Greensboro Taxpayers Get Ready for a Shovel Ready Your Money To a Secret Developer , Can I Guess Our Local Crony Capitalist?

In the local section of Greensboro News and Record which is behind the pay wall so no links to article that on May 22, 2011  Donald Patterson has a article with a title " City Weighs shovel-ready site".

We learn from the article that in the next few weeks the Greensboro Ecomonic Development Alliance with chairman Dan Lynch with the help from Andy Scott assistant City Manager are wanting to have a shovel ready 100 acre site available to prospect for future tenants. Some of the proposal could be paid for with money from the economic bond approved in 2006.

Here is the kicker from the article:

Under the proposal a developer would provide the land and the city would get water and sewer in place in addition to clearing, rough grading and erosion control. The developer also would have to agree to certain restrictions on the property, such as not sub dividing it.

Local officials would not identify any potential developers or sites. "All that will be known when we go to council"Lynch said. That will be part of detailed proposal.


Can anyone guess who this proposal is geared toward? Could it be our local Crony Capitalist Roy Carroll?  or Maybe the Crony Capitalist partner out in Rock Creek Center  in Dick Beard who is Greensboro Coliseum Director Matt Brown's Head Cheerleader.

This whole idea smells like the American Express Data Center and Roy Carroll wants some back door incentives to pay for water and sewer to the development. I could be wrong on this one but i smell a rat in the making. We will see what the Greensboro Economic Development Alliance proposal is to the Greensboro City Council but hopefully we will not be hearing Roy Carroll's name on this one.

We heard for the longest time that American Expess was not wanting incentives to open up this data center but then we really know why they did not want the incentives because 6 months later they are in the process of closing a major customer service center out near the airport where more than 1,500 jobs would be moving out of the state to other centers occupied by American Express.How would it look for American Express to shut down and leave 1,500 workers out of a job but then have millions in economic incentive money coming to a data center that will employ at best 60 people.

It is always BS to hear these blowhards spewing out these no name companies that were going to locate in guilford county but the site wasn't available.

Hey Dan Lynch you would have more credibility if you didn't get quoted in paper with this:

"Lynch said one company recently came looking for a 200 acre site." They are still looking" he said when asked for details " That's all I can say"

Can't wait for this dog and pony show in front of the Greensboro City Council, with the head cheerleaders in the Greensboro News and Record  following in tow.

Greensboro City Council Member Robbie Perkins Gets Front Row Seats With Dook as Team Host, Please Explain?

Reading the Greensboro News and Record this morning with a great article on the trumpet played during the ACC basketball tournament by Jim Isley. We have a interesting tidbit that came out at the end of the article. Sorry that i could not link the article because it is in the e edition of the Greensboro News and Record which you need to be a subscriber to access.

In the article this is what was written

"It was a outpouring of patriotism that you don't see everyday", said Robbie Perkins, a City Council member who sat behind the Duke Bench and served as an official team host. 

Can someone please explain what are the job duties of a team host and where do we sign up to be the team host. It would be nice to get front row seats for the ACC Tournament especially when it is a UNC Vs. Dook final game where tickets were going for well over the $100 upper level and $250 lower level and could only imagine what front row tickets would go for. I am sure a elected official would not be taking free tickets and can prove that he bought those tickets or can the councilman explain what a team host actually does.

Is there a formal process to become a team host for all the ACC schools and if so please show us the process for becoming a team host. Maybe Ed Cone would like to be the team host for the UNC Tar Heels.

Also at the Greensboro City Council meeting on 3-15-2011 a few of the elected officials mentioned the ACC tournament and the great job that was done and some actually attended some of the games like councilman Zack Matheny mentioned at end of meeting. It would be nice to see if these elected officials paid for these tickets or were they freebies from who knows where.

Golden Leaf: A Web of Political Cronies and Corruption by N.C. Civitas

HAT TIP : Brian Balfour in a post at the Civitas Institute CLICKHERE

This is a must read for all the citizens of North Carolina who have wondered what the Golden Leaf Foundation does and now we have a good understanding especially with the title of the post "Golden Leaf: A Web of Political Cronies and Corruption " CLICKHERE

It is time that our state representatives need to look real hard at this foundation and if it is time to make the tobacco settlement money close to 600 million be a part of the budget process or will it stay the same as a political cronyism area for the Governor to do a she pleases.

Ringling Brothers Circus Solicits Free Tickets to Greensboro City Council Member Trudy Wade

Greensboro City Council member Dr. Trudy Wade received this fax from FELD Entertainment to receive 2 free tickets to the Circus that was just in town this past week, she did not accept the offer. Now we see the document that goes with  the video CLICKHERE from fellow council member Danny Thompson who wanted to thank fellow council members for giving him their free tickets last year in 2010.

Let's take a look at what has happened all over this country in regards to free tickets and local officials.

LA Ethics Commission votes to ban free tickets to public officials CLICKHERE

Jindal advisors urge ban on free tickets for legislators CLICKHERE

Paterson fined over World Series tickets CLICKHERE

The Battle to keep public officials from accepting free tickets to Iron Bowl was lost but maybe the war was won  CLICKHERE

Free tickets to Arizona school officials raises ethics questions CLICKHERE

Ethics overhaul focuses on free tickets CLICKHERE


Some people will think these solicitation of free circus tickets are petty and don't mean anything but there should not be any instance where a local elected official should take any free ticket to any event . If you want to go to the event then pay your way and show that you did pay.

County Salaries in North Carolina 2011 from UNC School of Government

Each year the UNC School of Government has a total listing of county salaries in the State of North Carolina for 2011. Here is the scribd version below. If you want to see the internet version it is available CLICKHERE .



County Salaries 2011

Guilford County Commissioner Linda Shaw VS. Property Management Director David Grantham , Video Embedded

Triadwatch wanted to show you a small clip of the back and forth between Guilford County Commissioner Linda Shaw and Property Management Director David Grantham from the 1-13-2011 Guilford County Commissioners meeting. Commissioner Shaw asked for a listing of  real estate agents who have done business with Guilford County. It seems like David Grantham only provided a listing of the companies but not the exact real estate agents.

The Rhino Times and Scott Yost  provided a lenghtly account of this situation with a title of the article "Shaw Upset by Alphabetizing", CLICKHERE

If you would like to see the whole back and forth of the exchange which last about 10 minutes CLICKHERE then proceed to the 1 hour mark of the January 13, 2011 video which last about 10 minutes.

Below is a short youtube back and forth between the 2 which as you see at end of video where the commissioner says to David Grantham that " i don't like the attitude,  i am through with you". It is so nice to see how our county commissioners are so cordial to Guilford County employees. Check out the video below

Our View on Redistricting: Politicians Picking Voters from USA Today

Last week the opinion section of the USA TODAY CLICKHERE had their  take on the constitutional process every 10 years called reapportionment. Below is the first sentence in the opinion piece that says it all:


.

Picture a country that calls itself a democracy but where those in charge blatantly conspire to give themselves and their buddies a near-permanent hold on political power by custom-designing the districts where they run for office.
That country is the United States

This quote above is so true in so many cases all over this country and especially in North Carolina where we had a state politician completely make his own district tailored to him in Congressman Brad Miller.  It will be interesting to see what happens all over this great country but the gerrymandering of districts all over this country needs to come to a halt or be taken away from the politicians and have a independent commission involved. I for one think that if they take the Republican and Democratic label out of the mix in making these districts then that will take care of plenty of the problems that is wrong with this process .
Let's start there then move forward.

Lincoln County Sheriff's Department Does End Around on State Open Records Law

HAT TIP: Charlotte Observer CLICKHERE

Thanks to a investigative report by the Charlotte Observer we find out that the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department in North Carolina is doing a complete run around with the new law that went into effect that made documents pertaining to suspensions, demotions, and dismissals public.

Here is a few excerpts from the report:

But new Lincoln Sheriff David Carpenter said he plans to continue the department's tradition of notifying fired employees verbally instead of issuing written letters.


Carpenter, who took office last week, promised to comply with the records law, but said "we're not going to generate" new documents to satisfy requests by the public.


The comments come in response to an open records request by The Charlotte Observer, which has asked Lincoln County for five years of disciplinary records for the sheriff's office.

Martha Lide, Lincoln County assistant manager, told the Observer the county has no record of dismissal letters or accompanying documents for sheriff's office employees fired since 2005.


Unlike city police departments and most other government agencies, sheriff offices are under no legal obligation to notify fired workers in writing, officials and criminal justice experts said. No one tracks how many sheriff's departments do not issue dismissal letters, but they said it is not unheard of.


The practice could blunt the impact of the state's personnel records law, which is supposed to increase accountability in government, said Vivian Lord, a criminology professor at UNC Charlotte.


The new law "makes it less likely that they are going to put something down on paper," Lord said.


Beth Grace, executive director of the North Carolina Press Association, questioned whether Lincoln County officials were trying to shield public information from citizens.

It would be interesting to see if our own local sheriff BJ Barnes would comply with a public records request or does he agree with the Lincoln County Sheriff in verbal dismissal, hint hint to the Greensboro News and Record and Joe Killian. If this is par for the course when it comes to complying with this open records request and seeing that some might just have a verbal firing and no documentation to back up the records it might be time for a new law to make everyone have written documentation on these records of suspensions,demotions and dismissals including sheriff's departments all over this great state.

Local Greensboro Developer Roy Carroll and His Plane Cannot Keep Out of the Spotlight with His Trip for Governor Bev Perdue

HAT TIP RHINO TIMES and Carolina Journal CLICKHERE

Local Greensboro developer Roy Carroll and his airplane cannot keep itself out of trouble. The Carolina Journal in it's front page article titled "Dozens involved in Perdue, Easley flight provider program" has Roy Carroll listed as a person who has provided a plane ride to our Governor. Here is what was said:

"Roy Carroll, a Greensboro developer and owner of Granite Air LLC, provided a flight on November 6, 2008 - two days after Perdue was elected governor. The flight was valued at $887, and the Perdue Committee didn't pay for it until Dec. 16. No other information about this flight is available."

Let's take a look back at some reporting on TRIADWATCH in regards to developer Roy Carroll and his famous plane.

First Post:

Developer Roy Carroll's Plane Will Sit on Tarmac While The Mayor and Chairman Ponder Ethical Standards CLICKHERE

Second Post:

Greensboro City Attorney Advised That Trip to D.C. Raises Ethical Concerns for Mayor of Greensboro and County Chairman CLICKHERE


Now we have local developer Roy Carroll flying the governor to where she needs to go a few days after she was sworn into office, nice. It would be interesting to find out who all was on this plane ride. Crony Capitalism and Roy Carroll are like 2 peas in a pod working hand in hand and all you need to know about this situation is to learn about Roy Carroll and the American Express Crony Capitalism deal  CLICKHERE 

We also know from the Carolina Journal article that Roy Carroll is part owner in a company called Granite Air LLC here is a link to the Secretary of State of N.C. site with who is the owner of Granite Air LLC CLICKHERE . But according to the Secretary of State site it looks like Granite Air LLC is owned by Richard Vaughn Jr. from Mount Airy. Who is Richard Vaughn ? Who wants to play a game of connect the dots?

Here is a game of connect the crony capitalist dots starting with kingpin Roy Carroll. We know that it looks like Roy Carroll and Richard Vaughn own this plane together with a company called Granite Air LLC. We also know that there is a company called Granite/ Church LLC. and local blogger FEC at Vie De Malchance CLICKHERE   has a great post on who owns this company. This is where the connect the dots really blows up.  This development got tax incentive money from Guilford County and this is where we found out that county commissioner Billy Yow recused himself from the voting of this incentive but did all the water drilling for i am sure a good amnount of money and will in future if this development gets bigger.

The dots will also get even bigger in knowing that Granite/Church LLC is part owned by Greensboro City Council member Robbie Perkins, Stan Hope Johnson, John Stratton who is Greensboro City Council member Zack Matheny's golf buddy CLICKHERE  and Granite Investments which is what Richard Vaughn Jr. owns. Then we also have Chester Brown who also is one of the biggest developers in town go to bat for this company in front of the Guilford County Commissioners CLICKHERE . Then we can go and talk about the relationship between local developer Roy Carroll and Greensboro City Council member Robbie Perkins where Triadwatch had a post about this ethically challenged relationship CLICKHERE .

So now i hope you have followed along and find out about this plane that Roy Carroll owns along with other investors and it looks like he sure did want to show some influence on the state level in flying the Governor where she needed to go . It would be interesting to know who all have flown on this plane especially when we know that there was a lot of secret meetings going on in regards to this American Express deal for eastern guilford county and who knows who was on those trips to meet with their executives at American Express.

Airplane rides and who is on these planes has been a hot topic this past year and a blog called pro publica which is journalism for the public interest has had some great post on this issue .

Below is some of the articles that are must reads for for transparency on all levels of government.

Off the radar private planes hidden from public view CLICKHERE

Court upholds release of corporate jets list sought by propublica CLICKHERE

New York Times article  that corporate jet sometimes makes sense CLICKHERE

FOI Advocate propublica gets blocked plane list CLICKHERE

As i have said before it is time for a new state law for local and state politicians in that if you cannot afford to own your own plane then you need to get another form of transportation to get there. No more flying on other peoples plane for your own convenience.

Gerrymandering Needs To Get A Closer Look In North Carolina , Time To Get A Move On, REPOST

This post is a repost from earlier in the year where all of the citizens of North Carolina need to be aware of the gerrymandered districts and with the shift of power in both houses of N.C. government and what will happen next.

HAT TIP:UNDER THE DOME CLICKHERE

At Duke University there will be a panel discussion titled,

Drawing Lines: The Future of Redistricting in America

February 26, 2010 ~ Duke University School of Law

With the new census for 2010 coming out there will be plenty of discussion on the way our politicians pick us not how we pick our politicians.It is amazing to see so many local North Carolina House and Senate seats go untouched with no competition because too many districts are gerrymandered to death in this state and plenty other states all over this country.
 
What is gerrymandering? Gerrymandering is the manipulation of the redistricting process for political gain.
 
Triadwatch is going to start a new section to the left titled STOP GERRYMANDERING with links to plenty of web sites all over this country who are trying to make a difference in this subject . There is also going to be a documentary out soon on this subject CLICKHERE 
 
Let's take a closer look at our federal districts in Guilford County and how screwed up it looks  for Congressman Mel Watt in red, Brad Miller in green and Howard Coble in teal. 
 
  Guilford County Congressional Districts



As you can see we have 3 congressman splitting up greensboro like a 3 way pie. Now ask yourself this question, out of the three congressman who do you see the most around these parts and do you feel represented by 2 of them being from 2 completely different parts of North Carolina where Mel Watt is from Charlotte and Brad Miller is from Raleigh. It is time for a complete overhaul of this gerrymandering where back in 2000 Brad Miller gerrymandered himself into his own district , how nice was that.


Examples of a unbiased district-drawing algorithm in action / comparisons with gerrymandered districts drawn by politicians here is the link to range voting and below is what it might look like on a map of North Carolina and our 13 districts. CLICKHERE 


Range Voting Districts in NC


It is time for a non partisan commission to look at our local, state and federal districts all over this state and come up with a fair and balanced representation of like minded and territorial districts that make sense for the people of this state. What we have now is a total joke and everyone knows it. Even the politicians on the minority side of North Carolina politics like minority leader Phil Berger who lives in Rockingham County and Stan Bingham from Davidson County but crosses over into Guilford County which goes against our State Constitution.

Here is also a post from May of 2009 with a title "North Carolina Redistricting Experts Ask: Is There A Better Way" CLICKHERE

We will see what happens after the census but wanted to put a blog bug in your ear about this issue for the citizens of North Carolina.

Jeff Hyde on Hiding of Raffle Winner, It Keeps On Going and Going and Going

This raffle issue with N.C. Senate candidate Jeff Hyde is like the energizer bunny it keeps on going and going and going. Here is a little back post on this issue from July 19, 2010 with a title of post "Jeff Hyde Campaign and the Mysterious Raffle Winner, Who is the Winner?" CLICKHERE .

Now we have a article in this weeks Rhino Times with a title "Hyde Raffle Report Still Raises Questions", CLICKHERE . In this article John Hammer had this to say:

 "The problems started when the raffle was won by Hyde's sister Becky Smith, a fact that he would not confirm until last week when he was told that it was a matter of public record in a memo from the North Carolina State Board of Elections.



And it gets worse. Hyde's sister didn't buy a ticket and didn't want the $5,000 that she won in the raffle, so the campaign never awarded a prize and just kept the $5,000. The campaign has raised about $28,000 total, so $5,000 is a considerable amount of the campaign finances and, according to the reports currently filed, there was no $5,000 payout and no $5,000 donation. "


Finally we find out that Becky Smith is Jeff Hyde's sister, but wait it gets better. Later in the article here is what was written:

"This week Hyde said he and his wife bought 10 tickets, his father bought one ticket and a cousin bought two tickets. They all had the last name Hyde and accounted for 13 of the 83 raffle tickets sold. Hyde said that in case one of the tickets bought by a family member won, they thought it would be better if the winner announced was not named Hyde, so they put his sister's name on all 13 tickets. She had a pretty good chance of winning, since her name was on 13 of 83 tickets, or almost 16 percent of the tickets."


Now we see that he wants to put every person with a last name hyde under the name of his sister becky smith for the raffle. If we take what was said above in that jeff and his wife bought 10 tickets then on his campaign returns it does show $1,000 between the 2 of them but it was not designated for raffle as some other people who did give to his campaign in the returns. Also , if the raffle tickets cost $100 a piece and we see that his father bought a raffle ticket but on his campaign returns it shows a Richard C. Hyde from Gastonia N.C. with a $27.00 contribution well below the $100 raffle contribution he was advertising. If you look at his blog he had a campaign to get $27 by the 27th for the 27th district of April not for his raffle. So if Richard Hyde is his father then he didn't give to the raffle either but was counted in the raffle.

When you have contests and other raffles there are plenty of rules like for example no family members or people who work for the companies can win prizes or raffles. This raffle is a great example of why no family members should be able to win and Jeff Hyde knew better but has wanted to hide this for a long time now. All he needed to do is come clean at the beginning and plenty of us who look at campaign laws and returns would have said ok it was a novice mistake but now we see there is more to the story from the Rhino Times and below is the scribd version of the Jeff Hyde's campaign returns with the raffle members who did give on his returns

jeff hyde committee 2010 campaign report second quarter


North Carolina campaign laws doesn't talk about using raffles for your campaigns but even in Guilford County we have had a few others use a raffle to get campaign contributions from Trudy Wade to Lisa Ingle Clapp. If we can consider what has happened in the Jeff Hyde raffle and what has not been reported on his campaign returns where we all know that he needs to amend his returns and show that his sister did give a $5,000 contribution for winning the raffle then this would have cleared up all of this a long time ago.

It also might be time to let our state legislatures know that we might need some ground rules on who can win from campaign raffles or if you do have a raffle to get campaign money then the campaigner and his family members cannot be a part of the raffle for reasons like what we have seen in this issue with the Jeff Hyde Committee.

Guilford County Voters: Next Time, Please Do Your Homework - A Repost For All To Remember

This is a repost from a few years ago that needs to be reiterated to plenty of voters in Guilford County. If you don't know the candidate, or haven't done the research to find out about the candidate, then your best bet is to not vote for them or the position. Because this is what happens below. This was not a shining monent for voters in Guilford County.

_________________________________________________________________________________
Scott Yost from the Rhino Times reports more on the interesting saga of the Guilford County Soil and Water Supervisor with a fake name, CLICKHERE or click on the title above.

Here is the first paragraph from this post by Scott Yost,"The man who ran in and won the Guilford County Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor race in the November 2008 election did so under a fake name: "Kirk Perkins," the winning candidate, is actually a transient whose real name is Kirk Newell."

There was an earlier post on Triadwatch on this issue: CLICKHERE

Does anyone see how this makes Guilford County voters look? As a voter, to know that just doing a little research could have prevented this from happening, or if you just took my advice back on October 29, 2008 on Triadwatch CLICKHERE with the title named "Found A Soil and Water Candidate to Vote for in Guilford County" , this could have been averted.

Let's try a new tactic in any upcoming election. If you don't know who to vote for, please don't vote in that race at all, or you might just end up with this as your representative on any board or commission.

If information comes in on how to let the state board know that Andrew Courts needs to be appointed to the commission, it will be updated.

Guilford County Commissioner Bruce Davis In Some Hot Water With Federal Tax Liens Over The Years

Guilford County Commissioner and North Carolina Senate candidate Bruce Davis might need to explain himself, considering the 3 documents below.

guilford county commisssioner bruce davis federal tax lien


PART 2

guilford county commissioner bruce davis federal tax lien part 2


PART 3

guilford county commissioner federal tax lien part 3


As you can see above, Guilford County Commissioner Bruce Davis has had a few tax liens from the feds against him and his company. In 2007, there was a $14,814.61 tax lien assessed. Then on August 15, 2008, another case was filed with a total tax lien for $10,760.12. Also in October of 2008, it looks like the numbers came down to be $6,224.19.

You can also see from the state web site for corporations, CLICKHERE Bruce Davis is also the treasurer. If there is anyone who needs to speak up for these tax liens, then he may be the only one to blame.

It will be interesting to see if Bruce Davis will come clean on these tax liens against him and his company, because he is in a 3 way race for the North Carolina Senate seat #28 vacated by Katie Dorsett.

Open Letter To Greensboro City Council on RUCO from Donna Newton and Greensboro Neighborhood Congress

The focus of the Greensboro Neighborhood Congress is the preservation and improvements of our neighborhoods in terms of quality of life, property values and safety. As we all know, sub-standard housing undermines surrounding property values - even one substandard property can undermine the property values of an entire neighborhood. Also, we know that sub-standard properties invite crime into our communities.


Other organizations that are partnering in support of the pro-active aspects of RUCO,such as the Greensboro Housing Coalition and the Human Relations Commission, are focused on the human rights issues of improving sub-standard rental properties, in that renters have a right to live in safe housing and that many of them won't complain about substandard housing out of fear of retaliation from their landlords.

Key information and talking points:
RUCO is a sucessful program

Since RUCO was implemented, known sub-standard housing in Greensboro has been reduced from 1679 units in 2003 to 705 in 2010.;

Since RUCO was implemented, complaints about sub-standard housing have been decreased 77%;

Since RUCO was implemented, inspections staff have been reduced by 22%.

Since RUCO was implemented, inspections staff have been more successful in getting deteriorated housing to the Minimum Housing Commission more quickly and the number to go has steadily increased from 17 in 2003 to 105 in 2010.

RUCO is reasonable

Once inspected and a certificate is issued, the RUCO is good for the life of the property unless there is a complaint on the property or violations are found during the sampling inspections and not repaired within the prescribed time frame.

The time frame in which a violation must be repaired is 45 days from the written notice of the violation and can be extended as long as in the judgment of the inspector, progress is being on the repairs.

The sampling inspection process applies only to a random 2% of rental properties.

Rental properties that have not yet been inspected that come on the rental market are required to pass inspection and be issued a RUCO before they can be rented.

Opponents of RUCO plan to propose an elimination of the pro-active portions of RUCO, and as they couch it: "target problem properties". Their proposal will in effect eliminate RUCO. We agree that problem properties should be targeted. However, the Housing Code already provides the means to address the obvious problem properties and the City staff have already done 100% exterior inspections at least once. Moreover, where the staff find indications of violations from the external inspections, they are pursuing internal inspections. However, staff will tell you that you can not know what violations may be present inside a residence solely from an external inspection. It is doubtful that you will see electrical problems from the exterior; or rotting floors, or problems with the heating or air conditioning, etc. The question is: do you want to wait until the problems are apparent in the exterior where they negatively impact your entire community? That's what the opponents of RUCO are proposing we do.

You can go to the City website CLICKHERE and email all Council members at one time at their City email. You can also link to the Council directory which provides their home addresses and phone numbers CLICKHERE

Moreover, you can write a letter to the editor at the News and Record at this link CLICKHERE

The Greensboro Housing Coalition also supports keeping RUCO in tact and they state the following reasons:

1. RUCO has achieved tremendous improvement in housing safety for problem properties, reducing substandard housing from 1679 units in 2003 to 705 in 2010.

2. Substandard housing conditions impact health; health care and disability costs for NC children hurt by unsafe housing conditions totaled $108,000,000 in 2007.

3. Proactive inspections prevent conditions from sliding below standard, beyond the focus on problem properties. Analogy: waiting for conditions to become big enough problems for people to complain (or inspectors to see from the street) is like waiting for restaurant kitchens to get so dirty that people see rats before the Health Dept sanitarian comes. Wouldn’t you rather have proactive inspections so that restaurants keep kitchens sanitary all the time and that rental properties stay at or above minimum standards?

The Neighborhood Congress and the Housing Coalition are, however, interested in improving the administration of the inspections programs and we have offered to assist City management and staff in identifying areas that need improvement and finding procedural and other solutions. However, such administrative improvements do not require that we remove the certification requirements within RUCO.

Three of the Congress participants who are willing to assist you with your questions about RUCO and/or drafting your comments include the following:

Laura Jackson ; Michael Pendergraft ; David Wharton .

Again, you can go to the City website CLICKHERE

You can also write a letter to the editor at the News and Record at this link: CLICKHERE

Thank you.

Donna

Crony Capitalism and Local Developer Roy Carroll Red Flags on This American Express Incentive Deal, More Info. and REPOST

UPDATE 8-17-2010: The Greensboro City Council meeting set for 8-17-2010 has this as a part of the agenda:

18. Ordinance annexing territory to the corporate limits located at 401-421 Birch Creek Road – 145.502 acres. (Council District: nearest District 1) (roll call vote)

Looks like Roy Carroll is going to sail this one through without any questions from the local media on just how did they pick his land for this project. Was there any other properties in Guilford County involved in this deal to land the project which was code named "Project Doublewide"  .or was he and Richard Beard the only ones involved with this transaction.

Justin Catanoso from the Triad Business Journal had this as a title "AMEX may have offset tax break for land costs CLICKHERE . Here is a few quotes from post

Sources familiar with the negotiations say American Express pressed for reductions in per-acre costs before agreeing in principle (the deal hasn’t closed yet) to acquire about 100 acres in both Rock Creek Center and the new Birch Creek Corporate Park in unincorporated Guilford County

Richard Beard, a principal with Simpson Schulman & Beard, the brokers for Rock Creek, declines to detail the discussions that took place between his group and the agents representing American Express, which were led by Greg Wilson of the local C.B. Richard Ellis office. While Wilson declined to comment, Beard did say: “We had to make concessions toward the end of the negotiations.”

The code name played on the fact that not one, but two suitable sites were essential to seal the deal.


“Each location was very dependent on the other,” Beard says. “It was both sites or nothing. All negotiations were separate, but any time I saw Roy around town in the past few weeks, I’d ask him how things were going.”


Roy Carroll, one of Greensboro’s top developers and president of The Carroll Cos., declines to discuss the negotiations with American Express regarding the land it will buy in Birch Creek Corporate Park. As the location for the redundant data storage capacity, it is likely that construction on the estimated 150,000-square-foot backup facility won’t start for two years or more.

Can't wait to hear the cheerleaders at the Greensboro City Council meeting on 8-17-2010 talk about this project and not one of them will ask the question on why did they pick these properties from the most connected crony capilalist we have ever seen in Roy Carroll along with another member in Richard Beard who is a war memorial coliseum commission member and also the head cheerleader for coliseum director Matt Brown.

Below is the REPOST from April 21, 2010 and with one of the biggest comments periods we have ever had on Triadwatch.

________________________________________________________________________________
One of the biggest tax incentives deals ever proposed in Guilford County and Greensboro is American Express potential data center in the eastern part of the county.
It appears that Mr. Dan Lynch, Greensboro Economic Development Alliance President, who should have been involved in showing sites to AMEX, and Roy Carroll, owner of one of the properties, have shared the title of "Board Member" at the Greensboro Partnership.


Let's give a brief definition of Crony Capitalism:


What Does Crony Capitalism Mean?

A description of capitalist society as being based on the close relationships between businessmen and the state. Instead of success being determined by a free market and the rule of law, the success of a business is dependent on the favoritism that is shown to it by the ruling government in the form of tax breaks, government grants and other incentives.From Investopedia CLICKHERE

This definition fits local developer Roy Carroll to a T.

Here is what is being reported from the Greensboro News & Record CLICKHERE

"The American Express project would involve two buildings on two parcels in eastern Guilford: about 100 acres in Rock Creek Center and part of a 700-acre tract owned by developer Roy Carroll near Knox Road and Birch Creek Road.

The Carroll property would be annexed into Greensboro, allowing the city to share in the incentive offering and benefit from the promised boost to the tax base."

As we have stated in the past that local developer Roy Carroll had his own political action committee giving thousands of dollars to the campaigns of plenty of local politicians in Greensboro and Guilford County. Pay to play at it's best.

Here is a list from a few years ago of Greensboro City Council members and the closed out account of Roy Carroll's Political Action Committee called North Carolinians for Leadership in Government.

RECEIPTS


10/17/2007

ROY E CARROLL II

PRESIDENT/OWNER OLD SOUTH HOME COMPANY

3619 CAMDEN FALLS CIRCLE

GREENSBORO, NC 27410

Individual Contribution

Check

$4000.00


10/17/2007

VANESSA Y CARROLL

HOUSEWIFE HOUSEWIFE

3619 CAMDEN FALLS CIRCLE

GREENSBORO, NC 27410

Individual Contribution

Check

$4000.00

Total ALL Receipts:

$8,000.00


Expenditures
10/16/2007
DIANE BELLAMY-SMALL
GREENSBORO, NC
CONTRIBUTION
Check
$1000.00

10/16/2007
ROBBIE PERKINS
GREENSBORO, NC
CONTRIBUTION
Check
$1000.00

10/16/2007
SANDRA ANDERSON GROAT
GREENSBORO, NC
CONTRIBUTION
Check
$1000.00

10/16/2007
TRUDY WADE
GREENSBORO, NC
CONTRIBUTION
Check
$1000.00

10/16/2007
YVONNE JOHNSON
GREENSBORO, NC
CONTRIBUTIONS
Check
$1000.00

10/16/2007
ZACK MATHENY
GREENSBORO, NC
CONTRIBUTION
Check
$1000.00
Total ALL Expenditures:
$6,000.00


We also have a few Guilford County Commissioners who have received PAC money from local developer Roy Carroll as well in the past in


Paul Gibson (D) 5-2-08 for $1,000

Kirk Perkins (D) 5-6-08 for $1,000

There are many red flags that need to be attached to any deal involving Roy Carroll. The first would be in who will be his real estate broker on this deal because we have had many people in the past talk about the ethical issues of local politicians like Guilford County Chairman Skip Alston with a downtown hotel project and him being the broker on that deal. Now we know that sitting Greensboro City Council member and also local developer Robbie Perkins works hand in hand with Roy Carroll. This relationship is so tight that during a council meeting in 2009 we had Robbie Perkins text messaging Roy Carroll in China on a issue where the city and Roy Carroll's company were going to court with another developer Marty Kotis over properties off of Horse Pen Creek Road and Robbie Perkins told Roy Carroll from council chambers that he needs to fight this, here is that report CLICKHERE.

We can also raise some red flags to see that why did they pick these sights and was there any possibility for any other properties on the table?

If the News and Record is correct then are they going to use both properties or are they looking at both properties and then choosing just one site?

We also know from the past that local developer Roy Carroll has the use of a private plane CLICKHERE . Was any local public officials flown to any meetings with executives from American Express on this incentive package and presentation on this plane?

We will see what happens on this tax incentive hand out to American Express for corporate welfare, but a true conservative would vote NO to this deal.

Let's also see just how much influence local developer Roy Carroll has on this deal being a part of his property so that he can reap the riches of water and sewer and road improvements to all of his properties near knox road and birch creek road.
Let's hope more people will want to know all the facts of every aspect of this whole incentive package and ask the right questions to all involved.

Part #2 Free Tickets at the Greensboro Coliseum , Did Sitting Council Member Get a Free Pass To The ACC Tournament?

Let's start at the beginning of this journey when back on February 20, 2010, Triadwatch had a post titled "Free Tickets To The Circus Handed Out By Greensboro City Council Members, Is This Legal or Ethical of Conflicts of Interest" , CLICKHERE .

Now we have part #2, where Greensboro City Council member T. Dianne-Bellamy Small had this exchange with Greensboro Coliseum manager Matt Brown at the 7-20-2010 city council meeting. Below is a edited version of a exchange between the councilwomen and coliseum drector Matt Brown









Greensboro City Council member T. Dianne-Bellamy Small says she attended either the Women's ACC Tournament or the Men's ACC Tournament, and spoke with the "Little Guys" who are the non-skilled service workers working the event who otherwise would have been unemployed in March.

The "Little Guys" talked with T. Dianne-Bellamy Small and they thanked her for having the ACC tournament.

She also talked about the "little guys" who got the opportunity to see a national televised game at the coliseum both at the men's and womens ACC Tournament . These "little guys" were there but the councilwomen could not remember the name of the group of school aged children that came to the ACC Tournament wearing the same shirts. She knew that they were there at the coliseum because the councilmember said that "she was there" as the beggining of the video shows.

Then she asks Matt Brown about his records on giving away tickets to the coliseum at certain events like holiday on ice, or circus. This is where we look back at the ethical issues and conflicts of interest with giving away tickets to council members to give out as we talked about back in February as linked above in the post .

It is great that the Greensboro Coliseum gives away tickets to disadvantaged youths in the area, but are local politicians getting free passes along with them?

Now let's get to another issue in and of itself in that we know by the video above that the councilwomen was at the ACC Tournament, either the men's or women's or maybe both. You can also see that in the video she points to herself as being able to afford tickets to the coliseum. The Men's ACC tournament book for all the games will run you around $363 and women's around $99 or were there single game tickets available for sale? Did the councilwomen T. Dianne Bellamy-Small buy her tickets to the ACC Tournament? or Did someone give her free tickets to the event? Was she at both the men's and women's tournament? The issue of free tickets came up back in February and here is some discussion back then:

Below is from the N.C.Board of Ethics CLICKHERE

TICKETS


Should a Public Official accept free tickets from an agency vendor to a sporting event, play, or fundraising event?


Answer: Generally, no. It is generally not proper for Public Officials to accept gifts or services from someone whom the official regulates, contracts with, or otherwise does business with as part of his service as a Public Official. At a minimum, this can cause the appearance of a conflict of interest.


Does it make any difference if the tickets to a sporting event are season tickets or tickets the vendor received as part of its sponsorship of the event so that there was no purchase made specifically for the Public Official?


Answer: No. It does not matter how the vendor got the tickets.


Can a vendor take a Public Official to entertainment events when the Official has traveled to the vendor’s home city or when both vendor and Official are out of town (like at a non-vendor sponsored seminar)?


Answer: Not if it is otherwise prohibited. Ethics requirements do not end at the border.

Since T. Dianne Bellamy-Small states that she was at the tournament, it would be interesting to see if she really paid for her tickets, or did she accept free tickets?

Don't worry because the Charlotte area and their local elected officials have also had problems with tickets to tournaments as well CLICKHERE .

We also have the Greater Greensboro Open just around the corner, and knowing that free tickets are given out like candy for this event. Which councilmembers will we see in the corporate boxes eating for free? 


If you would like to see the whole exchange between Matt Brown and Greensboro City Council member T. Dianne-Bellamy Small you can go to the city's web site CLICKHERE and it is around the 2 hour and 31 minute mark.

TREBIC 2009 City Council Candidate Questions: Should Rental Unit Certificate of Occupancy (RUCO) taskforce meet at TREBIC’s headquarters?

4) Are you in favor of merging the following:

a. GSO planning department with Guilford County?
b. GSO inspections department with Guilford County?
c. Other departments? (name them)
d. Boards and Commissions

If TREBIC has a higher likelyhood of controling

a percentage of segmented, separated departments

instead of perhaps not being able to manipulate fewer, larger entities

does TREBIC prefer merged or non-merged municipal departments?

14) In general, are you willing to support rezonings which provide for higher densities and mixed-use projects even though neighbors oppose it in:

a. infill sites?
b. urban fringe areas?

In other words, as a candidate,

are you going to prioritize TREBIC's best interests or the electorate

which we may provide campaign funding likely to convince them otherwise?

16) “John and Jane” just bought a brand new house in Guilford County. Should they pay a special tax (over and above what you pay) to have their child in public school?

Do you favor retarding the profitability of TREBIC members

at taxpayer expense?

25) Do you think that Adequate Public Facilities Ordinances that require “voluntary” fees are a good idea?

My answer: How can a voluntary fee be required?

29) Which of the following options would you support as a way to finance parklands and open space:

a. acquisition with public funds
b. voluntary donations
c. required dedication during development
d. condemnation
e. incentives in the development process

In other words, do you promise to transfer taxpayer dollars

to TREBIC members or not?

32) Should the city enact stormwater regulations and stream buffer requirements that are more stringent than what the EPA and NCDENR require?

In other words, do you promise not to do anything more than required minimums?

34) Which of the following options would you support as a way to offset anticipated revenue shortfalls?

a. additional sales taxes
b. increased user fees
c. increased car registration fees
d. impact fees
e. increased gas tax
f. real estate transfer taxes
g. increased property tax
h. use of special taxing districts
i. Bonds
j. Certificates of Participation
k. Increased permit, inspection and plan review fees
l. Project Development (Tax Increment) Financing
m. 2/3 Bonds
n. Delay of bond issues
o. No additional revenues needed
p. Increased government efficiencies. Suggestions?:
q. Cuts in government staff and/or services. If so, which ones?
r. Other:

Are you going to continue to provide public funding for TREBIC members

if tax revenues fall short?

35) Do you support economic development incentives?

Are you going to vote to transfer taxpayer dollars to TREBIC members?

36) Will you agree to discuss proposals that impact this industry with industry representatives in the early conceptual stages of the idea?

Will you tell us before anyone else

about anything that might lead us to not funnell more campaign cash your way

so we can control the political process outside of the public spotlight?

37) What is the best time and way for staff to work with affected parties, including the real estate industry, when drafting policies, ordinances and fees?

a. at the very beginning, while still considering concepts
b. after drafting the proposal, but before beginning the public hearing process.
c. public participation should be at the public hearings only
d. not at all
e. input should be to elected officials only

Can TREBIC have permission to run the government?

38) When new or revised ordinances are being proposed, frequently there are a few points on which staff and industry cannot agree, which must be decided by Council. Do you favor passing the ordinance…:

a. as proposed and drafted by staff
b. as proposed and drafted by staff with a fixed time period for review and evaluation of the ordinance
c. after full discussion of each disputed point at a council hearing or briefing session
d. after assigning one or more Council members to meet with staff and industry to resolve the remaining issues before coming to public hearing?

Can TREBIC members get what they want behind closed doors?

39) RUCO?

Should an organization whose purpose

may be to disenfranchise and remove power from the many

for the benefit of a few

conduct City of Greensboro business at TREBIC's headquarters?

41) Do you support the Heart of the Triad project?

Should a lobbying organization whose members have a substantial level of control

over Greensboro and Guilford County's electoral process

that questions, interviews and lobbys candidates

and makes recomendations for endorsements

hold public meetings at their headquarters?

.

George Hartzman

North Carolina Needs More Ethics Reform and Transparency on Statewide Authorities , Guest Column by Cathy Poole

The State Government Ethics Act does not cover NC General Assembly Chartered Authority members, such as the Global Transpark Authority, yet these officials may have personal development interests, hold positions on multiple decision-making boards, and exercise great authority over private and public development, including the use of eminent domain to seize private property; and have access to state and federal funds without accountability to the taxpayer.


Another example of the need for a code of ethical conduct is the formation of a Regional Transportation Authority in the Triad. In 1997, the NC General Assembly passed Article 27, GS160A authorizing formation of a Regional Transportation Authority. The Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) and the Piedmont International Airport Authority (PTIA) that began as an oversight group for the airport, have both evolved into facilitators for land-use and economic development. PTIA is promoting the “Aerotropolis” concept, described as “a powerful engine of economic development” and PART has come under scrutiny for coordinating the “Heart of the Triad” effort as a result of corporate appeal. Significantly, both Authorities have used eminent domain, yet they are not subject to an ethical code.

In another example, Session Law 2008-164 H-2318 authorizes the NC Department of Transportation to enter into private partnership agreements for construction of transportation infrastructure but it does not define an ethical standard for the development and implementation of these agreements.

The undue influence of property developers, corporate interests and a lack of transparency and accountability in land-use and transportation planning is not representative of the population at large and diminishes the public trust and threatens private property rights, agricultural vitality and environmental stability of North Carolina .

Financial systems and democratic government are ultimately based on trust of the administrators, and clearly can and will collapse when administered by avaricious, unethical individuals.

The North Carolina Alliance for Transportation Reform (NCATR) has urged the Executive and Legislative branches of state government to modify the State Government Ethics Act to cover all appointed officials, as well as Authority boards, committees and entities with authority over land-use and transportation planning decisions. Alternatively, we have urged the Executive and Legislative branches to enact a statute to require all such local officials and organizations to create local codes of ethical conduct that address conflict of interest issues and include rigorous enforcement provisions.

This ethical policy should include planners for roads or transportation projects constructed through any public/private partnership arrangement (such as under provisions of H-2318), or through any arrangement where public funds are used.

I have repeatedly requested itemized financial records of funding and expenditures for the "Heart of the Triad" project from Brent McKinney, Executive Director of the Piedmont Authority for Transportation (PART), but he has refused my request. PART was the facilitator of the project. They received an NC DOT grant for an air quality study, but he will not provide the study report or funding amount and they received $50,000 each, from BB&T, Time Warner, and Wachovia which bought seats on the Steering Committee in addition to other private funds. I want to know who the other private donors were and how much they paid to participate. Residents of the 53,000 acre area to be condemned for roads and development were refused a seat on the original steering committee. Three residents stopped their request for $2.25 millon in a Senate Bill, but many questions from numerous taxpayers remain unanswered.

Respectfully,
Cathy M. Poole, Ethics Committee Chair
NC Alliance for Transportation Reform

Winston-Salem N.C. Northern Beltway Nightmare , Guest Column by Cathy Poole

Winston-Salem N.C. Beltway Map from NCDOT




Winston-Salem Northern Beltway: Project# R-2247, U-2579, U2579-A


The North Carolina Department of Transportation insists on employing the discredited 1950s approach of condemn, bulldoze, destroy, and pave as clearly referenced in the plans for the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway. This makes no sense in the 21st Century. Consider the following facts:

Existing infrastructure is falling down around us. Local headlines remind commuters of 800 Triad bridges listed as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Citizens will be forced to drive over crumbling bridges to reach new multi-million dollar stadiums. Board of Transportation member, Nancy Dunn commented that she hopes the bridge disaster in Minneapolis helps galvanize the attention of state leaders. Davidson County Commissioner Max Walser laments, “We don’t have enough money in the state to fix potholes, much less build a new Yadkin River Bridge”. 5,602 of North Carolina’s 18,042 bridges are listed as substandard yet NC DOT wants to build the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway with 188 crossings of streams and wetlands requiring 18 new bridges and 37 major culverts.

Warnings to protect and conserve water due to the exceptional drought and state funding of $100 million for the Clean Water Management Trust Fund are futile if DOT is allowed to proceed with the beltway plans that impact 41,854 linear feet of streams, 32 acres of wetlands and 25 acres of ponds. Over 6,000 linear feet of streams will be drained and relocated.

NC farmland and open spaces are destroyed at a rate of over 100,000 acres per year. The beltway will destroy another 1,380 acres of prime statewide and locally important farmland.

NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, “One NC Naturally” implemented a state-wide effort to conserve forests and cropland having the capacity of absorbing and sequestering carbon dioxide to help offset emissions, yet the beltway will decimate 2,233 acres of forestland. Warnings of poor air quality days are frequent in the Triad. Twenty-four NC counties (including the Triad) do not meet air quality standards for either ozone or particulate matter (non-attainment). Burning one gallon of gasoline creates nineteen pounds of carbon dioxide. The greatest sources of ground level ozone are cars and trucks.

It is clear that those who stand to profit financially are the same people who most influence decisions made by NC DOT. Why else would busy land developers constitute such a large percentage of appointed “advisory” panels?

The American Planning Association’s Policy on Climate Change prescribes re-use and upgrades to existing infrastructure. The NC Climate Action Plan Advisory Group and the NC Legislative Commission on Global Climate Change have a series of strategies in place, including provisions for increased public transport to reduce the number of miles driven in personal vehicles across the state. PART, the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation just announced plans to spend $787,000 for property to house a permanent bus and rail mass transit terminal expected to cost more than $17 million. Rail would be the efficient and safe way to promote regional connectivity.

North Carolina Department of Transportation’s daunting financial challenges, rising fuel costs and the devastating environmental consequences of building new roads are all compelling reasons to oppose the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway.

NC DOT leadership and planners must no longer ignore the “No-Build Alternative” in Environmental Impact Statements and should immediately adopt a “Fix-It-First Policy” for North Carolina Department of Transportation.

We must demand that our public employees start making more enlightened decisions in the public’s interest, with environmental sensitivity and accountability to the public.

Cathy M. Poole

Member of: NC Alliance for Transportation Reform

Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League

Call for Racial Unity in Greensboro N.C. by Mickey Atkinson, Video Embedded and Transcript

The embedded video above is from the June 1, 2010 meeting where during the speakers from the floor segment some citizens  made a call for racial unity in Greensboro N.C. .  Below is the transcript of the embedded video. After Mickey Atkinson spoke you will also see that Marcus Brandon spoke as well here is the link to that post CLICKHERE.


Mickey Atkinson, 4028 Bluebonnet Drive , Greensboro


Maya Angelou wrote, “We are more alike than different.” I am not a politician. I despise the polarizing of our country, and of our city. I am a retired HS teacher who every day for the last 8 years of my career had these words on my board: “Love, forgive, and be a blessing.” It frustrates me that some of my students continue to see a few adults try to polarize our citizens, especially racially.

I am one small voice, but I am compelled to speak out. We are tired of the racial and political polarizing, and of the one percent being the loudest voice in race matters. Those who would hold press conferences to demand an investigation of an over-investigated police department, those who would coach others to declare that the city council is not doing its job, you are self-serving in your perpetual rants. You are feeding off the fear, paranoia, and bitterness that you create. It’s your M.O.

The solutions to our polarized race relations? Leaders, black and white, need to lead in speaking out, as Zack Matheny did recently. We must dialogue. People of all races need to drop the paranoia. Just because a few hold a press conference, or just because one voice on the school board is always harping about race, we cannot believe that all of a certain race feel that way.

Likewise, just because some anonymous beeps in the Rhino say white supremacist things, quit believing that the vast majority of white people feel that way. Well over 99% of us want an end to the racial polarization. Sadly, that 1% will always be among us, black and white.

The enemy of the black community is not the city council; it’s the absence of strong mentors in education. It’s not the police department; it’s the preaching of discord instead of the gospel in some churches. It’s not our prison system; it’s the self-imposed prison of the high school dropout. It’s not inequality at society’s hands; it’s inequality from the crippling effects of fatherless homes. It’s not that fraction of a percent of white extremists; it’s those voices that perpetually deflate with a paranoid attitude of blame. To those of you who say we have a culture of corruption, no, we have a culture of self-serving discord by a few.

Likewise, the enemy of the white community is not the extremist voice of self-serving black “leaders”, it’s not affirmative action, and it’s not taxes. It’s the greed of Wall St and Main St that’s destroying the moral fabric of our values system. It’s the paranoia fueled by false prophet white extremists. It is the mentality that “we” are doing all of the giving and “they” are doing all of the taking.

Let’s quit listening to these divisive voices and recognize Greensboro for its positive leadership and growth. Let’s quit publicly vilifying a police department filled with modestly paid public servants who protect and serve daily. Let’s bury the race-related paranoia by recognizing that the outspoken 1% does not speak for the rest of a group, black or white. I do believe that 99% of us live in a city where we are not judged by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character. Let’s all move forward. I call on Greensboro ’s leaders to create more open dialogue on unity.