July 20, 2009

Springfield Forward Interview

email address: springfieldforward@yahoo.com
website: http://www.springfieldforward.com/


1. What are your backgrounds and occupation?

George D. Pappas, Esq. - Attorney and businessman. Education: Honors Degree in Economics (London School of Economics); LL.B (first law degree, University of London); LL.M (Masters of Law, Widener College School of Law); working on Ph.D in Law (Birkbeck College, University of London). Owner of law practice and co-owner of ICLS - The International Center for Legal Studies (http://www.legaltutors.com/)

Ellen P. Pappas - businesswoman. Education: Long Island University (bachelors); Camden County Community College (computers and technology); holds active real estate license. Co-owner of ICLS - The International Center for Legal Studies (http://www.legaltutors.com/)

Richard Carpenter - businessman. Education: I believe he attended college in Worcester, although I will have to ask him which one. Computer technology professional.

Nikki Manion - businesswoman. Education: New England College. Licensed elder aide. Founder and owner of Elder Aide company.

We have about 30 core members and several hundred who work with us on an as-needed basis.



2. How did we get involved in this?

We got involved because we heard rumors about something being built in our neighborhood that was being put together through back room deals. We did some digging and were appalled to discover that deal were being made for a low-income only project to be built in our neighborhood without any input from residents. We thought that was improper and that the neighborhood should be involved in any decision about what happens in the neighborhood. We demanded public meetings. When the developer and the "connected" people who were "in on the deal" kept manuvering to insure no public meeting would ever be held, we knew we had to organize and do something.



3. How is the battle going.

While we have been able to delay the project for almost a year, our so-called Mayor just signed over monies for the project. Winn has too many connections on Beacon Hill and in HUD. Winn has spent decades building up a network within the Massachusetts political system and HUD and Winn pulls strings all over the place. In our City Hall the Mayor is more concerned with appeasing Boston than in being the Mayor of Springfield. He is more concerned with Winn than with his own constituents. Money talks. Our Mayor just signed off on releasing funds to Winn for the project, despite OVERWHELMING opposition from the residents of the City and from City Council. Also, we have had a Finance Control Board here for several years, all of whom are from Boston and ... what a huge surprise ... They support Winn and his project!



4. Are you aware Winn has come to Worcester?

We know about Chevalier Furniture but are unaware of the Old Voke School. All we can say is "Watch out Worcester, you will be turned into another Springfield." Worcester has worked hard and turned things around this past decade, but these Winn projects can undo all that hard work. In 2008 Forbes Magazine named Springfield as one of the "top 10 dying cities" in America. Concentrated low-income housing is the cause. Because of the high influx and high concentration of low-income housing, businesses have left, middle income families have left, investors will not invest here and our schools are a mess. If Worcester is already above the recommended 10% threshhold, you need to stop any further subsidized housing from being built. It will kill Worcester. Just come to Springfield and look at what it has done to this City. Our Main street and intersecting streets have hundreds of boarded up buildings, both commercial and residential. Most existing businesses are social service providers. This used to be the City of Homes. We are now known as the City of Social Services and Crime. Very, very sad.



5. Are we making efforts to combine with other cities?

We are trying to connect with ANYONE, ANYWHERE who is fighting the same fight.

There is a need for subsidized housing throughout this country, no doubt about it. However, there is a way to build it and a way to NOT build it. Warehousing and concentration of low-income housing is the way NOT to do it. It has never worked and it never will - it only perpetuates poverty and crime. This past year Atlanta knocked down their last low-income development. They are now building mixed income with a 10% cap on subsidized housing to be MIXED IN with market rate - a 10% Cap of low income housing mixed in among market rate. Atlanta is now changing the way they do things by concentrating on affordable home OWNERSHIP - a totally different animal and a model that works. People take pride in what they own.

Warehousing the poor perpetuates poverty, a lifetime of dependency, breeds crime and blight, causes business and middle-income family flight, and drains a City of resources. A bad idea all the way around. There are better ways to take care of those who need a hand-up.

So, we keep on fighting for better solutions and better options with anyone who cares to join us.

Is there anything else you would like to know?

Ellen Pappas

15 comments:

signman said...

Nice job Bill.... People just don't understand this..

Sprout said...

You should post this on Worcesterite.com!

And BTW, sign on Hadley bldg. - "1 BED $406"!!!

Bill Randell said...

Signman:

Do you think any of the Mayoral candidates will say that Worcester is already above the 10% required by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that we should not accept any more low to mod income developments?

In the words of Jahn, surely I ject.

Bill

Bill Randell said...

Sprout


How do I post on Worcesterite??


Next sign will be "Section 8 and Vouchers welcome". Matter of fact they might as well recruit the people in the basement of 9 May Street.

Bill

Bill Randell said...

FYI

The Hadley is following the 10% recommendation by Springfield Forward as exemplified in Atlanta. Only problem is that they got the wrong 10%, they are pushing for 10% market instead of 10% low to mod income.

In the end the developers of these projects make tons of money and the underlying city gets stuck with the bill.

Bill Randell

Paulie's Point of View said...

$406.00....hmmmm

boy that makes it easy competing with this...didn't you bang the gong against this Gabriel and then jump on board with this..I bet market lessors like The Mayo Group must love seeing this:>)

Anyone imagine what Young Park thinks when he sees this only 2 blocks from his proposed project..think it is called City Square??

Anyone imagine June & Ward Cleaver deciding on whether to plunk down 300-400K for a City Square condo and just before they do they say lets walk 2 blocks up the street..first Pajama Mama they see and it's..lets take another looksey at that condo in Shrewsbury...

To think this type of development is being lauded in the Canal District...oy vey!

jahn said...

I have wondered to myself if the 10% figure can be applied on a regional basis and not just on a town to town basis

e.g. If central Mass area (worc & surrounding towns??) is under 10%NOLO in total........than any one community is allowed by law to exceed the 10%.........so I could buy a parcel of land on Salisbury St that I could subdivide into 10 lots , for example, under current zoning laws.........but I could also put 15 lots there if I wanted to b/c the central Mass area is under the 10% mandated minimum and 40b can be applied on a regional basis, so I can skirt the required lot size.

Next time I travel up I 495 I am going to look into what I think is a beaitiful 4 house leavy, suburban cul de sac that consists of three 2-1/2 story colonials built in mid 90's varying in size from about 1400 sq to 2000 sq ft that I think were built under 40b.....you'd never know it to look at them.........the people who bought them were low income ONLY at the time they bought them. E.g one couple .....she's an RN (that's 100,000 job in that area for 40 hrs a week) and he's an MBTA guy......which has got to be 60,000 minimum i'd guess....at the time they bought she was home with the small kids and he was prob aonly a 40,000 MBTA guy ( hopefully a non texting MBTA guy :) )

One of these houses in this I-495 town is on alot that cannot be more than 50 ft of frontage.which I know has to be way under min. lot size up that way

Jahn said...

Just a reminder guys............this NOLO discussion is another reason we dont want a Mcgovernite Mayor......comprende'???....and for the absent minded amongst us.......McGovern gave us Coupe Deval, too......

next thing you know, Murray is going to strat looking around himself and asking if maybe he should toss his hat into the mayoral run.......given what may be in the cards for him politically a year from now.....b/c if Deval gets booted....Boy Tim may have to dust off that law license which means he'll definitely need that mayor salary of what is it $25,000 plus the city health insurance (and pension?) that comes with it

Anonymous said...

Great job, Bill ... this information needs to be made known...

Harry T
Worcester,MA

Sprout said...

If the surrounding towns are under the 10% threshold for NOLO - AKA "affordable" - housing, is Worcester required to go over it?

To post on Worcesterite, go to the home page and a short ways down on the left click where it says "create new account", sign up and start posting. It walks you through, not much to it if I did it!

Paulie's Point of View said...

watch it Wild Will..Gabriel posted a long distribe about the perils of even more NO-LO incomers ikn the Canal District and the Chevalier Building and it's NO-LO component and a week later he was a changed man and with no explanation even tho one was requested:>).....we can not afford to lose you to the uddah side..posting on Worcesterite can change a man's opinion in minutes:>)

signman said...

Bill

Lets get together a debate for the candidates running for Mayor. We will give them this interview ahead of time and ask them to give their opinions on this at the debate...I say they don't even show up... second question... ask them if any of them have invested or will in this area like we have..Sprout your back... come by and order your sign...

Sprout said...

I linked your post in some comments on Worcesterite -

http://worcesterite.com/poll/do-you-think-konnie-lukes-deserves-another-term-mayor

PS I'm going to need everyone to buy flowers so I can get that sign!

Sprout said...

And I twittered it this morning too!

SpringfieldForward said...

Thought our friends in Worcester would like to know that Springfield Forward is alive and well. We are currnetly helping out with the Tornado relief effort. Be great to visit with you folks in Worcester and share some of lessons for your community. Meanwhile, log on to www.springfieldforward.com for updates on what we have done to help Springfield.

George Pappas
President
Springfield Forward, Inc.