June 15, 2007

THE CLOSE CABLE CONNECTION BETWEEN WILLIE HERENTON AND REGINALD FRENCH AND THE NETWORX AFFAIR

It was interesting to here Mayor Herenton talk about the snake in the grass and the conspiracy against him by Richard Fields and others unnamed in his press conference. He referred to his good friend Reginald French.

There is no doubt about their close relationship. Reginald French has benefited greatly by his relationship to Willie Herenton and his many no bid purchase orders under the ACS cover contract. Recently the ratepayers at the MLGW were informed that they suffered another $29 million dollar loss with the collapse of the ill advised Networx venture. Take a look at the attached contract between Integrate Technologies Inc and ACS and also the contract between the City of Memphis and Memphis Networx LLC. In the former, Reginald French got the non competitive contract to terminate the Networx fiber optics cables in various City facilities and in the latter contract, Willie Herenton agreed to pay Networx to run the various cables and maintain them. If Herenton is looking for a snake in the grass, he does not have to look very far from his office. I am reminded of a paraphrased Spanish saying. “We taxpayers have fewer tears than reasons to weep, for it is a vain labor to offer light to the blind, words to the deaf, science to the ignorant, and honor to politicians.”

Click here to read the contract that Willie Herenton signed with Networx for a million plus

Click here to read the no bid contract given to Willie Herenton's good friend, Reginald French, for the Networx deal