Zack Matheny Linkfest Etc..., Featuring Yes Weekly's Actual Journalist Jeff Sykes

DGI, Jim Westmoreland, Nancy Vaughan, Zack Matheny, Tuggle Duggans, Roy Carroll and the Triad Good Government PAC

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/05/city-of-greensboro-information-request.html

Matheny bristled at criticism of DGI earlier this spring

and had his feathers badly ruffled 

when a group of downtown property owners 

appeared before the City Council 

and demanded that the city defund the booster group

because of its poor track record.

Yes Weekly's Jeff Sykes

June 10, 2015

From; Zack Matheny To; Jason Cannon On Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 8:43 AM

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/06/from-zack-matheny-to-jason-cannon-on.html

Yes Weekly's Jeff Sykes on Matheny and Jason Cannon DGI email correspondence

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/06/yes-weeklys-jeff-sykes-on-matheny-and.html

Matheny sent a series of malevolent text messages 

to one of the speakers, implying that he saw no reason 

to ever support the citizen's projects again, 

and that the two would henceforth be at odds 

due to the property owner deciding to speak out against DGI. 

Yes Weekly's Jeff Sykes

June 10, 2015

Swim at your own risk; Percentage of Unprofitable IPOs and some other pretty scary economic indicators of what's coming

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/06/swim-at-your-own-risk-percentage-of.html

Greensboro's hidden $282,210,485, which was $272,083,730 the year before, that was $273,932,356 the year before that

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/06/greensboros-hidden-282210485-which-was.html

Tuggle Duggins & Meschan, P.A. Flash Back on Developer Dollars: How Campaign Contributions Overpower Growth Management Efforts in North Carolina

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/05/keith-brown-tuggle-duggins-meschan-pa.html

In the text messages 

Matheny directly stated that the criticism 

jeopardized his potential employment with DGI.

Matheny says in his resignation announcement 

that he wants to avoid a conflict of interest, 

but that time is too far-gone. 

Very few in Greensboro believe 

that DGI has a rationale for existence.

...the cauldron of conflicts of interest 

remains bubbling just below the surface.

Yes Weekly's Jeff Sykes

June 10, 2015

On Marsh Prause, Nancy Vaughan, Jim Westmoreland, Jeff Phillips, Marty Lawing and DGI's meeting to hire City Councilman Zack Matheny

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/05/on-marsh-prause-nancy-vaughan-jim.html

Zack Matheny should resign

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/05/zack-matheny-should-resign.html

DGI Update; In blow to Mayor Nancy Vaughan and Zack Matheny, John Lomax found to be ineligable to join board

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/05/dgi-update-in-blow-to-mayor-nancy.html

The trend among Greensboro's elite 

is to lead cheers for "all the good things going on in Greensboro." 

Absent critical analysis of relationships, 

motivations and outcomes by the city's press, 

boosterism is about all the city's public discourse amounts to.

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

Does Downtown Greensboro need another puppet on a string

controlled by one or two uber-powerful real estate interests?...

Yes Weekly's Jeff Sykes

June 10, 2015

Possibly the dumbest political maneuvering ever seen at a Greensboro City Council Meeting

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/05/possibly-dumbest-political-maneuvering.html

Dear Mike Barber and Zack Matheny; North Carolina Law § 14-118.4. Extortion; Favoritism and Crony Capitalism

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/04/dear-mike-barber-and-zack-matheny-north.html

Goodbye Mike Barber and Zack Matheny; "Greensboro group pressured to hire new CEO"

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/04/goodbye-mike-barber-and-zack-matheny.html

DGI, Mike Barber and Zack Matheny; "Extortion"

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/04/dgi-mike-barber-and-zack-matheny.html
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CITY COUNCIL OATH OF OFFICE;

PLACE YOUR LEFT HAND ON THE BIBLE; 
RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND REPEAT AFTER ME:

I, ZACK MATHENY, DO SOLEMNLY AND SINCERELY SWEAR (OR AFFIRM)

THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND MAINTAIN THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA NOT INCONSISTENT THEREWITH AND THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES OF MY OFFICE AS A MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GREENSBORO ACCORDING TO LAW AND ACCORDING TO THE BEST OF MY SKILL AND ABILITY, SO HELP ME, GOD.

Messrs. Matheny and Barber 

have failed to "FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES" 

of their offices as members 

of "THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GREENSBORO" 

"ACCORDING TO [their] BEST OF [their] SKILL AND ABILITY"

"Political corruption is the use of powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. An illegal act by an officeholder constitutes political corruption only if the act is directly related to their official duties, is done under color of law or involves trading in influence.

Forms of corruption vary, but include bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, patronage, influence peddling, graft, and embezzlement. 

...Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents is also considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by private persons or corporations not directly involved with the government.

...A similar problem of corruption arises in any institution that depends on financial support from people who have interests that may conflict with the primary purpose of the institution.

...corruption in public administration results in the inefficient provision of services. It violates a basic principle of republicanism regarding the centrality of civic virtue. More generally, corruption erodes the institutional capacity of government if procedures are disregarded, resources are siphoned off, and public offices are bought and sold.

Corruption undermines the legitimacy of government and such democratic values as trust and tolerance.

Corruption also generates economic distortion in the public sector by diverting public investment into capital projects where bribes and kickbacks are more plentiful. 

...Trading in influence, or influence peddling, refers a person selling his/her influence over the decision making process to benefit a third party (person or institution). 

...Patronage refers to favoring supporters, for example with government employment.

...Favoring relatives (nepotism) or personal friends (cronyism) of an official is a form of illegitimate private gain. This may be combined with bribery, for example demanding that a business should employ a relative of an official controlling regulations affecting the business.

Seeking to harm enemies becomes corruption when official powers are illegitimately used as means to this end."
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Dear David Brantley Craft; "[C. Brantley] Aycock’s vile legacy", by the Editorial Board of the News & Record

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/05/dear-david-brantley-craft-c-brantley.html

Ben Holder on Zack Matheny and the Roy Carroll set up DGI CEO job, with Charles Womack's permission

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/05/ben-holder-on-zack-matheny-and-roy.html

Randolph County Megasite Con Update

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/05/randolph-county-megasite-con-update.html

Updated, Updated; On Marsh Prause, Nancy Vaughan, Jim Westmoreland, Jeff Phillips, Marty Lawing and DGI's meeting to hire City Councilman Zack Matheny

After Cyndy Hayworth publicly accused City Council member Mike Barber

of extortion over a job for City Council member Zack Matheny,

and after Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan

unsuccessfully attempted to appoint John Lomax

a Matheny business partner and campaign contributor/crony

to DGI's board before a vote to hire Matheny,

it is my understanding that at the meeting to hire Matheny, 

attorney Marsh Prouse suggested DGI wait for a commitment

from Greensboro's City Council and Guilford County
that DGI would be funded before announcing Zack's employment, 
making the job dependent upon taxpayer money
for a sitting, elect official who has voted for the funding
of the organization, and serves as City Council's DGI Liaison.

Zack Matheny, Nancy Vaughan and Mike Barber

put their own interests of power, income and reelection 

in front of the best interests of City of Greensboro taxpayers,
and the News and Record and the Rhino Times won't report it.

Matheny should have ended all public comment

and any Council deliberations and votes

on his announcement of going after a position Zack helped create

by getting rid of Jason Cannon

and killing Cyndy Hayworth's chance at the job

by leaking information about her education credentials to the press
and the News and Record and the Rhino Times won't report it.

Apparently DGI's Board decided Zack Matheny, 

an acting Greensboro Councilman and DGI's Liaison

doesn't have a conflict of interest in applying for the job,

which includes Vaughan, Phillips, Lawing and Westmoreland.

Nancy Vaughan was supposedly in the room as a DGI board member, 

along with Nick Piornack, who is Nancy Hoffmann's business partner,

Mark Prince of Guilford's Merchants Association,

Brian Wise, General Counsel and VP of Finance

for Roy" Carroll Companies

Guilford County Manager Marty Lawing,

Guilford County Commissioner Jeff Phillips

and City of Greensboro Manager Jim Westmoreland.
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§ 14-234. Public officers or employees benefiting from public contracts; 

(a)       (1)        No public officer or employee who is involved in making or administering a contract on behalf of a public agency may derive a direct benefit from the contract

3)        No public officer or employee may solicit or receive any gift, favor, reward, service, or promise of reward, including a promise of future employment, in exchange for recommending, influencing, or attempting to influence the award of a contract by the public agency he or she serves.

(4)        A public officer or employee derives a direct benefit from a contract if the person ...(ii) derives any income or commission directly from the contract...

(f)        A contract entered into in violation of this section is void.
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/05/14-234-public-officers-or-employees.html

Neither Barber or Matheny withdrew 

"from any consideration of the matter"

while currently serving on City Council
and the News and Record and the Rhino Times won't report it.

Greensboro Council member Mike Barber has an indirect financial interest

in Zack's DGI employment,as they are located in the same district 

in Trudy Wade's redistricting plan, 

and that Matheny voted for funding a golf course, 

in which Mike Barber recused himself

which Barber profits from local taxpayers with

with the help of Jim Melvin and the Bryan Foundation
and the News and Record and the Rhino Times won't report it.
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§ 14-118.4. Extortion

Any person who threatens or communicates a threat or threats to another with the intention thereby wrongfully to obtain anything of value or any acquittance, advantage, or immunity is guilty of extortion and such person shall be punished as a Class F felon.

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/ByArticle/Chapter_14/Article_20.pdf

Zack Matheny has a direct financial interest

in applying for a job he voted to fund,

and now DGI's Board wants to wait for guaranteed funding

from Phillips, Vaughan, Westmoreland and Lawing

before hiring Matheny with everyone else's money

a few months before an election?

If political corruption is the use of powers by government officials

for illegitimate private gain,

how is this not political corruption?

If Guilford County is funding DGI, 

and Phillips and Lawing are allowing DGI's board

 to dictate the hiring of a sitting City Councilman

based on a guarantee of funding provided by Guilford County, 

Phillips and Lawing may have a problem,
as they will be directly responsible 
for the hiring of an elected official 
with Guilford County's tax monies
which they will have promised as long as Zack gets the job.

Zack and Mike Barber lobbying for Matheny's DGI job

while involved in deliberations concerning the organization's funding, 

is an abuse of their positions
and the News and Record and the Rhino Times won't report it.

As public officials,

Westmoreland, Vaughan, Phillips and Lawing

are responsible, if not accessories at this point
in one of our community's biggest episodes of political corruption
ignored by the News and Record and the Rhino Times,
who's Brian Wise should have been in the room
if John Hammer had anything to do with it.

Mike Barber just abused his position as a council member

to advocate via extortion for taxpayer monies to be allocated 

to a fellow council member

positioned to compete for the same council spot

under Trudy Wade's redistricting plan.

The selection process has been compromised

by the selection committee and DGI's board
which includes Lawing, Phillips, Westmoreland and Vaughan.

Mike Barber is a known liar and should be investigated

for trying to extort the DGI job for Zack Matheny

out of Cyndi Hayworth,

after Zack leaked Hayworth's lack of education credentials,

leaving her ineligible for the job

after Zack helped get Jason Cannon fired to get the same job
and the News and Record and the Rhino Times won't report it.

Marsh Prause is connected to Greensboro's elite
who run Downtown Greensboro
and is in the business of extracting taxpayer dollars for clients
like DGI;

"Marsh is active in the civic affairs in the City of Greensboro, including appointments by elected representatives and foundations to boards, commissions, and task forces involved with major projects and initiatives such as the Downtown Greenway, the Greensboro Performing Arts Center (Tanger Center), the proposed merger of the City and County planning boards, the City’s bicentennial celebration, and the revision of land development, zoning, and other ordinances.  He is a board member for several local non-profits.

If Guilford County funds DGI at this point, 

commissioners will be approving the actions of Greensboro's City Council, 

which includes extortion, cronyism, nepotism and abuse of office.

...since 2007, he has chaired the board of an active historic preservation revolving fund that promotes preservation as a form of economic development by facilitating transactions that leverage state and federal preservation tax credits to enable the restoration and adaptive reuse of historically and architecturally significant properties. In January of 2015, Marsh was appointed to the Board of Directors of Downtown Greensboro Incorporated, the primary economic development organization for Greensboro’s center city area."


http://allmanspry.com/attorney-profiles/d-marsh-prause/
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Zack Matheny should resign

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/05/zack-matheny-should-resign.html

Zack Matheny violates the City Charter and his oath of office etc..., again, by discussing "Economic Development" in Greensboro's budget, while a candidate for DGI's top job

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/05/zack-matheny-violates-city-charter-and.html

In blow to Mayor Nancy Vaughan and Zack Matheny, John Lomax found to be ineligable to join board

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/05/dgi-update-in-blow-to-mayor-nancy.html
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A few supporters for Robbie Perkins for Mayor

...Nancy and Trip Brown, Chester Brown, III, Roy Carroll, Shirley Frye, Ross Harris, Kathy Manning and Randall Kaplan, Marsh Prause, Sara Lee and Paul Saperstein - The parents of Greensboro's lobbyist and Mac Sims.
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Greensboro Downtown Economic Development Strategy Project Committee, Community Stakeholders and Adisory Group;

Roy Carroll, Aprill Harris, Ed Kitchen, Mac Sims, Dawn Chaney, Willie Hammer, Robin Saul, Susan Schwartz, Frank Auman Jr., Chester Brown, Seth Coker, Betty Cone, Milton Kern, Jim Melvin, Skip Moore, Jeff Nimmer, Marsh Prause, Dabny Sanders, Walker Sanders, Rich Wittington
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"The new board includes Mark Gibb of Gibb’s Hundred Brewing, downtown resident Paula Pierce, small-property owner Marsh Prause, small-property owner James “Smitty” Smith, Lotus club owner Paul Talley and Brian Wise of the Carroll Companies."

http://triad-city-beat.com/downtown-greensboro-inc-board-disposes-of-critics/

It is difficult to get a man to understand something

when his salary depends on his not understanding it.

Upton Sinclair

It appears some closet fascists seek to organize Greensboro's economic control according to Roy Carroll's corporatist perspectives, values, and systems, including Greensboro's political system.

Zack Matheny has presented himself as a solution to the perceived benefits of his favor, to the cronies who control downtown Greensboro, by advocating and taking advantage of government controlled taxpayer capital allocations to himself, and through himself enabled by at least Nancy Vaughan and Mike Barber, to DGI's board members, who will return the favors with continued financial and political support for at least Zack, Nancy and Mike.

Fascism is a form of political behavior marked by obsessive preoccupation with collaboration with traditional elites, which abandons democratic/capitalistic liberties, with the help of corporate media, which in this case is the News and Record and the Rhino Times.

If you choose not to know something,

especially if that something is something you should know,

you are morally blameworthy.

Robert P. Lawry

Director of the Center for Professional Ethics

"...Built in 1895, the Cascade Saloon at 408 and 410 S. Elm Street is one of the oldest buildings in the city. 

The City of Greensboro used eminent domain to take over the Cascade Saloon earlier this year and has since debated what to do with the building.

...Preservation Greensboro offered to take ownership of the building in order to stabilize and restore it, but asked the city for $175,000 to help subsidize the costs associated with renovating the nearly 4,000 square foot, two-story structure.

Marsh Prause represented Preservation Greensboro for the agreement, and made the case for the transfer of ownership.

“We’re offering to take this problem on for you,” said Prause.

“It has negative value. We’re asking you to offset some of the liability and risk we are willing to take on for you.”

Even though the city would have to use taxpayer funds to hand over the building, the simple math of the cost difference made the choice clear for councilman Zack Matheny.

“We were going to spend the money no matter what,” said Matheny.

...“Once it is fixed up it has the potential to be an icon,” said Prause. “It could stand out more than any building downtown.”

...In a situation with only three options – tear down the historic building for $600,000, let someone else restore it into a operating business for $175,000, or do nothing and risk the liability of the nearly 120-year-old structure caving in on itself – the choice was clear to Vaughan.

“To me it is just a no brainer,” said Vaughan. The council will pass the ownership of Cascade Saloon, but will not pay out the $175,000 to Preservation Greensboro until the organization provides more transparency as to who the donors are, and what they plan on doing with the structure..."

http://yesweekly.com/article-18607-saloon-saved.html
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"Downtown Greensboro Inc. got two new board members this week

The Greensboro City Council’s appointment of high-profile downtown developers John Lomax and Andy Zimmerman could mean the embattled nonprofit agency may escape the cut in city funding that it has been threatened with this budget season.

“You could assume that,” said Mayor Nancy Vaughan, who appointed the two men at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

Meaning Nancy Vaughan appears to have made a deal,

to garner political support for her reelection from DGI's Board, 

in exchange for funding the organization

and getting Zack Matheny, Roy Carroll's pick,

hired as the new president while Roy's attorney serves and votes on the Board,

which helps Nancy Hoffmann, Mike Barber, Nancy Vaughan

Marikay Abuzuaiter and Zack Matheny

by eliminating one contender

from Trudy Wade's fourth district. 

As mayor, Vaughan is a member of the board of DGI, which promotes downtown Greensboro using money from a special business improvement district tax on downtown property owners.

If John Lomax attended the closed session, 

even though he was not allowed to join the board,

and the meeting concerned a personnel decision,

how is it not a violation of employment confidentiality statutes? 

City Council members have been discussing taking away DGI’s funding altogether in the past few weeks, even as Councilman Zack Matheny applied to be the group’s next chief executive officer.

Nancy Vaughan openly tried to appoint John Lomax,

a Matheny business partner and financial contributor

to DGI's Board without the News and Record or the Rhino Times

reporting the information to the public.

Cyndy Hayworth, the group’s interim CEO, charged last month that she was threatened with a budget cut if Matheny wasn’t chosen as DGI’s next leader. Matheny and Councilman Mike Barber, whom Hayworth accused of making the threat, both deny giving any ultimatums."

http://www.news-record.com/news/dgi-brings-in-two-new-experienced-board-members/article_596344f8-ff39-11e4-a0b5-a7efea234b4e.html