DAILY JOURNAL - NOVEMBER 30, 2011

DID BURNING COAL BURN THROUGH RALEIGH TAXPAYER WALLETS TO THANK MEEKER?

AND FROM DATA DRIVEN KEVIN HILL

UNITY DAY DOCUMENT FORMULATED BY GROUP WHERE ONLY 61% VOTE IN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

RALEIGH "TEMPORARY" PUBLIC ART COORDINATOR POSITION - 2012

Raleigh Budget - 2012

RALEIGH "TEMPORARY" PUBLIC ART COORDINATOR POSITION - 2009

Public Art Coordinator

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - PUBLIC SAFETY CENTER PUBLIC ART

Public Safety Center Public Art -

WE AGREE NANCY ....

"Then McFarlane, reacting to Gaylord's assessment that using the city-owned site on Nash Square downtown would squander prime real estate, said, "How the city treats its public safety workers says a lot."

Nancy McFarlane
Raleigh News & Observer
February 20, 2010

Nancy, we agree with you. Couldn't agree with you more. Now how have you personally addressed the shortage of public safety workers in Raleigh the past few years? Where are the soundbites from you lamenting this shortage? How about those pay raises you gave public safety workers last year?

Oh wait, you didn't give any. You neglected Raleigh's public safety workers.

There's one thing you didn't neglect. A $50,000 appropriation for a 32 hour a week job for a Public Art Coordinator.

How a city treats its public safety workers does say a lot. We'll see what you have to say in relation to this year's budget in June.

RALEIGH'S ARTS PROGRAM - WHAT THE MEDIA IS NOT TELLING YOU

Raleigh's City Council passed a monstrous abuse of taxpayer dollars in the form of the arts program at yesterday's City Council meeting (2-17-09).

Some things to note that are in Resolution 2009 that created the program and some things that are not.

1. Art "creates a dynamic and creative urban life." Read more money for downtown Raleigh to be wasted. Urban = Downtown.

2. Art "enhances the reputation of Raleigh and promotes attracting business and increasing tourism;" Do you know what also helps that out? Paying for more police protection and keeping the murder rate below the almost 50% increase it experienced last year.

3. It's not exactly one half one percent. "It is recognized that the permanent program may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to the creation of a fund into which the one-half percent allocations may be allowed to accumulate if some projects may not be ideal for the incorporation of public art." Read - they'll have a huge piggy bank of your tax dollars to spend. They'll milk every project possible for money to put in the piggy bank. Then they'll spend those dollars elsewhere.

• "The need to have a pool because not all projects would necessarily have an art component but the one-half of 1 percent of the construction cost could go into a pool and that money could be used to put art in areas that do not have a specific project." (Minutes - Raleigh Budget and Economic Development Committee, 1-13-09)

5. They are going to find the highest level of hard construction costs from which to determine the one half of one percent. "If the actual construction bids are higher than the City's pre-bid estimate the percentage shall be accordingly adjusted upward." (Resolution No. 2009)

6. In a time when Raleigh has a hiring freeze, they are discussing hiring yet another bureaucrat for arts. "Commission Chair Starky pointing out they have a current budget and the funding could come from the current budget." (Minutes - Raleigh Budget and Economic Development Committee, 1-13-09) They'll actually be taking money from arts instead of putting money into it.

7. Finally City Manager Russell Allen stated recently that Raleigh has a hiring freeze and is delaying some capital projects. So why in the world in this condition would someone drive up the cost on some capital projects even further?

This isn't over yet.

8. "the final budget for staffing and operation of the program will be established by the City Council as a part of its 2009-2010 annual budget deliberations."

Contact your Raleigh City Council member now and tell them to stop this ridiculous waste of taxpayer dollars. You can reach them here.

THE "CONDITION" OF RALEIGH RESIDENTS

"People really do get a sense of the value to them to have good art that speaks to them about their condition and the way they feel about their city," said Councilman Russ Stephenson.

Raleigh City Councilman Russ Stephenson

Raleigh City Council Meeting

February 17, 2009

Here's a good picture of potential art that speaks to the condition of Raleigh residents and how they feel about their city.

Feel free to email Russ Stephenson and tell him about your condition. He can be reached at russ.stephenson@ci.raleigh.nc.us

MEEKER - THE FISCAL CONSERVATIVE

"It is one of those things you probably wouldn't do even if you had the extra money.”

Mayor Charles Meeker, WRAL - February 17, 2009

Yes, Mayor Meeker, I agree that extending Crabtree Valley Avenue at a cost of $30 million is a crazy idea.

So what does Meeker do when you don't have any money?

Spend what will inevitably be millions of dollars on public art while you neglect essential police services.

Now, that's fiscal insanity.

IS PEDER ZANE OF THE NEWS AND OBSERVER CHEATING ON DOWNTOWN RALEIGH

Cue the music.

At first blush it would appear so.

When we last found found Peder Zane, he was engaged in quite a libidinous relationship with downtown Raleigh.

And now it seems his eyes have strayed on to his latest fancy - June Guralnick, Executive Director of Raleigh's Art Commission.

Affair? Cheating on downtown Raleigh?

We don't think so. We liken it more to a menage a trois.

If you're dating, let her pick up the tab. At $72,000 a year in Raleigh funds, she can afford it.

RALEIGH PUBLIC ART - THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

Cue the music.

In the immortal words of James Brown ......

Please, Please, Please

Raleigh appears bent on moving forward with yet another taxpayer funded boondoggle to spend millions on public art.

In today's N&O, Raleigh City Clerk Gail Smith is quoted as saying:

"Yes, we like the concept, and yes, we want to move forward ...."

What a tasty election morsel. Maybe folks like Rodger "I phone in my votes" Koopman, Mary Ann Baldwin, Russell Stephenson or Nancy McFarlane in potential swing districts can tell their constituents how they raised their property taxes and water and sewer fees to put more Light + Time landmarks all over Raleigh.

Or better yet, Mayor Charles "unlivable streets" Meeker can explain to people on the brink of losing their homes how he needed to raise property taxes to pay for this.

And just think, each time a new Raleigh capital project goes up, the issue magically arises from the grave.

So,

Please, Please, Please .....

Vote for this.

Opposition candidates are salivating.