Revenge of the Downtown Mural Nazis

From Zack's Drug Dealer by Fec.

Are these charges true? I didn't make them and although I often share the same sources as does Fec, I've not been privy to this information thus far and don't know where he got it from. You decide. But remember what Ogi Overman wrote in April of 2016:

"After Kennedy had made the scale drawing of her mural, had it transferred onto a transparency to be projected onto a wall and had blocked out several weeks to do the mural, she found out the sponsors of the mural project insisted the muralists be local residents.

But Kennedy, 31, was not one to take no for an answer.

“I’d already fallen in love with Greensboro by then,” she said. “I’ve been all over the country and never have I seen such warm and caring people. It’s just unbelievable the way the people around here took me in.”

Kim Kennedy financed her own mural project in Downtown Greensboro without the help of the City funded and Kotis run Downtown Mural Project, paying for it through a Kickstarter campaign on a building that had not been selected by the Downtown Mural Project.

Nor had the buildings owned by Eric Robert, who paid for the murals on his buildings, been selected to receive murals by the Downtown Mural Project.

But are Fec's claims to be believed? Often, far more times than he is wrong, he turns out to be right. As a matter of fact: his record far excels that of the local News & Fishwrap.

So what's my relationship to Fec? We admire each other and can't stand each other at the same time. In other words, it's complicated and we've learned to like it that way.

If I Were Mayor Of Greensboro: Part 26

People have been asking me about my position on taxes. It's simple really. Without getting into the argument about whether or not Greensboro is the highest taxed city in North Carolina the fact remains you pay too much in taxes. Problem is: we can't just lower taxes without first addressing the reasons taxes are so high.

So why are taxes so high in Greensboro? Well let's begin with the fact that  Greensboro is 2044 of 2570 Cities In Money Management. Greensboro's City Council has a long history of simply spending more money instead of learning how to manage money better.

When I am elected Mayor of Greensboro we will find the leaks and plug them before we spend more. We have to.

Speaking of plugging leaks: this nonsense about upping your water and sewer bills to pay for improvements and repairs to the water and sewer system has a big leak. You see, they're saying they need to spend $25 Million. Okay, I can see that. So why not spend the $22 Million plus they're planning to spend to build water and sewer to an unneeded megasite in Randolph County on Greensboro city needs and then ask for say $3 or $4 Million to cover the difference.

After all, if your car breaks down in the middle of the desert and you have the ability to fix your car, do you fix the car and drive, or do you abandon the car and walk to the next town to buy a new car?

What do they take us for, stupid?

Some things we are stuck with as commitments have been made and contracts signed. Trying to get out of them would only land us in court with even more expenses to pay. Examples are our current contracts with Downtown Greensboro Inc and the International Civil Rights Center and Museum. The contracts have been signed so the bills must be paid.

A fine example was Robert v City of Greensboro. The City made commitments to Eric Robert, failed to meet them, then spent more in legal bills then what they owed Mr Robert.

But we won't be entering any more such contracts under my watch.

Speaking of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum: how many of you were aware that Mayor Vaughan and her husband Donald Vaughan were major stockholders in Carolina Bank-- the bank which held over $700,000 in debt against the International Civil Rights Center and Museum?

That might explain that $750,000 check that got written without approval.

Speaking of failure to disclose, something that has troubled me for a very long time is Councilman Tony Wilkins. Now I'm not accusing Tony of having done anything per say but I want you to think about the night he was appointed to City Council.

Like myself, Tony had been blogging critically about City Council for a very long time-- almost a decade, I think. And to secure his appointment to City Council the existing council demanded that Tony remove his blog and everything on it from the Internet so that no one could ever again see his criticisms. Not just a few offensive posts but his entire blog.

Now I admit the big lipped characters could be seen as racist but Tony had posted a lot of facts to his blog as well-- why get rid of the facts too?

Now I was in attendance at that night's meeting and Tony's willingness to accommodate them in order to be appointed to office rather than wait just a few months to run for office against candidates who really had no chance signaled to me that Tony Wilkins was willing to do anything necessary to get that appointment. Anything.

And I'm betting that's exactly how then Mayor Robbie Perkins and the rest of the Greensboro City Council took Mr Wilkins' gesture that night as well Anything to win the favor of Greensboro's established status quo. Truth no longer mattered as long as he got the job.

And if you'll quit calling him a conservative long enough to look at his actual record you'll see I'm right.

I promise you, when I am elected Mayor of Greensboro I will do everything in my power to topple Greensboro's status quo and never will I remove my blog from the Internet.

Come back next time for If I Were Mayor Of Greensboro: Part 27 and catch up on the rest of my platform at Billy Jones For Mayor of Greensboro 2017.

If I Were Mayor Of Greensboro: Part 25

Did I mention that when I'm elected I plan to move the Mayor's office? I'm going to put it out there in that area of the Melvin Municipal Building where all the plants are located. Oh, don't worry, we'll keep most of the plants, I just believe a Mayor needs to be as accessible as possible. I don't need walls, guards and people separating me from the public. And there will be no closed door business meetings.

On other days I might have meetings under the 100 year old oak trees in my front yard and serve sweet iced tea. Sorry, my doctors have me on several medications that don't mix well with alcohol so I'll not be drinking with you even though I've nothing against responsible drinkers.

I'm also supposed to avoid long exposure to direct sunlight because of my medications. I miss the beach more than I miss alcohol. Growing older isn't for the weak or the scared but at least I won't be taking long vacations where no one can get in touch with me-- it's simply not in my nature.

The current Mayor's office will be converted to working spaces for city employees.

I've been thinking about the plaza outside the Melvin Municipal Building. To me it seems that plaza goes horribly underutilized. Especially on the weekends and at night.

I'm thinking there should be shows, bands, and exhibitions there. Yes, the plaza will still be available for political purposes but why not allow other uses there as well? Personally I'd like to see a custom motorcycle show in the plaza but everyone might not agree. What if our local breweries did some sort of event there? Or a temporary runway was installed and a fashion show was held there?

What's that? Screw Milton Kern and his event center, he tried to steal $1.9 Million Dollars from Greensboro taxpayers and the current City Council covered it up.

Anyway, I'm open to all kinds of downtown events being hosted in the plaza as downtown business owners often complain that closed streets actually hurt their business rather than bring in more business.

Why Zack Matheny and Downtown Greensboro Inc. never thought of that is simply beyond me. I mean, some people will have to park all the way over on Elm St, they might drop in a downtown shop or restaurant as they pass buy.

Look, here's reality, folks, marketing downtown Greensboro, just like marketing the rest of Greensboro, is the job of the people who run this city. And the fact that our current leaders must subcontract this job to Zack Matheny and DGI simply proves that our current leadership is incapable of doing their jobs. I mean seriously, is this the best we can get for Millions of dollars per year? From the front page of the DGI website as of June 28, 2016:

They might as well be posting Zack's DWI mug shot for the results you got.

Does it really take $Millions of Dollars a year to operate the DGI website? I pay about $15.oo a year for the domain name EzGreensboro.com and this website is free. There's probably a better option somewhere in-between.

Legally the City of Greensboro cannot close DGI as DGI has non profit status under State and Federal laws. But nowhere in State or Federal laws are there any regulations that require the City of Greensboro actually fund DGI.

What I am proposing is the following:

1. Stop all funding to DGI.
2. Have the City of Greensboro take over the responsibilities the City should have been doing all along.

The following is optional and certainly open for discussion but I don't think you can best it:
3. Cut the Business Improvement District tax in half.
4. Eliminate private residences from having to pay the BID tax even if they are located in the BID.
5. Vastly increase the size of the BID. Perhaps 2 to 3 times it's current size to include areas such as Uptown Greensboro to the north and east, South Elm, MLK and others.

My opinion is that Greensboro's downtown will always be doomed to failure as long as it remains small enough that a handful of people can control every aspect of what goes on there. Even the largest empires in the history of the world have all failed once they overextended their grasp. Let's make the BID large enough so that Greensboro's wannabe emperors, czars and tyrants can't keep a handle on it. Besides, our downtown is puny.

And while we're at it let's spread that economic development stimulus throughout a much larger portion of the city.

All controlled by a City Council who discusses city business in front of the television cameras and a Mayor who has his meetings right out in the open where anyone can see.

And while we're at it let's discuss who gets the economic stimulus money provided by the BID tax and how they are picked.

Under the current system the DGI board picks who gets it. Usually they give the money to DGI board members with the rest of downtown's merchants and property owners getting left out despite having to pay in year after year.

In my system the decision is twofold. First is proof of need. Then all who prove need will enter a lottery. Previous winners will not be eligible to win again as long as there is a deserving contestant still waiting to win.

It's not perfect. Nothing is.

Or do you prefer the good ol' boy system we have in place now?

Come back for If I Were Mayor Of Greensboro: Part 26 and read the rest of my platform at Billy Jones for Mayor of Greensboro, 2017

Nicely Done

In an e-mail dated October 17, 2015, Greensboro Mayor Nancy Barakat Vaughan replies to Zack Matheny and members of the Board of Directors of Downtown Greensboro Inc. as Zack explains his recent DWI, calling it a "poor choice" a "mistake" and "poor judgement".

Nowhere did he mention he was parked at a methadone clinic several miles out of route from the home of his friends to his home, or that the area is known for drugs and prostitution.

And amazingly, just 2 days after the incident he claims to be "a better person and leader in this community."

Really, he improved that much in just 2 days? That must be why he asked the judge last week for more time to plea bargain his trial.

And then there's this:

"We are headed to Raleigh to pick up 50 Azaleas that NC Beautiful awarded DGI today."

Is DGI really paying Zack almost $200,000 a year to be a delivery boy? Seriously?

More Special Favors For Marty Kotis

The Westerwood Mural Project has issued an artist call. Click on the link to learn more. This will be of particular interest to home owners and business owners inside Greensboro's Central Business District who have long complained they are not getting their fair share of Downtown Greensboro Inc funding as DGI is funding this project outside the BID. The property in question, 501 Guilford Avenue, is outside of the Business Improvement District, and is being purchased by none other than Kotis Properties which is owned by Marty Kotis.

The project is being headed up by Jeff Nimmer who just so happens to be employed by Kotis Properties.

Just another reason why Zack and Marty must go.

DGI At Any Price? Or Blackmail?

When your car breaks down do you call your accountant and ask him to fix your car?

If the roof on your house were leaking would you call a plumber? What if the plumber was willing to hire a roofer, get your roof repaired and mark up the bill by 50%-- would you call your plumber then?

If you needed surgery would you ask a first year med school student to cut you open and offer to pay him 50% more than an experienced and successful surgeon was willing to do the job for?

So why is the Greensboro City Council, who budgeted $600,000 for marketing downtown Greensboro, willing to pay Downtown Greensboro Inc. and Zack Matheny $900,000 to do the job?

Eric Robert, who submitted a competing bid, had the following to say. Click on any image to view full size.

So why should the City Council pick Eric Robert over Zack Matheny and Downtown Greensboro Inc? I mean, besides the fact that Eric didn't exceed the budget and Zack exceeded budget by 50%.

Well for starters, Eric is experienced in marketing running his own marketing and design firm called QUB. Zack has zero marketing experience and plans to hire a 3rd party company to do the marketing for him. Besides having previously created DGI's most successful marketing campaign in its history, Eric is also among the creators of the wildly popular Project Runway television show originally on Bravo and now on the Lifetime network. Eric has worked in marketing and design for years. Look at some of the photos of what he has done with the Old Mill.

Zach promoted a DGI online selfie campaign that went nowhere. Eric is still drawing royalty checks from Project Runway, Zack is only drawing taxpayer dollars.

Eric Robert, whose last name is pronounced Row Bear, was born in France, grew up in Africa and educated at UNCG and Elon. He speaks about 6, maybe 9 languages fluently and is very proud of the fact that he is an American Citizen. So much so that one of the rooms at the Old Mill has become his Flag Room. The picture really doesn't do justice to his creative work.

You can check out The Mill's Facebook Page for lots more stunning photos of Eric's creative work there.

Eric managed to bring Duck Head and Prospect Brands to downtown Greensboro, even opening there flagship store there,  after Zack Matheny and the Greensboro City Council failed to do so. And while Zack and company were offering taxpayer funded incentive packages, Eric brought them here using nothing more than good old fashioned honest business sense and modern creativity to fill their needs. At no cost to the taxpayers.

So what has Zack done? Well if you ask Zack he'll no doubt name a long list but all of Zack's accomplishments all involveing spending taxpayer dollars in one form or another. And when it comes to creativity the best Zack has done to date is a Twitter selfie promotion and a few months without yet another DWI.

But the Greensboro City Council will vote to renew the contract with Zack Matheny and DGI anyway.

Despite years of complaints from council members including Mayor Vaughan herself that DGI has failed to do its job.

Despite years of overwhelming complaints from downtown business owners that DGI has repeatedly failed to do its job.

Despite the fact that the last time DGI's contract came up for renewal, Mayor Vaughan promised to cut funding to DGI but increased funding instead.

Despite the fact that Zack Matheny illegally funneled the falsified personnel records of previous DGI president Jason Cannon to this writer as part of Zack's efforts to steal Jason's job.

Despite the fact that just a few months ago Zack Matheny was found drunk, passed out in his car, in the early morning hours in the parking lot of a methadone clinic near the corner of North Church St and Cone Blvd.

And to prove the methadone clinic is where I said it is, I give you  from Google maps Crossroads Treatment Center, 2706 N Church St, the very parking lot identified in the media reports with the abandoned grocery story right behind. There's no denying this one, People, this is where Zack was found in the parking lot.

And despite all that the Greensboro City Council will again contract with Zack Matheny and Downtown Greensboro Inc paying $300,000 over budget instead of hiring Eric Robert. Why? To finance Zack's drug habits? How are the merchants of downtown Greensboro, taxpayers and even the casual observer to believe this is anything more than payoff for blackmail to Zack Matheny and other connected individuals who know the secrets our leaders most fear the world learn?

Something is very wrong with Zack Matheny's DGI proposal, which just won approval by the City of Greensboro

On May 4, 2016, the City of Greensboro approved the selection of DGI's proposal as "the sole Vendor of Choice" to manage downtown with City of Greensboro taxpayer monies;

. .
From the Request for Proposals;

Says the budget is to be $600,000, and "Activities proposed in excess of the program budget will not be accepted;

The budget is $600,000;

If 80% of the total budget is supposed to go to "program expenditures", only 20% is supposed to go to "Administrative and Maintenance Operations"; 

From Zack Matheny's DGI proposal submitted to the City, which David Parrish is said to be directly involved in the selection process.  Note Nick Piornack, who was in on Revolution Mill's incentive take and the South Elm parking lot loss etc...;

Zack's references, which includes David Parrish, the Greensboro Assistant City Manager involved in the selection process for the RFP = Conflict of Interest;

Zack's proposed budget is more than $600,000;

$81,157 + $84,805 = $165,962 for Admin and Maintenance, is supposed to cover all the employees salaries and rent etc...?

David Parrish and Jim Westmoreland have some questions which need answering.

Why was the proposal accepted if it was more than $600,000?

How is DGI going to be able to pay all it's ongoing overhead with $165,962?

Who Got The South Elm Street Redevelopment Money: Part 8

Since beginning my series Who Got The South Elm Street Redevelopment Money: Part 1 on Thursday, March 10, 2016 I've been hoping to get replies from the Mayor, City Council, City Attorney or City Staff that might explain the anomalies I've discovered.

It's been 13 days and nary a word. It's as if none of them knows how to use e-mail, proven not to be the case in Tom Carruthers Learns How To E-mail.

At question is what happened to the $8,171,830.oo budget that was designated for the redevelopment of South Elm Street. You see, all the money was gone before the 1.1 acre Union Square Project was started leaving over 9 empty acres and no money to work with.

In Who Got The South Elm Street Redevelopment Money: Part 4  I pointed out that a total of  $2,375,854.04 had been paid to The Firm At Fisher Park. According to my contacts at The Firm At Fisher Park the vast majority of that money was not used for legal services but was placed into escrow accounts to be held until such time as the City of Greensboro okays its release for the purchase of properties included in the South Elm Redevelopment Project and nothing else.

Now considering that the entire budget set aside to buy the properties commonly called the South Elm Redevelopment Project was only $1.6 Million Dollars that figure leaves some 'splainin' to do.

And today I'm going to explain it as best as I can. If you want something more in depth you'll have to ask the Greensboro City Council and City Staff.

In Who Got The South Elm Street Redevelopment Money: Part 6 I made mention of the fact that the City of Greensboro BEDI Grant Proposal  was funding for Downtown Greensboro Inc. projects. Today I'll tell you what those projects were or at least what they were supposed to be.

In Nancy Vaughan's November 19, 2015 Deposition, the one not available anywhere else, Mayor Vaughan is asked if she knows what a B.E.D.I. Grant and a Section 108 Loan is. Here you can see her answers from pages 43 and 44 of the deposition:

So apparently Mayor Vaughan is clueless. Well just so we don't have to remain clueless in Who Got The South Elm Street Redevelopment Money: Part 4 I introduced the July 16, 2003 City of Greensboro BEDI Grant Proposal as submitted to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development by the City of Greensboro and look what I found on page 23 of 68:

DGI, a master developer? I bet that was news to a lot of people but it's not like it was DGI's cherry. Oh no, look what I found in the same report, page 48 of 68:

So it's true, DGI is Milton Kern's piggy bank. For those not up on who owns what, Milton Kern is one of the "investors" in Elm Street Center.


And just in case you have any doubts that the City of Greensboro used Eric Robert's old mill property with intentions of getting Federal loans and grants. From page 38 of 68:

This was a 5 year plan that was supposed to be completed by Downtown Greensboro Inc. It has now taken 13 years and not 1 acre of 10 acres is completed, the money is spent, the City was supposed to realize a return of $1 Million in property sales, the loans were due 3 years ago and no one is talking-- why?

Could it be because the repayment of the loans had to come from somewhere else in the City budget?

Obviously real estate development as economic development isn't working for Greensboro.

Please continue reading Who Got The South Elm Street Redevelopment Money: Part 9

Who Got The South Elm Street Redevelopment Money: Part 6

When the City of Greensboro applied for the July 16, 2003 City of Greensboro BEDI Grant Proposal they made the following claim:

As you can see above land acquisition was estimated at $1.6 Million. The City estimated environmental remediation at $2 Million Dollars, Eligible demolition, clearance and site preparation was estimated to be $500,000. And soft costs were thought to be $825,000.

That total comes to $4,925,000.oo if I'm doing my math correctly. The total budget for the South Elm Street Redevelopment Project came to $8,171,830.oo.

Now keep in mind that the City of Greensboro had already been awarded a $200,000 Environmental Protection Agency Assessment Grant and was promising to move ahead quickly. That was in 2003, it is now 2016 and not one piece of the project has been finished:

If 13 years is quickly I'd damned sure hate to wait for slow. And what happened to the other $3,246,830.oo? As best as I can tell it was used as a slush fund for other projects the City of Greensboro didn't want you to know you were paying to fund. You know, things like multiple payments to the Guilford County Health Department, thousands of dollars in payments to Guilford County (boosting the County slush fund as well?) many payments to the City of Greensboro, or the $21,600.oo payment to the Nexsen Pruet Law Firm where Christie Myatt, girlfriend to former Mayor Robbie Perkins happens to practice law.

The City also claimed  that total private investment in the project would be over $86 Million and that the City of Greensboro would see a million dollar return on investment from the sale of the property but if you read far enough down the City of Greensboro BEDI Grant Proposal you'll come to understand that it was funding for Downtown Greensboro Inc. projects that never got built and not the South Elm Street Redevelopment Project that got most of the money.

Now I wonder whose idea that was?

Stay tuned for Who Got The South Elm Street Redevelopment Money: Part 7

Dear Contractors: City Seeks RFPs

"On behalf of the City of Greensboro’s Executive Department, the Centralized Contracting Division is currently seeking proposals from qualified and experienced contractors for Downtown Business Improvement District Program Management Services. Management services include five program areas: Economic Development, Planning and Development, Marketing and Communications, Public Space Management and Event Management.  The services are funded with special Municipal Service District tax funds anticipated at approximately $600,000 annually, subject to tax receipts.  The contract shall be for a three year term with two potential one-year renewals."

Please continue reading  Hallelujah !!! by Dang.

And remember that it was here at EzGreensboro.com when in December 2015 we posted DGI To Get Competition and the News & Fishwrap has yet to cover the story. No, we're not bragging, just pointing out the fact that the Fishwrap stinks for covering it up.

Video Of Who Doing What?

I thought now might be a good time to revisit Fec's post Zack Matheny is Still Drinking
and examine what is written there. He begins with this:

"One of the final votes in last summer’s session of the General Assembly was approval of the budget which included legislation inserted by Senator Trudy Wade affecting management of municipal service districts and especially Downtown Greensboro Inc.  Since then, no local media has reported this fact, which in itself is an unethical act of collusion.

 The city put up a website two weeks ago announcing a survey and drop-in meetings.  This stunt was first introduced during the CFGG’s effort to build the IGMFUPAC.  These drop-in meetings are tactics to isolate speakers from each other and thereby manage the process.  This is what passes for community involvement from a fascist government."

He's right you know. As a matter of fact, EzGreensboro.com was the first locally to report of the changes affecting management of service districts and do date the only other one to report it has been Fec himself unless you count Facebook or some blog I might have missed.

And when it comes to those drop-in meetings... again, he is dead on. They're a sham.

Fec goes on to talk about how Zack orchestrated the ouster of 2 DGI heads, is now fighting to save his own job after producing nothing tangible and is now drinking again. Then he goes on to write:

"So, here it is.  DGI terminates Zack Matheny’s employment for moral turpitude or I start publishing video."

But you know, it's really no surprise that Zack continues to drink and as long as Zack's wife continues to pick him up from the bar Zack's breaking no laws so that leaves one to wonder: videos of what, videos of who? Or videos of who doing what?

And maybe, just maybe Zack Methany isn't the one in the videos.

Recapping The Zack Methany, Jason Cannon, DGI Story

Last week I was asked to recap this story.

When Ed Wolverton was drummed out of Downtown Greensboro Incorporated, Greensboro City Councilman Zack Methany was one of those who interviewed for the job. The interview went horribly and Jason Cannon was hired instead.

Of course it wasn't like Jason Cannon didn't have secrets he needed kept hidden and among those helping him keep his secrets were then Councilwoman Nancy Vaughan and then Mayor Robbie Perkins who made sure to remind everyone in the room that all had skeletons in their closets.

On November 3, 2014 I posted:

"DGI's Jason Cannon Lied On His Resume

When applying for the job as President and CEO of Downtown Greensboro Inc. Jason Cannon, the former vice president of governmental affairs for the Greensboro Partnership listed on his resume a masters degree from NC State University. Problem is: Mr Cannon has no such degree.
When the DGI board of directors including then Mayor Robbie Perkins and Councilwoman Nancy Barakat Vaughan found out they decided to keep Mr Cannon's lie a secret. But I found out.
Goodbye Mr Cannon. Once again the mighty have fallen at the hands of Robbie and Nancy."

Where did I get that story? Click on the photo to enlarge:

Of course I'm only making this source public because Eric himself has gone public about having leaked the story. And no, I wasn't the only one who knew about it. Others were wanting me to make the story public as well but unlike Mr Robert they chose to remain hidden. It seems Zack was telling everyone he could find in the hope that he might get someone to break the story. As luck would have it that someone was me.

The following day Yes Weekly reported that Councilman Zack Matheny is questioning the credentials of Downtown Greensboro Inc's President Jason Cannon:

"When asked about the controversy surrounding Cannon, Councilmember Tony Wilkins told YES!

Weekly that he believes Cannon would tell the truth if he was asked. “I think if you asked Jason he would give you an honest answer,” Wilkins said.

However, Cannon’s actions contradict Wilkins’ theory. Councilman Zack Matheny’s efforts to get to the bottom of the controversy have been fruitless. Matheny reported to YES! Weekly today that Cannon has ignored his questions regarding the issue.

“Communication between Jason and I has become non-existent,” Matheny said during a telephone interview. DGI was contacted by YES! Weekly today and Jason Cannon was unavailable for comment."

Zack was setting up Jason for the fall. As Eric Robert comments at Carolina Under Siege:

I documented the attempts at  DGI Damage Control  in an attempt to cover up Jason's faked resume.

I showed EzGreensboro readers Jason's First DGI Resume which was given to me by Eric Robert.

On Feb 5, 2015, the Business Journal reported: Downtown Greensboro Inc. head to step down but they never said why.

And then there is this statement by Mr Robert:

"...and then there is Jason’s resume, how did it leave the DGI’s personnel files and ended up in my posession?"

Eric Robert has made no secret that Zack Methany gave him Jason Cannon's resume. Now the question becomes what other city council members and DGI board members helped Zack Methany gain access to files that are protected from release by North Carolina State Law?

And how long will Zack Methany be allowed to remain at the top of Downtown Greensboro Incorporated?

Continue reading The Zack Methany Texts

Sharon Hightower's Dumbest Statement Yet

"East Greensboro's right on the cusp of Downtown." --Sharon Hightower

Folks, North, South, East and West Greensboro are all right on the cusp of Downtown.

DGI To Get Competition

Big changes are about to take place in the way the City of Greensboro manages its Central Business District.

Currently the "non profit" Downtown Greensboro Incorporated has been granted the responsibility of seeing to it that the needs od the district be taken care of but according to Kara Millonzi of the North Carolina School of Government, things are about to change:

"Section 15.16B of S.L. 2015-241 (state budget) imposes limitations on a municipal board’s authority to levy an MSD tax for any of the authorized purposes. It also mandates that a municipality follow certain procedures before entering into a contract with a private entity to provide services within certain types of MSDs—namely those established for downtown or urban area revitalization. Finally, the new law designates a study commission to look at the feasibility of allowing property owners to opt out of an MSD."

But that's not all, not only can property owners opt out but according to Ms Millonz, North Carolina municipalities will now have to open management of  municipal service districts to a bidding process, something never before done here in Greensboro:

"Specifically, the new law amends G.S. 160A-536 to require that a municipality do all of the following before entering into a contract with the private entity to “provide services, facilities, functions, or promotional and developmental activities in a service district:”

Solicit input from the residents and property owners as to the needs of the service district. The statute leaves it up to the municipality to determine the best way to obtain meaningful input from both property owners and residents. A unit could hold one or more public hearings, but this process is not necessary and may not be sufficient in some cases. A unit might also conduct written surveys or hold focus group discussions with affected residents and property owners. In some municipalities, the governing board may be able to simply request comments from those who live or own property in the district. A unit may have to use different information gathering methods for property owners, who likely are more actively engaged in the district, than for residents.

Use a bid process to select the private entity that is contracting to provide services or undertake projects in the MSD. Generally, a local government must use an authorized bid process for purchase and construction and repair contracts over a certain dollar amount. (Click here for information on bid thresholds and requirements.) A local unit is not required to bid service contracts, though, unless the unit itself has an internal policy requiring it to do so. The new law now requires a municipality to use a bid process to select a private entity to provide services, facilities, functions, or promotional and developmental activities in a downtown or urban area revitalization MSD, regardless of the amount or nature of the contract. The requirement applies to new contracts and to renewals of existing contracts. Thus, if a municipality enters into yearly contracts with a management company, it will need to undertake a bid process each year to select the company."

Could this mean that in order to compete, DGI will have to substantially cut Zack Methany's 6 figure salary? Or fire him altogether? What other cuts might be necessary now that competition comes into play?

While I've not been a fan of North Carolina's Republican leadership in recent years I must give credit where credit is due: In the war against local corruption they have struck a mighty blow-- one that was long due in coming. Oh, and by the way, several NC legislators both Republican and Democrat tell me they read this blog daily.

I encourage you to read Changes to Municipal Service District (MSD) Authority


For Zack and the Grasshopper: "You can bend me, you can break me, but you better stand clear!"

Greensboro Partnership and Rentier Capitalist Propaganda in the News and Record

"Public-private collaboration is key to building a competitive advantage, by Keith Debbage

Our community has been sold a bridge to nowhere, 

which has financially benefited many on City Council

and their "supporters" at DGI and the Partnership, 

via allocations of everyone else's money

to a small circle of "friends", 

the News and Record is on board

and we're paying for it.

...A recent survey of companies in the Greensboro-High Point area we conducted on behalf of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce found that more than 1,000 jobs proved difficult to fill largely because it was hard to find local workers with the appropriate skill sets.

Debbage got paid by the Greensboro Partnership

which includes the Chamber of Commerce,

making Debbage a stooge and lobbyist 

for the Greensboro Partnership.

...The Greensboro Partnership’s recent hire of a new leader with an impressive track record and former Greensboro City Council member’s Zack Matheny hiring as president and CEO of Downtown Greensboro Inc. should help.

DGI hiring a crony who guaranteed DGI funding

is good news to Debbage, as his and Zack's paychecks

are dependent on the good will of Roy etc...

and the boards of the Partnership and DGI,

many of whom are the same people, 

or people who work for the same people

who overcharge poor renters and business owners.

...Any local, government-based consolidation of economic development services would have to require enhanced coordination and collaboration with the private sector.

Enhanced coordination means more public money

into the hands of the private interests

at the Partnership and DGI,

and the News and Record is on board with this theft by our 1%.

...while local government officials are negotiating among themselves, the more private sector-oriented Greensboro Partnership — the city’s lead economic development agency — has been moving forward with its own plans and strategic imperatives.

Zack Matheny pre applied for the CEO job as a sitting City Councilman, 

who voted to fund DGI's giveaways to DGI's members, 

many of whom have contributed to Zack Matheny's campaigns.

...top executives of some of the largest companies in the city and leaders of some of Greensboro’s most influential nonprofit foundations serve on the executive board of the partnership.

Rentier capitalism

Rentier capitalism is a Marxist term 

currently used to describe the belief in economic practices 

of monopolization of access 

to any (physical, financial, intellectual, etc.) kind of property, 

and gaining significant amounts of profit without contribution to society.

Rentier capitalism

...A significant chunk of the partnership’s funding comes from both the private and nonprofit sectors — the “invisible hand” that drives much of the local economy.

Greensboro's News and Record shares in responsibility

for the sorry state of our local political dysfunction

via lies of omission and propaganda.

The elevated tension between local government officials and the partnership is a cause for concern in an era when innovation invariably requires some level of public-private partnership."

Keith G. Debbage
UNCG Professor
Greensboro Partnership Lobbyist
Supporter of Zack Matheny's job at DGI
Advocate for public monies channeled to his paying patrons.

http://www.greensboro.com/opinion/columns/public-private-collaboration-is-key-to-building-a-competitive-advantage/article_6311189a-1b90-11e5-9ec9-6f7da9346da5.html
.
.
Matheny bristled at criticism of DGI earlier this spring
and had his feathers badly ruffled
when a group of downtown property owners
appeared before the City Council
and demanded that the city defund the booster group
because of its poor track record.

Zack Matheny violated his oath of office by applying for the job

as a sitting council member,

and the rest of City Council didn't have a problem with it.

Matheny sent a series of malevolent text messages
to one of the speakers, implying that he saw no reason
to ever support the citizen's projects again,
and that the two would henceforth be at odds
due to the property owner deciding to speak out against DGI.

And DGI hired Zack anyway.

In the text messages
Matheny directly stated that the criticism
jeopardized his potential employment with DGI.

Matheny says in his resignation announcement
that he wants to avoid a conflict of interest,
but that time is too far-gone.

Maybe City Council and DGI believe that if Mayor Nancy Vaughan

can make money from Greensboro's taxpayers 

funneled to her husband Don

via free methane for Wilbur Ross  

while Nancy served on the Sold Waste Committee,

it was okay for Zack to unfairly use his position as City Council member

to land the top DGI job.

Very few in Greensboro believe
that DGI has a rationale for existence.

...the cauldron of conflicts of interest
remains bubbling just below the surface.

Councilman Zack Matheny 

announced that he would apply for the CEO position

even before the search began.

Eric Ginsburg

The trend among Greensboro's elite
is to lead cheers for "all the good things going on in Greensboro."

Absent critical analysis of relationships,
motivations and outcomes by the city's press,
boosterism is about all the city's public discourse amounts to.

Zack Matheny violated his oath of office by applying for the job

as a sitting council member,

and Keith Debbage and the News and Record is on board with it.

Matheny is ...also known as the ultimate insider.

Does Downtown Greensboro need another puppet on a string
controlled by one or two uber-powerful real estate interests?...

Yes Weekly's Jeff Sykes
June 10, 2015
.
.
Blatant Roy Carroll / John Hammer Rhino Times Propaganda

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2014/12/blatant-roy-carroll-john-hammer-rhino.html

News and Record and Carroll Company's John Hammer on City Council shake up

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/01/news-and-record-and-carroll-companys.html

How to purchase City Councilman Jamal Fox, by Marty Kotis among others

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/01/how-to-purchase-city-councilman-jamal.html

Democracy and a free press no longer exists in Greensboro, North Carolina

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/03/democracy-and-free-press-no-longer.html

Ivan Saul Cutler's Nancy Hoffmann Propaganda

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/05/ivan-saul-cutlers-nancy-hoffmann.html

If developers pay for water and sewer extensions, why did we just pay for Roy Carroll and Marty Kotis'?

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/06/if-developers-pay-for-water-and-sewer.html

Concerned Citizens of Greensboro Speak Out On DGI

A group calling itself the Concerned Citizens of Greensboro recently sent the following e-mail to members of the Greensboro City Council:

"To the Members of Greensboro City Council:

Downtown Greensboro Inc. (DGI) has been ineffective in its duties to advance downtown development inclusively, equitably and economically.  The leadership has been unstable and unable

Or unwilling to change its culture.  As a nonprofit charged with improving our downtown, its board of directors represent wealthy interests. Many of the board members are from banks, investment and mortgage groups, that don’t represent the interests of the nonwhite, poorer, disadvantaged, or homeless citizens of our city. We chose to write to you today with specific recommendations for DGI.

1. Zack Matheny should not be the CEO for DGI. He is unqualified to lead the development of an inclusive and equitable downtown. Zach Matheny's past and present divisive partisan politics will work to benefit some at the expense of others.   

Then there is the issue of the conflict of interests. Over half of DGI’s funding comes from the City of Greensboro. 

2. DGI should be dissolved, and a more equitable, truly representative organization should take its place. DGI’s track record of being primarily white, and only representing the interests of wealthier citizens is destructive. As a taxpayer funded organization, DGI must represent the entire tax base, not only those who own property downtown. Currently DGI is contributing to the gentrification of the Southside neighborhood, running out black residents who can no longer afford the inflated property values that DGI boosts about.  

Simply put, DGI is extremely out of touch, and most concerned with the issues of its wealthier board members. Instead of addressing the poverty in Greensboro, DGI is more concerned with how ‘uncomfortable’ poverty makes those who work and shop downtown.  At the least DGI is not effective or representative of the broader taxpayer community.

Sincerely,

Concerned Citizens of Greensboro"

I am currently trying to verify if this was Concerned Citizens of Greensboro or Concerned Citizens of Northeast Greensboro.

Did Zack Methany Set Out To Take Jason Cannon's Job?

The News & Record's Amanda Lemhert blogged in 2013 that Zack Matheny was being considered for the top spot at Downtown Greensboro Incorporated but Councilman Matheny got passed over when they hired Jason Cannon instead.

Then a few months back I broke the story that Jason Cannon had lied on his resume to get the job and all hell broke loose. Who knew Jason lied? Among others, then Mayor Robbie Perkins, current Mayor Nancy Barakat Vaughan and Councilman Zack Matheny.

Since 2013 Zack's business has went to shit. The incentive package for Gerblings Heated Clothing fell through as did the $1.9 Million Dollar incentive deal to build the downtown Wyndham hotel. Zack has lost tens of thousands in commissions on these deals. Rumor has it he's in to Rocky Scarfone for quite a piece of change that Rocky is calling "forgivable loans." Zack is desperate to find a job.

Of course, in the interum Jason Cannon was replaced by Cindy Hayworth who is claiming that Councilman Mike Barber was attempting to force DGI to hire Zack as Cindy's boss. And quite frankly, even if Cindy is telling the truth about not wanting the top spot I can promise you she does not want to work for Zack as she and Zack despise each other. Mark my word, if Zack Matheny is hired the next big headline coming out of DGI will be Cindy Hayworth's leaving.

So that brings me back to Zack and Jason. I know who leaked Jason's origional resume to me and it wasn't Zack. But was Zack the person who gave it to my source?

I'm not going to ask my source to divulge that information as that's how this business works. People leak things for various reasons-- not always the right reasons-- and we make from it what we may. Whoever gave my source Jason's resume trusted my source to keep his or her name a secret and giving up sources dries up sources but there is reason to believe Zack Matheny was the original source of the leak in this article by Yes Weekly:

"Matheny was Cannon’s biggest critic and part of the reason Cannon received an unusual settlement agreement when he resigned. Cannon threatened to sue the city and DGI because he felt Matheny caused him to have a hostile work environment. Once Cannon resigned, Matheny started his campaign for the position."

Unusual settlement agreement? Sue the City? Hostile work environment? What has Zack Matheny not told us and is he the one who started the chain of events that got Jason Cannon fired when I posted that Jason had lied on his resume?

Councilman Matheny, you've got some 'splain' to do.

Councilmen Barber And Matheny Accused Of Conspiracy

This time it isn't me, Folks, it's Cindy Hayworth and the Greensboro News & Record who claim:

"DGI interim CEO Cyndy Hayworth said the threat came Tuesday in a telephone call from City Councilman Mike Barber.

“I received a call and was given an ultimatum or a deadline,” Hayworth said in an interview Friday.

“The parameters around that were, ‘If you make a decision on the hiring of a CEO by a certain time, then the City Council would not vote to stop funding to DGI,’ ” she said."

The salary for the CEO of Downtown Greensboro Inc is well over $100,000 a year. That makes this claim a felony if true. The Greensboro City Council and City of Greensboro have no legal option other than to turn this case over to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation as Greensboro Police are not an independent of the City of Greensboro.

That, my friends, is the law.

From the same article:

"In an interview Friday, Matheny said he wasn’t part of Barber’s call to Hayworth, but it sounds like a misunderstanding that didn’t need to be played out in the media. 

Matheny said he’ll continue to pursue the job and hopes the dust-up between Barber and Hayworth won’t affect his candidacy."

Of course Zack Matheny doesn't want the story to be played out in the media-- back room dealings are what he's known best for. Zack's personal business model requires that he control large sums of other peoples' money in order to stay in business-- passing out government grant money and government incentives is all White Oak Capital does. As CEO of DGI he would have $1.2 Million more in City tax dollars under his direct control and by remaining on City Council he can work to increase that amount just as he worked with Nancy Barakat Vaughan to double DGI funding to what it is today in 2013.

Indeed, this is very much a conspiracy and thanks to Mike Barber, Zack got caught.

Layoffs At Downtown Greensboro Inc?

Unconfirmed reports are that 1 person was laid off from DGI today and that 2 more layoffs are scheduled for next week.

Downtown Greensboro Incorporated, the non profit which is tasked with managing the Downtown Business Improvement District, receives $1.2 Million Dollars a year in taxpayer funding but has been under constant criticism for years. Could this be the end?

Zack Matheny's First DGI Conflict Of Interest

As reported yesterday in one of those off the wall alt weeklys that doesn't know it's really just a blog that litters once a week and today in the News & Record, Greensboro City Councilman Zack Matheny has announced plans to apply for the job as CEO of Downtown Greensboro Incorporated:

"Matheny said he doesn't see a conflict between being a sitting council member and DGI president, should he both get the job and decide to run again.

"The city funds DGI, but it's less than 1 percent of our budget," Matheny said. "I don't see a problem, but I guess it's still to be determined. Really, I think the voters should decide if they think there's a conflict."

Less than 1% of who's budget, Mr Matheny? The City or DGI? For while it might be less than 1% of the City of Greensboro's budget the $1,044,455 the City of Greensboro gave DGI last year made up over well 50% of Downtown Greensboro Incorporated's $1,285,355 budget. As a matter of fact: the BID tax paid by downtown property owners only amounted to $75,000.

And how much of that money does the CEO of DGI get paid? Well I can't tell you the current salary but in 2010 then DGI CEO Ed Wolverton was paid $103,828 and in 2011 Mr Wolverton was paid
$105,611 as CEO of  the Downtown Greensboro Foundation-- a wholly owned subsidiary of Downtown Greensboro Incorporated. The CEO of DGI holds both jobs consecutively.

Over a million Dollars a year in City funding and over $200,000 of that finding goes to pay one person-- can anyone not see Mr Matheny's conflicts of interest?

Flip burgers, Zack. It's the only thing you're qualified to do.

Correction: Mr Wolverton was only paid one of those 2 salaries.