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Forum Newbie
Group: Administrators
Last Login: 8/14/2007 2:51:08 PM
Posts: 2,
Post ID: 96442
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11/3/2009 12:00:00 AM
Let's discuss 'Elkhart council may order Genesis fund inquest'.
A member of the city council called Monday night for the legislative body to launch an investigation into the possible misuse of arts and culture grants awarded by the city in 2007 and 2008.
-from
the Truth
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Contributor
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/27/2007 6:29:58 PM
Posts: 132,
Post ID: 96443
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| I knew I should have went! Instead I had to replace my starter. Now, it's time to see this thing through!
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/30/2007 10:41:22 AM
Posts: 2,966,
Post ID: 96446
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| It may not be the intent of the city, but... "The city is not interested in hunting for criminal intent, he said, but following up on breaches of contract and seeking the return of every unused dollar." Mayor Moore... If you have personal first hand knowledge of potential criminal wrong doing, you have a responsibility not only as the Mayor of Elkhart, but as an individual to take appropiate action(s)... Have you taken these steps? Secondly, I am concerned with Roberson's response to council members in relationship to checks and balance. There is a balance system in place for reason, and he should not be concerned with what other branches of government is or not doing in truth finding. As I continue to hear and read more about this ongoing issue, I can't help but wonder if EBE is being used as an escape goat? Are there other undiscovered / unreported issues? What about at the County level, and the way they dole out funds to the non-profits with little or no record as to how monies are spent?
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Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/2/2007 8:38:47 AM
Posts: 8,
Post ID: 96459
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| Mary is trying to do as the people who elected her expected, I'm glad to see that she is on top of this!
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/28/2007 4:00:28 AM
Posts: 93,
Post ID: 96471
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| we have got bigger fish to fry. Mayor, get to the bottom of this, get the funds paid back and let's move on. Do not drag this out. This is not the first example of slip shod accounting and won't be the last. If you appear to be stonewalling on this issue it will continue to dog you. It should not take the Warren Commission to figure out what happened to $5000!
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Master Contributor
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/11/2007 7:39:37 PM
Posts: 702,
Post ID: 96483
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| I wish the council minutes could be printed here. Mary Olson contacted a state agency and was provided some interpretation of the investigation process. She made a calm and simple plea to assist in bringing this to a close. I agreed more from the standpoint of earning public trust and allowing integity for those agencies and officials involved. Remember, most agencies did it right. Some did not. I did state that I was not looking for wrong doing but to analyze the flaws in the process. The mayor's response was that no need to investigate "I ended the process". He also stated that the internal investigation should conclude in about two weeks. He said that there will be no criminal investigation or charges and "don't be surprised if the money owed the city is less than what the Elkhart Truth listed". Well, I question how the mayor knows the outcome of the investigation before it is concluded and like the HUD money, it is less than the amount questioned. It validates the concerns that an internal investigation does not offer public confidence based on the history of their investigations and the frequency of improper fund use, and one of those being investigated rubs shoulders each day with those doing the investigation. This does not lend itself to earning public trust. I oppose this and the fact the mayor is not willing to step up and protect the public's trust and money as much as he protects his employees and close friends. This will not go away and will dog the mayor until he takes the right steps in correcting the issue and steps toward the public again. I would think that Rod Roberson, Council President would also step toward the external investigation to get this behind us and not create additional mistrust of elected officials. It is now in the hands of the public to push and demand as they will, for closure.
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Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/1/2007 3:56:54 PM
Posts: 38,
Post ID: 96486
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There is also an underlying question here....HOW did those organizations get that money up front? When I ran a non-profit in Elkhart and we got a grant in 2008 for an event we actually held the rules were strict. One rule: you spend your money FIRST then the Genesis grant reimburses your organization for money spent. HOW in the world/WHO pulled strings to just give a chunk of Genesis money to EBE.....in violation of the original contract and methods of payment. Believe me, I kept track and provided receipts and a re-cap of all expenditures.....I played by the rules. All grant recipients should play by all the rules as well.
Goodnight Irene
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Master Contributor
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 10/12/2009 1:20:45 AM
Posts: 616,
Post ID: 96511
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| Achiever, I asked myself the same thing when I first read about this. That was my understanding as well...spend the money and get reimbursed with proof of receipts. Then again I thought maybe there was a loophole that I just didn't know about. I'm glad someone directly involved with the process has piped in on this and confirmed that information.
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Master Contributor
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 10/12/2009 1:20:45 AM
Posts: 616,
Post ID: 96516
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| So we know a few things already. With a "conclusion" to the "investigation" still about 2 weeks away, the mayor has already announced that the funds that will be expected to be returned are far less than what original documentation shows as due (much like with the Tracy Porter issue); and that he is not even remotely considering looking at this as a criminal issue in any way, shape, or form, no matter what conclusions may be drawn from the evidence. Yep, that seems about right. Gee mayor. You afraid no one else can call you in the morning and tell you what to wear? There are plenty of other people capable of pimping you out. As for the council... it is my understanding that it will take a majority of council to spur a council created investigation under the law, but it was already indicated last night that they would not get the votes needed to make that happen. Why. (intentional omission of question mark because I really don't need an answer to that.) Just when you think things couldn't get any more pathetic.
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Guru-in-Training
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/28/2007 11:53:11 AM
Posts: 1,278,
Post ID: 96517
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| Do the rest of you get the impression, as I do, that the Mayor is trying to hide the true facts and protect his friends? The sooner that he makes the investigation public, the better his chances of not being tainted by it. This isn't Chicago and he isn't mayor Daly....but he is a democrat.
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