The City of Greensboro funded Downtown Greensboro Incorporated and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro who then used the money to endorse and promote the Greensboro Performing Arts Center. Directly or indirectly the City of Greensboro under the direction of Mayor Robbie Perkins and the Greensboro City Council violated NC GS § 160A‑499.3. Limitation on the use of public funds.
How did the City violate GS § 160A‑499.3? Ross Harris, a public relations professional and owner of The Harris Partners was paid $200,000 as the leader of the GPAC Task Force to use the GPAC Twitter feed and the GPAC Facebook page, the GPAC website, as well as working with local media outlets to promote the performing arts center. Professional video producers were hired and videos posted online to YouTube. DGI and the Community Foundation participated as well via social media and arranging interviews with DGI and Community Foundation managers and employees. All with taxpayer funding funneled from the City of Greensboro through their various organizations.
Calling the money private because it is in the hands of a private foundation does not make the money private when the money originated from the taxpayers.
Almost $500,000 of city money was spent on the project and that doesn't count the hundreds, perhaps thousands of man hours spent by city staff working to promote the project. Many hours spent working by the highest paid employees of the City of Greensboro among them. Hours that could have been spent on meaningful projects like real economic development and safe rental housing.
Trying to place the blame on the non profits and foundations simply won't fly. Mayor Perkins, the City Council, the City Manager, the City Attorney and various City department managers were all well aware of the actions of DGI and the Community Foundation and even participated in the social networking aspects of the endorsement. Saying the project was not yet a referendum won't fly either. City Council did at one time vote to put the matter on the ballot thereby making it a referendum. And would it really matter? If the spirit of the law is being broken is the law itself not being broken? Judges have ruled so many times.
Perhaps this is why the Greensboro News & Record removed their online archives from the Internet. But that's okay, copies are available and there's enough evidence in the links above for convictions.
I hereby call on Mayor Robbie Perkins, Councilman Zack Matheny, Councilwoman Nancy Hoffmann, City Manager Denise Turner Roth and City Attorney Mujeeb Shah-Khan to resign their positions effective immediately and admit their wrongdoings to the citizens of Greensboro.
Perhaps they'll have time to submit their resignations before this blog post finds its way to NC Attorney General, Roy Cooper.
Update: George Hartzman speaking on the subject last year:
"A municipality shall not use public funds to endorse or oppose a referendum, election or a particular candidate for elective office. (2010‑114, s. 1.5(b).):"
How did the City violate GS § 160A‑499.3? Ross Harris, a public relations professional and owner of The Harris Partners was paid $200,000 as the leader of the GPAC Task Force to use the GPAC Twitter feed and the GPAC Facebook page, the GPAC website, as well as working with local media outlets to promote the performing arts center. Professional video producers were hired and videos posted online to YouTube. DGI and the Community Foundation participated as well via social media and arranging interviews with DGI and Community Foundation managers and employees. All with taxpayer funding funneled from the City of Greensboro through their various organizations.
Calling the money private because it is in the hands of a private foundation does not make the money private when the money originated from the taxpayers.
Almost $500,000 of city money was spent on the project and that doesn't count the hundreds, perhaps thousands of man hours spent by city staff working to promote the project. Many hours spent working by the highest paid employees of the City of Greensboro among them. Hours that could have been spent on meaningful projects like real economic development and safe rental housing.
Trying to place the blame on the non profits and foundations simply won't fly. Mayor Perkins, the City Council, the City Manager, the City Attorney and various City department managers were all well aware of the actions of DGI and the Community Foundation and even participated in the social networking aspects of the endorsement. Saying the project was not yet a referendum won't fly either. City Council did at one time vote to put the matter on the ballot thereby making it a referendum. And would it really matter? If the spirit of the law is being broken is the law itself not being broken? Judges have ruled so many times.
Perhaps this is why the Greensboro News & Record removed their online archives from the Internet. But that's okay, copies are available and there's enough evidence in the links above for convictions.
I hereby call on Mayor Robbie Perkins, Councilman Zack Matheny, Councilwoman Nancy Hoffmann, City Manager Denise Turner Roth and City Attorney Mujeeb Shah-Khan to resign their positions effective immediately and admit their wrongdoings to the citizens of Greensboro.
Perhaps they'll have time to submit their resignations before this blog post finds its way to NC Attorney General, Roy Cooper.
Update: George Hartzman speaking on the subject last year:
