Yet another interesting debate is being played out online about downtown Mooresville. And (gasp!) it's happening somewhere other than here.
The Mooresville Tribune recently published an article about the downtown commission's new marketing theme, "It's Happening Downtown. Downtown Mooresville." The hope of the commission is to spread the word about what downtown has to offer in an attempt to bring more visitors to the area. (To read the Tribune's article, click here: http://www2.mooresvilletribune.com/content/2009/jun/12/downtown-unveils-new-marketing-theme/.)
One or two comments indicate a belief that the downtown commission needs to focus on attracting businesses, not visitors. But that's a chicken-and-egg argument. Visitors won't come without businesses. And businesses won't come without established visitors. So how does the downtown commission balance attracting both?
Another chicken-and-egg argument being presented: downtown businesses should stay open past 5 p.m.
While I totally agree, it's yet another case of "easier said than done." Downtown businesses are owned predominantly by local folks who are taking a huge risk, and an even bigger leap of faith, trying to provide needed (and oftentimes unique) services to area folks. Staying open late costs those businesses when visitors aren't beating down the doors.
Starbucks might be able to handle that because of the $5 or more a single visitor will pay for one cup of coffee. To the contrary, my mom (who owns a Main Street bakery/boutique/coffee shop) stays open until 10 p.m. every Friday. This past week, she was slammed because of the monthly downtown gallery crawl, and the bakery was hosting a live, young rock band. But the Friday before, downtown was dead. Four people walked through the bakery's front door from 5 to 10 p.m. Of those, two were family friends. The other two came back to visit this past Friday and were greeted by a livelier - and much larger - crowd.
Is downtown's "downfall" truly the lack of businesses staying open past 5 p.m.? Or, is it that downtown lacks a variety of businesses that people want to visit? Is NoDa packed on weekday nights? Or is it typically dead during the week and more lively on the weekends? What downtown stores would you like to see open later? What kind of stores would you frequent if downtown stayed open late? And how often would you frequent those stores? How many post-5 p.m. visitors do you believe justify a business staying open late?
There's the catch. Most small, local businesses aren't going to lose money by paying employees $8 or more an hour to sit on their thumbs with no one to serve.
So, what's the solution? Should the downtown commission try to attract "massive development" that'll charge you more but stay open later? Who's truly paying for that? Is it worth it?
I don't know the answers. That's why I'm asking you. I've always had a lot of hope and faith in downtown Mooresville; I've always believed it has the potential to be a relaxing retreat, worlds away from the busy-ness of the interstate area.
Obviously, it has a long way to go. While a new branding campaign might not be the "answer," it's at least a step in a different direction. But judging from the comments following the Tribune article, some folks vehemently disagree that it's a step in the right direction.
So I'm curious: What are your thoughts on what downtown needs? How do you believe it should be transformed, and what are the steps you would take to lead it there? What kinds of shops and events would you like to see in downtown Mooresville? And perhaps most importantly, what would you be willing to do to help bring it?
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Small businesses cannot compete with the likes of Target WalMart and Lowes. A search for unique service oriented business to fill the empty stores should be a high priorty. Unique is the key. Look at Mt Airy and other thriving small towns. Each has a unique draw with a simular theme and caters to TOURISM. The misuse of the tourism tax is a typical FOUND MONEY attitude. It should be reinvested in tourism to create more tax income to generate more interest and the upward cycle will continue.
Rome was not built in a day. If you look at downtown today and compare it to 2 years ago it is dramatically better. the best is yet to come but patience will have to prevail. by the fourth quarter you will see 2 new restaurants that will make huge difference. you will see a new upstairs key man office spaces which will house up to 19 new businesses. in the future there will be a sports bar and restaurant. There are new streets and light polls. there is the NASCAR walk of fame. If anyone wants to come to downtown meeting just show up on the first Wednesday of the month at 1pm at the Mack Center. you can be my guest. you will see that Kim Atkins has done a great job of organizing her committees. there are a lot of hard working people contributing to the success of downtown. It has been depressed for a long time. It will not comeback over night. it is always easy to be critical but in this case it is not fair to the hard working people of the downtown commission and it members. Joel's looks forward to your business. the Daily Grind looks forward to your business and we hope that your business looks at office space at 183 Main St. We have invested in downtown and will continue to invest. your support will be appreciated.
Old Downtown LLC, property owners.
Hey folks, wake up!!!!!!!!!!!
LIGHT RAIL IS ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS.
For seven years my wife and I lived in a small town in TN. Similar to our town, antiques, coffee shops, etc. The owners were coming and going, and "The Town Council" kept voting down light rail, or just good old fashioned train club cars.
One fine day, as I hope will be the case here, the Mayor and all his cronies got booted out.
The new group immediately got intouch with the powers to be in Atlanta GA, and low and behold the rail was approved. Within 18 mos, the train came through 4 small towns on Saturday and Sundays and Holidays. I visit friends there a couple times of year, and those little towns are flooded with people, and the business owners are thrilled with most of them making it.
What the hell are we waiting for to boot this mayor and cronies, so the merchants might have a chance. Obviously, the residents like status quo, and you all don't have a chance in hell to make all these plans you make happen without RAIL.
I believe that if the town commissioners had voted in favor of building a parking deck a few years ago, 100 N. Church Street might have already started bringing people downtown. There are so many possibilities that can happen in downtown and I'm glad Kim Atkins is trying to get things started, we need more people like her not the old stuffy boys club that has kept downtown in the dark ages for so long.
how about a strip club and an oyster bar? i would hang around those kind of establishments.
The problem is - the lack of a realistic objective. No matter what you plan,you will not attract people driving along I 77 and route 150 to leave the highways to go to downtown Mooresville! They are not on the highways for that purpose!
What will it take to make residents of the town to leave their homes and social activities, to go downtown, where the shopping experience is unattractive, and far more limited than the opportunities that are closer to their homes.
The retailers who once thrived , have been beaten into the ground, because the politicians who recruited hundreds of bigger and different competitors,to increase the tax base, and spread the population away from the center of what was a viable and friendly community.
Good luck in your ventures.
If you will look at the strip malls and find local owned mom and pop business you will notice that they generally are open from 9-6. This is because for these type of business it does not pay to stay open at night. Why should you think downtown should stay open late? It is not profitable.
One business I would love to see in Downtown Mooresville is a real Newstand, one which carries Out of town/state newpapers, magazines not carried by Wal-Mart, Paperbacks ecte. This is the only area I have lived in that does not have such a business. Even when I lived in a small town of less than 6,000 people they had such a newsstand and I never had to go to retailers such as Wal_mart, Book A Million, would of never thought to I found everything I wanted.
I love the downtown area and think it has lots of potential, but we need to be more than Nascar central in order to attract businesses or clients. I loved it when there was a bar at the other end of Soiree and hope they'll get that up and running quickly. Rather than having a Starbucks -- bring in Krispy Kreme with the "Hot and Now" sign. Why not push the residences above the stores and turn the downtown area into a truly living/workng area. Lastly, we have got to do something with the mill. I would love to see the mill restored so that it once again is a vital part of our town instead of an eye sore which sits empty.
Way to go Preacher Man...preacher wanting a bar!!!
Need a Krispy Kreme they are going bankrupt so they would indeeed fit into what is needed just another business going belly up.
Talk about a eye sore just open up your eyes and look at the downtown it is a EYESORE.
I think a Barnes and Noble is a great idea. Maybe a Harris Teeter Express(or any other grocery store) perhaps situated on 2 levels with parking on the Church St. side. I agree Nascar is not going to revitalize downtown and neither are art stores..you need more than "Niche" stores to attract people. Another thing is whoever determines how the buildings downtown can be altered or utilized need to realize that unless your willing to let someone make dramatic changes to the interior of a building you may not get a mainstream retailer coming into downtown. Most other cities have rules in place that allow for preservation of the facades of old buildings with the interiors being completely remodeled. Preserve not prohibit should be the motto there.
OK, so maybe a Dunkin Donuts? And what's wrong with sitting around with friends and having a drink? The true Preacher turned water into wine :-)
I like the downtown area and hope it gets going again.
Larry Gregory for Mayor! Lets get this town back where it belongs to the PEOPLE. Let the people run it not a "math" expert.
A good newspaper offering insightful articles and broad perspective--not just that of a few well-placed sources--would go a long way toward cleaning up the area and inspiring citizen involvement.
I would say the Mooresville Tribune is a joke, if it wasn't so very pathetic.
If you look at Davidson, they have 2 things that draw people there at night. Summitt, a coffee shop that sells microbrews in the evening with live music and Ben and Jerrys.
Jim N.
I had heard some months ago that Joel's Sushi was going to open a second store in downtown. Is that still on?
light rail is the solution? WHAT A BIG FRIGGIN JOKE! Are you smoking crack?
CORRECTED:
For Release: 05/20/2009
FTC Announces “Operation False Charity” Law Enforcement Sweep
Agency Joined by 49 States in Bringing 76 Actions Against Fraudulent Solicitors Nationwide
In a nationwide, federal-state crackdown on fraudulent telemarketers claiming to help police, firefighters, and veterans, the Federal Trade Commission, together with 61 Attorneys General, Secretaries of State, and other law enforcers of 49 states and the District of Columbia, today announced “Operation False Charity.” Federal and state enforcers announced 76 law enforcement actions against 32 fundraising companies, 22 non-profits or purported non-profits on whose behalf funds were solicited, and 31 individuals. These include two FTC actions against alleged sham non-profits and the telemarketers who made deceptive claims about these so-called charities. The FTC and state agencies also released new education materials, in both English and Spanish, to help consumers recognize and avoid charitable solicitation fraud.
“In these difficult economic times, Americans want to make every contribution count,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. “The good news is they’re still being generous and donating to charitable organizations, including those that support our police officers, firefighters, military families, and veterans. The bad news is that some unscrupulous operators have seized on this goodwill to make a quick buck. The actions we’re announcing today demonstrate that federal and state partners will find charity scammers and we will stop them.”
“All of us share a deep trust and respect for our law enforcement officers, firefighters, and military service members,” said Attorney General Chris Koster of Missouri. “The attorneys general across the country will not stand idly by while greedy telemarketers take advantage of that trust and respect.”
“I encourage all donors to maximize their charitable contributions by getting basic financial information about an organization before giving,” said Pennsylvania Secretary of State Pedro A. Cortés. “Trustworthy resources are available through your department of state or attorney general’s office. By doing research and asking questions of a charity or its professional fundraisers, consumers can help ensure their donations have the impact they expect.”
FTC Enforcement Actions
The two FTC cases announced today involve federal court complaints and proposed settlement orders against defendants who allegedly tricked consumers into giving by claiming that donations would support police or firefighters disabled in the line of duty, often in the donors’ communities, or that the donations would assist military families in need, and by misleading consumers about how much of the money would go to those causes. According to the FTC, the defendants used legitimate-sounding names and described sympathetic causes to give their sham organizations a veneer of credibility. Their real goal, however, was to dupe consumers into contributing money that the defendants used overwhelmingly just to support themselves and their fundraisers.
In the first case, the FTC alleged that three sham non-profit organizations, American Veterans Relief Foundation, Inc. (AVRF), Coalition of Police and Sheriffs, Inc. (COPS), and Disabled Firefighters Fund (DFF), all based at the same address in Santa Ana, California, were created almost entirely to provide profits for the individual defendants and the for-profit fundraisers they hired. One defendant, Jeffrey Dean Duncan, ran COPS and DFF, while another defendant, William Rose, ran AVRF. Another defendant, Kathy Clinkenbeard, managed the telemarketers with which the entities contracted. The FTC contends that solicitors calling on behalf of AVRF falsely claimed that the money they were raising would support the families of soldiers fighting overseas through a program it called “Operation Home Front.” In fact, AVRF spent virtually no money assisting military families. AVRF’s bogus “Operation Home Front” is not connected to the genuine non-profit Operation Homefront, Inc., a national organization with 30 chapters across the country that provides real support to the families of troops and gets high ratings from watchdog groups.
According to the FTC’s complaint, the defendants misrepresented that donations would go to a legitimate charity, that the organizations have programs that do not actually exist, and that those programs benefit the donors’ local communities. The complaint also alleges that COPS misrepresents its affiliation with police officers and sheriffs, and charges the defendants with assisting others to commit deceptive acts and practices.
The proposed order settles the FTC’s complaint by barring the defendants from making false claims, or assisting anyone else in making false claims, in connection with charitable solicitations, or in connection with telemarketing. It also prohibits the defendants from violating the Telemarketing Sales Rule, requires that they make certain disclosures when fundraising, and it requires that they monitor any fundraisers that solicit on their behalf. Finally, the order imposes on defendants COPS, DFF, Duncan, and Clinkenbeard a judgment of $13.1 million and against defendants AVRF, Rose, and Clinkenbeard a judgment of $6 million. These judgments are suspended based on defendants’ documented inability to pay.
In the second case, the FTC alleged that defendant David Scott Marleau ran several for-profit fundraisers that solicited money on behalf of sham police, fire, and veterans non-profit charitable organizations. The FTC charged that Marleau and his companies, Jedi Investments, LLC, Impact Fundraising, LLC, Millenium Fundraising, LLC, and PC Marl, Inc., misrepresented the programs for which funds were solicited, misrepresented that donations would benefit the donor’s local community, mailed notices to consumers stating they had made a pledge when they had not even been called, and misrepresented their affiliation with sheriffs and police. Six additional counts in the complaint charged the defendants with multiple violations of the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule, including ignoring company-specific do-not-call requests. The Commission also alleged that their operations often targeted seniors, sometimes debiting their accounts for donations without permission.
The proposed order settling the charges requires the defendants to stop misrepresenting facts, make certain disclosures when soliciting money from consumers, and stop violating the Telemarketing Sales Rule. The order also requires that the defendants substantiate any claims they make about a nonprofit or its programs prior to soliciting consumers, and requires that they train and monitor their telemarketers. Finally, the order imposes a monetary judgment of nearly $1.7 million against the corporate entities Jedi Investments, LLC, Impact Fundraising, LLC, Millenium Fundraising, LLC, and PC Marl, Inc. That judgment is suspended based on these defendants’ documented inability to pay.
The FTC would like to thank the Attorneys General of California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington and the Secretary of State of Washington for their invaluable assistance with these cases.
State Law Enforcement and Public Education
Law enforcement and public education efforts by the states are integral components of “Operation False Charity.” The FTC would like to acknowledge the following state officials for their participation in Operation False Charity, either by taking enforcement action or initiating consumer education efforts: the Attorneys General of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming; and other state agencies including the Secretaries of State of Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Washington, and the Georgia Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs, the New York State Consumer Protection Board, the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, the Utah Division of Consumer Protection, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Eu Claire County (Wisconsin) District Attorney.
Information about these agencies’ participation is summarized on the FTC’s Web site at www.ftc.gov/os/2009/05/090520charitychart.pdf
Private-sector partners included AARP, the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, the American Institute of Philanthropy, Guidestar, the National Association of State Charities Officials, and Charity Navigator.
Consumer Education
The FTC today issued a new consumer alert providing tips about charities that solicit donations on behalf of veterans and military families. According to the alert, which can be found on the agency’s Web site at www.ftc.gov/charityfraud/, while many legitimate charities are soliciting donations to support the nation’s military veterans, not all “charities” are legitimate – some are operators whose only purpose is to make money for themselves. Others are paid fundraisers whose fees can use up most of your donation.
The new alert, “Supporting the Troops: When Charities Solicit Donations on Behalf of Vets and Military Families,” offers the following tips to help consumers ensure that their donations go to a legitimate charity. Many of these tips apply to charitable giving to other types of organizations, as well.
Recognize that the words “veterans” or “military families” in an organization’s name don’t necessarily mean that veterans or the families of active-duty personnel will benefit from your donation.
Check out an organization before donating. Some phony charities use names, seals, and logos that look or sound like those of respected, legitimate organizations.
Donate to charities with a track record and a history. Charities that spring up overnight may disappear just as quickly.
If you have any doubt about whether you’ve made a pledge or a contribution, check your records. If you don’t remember making the donation or pledge, resist the pressure to give.
Call the office in your state that regulates charitable organizations to see whether the charity or fundraising organization has to be registered.
Do not send or give cash donations. For security and tax-record purposes, it’s best to pay with a check made payable to the charity.
Ask for a receipt showing the amount of your contribution.
Be wary of promises of guaranteed sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution. You never have to give a donation to be eligible to win a sweepstakes.
Some sites where consumers can check out a charity include:
*www.nasconet.org - National Association of State Charity Officials, where you can look up and contact your state’s charities regulator for more information.
*www.guidestar.org - Guidestar
*www.bbb.org/charity - Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance
*www.charitynavigator.org - CharityNavigator
*www.charitywatch.org - American Institute of Philanthropy
The Commission vote approving each complaint and proposed court order was 4-0. The complaint and proposed order against David Scott Marleau, et al. were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington on May 19, 2009. The complaint and proposed order against American Veterans Relief Foundation, Inc., et al. were filed in the U.S. District Court of the Central District of California on May 18, 2009.
The proposed orders announced today settle the FTC’s charges against the following defendants: 1) American Veterans Relief Foundation, Inc.; Coalition of Police and Sheriffs, Inc.; Disabled Firefighters Fund; Jeffrey Dean Duncan, individually and as an officer or director of Coalition of Police and Sheriffs, Inc., and Disabled Firefighters Fund; Kathy Clinkenbeard, individually; and William Rose, individually and as an officer or director of American Veterans Relief Foundation, Inc.; and 2) David Scott Marleau, individually and as an officer or director of Jedi Investments, LLC, Impact Fundraising, LLC, Millenium Fundraising, LLC, and PC Marl, Inc.; Jedi Investments, LLC; Impact Fundraising, LLC; Millenium Fundraising, LLC; and PC Marl, Inc.
NOTE: The Commission authorizes the filing of complaints when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The complaints are not a finding or ruling that the defendants actually have violated the law.
NOTE: Stipulated court orders are for settlement purposes only and do not necessarily constitute an admission by the defendants of a law violation. Stipulated orders have the force of law when signed by the judge.
Copies of the complaints and proposed court orders are available from the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,500 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Peter Kaplan
FTC Office of Public Affairs
202-326-2334
Mitchell J. Katz
FTC Office of Public Affairs
202-326-2161
STAFF CONTACTS:
David M. Horn
FTC Northwest Region, Seattle
206-220-4483
Tracy S. Thorleifson
FTC Northwest Region, Seattle
206-220-4481
STATE CONTACTS
Available on case list in press packet
(FTC File Nos. 092-3065 and 092-3064)
(FalseCharitySweep.wpd)
California Sues Charities For Stealing Donations To Public Servants
Multiple lawsuits agains telemarketers, donors for deceptive practices and fraud
Advertisement
March 29, 2009
As part of a nationwide crackdown on fraudulent charities, Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. is filing today eight lawsuits against 53 individuals, 17 telemarketers and 12 charities that "shamelessly exploited" people's generosity and squandered millions of dollars of donations intended to help police, firefighters and veterans.
Brown's suits are intended to permanently stop the charities' deceptive practices and require the repayment of all funds raised under false pretenses. Brown is seeking involuntary dissolution of eight of the charities.
"These individuals shamelessly exploited the goodwill of decent citizens trying to help police, firefighters and veterans," Brown said. "In point of fact, a shockingly small portion of donations went to those in need, while millions went to pay for aggressive telemarketing and bloated overhead — and in one case — to purchase a 30-foot sailboat."
Brown filed these suits in conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission and 48 other states as part of a nationwide sweep called "Operation False Charity."
In California, just as in the other participating states, the so-called charities raised millions of dollars based on false claims that donors' contributions would benefit police, firefighters and veterans organizations. But in reality, these charities rarely benefit public safety personnel. And, in most cases, 85 percent to 90 percent of donations are used to pay the fees of for-profit telemarketing firms.
Last year, Brown launched an investigation into 12 of the worst offenders, resulting in the eight cases filed today in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and San Mateo counties. It is estimated that since 2005, hundreds of thousands of Californians have been deceived by the solicitation campaigns these charities and their fundraisers have conducted.
Law Enforcement Apprenticeship Program
Brown today sued Los Angeles-based Law Enforcement Apprenticeship Program, its directors and its for-profit fundraiser, Rambret, Inc., for falsely promising contributors that their donations would be used to operate an apprenticeship program for at-risk youth. The program was never operated and no students were ever enrolled in it.
Instead, donations were used to pay for fundraising expenses, the personal expenses of the charity's directors and the purchase of a 30-foot sailboat.
In 2003, Law Enforcement Apprenticeship Program raised $529,863, but only $31,501 — just 6 percent — was spent on its program services. In 2004, the charity raised $372,623, but spent only $5,615 — 1.5 percent — on program services.
Brown seeks to dissolve the charity, to prevent the directors from operating a charity in California again, and to prevent the fundraiser from soliciting funds for a charity in California until it complies with state law.
Brown also seeks a court order requiring the charity to file a report of its receipts and expenses, to recover the funds misappropriated by the directors and civil penalties in excess of $150,000.
California Police Youth Charities
Brown today sued Sacramento-based California Police Youth Charities, its executive director and its for-profit fundraisers — National Consultants, Inc. and Public Appeals, Inc. — for falsely promising contributors that 100 percent of donations would go to support the charity's programs to help at-risk youth. In reality, less than 20 percent of the $9 million raised in 2006 and 2007 was spent on charitable programs.
The charity also filed false documents with the IRS and the Attorney General's Office. In 2006, the charity reported that it made almost $1 million in grants, when it actually made grants totaling only $110,000.
Brown seeks a permanent injunction to end these deceptive solicitation practices. He also seeks to recover misappropriated charitable funds and civil penalties in excess of $100,000 from the charity and its for-profit fundraisers.
American Association of Police Officers, Police Protective Fund, and Junior Police Academy
Brown today sued Los Angeles-based American Association of Police Officers, Police Protective Fund, and Junior Police Academy, their officers David Dierks and Philip LeConte, and their for-profit fundraisers for misleading donors into thinking that their solicitors were volunteer police officers and that contributions would benefit donors' local police departments.
The for-profit fundraisers include: West Coast Advertising (known as Professional Communications Network) and Mark Christiansen (doing business as Charitable Fundraising Services).
Additionally, the charities violated both state and federal law when they filed reports with the IRS and the Attorney General's Office that under-reported fundraising and administrative expenses and over-reported the amount spent on charitable programs.
In 2007, for example, Police Protective Fund raised $6.8 million and claimed in its tax returns that it spent $1.7 million on its charitable program. However, that $1.7 million improperly included fundraising expenses, a $350,000 judgment paid to the State of Missouri and other administrative expenses.
Likewise, in 2007, American Association of Police Officers reported in its tax returns that it spent $493,798 on its charitable program. However, out of that amount, $425,000 was paid to the charities' officers and other administrative and fundraising personnel. David Dierks and Philip LeConte were each paid $168,000 in salary, and were also provided with vehicles such as a $45,000 Range Rover and a $25,000 Jeep Cherokee.
Brown seeks injunctive relief to prevent defendants from operating any charities in California and to stop future fraudulent solicitation and reporting practices. Brown also seeks to recover misappropriated funds and civil penalties in excess of $150,000.
Association for Firefighters and Paramedics
Brown filed suit today against Santa Ana-based Association for Firefighters and Paramedics, its president, Michael F. Gamboa and its for-profit fundraisers — Public Awareness, L.L.C., Community Support, Inc., and Courtesy Call, Inc — for falsely claiming that it used donations to assist local firefighters, paramedics, and burn victims.
Brown's office discovered that from 2005-2008, only 3 percent of approximately $10 million dollars was spent on assistance to burn victims. No funds were ever used to assist firefighters and paramedics.
The remainder — some $9.7 million — went to pay for the charity's fundraising expenses and overhead.
In addition, the charity sent fraudulent invoices to people who had not made a pledge and sent letters to donors who had never given, asking them to mail in their "usual" annual donation.
Brown is seeking to dissolve the charity. He also seeks a permanent injunction against the charity's president to prohibit him from any future involvement with a California charity, and civil penalties in excess of $150,000.
Association for Police and Sheriffs, Inc.
Brown today sued Fullerton-based Association for Police and Sheriffs, Inc., its directors and its for-profit fundraisers, Public Awareness, LLC, and Courtesy Call, Inc., for falsely claiming that the majority of donations would be used to help the victims of domestic violence.
Brown's investigation revealed that of the $2.6 million raised in 2005 and 2006, 90 percent of the donations went to pay the for-profit fundraisers. Most of the remaining donations were used to pay salary and other personal benefits for its president, Lloyd Jones, and others.
In violation of federal law, the fundraisers blocked donors' Caller ID. Once on the phone, the fundraisers engaged in aggressive and abusive conduct.
The investigation also found that the charity and its for-profit fundraisers sent pledge confirmation cards to people who never agreed to donate and that some of the charity's fundraisers represented that they were police officers, when they were not.
Brown seeks to dissolve the charity, recover improperly diverted funds, recover civil penalties in excess of $150,000, and to obtain a permanent injunction preventing all defendants from any involvement with a California charity until they comply with California law.
Coalition of Police and Sheriffs, Disabled Firefighters Fund, American Veterans Relief Foundation, et al.
Brown today filed a lawsuit against Santa Ana-based Coalition of Police and Sheriffs, Disabled Firefighters Fund, and American Veterans Relief Foundation, their directors and for-profit fundraisers for falsely claiming that donations would be used for programs to help injured police and firefighters, and homeless veterans.
The for-profit fundraisers include Campaign Center, Inc., KWS Productions, Inc., Tel-Mar Productions, Inc, Community Publications, Inc., and Roman Promotions, Inc. Through 2005, the charities raised $17 million, but only $351,000 — approximately 2 percent — was spent on programs for cops, firefighters, and veterans. The vast majority of donations went to paid telemarketers.
The President, Jeffrey Duncan, used charitable funds for his personal expenses, including trips to Hawaii and to Las Vegas, and for meals, including one for $1,200 at Medieval Times.
Joseph Shambaugh, who founded all three of these charities, was indicted by federal authorities on charges of mail fraud and money laundering. He is currently at large.
Brown seeks to dissolve the charity, to prevent the directors from operating a charity or being involved in charitable fundraising in the future, and to prevent the fundraisers from soliciting on behalf of a charity in California until they comply with state law.
He also seeks to recover misappropriated charitable funds and civil penalties in excess of $100,000 from the charities, their directors and for-profit fundraisers.
Homeless and Disabled Veterans
Brown today sued Washington, D.C.-based Homeless and Disabled Veterans, and its for- profit fundraiser, Atmost, Inc. for falsely representing to donors that their charitable contributions would be used to assist homeless and disabled veterans in California with food, shelter, and self-help programs. Yet no donations were used for these purposes.
Instead, the vast majority of the donations — over 70 percent — were used for fundraising expenses, and the rest went for administrative expenses at its headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Brown seeks to dissolve the charity, to prevent the directors from operating a charity in California again, and to prevent the fundraiser from soliciting on behalf of a charity in California until it complies with state law.
He also seeks to recover misappropriated charitable funds and civil penalties in excess of $150,000 from the charity, its directors and its for-profit fundraiser.
Organization of Police and Sheriffs
Brown today sued San Bernardino-based California Organization of Police and Sheriffs, its directors, officers and its for-profit fundraisers — Civic Development Group, LLC and Rambret, Inc. — for falsely representing that donations would be used to benefit law enforcement officers and that 100 percent of each donation would be received by the charity.
Donors were told that their contributions would be used to purchase bullet-proof vests, make grants to families of officers killed or injured in the line of duty, provide veterinary treatment for service animals injured in the line of duty and mentoring of at-risk youths.
Out of the $30 million raised from 2005 to 2007, over $25 million was spent on fundraising.
No money was spent on bullet-proof vests, no grants were made to families of officers, $6,600 was spent on veterinary treatment for service animals, and $16,500 was spent on mentoring.
Brown seeks to dissolve the charity, to prevent the directors from operating a charity in California again, and to prevent the fundraisers from soliciting on behalf of a charity in California until they comply with state law.
He also seeks to recover misappropriated charitable funds and civil penalties in excess of $150,000 from the charity, its directors and its for-profit fundraisers.
The Attorney General's Office offers the following tips to potential donors to help them avoid being the victims of charity fraud:
• If you receive an unsolicited call asking for a donation, it is most likely from a paid telemarketer who may keep a substantial part of your donation as payment of fundraising fees.
• Recognize that the words 'veterans' or 'military families' in an organization's name don't necessarily mean that veterans or the families of active-duty personnel will benefit from your donation.
• Donate to charities with a track record and a history. Charities that spring up overnight may disappear just as quickly.
• If you have any doubt about whether you have made a pledge or a contribution, check your records. If you don't remember making the donation or pledge, resist the pressure to give.
• Check out an organization before donating. Some phony charities use names, seals and logos that look or sound like those of respected, well-established organizations.
• Ask the soliciting charity or the paid fundraiser what percentage of your donation will go towards fundraising expenses and what percentage will go towards the charity's charitable purpose.
• Do not send or give cash donations. For security and tax record purposes, it is best to pay by check made payable to the charity.
• Ask for a receipt showing the amount of your contribution.
• Be wary of promises of guaranteed sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution. You never have to give a donation to be eligible to win a sweepstakes.
NC Cracks Down On Bogus Charities
By Press Release, Press Release, 1 month ago
Credit:
RALEIGH, N.C. -
Attorney General Roy Cooper, along with 31 other state Attorneys General, announced a settlement as part of a nationwide federal-state crackdown against defendants who allegedly misled consumers by claiming to help veterans, police and firefighters.
"Using police, firefighters and veterans to mislead consumers about charitable contributions is just plain wrong," said Cooper. "We need to support the legitimate charities in our communities instead of these outfits."
Community Support, Inc., of Milwaukee, WI, solicited donations on behalf of charitable organizations through telemarketing and mailings. The Attorneys General charge that Community Support, Inc. used misleading statements about the charities and their connections to local communities to solicit donations.
Under today's settlement, Community Support, Inc. is prohibited from misrepresenting information about a charity's activities or how a donation will benefit the charity. The fundraisers are also banned from misleading consumers about the portion of their donation that will actually benefit the charity and falsely insisting that the consumer or a family member donated to a particular charity in the past.
The multi-state investigation revealed that Community Support, Inc. typically retained 80% or more of funds that it solicited for various organizations, including the North Carolina Chapter of the United States Navy Veterans Association HQS, the National Vietnam Veterans Foundation, Inc. and the Reserve Police Officers Association.
Community Support, Inc. is registered to make calls for NC charities but the Attorney General's Office has not received complaints at this time although others states have. North Carolina consumers are encouraged to file a complaint with Cooper's Consumer Protection Division by calling 1-877-5-NOSCAM or online at www.ncdoj.gov if they have experienced a problem.
The states' settlement with Community Support, Inc. is being announced as part of a nationwide, federal-state crackdown on fraudulent charitable solicitors claiming to help police, firefighters, and veterans. Attorney General Cooper joined the Federal Trade Commission and Attorneys General, Secretaries of State, and other law enforcers in 48 states and the District of Columbia today to announce "Operation False Charity." Federal and state enforcers together announced 76 law enforcement actions against 32 fundraising companies, 22 nonprofits, and 31 individuals. Also, the FTC and state agencies released new education materials to help consumers recognize and avoid charitable solicitation fraud. More information about "Operation False Charity" can be found at www.ftc.gov.
"Making a donation to a charity can be a great way to give back," said Cooper. "But before you hand over your hard earned money, make sure you find out where your money will go and how it will help."
May 31, 2009
"These individuals shamelessly exploited the goodwill of decent citizens. A shockingly small portion of donations went to those in need, while millions went to pay for aggressive telemarketing and bloated overhead."
California Attorney Jerry Brown commenting on his office was filing eight lawsuits against a dozen charities and their fundraisers, alleging they had used false claims to raise millions of dollars and then squandered the donations intended to help police, firefighters and veterans organizations.
The suits are part of Operation False Charity, a nationwide crackdown on fraudulent charities, and are intended to stop the deceptive practices and recoup funds raised under false pretenses, according to Brown’s statement. The attorney general is seeking the involuntary dissolution of eight of the charities.
Fifty-three individuals and 17 telemarketers, among them officers and fundraisers, also are being sued. The targeted charities include the Law Enforcement Apprenticeship Program, the American Assn. of Police Officers, the Police Protective Fund Inc. and the Junior Police Academy, all based in Los Angeles.
The Sacramento-based California Police Youth Charities, along with five charities based in Orange County, one in San Mateo County and one in San Bernardino County, are also being sued.
From the Los Angeles Times, Attorney general sues charities, May 29, 2009. Attorney General Brown can be reached, via his office, at: (916) 322-3360.
Even Canada is taking action, all from a little blog in North Carolina
June 14, 2009
"Deceptive telemarketers are defrauding businesses and consumers of hundreds of millions of dollars in an already difficult economic climate. Through Operation Mirage, we are cracking down on this criminal activity with enforcement action and public education."
Andrea Rosen, Deputy Commissioner of Competition for the Canadian Competition Bureau, commenting about Operation Mirage, which has taken action against 50 organizations and individuals in the Montreal area, including executing 10 search warrants.
This criminal investigation is being conducted under the newly amended Competition Act, which allows for significantly higher penalties for those convicted of criminal telemarketing offences. This will also allow the Bureau to conduct its work more effectively. It is the first investigation that will benefit from the new penalties.
The campaign is targeting fraudsters who use illegal techniques to market phony business directories to businesses and not-for-profit organizations. It is the largest-ever Bureau sweep against deceptive telemarketing and one of the largest ever in Canada.
The Bureau's goal is to disrupt and deter illegal telemarketing operators. Operation Mirage also aims to educate, through an outreach campaign, thousands of vulnerable job seekers who may unknowingly work for deceptive telemarketing operations exposing themselves to criminal penalties.
This campaign is named "Operation Mirage" to reflect the deceptive nature of practices used by criminal telemarketers to victimize businesses and hire unsuspecting staff. The initiative benefited from the assistance of the COLT partnership (Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Surete du Quebec, City of Montreal Police Service, Canada Border Services Agency, U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service). Fraudulent telemarketers often target victims in other countries in an effort to avoid detection. Cross-border collaboration is key to ensuring fraudsters cannot hide from authorities in any jurisdiction.
From a press release on Marketwire.com, Operation Mirage: Competition Bureau Launches its Largest-ever Crackdown on Deceptive Telemarketing, June 2, 2009. Ms. Rosen can be reached, via her office, at: (819) 997-4282.
Man with a Scam
Barney Says Beware of Sham Charities
Thursday, June 18, 2009
by BARNEY BRANTINGHAM (CONTACT)
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SHAM CHARITIES: My mother-in-law, Vivian De Lapa, has been dead almost a year, but she still gets mail from charities, some highly dubious. One appeal just arrived, begging for money in God’s name on behalf of hungry children. What the letter didn’t say was that the director’s salary was $153,797.
Couldn’t the bleeding heart survive on just half the pay and devote the rest to those starving kids he claims to care about so much?
Another letter was from the United States Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, claiming to aid the courageous men and women in law enforcement. But did the nonprofit’s executive director need to pull down a salary of $171,000, along with $88,000 for the finance officer? Couldn’t they squeeze by with maybe half the $259,000 and devote the rest to their mission of “Serving the needs of county law enforcement nationwide”?
On the Beat
Checking with the outstanding online watchdog Charity Navigator (charitynavigator.org), I found that some sham charities collect millions of dollars but only fork over a very small percentage to the cause they are supposedly representing, and that some who run nonprofits find great profit in high salaries.
Fake charities often have names that induce the gullible to write checks to outfits that sound like they help crippled children, disabled vets, or law enforcement. The Federal Trade Commission recently cracked down on three fundraisers in Santa Ana. These groups — the American Veterans Relief Foundation, the Coalition of Police & Sheriffs, and the Disabled Firefighters Fund — raised $19 million from 2005-2008 but only turned over 5 percent to legitimate charities, the commission said. Most of the money raised went to telemarketers, into the pockets of company executives and staffers, and to pay for trips to Hawai‘i and Las Vegas. The groups were fined $19 million but don’t have to pay the fine because all the money is apparently gone.
William Rose, president of the American Veterans Relief Foundation, took in $1.2 million last year but only devoted $92,000 to its stated mission of being “A friend to the veteran.” The rest went to “expenses.”
To give you an idea of who’s behind some of these schemes, the three Santa Ana groups were founded by a guy later indicted for mail fraud and money laundering. He fled and is still at large, the L.A. Times reported. Previously, he spent six years in prison for attempting to hire a hit man to kill his father and a former business associate.
The Coalition Against Breast Cancer raised $1,555,000 but could only eke out $196,666 for “awareness programs.” Its three top officers were paid almost that much, a total of $146,500.
David C. Thelen is listed as chief financial officer of the Committee for Missing Children, and Karen Thelen is board secretary. Together, they’re paid $123,000. The nonprofit collected nearly $3 million in 2007, but only $300,002 went to searching for missing children, according to Charity Navigator.
The message here is to give only to organizations well known for legitimate fundraising. And if you want to donate to law enforcement and firefighting groups, donate to local ones, unless you’re sure your money is going to the right place.
Inland-based police charity sued, accused of fraud
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10:00 PM PDT on Friday, May 29, 2009
By JOHN ASBURY
The Press-Enterprise
A police charity organization in San Bernardino County is among a dozen charities and 17 telemarketing companies sued by the California attorney general's office Friday, accusing officials of fraudulently seeking donations for police officers.
The California Organization of Police and Sheriffs, which is based in Ontario and represents officers throughout the state, is accused of misappropriating $25 million in donations that were intended for police officers' families, bulletproof vests and youth mentoring, according to a statement by California Attorney General Jerry Brown's office.
The attorney general's office characterized the organization as "one of the worst offenders," arguing that several hundred thousand residents statewide were exploited by its telemarketing and donation campaigns.
An attorney for the organization declined to comment.
The lawsuit seeks to dismantle the charity and prevent the directors from operating a charity again.
State authorities said the organization sought donations for bulletproof vests; to make grants to the families of officers killed or injured while on duty; to supply veterinary aid to police service animals; and to mentor at-risk children.
Of the $30 million raised from 2005 to 2007, all but about $5 million went toward fundraising costs, according to the attorney general's office.
Records indicated no money was spent on police armor or families of officers, officials said. During that time, $6,600 was spent on veterinary treatment and $16,500 was spent on youth mentoring.
The suit argues that the charity conspired to defraud donors and used false and misleading information to elicit donations.
The suit was among eight filed throughout the state against other police, firefighter and veterans charity organizations accused of similar activity. Charity lawsuits were also filed Friday in 48 other states as part of a nationwide sweep called "Operation False Charity."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2009 back
Washington state officials bust up stingy “badge charities”
JOINT RELEASE:
WASHINGTON ATTORNEY GENERAL ROB MCKENNA
AND SECRETARY OF STATE SAM REED
Defendants claimed to help police, firefighters and veterans
SEATTLE – Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna and Secretary of State Sam Reed are slinging their pistols – figuratively speaking -- at lawless “badge charities.” The state officials joined the Federal Trade Commission, state enforcement agencies and AARP Washington in announcing a nationwide crackdown on fraudulent charitable solicitors claiming to help police, firefighters and veterans.
Dubbed Operation False Charity, the sweep includes local and national enforcement actions and outreach initiatives.
“Operation False Charity is about sounding the siren on the phonies, cheapskates and outlaws,” McKenna said. “We’re policing those who claim to be raising money for cops, firefighters and veterans but aren’t being honest.
“Just because someone says they are raising money for veterans or police does not mean every dollar you give will go toward those deserving causes,” said Reed. “Some solicitors will return very little – or nothing at all – to the charity they claim to be representing. That’s why it’s so important to know who is taking your donations, and how that money will be spent.”
ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS
The Washington Attorney General’s Office uses its civil enforcement authority to stop deceptive fundraising practices and enforce a state law that requires charities register with the Secretary of State’s Office. The office announced today the following cases:
COMMUNITY SUPPORT, INC.: The Milwaukee-based fundraiser must substantially change its business practices under an agreement reached with the Washington Attorney General’s Office and 30 other attorneys general.
“Community Support is anything but supportive,” McKenna said. “We allege the fundraiser misrepresented how donations were spent while keeping almost every dime for its own use.”
Community Support, Inc., solicits funds from consumers in nearly every state on behalf of more than 35 charities. The states accused the company of suggesting more money would go to the charity or be spent locally, that its callers were law enforcement officers or veterans and that individuals had made pledges. The company was also blamed for making harassing calls.
According to records at the Washington Secretary of State’s Office, Community Support returned 12 percent of its total contributions to charity clients in 2008.
Community Support did not admit any wrongdoing but agreed to pay $200,000 to the states to cover the costs of the investigation and lawsuit; Washington’s share is $8,000. The settlement requires penalties if the company fails to comply with the terms. Washington’s version of the settlement and complaint will be filed in King County Superior Court.
Hear a fraudulent pitch, copy and paste this link to your browser
http://www.state.ia.us/government/ag/latest_news/releases/may_2009/State_Police_Officers_Council%202_2_09%20(edit).mp3
Today, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and several state governments announced concerns about solicitations made by police, firefighter, and veterans’ organizations. Dubbed “Operation False Charity,” the FTC and 48 state governments filed more than 75 suits in court today to combat the misleading fundraising practices used by some police, fire, and veterans’ organizations around the country.
BBB is no stranger to the solicitations used by these organizations. More than 130,000 calls are received by BBB each year from across the nation on police, fire, and veterans’ charities. Some of these organizations represent that police, fire, or veterans operate the organization or represent that the majority of money collected will support these brave men and women when this is not the case. Such organizations are the target of Operation False Charity.
If you have received a solicitation for a police, fire, or veterans’ organization, we’d like to hear from you. Call us at (513) 421-3015 to tell us your story.
May 20, 2009 - For immediate release:
Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office Files Lawsuits Against Two Charities and Four Professional Solicitors
AG Joins Federal Regulators in Warning Consumers About Fraudulent Fundraising for Military and Police Charities
BOSTON – Today, as federal regulators in Washington D.C. warned consumers about fraudulent charitable solicitors claiming to help individuals, firefighters, and veterans, Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office has filed two separate lawsuits against two charities and four professional solicitors for their alleged involvement in fundraising campaigns that misled potential donors into believing their charities were benefiting local veterans and local law enforcement personnel. The lawsuits allege the professional solicitors working on these campaigns failed to disclose to potential donors their status as professional fundraisers who are paid by charitable organizations to solicit the public for donations. The Attorney General’s Office is seeking restitution and civil penalties in both of these lawsuits.
In addition to filing these lawsuits Wednesday, the Attorney General’s Office joined the Federal Trade Commission, 48 states and the District of Columbia to announce “Operation False Charity,” a federal-state effort aimed at helping consumers recognize and avoid charitable solicitation fraud. Fraudulent solicitors preying upon the good will of donors misrepresent who they are and what they do with the funds they raise, often picking the most popular charitable causes, such as support for veterans, police, firefighters and their families, to most effectively obtain dollars from sympathetic-minded individuals.
“Given today’s economic climate, charitable organizations are already struggling to secure funding for their missions through donations,” said Attorney General Martha Coakley. “Fraudulent solicitors not only take money away from legitimate organizations, but they also undermine the public's confidence in legitimate charitable fundraising. Fortunately, through some simple research and good common sense, donors can prevent much of this fraud, and ensure that donated funds go to support the worthy causes, rather than unscrupulous individuals.”
The Attorney General’s Office filed two separate actions today in Suffolk Superior Court against four professional solicitors and the two charities they fundraised for. The first action alleges that Our American Veterans, a Georgia-based organization; its president, Sydney Young; and its professional fundraiser, Golden State Marketing, Inc., a Delaware corporation with offices located in New Bedford, engaged in deceptive solicitation practices in violation of state Consumer Protection laws. The complaint alleges that the defendants misled donors into believing that fundraisers were calling on behalf of veterans groups based in Hingham and Hull and that their donations would benefit veterans in those communities. The complaint further alleges that the defendants failed to disclose their status as professional fundraisers, and failed to honor requests to discontinue its solicitation campaign to raise funds for disabled and indigent veterans. A preliminary injunction hearing has been scheduled in this case for June 9, 2009.
In the second action filed in court, the Attorney General’s Office alleges that Disabled Police Officers Counseling Center, Inc., a Florida-based charity; its president, Terry Morrison; and its professional fundraisers, Patrick Kane, doing business as the Kane Marketing Group, Mark Hemphill, doing business as Infiniti Marketing Firm, and James Vincent, doing business as Northeast Advertising, misled potential donors into believing that fundraisers were volunteers calling on behalf of local disabled police officers. The complaint also alleges that the defendants in this lawsuit did not disclose their status as professional fundraisers, did not disclose the charity’s Florida address, and did not file fundraising reports for their fundraising campaigns, all of which are required by law. A preliminary injunction hearing has been scheduled in this case for June 19, 2009.
Today, as part of "Operation False Charity," the FTC issued a series of consumer alerts that provide tips about charities that solicit donations on behalf of veterans and military families. The alerts can be found onthe agency's website at www.ftc.gov/charityfraud. Among other helpful tips, the alerts point out how many legitimate charities are soliciting donations to support the nation's military veterans, but not all "charities" are legitimate. Some are also operators whose only purpose is to make money for themselves. Others are paid fundraisers whose fees can use up most of your donation.
The Attorney General’s Office, through its Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division, is responsible for overseeing the public’s interest in the Commonwealth’s non-profit charitable organizations. Massachusetts general laws require public charities to register and file annual reports with the Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division of the Office of the Attorney General and copies of these reports are available to the public. The Public Charities Annual Filing Document Search allows the public to access these reports.
“With more information about charities now available on our website, donors have more tools to research a charity before they give,” Attorney General Coakley said. “We urge consumers to do their homework and ask questions before writing a check or donating online to their favorite cause.”
The Attorney General’s Office also has a tip sheet available online called Donating Dos and Don’ts: A Guide to Charitable Giving.
The two cases filed today are being handled by Assistant Attorney General Sandra Cardone of Attorney General Coakley’s Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division.
Food and drinks bring people together, and they've got to be affordable enough that local folks in the neighborhood can partake frequently, even weekly. Thoughtful (it doesn't have to be fancy) space design and ambience is important so that folks can gather comfortably or feel OK sitting alone to work. Outdoor seating like Soiree and Summit Coffee is a huge bonus. Green space with seating and shade for kids and adults to gather informally or for events would be a contribution the town could make - it exists already near town hall, but needs some more appeal.
I'd love to see the greenway development take off, and then perhaps with that focus on walking, running(and biking) a running shoe store might open to complement Cool Breeze Cyclery (which, as far as I can tell, really focuses on the bikes).
A sports bar with good, basic food (think Brickhouse in Davidson, Selwyn Ave. Pub in Charlotte, or Barley's Taproom in Asheville)would be great. No theme necessary, just TV's, beer, and a good menu.
I think one important element to establishing a stable retail and restaurant scene downtown is to recruit business-owners that know what they are doing (because they do it well in our region - like Joel's). I think a huge problem with downtown is that we get so many businesses that are not run well. I have no business experience, but I am an experienced consumer and it would seem to me that one should not open a business unless: 1)you know you have a market, (2) you are financially prepared to keep hours that consumers expect, (3) you are prepared to make yourself stand out in some way, and (4) you can create a loyal consumer base because you like people/are friendly/remember people's faces/have good expertise to share about your product.
Town manager recommends dissolving Cops for Kids
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Read the town manager's report about Cops for Kids
By Dana Baker | Mooresville Tribune
Published: June 19, 2009
MOORESVILLE - Mooresville's Town Manager recommends that the Cops for Kids program run by the former police chief be dissolved. Town Manager Steve Husemann also says the SBI's 10-month investigation into the charitable program "may be coming to a close."
While Husemann said he cannot share reports until the SBI is finished, he did say the probe will show
"There is no indication of wrong doing by anyone currently employed by the Town of Mooresville."
Husemann's comments were made during this week's town board meeting, with additional information released to the Tribune on Wednesday. Husemann told commissioners the update on Cops for Kids (CFK) was prepared at the request of Commissioner Miles Atkins and "is not the result of any new information."
"I just felt like an update was warranted," Atkins said of his request. He added that the town's private investigations concluded in January, but commissioners have not been allowed to look at those reports due to requests by the SBI.
"We paid for them. We should at least know something," said Atkins.
The SBI has not set a date for completion, but all findings will be turned over to the district attorney, who will determine if any action needs to be taken, Husemann said. He said he expects no impact on the town.
But the manager did say the town will make changes to ensure that problems that arose in its involvement with CFK don't occur with other charitable organizations. Husemann says those relationships, especially when they include sharing funds, need to be clearly defined.
Town employees were often involved in fund raising events and activities, even out of town trips, while assisting CFK with its mission of helping police officers connect with disadvantaged youth.
"It is not surprising residents have trouble separating Cops for Kids from the town," Husemann wrote in his report, describing "too much inter-relationship between the organizations."
As a first step, Husemann recommends authorizing the Secretary of State to dissolve the CFK Corporation with proceeds transferred according to state laws.
With no access to CFK's current financial records, Husemann can't give a total of CFK's holdings, but he does say, "The money is in a checking account and not benefitting anyone at this time."
A second step the town will take is to create a system of checks and balances between the chief of police and town manager when using Federal Drug Asset Forfeiture Funds, Husemann said. This is money recovered from criminal activities that is turned over to towns after prosecution is complete.
In the past, the chief of police supervised the fund, but in the future expenditures will also need to be approved by the town manager.
Former Police Chief John Crone is accused of improperly using $4,862 in forfeiture funds to purchase plane tickets for a youth trip to New York. He was fired in August, a month after being suspended with pay amid an investigation into his management of the Cops for Kids program and an unrelated lawsuit filed by a former employee.
Crone has appealed his termination. No decision has been made yet on his appeal.
Despite the tainted history of CFK and the recommendation for its dissolution, the goals of the organization are ones the town still values, Atkins said.
"I hope there will be other opportunities where the police department and the town can work with youth to build a greater rapport," he said.
Husemann agreed. "Positive events should not be discarded in an effort to purge difficult financial arrangements," he said, adding that what is needed is proper oversight of those activities.
I put it there on behalf of someone and if you two don't like it, kiss my ass and ignore it, unlike you two, I have a job, get one yourselves instead of talking about what jobs others should create for you. Get off your ass, get out there in the world and start a business.
No need for you two to respond, I have to go to work now, maybe someday you will too. Get yourselves a better life. The one you have is not working too well.
Seems the clock is ticking again...Someone save us from Tic Toc and his endless rants.
Tic Toc has woke up and will now be putting all his worthless mess on the site..having nothing that the public except for him and a couple of other idiots like to read.
Apparently his friend does not know how to spell or write if they couldn't put it on themselves.
Tic Toe and his friend must be from West Va.
What are you talking about?
Famous West Virginians
George Brett baseball player, Glendale
Pearl S. Buck author, Hillsboro
Phyllis Curtin soprano, Clarksburg
Joanne Dru actress, Logan
Thomas Stonewall Jackson Confederate general, Clarksburg
John S. Knight publisher, Bluefield
Don Knotts actor, Morgantown
Peter Marshall TV host, Huntington
Kathy Mattea country music, South Charleston
Alfred Moore jurist, Molinosville
Mary Lou Retton gymnast, Fairmont
Walter Reuther labor leader, Wheeling
Eleanor Steber soprano, Wheeling
Lewis L. Strauss naval officer and scientist, Charleston
Cyrus Vance government official, Clarksburg
Chuck Yeager test pilot and Air Force general, Myra
Steve Yeager baseball player, Huntington
The ability to cut and paste has no correlation with either intelligence or relativity to the topic area being discussed. It does seem to show an inability of independent and critical thinking when all you are able to do is regurgitate the writings and thoughts of others.
I'm not the one that wrote the part about West Va. I do have a question, have they started putting floors in the houses? or are do they still have dirt floors there in the Berkley area?
hello... hapi blogging... have a nice day! just visiting here....
Habitat for Humanity does some very good work in our State and there are people who need floors and roofs and a lot of help and support in both W.Va and NC. So if you want to make it up to my son and your brothers in arms in W.Va who when the tough get going will always have your backs. To death do us part, right?
Then to make up for it, make a 5 or 10 dollar donation to help Habitat for Humanity build someone in need that floor. The least you can do is kick in a 2x4 right.
http://www.habitatwv.org/
Glad you asked and no hard feelings brothers.
Liberty Park/War Memorial
This is not directly about downtown but it could possibly I think could have some bearing on people coming downtown.
The grounds between the War Memorial and Liberty Park are in terrible shape. There is not enough room there to have a picnic of any size and a place for a family gathering. The bushes are all grown up and bushy and the trees have so many low hanging branches that you cannot even see but a few feet from one area to another.
In the past the banks were kept mowed and the trees trimmed and it was a wonderful place to take your family and go have family time together. Now you can't because of how it is grown up.
The past few times it was fixed nice was by the National Guard,Inmates, or Community groups such as Jaycees or others. Kids use to go and play on slippery rock(now you can barely see it because of all the growth). Kids use to like to play in the creek and look for crayfish and tadpoles but again you can't even get close to it.
The area between the picnic area and the childrens play ground area used to also be well kept and free of obstruction. It would be very easy for someone to hide just a few feet from the area and mess with or abduct a child and no one would notice or could not see it happen.
The Recreation Director apparently does not care about this she is just abiding her time till time to retire. The so called Assistant Town Manager who draws (why we will ever know) a salary in excess of $100,000.00 a year goes by there each day on his way to work and back home. He is the one that is over this department and also the new City Manager I doubt even knows that there is a park there because he stays in his office all the time and most likely does not care either.
There is more for recreation other than fields and sport complexes. People also like to have a place to go and relax and just enjoy the peace and quiet of nature.
I wuld encourage everyone just to ride by and look at this mess that Smith,McKensize, and the Town has created.
I would hope that Miles will look into this and get the place cleaned up and kept up. He is the only commissioner with the guts to speak and get things done.
Now if the area was well kept maybe people will come downtown and shop and the go to the park for family time or go there first then go in the downtown area.
Thanks and I would hope that you too will see that this gets done.
Just so you will know there is another famous person from West Virginia and he lives in Mooresville.
RANDY MARION...THE KING OF PRICE
Just looked at Liberty Park area. You are right it looks terrible and it needs a lot of work done one it. Maybe the town can get community service workers to clean it up. Someone needs to take hold and get this done because you can bet that Erskine and Wanda will not
how about you do something and go clean it up
Damn Erskine..I didn't know you could be up at 12:58AM..guess when you don't work you can stay up as late as you want.
I apologize for going off topic...but it is one of my favorite subjects....
Perhaps a field trip will explain why MI Connection isn't making their overly optimistic budget!
http://davidsonnews.net/2009/07/08/town-officials-head-to-va-to-meet-with-cable-operator/#more-19100
Kinda quiet in here. Where's Jaime, our rabble rouser? Is everything in Town in such good shape that nothing deserves a good poke?
CMO for Mayor? What a joke!!!! What is a "CMO" anyway? I was hoping for a serious candidate. My apologies for changing the topic.
Jammie come back we miss you
never heard of CMO where did you hear it or what is it...any way any thing is better then the a..hole we now have for mayor
He's not any better. Chris Montgomery is his name.
How do you get CMO out of Chris Montgomery? I do not know him but you can rest assured that he is probably better than the stupid A hole we have there now. Don't know Chris,but he will get our vote.
Isn't it great that we're ready to vote for someone just because they aren't our current mayor?
Chris....I hope we get to hear where you stand on the issues.....though, in all likelihood, you have my vote because I hate to vote none of the above. I sure couldn't vote for Mayor McCable.
God help us then. Chris is a total goof. NOT Mayor material!
Come on Thunberg, quit making remarks about the man running against you.
We have needed God's help ever since your ass has been in office listening to people like Rader and Hedrring.
Where is the muck raking we have come to expect? Is everything now wonderful in Mooresville?
No body will say anything or get something started. Nothing will be wonderful in Mooresville as long as we have the same a hole mayor and his idiots setting along with him.
Someone must have been scared or bought off! Even Vic and the hell raising preacher have gone speechless. I guess they are happy with what they were given to go silent.
Guess that Jamies Mother's business is doing great, the a hole has his business next door and he sends her business and now she is quiet.
So now I'm taking bribes? Didn't know there was anything else to comment on at the moment -- but if you need someone to lead you in a discussion -- let's see -- we could talk about this quote from the Tribune: "Commissioner Atkins also stated at the meeting his concern that MI-Connection cable company was not making monthly reports to the town board. Mayor Bill Thunberg suggested commissioners form a review committee that will meet regularly with MI-C board members to facilitate better communication."
I don't read it that way Rev. I take it to wonder why everyone is quiet now. Nothing has changed still the sorry bunch of leaders that we have been stuck with and unless we all get out and work for the two that are running we will be in this same old scene for two more years. Like or don't like the two that are running we need change. These two I think will at least listen and do WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT,not what Rader and Thunberg and Abraham want.
Lets get the public stirred up and get new faces this year and more new faces in two more years.
So sounds to me like we need to do what I suggested several months ago and organize ourselves to support the "new" faces and help them get elected and get some fresh blood in those leadership positions. Rader is absolutely not fit to be in his position, and I don't think the Mayor is capable of fulfilling his role. Now, how we go about organizing is an entirely different question. Any thoughts.
Just to start something new - does everyone know that the great Erskine Smith is bragging to all around the golf course that he is going to spene around 15 million to upgrade the course this coming year?
Who's Erskine Smith?
What is spene?
a good golf course is not cheap
Attention everyone - we are in deep do-do just noticed that the town manager is out for a lengthy time and guess who is in charge? FAIL SAFE SMITH OF COURSE. We are down the tubes!
It would seem you people want to play with me some more, so now, how about I just attack the shit out of all of you. Its time to play hardball, here I come after your political fundraising. I know a thing or two about that as well. How about I drop one or two of your political asses to start off with.
Arrest Crone and Redmond right now under 14-100, you think I am going to let you get away with this. Not a chance!
To all state supreme courts, I am going to do my best to level what you missed. I did not commit this crime, and since you think you are going to walk away without charging them and taking my information to sue all these people. You can forget it, I want them arrested right now. Both match perfectly to what you charged me with, so charge them. I am going to force the issue. They are history.
Are you sure you still want to play with me. Come get me, and when you do, I will fry your bullshit asses. How are you going to have a moron who has never even run a business investigate me and you are believing them. So here we go. Lets have some fun, the laws no longer apply as I am no longer an American Citizen and my only way out is death. So come on, lets play.
Its time to play another game, this one is called I dont give a shit
You have 24 hours to arrest me or them, but either way, they will not walk, I will not let them. The law you charged me with is still on the books, and I am coming to enforce it. straight to the Federal Supreme Court. Lets play.
To the Federal Supreme Court, I am sick of this shit, your crooked ass cops have screwed the pooch on this one, I am coming, we are no longer going to the North Carolina Supreme Court, I am coming directly to your house. You people are going to protect the US constitution and I dont care what your job title is, I will fry anyone who thinks they are not, you stole my country from me, and now I am going to teach you all a lesson. Let me tell you something, if I get a wild hair up my ass I will put my people to work doing police fundraising and I am going to open the largest fundraising office you have ever seen and I will proceed to "raise" legally 1 billion dollars and I am going to pocket 999 million of it, which I will use to attack the shit out of the state of north carolina for what they are doing. Now if that seem acceptable to you then by all means, let them continue to screw me.
My suggestion to you is to fix this shit, because they have chosen not to talk to the only other person that knows what I was doing and it had nothing to do with charity fraud.
I wont be going away this time, my people are going to start to pop up all over the county and pop these crooks off, what do you think an army of people like me can do? Are you sure you want to keep playing this game with me? YOU ARE NOT PROTECTING THE CONSTITUTION< YOU ARE PROTECTING CROOKED COPS!!!!!! AND I AM NOT HAVING IT!!
This is not a fight you should be wanting to have with me in public! But your dumbasses are choosing to do so. More stupidity from the peanut gallery.
You know what I am, but you dont know it all yet and I cant wait for you to find out. Attempt to silence me now including through arrest and you violate the 1st amendment SPEECH RELIGION PRESS AND ASSOCIATION but by now you should be pretty good at it because it wont be the first time will it?
If somehow I am wrong about any or all of this, you better tell me quick because you dont have much time till politicians go to prison with me.
You dont seem to understand what I can do to you all so who should I use as an example first?
I have no problem dragging the State of North Carolina kicking and screaming into the real Supreme Court, coincidently that would be the only 9 people in the country that can now tell me that either what I did was illegal or what RedCrone did was not.
And before you go thinking you know anything about me or who I worked for keep this in mind, I did not work for who you think I did. You know nothing and you never will. But I will be happy to tell the Supreme Court if they ask.
Who peed in your corn flakes?
I'm new to this area and have heard about this blog and since I have been here nothing very interesting has been on it. To the person above who wrote all the things could please give a quick over view of what you are talking about. It's obivious you are upset or very mad , but what has caused you to get this upset.
Thanks
You need to email Jaime and she will tell me what is going on before I get started because I have decided who to make an example of already.
If you have not screwed me as it appears you have, no shit, you better tell me because 17000 reporters are about to find out about this blog and what you have done.
Not to mention tens of thousands of Clergy are going to find out what you have done as well.
Who do you think those two groups are going to side with if for no other reason then they will want an answer as to how you did this to a member of both and got away with it.
So talk to Jaime or call me up, or better yet, go talk to the person I want you to talk to, I am sure you got my number anyway.
But do it quick or the fun begins all over the country
Jamie, stop deleting my posts
sorry, please
Yea, Smith is going to be running the town again -- I guess the golf course will move ahead faster than anticipated.
BTW, I hope you have been following the towns proposed annexation of the area on Bluefield Road. The town wants to tax those folks $4100 per acre to cover the cost of the bridge over I-77. Carney told these folks that it would never happen -- but somehow I don't think he has the ability to back up that promise. If we don't support them the town will do the same to others whom they choose to annex and use these new special laws.
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