Run Up to MAST Vote: Part 2

As of this afternoon, after considering everything, that the City Council will more likely than not vote to pass the ordinance to create a new Kansas City "Ambulance Department" I sit down to the computer tonight, to check out the latest bloggy news on the subject when right at the top of Tony's Kansas City I find this:

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! THE MOVE TO TAKE MAST DIRECTLY INTO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COMING TOMORROW!!!

Councilman Russ Johnson, with Mayor Funkhouser's approval, is introducing a change in the ordinance to take MAST right directly into the fire department!!!

Holy Sh*t I says...

Then I scroll down a little further and I come across this:

MAST HOSTILE TAKEOVER BLOW UP!!!

And I read along, and what do I find but some of the info the anonymous poster shared (see previous post) plus more! The info was contained in an anonymous email that was circulating around city hall. Herewith the email, as recorded in TKC.

"This is the world's most boring consolidation process" -Troy Schulte
Statement made by Mr. Schulte to MAST Board in August 2009. He further revealed that MAST Board members were not given any ongoing information regarding their Public Trust's demise. I do not feel so alone in being locked out of public issues regarding a public entity. Information has been hard coming but here is a bit of what I pulled together. I plan to have a fuller account out in the mail by the first of the week with supporting documentation generated using the handy "Freedom of Information Act"My mailing list is limited to area philanthropic funders,social service agencies, and their board members. I view this as a public service.
COST OF TAKEOVER
Local 42's Louie Wright has told MAST employees that he will get "time served" for the purpose of KCMO pensions included in the take over language.
"Time served" shoved onto the current KCMO Pension Fund for 350 new employees.
MAST employees will not contribute to start up pension. They will also keep their 401Ks.
Cost of this publicly funded pension buy-in is estimated at $17 Mil to $21 Mil.
Letter from KCMO Pension Board dated November, 2009 declares this a "bad idea"
Cost analysis of the health benefits that KCMO will incur yearly are estimated to be $700,000 ABOVE the costs that MAST currently pays.

John Sharp
12 years as Director of MAST.
Involved in lawsuit filed in 2002, settled for 2.85 MIL
Involved in lawsuit Don Gibson V Mast. Settled for $300,000 ( MAST was prepared to go to court until Sharp informed them that he would be a unfriendly witness)
Court costs and legal fees for above cases not included.
John Sharp fired from his post as Executive Director of MAST on October 4, 2003.
MAST was left with a depleted Reserve Fund due to poor billing practises and legal entanglements.
MAST was forced to ask KCMO for a $2 Million line of credit to meet payroll and other expenses.
As Director of MAST Sharp was against pensions, MAST has in place 401Ks. Since this take over discussion Sharp has reversed his objections.
In Search Of A Solid Funding Stream
Jeff Yates, KCMO Finance Director told MAST that he believes he can access funds from the Regional Health Levy to pay for added expenses of this alleged "money saver" merger.
Yates believes that the extra burden of health benefits and the upfront buy-in to the KCMO pension fund for MAST staff is a reasonable expenditure from the indigent care monies.
Currently 100% of the city's subsidies comes from the health levy. No general revenues are used.
So do we rob Peter to pay Paul for something we do not need?
Troy Schulte has stated that KCMO can save immediately $189,000 on the MAST telecommunication cost. Highly unlikely.
Health Levy comes up for renewal in 2012

Stuff That Has No Category
The shelved MAST Strategic Plan to expand into Independence. Contact Mayor Don Reimel for the details.
In 2005 MAST Board members were pressured to recognize Local 42 as the bargaining agent BEFORE Union 34 members voted. MAST Board members refused to be bullied
In 2005 MAST employee's union Local 34 had a room at MAST. An incident took place where Local 34 members were held against their will in the room by Local 42 members. Something to do with a "friendly" takeover vote.....Police were called and a report taken. After the vote 9 new members of Local 42 were sanctioned.
Blue Ribbon Panel was a mirage. It's members were not unbiased. It was heavily weighted in the direction of a take over.
Current ordinance submitted by John Sharp is a load of crap."

Sometimes in emergency medicine you get someone who is really sick...and your efforts to save their life are completely sabotaged by a combination of Murphy's Law (Murphy was a sick creep) and maybe some incompetence; when you are doing your debriefing, well, after all the crying and shouting, the whole thing was what is called a Cluster F*ck.

The city's takeover of MAST's administration has huge cluster f*ck potential.

I kid you not.

Lives are at stake here.

Let's see what happens tomorrow, and we'll take it from there.