-time director when he (the part-time director) was personally, "...sliding into debt", "...had mounting bills from failing health" and "...had two kids in college to pay for".

The Vanguard could come up with other countless examples of this ethically and legally challenged part-time director, but time and space would not allow it. 

Use of Government Facilities for Personal Use Questioned

For years, citizens have questioned whether or not the part-time director uses government facilities and equipment for his personal or business use.

A Google Search of the part-time director's business lists his home address and phone number in Menomonee Falls for contact purposes if they want to do business with this person.

It is clearly illegal and unethical for an individual to use government facilities and equipment for personal or business use.

As an individual whose part-time $60,000 salary is paid for by the taxpayers, the director should come clean once and for all whether or not he is using government facilities or equipment for personal or business use.

Taxpayers Have Always Footed the Bill for FCAC Expenses

Through a contract with Time Warner Cable, FCAC is fully funded by the taxpayers of Menomonee Falls with the Village Board appropriating the funding to FCAC on an annual basis.

Time Warner taxes subscribers a monthly fee on their cable bills and annually returns the some $300,000 + in taxes to the Village Board who then appropriates about $90,000 + to FCAC each year.

Prior to the new Time Warner agreement of 2008, Time Warner sent the annual $75,000-$100,000 payments directly to FCAC.

Time Warner no longer wanted to send any funds to FCAC directly because of questions being raised about the organization.

At least now, all of the funds go to the Village first from Time Warner and then the Village Board appropriates $90,000 + to FCAC. 

FCAC has amassed hundreds of thousands of dollars from the taxpayers and is just sitting on it with absolutely no intention of ever using it.

It is the policy of nearly every governmental body in Wisconsin that has non-profit agreements to have those non-profit organizations return any surplus funds each year or have any surplus funds deducted from the next year's funding amount for that organization.

Not good old Menomonee Falls and its Village Manager and Village Board.

No, they would rather have the money FCAC is sitting on mold than to put it to good use of paying down debt or reducing the tax levy.

Responsibilities of the Nearly $70,000 a Year Part-time Director Undefined

No one can really say what the part-time director does for his nearly $70,000 a year salary other than showing up for 2-3 parades, taping some meetings if volunteers don't do it and plugging in Public Service Announcements and Programming on the cable access channel.

For the longest time the part-time director played little league games from the '90's as part of his alleged award winning programming.

The quality of the Village and School Board Meetings are extremely poor.

The meetings are very difficult to see, the sound is terrible and one would have to be hard pressed to even know what they are watching because rarely is it posted on the screen what meeting is taking place. 

All of this for nearly $70,000 a year?

Oh well, it's just taxpayer money and besides, he's an FOJSJ!

Future of Cable Access Questioned

Cable access channel programming is an outdated venue as the typewriter is to the computer.

Technology has passed by cable access channel programming.

The future of the cable access channel is seriously in doubt when the fees could be used for much more useful and practical purposes.

The following are examples from all across the country of whether or not cable access will survive in the future:

• http://www.publicaccesstv.net/future.html
• http://speakupaustin.org/publicaccess
• http://www.reclaimthemedia.org/grassroots_media/scantv_shutting_down_future_se1245
• http://www.orient-lodge.com/node/3558
• http://www.seattle.gov/cable/publicaccesstv.htm
• http://impactnews.com/northwest-austin/256-recent-news/9089-community-leaders-to-host-roundtable-on-future-of-public-access-television

Sound Off Menomonee Falls

What are you thoughts on FCAC and it's part-time director?

The Vanguard will pose some questions and invite your input.

Question 1.  Should FCAC return to the Village Board the hundreds of thousands of dollars in surplus funds drawing dust to be used to reduce debt and the tax levy?

Question 2.  Should FCAC also be required to return to the Village Board any unspent funds each year or have those excess funds deducted from FCAC's appropriation for the next year from the Village Board?

Question 3.  Do you believe there is a future for cable access channel programming?

Question 4.  Should FCAC be required to have free and open access to programming for all residents of Menomonee Falls  while abiding by FCAC Policies?

Question 5.  Should FCAC and the Village Board follow the consultant's report and meet on a regular basis to review the organization and its programming?

Question 6.  Should the part-time director be allowed to use government facilities and equipment for personal or business use?

Question 7.  Should the part-time director be required to take at least 4 furlough days or a pay freeze for 3-5 years like so many other public employees are in the current employment environment?

For the liberal democrat and RINO (Republicans in Name Only) progressives in Menomonee Falls, please don't waste your time by calling the editors at the Journal Sentinel, contacting the DA's Office in Waukesha County or tracking down former DA Paul Bucher.

They have informed The Vanguard of your complaints and we won't stop reporting the truth for the citizens of Menomonee Falls when the local LSM (Lame Stream Media) simply choose to look the other way and not do their job.