>Zack Metoyer has been the business chairman and board >chairman for the Central Neighborhood Improvement >Association.
I'd be curious what Zack Metoyer would say about this -- he is on this list -- and so could defend himself here. > >David Piehl writes: > >Is this a suprise to anyone? Dozens of folks in >Central and Phillips have made similar allegations, >and some have put their concerns in writing in the >form of grievances to the MCDA and the NRP. To date, >MCDA has essentially dismissed the grievances as >"concerns", and not followed up on them. Pretty poor >stewardship of public resources if you ask me!! >MCDA and NRP need to do an investigation into other >grants that Metoyer was involved with to ensure that >nothing is awry - for the sake of all involved >(including Metoyer). And as I understand it, they still are more likely than not to give CNIA Citizen Participation status -- even being fully aware of problems like these. The board of CNIA currently has several members with pretty clear conflicts of interest. Notable is Art Erickson's role as acting president. Will this mean that the Central Neighborhood "Citizen Participation Organization" -- which gets legitimacy from the City -- favor all the zoning variances that the Urban Ventures wants for their Evangelistic Christian Youth Center. MCDA and NRP need to shut down further legal relationships with CNIA period. The organization has shown itself to be totally unable to manage money, or to do the Citizen Participation work required in the CP contract. David Piehl is correct, Bob Cooper and Bob Miller are fully aware of the problems, and they hid behind the fact that things have not been official grievances. (Even though there have been many grievances filed against CNIA, and the CNIA board, and also NRP and MDCA just blow them off. Mary Jo Copeland is doing something similar in Eagan -- but she has no intention of getting government funding. That's appropriate for social services like hers. Wizard Marks writes: >That IS a good point David -- and I believe that you are correct. The >folks who were talking about how Urban Ventures turned their lives around >also worked for the organization. > WM: However, most of us can also say that at least one job we have had over our lifetimes has changed our lives. Simply having a job changes one's life and I know people now connected to Urban Ventures/Central Community Church who did turn their lives around through their connection to the organization. The people who make that claim in the UV film are speaking their hearts. EY: Just like paid spokespeople for politicians are making claims from their hearts. I guess my question is, is Urban Ventures a jobs program? Are graduates from their program working successfully at other jobs -- not Urban Ventures jobs -- and are those alumni coming back to testify in favor of the organization? Wizard continues: What do I care about what tool persons use to turn themselves away from crack, heroin, and alcohol toward a life he/she can live. If UV can do that, then more power to them. EY: I'm all for people turning themselves away from crack, heroin and alchohol. I don't know where I said I was against that. However, it always colors one's view about the validity of information when it comes from an employee vs a member of the general public. David Piehl writes: >It's also interesting to note that a little over two >years ago when Jana Metge was still director of CNIA, >Zack Metoyer was furious with her for requesting that >those involved in writing the guidelines for grant >money not be eligable for the money when it was >available to avoid a conflict of interest situation. > >Will the NRP and MCDA ever get their heads out of the >sand?? Good question. I don't think the "volunteer work" that Art Erickson and Ralph Bruins of Urban Ventures have done with CNIA and the CNIA business development committee has been selfless volunteering. They have always wanted something out of it. They were the original pushers of the Motel -- that went down in flames -- and was connected to Herrongate. Wizard Marks Continues: WM: The "flyer", according to Walt Gutzmer and others who received it, was actually a booklet about the religious convictions of Central Community Church (what denomination I have no idea) which has a Siamese Twin relationship with UV. I never saw this booklet. However, having a Christian Church, the Boy Scouts of America or any other organization proselytize against gender preference shouldn't be much of a surprise to anyone nor is it anything anyone outside the organization can change. What you can do, if you have the persistence and energy, is to work against having the crap rubbed in your face. For example, when some guy who was practicing to be a minister of some church got a loud speaker system, stood across the street from my house, and called hate speech to every passer-by whom he had tagged as a "faggot" (his word), that was something I could do something about and no, it did not involve a punch in the nose to the guy. ============================= Central Community Church broke off from Park Av Methodist Church -- which is also known for anti-gay sermons. I don't really care when these organizations proseletize, or even when they want to rant on about gays -- I just don't want public money going into funding that. I also don't like it when they buy up property and take it off the tax roles. I called Walt Gutzmer, and this was not a flyer. It was an article included in an Urban Ventures newsletter. This called on gays to repent. Does anyone know if these groups sponsor ex-gay ministries? I'm curious whether the City or State would consider funding an organization that promotes a biblical view that says there can't be interracial marriage (kind of like Bob Jones University). ****************************** Eva Eva Young Central Neighborhood Minneapolis _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
