MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

To the Editor:

The purpose of this letter is to respond to your recent article about Treasurer Kurt Penzler’s tax sales. Critics call for Kurt Prenzler’s resignation due to alleged insider deals. Nothing could be further from the truth. There was no insider deal during non business hours. Careful examination reveals Prenzler held the sale at 12:30 p.m. during normal business hours using a standard operating procedure treasurers hold every year in nearly every county in every state. Critics also fail to mention that in addition to Mr. Craney there were four other single buyers at the sale. In fact, according to official records three others purchased. None of these had any political connections. Therefore, may I humbly suggest Prenzler’s critics deal in half truths? A half truth is no truth at all.

Interestingly, during this election season Democrats call for Mr. Prenzler’s resignation for something that wasn’t illegal. The auction went for 0%, thus the auction victimized no one because no one profited. Compare this to Bathon’s tax auctions. Did some of Prenzler’s Democratic critics stand by for a decade and watch Fred Bathon commit crime after crime, victimizing the most vulnerable residents of Madison County? We will never know, because the tapes of Mr. Bathon’s illegal tax sales, showing those present, mysteriously disappeared in the Democrat run County Administration Building.

Are accusations against Prenzler a smokescreen? Might critics better spend their time verifying if Ms. Suarez profited from Chemetco’s closing while Madison County and creditors went unpaid?

Phil Chapman

Highland