Say Yes to Education Correspondance

from: George
to: Richard Moore
dturlington@sayyestoeducation.org
cc: "McFadden, JoAnna (USANCM)"
Abbey Johnson guilfordeducationalliance.org>,
David Mildenberg
Thomas.Carruthers@
pricee
dygarr
danielp
beltonj
hayesd
amosquick
alexans
nrouth
imlshaw
bbencini
abranso
Katie Cashion
ccolema
brucedavis
Hankhenning
jphilli1
Rtrapp
"abuzuaiter
"ajohnson@news-record.com" <ajohnson@news-record.com>,
editor carolinapeacemaker
Sharon Hightower
Jamal Fox
Jeffrey Sykes
Mike Barber
Nancy.Hoffmann
Nancy Vaughan
"C. A. Womack"
scott@rhino
"Doyle, Steven"
Yvonne Johnson
joutling@
caroline.blair
John Hammer ,
Eric.Sigmon
Mike.Richey
Wayne.Scott
GreensboroPDAttorney
"Biffle, Teresa J."
date: Mon, Jul 18, 2016 at 5:41 PM
subject: Re: Questions about Say Yes

Donnie, as both you and Skip know, I have been asking these questions for months, so if you don't mind, please provide the answers to all the public figures and journalists etc... copied above;

Please provide Say Yes to Education's 2014 IRS form 990, which I have asked for and should be in Richard's possession as a stakeholder in the Say Yes enterprise.

How much is it going to cost next year?

How much has been spent on fundraising, outside consultants and investment management fees relative to what is being paid out to students?

What is the anticipated average per student scholarship expected to be for Guilford County's 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019's graduating classes?

Why are most of Say Yes to Education's investments located in "CENTRAL AMERICA  AND THE CARIBBEAN"?

How much money does Say Yes Guilford have on hand to fund the scholarships?

As the number of dollars provided for scholarships should about double again after the first year, and then double again in four years, how is Say Yes going to pay for it?

What will the monies be invested in and at what cost for Guilford County's graduates?

How many students are expected to receive a "Full Tuition Scholarship Incentive" for 2016's graduating class?

Why has Say Yes, the City of Greensboro and Guilford County Schools so far declined to provide the above information?

Why has Say Yes, the City of Greensboro and Guilford County Schools so far declined to state if  Say Yes Guilford is to be considered a fiduciary over the investment assets?

Why has Say Yes, the City of Greensboro and Guilford County Schools so far declined to report if the investment managers will be considered fiduciaries?

How is it the Say Yes performance is so far above George Weiss' fund, which is where Say Yes' money is invested?

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/06/say-yes-to-educations-amazing-quite.html
.
.
Those who don't know what they should at this juncture should be ashamed of themselves
.
.
On Mon, Jul 18, 2016 at 4:31 PM, Richard Moore <rmooregso@me.com> wrote:

Mr. Hartman and those who you copied:

First, it is a bit deceptive to imply that this interchange happened recently. In fact, the interview is nearly a year old at this point. I did answer your questions then. There was nothing deceptive in my comments then and nothing now. At the time of our interchange almost a year ago I was a member of a planning committee. I am not the spokesperson for the Say Yes program. I am involved as a volunteer in the nonprofit organization that is raising funds for the scholarship program.

But here are basic facts:

1. Only Syracuse, Buffalo, and Guilford are total school system chapters. Those in other cities, to my understanding, were/are cohorts of students that are selected and followed. You can ask the Say Yes to Education national office about the status of any of those cohorts.

2. Your contact to ask about programming for Say Yes to Education Guilford is Donnie Turlington who is the Director of Communications. His email is dturlington@sayyestoeducation.org. He can refer you as appropriate for information that is relevant. Mary Vigue is the Say Yes Guilford Executive Director.

3. We do not know anything about how Mr. Weiss invests or manages his money. Nor is it any of our business.

4. Neither he nor the Say Yes national organization have anything to do with the investment or management of the funds we are raising locally. As I told you a year ago, these are being handled jointly by the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro and the High Point Community Foundation working with our local nonprofit organization.

It is interesting that you are surfacing a lot of misleading questions just when we are about to award a bunch of scholarships.
_________________
Richard (Skip) Moore

Sent from my iPad

On Jul 18, 2016, at 1:08 PM, George Hartzman <hartzmancpe@gmail.com> wrote:

Richard (Skip) Moore's misleading statements; "8 Things to Know About "Say Yes To Education"

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/07/richard-skip-moores-misleading.html
.
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On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 4:54 PM, George wrote:

An honor sir,

Why is there more than $25 million in the Weiss Investment Strategy?

Why only one investment manager?

Why is almost $29 million located in "Central America and the Caribbean"?

Where are the details of the individual scholarships?

How did investment income come to more than $10 million in 2012 and $7 million in 2011?

How are the 2012 returns possible on a little more than $28 million?

Where are the 2013 and 2014 990s?

Why so much compensation?

Why so much "Organizational Strategic Review?

At first glance, it looks like a Ponzi scheme.

Why would you hire someone who just finished keeping investment fees high for City of Greensboro employees?

http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2013/223/139/2013-223139858-0a6d8af5-9.pdf

A Piece Of Her Mind

A mutual friend forwarded me the following by our former City Councilwoman so I decided to post it in our Letters to the Editor section:

"Hold my mule....
by T. Dianne Bellamy-Small


We only have one daily local newspaper in Greensboro. A wise man told me a long time ago that as long as they have ink and paper they can print whatever they want. It is not news that this paper is obviously quite biased. It picks and chooses the issues, beliefs,and the individuals that it will lift up or try to tear down. A few of our local weekly papers try to stick to more journalism if they can afford it. Then some are opinion and profit rags. 

What was printed on the front page of today's paper is not funny or even intelligent. When I was a cub reporter many years ago, I was taught that my job as a journalist was to get the facts, do the research,verify the information and then report the story. I had the honor of working with journalists who believes in integrity, diligence and responsibility. 

What is being reported in the newspaper today is more about being mean-spirited, not thoroughly researched and ofttimes just the opinion of the writer. Media that spends more time insulting people and displaying a childish need to get a laugh is beyond pathetic. 

I hope that readers who take the time to even bother with that paper will look beyond the printed word and find out what people and issues really are about.

I have constantly been the target of this paper and other papers with information that was not true and hurtful. I don't like it and I hope others who see the hateful mean-spiritedness printed will also speak out or just ignore it.

I've given most of my life to service to the people and the greater good. To be marginalized by a paper or groups of people to maintain their selfish status is not acceptable. I ask to serve because I have demonstrated that I have much to offer and no man has given me these gifts. I clearly understand who has sent me. 

I understand the political process and want to be of service to the people not to the process. Anyone who wants to know the truth about me needs to come as me. I am reachable and honest and worthy to be quoted. 

The local papers would do better to clean up their act, be fair, transparent and be a more objective service to our community."

Our thanks to T. Dianne Bellamy-Small for speaking out. As I've written before, we didn't know what we had until she was gone.

So Who's Responsible For The $300 Million Fed Ex Fiasco?

Being that Roch pointed out last week that the promised 1500 Fed Ex jobs never came, I thought perhaps it was time we look into who is running for Greensboro City Council today. While the $300 Million Dollar airport expansion was supposed to bring 1500 new jobs, Fed Ex currently employes 250 workers locally-- roughly the same number of workers as 15 years ago.

They talk about transportation hubs... for what? Empty trailers?

Of course we all know where Robbie Perkins stood on Fed Ex. If it involves a bulldozer he's all for it and Perkins was behind expansion of Piedmont Triad International Airport then just as he continues to pitch PTI expansion today. But where do the others stand?

Nancy Baracat Vaughan: In 2003 the Business Journal reported:

     "Newly appointed members Dr. Earl Barbour, a High Point chiropractor, and Nancy Vaughan, a former Greensboro City Council member, take their seats in May and promise, however slightly, to alter the character of the authority to fit their priorities.

    Both say they don't oppose the planned $300 million Federal Express air cargo hub; in fact, Vaughan was among the first elected officials back in 1998 to publicly support the controversial project."

Nancy Baracat Vaughan isn't talking much about Fed Ex these days.

Mike Barber: From the December 4, 2001 Guilford County Commissioners meeting minutes:

"Commissioner (Mike) Barber said the proposed FedEx hub means the direction the county will be taking will be positive. He said the company locating in Guilford County will continue to make the county progressive and not stagnant."

Guess what Mike? The county is stagnant. Last in the State of North Carolina in job creation. I asked Mike about Fed Ex in a Facebook thread last week. Mike isn't talking either.

Yvonne Johnson: From then Greensboro Mayor Yvonne J Johnson's August 27th, 2008 State of the Community speech:

"A long time ago, the City got its nickname the Gate City because of the large number of railway ties that led from Greensboro to all points. Today we are a gateway in many ways. Through our
colleges and universities and research centers, we are the gateway to education. Through
our highways, airport, FedEx Hub, and Honda Jet facility, we are the gateway to
commerce...


...All of these developments are signposts that tell us that Greensboro is continuing its
growth. FedEx is set to begin operations in the Summer of 2009...

...FedEx, Honda Jet and Mack Truck Corp. should stimulate even more interest in our area
so that we may continue to strengthen our local tax base..."

Yvonne really laid it on thick, didn't she? Too bad she was wrong. She was even wrong when she said,

"We have been the Gate City for 200 years."

Greensboro became known as the Gate City sometime after the groundbreaking of the North Carolina Railroad in Greensboro in 1851. Apparently Yvonne has problems with mathematics-- especially when it comes to spending $300 Million Dollars.


It should be noted that Roch Smith jr's 2001 platform when he ran for Mayor of Greensboro, included opposition to the Fed Ex Hub that has now cost Greensboro and Guilford County taxpayers $300 Million Dollars for 1500 jobs that never came. 


We live in a city that is currently dead last in North Carolina in new job creation, some of that $300 Million could have gone towards supporting the establishment of new locally owned businesses and expanding existing locally owned businesses instead of putting the entire $300 Million in 1 pathetic pie.

We live in a city that ranks 97 out of 100 and falling in household earnings, people could use a tax break now more than ever!

We live in a city that ranks ranks 100th out of 102 markets in economic vitality-- that $300 Million could have been better spent.

We live in a city that ranks 95th out of the largest 100 cities in terms of citizens' ability towards upward mobility. That means fewer and fewer people have the chance to raise themselves up and we've our leaders to thank.

And it didn't end with Fed Ex. Unfulfilled and speculative airport expansion plans have continued ever since, some built, some not. Heart of the Triad, Aerotropolis, the march continues unabated every day, never living up to the hype draining precious resources from our communities and creating blue collar ghettos to the east and ever expanding airport noise cones in the west over Greensboro's more affluent communities.

We could have sure used some of that $300 Million to go towards solving some of those problems instead of building runways for multinational corporations who never delivered the jobs they promised and never intended to do so in the first place. I don't care if you call yourself a liberal or a conservative, if these politicians aren't corrupt then they simply haven't the common sense and judgement necessary to run a city-- any city. And the proof is in their $300 Million Dollar blunders that all of them are now scared to talk about. Just as they were scared to talk about the truth at the time it was going on.


On August 13th 2007, Ed Cone wrote:

"Planning for the impact of our local FedEx hub -- due to open in 2009 -- is suddenly in vogue.
Some of us tried to have this conversation before the hub was under construction. We got rolled."

Ed was right. We got rolled big time. To the tune of $300 Million Dollars! They knew it was all a lie before it ever started and they did it anyway. Ed Cone has the evidence on the pages of his blog!


It's time to vote the incumbents out of office-- all of them before they break the bank entirely. Please e-mail this post to everyone you know so that they know that Robbie Perkins, Nancy Baracat Vaughan, Mike Barber, Yvonne Johnson and yes, even T. Dianne Bellamy-Small all sold us out with their support for the $300 Million Dollar Fed Ex hub and the 1500 jobs that never came.

City Of Greensboro Fails To Provide Evidence Streetscaping Provides Positive Economic Impacts

Being the City is about to spend $Millions upon $Millions of taxpayer dollars to streetscape Lee Street and High Point Road, I asked the City of Greensboro to provide evidence of The Positive Economic Impacts Of Streetscaping Greensboro from previous streetscaping projects such as the $150 Million East Market Street redevelopment project. The City's reply:

"Hello Mr. Jones.

We apologize that your request has taken so long to complete.  We have requested several departments to review your request to see if they had any information pertaining to your request.  Unfortunately, the City has not measured the economic impact directly attributable to the East Market Street streetscape project.

 Sincerely,

 Public Information Desk

City of Greensboro"

Click here to read the entire story. And remember that Robbie Perkins,  Yvonne Johnson, Dianne Bellamy-Small and Zack Matheny all helped waste your money then just as they're planning to waste it now.

The Positive Economic Impacts Of Streetscaping Greensboro

Allow me to begin by stating I am not a trained journalist. A trained journalist would patiently wait until he or she got all the facts before running with a story. But it wasn't for lack of trying that I don't have all the facts. I ask the questions. The people in charge simply won't give me the answers. So unlike a trained journalist I write my stories based on what I've got.

As you may be aware, Greensboro voters approved a $7.5 Million Dollar bond project in 2008 to provide streetscaping improvements to the Lee Street-High Point Rd corridor-- the stated goal to provide improved economic development to the area. That same year the City of Greensboro completed a streetscaping project on East Market St with the same goal of improved economic development to that area.

In 2009, Senator Christopher Dodd introduced the Livable Communities Act. As part of the effort to push the bill through the United States Senate, Bruce Knight, Planning Director for the City of Champaign, Illinois, and president of the American Planning Association, spoke on behalf of the Livable Communities Act before the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee On Financial Services on September 23, 2010.

Mr Knight cited the lack of "shovel ready" projects as being a major challenge to cities everywhere. He spoke of the importance of regional cooperation. He spoke of creating jobs, eliminating waste and promoting greater government efficiency while also allowing people to craft a vision for new development and growth based on local values. Mr Knight spoke of opportunities to build a more sustainable, livable future.

Mr Knight cited Greensboro, North Carolina, the streetscaping of East Market St, the very first project undertaken by the APA, the East Market Street Development Corporation, as an example of the success of the efforts of the American Planning Association.

The Livable Communities Act failed to pass Congress. Did Greensboro and the streetscaping of East Market St reflect so poorly on the United States government that Washington found it impossible to believe Bruce Knight and the experts at the American Planning Association?

I contacted the APA in July of this year. I asked them if they ever revisited their projects to determine the long term results of their efforts? I offered to show them around the East Market Street corridor in a way East Market Street Development Corporation Director Mac Sims would never do if they were so inclined to revisit Greensboro. Like I said, that was July. It's the end of September, the APA never replied to my e-mail.

On September 4, 2013 I sent the following public information request to the City of Greensboro:

"The City of Greensboro completed a streetscaping project on East Market St in 2008. It was said such a project would improve the economy of East Greensboro and East Market Street in particular. Please provide to myself and my publisher, Rick Baker, whose e-mail address is above, any and all data indicating what positive economic benefit East Greensboro, East Market Street and Greensboro as a whole has received from the East Market St streetscaping project to date.

I'm sure more questions will follow.

Please keep Mr Baker informed.

Thank you -Billy Jones
Greensboro Free Press"

As you may or may not be aware, Mr Baker has since decided not to launch a Greensboro Free Press. So I'm back to the blog.

It was my assumption that with a new streetscaping project in the works the City would already be chomping at the bit to brag about the economic development successes of having streetscaped East Market Street 5 years ago. I was absolutely certain I would soon find myself overloaded with more facts and figures than I could wade through in the next 6 months. I just knew the City of Greensboro was going to bury me in positive economic benefits brought about by the streetscaping of East Market St over the course of the last 5 years. I just knew they were planning some kind of PR campaign in anticipation of spending $7.5 Million of your tax dollars and would already have this information ready to go. What did they send me?

To date:  Well, I'm still waiting to hear back from the City of Greensboro but according to the IFYI (Items For Your Information) published by Greensboro City Manager, Denise Turner Roth on September 20th, 2013,

"Staff is determining if this information exists and is available."

You mean to tell me the City of Greensboro is prepared to spend $Millions upon $Millions of Dollars of your tax dollars on streetscaping a new project when they've no idea if the last time they did it worked or not? Look here, I'm all about science and experiments and stuff but wasn't somebody supposed to be keeping some records?

The City of Greensboro website claims there has been "more than $150 million in new private and public investment." along the East Market Street corridor but nowhere on their website do they list positive economic benefits. Not one thin dime. Investment is when you buy something. Positive economic benefits are when that investment pays off. Where's the pay off on that $150 million in public and private investment?

Wait a minute! Did I read that right? I had to go back to the City of Greensboro website and take a second look. That's what it said, $150 million was spent on East Market St. The streetscaping project on East Market was 1.5 miles long. One and 1/2 miles. The planned streetscaping project on Lee and High Point Road is what eight, ten miles maybe? Yes, I realize some of that $150 Million went to other things but that's the subject of another story. One hell of another story!

Yes, the voters approved the $7.5 Million Dollar bond package for Lee Street and High Point Road. I think the voters got duped.

Who was on City Council in 2008 and is still seated today? Robbie Perkins,  Yvonne Johnson, Nancy Vaughan, T. Dianne Bellamy-Small, Jim Kee and Zack Matheny. That's who. And they're all running for reelection.

Click below to download and read the IFYI.

http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=21702http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=21702


 Update:  Friday, September 27, 2013  Today, I got the following reply from the City of Greensboro confirming everything I have previously written:

"Hello Mr. Jones,

 We apologize that your request has taken so long to complete.  We have requested several departments to review your request to see if they had any information pertaining to your request.  Unfortunately, the City has not measured the economic impact directly attributable to the East Market Street streetscape project.

 Sincerely,

 Public Information Desk

City of Greensboro"

Like everything else I've written, I can provide this e-mail at anyone's request.

Elon University, Greensboro And Roy Carroll

Like wow, who knew Elon University owned an office in Roy Carroll's Centerpoint? According to the Guilford County Registrar of Deeds, the address is 202 N Elm Street Lobby 11.

The Total appraised property value is said to be $10,000 but apparently even privately owned universities are exempt from paying property taxes as a $10,000 tax exemption is also listed.

So that got me to wondering, if the office is exempt from paying property taxes, what about the rest of the Downtown campus? So I started searching and found a total of 11 properties  within the Downtown Greensboro central business district totaling over $8,000.000. (That's $8 MILLION for the zero crippled among us) in untaxed properties.

Of note: $8 Million is over 3 times the value of the Elon University Campus in nearby Elon College in Alamance County. That is apparently exempt from taxes as well.

Now I realize the "economic development" crowd is going to say that having Elon Law located in Downtown Greensboro more than offsets the tax losses but I'm betting there isn't an actual downtown business owner among them who won't look at this and say, show me the numbers? Show me proof that while my home, business, personal wages and properties are being taxes at the highest rates of any city in North Carolina, how is it that having Elon Law located in the most expensive untaxed real estate in all of Greensboro and Guilford County is helping our local economy?

And the answer they will get is crickets.

Again, the elites get the breaks. Elon isn't NC A&T nor is it Guilford Tech and very few students at Elon come from working class, poor families. Elon is a private school filled with rich kids from monied backgrounds. Many of them are great folks but to give them tax breaks... For the highest priced real estate in the entire freaking county!!!

What part of stupid do Greensboro's "leaders" not understand?

When I began these investigations almost 2 years ago people from all over Greensboro suggested I ask Elon Law for help but every call and e-mail I sent to Elon Law-- even to people I know there-- went unanswered. I knew people were scared and people need to keep their jobs. The scumbag developers, crony capitalists and politicians-- many who currently have seats on the Greensboro City Council-- do not.

So who was on Greensboro City Council when this all happened. That would be Robbie Perkins, Yvonne Johnson,  Nancy Vaughan and T. Dianne Bellamy-Small.  

$8 Million Dollars a year untaxed.

$8 Million Dollars a year untaxed.

$8 Million Dollars a year untaxed.

$8 Million Dollars a year untaxed.

Told you Hell Day was carrying over into Tuesday. Hell, it might last all week.

The British Imposed Curfews On The Founding Fathers As Well. How'd That Work Out?

Four adults and seven teenagers are arrested for fighting in what Greensboro Mayor Robbie Perkins and the media falsely described as a riot in Downtown Greensboro on Saturday night and every teenager in Greensboro gets punished with a downtown curfew on Independence Day, July 4th, the very same day our nation celebrates its independence from an overbearing, punitive British monarchy who cared more about making its subjects follow orders than it cared about addressing the actual issues that brought about the tiny insurrection that eventually lead to the overthrow of the largest and most powerful empire in the history of the world.

Kids, some of you will turn 18 between now and election day come November. You might want to remember that the only member of the Greensboro City Council who didn't vote against you was Councilwoman T. Dianne Bellamy-Small of District 1. She makes a lot of dumb mistakes and I call her on them quite often but she cares about the kids in her district and actually has a clue what it's like growing up poor in Greensboro.

And she defiantly ain't British.

You can click here to learn how to register to vote, download a voter registration form or pick up a mail-in voter registration form at any Greensboro Public Library.

Jim Kee DOESN'T Want Your Vote

From the Snooze and Record Inside Scoop, Mayor says GAC naysayers were all wet.

When discussing the Greensboro Aquatic Center's community projects Jim Key said,

"It was a bit controversial, but I just happened to have been the deciding vote to approve the aquatics center," Kee said. "Just wanted to throw that out there."

Might I remind Jim Key that here in District 2 on Sykes Avenue we have the beautiful Peeler Recreation Center located less than 1/4 mile from Jim Key's house where we already have not 1 but 2 newly refurbished swimming pools, one of which is indoors, that could have been used to teach swimming lessons to second grade school children in District 2 without busing them all the way across the City of Greensboro. Pools that aren't even normally in use during the regular school year. Teachers could then combine a trip to the Mc Girt-Horton Public Library next door and make it a learning experience as well.


But no, Jim Kee isn't thinking about what best serves our children, he's thinking about justifying his previous actions in serving the developers and elites.

And if the neighborhoods near the GAC are lacking in recreation centers where children can learn to swim, wouldn't building more recreation centers to serve Greensboro's children have been a more worthy cause than an aquatic center? I know the Heath Community is begging for a recreation center the City of Greensboro is refusing to provide, suggesting instead, parents and Parks & Rec employees teach classes in a park that has ZERO restrooms.



 In other parts of the city you can be arrested for peeing on the ground but the City of Greensboro encourages residents of the Heath Community to teach their children to do just that.

Might I remind you that T. Dianne Bellamy-Small represents the Heath Community and along with Kee, Perkins, Zack Matheny and Nancy Vaughan all supported the building of the aquatic center but cannot come up with the money for restrooms for the children of the Heath Community here in East Greensboro. I wonder why that is?

Jim Kee doesn't want to represent Northeast Greensboro, Jim Key wants to represent Greensboro's elite developers-- he just happens to need East Greensboro and Greensboro's poor and working class to do it. Just like all the rest of them.

Like I said, Nancy, it is about the nail! It's all about the nail.

If Greensboro's Leaders Were Really Interested In Economic Development 38

Instead of just agreeing with citizens they would do something about it.



You know, if they really cared about economic development...

You know, I began this series being really positive but when nobody listens one can't help but revert back to the same negativity that has always produced results in the past. I donno, apparently politicians enjoy pain. Or they really are stupid? You tell me.

What Robbie And Goldie Aren't Telling You About The Florida Street Extension

Yesterday I read Jordan Greene's article, Why the Florida Street Extension makes sense for east Greensboro with great interest. You see, I kinda knew Jordan's take on the issue already because of an e-mail exchange I had with Jordan last April:

"Billy Jones

4/16/12
to Jordan
I've no idea why but selling the farm would be detrimental to a number of A&T students who are studying agricluture. A number of A&T alums and others were previously unhappy with using any of the farm for the nanotech center. As for higher uses-- when has technology figured out how to replace agriculture? Think about it. There is no shortage of available land inside the urban loop but there does seem to be a shortage of developers who are actually willing to invest in their own projects.

My friend actually works for the Nanotech center.

And why are they scared to talk about it?

On Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 9:23 AM, Jordan Green wrote:

Is it for expansion of the nanotech center? It seems like Robbie mentioned that as a likely step in the future. It would make sense that A&T would get a good price for the land, the nanotech center would be a higher use of the land, more urbanized and more suitable for inside the urban loop.

On 4/16/12 8:07 AM, "Billy Jones" wrote:

Jordan,
There's a rumor going around that A&T University is selling their farm but no one will say who to or what for. This could be a real hot button for this side of town. A friend of mine works for the university system but when she asked her boss he said she didn't need to know. The guys working on the farm are also asking questions but not getting answers.
-Billy"

At least Jordan is consistent even if he is misinformed.

For starters: there is no higher use for land than feeding the hungry, Jordan. And anything that makes it harder for A&T agriculture students to learn how to do that-- including commuting to a remote campus somewhere-- will be a setback to feeding the world's poor.

Now for the things Mayor Robbie Perkins and Goldie Wells have yet to tell you.

The Franklin Blvd. extension to East Wendover ain't going to happen. Why? Because the North Carolina Rail Road owns a 200' right of way at the intersection of Franklin Blvd and Burlington Rd (East Market St) and the NCRR has already made known plans to close the grade crossing at Franklin Blvd. As a matter of fact: Burlington Road will have to be moved almost 100' to the North to make room for the additional high speed rails that are planned there. You see, the railroad owns the property and the City of Greensboro, like every other city in North Carolina, has no power over the railroads. Otherwise do you think we would still have a railroad grade crossing on South Elm in the middle of Downtown Greensboro.

Funny how Robbie, Goldie and T. Dianne Bellamy-Small, never bothered to mention this. When I see the City of Greensboro begin construction of a bridge from East Wendover Avenue to somewhere 100' south of the NCRR tracks I'll adknowledge the possible need for new north-south connector.

Then there's the K-mart connector. About a half a mile to the east of Franklin Blvd sets the empty buildings of Greensboro Auto Parts. The business has been sold to nationwide used autoparts dealer LKQ but LKQ only uses the Ward Road property around the corner and not the lot facing the more heavily traveled, Burlington Road-- why? Well as I mentioned the other day I've been friends with the owners of that property since we were literally in diapers so I asked why the main lot was sitting enpty. The answer: When K-mart opened their distribution center across the street from Greensboro Auto Parts, part of the incentive package they were promised by Guilford County was direct access to Interstates 85 and 40. That's right, there's your north-south connector right there.

Funny how Robbie, Goldie and T. Dianne Bellamy-Small, never bothered to mention this.

You see, like I said in my e-mails to Jordan, Robbie's, Goldie's and T. Dianne Bellamy-Small's refusal to back down on the Florida Street Extension, even if it has been planned since 1962 when the NCRR and K-mart weren't even on the City's radar, has nothing to do with north-south connectivity-- English Street and the K-mart connector solves that-- and everything to do with the land swap so Robbie, Roy Caroll and their developer friends can rake in the cash from developing the A&T Farm. And their secret Greensboro Sportsplex. 

And if I'm imagining the Sportsplex then why did Butch Simmons and the Greensboro Planning Department not allow me to see actual planning maps when I made the trip Downtown to do so? Are citizens not allowed access to city planning maps? If it's only wild speculation on my part then why fuel it when showing me a simple map could end the entire discussion? Unless, of course, you need months to hide the evidence.

The "Need" For Robbie's Road

Folks here in my end of town along with students, faculty and alumni from A&T University are questioning the need to cut a road through A&T University Farm as proposed by Mayor Paveit Perkins and admittedly, strongly supported by T. Dianne Bellamy-Small of the adjoining District 1.

Jim Key is right to question the need and Nancy Vaughan is right to question the price tag but me, as a 54 year resident of East Greensboro I question the why. Why there, why the farm when a much shorter widening of just 1 block of English Street would accomplish the same thing? Yes, I know the widening of that block of English Street will effect a few homeowners but what is not apparent in the Mayor's plan is the effect on hundreds of East Greensboro homeowners should the Mayor's plan be followed through. "How is that?" you ask. The proposed new Greensboro Sportsplex as shown if you click through to the larger view of this map below.

What you will see is a dashed line that runs west of Franklin Blvd, south of Hope Valley Road, just south of McConnell Rd and to the east borders the northernmost part of the A&T University Farm. As a matter of fact, some of the property within that border is part of the A&T University Farm. And many of those homes are almost brand new homes.

Now some are thinking A&T is a land grant university and there's no way even the Mayor and City Council can touch it but there is a plan. You see, I'm being told that some of Perkins' rich developer buddies have bought some cheap land way out in the country somewhere and are proposing a trade. Never mind that most A&T University students still come from real working class families and won't be able to afford to travel from the campus on East Market to a farm 50 or 100 miles away, Robbie, Lance Armstrong, Perkins plans to ride his bicycle where he wants to ride his bicycle.


View Larger Map

So now that we know the "need" for Robbie's new road I think voters all over Greensboro and voters in District 1 should remember these things come November. And Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Johnson, you'd best start getting real vocal real soon and showing the residents of East Greensboro you are still on our side because most of us are beginning to doubt you.

Of course some will wonder how these things get placed on Google Maps? Simple really, City planning departments provide this information to Google and Google adds it. After all, it's not like those lines are actually painted on the ground when the satellites fly over, is it.