What the News & Fishwrap Isn't Telling You About The ICRCM suit

For starters: pretty much everything. The Greensboro News & Fishwrap is being sued by the International Civil Rights Center and Museum and the N&R isn't covering the story just as they failed to cover my recent win against the City of Greensboro.

The N&R isn't telling you about the video and audio recordings that will prove the ICRCM's case:

"The suit alleges defendant knew these statements to be false because museum CEO John Swaine and co-founder Earl Jones explained the tax-credit structures to newspaper staff in recorded and videotaped interviews. Museum staff “explained that they were not debt by any normal understanding of debt, but instead, the money was essentially free and neither principal nor interest were repaid.”

That should make libel pretty easy to prove. And no attorney in his right mind would allege to have evidence he does not have.

If you'll click on the following link you will notice the property taxes on the museum have been paid off. Another nasty rumor put to bed, but not by the paper of record. Yes, they got behind but they caught it up during a time when the N&R was telling us it was impossible for the ICRCM to pay their bills and demanding the board give the museum to the City of Greensboro.

The News & Fishwrap didn't tell you that visitor numbers to the ICRCM were up. In fact, the N&R lied and claimed visitors numbers were down:

"In a Jan. 24, 2015 article the newspaper reported visitation down to 1,958 a month in 2014 when in fact 2014 numbers exceeded 2013, with an average monthly total of 6,000 that year."

Then Councilman Zack Matheny claimed:

“The museum has not been financially sustainable in its entire history,” Councilman Zack Matheny said Friday. “We still can’t get answers about what’s going on — how much they’ve raised, how they spent the city’s money.”

But the fact that the ICRCM has apparently gotten out from under what the News & Record and City Council claimed to be a $26 Million Dollar debt in just 2 years while supposedly loosing money all the while, suggests otherwise.

It also suggests, as many believe, the current Total Appraised Value of the ICRCM building and property at $3,873,000 to be artificially low, that another of Greensboro's infamous land grabs has been in the making all along.

Remember Heritage House? There were volumes the N&R never told you about Heritage House. Remember the 3 failed attempts to take the Old Mill property owned by Eric Robert? (The N&R didn't cover that one either.) Remember the Greene Street eminent domain of the 1990s that took property from local business owners and gave it to other, more prominent, local business owners? It was the property directly across from the Downtown Marriot where Northwestern Mutual is located today. Perhaps the News & Record never covered that story either.

Yes, it's true that Skip Alston and Earl Jones now stand to profit as landlords to the museum. But then Roy Carroll, Marty Kotis and countless other developers profit every time their names are mentioned by the N&R and City Council members. They're picking winners and losers.

An no, I'm not a fan of Skip and Earl and both know it. I see them both as opportunists. I've told Skip personally the things I'm telling you. But like I told Skip, this time he did good. If you are a long time resident of Greensboro as I am then the memories alone make a visit to the ICRCM worth your while even if you don't agree with Skip and Earl's way of thinking. For unlike other museums, our history is there, the history of Greensboro, the good, the bad, and the ugly just exactly as it was.

Not the glazed over version Greensboro's elites present at the Greensboro Historical Museum where everyone is a hero and everybody did good deeds all the time.

Civil Rights Center: Details Never Told

Jeffrey Sykes of Yes Weekly recently got his hands on loads of the same documents the City of Greensboro, Councilman Mike Barber and News & Fishwrap have long held but never shared concerning the International Civil Rights Center & Museum. In his newest post News Analysis: Civil Rights Museum finances deserve honest assessment, Mr Sykes adds what is no doubt an interesting and thus far untold twist to the stories being told by local media and the Greensboro City Council.

I found this to be very interesting:

"But it’s a time rising hope for those who have spent years, some decades, working to make the ICRCM a financially sustainable operation. A complex web of corporate entities erected to fulfill federal tax code requirements will fall away this month. The museum has been required to pay in about $240,000 a year into the tax-credit matrix, but those payments will vanish when the New Market Tax Credit period unwinds beginning Aug. 17."

What's that? Could it be the ICRCM finances are not as bad as we have been told? Deena Hayes-Greene invited me to see their books over a year ago but no one believed me. Deena told me they refuse to talk with reporters from the News & Fishwrap because their reporters never report the truth. Jeffrey has the documents, Folks. For example: while the News & Fishwrap makes reference to a Conservation Easement, Jeffrey puts it online. That was his link.

Yes, the museum is behind on its property taxes but check this out:

"Once the NMTC period is complete, the ICRCM will revert to non-profit status. This will remove the $30,000 estimated property tax liability the museum has endured for the last seven years, freeing up additional revenues with which to stabilize the museum’s finances. "

How come Councilman Mike Barber never mentioned that? Could it be he's been trying to play the race card against downtown Greensboro's #1 tourist attraction, bar none. Remember when Mike Barber peddled fake numbers concerning crime at Heritage House as an excuse to throw poor people and minorities out of their homes? Barber claimed there were 2,800 calls to 911 in a 2 year period when in-fact records indicate less than half that number?

Does Mike Barber hate black people or does he just enjoy stealing from black people?

I told everyone back in 2014 that Mike Barber's non profit was funded by the City of Greensboro. I even provided tax records. Barber denied it to be true but now Jeffery writes:

"Greensboro City Council member Mike Barber, himself the head of a non-profit that receives money from the City of Greensboro and the Bryan Foundation, continues to aggressively call into question the motives of museum board members and staff."

Barber is racist scum:

"Barber also continues to vote on matters before council that benefit the Bryan Foundation and its subordinate initiatives such as the megasite project in Randolph County. Records show that the Bryan Foundation gave some $250,000 to the City of Greensboro to benefit Gillespie Park, where Barber’s non-profit First Tee of the Triad operates its youth golf initiative."

Do you really want your children being taught life skills by this over privileged, racist white man who has never worked a day in his life?

"Barber’s war of speculation about the possible sale of the museum has no basis in discoverable fact, yet in an email to City Attorney Tom Carruthers this week he continues to cast aspersions upon the motives of those most committed to the museum’s success."

You're a lawyer, Councilman Barber, show us something that will stand up in court!

"Barber’s speculation goes so far as to question the legitimacy of a bank document the museum provided as part of the loan-offset process. Carolina Bank forgave the museum a $100,000 debt by writing it off as a donation to the museum in Sept. 2014. This April, as part of the offset reconciliation process, Carolina Banks’ David Griswold, whose title is special assets manager, signed a letter confirming the donation. City Attorney Carruthers provided the letter to council as part of an update of the loan offset process.

Barber attacked the legitimacy of the document."

Got proof Mikey? You're pretty good at running your mouth from your office over there in Clemmons but let's see you stand on the streets here in East Greensboro and talk that shit, tough guy?

“Regarding the other document, this letter was dated and produced following its exclusion from the original forgiveness total, and the signature is a stamped signature it appears,” Barber wrote, questioning the document’s veracity. “Please contact Carolina Bank to determine and confirm the staff level of this document, and if the note was paid by a 3rd party, or merely forgiven.”

Jeffery writes:

"A call to Carolina Bank late Friday morning has not been returned as of this writing"

My guess is Mike has already called Mayor Vaughan to tell her to have her husband make sure that call never gets returned as Donald Vaughan owns bunches and bunches of stock in Carolina Bank.

But I could be wrong.

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.

ICRCM Sues News & Record

Okay, think what you like about the International Civil Rights Center and Musieum but ask yourself this one question: would your opinion of the ICRCM be what it is today if not for the years of negative articles printed by the Greensboro News & Record?

Really? You still think the ICRCM is in the wrong and the N&R is right? What about all those articles the News & Record printed saying everything was going just fine for the Steven Tanger Performing Arts Center only to learn just yesterday that the N&R is reporting the TPAC is asking the City of Greensboro for $10 Million more dollars?

Still believe the News & Record? Personally I find it hard to believe the N&R has a single shred of credibility left. And I'm not the only one.

According to Courthouse News Service, on November 23, Greensboro attourny Douglas Harris has filed suit in Guilford County Superior Court on charges of  libel per se and libel per quod and is seeking damages:

"Specifically, the lawsuit claims, "On Nov. 20, 2014, the Newspaper ran a front-page, top of the fold headline, in bold print, stating 'Museum's debt close to $26M.' This statement was completely false. The same false statement was repeated on Nov. 23, 2014, on the Sunday editorial page, this time by Allen Johnson himself in which it was stated 'the Museum owed debtors $25.9 million.' It was accompanied by a cartoon depicting Earl Jones in a sinking boat. This, too, was entirely false."

     Co-defendant Allen Johnson is the editorial page editor of the Greensboro News & Record."

I don't know all the facts but my guess is that Sit In Movement Inc has a pretty rock solid case or they would have never risked going up against such a titan as the News & Record. Besides, we know the N&R's history of lying on behalf of Greensboro developers and I've been hearing there are certain developers who want to get their hands on the ICRCM's property to use for their development plans.

And don't you find it interesting the News & Record never reported this? Lies by omission?

What did the dead people do to the City of Greensboro??

Ok!
I know it's late but my mind is in a whirlwind and my child's snoring is keeping me up so lets talk about the sacrilegious act the CITY OF GOINGTOHELLSBORO I mean Greensboro has done.

Background
The Cemeteries Division
The City of Greensboro Cemeteries Division has overseen the operation of City cemeteries for more than 130 years. Today, the division operates four public cemeteries:

• Forest Lawn
• Green Hill
• Maplewood
• Union

The Cemeteries Division is responsible for:

• Maintaining burial records
• Selling lots and graves
• Providing burial and interment services
• Coordination of all activities within the cemeteries
• Care and maintenance of the cemetery grounds

I highlighted for a reason.... bear with me
This is a screenshot from the GBORO ADOPTED BUDGET SUMMARY CONCERNING CEMETERIE

The FY 15-16 General Fund contribution to Cemeteries is decreasing from $451,316 to $415,160, a

decrease of $36,156, or 8.0%.
Now we know the economy, budget cuts, etc they have to make hard decisions. I'm ok with that. My issue is below

BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS

   

 The FY 15-16 Adopted Budget is decreasing by $34,656, or 1.8%.

 The transfer to the Cemeteries Fund in FY 15-16 decreases by $36,156, or 8.0%.

 Funding for the Children’s Museum is increasing by $25,000, or 33.3%.

 Other expenses include support for Center City Park ($200,000), and Festival of Lights ($13,750).

So this is what it increased to.....

From $75,000 to $100,000 a year!
So we took from the perpetual care budget for the cemetery FOR the dearly deceased and we increased the children's museum budget??
Surely the ONLY MUSEUM IN GREENSBORO THAT IS STRUGGLING IS ICRM?? Why couldn't the children's museum raise the money?? Oh wait they did and then some



 $500,000 Endowment!!! Not bad for a museum that also passed it's audit ( couldn't find proof guess gotta get Billy to show me how) and clearly is struggling with expenses and maintenance??? SHOCKER? NO CONVO ABOUT CITY MATCHING FUNDS?? OR GIVING A LOAN?  I THOUGHT THAT WAS COMMON FOR MUSEUMS IN GREENSBORO?

The City of Greensboro’s approach to economic

development is strategically focused on advancing

these key principles: promoting job creation,

facilitating private business and expansion in our

city, utilizing bond resources to advance economic

development and infrastructure development

(including promotion of shovel-ready sites,

advancement of downtown projects and

investments in East Greensboro and the Airport

Area), providing enhanced access to City

contracting opportunities through the continued

implementation of our enhanced MWBE policy and

program and making it easier to do business in and

with the City.

WHO BELIEVES THAT?

Now according the Children's museum it's not "owned" by the city but has partnered etc.

History

The Greensboro Children's Museum began with one man’s dream of bringing a children’s museum to Greensboro.  Jerry Hyman was inspired by traveling to children’s museums around the country, and he began to share his vision with community leaders. A group of dedicated alumni from the Leadership Greensboro program served as the Steering Committee, then launched a Capital Campaign led by Cynthia Doyle. Three years later, on May 15, 1999, the Greensboro Children’s Museum opened its doors at 220 N. Church Street.
The Museum was chosen in 2004 as one of the top 50 children’s museums in the United States and in late 2006, the Board launched a planning process to consolidate lessons learned from its first years. The result was a Strategic Education Plan that lays out a clear educational purpose for the Greensboro Children’s Museum:  “To enhance the lives of children and their families through the world of play and to promote healthy and active lifestyles.”  The underlying goals of the Strategic Education Plan are:

• To welcome, engage and accommodate children and families from varied backgrounds and experiences
• To promote caring about the natural and material world
• To tap into children’s natural curiosity and imagination
• To engage children in play that encourages them to practice and build foundational skills
• To offer clear opportunities for adults to enrich play and deepen their child's exploration
• http://www.gcmuseum.com/museum/index.php 

 And surprisingly none of it's board members are the Mayor or any City Council. Now yes I know from Google it is  a non profit museum, and ICRM is a NON PROFIT MUSEUM BUT GETS NEGATIVE PRESS BY COUNCIL AND MEDIA?
FACT: ALL NON PROFIT MUSEUMS IN GREENSBORO ARE RUNNING IN THE RED! THIS REPORT PROOFS IT. OF COURSE ITS UNDERSTOOD THE HISTORICAL MUSEUM THAT IDK WHERE IT IS UNTIL TODAY IS IN THE RED AS WELL. SO WHY THE ISSUE WITH ICRM?

Below is screenshots from website concerning last known reported financials for children's museum
http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/56-1959695/greensboro-childrens-museum.aspx

SHOCKER  Back to my point about the cemetery, All of them are in other districts that have better resources and will probably do ok but the two in District 1 just has me feeling some type of way.
What's Happening at Union Cemetery:
Union Cemetery was founded in the 1880s by the congregations of St. James Presbyterian Church, St. Matthews Methodist Church and Providence Baptist Church for the burial of African American residents in Greensboro. A number of years after the final burials, the City took over the maintenance of the cemetery and in 1993, Union was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior. Although closed for burials since the early 1900s, it remains the final resting place for many Greensboro residents and is an important historic site.

THIS IS AN HISTORIC BURIAL FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS IN GREENSBORO SINCE 1880'S!! AND WE JUST CUT THE BUDGET TO HELP A RUNNING THE RED EVERY DAMN YEAR MUSEUM???? DONT LET THIS GO QUIETLY I IMPLORE YOU TO BESEECH DAT DAMN COUNCIL AND AT LEAST CREATE FUNDS FOR VOLUNTEERS TO TEND TO IT OR SOMETHING OR GIVE PERMISSION TO DO SO! AND QUIT HARPING ON ICRM AND YOUR BANK ROLLING THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM. I TOOK MY DAUGHTER TO THE LITTLE MUSEM. SHE LEARNED SOME THINGS AAND LIKED THE KID ACTIVITIES... HOWEVER ICRM TAUGHT HER WHY SHE IS HATED, FEARED,PROFILED EVERYDAY IN THIS CITY, STATE, AND COUNTRY BECAUSE OF A DANGEROUS CYCLE OF PERPETUAL RACISIM AND WHITE SUPREMACY. WHICH ONE DO YOU THINK SHE ASKED TO GO SEE AGAIN CITY COUNCIL?