Michael Morris – In Focus

Over the last few weeks there have been a few nuggets of information seeping from under the doors of the Marietta Biscuit Company. Unfortunately the news has been more of the same stories that have become the defining traits of the "revival" of the former Presto Plant. This week we are treated to the City Commission assisting Marietta in the procurement of another $200,000 in tax dollars. Obviously we the people have become the venture capitalists intended to buy votes for politicians who cannot even keep the streets paved. So why is Marietta Biscuit Company begging for yet another handout from the taxpayers?

The one positive thing to come of this mess so far is the exposure of Marietta General Manager, Mike Hobson, as a liar and fraud. Surprised? Hobson was want to find every venue to spew his scamish assertion that the ovens in the plant were fine equipment and that commentators saying the equipment was junk were liars and lunatics. Now the Alamogordo City Commission has approved a pass-thru grant from Bill Richardson for $200,000 to refurbish the second oven. I thought the equipment was in fine shape and this operation flush with cash to go. How thinly capitalized is this company to come begging again so quickly?

Since Mike is so vocal we are now able to understand the ovens that made up the vaporous venture that originally came scamming to town, Sunbaked Biscuits. One of the more interesting comments from the mouth of Hobson is the description of the Marietta, OK bakery as "our". Hobson did not own the bakery in OK and neither did Lou Misterly. Hobson was merely the manager of the plant which is now being run seemingly competently by Fehr Foods of Abilene, TX. Fortunately Mike also helps confirm the origin of the ovens at the plant and thus, their condition.

Once upon a time there was a division of Keebler called Bake-Line Products. Bake-Line made private label baked goods. Bake-Line's properties included the Marietta Bakery. In 2002 billionaire George Soros formed Atlantic Baking Company with some others buying the cracker plant in Pittsburgh Hobson claims as the source of the ovens. Here is where the story takes a few turns. Atlantic managed to buy most of Bake-Line and some CBC assets. Almost in an instant Atlantic nose dived causing the closure of all of its plants. Pittsburg was an interesting situation as the city development agency owned the building and some of the equipment in the plant as a result of the Economic Development deal that spawned Atlantic's formation. After a local movement began to re-open the plant through some sort of similar action the equipment was hobbled. Much of the machinery was divested of control circuitry, motors, bagging and mixing equipment leaving mere shells of 30 year old ovens. These were moved to Alamogordo and sold to the OCEDC/City Commission as fine equipment ready to bake.

Now, of course, the whole OCEDC/City Commission deal deserves a little looksie as well. Did you know the City Commission actually sent a delegation to Marietta, OK to ask Hobson's friends what they thought of him rather than hiring someone to look over the pile of junk these people are now begging the taxpayer to "refurbish" for them? This kind of incompetence is entirely unacceptable and makes no sense. What on earth does what the local Rotary or Chamber of Commerce opinions of Hobson have to do with the soundness of the deal? None, but then again this deal was nothing more than a continuation of the original flim flam run by Chris Roberts and Dave Roberts. That is who brought these jokers to the deal. Now we have a $200,000 "pass-thru", meaning the money is from state taxation of the people being funneled through the City of Alamogordo to the bank account of Marietta Biscuit. Another interesting question is who will do this work on the oven? From a business standpoint the logical choice is the one who did the $1.3 million refurbish on the first oven, Baking Systems Inc. (BSI), owned by none other than Dave Roberts of Sunbaked fame. After all he did the first job, is familiar with the facility infrastructure and is the prime mover in these antiques. How would you like that? Maybe I'm wrong.

We really need to understand what is going on. From the outrageously veiled "executive sessions to discuss pending litigation" consisting of deals to save Alamogordo Federal's ass and keep the Commission tar and feather free hosted behind closed doors to conduct a private sale. At the same time better qualified suitors were waiting for foreclosure to make those scammed whole and open a self supporting plant. We got this instead.

But Mike they are making cookies. So was Chris Roberts this time last year. At the same time he was mailing bankruptcy prevention last resort lenders in order to keep the payroll going and lights on. When that failed the oven broke - remember? Line 1 is a wirecut line. That means any of the flat cookies can be run on it be it lemon or chocolate. The equipment the Roberts swindled in to bag from Leonhard was 1 line's worth. One fully operational line was in place in need of a cleaning. What else do we have being produced at this plant? If they got the problems worked out of the sandwich crème line then they have that. Then why do they need $200,000 of our dollars to expand their business? This just does not make any sense. The only things that make sense would be if they are just the kind of folks always looking for a handout or they are trying to scrape together some cash to keep the lights on. Have another explanation? I'm all ears.

Please try to view this objectively. Was Mike Hobson telling the truth when he described this non-functional equipment as fine? Did all the financing this deal hinged on come through? Throughout this whole mess from the first improper transfer of funds in the Sunbaked Biscuits affair to this latest panhandling routine we the people have footed the bill for the folly of a governing body unable to collectively use any common sense in all of the outrage perpetrated by the players in the scam. Do you think this commission lacks common sense personally? I don't. This is why I wonder what it was that led this Commission to enter into this deal that has come around full circle to mirror Sunbaked so far. We have heard a lot about how busy this plant is. Chris Roberts reported the same. In fact the "faster than we expected" was the reason for the subordination agreement that flushed the $2 million in city taxpayer dollars down the drain. We have heard of the success of the business though what we see is this business begging another $200,000 out of the pockets of the people. How can this be? Are they successful or are they crashing? If they are successful then why in the hell is the State of New Mexico tossing another $200,000 into their treasury? Does that make sense? I thought the claim was the deal was done and we were rescued from the Roberts' hell. Now it is $200,000 for the first signs of anything more than a cleaning of the plant. Oven 2 and they need more of your tax dollars? Huh?

Before you take the word of a man who has lied to you on every occasion from the fine machinery to the fraudulent claim of ownership of the plant he closed before moving on you might want to look objectively at what you see going on. Is New Mexico so wealthy that we can throw $200,000 into a business that claims to be having great success? How do they even have the time to be scratching around for another beggarino with such a busy plant? I think it is time for an audit. I don't want to hear some sorry mush mouth lying commissioner whine that they cannot demand it. It needs done. Why does Marietta Biscuits need the taxpayers to give them $200,000 more when these guys claimed they are flush with cash to make this plant go? Well then of course you have to understand that Mike Hobson is the same kind of charming fellow as are all the other natural born liars I have ever met in my life. In the grand scheme of things what matters in business is not big talk and a pucker rumored to cause hemorrhoids. Of course there are many here who see an eternal suck at the public nipple as the only known form of business.

All of this may appear little things to some. OK. On the other hand at what point does illogic and open dishonesty push you to consider the validity of your assumptions? I am in no way predicting the demise of Marietta Biscuits. They may really pull this off. With the unlimited taxing power of the state behind you, how can you lose?