Earl Philbrook For Mayor

Letter to the editor


The article regarding funding for housing in the city (“The O’Briens’ differing views,” Sunday Telegram, May 16) raises many questions. Are these “nonprofits” really not for profit? Stephen Teasdale, head of the Main South Community Development Corporation, earned a $104,000 salary plus $14,000 in benefits last year. Also, there seems to be too many political connections on our hard-earned tax dollars.

Mr. Stephen Patton, ex-city councilor, has now turned developer as executive director of Worcester Common Ground. He is the one who made the paper on the May Street project that had flooded units, putting people in hotels. He is the one who came out and said that it would not happen again. Then, two months later, another flood happened, and at whose expense? The taxpayers. I remember him tooting his horn when his $17 million (36 nonprofit units at $472,222 each) project opened.

Now comes the South Worcester project at $6.3 million ($230,000 per unit). This is the price, today, of a single-family home. These are our hard-earned, ever-rising, tax dollars being given away.

Someone is getting rich here on the taxpayers’ dime. The project at Main and Chandler streets has spent millions, and the first floor is totally vacant with only a few apartments rented. The owner/developer of that building was listed as owing thousands of dollars in back taxes. Why, he made his money, like all these other supposedly “not for profit” developers, up front.

We the taxpayers will be burdened with the failed projects.

Let’s tell these politicians on Nov. 2 we’ve had enough and we do need change.