Marty Kotis re-upping his campaign bribe funded $359,883.33 gift from his City Council cronies at Tuesday's meeting

On Tuesday, August 15, 2017, Greensboro's City Council is going to re-approve a bogus 'job creation' package for Marty Kotis, Greensboro City Council's top, or second place biggest contributor behind Roy Carroll, $44,905 per job, for 8 jobs;

This is what Tony Wilkins stands for

This is what Nancy Vaughan stands for

This is what Goldie Wells stands for

This is what Justin Outling stands for

This is what Mike Barber stands for

This is what Marikay Abuzuaiter stands for

This is what Nancy Hoffmann stands for

This is what Yvonne Johnson stands for

This is what Sharon Hightower stands for

Marty Kotis is a parasite upon our community, and is supported by Tony Wilkins, Nancy Vaughan, Goldie Wells, Justin Outling, Mike Barber, Marikay Abuzuaiter, Nancy Hoffmann, Yvonne Johnson and Sharon Hightower

Money starts flowing in Greensboro City Council races

DISTRICT 4

*Nancy Hoffmann: $47,337

Gary Kenton: $1,830

Hoffmann, a downtown property owner, snagged $1,000 donations from several local developers, including Kotis, Frank Auman, Dawn Chaney and John Lomax.

http://www.greensboro.com/blogs/inside_scoop/inside-scoop-money-starts-flowing-in-greensboro-city-council-races/article_df3c2669-6cd1-56fa-b3ab-ed52b77d61a9.html

How stupid and/or negligent is Greensboro's press?

The unnamed "developer" in the following News and Record article is Marty Kotis; Interesting thing about Jamal Fox lobbying for Marty

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-unnamed-developer-in-following-news.html

Marty Kotis' Tony Wilkins contribution before Tony voted to give Marty a $3 million building for $900,000

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/02/marty-kotis-tony-wilkins-contribution.html

Why should a community in stagnation subsidize Marty Kotis, who, according to Roy Carroll's Rhino Times, is worth more than $100,000,000, whose new projects take business away from the less connected?

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/01/why-should-community-in-stagnation.html

A few Kotis campaign contributions from 2011;

ZACK MATHENY William Kotis Kotis Properties

ZACK MATHENY William Kotis Kotis Properties

JIM KEE William M Kotis III Kotis Developer

NANCY VAUGHAN William M. Kotis Kotis Properties

ROBBIE PERKINS William M. Kotis III Kotis Properties

Marty was the biggest campaign contributor 

in 2013's City Council races.

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

Marty Kotis, Nancy Hoffman and Item 27 on Tuesday's City Council Agenda

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/08/marty-kotis-nancy-hoffman-and-item-27.html

Jim Kee appointing Jeff Nimmer to the Board of Adjustments

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/08/jim-kee-appointing-jeff-nimmer-to-board.html

A couple interesting threads on Marty Kotis and his purchased minions

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-couple-interesting-threads-on-marty.html

Some of the conversations between Marty Kotis and George Hartzman on his free water sewer outside Greensboro's city limits

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/09/some-of-conversations-between-marty.html

Company seeks $2,871 each for higher paying 31 jobs, after Marty Kotis recieved $44,559 per "speculative" low paying job from City Council

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/09/company-seeks-2871-each-for-higher.html 

Marty Kotis Propaganda from the Business Journal "Plans for east Guilford retail center could lead to more development"

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/09/marty-kotis-propaganda-from-business.html
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I would like Greensboro's City Council to approve the following language to prohibit the appearance of unethical behavior;

"Current Greensboro City Council Members and Candidates for local elected office are prohibited from accepting campaign contributions from board members of organizations, developers, contractors or their lawyers or agents who have or may receive taxpayer funded contracts or monies, for 12 months before and after doing business with Greensboro’s government."

Why?

Looks like Tony Wilkins called the Greensboro Fire Department to harras a Marty Kotis competitor

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2017/01/looks-like-tony-wilkins-called.html

Our local paper of record's lack of pointing out Marty Kotis is one of North Carolina's biggest HB2 supporters

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2017/01/our-local-paper-of-records-lack-of.html

"Companies scorned HB2, but donated to lawmakers who passed it"

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2017/01/companies-scorned-hb2-but-donated-to.html

More lost jobs for North Carolina; "Deal to repeal NC bathroom law falls apart"

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/12/more-lost-jobs-for-north-carolina-deal.html

The cowardice of Greensboro News and Record's Doug Clark and Allen Johnson on Marty Kotis

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-cowardice-of-greensboro-news-and.html

Dear Triad City Beat's Eric Ginsburg on Marty Kotis

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/05/dear-triad-city-beats-eric-ginsburg.html

Roy Carroll, John Hammer, Jon Hardister, John Faircloth, John Blust and Trudy Wade confirm they are bigots; Marty Kotis just hosted a John Blust fundraiser at one of his restaurants.  He supports Phil Berger and the rest of our local delegation.  He serves on the UNC Board of Directors as an R.  Marty supports HB2 and is going to make more money from it by being able to fire pregnant women etc... and no one seems to want to point it out.

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/05/roy-carroll-john-hammer-jon-hardister.html

News and Record quoting Greensboro mayor Nancy Vaughan without mentioning she works for Marty Kotis

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/04/news-and-record-quoting-greensboro.html

Proof Marty Kotis is all in on hate and bigotry in North Carolina with John Blust, who voted for and defended HB2

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/04/proof-marty-kotis-is-all-in-on-hate-and.html

Why would John Lomax give Nancy Hoffmann $1,000?

http://candidatereports.myguilford.com/files/2021_HOFFMANN%20NANCYMID2.PDF

How much taxpayer monies has Nancy Hoffmann voted for John Lomax?

You may never find out, as those at Greensboro's News and Record
and the Rhino Times are so full of cowardice and greed,
they won't tell you, as they are the recipients or beneficiaries of said contributions,
but they won't admit, as they are in on the rigged election game,
as Roy Carroll and Warren Buffet profit from the soft fascism...

They call it 'free market democracy' now

'they'

John buys money for pennies on the dollar from Nancy Hoffmann
and the rest of the sold out City Council

Greensboro City Council succumbs to extortion by UnitedHealthcare #NCGA #NCPOL #NCDEM #GSO #GSOPOL #SOGSO

"Last Tuesday, ...Mayor Nancy Vaughan and a majority of City Council members rejected the recommendations of the city manager, city staff and a paid consultant, as well as the clear evidence placed in front of them.

City Manager Jim Westmoreland, city staff and a consultant recommended that the city switch from  to Cigna, based on bids showing that Cigna could save the city and its employees more money on health care coverage.

That savings would amount to about $650,000 per year, according to Marsh and McLennan, a consulting firm hired by the council to examine bids from both companies.

Councilman Mike Barber went so far as to discredit the numbers, saying one bid was based on reality and the other on estimates.

Mike Barber is a campaign cash whore and a complete sell out,

who sold out taxpayers to make money on their dime with Jim Melvin, 

a story which has never been investigated by any local for profit press organization, 

which represents repeated acts of journalistic cowardice 

on the part of those who control our community's information dissemination

In fact, the consultant explained, the analysis used actual claims from 2015 and applied the plans being offered by each company to see which coverage plan cost less.

Cigna was the most cost-effective plan by a significant margin, just as it was in 2016, when it would have saved the city and its employees $1.2 million in health care costs.

So what did our bought and paid for legislators do?

...Council members Jamal Fox and Sharon Hightower balked at the manager’s recommendation and objected to the process...

...After failed motions to choose each company in 2016, the council approved a one-year extension of UnitedHealthcare’s contract, asking staff to prepare a new request for proposals — including local preference if possible — and hire a new consultant. City staff did so, only to arrive at the same results a year later.

The law still bans the use of local preference, Cigna still had the more attractive bid, and a majority of the City Council still refused to accept the results of the bidding process.

...the council voted, 6-3, on July 18 to reject the proposals, extend UnitedHealthcare’s contract for another year and have staff revise the request for proposals to include more criteria.

Again.

Who voted for it?

Nancy Vaughan, Mike Barber, Tony Wilkins, Marikay Abuzuaiter, 

Justin Outling, and Nancy Hoffmann

These people stole from everyone who pays taxes to the City of Greensboro

and anyone who works for the City

It appears that no request for proposals will be acceptable until it favors UnitedHealthcare.

Who met with whom when?

Follow the money

“You tell city staff to do something, they do it, and it’s not good enough because you don’t agree with their decision,” Hightower said.

What was the Quid Pro Quo?

“If you want UHC, give it to UHC, but don’t put the staff through this process again.”

Nancy Vaughan, Mike Barber, Tony Wilkins, Marikay Abuzuaiter, 

Justin Outling, and Nancy Hoffmann betrayed Greensboro's employees and taxpayers

Perhaps some of the other council members were counting up the votes of those in the gallery wearing blue UnitedHealthcare T-shirts or the potential campaign donations they might lose from the company and its executives.

They should be thinking about what’s best for city employees.

And Greensboro's taxpayers Susan

They might also consider how much this sham of a process already has cost Greensboro’s taxpayers in consultant fees ($97,000 in 2016 and $40,000 in 2017) and staff time.

Our community is paying for incompetence

Fox, who was marking his last night on the council, summed up the situation perfectly: “This is bad governance,” he said.

The people of Greensboro are watching, and many of them don’t like what they see.

...Barber frequently is condescending, accusatory or dismissive to the citizens he serves. Councilman Tony Wilkins is overly sharp with city staff members and combative with fellow council members. Councilwoman Marikay Abuzuaiter has become more conservative on issues of police oversight. Outling is so bound to what is legal and proper that he sometimes forgets what is right and logical.

I don't agree with Susan Ladd on lots of issues, 

but I agree we have a bunch of crooked politicians running Greensboro, 

who need to be booted from office

As the council has come under fire, Vaughan has become more defensive and less receptive to the public.

Nancy Vaughan is Robbie Perkins, only different

Same donors etc..., like most of the rest of Council

...council members also have made significant missteps, both individually and collectively.

Most of which remain unreported by the News and Record

They may pay the price for it in November."

I hope so

Susan Ladd: Record number of filings should be a wake-up call for Greensboro City Council

http://www.greensboro.com/blogs/around_town/susan-ladd-record-number-of-filings-should-be-a-wake/article_03ba736b-7881-5859-9cd0-db6b02026a69.html

Susan Ladd on Greensboro City Council's "cover-up" of illegal closed session vote on Police records

Greensboro's City Council and Jim Westmoreland destroyed Charlotte Jackson's career

by illegally releasing her personnel information to the public

"Stonewalling on Cole investigation deepens mistrust"

...When made aware of the incident, the council’s reaction was outrage, and rightly so.

With the support of Westmoreland and Police Chief Wayne Scott, [City Council] voted to release police body camera footage of the incident and “all disciplinary actions and personnel actions related to GPD’s interaction with Yourse,” finding it “essential to maintain public confidence.”

William Hill, attorney for the Police Association 

said the city violated NC Personnel Privacy Act, 

committing a misdemeanor by releasing Jackson’s portion of the video.

“It’s a misdemeanor to release anything from a personnel file

 without the consent of a person. 

She did not consent. 

Without a court order or without certain finding being made. 

None of that happened, “said Hill. 

“With this being blasted all over the news, it violated her due process rights.”

WFMY

...When the incident first was disclosed on Sept. 20, and when the footage was aired publicly a week later, Councilwoman Sharon Hightower asked for all the records from the investigation.

Cole tried to question Yourse about any outstanding warrants

...to which Yourse responded, “not that I know of.”

Mr. Yourse also stated he is not afraid to go back to prison

After Yourse was in custody, 

Cole and Jackson discovered two active warrants for his arrest. 

Greensboro Police Officers Association

...Community anger and frustration spilled over at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, when Hightower revealed that her request to see the investigative files was denied by a “consensus” of the council in a closed session.

The [Greensboro Police Officers Association]

claims the context of the video was twisted by the council.

WFMY

...People who had come to repeat their request for more information on the 42-day investigation stood, shouted and jeered.

Not that I blame them for doing so, but some of the folks who objected 

were/are probably agitating to cause a nationally covered event 

for the causes they represent, which could bring a good bit of chaos to Greensboro.

...why was this a matter for closed session? Council members weren’t discussing a personnel matter; they were discussing whether a council member should be allowed to see investigative records related to a personnel matter involving a former employee.

The state’s open meetings law 

prohibits the council from taking votes in private.

Margaret Moffett 

The discussion should have taken place in open session with a legitimate vote.

Agreed

Consensus, by the way, means agreement.

So why not just say "vote" Susan?

Is someone trying to imply a "consensus" was legal

and a vote would have been illegal?

Did Hightower say "consensus"?

According to Mayor Nancy Vaughan, she, Hightower, Yvonne Johnson and Jamal Fox were the only council members in favor of Hightower’s request, which means that Mike Barber, Justin Outling, Nancy Hoffmann, Tony Wilkins and Marikay Abuzuaiter were not in favor.

The state’s open meetings law 

prohibits the council from taking votes in private.

Margaret Moffett

That’s a 5-4 vote, not a consensus.

Agreed, so what's the bit about "consensus"?

Did Hightower say the vote was a "consensus"

to prevent the closed session vote from being determined illegal?

Why not say the closed session vote was illegal

like Margaret?

...what was their basis for denying Hightower, or any other member of council, the opportunity to see the records?

Yourse is heard yelling several times 

that he was not resisting and at one point turned to Jackson 

and told her “you better not lie for him,” referring to Cole.

WFMY

A few months ago, Wilkins asked during a public council meeting to see the personnel file of former Police Chief David Wray, and he was granted that request.

Good point, but Tony didn't leak the information to anyone, 

and it appears Sharon Hightower is informing Nelson Johnson's crowd 

of confidential information, which may have led to the resignation of Charlotte Jackson

...“That’s why I felt she should be able to see the file,” Vaughan said during a break in the meeting. “It would have been consistent to address this in the same way. I think council should have the ability to review sensitive documents because we set policy.

It was also discovered Yourse was charged

with breaking and entering into his mother’s house, 

2 Mistywood Court, twice in the past.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan expressed her disdain for the video after it was shown, 

calling it “brutal” and apologizing to Yourse.

How can we do that and arrive at the right decision if we aren’t seeing all the information?”

Agreed, but the information would probably have been leaked by Hightower.

...the community is right to question exactly how that process unfolded and whether there was any attempt by any member of the department to minimize or dismiss this matter.

As for the association’s claims that the council broke the law

in releasing Jackson’s video, 

Hightower responded “Seven of us voted for it.”

WFMY

...A wholesale release of names could lead to a rush to judgment of the officers involved before it’s clear whether they acted properly.

Which already happened with the illegal body camera release

which Susan doesn't address.

Pulling back on their promise to release the information — even to one of their members — and trying to hide that decision in a closed meeting inflames suspicion of a cover-up.

http://www.greensboro.com/blogs/around_town/susan-ladd-stonewalling-on-cole-investigation-deepens-mistrust/article_1ed2d564-df58-51f1-b9bf-6df17005c158.html

Greensboro's City Council and Jim Westmoreland destroyed Charlotte Jackson's career

by illegally releasing her personnel information to the public

Greensboro Police Officers Association on Greensboro's City Council, Charlotte Jackson and Travis Cole

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/10/greensboro-police-officers-association.html

Greensboro City Council accused of breaking the law by releasing body cam footage

http://wncn.com/2016/10/01/greensboro-city-council-accused-of-breaking-the-law-by-releasing-body-cam-footage/

Billy Jones; "What Greensboro Didn't Tell You About Dejuan Yourse

I have it on good authority that as of this afternoon, Greensboro Police Captain James Hinson called Greensboro Police Officer CN Jackson-- seen  in the video below-- demanding her immediate resignation under threat of being fired for her part in the incident in the video.

...The assault of  Dejuan Yourse by Officer Travis Cole was wrong and the City of Greensboro has already paid Mr Yourse a cash settlement despite the fact that Mr Yourse's mother had a restraining order against her son to keep him away from her home.

...Captain Hinson needs to explain himself and explain to the public why he is demanding officer Jackson leave the Greensboro Police Department."

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/09/what-greensboro-didnt-tell-you-about.html

Greensboro's City Council and Jim Westmoreland destroyed Charlotte Jackson's career

by illegally releasing her personnel information to the public

Greensboro Police Officer Charlotte Jackson in the video below:

The Greensboro City Council held a special meeting yesterday followed by a press conference and posted the meeting online in 3 parts.

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/09/adding-to-rochs-pile-part-14.html

Roch Smith Jr.; "Greensboro police body cam video shows officer attacking man

...Council members Tony Wilkins and Mike Barber were the only two representatives who voted against releasing the video."

http://greensboro101.com/greensboro-police-body-cam-video-shows-officer-attacking-man/

Roch Smith Jr.; "Guilford County District Attorney Howard Nuemann decided charging Cole would be “inappropriate” according to a memo from Greensboro City Attorney Tom Carruthers to city council members."

http://greensboro101.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Tom-Carruthers-to-greensboro-city-council-cole-memo.pdf

Adding To Roch's Pile: Part 13

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/09/adding-to-rochs-pile-part-13.html

If I Were Mayor Of Greensboro: Part 15

Yesterday we learned that Mayor Vaughan Lies, Sticks Taxpayers With Personal Bills.  Seems Mayor Vaughan stuck we-the-people with over $8,000 in personal bills after promising she wouldn't do so.  But then is anyone really surprised after learning that Greensboro is 2044 of 2570 Cities In Money Management?

And thus the reason for this series If I Were Mayor Of Greensboro and why I intend to become the next Mayor of Greensboro, North Carolina. Should you be seeing this for the first time, all the posts are linked in succession so you can follow them back to here.

I promised to talk about healthcare and reducing the cost of doing business in Greensboro. Today I intend to do just that. The ACA, better known as Obamacare promised great things and across the board, affordable healthcare coverage for all Americans. Sadly, because Obamacare left a loophole, states like North Carolina were able to opt out leaving millions uninsured. In the interest of full disclosure I am one of those who got left out.

To add insult to injury, the cost of healthcare is rising dramatically even for those who were covered by Obamacare. Some pay more today than before the American Care Act.

And all politicians in Washington have done is point fingers. Even the most vocal opponents of Obamacare in Washington have offered no solutions to the problem. Why? Because they don't want solutions, they want campaign contributions and gifts from insurance companies-- one side no better than the other.

Now the social liberal in me says Greensboro should simply start our own single payer healthcare system but the fiscal conservative in me says we don't have the money. And while the social liberal side almost always won when I was a young man, now that I'm just days from being 60 years old the fiscal conservative side holds sway in matters involving money or the lack thereof.

But there is something Greensboro can do that will insure more people, reduce the cost of healthcare insurance and help Greensboro's businesses boost their bottom lines. And to make that happen I intend to ask Doctor Joseph Guarino to help us form a board to found an alternative for health care insurance in Greensboro.

Just like everyone else I'm naming in these posts, this is coming as a shock to Joe but I picked him because 1. he's a doctor and will see to it that doctors are treated fairly, 2. he recognizes there's a problem, 3. he's about as far to the political right as I am to the political left and 4. I place honesty over ideology and believe Joe to be sincere in his views even though we often disagree.

There are any number of options Doctor Guarino and his board could choose to follow. Among them is to form a health care pool made of of as many local employees as possible to buy insurance jointly.

Another might be to form a new health insurance cooperative provider in which everyone who purchases a policy becomes a partner in the company. And maybe other ideas I haven't thought of.

And because there's always strength in numbers, Joe and the board he would chair, if he decides to accept my offer, would be free to look for members throughout Guilford County, High Point and beyond.

Finally, before we move on to  If I Were Mayor Of Greensboro: Part 16, allow me to make clear, these things I'm proposing can't all be accomplished in a single term. There simply isn't time and money. But if we recruit a block of like minded candidates from across party lines who are willing to place the needs of Greensboro's most needy citizens first and foremost we can become the city every city in the world dreams of being, both in terms of social change and economic growth.

After all, we can always undo the ideological mistakes of any government in the next session but once we've allow corruption to take place we can never get the money back.

It's Called Division... With Updates

This post was first published on January 30, 2016. I have brought it back because of several updates that EzGreensboro.com readers will find very enlightening. Begin original post:

I worked long and hard to prove the City of Greensboro handled the Heritage House fiasco improperly writing over 100 articles and posting dozens upon dozens of documents for well over a year but tonight something came to me: Perhaps we all asked the wrong questions?

The City told us the property was out of control, full of drug dealers and criminals,  as if everyone living there were thugs and had to be run out but we all know that wasn't the case. Councilman Mike Barber waved about a list of 2800 calls to Guilford County 911 as if every one of them were to the same place but there are 177 individually deeded units in Heritage House.

Now lets say that a few drug dealers and criminals moved into say, New Irving Park. Would the City of Greensboro take possession of all of New Irving Park and force everyone from their homes then come back after the fact and conveniently find a 3rd party inspections company to declare all the homes in New Irving Park unfit to live in?

Don't be silly, you say? That is exactly the chain of events that took place at Heritage House. As a neighborhood, what's the difference between Heritage House and New Irving Park? Money, influence and power.

So over a year later I've decided to submit the following public information request to the City of Greensboro:

"The City of Greensboro released crime stats that indicated 2800 calls to Guilford County 911 for a property known as Heritage House.

The calls were lumped together as if Heritage House were 1 property with 1 deed but in reality Heritage House consisted of 177 individually deeded properties.

I would like to see a listing of all 911 calls broken down by individual properties.

-Billy Jones"

 

Let's see how long they drag their feet on this one, shall we?

Update: February 4, 2016, got the following response today:

"Hello Mr. Jones,

Thank you for your public records request (PIRT 5442) in which you stated, “The City of Greensboro released crime stats that indicated 2800 calls to Guilford County 911 for a property known as Heritage House. The calls were lumped together as if Heritage House were 1 property with 1 deed but in reality Heritage House consisted of 177 individually deeded properties.  I would like to see a listing of all 911 calls broken down by individual properties.”

I have been working with Guilford Metro 911 to formulate a report that will gather the information that you are requesting.  However, if you could please clarify the questions discussed below, I would greatly appreciate it.

1)      In your request you discuss crime statistics, but you ask for “all 911 calls.”  Please advise if you are requesting just calls designated for a Police response, or if you are also asking for records of fire and medical responses.

2)      Also, my understanding is that the previously provided record of 2800 calls, referenced in your request, is for a time frame of approximately the 2 previous years.  Would you like us to also run the new report for the past two years so that you can compare?

Unfortunately, we cannot break the requested information down by deed owner, but we can provide you with a report that distinguishes between apartments.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Katherine Carter, Public Records Administrator

Communications and Marketing Department - 336-373-3282

City of Greensboro

PO Box 3136, Greensboro, NC 27402-3136

www.greensboro-nc.gov "

My response:

"Yes Katherine, let's break it down by designated for a Police response, per apartment and for the same 2 year time period as was previously released by the City of Greensboro.

Thanks -Billy"

Let's see how this compares to the numbers Mike Barber waved around.

Update 2: February 18, 2016 I get the following e-mail:

 "Hello Mr. Jones,

Regarding your public records requests (PIRT # 5442), you were sent the email below on February 4, 2016, outlining what further information was needed in order to process your request.

To date, I have not received a response from you providing the necessary information.  As a result, this PIRT has been closed per lack of response.  Pursuant to our PIRT policy, “The requestor will be deemed unresponsive and his/her PIRT request will be closed if two weeks have passed (10 business days) and he/she has not responded to the PIRT Administrator’s follow-up inquiry.”

If you can supply the requested information, I will be happy to reopen your request, and provide you with the responsive records, in accordance with State Law and our Public Records Policy.

Sincerely,
Katherine Carter, Public Records Administrator
Communications and Marketing Department - 336-373-3282
City of Greensboro
PO Box 3136, Greensboro, NC 27402-3136"

Seriously? I e-mailed my  February 4, 2016 e-mail shown above to Ms Carter again.  Since I haven't been e-mailing hyperlinks to this post perhaps no one downtown knows I'm keeping track. Usually she ignores me altogether. Perhaps her response is in response to as passage that can be found in Corrupt City by Fec.

"Left to their own devices, Nathan and his kind might have ruled Corrupt City forever.  Unfortunately, the detritus of corrupt government – inside deals and forgotten neighborhoods – became so numerous as to be obvious.  And people began to notice how city staff and the local media sought to hide these problems.  Of course, it was only natural that the technocrats, not unlike Auschwitz  Nazis, worked diligently on behalf of Corrupt City, if not its actual citizens."

Or not...


Update 3: February 19, 2016: Amazingly some strange events took place just about the same time Katherine Carter was getting back to me with a PIRT request that was about to be lost. The first was my posting of Union Still Out Of Square on Tuesday February 16, 2016 in which I complained about having submitted a different public information request twice without getting results. That prompted several of our EzGreensboro.com readers to submit their own PIRTs to the City of Greensboro. A spark had been created.

Then on Thursday, February 18, 2016, Jeff Martin at Carolina Under Siege posted City Legal Running Greensboro in which he wrote:

"Worse, Zack Matheny and Nancy Hoffman have left unpleasant voice mails with several downtown business and property owners.  Some of these may yet surface.  This is just more anecdotal evidence of a total breakdown on council.  The mayor is practically catatonic for many reasons and languishes in the details, while remaining  oblivious to the bigger picture.  It may well be that she was a creature of Don Vaughan after all and has been cast adrift.

We are dealing with a variety of mental illnesses expressed by several public officials.  The H3 architect for the IGMFUPAC got a good picture of the situation and ended up mocking them.  There are great people on city staff and on council.  Unfortunately, they are not in a position to do much about what is happening.

The natural result of this political vacuum is Roy Carroll and Marty Kotis are getting pretty much whatever they wanted.  This type of catabolic collapse was predicted by John Michael Greer and will occur as city government slowly devolves into anarchy, with one wealthy actor after another feasting on its rotting carcass.

Lest you doubt me, things are so bad now the city can’t even put down the meter maids."

My series  Thomas Carruthers Attacked By Rabid Dogs might have also had an effect as City Attorney Thomas Carruthers knows the attack was in direct retaliation for his covering up for Donald Vaughan and others in the Eric Robert vs. City of Greensboro lawsuit. What Carruthers didn't know is that I wasn't really all that concerned about Aunt Dorothy. Yeah, he ripped her off but the civil suit was a fight between her and her step daughters (my cousins) that had nothing to do with me. Dumbass Carruthers would have made more money if he hadn't of dropped the suit as they fought for years but in the end none of them walked away poor and only the lawyers made out. Dumbass walked away from more money than he took from Aunt Dorothy.

Now the entire City Legal Department is on notice that their own dirty laundry can be aired should they continue to support a corrupt Mayor and City Council. Expect to see any number of resignations coming from the City Legal Department as they look to jump ship before we shoot them from the bow.

Update 4: March 5, 2016 Just as I suspected, someone is trying to make this go away quietly. Someone is trying to make a lot of things go away quietly. Like who got the money from Greensboro's South Elm Development Project they are also covering up something at Heritage House:

You see, despite the fact that on Feb 18, the same day Ms Carter e-mailed me I replied to Ms Carter she still closed public information request #5442 as if I had never replied to her at all.

Here's the e-mail as sent to Ms Carter:

And just for the hell of it my actual Feb 4 e-mail to Ms Carter:

If you haven't read Union Out Of Square And Out Of Plumb I highly recommend you do so at this point for not only is it becoming quite obvious that someone with the City of Greensboro is keeping secrets about a great many things that somehow involve Mayor Nancy Barakat Vaughan (Heritage House, Robert v. City of Greensboro etc...) but others besides myself are catching wind of the problem for immediately after I posted Union Out Of Square And Out Of Plumb,
none other than Roch Smith jr. who had worked long and hard along side Mayor Vaughan to help craft what was at one time a very responsive and very workable public records response system (probably the best in the nation) sent the following e-mail to Mayor Vaughan, Councilman Mike Barber, City Attorney Thomas Carruthers, myself and several other recipients on March 4, 2015:

"Billy,
When the City writes to you that your request for public records will "require the extensive use of information technology resources and extensive clerical assistance," they are quoting, verbatim, language from the North Carolina General Statutes that provides for charging for fulfilling public records requests.
While this could just be a ploy to waive you off of this request and while I think it would be problematic for the city in the long run to fairly and equitably start charging the public for use of technology resources and clerical assistance, may I suggest you give them the benefit of the doubt at this point and see if maybe there is some way you can get the information you are looking for without blowing up the system for all involved?
While you are asking for "receipts" I gather that what you are trying to know is who got paid, how much and for what? I think that information could probably be generated with relative ease from the electronic records of Finance -- but it won't be receipts. Still, it will probably tell you what you are wanting to know and, if some portion seems worthy of more investigation, you can then probe a specific expenditure, project or vendor.
Also, I'm not sure how long the South Elm Street Development Project has been in existence, but I think it has been at least fifteen years or more. Is it really those entire fifteen years you need at this point, or can you begin with a smaller period?
Katherine Carter says in her email that anything you can do to narrow the scope of your request would be greatly appreciated. I too would appreciate it if you didn't back the city into a position of having to make it harder to get public records. I encourage you to consider if there is an alternative way for you to ask for what you are seeking -- not to compromise your curiosity, but simply to make the result more achievable.
Cordially,
Roch"

Wanting to make every effort to be correct and hoping to reduce the cost to taxpayers if possible I replied with the following:

If what Roch is proposing is true I would consider electronic records of finance as Roch suggests. (Seriously folks, isn't that what receipts are these days? Real money doesn't change hands, nobody actually writes receipts, everything is done electronically.)

But will someone please explain the months of delay?

Will someone explain to me why the e-mail I got today wasn't sent in response to my December 30, 2015 PIRT request for the exact same information?

Why wasn't my previous PIRT for the exact same info fulfilled, why wasn't it reopened when I requested the City do so, and why was I ignored?

Because all of you can clearly see this has taken far too long: http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/03/union-out-of-square-and-out-of-plumb.html

Anyone?

Mr Carruthers? Madam Mayor? Councilman Barber? I'm sure everyone receiving this e-mail would love to read your response. So would my readers. And yes, I am e-mailing myself a copy of this e-mail to post online.

As I have documented, the City's response to my PIRT request thus far has been completely unacceptable and as noted Mayor Vaughan and Mr Carruthers have been made aware of the situation repeatedly.

It is time we got some answers.

-Billy Jones"

At 8:00 AM the following morning, a Saturday, Roch again e-mailed us all again:

"There has been a marked slow-down in responses to records requests. Even email questions are taking days to get answered. This is not good."

Well so much for my having imagined a slowdown in PIRT responses, Roch sees it too. I replied to Roch, Mayor Vaughan, Councilman Barber, Mr Carruthers and the others who received the e-mail making sure to remove Ben Holder as he had replied asking not to be e-mailed.

"Indeed, Roch, the process has gone very much down hill in recent months with PIRTs not being answered, PIRTs ignored, requests to reopen ignored.... I have solid documentation of all these things as I've saved everything.

Now the question becomes: Is this because Ms Carter has been unwilling or unable to do her job or is Ms Carter doing exactly as she has been instructed by her superiors? The fact that I have previously e-mailed Mayor Vaughan, City Attorney Thomas Carruthers, numerous other City Council members and city staff to complain about this and have seen no improvement nor a single reply might lead some to believe Ms Carter has been doing exactly as she has been instructed to do.

Keep in mind that g-mail allows me to keep even sent messages that I might forget to send to myself all in an easily searchable database protected by a telephone password. Very hard to hack.

Now I'm not saying that Mayor Vaughan and Mr Carruthers are actually participating in some sort of conspiracy to hide, delay and obscure public records... Not yet, anyway. And up until now if Ms Carter were simply doing as instructed she would simply be doing her job. (No fault there.) But if Mayor Vaughan and Mr Carruthers are actually participating in some sort of conspiracy to hide, delay and obscure public records and Ms Carter begins to get wind of it then at some point her involvement becomes aiding and abetting. And for that Ms Carter could be prosecuted along with Mayor Vaugnan and Mr Carruthers and anyone else involved in the conspiracy to hide, delay and obscure public records and whatever it was they were attempting to cover up. If that were the case Ms Carter would be wise to contact legal council not connected to the City of Greensboro.

But hey, how was that you described me Roch? Something about conspiracies and a gangster behind every bush. You could be right.

By the way, as Ben Holder replied to the last e-mail telling me not to e-mail him I removed him from the e-mail list.

Thanks -Billy"

As you can see above I have proof that what I had to say was in-fact true.

It's still Saturday, March 5, 2016 as I finish up this post. I don't expect any reply from Mayor Vaughan, Councilman Barber or City Attorney Carruthers before Monday at the earliest and to be perfectly honest neither of the 3 of them have replied to anything I have asked them in what seems like more than a year so I don't really expect them to reply at all but if you would like to contact them and ask that they provide the documentation to you that has been kept from me you can do so by e-mailing Mayor Vaughan at NVaughan@triad.rr.com Councilman Barber at mikebarberlaw@aol.com and Thomas Carruthers at Thomas.Carruthers@greensboro-nc.gov

Yes, those are the personal e-mail addresses for Mayor Vaughan and Councilman Barber but then it was their decisions to opt to use personal e-mail for City Business despite the fact that the City of Greensboro provides them with free e-mail service.

But then all the e-mails sent to their City issued e-mail addresses get permanently logged into the City's data base.

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” John F Kennedy

Remember: When the conversation stops the fighting begins. I'm still talking, are City leaders still willing to talk? I've still yet to prove that Heritage House was a scam perpetuated by Greensboro leaders or that anything has been stolen from the South Elm Redevelopment Project but I have proven beyond any doubt that someone is hiding something, blocking my attempts to find out and attempting to cover something up in both instances.

And I'm not the only one who knows it.

Update 5: March 24, 2016. Again, I;m writing to Katherine Carter, Mayor Nancy Barakat Vaughan, City Manager Jim Westmoreland and citizen Roch Smith jr in an effort to resolve this problem:

"Ms Carter,
I am writing to you once again to inquire about the status of PIRT # 5442, first submitted on January 30, 2016. I realize the PIRT tracking system indicated that it was closed due to lack of response by requester but as I have documented with screen grabs of actual e-mails that simply isn't the case: http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/01/its-called-division.html

I still have all the e-mails, even those I copied and pasted. When can I expect to see:

"Yes Katherine, let's break it down by designated for a Police response, per apartment and for the same 2 year time period as was previously released by the City of Greensboro.

Thanks -Billy"

As was my reply to you on February 4, 2016.

Roch and Jim,
If you will read the link posted above you will see I've made every effort to get this PIRT filled and documented my long wait. And that is just 1 of several PIRTs that have gone unfilled, obfuscated, manipulated or otherwise lost in the last few months. After working so long and hard and without pay to help Greensboro to create a workable PIRT policy I am quite sure Roch is saddened to no end to witness what is now going on.

Mayor Vaughan,
On a happy note. (I know, right?) Last year you and I communicated about the Urban Farm Project on Phillips Avenue. For those who might not know, the project was dead for all intents and purposes because I had discovered its director had established a fake board of directors with names of people being listed on the board who knew nothing of the project or anyone involved in it.

Well I'm happy to say the first of 3 planned greenhouses appears to be built and the City of Greensboro has supplied water to the site.

So being that I know that Nancy Vaughan took an active roll in bringing that project back to life I'm hoping you, Mayor Vaughan, and I can exchange a few e-mails so that I may write a better story about how you saved the day for a project this city desperately needs.

Thanks 

-Billy"

Hey, when they do right I'm happy to tell it. I even stopped and took pictures of the greenhouse.

Update 6: April 12, 2016. What began on January 30, 2016 continues unanswered. Today I got the following e-mail from the City of Greensboro:

"Dear Mr. Jones,

Thank you for your public records request (PIRT 5442) regarding 911 calls made to the Heritage House.

Please find the attached record responsive to your request.  Information regarding the section of the building associated with the call has been included when the same was available in our system.  Information protected by NCGS 132-1.4 has been redacted in accordance with State Law.

As discussed, the information provided in the attachment is representative of Greensboro Police Department calls.  Fire and medical responses have been excluded.

I hope this information is helpful to you.

Sincerely,

Katherine Carter, Public Records Administrator

Communications and Marketing Department - 336-373-3282

City of Greensboro

PO Box 3136, Greensboro, NC 27402-3136

www.greensboro-nc.gov "

The attached file is labeled Calls By Location Redacted. The first 16 of 35 pages include no addresses so presumably those calls could have come from any address, anywhere in Greensboro or Guilford County. As if I needed to make a case for that last statement the address listed for one of the 911 calls on page 27 was AT THE RITE AID. There is no Rite Aid or any other store or drug store on or adjacent to the Heritage House property.

On Page 28 there is a call listed as being at BIG BROTHERS AND. I've no idea where that is.

Now that may be neither here nor there but 16 pages with 35 calls per page and no addresses is concerning. That's 560 of the total calls unaccounted for, not counting the reactions. And 35 pages of calls at 35 calls per page is less than half the 2,800 calls Zack Methany and Mike Barber both claimed to have come from Heritage House. Why such a huge discrepancy?

And why the long delay in fulfilling my public information request only to send me a reply that is only half filled?

But I think the biggest issue is that anyone can look at the Calls By Location Redacted. and see for themselves that a certain few apartments were where the majority of the calls came from.

So why not deal with the law breakers in those few apartments rather than punishing 6 floors and hundreds of innocent victims by taking their homes away from them?

Why Mayor Vaughan, when you talk about equal rights, does your version of equal rights not include equal rights for the working class citizens of Greensboro be they straight, gay, trans, conservative, liberal, black, white, Hispanic or Martian?

Are equal rights something that only apply to those people with money?

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.

How to purchase Mayor Nancy Vaughan for pennies and get a $5,482,424.00 City of Greensboro taxpayer funded project, by Samet Corporation

http://candidatereports.myguilford.com/files/1788_VAUGHAN_NANCY.PDF

19. ID 16-0188 Resolution Approving Construction Contract with Samet Corporation/SRS, Inc. as the CMAR to Build the Coliseum Field House

ID 16-0188 Resolution Authorizing Samet.docx

RESOLUTION APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF CONTRACT WITH
SAMET CORPORATION/SRS, INC. FOR THE NEW COLISEUM FIELDHOUSE

WHEREAS, the new Coliseum Fieldhouse will be the home venue for the Greensboro Swarm,
the Charlotte Hornets’ new NBA Development League franchise;

WHEREAS, Samet Corporation/SRS Inc. has submitted a cost estimate as CMAR for the
Coliseum Fieldhouse Renovations Project in the total amount of $5,482,424.00 and between the
Architect/Engineers, Samet Corporation/SRS, Inc. and Coliseum staff, this is the best cost
estimate from the standpoint of the City;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
GREENSBORO:

That the Contract between the City of Greensboro and Samet Corporation/SRS, Inc. is hereby
formally approved and the City Manager and the City Clerk are hereby authorized to execute on
behalf of the City of Greensboro a proper contract to carry the proposal into effect, payment to be made in the amount of $5,482,424.00 from Account No. 528-7502-01.6013.

Mayor Vaughan is available for purchase from the highest bidders

JW CMAR Field House D League - 3-31-16.docx

DATE: March 31, 2016
TO: Mike Perdue, Coliseum
FROM: Tiffany Jones, M/WBE Office
DEPARTMENT: Greensboro Coliseum Complex
SUBJECT: Hornet D-League Field House - CMAR

The M/WBE Office reviewed the documentation submitted by Samet/SRS, Inc. Joint Venture Company (“CMAR”) to determine compliance with the M/WBE Program Plan. The M/WBE participation goal established by the CMAR for the project was 35%. While the recommended total CMAR Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for the project is valued at $5,482,424.00 (includes all CMAR fees, bond & insurance expenses, seat allowances, and project contingency), the actual field house construction work and associated activities is valued at $4,015,426.

The Grasshopper Sez

Yesterday morning I posted Recapping The Zack Methany, Jason Cannon, DGI Story.

Later I followed up with  The Zack Methany Texts.

Now how about an e-mail from Greensboro Mayor Nancy Barakat "Grasshopper" Vaughan to Greensboro City Attorney Tom Carruthers to celebrate Nancy's appointment to the head of the Guilford Green Foundation announced just yesterday.

Now considering Nancy's involvement in the firing of Jason Cannon from his position as President of Downtown Greensboro Inc. what might the Grasshopper have done to get her new job? The Guilford Green Foundation might want to reconsider the terms of Mayor Vaughan's employment... Seriously, I know what I'm talking about. You don't want anyone from the City of Greensboro in or near your business.

Please continue reading  Eric Robert on the dismissal etc...

Why North Carolina Treasurer Janet Cowell isn't running for reelection, and how the City of Greensboro's retirement plan committee betrayed their co-workers

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2015/12/pensions-investment-editorial-savages-trustees-for-failing-to-perform-fiduciary-duty-over-private-equity-fees.html
.
.
When presented with the opportunity to do right by City of Greensboro's employees, Tony Wilkins, Marikay Abuzuaiter, Nancy Vaughan, Mike Barber, Yvonne Johnson, Jamal Fox and Sharon Hightower supported cronies connected to the financial industry, Jim Westmoreland, Mary Vigue, Rick Lusk and Connie Hammond rather than more than 2,800 employees who are still getting skimmed off of by ICMA-RC, the administrator for the City's 457 retirement plan.

Same thing only different.

When presented with the opportunity to report to the public how the financial industry rips off local investors and retirement plan participants, the News and Record's Joe Killian, Susan Ladd, Stephen Doyle, Jeff Gauger, Margaret Moffet among others including the Rhino Times John Hammer and the Triad Business Journal's Mark Sutter didn't lift a finger for their readers against the parasitic interests who prey upon their readers.

These folks let the banking and investment system steal from you.

And they know it.

And they didn't bother to tell you, as it would upset their benefactors.

Now Mary Vigue is in charge of a legal Ponzi scheme called Say Yes to Education and Say Yes Guilford whose business model skims profits for administrators and vendors meant for college scholarships for Guilford County students with monies donated by local foundations, managed for a profit by the Community Foundation of High Point, and the Community Foundation of Greensboro, who's Walker Sanders lied to get additional taxpayer funding for Greensboro's STPAC with the help of Matt Brown, City Council and City staff, including Rick Lusk.

Rick knew better and went along to keep his job as far as I can tell.

He must throw up a little every time he has to go along with the facade.

Matheny. Lomax, Hammer, Barber and Vaughan; Greensboro is Corrupt; An Adaptation as our press has been compromised

"Four qualities have distinguished republican government from ancient Athens forward: the sovereignty of the people; a sense of the common good; government dedicated to the commonwealth; and resistance to corruption.

It was okay Allen Johnson and the News and Record

and John Hammer and Roy's Rhino

for Zack to have pushed for Tom Phillips

as Matheny's replacement

to vote for Zack's salary at DGI 

while Tom was dating Zack's mom.

Measured against the standards established for republics from ancient times, Greensboro's government is massively corrupt.

From Plato and Aristotle forward, corruption was meant to describe actions and decisions that put a narrow, special, or personal interest ahead of the interest of the public or commonwealth.

Like Roy Carroll's Water and Sewer 

for his AMEX data center under the table incentive

which the News and Record didn't and won't report.

Corruption did not have to stoop to money under the table, vote buying, or even renting out the Lincoln bedroom. In the governing of a republic, corruption was self-interest placed above the interest of all—the public interest.

By that standard, can anyone seriously doubt that Greensboro's government is corrupt?

It was okay for Nancy Hoffmann 

to vote for some taxpayer money

for her real estate and business partners

and compete for DGI's taxpayer subsidized lease
which she voted to fund.

There has never been a time when Greensboro's government was so perversely and systematically dedicated to special interests, earmarks, side deals, log-rolling, vote-trading and sweetheart deals of one kind or another.

Zack Matheny guiding incentives to his contributors
Sam Simpson and John Lomax
who are also good friends of his.

What brought us to this? A sinister system combining staggering campaign costs, political contributions, political action committees, special interest payments for access, and, most of all, the rise of the lobbying class.

Ivan Saul Cutler, Roy Carroll, Andrew Brod, Amanda Lehmert

Marty Kotis, David McLean, David Craft etc...

Greensboro's law firms, 'non-profit' lobbyists and compromised news outlets of the right, left, and an amalgam of both, now take on former members of the press, City executives, Council members and connected staff members.

It's okay for Greensboro's Mayor Nancy Vaughan 

to cover for Don's White Street landfill methane income

from Wilbur Ross' ITG

which the Rhino and News and Record won't report.

The key word is not quid-pro-quo bribery, the key word is access. In exchange for a few moments of City Council's and many more moments of Greensboro's executive management's time, fund-raising events with the promise of thousands of dollars are delivered.

It is okay for Mike Barber to abuse his position

to get taxpayer funded golf course time from which he personally profits
voted for by his fellow Council Members
who apparently think Mike's Melvin funded skimming is a good idea.

Corruption such as ours operates vertically as well as horizontally. Seeing how business is conducted in Greensboro, it did not take long for the connected of both parties to subscribe to the desires of special-interests like Roy Carroll, Marty Kotis and Jim Melvin.

Andrew Brod's involvement in misleading GPAC endevours, 

asking for a loan for a mattress recycling company

and then asking for CityFi money along with Roch Smith Jr.,

who helps Candidates for money.

Frustrated, irate discussions of this legalized corruption are met in the News and Record and Rhino Times with a shrug.  So what?  Didn’t we just have dinner with Mark Brazil, David Powell and Jim Melvin at that well-known RLF lobbyist's house whose husband covers City politics only two nights ago?  Fine lady, and she used to cover the City and the State for the same paper.

The News and Record's Joe Killian's wife Amanda Lehmert

now works at Monty Hagler's RLF communications, 

indirectly funded by Greensboro City Council votes

covered in the press by her husband.

I gather she is using her Rolodex rather skillfully on behalf of her new clients.

Illegal?   Not at all.   Just smart . . . and so charming.

There is little wonder that Greensboro's middle and bottom are apoplectic at their government and absolutely, and rightly, convinced that the game of government is rigged in favor of the elite and the powerful.  Few in our City can see the wealth rising to the top at the expense of the poor and the middle class, as our press is in on the game.

Our tax dollars are going to well-organized corporate welfare parasites, real estate developers/landlords and campaign contributors.

It was okay for Mike Barber and Zack Matheny 

to break the law to get Zack his DGI job
without repercussion from Guilford County DA Doug Henderson.

The ultimate victims of the corruption of the democratic process are not defeated candidates and parties but Greensboro’s citizens.

Whomever has enough money to purchase a Greensboro City Council candidate from the endless reserve bench of 'want to be' politicians and make him or her a star, a mouthpiece for any cause or purpose however questionable, and that candidate will mouth the script in endless political debates and through as many television spots as their patrons/contributors are willing to pay for.

Marty Kotis and his millions in benefits
voted for by his purchased City Council minions
whose faces will soon occupy his and Roy Carroll's billboards
with campaign signs on their commercial properties 
all over the city.

The bought-and-paid-for Greensboro's City Council members should wear sponsor labels on their suits as stock-car drivers do.  Though, for the time being, sponsored candidates will not be openly promoted by Roy Carroll and friends but by phony “committees for good government PAC” smokescreens and garbage journalism.

The City's population has swallowed the messages of public relations, advertising, and lobbying outfits, along with dozens of smaller players of Greensboro's lucrative special interest and influence-manipulation scene.

Shovel Ready Loans for Samet and David Howard.

Why pay for a Councilman here or there when you can buy a newspaper which endorses who you want, and takes campaign cash for advertising in exchange?

Roy Carroll and his millions in benefits
voted for by his purchased City Council minions. 

Think of the protection from scrutiny that can be paid for and the economic incentive policies that can be manipulated.

Jim Melvin and the Megasite
voted for by his purchased City Council minions.

Dawn Chaney and Nancy Hoffmann's Iron Hen/Lee Comer money.

Marty Kotis' free street and illegally obtained water and sewer.

Roy Carroll's free street and water and sewer

We have gone way beyond mere vote buying now.

The converging Public-Private Partnership con represents nothing less than an unofficial but enormously powerful fourth branch of government, which is Greensboro's connected elite.

Jim Melvin's Megasite deal,

of which Mayor Nancy Vaughan refuses to disclose details 

of which private interests stand to profit.

To whom is this branch of government accountable?  Who sets the agenda for its rising army of influence marketers?  How easy will it be to not only go from office to a lucrative lobbying job but, more important, from lucrative lobbying job to holding office?

Zack Matheny

America’s founders knew one thing: The republics of history all died when narrow interests overwhelmed the common good and the interests of the commonwealth.

Welcome to Greensboro's Vanity politics and campaigns-for-hire featuring candidates who repeat their sponsored messages like ice-cream-truck vendors passing through the neighborhood.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan

Greensboro's mayor Nancy Vaughan responds to her patron's contributions with compliant legislative action doling out taxpayer monies to cronies with the help of City Manager Jim Westmoreland.

The scope and scale of this genuine scandal is absolutely incompatible with the principles and ideals upon which America was founded.

How can public service be promoted as an ideal to young people when this sewer corrupts our City?

The greatest service our City’s young people could provide is to lead an army of outraged youth armed with brooms on a crusade to sweep out the rascals and rid our government of the money changers, rent seekers, revolving door dancers, and special interest deal makers and power brokers and send them packing.

For all practical political purposes, the government of Greensboro is for sale to the highest bidder.

It is impossible to claim to love one’s City and not be outraged at how corrupt it has become. For former Council-members to trade a title given them by the voters for cash is beyond shameful.

It is outrageous.

Mike Barber, whose grossly over-sized personal profits from First Tee,

the City of Greensboro and Jim Melvin's Bryan Foundation 

has never been reported by the News and Record,

the Rhino Times, Triad City Beat or Yes Weekly.

It is an error of serious proportion to dismiss this corruption on the grounds that this has all been going on from the beginning, that boys will be boys, that politicians are always on the take. Past incidents of the violation of public ethics provide no argument for accepting the systemic and cancerous commercialization of our politics.

Nancy Hoffmann

Political office, public service, and engagement in governance must not be monetized.  Even if no laws are broken, even if a public servant can walk out the door one day and cash in his or her experience and title for cash the next, that does not make it right.

Everything strictly legal is not therefore ethical.

Monty Hagler

Virtue as applied to public service is a powerful standard. It genuinely does require having no personal interest in the public’s business, not only at the time one is involved in decision making but also thereafter.

Zack Matheny 

Virtue, the disinterestedness of our elected officials, must replace political careerism and special interests. The best interests of Greensboro must replace struggles for power, bitter partisanship, and ideological rigidity.

Nancy and Don Vaughan's White Street Landfill methane
never reported by any Greensboro for-profit news outlet.

This is not dreamy idealism; it is an idealism rooted in the original purpose of this nation.

Bad politics drives out good politics.  Legalized corruption drives men and women of stature, honor, and dignity out of the halls of government.

Roch Smith Jr. and Andrew Brod

Self-respecting individuals cannot long tolerate a system of election and reelection so dependent on cultivating the favor of those known to expect access in return.  Such a system is corrosive to our community's soul.

Campaign funds now go to feed an army of consultants (or “strategists” in the coinage of the day), media advisors, media producers, television-time buyers, speechwriters, schedulers, advance specialists and crowd raisers.  Almost all of the money goes to the media, the same media whose commentators regularly deplore the costs of campaigns, and then endorse whomever is electable, compliant and spent the most for advertising.

If the News and Record 

has been misleading Greensboro's population on redistricting,

what difference does it make if there is a referendum or not,

if they lie and omit, like multiple times before

to rig the outcome of the vote?

Major changes must be made in the way we elect our leaders."

http://time.com/3937860/gary-hart-america-corruption/