Showing posts with label Tony Wilkins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tony Wilkins. Show all posts

Friday, November 3, 2017

Greensboro's danger is the connected politicians, elites, and media pundits who enable, run and pilfer our city

Greensboro's moral edifice is crumbling.  North Carolina and Greensboro's leadership and sold-out press have made a joke of our community and state.  They perverted and rotted our economy from within.  Our elected leaders have lined their donors' pockets in exchange for campaign donations and signs on commercial properties and billboards.

These 'leaders' and their financial backers have ignored the travails of the average income citizen.  We want good paying jobs back, as Roy Carroll, Marty Kotis and the Koury's among others at the top of our local food chain effectively opposed living wages and basic worker rights via purchased state legislators and crooked, crony backed legislation.  Think about how much more money Marty and friends can make by more easily firing newly pregnant restaurant servers and hotel house keepers.  Just on insurance premiums, these fine folks living off the rest of us who hire and pay low wages to those, who if they say anything about it are immediately fired without any governmental intervention.  Many used to call it slavery.  Now it's the same thing, without the stigma as it has become something of a national pastime for the 1%.

The punditocracy of the News and Record, the Triad Business Journal and the Rhino Times on multiple sides of the spectrum are in on the theft of taxpayer monies for paying clients through ever larger local handouts financed by unsustainable municiple debt.  Nancy Vaughan, Robbie Perkins, Zack Matheny, Sam Simpson, Jim Melvin, Nancy Hoffmann, Mike Barber, Tony Wilkins, John Lomax, etc..., representing both sides of the same political parties, poisoned the discourse and halted transparency they so hailed with platitudes when running for office.

Both sides, if there really are any, insisted on not addressing the root causes of local economic dissatisfaction and lack of good paying jobs for our relatively poorly educated workforce.  Andrew Brod, one of the worst offenders of all, was there to placate the masses with his bullshit healthcare economic orthodoxies swallowed whole by those in the academic, publishing, and media ecospheres, making his friends in the medical and legal professions even more than they otherwise would have.

Greensboro's major property owners have an authoritarian mentality when considering those who fall below the median income level and are distressed and insecure, while most of the country club crowd are prosperous but vexed as most don't even know what is actually happening behind the curtains while they feed on a rotting corpse of an economy.

Our oligarchs have incrementally yet comprehensively seized most local economic and political power for themselves via Greensboro's City Council and Guilford County's Commissioners. They have perverted our media and even such basics of the democratic process as voting and accountability in elections, which are rigged for the in crowd by drawing lines determining voting outcomes.  These are the same folks who collaborated to engineer a revolution of economic decline for the average working person in Greensboro by outsourcing our manufacturing jobs, which has now reached unbearable proportions as layoffs spike and the media doesn't let their readers understand what is actually happening.

The stock market may look like it's doing well, and unemployment may theoretically or statistically be low with the help of bullshit artist mathematicians like those touting bogus estimates of economic impact, but people can’t afford housing and food, they can’t pay back student loans and other debts.

Many lives in East Greensboro are full of such misery that they don't even pay attention to who the villains actually are.  See a picture of Skip Alston or Jim Kee for context.

There’s not a dime’s worth of difference between Nancy Vaughan, Robbie Perkins, William Barber, John Blust, Tony Wilkins, Justin Outling, Phil Berger etc...

The game for the elites needs to end.  Our puppets and their masters are in a cataclysmic state of panic, they don’t know whether to look right or left, they have no idea what to do as they have no idea how to put Humpty Dumpty together again after they lined their pockets with the proceeds of the fall.

We, the citizens, don’t need to get our hands dirty with implementing checks and balances,  Jim Westmoreland and staff at the City do it on our behalf and expense.  With the help of City Finance Director Rick Lusk and Budget Director Larry Davis, Greensboro just borrowed about $55 million and now our esteemed City Council is talking about a bond referendum when there was none for all just borrowed.

Now we are told by the press that 'fees' and 'utilities' are going to rise but there won't be a property tax increase.  But the money just borrowed will be paid for by the poorest among us as the biggest property owners like Koury make money from more heads on beds without having to pay for it.  The fees for basic services are being swapped out for capital improvements for our overlords profits.

Our leaders do not speak the truth but mumbo-jumbo.  They are in the pockets of those who actually rule and plunder the unknowing in our community.  Both need to be cut off at the knees if we are going to get some job growth.  They have crippled us with their greed.

Time to fight back.

Monday, August 14, 2017

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

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

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

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Who Owns Greensboro Mayor Nancy Wilkins?

No the title wasn't a typo. Read on.

Have you ever wondered who really calls the shots here in Greensboro, who really pulls the strings of the puppets we elect to the Greensboro City Council? Well thanks to some very observant readers of EzGreensboro.com who passed this information along to me we now know that Mayor Nancy Barakat Vaughan is owned by none other then Greensboro City Councilman Tony Wilkins.

Or does Mayor Vaughan own Tony Wilkins?

How do we know this?

Take a look at the website ElectNancyVaughan.com



Now look at who controls Nancy's website. According to Whois Lookup Results the administrator is none other than Tony Wilkins.




Either way, Tony Wilkins and Nancy Vaughan are tied together. You can't bullshit your way out of this one Tony.

Now this begs the questions:

1. How did Tony Wilkins, who is rumored to be running against Mayor Vaughan, manage to become the administrator of Mayor Vaughan's campaign website which has been in existence since 2009?

2. Has Tony Wilkins been working with Mayor Vaughan since 2009? The website was first created in 2009?

3. Does this explain how Councilman Wilkins manages to make a living despite apparently being unemployed? Hey, we all know he can't be selling enough furniture out of a mini storage warehouse to pay the bills.

4. If we were to ask the Mayor and Council members to make public their tax returns, would they do so?

5. How many other members of City Council have apparent conflicts of interest involving their business arrangements with Councilman Wilkins?

6. Who actually owns ElectNancyVaughan.com? Is it Tony Wilkins? Marty Kotis? Roy Carroll? Donald Vaughan? Mike Barber? Nancy Hoffman? Who? And why would he or she keep the actual ownership of an election website private unless there is in-fact a conflict of interest?

7. Have laws been broken?

8. Will there be an investigation?

9. Will the State Board of Elections step in to investigate?

10. Will Donald Vaughan magically manage to make it all go away.

Share with your friends, I'm sure they will be curious just as our other readers were. And rest assured, as we learn more we'll tell you.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Tina And Tony, John, Jon, And Marcus

Here we have Tina Forsberg and some of Guilford County's most well known Republicans calling me out on my Facebook page because I questioned Tina this morning about local conservative support for Councilman Tony Wilkins who continues to support the taxpayer funded Steven Tanger Performing Arts Center. Even Councilman Wilkins joined in the conversation.


Among those who chimed in are Represenative Jon Hardister, Senator John Blust, and former Guilford County Republican Chairman Marcus Kindley. As is par for the course, Tony Wilkins resorts to name calling and accusing me of being a liar when in-fact the information he refers to was reported by Margaret Moffett in Today's News & Record. You see, the " $39.6 million — $10 million from a tax on hotel rooms and $29.6 million from ticket fees and parking revenue" is tax money. Period, end of story.

That money belongs to the residents of Greensboro and Guilford County. The only question is: who is being taxed?




So when can Greensboro's conservatives expect Tony Wilkins to challenge the construction of the Greensboro Performing Arts Center as allowed by Robert's Rules of Order, and bring about a vote to end taxpayer funding of this project? After all, he hasn't done it yet.

The Guilford County Republican Party has spent years grooming Tony Wilkins. After Marcus Kindley blew his shot, Tony became their boy, their next hope. That and the fact that Marty Kotis-- Tony's close friend and campaign contributor-- owns several downtown properties in very close proximity to the performing arts center including one on the corner on Davie Street almost next door, makes Councilman Wilkins' failure to call out the corruption very suspect.







And if you search the NC Secretary of State for Kotis Westover LLC you find none other than William M Kotis, III, 102 Mill Street, Greensboro, NC-- the same address as Kotis Properties.


And folks, that's not all of Marty Kotis' downtown Greensboro properties.


So now you know who Tony Wilkins and your local Guilford County Republican Party bosses are shilling for and why Tony Wilkins will never oppose the Steven Tanger Performing Arts Center.










Some Things Are Worth Saving



The preceding graphic was stolen in its entirety from Greensboro101.com. It is indeed a classic that should be saved and shared in perpetuity. In it Roch Smith Jr quotes Margaret Moffett, who writes:

"GREENSBORO, NC — Ground breakings are ceremonial — fun, but not necessary to build a building. But Wednesday’s celebration at the $78.1 million Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts really will be all for show. That’s because as of Tuesday night, the city hadn’t finished negotiating a contract that allows work to be done at the downtown site. The City Council went ahead and approved the contract anyway."


In reference to the article, Tanger groundbreaking goes forward without a contract by Margaret Moffett of the Greensboro News & Record. In it Margaret writes:

"That’s because as of Tuesday night, the city hadn’t finished negotiating a contract that allows work to be done at the downtown site.

The City Council went ahead and approved the contract anyway.

At a special meeting just 18 hours ahead of the ground-breaking ceremony, the council voted 8-1 to spend up to $2.5 million on “Phase 1” of the Tanger Center. The work will include site excavation and utility preparation at the 5-acre property between North Elm Street and Summit Avenue.
Councilwoman Marikay Abuzuaiter voted “no.”

The council took the vote even though Greensboro Coliseum Director Matt Brown, who will oversee the center, hadn’t settled on a “guaranteed maximum price” with Skanska Rentenbach, the project manager in charge of preconstruction services.

The council’s vote gives Brown the authority to keep negotiating with Skanska, but sets the price cap at $2,501,729.15.

“This means that we are voting on a contract that is still being negotiated?” Abuzuaiter asked moments before casting the lone “no” vote."

That's right, "Mr Conservative" Tony Wilkins voted yes to spending $39.6 Million of your tax dollars, probably even more, without a contract.

The only person on city council looking after your money, as usual, Marikay Abuzuaiter.

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Tony Wilkins Blames Local Real Estate Agents For Say Yes Boondoggle

It's not like we here at EzGreensboro.com haven't done our best to warn you for almost 2 years and something over 60 articles on the problems of sustainability and transparency involving SAY YES GUILFORD, but now Greensboro City Councilman Tony Wilkins is pandering to local voters while trying to accuse local real estate agents and developers of being in on the SAY YES scam.

From a post on a Facebook thread started by Tina Forsberg, Tony writes:

"What about all those residential real estate signs that added the Say Yes. What kinds of promises were made in those negotiations?"

And to be sure everyone knows every word I'm writing is true I saved a screengrab.





Tony won't answer me but perhaps he'll answer local real estate agents and developers who prefer not to be accused of crimes they didn't commit. Better yet, perhaps his newly announced campaign for reelection will see a huge drop in funding.

As always, please share.

Saturday, February 11, 2017

When The Pig Eats The Lipstick

I guess I see things differently than most people. By now most of you are aware of the Greensboro Police Officer who was shot during a traffic stop in Councilman Tony Wilkins District 5 just off of West Gate City Blvd yesterday.

And also resulted in the death of the suspect.

But I can't help but wonder: How might things have gone if the Greensboro City Council had chosen to spend those $Millions of Dollars that were spent putting lipstick on a pig (streetscaping and changing road names) on things like real economic development and additional funding for the Greensboro Police Department?

How might have things gone if those $Millions had been spent on helping people instead of rebranding, "International Restaurant Row" and other forms of corporate welfare at the local level?

For you see, people, it's not Washington where our biggest problems lie. It's with 9 people right here in Greensboro where we have the power to change just 1 city and make it the beacon the rest of the nation wants to become.

Our current leaders are overseeing the deaths of civilians and police officers alike when they ignore the needs of the people in order to increase tax bases and fatten corporate coffers.

Show them another way that works-- that's how you change Washington. That's how you change Raleigh.


Update: Saturday, February 11, 2017, Councilman Tony Wilkins replies and others reply back:


Voters vote based on the information voters are given. Saying the voters voted for it when the voters weren't given the correct information in the first place, is hardly an excuse for elected representatives to continue making the wrong decisions.

And how often are voters given the wrong information as a means of shifting the blame from elected leaders to voters?

Friday, February 3, 2017

Fiduciary Rule; Donald Trump just did what Greensboro's Council did to the City's employees


Friday, January 6, 2017

Tony Wilkins Transvestite?

In an unusual move for the conservative, Greensboro City Councilman Tony Wilkins outed himself yesterday on Facebook displaying the following photograph of his Trans identity.


We here at EzGreensboro.com welcome Tony into the more liberal community and wish him many years of happiness.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

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

"...The police department continued to investigate Jackson’s role in the Yourse incident, when she resigned from the department, two days after the video was released.

...The association said it supports the due process of Cole but did not support the “violation of Jackson’s legal right.”

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

...the association said Yourse provides conflicting information to Cole, including the correct pronunciation of his name, whether or not he has ID on him and if he is a legal resident of his mother’s house. The statement (attached below) reads Cole tried to question Yourse about any outstanding warrants he might have access to which Yourse responded, “not that I know of.”

“Mr. Yourse also stated he is not afraid to go back to prison, which further heightens Officer Cole’s suspicions,” the statements reads.

...Cole said he perceived the phone call to a friend, in which Yourse claimed the police were harassing him, as a safety threat.

During the struggle, both officers reported they felt Yourse grab for items on their duty belts and reported sustaining injuries. Jackson reported Yourse put pressure on her wrist during the struggle...

After Yourse was in custody, Cole and Jackson discovered two active warrants for his arrest. 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.

...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.”

City council members also voted unanimously (8-0) to ask the state to revoke Cole’s law enforcement certificate."


https://www.facebook.com/tony.wilkins.94/posts/10207690366478172?pnref=story
The comments at the link are quite illustrative

https://www.facebook.com/tony.wilkins.94/posts/10207690366478172?pnref=story

Monday, September 5, 2016

Misleading Richard M. Barron on why Greensboro's job market sucks in Greensboro's News and Record

"we’re losing the kinds of jobs that support a middle class lifestyle — manufacturing, skilled trades and services...

Because 'free trade' agreements supported by Warren Buffett and friends
sent our best jobs oversees for the benefit of our elite 
who control the political establishment 

They continue to decline as the economy shifts away from one that makes things in vast factories to one that makes advanced goods and provides services.

Supported in part by the News and Record's editorial board

The most educated service providers, professionals, information technology workers and managers, are in the minority while thousands of less-educated workers are trapped in low-wage and often part-time service jobs.

Most of Greensboro's working poor

...“The largest growth in jobs we’ve seen have come from the lowest wage occupations,” ...

“On the other end we have also seen significant growth in high-wage occupations. It’s a lot harder to break into those occupations. You need a lot of education and that education costs a lot of money that those low-wage workers just don’t have. So, too many workers will be locked into low-wage occupations.”

...In the Greensboro-High Point metro, which includes Guilford, Rockingham and Randolph counties, health care occupations grew by 18 percent, adding 5,900 jobs, from early 2007 through July, without a pause for the recession.

High paying health care occupations are government subsidized 
via taxpayer wealth transfer through theft
for the benefit of the parasitic credentialed class

Goods-producing jobs, by comparison, dropped by 21 percent, or 11,200 jobs.

While the even higher profits from the lower waged outsourced jobs remained with those who own the companies who shafted American workers
and made more money than they were making before,
like Warren Buffett who owns the News and Record

Doctors, the best-paid nurses and other personnel are at the top of the health care industry, but thousands of people who might have worked middle-class jobs a generation ago in manufacturing face lower-wage, often part-time work in many health care jobs.

So the highest paid employees in the health care industry 
ran up prices so high, hundreds of local families at the bottom went bankrupt 
by not being able to pay government sponsored, artificially high costs

On a broader level, Greensboro-High Point’s number of employed people..., has recovered since the worst months of the recession, but remains lower by 10,000 jobs, from 370,000 jobs to about 360,000 jobs from July 2007 until this July.

How are 10,000 fewer jobs nine years later a recovery Richard,
if there are more people living here since then?

A different survey of people who say they are working or looking for work was almost the same in July as it was in July 2007, at about 370,000 people.

Population estimates, July 1, 2015; 517,600

Population estimates base, April 1, 2010; 488,406


By comparison, the Research Triangle city of Raleigh saw total employment grow from 514,400 in July 2007 to 600,000 this July, a rate of 17 percent.

That means Greensboro’s economy is essentially stagnant compared with Raleigh’s education and tech economy...

Contact Richard M. Barron at (336) 373-7371, and follow @BarronBizNR on Twitter.

http://www.greensboro.com/business/local-recovery-follows-trend-of-more-jobs-for-lower-pay/article_a5b02c3c-64c5-57a1-88c1-5ebe1c0ba076.html
.
.
517,600 - 488,406 = 29,124 more people with 10,000 fewer 'looking' for jobs
between 2010 and 2015, 
meaning Richard Barron is a propagandist at best
and is definitely a shitty journalist who doesn't mind lying to his readers
who ignores simple math


https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=guilford+county+nc+population+2007
517,600 - 464,924 = 52,676 more people with 10,000 fewer jobs
between 2007 and 2015

Our population grew by 11%, while actual jobs fell 10,000,
which is terrible, but they won't tell anyone the actual facts
to keep most in line and supporting the status quo

Who does bullshit information like this help?


Our elected officials and their cronies who skim off the rents of the poor
while bribes, kickbacks and 'contributions' flow to the public overseers
of this economic catastrophe

Let's build a Performing Arts Center!

The more distracted and stupid most are, the longer they rule as oligarchy,
and the News and Record and most other local media are in on it

Binge watch some tv and forget about it
.
.
Professor Andrew Brod Steals George Hartzman's Ideas

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2013/02/professor-andrew-brod-steals-george.html

The Greensboro Car: Greensboro's Next Big Thing?

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-greensboro-car-greensboros-next-big.html

A Better Idea For Greensboro Bonds

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-better-idea-for-greensboro-bonds.html

Why not design and build cars on the Piedmont Triad's 1,000 acres around the airport?

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/02/why-not-design-and-build-cars-on.html

Trojan Horse Scam, the Aquatic and Performing Arts Centers?

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2012/01/trojan-horse-scam-aquatic-and.html


Tuesday, August 16, 2016

WILLIAM BAKER JONES v. THE CITY OF GREENSBORO, NANCY VAUGHAN and JIM WESTMORELAND

1. Pursuant to Rules 3, 7 and 8 of the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure, complaining of the defendants, Plaintiff alleges and says; This is an action pursuant to the North Carolina Public Records Law, Chapter 132 of the General Statutes which seeks to compel the City of Greensboro to disclose public records under North Carolina Law.

...2.  Plaintiff William Baker Jones is the proprietor of EZGreensboro News and Record, an investigative local news and opinion outlet covering North Carolina, Guilford County and The City of Greensboro at EZGreensboro.com...

3.  In the course of gathering information about the policies and actions of Greensboro's government, Plaintiff and his staff regularly make use of and rely on North Carolina Public Records Law to gain access to government documents, records and information owned by the public.  Compliance with Public Records Laws on the part of the defendants and other public officials is critical to the Plaintiffs' work advocating for the best interests of our community, county and state.

...We have been thwarted in our aim to provide readers with accurate, timely and thorough information and comment concerning Defendant’s decisions, actions and policies.

Plaintiff's alternative online news outlet received over 242,630 page views between January 1, 2016 and July 31, 2016, which equates to 34,661 per month or about 1,155 per day at EZGreensboro.com.  Plaintiff's best guesstimate of actual readers, considering 8,087 page hits per week, is probably somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 readers every seven days.  Considering 7,157 Greensboro residents voted in October 6, 2015's City Council primary, if there are only 1,500 local EZGreensboro News and Record readers per week, EZGreensboro.com appears to be in a position to reach and inform somewhere in the 20% range of the total 2015 primary voters within the City.

...10.  Since October 19, 2015, Mayor Vaughan and Manager Westmoreland, sometimes in league with former Greensboro Assistant City Manager Mary Vigue and former Greensboro Communications Director Donnie Turlington, violated Public Records Law repeatedly on multiples of instances in response to public information requests for the benefit of former City Assistant Manager Mary Vigue and former City of Greensboro Communications Director Donnie Turlingon, among others.

11.  These violations include, but are not limited to:

a.  failing or refusing to furnish requesters with copies of requested public records "as promptly as possible" on multiples of requests;

b.  failing or refusing to permit the inspection and examination of public records at reasonable times and under reasonable supervision;

c.  denying or concealing the existence of public records on multiples of items.

12.  The defendants' behaviors suggest, and therefore Plaintiff believes and alleges, that some or all of the violations described above are consequences of concerted policies and practices adopted and followed by the defendants for the purpose of avoiding or circumventing the Public Records Law and discouraging or intimidating public records requesters.

13.  These policies and practices include, but are not limited to:

...14.  PIRT #5180, submitted by EZGreensboro staff as directed by Plaintiff on October 19, 2015 stated “please provide all communications and documentation between city councilman Tony Wilkins and anyone else for the last 90 days.  Please look at both Mr. Wilkins' private and public email addresses”, has not been fulfilled.

Plaintiff has also requested the following from the City;

a.  Triad City Beat’s PIRT #5309, "Civil Emergency" by Eric Ginsburg, which has not been fulfilled since 12/4/2015.

b.  Downtown property owner Eric Robert's PIRT #5418, "dgi", which  has not been fulfilled since 1/24/2016.

c.  Yes Weekly’ PIRT #5754, "Zack Matheny" by Jeff Sykes, which has not been fulfilled since 5/18/2016.

d.  Jeff Sykes’ PIRT #5619, "Cascade Saloon", which has not been fulfilled since 4/5/2016.

e.  Plaintiff's PIRT #5782, "Marty Kotis", which has not been fulfilled since 5/27/2016.

f.  PIRT #5181, submitted by EZGreensboro staff as directed by Plaintiff on October 19, 2015 stated “please provide all communications between Zack Matheny and anyone at the city including city council members private email addresses for the last 90 days”, which has not been fulfilled.

g.  PIRT #5226, submitted by EZGreensboro staff as directed by Plaintiff on November 2, 2015 stated “Please provide any documents and/or communications between anyone in the City's executive office area and anyone from Say Yes to Education for the last 120 days”, which totaled 1,108 emails according to the City of Greensboro, which has not been fulfilled.

15.  To Plaintiff's knowledge, Plaintiff's review of Say Yes to Education's publicly available IRS form 990's indicates the 'non-profit's' investments are located in "CENTRAL AMERICA  AND THE CARIBBEAN", and invested in Say Yes to Education founder George Weiss' Weiss Multi-Strategy fund, from which Say Yes Guilford has been promised $15 million.  Plaintiff's review of Weiss' publicly available asset returns for Weiss' Multi-Strategy fund found investment returns which didn’t correspond to returns found within Yes to Education's non-profit IRS filings.  Plaintiff recently filed complaint #16SEC093 with North Carolina Secretary of State's Securities Division concerning Say Yes Guilford and Say Yes to Education.

16.  On October 26, 2015, Triad Business Journal's Katie Arcieri wrote "After a career with the city of Greensboro that began in 2006, Mary Vigue was recently tapped as the executive director of the local chapter of Say Yes to Education..."

17.  To Plaintiff's knowledge, Say Yes to Education and Greensboro City Manager Jim Westmoreland, who along with Nancy Vaughan and City Council, coordinated low cost publicly funded office space for Say Yes Guilford, whose staff includes former City Assistant Manager Mary Vigue and former City of Greensboro Communications Director Donnie Turlingon, who have declined to provide EZGreensboro News and Record with 2014's Say Yes to Education's 990 tax return after being asked for the document in writing on October, 20, 2015 and again on July 19, 2016.  Say Yes Guilford was also asked for the 2014 990 and its conflict of interest policy and ethics code on October 20, 2015, which has not been provided with Westmoreland and Vaughan's knowledge.

18.  On Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at 11:12 AM, Plaintiff received an email from City of Greensboro Public Records Administrator Katherine Carter, stating "Dear Mr. Jones, Thank you for your public records request.  Per your request, I have made a note in our system to send you a copy of the response to PIRT 5180, 5181, 5226... upon their completion. I will be in touch with you once these requests have been finished", which have not been concluded in a reasonable amount of time, on top of unreasonable terms beforehand on multiples of requests.

19.  To Plaintiff's knowledge, part time City of Greensboro Public Records Administrator Katherine Carter was Say Yes Guilford's Director of Communications Donnie Turlington's former employee directly before and/or after Turlington was City of Greensboro's Communications and Marketing Director in a similar time frame as former City of Greensboro Assistant Manager Mary Vigue was identified as a member of the Say Yes to Education Planning Group for Greensboro before resigning her City post to become Say Yes Guilford's Executive Director for Say Yes to Education.

...these instances disclose patterns and practices of delay, obfuscation, non-responsiveness, foot-dragging and stonewalling on the part of Vaughan, Westmoreland, Vigue and Turlington concerning former employees Vigue and Turlington and a select few City Council campaign contributors who are now personally profiting from their former and current positions which effectively defeats and defies the public policy of transparent and open government underlying Public Records Law.

21.  Based on the patterns and practices described above, Plaintiff believes and alleges the defendants' concerted and repeated violations of the Public Records Law constitute willful and contumacious failures by the defendants to carry out the mandatory and prescribed duties of their respective...

WHEREFORE, the plaintiffs respectfully pray that the court:

23.  Set the matter down for an immediate hearing pursuant to G.S. § 132-9(a);

24.  Enter an order in the nature of a writ of mandamus to inferior government officials ordering the government officials to properly fulfill their official duties or correct an abuse of discretion requiring the defendants and all persons acting at their direction or in concert with them to comply with North Carolina Public Records Law, including G.S. § 132-6(a), (See, e.g. Cheney v. United States Dist. Court For D.C. (03-475) 542 U.S. 367 (2004) 334 F.3d 1096.);

25.  Enter an order pursuant to G.S. § 132-9(a) compelling the defendants to make available any and all public records requested by Plaintiff and others that are determined by the court to be within the City's custody or control, and that have not been previously made available in compliance with G.S. § 132-6;

26.  Enter an order declaring that certain policies and practices adopted and followed by the defendants are in violation of the Public Records Law;

Plaintiff further prays the court provide him with such further and additional relief as the court shall deem to be just, proper and authorized by law, and that the costs of this action be taxed against defendants Westmoreland and Vaughan.

Signed this the 16th day of August, 2016;

William Baker Jones
Pro Se

Update: Scanned images of the 3 envelopes showing the lawsuit was sent by Certified Mail.

Court documents as filed with Guilford County Superior Court.

Monday, August 15, 2016

More Megasite Mega Lies: Updated With Even More Lies

First posted 9:49 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2016

From the Greensboro News & Record Wednesday May 20, 2015, Greensboro council approves engineering study for megasite water and sewer by Richard Barron:
"Greensboro has now committed $2.3 million toward providing water and sewer service to the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite.

The City Council voted 7-2 Tuesday to approve a contract with HDR Engineering for design work and environmental studies to extend city water and sewer lines to the site in the northeastern corner of Randolph County.
Council members Tony Wilkins and Marikay Abuzuaiter voted “no.”

The City Council has not committed to the entire project, which would cost an estimated $22.5 million and include 16.6 miles of water lines, 8 miles of sewer line and a sewer lift station."

Key words:  "The City Council has not committed to the entire project,"

 But on Friday, July 22, 2016, Richard Barron writes in  City of Greensboro moving forward to supply utilities to megasite:


The city plans to start buying easements and rights of way next month for water and sewer routes that will run through southeastern Guilford County to the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite.
City Manager Jim Westmoreland said this week that the city has spent $2.47 million on engineering and design and permitting.
The lines would supply city water and sewer to a future industry that might locate at the 1,450-acre site in northeastern Randolph County.


He said city attorneys will begin buying the property in late August.


Westmoreland expects it will take months to negotiate with individual property owners, and will cost about $2 million — $800,000 for sewer and $1.2 million for water.

The City Council approved the work in 2015."


Key words: "The City Council approved the work in 2015."

Now which statement is true? "The City Council approved the work in 2015."  OR  "The City Council has not committed to the entire project,"

You see, since 2015 the Greensboro City Council has not publicly discussed the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite or the buying of easements and rights of ways for the project at what was then an estimated cost of $22.5 Million Dollars.

So how is it this money is being spent without City Council approval? Why the lies? Why did Richard Barron write, 
"The City Council approved the work in 2015." when in fact he previously wrote, "The City Council has not committed to the entire project,"?

How is it that the City can spend up to $22.5 Million Dollars, perhaps more, without City Council approval?

And finally, will Councilman Tony Wilkins and Councilwoman Marikay Abuzuaiter speak out on this after having voted no before?

Update: July 28, 2016: Minutes after originally posting the article above at 9:49 Am on July 27, 2016 I e-mailed Councilman Tony Wilkins and Councilwoman Marikay Abuzuaiter via the City Council e-mail form to ask them to speak up on this issue as both were previously opposed. As of now neither have replied. I also posted the e-mail to the Facebook group, Greater Greensboro Politics:


 Later that same day I  followed up with an e-mail to City Manager Jim Hightower and City Attorney Thomas Carruthers, also posted to the same thread at Greater Greensboro Politics:


And folks, it's not like Tony Wilkins hasn't been on Facebook to see the message. At least twice since I tagged Tony in my post to Greater Greensboro Politics he has taken the time to discuss cucumber sandwiches but ignores his duty as a City Council member.



Will Greensboro's "leadership reply now or will they continue to ignore not only me but everyone who reads EzGreensboro.com, Greater Greensboro Politics, Greensboro and Guilford County Politics etc... Real Progress For Greensboro, Black Lives Matter Greensboro and the many other online forums and individual pages where Greensboro's elected leaders and appointed officials are kept tabs on.

You can no longer control the conversation. Eventually you must come clean.

When did the Greensboro City Council vote to approve spending on the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite for anything more than an engineering study and how can Jim Westmoreland justify spending $2 Million Dollars to buy easements without City Council approval?

Thousands of voters are awaiting an answer.

Update 2: Friday, July 29, 2016, 1:15 PM: As it has become apparent the Greensboro City Council has no intention of answering my questions I am submitting the following Public Information Request to the City of Greensboro via their online PIRT system:

"In 2014, Greensboro City Attorney  S Mujeeb  Shah Khan was discharged from his duties as City Attorney by Mayor Nancy Vaughan and the Greensboro City Council supposedly for issuing a $750,000 check without permission from the City Council.

Proving their own lack of common sense, the City Council passed a resolution banning the cutting of checks without signed contracts in an effort to absolve Shah-Khan of responsibility for having lost $750,000. Councilman Tony Wilkins was quoted as saying:

    "I think this is the first time on City Council that I have voted to legislated common sense."

But in the end Shah Khan was fired anyway as all payments above a maximum threshold require PREVIOUS approval from City Council.

This brings us to today's issue: One week ago today the Greensboro News & Record reported referring to City Manager Jim Westmoreland:

"The lines would supply city water and sewer to a future industry that might locate at the 1,450-acre site in northeastern Randolph County.

He said city attorneys will begin buying the property in late August.

Westmoreland expects it will take months to negotiate with individual property owners, and will cost about $2 million — $800,000 for sewer and $1.2 million for water."

Now I'm not great at math but isn't $2 Millon almost 3 times as much as $750,000? And wouldn't $2 Million also be over said spending threshold?

Of course, since City PIRT policy explicitly states, "Please be aware that the public records policy does not require the City to do research, analyze data, or answer written questions." I guess you are not allowed to answer said questions so please provide me with the following as a Public Information Request:

The minutes from the Greensboro City Council Meeting in which City Council authorized the purchase of rights of way and/or easements to provide water and sewer services to the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite located in Randolph County, North Carolina.

Thank you
-Billy Jones, Candidate for Mayor of Greensboro, 2017."

City Council can choose to ignore me but by law PIRT requests eventually must be answered.



Update 3: Monday, August 15, 2016 Well today I finally heard back from Katherine Carter of the City of Greensboro-- over 15 days to write me a lie on behalf of Mayor Vaughan and the Greensboro City Council:

"Dear Billy,

Thank you for your public records request (PIRT 5953) regarding meeting minutes pertaining to water and sewer services for the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite.

According to our Legislative department, the resolution approving the extension of Water and Sewer was adopted on March 3, 2015 and the Resolution authorizing the contract with HDR Engineering, Inc. to provide engineering and design was adopted on May 19, 2015.  Minutes from the City Council meetings can be found online and a word search used to find a particular item.

The City of Greensboro is using its normal procedures on the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite water and sewer extension project.  This process includes seeking Council approval/authorization to initiate the project and to develop engineering design and right of way plans and specifications.  Once complete, these plans are used by the City to work with individual property owners and businesses to negotiate property acquisition terms to acquire any needed project construction easements or rights of way.  Once the acquisition negotiations are complete, Council is provided with the terms and price of the negotiation and asked to authorize staff to proceed with the purchase.

I hope this information is of use 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"

Ever heard of the Legislative Department of the City of Greensboro? Perhaps you know them by another name as I'll explain in my reply to Ms Carter:

"From the answer provided to me by Ms Carter:

"Once complete, these plans are used by the City to work with individual property owners and businesses to negotiate property acquisition terms to acquire any needed project construction easements or rights of way.  Once the acquisition negotiations are complete, Council is provided with the terms and price of the negotiation and asked to authorize staff to proceed with the purchase"
But what I asked for in PIRT 5953 was:

"The minutes from the Greensboro City Council Meeting in which City Council authorized the purchase of rights of way and/or easements to provide water and sewer services to the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite located in Randolph County, North Carolina."
PIRT 5953 can be viewed here: http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/index.aspx?page=3765
Again, when did City Council authorize the purchase of easements when in-fact it was explicitly stated in local media reports and at the City Council Meeting that Council was in-fact voting only to fund a $2 Engineering Study?

From the Greensboro News & Record Wednesday May 20, 2015, Greensboro council approves engineering study for megasite water and sewer by Richard Barron:

"Greensboro has now committed $2.3 million toward providing water and sewer service to the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite.
The City Council voted 7-2 Tuesday to approve a contract with HDR Engineering for design work and environmental studies to extend city water and sewer lines to the site in the northeastern corner of Randolph County.
Council members Tony Wilkins and Marikay Abuzuaiter voted “no.”
The City Council has not committed to the entire project, which would cost an estimated $22.5 million and include 16.6 miles of water lines, 8 miles of sewer line and a sewer lift station."

Key words:  "The City Council has not committed to the entire project,"

And who makes up this anonymous Legislative Department of the City of Greensboro if said department does exist? According to the City of Greensboro website that would be:
"The Legislative Department is made up the City's governing body, the City Clerk, Community Relations, and Elections.
Phone: 336-373-2397
Send an e-mail to the Department"

http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/index.aspx?page=762
So in other words, the Legislative Department is the same Fascist Government body including Mayor Vaughan, the Greensboro City Council, Propaganda Masters and others who are attempting to stonewall me now.
You still take me for stupid.
This is not an example of open and honest government.
I expect the truth... YESTERDAY!
I'll be adding these e-mails to my post here: http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/07/more-megasite-mega-lies.html and referring to it a lot.

Thank you
-Billy Jones, Candidate for Mayor of Greensboro, 2017"

Lies to cover up lies only makes it harder for the liar to remember all the lies. If I were a member of the Greensboro City Council I would be very concerned and very publicly outspoken that my own personal integrity is being brought into question by the actions of City Staff and other members of City Council but as this has now been going on for about a month and not one member of City Council has raised his or her voices I think it is safe to assume they are all fine with what is going on and what is being done in their names.

As always, I save all e-mails and will forward originals to anyone who sends a request to RecycleBill@gmail.com

And folks, here's the part I didn't send back to the City of Greensboro as I await their next lie. Here is the March 3, 2015 Resolution as approved by the Greensboro City Council which tells a completely different story.