Tuesday, February 25, 2014

SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT GERALD WHITESIDE ABRUPTLY RESIGNS

School Board President Gerald Whiteside





TO READ THE JORNAL NEWS ARTICLE CLICK HERE

School Board President Gerald Whiteside has submitted his letter of resignation to his fellow members of the school board.  School Board President Gerald Whiteside was recently caught on tape with Mount Vernon Exposed publisher Samuel L. Rivers.

Whiteside appeared clueless and could not answer basic questions such as: "Was a budget committee established to go over the this years $235M+ school budget?".

Reached for comment, Rivers released the following statement. "The timing of Mr. Whiteside's departure is suspect.  Although a good guy, Mr. Whiteside was the most ineffective Board President in recent years.  Mr. Whiteside's lackadaisical attitude allowed School Board Vice-President Len Sarver to act on his corrupt agenda in collusion with Judith Johnson and various black churches that continues to punish Mount Vernon taxpayers with abusive tax increases.  I wish Mr. Whiteside the best of luck with his future endeavors."

To be continued........

Thursday, February 20, 2014

SCHOOL BOARD VICE PRESIDENT LEN SARVER IS SETTING UP SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT GERALD WHITESIDE FOR FAILURE

CORRUPT SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT LEN SARVER

SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT GERALD WHITESIDE



 Has school board Vice President Lenny Sarver been stabbing school board President Gerald Whiteside in the back?  Sources have informed Mount Vernon exposed, that Trustee Lenny Sarver, continually boast that he his the real president of the school board, and that Gerald Whiteside does what he wants him to do, and votes the way he wants him to vote. As the walls continue to close in on Lenny Sarver, sources say that he privately blames Gerald Whiteside for the troubles in the district, and confidently states that the President is ultimately responsible for what goes on.  It appears that Trustee Lenny Sarver is setting up Trustee Gerald Whiteside to be the fall guy when the Feds step it.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

DID COMPTROLLER MAUREEN WALKER PUT HER POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS BEFORE THE TAXPAYERS SHE WAS ELECTED TO SERVE?

COMPTROLLER MAUREEN WALKER

A New Beginning or The Same Old Thing


A new beginning (the slogan for Comptroller Maureen Walker’s 2011 Mayoral campaign) did not happen. The Mount Vernon Democratic City Committee stole the 2011 Mayoral election from Comptroller as well as from the people of Mount Vernon. Was a New Beginning denied, or was it just delayed? Four years would fly by very fast.  Surely, Comptroller Maureen Walker would spend the four years after her election defeat fighting for the downtrodden and overtaxed people of Mount Vernon. Comptroller Maureen Walker would show Mount Vernon the leadership it had missed out on.  With Mount Vernon falling apart at the seams, Ms. Walker would be a shoe in to be our Mayor in 2016.

However, a suspicious thing happened on the way to the 2016 Walker Administration. Comptroller Maureen Walker did the only thing that could prevent her from becoming our next Mayor. Comptroller Maureen Walker turned her back on the people of Mount Vernon. While we explore the destruction of Mount Vernon, and identify the people responsible for this destruction, we can only come to the conclusion that Comptroller Maureen Walker has become part of the problem. With basic services ignored, property taxes skyrocketing, corruption running rampant, and Mount Vernon becoming the laughing stock of New York State, Comptroller Maureen Walker has ignored the plight of the people of Mount Vernon. She has been suspiciously silent, for the past 2 years.

Whether its tax increases, low income tax abated developments, crime, corruption, the Memorial Field debacle, the YMCA purchase, or poor services to our community, Comptroller Maureen Walker has turned a blind eye to the problems facing Mount Vernon. She has not spoken out against any of the policies that are destroying our city. The Comptroller should be the City’s financial watchdog, looking out for Mount Vernon’s financial well being.  Where is Comptroller Maureen Walker when it comes to low income tax abated housing, which will bankrupt the city? Although she voted against the budget, she has offered no suggestions on how to bring the budget down. Furthermore, she has not informed the public, that the budget increase of 7.8% is based on unrealistic revenues, such as, from red light camera fines. The camera system is not yet installed. In reality, the actual budget increase is 10%.

Comptroller Maureen Walker has not informed the people of this City, how many of our fellow citizens are being thrown out of their homes due to tax foreclosures. Also, Comptroller Maureen Walker has not informed the citizens, that Mount Vernon is in financial ruins, and may face bankruptcy.

Comptroller Maureen Walker fired, with no notice, a very competent Assistant Comptroller, Tom Rajala. Mr. Rajala, was very respected, and had effectively served the City for many years. He was let go for reasons unexplained to the public. One thing we can bet on, Tom Rajala was not fired because of his work performance or work ethic. The firing appears to be a personal, political vendetta by Comptroller Walker.

Mount Vernon is in trouble, and its citizens are desperately searching for leadership. Although Comptroller Maureen Walker’s election was illegally hijacked, Mount Vernon residents were confident, that she would regroup, and come back stronger than ever. There was hope, that she would “step up”, especially because Mount Vernon is now in its darkest days. Our most promising candidate for next year’s election has turned her back on the people of Mount Vernon, and is no longer the candidate of change.

Why is Comptroller Maureen Walker so quiet, while the foxes raid the chicken coup? Stay tune while we explore, the changing of Comptroller Maureen Walker.


DPW Commissioner Curtis Woods told News 12, that the reason snow has not been properly removed, is because homeowners and car owners are throwing snow into the street. While he was making this ridiculous statement, his DPW workers were illegally selling City salt to homeowners all over the city.



Tuesday, February 18, 2014

PASTOR W. FRANKLYN RICHARDSON AND HIS P.I.L.O.T. AGREEMENTS HAVE DESTROYED THE MOUNT VERNON SCHOOL SYSTEM

CORRUPT PASTOR W. FRANKLYN RICHARDSON

CORRUPT SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE LEN SARVER
CORRUPT SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE ELIAS GOOTZEIT

CORRUPT SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE FRANCES WYNN


Federal Investigators seeking answers to the back door deal making and corruption that has destroyed the quality of life in Mount Vernon should focus their attention to Mount Vernon City Councilman Yuhanna Edwards.  Councilman Yuhanna Edwards made a statement incriminating Rev. Franklyn Richardson, as a major player in Mount Vernon politics.  Richardson is the pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon.

“Richardson is making money off this and what not” is what Councilman Edwards told Mount Vernon Exposed Publisher and Community Activist Samuel L. Rivers.  Councilman Edwards must elaborate further and explain exactly what he meant by his statement pertaining to Rev. Richardson. 

Rev. Richardson, considered by many to be a poverty pimp, has long been entrenched in Mount Vernon politics, and is also considered the major force that has destroyed the Mount Vernon public school system.  Richardson, a resident of Scarsdale, supports and endorses candidates from the pulpit every election cycle in the City of Mount Vernon.

Some of Rev. Richardson’s minions that are on the school board that continue to carry out his oppressive and destructive policies are School Board Trustee’s Elias Gootzeit, Len Sarver, and Frances Wynn.  These three candidates always vote lockstep and oppose any resolution that calls for audits or progressive reform of the Mount Vernon City School District.

Richardson, while so called championing for better public education for the children of Mount Vernon, is also contributing to the destruction of the City of Mount Vernon.  About 20 years ago, Rev. Richardson and elected officials in the City of Mount Vernon systematically came up with a plan that would enrich their gang.  Elected officials in Mount Vernon would let the City of Mount Vernon, primarily on the South-Side fall into disrepair and blighted conditions.  Today, many properties on the South-Side of Mount Vernon are abandoned and boarded up.   

Rev. Richardson and his gang would then go into the community and muster up support from residents telling them that the affordable housing supply in the City of Mount Vernon was inadequate and therefore more affordable housing needed to be built.  Rev. Richardson also failed to inform taxpayers that he would be seeking P.I.L.O.T. ‘s (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) for the various affordable housing buildings he was planning to erect all around town. 

A P.I.L.O.T. or payment in lieu of taxes is a program designed to stimulate economic activity in a municipality and is designed to compensate a local government for some or all of the tax revenue because of the nature of the ownership or use of a particular piece of property.  P.I.L.O.T’s relate to the forgone tax revenue.  Every year the City of Mount Vernon loses tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue because of the P.I.L.O.T. agreements dished out by City Officials.  Please also keep in mind that the Mayor and Industrial Development Agency or I.D.A. has all the power in granting out the P.I.L.O.T. agreement to developers looking to do business with the City of Mount Vernon.

For example, a landlord that owns an apartment building that pays its fair share of taxes to the City of Mount Vernon pays approximately $2,500 per year in taxes per apartment, while Rev. Richardson through his abuse of the P.I.L.O.T. program only pays about $500-600 per year in taxes per apartment. 

P.I.L.O.T.’s are designed to create permanent jobs and stimulate economic development.  P.I.L.O.T’s were never intended to be dished out to developers of residential project unless it contained a significant commercial/retail component.  How many permanent jobs will be created after a low-income residential building is complete? 

The City of Mount Vernon Industrial Development Agency or IDA approves P.I.L.O.T. agreements.  The Mayor appoints all of the members of the IDA.  The is nothing no one can do, including the City Council once the IDA grants these P.I.L.O.T agreements. 

Due to the greed of Rev. Richardson and elected officials, Mount Vernon has a failing school system, which makes it unattractive for investors looking to build in Mount Vernon. In fact, only one large-scale project broke ground over the last 10 years that didn’t seek a P.I.L.O.T.  That project, The Horizon in Fleetwood formerly known as the Vista, went belly up and the developer was forced to file bankruptcy on more than $22M in debt.  The project was ultimately sold at a bankruptcy auction for a measly $6M, pennies on the dollar. 

Because of these P.I.L.O.T. agreements, of which Rev. Richardson is a frequent recipient, already cash strapped homeowners must now pick up the costs that the developer doesn’t want to incur because the project will not be  “profitable”. 

To add insult to injury, Rev. Richardson puts together a slate of candidates to run for school board every election cycle.  The Rev. Richardson candidates, every budget cycle then make cuts that are detrimental to the children in Mount Vernon.  If Rev. Richardson’s candidates would simply tell their puppet master to pay his fair share of taxes, homeowners would see immediate tax relief because of the added revenue to the City coffers. 

Rev. Richardson is so entrenched in Mount Vernon politics that he even had a few people appointed to the Superintendent search committee to ensure that the next handpicked Superintendent candidate continues to keep his gravy train running.  Henry Mays, a member of the Superintendent search committee and a parishioner of Grace Baptist, saw to it that his daughter, Donna Jackson, was appointed to a cushy, $75K do-nothing position as the Assistant to embattled Mount Vernon School Superintendent Judith Johnson. 

As we begin to understand Rev. Richardson’s meddling in school affairs and corrupting the election process, we must begin to ask ourselves, why hasn’t  one elected official publicly contested his policies.  Could it be that these same elected officials are then publicly endorsed from the pulpit in violation of Richardson’s I.R.S.  501 (c) (3) status?


Next, the connection between School Board Vice President Len Sarver, architectural firm Fuller and D’Angelo, and Rev. Richardson. 

Friday, February 14, 2014

COUNCILMAN YUHANNA EDWARDS' DESTRUCTIVE POLICIES HAVE DESTROYED THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON

EMBATTLED CITY COUNCILMAN YUHANNA EDWARDS

Every year, the City Council tries to bring the budget down, but they end up adopting huge tax increases. The same City Council, voted to bring in more affordable housing, with tax abatements (pilot programs) for developers. Low income, tax abated projects, are the worst thing any City Official can burden their citizens with, especially Mount Vernon, a city on life support. Mount Vernon, which is already overcrowded, will be busting at the seams with more residents. Since the developers of these buildings do not pay their fair share of taxes, the already struggling Mount Vernon Taxpayer will have to pay the extra cost to educate the children living in these developments, at a cost of $29,000 per student.

The same struggling taxpayer will also have to pay the bill for the vital services for the new residents, such as police, fire, water, and sewer, and Mount Vernon’s property taxes could double. Instead of these destructive policies, the City Council should bring in retail, and other tax generating businesses. City Councilman Yuhanna Edwards complains about City Councilwoman Debra Reynolds, but she is the only current Councilperson, who voted against these low-income developments.  Councilman Yuhanna Edwards and some of his colleagues have sold away Mount Vernon. What they have done is tantamount to crimes against the people of Mount Vernon. City Council members are elected to protect the interest of the citizens of Mount Vernon, however, they have pulled out the life support plug, which will surely lead to the destruction of our city.

When Mount Vernon Exposed interview Councilman Yuhanna Edwards, he stressed that Mount Vernon has total black leadership, yet we are a messed up city. He then defends Judith Johnson, the Superintendent of the worst school district in the state. Ms. Johnson heads a school system that does not educate anyone, especially children of color. Make no mistake about it, Math and English scores have gone down since Judith Johnson has been Superintendent.  Furthermore, Councilman Yuhanna Edwards was a strong backer of former Superintendent Welton Sawyer, who was without question, the worst Superintendent in United States history. He destroyed the district.  Councilman Yuhanna Edward’s also supports the churches that have meddled in Mount Vernon Schools for the past 20 years. Councilman Edwards’s policies have caused a tremendous amount of stress on Mount Vernon’s school system, by flooding it with students from all over the county.

What exactly has Councilman Yuhanna Edwards done as a Councilman to better the lives of the people of Mount Vernon? What has he done as a black Politician, to eliminate the misery and suffering his “brothers” and “sisters”have to go through on a daily basis in Mount Vernon? What plans does he have to make things better? Councilman Yuhanna Edwards is part of the problem, because he votes on legislation that hurts Mount Vernon. His policies raise taxes, and are responsible for Mount Vernon having the highest foreclosure rate in the state. Those foreclosures, overwhelmingly affect people of color, and the elderly.

Now the City Council wants to go into homes looking for basement apartments. What they do not understand is that the tax increases homeowners have been hit with in the last 20 years, have forced homeowners to look for extra income, just to stay afloat. As much as 40% of Mount Vernon homes will go into foreclosure without the income homeowners are collecting from these “basement” apartments, collapsing the housing market, and plunging Mount Vernon into financial Armageddon. Our City Council needs to understand what is really happening in this city. City Council members should be working to find ways to give homeowners tax relief, so that the housing issue can be resolved. The City and School District punished people by raising their taxes to obscene levels and now the City should find ways to help reduce high taxes, which have backed so many homeowners into a corner.

Yes, Councilman Yuhanna Edwards, black Politicians have failed the people of Mount Vernon.  You said that you are concerned with your legacy. You can start by taking responsibility for the damage you have caused.

Next, has Maureen Walker turned her back on the citizens of Mount Vernon?

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

BREAKING NEWS: SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT JUDITH JOHNSON ILLEGALLY HIRES POLITICAL CRONY WITHOUT BOARD APPROVAL

CORRUPT SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT JUDITH JOHNSON

Over the last several months, Mount Vernon Exposed has revealed several instances where Mount Vernon City School District Board members have been lax and have failed to properly vet resolutions put before them at the request of Superintendent Judith Johnson. 

In a perfect world, board members could take Judith Johnson at her word and trust she is doing the right thing and has the best interest of the students and taxpayers at heart.  However, this isn’t a perfect world and Judith Johnson isn’t honest with board members and puts her own self-interests above taxpayers and the students of the Mount Vernon City School District.

Because of nepotism that has manifested itself as standard operating procedure in Mount Vernon politics, many persons have been able to circumvent civil service requirements, and in some cases failed to gain board approval altogether before being added to the Mount Vernon City School payroll. 

For starters, Interim Superintendent Judith Johnson was not properly vetted before taking her high $269K per year job as the top educator in Mount Vernon.  Board member were so excited that Johnson was an Assistant Secretary of Education under President Bill Clinton, that they failed to look into her background to see exactly what she did while she was in Washington D.C. 

When one criticizes Johnson, some Board members come to Johnson’s defense only to state, “she worked under President Clinton”.  What policies did Johnson put in place to ensure that children across the United States, especially in the inner city would receive a quality public education?

For starters, President Clinton’s Goals 2000 program was a failure.  The Clinton 2000 goals program did not ensure uniform quality of standards among all the states because President Clinton compromised on oversight to get the program passed by Congress.  Sounds familiar?  You bet it does.  The impact therefore varied by state and Clinton never fulfilled his goal of equalizing education standards and improving results for all students. By 2000, six years after the program was implemented, only 17 states were in full compliance with the standards.

Late last year, Mount Vernon Exposed revealed that Judith Johnson is preparing students for the Valhalla Prison Preparatory School instead of preparing our youngsters for college. 

Under President Clinton’s administration, public taxpayers funds were not used substantially to invest in education. Under President Clinton, hundreds of new prisons were built.  Under President Clinton, we also saw the mass privatizing of Federal and State prisons.  More prisons were built while President Clinton was President than the presidency’s of Reagan, and the two Bush’s combined. 
President Clinton, wanting to prove that he can be tough on crime, escalated the drug war far beyond what Regan and his predecessors could have ever imagined, railroading the youth into a prison system for profit.  Is it a coincidence that Aramark, the largest supplier of commissary products to the prison system in the United States, is also the supplier of food and oversees building and ground operations for the Mount Vernon City School District?

Judith Johnson’s reckless behavior doesn’t end there.  Johnson tried to circumvent civil service requirements when she tried to sneak Rene Davis, daughter of Mayor Ernie Davie, on a tab that board members were to vote for.  Prior to being considered for full time permanent employment, Rene Davis worked as a substitute teacher at A.B. Davis Middle where there were several reports of Davis losing control of the classroom. 

Last week, Mount Vernon Exposed learned that Johnson has continued her nefarious and reckless actions.  Johnson hired Jennifer Coker-Wiggins as the secretary for the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources.  Johnson did not seek board approval for this hire and Coker-Wiggins is still employed and working for the Mount Vernon City School district.

Prior to being hired as a secretary for Human Resources, Coker-Wiggins was employed as the Deputy Commissioner for Human Resources for the City of Mount Vernon.  Her tenure while working in City Hall was mired in scandal and controversy.  Taxpayers were outraged by then Mayor Clinton Young, for creating over $1M in new positions immediately after taking office.  Coker-Wiggins position as Deputy Commissioner of Human Resources was a part of this controversy. 

Cokers Wiggins trouble’s don’t end there.  Sources say Coker-Wiggins and Kim Johnson, the then secretary of the Civil Service Commission repeatedly broke the law and circumvented civil service rules to hire their friends and others to patronage positions.  Sources told Mount Vernon Exposed that when Federal agents paid a visit to City Hall, Johnson abandoned ship and Coker Wiggins rode off quietly into the sunset.  Sources have told Mount Vernon Exposed that Coker-Wiggins has been unemployed since leaving City Hall.  Why would Judith Johnson seek to bring in such an unqualified person to work in Human Resources, especially one that has questionable ethics practices?

Coker-Wiggins isn’t totally to blame for her egregious acts while acting as Deputy Commissioner of Human Resources.  Again, another unqualified person was put into position without the proper educational requirements or pre-requisite work experience. Coker-Wiggins last three jobs prior to being hired as Deputy Commissioner of Human Resources, was a buyer at several national retailers.  Perhaps a job as a purchasing agent would have been suitable for Ms. Coker-Wiggins. 




                                                               
Over the last several months, Mount Vernon Exposed has revealed several instances where Mount Vernon City School District Board members have been lax and have failed to properly vet resolutions put before them at the request of Superintendent Judith Johnson. 

In a perfect world, board members could take Judith Johnson at her word and trust she is doing the right thing and has the best interest of the students and taxpayers at heart.  However, this isn’t a perfect world and Judith Johnson isn’t honest with board members and puts her own self-interests above taxpayers and the students of the Mount Vernon City School District.

Because of nepotism that has manifested itself as standard operating procedure in Mount Vernon politics, many persons have been able to circumvent civil service requirements, and in some cases failed to gain board approval altogether before being added to the Mount Vernon City School payroll. 

For starters, Interim Superintendent Judith Johnson was not properly vetted before taking her high $269K per year job as the top educator in Mount Vernon.  Board member were so excited that Johnson was an Assistant Secretary of Education under President Bill Clinton, that they failed to look into her background to see exactly what she did while she was in Washington D.C. 

When one criticizes Johnson, some Board members come to Johnson’s defense only to state, “she worked under President Clinton”.  What policies did Johnson put in place to ensure that children across the United States, especially in the inner city would receive a quality public education?

For starters, President Clinton’s Goals 2000 program was a failure.  The Clinton 2000 goals program did not ensure uniform quality of standards among all the states because President Clinton compromised on oversight to get the program passed by Congress.  Sounds familiar?  You bet it does.  The impact therefore varied by state and Clinton never fulfilled his goal of equalizing education standards and improving results for all students. By 2000, six years after the program was implemented, only 17 states were in full compliance with the standards.

Late last year, Mount Vernon Exposed revealed that Judith Johnson is preparing students for the Valhalla Prison Preparatory School instead of preparing our youngsters for college. 

Under President Clinton’s administration, public taxpayers funds were not used substantially to invest in education. Under President Clinton, hundreds of new prisons were built.  Under President Clinton, we also saw the mass privatizing of Federal and State prisons.  More prisons were built while President Clinton was President than the presidency’s of Reagan, and the two Bush’s combined. 
President Clinton, wanting to prove that he can be tough on crime, escalated the drug war far beyond what Regan and his predecessors could have ever imagined, railroading the youth into a prison system for profit.  Is it a coincidence that Aramark, the largest supplier of commissary products to the prison system in the United States, is also the supplier of food and oversees building and ground operations for the Mount Vernon City School District?

Judith Johnson’s reckless behavior doesn’t end there.  Johnson tried to circumvent civil service requirements when she tried to sneak Rene Davis, daughter of Mayor Ernie Davie, on a tab that board members were to vote for.  Prior to being considered for full time permanent employment, Rene Davis worked as a substitute teacher at A.B. Davis Middle where there were several reports of Davis losing control of the classroom. 

Last week, Mount Vernon Exposed learned that Johnson has continued her nefarious and reckless actions.  Johnson hired Jennifer Coker-Wiggins as the secretary for the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources.  Johnson did not seek board approval for this hire and Coker-Wiggins is still employed and working for the Mount Vernon City School district.

Prior to being hired as a secretary for Human Resources, Coker-Wiggins was employed as the Deputy Commissioner for Human Resources for the City of Mount Vernon.  Her tenure while working in City Hall was mired in scandal and controversy.  Taxpayers were outraged by then Mayor Clinton Young, for creating over $1M in new positions immediately after taking office.  Coker-Wiggins position as Deputy Commissioner of Human Resources was a part of this controversy. 

Cokers Wiggins trouble’s don’t end there.  Sources say Coker-Wiggins and Kim Johnson, the then secretary of the Civil Service Commission repeatedly broke the law and circumvented civil service rules to hire their friends and others to patronage positions.  Sources told Mount Vernon Exposed that when Federal agents paid a visit to City Hall, Johnson abandoned ship and Coker Wiggins rode off quietly into the sunset.  Sources have told Mount Vernon Exposed that Coker-Wiggins has been unemployed since leaving City Hall.  Why would Judith Johnson seek to bring in such an unqualified person to work in Human Resources, especially one that has questionable ethics practices?

Coker-Wiggins isn’t totally to blame for her egregious acts while acting as Deputy Commissioner of Human Resources.  Again, another unqualified person was put into position without the proper educational requirements or pre-requisite work experience. Coker-Wiggins last three jobs prior to being hired as Deputy Commissioner of Human Resources, was a buyer at several national retailers.  Perhaps a job as a purchasing agent would have been suitable for Ms. Coker-Wiggins.