As completely senseless and criminal as the destruction of John Marshall, the demolition of the Cleveland School of the Arts is now under way. Say goodbye to a fine and elegant building and watch your tax dollars wasted on this instead:
Sweeney rigged the decision to demolish John Marshall High School --
Comments posted to :
Cleveland City Council President Martin J. Sweeney says money from contractor was campaign contributions
Published: Saturday, April 24, 2010, 4:00 AM Updated: Saturday, April 24, 2010, 5:00 AM
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/04/cleveland_city_council_preside_2/691/comments-3.html
mark: my point also in this story. the bid process sounds to be full of back room deals and secret nods from the bid openers to their favorite people. the key to this is the scam pulled at Metro. The ...board wanted competitive low bids that allowed a fair bid process for every job. This is "supposed" to save them money by being able to judge against peers but that is not how it worked there. Dozens of bids were won by four contractors all doing different types of work. They would be low or "best qualified" bidder and the contracts would be awarded. These guys were fed the numbers to place on their bids so they would win. The whole time knowing that they would make up the difference by Carroll just approving every change order that could equal 10, 20 or 30% increase in the bid amount. Approval was all but guaranteed as long as the contractor kicked back an amount or percentage of the change order. The key here is if the change order was done or done at a jacked up price to cover the kick back and any loss by the company for submitting the low bid. This happened in court documents with one of the contractors East West to a tune of 672,000 dollars of kick backs. This is now being hinted to happen at the juvenile justice center who had huge cost overruns approved by Jimmy and the boys last year for Blaze.
The very simple logic that must be followed when reading these stories is when illegal proceeds are made it has to be at a much higher level of profit and/or effort to be worth while. Why risk your freedom, pension and reputation just for a few hundred bucks. These scams are being prosecuted as we type in New York City against organized crime families so the theory I have is sound. hope this helps
Submitted by ANGELnWard14 on Sat, 04/07/2012 - 10:23.
Approximately 10 years ago, I attended several bid sessions in the City of Cleveland Dept of Development offices....same protocol above-identical.
Using the RESPEC housing rehab computer software program to prepare punch lists for houses receiving all those city grants for work to be completed by bidding contractors; the City had full estimates of the values of the work to be completed....in advance of any bidding.... The bidding contractor I attended those sessions with-flat out refused to "DROP OFF HIS BIDS" in advance because of the well known loophole of the administrators to "Peek" at the bids early and notify their "buddies" of the lowest bids-ensuring that they were able to submit the "lowest bids" and win the bidding sessions......................only to come back later with those "CHANGE WORK ORDERS" and upbid the same jobs by not only thousands, but tens of thousands in some cases (Especially on Lead Abatement contracts.)
Ethics, integrity, and accountability were out the door in those doors of City Hall. Administrators and Contractors alike were working with City Inspectors to execute those contracts to ensure payment and kickbacks. It was absolutely surreal. Watching that contractor smooze those same administrators and city inspectors in his business office was a final factor in my decision to move on. I don't guess I had what it took to remain in a "corrupt" and "illegal" environment... When I left-that same contractor threatened my life if I ever revealed this info....Well, I'd rather speak the truth than to worry about it.
These freaks all deserve to be removed from office, humiliated for life, and incarcerated for the frauds they have committed upon our public at large. Their long term abuse, repetitive cycle, and endless social injustices need eradicated via pest control practices!
Visited ground zero and there is no construction activity at all--nada. Nothing has been started and this will push the construction schedule for School of the Arts further back. Same old--VOTE NO on Issue 107 and Save John Marshall High School from senseless destruction.
Roz McAllister In the 2012 CMSD Budget, there is to be a new officer called Chief Academic Officer. This person is to make $196,275.61 plus $71,811.36 in benies. There is another $150,000.00 for "Other Prof/Tech Services".
And why is there "advertising" money budgeted?
There is a department with no staff, but $29,847.10 in expenses including food, travel and professional organization dues reimbursement!
Here is a second department without staff and a budget of $217,568.44!
I'm not half way through this, and I see plenty of fat to be cut! And this is written without the influx of levy money they are requesting
Regional Economics Action Links North East Ohio
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So much for ACCOUNTABILITY...
http://net.cmsdnet.net/BAC/BAC.htm
Last updated in 2010....
Kickback Central--SAVE John Marshall HS
Sweeney rigged the decision to demolish John Marshall High School --
Comments posted to :
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/04/cleveland_city_council_preside_2/691/comments-3.html
mark: my point also in this story. the bid process sounds to be full of back room deals and secret nods from the bid openers to their favorite people. the key to this is the scam pulled at Metro. The ...board wanted competitive low bids that allowed a fair bid process for every job. This is "supposed" to save them money by being able to judge against peers but that is not how it worked there. Dozens of bids were won by four contractors all doing different types of work. They would be low or "best qualified" bidder and the contracts would be awarded. These guys were fed the numbers to place on their bids so they would win. The whole time knowing that they would make up the difference by Carroll just approving every change order that could equal 10, 20 or 30% increase in the bid amount. Approval was all but guaranteed as long as the contractor kicked back an amount or percentage of the change order. The key here is if the change order was done or done at a jacked up price to cover the kick back and any loss by the company for submitting the low bid. This happened in court documents with one of the contractors East West to a tune of 672,000 dollars of kick backs. This is now being hinted to happen at the juvenile justice center who had huge cost overruns approved by Jimmy and the boys last year for Blaze.
The very simple logic that must be followed when reading these stories is when illegal proceeds are made it has to be at a much higher level of profit and/or effort to be worth while. Why risk your freedom, pension and reputation just for a few hundred bucks. These scams are being prosecuted as we type in New York City against organized crime families so the theory I have is sound. hope this helps
Bid Rigging in Cleveland/Govt Contracts...nothing new
Approximately 10 years ago, I attended several bid sessions in the City of Cleveland Dept of Development offices....same protocol above-identical.
Using the RESPEC housing rehab computer software program to prepare punch lists for houses receiving all those city grants for work to be completed by bidding contractors; the City had full estimates of the values of the work to be completed....in advance of any bidding.... The bidding contractor I attended those sessions with-flat out refused to "DROP OFF HIS BIDS" in advance because of the well known loophole of the administrators to "Peek" at the bids early and notify their "buddies" of the lowest bids-ensuring that they were able to submit the "lowest bids" and win the bidding sessions......................only to come back later with those "CHANGE WORK ORDERS" and upbid the same jobs by not only thousands, but tens of thousands in some cases (Especially on Lead Abatement contracts.)
Ethics, integrity, and accountability were out the door in those doors of City Hall. Administrators and Contractors alike were working with City Inspectors to execute those contracts to ensure payment and kickbacks. It was absolutely surreal. Watching that contractor smooze those same administrators and city inspectors in his business office was a final factor in my decision to move on. I don't guess I had what it took to remain in a "corrupt" and "illegal" environment... When I left-that same contractor threatened my life if I ever revealed this info....Well, I'd rather speak the truth than to worry about it.
These freaks all deserve to be removed from office, humiliated for life, and incarcerated for the frauds they have committed upon our public at large. Their long term abuse, repetitive cycle, and endless social injustices need eradicated via pest control practices!
Always Appreciative, "ANGELnWard14"
Sick bastards...RIP School of the ARTS
See images here:
http://thecivicartcleveland.blogspot.com/2012/04/school-of-arts-rip.html
RIP School of the ARTS-VOTE NO on 107 and 108!
Visited ground zero and there is no construction activity at all--nada. Nothing has been started and this will push the construction schedule for School of the Arts further back. Same old--VOTE NO on Issue 107 and Save John Marshall High School from senseless destruction.
Roz McAllister In the 2012 CMSD Budget, there is to be a new officer called Chief Academic Officer. This person is to make $196,275.61 plus $71,811.36 in benies. There is another $150,000.00 for "Other Prof/Tech Services".
And why is there "advertising" money budgeted?
There is a department with no staff, but $29,847.10 in expenses including food, travel and professional organization dues reimbursement!
Here is a second department without staff and a budget of $217,568.44!
I'm not half way through this, and I see plenty of fat to be cut! And this is written without the influx of levy money they are requesting