Showing posts with label Matt Brown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matt Brown. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

According to Matt Brown, Greensboro City Council, Kathy Manning and Walker Sanders, Comedian "Nate Bargatze", who will appear at the Tanger Center on Sunday, May 3, 2020, will sell 330 parking spots at $18 a piece to patrons before the performance



On December 19, 2017, Greensboro Coliseum Director Matt Brown, the City's highest paid employee, told City Council the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts (STPAC) would be paid for in part by patrons paying $18 a piece for 330 VIP parking spaces 150 times per year.

The same math was sent by Brown to Kathy Manning, Co-Chair of the Development/Marketing Task Force and Chief Fundraiser for the Center, and Walker Sanders, president of The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro.



Manning's husband Randall Kaplan, who served on the STPACs Economic Impact/Feasibility Task Force, is set to profit from the venture with a more than $30 million taxpayer funded parking deck under a new hotel down the street.

There were 488 free on street parking spots within 1,200 feet of the site, not counting the VF and the Marriott parking across the street, and another couple thousand in two more parking decks on the way.

The Bellemeade Deck across the street has 1,276 spaces

DPAC charges $5 per car in a similarly proximate deck.

Manning and Walker among others purposefully misled our community and have conspired against Greensboro's taxpayers for personal profit.

City Council voted to for this project knowing this information or should have, and/or willfully ignored data, violating their fiduciary duties to Greensboro's taxpayers, and should be removed from office.
.
.
Comedian Nate Bargatze coming to Tanger Center May 3

POSTED BY: GREENSBORO 101 NOVEMBER 12, 2019 10:24 AM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMEDIAN NATE BARGATZE TO EXTEND GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE TOUR INTO 2020

Los Angeles, CA (November 12, 2019) – Following the continued success of his Netflix special, The Tennessee Kid, comedian, actor and writer Nate Bargatze is extending his best-selling Good Problem to Have stand-up tour into 2020...

Bargatze’s comedy is both clean and relatable, evident in his six appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon following four appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. He appeared on Conan four times, was a recurring guest on @midnight, and had his own Comedy Central Presents in 2011. Off-screen, Bargatze was part of Jimmy Fallon’s Clean Cut Comedy Tour, and has done live shows for the troops in Iraq and Kuwait five times. He regularly performs at Bonnaroo, SXSW, Oddball Comedy Festival, Sasquatch, Clusterfest, and the JFL Montreal Comedy Festival, where he’s received critical acclaim multiple years in a row. Bargatze is also in production on a pilot for ABC, which he created and stars in...

.
.
https://www1.ticketmaster.com/event/2D005768F951A0CF

Since July 2016, the City of Greensboro increased its budget by $46.9 million per year, more than 11%, while overall taxation increased by about 15% to pay for it


City of Greensboro raises taxes by 7.5%, but most don't know, as our local media didn't tell anyone


STPAC VIP Parking Control Fraud Math


Proof of Control Fraud by Kathy Manning, City of Greensboro's Matt Brown, CFGG's Walker Sanders and everyone else who knew and didn't say anything, especially the elected officials who voted for it


Matt Brown, Kathy Manning and Walker Sanders betrayed our community




Monday, May 21, 2018

The math in Matt Brown's email and what was presented to the public on STPAC is the same

Greensboro Police case 2018 05 21 046, as of earlier this afternoon.




330 x 18 = $5,940 x 150 = $891,000 per year from 330 VIP parking spots at $18 a piece sold out at every event for 150 events over 15 years

Turns out the math is exactly the same; $10 million + $1.6 + $500,000 + $1.079 million = $13.179 million from VIP parking, which is what the proposal presented to the public was, and was what Greensboro's City Council voted for;



$10 million + 2.1 + $1.079 million = $13,179,000 million from VIP parking = $13.179

At least Matt Brown, Kathy Manning and Walker Sanders let a misleading proposal made public and voted on by Greensboro's City Council.


If there is no way the STPAC is going to sell 330 VIP parking spots at every event, the proposed avenue of finance is a fraud, which explains why City Staff declined to provide any explanation;

















There was no mention of the interest expenses in Matt Brown's presentation to council on December 19, 2017.

Sharon Hightower was less than informed prior to the vote.

Sounds like the information had just been released the Friday before.

Item 41

http://greensboro.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=3478


https://greensboro.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx






Control fraud occurs when trusted officials in positions of responsibility subverts an organization and engages in extensive fraud for personal gain.

The Mayor, City Manager and top department heads of of the City of Greensboro, are uniquely placed to remove the checks and balances on fraud upon the public.

Accounting tactics can position these executives in a way that allows co-conspiritors to engage in accountancy fraud and embezzle money, hide shortfalls or otherwise defraud investors, or the public at large. A control fraud will often obtain "investments that have no readily ascertainable market value", and then shop for appraisers that will assign unrealistically high values and auditing firms that will bless the fraudulent accounting statements.

Some control frauds are reactive in the sense that they turn to fraud only after concluding that the business will fail.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_fraud

AMS assumed 3 persons per vehicle;


If Greensboro's City Council and staff assume 3 people to a car and a 50% use of public parking decks at 150 annual shows, and the best case scenario has 275,200 admissions...

275,200 / 150 = 1,835 patrons per performance, even though some would have far fewer as some sell out.

1,835 / 3 = an average of 612 cars per performance.

As the map by City of Greensboro's Adam Fisher above notes, there are 488 free on street parking spots within 1,200 feet of the site.

612 - 488 = 124 spaces that may be charged for in public lots.

Most folks from Greensboro would most likely avoid downtown if there's a show, so let's say 200 of the available nighttime free spaces aren't vacant as some go elsewhere within the 1,200 feet.

573 - 200 = 412

The News & Record has 168, and Gate City Lincoln and the Children's Museum have 156 = 324, without counting all the other lots.

At least 412 + 324 = 736 free public and most probably less expensive non-public parking.

1,835 / 3 = an average of 612 cars per performance.

At least 736 available probably less expensive non-public parking - 612 = 124 more non-public parking spaces per performance, not counting anyone paying to park in a deck.

Most would likely want to park in a lot with multiple points of egress as opposed to a deck with far fewer.

To suggest raising parking prices for fewer shows and still sell out premium parking every time, is economically irrational;

"In economics, the marginal rate of substitution is the rate at which a consumer is ready to give up one good in exchange for another good while maintaining the same level of utility."


Saturday, May 19, 2018

Proof of Control Fraud by Kathy Manning, City of Greensboro's Matt Brown, CFGG's Walker Sanders and everyone else who knew and didn't say anything, especially the elected officials who voted for it

Matt, Kathy and Walker conspired to mislead the public with farcical, unattainable math;


330 spaces x $18 = $5,940

$5,940 x 150 = $891,000

Which matches within $20,000 of what was presented to the public 
and voted on by City Council;


$10 million + 2.1 + $1.079 million = $13,179,000 million from VIP parking,
which is just about $13,195,710.  From Fri, Mar 16, 2018 at 4:24 PM;


330 x 18 = $5,940

$5,940 x 150 = $891,000 per year, from 330 VIP parking spots at $18 a piece 
sold out at every event for 150 events

$13,195,710 / $891,000 = 14.81 years of 330 VIP spots 
sold out at every event for 150 events every year
for almost 15 strait years

The paid consultant said the center could host about 149 events per year after 3 years, some of which obviously couldn't get sold out VIP parking money;

The STPAC is not going to sell 330 VIP parking spots at every event

31 events don't look like they can charge $18 for VIP parking


149 - 31 = 118

66 annually projected performances are expected to bring in less than 2,000 patrons, which are not going to sell 330 VIP parking spaces for $18 a piece

There are 12 expected student plays or concerts, which will likely have no VIP spaces sold for.

The 11 recitals won't sell 330 VIP spaces

CTG's Wizard of Oz etc... can't/won't be able sell 330 VIP parking


So how much is the parking going to cost, 
relative to taking a Uber/Lyft, or parking for free?

There were 488 free on street parking spots within 1,200 feet of the site, 
not counting the VF and the Marriott parking across the street,
and another couple thousand in two more parking decks on the way;


The Bellemeade Deck across the street has 1,276 spaces

DPAC charges $5 per car in a similarly proximate deck.

The public presentation didn't include how much the parking would cost at $18 per spot, and certainly didn't include the projected 2019 rate and potential more VIP parking
on top of the 330 spaces currently planned;


As of November 14, 2017, only $20 million of the $40 plus million in private donations have actually been "raised", not counting expected interest payments on the loan CFGG took out to make up the difference;

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2018/04/as-of-november-14-2017-only-20-million.html

Manning and Walker Sanders, the president of the Community Foundation,
also announced that they had met their goal
of raising $38.5 million from private donors.

Dawn DeCwikiel-Kane
Financially Illiterate News and Record reporter who lied to her readers

Manning and Walker among others purposefully misled our community
and have conspired against Greensboro's taxpayers for personal profit

Costs for the entire project will be covered by private donations,
hotel and motel tax revenues, ticket fees and parking revenues
— not taxpayer money, [Matt] Brown said.

Dawn DeCwikiel-Kane

If taxpayer money becomes involved, 
Matt Brown should be removed from his position
.
.
Performing Arts Center: "[Notable]...Task Force Members";

GPAC Development / Marketing Task Force; Kathy Manning, co-chair

GPAC Economic Impact / Feasibility Task Force; Randall Kaplan and Roy Carroll

GPAC Development / Marketing Task Force; George House, one of Randall's partners
.
.
Two reasons among many that a GPAC with 3,000 seats probably won't work as well as DPAC with 2,700 seats


City Council voted to for this project knowing this information
or should have, and/or willfully ignored data,
violating their fiduciary duties to Greensboro's taxpayers,
and should be removed from office


"§ 14-230. Willfully failing to discharge duties.

(a) If any clerk of any court of record, sheriff, magistrate, school board member, county commissioner, county surveyor, coroner, treasurer, or official of any of the State institutions, or of any county, city or town, shall willfully omit, neglect or refuse to discharge any of the duties of his office, for default whereof it is not elsewhere provided that he shall be indicted, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. If it shall be proved that such officer, after his qualification, willfully and corruptly omitted, neglected or refused to discharge any of the duties of his office, or willfully and corruptly violated his oath of office according to the true intent and meaning thereof, such officer shall be guilty of misbehavior in office, and shall be punished by removal therefrom under the sentence of the court as a part of the punishment for the offense."
.
.
"§ 14-209. Punishment for perjury.

If any person shall willfully and corruptly commit perjury, on his oath or affirmation, in any suit, controversy, matter or cause, depending in any of the courts of the State, or in any deposition or affidavit taken pursuant to law, or in any oath or affirmation duly administered of or concerning any matter or thing whereof such person is lawfully required to be sworn or affirmed, every person so offending shall be punished as a Class F felon."
.
.
"§ 14-210. Subornation of perjury.

If any person shall, by any means, procure another person to commit such willful and corrupt perjury as is mentioned in G.S. 14-209, the person so offending shall be punished as a Class I felon."
.
.
2005 North Carolina Code - General Statutes § 97-88.2. Penalty for fraud.
§ 97‑88.2. Penalty for fraud.

(a) Any person who willfully makes a false statement or representation of a material fact for the purpose of obtaining or denying any benefit or payment, or assisting another to obtain or deny any benefit or payment under this Article, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if the amount at issue is less than one thousand dollars ($1,000). Violation of this section is a Class H felony if the amount at issue is one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more. The court may order restitution.

(a1) When a person is convicted under subsection (a) of this section, the Commission may enter such orders as necessary to ensure that the person convicted does not benefit from the unlawful conduct.

.
.
N.C. GEN. STAT. § 75-1.1. Methods of competition, acts and practices regulated; legislative policy

(a) Unfair methods of competition in or affecting commerce, and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce, are declared unlawful.

...North Carolina enacted the Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act (“UDTPA”) to benefit consumers, but “its protections extend to businesses in appropriate situations.”[3] Creating a private cause of action for consumers was the Act’s primary purpose.[4] Also, the statute was enacted “to provide a civil means to maintain ethical standards of dealings between persons engaged in business and the consuming public” within North Carolina because “other legal remedies were inadequate or ineffective.”[5] It applies to dealings between buyers and sellers at all levels of commerce.[6]

Under the North Carolina statute, both individuals, through a private cause of action, and the State, through the Attorney General, can raise a claim for unfair and deceptive trade practices.[11] The Attorney General is responsible for investigating all corporations or persons in North Carolina doing business in violation of the law.[12] Persons or corporations that violate any of the provisions of Chapter 75 may be subject to criminal sanctions in prosecutions brought by the state Attorney General, remedies through civil actions brought and prosecuted by the Attorney General, damages in private causes of action by injured persons, or any permissible combination.[13]

Prima Facie Case

Three-Part Test

A claim under this statute requires proof of three elements: (1) an unfair or deceptive act or practice; (2) in or affecting commerce; (3) which proximately caused the injury to the claimant.[15] [16] A court will first determine if the act or practice was “in or affecting commerce” before determining if the act or practice was unfair or deceptive.[17]

Unfair and Deceptive Definition
A practice is unfair when it offends established public policy or when the act or practice is “immoral, unethical, oppressive, unscrupulous, or substantially injurious to consumers.”[18] A party is guilty of an unfair act or practice when it engages in conduct which amounts to an inequitable assertion of its power or position.[19] [20] For an act or practice to be deceptive it must have “the capacity or tendency to deceive” but proof of actual deception is not required.[21] [22]

Deliberate acts of deceit or bad faith do not have to be shown, rather, the claimant must demonstrate that the act or practice possessed the tendency and capacity to mislead or created the likelihood of deception.[23] Additionally, it is not required that the claimant actually relies on the deception in order to prevail; actual reliance is not a factor to be considered.[24] 

Unfairness is a broader concept than, and includes the concept of, deceptiveness.[28] However, only one—either unfairness or deceptiveness—is required to bring the act or practice within the statute.[29] There is no requirement that the act or practice be both unfair and deceptive.[30]

A plaintiff can prove that an act was “in or affecting commerce” by demonstrating that the parties were “engaged in an activity involving an exchange of some type in which a participant could be characterized as a seller.”[38] However, the activity need only to “surround or affect a sale,” it does not need to meet a stricter standard of “inducing a sale.”[39]

In its broadest sense, commerce includes “intercourse for the purposes of trade in any form.”[40]

Causal Requirement

A claimant must prove that a defendant’s unfair or deceptive acts were the cause of the injuries the claimant incurred. Proof of actual injuries can include: loss of the use of specific and unique property, the loss of any appreciated value of property, and other elements of damage shown by plaintiff’s evidence.[44] Reliance on the defendant’s unfair or deceptive act is not necessary to show that the defendant was the proximate cause of the plaintiff’s injuries. 

The Burden Shifting Scheme

North Carolina’s UDTPA created a statutory burden-shifting scheme. At the outset, the Plaintiff bears the burden of proof,[47] and must provide sufficient evidence to support his claim that he has suffered actual injury as a result of the defendant’s actions.[48] Then the plaintiff must prove that the defendant’s actions “were in or affecting commerce,” and that they constituted an unfair or deceptive practice. Once a plaintiff has established his prima facie case, the burden shifts to the defendant to prove that he is exempt from the UDTPA.[49]

Fraud is sufficient evidence of an unfair or deceptive act, including fraud in the inducement;[81] [82] the use of coercive tactics is also covered by the statute;[83] negligent misrepresentation, including failure to disclose that amounts to misrepresentation;[84] and, a broken promise can also qualify if the promisor had no intent to perform when he made the promise, which amounts to promissory fraud.[85] 

Intentionally and Knowingly Making False Statements: Torrance v. AS&L Motors, Ltd., 119 N.C. App. 552, 459 S.E.2d 67 (1995).

A used car salesman told potential buyers a specific car had not been involved in an accident when asked by the buyers, even though the seller knew that statement was false. The buyer then relied on the statement that the car had never been in an accident and purchased the car. Because the car salesman knowingly lied to the buyers about the car’s accident history, the act was unfair or deceptive under the statute.

Failure to Inspect: Huff v. Autos Unlimited, Inc., 124 N.C. App. 410, 477 S.E.2d 86 (1996).

A used car salesman failed to conduct a simple visual inspection of a car that he knew had been in an accident. Even without the visual inspection, and with the knowledge that the car had been wrecked, the salesman sold the car with assurances of its reliability, subjecting him to liability for an unfair or deceptive trade practice.

.
.
FRAUD: The Supreme Court has concluded that there are two types of fraud in a civil context: Actual and Constructive.  The Court has determined that Active Fraud is the false representation of a material fact or, in the alternative, the concealment of a material fact.  Moreover, the misrepresented material fact must be known to be false or made recklessly, without any knowledge of its truth or falsity.  A fact is considered “material” if, had it been known to the party, it would have influenced that party’s decision in making the contract at all.  Constructive Fraud, on the other hand, is based on the relationship between the parties.  It requires the existence of a relation of trust and confidence, in which the bad actor is alleged to have taken advantage of his position of trust, resulting in injury to the harmed party.  










Thursday, April 7, 2016

Greensboro Women, What Would You Do If You Were Married To A Pimp? Part 7

When I first began my series Greensboro Women, What Would You Do If You Were Married To A Pimp? I only knew about a club in Costa Rica called Hollywood Gold but in this startling e-mail as has been made public by Fec at Carolina Under Siege we now learn there may be a second brothel called The Blue Marlin with ties to some of Greensboro's wealthiest and most politically connected individuals.





While I cannot ascertain the authenticity of the e-mail Mr Martin claims to have received this does bring up some very interesting questions. For example:

As can be seen in the comments to my first post in this series I was being criticized long before any names were ever named. This could only be because some people in Greensboro already knew what I knew.






David H. never came back to comment again.

The next interesting question comes from the alleged e-mail Mr Martin posted:

"The intelligence officers assigned to these three individuals, as a result of said surveillance, have become aware that claims have been made by the fund manager that he has private pledges for what you refer to as the IGMFUPAC in the amount of $35M or more.  It is our understanding that the city has also borrowed approximately that amount.  One of the attached email documents the fund manager is receiving details the monthly cash flow toward satisfying these pledges.

For instance, Tanger Factory Outlets regularly contributes $65,000 per month.  A few months ago, we began seeing a diminution of these amounts across the board.  Additionally, phone conversations indicate many of the donors are experiencing distress due to energy investments adversely affected by the price of oil on the world market."

Is it true that Steven Tanger is falling behind in his contributions to Greensboro's downtown performing arts center so named for Mr Tanger himself because his investments in global oil stocks are crashing? I have no way of knowing but if true the City of Greensboro and in particular Mayor Nancy Barakat "Grasshopper" Vaughan should be front and center of the conversation.

As a matter of fact: in the interest of public trust the books should be online for everyone to see. Sadly they are not.

And then there's this:

"Based on our provided intelligence, we believe this Coliseum manager has recently requested and been granted $20M from the the taxpayers for a field house to host a semi-pro basketball team.  We have reason to believe some of these funds may be misappropriated to cover the shortfall in private pledges"

Could it be true that monies are being deliberately misappropriated with the full knowledge of the Greensboro City Council who voted 9-0 just Tuesday night to spend $20 Million Dollars to build the Fred Barakat Field House? We already know that Millions of Dollars were misappropriated from the South Elm Street Redevelopment Project so this is hardly a stretch.

I think I'd rather our City Council operate a brothel instead.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Best Run Cities In America

In light of the recent news that Greensboro is ranked 2044 of 2570 cities nn money management,
I thought it would be a good idea to look into how well our fair city is run.

In light of that news one might think the Greensboro City Council would become more concerned about how they waste taxpayer dollars but just last night City council voted 9-0 a $20 Million Dollar Bond without referendum to build a monument to the late Fred Barakat, the father of Greensboro Mayor Nancy Barakat "Grasshopper" Vaughan.

Even "Mr Conservative" Tony Wilkins, voted to spend $20 Million dollars the City must borrow.

In researching how well our city is run I again came upon the financial website Wallethub who recently published a list of  2015’s Best & Worst Run Cities in America.

Raleigh came in at #13. Durham was tied with Austin, Texas for #15. Sadly, Greensboro, North Carolina was ranked so poorly we didn't even make the list. 

As a matter of fact, Greensboro is so poorly run you can get ticketed for parking meters that don't work. Just 2 more reasons why Greensboro Sucks.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

The Great Steven Tanger Performing Arts Center Lie; Part 28; Building Materials

https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/WPU136201

If the price index 
of Roofing Asphalts, Pitches, Coatings, and Cement 
was about 265 in September, 2013, 
and about 220 now, about 17% lower, 
and the price for the center went up about 15%,
some are very, very lying as to what actually happened,
and one of  them is Steven Tanger
with the help of Matt Brown, Nancy Vaughan, Walker Sanders
and Nancy Hoffmann

"Naming announcement event!

On September 9, 2013, we announced the name of the center
– the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts
– and Mr. Tanger challenged the community to raise $35 million."

http://tangerperformingarts.com/
.
.
Roy, Jim, Marty, Tanger, Nancy's and etc's High Colonic; "All the phantom wealth piled up in China's boost phase is now melting down and ...will trigger a meltdown in global phantom assets."

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/01/roy-jim-marty-tanger-nancys-and-etcs.html

Who said STPAC construction cost went up and why?

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/01/who-said-stpac-construction-cost-went.html

City of Greensboro Tax Dollars at Work; "Mayor to form arts task force"; Vaughan has no sense of shame or fiscal/political responsibility

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/12/city-of-greensboro-tax-dollars-at-work.html

Greensboro and oranges; Don and Nancy Vaughan, STPAC, Joe Killian, Allen Johnson, Walker Sanders, Jeff Gauger, Susan Ladd etc...

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/12/greensboro-and-oranges-don-and-nancy.html

City of Greensboro taxpayers are now directly guaranteeing $3,500,000 STPAC private donor contributions and some Say Yes to Education correlations with Mo Green and Mary Vigue

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/12/city-of-greensboro-taxpayers-are-now.html

Tonight Greensboro's City Council appears ready to violate an oath of office, which will take place a few minutes before the STPAC vote based on a willful, premeditated fraud on the City's taxpayers

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/12/tonight-greensboros-city-council.html

On STPAC etc... by the News and Record's Allen Johnson and Doug Clark, in the comments;

"The council should support this proposal, which it could vote on as soon as Tuesday’s meeting, because it rightly places the focus on arts center users, not all taxpayers."

Allen Johnson and Doug Clark,
employed by Jeff Gauger
.
.
Control Fraud enabled by Greensboro's News and Record and the City of Greensboro

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/12/control-fraud-enabled-by-greensboros.html
.
.
It's just a flat out lie gentlemen.

You are lying to your readers.

Don't you have any sense of right and wrong?

Some kind of moral compass?

Something that prevents you from willfully misleading your readers?

Do you realize you are part of an effort to commit fraud upon the public?

"Your news is half illusion Allen, Doug, Jeff, Joe etc... 

You are paid to keep those in Greensboro who bother to read your rhetoric joined to the status quo of our oligarchs.

Some of the truth which makes it through your news machine is wrapped in layers of manipulation. 

The public is lied to by our local government, elected leaders and business class and you report it as truth.

That makes you of them.

Your newspaper is where the local yokels get informed, government officials flat out lie for a massively corrupt City Council elected with your endorsements.

The TV stations recycle opinions from the News and Record and Roy's Rhino.

Greensboro's population has been rendered slaves by your hands via garbage propaganda.

That's about $12,168,000 in give aways you didn't mention Allen and Doug.

It's called a lie of omission right after another rigged election.

Why no disclosure that Arts Greensboro pays the News and Record for puff pieces, and that the $120,000 per year is pie in the sky garbage projections?
.
.
"the Tanger Center for the Performing Arts faces a projected $10.2 million in cost overruns."

Allen Johnson and Doug Clark
.
.
"additional construction funding support of $3.5 million from private donors and $9.6 million from patrons"

Item 13
.
.
If the cost overruns are "$10.2 million", why do they need $3.5 million "and" $9.6 million = $13.1 million?

This is yours Allen, Doug, Stephen, Joe, Jeff, Margaret etc...

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/12/on-stpac-etc-by-news-and-records-allen.html

The STPAC supporters said the cost of building rose...

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-stpac-supporters-said-cost-of.html

Friday, July 31, 2015

Matt Brown: LeBauer Park Doomed To Fail

You never know what caring City of Greensboro employees might happen to send out to the public. Take for instance this e-mail in which Greensboro Coliseum Director, Matt Brown, the highest paid man on City payroll and obviously an expert in his field, says about the chances of success for Greensboro's downtown LeBauer Park.

All that public and private money spent and Greensboro's top expert on entertainment venues doesn't believe it can work.

You know, just like the downtown Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts-- in financial difficulties before the first brick is even laid.

And who was behind both of these projects? None other than Walker Sanders and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Ignoring The White Elephant On Skates

Despite well over a dozen articles in the News & Record meant to pitch the 2015 US Figure Skating Championship held in Greensboro this year the N&R is now reporting attendance is down-- a lot:

"The bad news: Attendance for the entire nationals will almost certainly fall short of the 110,787 from last time."

Article after article pitched the event and some even moaned the low turnout but none addressed the fact that not every ticket sold at the Greensboro Coliseum is sold to travelers coming from other cities to see events here. Greensboro and Triad resident do and always have purchased the bulk of the tickets sold at the Greensboro Coliseum and I challenge the City of Greensboro to show us otherwise. None addressed the fact that Greensboro, North Carolina has the highest unemployment in the state of North Carolina, a 21% poverty rate and is the second hungriest city in the United States.

And if Coliseum Manager Matt Brown and Mayor Vaughan thinks they can continue to squeeze enough tax dollars out of a dying city to keep their white elephant fat and happy... Well it's just a matter of time before promoters like Hill Carrow start looking to other venues.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Greensboro Aquatic Center Rumors

As the title says, this is unsubstantiated rumor but it just so happens this rumor is making its way through the rank and file employees of the City of Greensboro.

I'm being told that at least one of the 3 Olympic sized pools at the Greensboro Aquatic Center actually measures 7 inches shorter than Olympic regulations require. If true this would mean that any records set in that particular pool are no longer valid. It would also mean the pool is not eligible for competition.

I'm also being told that Butch Simmons, who recently retired from the City of Greensboro, and Matt Brown who manages the Coliseum and Aquatic Center complex, both knew about the problem before the first event was held at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.

Myself and others will attempt to contact the United States Olympic Committee to verify.

Update: Wednesday evening I got the following reply from the US Olympic Committee. We'll see if anything more comes of it:

 "Thank you for contacting the U.S. Olympic Committee.  Your email is important to us and we look forward to taking the opportunity to read your message and respond accordingly.
Thank You,

U.S. Olympic Committee Representative"

Update 2: Thursday Afternoon I sent the following e-mail to the Facilities Department of USA Swimming:

 "There is a rumor about City of Greensboro employees that the Greensboro Aquatic Center pool was built 7" too short.

Does USA Swimming check these things?

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2014/12/greensboro-aquatic-center-rumors.html

Thank you -Billy Jones"

Update 3: Friday morning, rumor put to rest. From Mick Nelson at USA Swimming:


"Hi Billy - Thanks for contacting USA Swimming,
The pool has been measured and certified by an engineer.  It is proper dimensions not short. 
The list of all certified pools is on our web site at:

Happy Holidays

Mick Nelson
Facilities Development Dir.  - USA Swimming
1 Olympic Plaza
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
www.usaswimming.org/facilities  for info regarding Build a Pool conferences or other workshops"

Our thanks to Mick and USA Swimming for clearing this up.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Greensboro Aquatic Center HVAC Problems

This might be old news to some but a reader recently forwarded me links to 3 stories, Eric Knight of Evacuator System Responds to Greensboro Air Quality Issue by Braden Keith, Breaking: Dressel taken from Jr Nats in an ambulance with breathing trouble by Jared Anderson and Greensboro Aquatic Center Undergoing HVAC Overhaul Ahead of Winter Juniors by Braden Keith, which indicate 1. The aquatic center had HVAC problems prior to the 2013 Winter Junior National Championships and still had problems during this most recent event.

I'll not add any commentary except to say isn't the aquatic center run by the same Matt Brown who has been picked to run the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts?

Monday, January 6, 2014

Did Bill Burckley And Matt Brown Derail GPAC?

"If I’m right, the recent election put in office a determined group of politicians bent on denying efforts to revitalize downtown and build the PAC. In the bargain, downtown and GPAC supporters have been made absolute fools." Please continue reading...

Sunday, December 29, 2013

How GPAC Will Kill Your Small Business

Former Greensboro Mayor Bill Knight tells us how other performing arts centers around the country are working to put privately owned businesses out of business:

"The Wisconsin news publication Isthmus reported that Overture Center in Madison had its management taken from the city and given to a private nonprofit Overture Center Foundation. The news article goes on to say that Overture Center, with its troubled history, is not unique among performing arts centers. It notes that many other cities are struggling to support cultural assets, and noted that Los Angeles had voted to downsize some of its performing arts centers while moving toward privatization. A number of arts facilities are resorting to “creative” ways to generate revenue in the face of recurring losses. Overture hosted more than 50 weddings last year to help support its revenue base.

Clearly a national move to privatization is taking place, but with GPAC it is a foregone conclusion that ownership and operation will be handled by the City of Greensboro, with some production management conducted by a privately run company.   From a dollars and cents standpoint this is a mistake.   GPAC represents a direct challenge to the growth of private enterprise and jobs, which are a City Council priority.   Instead of private sector growth, a government run GPAC will result in additional government jobs, more bureaucracy, an additional taxpayer burden and heightened risk of losses."

Frankly I'm surprised Roy Carroll allowed the letter to be printed.

Previously, in a post titled, Is Matt Brown Putting Your Business Out Of Business?  I wrote of how the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, under the leadership of Matt Brown, is also taking business away from private enterprise each and every day of the month:

"I never gave it much thought until yesterday when I heard that private catering companies, restaurants and locally owned venues are losing money because of the activities of Matt Brown and the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. For example: Take a look at the October schedule for the Greensboro Coliseum Complex and look at how many private conferences, seminars, luncheons and private meetings are being held there in just 1 month. By my count, 28 in October alone.

You see, each and every one of these events are an event that won't bring customers to locally owned venues, catering companies or restaurants because everything those locally owned businesses can provide is being provided by Matt Brown and the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.

At a loss to taxpayers of $2.2 Million Dollars a year, that is.

So I have to ask, did the Clemson study take into account all the businesses Matt Brown and the Greensboro Coliseum Complex has run out of business?"

Remember: Matt Brown has been picked to run the performing arts center as well. Hell, he's credited as being the one who came up with the idea to build it.

Folks, I rest my case and will now entertain any rational arguments to the contrary. Key word, rational.

A tip of the hat to Fec.

Monday, September 30, 2013

Is Matt Brown Putting Your Business Out Of Business?

A few days ago the Greensboro News & Record printed a story telling us of a Coliseum funded Clemson University study that stated the Greensboro Coliseum Complex is an economic driver for Greensboro and while I have no evidence to the contrary I have been told that the big white elephant on High Point Road is driving some businesses out of business.

I never gave it much thought until yesterday when I heard that private catering companies, restaurants and locally owned venues are losing money because of the activities of Matt Brown and the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. For example: Take a look at the October Schedule for the Greensboro Coliseum Complex and look at how many private conferences, seminars, luncheons and private meetings are being held there in just 1 month. By my count, 28 in October alone.

You see, each and every one of these events are an event that won't bring customers to locally owned venues, catering companies or restaurants because everything those locally owned businesses can provide is being provided by Matt Brown and the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.

At a loss to taxpayers of $2.2 Million Dollars a year, that is.

So I have to ask, did the Clemson study take into account all the businesses Matt Brown and the Greensboro Coliseum Complex has run out of business?

Has anyone ever stopped to consider that the economic problems on High Point Road might be caused by the Coliseum?

And finally, with Matt Brown in charge of the soon to be built Steven Tanger Performing Arts Center will downtown business owners soon face the same fate?


You see, there's a reason government is not supposed to compete with private enterprise.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Matt Brown To the Rescue?

I have to say, it's nothing but hilarious when the elite begin to eat their own kind. First it was Ross Harris, Robbie Perkins' campaign manager and paid "volunteer" of the Greensboro Performing Arts Center Task Force who turned on the Mayor and the rest of the task force and now according to this weeks Rhino Times, Coliseum Manager, Matt Brown is stoking up the cooking fires as well.

"According to Vaughan, Brown has said the facility as currently proposed would overrun the $60 million estimated by AMS, the consultants hired by the task force."

Of course, what Brown and Harris are really doing are jumping like rats off what they believe to be a sinking ship. Not only are they concerned that GPAC will fail, they fear that Robbie Perkins is about to get the boot by Greensboro voters this fall and they want to be in good with the next administration before it gets in power. That is: if he isn't impeached for his role in Federal Securities and Exchange violations involving his actions while formerly serving as a board member at Newbridge Bank. Like Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Johnson or not, she never used a forced takeover to steal a family business, was never sued for stealing from her in-laws and isn't a year behind on child support after only a year of separation. You may not agree with her but the lady has class that Robbie Perkins, Matt Brown and Ross Harris will never have.