"In 399 BC, Socrates was made to die by drinking hemlock poison
after being convicted by a jury of hundreds of Athenians.
Unrepentant, he had insulted the judges at his trial
and cheekily asked to be rewarded for his actions.
...Socrates’ method of sceptical inquiry,
preserved by his disciple Plato and other ancient authors,
questioned conventional wisdom on sensitive notions of politics,
religion and morality and earned him powerful enemies.
He was branded an enemy of democracy,
accused of treason in favour of the Spartan enemy,
and of influencing a violent uprising against the Athenian republic
by a group of oligarchs that included some of his pupils."
...“An opinion is not a crime.
Socrates was searching for the truth."
Daniel Nicholas Chodowiecki
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
City seeks bill to tax performing arts center tickets: "The council would need the entire Guilford delegation to support the bill"
"If the legislature approves the proposed bill,
the city would be able to tax admission up to $3 per ticket
at venues with 2,800 to 4,000 seats.
A majority of council members agreed to submit the proposed bill
to the legislature’s bill-drafting office Wednesday,
the deadline for legislation to be considered in this session, Mayor Robbie Perkins said.
The council would need the entire Guilford delegation to support the bill
in order for it to be approved in this short session of the legislature,
when the body does not take up controversial issues."
Amanda Lehmert
the city would be able to tax admission up to $3 per ticket
at venues with 2,800 to 4,000 seats.
A majority of council members agreed to submit the proposed bill
to the legislature’s bill-drafting office Wednesday,
the deadline for legislation to be considered in this session, Mayor Robbie Perkins said.
The council would need the entire Guilford delegation to support the bill
in order for it to be approved in this short session of the legislature,
when the body does not take up controversial issues."
Amanda Lehmert
House Members
•Alma Adams (District 58)
•John M. Blust (District 62)
•Marcus Brandon (District 60)
•John Faircloth (District 61)
•Pricey Harrison (District 57)
•Maggie Jeffus (District 59)
Senate Members
•Phil Berger (District 26)
•Stan Bingham (District 33)
•Gladys A. Robinson (District 28)
•Don Vaughan (District 27)
Monday, May 21, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
HAT TIP: LEGAL NOTICE BLOG
PULLING LEGAL NOTICES OUT OF NEWSPAPERS!
----------------------------
-------- *NEVADA COMMISSION'S ABILITY TO SAVE $20K IS A SURE BET.*
The Nevada Gaming Commission
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada_Gaming_Commission, the state governmental
agency that regulates the casino industry throughout the state, has voted to
use it's web site to place notices of proposed public regulations, reports
the web site Vegasinc
http://www.vegasinc.com/news/2012/may/17/gaming-commission-use-website-not-newspapers-posti/
Previously, those notices were buried in the back of the newspapers.
Posting the notices on the web site will save the gaming commission and
ultimately the taxpayers $20K per year, according to the article. It states
that the attorney general's office also felt that "the website is more
efficient and the notices will be available to everyone."
We couldn't have said it better.
This on line newspaper http://prescott.enotices.org/ hosts their own
notices.
To read how other states are addressing this issue
Click *HERE* http://legal-notice.org/blog
Follow Us on *Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/legalnotices
Friday, May 18, 2012
Sheriff Barnes Gets Porker of the Month from Guilford County Citizens Against Government Waste
HAT TIP Rhino Times
Article titled "Sheriff Gets Harleys Help Counting Cash" CLICKHERE
We would like to give the Guilford County Citizens Against Government Waste Porker of the Month Award to Sheriff Barnes with his total waste of taxpayers money and yes even drug money confiscated is taxpayers money spent wisely but as we see in the article from rhino times below.
" At the May 3 meeting, the board voted unanimously to let Barnes spend the money on the cash counter – and on four Harley-Davidson motorcycles as well. The commissioners didn't ask about the cash counting machine, but they did have questions about the Sheriff's Department's request to buy four new motorcycles.
The agenda item was a request to purchase four 2012 Harley-Davidson police-equipped motorcycles from the lowest bidder, which was Harley-Davidson of Greensboro, for $86,740. The four slick new rides will also be paid for out of the Unauthorized Substance Tax Fund balance.
Barnes said the motorcycles will be used for dignitary visits to the county, funeral escorts, search and rescue operations, escorting group motorcycle and bike rides and patrol operations. "
I am sure there is a better way to spend this money in the Sheriff's Department than to escort dignitaries all over town with their new pretty harley davidson motorcycle's. You can do all of these escorts in patrol cars and spend this money on a need in the department not a want like these motorcycle's are.
Robbie Perkins for Taxpayer Real Estate Speculation?: "Greensboro may buy foreclosed properties"
"Mayor Robbie Perkins...wondered, couldn’t the city contact banks
that have large parcels of foreclosed real estate they want to unload,
buy the land at reduced costs and then sell it to companies that want to locate here?
“Banks have a lot of real estate for sale,” Perkins said.
“The regulators are telling them to sell it and get it off their books.
...Why shouldn’t we buy the land and offer it for sale?”
Council members Jim Kee, Zack Matheny and others liked the idea.
“That’s a task force I want to be on,” Matheny said.
Perkins said the city would be interested in only larger parcels
that would be suitable for a major development.
“That’s a pretty good idea,” Perkins said of his own idea.
“I don’t know anybody else that’s doing it.”
...“I will start talking to some of the bankers to see what is out there,” said Andy Scott,
assistant city manager for economic development.
“If there are some properties that make sense to the city,
we will certainly bring those back to the council.”
...Those included ...finding land suitable for development
west of Piedmont Triad International Airport and east of the city.
...In addition to using the existing bond money, Scott said,
the council could raise property taxes by half a cent
and set the additional money aside for economic development.
That would create $1.2 million in annual revenue.
Or it could reallocate a quarter-cent of the current property tax,
but that would create a $605,000 budget shortfall.
Scott said the staff hopes to provide the council with options for cuts by Tuesday.
“I think we got some serious buy-in,” Scott said of the council’s reaction.
“They want to do something. Where the rubber meets the road is how you pay for it.”
Donald "Crony" Patterson ?
that have large parcels of foreclosed real estate they want to unload,
buy the land at reduced costs and then sell it to companies that want to locate here?
“Banks have a lot of real estate for sale,” Perkins said.
“The regulators are telling them to sell it and get it off their books.
The regulators are telling whom?
Who has contacted who about real estate some want to unload?
...Why shouldn’t we buy the land and offer it for sale?”
Is Mayor Perkins attempting to bail out a local bank?
Council members Jim Kee, Zack Matheny and others liked the idea.
“That’s a task force I want to be on,” Matheny said.
Perkins said the city would be interested in only larger parcels
that would be suitable for a major development.
Aren't the parcels already for sale?
.
Aren't they already suitable for development?
.
Who would be the listing agent?
.
Who are the listing agents for the properties now?
WTF?
.
Aren't they already suitable for development?
.
Who would be the listing agent?
.
Who are the listing agents for the properties now?
WTF?
“That’s a pretty good idea,” Perkins said of his own idea.
“I don’t know anybody else that’s doing it.”
Why isn't anyone else doing it?
...“I will start talking to some of the bankers to see what is out there,” said Andy Scott,
assistant city manager for economic development.
“If there are some properties that make sense to the city,
we will certainly bring those back to the council.”
...Those included ...finding land suitable for development
west of Piedmont Triad International Airport and east of the city.
"east of the city",
where Roy Carroll's Water and Sewer less properties are?
West of the Airport,
where Griffin and Samet just got shot down by Kernersville?
...In addition to using the existing bond money, Scott said,
the council could raise property taxes by half a cent
and set the additional money aside for economic development.
That would create $1.2 million in annual revenue.
Raise taxes to bail out whom?
Or it could reallocate a quarter-cent of the current property tax,
but that would create a $605,000 budget shortfall.
Scott said the staff hopes to provide the council with options for cuts by Tuesday.
Cut city jobs to bail out who?
“I think we got some serious buy-in,” Scott said of the council’s reaction.
“They want to do something. Where the rubber meets the road is how you pay for it.”
Donald "Crony" Patterson ?
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Ed Cone on some Performing Arts Center supporters and what may look like some TREBIC member motivations
"I think real country clubbers
are a lot more interested in golf, tennis, and social butt-sniffing
than urban dong-measuring,
and the real rich people get their Broadway on Broadway.
To whatever extent this is about something other than building a nice thing
that would be great for GSO, it’s about real estate,
like everything else in this town..."
Ed Cone at Fec's
are a lot more interested in golf, tennis, and social butt-sniffing
than urban dong-measuring,
and the real rich people get their Broadway on Broadway.
To whatever extent this is about something other than building a nice thing
that would be great for GSO, it’s about real estate,
like everything else in this town..."
Ed Cone at Fec's
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Some of an Email forwarded to George Hartzman: "Subject: Dgi"
"Hello everyone!
some of us got together today to discuss dgi
and its ongoing attempts tofuck us whenever possible...
to add insult to injury, they keep on trying to hurt us with our money
as they also take credit for our successes .
...altogether close to $400,000
(don't know if we will get all but we can use some of this cash
to create some of what we want to see in our city...
...I do believe there is a tremendous opportunity to send a message to the city here...
...safety is important to us, downtown is important to us,
a vibrant urban environment is important to us...
BUT, while we want to participate in the dialogue
we no longer recognize dgi relevance
and will not be associated with anything they sponsor or set up...
while we may be forced to pay into them ,
we refuse to be their bitch...
I believe that in doing so will remove some of their power
as...the city will have to engage with us directly
...I believe this will enhance our relationship with the city
as they will quickly realize that we are not evil.
The timing is important
as dgi is getting desperate as they are realizing their diminished power and influence...
we can beat these fuckers
if we stay united against their incompetence and hypocrisy.
We beat them (for now) on the noise
and we can do it again as we are the one making the money for this city...
dgi only spends it while adding nothing of value
beside flower baskets...
we make this city cool and vibrant
not ed wolverton...
We need to contact every restaurant, club, bar and other establishment owners
sympathetic to our "pain"...
I will gladly host any meeting if you guys want or we can meet somewhere else...
Please let me know your thoughts and interest level
in this upcoming rebellion against the dgi oppressor...
VIVA DOWNTOWN!!!"
some of us got together today to discuss dgi
and its ongoing attempts tofuck us whenever possible...
to add insult to injury, they keep on trying to hurt us with our money
as they also take credit for our successes .
...altogether close to $400,000
(don't know if we will get all but we can use some of this cash
to create some of what we want to see in our city...
...I do believe there is a tremendous opportunity to send a message to the city here...
...safety is important to us, downtown is important to us,
a vibrant urban environment is important to us...
BUT, while we want to participate in the dialogue
we no longer recognize dgi relevance
and will not be associated with anything they sponsor or set up...
while we may be forced to pay into them ,
we refuse to be their bitch...
I believe that in doing so will remove some of their power
as...the city will have to engage with us directly
...I believe this will enhance our relationship with the city
as they will quickly realize that we are not evil.
The timing is important
as dgi is getting desperate as they are realizing their diminished power and influence...
we can beat these fuckers
if we stay united against their incompetence and hypocrisy.
We beat them (for now) on the noise
and we can do it again as we are the one making the money for this city...
dgi only spends it while adding nothing of value
beside flower baskets...
we make this city cool and vibrant
not ed wolverton...
We need to contact every restaurant, club, bar and other establishment owners
sympathetic to our "pain"...
I will gladly host any meeting if you guys want or we can meet somewhere else...
Please let me know your thoughts and interest level
in this upcoming rebellion against the dgi oppressor...
VIVA DOWNTOWN!!!"
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Milton S Kern, Katie Southard, Ed Catalano and Eric Robert on Downtown Greensboro "Ass Face Off" (Nick Cage, John Travolta reference)
I just don't understand people lik Ed Catalano and Eric Robert
whose lives are so unhappy and miserable that they have to publicy complain and bitch
about evrything and then post about others who do the same.
Do something positive for someone, get involved, get a life
and QUIT WHINING....
Yes, I can see where you would be disappointed and annoyed
by people revealing the truth about you and your cronies.
At least they aren't so incredibly two-faced as you.
Why would you sit in a noise ordinance meeting with 2 city council people and club owners
and declare your full support, then email city council 3 days later
about enforcing noise ordinance after 9pm?
I know that really pissed off and shocked the city council members
that were present at the meeting.
Interesting you had no response to them when they questioned you.
I don't like how you put on a fake ass face like you really care about downtown
and then do back door deals for your own benefit.
It is super skeezy.
Eric Robert and Ed Catalano have way more integrity than you Milton.
Katie Southard
Milton, your post says it all. Enough said. :)
Monday, May 14, 2012
Treason
"...treason is the crime that covers some of the more serious acts of betrayal...
...the word "traitor" may also be used to describe a person
who betrays...their own political party, nation, family, friends, ethnic group,
team, religion, social class, or other group to which they may belong.
...the term "traitor" is used in heated political discussion
– typically as a slur against...officials in power who are perceived as failing to act
in the best interest of their constituents."
Wikipedia
...the word "traitor" may also be used to describe a person
who betrays...their own political party, nation, family, friends, ethnic group,
team, religion, social class, or other group to which they may belong.
...the term "traitor" is used in heated political discussion
– typically as a slur against...officials in power who are perceived as failing to act
in the best interest of their constituents."
Wikipedia
"The ACC Hall of Champions has hosted 6,456 visitors since its opening in March 2011."
Brown said a study conducted by Economic Research Associates of Washington, DC
estimated the Hall of Champions could attract about 170,000 visitors a year.
The ACC Hall of Champions has hosted 6,456 visitors
estimated the Hall of Champions could attract about 170,000 visitors a year.
The ACC Hall of Champions has hosted 6,456 visitors
since its opening in March 2011.
City Manager's Office
City of Greensboro email to George Hartzman
estimated the Hall of Champions could attract about 170,000 visitors a year.
"the $2.3 million mecca of all things ACC"
"It is estimated that the hall will attract around 50,000 visitors each year.
"As a statewide tourist destination, the ACC Hall of Champions will act an economic engine to bring visitors to Greensboro and spearhead the revitalization efforts for High Point Road,"
"As a statewide tourist destination, the ACC Hall of Champions will act an economic engine to bring visitors to Greensboro and spearhead the revitalization efforts for High Point Road,"
...Planning for the Hall began six years ago. In January 2005, the facility had a price tag of $23 million and early renditions had it housed in the old Canada Dry Building on High Point Road adjacent to the Greensboro Coliseum.
By July 2005, planners had to revamp funding plans after state lawmakers said the cost might be too much for taxpayers.
The state awarded money for the project in August 2005, but it still hadn't been used until the Greensboro City Council authorized the release of $2 million plus interest for the Hall in May 2009. The money was set be used on the first phase of design.
Brown has previously said once the first phase is complete, the search for funding for the next phase will begin. The facility goal is to go from 8,100 square feet to 25,000 square feet with a total price tag of $20 million. There is no timeline for the additions.
By July 2005, planners had to revamp funding plans after state lawmakers said the cost might be too much for taxpayers.
The state awarded money for the project in August 2005, but it still hadn't been used until the Greensboro City Council authorized the release of $2 million plus interest for the Hall in May 2009. The money was set be used on the first phase of design.
Brown has previously said once the first phase is complete, the search for funding for the next phase will begin. The facility goal is to go from 8,100 square feet to 25,000 square feet with a total price tag of $20 million. There is no timeline for the additions.
Is the GPAC Task Force about to use the results of a Push Poll to sell the Greensboro Performing Arts Center?
30. The Performing Arts Center Task Force
"...We should use our survey efforts as a two-way communication tool
in order to share historical and other perspectives on Performing Arts Centers (“PAC).
...We should explore the opportunities
for subsidized performances at the PAC.
- We should gain an understanding
of the methodologies employed by the consultants relative to surveying efforts.
- An idea was shared to conduct a Poll
in order to educate the community about our efforts.
[Ross Harris indicated that the Advisory Committee
has determined not to conduct polls at this point in the process].
However, the poll we are suggesting is an awareness poll
– not an opinion poll."
http://www.gpac2012.com/assets/docs/GPAC_citizen_engagement_minutes_3_1_12.pdf
"A push poll is an interactive marketing technique,
most commonly employed during political campaigning,
in which an individual or organization attempts to influence or alter the view of respondents
under the guise of conducting a poll.
In a push poll, large numbers of respondents are contacted,
and little or no effort is made to collect and analyze response data.
Instead, the push poll is a form of ...propaganda ...masquerading as a poll.
...Push polling has been condemned by the American Association of Political Consultants...
The mildest forms of push polling are designed merely to remind voters of a particular issue.
One way to distinguish between push polling as a tactic
and polls which legitimately seek information is the sample size.
Genuine polls make do with small, representative samples,
whereas push polls can be very large, like any other mass marketing effort.
True push polls tend to be very short, with only a handful of questions...
...Any data obtained (if used at all) is secondary in importance..."
Push Poll
First Question: Arts and cultural activities
may include attending live performances of music, dance or theater,
visiting museums and galleries, or creating art yourself
such as painting or singing in a chorus.
Would you say that you are ______ in arts and cultural activities?
.
.
First Answer to first question: Don't Know
Response: Greensboro Performing Arts Center Task Force Community Survey
Thank you for your time and input.
Greensboro Performing Arts Center Task Force
.
.
Second Answer to first question: Not at all interested
Response: Greensboro Performing Arts Center Task Force Community Survey
Thank you for your time and input.
Greensboro Performing Arts Center Task Force
.
.
Third Answer to first question: Not very interested
Response: Greensboro Performing Arts Center Task Force Community Survey
Thank you for your time and input.
Greensboro Performing Arts Center Task Force
.
.
Fourth Answer to first question: Somewhat interested
Response: In a typical year, how many arts and cultural activities do you attend?
Answer: 10 etc...
Propaganda proceeds by psychological manipulations,
character modifications, and the creation of stereotypes
useful when the time comes.
The two great routes that propaganda takes
are the conditioned reflex and the myth.
Jacques Ellul
"The propagandist seeks to change the way people understand an issue or situation
for the purpose of changing their actions and expectations
in ways that are desirable to the interest group.
Propaganda, in this sense, serves as a corollary to censorship
in which the same purpose is achieved,
not by filling people's minds with approved information,
but by preventing people from being confronted with opposing points of view.
...Propaganda is generally an appeal to emotion, not intellect.
It shares techniques with advertising and public relations,
each of which can be thought of as propaganda that promotes a commercial product
or shapes the perception of an organization, person, or brand.
..."Propaganda is a form of communication
that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position.
As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda, in its most basic sense,
presents information primarily to influence an audience.
Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus possibly lying by omission)
to encourage a particular synthesis, or uses loaded messages
to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented.
The desired result is a change of the attitude toward the subject in the target audience..."
Wiki
The beauty of the democratic systems of thought control,
...is that they operate by subtly establishing on a voluntary basis ,
aided by the force of ...media control by substantial interests,
presuppositions that set the limits of debate,
rather than by imposing beliefs with a bludgeon.
Then let the debate rage, the more lively and vigorous it is,
the better the propaganda system is served…
Those who do not accept the fundamental principles of state propaganda,
are simply excluded from the debate.
(or if noticed, dismissed as "emotional," "irresponsible," etc…)
Noam Chomsky
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
"Downtown Greensboro Inc. to promote new arts center": What happened to the feasability study?
How much have Durham taxpayers paid on top of the costs of DPAC
to bail out their version of the Carolina Theater?
Trojan Horse Scam and Performing Arts Center?
I, George Hartzman, call on the Greensboro Partnership
to release the study underlying the "2012 Strategic Plan"
Is the GPAC Task Force Using a Push Poll?
Why would the Greensboro Performing Arts Center Task Force
hire the same guy to do both a feasibility study and a business plan?
The fellow in charge of the PAC feasiability study teaches "Decision Support"
Why would the "Non-Biased PAC task force" hire
what some believe looks like a biased, rent seeking "consultant" to study feasibility?
From "Greensboro Performing Arts Center Task Force
Economic Impact/Feasibility Committee Minutes – February 29, 2012" and more
Is this the plan? "5. Create a signature Performing Arts Center."
Should Robbie Perkins recuse himself from the Performing Arts Center project?
On Allen Johnson's not online Greensboro Performing Arts Center propaganda
in GN&R's Sunday Edition
99 Blocks and Walker Sanders for Disenfranchising Greensboro Voters?:
"Performing Arts Center: Can't We Just Bypass Voters?"
GN&R Editorial on the Performing Arts Center
without disclosing conflicts of interest: "$11 million riddle"
Performing Arts Center: "[Notable]...Task Force Members"
Mayor Robbie "Broadway" Perkins on Greensboro's Downtown PAC
Yes Weekly's Eric Ginsburg on the Downtown PAC:
Anybody hear about how our homeless child population just doubled?
Greensboro News & Record Editorial:
"Coliseum questions": No mention of any conflicts of interest?
Performing Arts Center: "LOCATION"
to bail out their version of the Carolina Theater?
Trojan Horse Scam and Performing Arts Center?
"Downtown Greensboro Inc. will launch a campaign Thursday
to promote a performing arts center in the center city.
I, George Hartzman, call on the Greensboro Partnership
to release the study underlying the "2012 Strategic Plan"
Called “Talk It Up,” the effort will ask downtowners
to share the idea of a new downtown performance venue with others around the city.
Is the GPAC Task Force Using a Push Poll?
DGI officials will pass out posters, handout cards and lapel stickers."
Why would the Greensboro Performing Arts Center Task Force
hire the same guy to do both a feasibility study and a business plan?
The fellow in charge of the PAC feasiability study teaches "Decision Support"
Why would the "Non-Biased PAC task force" hire
what some believe looks like a biased, rent seeking "consultant" to study feasibility?
From "Greensboro Performing Arts Center Task Force
Economic Impact/Feasibility Committee Minutes – February 29, 2012" and more
Is this the plan? "5. Create a signature Performing Arts Center."
Should Robbie Perkins recuse himself from the Performing Arts Center project?
On Allen Johnson's not online Greensboro Performing Arts Center propaganda
in GN&R's Sunday Edition
99 Blocks and Walker Sanders for Disenfranchising Greensboro Voters?:
"Performing Arts Center: Can't We Just Bypass Voters?"
GN&R Editorial on the Performing Arts Center
without disclosing conflicts of interest: "$11 million riddle"
Performing Arts Center: "[Notable]...Task Force Members"
Mayor Robbie "Broadway" Perkins on Greensboro's Downtown PAC
Yes Weekly's Eric Ginsburg on the Downtown PAC:
Anybody hear about how our homeless child population just doubled?
Greensboro News & Record Editorial:
"Coliseum questions": No mention of any conflicts of interest?
Performing Arts Center: "LOCATION"
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Will Greensboro's City Council accept the "Economic Impact" memo from the GACVB at face value, or actually ask some relevant questions to determine if the numbers are over inflated?
Your weekly report from the City Manager
includes an economic impact estimate for the Coliseum Complex (including the swimming hole)
that puts a multiplier on 68K hotel room-nights said to be filled by Coliseum events thus far in the fiscal year
and comes out to $116 million.
Ed Cone
I doubt the numbers are inflated...
...The $114/$228 figures might seem high,
but they're broadly consistent with other estimates I've seen in various sources.
...My only criticism of the $114/$228 numbers is that GACVB hasn't adjusted them in forever.
AB
.
.
.
1 kid in a room for a three day swim meet.
Fri, Sat & Sun.
$228 per day x 3 = $684 total spent per child.
$120 room per day / 4 = $30 x 3 = $90 total spent for room per child.
Free breakfast.
Lunch at Swim meet = $10 x 3 = $30 total.
$20 for dinner x 3 = $60 total.
$180 + entrance fee? = $50
Mall spending = $50
$280 for the three days per kid.
$684 estimate.
684 - 280 = 404
What does the kid spend the other $404 on?
Is a day tripper someone who lives in Greensboro?
Where are the numbers?
Why do they count kids and adults the same way, $228 per day?
Especially if 4 kids usually occupy a room,
while 2 adults do.
When we went for softball tournaments
local spending was pretty stricktly food and room.
Always had a hotel that served breakfast and coffee.
Exausted by the end of each day.
early bed.
finish and hit the highway.
Not a whole lot of impact from buying gas to get home.
Hartzman
,
,
,
if someone spends $60 on gas, all GACVB is measuring is that $60.
Henri Fourier isn't claiming anything about the impact of that $60.
Your comment would be relevant if someone had done a comprehensive economic-impact analysis,
in which the analyst assigns multipliers to each type of spending.
Some kinds of spending have less local impact, and for them the multipliers are lower.
The analysis (if done appropriately) takes your concern into account.
It occurs to me that maybe GACVB intends for the $114/$228 figures
to capture direct effects and multipliers.
Mathematically, there's nothing wrong with that.
But if that's the case, then GACVB is using a particularly opaque methodology.
Economic-impact analysis is already kind of a "black box" from the public's perspective.
This would be even blacker.
In any case, the real problem is that those numbers haven't changed in forever.
I used them in a study some years ago and stopped when I realized they weren't changing.
In my National Science Center study that George tried to impugn on another thread,
I used other data.
AB
.
.
.
What other data?
.
.
"someone spends $60 on gas, all GACVB is measuring is that $60."
How can they count $60, if most of the money leaves Greensboro?
The Gas station probably keeps a couple of dollars, no?
.
.
The four in my family went to Rock Hill, SC for three days.
$228 x 4 = $912 per day
912 x 3 days = $2,736
Didn't even come close to what happened.
$450 for the room.
$50 for the tournament.
$300 for food max. (we took a cooler full of drinks, snaks etc...)
Total spent less than $1,000.
Are you saying the numbers are too low?
.
.
http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=10060
The city brings in about $3,400,000 per year off a 6% tax.
If each room costs $150, that's $9 in taxes per room.
$3,400,000 / $9 per room = about 377,778 rooms sold for the year.
...$3,400,000 / $6 per room = about 566,667 rooms sold for the year.
Hartzman
.
.
.
"They're not tracking the economic impact of that money."
Says "economic impact"
.
.
"They're just adding up how much is spent locally,
based on their $114/$228 spending estimates."
Then why does it say "economic impact"?
.
.
"based on their $114/$228 spending estimates."
Where is the math and explanation behing the estimates?
.
.
Says "economic impact" six times on the one page memo.
How can it not be about "economic impact"?
Hartzman
"The $114/$228 figures might seem high,
but they're broadly consistent with other estimates I've seen
in various sources."
"My only criticism of the $114/$228 numbers
is that GACVB hasn't adjusted them in forever."
"I did this kind of work at UNCG"
"...those numbers haven't changed in forever.
I used them in a study some years ago
and stopped when I realized they weren't changing."
"Go ask them."
Hartzman
includes an economic impact estimate for the Coliseum Complex (including the swimming hole)
that puts a multiplier on 68K hotel room-nights said to be filled by Coliseum events thus far in the fiscal year
and comes out to $116 million.
Ed Cone
Their numbers are VERY inflated, by possibly as much as 100%.
Part of hosting an event includes securing "special" rates for housing.
These folks are not staying at the O'Henry.
$114 for Day Trippers?
Don Moore
I doubt the numbers are inflated...
...The $114/$228 figures might seem high,
but they're broadly consistent with other estimates I've seen in various sources.
...My only criticism of the $114/$228 numbers is that GACVB hasn't adjusted them in forever.
AB
.
.
.
1 kid in a room for a three day swim meet.
Fri, Sat & Sun.
$228 per day x 3 = $684 total spent per child.
$120 room per day / 4 = $30 x 3 = $90 total spent for room per child.
Free breakfast.
Lunch at Swim meet = $10 x 3 = $30 total.
$20 for dinner x 3 = $60 total.
$180 + entrance fee? = $50
Mall spending = $50
$280 for the three days per kid.
$684 estimate.
684 - 280 = 404
What does the kid spend the other $404 on?
Is a day tripper someone who lives in Greensboro?
Where are the numbers?
Why do they count kids and adults the same way, $228 per day?
Especially if 4 kids usually occupy a room,
while 2 adults do.
When we went for softball tournaments
local spending was pretty stricktly food and room.
Always had a hotel that served breakfast and coffee.
Exausted by the end of each day.
early bed.
finish and hit the highway.
Not a whole lot of impact from buying gas to get home.
Hartzman
,
,
,
if someone spends $60 on gas, all GACVB is measuring is that $60.
Henri Fourier isn't claiming anything about the impact of that $60.
Your comment would be relevant if someone had done a comprehensive economic-impact analysis,
in which the analyst assigns multipliers to each type of spending.
Some kinds of spending have less local impact, and for them the multipliers are lower.
The analysis (if done appropriately) takes your concern into account.
It occurs to me that maybe GACVB intends for the $114/$228 figures
to capture direct effects and multipliers.
Mathematically, there's nothing wrong with that.
But if that's the case, then GACVB is using a particularly opaque methodology.
Economic-impact analysis is already kind of a "black box" from the public's perspective.
This would be even blacker.
In any case, the real problem is that those numbers haven't changed in forever.
I used them in a study some years ago and stopped when I realized they weren't changing.
In my National Science Center study that George tried to impugn on another thread,
I used other data.
AB
.
.
.
What other data?
.
.
"someone spends $60 on gas, all GACVB is measuring is that $60."
How can they count $60, if most of the money leaves Greensboro?
The Gas station probably keeps a couple of dollars, no?
.
.
The four in my family went to Rock Hill, SC for three days.
$228 x 4 = $912 per day
912 x 3 days = $2,736
Didn't even come close to what happened.
$450 for the room.
$50 for the tournament.
$300 for food max. (we took a cooler full of drinks, snaks etc...)
Total spent less than $1,000.
Are you saying the numbers are too low?
.
.
http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=10060
The city brings in about $3,400,000 per year off a 6% tax.
If each room costs $150, that's $9 in taxes per room.
$3,400,000 / $9 per room = about 377,778 rooms sold for the year.
...$3,400,000 / $6 per room = about 566,667 rooms sold for the year.
Hartzman
.
.
.
They're not tracking where the money goes.
They're not tracking the economic impact of that money.
They're just adding up how much is spent locally, based on their $114/$228 spending estimates...
AB
"They're not tracking the economic impact of that money."
Says "economic impact"
.
.
"They're just adding up how much is spent locally,
based on their $114/$228 spending estimates."
Then why does it say "economic impact"?
.
.
"based on their $114/$228 spending estimates."
Where is the math and explanation behing the estimates?
.
.
Says "economic impact" six times on the one page memo.
How can it not be about "economic impact"?
Hartzman
Go ask them.
AB
"The $114/$228 figures might seem high,
but they're broadly consistent with other estimates I've seen
in various sources."
"My only criticism of the $114/$228 numbers
is that GACVB hasn't adjusted them in forever."
"I did this kind of work at UNCG"
"...those numbers haven't changed in forever.
I used them in a study some years ago
and stopped when I realized they weren't changing."
"Go ask them."
Hartzman
what people are missing is that the durham dpac was paid with hotel and motel tax money,
which for greensboro is not going to happen
if matt and his fiefdom is taking all the money...
triadwatch
Anybody notice Allen Johnson not mentioning DPAC making a profit in Sunday's editorial?
Much of the former mayor’s presentation,
...summarizes facts his audience already knew
— that DPAC ...is making a profit...
Greensboro News & Record Editorial Page Editor
who rarely mentions the News & Record parking lot
in the running for the PAC location
"DPAC is not profitable!!!!!!!
"DPAC is not a money pit!
It is actually making money.
There it was in the Herald Sun and the N&O,
and a press release from City Hall:
For the fiscal year ending 6/30/11, DPAC had a profit of $2.5M
and gave the City of Durham $1M of that.
...However, it was Durham Performing Arts Center, LLC
that made a $2.5M profit.
The “giving” of $1M to the City
is a mandated payment made in accordance with the contract between DPAC, LLC and Durham.
The contract provision requires that the City receive 40% of any net profit.
...net profit and City share–were down 13% from last year.
...no mention of a mortgage, debt service or rent.
...We get no rent, and we pay the debt service.
The city borrowed $33.7M to build DPAC.
...Servicing ...DPAC debt will require 28 years of annual payments
of nearly $2.5M ($67.8M total.)
...The city is also paying $275K for operating costs and $344K
to transfer to the mandatory reserve for improvements and maintenance.
The total City subsidy for DPAC is $3.1M for FY 10-11.
$3.1 million costs - $1 million profit = - $2.1 million loss?
...At the end of the day, DPAC is subsidized by City funds."
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
WTF? Guilford County's Brenda Jones Fox Bonus Links and Exerpts
Fox's Golden Parachute Is Packed With $61,000
Guilford commissioners upset over county manager bonus
Guilford County Manager Brenda Jones Fox announced on Thursday, May 3,
that she's retiring on Feb. 1, 2013,
and, thanks to an unpublicized modification in county policy that Fox orchestrated in March,
Fox will, in her last paycheck from the county,
get a lump sum payout from Guilford County taxpayers of over $61,000.
Until two months ago, there was a cap on payouts that employees could get
under the voluntary retirement program the county put in place about two years ago.
However, thanks to a change in county policy
that was buried in the county commissioners' documentation for the Thursday, March 1 commissioners meeting,
Fox will get a $61,000 lump sum payout upon her departure instead of $16,500
– the amount Fox would have gotten if the cap on the payout hadn't been removed at the March 1 meeting.
Under the current plan, county employees with 20 to 24 years of service get a payout, upon retiring,
of two months pay, not to exceed $8,500;
while employees with 25 to 29 years in the retirement program
get a lump sum payout of three months pay, up to a cap of $12,500.
Under that same plan, which has been in place for the last two years,
Fox would have received a maximum of $16,500...
The $61,000 Fox will get equals four months pay of her $183,200 annual salary.
The change, which has never been called to the attention of the Board of Commissioners,
or ever been discussed by them, was on the consent agenda at the commissioners' March 1 meeting,
and was adopted by the board along with a long list of other items of county business.
The only change in the retirement policy that night
was that county employees who put in for retirement by May 1 and leave the county by Feb. 1, 2013,
will get four months salary with no cap;
and that's only for employees who have been with the county 30 years or more, as Fox has been.
With the change, those employees and those alone were no longer subject to a cap of $16,500
as the highest amount any employee could receive as a lump sum payout upon retirement.
The "consent agenda" for the Board of Commissioners is generally used for the board
to quickly approve routine housekeeping matters without having to vote on each individual item.
...Items on the consent agenda aren't discussed at meetings
unless a commissioner specifically requests an item be pulled from that agenda
and discussed by the board.
...There was no discussion of the move at any public meeting,
and even after Fox announced her retirement many commissioners and others
were under the mistaken impression that Fox would receive a maximum of $16,500
as a payout from the plan.
Scott Yost
.
.
.
Several members of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners said Thursday
that they’re angry County Manager Brenda Jones Fox will receive a $61,000 retirement bonus
while the county is looking at layoffs, service cuts and a large tax increase.
They were even angrier to find out that they’d approved the bonus for her.
At issue: a change in policy that temporarily lifted the $16,500 cap on bonus pay for county employees
retiring after more than 30 years of service.
The change was approved in March as part of the commissioners’ consent agenda
— a laundry list of items the commissioners approve at each meeting
without actually discussing them.
Fox benefitted from the temporary offer,
announcing her retirement before the window for extra bonus pay closed on May 1.
A number of the county commissioners said Fox,
who is part of the team that decides which agenda items need to be pulled for an actual discussion,
should have highlighted a policy shift that would increase her retirement bonus from $16,500 to $61,000,
or four months’ worth of her salary.
Commissioners Paul Gibson, Bruce Davis, Billy Yow, John Parks, Linda Shaw and Bill Bencini
all said they didn’t realize they had approved a policy that would allow such a large bonus for Fox.
Commissioners Chairman Melvin “Skip” Alston said:
“These commissioners have to start realizing what they’re voting for.
If they would read what’s in their packets, there wouldn’t be any confusion.”
Still, some commissioners want to revisit the agenda item in an open forum.
Gibson, Bencini and Yow all said the payout was too much, particularly in this economic climate.
They said they will move to have the matter reconsidered at their next meeting.
...“I didn’t know it was $61,000,” Bencini said.
“You shouldn’t do something like that on the consent agenda.
There should be discussion.”
...Fox announced her retirement to the commissioners, who are her supervisors, on May 3.
That’s after the bonus offer had expired.
But she told the county’s human resources department
— verbally, not in writing — of her intention to retire before the May 1 deadline.
In a May 4 interview with the News & Record, Fox indicated her retirement bonus would be $16,500
and denied that the offer of a larger bonus had played any part in her decision to retire now.
Fox said Thursday that she doesn’t remember being asked the question in the previous interview,
but she reiterated the bonus didn’t affect her decision.
When asked to respond to commissioners’ complaints that the $61,000 bonus is excessive,
Fox would said, “That’s a matter of opinion.”
Joe Killian
Guilford commissioners upset over county manager bonus
Guilford County Manager Brenda Jones Fox announced on Thursday, May 3,
that she's retiring on Feb. 1, 2013,
and, thanks to an unpublicized modification in county policy that Fox orchestrated in March,
Fox will, in her last paycheck from the county,
get a lump sum payout from Guilford County taxpayers of over $61,000.
Until two months ago, there was a cap on payouts that employees could get
under the voluntary retirement program the county put in place about two years ago.
However, thanks to a change in county policy
that was buried in the county commissioners' documentation for the Thursday, March 1 commissioners meeting,
Fox will get a $61,000 lump sum payout upon her departure instead of $16,500
– the amount Fox would have gotten if the cap on the payout hadn't been removed at the March 1 meeting.
Under the current plan, county employees with 20 to 24 years of service get a payout, upon retiring,
of two months pay, not to exceed $8,500;
while employees with 25 to 29 years in the retirement program
get a lump sum payout of three months pay, up to a cap of $12,500.
Under that same plan, which has been in place for the last two years,
Fox would have received a maximum of $16,500...
The $61,000 Fox will get equals four months pay of her $183,200 annual salary.
The change, which has never been called to the attention of the Board of Commissioners,
or ever been discussed by them, was on the consent agenda at the commissioners' March 1 meeting,
and was adopted by the board along with a long list of other items of county business.
The only change in the retirement policy that night
was that county employees who put in for retirement by May 1 and leave the county by Feb. 1, 2013,
will get four months salary with no cap;
and that's only for employees who have been with the county 30 years or more, as Fox has been.
With the change, those employees and those alone were no longer subject to a cap of $16,500
as the highest amount any employee could receive as a lump sum payout upon retirement.
The "consent agenda" for the Board of Commissioners is generally used for the board
to quickly approve routine housekeeping matters without having to vote on each individual item.
...Items on the consent agenda aren't discussed at meetings
unless a commissioner specifically requests an item be pulled from that agenda
and discussed by the board.
...There was no discussion of the move at any public meeting,
and even after Fox announced her retirement many commissioners and others
were under the mistaken impression that Fox would receive a maximum of $16,500
as a payout from the plan.
Scott Yost
.
.
.
Several members of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners said Thursday
that they’re angry County Manager Brenda Jones Fox will receive a $61,000 retirement bonus
while the county is looking at layoffs, service cuts and a large tax increase.
They were even angrier to find out that they’d approved the bonus for her.
At issue: a change in policy that temporarily lifted the $16,500 cap on bonus pay for county employees
retiring after more than 30 years of service.
The change was approved in March as part of the commissioners’ consent agenda
— a laundry list of items the commissioners approve at each meeting
without actually discussing them.
Fox benefitted from the temporary offer,
announcing her retirement before the window for extra bonus pay closed on May 1.
A number of the county commissioners said Fox,
who is part of the team that decides which agenda items need to be pulled for an actual discussion,
should have highlighted a policy shift that would increase her retirement bonus from $16,500 to $61,000,
or four months’ worth of her salary.
Commissioners Paul Gibson, Bruce Davis, Billy Yow, John Parks, Linda Shaw and Bill Bencini
all said they didn’t realize they had approved a policy that would allow such a large bonus for Fox.
Commissioners Chairman Melvin “Skip” Alston said:
“These commissioners have to start realizing what they’re voting for.
If they would read what’s in their packets, there wouldn’t be any confusion.”
Still, some commissioners want to revisit the agenda item in an open forum.
Gibson, Bencini and Yow all said the payout was too much, particularly in this economic climate.
They said they will move to have the matter reconsidered at their next meeting.
...“I didn’t know it was $61,000,” Bencini said.
“You shouldn’t do something like that on the consent agenda.
There should be discussion.”
...Fox announced her retirement to the commissioners, who are her supervisors, on May 3.
That’s after the bonus offer had expired.
But she told the county’s human resources department
— verbally, not in writing — of her intention to retire before the May 1 deadline.
In a May 4 interview with the News & Record, Fox indicated her retirement bonus would be $16,500
and denied that the offer of a larger bonus had played any part in her decision to retire now.
Fox said Thursday that she doesn’t remember being asked the question in the previous interview,
but she reiterated the bonus didn’t affect her decision.
When asked to respond to commissioners’ complaints that the $61,000 bonus is excessive,
Fox would said, “That’s a matter of opinion.”
Joe Killian
Thursday, May 10, 2012
99 Blocks on the Performing Arts Center Online "Survey"
"In the quest to build a downtown performing arts center,
there were several bits of good news Thursday from the results of a community wide survey.
The findings:
* People are well aware of the proposal to build a new performing arts center.
* They agree that the aging War Memorial Auditorium needs to be replaced.
* People support the idea of building a new facility downtown.
Do those people support taxpayer indededness to pay for it?
Were they told who would be paying for it?
Those are the results from the online survey,
which were released Thursday morning in a meeting of the advisory committee
of the task force studying the idea of a performing arts center for downtown.
How did who know to take the online survey?
Nearly 900 people took the survey
after receiving notices sent via email from dozens of organizations
like neighborhood associations, the arts community, the Greensboro Neighborhood Congress,
as well as Action Greensboro, Downtown Greensboro Inc. and the Community Foundation.
How many members of the arts community, the Greensboro Neighborhood Congress,
as well as Action Greensboro, Downtown Greensboro Inc. and the Community Foundation
took the survey?
Other survey results: 70 percent of those answering the survey
said they would attend more cultural events if a downtown facility is built.
The majority of those answering the survey
want more choices for arts and entertainment and a more convenient location
-- such as downtown.
What an amazing coincidence?
Also:
* 64 percent want to go for a full meal before or after a cultural activity.
* 46 percent want to have a drink at a bar or pub before or after a cultural activity.
That plays right into the idea that a performing arts center
would pump much-needed money into downtown’s restaurants, clubs and bars.
Were any downtown "stakeholders" survey participants?
The task force’s advisory committee
was meeting with AMS Planning & Research of Fairfield, Conn.,
which the task force contracted to do a feasibility study and business plan for an arts center.
At the meeting, AMS officials
were asked what positives and negatives they have found thus far in their 10 weeks of work.
"You kept telling us this is a very fractured community
in trying to align people on a big idea," said Michele Walter, managing director of AMS.
"But we haven’t seen that," she said.
And Steven Wolff, the founder of AMS,
said a strong positive is that "Greensboro is not afraid of its downtown,
but invests in its downtown."
Is that what asking for money sounds like?
How much private money has been raised?
AMS will present its findings to the City Council next Tuesday.
Afterward, the task force will come up with its recommendation to the council in June.
If the task force and the council agree that a performing arts center should be built,
the council may call for a bond referendum in November to help finance the project,
which could carry a $50 million price tag."
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
If some believe Roy has more than 600 acres in the 9,000, should Robbie have voted?
MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GREENSBORO, N. C. REGULAR MEETING
21 FEBRUARY 2012
43-12 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING DISTRIBUTION FROM THE CITY AND COUNTY TRUST FUND
FOR FOREST OAKS ESTATES, LYNWOOD LAKES SUBDIVISION,
AND THE EASTERN AREA SEWER PLAN
WHEREAS, on January 17, 2012 the City of Greensboro, by resolution,
the City Council approved funding the Forest Oaks Estates in the amount of $2,043,084.00
and committed the remaining funds of the CCTF to the improvements of the Eastern Area Sewer Plan
provided that and contingent upon ...(3) County agreeing to commit the remaining funds
in the CCTF to the Eastern Area Sewer Plan...
WHEREAS, the County, by resolution, has offered to fund the Eastern Area Sewer Plan
provided the City agrees to jointly fund the water and sewer extension
to Forest Oaks Estates and Lynwood Lakes Subdivision;
Roch Smith Junior: ""Extortionist," N&R publisher Robin Saul defends ...allegations as "standard operating procedure""
"On February 28th, the News & Record published a story by Mark Binker
in which he reported Guilford County Commissioner Billy Yow
accusing me of being an "extortionist."
Yow's comments were in response to me posting online
a picture of a racially tinged derogatory t-shirt inspired and endorsed by Billy Yow
that I posted at billyyow.com, a domain I own.
The shirt quoted Yow as saying, "Piss on the N.A.A.C.P."
with a cartoon of a little boy, flanked by a confederate flag, doing just that.
...there it was in print: "Extortionist," without any context or check against the facts:
A[n] accusation of criminal behavior made by a government official against me.
It wasn't as if Yow was saying how little he thought of me or how loathsome he found me,
he was making a specific charge of criminal conduct.
An extortionist, like a murderer or a thief,
is one who commits specific acts that are against the law.
...one of two things had to happen, reporter Binker and his editors
either tried to corroborate Yow's accusation and, not being able to,
printed something they knew to be false or they did not bother to check it out
and printed an accusation with no regard for its truthfulness.
Either is a deplorable violation of the ethical standards of journalism.
...I was not even given a chance to respond to the accusations.
Isn't that the professional thing, the ethical thing?
If someone accuses someone of something to a reporter,
does the reporter not only have an obligation to see if it's true
but to also give the target of the accusation a chance to defend himself?
I was not asked to respond.
Had I been, I would have told the reporter the accusation is false
and asked him not to print something he could not substantiate.
Maybe that's why I wasn't asked to comment on the accusation...
...After leaving the News & Record, Mark informed me:
Banks would not respond herself.
Prout responded by saying that the Yow quote was "accurate."
...It is the veracity of the quote that was the matter—whether or not it was true
—not whether or not Yow said it.
Prout's response was evasive
...So how did an ...allegation of criminality by a government official against a private citizen,
to which I was not even given the opportunity to respond, make its way into print?
I attempted to find out and called the publisher Robin Saul to request a meeting.
Saul said he would not meet with me, so we ended up having a conversation over the phone.
I tried to impress upon Saul the serious lapse in journalistic ethics
of printing a false accusation of criminality.
I tried to get him to explain how that happened.
He did not want to provide me with any answers,
saying "I know where you are going with this, you are going to put it on your blog."
...I expressed my astonishment that Saul would not discuss the merits of my complaint.
He said he was following, "Standard operating procedure."
He said I could write a letter to the editor if I wanted and they might publish it.
One might expect that to be the role of an editor,
but when he or she is incapable or unwilling,
then the ultimate responsibility lies with the publisher.
If the publisher is incapable of acknowledging,
much less rectifying ethical transgressions, then he should go.
It's time.
Greensboro deserves better."
Roch Smith Jr.
in which he reported Guilford County Commissioner Billy Yow
accusing me of being an "extortionist."
Yow's comments were in response to me posting online
a picture of a racially tinged derogatory t-shirt inspired and endorsed by Billy Yow
that I posted at billyyow.com, a domain I own.
The shirt quoted Yow as saying, "Piss on the N.A.A.C.P."
with a cartoon of a little boy, flanked by a confederate flag, doing just that.
...there it was in print: "Extortionist," without any context or check against the facts:
A[n] accusation of criminal behavior made by a government official against me.
It wasn't as if Yow was saying how little he thought of me or how loathsome he found me,
he was making a specific charge of criminal conduct.
An extortionist, like a murderer or a thief,
is one who commits specific acts that are against the law.
...one of two things had to happen, reporter Binker and his editors
either tried to corroborate Yow's accusation and, not being able to,
printed something they knew to be false or they did not bother to check it out
and printed an accusation with no regard for its truthfulness.
Either is a deplorable violation of the ethical standards of journalism.
...I was not even given a chance to respond to the accusations.
Isn't that the professional thing, the ethical thing?
If someone accuses someone of something to a reporter,
does the reporter not only have an obligation to see if it's true
but to also give the target of the accusation a chance to defend himself?
I was not asked to respond.
Had I been, I would have told the reporter the accusation is false
and asked him not to print something he could not substantiate.
Maybe that's why I wasn't asked to comment on the accusation...
...After leaving the News & Record, Mark informed me:
"I had been given an instruction by my direct supervisor, Margaret Banks,
not to respond to your e-mail.
That instruction was later reinforced by Teresa Prout, our city editor.
Banks would not respond herself.
Prout responded by saying that the Yow quote was "accurate."
...It is the veracity of the quote that was the matter—whether or not it was true
—not whether or not Yow said it.
Prout's response was evasive
...So how did an ...allegation of criminality by a government official against a private citizen,
to which I was not even given the opportunity to respond, make its way into print?
I attempted to find out and called the publisher Robin Saul to request a meeting.
Saul said he would not meet with me, so we ended up having a conversation over the phone.
I tried to impress upon Saul the serious lapse in journalistic ethics
of printing a false accusation of criminality.
I tried to get him to explain how that happened.
He did not want to provide me with any answers,
saying "I know where you are going with this, you are going to put it on your blog."
...I expressed my astonishment that Saul would not discuss the merits of my complaint.
He said he was following, "Standard operating procedure."
He said I could write a letter to the editor if I wanted and they might publish it.
One might expect that to be the role of an editor,
but when he or she is incapable or unwilling,
then the ultimate responsibility lies with the publisher.
If the publisher is incapable of acknowledging,
much less rectifying ethical transgressions, then he should go.
It's time.
Greensboro deserves better."
Roch Smith Jr.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
North Carolina Amendment One: Shame on us
If some of what will, can, can’t or won’t change,
you may or may not be who you think you’ll be.
Could you not really know some of what you think you know?
Some of what you know, you don’t know you know.
What you don’t know you don’t know is more than you think.
If what you think effects what you do,
which effects what you and others think afterwards,
and what others do effects what you think, which effects etc…,
should think before do get farther faster with less risk,
than do before think?
What others think was, is and may, might not be what you do.
If thought is both logical and emotional,
what you do is too.
You didn’t, don’t or will think everything you could,
should or shouldn’t.
Of what you think did, didn’t or is,
some are more likely than others.
If some falsely told they were to receive more pain than they actually did
described more than administered,
and others given more pain than led to expect thought it was less,
can some of what you believe to be true, be true to you,
until you think otherwise?
You’ll benefit from contributed causes,
or be deterred by imposed effects.
If not thinking isn’t,
and it’s not about what could’ve been or what may someday,
is it about what you think and do now?
If life needs sustenance and a temperate climate, is want everything else?
Is attachment suffering
and/or can suffering be attachment to nothing?
Are you as happy as you think?
Does what you think determine how you feel?
If positive thought outperforms negative,
can faith in open doors be better than fearing them closed?
Is feeling 44 years young better than 44 years old?
Does possession = Identity?
Are those who fail as unhappy as feared?
Are those who achieve as happy as expected?
Could living for the moment
be the only way to live happily ever after?
Do you already have everything you want,
if you choose to think so?
If you think you need less, is it easier to take care of?
Can want be eliminating unneeded?
If non-material want can provide a high quality of life,
while material want doesn’t necessarily create happiness,
is it better to be miserable with a high standard of living
than unhappy and poor?
Should long term need be sacrificed for short term want?
Can threatened need or want alter thought?
If want isn’t how much but how happy,
can Wealth = Happiness?
you may or may not be who you think you’ll be.
Could you not really know some of what you think you know?
Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity.
Frank Leahy
Some of what you know, you don’t know you know.
What you don’t know you don’t know is more than you think.
When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant
I could hardly stand to have the old man around.
But when I got to be 21,
I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.
Mark Twain
If what you think effects what you do,
which effects what you and others think afterwards,
and what others do effects what you think, which effects etc…,
should think before do get farther faster with less risk,
than do before think?
What others think was, is and may, might not be what you do.
A great many people think they are thinking
when they are really rearranging their prejudices.
Edward R. Murrow
If thought is both logical and emotional,
what you do is too.
You didn’t, don’t or will think everything you could,
should or shouldn’t.
Of what you think did, didn’t or is,
some are more likely than others.
If some falsely told they were to receive more pain than they actually did
described more than administered,
and others given more pain than led to expect thought it was less,
can some of what you believe to be true, be true to you,
until you think otherwise?
You’ll benefit from contributed causes,
or be deterred by imposed effects.
If not thinking isn’t,
and it’s not about what could’ve been or what may someday,
is it about what you think and do now?
If life needs sustenance and a temperate climate, is want everything else?
Is attachment suffering
and/or can suffering be attachment to nothing?
Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill,
keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt,
chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench,
care about people's approval and you will be their prisoner.
Tao Te Ching
Are you as happy as you think?
Does what you think determine how you feel?
We are never so happy nor so unhappy as we imagine.
La Rochefoucauld
If positive thought outperforms negative,
can faith in open doors be better than fearing them closed?
Is feeling 44 years young better than 44 years old?
Does possession = Identity?
Are those who fail as unhappy as feared?
Are those who achieve as happy as expected?
Lives based on having are less free
than lives based either on doing or on being.
William James
Could living for the moment
be the only way to live happily ever after?
Do you already have everything you want,
if you choose to think so?
If you think you need less, is it easier to take care of?
Can want be eliminating unneeded?
If non-material want can provide a high quality of life,
while material want doesn’t necessarily create happiness,
is it better to be miserable with a high standard of living
than unhappy and poor?
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
Should long term need be sacrificed for short term want?
Can threatened need or want alter thought?
If want isn’t how much but how happy,
can Wealth = Happiness?
North Carolina Election Results
http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NC/36596/80721/en/summary.html
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CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT (Vote For 1)
95 of 100 Counties Reporting
For 61.05% 1,294,406
Against 38.95% 825,808
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NC STATE SENATE DISTRICT 28 - DEM
Bruce Davis (DEM) 28.03% 6,415
Gladys A. Robinson (DEM) 71.97% 16,475
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PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE - REP
95 of 100 Counties Reporting
Newt Gingrich (REP) 7.65% 73,380
Ron Paul (REP) 11.06% 106,140
Mitt Romney (REP) 65.68% 630,019
Rick Santorum (REP) 10.41% 99,835
No Preference (REP) 5.20% 49,922
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US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 6 - REP
10 of 10 Counties Reporting
Bill Flynn (REP) 22.29% 19,624
Billy Yow (REP) 20.41% 17,969
Howard Coble (REP) 57.31% 50,462
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NC STATE SENATE DISTRICT 27 - REP
1 of 1 Counties Reporting
Sal Leone (REP) 2.06% 505
Trudy Wade (REP) 53.90% 13,243
Latimer B. Alexander IV (REP) 10.04% 2,466
Justin C. Conrad (REP) 34.01% 8,355
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NC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 59 - REP
1 of 1 Counties Reporting
Jon Hardister (REP) 58.01% 6,726
Sharon Kasica (REP) 30.40% 3,524
Timothy Cook (REP) 11.59% 1,344
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CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT (Vote For 1)
95 of 100 Counties Reporting
For 61.05% 1,294,406
Against 38.95% 825,808
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NC STATE SENATE DISTRICT 28 - DEM
Bruce Davis (DEM) 28.03% 6,415
Gladys A. Robinson (DEM) 71.97% 16,475
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PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE - REP
95 of 100 Counties Reporting
Newt Gingrich (REP) 7.65% 73,380
Ron Paul (REP) 11.06% 106,140
Mitt Romney (REP) 65.68% 630,019
Rick Santorum (REP) 10.41% 99,835
No Preference (REP) 5.20% 49,922
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US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 6 - REP
10 of 10 Counties Reporting
Bill Flynn (REP) 22.29% 19,624
Billy Yow (REP) 20.41% 17,969
Howard Coble (REP) 57.31% 50,462
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NC STATE SENATE DISTRICT 27 - REP
1 of 1 Counties Reporting
Sal Leone (REP) 2.06% 505
Trudy Wade (REP) 53.90% 13,243
Latimer B. Alexander IV (REP) 10.04% 2,466
Justin C. Conrad (REP) 34.01% 8,355
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NC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 59 - REP
1 of 1 Counties Reporting
Jon Hardister (REP) 58.01% 6,726
Sharon Kasica (REP) 30.40% 3,524
Timothy Cook (REP) 11.59% 1,344
Monday, May 7, 2012
Who is right, Bill Knight and Allen Johnson, or Durham County Republican Party's Richard Ford?
Much of the former mayor’s presentation,
...summarizes facts his audience already knew
— that DPAC ...is making a profit...
Greensboro News & Record Editorial Page Editor
who rarely mentions the News & Record parking lot
in the running for the PAC location
"DPAC is not profitable!!!!!!!
"DPAC is not a money pit!
It is actually making money.
There it was in the Herald Sun and the N&O,
and a press release from City Hall:
For the fiscal year ending 6/30/11, DPAC had a profit of $2.5M
and gave the City of Durham $1M of that.
...However, it was Durham Performing Arts Center, LLC
that made a $2.5M profit.
The “giving” of $1M to the City
is a mandated payment made in accordance with the contract between DPAC, LLC and Durham.
The contract provision requires that the City receive 40% of any net profit.
...net profit and City share–were down 13% from last year.
...no mention of a mortgage, debt service or rent.
...We get no rent, and we pay the debt service.
The city borrowed $33.7M to build DPAC.
...Servicing ...DPAC debt will require 28 years of annual payments
of nearly $2.5M ($67.8M total.)
...The city is also paying $275K for operating costs and $344K
to transfer to the mandatory reserve for improvements and maintenance.
The total City subsidy for DPAC is $3.1M for FY 10-11.
$3.1 million costs - $1 million profit = - $2.1 million loss?
...At the end of the day, DPAC is subsidized by City funds."
Trudy Wade Campaign Finance Report
http://www.app.sboe.state.nc.us/cf_pdf/2012/20120504_112457.pdf
Notables:
Lots of cash donations
BJ Barnes
Steven Bell
Roy Carroll
Dean Green
Lots of Griffins
Henry Isaacson
The Koury gang
Bill Knight
Bill Kotis
James McNairy III
CG4C
Notables:
Lots of cash donations
BJ Barnes
Steven Bell
Roy Carroll
Dean Green
Lots of Griffins
Henry Isaacson
The Koury gang
Bill Knight
Bill Kotis
James McNairy III
CG4C
Justin Conrad's committee recieves campaign contribution from Zack Matheny's?
http://www.app.sboe.state.nc.us/cf_pdf/2012/20120501_111449.pdf
Notable:
Treasurer: Theresa Yon
Chester Brown
Dwight Stone
Tim Bryson
Mary Skenes
David Craft
David Griffen
John Lomax
E. S. Melvin
Frank Auman
Milton Kern
Billy Yow
Kirk Perkins
John Hardister
Arthur Samet
David Carr
Notable:
Treasurer: Theresa Yon
Chester Brown
Dwight Stone
Tim Bryson
Mary Skenes
David Craft
David Griffen
John Lomax
E. S. Melvin
Frank Auman
Milton Kern
Billy Yow
Kirk Perkins
John Hardister
Arthur Samet
David Carr
Sunday, May 6, 2012
GN&R's Taft Wireback PTI Propaganda
"...the airport ranks high among the efforts to reinvent a regional economy
devastated by the loss of 90,000 jobs from 2000 to 2010.
...Once I-73 construction wraps up at the airport, PTI plans its own big-ticket item:
A $56 million bridge and taxiway over the new road
to encourage industrial development on a huge site across the way.
The airport already owns hundreds of acres in that area,
and its leaders ultimately hope to assemble a total of 1,200 acres.
...The airport already buoys the regional economy by generating 12,248 jobs,
either directly and indirectly, said Don Jud,
a Greensboro economist who studied PTI’s impact on the Triad economy late last year.
PTI’s growth plan could more than double that, Jud predicted.
“The economic impact of the expansion
is estimated to be larger than that of the present airport,”...
“The expansion is expected to generate annually
— directly and indirectly
— $3.2 billion in additional business revenue for the region,
18,419 new jobs and $1 billion in labor income,” Jud said.
...every job brought to the airport
triggers two jobs elsewhere in the regional economy...
Those are powerful statistics in a region struggling to redefine its economic place in the world,
amidst a lingering nationwide recession.
“We were in a recession before the recession,”...
PTI “has been a great success story in this period when we’ve been losing jobs.”
Taft Wireback
devastated by the loss of 90,000 jobs from 2000 to 2010.
...Once I-73 construction wraps up at the airport, PTI plans its own big-ticket item:
A $56 million bridge and taxiway over the new road
to encourage industrial development on a huge site across the way.
Will the I-73 construction
benefit the land Robbie Perkins and Zack Matheny invested in
before GTCC got water and sewer?
Who gets to pay for the bridge?
The airport already owns hundreds of acres in that area,
and its leaders ultimately hope to assemble a total of 1,200 acres.
A little "shovel ready" action?
...The airport already buoys the regional economy by generating 12,248 jobs,
either directly and indirectly, said Don Jud,
a Greensboro economist who studied PTI’s impact on the Triad economy late last year.
Where is the math that shows this?
PTI’s growth plan could more than double that, Jud predicted.
$4,667 per new job to be paid for by whom?
Doesn't PTI have shovel ready land ready to go?
“The economic impact of the expansion
is estimated to be larger than that of the present airport,”...
“The expansion is expected to generate annually
— directly and indirectly
— $3.2 billion in additional business revenue for the region,
18,419 new jobs and $1 billion in labor income,” Jud said.
Where is the math and assumptions that show this?
...every job brought to the airport
triggers two jobs elsewhere in the regional economy...
Proof?
Those are powerful statistics in a region struggling to redefine its economic place in the world,
amidst a lingering nationwide recession.
“We were in a recession before the recession,”...
PTI “has been a great success story in this period when we’ve been losing jobs.”
Taft Wireback
Fec on the News & Record Fallout on Amendment One: Lex, Ed Cone and Robin Saul
http://fecundstench.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/lex-alexander-on-robin-saul/
Notable Greensboro Partnership Board Members (partly publicly funded),
which gave the Quarter Cent Tax Committee $10,500.
Mr. Robin Saul News & Record
Mr. Arthur Samet Samet Corporation
Mr. Roy E. Carroll III The Carroll Companies
Ms. Deborah L. Hooper WFMY News 2
Mr. Randall Kaplan Capsule Group, LLC
Mr. Jim Melvin Joseph M. Bryan Foundation of Greater Greensboro
Mr. Charles E. Melvin Jr. Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP
Mr. Stephen D. Showefty Koury Corporation
Mr. H. Walker Sanders Community Foundation of Greater GSO
Mr. R. Steve Bowden, R. Steve Bowden & Associates
Ms. Susan S. Schwartz, Cemala Foundation
Was GN&R Editorial Board Member and Publisher Robin Saul
one of an undisclosed list of participants surveyed for a secret study,
whose purpose may be to sell more debt
to City of Greensboro and Guilford County taxpayers?
"In politics, nothing happens by accident.
If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way."
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Isn't the downtown Greenway
promoted by the taxpayer funded Downtown Area Consolidated Plan Committee
and the taxpayer funded Greensboro Partnership
of which the Greensboro News and Record’s Robin Saul
serves on the Advisory Team for the former and the Board of Directors for the latter?
Should Greensboro News and Record employees who can influence “unbiased” news reporting
serve on committees that advocate for increased taxpayer indebtedness with registered lobbyists?
What does Allen Johnson, Doug Clark and Robin Saul of Greensboro's paper of record say
after an intentionally manipulated election,
"Don't mention the $40 million plus the city has lost, or the $8 million annual loss going forward
because of the White Street Landfill?
If 2011's City Council election was a referendum on the landfill
how could it not have been considered Black against White instead of financial and sustainability issues
if the Greensboro News & Record Editorial Board
took what most believe to be a financial budget issue
and converted it into a race based campaign propaganda platform
that brought out minority and thought controlled voters at the News & Record's behest?
If the Greensboro News & Record's Robin Saul
is on the Greensboro Partnerships Board of Directors, which is a TREBIC member,
did the Editorial Board sell out Greensboro's renters?
If money is fungible, did Greensboro's taxpayers indirectly fund the lobbying that killed RUCO
by funding the Greensboro Partnership which, as a member of TREBIC,
funded the wishes of our local real estate industry?
Notable Greensboro Partnership Board Members (partly publicly funded),
which gave the Quarter Cent Tax Committee $10,500.
Mr. Robin Saul News & Record
Mr. Arthur Samet Samet Corporation
Mr. Roy E. Carroll III The Carroll Companies
Ms. Deborah L. Hooper WFMY News 2
Mr. Randall Kaplan Capsule Group, LLC
Mr. Jim Melvin Joseph M. Bryan Foundation of Greater Greensboro
Mr. Charles E. Melvin Jr. Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP
Mr. Stephen D. Showefty Koury Corporation
Mr. H. Walker Sanders Community Foundation of Greater GSO
Mr. R. Steve Bowden, R. Steve Bowden & Associates
Ms. Susan S. Schwartz, Cemala Foundation
Was GN&R Editorial Board Member and Publisher Robin Saul
one of an undisclosed list of participants surveyed for a secret study,
whose purpose may be to sell more debt
to City of Greensboro and Guilford County taxpayers?
If Greensboro News & Record Publisher and Editorial Contributor
Robin Saul, was on the Greensboro Downtown
Economic Development Strategy Advisory Group, author of the PAC plan,
that showed the News and Record's property as a possible location,
should the Editorial Board disclose said conflict of interest
or should they lie by omission?
"In politics, nothing happens by accident.
If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way."
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Should the Greensboro News and Record
be involved with the Downtown Area Consolidated Plan Committee
and the taxpayer funded Greensboro Partnership?
Isn't the downtown Greenway
promoted by the taxpayer funded Downtown Area Consolidated Plan Committee
and the taxpayer funded Greensboro Partnership
of which the Greensboro News and Record’s Robin Saul
serves on the Advisory Team for the former and the Board of Directors for the latter?
Should a journalist with employers serving on committees
whose objective is to promote taxpayer indebtedness
insert opinions in news stories facilitating “advocacy efforts”?
Should Greensboro News and Record employees who can influence “unbiased” news reporting
serve on committees that advocate for increased taxpayer indebtedness with registered lobbyists?
Should the news industry be involved in lobbying?
What does Allen Johnson, Doug Clark and Robin Saul of Greensboro's paper of record say
after an intentionally manipulated election,
"Don't mention the $40 million plus the city has lost, or the $8 million annual loss going forward
because of the White Street Landfill?
How could a majority of Greensboro taxpayers feel about Greensboro's media not reporting
what could be some candidate's willingness to exchange about $175 million of other people's property taxes
for the chance to become Greensboro's election winners
by playing a race card over the White Street Landfill issue?
If 2011's City Council election was a referendum on the landfill
how could it not have been considered Black against White instead of financial and sustainability issues
if the Greensboro News & Record Editorial Board
took what most believe to be a financial budget issue
and converted it into a race based campaign propaganda platform
that brought out minority and thought controlled voters at the News & Record's behest?
How many know that Greensboro News & Record Publisher Robin Saul
is a member of the Greensboro Partnership Board of Directors
who promoted what may be unstainable debt on our community
while the entire Editorial Board enjoys free tickets to every event
at the Greensboro Coliseum and War Memorial Auditorium?
If the Greensboro News & Record's Robin Saul
is on the Greensboro Partnerships Board of Directors, which is a TREBIC member,
did the Editorial Board sell out Greensboro's renters?
If the Greensboro News & Record Editorial Board Member Robin Saul,
is a Board Member of the publicly funded Greensboro Partnership which funds TREBIC,
should the paper disclose Mr. Saul's conflict of interest?
If money is fungible, did Greensboro's taxpayers indirectly fund the lobbying that killed RUCO
by funding the Greensboro Partnership which, as a member of TREBIC,
funded the wishes of our local real estate industry?
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Comments awaiting moderation at Greensboro Gaurdian
http://greensboroguardian.com/2012/05/03/what-was-john-hammer-thinking/
Hartzman says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
May 5, 2012 at 5:36 PM
“Skip Alston will no longer be with us as Chair
by the time one of these gentlemen takes office;
however, I shudder to think the chief business officer of our State
would have been looking to him as the arbiter of what Guilford County needs
by way of assistance from Raleigh
to attract and attend to the needs of jobs creators in our county”
Agreed.
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Hartzman says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
May 5, 2012 at 5:40 PM
“Tony WIlkins’ “public statements”
on blog posts in Greensboro over the course of the past ten years
revel him to be a coarse and vile person. ”
Proof?
If Tony is vile,
there must be dozens of examples.
Please provide context to the adjectives.
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Hartzman says:
May 5, 2012 at 5:47 PM
“[Tony] has used his platform
to execute vicious personal attacks on other Republicans.”
For instance?
Hartzman says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
.
.
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May 5, 2012 at 5:56 PM
“cronyism”?
“inflammatory statements”?
I am not defending Tony.
I am accessing the charges of why he should not be voted for.
Hartzman says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
May 5, 2012 at 5:36 PM
“Skip Alston will no longer be with us as Chair
by the time one of these gentlemen takes office;
however, I shudder to think the chief business officer of our State
would have been looking to him as the arbiter of what Guilford County needs
by way of assistance from Raleigh
to attract and attend to the needs of jobs creators in our county”
Agreed.
.
.
.
Hartzman says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
May 5, 2012 at 5:40 PM
“Tony WIlkins’ “public statements”
on blog posts in Greensboro over the course of the past ten years
revel him to be a coarse and vile person. ”
Proof?
If Tony is vile,
there must be dozens of examples.
Please provide context to the adjectives.
.
.
.
Hartzman says:
May 5, 2012 at 5:47 PM
“[Tony] has used his platform
to execute vicious personal attacks on other Republicans.”
For instance?
Hartzman says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
.
.
.
May 5, 2012 at 5:56 PM
“cronyism”?
“inflammatory statements”?
I am not defending Tony.
I am accessing the charges of why he should not be voted for.
A little history
Before the forum began,
I gave John Hammer a packet with information about the incentives
voted on by Guilford's County Commissioners,
which I spoke of when Skip Alston received an extension on a loan
from the City of Greensboro the week before,
which John Hammer has yet to report.
Should John have mentioned the buyer was Chester Brown
of Brown Investment Properties
who represented Robbie's LLC for the grant
three days before acquiring Robbie's property?
Didn't Chester speak at Robbie's mayoral bid kickoff
Should John have informed the public
that the property was under contract (per Robbie at the forum)
to be sold to Chester as Chester made the presentation to Guilford County
for Robbie?
How could Robbie not have benefited from the incentive
if the property was suddenly worth another $124,504
after the grant was approved?
Is John too financially illiterate to figure out Robbie's benefit,
or did he not question the statement because it was in his own best interests
to support the status quo, regardless of the best interests of his readers?
Should John have informed the public
that Mr. Perkins didn't tell his constituents about his incentive request
hidden in an LLC?
Should John have reported that the incentives were supposed to be for "small businesses"?
Should John have informed the public
that the project was already underway,
therefore possibly violating NCGS 158 -7.1 (a)
because the increase to taxable property was already established?
Should John have informed the public
that the request may have violated Guilford County's Commercial Investment Policy
which I gave him with highlighted excerpts at the forum,
which says among other things, that
"The applicant must be the record owner of the subject real property"?
Should John have reported why the grant was withdrawn in 2011,
which he was informed of at the forum?
George Hartzman
I gave John Hammer a packet with information about the incentives
voted on by Guilford's County Commissioners,
which I spoke of when Skip Alston received an extension on a loan
from the City of Greensboro the week before,
which John Hammer has yet to report.
"Perkins got asked a question about land he sold
and the buyer got economic incentives to develop it.
Should John have mentioned the buyer was Chester Brown
of Brown Investment Properties
who represented Robbie's LLC for the grant
three days before acquiring Robbie's property?
Didn't Chester speak at Robbie's mayoral bid kickoff
Should John have informed the public
that the property was under contract (per Robbie at the forum)
to be sold to Chester as Chester made the presentation to Guilford County
for Robbie?
He noted that he sold the land
and didn't benefit from the economic incentives from Guilford County..."
How could Robbie not have benefited from the incentive
if the property was suddenly worth another $124,504
after the grant was approved?
Is John too financially illiterate to figure out Robbie's benefit,
or did he not question the statement because it was in his own best interests
to support the status quo, regardless of the best interests of his readers?
Should John have informed the public
that Mr. Perkins didn't tell his constituents about his incentive request
hidden in an LLC?
Should John have reported that the incentives were supposed to be for "small businesses"?
Should John have informed the public
that the project was already underway,
therefore possibly violating NCGS 158 -7.1 (a)
because the increase to taxable property was already established?
Should John have informed the public
that the request may have violated Guilford County's Commercial Investment Policy
which I gave him with highlighted excerpts at the forum,
which says among other things, that
"The applicant must be the record owner of the subject real property"?
Should John have reported why the grant was withdrawn in 2011,
which he was informed of at the forum?
George Hartzman
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Greensboro's Political Races are Rigged.
Every interview tape from 2009's race available from Greensboro News & Record
except the one with Zack and I.
The Greensboro News & Record Editorial Board does some of the same thing Hammer does,
only different.
The political contributions go to the candidates,
and then into John Hammer's pockets for advertising.
As long as the local media in Greensboro is batting for the imcumbants
and well connected business interests,
we are not going to get any where near positive jobs growth in our community.
If the Oligarchy doesn't want you,
you can't win.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
North Carolina Public Notice News, Delaware Votes for Online Notices Not Newspapers
HAT TIP : Legal Notice Blog
DELAWARE: State Senate Votes that Legal Notices For Bids Will be Published On Web Site. Why Use Newspapers?
In Delaware , the State Senate voted unanimously (20-0) last week to for Senate Bill 212 which establishes a state run website to post bid notices,reported WGMD.COM . The bill requires that Delaware:
Institute an electronic procurement advertising system on which all state agencies must submit public notice of contracts subject to the public advertising requirements of Chapter 69.The electronic procurement advertising system will have a designated single point of entry on the State of Delaware
The bill's synopsis states what we've been stating for some time:
The internet has grown rapidly as an acceptable means of communication and transacting commerce. This Act will use the internet as a means to modernize the notice requirements for procurement bids, agency meetings, and public hearings.This Act will provide more convenient and universal access to legal notices for all interested parties and will do so in a cost-effective manner.
The bill has been introduced into the House and assigned to the House Administration Committee.
Now, once this is passed, they can save the state millions of taxpayer dollars by removing the requirement to post notices in the back of printed newspapers that are often overlooked.
Where is Guilford County? "Meck commissioners to review 2011 revaluation"
"Mecklenburg commissioners
...said they want an independent review of the 2011 property revaluation,
saying it could help bring answers to lingering concerns about the appraisal.
...The board also asked for estimates on the price for a new revaluation in 2014 or 2015,
though commissioners stopped short of ordering an appraisal by a specific date.
...The vote comes after months of growing criticism about the accuracy of last year’s revaluation,
the county’s first since 2003.
Residents had questioned, among other things, how the county set land values
and how it factored in the effect of foreclosures and still-falling home sales.
...The type of independent review the commissioners approved
...is believed to be unprecedented in the state.
[County Manager] Jones said there has been no statistical evidence
to show the revaluation was not conducted in accordance with state law or other guidelines.
...“Why are there so many people so upset about their revaluation
if there isn’t something wrong?” Pendergraph said.
“There’s just too much smoke not to have some fire somewhere.”
...Before commissioners began their debate, they heard from 17 speakers
– nearly all in favor of an outside review of the revaluation.
They spoke before a packed chamber,
with some in the audience carrying signs that said “Fix It.”
WCNC
Commissioners Want Outside Auditor For Revaluation
"The staff is saying it's all OK, but it's not OK,"
said former Cornelius Town Commissioner Jim Bensman.
He and a group of residents say they have documented how the county tax assessor's office
violated several state statutes in its latest revaluation.
..."They've refused to provide information to the homeowners who need in order to appeal."
Property owners complain about having to appeal the 2011 revaluations
that they say were appraised either too high...
..."Until you understand what the issues are," said Bensman,
"you can't begin to fix them."
FOX
“No change,” said Cornelius resident Paul McMellon...
That’s a phrase he didn't want to see
after he appealed a revaluation on two pieces of property.
“No change in value.
That's the lot right here,” he said.
“It went from $20,000 to $47,500.”
He said it was a similar story for his other property on Main Street.
"I don't know if abuse is the right word,
but there are clearly some things that are almost impossible to explain,"...
WSOTV
...said they want an independent review of the 2011 property revaluation,
saying it could help bring answers to lingering concerns about the appraisal.
...The board also asked for estimates on the price for a new revaluation in 2014 or 2015,
though commissioners stopped short of ordering an appraisal by a specific date.
...The vote comes after months of growing criticism about the accuracy of last year’s revaluation,
the county’s first since 2003.
Residents had questioned, among other things, how the county set land values
and how it factored in the effect of foreclosures and still-falling home sales.
...The type of independent review the commissioners approved
...is believed to be unprecedented in the state.
[County Manager] Jones said there has been no statistical evidence
to show the revaluation was not conducted in accordance with state law or other guidelines.
...“Why are there so many people so upset about their revaluation
if there isn’t something wrong?” Pendergraph said.
“There’s just too much smoke not to have some fire somewhere.”
...Before commissioners began their debate, they heard from 17 speakers
– nearly all in favor of an outside review of the revaluation.
They spoke before a packed chamber,
with some in the audience carrying signs that said “Fix It.”
WCNC
Independent firm expected to review Mecklenburg revaluation process
"The Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners voted 6 to 3
to have an independent firm review the 2011 property revaluation process.
Homeowners packed the Mecklenburg County government center Tuesday night.
...The independent firm will review the process,
to make sure no laws were broken in the 2011 revaluation.
Two weeks ago commissioners told residents
that the power lies with the state legislature and the tax assessor's office.
...Homeowners have argued for months that they paid too much
for faulty property evaluations by the Mecklenburg County Tax Assessor's Office.
...A county spokesman says there are still thousands of appeals outstanding."
Commissioners Want Outside Auditor For Revaluation
"The staff is saying it's all OK, but it's not OK,"
said former Cornelius Town Commissioner Jim Bensman.
He and a group of residents say they have documented how the county tax assessor's office
violated several state statutes in its latest revaluation.
..."They've refused to provide information to the homeowners who need in order to appeal."
Property owners complain about having to appeal the 2011 revaluations
that they say were appraised either too high...
..."Until you understand what the issues are," said Bensman,
"you can't begin to fix them."
FOX
Commissioners Call For Revaluation Audit
Commissioner Karen Bentley is one of the commissioners calling for the audit.
She’s been flooded with complaints from upset homeowners.
They say not only that their property was valued too high,
but that the appeals process was also flawed.
...Emily Zuyus, a Myers Park homeowner,
argues that the county’s false information kept property owners from appealing.
“And I feel confident that an audit will show that the process just didn’t work,” she says.
...She believes her property is overvalued, especially the lot her house is on.
It jumped from $936,800 to almost $1.2 million,
increasing her property taxes by close to $3,000.
...The proposal sets aside $50,000 for the audit
and also calls for another mass appraisal in 2014.
“No change,” said Cornelius resident Paul McMellon...
That’s a phrase he didn't want to see
after he appealed a revaluation on two pieces of property.
“No change in value.
That's the lot right here,” he said.
“It went from $20,000 to $47,500.”
He said it was a similar story for his other property on Main Street.
"I don't know if abuse is the right word,
but there are clearly some things that are almost impossible to explain,"...
WSOTV
"...a lot of concerns are clumped in Cornelius,
where some waterfront land has skyrocketed.
...Cornelius Mayor Jeff Tarte...says the current process
is not establishing true market value for homeowners.
Another problem, he says, is this:
"It's a little bit backwards that the burden of proof is on the property owner
to prove that the value isn't set correctly by the tax assessor's office.
So they end up then hiring professionals or certified appraisers to value their property,
and then depending on technicalities,
often times that information is not being accepted by the tax assessor's office."
...property owners feel like they're in the dark.
"If their appeal was rejected,
county officials must give a detailed explanation," Tarte says.
"I don't know one person who's had that information shared.
They're just told no, sorry."
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