Americorps off the hook?

[Niagara]

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?

I think you owe it to yourself, this board of yours, and the individuals involved to take a few hours out and go to WS and ask a few people (town board members, comptrollers past and present) these questions and not Old Time Revival, and Snow (could it be the hair?) White because they do not know. Go and visit Paul Clark, Mr. Koller and while your are at, present comptroller Bielicki and town board members. If indeed, there is an under funding of reimbursement, there should be effort to get the congressional deligation to fix it. Hell, there are Katrina 'victims' still in their trailers how many years after the event, and indeed WNY Americorp is involved overseeing those trailers among many other things.
What galls me, and where you have a moral responsibility here is your board has been systematically used to defame people. Whether they be in the public employ or not and because there is an underage or overage or not is irrelevent to the fact that it is implied continually there that there has been malfesance. "Call out the big guns" "FBI" "Forensic Audit" BS makes me sick. You are even part of it with your retorical questions exhibited above. And statements like this.

That won't do.
It's my money they are using. It's your money too.. It's all our money.

I emailed Shiela Meegan for an answer to basicly the same arguement I am making here, to yet without response although it is yet only a day. But you Mr. WNYResident would be the perfect one to act as the investigative reporter everyone claims to want. You are not a WS resident or an Amherst resident, you are WNYResident. If you do not want to do it in person go here
http://www.westseneca.net/director.html
and email them a list of questions.

[GhostofCharles]

"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!

Councilwoman Bove's comments at the beginning of the year from the Jan. 14th Town Board Meeting....

Mrs. Bove stated she has been concerned with the number of terminations and resignations of employees associated with the Youth Bureau, and rumors of lawsuits and human rights complaints to New York State. She had requested information on employees, whether Youth Bureau or Americorps, with salaries and bonuses. She subsequently received information limited to a list of names and whether 100% Youth Bureau or Americorps. No salaries were included and she was told to find this information herself. The 2008 Youth Bureau budget is a third of a million dollars, with three people in the department. Mrs. Bove felt there had been a boring of the Youth Bureau over the last few years, with Western New York Americorps and the Burchfield Nature & Art Center.

[Niagara]

Councilwoman Bove's comments at the beginning of the year from the Jan. 14th Town Board Meeting....

Mrs. Bove stated she has been concerned with the number of terminations and resignations of employees associated with the Youth Bureau, and rumors of lawsuits and human rights complaints to New York State. She had requested information on employees, whether Youth Bureau or Americorps, with salaries and bonuses. She subsequently received information limited to a list of names and whether 100% Youth Bureau or Americorps. No salaries were included and she was told to find this information herself. The 2008 Youth Bureau budget is a third of a million dollars, with three people in the department. Mrs. Bove felt there had been a boring of the Youth Bureau over the last few years, with Western New York Americorps and the Burchfield Nature & Art Center.

Hardly current information. During these past ten months there has been plenty of time to do a review, and pass the information around. Evidently, they are comfortable with their 'review', and going forward, if there is a problem, fix it. But that is too logical. More fun to yap like a Chiuaua.

[WNYresident]

I think you owe it to yourself, this board of yours, and the individuals involved to take a few hours out and go to WS and ask a few people (town board members, comptrollers past and present) these questions and not Old Time Revival, and Snow (could it be the hair?) White because they do not know. Go and visit Paul Clark, Mr. Koller and while your are at, present comptroller Bielicki and town board members. If indeed, there is an under funding of reimbursement, there should be effort to get the congressional deligation to fix it. Hell, there are Katrina 'victims' still in their trailers how many years after the event, and indeed WNY Americorp is involved overseeing those trailers among many other things.
What galls me, and where you have a moral responsibility here is your board has been systematically used to defame people. Whether they be in the public employ or not and because there is an underage or overage or not is irrelevent to the fact that it is implied continually there that there has been malfesance. "Call out the big guns" "FBI" "Forensic Audit" BS makes me sick. You are even part of it with your retorical questions exhibited above. And statements like this.
I emailed Shiela Meegan for an answer to basicly the same arguement I am making here, to yet without response although it is yet only a day. But you Mr. WNYResident would be the perfect one to act as the investigative reporter everyone claims to want. You are not a WS resident or an Amherst resident, you are WNYResident. If you do not want to do it in person go here
http://www.westseneca.net/director.html
and email them a list of questions.

It boils simply down to time. I'm not a reporter.

ALso if you noticed a majority of items that appear here tend to be TRUE.. sad though... it's like watching a WNY political comedy hour.

[snowwhite]

I think it is very sad what is happening in the town I have lived in all of my life. I know Manuel doesn't want to hear any thing bad about ML but what is written here is true as far as the information I have. Some of it is info that I have seen first hand and some is from people who work in the town hall and know what is going on there. The fact of the matter is that we need to find out how and when ML plans to reimburse the town 3.1 million dollars. I think maybe its time to let the Corporation of National & Community Service know how this program is being run and let them deal with the problem. It is nobody's responsiblity to re-pay the town except ML and the Corporation might be able to assist him in finding a way to do it. The bottom line is, he spent the money and now he needs to pay it back.

[OldTymeRevival]

I think it is very sad what is happening in the town I have lived in all of my life. I know Manuel doesn't want to hear any thing bad about ML but what is written here is true as far as the information I have. Some of it is info that I have seen first hand and some is from people who work in the town hall and know what is going on there. The fact of the matter is that we need to find out how and when ML plans to reimburse the town 3.1 million dollars. I think maybe its time to let the Corporation of National & Community Service know how this program is being run and let them deal with the problem. It is nobody's responsiblity to re-pay the town except ML and the Corporation might be able to assist him in finding a way to do it. The bottom line is, he spent the money and now he needs to pay it back.

I agree that it's time to get the facts (straightened out) and a realistic and legitimate plan to repay the town for the money it has advanced to ML and his Americorps. National & Community Services should know what has taken place and either intervene, or in the least assist ML and his staff and members to repay WS.

If that offends Manuel, it's his problem. He is totally snowed by a charlatan in whom he's found sainthood. G-d save us all! If that be the case, I wish to be non natus!

[Niagara]

I agree that it's time to get the facts (straightened out) and a realistic and legitimate plan to repay the town for the money it has advanced to ML and his Americorps. National & Community Services should know what has taken place and either intervene, or in the least assist ML and his staff and members to repay WS.

If that offends Manuel, it's his problem. He is totally snowed by a charlatan in whom he's found sainthood. G-d save us all! If that be the case, I wish to be non natus!

I say good for you. Get onto those councilmembers to get a plan together for repayment, if indeed there is a short fall. No, you are not going to get it out of ML, neither are you going to send him to jail, so get that out of your system. If there is some inside information that some have, share it. There is no reason there should be a 'privledged class of taxpayers'.

[Niagara]

It boils simply down to time. I'm not a reporter.

ALso if you noticed a majority of items that appear here tend to be TRUE.. sad though... it's like watching a WNY political comedy hour.

The point is you do have a responsibility to see that your business is not used improperly. It is a moral responsibility. For you to participate in the 'comedy hour' and/or allow misinformation to be spread is a misdeed, IMHO. To say that 'a majority of items that appear here tend to be TRUE' is a copout.

[Niagara]

I think it is very sad what is happening in the town I have lived in all of my life.

I think it is very sad there are so many unhappy people in the town. I do not think there is need for peer counciling as much as there is need for mental health counciling.

[MERL J]

I think it is very sad there are so many unhappy people in the town. I do not think there is need for peer counciling as much as there is need for mental health counciling.

"counciling" ...and spelling................

[Niagara]

"counciling" ...and spelling................

Thanks for the spelling counceling.........MERL

[MERL J]

Thanks for the spelling counceling.........MERL

"counseling"

[WNYresident]

The point is you do have a responsibility to see that your business is not used improperly. It is a moral responsibility. For you to participate in the 'comedy hour' and/or allow misinformation to be spread is a misdeed, IMHO. To say that 'a majority of items that appear here tend to be TRUE' is a copout.

What business used improperly? This is a script that runs on a server.

[Niagara]

What business used improperly? This is a script that runs on a server.

It is more than that. It is information transfer. No, you are not providing the information, but you sure are joining in on the circus. Your business has been used for a long time now to accuse someone of criminality. That is a serious issue. I think you, if not legally at least morally have an obligation to check into it and not just say that most of the stuff here winds up being true. You are thereby putting your stamp of approval onto it.

[snowwhite]

It is more than that. It is information transfer. No, you are not providing the information, but you sure are joining in on the circus. Your business has been used for a long time now to accuse someone of criminality. That is a serious issue. I think you, if not legally at least morally have an obligation to check into it and not just say that most of the stuff here winds up being true. You are thereby putting your stamp of approval onto it.

It is not right to blame WNY because you do not like what is being written. This is information that needs to get out to the taxpayers and because you don't like the message - tooo bad! We are not making this stuff up out of thin air, these are things that have happened and need to be corrected. So if you don't like the messages, then stop reading them and stop being a part of the process. It seems to me like sour grapes on your part. If you can tell me that there are no human rights filed against ML and there are no law suits filed against ML and there are no people who have been hurt by ML, then I will stop writing and you will hear from me no more. But I know these are correct facts and as long as I have proof, I will continue to let people know about the situation.