Saturday, July 10, 2010
A REPORT FOR THE US ATTORNEYS OFFICE
A report is being compiled for the Office of the United States Attorney General in an effort to encourage a more effective means of monitoring not-for-profit organizations, such as ours, to ensure that tax payer funded Housing Developments and similar entities are in compliance with rules, regulations and laws meant to safeguard the public trust and weed out corruption and malfeasance.
There have been far too many cases involving kickbacks, payoffs,nepotism and outright corruption that have cost the taxpayers millions of dollars in legal fees and other related prosecution costs as the result of the lax supervision of State Agencies responsible for overseeing publicly funded organizations. Once such example would be Coop City. You can read about the corruption in Coop City HERE and HERE. Bear in mind, the Coop City case mentioned involve only the people who were actually caught.
Local authorities are useless. It is not illegal to lie to police officers/detectives. The 50th Precinct would never be able to properly conduct an investigation into all of the robberies in Our Community in which the common denominator was NO SIGNS OF FORCED ENTRY. According to Kevin Johns, the Captain of the 50th Precinct advised Patricia Goldwater and the Board that a proper investigation would be impossible to conduct without video surveillance. The Board used this suggestion to install cameras EVERYWHERE except certain strategic areas of the Coop. We no longer have any privacy. Not really sure how the Police conducted investigations that led to arrests and indictments before the miracle of modern technology! Oh wait, yes I do! The Police used to use their brains! Given the recent exposure of the CompStat cover up in the Village Voice - you can read all about that HERE (a 5 part series with many interesting follow up articles) - one would not have to be a nuclear physicist to draw the conclusion that the 50th may very well be massaging the crime stats to make it appear that Van Cortlandt Village and Riverdale are more desirable places to live.
Since many State Officials and Local Authorities have proven to be useless in exposing corruption, the only place left to turn is the FEDS. Believe it or not, the US Attorney is more than happy to hear about local corruption. Lots of intelligent folks, committed folks, eager folks are willing to investigate any and all claims of the misappropriation of tax payer funds. In this present state of the nations economic crisis, the Federal Government is ready to make an example of anyone who betrays the public trust and uses non/not - for - profits as their own personal playground. Where there is smoke, there is fire, and the FEDS - once alerted - can smell it from miles and miles away. Make no mistake, the FEDS will thoroughly investigate and prosecute. Further, it is a FEDERAL OFFENSE to lie, deceive or make false or fraudulent statements to the Federal Authorities. For example, let's say an FBI agent asks an employee if he or she is related to any individual within a non/not-for-profit entity who assisted in placing the employee in his or her tax payer funded position of employment, it would be wise of the individual to answer the question honestly. Background checks are mandatory when conducting an investigation. And if the employee benefits from his or her position in the form of free rent or perks like free tickets to ball games, even a free parking spot (Charlie Rangel, anyone) then he or she may be subject to criminal prosecution and IRS fines and penalties.
You never really know whom EXACTLY people work for! Your next door neighbor may list his or her occupation as "secretary" or "business manager" for a large Corporation, but in reality, that individual may be employed by something bigger than you ever imagined. In fact, if you threaten or harass an employee of the Federal Government, your fate would be worse than Rich Uncle Pennybags when he lands on the wrong space or pulls the wrong card...tsk, tsk, tsk. Do your homework!
In any event, the mailbag has been inundated with many suggestions on how OUR beloved Cooperative could run more efficiently, more effectively. According to some reports, "one hand doesn't know what the other is doing" between departments at the Amalgamated. Anytime a Corporation has difficulty maintaining a seamless business operation, someone, somewhere in that Corporation is doing something wrong...sometimes through ignorance, other times as a means to cover his or her tracks. Ignorance is no excuse for bad business. Criminal activity is absolutely inexcusable and unacceptable. Some of the suggestions we have received are as follows:
1. "Cut staff by 20%. We raised carrying charges for energy costs, not to hire employees and insure friends and family of Coop staff!"
2. "Mandatory Drug Testing for all Coop employees. Studies show drug use increases medical costs, sick days and bad performance. A mandatory drug test would eliminate bad employees. "
3. "Screen employees for criminal backgrounds. If you cannot have any criminal offenses on your record to become a Cooperator, you shouldn't be allowed to work here if you are a convicted felon or violent offender."
4. "Publish the salaries and free rents of all employees in the Annual Report. Perhaps not by name but certainly by position. This is a not-for-profit, after all. Everything should be public knowledge"
5. "Report all employees who reside in units free of charge to the IRS. The freebies should be reported as 'Imputed Income' and the employees should be taxed to the fullest extent of the law on free rents."
6. "Report all employee related transfers and purchases and rentals in the Community News. Differentiate between Shareholder and Renter when doing so."
7. "Create a link for comments/complaints/suggestions on the Amalgamated Housing website. All comments/complaints/suggestions should be timestamped and a confirmation mail should be sent to the Shareholder with an ETA for follow-up and resolution. A local elected official should have permission to review the comments/complaints/suggestions section at will to ensure his or her constituents are treated with respect and dignity. Install a kiosk in the Management Office for Shareholders who do not own computers"
8. "Reconstruct or create a recycling area for bottles and cans so that the deposits can be collected and put aside for Community Related projects such as a Community Garden etc."
9. "Ask Shareholders if they would like to join a GARDENING CLUB. This would cut down on labor related costs and give folks a better sense of ownership"
10. "Stop giving employees apartments they would never qualify for by DHCR standards. And no more preferential treatment for friends and family of the employees and Board either"
11. "Tell the porters to stop making lewd and suggestive comments to female shareholders...before they get their teeth kicked in...or go to jail. They can choose between the two." OUCH!
We have lots of folks here who would like to get involved without having to deal with the nonsense and politics and problems in the Management Office. Apparently, sexual harassment is also a problem for some of the women who live in the Coop. Sexual Harassment is a crime. Sexual Harassment comes in many forms. I suggest the Education Office purchase a manual on Sexual Harassment and how to avoid the huge civil penalties that accompany a criminal and civil trial.
If you would like to contact the US Attorney or the Office of State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo regarding any concerns you may do so HERE for Federal and HERE for State Authorities.
There have been far too many cases involving kickbacks, payoffs,nepotism and outright corruption that have cost the taxpayers millions of dollars in legal fees and other related prosecution costs as the result of the lax supervision of State Agencies responsible for overseeing publicly funded organizations. Once such example would be Coop City. You can read about the corruption in Coop City HERE and HERE. Bear in mind, the Coop City case mentioned involve only the people who were actually caught.
Local authorities are useless. It is not illegal to lie to police officers/detectives. The 50th Precinct would never be able to properly conduct an investigation into all of the robberies in Our Community in which the common denominator was NO SIGNS OF FORCED ENTRY. According to Kevin Johns, the Captain of the 50th Precinct advised Patricia Goldwater and the Board that a proper investigation would be impossible to conduct without video surveillance. The Board used this suggestion to install cameras EVERYWHERE except certain strategic areas of the Coop. We no longer have any privacy. Not really sure how the Police conducted investigations that led to arrests and indictments before the miracle of modern technology! Oh wait, yes I do! The Police used to use their brains! Given the recent exposure of the CompStat cover up in the Village Voice - you can read all about that HERE (a 5 part series with many interesting follow up articles) - one would not have to be a nuclear physicist to draw the conclusion that the 50th may very well be massaging the crime stats to make it appear that Van Cortlandt Village and Riverdale are more desirable places to live.
Since many State Officials and Local Authorities have proven to be useless in exposing corruption, the only place left to turn is the FEDS. Believe it or not, the US Attorney is more than happy to hear about local corruption. Lots of intelligent folks, committed folks, eager folks are willing to investigate any and all claims of the misappropriation of tax payer funds. In this present state of the nations economic crisis, the Federal Government is ready to make an example of anyone who betrays the public trust and uses non/not - for - profits as their own personal playground. Where there is smoke, there is fire, and the FEDS - once alerted - can smell it from miles and miles away. Make no mistake, the FEDS will thoroughly investigate and prosecute. Further, it is a FEDERAL OFFENSE to lie, deceive or make false or fraudulent statements to the Federal Authorities. For example, let's say an FBI agent asks an employee if he or she is related to any individual within a non/not-for-profit entity who assisted in placing the employee in his or her tax payer funded position of employment, it would be wise of the individual to answer the question honestly. Background checks are mandatory when conducting an investigation. And if the employee benefits from his or her position in the form of free rent or perks like free tickets to ball games, even a free parking spot (Charlie Rangel, anyone) then he or she may be subject to criminal prosecution and IRS fines and penalties.
You never really know whom EXACTLY people work for! Your next door neighbor may list his or her occupation as "secretary" or "business manager" for a large Corporation, but in reality, that individual may be employed by something bigger than you ever imagined. In fact, if you threaten or harass an employee of the Federal Government, your fate would be worse than Rich Uncle Pennybags when he lands on the wrong space or pulls the wrong card...tsk, tsk, tsk. Do your homework!
In any event, the mailbag has been inundated with many suggestions on how OUR beloved Cooperative could run more efficiently, more effectively. According to some reports, "one hand doesn't know what the other is doing" between departments at the Amalgamated. Anytime a Corporation has difficulty maintaining a seamless business operation, someone, somewhere in that Corporation is doing something wrong...sometimes through ignorance, other times as a means to cover his or her tracks. Ignorance is no excuse for bad business. Criminal activity is absolutely inexcusable and unacceptable. Some of the suggestions we have received are as follows:
1. "Cut staff by 20%. We raised carrying charges for energy costs, not to hire employees and insure friends and family of Coop staff!"
2. "Mandatory Drug Testing for all Coop employees. Studies show drug use increases medical costs, sick days and bad performance. A mandatory drug test would eliminate bad employees. "
3. "Screen employees for criminal backgrounds. If you cannot have any criminal offenses on your record to become a Cooperator, you shouldn't be allowed to work here if you are a convicted felon or violent offender."
4. "Publish the salaries and free rents of all employees in the Annual Report. Perhaps not by name but certainly by position. This is a not-for-profit, after all. Everything should be public knowledge"
5. "Report all employees who reside in units free of charge to the IRS. The freebies should be reported as 'Imputed Income' and the employees should be taxed to the fullest extent of the law on free rents."
6. "Report all employee related transfers and purchases and rentals in the Community News. Differentiate between Shareholder and Renter when doing so."
7. "Create a link for comments/complaints/suggestions on the Amalgamated Housing website. All comments/complaints/suggestions should be timestamped and a confirmation mail should be sent to the Shareholder with an ETA for follow-up and resolution. A local elected official should have permission to review the comments/complaints/suggestions section at will to ensure his or her constituents are treated with respect and dignity. Install a kiosk in the Management Office for Shareholders who do not own computers"
8. "Reconstruct or create a recycling area for bottles and cans so that the deposits can be collected and put aside for Community Related projects such as a Community Garden etc."
9. "Ask Shareholders if they would like to join a GARDENING CLUB. This would cut down on labor related costs and give folks a better sense of ownership"
10. "Stop giving employees apartments they would never qualify for by DHCR standards. And no more preferential treatment for friends and family of the employees and Board either"
11. "Tell the porters to stop making lewd and suggestive comments to female shareholders...before they get their teeth kicked in...or go to jail. They can choose between the two." OUCH!
We have lots of folks here who would like to get involved without having to deal with the nonsense and politics and problems in the Management Office. Apparently, sexual harassment is also a problem for some of the women who live in the Coop. Sexual Harassment is a crime. Sexual Harassment comes in many forms. I suggest the Education Office purchase a manual on Sexual Harassment and how to avoid the huge civil penalties that accompany a criminal and civil trial.
If you would like to contact the US Attorney or the Office of State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo regarding any concerns you may do so HERE for Federal and HERE for State Authorities.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR PART DEUX
Doris Spencer's daughter has been moved from the Towers to Building 10 to Building 6 to Building 9 in less than 5 years. Did she purchase shares for all of those apartments and pay the transfer fee or was she just renting(?) each unit? From the reports of her neighbors in Building 6, when Doris's daughter moved out of Building 6 she left her cat behind in an apartment for two days without food or water. Animal Cruelty is a crime punishable by fines and prison time. You know what they say about people who are cruel to animals? Read about Jeffrey Dahmer.
Do not be mistaken. This is not a personal attack on any individual for the sake of attacking individuals personally. The scenario mentioned above is a perfect example of what is wrong here and how some are treated so much better than others based purely on relations and affiliations. It's really not much different than Bob Gillman reportedly bouncing his daughter into the Towers after she was caught selling drugs and turned state's evidence on her husband...she should have been evicted. Relations and affiliations prohibited the normal course of business to transpire in that matter as well.
We, you and me, are PAYING for these shenanigans.
Jeffrey Dinowitz called the Community Board Housing Committee Chair and asked him why he was advocating for shareholders at the Amalgamated. Jeffrey didn't bother to tell Tom Dunham that Mrs. Dinowitz _ Jeffrey's Mother - lived at the Amalgamated. Nice job Jeffrey! Your credibility is your life. Try not to ruin your track record by defending buffoonery please.
Community to these people means "Hey, these idiots are paying my salary, paying for my free apartment, paying for my medical and retirement benefits, give my baby daddy a job, give my cousin a job, etc. etc...".
How about that Community Center? Community Garden?
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