Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Possibly the dumbest political maneuvering ever seen at a Greensboro City Council Meeting



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Amanda Lehmert is Joe Killian's wife.

Lomax, Matheny and Simpson
were in a deal Matheny denied Simpson would make money on
live and on tape at a Council meeting.

Lehmert reported and didn't, on Matheny, 
and Killian is about to report, or not,
 on Matheny and DGI
which Lehmert is now connected to via RLF Communications.

Vaughan knows Lomax gave to Zack's campaign accounts.

From John Lomax to Zack Matheny in 2014;

LOMAX, JOHN LAUTEN LOMAX CONSTRUCTION OWNER CONTRIBUTION GREENSBORO NC 27425 1/28/2014 $2,000.00 
LOMAX, JOHN LAUTEN LOMAX CONSTRUCTION OWNER CONTRIBUTION GREENSBORO NC 27425 3/26/2014 $600.00

And Zack is/was involved 
in a Lomax commercial real estate business transaction
involving a property around Charlotte.

So Nancy Vaughan stacks DGI's board
with Zack Matheny supporters?
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Matheny received contributions from John Lomax and DGI Board Chairman and Real Estate Broker Sam Simpson, who both stood to benefit from the deal.
Meanwhile, Zack votes for Sam Simpson's Megasite project,
who also gave to Matheny, 
worth millions of Greensboro taxpayer dollars 
on the same night?

 ...The targeted company declined the incentives Matheny brought to City Council for Messrs. Lomax and Simpson, and is moving its headquarters to Greensboro anyway.

 http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/05/on-crony-capitalism-in-greensboro-zack.html

City Council offered John Lomax and Sam Simpson $150,000
to move Gerbing into John Lomax's building
with Sam recieving the commission on the incentive
and a percentage of the monthly rent.

 Councilman Zack Matheny had brought the proposal to the table
while taking campaign cash from Lomax, Simpson and others

 Mr. Matheny denied Sam Simpson was going to make any money on the deal on video at city council

 "The incentive was worth six times what the city would normally provide for such a deal.
Greensboro will give Gerbing $6,000 for each job it plans to create instead of the $1,000 per job offered under Greensboro’s incentive policy guidelines."

 http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/03/news-and-records-kelly-poe-on-gerbing.html

New City of Greensboro Give Away Program John Lomax and Sam Simpson knew about before the general public

 http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/01/new-city-of-greensboro-give-away.html

 Zack Matheny shoving an incentive for his friends and campaign contributors down Greensboro taxpayer's throats

 http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/01/zack-matheny-shoving-incentive-for-his.html

 Yes Weekly, 11/16/2011; On John Lomax's "reimbursement" for $217,812

 http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/01/yes-weekly-11162011-on-john-lomaxs.html

 Profound?; The Business Journal's Mark Sutter on the new Greensboro Partnership 'Shill'?

 http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/04/profound-business-journals-mark-sutter.html

 An act of Cowardice by John Hammer for Roy Carroll: "Breaking The Government Monopoly On Inspections"

 http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2014/12/an-act-of-cowardice-by-john-hammer-for.html

 On Crony Capitalism in Greensboro; Zack Matheny Edition

 http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/05/on-crony-capitalism-in-greensboro-zack.html

 On John Lomax, DGI, Billy Jones, Betty Cone, Grassroots, Eric Robert and Roy Carroll's Al Leonard

 News and Record's Kelly Poe on Gerbing and Linkfest

 http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/03/news-and-records-kelly-poe-on-gerbing.html

 Did Zack Matheny sell Greensboro taxpayer money to run for congress?

 http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/12/did-zack-matheny-sell-greensboro.html
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Zack's other connections to the Randolph County Megasite Rip Off;

 MELVIN, E SAMUEL BRYAN FOUNDATION PRESIDENT CONTRIBUTION GREENSBORO NC 27408 1/28/2014 $500.00 
MELVIN, E.S BRYAN FOUNDATION PRESIDENT CONTRIBUTION GREENSBORO NC 27408 12/18/2013 $1,000.00 
MELVIN, E.S. SAMUEL BRYAN FOUNDATION PRESIDENT CONTRIBUTION GREENSBORO NC 27408 9/16/2014 $500.00 
MENGERT, PAUL AMG PRESIDENT CONTRIBUTION GREENSBORO NC 27404 7/31/2014 $250.00 
Paul Mengert is Don Vaughan's business partner.

BROWN, ANDREW BENSON, BROWN & FAUCHER ATTORNEY CONTRIBUTION GREENSBORO NC 27401 2/10/2014 $250.00 

Mr. Brown is Roy Carroll's lawyer.

SIMPSON, EVANDER SIMPSON COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE CONTRIBUTION GREENSBORO NC 27408 4/15/2014 $250.00 

Evander S Simpson Simpson Schulman & Beard LLC located in 125 S Elm St, Greensboro, NC, 27401, Guilford county. Evander S Simpson specializes in real estate in Greensboro, North Carolina. If you are interested in buying, selling or renting a property in Greensboro, then contact Evander S Simpson by phone: (336) 282-3773; by e-mail: sam@ssbre.com. You can solve all your problems and issues related to real estate, you can also request an appointment, find out the prices for real estate. Leave your review if you have experience with this agent.


Yes, Zack just voted for a project
directly benefiting some of Zack's cronies,
implicating Mayor Nancy Vaughan,
and the News and Record's Joe Killian, and the rest, 
haven't reported it yet, and may likely never do.

This is Greensboro, North Carolina
"Kaitlin Hughes

Public Relations Intern
RLF Communications
January 2013 – May 2013 (5 months)Greensboro, NC
I worked on 3 accounts: Chicken Salad Chick, Competition Dining Series, and Greensboro Partnership.

Weekly responsibilities included:
-Writing and distributing media pitches
-Creating media lists using the Cision database
-Researching and contacting media contacts
-Daily tracking competitor media coverage 
-Contributing to social media content for the agency
Social Media Intern

Downtown Greensboro Inc
August 2012 – December 2012 (5 months)Greensboro, NC
-Managed and wrote monthly copy for the non-profit's Twitter and Facebook channels
-Utilized HootSuite to schedule content for social media channels promoting Downtown Greensboro
-Composed press releases for local media distribution
-Actively participated in DGI's new social media branding campaign through Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook branding strategies
-Represented DGI at sponsored events"

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RLF Communications Moves Into Nancy Hoffman's Building


Did Amanda's new employer
move into City Council member Nancy Hoffmann's building, 
which means Joe Killian's wife is working in her building, 
and for a company who receives City of Greensboro tax money?

"Lacking cohesive marketing, Greensboro seeks plan

In the absence of a unified marketing and branding campaign, various Greensboro booster organizations including the city are still moving forward with a variety of plans to promote the city.

...[Roy Carroll's] Greensboro Partnership, the city and the Greensboro Convention & Visitors Bureau have had conversations about working together on a joint marketing campaign, but Greensboro Partnership Vice President for Marketing & Communications David Marshall says it is a process.

...the need for better marketing of the city. It’s something Councilman Zack Matheny talks about a lot, even though the economic development subcommittee that could take up the charge — a committee he chairs — hasn’t met since April 2014.

But now city spokesperson Donnie Turlington’s communications team is putting together ideas and designs for what he is calling an “image campaign,” driven by city council’s desire for new branding and marketing.

“We’re sort of kicking the tires on some ideas internally,” Turlington said. “It will be the first sort of marketing or advertising campaign that the city has done since I’ve been here.”

...[The City's Donnie] Turlington said he has had “some high-level discussions” with Marshall and Action Greensboro Executive Director Cecelia Thompson about pooling resources to carry out a larger campaign for the entire city. It makes sense “to think about packaging under one brand,” he said, but that is far enough down the road that the city needs to do something in the meantime to fill the gap.

...[Jim Melvin's] Action Greensboro is also moving forward in the interim, but Thompson differentiates between the organization’s work and branding.

“Action Greensboro is interested in leveraging good news about Greensboro on a national basis,” she said. “It’s important to distinguish branding from good news. We think we can attract more businesses and people by getting these stories in front of a national audience.”

Her organization contracted with Greensboro-based RLF Communications “to wake up and pitch stories everyday” to national media outlets about things that help Greensboro stand out...


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RLF COMMUNICATIONS

Press Release for the City of Greensboro

Greensboro to Hold Webinar for Potential Economic Development Applicants

Effort is to inform and encourage applicants to compete in national competition

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"Such a waste is a $20,000 PR effort when it can be undone with a few tactically placed tweets, blog comments and other "social media" tools.

But when one considers that RLF Communications is an arm of Melvin's Minions, (They don't even admit publicly who their Senior Team is.) it's not surprising the City of Greensboro would "hire" them to "promote" Greensboro as if it wasn't the circus it is. PR is the desperate last act of a dying city."

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RLF, DGI's former president Jason Cannon
and the Greensboro taxpayer funded
Greensboro Partnership

http://edcone.typepad.com/files/ifyi-09.09.11.pdf
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Performing Arts Center: "[Notable]...Task Force Members"

Betty Cone
Mac Sims
Randall Kaplan
Richard Beard
Roy Carroll
Susan Schwartz
...hire nationally recognized consultant
to review past studies and assess current market conditions.
Donna Newton, co-chair
Daniel Craft
Julie Lapham
Marsh Prause
Ray Trapp
Kathy Manning
George House
Henry Frye
Denise Turner Roth
Donna Newton
Ed Wolverton
Ken Mayer
Matt Brown
Monty Hagler
Ross Harris
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Monty Hagler, APR — President & CEO

Monty was vice president for strategic communications at First Union (now Wells Fargo) in Charlotte, N.C.

Board of Directors for the Greensboro Country Club

mhagler@rlfcommunications.com

http://www.rlfcommunications.com/montyhagler.html
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"Community Foundation puts performing arts center initiative in motion

The foundation has hired Ross Harris as a project manager. Harris served as Perkins’ campaign manager during his successful bid last year to unseat Bill Knight as mayor.

The advisory committee also includes Downtown Greensboro Inc. President Ed Wolverton, NC Secretary of Cultural Resources Linda Whittington, Coliseum Director Matt Brown, public relations consultant Monty Hagler and Sanders."

http://yesweeklyblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/community-foundation-puts-performing.html
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Roch critiques the City's contract with RLF, saying we're paying $10K for "a 'web site' that is a blog -- and it is a Word Press blog to boot, not even a Google-powered blog."

I appreciate all of the comments that folks are making about the effort by the City of Greensboro to land the Google Fiber project. The role of the googlegreensboro.com website is not to replace all of the great efforts that are already taking place; it is to help organize and better channel efforts. The City needs an official site where it can:

- Provide a hub where information can be officially communicated and updates quickly posted from the City

- Promote various contests and fun ways to engage citizens who want to support the City’s efforts to land Google

-Keep an accurate track of how many Greensboro citizens (or others who support Greensboro) take the time to fill out the Community Application that Google has posted.

As best we can tell, the Google selection will come down to 3 driving factors:

1. The data and information in the official application that each community is preparing, and which the Greensboro city staff is working on extremely hard.
2. The number and quality of responses to the Community Application that Google has posted for citizens to support their communities
3. The overall support and enthusiasm that communities demonstrate to Google and get on their radar screen.

The City of Greensboro is working hard on all of these fronts, as is my agency and many individuals throughout the community. We are creating contests, working with news media (such as today's great article in the N&R about the benefits of fiber optic), holding events and engaging citizens throughout the city. The website is one small part of an overall engagement effort.

We welcome everyone’s efforts to help Greensboro land Google, and we’ll continue to improve our efforts each and every day.

Monty Hagler
President
RLF Communications
Posted by: Monty Hagler | Mar 07, 2010 at 10:46 AM

http://edcone.typepad.com/wordup/2010/03/bang-for-the-buck.html#comments
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Another I would add is when did Action Greensboro's proposal to insert RLF into the process go from "We'll pay for it," to "You pay for it" and why?

Posted by: Roch101 | Mar 07, 2010 at 01:18 PM
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Oops. Correction to the above. Amanda tells me she talked with Hagler and Denise Turner, but that the only information that ended up in the story -- a story that was conceived 3 weeks ago -- was the Web site URL.

Posted by: John Robinson | Mar 08, 2010 at 09:31 AM
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"Ever seen a $10,000 blog?

The City of Greensboro launches its Google Greensboro web site, designed by hired gun PR agency RLF Communications. From the press release:"

http://roch101.blogspot.com/2010/03/ever-seen-10000-blog.html
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WTF?
Greensboro Taxpayer funded Civil Rights Museum;

"ICRCM has retained the services of RLF Communications, an award winning firm. RLF will
develop a media plan for announcing the Museum’s Debt Retirement campaign.'

RLF Communications will play an instrumental role on developing an effective strategy in the
previously identified outreach initiatives. This role will continue when ICRCM expands its staff
to include a Director of Marketing and Communications. 

RLF Communications will outline a communications strategy that will market the ICRCM
Museum Store (and its e-store) as a destination point for those who wish to shop for unique gifts
suitable for birthdays, retirement celebrations, holidays, etc.

RLF Communications and a new Director of Communications and Marketing will bring increased
visibility to ICRCM’s facility rental availability.  

The Executive Director has conducted a tour with staff members of RLF Communications. RLF
recorded the narrative of the tour. This will be used as a basis for the development of the selfguided tour option. The costs associated with this effort have yet to be determined. RLF, in
consultation with ICRCM staff may choose to develop a printed gallery guide and/or a digitally
recorded tour accessible via the technological advances of cellular telephones or other electronic
media.

The costs associated with this effort are projected at $60,000.

Board committee and/or staff responsible: Executive Director, RLF Communications
Potential collaborators/stakeholders:
Benchmarks/Measures of success:
Implementation timeline: March/April 2014."

http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=23048
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RLF Clients; 

 George House;

 Law firm's services to city range from landfill to police discrimination

 Brooks Pierce law firm and in particular partner George House have their hands in a lot of matters that affect public policy in the city of Greensboro as outside counsel.

 http://yesweeklyblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/law-firms-services-to-city-range-from.html
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Downtown Greensboro Incorporated (DGI) Announces Awards at Annual Meeting

 Downtown Greensboro made awards to area leaders during its recent Report to the Community.  The awards are made annually and focus on the period from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013.

 An attorney with Brooks Pierce Law Firm, George House, was presented with the Ed Kitchen Leadership Award.  Kathy Manning, an attorney with Manning & Associates, received the Jim Roach Downtown Person of the Year Award.
http://downtowngreensboro.net/blog/uncategorized/downtown-greensboro-incorporated-dgi-announces-awards-at-annual-meeting/

 Henry Frye;

 Reid Phillips

 http://www.brookspierce.com/
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Nancy Hoffman's perfectly legal contributions from GPAC task force members

Reid Phillips (Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP)

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/08/nancy-hoffmans-perfectly-legal.html
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Reid Phillips elected chair of War Memorial Commission in Greensboro

Reid Phillips, an attorney with law firm Brooks Pierce in Greensboro, has been elected chairman of the War Memorial Commission, and will serve through August 2015.

Phillips follows real estate broker Richard Beard with Simpson Schulman & Beard in the post...

Phillips has been active in advocating for the Greensboro Aquatic Center at the complex, and is chairman-elect of the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, which has led the effort to build the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts.

http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2014/09/09/reid-phillips-elected-chair-of-war-memorial.html
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"The [performing arts center] task force, which includes an advisory committee and subcommittees, is comprised of a who’s who list of power brokers ...: former NC Supreme Court Chief Justice Henry Frye...lawyer Reid Phillips as co-chairs of an economic impact/feasibility task force...

The advisory committee also includes ...Coliseum Director Matt Brown, public relations consultant Monty Hagler and [Walker] Sanders.

...lawyer George House."

http://yesweeklyblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/community-foundation-puts-performing.html
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"GREENSBORO PARTNERSHIP STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE

...Susan S. Schwartz, Executive Director, Action Greensboro

...Monty Hagler Trone Public Relations

...John Lomax Lomax Construction

...Andy Scott City of Greensboro

...Jim Westmoreland City of Greensboro

J. Edward Kitchen, Chair
Former Greensboro City Manager, Vice President, Bryan Foundation

J. Lee Lloyd, Attorney, Brooks Pierce McLendon Humphrey & Leonard

D. Marsh Prause, Greensboro Neighborhood Congress

Marlene Sanford, President, TREBIC

Ralph K. Shelton, Owner, Southeast Fuels, Inc.

http://greensboropartnership.com/sites/default/files/pdf/actiongreensboro/2006-GreensboroStrategicPlanningReport.pdf
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Construction on downtown’s new luxury hotel is planned to begin by March.
Thursday, November 7, 2013

Local developer Randall Kaplan has been the face of the Elm Street Wyndham.

the biggest investor in the project is Greg Dillon of Washington.

Dillon officially became an investing partner alongside the Elm Street Center in May, said George House, a Greensboro lawyer and one of the center’s four managing partners.

...House is hoping to market the Elm Street Center to conferences hosting between 300 and 900 people — more than the 180 rooms in the Wyndham could hold.

http://www.news-record.com/news/local_news/washington-investor-part-of-greensboro-hotel-plan/article_9b70dd8c-482f-11e3-a7a9-001a4bcf6878.html
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It looks like Amanda Lehmert just became a lobbyist, 
while her husband works at the local paper of record
as the City of Greensboro's reporter
for Warren Buffet's News and Record.
Posted by at