Will Someone Please Poke Lenny Cline and Wake Him Up?

I think by now everyone know how I feel about Mike Yenni’s “Consensus Team”.

At a time when Kenner is at a crossroads, the very LAST thing that the people of Kenner not named Yenni (or whatever his name is today) needed was a rubber stamp Council that wouldn’t hold the Mayor accountable.

The Kenner City Council is like an oncoming train wreck. Even though you know what’s going to happen, it still surprises you.

If you need proof that having a piece of paper hanging on your wall and a law degree is not a sign of intelligent life, you need only look at Kenner District 4 Councilman Lenny Cline.

It’s no surprise that Cline is a member of Yenni’s “Consensus Team”.

My mouth has dropped open more times than I can count at many of Cline’s comments.

The boy just doesn’t get it.

The truth is, I don’t think he even knows what “it” is.

This week however, I have been stunned by Cline’s ignorance.

At last night’s Council meeting, the Council approved moving forward with an application for $15 Million in bonds for sewerage projects.

I posted yesterday some of my questions regarding the debt and the need for it.

As expected, only District 1 Councilman Gregory Carroll voiced any objections – not to the projects involved but the financial need for more debt.

And, as I wrote yesterday, those are valid concerns that, sadly, I surmised only Councilman Carroll would raise.

And, he did. 

But, back to Lenny Cline.

You don’t need to be Al Morella to know the difference between a resolution and an ordinance. Even a casual Council observer should be able to pick up on the fact that resolutions are not binding and not law. Ordinances are.

Resolutions don’t require First and Second Readings to allow for public notice and comment.

But, after a year as a Councilman, Cline still doesn’t know the difference.

That would be shocking and shameful in any other municipality but it’s par for the course in Kenner.

Heck, it’s even expected.

Because this Council is spoon fed and led around by their noses by Yenni and his minions.

Again, with the exception of Councilman Carroll, I would bet the “Consensus Team” doesn’t use the restroom without Yenni or Greg Buisson’s approval.

It is truly sad. 

In addition to Cline's ignorance, there were several other idiotic comments from several Council members including District 3 Councilman Keith Reynaud and Councilwoman-At-Large Maria Defranchesh. 

I know you're shocked, right? 

But, we will get to those whoppers in another post. 

Now, I’m not advocating that Kenner ever return to the near fisticuffs of Council meetings 10 years ago and the extreme adversarial relationship between the Council and Mayor.

But, c’mon, a little dissent is not a bad thing.

In fact, it might even prove that they are paying attention and they care.

Contrary to popular belief at 1801 Williams Blvd. and inside a home in Chateau, Mike Yenni is not omnipotent.

We already know all too well that Greg Buisson isn’t either.

This Council needs to start doing what is best for the people of Kenner.

And, that isn’t licking Mike Yenni's boots.

He already has someone for that. 

Yenni Seeking More Debt Without Voter Approval

Not content with the massive debt Kenner already has for its sewerage system, or the huge debt from his poorly concocted 2033 Plan, which was the largest single issuance of debt in Kenner’s history with little to show for it except interest payments, Kener Mayor Mike Yenni is proposing to add more debt for Kenner’s sewerage system.

Unlike the 2033 Plan, this debt will be sold directly to the state DEQ and the proposal specifies the projects involved. The debt will carry a .95% interest rate.

It is unknown if the Becknell Law Firm, which handled the 2033 Plan debt sale and litigation, will be involved. Interim City Attorney Mike Power, who is “Interim” because he doesn’t reside in Kenner and Yenni continues to violate the spirit and will of the people of Kenner, is still listed “Of Counsel” at the Becknell Firm.

It is also unknown if Power retains a relationship with the law firm, which would clearly be a conflict although if you’re a Friend of Mike’s, there are no conflicts.

It is also unknown why the City continues to needs to add even more debt for sewerage projects.

Since Yenni has been Mayor, the City of Kenner has tripled sewerage fees and received tens of millions in multiple low-interest DEQ loans to repair its aging sewerage system.

It is also unclear why the City needs the debt when it has received millions in State, Federal and Regional dollars to fund aspects of the 2033 Plan that the debt sale was to include. It would seem fiscally responsible to shift those funds to this project.

But, “fiscally responsible” is just campaign rhetoric for Mike Yenni written by his insipid political consultant.

And, once again, the City of Kenner is taking on a large debt, financed by sales tax revenue (when the City’s sales tax base is dwindling), without a vote of the people.

But it’s more no-bid contracts for Yenni’s friends and contributors as he squeezes them for even larger contributions to fund his Parish President campaign.

So, in summary, we have

1). Potential conflicts of interest

2). No clear rationale for the debt

3). A missed opportunity to move money from the 2033 Plan

4). An unclear accounting of sewerage funding since Yenni’s tripling of sewerage fees

5). More no-bid contracts for Friends of Mike

There are all valid questions that should be posed by the Kenner City Council. However, since no one on the Council not named Gregory Carroll has the intestinal fortitude to demand answers, they will go unanswered.

Since this Council, again minus Carroll, can’t begin to fathom the concept of actually representing the people they were elected/appointed to represent, Kenner will continue down this leadership abyss.

While the projects are specified in the proposal, there is some limited accountability there thankfully.

But, remember who we’re talking about…

Just as “fiscally responsible” does not remotely describe Mike Yenni, “accountability” both to the voters he was elected to represent and for spending wisely are not in Yenni’s vocabulary.  

So, Yenni is  not the “Fiscally Responsible” Candidate and not the “Accountability” Candidate.

And, despite his best efforts, he is clearly not the “Family Values” Candidate either.

But, we have time for that…

Yenni Backtracks on Rec Tax

They say that balloon sales go up when the circus comes to town.

In Kenner, balloon sales increase each time Mayor Mike Yenni gets another hair-brained idea.

I guess that means that the circus is always in town in Kenner. At least at 1801 Williams Blvd. 

As is his m.o., Yenni had one of his minions, this time District 5 Councilman Dominick Impastato, float a trial balloon regarding a new tax dedicated to Kenner Recreation.

You will remember that Impastato, at Yenni’s urging, recently also touted privatizing several Kenner playgrounds.

More taxes for less playgrounds. That only makes sense in YenniVille and to members of Yenni's "Consensus Team" like Impastato..

The Mayor floats these trial balloons so that he and his political consultant, Greg Buisson, can get a sense of which way the political winds are blowing since Yenni doesn't have the conviction or backbone to do anything that don't directly put money in his campaign account or in the pockets of his friends, family and contributors.

You remember, “I don’t want to double your property taxes. I only want to give you the kind of government you want.” If he was sincere about that, the Mayor would have resigned years ago.

Or, “I don’t want to close playgrounds. My hand-picked Streamlining Budget Committee is making me close them.”

Or this gem, “The 2020 Plan is comprised of projects put forth by my Economic Development Committee”, meaning, if they flop, it’s not on me and yes, Impastato was on that committee too.

Or this whopper, “We need to increase the salaries of the Mayor, Police Chief and City Council to attract quality candidates – no, not me, Chief Glaser and the current Council. We are quality candidates. I mean, in the future, when I bail on the city after loading it up with debt and taking care of all my contractor friends. Then, Kenner will really need a quality Mayor, Police Chief and Council.”

Alright, you caught me. The last one wasn’t really a quote from the Mayor.

But it could have been.

At last week’s budget hearing, Impastato floated the idea of a property tax dedicated to Recreation.

"We have a history of wanting to jump out in front to show how much more money we need for police and fire, yet recreation seems to go on the back burner. I think that's shameful," Impastato said. "I think if we are serious about it, it's time to step up and act like we are serious."

Impastato obviously doesn’t see the contradiction in dismantling Kenner’s Recreation Department while seeking more money and tax dollars for it.

Recreation Director Ken Marraccoli, the same guy who tried to sell “naming rights” to a park that the city didn’t own (why is this guy still employed and not in jail? Oh, that’s right, he’s a friend of Mike). Also chimed in discussing other municipalities and their recreation budgets.

"We are one of the only recreation departments in this region that doesn't have some type of millage for recreation," Marraccoli said. "I understand when you talk the word millage, people start getting skittish, and I get that."

It is always amusing to me when Yenni and his minions compare Kenner to other places when they want something but, when Kenner and the Yenni Administration are unfavorably compared to other cities, the comparison is “bogus”.

Sorry Councilman Impastato: Kenner is considerably smaller than East Baton Rouge Parish and our recreational facilities aren’t even in the same league, nor is our huckster Recreation Director.

The problem in Kenner isn’t a taxing problem – it is and always will be a spending issue.

And, if Yenni hadn’t bonded $3.5 Million in sales tax dollars for the next 20 years to pay for his non-voter approved 2030 Plan, Kenner would have money for Recreation, Police and Fire.

Of course, Yenni could also cut some of his political appointees – but we all know that will never happen.

So, mere hours after having his crew launch the recreation tax trial balloon, Yenni quickly backtracked.

After all, how would it look for an allegedly “family-values fiscal conservative” to propose raising taxes (again) while simultaneously campaigning for a promotion to Parish President just one short year into his 2^nd term?

"I don't want the citizens to pay a penny for recreation becauset hey've never paid a penny for recreation," Yenni said. "I don'tthink it's the time to ask them for that."

Meaning,” I’m in the middle of a campaign you idiots and you’re talking about raising taxes? If I have any hope of getting elected Parish President, I need to hope that folks don't learn my true identity Do that when I leave.”

As always, Yenni continued with the now infamous duck-and-dodge and also, as always, Nola.com let him get away with it just as the news media continues to let Yenni/Buisson spew the false narrative that Yenni has cut jobs at City Hall and cut the budget significantly. While the former is partially true in that Yenni has cut City Employees, he has increased political appointees, filled unnecessary positions with unqualified people, and increased the number of City Hall Departments.

As for Yenni cutting the budget, well, that's just a flat out lie, just as him thumping his chest that he doesn't accept an auto allowance while driving multiple vehicles for free and never paying a dime for fuel, maintenance or insurance. .

Yenni said his previous campaign to raise taxes was intended to relieve pressure on the city's general fund, and that would have freed money for recreation maintenance. But he added that tight constraints has forced his administration to think creatively about "better ways" to deliver recreation services, namely by targeting city funds at facilities that see the most activity and turning others over to private parties for specialized instruction.

"We are still going to have free parks and playgrounds," Yenni said. "It may not be where you get to ride on your bike and go to your neighborhood pocket park or playground, but you are going to a better facility that we can put all of our resources into. Other facilities get the same type of treatment but by a private partnership."

So, you can’t ride your bike to a park, but we’re building more bike paths, and other people will control Kenner’s parks but we need more money because Yenni has borrowed every last sales tax dime that he can for the next 20 years and the largest sales tax driver in Kenner, The Esplanade, is imploding on his watch.

After all, less parks will attract young families to Kenner right? 

Makes perfect sense to me.

 Meaning, “If the 70% of folks who defeated my plan to double property taxes would have just gone along with it, Kenner would have the best recreation facilities money can buy. That is, the money that would be left after I spent more money on everything else not called Police, Fire or Public Safety. But, to be sure, Public Safety and Quality of Life are the #1 Priorities for the Yenni Administration. 

Well, #1 and #2. 

No, really, #2 and #3. Becoming Parish President is the #1 Priority of my Administration. And, taking care of my political contributors. So, really, Public Safety and Quality of Life are #3 and #4 Priorities for the Yenni Administration. But, hey, at least they made the Top 5. 

Oh, wait a minute. Getting my political appointees raises is also a priority. And making sure my hair stays in place, ensuring that no one learns my secrets so I can still be the "family values Conservative" that I've tricked folks into believing that I am, and jumping whenever Henry Shane says to. Those are priorities too. So, to be honest, Public Safety and Quality of Life are the #7 and 8 Priorities of the Yenni Administration.

Oh, who am I kidding - by now even a two-year old knows that I don't care about the Kenner Fire Department and, as long as my boy Mike Sigur is getting his fill of paid details, I don't care what goes on at the Kenner Police Department. 

Hey Ken, what can we sell next? I need to buy and fix up another car that my Grandpa drove. Now that's a priority!”