Americorps off the hook?

[snowwhite]

They have to keep receipts...

"They" have receipts but they don't want to share them. Americorp has a hard time giving them up. They do have a heavy duty shredder, too!

[WNYresident]

"They" have receipts but they don't want to share them. Americorp has a hard time giving them up. They do have a heavy duty shredder, too!

That won't do.

It's my money they are using. It's your money too.. It's all our money.

[MERL J]

"They" have receipts but they don't want to share them. Americorp has a hard time giving them up. They do have a heavy duty shredder, too!

And a lot of late nights at the office when the departmental reviews started, eh?

[OldTymeRevival]

That won't do.

It's my money they are using. It's your money too.. It's all our money.

It's about time this issue is brought up to National and also to the State for their review in light of the overspent 3.5 million by WNY Americorps (formerly West Seneca Americorps). The TB speaks in general terms about this matter as if it doesn't understand or know how to reconcile the matter, other than forgive it.

Does the average resident of WS understand that that if this matter is just swept under the carpet and ML and his organization are not held to the fire and made to reimburse the town for every penny, this 3.5 m becomes a gift of public funds to Buffalo and every other (other than the paltry sum spent here in town) municipality where they do their work?!

That's just about what the TB agreed to by transferring the Metz House and two or three other School Street properties to WNY Americorps! Yes, instead of selling the properties outright and recouping the towns dollars used to purchase them and pay for the materials used by Americorps Youth Build to re-hab them, they gave them to WNY Americorps. Yet another gift of public funds, people.

Wake up- how much of our towns money is going to squandered on ML and his failed programs- not the programs themselves, but the financial side of these great opportunities. I think I recall hearing, on one or more occasions, his COO was alleged to have proclaimed that he was the town's "cash cow!" Someone explain how many times we pay for this cow?

[WNYresident]

Well there has to be a paper trail for each dollar taken and spent. Simple as that. How much money would have to be unaccounted for it to be a crime?

[Psycho1]

The chickens are coming home to roost!

Though I've been out of the loop lately, due to work, I have kept tabs as best I can. It seems as though Mark's little kingdom may finally crumble down around him. Hopefully the feds will come in and set this straight.

[Niagara]

The chickens are coming home to roost!

Though I've been out of the loop lately, due to work, I have kept tabs as best I can. It seems as though Mark's little kingdom may finally crumble down around him.

How do you figure that. He has put people to work. He has numerous people doing work helping with a Katrina cleanup that will never end. Next to Iraq, Katrina is the countries next biggest money pit. To the feds, three mil over fifteen years is chump change, if indeed there is a short fall which I suspect there is not. The guy is a hero.

[Niagara]

Well there has to be a paper trail for each dollar taken and spent. Simple as that. How much money would have to be unaccounted for it to be a crime?

If you are paying taxes, sure if your money is unaccounted for, it is a crime. But this is Americorp. This is an organization designed to spend money putting people to work which it has. You are comparing apples and oranges. The US had unaccounted billions of dollars in the Iraq War. Yes, that was your money too. I think that before people accuse others of crimes, they should think twice.

[WNYresident]

How do you figure that. He has put people to work. He has numerous people doing work helping with a Katrina cleanup that will never end. Next to Iraq, Katrina is the countries next biggest money pit. To the feds, three mil over fifteen years is chump change, if indeed there is a short fall which I suspect there is not. The guy is a hero.

So the people of west seneca had their property tax diverted for Katrina cleanup besides what they paid with their federal tax dollars?

[WNYresident]

If you are paying taxes, sure if your money is unaccounted for, it is a crime. But this is Americorp. This is an organization designed to spend money putting people to work which it has. You are comparing apples and oranges. The US had unaccounted billions of dollars in the Iraq War. Yes, that was your money too. I think that before people accuse others of crimes, they should think twice.

Both wrong... I don't even know how or why you are comparing the two. West Seneca property taxes shouldn't go to a "employement" program for services that DO NOT benefit them.

[Niagara]

So the people of west seneca had their property tax diverted for Katrina cleanup besides what they paid with their federal tax dollars?

For the owner of a local blog, and a frequent on the WS site, you do not demonstrate a good knowledge of WS/WNY Americorp. Why don't you stop by the Burchfield and introduce yourself to ML and he can give you an over view of what they do, where they are, and their history. As stated by WT, Americorp is a federal program, similar to Peacecorp, WPA, other things. Rightly or wrongly, they need a sponsor. Probably wrongly. The Peacecorp need a sponsoring nation, but that nation does not have to come up with any money. As the director of this Americorp, ML has to develop programs and places for them to operate. YOUR tax dollars will be spent. The only question is where. Better here than elsewhere.

http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/471495.html
Tax dollars at work or are they.

[WNYresident]

For the owner of a local blog, and a frequent on the WS site, you do not demonstrate a good knowledge of WS/WNY Americorp. Why don't you stop by the Burchfield and introduce yourself to ML and he can give you an over view of what they do, where they are, and their history. As stated by WT, Americorp is a federal program, similar to Peacecorp, WPA, other things. Rightly or wrongly, they need a sponsor. Probably wrongly. The Peacecorp need a sponsoring nation, but that nation does not have to come up with any money. As the director of this Americorp, ML has to develop programs and places for them to operate. YOUR tax dollars will be spent. The only question is where. Better here than elsewhere.

http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/471495.html
Tax dollars at work or are they.

Did property taxes from west seneca people go into the program? Yes or no?

[snowwhite]

Did property taxes from west seneca people go into the program? Yes or no?

Yes, they did because ML overspent the funds he had for the grants, so the town put the money up front to pay his expenses and now it is to the tune of 3.1 million dollars. I can't see how he will ever be able to re-pay the town this money. The last administration never wanted to know what was going on. they were alerted many times but turned a blind eye. Now the new admin. is in a situation of not knowing how to correct this problem. They stepped into this without any knowledge of what had taken place previously. I would think that if this doesn't get resloved, then charges could be forth coming. I wonder if the FBI would be interested in looking into this. They're here working on P. Clark's problem so they might as well stay and look into this for us taxpayers too.

[OldTymeRevival]

Yes, they did because ML overspent the funds he had for the grants, so the town put the money up front to pay his expenses and now it is to the tune of 3.1 million dollars. I can't see how he will ever be able to re-pay the town this money. The last administration never wanted to know what was going on. they were alerted many times but turned a blind eye. Now the new admin. is in a situation of not knowing how to correct this problem. They stepped into this without any knowledge of what had taken place previously. I would think that if this doesn't get resloved, then charges could be forth coming. I wonder if the FBI would be interested in looking into this. They're here working on P. Clark's problem so they might as well stay and look into this for us taxpayers too.

The last administration used Americorps as a springboard and selling point for PC's failed County Exec race. Once he saw the mess created by years of "fuzzy math" associated with the entire Americorps programs he swept everything under the carpet for fear of it blowing up in his face! Everything brought to his attention regarding this mess was systematically filed under "let's not (dare) open Pandora's box!"

Is it true the COO's brother's an FBI agent? Wonder if that presents a conflict, in as much as everyone else has turned a blind eye to ML and the mess he's created for the town? Well, if not then the Corporation for National Service should, as well as NY State.

[WNYresident]

So this program was "supposed" to be funded by federal dollars.. right?

There was no fund raising or more grants coming threw so the town board allowed about $3,000,000 to be taken from the citizens of WS for a federally funded program?

Is there $3,000,000 waiting in grants for the group to reimburse the home owners?