December 15, 2011

Interesting Link

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Telegram headline

Housing rehab official charged with taking bribes



Allegedly rigged bids for pay

6 comments:

Steve Foley said...

“My thing is they don’t know,” he allegedly told the contractor. “They’ll never know unless you say anything. They got no proof of anything.”



You've got to love a system with no checks and balances.

Jahn said...

I forget exactly what it is I read on this AND i DONT HAVE TIME TO GO BACK AND READ IT, but is this AGAIN the Exec Office Of 'Hood Services (so caLLED) that handles their own bid solicitations?

dO THEY HANDLE THE BIDDING in house and if so, why isnt it put through the city bidding office? I'd like a clarification. Is city bid office involved or not? even if they are it's still EONS that pays the bills. Even the bill paying s/b handled by the treasurers office. Go into any compnay and ALL bill paying/ disbursements are handled by one dept.

This notion of handing off zillions $$$$$ from Washington & Beacon hill to be handled (if true) outside the normal city bidding process is a prescription for disaster.

IF I am correct on the above, just a few years ago anotehr case of "sloppy bookkeeping" was alleged and someone actually moved on from EONS, only to land a simialr gig with a non profit or a state agency?

Maybe this helps to explain 1,100 sq ft, $513,000, "LOW INCOME RENTAL" ($1,200+ per month?) 3BR, and 2 Bath apts at Main & Madison. I mean this is $500 per sq ft resdential constr in the darn ghetto. Even if they are paying prevailing wages, IMO it still doesnt account for thsi kinda of cost. Can you say "managemetn fees" to the dev'er?

Small wonder low income housing constr is such a Winn - Wynn situation whether it's in Worc or maybe in Foxboro where more low income housing will be needed if Senor Kraft has his way. Kinda like Disney World where Disney had to build a low income apt village of sorts to house their relatively low paid workers.

And as for alleged transparecny by placing the city check book online.........what they dont tell you is that it is "A" and not "THE" city checkbook. Dittos for state ck. book online too. They all have multiple checking accounts. To quote Deval thsi morning re: his casino enabling act/commission .......So much for T & O....."transparency and openness"

TGIF to awl and is everyne enjoying this balmy weather of late. I am still working outside. Today was going to be ladder work until i saw my dooormat in the middle of the street :(

Jahn said...

Sorry meant to add re: transparency.......so wheres the black box Mr Patrick. The Iranians must have it...huh???

Steve Foley said...

Bill, are you still following Rockford?

http://www.rrstar.com/news/x645111628/Rockford-airport-eyes-service-to-Honolulu-London

Jahn said...

So re: Nick's Sunday column today and speaking of rigged deals, this Clark Pilot Payment monopoly deal is one that s/b dubbed a steal (of a street) seems to be getting under more than just my skin. Now Binienda, Rushton, & Germaine are piling on in opposition which frankly makes me wonder how I can be on the same page as these pinko commie liberals. Truth be told, I think they are posturing for some ink ,camera time, and who knows what else.

Let's review the bidding here. Back in Oct, 2010 a pilot deal is announced with Clark. As Nick K so clearly points out yet with only partial facts, city will get 260,000 yearly from Clark for a number of years (15 or 20?). What Nick K fails to tell us and which i have pointed out many times on here is that Clark as part of the deal will be allowed to remove $162,000 of currently taxable property from city tax rolls. MCAS math tells tells me the city only ends up with 98,000 (260 - 162) which 98,000 will go primarily to spruce up Clark environs including but not limited to Univ Park. Nice deal if ya can get it there Jack.

Also as part of the deal Clark gets the deed to 600 ft of Downing St for free under the guise that 18to 22 yr old college kids cant cross a secondary residential city street b/c it has a hill/grade on it. I mean WTH, we got 2nd graders walking up hills and across the streets and to many city elemntary schools. If anything the city should long term lease it to Clark. Imagine tax paying Polar Beverages coming to the city for 12,000 sq ft of city real estate for free. I mean can you imagine Mayor Joey having a fit over a for profit co. getting city real estate for free. Only Main South CDC, Worc Common Grd, WPI, & Clark can pull that off.

First Clark came for 500 ft of SHirley St

Then Clark came for 1,000 ft of Woodland St

Then Clark came for millions of tax payer dollars to spruce up Main South using Main South CDC as an intermediary

Then Clark, the bastian of liberlism, came and took the labile minds of youthful college kids

Then Clark Came for their parents wallets.

Then Clark came and actually paid private owners for an entire city block of Beaver Brook, Florence, and Maywood St, removing it from the tax rolls.

Then Clark comes for an exemption of 162,000 of real estate taxes....which means everyones elses have to go up.

Then Clark comes for 600 ft of Dwoning St.

And then Nick K postulates they will come for another 1,000 ft of Downing St to Park Ave, Nick K suggesting they own all (or most?) of the real estate that abuts that section of Downing St.

Talk about a classic case of incrementalism

Where does it all end? With Holy Cross coming for Hojo's, Caro St, Boyden St, & others for their College Hill Village? Why do you think HC instituted a gov't relations office a few years ago? MAybe So Joe can give up his mayoralty and EMT gigs for a cushy job up on Mt St James?

All this said, I just know Clark will end up with 600 ft of Downing St.

Jahn said...

Well the city council voted to give away Downing St last night, so I guess it's over for now anyway.

As I said above , all this under the guise that Clark Students are somehow endangered by crossing a 30 ft wide residentail city street. Horse S+++ ! If they are so endangered, I would have told them to build an elevated walkway across the street, just like the city had to do on Bell Hill years ago for littel kiddies crossing there. ANd If & when clark did build such a walkway and I was city manager I would have rented them the air space above Downing St. Rest assured HC will have to build such a walkway or tunnel across College St as part of their College Hill Village.

Then of course there are hills the little kiddies have to negotiate at Tatnuck School, Burncoat Jr & Sr highs schools, Union HILL school, St Nicholas Ave School, Clark St School, and who knows where else. So clearly the conclusion would have to be the city only cares about the safety of 18 to 22 yr old Clark students crossing hilly streets and not the safety of elementary school kids?.............to hell with wiht Worc schoool kids who have to cross a hill to get to school.

Kind of analogous to the city not caring about police details for city DPW street crews, but private contractors have to have them. Too often, logic is in short supply at City Hall.

Why doesnt Worc just completely ban the sale of cigarettes and related products?.

BTW, I stand corrected on some past posts where I said back in 2009 or 2008 that the city completely rebuilt Downing St, resetting curbs, installing new concrete sidewalks, and new asphalt pave-mint. I was off by one block , it is Charlotte St, not Downing here that happened and someone here should have corrected me :) .

In my tea leaves I eventually see a one way circular type driveway encompassing Charlotte & Downing Sts from Park Ave up to the Clark campus....maybe involving Shirley St, too? If Clark was bringing parents and thier kids to Clark for a tour of the place would you bring em in from Main St or Park Ave?