"Ben,
This is truly a golden opportunity for you. For both of us. Often my investigations take strange and unanticipated turns and turn out very differently than I expected them to turn out. Your story could be one of those stories but if you refuse to work with me I just might come to the wrong conclusion. If I'm painting the wrong picture of Ben Holder then help me to turn the story in the right direction. Help me to get my story straight.
http://greensboroperformingarts. blogspot.com/2015/08/true- confessions-of-ben-holder- episode.html
-Billy"
The next morning I opened my e-mail. How did Ben respond?
"What???????"
I thought perhaps I should explain it again in simpler terms that Ben might better understand. I replied:
"Ben,I'm reasonably sure I explained myself well enough. What do you not understand? Since the beginning I've been seeking your help involving questions concerning your involvement with Nancy Vaughan and Greensboro city government. Thus far you have refused all efforts to work with me, refused to answer any questions and clear up any matters concerning Ben Holder. Perhaps you should go back to the beginning of the series, True Confessions Of Ben Holder http://greensboroperformingarts. blogspot.com/2015/06/true- confessions-by-ben-holder- episode-1.html read the series all the way through and rethink working with me instead of against me. If you're not lying then could it possibly get any worse than it is now? By the way, have you googled, Ben Holder greensboro lately? https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=ben+holder+greensboro You really need to work with me to improve your reputation.-Billy"
In case you didn't get those Google results:
Look, I'm not the first to question Ben Holder's credability. Brian Clarey, formerly of Yes Weekly and now with Triad City Beat was quoted as saying:
"Ben's credibility has always been for s*** in many, many people's eyes," Clarey wrote. "He doesn't cite sources, so while some of his leads may be the actual whisperings he gets from cops, others may be the fully concocted rantings that align with his agenda or smear his enemies."
What's the difference between Ben Holder and Billy Jones you ask? I cite sources. This entire series is filled with links to sources, screen grabs, e-mails, documents, the results of Public Information Requests from the City of Greensboro and any other citations I can get my hands on.
And the idea that Ben Holder is never wrong, never makes mistakes-- complete Bullshit, I've got examples right here from this very blog. For example: after hurling lots of personal insults at me Ben Holder, aka Glenwood wrote:
"... Billy never mentioned MariKays tax problems at Mahi's did he? Just saying, he may have let that one go. Those two are tight. "
Well actually I did mention Marikay's tax problems. Not once but twice. How many times did Ben Holder blog about it?
Ben continued:
"He never mentions MariKays real associations with the people that own 1810 Coliseum BLVD. You know, the ones Billy hates? He never talks about Isa's store, does he?
Isa was actually arrested for selling crack pipes at both of his stores on East Market St. Does Isa have fraudulent food stamp scam? The kind Big Bad Billy hates?"
And as to Ben's accusations against the Abuziatuers. Well I simply haven't found it and challenged Ben Holder to prove it well over a year ago. Have you proved your accusations yet Ben?
Ben gets a lot of things wrong just like everyone else but according to Ben Holder he's always right and everyone else is wrong. Well there Ben has been proven to make mistakes just like everyone else. Ben Holder is not God.
Ben replied to my e-mail:
"Your post that started this was I made $60 an hour and worked 20 hours a week. You said all I did was play on a computer. I told you that wasn't true. You freaked out and started your war."
Well Ben is right about my post but wrong about who started the war. Have you ever stepped on a a Yellow Jackets' nest only to get attacked by the swarm? You might not have realized you were doing so but your inattentive, inadvertent act of aggression-- stepping on top of the Yellow Jackets' home-- is what started the war. Ben Holder has been stepping on people-- myself included-- for years and is finally facing the swarm no matter if he likes it or not.
It's about respect, Ben. Had you ever treated me with respect you might not be getting grilled this way but your lack of respect for others, threats of violence and your mistaken notions that you can do no wrong are markings of a typical power hungry sociopath if not even a psychopath, therefore making you not to be trusted.
So it's time Ben Holder came clean if for no other reason than to save his reputation. Get it?
I replied to Ben's e-mail:
-Billy"I'm making every effort to get the story right but if you continue to refuse to cooperate... Well you lose, not me.And I even repeated at the beginning of Episode 7: http://"But Ben,Was your original contract bid not $60 an hour before the public outcry forced Council to reconsider your contract? Besides, I corrected what I wrote in Episode 6: http://greensboroperformingarts. blogspot.com/2015/07/true- confessions-of-ben-holder- episode-6.html
"Because of public pressure, Ben's contracted rate of pay was reduced from $60.oo per hour to $45.oo per hour. I have the documentation to prove it. And Ben paid his own expenses.
Ben then spent 16 to 20 hours per week as per his modified contract traveling all over Greensboro photographing and taking extensive notes on hundreds of properties as were assigned to him to visit by the Code Enforcement Department of the City of Greensboro. His records include well documented times, dates, addresses, conditions, etc. Ben even went so far as to throw in a few extras he happened to run across.
Ben did his job and he did it well. Whatever happened at Heritage House wasn't his fault and I've little doubt those at fault will soon turn up."greensboroperformingarts. blogspot.com/2015/07/true- confessions-of-ben-holder- episode-7.html
And I really do want to get Ben's story factually correct. But if Ben refuses to work with me then he only makes it harder for me to do and increases the likelihood that I'll make mistakes.
So what was Ben's reply? This is so good I took a screen grab. Click on it to view it full size:
Ben quickly followed up with this:
I sent Ben the following quote and link without comment:
"Holder responded to the RFP on June 19 and requested an hourly rate of $60, with 40 hours pay required in advance. In his response Holder also negotiated that, “Upon award, liability insurance and business license will be provided.”
http://yesweekly.com/article-18535-council-members-find-trouble-with-contract.html
Ben thinks I'm angry. If I were angry Ben Holder wouldn't be sending me e-mails. All I want is the truth and Ben seems to have a problem telling the truth. Ben replied:
I answered Ben:
"I can't copy and paste conversations or telephone calls and I'm very poor at taking notes. By using e-mail I make fewer mistakes. You don't want me to make mistakes do you?"Now Ben starts to make some sense with 4 successive e-mails that I will take the time to verify as best I can:
1.
"I asked for $60 in my proposal...the city never offered me $60..ever...they offered $45...i took it.. It didn't change do to "public outcry" it was the only offer they made."
2.
"They offered $45..i took it..they didn't offer $60..i asked for $60 in my proposal. I always bid high to start negotiations. They offered $45. I worked less than 20 hours a Month."
3.
"And the city rejected my offer...they countered with $45 an hour. There was no $60 an hour offered by the city. Ever. It was $45 and it never changed due to public outcry."
4.
"I saw the rfp after an inspector alerted me to it. I called the city and said I wanted to respond to it. I wrote a proposal. It was rejected but the city made a counter offer of $45 an hour for no more than 20 hours a week. The public outcry reducing the hourly rate isn't true. I ended up working around 16 hours a month."
Then Ben sends another e-mail:
My reply:
"Ben,
I've seen how you behave with a video camera. If I wanted to be shot in a video made and edited by a 5 year old I'd go find a real 5 year old. No thanks.
-Billy"
We'll see if Ben wants to continue this story in an adult manner in the True Confessions of Ben Holder: Episode 12.
