6. The Mayor has removed the Commissioners from their rightful, individual workspaces, and no longer provides a meeting space for Commissioners; just a workspace for himself. The Mayor continues to be uncooperative and hostile towards the Commission. He has openly said he won’t work with us; and his actions have demonstrated that he refuses to try to find common ground to work together on for the residents of Benton Harbor. Instead, in an unprecedented action, has misused the office of the Mayor to openly represent other special interests found in the Benton Harbor Leadership Caucus. This is inappropriate as most members are related to him, the boss of someone related to him, or don’t even reside in the city of Benton Harbor. This is not how we want our mayor to represent us. These actions, along with others which we do not have the time to present, are not the type of conduct the people of Benton Harbor expect from their Mayor. We are willing to meet the Mayor on common ground and move forward together. However, Mayor Hightower must demonstrate he is willing to attend to the needs of all the citizens of Benton Harbor, not just his circle of special interest supporters.
Thursday, June 07, 2012
Marcus Robinson (& Whirlpool) controlled mayor is censured
TEXT OF CENSURE RESOLUTION The following material is the full text of the resolution to censure Benton Harbor Mayor James Hightower, as presented by City Commissioner Trenton Bowens in Monday's meeting: We the Benton Harbor City Commission, duly and fairly elected by the residents of Benton Harbor, present this censure on James Hightower, Mayor of Benton Harbor. We present this censure to display our disapproval of the mayor’s dismal leadership, non-inclusive self-serving behavior, and continued poor decision making. As Commissioners, we take great care to serve the residents of Benton Harbor who elected us to work together for the betterment and future of Benton Harbor, and to faithfully uphold the oath of office entrusted to us. It is a great responsibility, and we are united and determined to move forward together for the benefit of the city. As Commissioners, we are not bickering or fighting among one other. We are united and want positive progress, and we are ready to do the heavy lifting required by our office. However, the voices and best interests of the people of Benton Harbor, are being altogether silenced and ignored by the ego of the mayor and other interests his actions are directly influenced by. Since taking office, Mayor Hightower has demonstrated a glaring incompetence as it relates to the inclusion of all elected officials in the democratic process. His leadership has been impotent and divisive. The Emergency Manager law shouldn’t be used as a reason for the Mayor to not perform his duties as an elected official. Listed below are some of the reasons we the Commissioners present this censure of Mayor Hightower:
1. The Mayor has repeatedly delayed the $200,000 dollar Whirlpool donation because the Commissioners do not want to use the entire donation towards a swimming pool that directly benefits one of the Mayor’s own family members. The Commission; to include Mayor Pro-Tem Henderson; support using the donation to help fund multiple programs in Benton Harbor. We’d like to thank Mayor Pro-Tem Henderson for her high-level of professionalism and insight into where the delay lies throughout this process.
2. The Mayor has demanded no specific answers from the Emergency Manager as to the individual cost associated with the skyrocketing of water prices on the residents of Benton Harbor. Clearly the people are affected, yet he simply points the finger to the past, instead of seeking current solutions to aid residents with rising costs. The same bad water policies set in place by the Emergency Manager that sold the water lines to Benton Township, are the same Emergency Manager water polices that have led to the city being sued by that very same Township in about two years’ time. Water bills have become staggering to residents, yet the Mayor hasn’t asked any substantial questions that we can note; and still supports these policies of current EM.
3. Mayor Hightower attempts to operate as mayor of Benton Harbor, as if he were an elected Emergency Manager. That is not inclusive government. Instead of taking the decisions presented and passed by the other eight elected officials of the Commission to the Emergency Manger as a decision to be considered; he routinely disregards nearly all Commissioner inputs and decisions. He does whatever he wants in the name of the Mayor’s office; on behalf of the City of Benton Harbor; in the community and behind closed doors without consultation from the Commission. This puts the entire city at grave risk of potential conflict of interest troubles in the future behind solely his actions.
4. Since taking office, residents of Benton Harbor have lost their lives whose cases still remain unsolved. Shootings are heard more often than before. The Mayor hasn’t asked one question of note to the Emergency Manager as it relates to public safety concerns of the progress on solving those cases and the community impact caused by reduction of the city’s police force.
5. The Mayor has been grossly negligent in his duties by not appointing nor recommending appointments of elected commissioners over city-required committees or sub-committees. There is no information sharing, democratic inclusion, or elected official oversight on any actions done on behalf of the City by anyone. The lack of appreciation of the need for that oversight that mayor in turn has been highlighted by the city failing an audit, out of control water bills, and the improper attempt of selling and terminating city assets such as the city’s radio station. The mayor has made no effort to solicit ways to enhance and improve the radio station for the benefit of the residents of Benton Harbor.
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Whirlpool is a major recipient of corporate welfare
This is not new information, but it's good to see it reported on TV:
federal taxes and received a refund of $64 million.
Whirlpool received $19 billion in federal stimulus funds and then closed
plants in the U.S., including the one in Benton Harbor MI."
----Democracy Now, 5/10/12
Whirlpool Falls to Levels Below Book Value
INVESTING
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6/04/2012
In trading on Monday, shares of Whirlpool Corp (NYSE: WHR) crossed below their last reported book value — defined as common shareholder equity per share — of $56.56, changing hands as low as $55.82 per share. Whirlpool Corp shares are currently trading down about 3.4% on the day. The chart below shows the one year performance of WHR shares, versus its 50 and 200 day moving averages:
Looking at the chart above, WHR’s low point in its 52 week range is $45.22 per share, with $82.99 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $55.81.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/dividendchannel/2012/06/04/whirlpool-falls-to-levels-below-book-value/
Monday, June 04, 2012
ANOTHER Benton Harbor man found dead, floating in the Lake
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Sunday, June 03, 2012
Criticisms of Harbor Shores golf course
Here are some highlights from a recent Herald Palladium article:
Hal Sutton also missed the cut, and he walked away complaining about the greens.
Bernhard Langer initially called the green complexes among the worst he's seen, toned back the criticism to saying "some" of the greens were a bit severe...
Hale Irwin, who at 66 years old was one of the oldest players in the field, saw the difficulty of the greens but refused to be bothered by them and went on to finish third. "These greens, they can be maddening, there's no doubt about it...
http://www.heraldpalladium.com/articles/2012/05/29/sports/10143671.txt
Saturday, June 02, 2012
10 reasons why Emergency Manager Joe Harris should be immediately fired
This is a field study explaining 10 reasons why Emergency Manager Joe Harris is a dismal failure.
10. Inaccurate & deceitful communications: Mr. Harris has repeatedly proclaimed in public meetings, the media, to elected leaders, staff and to State Officials that the City of Benton Harbor had a “Balanced Budget & Cash Surplus”. The 2011 Audit recently revealed that the City actually had a budget deficit of approximately $565,000 dollars under Mr. Harris’ leadership in 2011. Meanwhile city contractors and/or vendors are not being paid in a timely fashion. Mr. Harris has either (A) intentionally deceived the citizens and stake holders or (B) he confirmed his ignorance regarding the true fiscal condition of the City which confirms his incompetence.
9. City Sued Due to Non-Payment: Mr. Harris negotiated and executed a very poor contract with Benton Township without input or conversation with city executive senior staff, elected leaders or key community stake holders and/or customers. The contract (A) forfeited in excess of three hundred thousand dollars of receivables due to the City of Benton Harbor from Benton Township while (B) agreeing to make monthly payments to the Township that are not fiscally cost prohibitive based upon water revenues. Mr. Harris signed this agreement and accepted a settlement of approximately $300,000 dollars for a debt owed of more than $700,000. He denied the monies were owned then agreed to a meeting with Benton Township officials to discuss the matter and at that meeting it was disclosed that Mr. Harris had settled the matter for less than fifty cents on a dollar. It was also disclosed that he accepted and deposited a check from Benton Township that he did not remember. All of this occurred while the Emergency Manager failed to increase the water rates in a timely manner as required according to the City’s State Bond Agreement. Benton Township is now suing for the unpaid portion of this terribly suspect contract.
8. Gross Fiduciary Negligence: Mr. Harris failed to exercise the City’s rights under the terms and conditions of the HUD 105 Business Development Loan program contract to collect the nearly $500,000 dollars in loan defaults accrued by three companies. Mr. Harris failed to take any legal remedy to collect the unpaid loans while agreeing to a settlement to pay the defaulted loan balances back to the federal government 100% plus interest and penalties. As per the HUD contract Mr. Harris could have (A) sued the default companies, (B) placed liens on the company’s property. There were other legal remedies available under Michigan state law that Mr. Harris could have yet refused to pursue. Consequently because of Mr. Harris’ negligence these companies were able to liquidate and sale real property and other assets and keep 100% of the proceeds without repaying a single dollar to the City of Benton Harbor on what is still a pending outstanding obligation. One of the companies sold property to Cornerstone Alliance for an amount sufficient to repay the City the outstanding 105 loan balance in full.
7. Wasteful spending: Mr. Harris has unilaterally decided to squander limited city resources during this fiscal crisis on frivolous and unnecessary items such as (1) I love Benton Harbor souvenir cups and T-Shirts, (2) Ice Rinks, (3) Ice skates, (4) unused vehicles, (5) furniture, (6) remodeling, (7) playground equipment (8) water fountains, (9) excessive raises and salary increases and much more. All though Mr. Harris is required by law to provide financial reports regularly City officials have been unable to secure any aging reports that substantiate or confirm the magnitude and/or depth of the wasteful spending and delinquent bill payment. Mr. Harris refusal to comply with Public Act 4 and provide the types of period and critical financial reports is completely unacceptable and a clear abuse of power.
6. Negligent Management of NSP Grant Funding: Prior to Mr. Harris’ arrival the City was the recipient of a NSP grant of nearly $4 million dollars. NSP was created to (A) clean up blighted neighborhoods, (B) stimulate local & minority small business contracting and (C) housing development and (D) create jobs under the HUD Section 3 program. Mr. Harris abdicated, relinquished and/or forfeited the City’s moral and contract obligations to Harbor Shores, Cornerstone Alliance and/or Michigan Works. These three entities are amongst the City’s wealthiest and most privileged people and/or companies in Benton Harbor and surely were not the type of people or organizations NSP was intended to help. Mr. Harris placed the City grant in a “use it or lose it” situation regarding the NSP funding by failing to administer, implement and obligate the grant funds in a timely manner. Consequently at the zero hour the decision was made to grant the funds to the wealthy and to complete Harbor Town and the Fire House developments both owned and managed by Corner Stone Alliance. Neither project is expected to produce any meaningful sustainable jobs or any significant affordable housing for the City of Benton Harbor or it’s residents.
5. The Closing of 200 Paw Paw (Carl Brown Economic Development Center): It is unconscionable that during the biggest economic boom the City of Benton Harbor has seen in 50 years the city economic development center and incubator is closed. There were more than one dozen small, local, minority businesses prepared to lease 100% of the facility. The city is able to provide Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to each small business sufficient to cover their annual budgeted rent requirements for the year thus making the facility operationally and fiscally viable. Therefore the City had the ability to incubate businesses, create jobs and sustain the operations of 200 Paw Paw 100% with city CDBG grant funding yet Mr. Harris chose to close the facility and the opportunities it represent for locals. It is a travesty that Mr. Harris has closed the center and it now sits dark in the midst of incredible business and job development opportunities emerging in the City. Current citizens of Benton Harbor that have weathered the difficult economic times deserve to opportunities to prosper from the city’s renaissance deserve the benefits of the Carl Brown Business Development Center.
4. Failure to secure Community Benefits Package (CBP) grant funding: Not only has Mr. Harris failed to secure what is now $400,000 (2 years) of CBP grant funding he has antagonized both the elected leaders and Whirlpool corporate executives (the Corporate Grant Donors) in the process. The big losers in this one are the youth of Benton Harbor. Mr. Harris simply refuses to discuss or negotiate with the elected leaders and therefore once again the CHILDREN go without.
3. Political liability and antagonism: Mr. Harris is condescending and confrontational in his communication style which has alienated critical elected leaders, corporate leaders, tax payers and other key stake holders in Berrien County. Mr. Harris has fueled a new era in Benton Harbor’s fiscal and cultural isolation. The most recent evidence of his alienating and antagonist style is his refusal to participate in the Berrien County CEO monthly meetings. This forum is not only a critical exchange of ideas and/or resources it is an opportunity to mend the social fiber of local municipal governments. Mr. Harris has caused the relationships with other municipal leaders and elected officials in Berrien County to become strain divisive and counterproductive.
10. Inaccurate & deceitful communications: Mr. Harris has repeatedly proclaimed in public meetings, the media, to elected leaders, staff and to State Officials that the City of Benton Harbor had a “Balanced Budget & Cash Surplus”. The 2011 Audit recently revealed that the City actually had a budget deficit of approximately $565,000 dollars under Mr. Harris’ leadership in 2011. Meanwhile city contractors and/or vendors are not being paid in a timely fashion. Mr. Harris has either (A) intentionally deceived the citizens and stake holders or (B) he confirmed his ignorance regarding the true fiscal condition of the City which confirms his incompetence.
9. City Sued Due to Non-Payment: Mr. Harris negotiated and executed a very poor contract with Benton Township without input or conversation with city executive senior staff, elected leaders or key community stake holders and/or customers. The contract (A) forfeited in excess of three hundred thousand dollars of receivables due to the City of Benton Harbor from Benton Township while (B) agreeing to make monthly payments to the Township that are not fiscally cost prohibitive based upon water revenues. Mr. Harris signed this agreement and accepted a settlement of approximately $300,000 dollars for a debt owed of more than $700,000. He denied the monies were owned then agreed to a meeting with Benton Township officials to discuss the matter and at that meeting it was disclosed that Mr. Harris had settled the matter for less than fifty cents on a dollar. It was also disclosed that he accepted and deposited a check from Benton Township that he did not remember. All of this occurred while the Emergency Manager failed to increase the water rates in a timely manner as required according to the City’s State Bond Agreement. Benton Township is now suing for the unpaid portion of this terribly suspect contract.
8. Gross Fiduciary Negligence: Mr. Harris failed to exercise the City’s rights under the terms and conditions of the HUD 105 Business Development Loan program contract to collect the nearly $500,000 dollars in loan defaults accrued by three companies. Mr. Harris failed to take any legal remedy to collect the unpaid loans while agreeing to a settlement to pay the defaulted loan balances back to the federal government 100% plus interest and penalties. As per the HUD contract Mr. Harris could have (A) sued the default companies, (B) placed liens on the company’s property. There were other legal remedies available under Michigan state law that Mr. Harris could have yet refused to pursue. Consequently because of Mr. Harris’ negligence these companies were able to liquidate and sale real property and other assets and keep 100% of the proceeds without repaying a single dollar to the City of Benton Harbor on what is still a pending outstanding obligation. One of the companies sold property to Cornerstone Alliance for an amount sufficient to repay the City the outstanding 105 loan balance in full.
7. Wasteful spending: Mr. Harris has unilaterally decided to squander limited city resources during this fiscal crisis on frivolous and unnecessary items such as (1) I love Benton Harbor souvenir cups and T-Shirts, (2) Ice Rinks, (3) Ice skates, (4) unused vehicles, (5) furniture, (6) remodeling, (7) playground equipment (8) water fountains, (9) excessive raises and salary increases and much more. All though Mr. Harris is required by law to provide financial reports regularly City officials have been unable to secure any aging reports that substantiate or confirm the magnitude and/or depth of the wasteful spending and delinquent bill payment. Mr. Harris refusal to comply with Public Act 4 and provide the types of period and critical financial reports is completely unacceptable and a clear abuse of power.
6. Negligent Management of NSP Grant Funding: Prior to Mr. Harris’ arrival the City was the recipient of a NSP grant of nearly $4 million dollars. NSP was created to (A) clean up blighted neighborhoods, (B) stimulate local & minority small business contracting and (C) housing development and (D) create jobs under the HUD Section 3 program. Mr. Harris abdicated, relinquished and/or forfeited the City’s moral and contract obligations to Harbor Shores, Cornerstone Alliance and/or Michigan Works. These three entities are amongst the City’s wealthiest and most privileged people and/or companies in Benton Harbor and surely were not the type of people or organizations NSP was intended to help. Mr. Harris placed the City grant in a “use it or lose it” situation regarding the NSP funding by failing to administer, implement and obligate the grant funds in a timely manner. Consequently at the zero hour the decision was made to grant the funds to the wealthy and to complete Harbor Town and the Fire House developments both owned and managed by Corner Stone Alliance. Neither project is expected to produce any meaningful sustainable jobs or any significant affordable housing for the City of Benton Harbor or it’s residents.
5. The Closing of 200 Paw Paw (Carl Brown Economic Development Center): It is unconscionable that during the biggest economic boom the City of Benton Harbor has seen in 50 years the city economic development center and incubator is closed. There were more than one dozen small, local, minority businesses prepared to lease 100% of the facility. The city is able to provide Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to each small business sufficient to cover their annual budgeted rent requirements for the year thus making the facility operationally and fiscally viable. Therefore the City had the ability to incubate businesses, create jobs and sustain the operations of 200 Paw Paw 100% with city CDBG grant funding yet Mr. Harris chose to close the facility and the opportunities it represent for locals. It is a travesty that Mr. Harris has closed the center and it now sits dark in the midst of incredible business and job development opportunities emerging in the City. Current citizens of Benton Harbor that have weathered the difficult economic times deserve to opportunities to prosper from the city’s renaissance deserve the benefits of the Carl Brown Business Development Center.
4. Failure to secure Community Benefits Package (CBP) grant funding: Not only has Mr. Harris failed to secure what is now $400,000 (2 years) of CBP grant funding he has antagonized both the elected leaders and Whirlpool corporate executives (the Corporate Grant Donors) in the process. The big losers in this one are the youth of Benton Harbor. Mr. Harris simply refuses to discuss or negotiate with the elected leaders and therefore once again the CHILDREN go without.
3. Political liability and antagonism: Mr. Harris is condescending and confrontational in his communication style which has alienated critical elected leaders, corporate leaders, tax payers and other key stake holders in Berrien County. Mr. Harris has fueled a new era in Benton Harbor’s fiscal and cultural isolation. The most recent evidence of his alienating and antagonist style is his refusal to participate in the Berrien County CEO monthly meetings. This forum is not only a critical exchange of ideas and/or resources it is an opportunity to mend the social fiber of local municipal governments. Mr. Harris has caused the relationships with other municipal leaders and elected officials in Berrien County to become strain divisive and counterproductive.
2. Fiscal Failures: Mr. Harris has had a multitude of fiscal failures since his arrival to Benton Harbor. The most recent and perhaps most significant was his failure to post the city tax millages on the November ballot for resident vote and approval. This error of omission will likely create an opportunity lost for the City of Benton Harbor in excess of a million dollars.
1. Failure to prepare and/or train local elected leaders to competently manage Benton Harbor: The number one reason Mr. Harris is clearly not the man for the City of Benton Harbor Emergency Manager position is based upon his well-publicized and absolute refusal to work with the City’s elected officials. How do you profess your desire to put the city back on solid fiscal ground and simultaneously refuse to work with the people tasked with sustaining the operations after your departure? Instead Mr. Harris has resorted to name calling, very public verbal chastising and a barrage of unprofessional insulting remarks to elected leaders and staff.
Engaging, training and supporting local elected leadership should be a mandatory responsibility of an EM. Bringing the local leadership to competency and consensus is on the City’s critical path to recovery.
Since Mr. Harris arrived in Benton Harbor the city operating deficit, list of unpaid payable and pension(s) plan deficits have increased significantly. Elected leaders, citizens and stakeholders are all getting less information than they ever have received from the city finance department. The information that has been received has proven to be largely false and/or inaccurate.
Several lawsuits and unpaid vendors have now surfaced. The staff morale is at an all-time low. Staff competency and training is nearly non-existent. Relationships with neighboring municipalities and corporate leaders have been severely strained. Public procurements and new hires processes in city government under Mr. Harris’ leadership have consistently violated state and federal regulation. Mr. Harris has manipulated public procurement and hiring by lowering standards and qualifications to justify his personal preferences and selections. Many qualified applicants and candidates for Senior Executive Staff positions have been ignored and/or rejected due to Mr. Harris’s personal preferences and willingness to put the city’s needs second or third to his personal desires and wishes.
If the officials in Lansing truly have Benton Harbor’s best interest at heart then they must remove Joe Harris immediately for negligence, false statements, federal & state procurement violations, increasing the budget deficit, failure to act on correcting the pension deficits and on and on.
Out of respect for the people of Benton Harbor and their elected leadership Mr. Harris should not be replaced by any individual the citizens and/or elected leaders have had the opportunity to meet and interview and/or approved in advance.
I am confident in the Governor and/or Treasurer’s ability to find a qualified individual that will meet City Commission approval or perhaps the City Commission can recommend individuals that the Governor can accept and approve.
1. Failure to prepare and/or train local elected leaders to competently manage Benton Harbor: The number one reason Mr. Harris is clearly not the man for the City of Benton Harbor Emergency Manager position is based upon his well-publicized and absolute refusal to work with the City’s elected officials. How do you profess your desire to put the city back on solid fiscal ground and simultaneously refuse to work with the people tasked with sustaining the operations after your departure? Instead Mr. Harris has resorted to name calling, very public verbal chastising and a barrage of unprofessional insulting remarks to elected leaders and staff.
Engaging, training and supporting local elected leadership should be a mandatory responsibility of an EM. Bringing the local leadership to competency and consensus is on the City’s critical path to recovery.
Since Mr. Harris arrived in Benton Harbor the city operating deficit, list of unpaid payable and pension(s) plan deficits have increased significantly. Elected leaders, citizens and stakeholders are all getting less information than they ever have received from the city finance department. The information that has been received has proven to be largely false and/or inaccurate.
Several lawsuits and unpaid vendors have now surfaced. The staff morale is at an all-time low. Staff competency and training is nearly non-existent. Relationships with neighboring municipalities and corporate leaders have been severely strained. Public procurements and new hires processes in city government under Mr. Harris’ leadership have consistently violated state and federal regulation. Mr. Harris has manipulated public procurement and hiring by lowering standards and qualifications to justify his personal preferences and selections. Many qualified applicants and candidates for Senior Executive Staff positions have been ignored and/or rejected due to Mr. Harris’s personal preferences and willingness to put the city’s needs second or third to his personal desires and wishes.
If the officials in Lansing truly have Benton Harbor’s best interest at heart then they must remove Joe Harris immediately for negligence, false statements, federal & state procurement violations, increasing the budget deficit, failure to act on correcting the pension deficits and on and on.
Out of respect for the people of Benton Harbor and their elected leadership Mr. Harris should not be replaced by any individual the citizens and/or elected leaders have had the opportunity to meet and interview and/or approved in advance.
I am confident in the Governor and/or Treasurer’s ability to find a qualified individual that will meet City Commission approval or perhaps the City Commission can recommend individuals that the Governor can accept and approve.
--anon.
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