The Zack Methany Texts

Earlier today I posted Recapping The Zack Methany, Jason Cannon, DGI Story.

Then I went out and planted some early vegetables in the garden. They grew quickly.  Zack Methany, Mayor Vaughan, Robbie Perkins, Mike Barber and a lot of high rollers in Greensboro including some executives of some major corporations are going to have a lot of questions to answer before this all blows away.You only need click on these to view them full size:

 Madam Madam Mayor Vaughan, as any two bit whore can tell you, when your business becomes fucking people you always get fucked with every transaction. Looks like you're about to become quite raw.

Oh, and from the rumor mill: Andy Zimmerman is rumored to be buying the building next to where the homeless camp is being evicted on Washington St. We've heard Zimmerman is the reason for the homeless evictions. Some hero.

Please continue reading  The Grasshopper Sez

Parklets? Anyone Remember What DGI Did To Hamburger Square?

The News & Record is reporting that Downtown Greensboro Inc is complaining there is no place to sit downtown. Their solution: have people sit in the street in parking spaces converted to sitting spaces and dubbed parklets.

Rhymes with outlets and toilets. Kinda reminds me of using the outhouse at my grandparents' house half a century ago. Hot in the summer, cold in the winter and always too far away.

What's ironic is that it was only in the autumn of 2012 that Downtown Greensboro Incorporated proposed removing the benches from Hamburger Square because they were afraid shoppers might see homeless people sleeping there. Now, in a sudden change of opinion DGI wants to see homeless people sleeping all over downtown Greensboro.

Seriously folks, I couldn't write comedy that good.

Of course, if you really want to know what this is all about then you need look no farther than Greensboro City Councilwoman Nancy Hoffman who along with her business partners is hoping to push more downtown visitors to use her pay to park lots located new Lewis and Elm Streets.

Isn't that right, Dawn Chaney?

Chaney and Hoffman: Vultures Circling Over Downtown Greensboro

Dawn Chaney and Greensboro City Councilwoman Nancy Hoffman are buying a building together. The owner, Lee Andrews (an African-American lawyer) died a couple of months ago, so they essentially took advantage of the grieving widow.You know, like vultures preying on the dying before their hearts stop beating.

The building they're buying is next door to Hoffman's building at 302-304 S Elm where Scuppernong Books and Wine Bar is located-- the same building that received City funded Downtown Greensboro Inc incentives even though DGI rules prohibit giving money to establishments that sell alcoholic beverages.

But then Dawn Cheny was running DGI at the time.


Oh, and I found this very popular link on Dawn Chaney...

Dirt: Dawn Cheney, Nancy Hoffmann And The New GPAC Site Selection

Today the various media outlets are confirming what I told you Monday is the new site for the Greensboro Performing Arts Center. Today we learn that none other than Downtown Greensboro Incorporated Chairwoman and Greensboro slumlord, Dawn Cheney owns property directly across the street from the newly chosen site. Being the site was picked in closed chambers I can't help but wonder how Dawn's buddy, Nancy Hoffman voted this time 'round.

The property, 221 Summit Avenue, aka the Flatiron Tavern: Note: This is not a reflection on the Flatiron, their management or their patrons. They cannot help the fact that their landlord is a skumbag slumlord who bribes local politicians to cheat the taxpayers. It's not their fault. As always, clicking on any of the pictures makes them bigger.

From the Guilford County Register of Deeds:

From the NC Secretary of State:

And you can bet this isn't all the dirt we'll find under this old rock. More to come.

Update: How about Pay to play? $500 from Dawn Cheney to Nancy Hoffmann

Three Months Is Long Enough For A Cover Up

Wouldn't you agree?

It only took Dawn Cheney 3 plus months to answer this simple question. Why did DGI refuse to answer the question when George Hartzman asked them? And before anyone gives me any BS, George BCCs me his e-mails to these agencies, the City of Greensboro and the News & Record.

You see, Folks, when your business is taking taxpayer Dollars and you go around telling taxpayers its none of our business when the taxpayers ask questions it will always be assumed you are dirty. If you take a penny in tax dollars then all your business is our business, like it or not. And I don't really give a damn what the law says about it: this is the standard Greensboro voters are demanding if you expect to continue to take our money. Open books, open meetings, no propaganda and no secrets are the only way DGI will ever survive this assault. And any politician who tries to stop short of that will fall victim to his or her worst political nightmares.

Finally, DGI Meets Open Records Requirements

Sorta...

Downtown Greensboro Incorporated is meeting at 11:45 this morning. The following is what they claim to be discussing.


2013-2014 Proposed Operating Budget FINAL Draft https://docs.google.com/file/d/1QiAnBD0y69r_K_K7de3uYCYDP5hGC_EWnTyiem8E97T0qIPQ3Cwus_2CGh-a/edit?usp=sharing

Administrative Reorganization
https://docs.google.com/file/d/1CRAHgU5jHQ2nBl3S4UL6BYf10jQy3rzWWEslbbylyR4lS09tKfbGEXy-bTKb/edit?usp=sharing

Agenda https://docs.google.com/file/d/1SuUXNWTS7v6qNqoSPwV44yKt_0hBKuCGBgxXz_zleGjl3hrxePjt_R2CUMDb/edit?usp=sharing

Board Restructuring https://docs.google.com/file/d/1-WC8AKoYtS5G2ohNOleegxpSXIvooMzvjjSj5_JxEAEYntVZRisLu5_uITtx/edit?usp=sharing

City Market https://docs.google.com/file/d/1g4oGbUIXAz4I0yEUqS1e3SvoZu3ICpV_bBbxO1G_8ynXGnrfM5Hz-K44fnCH/edit?usp=sharing

Contracting Entity https://docs.google.com/file/d/10axpQqHQoBD-5EVIg_VVyjrHOWkqGrPk16SFR-24Uhif9u4DZI6TssT6p9QE/edit?usp=sharing

Draft 13-14 draft budget V2 https://docs.google.com/file/d/1RiXcQNQuxKeocvv15rlVQF2Nf08V5JlZB2pIR1MfdjkFz9sCtZrZrdZQCli2/edit?usp=sharing

Economic rpt https://docs.google.com/file/d/1Rttmh7b682h_L9PZOXYUIyG4BnvvYkZY4hbBk-ITIW_dO4pXpP694ZxAnbK7/edit?usp=sharing

Environment report https://docs.google.com/file/d/104uz_UlUZ4OP0NnwEPzVGY2OV9ihu_U2VSIhlXjC8cP1KDkhLubMJaDYX1ZQ/edit?usp=sharing

Marketing Report https://docs.google.com/file/d/1-B3GHnhwG8JFTJXSSfCdcNp37rzQx61E3Lr76SpZE-3BgNRSuYwARjplKk6a/edit?usp=sharing

April 2013 Financials https://docs.google.com/file/d/1exq_Clvnd8-UB2MX4TaDKJk8ytwb4R_jJG0aT_7159-PygaRVZAxgqsqdUH_/edit?usp=sharing

BOD-Min-4-18-13v4 https://docs.google.com/file/d/1geyEKzGzpWE1w8om7UUR9wMdL6AxffaRTU64CYpVfmAALus-AmloqXEK51FF/edit?usp=sharing

No word on their bribe to Councilman Zack Matheny.

Now if someone from DGI will only reply to my e-mails with versions 1-3 of their April 2013 Minutes, Downtown Greensboro Incorporated will be in compliance with State and Federal open records laws for the month of April 2013.

Ed Wolverton Leaves DGI: Nothing Changes

DGI Chairwoman Dawn Chaney, announced today that Downtown Greensboro Incorporated President, Ed Wolverton will be leaving July 1st in an "amicable" arrangement. This comes from the same news report that states:

"The decision comes after a months-long, highly public squabble between the city of Greensboro and DGI, in which the City Council publicly stated that the organization and Wolverton did not have the necessary vision for future downtown development."

Seriously, Ms Chaney, do you take Greensboro citizens for stupid? Ed Wolverton did exactly what the Downtown Greensboro Incorporated Board of Directors directed him to do for 15 years and now that Dawn Chaney and others on the DGI board have been caught with their fingers in the piggy bank, Ed Wolverton gets the boot.

You see, it's evidenced in this statement:

"While the City Council and Perkins have been vocal in their criticism of DGI’s vision, they have been relatively vague about specifics of what kind of new vision and direction they would like to see. Perkins has emphasized that downtown Greensboro needs to up its “cool” factor, citing Greenville, S.C., as an example, but has provided few other details.

Chaney said that the new vision for downtown could include examining the potential for development of vacant land in downtown Greensboro for additional walkways, retail shops and office buildings."

But you see, no DGI director will have control over what gets built in downtown Greensboro. The Mayor, City Council, DHG Board and Downtown property owners determine what gets built there, not Ed Wolverton or any other DGI employee.

You can be sure that Ed Wolverton's replacement will research Downtown Greensboro Incorporated and that no one as dedicated as Mr Wolverton will ever be found to replace him. Those who are hired will only see DGI as a stepping stone to other cities. With the help of the Tast Force, the DGI board has indeed sealed its own fate.




Don't forget: Billy Jones told you this would happen.

And why would Rite Aid buy a Downtown Greensboro drugstore with intentions of closing it? It certainly wasn't because Downtown was a better place to do business than Uptown in East Greensboro, was it?

Why Are So Many Downtown Businesses Failing?

The answer might be in this 2010 Action Greensboro Study they'd rather I not talk about:

"Despite demand retail growth has been slow Despite the fact that downtown is attracting significant spending from visitors and a growing residential base, businesses have trouble staying open. Assuming an industry standard of 10% rent‐to‐sales ratio for successful retail, a business would need to generate $420,000 in annual sales in a typical downtown space of 3,000 SF with $14/SF rent. Local market data suggests that retailers in downtown Greensboro are achieving a lower sales volume, and spending closer to 25% of sales on rent. High start‐up costs compound already tight operating margins and impede the success of many storefront retail businesses. Downtown’s retail is currently approximately 15% vacant along Elm St, and anecdotal evidence suggests that many businesses do not survive the first year of operation.


Poor building conditions are the greatest economic barrier to the success of new retail. Many buildings in Greensboro were constructed in the early/mid‐1900s and are in need of major renovations. The cost of rehabilitating ground floor spaces and creating a “vanilla box” for retail use will range from $40‐$80 per square foot depending on the building’s condition and original design. This either drives rents higher or creates an extra upfront burden for the tenant. Many buildings have likely remained vacant because owners are unwilling to undertake the upgrade cost on a speculative basis."


And this one:

“Retail rents cannot fully support the cost of rehabilitating blighted buildings… Absent financial intervention, storefronts will remain vacant or will attract tenants of marginal quality and with a high probability of failure.”

In other words, after Robbie, DGI, Action Greensboro, Roy Carroll, Dawn Cheney and Nancy Hoffman finish their little Land Grab they'll be coming back for more money from the taxpayers. Why not go ahead and give that money to the people who own the buildings now? Or just let the buildings crumble to the ground?

Are you beginning to see through the boarded up windows?

Perkins' Downtown Land Grab Continues

Proof from John Hammer and Dawn Cheney is in on it.

Nancy Hoffman-Dawn Cheney Scandal?

Nancy Hoffman + Dawn Cheney (one of the largest property owner in Greensboro, who fought hard against RUCO and is to be the upcoming chair of DGI.) Now Downtown Greensboro Incorporated is moving into Nancy Hoffman's building and City Councilwoman Nancy Hoffman will vote on DGI's taxpayer paid funding... Click on the picture to view larger.

Can you say, recuse me please?

Never a week goes by.....