Newsbusted is New for November 30, 2010 Please Enjoy The Embedded Video

Newsbusted is new for November 30, 2010 please enjoy the embedded video compliments from our friends at Newsbusters CLICKHERE

Part owner of the Empire Room, which hosts homecomings etc..., after which all those 17 and under will be subject to a $200 fine for "hanging out"

US Office of Governmental Ethics > Common Ethics Issues > Gifts From Outside Sources

"Gifts From Outside Sources

...employees are subject to restrictions on the gifts that they may accept
from sources outside the Government.

Generally they may not accept gifts that are given
because of their official positions
or that come from certain interested sources ("prohibited sources").

Prohibited sources include persons (or an organization made up of such persons) who --

are seeking official action by, are doing business or seeking to do business with,
or are regulated by the employee's agency, or

have interests that may be substantially affected by performance
or nonperformance of the employee's official duties.

In addition, an employee can never solicit or coerce the offering of a gift,
or accept a gift in return for being influenced in the performance of an official act.

Nor can an employee accept gifts so frequently
that a reasonable person might think that the employee
was using public office for private gain.

There are a number of exceptions to the ban on gifts from outside sources.

These allow an employee to accept --

a gift valued at $20 or less,
provided that the total value of gifts from the same person
is not more than $50 in a calendar year

a gift motivated solely by a family relationship or personal friendship

a gift based on an employee's or his spouse's outside business or employment relationships...

a gift provided in connection with certain political activities

gifts of free attendance at certain widely attended gatherings,
provided that the agency has determined that attendance is in the interest of the agency

modest refreshments (such as coffee and donuts), greeting cards,
plaques and other items of little intrinsic value

discounts available to the public or to all Government employees,
rewards and prizes connected to competitions open to the general public.

There are other exceptions, including exceptions for awards and honorary degrees,
certain discounts and other benefits, attendance at certain social events, and meals, refreshments and entertainment in foreign countries.

These exceptions are subject to some limitations on their use.

For example, an employee can never solicit or coerce the offering of a gift.

Nor can an employee use exceptions to accept gifts on such a frequent basis
that a reasonable person would believe that the employee
was using public office for private gain.

If an employee has received a gift that cannot be accepted,
the employee may return the gift or pay its market value.

If the gift is perishable (e.g. a fruit basket or flowers)
and it is not practical to return it, the gift may, with approval,
be given to charity or shared in the office.

Reference: 5 C.F.R. §§ 2635.201-205.

Mayor Knight and Bob Mays on gift giving and attempted Crony Capitalism?

"The Christmas ham that showed up on Mayor Bill Knight’s doorstep last week ...was a gift from former City Councilman Bob Mays.

It’s Mays’ current gig — as project manager for the company CICO Inc. — that has Knight turning away the ham.

CICO was one of nine companies that bid to handle the city’s trash.

Has Mr. Mays ever given Mr. Knight a Thankgiving gift?

.

How many other hams did Mr. Mays deliver?

.

Did any other Council Members recieve Thanksgiving
or other gifts from Mr. Mays?

.
State law prohibits a contractor with current city work or future plans to bid on a city contract from giving a gift or favor to anyone whose job it is to award that contract.

Does Mr. Mays not have future plans to bid for City contracts?

Mays — who said Knight was an “old buddy” — pointed out that CICO currently has no business before the council.

Will Mr. Knight now have to recuse himself from any votes concerning CICO?

The council was due to personally review the companies and potentially choose a company, but they recently threw out the bids to seek new ones.

Still, to “avoid any perception or misunderstanding,” Knight said Friday he planned to donate the ham. "

Amanda

Rocco Scarfone as Deney Terrio with Opening of Allure, video embedded

hat tip Digtriad and News 2 CLICKHERE  with the title of post "Allure Nightlife Opens Up with Strict Rules and Security".

Not much commentary just a little laughter, check out the 1:52 mark of embedded video and maybe Rocco Scarfone needs to unbutton another button or try out for a remake of Saturday Night Fever with help from Deney Terrio of Dance Fever.

Also Joe Killian had this to say in his article in the Greensboro News and Record CLICKHERE out today

"His own outfit would work, Scarfone said — shoes polished to a high gloss, slim jeans and a tight black short-sleeve shirt unbuttoned to his sternum to show off a large gold crucifix."

White Street Landfill, Jim Kee, Bob Mays, Paul Gilmer, Danny Thompson, John Hammer and Amanda Lehmert

…The push behind this proposal
is coming from former Greensboro City Councilmember Bob Mays,
who is the project manager of Cico LLC, which has been set up for this project.

...Bob Mays…asked the council ...to issue an RFP
so they could talk to the council about their plans for the entire White Street area
without having to worry about their proprietary information being used by a competitor...

Mays said that in the first year of Cico’s operation of the White Street Landfill,
the city would save $16 million
and would save at least $5 million a year every year after that.

The council discussed holding a special briefing
to hear from Mays and Gilmer but it didn’t appear the votes were there.

John Hammer
Rhino Times, September, 2009

"Councilmen Jim Kee and Danny Thompson called the closed session "to discuss matters relating to the location or expansion of industry or other businesses to the city of Greensboro."

[former city councilmember and CICO "Project Manager] Robert Mays,
who came to the council last week to discuss reopening the White Street Landfill.

Mays wanted ...a confidential conversation with council members about his plans.

Amanda Lehmert
Greensboro News and Record, September 23, 2009

...But some of their colleagues expressed concern about going into the closed session, with the assumption that it would be about CICO Inc.

Didn't Mr. Kee just put Paul Gilmer, who is a CICO partner,
on Greensboro's Zoning Commission?

Isn't most of the land around White Street zoned residential?

The waste-to-energy company Energy-Inc. has said it might bring a manufacturing facility to Greensboro -- if the city partners with local business CICO Inc. to dispose of trash.

What does "partner" mean?

Didn't a former Greensboro mayor
try to "parnter" with a relatively unknown outfit
with $500 million taxpayer dollars?

CICO was slated to present its trash proposal to the council, until the board threw out the bids.

...Perkins and some other council members have argued that any discussions about the city's trash disposal should continue to be held in public.

...Kee recommended the board move the closed session to their next regular meeting date to try to bring it up again.

"We need to vet these companies and not turn down economic development in Greensboro," Kee said."

Amanda

If a few purchased relatively inexpensive homes
near a landfill established more than 60 years ago,
why should the many unaffected, who may have paid more for their residences
to avoid potential hazards and easements
be taxed to have trash shipped elsewhere if tax revenues are falling?

"A 2001 consultant’s report projected the White Street option
as costing between $3.60 and $4.30 per household,
versus $9.40 to $13.30 for “out-of-county disposal,”
and $26 to $31 for burning and recycling

…which option serves the greater good?"

Greensboro News & Record Editorial Board

If the City of Greensboro’s average employee salary is about $50,000,
and the city could not spend about $10,000,000 per year
by reopening the White Street Landfill,
could the Council have to choose between shipping our trash to Montgomery County,
or about 200 city jobs, sooner than later?

Emailed City of Greensboro Information Request:

Please provide waiting lists for the Zoning Commission and Planning Board.

Was anyone passed over lately?
.
.
.
Too cozy: Board appointee's company lobbying city for trash business

Roch

Stacking The Deck With Developers on Boards and Commissions Greensboro City Council Style

Keith Brown AKA Triad Watch

Stacking The Deck With Developers on Boards and Commissions Greensboro City Council Style, Video Embedded

UPDATE: ROCH101 has a new post titled "Too Cozy: Board Appointee's Company Lobbying City for Trash Business" CLICKHERE  on top of what is written in this post.



During the Greensboro City Council meeting on November 16, 2010 councilman Jim Kee at the end of the meeting when each council person gets to speak on matters important to them decided to reappoint local realtor Paul Gilmer to the zoning commission. Why is this appointment so significant ? Who knows but in the embedded video above we have fellow councilman Zack Matheny really taking to task this appointment from Jim Kee.

There has been a little history with Paul Gilmer on the Greensboro Zoning Commission with this post at TRIADWATCH back on September 20, 2008 with a title "Greensboro Zoning Commission is in a mess and needs fixing, memo from city attorney:, CLICKHERE .

Also we need to remember that Paul Gilmer is a part of the group called CICO where we have Jordan Green from Yes Weekly have this to say in a article on opening up the white street landfill,

"The politically connected enterprise has retained lawyer Cameron Cooke, also a former councilman, and Paul Gilmer, a realtor and area resident who formerly served on the zoning commission. Cico touts its private waste disposal project as a boon to economic development in the area and its plan as “the most important element for the revival of the area.”

 You can see from the embedded video at around the 1 minute and 40 seconds it seems like Zack Matheny said something that really ticked off fellow councilwomen TDB Small who was pointing her finger at Zack Matheny, then we see the mayor bang his gavel and sternly say that Zack Matheny has the floor and enough with the rest. Just another day in the life of a Greensboro City Council meeting.

Something that needs to get explained from the embedded video above and am sure is what is at the heart of this problem comes at the 2 minute mark of this embedded video. Zack Matheny had this to say

" When you tell me your gonna "

Then Zack Matheny catches himself mid sentence after this quote above then he mumbles

 "i just this is a tough one for me out of the blue"

It would be great to know what more Zack Matheny wanted to say about the appointment of Paul Gilmer back on the zoning commission where in the past week he had talked with Zack and was interested in the planning board not the zoning commission. There must have been something worked out between Zack and Jim on something and him appointing Paul Gilmer to the zoning commission was a total blindside to Zack.

There has been a lot of controversy over how the Greensboro City Council appoints it's members to certain boards and commissions. Back in around July of 2009 we had the Greensboro Neighborhood Congress address the Greensboro City Council on the need for a change in how the council appoints people to boards and commissions. Here is what was stated in the scuttlebutt section of the weekly paper called Yes Weekly!

"Call for more diversity on Greensboro boards made The Greensboro Neighborhood Congress presented a proposal to the Greensboro City Council on July 21 to reform the process of appointing citizens to city boards and commissions. The congress’ recommendations include making boards and commissions more representative by gender, district, ethnicity and profession, conducting an annual analysis of the demographic composition of the citizen boards and requiring that applicants provide relevant personal information. One oft-made criticism of city boards and commissions is that they’re stacked with real estate professionals. District 5 Councilwoman Trudy Wade suggested that the city consider moving meeting times later in the day that would accommodate more citizens’ schedules, and speculated that “people in real estate and development may have more flexible schedules that allow them to serve on boards.” — JG "

As we have seen with this appointment of Paul Gilmer a local realtor to return back to the zoning commission, this is just par for the course where we have plenty of instances in the past to show you how the local lobbyist group called TREBIC which stands for the Triad Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition likes to stack the deck on these boards and commissions. Here is a few post on TRIADWATCH from the past on this subject.

Marlene Sanford, Greensboro Partnership, TREBIC = Stacking The Deck on Boards and Commissions


CLICKHERE


Here Is What Stack The Deck with TREBIC Developers Looks Like in Greensboro N.C. on CAT Team
CLICKHERE

TREBIC + RUCO = Fox Guarding The Hen House
CLICKHERE

It is amazing how someone like realtor Paul Gilmer gets to jump all the people who are waiting in the databank line to serve on a board or commission and he has already served his time a few years ago but gets to be reappointed to the zoning commission. This appointment is just one instance of how certain council members want to stack the deck in the favor of TREBIC and we haven't even talked about mary skenes, betty smith, gary wolf, russ parmele, rick pinto, de sean alston, chuck truby might be on 2 boards, and  plenty of commissions who were completely tilted to the real estate lobbyist group called TREBIC. It is time for everyone to be aware of what is going on and there needs to be a complete analysis of just how many people are waiting in the databank to serve Greensboro city council on a board or commission but to see someone like Paul Gilmer jump everyone in line is not fair to the other people and the process. Time for a complete overhaul and a fair process for all the citizens not just the select few with connections.

Abner Doon

"In Orson Scott Card's The Worthing Saga
...Abner Doon is the person
out of the past of The Worthing Saga universe
who put everything into motion.

It is due to him that things are the way they are,
and it is to him that everyone owes thanks
for a better tomorrow.

What did he do to bring it about?

He destroyed everything.

The old universe was a decadent empire
where those with wealth and power
could extend their ability to keep things in stasis
by thousands of years.

...The result was a predictably stagnant and hopeless society.

How Abner brings about the fall of the empire
is never directly addressed,
but is alluded to in the way he plays a game...

In one of the worldwide tournaments
where players purchased the rights to play nations
in a computer simulation that began in 1914,
one player had managed to build Italy into a powerful empire
on the verge of global domination.

It was a beautiful and seemingly immortal political creation
that inspired the world of entertainment and academics,
if merely a hologram.

Abner buys the rights to play Italy, refuses to sell,
and destroys it by carefully orchestrating corruption,
oppression, and aggressiveness
in a way that leads not to isolated rebellion,
but a total and simultaneous collapse into anarchy.

When Doon topples the real empire,
he does a thorough enough job to bring a halt to space travel
for thousands of years.

And out of the ashes rises are more diversified humanity
better equipped to plumb the depths of time and space.

Doon the destroyer.

Doon the serpent.

Doon the messiah.

...When does a life of comfort and stasis cease to be life?

How much adventure and uncertainty do we need to be human,
and when do we slip deep enough into routine that we cease to be?

How much destruction is justifiable in an act of creation?

Is playing the devil any worse than playing God?

How much does one individual have the right
to force on all humanity?

Maybe Abner Doon
was good and evil, just and wrong,
God and anti-God at the same time.

Maybe all those people are who enter and leave this world
leaving life unimaginable without them as much as with them."

Justin

"Jason thinks–he knows–that what Abner Doon did resurrected life,

resurrected humanity’s soul.

Yes, it caused pain.

Yes, it caused discomfort.

Yes, it caused upset and confusion and turmoil.

But it was in humanity’s best interest.

Or so we’re told.

...I think people–collectively and individually–like comfort,

like complacency,

like knowing what’s going on, like feeling safe.

But it is in times where you don’t know,

times of uncertainty,

times where you’re challenged,

where you struggle that you learn,

that you grow, that you become.

Pain and suffering and endurance

are often the catalyst for people becoming better,

stronger, smarter, more capable.

Some people fear change.

Some people accept it and adapt.

Some always look back to what they had before,

they glamorize what once was

–or what might have been.

Others live in the moment.

Still others live and dream about the future.

I don’t know that there is a “right” way to live

…but I feel certain

that living too much in the past, present, or future

could be a bad thing.

“After the worlds were slain by Abner Doon,

ten thousand years of darkness passed

before the fires again burned their threads

between the stars.”

“The Unmaker of the Universe?

The Breaker of Man?

The Waker from the Sleep of Life?”

Becky

"Curfew question": Was the Greensboro News & Record's Editorial Board for the curfew before being against it?

Obviously, the first thing you do to address a growing problem of adults behaving badly in downtown Greensboro is ... to restrict their kids?

That seems to be the message from the City Council, which last week voted to impose a new curfew in the center city for teens younger than 18, effective on Jan. 1. ...the curfew, in particular, seems an odd place to begin.

The new measures have drawn support from Downtown Greensboro Inc...

Some ideas are solid, including an 11 p.m. downtown curfew for anyone under 18.

Greensboro News & Record Editorial Board, Friday, November 12, 2010

The Winston-Salem man ...was 22 years old. The man who waved a gun ...was 23. The man who seriously wounded another man ...was 37. The man fatally shot ...was 31.

...local teens have not been shooting up the center city, they are not old enough to drink or to enter many of the establishments that do business there between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., the hours the curfew will cover.

...teens rank low on the list of threats to downtown safety in Greensboro, police say.

How good is any adult in distinguishing a 16-year-old from an 18-year-old?

Should the Editorial Board have asked about enforcement
before endorsing and promoting the curfew nine days ago,
before Greensboro's City Council voted for the curfew?

Then there are the numerous loopholes in the ordinance, whose exceptions include a minor:

...Who is exercising his or her First Amendment rights, such as freedom of religion, speech or right of assembly

(how in the world is a cop on the beat supposed to interpret that one?).

Should the Editorial Board have asked about enforcement
before endorsing the curfew nine days ago,
before Greensboro's City Council voted for the curfew?

Parents and guardians who allow their children to break the curfew would be charged with a misdemeanor and face fines up to $200, as would any business owner who admits minors during curfew hours.

Businesses are going to get fined
if a customer of unknown age buys some chicken wings
who then gets cought above ground?

...the curfew seems to have been concocted out of a desire to do something, anything, fast, regardless of whether it actually will solve any problems. When asked his opinion, police Chief Ken Miller said ...“I’m not comfortable with the process we went through to get there,” he said, adding that the process to impose it seemed to lack “thoughtful analysis.”

Some ideas are solid,
including an 11 p.m. downtown curfew
for anyone under 18.
.
Greensboro News & Record Editorial Board
Friday, November 12, 2010

.
More critical to downtown safety, obviously, is not teens but the 14 nightclubs in the center city and their patrons.

If it's not really about all 14 night clubs,
but the nightclubs catering to populations that create a poor "perception,"
why can't the Editorial Board say it?

More substantive measures have been proposed to directly govern how they conduct business and how they protect their customers. They include requiring an entertainment permit for clubs and city-mandated rules for the hiring, training and conduct of club security personnel.

And, ultimately, rethinking where clubs should be located.

Should government determine where some entrepreneurs should run businesses,
after coaxing them to locate downtown in the first place?

Only when these ideas are considered urgently and carefully will the rubber truly hit the road in the quest for safer downtown streets.

"urgently and carefully"?

Greensboro News & Record Editorial Board, Sunday, November 21, 2010

.

If the Editorial Board backtracks after supporting the curfew,
should they acknoledge the flip?

.

Could many believe some relatively affluent “stakeholders”

are trying to get government to discourage young minorities

away from Downtown Greensboro?

.

Should the Editorial Board disclose the News & Record's proximity to downtown

as well as their status as a "downtown stakeholder?

.

"...To ensure that our credibility is not damaged,

staff members have a special responsibility to avoid conflicts of interest

or any activity that would compromise their journalistic integrity."

.
CODE OF ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISMLANDMARK NEWSPAPERS

.

Our news reports should never be influenced

by the private interests of the owners

or of any other group.

.

Frank BattenFormer Chairman of Landmark Communications

Scott Yost and Donald Patterson on the Downtown Wyndham, with a couple questions for Skip Alston

"...hotel proponents appeared outright angry at county officials who wanted to see some evidence of the financial viability of the project before sending it to Raleigh for consideration for the special funding.

...after the Guilford County Board of Commissioners signed off on the project at their Thursday, Oct. 7, 2010, meeting, the hotel proponents have seemingly been having difficulties in moving forward.
.

At what point should some Guilford County's Commissioners
be ashamed of themselves?

.
...A representative of M.R. Beal & Co. said the firm wouldn't loan the money to the hotel group until it had placed the bonds with investors.

...[Mary Nash Rusher, the bond counsel for Guilford County, wrote] "given the need to secure the additional tax credit-equity financing as well as the placement of the debt for this transaction, the Company is not in a position to be on the agenda for the meeting of the Local Government Commission ("LGC") on December 7, 2010.""
.

Did the tax credit financing not go either?

.
Scott Yost

"“This is not a pot of money,” said Rusher, ...You still have a find a lender.”

.

Does Skip still get to keep his "fee"?

.

So far, the developers have not been able to do that.

.

How could some describe a "fee" for a Guilford County Commissioner/Real Estate Broker,
who may receive a real estate brokerage commission
for a transaction that never occurrs?

.
“The company ...is working diligently to identify a bond purchaser for the transaction.”

.

Was the "fee" paid before or after
Guilford County Commissioners adopted new ethics rules?

.
Efforts to reach the developers of the project were unsuccessful."

Donald Patterson

Newsbusted is New for November 19, 2010 Please Enjoy The Embedded Video Compliments of Newsbusters

Newsbusted is new for November 19, 2010 please enjoy the embedded video compliments from our friends at newsbusters CLICKHERE

The Greensboro News & Record's Code of Ethics

...Excellence cannot flourish without criticism.

We need criticism and should seek it.

Frank Batten
Former Chairman of Landmark Communications

CODE OF ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM
LANDMARK NEWSPAPERS

"The independence of our editors, reporters and photographers
is not for sale...."

Frank Batten
Former Chairman of Landmark Communications

...To ensure that our credibility is not damaged,
staff members have a special responsibility to avoid conflicts of interest
or any activity that would compromise their journalistic integrity.

...staff members should not cover or make news decisions about groups they belong to.

Our editorials should exhibit vigor and courage,
always respectful of contrary opinion,
never tailored to the whims of the editor or publisher.

Frank Batten
Former Chairman of Landmark Communications

* Paid or volunteer public relations work
for any organization whose operations are covered by the newspaper
is discouraged and must be approved
by the department head, managing editor or editor.

Our news reports should never be influenced
by the private interests of the owners
or of any other group.

Frank Batten
Former Chairman of Landmark Communications

* Membership on boards of charitable or cultural organizations
that are covered by our newspaper -- the SPCA, United Way, theater groups, etc.
must be approved by the managing editor or editor.

Lacking trust,
a newspaper cannot serve or advance any worthy purpose.

Frank Batten
Former Chairman of Landmark Communications

* It is inappropriate for staff members
to appear publicly on behalf of a civic group or themselves.

Our editorials should exhibit vigor and courage,
always respectful of contrary opinion,
never tailored to the whims of the editor or publisher.

Frank Batten
Former Chairman of Landmark Communications

Guiding questions

* Could your action, comments, donation or display
cause people to reasonably doubt your objectivity or that of the newspaper?

...We must never pander to passions or forget for a moment
the power of the printed word to do wrong as well as to right wrong.

Frank Batten
Former Chairman of Landmark Communications

* Could it be construed that the newspaper and its staff
are giving special treatment to the group?

* Does your public role intersect with your work?

Our editorials should exhibit vigor and courage,
always respectful of contrary opinion,
never tailored to the whims of the editor or publisher.

Frank Batten
Former Chairman of Landmark Communications

* Staff members may not have financial investments in companies they cover.

Our news reports should never be influenced
by the private interests of the owners
or of any other group.

Frank Batten
Former Chairman of Landmark Communications

Employees must never become obligated to news sources,
advertisers, suppliers or any person or organization by receiving gifts or favors.

* We do not accept free or discounted trips,
dinners, entertainment, gifts or admission to events.

Our editorials should exhibit vigor and courage,
always respectful of contrary opinion,
never tailored to the whims of the editor or publisher.

Frank Batten
Former Chairman of Landmark Communications

* Employees must not use their position on the newspaper staff
in private business matters.

* Employees may not use their news sources
to obtain tickets to entertainment events or parking passes for personal use.

Our news reports should never be influenced
by the private interests of the owners
or of any other group.

Frank Batten
Former Chairman of Landmark Communications

We report stories involving the News & Record,
Landmark Communications and its executives as rigorously as any other.

* Report all sides of a story.

We are upfront with readers about what we don't know
and about evidence that contradicts the main finding of a news story.

* Have we given accused persons a chance to defend themselves?

We need criticism and should seek it.

Lacking trust,
a newspaper cannot serve or advance any worthy purpose...

Frank Batten
Former Chairman of Landmark Communications

We expect every staff member to respond to every communication from a reader,
whether a letter, phone call or e-mail, whether a compliment or complaint.

To be trusted, we have to be seen as decent, caring and courteous people.

That means listening, acknowledging when we’re wrong
and taking action to correct our mistakes.

CODE OF ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM
LANDMARK NEWSPAPERS

Did Zack and Robbie violate the "spirit of the law" by meeting with TREBIC behind closed doors on the sidewalk issue before a City Council vote?

...it raises the question of whether it is violating the spirit of the law,
which is meant to ensure the public's business is done in public.

Amanda Lehmert

Greensboro City Council Member Zack Matheny Did Receive Free Tickets To Greensboro Coliseum Video Embedded

NOTE: if you see a blank screen above please click it on and the embedded video will show up,

During the November 9, 2010 Greensboro City Council meeting, fellow contributor to TRIADWATCH George Hartzman spoke to council members on a agenda item which turned into talking about them receiving free tickets to events at the Greensboro Coliseum. As you can see in the above embedded video we now have Greensboro City Council Member Zack Matheny on record telling everyone that he did receive free tickets to the Greensboro Coliseum.

This all started back February 20, 2010 with a post titled "Free Tickets to Coliseum Handed Out By Greensboro City Council Members, Is This Legal, Ethical or Conflict of Interest?" CLICKHERE .
This is where Greensboro City Council member Danny Thompson thanked fellow council members for letting them have their allotment of circus tickets for him to use.

Now this past week when George Hartzman asked the question again we have Zack Matheny go on record as saying he received and used the circus tickets free of charge . Will the local media talk about this issue probably not because everyone one of them are also on the free ticket trough with barter agreements from print, weekly newspapers and news 2. If you would like to see barter agreements with local businesses CLICKHERE  .

This is serious stuff where we have a local ABC General Manager getting fired for receiving free meals and tickets  but not any ramifications or policy changes when the Greensboro City Council members receives free tickets to events out at the Greensboro Coliseum. The Greensboro City Council on a regular basis votes on plenty of issues in regards to the Greensboro Coliseum and knowing that they get free tickets to events out at coliseum is completely unethical and should be abolished.

Email to Howard Coble: Will those who voted for 2010's healthcare legislation, who also vote to eliminate Medicare cuts, betray the electorate?

If Medicare Cuts
are part of what makes the recently passed Healthcare Legislation “deficit reducing,”
and a 23% cut is not enacted in December,
how could those who voted for the legislation
be considered not guilty of misleeding the electorate?

From an email on the elimination of the Medicare cut:

"Is the new healthcare law accounting dependent on the 23% payment reduction?

If the can is kicked down the road,
does the math in the healthcare legislation become not operable? "

George Hartzman

"That is how the administration officials explained it to us,
so that is an insight as to their plans.

I think it means yes.

Their numbers are based on the law as it stands,
and it currently stands that the cuts will occur.

I think you know the answer to your last question."

Lee Beadling
Managing Editor, Orthopedics Today

Editorial Cartoons for the Week of November 16, 2010 Topics: Death Panel, Stomping Ground, and Don't Touch My Junk

Editorial cartoons for the week of November 16, 2010  please enjoy the embedded editorial cartoons.

ALG Editor's Note: William Warren's award-winning cartoons published at GetLiberty.org CLICKHERE are a free service of ALG News Bureau. They may be reused and redistributed free of charge.

DON'T TOUCH MY JUNK

I AIN'T GOING NOWHERE

DEATH PANEL

STOMPING GROUND

Newsbusted is New for November 16, 2010 Please Enjoy The Embedded Video Compliments of Newsbusters

Newsbusted is new for November 16, 2010 please enjoy the embedded video compliments from our friends at Newsbusters CLICKHERE

City Council Meeting Open Thread: Let's Hear It In The Comments

Jordan Green tweets council meeting CLICKHERE

Email to Brad Miller: Will those who voted for 2010's healthcare legislation, who also vote to eliminate Medicare cuts, betray the electorate?

President Obama and Brad Miller
are looking the American people straight in the eye
and telling them Obamacare will cut the deficit by $138 billion.

...Obama and Miller did include a 21% cut in doctor’s fees in their bill

Bernie Reeves

If Medicare Cuts
are part of what makes the recently passed Healthcare Legislation “deficit reducing”
and the (now) 23% cut is not enacted in December,
how could those who voted for the legislation
be considered not guilty of misleeding the electorate?

Are Robbie and Zack coordinating a TREBIC initiated public fleecing on behalf of some campaign contributors?

"Greensboro council considers shifting cost of sidewalks from developers to public

...The request comes from Richard Beard
of Simpson, Schulman and Beard Commercial Real Estate.

...the ordinance amendment reveals that the city anticipates at least the possibility
of sidewalks being needed in the future near new industrial sites,
with the public picking up the tab."

Jordan Green

"The proposal of any new law or regulation
which comes from [businessmen]
ought always to be listened to with great precaution,
and ought never to be adopted,
till after having been long and carefully examined
not only with the most scrupulous, but with the most suspicious attention.

It comes from an order of men
whose interest is never exactly the same with that of the public,
who have generally an interest to deceive and even to oppress the public,
and who accordingly have, upon many occasions
both deceived and oppressed it."

Adam Smith
Moral philosopher and Father of Modern Economics

Why would Greensboro's City Council want to censor the public?

You Talk To Much

Ed Cone

"Censorship is suppression of speech or other communication
which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient
to the general body of people
as determined by a government, media outlet, or other controlling body. "

If Greensboro's City Council makes citizens sign up to speak a week indvance,
could many public voices not be heard before important Council votes?

Or is that the point?

"...Political censorship occurs when governments hold back information from their citizens.

Another version of censorship is the phenomenon of disinformation
which uses "red herrings" to distract people from some other controversial issue. "

Like banning certain "18 and unders," to sell condos etc...
during taxpayer paid for Winterfest?

"...This is often done to exert control over the populace
and prevent free expression that might foment rebellion...

Meta censorship - any information about existence of censorship
and the legal basis of the censorship is censored.

Rules of censoring is classified.

Removed texts or phrases are not marked. "

Wikipedia

"Coward

Etymology – From Old French coart, cuard, from coe (“‘tail’”)

The reference seems to be to an animal “turning tail”,
or having its tail between its legs.

...lacks courage.

Synonyms – chicken, gutless wonder, scaredy cat, yellow belly

Derived terms – cowardly, cowardice"

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/coward

"George Carlin's Greatest Moment"

"Sam Kinison First Appearance on Letterman"

"Bill Murray, Caddy shack and the Dalai Lama"

"The Greensboro Massacre"

"fight in g boro"

"Downtown Greensboro, NC - 2 fights in 1 night"

Hat Tip Michele Forest at Ed Cone

Did the Associated Press through the GSO News & Record report an inaccuracy on Medicare Cuts?

"The cuts have nothing to do with President Barack Obama's health care overhaul."

The Associated Press
Greensboro News & Record, November 13, 2010

If “Obamacare” was dependent on the cuts to be “deficit reducing,”
could negating the cuts betray the electorate?

“…Neither the [the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)] bill
…nor the accompanying reconciliation…
…addresses the flawed formula that dictates physician payments under Medicare

…a bill passed by the House in November would scrap the SGR altogether,
replacing it with a formula designed to ensure that doctors’ Medicare payments
reflect the true cost of delivering care.

Pricetag: $210 billion.

…it was that cost that caused Democrats,
who’d vowed both to keep their reform package below $1 trillion and to offset the entire tab
to strip the doc fix from the larger reform bills.”

The issue has left Democrats in a pickle:
…with voters already weary of deficit spending,
[and/or borrowing] another $210 billion to fund a permanent fix.”

Mike Lillis
Washington Independent

If Medicare Cuts
are what makes the recently passed Healthcare Legislation “deficit reducing”
and the 23% cut is not enacted in December,
how could those who voted for the legislation be considered
not guilty of misleeding the electorate?

From an email from some supporting the elimination of the cut:

“Is the new healthcare law accounting dependent on the 23% payment reduction?

If the can is kicked down the road,
does the math in the healthcare legislation become not operable?”

George Hartzman

The answer:

“That is how the administration officials explained it to us…

…Their numbers are based on the law as it stands,
and it currently stands that the cuts will occur.

I think you know the answer to your last question.”

Lee Beadling
Managing Editor, Orthopedics Today

John Hammer on the implementation of a "Police State" in Downtown Greensboro

The term police state
describes a state in which the government exercises rigid and repressive controls
over the social, economic and political life of the population.

A police state typically exhibits elements of totalitarianism and social control,
and there is usually little or no distinction between the law
and the exercise of political power by the executive.

The inhabitants of a police state experience restrictions on their mobility,
and on their freedom to express or communicate political or other views,
which are subject to police monitoring or enforcement.

Wikipedia

"...District 3 Councilmember Zack Matheny held a press conference on Wednesday morning, Nov. 10, at city hall to introduce his plans for making the downtown safe...

Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity

Frank Leahy

[Rocco Scarfone's] ...changes are not going to be enough for Matheny,
...he said he wanted the city to show "zero tolerance for quality of life issues,"...

A great many people think they are thinking
when they are really rearranging their prejudices.

Edward R. Murrow

...Matheny said that he had been discussing different options
to increase citizen safety downtown for years with downtown club owners,
property owners, residents and patrons of downtown establishments.

Aparently not most club owners.

...When asked how he was going to pay for all this,
Matheny said the city always seemed to be able to come up with money...

Statements by high officials are practically always misleading,
when they are designed to bolster a falling market.

Gerald M Loeb

...Matheny...said the curfew might have to cover the entire city,
because if it just covers the downtown then the kids
would just become an issue somewhere else...

My opinions will never change
no matter what the facts are.

Steven Colbert

...There is no indication that anyone involved in the shootings was under 18,
yet one of the solutions Matheny proposed is to ban the under-18 crowd...

Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.

Aldous Huxley

It doesn't appear that anyone involved in either shooting was parked in the parking garage,
yet according to Matheny the fees for parking need to be raised to $5.

It is difficult to get a man to understand something
when his salary depends on his not understanding it.

Upton Sinclair

There is no indication that the bouncers at the clubs acted improperly,
but there are a whole host of proposed regulations about bouncers and security."

John Hammer

People who have what they want
are fond of telling people who haven't what they want,
that they really don't want it.

Ogden Nash

Greensboro News and Record Makes David Letterman's Small Town News For This

During tonight's David Letterman's show on 11-12-2010 he has a segment called small town news and he saved the best for last with this picture for the whole world to see. This is old news to us but have to admit it was really funny at Southern Guilford High SHCOOL.

picture from Greensboro News and Record

Newsbusted is New for November 12, 2010 Please Enjoy The Embedded Video Compliments of Newsbusters

Newsbusted is new for 11-12-2010 please enjoy the embedded video compliments of Newsbusters CLICKHERE

Should the Greensboro News & Record Editorial Board disclose its "downtown stakeholder" status, if supporting discrimination against young people?

We must remember that any oppression, any injustice, any hatred,
is a wedge designed to attack our civilization.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

"Downtown defenses

...Give Matheny credit for standing up with a list of recommendations that he’ll ask the City Council to adopt Tuesday.

The new measures have drawn support from Downtown Greensboro Inc...

Some ideas are solid, including an 11 p.m. downtown curfew for anyone under 18.

Including kids that live downtown?

Won't that kill Inferno and Green Street's under 21 business?

Youngsters don’t belong there after that hour.

What right does the Greensboro News & Record Editorial Board,
Zack Matheny, Downtown Greensboro, the government or anyone else have
to force me to say where I can tell my kids to not go in public?

Strengthening the city’s loitering ordinance to prohibit people from gathering within 50 feet of establishments where alcohol is sold makes sense.

He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression;
for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.

Thomas Paine
American Writer and political pamphleteer,
whose 'Common Sense' and 'Crisis' papers
were important influences on the American Revolution

...A new “entertainment license” would force accountability on club owners because it could be revoked for violations of city ordinances. Existing legal mechanisms for shutting down clubs are difficult and time-consuming, or rely on state agencies. This could be relatively swift and sure.

And more manipulatable?

The attempt or act to artificially change the price of an asset
with the intent to make a profit.

Manipulation

A proposed $5 parking fee in city decks after 9 p.m. is meant to raise money to increase security there.

Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs.

Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy
35th US President

...Police Chief Ken Miller...declined to say police would use violations of a loitering ordinance as probable cause to search people or vehicles for weapons.

The Greensboro News & Record Editorial Board

And slay them (the infidels) wherever you catch them,
and turn them out from where they have turned you out,
for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter.

Quran, 651 AD

Could many believe some relatively affluent “stakeholders” are trying to get government to discourage young minorities away from Downtown Greensboro?

Crude classifications and false generalizations
are the curse of organized life

H G Wells

Should we hate, slur, scapegoat, resent, envy, stigmatize
or stereotypically generalize when threatened?

It is an unmistakable lesson of history that when one group of people
starts to see another group of people
as ‘other,’ or as ‘different,’ as ‘undeserving,’
as ‘inferior,’
ill treatment inevitably follows.

Air Force Reserve Major David J R Frakt

Email between NC Department of State Treasurer Deputy Director of Communications Heather Strickland and George Hartzman on the Downtown Hotel Project

The Local Government Commission has not received an application for the Greensboro Hotel project you were inquiring about. Please let me know if there is any other additional information or resources that I can provide you with.

Thanks,

Heather Strickland
Deputy Director of Communications
NC Department of State Treasurer
October 18, 2010
.
.
Thanks Heather,

When is the meeting to approve ARRA bonds, and when is the deadline for apps to be submitted?

How many of the expected apps have been submitted?

If the hotel app is submitted, can you forward it?

Who does the due diligence at treasury?

George Hartzman
October 18, 2010
.
.
George,

ARRA bonds are approved at the regular meetings of the LGC which are held the first Tuesday of each month. Recovery Zone Facility Bond (RZFB) projects applications are made using the Industrial Revenue Bond application which we request to be filed at least 15 days prior to the LGC meeting.

The LGC has approved 11 RZFB projects to date. There are two RZFB projects that may be on the Nov 2. LGC agenda. Applications are considered public documents that are provided upon request.

State and Local Government Finance Division staff (staff to the LGC) review all application to ensure the necessity and expedience of the project; that borrowings are for an adequate but not excessive amount; that the unit has good debt management practices; that utility rates and tax rates needed to finance the project are reasonable; the marketability of the debt; and the feasibility of the project and debt issue.

Thanks,

Heather Strickland
Deputy Director of Communications
NC Department of State Treasurer
October 20, 2010
.
.
Just to recap, the Urban Hotel Group, and Elm Street LLC have not applied to date for Greensboro's downtown Wyndham?

Is the 15 days a rigid rule, or could you make exceptions?

g
October 20, 2010
.
.
The Local Government Commission has not received an application for the Greensboro Hotel project.

For Industrial Revenue Bond Projects, which the RZFB are similar in that the borrowers are private entities, most of the legal proceedings have taken place and the various bond documents are in final or nearly final form prior to our receipt of the application. For these transactions, the application comes in at the end of the process along with the necessary documentation. In these cases, where staff have been working with financing teams for several weeks, the 15 days is not a rigid rule.

Thanks,

Heather Strickland
Deputy Director of Communications
NC Department of State Treasurer
October 22, 2010
.
.
anything yet?

George Hartzman
November 10, 2010

The LGC has not received an application for the Greensboro Hotel project.

Heather Strickland
November 10, 2010

Did Mitch McConnell not understand the election?

"McConnell tepid on ending 'earmarks'

Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said that banning ..."earmarks"
...is more complicated than it appears but that he is willing to consider such a move.

McConnell said ending the common practice ...won't cut spending
but will only limit the discretion of where to spend the vast federal budget.

Republican Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina
has said he wants to ban all lawmakers' requests for specific spending.

President Obama has backed that idea.

McConnell said Republicans are ready to cut federal spending
but banning earmarks is not a realistic way to do that."

The Associated Press

Are some "Downtown Stakeholders" using Greensboro's government to wage economic war against some "unwanted" businesses?

Ed Wolverton, [Downtown Greensboro Incorportated’s] president and CEO,
said the organization will continue to partner with the city and police department
to raise the safety level at night to that of the daytime.

Dioni L. Wise

"Regarding curfews,

Matheny said the issue came out of feedback

from downtown stakeholders

who say that minors who could not get into bars

are hanging out downtown until 2am.
.

Isn't Rocco Scarfone a "Stakeholder" too?
.

Roy Carroll, whose Center Point project sits at the heart of downtown,
said he was pleased with what he heard Wednesday,
adding action was needed."

How much more could Roy and friends make,
if they use the government to eliminate their downtown competition?

Ryan Seals
Greensboro News & Record

How could "downtown stakeholders"
not refer to the publicly funded Downtown Greensboro?

Notable Downtown Greensboro Contributors

Greensboro Partnership, $25,000.00

.

Should Downtown Greensboro Inc. use taxpayer dollars

to lobby the City of Greensboro for more taxpayer dollars?

Triad Watch

Thursday, May 20, 2010

.

Joseph M. Bryan Foundation, $11,000.00

Cemala Foundation, $10,000.00

Bell Foundation (Steven D. Bell), $5,000.00

Brown Investment Properties, $1,500.00

Greensboro Regional Realtors Association, $1,210.00

Cone, Elizabeth W., $1,000.00

Elm Street Center, LLC, $1,000.00 (downtown hotel)

The Carroll Companies, $550.00

Milton Kern & Co., Inc., $250.00

Signature Property Group, Inc., $250.00

Schwartz, Susan, $125.00

Brown III, Chester H. & Martha, $100.00

.

He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself

or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

Proverbs 22:16

Notable Downtown Greensboro Board Members

Brenda Jones Fox, Guilford County

Mayor Bill Knight

Rashad Young, City of Greensboro

Mike Winstead, Guilford County Commissioner, TREBIC
who has contributed to both Zack and Robbie

He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself

or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

Proverbs 22:16

Dan Lynch, President of the the partly publicly funded Greensboro Partnership
whose Action Greensboro gave $70,000 to promote the bond vote in 2008
and gave $10,500 to promote the Quarter Cent Tax Increase in 2010,
the Greensboro Economic Development Alliance,
whose board members include Linda Shaw,
who recieved campaign contributions from Roy Carroll and Richard Beard
right before AMEX bought their Guilford County real estate,
and Nancy Vaughan,
who recieved campaign contributions from Downtown Greensboro Board Members
Milton Kern, (downtown hotel)
Randall Kaplan, (downtown hotel) whose patner George House is on the Board
and Frank Auman, whose partner Seth Coker is on the board.

Amelia Parker, executive director of the International Civil Rights Museum

Betty Cone, who worked for former Mayor Johnson’s campaign

Robbie Perkins, 09/21/09, $100 Elizabeth W. Cone

Susan Schwartz, board member of the Children’s Museum,
which received $100,000 from Greensboro’s 2010/11 budget
that was set to cut crossing gaurds and loose leaf collection
but then amazingly ended up spending $1 million more than last year.

Robbie Perkins 09/17/09 $100

Zack Matheny, 09/13/07, $75

Zack Matheny, 09/09/09, $100

Milton Kern, (downtown hotel)
who has contributed to Zack Matheny's 2007 political campaign.

Could not find the News & Record article
quoting Milton Kern proposing to shut down the N Club.

Al Leonard, Carroll Companies, Trebic, Center Pointe
who works for Roy E. Carroll III, a major campaign contributor
and board member of the Greensboro Partnership

Robbie Perkins 10/13/09 $250 Roy

Robbie Perkins 10/19/09 $100 Vanessa Carroll

Jim Kee 10/27/09 $100 Vanessa Carroll

Jim Kee 10/27/09 $250 Roy

Jim Kee 10/27/09 $100 Alvin Leonard, Carroll Companies

Zack Matheny 10/23/09 $100 Alvin Leonard, Carroll Companies

Zack Matheny 10/23/09 $250 Roy

Zack Matheny 10/23/09 $100 Vanessa Carroll

Linda Shaw, 09, Roy Carroll, $500

Roy E and Vanessa Y Carroll's
North Carolinians for Leadership in Government PAC
gave Zack, Diane, Robbie, Trudy, Kirk Perkins, Paul Gibson, Yvonne, and Sandra
$1000 each in 2007.

Better is a little with righteousness
than great income with injustice.

Proverbs 16:8

Seth Coker, Signature Property Group, Trebic,
who’s partner Frank Auman is a major political campaign contributor.

Seth Coker, Robbie Perkins, 10/18/09, $100

Seth Coker, Zack Matheny, 08/06/09, $100

Frank Auman, Zack Matheny, 08/28/07, $500

Frank Auman, Zack Matheny, 08/11/09, $500

Frank Auman, Robbie Perkins, 09/15/09, $250

Frank Auman, 09/28/09, Mary Rakestraw, $500

The art of government

consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of citizens

to give to the other

Voltaire

Henri Fourrier, President/CEO/Director of Marketing/Communications
Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

The same Henri Fourrier

who sold Greensboro’s electorate on an Aquatic Center

with a non-independent, non third party “hypothetical”

that will most likely cost Greensboro millions

in principal, interest, operating and maintenance costs

and who won't release information

documenting how the Visitors Bureau came up with
a $5.8 million dollar econonomic impact number
for an upcoming swim meet?

Why would the “Consultant”

who created a $14,337,210 hypothetical economic impact “projection,”

say only debt free competitive swim centers work?

Questions for America, December 3rd, 2009

E. Durant Bell, Bell & Company, Zack Matheny’s employer,

who's family and other employees have made 12 campaign contributions
to Zack and Robbie since 2007.

When buying and selling are controlled by legislation

the first thing to be bought and sold are legislators

P J O'Rourke

Kimberly Brown

Chester Brown, TREBIC
Who's family has contributed to Zack, Robbie and Trudy's campaigns.

Fascism should more appropriately be called corporatism

because it is the merger of state and corporate power

Benito Mussolini

George House, Downtown Hotel,
Partner Randall Kaplan is a Greensboro Partnership board member

John Lomax, TREBIC

who has contributed to Zack and Trudy's campaigns

A democracy will continue to exist

up until the time that voters discover

that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury

From that moment on

the majority always votes for the candidates

who promise the most benefits…

with the result that every democracy

will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy…

…nations always progressed through the following sequence

From bondage to spiritual faith

from spiritual faith to great courage

from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance

from abundance to complacency

from complacency to apathy

from apathy to dependence

from dependence back into bondage

Unknown

Should Greensboro's taxpayer funded East Market Street Development Corporation recieve no-bid contracts?

City staff submitted a proposal for the nonprofit East Market Street Development Corp.
to be the lead agent in the development of the Bessemer Center...

Council member Zack Matheny expressed concern that the lead agent wasn’t sent out to bid,
setting off a heated debate over whether or not East Market Street Development
is qualified as a sole source provider.

...council member Robbie Perkins made a motion
...to set up an RFP process for Bessemer Center.

...the nonprofit already receives funding from the city.

Sam

How to completely destroy Downtown Greensboro, by Zach Matheny?

Stupidity is better kept a secret than displayed

Heraclitus of Ephesus

"Councilman Zack Matheny announced several plans
...designed to give police effective tools to maintain order downtown

“It’s vital to the residents of Greensboro that we take the necessary and serious steps
to improve the downtown environment
so that everyone can enjoy themselves in a safe atmosphere,” Matheny said.

“These measures promote not only public safety,
but will hold downtown businesses accountable for the actions of their visitors.”

Among the changes...:

Zero tolerance for quality of life infractions that occur in downtown;
that includes cracking down on loitering, panhandling and other disruptive behavior.

Anyone want to frequent a behavior regulated zone
where citizens can be ticketed or arrested
for something someone like Nurse Crotchet may think is uncouth?

What if you look at a police officer the wrong way?

What if someone who hates you rats you out
for something you didn't do?

A city ordinance revision to prevent loitering
within 50 feet of a business selling alcoholic beverages.

Is "50 feet" just about most of downtown?

A new curfew ordnance banning minors under 18
from being downtown after 11 p.m.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?

How many 18 to 30 year olds want to pay to park,
and then get randomly carded downtown?

Expanding the surveillance camera system...

Big Brother on Elm Street?

Instituting a $5 fee to park in city-owned parking decks after 9 p.m.

How to create traffic jams of drivers not wanting to pay to park
and drive those who don't want to pay away from Downtown Greensboro
by Zach Matheny?

Where is everyone going to park?

...some of this just creeps me out.

If a guy pays $5 to park his car downtown,
will he be free to walk or stand wherever he wants?

What if he's cited for loitering?

Will the police escort him to the parking garage and make him go home?

Brian Clarey

Matheny wants to create a new entertainment license for all nightclubs
with a capacity more than 100 that includes:

Certification and training of all club security personnel...

At an additional cost to business owners
that they wouldn't have to pay elsewhere?

Require security officers...

At an additional cost to business owners
that they wouldn't have to pay elsewhere?

Install a video surveillance system at all club entryways and exits...

That will drive away patrons?

Who wants to be caught on camera at 2:00am
coming out of a nightclub?

If the recordings are owned by the government,
will they be subject to public records requests?

Why not a live cam on the Internet?

Why not inject GPS chips into our children?

Compliance with all applicable laws and payment of all city taxes,
municipal water and sanitation services, operating fines and other violations.

Why would Zach want to discriminate against Bruce Davis and Steve Arnold?

The entertainment license is subject to revocation for violation of city ordinances.

So if a business drops $300,000 on a downtown business,
and Zach or whoever doesn't like them,
the powers that be can "arrange" for said business to cease to be,
perhaps creating an opportunity for one of Zach's friends, contributors,
or anyone with enough cash to buy off the politicians
to buy into someone else's investment at half off,
as long as they continue to pay tribute?

.
Matheny envisions that many of the ordinances will be passed at the Nov. 16
meeting and go into effect the following day."

Ryan Seals
Hat Tip Spag

Two things are infinite:
the universe and human stupidity;
and I'm not sure about the the universe.

Albert Einstein

Just think of how stupid the average person is,
and then realize half of them are even stupider.

George Carlin

I will not be running for elected office in 2011.

George Hartzman

.

Did some put Zach up to this?

.

Does this have anything to do with the hotel,

and/or the Civil Rights Museum

and/or Center Point?

.

Could the hotel group use the shootings

as an excuse to back out of applying to the Local Government Board?

.

Why do the proposals seem over the top?

.

Who is pulling the strings?

.

If Zach probably wouldn't have done this in a vacuum,
who else is backing the proposals?

.

Is this a spat between Downtown Greensboro and Rocco Scarfone?

.

Didn't Downtown Greensboro recieve $127,500 taxpayer dollars

for the "1st quarter."