STORY OF THE DAY

                         I ask myself. Why would the Empire Council pick Marco Island for a Executive board meeting that cost the membership over $14,000 in Bills at the Marco Island Marriot Hotel. Here. At first I was thinking that the thieves were just up to their usual raping of the cookie jar and found a good place to play golf. I mean the Montauk Yacht Club. The Lago Mar Resort. It is kind of insulting to know that they had to be aware this was going to be recorded on the LM 2s and we were going to see it. What arrogance. They think they cant be touched. Its quite obvious they think nothing of taking your hard earned wages and stealing them to finance parties and vacations. Lets not forget Golf. Where is the International in all this. Where is the department of Labor Lawsuit for these elected officials violating their Fiduciary Responsibilities and misspending Union Funds. Well we will see on the Lawsuits and the International. At least when the International does nothing we will have a record to show the press.

Now back to Marco Island. Why Marco Island. That one stumped me until I was talking to an official at another Union who let me know that he went as well. The funny thing is it was not for an executive Board meeting. It was for another meeting on a different subject. Another funny thing is it was not listed on the LM2s. Well more fodder for the Lawsuits. Also in this conversation it was revealed that Financial Secretary John J Fuchs had a second home on the beach on Marco Island in an upscale Resort area. Soooo. This is why they chose Marco Island. I went to have a look and lo and behold John J Fuchs and his girlfriend Hope Brady bought a home at 833 Wintergreen Court back in 2003 for $316,000. I says to myself $316,000!!! man the work at the Empire Council must be lucrative. It is I guess because as it turns out Hope Brady is an employee of the Empire Council as well. She is listed as the Collections Manager for wages of $44,000 From 7/1/2005 until 6/2006.. From 7/2004 until 6/2005 Hope was pulling down $25,000 out of the Pension fund and $67,000 from the Welfare Fund for a total of $94,000.From 7/2003 until 6/2004 she was pulling down 22,000 from the Pension fund and $45,000 from the Welfare fund for a total of $67,000.So in one year Hope Brady got a $22,000 dollar raise from the funds. One has to wonder if Hope is drawing any money from the funds to go with her $44,000 she is getting as the Collection Manager in 2006. We need to see the 2005 Form 5500s. Anybody close enough to go have a look. So Here is the house which by the way is for sale for $874,000 today.

So those are the facts. Now lets try to figure out how Council Employees and others from around the state got sent to Marco Island. Did they have meetings there so John Fuchs decided to buy a house there so it would not cost the membership any money for him to attend the meetings. After all his Council Employees were screwing the membership bad enough as it was. Perhaps he felt sorry for us. Did John and Hope tell all the Council Employees that on a certain date they were going to be on Marcos Island at their second home so they should get the membership to pay for them to all come down and stay at the Marco Island Marriot. Then they could all stop by, have a few rum and cokes and lay on the beach.  Exactly how many times have the membership paid for outings at the Marco Island Marriot. I guess the smartest question is why they do not have Executive Board Meetings at the Union Hall and save the Rank and File the hard earned money they are stealing form them. I  just keep playing over and over in my mind the times I have been told that you had to take back my raise to cover increased costs in Pension and Welfare. The truth is you had to take back my raise to cover your trips to Marco Island. No kids you cant have the new jacket because Morin, Hicks, Simmons and Fuchs and their girlfriends and wives have to go to Marco Island. No kids you cant have those braces because Hicks, Morin, Simmons and Fuchs have to go to Lago Mar Resort. Don't cry now. We will get them next year. YOU People who we entrusted to look out for us need to ask yourself HOW you can call yourselves Brothers.