Downtown PR

From today N&R...
“If you’re going to drive downtown, secure your valuables and don’t leave them in your car,” Cranford said. "

Thank You GPD ??? 

Certainly not due to lack of Police presence Downtown...

April Harris' new job...

Another non profit job for Ms Harris... rumors are that she will be replacing Margaret Arbukle as the executive Director for Guilford Education Alliance. 

I wonder how the Cecelia Thompson, Sam Funchess and April Harris of the world would fair in the real world where one has to compete for a job, manage budgets responsibly and be held accountable for his/her repeated failures.

Anyway, the Weaver foundations and another unnamed one have pulled out of Action Greensboro so the future is uncertain. 

The one thing that is almost a certainty is that neither Dabney Sanders, nor Cecelia Thompson will be getting a job in the for profit sector... 
WE, the taxpayers, are doomed to support both of them for a while.

Roch's got a point

Roch Smith Jr wrote an open letter to our new Mayor Ms Nancy Vaughan.
The letter is in Roch's unique style... Respectful, apropos and  well written...
It contains just enough unintentional condescendence that it could be considered patronizing but that is Roch 's way and should not overshadow his very valid points.

I look forward to Nancy Vaughan's leadership, and I agree that we have many economic development opportunities WITHIN our city limits and OUTSIDE of the hospitality industry.

Madame Mayor Elect must surround herself with pros. 
She needs a team that advocates and researches what Roch adequately suggests... 
She needs an aggressive and proactive team of economic development professionals... a team seeking appropriate employers domestically and internationally.
Our city needs individuals with the right education, professional background, integrity and balls...(and maybe a second language or two).

John Shoffner left because he was bypassed for a well deserved promotion. Politics dictated the hiring process and the city of Greensboro lost his most qualified economic development employee... he was honest, hard working and most of all competent.  

Bonne chance Madame Mayor or as Roch suggested 好运.

What's up with April Harris?...what's up with Action Greensboro/ UPDATED

UPDATE:
The details are still fuzzy but Jim Melvin apparently used his political influence to find April a new job. He will no longer have to pay her salary...WE will...
Welcome to the Guilford County Education System!

 April Harris...Fired? Not fired?... 
One thing is for sure, she will no longer head Action Greensboro.
Rumors are she will soon "pop up" elsewhere as she will be recycled in yet another non profit or government agency. 

Cecelia Thompson... Has been applying to many other non-profits in town...No success so far...Maybe Greensboro is evolving beyond tires full of grits. We'll see if her good friend Nancy Hoffmann helps out...a job at the city perhaps? 

All Dabney Sanders wants to know is "Who gets the Greenway?" 
That, is the $26,000,000 / 4 mile  question. 
Will Dabney remain in charge, or will it be absorbed by DGI? How will Walker react?
Isn't Dabney an independent contractor anyway?

Popped up

Merde Alors ! A Pop Up Poop update

I spent the past seven years renovating the century old Flour Mill on South Elm St... 

A whole lot of sweat, a whole lot of blood, a whole lot of cash and I must admit a few tears as well...because i am sensitive like that.

A few weeks ago Action Greensboro's Cecelia Thompson announced the future opening of a dog park on the land adjacent to my building... could have been a cool idea except for two things... 

1- I had already informed Dyan Arkin (city Staffer) months before of my intentions of opening a dog park with a beer garden on my property, and ,

2- Action Greensboro was put in charge of it ... so chances are it will cost a ton of money and will be mediocre at best... remember the pop up promenade ? the 4 mile Greenway @ $6,000,000/mile? Have you noticed the elegant zip ties and paper signs around our Downtown? 

The dog park puzzled me as city resources and funds were being allocated without city council vote or approval... I have asked a few council members and none of the five i spoke with, remembered being involved in the decision... probably because...

"The Redevelopment Commission of Greensboro and the 

South Elm Development Group has allocated land for the 

creation of a Pop Up Dog Park at South Elm and Lee Streets 

at the Redevelopment Commission site." 

So city trucks and heavy equipment came, Reggie Delahantie  (City of Greensboro's Economic development)  came and waved his arms around a lot,  a chain link fence was rented, a chain link fence was installed, a water line was pulled (with copper piping) a back flow preventer was installed and a replica of refugee camp finally emerged... (could be useful to contain 400 rioting teens)

Action Greensboro 's leadership having their photo taken in front of its latest creation...from left to right Cecelia Thompson, April Harris and Judy (who happens to be one of my favorite individual)

I had a lot of questions and I then came across this little piece...

"Pop Up Dog Park FAQ

• Dog(s)less than four (4) months of age

• Female dog(s) in heat

• Dogs with a known history of dangerous behavior

• Visitors who taunt, tease, molest, or abuse ANY dog in the off-leash area or Park  

• Dogs incapable of being controlled by their handler at all times while in the

• off-leash area, and while entering and exiting the area.

• Children eight(8) years of age and younger

• More than three dogs per visitor 

• Any animals other than dogs

• Keep dogs leashed when entering and before exiting the off-leash area.

• Remove choke, spike, pinch, prong, or collars that may injure other dogs BEFORE play is allowed.

• Have ready access to the dog(s) leash at all times.

• Remove animal from the off-leash area at the first sign of aggression.

Again, will there be an attendant?
How will the Dog Park be maintained?

Please leave the park in better condition and cleaner than you found it. Visitors should pick up after their own dogs, plus fill in any holes dug by their dog. (And encourage others to do so, too!)  Smoking, food, and glass containers are not permitted.
The City of Greensboro will provide trashcans, bags and weekly trash pickup."

OK, so will there be a permanent attendant to ensure compliance ... right?
What happens to large amounts of dog doodoo in the sun for a week? 
When Bob Chapman  (South Elm St Master Developer) once told me that he could bring the value of my property down...I laughed, as I was well aware of my surrounding at the time...I should have been aware of the Master Developer's secret ingredient... canine excrement!
Certainly could explain previous  projects...

All this time, the economic development incentive that was missing from my neighborhood was large amounts of dog shit to pile up for a week.

The missing ingredient to be worthy of the Baseball Stadium, the GPAC site, Kaplan's hotel or the higher education campus for sure!


When will the park be open?The Park will be open daily to the public from sunrise to sunset.

Will dogs be required to be vaccinated?All dogs must be legally vaccinated, wearing a visible dog vaccination tag.

Again, will there be an attendant?

Now for my favorite one...
"Visitors are responsible for any injury to animal or human caused by any dog toy, play object, or other item they have brought into the off leash area. No attendant will be on duty at the Dog Park. Users enter at their own risk."

 Someone surely will be responsible for any potential civil action resulting from injuries...Will it be Action Greensboro, The Bryan Foundation, the Redevelopment commission or us?

I am now seriously questioning Action Greensboro's reason for being and its unsupervised access to city staff...too often with unmemorable, unsatisfying and expensive results...

WHAT DO THEY DO AGAIN ???  

Healthserve affects everyone...even you with the great health plan

If you think that closing Healthserve affects everyone but you, you are WRONG!

Emergency rooms are now seeing more Healthserve patients than ever, patients in need of medicine, patients with chronic illnesses, recently dismissed and now in need of urgent care. 

Today, in High Point, Cone Health had a minimum waiting time of SIX hours...

Healthserve patients were attending in record numbers as they had been without life sustaining care for a while now.

Your health coverage does not matter, your wealth does not matter... Healthserve patients in need of urgent care will get it... as they should.

Emergency rooms are now the new Healthserve because they are the only places left to treat the unabled and uninsured.

Greenville...AGAIN...really?

WTF, the same people are going to the same place again , and yet...

Now that's funny!

Someone on the DGI board has a great sense of humor... 

Rhino's new owner...Snap publications

Notice the address for Snap Publications

http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/corporations/Corp.aspx?PitemId=10320497

GPAC GPARK and GPOOP

Come on...try and score the South Elm St site according these selection criteria from the GPAC website. What score do you get?

Walker and Dabney Sanders are really providing good coverage of our city...what a power couple indeed!

To the North... GPAC, Hotel, Park and $20,000,000 extra in land acquisition and infrastructure

To the South... GPOOP 

Something does not smell right here....I wonder what it could be...

POP UP POOP

No, I am not describing Action Greensboro's recent failed attempt at urban entertainment... i am describing what Cecelia  Thompson , Dyan Arkin, Action Greensboro and the Bryan foundation want to bring to my neighborhood...(no not the greenway either) 
Twelve years in the making, the All Star City Staff of the South Elm Street Redevelopment is now officially working on a "Pop up Dog-park" near The Mill at the corner of Lee Street and Elm...
I found this out on the same day that the city of Greensboro announced it "may" spend $7,800,000 to purchase land to accommodate the proposed GPAC. 

The South Elm Street site was once considered one of three finalists for some  GPAC love ...probably due to the facts that the city/redevelopment commission own 13 acres of land , adjacent to I40 and I85 twice (down Lee st on one side and down Elm Eugene on the other), approved and planned federally funded parking deck, infrastructure etc...

After the Ballpark fiasco, after the South Elm Street Redevelopment ongoing disappointments and delays, after the illusive University center and greenway...we are getting a Dog Park... and i was told "I should be happy about it"...

Thank You Action Greensboro? 

I should be happy that the city will not bring $ to my side of town because  "it is a little too far south" or " a little too dark", BUT i should be happy that we are getting a Pop Up Dog park...Really?

We did not get the "Pop Up Promenade" or the "Pop Up festival"...no... but we are getting " the pop up Dog park... So we do not get white people to spend their money on my side of town , but we get the white people to bring their dogs to my side of town to take big shits. 
This is how Action Greensboro, Cecelia Thompson, Reggie Delahanty and Dyan Arkin really feel about my neighborhood... After all,  we are so used to being dumped on that we may not notice the difference.

Earlier this year the same players propose to use Bragg St to test painting techniques for February One "Pop Up Promenade"... I suggested they tried their experiment in front of Centerpointe instead.

I am not happy and I am not thrilled... 

MAZELTOV !

Nancy Hoffmann's utopia...

From left to right...Graham Sheridan ( Ms Hoffmann's  campaign manager/ future groom), Cecelia Thompson ( Head of Synergy/ Action Greensboro employee/ Young Professional/ future bride) , Nancy Hoffmann  (Downtown property Tycoon/ Councilwoman), Hellen Sheridan (mother of the groom and Ms Hoffmann's "interior decorator" and... Desmond Sheridan ( Isaacson, Isaacson , Sheridan, Fountain/ Nancy's lawyer/ groom's father). 

Noise by Dummies?

Perhaps, the most telling videos are the ones coming up...they clearly show that :

1.  Roy should be ticketed as well and stop harassing our council members, our police dpt and our citizens...he should also move!

2. Theresa Yon should shut the fuck up once and for all and not send her husband  to do a man's job.

3.  Well....watch and judge for yourselves.

See you at the next council meeting when we revisit the noise ordinance ...yet again!

Noise for dummies...

I received a few videos with a brief paragraph describing that a few business owners had gotten together to try and understand what this new noise ordinance is really all about. 

Many Council Members had participated in noise readings throughout the past year and had established that the ambient noise in the downtown area typically registers around 72 db to 75 db using the A scale... And yet...last Tuesday night, they voted to reduce the acceptable decibel level to 65 db while using a new scale, the C scale (which is more "sensitive" and reduces the A scale by approximately 10 db so the new 65 db is really 55 db).

The results... anyone producing noise above  65 db using the C scale will be in violation of the ordinance...the violators will be ticketed, sued and eventually shut down.  

The business owners purchased the same equipment the GPD is using and had a staff member of A&T 's engineering dpt calibrate the unit for them. They are using the new scale for their measurements...the C Scale . ( I have not confirmed the credentials of the calibrator). 

Here is what they found...

Legislation vs evolution

From the N&R article today...

..."Simpson, who is white, said he sees parallels between the noise fight and emerging racial tension downtown. Both, he said, boil down to newcomers attracted to downtown but uncomfortable with what and who is already there...."

The two are related... Centerpointe residents are uncomfortable to have so many blacks so close to where they "live work and play". 
A Council member is even suggesting that some change their businesses to cater to a more "acceptable" clientele aka "young professionals" in order for the harassment to stop. 

Greensboro has not evolved, it is still a southern town full of racist white men and women...a DGI meeting a few years back at the Empire Room (to which the press was purposely not invited) illustrated my point...tar and feathers was all that was missing.

As long as we let affluence rule over content, we are doomed to resemble what Roy Carroll and Theresa Yon aspire to...and that is the mediocrity supported by council and  promoted by Action Greensboro and DGI... How many black people work at Action Greensboro? how Many Black People are on the board of DGI (not enough)? What is Roy Carroll's MWBE participation?

GPAC will not make the city whiter or safer...but it may contribute to make our city a little cooler, and cool does not need to be legislated as cool unites...
Cool relies on PSYCHOGRAPHICS not demographics. 
Cool exists and thrives in Downtown Greensboro...Green Bean, Crafted and Design Archives are proofs that cool works, and that we have it in us.

We, as a city, must stop treating black people as second class citizens, we must stop fearing them and blaming them for all our ailments, insecurities and economic failures. We must evolve so that maybe, one day, Greensboro can actually be known for something cool we have created or have become...and that is certainly what I aspire to!

From Warsaw to Greensboro...

“I just feel that it’s the ghettoization of the youth of Greensboro,” Alex Seymour

Keith Holliday nails it...and he knows what it takes to run a city...he is simply not blinded by the "anything for Roy attitude"... Thank you Roy Carroll And Theresa Yon of Centerpointe for your fear of the black man keeps on bringing our city back to shameful moments in human history.

Next...noise ordinance to eliminate the slightly older blacks from Roy And Theresa' s neighborhood...

Reminded me of Downtown Greensboro...

Thank You Adrienne!

The Momentum boys...and girl !

Apparently, you can apply and receive $200,000 from the city, obtain right of ways and permits, partner with a council member without ever writing an email or receiving one. 

This is the PIRT I submitted:
"...Please provide all correspondence and communications between -Momentum development partners and/or James Budd and/or Nick Piornack- and any and all city staff and council members from .January 2012 to present...."


This is what I received:
"...As requested the results of the search for PIRT 2548 based on the criteria provided in the email below, is as follows: 
PIRT 2548 –yielded 1 hit
 Using “James Budd”, “Nick Piornack”, and “Momentum Development” in the To/From field with dates between 1/1/2012 and present day, I only received one hit.
 We looked at the one result and it was junk mail. "

Really?  

Black people are noisy and dangerous...

At least that is what Theresa Yon of Centerpointe seem to think... she does not want to see teens gathering at center city park...and feel unsafe walking to her high rise centerpointe condo with bad elements of danger all around .  

She has called the GPD repeatedly to complain about noise hoping to disperse the many colored folks circling the tower...she even suggested a new curfew during this week's district 3 meeting at Centerpointe attended by council members and city staff from planning and parks and rec. 

One attendee witnessed Theresa Yon's husband having to restrain her as she became more and more vehement and agitated...

Poor Theresa Yon...probably a product of her environment!

Aaaaaah Paris!

How do you say DUMBASS?

A CONNARD is what you are if you believe this tas de merde.

So we miss out on Dassault System as they decided to expand in Little Rock instead of here...maybe for good reasons...
"Our Service Center and Completion Center combined occupy nearly 1,000,000 total sq.ft., making Little Rock the largest Dassault facility in the world. " 

So what do we do?... we fly to Paris on taxpayers money.
Yes, Henry Issacson and Dan Lynch are now en route to Paris, because, if you can 't get them to like you here , might as well fly to Paris.  ( what do you think business class? with or without Mrs Isaacson?).

Contrary to popular thinking, the French do love the USA and they do love most Americans... what they don't love is pompous courtisans who want their business  but do not make the effort to relate or speak their language. What they don't like is a city with noise ordinance or curfews even with incentives. What they want is a minimum of culture, education and perspective (and i don t mean Milton Kern's or Roy Carroll's).

The point is that "Voulez vous coucher avec moi se soir? " may get you a smile, but will not get you Airbus! 

And in case you were questioning this silly trip...Don t worry Henry and his colleagues will have a "jam-packed schedule each day of the show". 
"The group will leave at 6 a.m. each morning before arriving at the show an hour later. The group will hold meetings all day before getting back to home base each night at 9 p.m."
...It is a full day every day...There’s no time for sightseeing.”

Action Greensboro' s leaders make a run for it

It is no secret that Cecelia Thompson  (action greensboro, synergy, bryan foundation) wants her respect...she is determined to get it too...after all, she wrote a white paper,  directed "special projects"(???), made friends with Nancy Hoffmann, advocated for food trucks and painted a downtown street. 

Such achievements certainly makes her a qualified candidate to become DGI's new President and CEO...she certainly believes so as she applied for the job...
Her current boss (April Harris) also told a few individuals (in confidence) that she "wanted and deserved" the job.

My friend Christina also applied and would have been great...but, she may be way too cool for Greensboro...let's not go crazy here! 

Can t wait to see what world champion we get next.

Guess who's buying three more buildings Downtown...UPDATED

Meet her new partners ... Close up here
Welcome to the neighborhood ?

UPDATE: 30 days into the 90 days Due Diligence period ... Nancy Hoffmann is referred to as "the silent equity partner" and no one is supposed to know... The three buildings belonged to Richard Rhynes. He was also the owner of Ms Hoffmann first downtown purchase.

Remind me to tell you a story about how Ms Hoffmann got introduced to all of these wonderful finds... it 's a good one!

Nous n'oublierons jamais!

You saved my birth country, you saved many family members.
Thank You Very Very Much!

Young professionals are learning from the best...

Before I start, keep in mind that Center City park is a PRIVATE park that belongs to two of the WEALTHIEST local foundations...the Bryan Foundation and the Community Foundation.

The previous chart is part of a memo from Action Greensboro's April Harris explaining how she spends our tax payer's monies on this PRIVATE park. 

Not to be left unfed, the ACTION GREENSBORO hogs are also coming to the trough and also takes a management fee out of our money to manage their private park.

$150,000  out of the total $350,000 comes from the BID tax paid for by downtown property owners. 
So DGI pays $150,000 to Action Greensboro who takes out a management fee and in turn pays Grassroots Productions.  

In summary,  Betty Cone allocates our tax money to Action Greensboro who passes same tax money back to Betty Cone's Grassroots Productions...mind you no one knows of Betty Cone's current IRS status and yet she still gets fed...exclusively...with no RFP and no consequences!. 

The Community Foundation is currently also doing some unconventional accounting procedure on behalf of Grassroots productions.  Did I mention that the head of the Community Foundation is also the husband of the Action Greensboro Greenway project manager?
Such incestuous, convoluted relationships are simply not healthy for our city.

I believe it may be time to see how the Downtown Greenway  spends our $6,000,000/mile. How much are we paying in management fees on that one?

These benevolent non profit thieves are now educating the next crop of younger professionals...we must be in good hands.

Upcoming elections, Cronyism, GPAC, Waste management, Corruption, Public Records, Non Profits, Noise, Ruco, Transparency, Accountability, Consequences...

Let's meet, let's talk and let's make a difference ? 

The DGI gods must be angry...

or is it just Milton Kern, and does he speak for DGI as an executive board member? 

I guess we will read about it tomorrow...  Allen Johnson will probably feel like Milton on Viagra.

It may be time for this passé angry old man to retire and purchase a couple of bathtubs facing the ocean.

Side note: Who paid the $1,600 for Milton Kern to travel to Alabama to represent us as one of our "city leaders"? 

Yo! lame N&R editor

Stop deleting Mayoral candidate George Hartzman's comments, or do your job...investigate and prove him wrong once and for all.  

President AND CEO?

We certainly need all the titles  we can get...would the candidate get less respect or be less efficient as a President or director? 

Can't wait to see what magnificent specimen Betty Cone picks for us...

FACT: Edwin used to be very upset if one of the titles were left out of any correspondence...he particularly resented being referred to as DGI's executive director.

Leaders?

“It was everyone from the head of Triad Stage to City Council and bankers,” said Cecelia Thompson, director of projects for Action Greensboro, who went on the trip. “It was a diverse group.”

Walker Sanders, Susan Schwartz, Milton Kern, CeceliaThompson.... We must be in good hands.

I am sure it was essential , fun, exciting and above all...educational.

Grassroots productions, the community foundation and the city

Billy Jones posted this update. They have no shame or decency as this is IN YOUR FACE absurd...Grassroots should not be allowed to do business with the city. 

Even if we overlook Grassroots production's non apologetic and arrogant deception...it is harder to ignore that Betty' s events kinda suck ... And yes many other entities could do better if given the chance. RFP, RFP, RFP...

Downtown Greensboro Metaphor

Dirty water will remain dirty, no matter how much clean water you mix in...

Replace the dirty DGI board now!

It's a revamping alright...proper!

So instead of dismissing Betty Cone (and Milton Kern, and Michael Shiftan and Susan Schwartz) from the DGI'executive board and banning her from doing business with the city of Greensboro (for all the right reasons), our civic leaders have decided to include her in the search process for the new patsy. 

Michael Shiftan, who aspires to expand DGI, will also be part of the search... Dang!

So the greedy, retaliatory individuals who fucked it all up to begin with, are now going to stay on and do it all over again...Dang!

I can't wait to find out what role Milton Kern and Susan Schwartz will be playing... 

Feels like a shower scene from the state penitentiary.

From today's DGI's agenda

One last desperate effort to thwart Action Greensboro's Coup.

12:05        2.  Organizational Issues                                                                                                

A.   Task Force Addressing Operations                                                  Dawn Chaney

B.    Outreach to Young Professional Groups

Edwin's payday...UPDATED

Ed Wolverton 's contract is up at the end of June. 

Everyone could go their own way but that would be too dignified...Instead, it is rumored than Edwin has lawyered up because he has been convinced that he should get paid...it has been reported that Susan Schwartz (the current head of the CEMALA foundation which does not "represent the Cone Family, " but instead represents a foundation endowed by a branch of the Cone Family, the Bryan Foundation and DGI) is defiant, annoyed, outraged, angry and has allegedly been advising Ed on how to stick it to the man...something Ms Schwartz is very familiar with. 

He was offered two months severance and 48 days of accrued vacations/sick days...he turned it down!

Ed is being described as "grieving" and as " unable to run the shop" but yet he is ready to sue...who is he going to sue again? He is not being fired ( technically ), his contract is simply not being renewed.

Susan Schwartz and the rest of the executive committee should resign in  protest. 

Meanwhile the Young Professionals/Action Greensboro have a plan for downtown...Now that's timing baby!

Too Black or Too Poor ?

I am a white guy...a white guy with an accent, a Jewish Spanish Mother and a Catholic French Father.  This caucasian bought an abandoned property on S Elm, across Lee St, a little bit over six years ago aka The Mill.

I often have visitors coming from the other side of Lee st to see what I am up to. The other day was no different and I was actually happy to host an individual that I actually enjoyed being around. After the initial pleasantries,  we ended up talking about the Performing Art Center and I asked: " Why does it have to cost that much, and why does it have to be where the cost to acquire the land alone, adds a minimum of $10,000,000 to the tab?"

I then gestured towards the South Elm Street redevelopment empty 12 acres and said "why not here?...you/we would save about $15,000,000 right from the start, and the community sure would benefit from it".
"Weeeell, you knoooow" he answered.
I replied "No I don't know...Please tell me as I really do not understand because:
-We have the upcoming infrastructure paid for - in part- by the federal government...
-We have the desired access to I-40 and I-85 not once, but twice...once through Lee st and once through South Elm Eugene...
-We have a parking deck planned and paid for as part of the redevelopment...
-We are next to the elusive $6,000,000/mile Greenway...
-We are down the street from the Coliseum, at the entrance of downtown...along the upcoming Lee St corridor...Up from the Nanotech institute...close to 5 universities...So, No...I don't know!"

I may have been a little too intense, but after the initial shock, he finally answered: "Well, the unidentified donors would not want to contribute in this neighborhood, and from what I've heard, the University district could also be a hard sell for the same reasons". I then proceeded to make him aware that he had been in my neighborhood for a while now, and that he had yet to be shanked or threatened even though he was wearing pleated khakis. 

So what is it? Too Black or Too Poor?...or are they simply Too Stupid?

I would like to thank the Community Foundation, Action Greensboro, DGI and the unidentified donors for their fucked up, bigoted approach to community building. 

N&R / DGI corrections

I received a call last night from Nancy Mc Laughlin regarding an upcoming article. Of course the topic being DGI and downtown...I bite. 

I told her that, before we begin, I should let her know that I resented my new title as DGI' strongest critic, I would have preferred to be Downtown's strongest advocate...of course I end up as DGI' strong critic.

After a brief off the record conversation, she asked, if this is about personnel changes, "do you think it is a good first step?"
I answered  that Ed is probably a decent human being, and if this is about him losing his job (and we know it is), then I thought it was sad because it would not address the underlying issues and losing a job is no cavalier matter... even it is DGI's President and CEO. 
I also said that if Ed was to be sold out by his own (and we know he is), then one of the benevolent board member should actually offer him a job. Maybe the CEMALA foundation or Action Greensboro should take him in as Susan Schwartz is such a huge fan and all.

I explained to her that Ed is not a creative man but that he was doing Susan Schwartz's bidding as well as the work of DGI's executive committee. I then used a metaphor that I have come to know well lately, and that was to compare the DGI board to an infection...changing Ed or a few board members would not solve the overall problem because some contamination would remain and the infection would inevitably come back. 

Susan Schwartz, Milton Kern, Dawn Chaney, Betty Cone and Michael Shiftan ...all have been there way too long and have no real desire for change...if anything they want to control more.  
It is now time to amputate because this infection is killing us. 

In retrospect, Bob Braswell's arrogant move was probably the most "courageous" ever taken by a DGI board member. The other relics only care about retaining their board position as it socially defines them, so that in turn they can keep on getting "theirs". 
They may be outraged by the sudden government scrutiny but you don' t see them resigning in protest...no no no. I kinda wish they would!

Time to share the sandbox folks... with all...even young professionals.

Grassroots Productions LTD

So Grassroots Productions LTD is now a Greensboro North Carolina FOR profit corporation. The mysterious circumstances under which Grassroots Productions went from a non profit to a FOR profit were never really investigated, and the financial deceit never really exposed...and yet...Grassroots Productions LTD continues to enjoy exclusive contracts with the city of Greensboro without any competition. 

Humor us and make it look like the city cares about questionable ethical behavior from its  Non Profits/for profit " contractors". 
Anyone else who is not Betty Cone would have been suspended immediately, but here, nothing happened! 

I believe that an RFP should be  issued just in case someone out there has  better /more modern /cooler ideas than Betty Cone.  I must say that our "parades" and festivals look a little tired and lack overall imagination and creativity. A Fresher perspective would complement a fresher  and "revamped" Downtown. 

One detail worth noting is that all questionable , convoluted,  accounting practices surrounding benevolent/charitable non profits all have one organization in common...Action Greensboro...you know, the Bryan Foundation Action Greensboro...you know, the Young Professional Action Greensboro...you know the $6,000,000/mile Greenway Action Greensboro... You know the Center City Park Action Greensboro with unaccounted monies and undisclosed management fees.


"...Grassroots Productions is Action Greensboro's Special Event Manager for Center City Park and is responsible for all things related to Special Events in the Park."

á la tienne !

Some cities in NC seem to get better press than others...

I'll drink to that !

Action Greensboro/DGI... not their first time at the rodeo

It was a very smart move by council members to have the city attorney report directly to them. I asked what I thought was a simple question. 

Thanks to Councilman Kee, I received an answer yesterday afternoon right before the council meeting. Thank You again Councilman Kee!

"...As I have received a request from a member of Council to answer your question, here is the answer to Question 1, which sought a legal answer....Your question is based on the Economic Development Services Contract that the City has with DGI.  The City also has an Enhanced Projects and Services Contract with DGI, and an agreement with Downtown Greensboro Improvement Corporation for Downtown Revitalization.   I reviewed all three documents in order to answer the question.   

Question 1:  

If DGI is already being compensated for the "professional management of various programs and projects... including general accounting" and Other Services...

Is it Legal for DGI to charge additional management fees or other undisclosed fees out of the :

- Clean and Green Service contract with The BUDD group -Not Disclosed

- Center City Park's Pass through funds destined for maintenance - Not Disclosed

- Enhanced Projects and services contract- disclosed but claimed that it was to cover financial auditing.

Answer:  Yes....      SO far nothing surprising in his answer, but legal does not mean ethical.

You've also asked for my rationale behind the answer, and it is based on the terms of the agreement.  The terms of the contracts permit DGI to charge for management and implementation of the programs, and it appears that the charges would be included.  Therefore, I do not see what DGI has violated its contracts with the City.  Specifically, I do not see a violation of any terms of the Economic Development Services Contract.  Further, the charges you mention for the BUDD Group or Center City Park, are related to a contract the City has with Action Greensboro, not between the City and DGI.  To the extent that DGI and Action Greensboro have an agreement related to Center City Park, any issue related to fees is an issue for those parties.  I am also unaware of any violation of North Carolina or Federal Law related to DGI under these contracts.  

S. Mujeeb Shah-Khan

CITY ATTORNEY"

"Further, the charges you mention for the BUDD Group or Center City Park, are related to a contract the City has with Action Greensboro, not between the City and DGI.  To the extent that DGI and Action Greensboro have an agreement related to Center City Park, any issue related to fees is an issue for those parties"

So the MISMANAGEMENT of tax payers' sponsored PASS THROUGH funds destined to support a private park, is NOT an issue for the city, because the stealth misappropriation of funds is embedded in a contract between one of the park 's owner's non profit (Bryan Foundation/Action Greensboro) and another city funded entity (DGI) with questionable ethics???

I guess that is the point, so convoluted, so many layers that it would be difficult for anyone to have issues...we would have to understand it first.

WE / taxpayers are doing a very nice and generous thing by sponsoring a private park right outside of Centerpointe for "all" to enjoy... unless of course you touch a tree, lay on a bench in the sun or play with the fountains in the summer heat.

We are supporting the benevolent non profit Action Greensboro which is sponsoring DGI, which in turn is sponsoring Action Greensboro and then I remembered that April Harris used to run DGI.

The Young Professionals sure have good role models.

PS: We are still looking for the accounting on the annual $150,000 contribution to Action Greensboro/Center city park out of the BID fund controlled by DGI...funds that should have been returned if not used. 

BUDGET TIME ...ELECTION YEAR