Monday, June 29, 2015

True Confessions Of Ben Holder: Episode 1

I'll admit, this isn't what I'd hoped it would be when I was first contacted by Ben Holder on Friday evening. That said, I'd been hearing for days he wanted to get in touch with me so I kept telling our go-between to tell Ben my e-mail address is located at the top of the blog.

"Call me.  336-988-9857"

I was outside working in the yard at the time and my only computer is a desktop so I didn't get Ben's e-mail right away. Less than an hour later he sent a second e-mail:


"Call me.  336-988-9857"


I was still out working in the yard and garden, also getting my things together for work on Saturday morning. Less that an hour later I got another e-mail from Ben Holder using the subject line:

"COWARD

 "Seriously folks, I couldn't make up this kind of corruption if I tried. Ben Holder was hired by the city of Greensboro to find properties that weren't up to code. Instead he spent his 20 hours a week at $60 an hour sitting at home doing searches on his computer of the records of the work that the real code enforcement officers had already done.

And Ben Holder has about 1 year of experience as an actual code enforcement officer compared to those he is criticizing who have decades."

Completely wrong, as usual."

Ben was referring to my recent post How To Thoroughly Inspect A Building Without Going Inside.

So I guess when you don't jump as fast as Ben Holder thinks you should jump that makes you a coward in Ben Holder's eyes. As soon as I got back inside I turned on my computer, opened my e-mail, read the e-mails above and sent the following reply to Ben and a long list of people including Mayor Vaughan and Councilman Barber:



"Okay Ben Holder, let's talk about the post as a whole:


"How To Thoroughly Inspect A Building Without Going Inside

Thoroughly inspecting a building for code violations without ever setting foot inside is impossible, right? Not if you're the mighty, mercenary code enforcement inspector Ben Holder, hired last year by the City of Greensboro at the insistence of Councilman Mike Barber and Mayor Nancy Vaughan at a cost of $60 an hour to inspect the now condemned Heritage House Condominiums. According to Mr Holder all you have to do is turn on your computer and "utilizing the "Control F" technique and the term "smoke Detector" while reading Chapter 11 of the Greensboro of Greensboro"

Seriously folks, I couldn't make up this kind of corruption if I tried. Ben Holder was hired by the city of Greensboro to find properties that weren't up to code. Instead he spent his 20 hours a week at $60 an hour sitting at home doing searches on his computer of the records of the work that the real code enforcement officers had already done.

And Ben Holder has about 1 year of experience as an actual code enforcement officer compared to those he is criticizing who have decades."

Did you or did you not charge the City of Greensboro $60 an hour for searching documents for the term, "smoke Detector" as you indicated in your report?

And was that really within the realm of your contract or were you just finding things to do? Make work because there really wasn't anything for you to do.



How long did you actually work in code enforcement?


Do you have any certifications in code enforcement? Where from?


Remember Ben, if you evade me I will chew you up and spit you out in front of the world.


And when you're done answering those question I've got about a hundred more unanswered question concerning your time as a mercenary code enforcement inspector you might want to answer if you have balls enough to put the answers in an e-mail.  http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/search/label/Ben%20Holder Take your time, read up, I'll give you all weekend to get up to speed. Then we can discuss what I write about you-- all of it-- not just select quotes you want to pull out of context. This could get long, drawn out and messy. You ripped-off the City of Greensboro for the entirety of your contract and everyone reading this e-mail knows it to be true. Again, do you have the balls to do it in print?

Call me a coward, I can back it up. Remember: you contacted me after I'd previously warned Mayor Vaughan and Councilman Barber to keep you in your cage.

-Billy Jones, your friendly freelance neighborhood Tyrannicide


PS. MHAG offers a free anger management course. I highly recommend it. http://www.mhag.org/"
Okay, I admit, the remark about anger management at MHAG wasn't very nice on my part. You see, what brought on my post that made Ben so angry is that Ben shoved George Hartzman inside of City Council Chambers just two weeks ago tomorrow night. And if you know Ben and George you know that Ben is much bigger than George. I'm not going to pretend to tell you that I can kick Ben's ass-- I'm 15 years older, in bad health and not nearly as big as Ben. And while I own guns that would allow me to take Ben out from hundreds of yards away I'm not a fan of jails. But being that I just happened to have that document from the City I decided to show Ben there are other ways he can and will be hurt.

Now Ben replies to me adding Herky Fishbine, aka Roch Smith Jr to the list of recipients. Ben doesn't know I've known Roch's alias for years:

"already did.


Billy wrote: "Ben Holder was hired by the city of Greensboro to find properties that weren't up to code. Instead he spent his 20 hours a week at $60 an hour sitting at home doing searches on his computer of the records of the work that the real code enforcement officers had already done."



That is absolutely false.  Billy can't and wont prove anything quoted above because he can't.   I did not work 20 hours a week for $60 an hour.  Billy can't prove that I did.  Billy must not be a good investigator.    Also, from June, 2014-Dec 2014 I did nothing BUT ride around and inspect properties for code enforcement.  Billy is completely wrong.  



Billy added: " And Ben Holder has about 1 year of experience as an actual code enforcement officer compared to those he is criticizing who have decades." 




As history and documentation will show, I have audited inspections on many occasions and my audits have caused positive change.  My audits have shown gross negligencedishonesty and simple bad procedure.  My audits have changed things like 

asbestos removal procedure to ensure safety.  Mon, 07 Nov 2005,   Greensboro News & Record reported on one of my earlier audits.  " Holder held the property owner and the city to the letter of the law even as work crews started demolishing the motel.  When he found no one had applied for an asbestos permit, he contacted the state -- and the cleanup was stalled for some time."  I've been doing this for a long time and my audits have also resulted in the termination of a 20 plus year inspector that held a supervisory position.  My audit showed she falsified inspection records.  Because of my audit, she was terminated.  Billy's post is irresponsibly false.  He made it up.  



Billy wrote: " "Seriously folks, I couldn't make up this kind of corruption if I tried."  Actually, Billy could and he did.



The documents Billy linked to show nothing to support his statements about auditing inspections 20 hours a week for $60 an hour.  Billy made it up.




Billy please list my criminal charges.  In a post and at a city council meeting, you've mentioned my record.  Please, what is it that you have in those 32 pages of criminal charges?"

That's very different from, as Ben writes above,  "I did nothing BUT ride around and inspect properties for code enforcement." As a matter of fact: Ben's very own report for the month of July 2014 makes no mention of riding around looking for code violations of any sort. But just to be certain I've submitted a public information request for summaries of all of Ben's work for the entire length of his contract. When it comes I'll post it later in the series along with any necessary corrections.

Ben fires off another e-mail to me:



"


Ben Holder was hired by the city of Greensboro to find properties that weren't up to code. Instead he spent his 20 hours a week at $60 an hour sitting at home doing searches on his computer of the records of the work that the real code enforcement officers had already done.
prove it"

 Ben included a link to this document.

I replied:
"This is the same document I linked to in my post dumbass-- what are you trying to prove?"


You're right, George, I shouldn't have called Ben a dumbass. George doesn't like it when I call people names. He's even threatened to stop writing here if I continue to do so. My patience was wearing thin. It was late, I was tired and yes I turn into an asshole sometimes. I'm sorry. Ben, you have my apology as well.

It's just that if Ben is submitting the same document to me as proof then that probably means he never clicked on the link in my post and therefore is clueless as to the evidence I've already presented. Besides, he never pointed out which part of the document-- if any-- made his point.
Like I said, his July report makes no mention of riding around looking for violations and I've submitted a PIRT request for all of Ben's work summaries.
"criminal record please?"
He still thinks he's running things but he has yet to provide answers to most of my questions and documentation for anything he has written. Now you know why I prefer e-mail-- a record of everything is kept automatically so that old brains don't have to remember.
Ben gets stuck on things too, fixated I guess you might say, as shown in his next e-mail to me:
"You've never posted my criminal record.  You've only claimed to have 32 pages.  Please, lets see them?"
See what I mean. Ben went to the Ed Cone School of Journalism. Ben thinks if he can catch me at just one mistake then he can declare my entire body of work wrong. Over the years I took a lot of online beatings from Mr Cone before I learned better, Benjamin won't do that to me, not now, not ever. I replied to Ben.

"Ben will answer my questions or I won't play.

And I'll scan a copy of the criminal record when we're done with all of my questions, not before.
But Ben just in case you think I'm bluffing you.
On August 14 1998 you went to court for possession of 1/2 to <1 1="" and="" br="" marju="" ounces=""> Your attorney was Swisher.
The case was appealed to Superior Court.

That wasn't the only time you were busted for possession
You also have several busts for possession of drug paraphernalia.
That's pretty interesting for the guy who campaigned to get crack pipes off of store shelves. Should play real good on the blog.
In another case Tom Carruthers was your attorney. Now that gets into conflict of interest issues for you and Mr Carruthers and your contract with the City of Greensboro.
Now go ahead, Ben and play this game if you like but you are going to answer my questions first. If I've made mistakes I will make corrections but you are going to answer my questions first. Otherwise Ben Holder is fucked.
Talk to you tomorrow. Don't be in a rush as you've got lots of reading to catch up on: http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/search/label/Ben%20Holder"
That's right, I gave him a teaser, just enough to let him know I do have his criminal record at hand.

At some point in the conversation I thought it a good idea to give Mr Holder a warning. You see he's been asking for my address and telephone number for quite some time and on numerous occasions has threatened me with physical violence. I'll document that later in the series.


"And Mr Holder, should you make serious on your threat to come to my home even if only to discuss your grievances with me I will have GPD arrest you for trespassing. You have been warned. You have my e-mail address if you want to discuss anything with me."

Ben replied in his usual insulting way:


"you mean your mom's house?"

I answered:

"Ben, you don't own a home either. There is no Ben or Benjamin Holder listed in the Guilford County Property listings. I checked, the home you live in belongs to some doctor despite the fact that you claim to own it. Yes, I live in my mother's home but unlike you I don't have to lie about it. She asked me to stay here when my father died. If not for her I wouldn't have returned to Greensboro and would be living in the mountains of Virginia today where I owned land.
Goodnight, got to go to work early"


Of course that's not good enough for Ben Holder:
"Again, you're completely wrong"

I know, I should have gone to bed but I just had to:


"Isn't this where Ben lives? That's the address he listed on the documents he signed to get Heritage House inspected. http://taxweb.co.guilford.nc.us/CamaPublicAccess/PropertySummary.aspx?REID=0009014&pageIndex=1 According to County records that home belongs to a Dr Jeffery Hatcher and has for years.


Now either he was lying then or he is lying about owning that home now. Which is it Ben?


And is it true you never set a foot inside of Heritage House?


Remember: I have Sal's audio recordings, tell us the truth.


Like I said, my terms, this is going to get very messy for a whole lot of people.


You realize Greensboro has leash laws, don't you Mayor Vaughan?


I really should go to bed... "

Now just in case my readers can't get the link to the Guilford County Register of Deeds to work I took a screen grab. Click on it to view full size. 




Mr Hatcher owns numerous properties around Greensboro and no less than 4 homes in the Glenwood neighborhood. If Ben Holder owns the home he lives in then it is not deeded in Ben Holder's name. As a matter of fact: a search of the Guilford County Register of Deeds shows absolutely no properties in Mr Holder's name.
Just before I started working to post this I was contacted by an officer from the Greensboro Police Department Criminal Investigations Division. He seemed more concerned that I might attack someone on City Council than Ben Holder might attack someone else. I promise you, the only harm that will come to city council members from me will be to their egos and reputations. The last time CID contacted me Robbie Perkins and Jim Key lost reelection.



As always, I've kept all these e-mails and can provide them to anyone who wants them. Even GPD CID, no warrant needed.

Is that the end? Hell no, that's just what took place on Friday night. We've still got Saturday, Sunday and today's e-mails to go through. And 2 years of questions for Ben Holder to answer to. Stay tuned for True Confessions By Ben Holder: Episode 2 right here at EzGreensboro.com.