Posts Tagged ‘regina james

28
Sep
11

“Full confidence” of negligence at ANC5B

By rhodeislandinsider 3 Comments
Categories: Redevelopment
Tags: , , , , ,

As reported in the recent edition of the Brookland Heartbeat, it appears that Ms. James, current chairperson of ANC5B, has “full confidence” in the Commissioner Smith-Daniels, the current Treasurer of 5B who admitted to not performing her duties that allowed then-Chair William Shelton to alledgedly steal $30,000. Yes, you read correctly, Ms. James has “full confidence” in negligence. But it doesn’t stop there.

Apparently, Ms. James is positioning her friend and confidant, Tony Dugger, to become the next paid person of ANC5B as its Executive Director. Ms. James and Mr. Dugger, I am told, wrote the job description for the position and Mr. Dugger is already “volunteering” his time for many of its duties. Ms. James is doing what any self-serving public official would do to ensure that there is conflict and non-transparency: surround herself with cronies.

That brings us to the current situation. ANC5B will soon have no money and NO OFFICE. Commissioner Bennett brought it to my attention that because of Ms. James’ behaviour at the Harbor Center, where the current ANC5B office is located (and where no one can gain access to), has given 5B a 30 day termination notice. Below is Mr. Bennett’s recollection of events, which has been echoed by Kathy Henderson on the Ward 5 listserve.

Denial of Access to ANC Office                                                      September 26, 2011

 

11:00am          I entered the Salvation Army Harbor Light Center lobby to gain access to ANC 5B’s office. I showed the staff person, Mr. Curry, at the security desk my ANC identification and told him that I wanted to go to the ANC office. I was informed that Regina James was in the office. Mr. Curry called the ANC office and then told me that Regina James said that she was not seeing anyone. I explained to Mr. Curry that I am an ANC Commissioner and wanted to into the ANC office.

 

11:10               Mr. Curry took my ANC identification back to the ANC office in order to present it to Ms. James.

 

11:15               Mr. Curry returned with my identification and again told me that Rgina James said that she is not seeing anyone. I asked Mr. Curry if he would contact Ms. Mary Lynn Logsdon, Executive Director of theSalvationArmyHarborLightCenter, or Mr. Robert Smith, Business Manger for the Salvation Army Harbor Light Center. Mr. Curry told me that they were not available and that he could not allow me access to the office because Ms. James said that she is not seeing anyone.

 

11:20               Patsey Staten ANC 5B’s staff person enters the building, signs in and proceeds to the ANC office. I asked Mr. Curry why Ms. Staten would be given access to the ANC office and not an ANC Commissioner. Mr. Curry went back to the ANC office.

 

11:26               Mr. Curry returned and told me that Regina James had instructed him that she is not seeing anyone. Mr. Curry said that Ms. James told him that if I create a disturbance to have me removed.

 

11:36               Ms. Logsdon enters the lobby and tells me that Regina James would be right out.

 

12:00pm          Ms. Logsdon returned and informed me that Regina James had called the police. I asked Ms. Logsdon why she had called the police Ms. Logsdon said she had no idea.

 

12:05               Four officers of the Metropolitan Police Department show up, Officer Stewart Badge #3677, Officer Rodgers Badge #2342, Officer Barber Badge #2212, Officer Stewart Badge #5777. Officer Stewart told me that I was not to talk to any of the other Officers but him. I asked him why the police had been summoned, he could not (or would not) give me an answer.

 

12:10               Regina James walks into the lobby of theHarborLightCenterand states that “the Councilmember (Harry Thomas) called” and that she “needed to be escorted to her car.” Ms. James walked out of the building. The Officers did not escort her to her car.

 

12:12               I called Ms. Logsdon and told her that Regina James had just left and I asked if I could enter the ANC office. Ms. Logsdon said absolutely.

 

12:13               Mr. Curry called Patsey Staten and told her that Regina James had left and that she needed to “come out here and deal with this.

 

12:15               I signed in. Mr. Curry told me that I had to wait for Ms. Staten.

 

12:20               Patsey Staten comes into the lobby. I asked her if I could go to the ANC office Ms. Staten said, “The office is not open. I am not in the office.”

 

12:23               I called Ms. Logsdon and told her that Patsey Staten would not allow me into the office and asked if she would allow me access. Ms. Logsdon told me that she could not do it and that, due to the reprehensible behavior displayed by Commissioner James and Ms. Patsey, she was going to be giving a thirty day notice for ANC 5B to vacate the premises. Ms. Logsdon told me that the Salvation Army had donated the space, computer and telephone and that they were not going to be involved with Commissioners denying access to other Commissioners.

 

I still have never been in the ANC office over the nine + months I have been an ANC Commissioner and I was Recording Secretary for ANC 5B until Wed. September 21, 2011. 

On September 21, the ANC5B removed Mr. Bennett from his role as Recording Secretary and gave no explanation why. Earlier comments from Ms. James and the apparent personal issues that Ms. James has taken with Mr. Bennett’s candor with the public of ANC5B dealings (which is called transparency, Ms. James), is the believed reason.
 
And now since ANC5B is without a Recording Secretary, they need to rush and get one voted in at a hastily called Special Meeting on Sept 30 to fill the position with someone who will most likely be another crony of hers that does not question her or procedure. Ms. James is creating her own little fiefdom at ANC5B. Will residents stand for it?
 
Below is Mr. Bennett’s version of events:
 

During ANC 5B’s Special Meeting, (held last week Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011), when the community residents asked why I was being removed as ANC 5B’s Recording Secretary, Commissioner Regina James told them that there did not have to be a reason.

 
I think the reason is very clear. More $$$.
 
Ironically, (sorry to romanticize), during ANC 5B’s meeting held September 1, 2011, the Treasurer, Pat Brown-Daniels, stood up in front of more than fifty people and announced that she had not seen 5B’s bank statements, did not write the financial reports and was not going to resign as treasurer.
 
There are major questions screaming to be answered regarding the expenses, purchases and management (or mismanagement) of ANC 5B’s public funds, far beyond the $30,000 that was stolen. The financial records of 5B paint an ogre of possible misappropriation that, in my opinion, has a much longer history.
 
Consider:
  • Our staff assistant, (who has worked since January with no contract and says we owe her $5,450), signed her own time sheets. No one else ever signed them! ANC 5B paid her, on average, over $20,000 per year at $25.00 an hour; to answer telephones that most of the time did not ring, collect voicemail and mail, make copies and spend ANC 5B’s money.
  • In 2010 ANC 5B spent (staff assistant purchased) hundreds of dollars on office supplies from a company in Gaithersburg that sold us cases of soda at $15.00 apiece.
  • One Commissioner wrote checks to himself.
  • Etc., etc.
The ANC Security Trust Fund (STF) is a fund set up to give reinbursement to ANC’s when their money (public funds) is misappropriated.
 
Yesterday evening there was an STF hearing, at 5:30pm in Room 120 of the John Wilson, regarding ANC 5B’s request for reimbursement. Commissioners Pat Brown-Daniels, Regina James, Berneice Blacknell and myself testified in the presence of STF Board Members; D.C. Auditor Yolonda Branch, Atty. David Zevenyach, Cynthia Brock-Smith and Gottlieb Simon. There is a real prospect and possibilty that 5B may be reimbursed up to $16,000 from the STF!
 
ANC 5B currently owes an $8,000 ATT Blackberry bill, the highly questionable $5,450 mentioned above, and an assortment of smaller bills.
 
My belief is that, as a Commission, ANC 5B should seize the grand opportunity, (during this period of disaster and utter dysfunction), to inform, educate, unite and empower the people we serve. All  of the residents (or as many as possible) of our Commission should be involved with virtually every single move we make.
 
Transparency should be the order of the day; but in my opinion, too many of my fellow Commissioners would rather stick their head further in the sand from fear; or act as puppets, instead of upholding the law and being the leaders they took an oath to be. 

 
ANC 5B faces a serious dilemma; the continuation of a damning culture of laziness, irresponsibility and false sense of entitlement. We really need the people’s help.
 
Consider that, as a Commission, we have not vetted nor interviewed Mr. Tony Dugger! Regina James announced Mr. Dugger at the September 1, 2011, as her volunteer; yet James and Dugger have taken it upon themselves to create and publicly announce a brand new PAID position of ANC 5B “Executive Director”. Now James, (without Commission approval), tells Mr. Dugger that he can take the Commission’s reponsibilty for notifying the almost 24,000 residents of 5B.
 
If Tony Dugger gets the job he wrote, wouldn’t that be considered a conflict of interest for Regina James? 
 
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20
Sep
11

Who’s Next?

By rhodeislandinsider 8 Comments
Categories: Redevelopment
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

We are unique in Ward 5. We have one of the few proposed Wal-Marts. We have a street that is called the “Diamond in the District”. We have Catholic University.

…And, it seems, we have the most corruption.

According to the Washington Times, Robert V. Brannum, head of the Metropolitan Police Dept. 5th District Citizens Advisory Council (5DCAC), a political appointee of Mayor Gray, and an ally of Harry Thomas, Jr., has been accused of misusing the 5DCAC’s business checking account. The matter has been referred by the DC Auditor to the Inspector General’s office for investigation. It seems that a debit card was obtained (which is in violation of the group’s bylaws) and being unable to account for missing funds. Mr. Brannum is also the president of the DC Federation of Civic Associations and is Vice Chair of the Ward 5 Democrats, which he is currently running for Chair.

Another complaint filed, this time against ANC5B current Chair, Regina James, alleges that Ms. James used DC Government time and resources for and during her election and official duties for the ANC. The documents state that Ms. James used her DC government office phone number as her campaign phone number and has also used her DC government email to conduct official ANC business. The complaint was filed by a fellow ANC5B commissioner, Vaughn Bennett. Interestingly enough, Ms. James is attempting to remove Mr. Bennett from his position as Recording Secretary without announcing why although she claims she wants to bring transparency back to ANC5B.

Why transparency? Probably because the former Chair, William Shelton, has been accused of stealing nearly $30,000 from the ANC5B funds over the last 6-8 months. He has since resigned from the ANC. The other ANC members have a lot of public anger aimed at them for their failure to do their jobs and allowed Mr. Shelton to steal the money under their noses including the treasurer, who is still the treasurer of the ANC5B, who self-described her unknowing of the theft due to her not doing her job. Yet, Ms. James has yet to demand her resignation.

And the topper, as we all know, is the ongoing investigation into Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. I won’t dig up particulars as we are all aware of this one (just remember Hooters, an Audi, and missing money from a youth program). Mr. Thomas has claimed his innocence but has offered to pay back the nearly $300,000 that was missing because that is what innocent, public figures do. Offer to pay money back that they didn’t misuse.

So, who’s next, Ward 5? Tired of being the punching bag and laughing stock of the District? Ready to demand more from our elected officials? The blame for all of this is on ALL OF US! If we do nothing, it keeps happening and we, as residents, keep getting screwed. Wake up, Ward 5!

02
Sep
11

Guest Commentary: Backstabbing, Squabbling, and Utter Denial – What Else Would We Expect From ANC 5B?

By rhodeislandinsider 12 Comments
Categories: Life on RIA
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Transparency was the word of the evening, rolling several times off of the newly elected commission chair Regina James’ tongue as she and other commissioners attempted to breeze past the financial scandal and hide a maneuver to oust one of their fellow council members. The constituents clamored for resignations and explanations, citing the financial scandals as only the tip of the iceberg in the ways in which the commission has failed the people. The overwhelming response from the commission was hostility and refusal to accept blame.

 In the spirit of ANC 5B ambiguity, the commission could do no more than plead ignorance and provide dodgy answers when confronted. In regard to the recent financial scandal brought on by former commissioner Chair William Shelton, the only consistent response was that the commission had simply been too trusting and that they too had been betrayed, which she cited this as being akin to a spousal betrayal. Ms. James also could not provide one concrete reason as to why she and others felt that Commissioner Bennett was not fit to serve as recording secretary (Commissioner James motioned to call a special meeting to review quarterly reports, which were not prepared. When pressed by Commissioner Bennett on the agenda, only then did she admit that they would also be reviewing a commissioner’s service in office. Additional prompting led James to name Bennett as the person to be reviewed for removal from office. How’s that for transparent?), even though there was no mention of removing the commissioner, Treasurer Patricia Daniels-Brown, for her very concrete failure to notice $30,000 disappearing from the ANC 5B account. According to Ms. James, there were “issues they felt inappropriate” in regard to Mr. Bennett, and it was “taxing” on the commission. The meeting continued in this fashion as she also railroaded through her agenda, ignored public request for clarification on business matters (e.g., refusal to read aloud an ANC letter of request for money) and a mad motion after motion without providing any detail to the public regarding the business being conducted. (editor’s note: The commission disregarded Robert’s Rules of Order, the governing system of conducting public meetings, which would have allowed public comment on new business motions brought before a vote.)

 Just as the intensity of the public sentiment reached a boiling point, the citizens in the audience were finally allowed to comment on the ongoing scandal and abuse of power by the commission. The commission’s reaction was at times, less than respectable. One commissioner replied to a citizen’s comment with something to the effect of, “who are you to tell me that I belong in my position?” Commissioner James’ knee jerk reaction was to motion for dismissal when at least half dozen constituents still had not been heard. At least one commissioner had the decency to make a plea for the people and shame the rest of the commission into agreeing to hear additional comments.

 The conclusion of the meeting was no disappointment. In an attempt to clear her name, Daniels-Brown made a clueless and inept statement that because she is a reverend (irrelevant), she would not and did not steal money. She then admitted that she did not prepare one quarterly report since January because she “didn’t have time.” What Daniels-Brown and most of other commissioners ultimately failed to grasp is that that the people clearly asked those commissioners who failed to do their jobs to step down.

 In all fairness, some of the commissioners were less vocal than others and not all immediately jumped on the Ms. James’ bandwagon. However, if the rest of the commission doesn’t start reading their bylaws and standing up for their citizens, then they should enjoy their remaining time in office, because as one citizen put it, “the ANC 5B commission got off easy tonight”.

 Note: The special-but PUBLIC-meeting to review quarterly reports and to review the recording secretary Vaughn Bennett’s position will be held either September 14th or 15th. Plan on attending. If it’s anything like the September 1st meeting, you won’t forget it.

Editors Note: The above commentary was written by a resident of ANC5B who attended the commission’s meeting on Sept 1, 2011. It is apparent that the commission made no efforts to be open and transparent at this meeting and Regina James’ attempt to oust a fellow commissioner because he has opposing views on how the commission’s business should be run (according to bylaws and rules, no less) shows that as a leader, Ms. James fails miserably. A lesson in leadership is being able to accept differing views and negotiate to a compormise. This is lost on the new Chairperson of the commission. I wanted to thank Commissioner Davis for her resignation and service, as she gave her 30-day notice to step down. For anyone’s interest: http://www.dcboee.org/regulations/recall_process.asp

20
Aug
11

Corruption with the ANC5B…anyone surprised? (Part 1)

By rhodeislandinsider 1 Comment
Categories: Redevelopment
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Some news is many times swept under the rug but ANC Commissioner Vaughn Bennett is trying to pull that rug up. As many already know, ANC5B has been under investigation for some alleged wrong doing in regards to its finances. Back in June, News Channel 9 broke a story about the misappropriation of nearly $30,000 of the city funds from the ANC. This story came a week after Councilmember Thomas’ own issues with campaign funds (ANC5B is in Ward 5). The allegations say that the money was taken from the ANC bank accounts through an ATM card in Chairman William Shelton’s name over a 8 month period. This coincides with Shelton’s loss of employment 6 months prior. The money was spent on a car note (Lexus, which Shelton drives), Bloomingdales, and other retail locations. Click the picture or here to see the news segment.

After this story broke, William Shelton and deputy chair of the ANC resigned leaving a power vacuum at the ANC. It appears that the DC Government has ordered the ANC to get its affairs in order, including what to do with the ANC5B staff person, who alleges that the ANC owes her more than $5,000 for her services. It is unclear at this point as to her involvement in the misappropriations of funds. Regina James, a Commissioner on the ANC, held an ad-hoc meeting on Sept 1 that another commissioner, Vaughn Bennett, cried foul over saying that the public was not properly notified. Another source has claimed that the commission is trying to let this issue settle in hopes of it going away, saying that the ANC commission has operated as a “good ‘ole boys and girls club” by a small group of people.

Vaughn Bennett is holding an “Emergency ANC5B04″ meeting on Monday, August 22 from 7-9pm at the Woodridge Public Library (1901 Hamlin Street NE). He recently put fliers on the doors in his Single Member District with the intended agenda:

A critical discussion and update on the status of ANC 5B.

  • Did you know that that (sic) over $30,000 was stolen from ANC 5B, and that we have $7.00 in the bank?
  • What are the responsibilities of an ANC? “Each Advisory Neighborhood Commission (“Commission”) may advise the Council of the District of Columbia, the Mayor and each executive agency, and all independent agencies, boards and commissions of the government of the District of Columbia with respect to all proposed matters of District government policy…”
  • What are the responsibilities of a SMD (5B04) Commissioner? To be the eyes ears and mouth of the people. We are on the same team!
  • Did you know that ANC Commissioners do not get paid?
  • Did you know that ANC 5B has an office that only one Commissioner (out of 12) has access to?

I think there are a lot of unanswered questions going on with our ANC. How can we expect anything to move forward in our community when our own ANC is misappropriating monies, cannot work together, and does not keep the public THEY SERVE involved?

In my opinion, it is time that the entire ANC step down and allow new leaders help bring dignity back (or for the first time) to our community.

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