Overappraisal is not legal and some double closings

.Dan Stockman writes an interesting article on flipping. Flipping is when you buy for example the Pizza Hut owner's home for $3 million dollars but it is worth $40 million dollars. We would wonder why the Pizza Hut man would sell his house valued at $40 million, but we would agree that the buyer definitely got a good deal.

Matter of fact, we would not be too surprised if the buyer turned around and resold the house after discovering that the house is worth $40 million for $20 million or even the $40 millions and we would agree that the buyer made some money in this deal..flipping.

But the one that gives us a moment pause is when a house worth only $2,000 is brought for $10,000 but appraised for $40,000. This is not the same as the Pizza Man house because the Pizza Man has a huge amount of wealth in it when the second house has no wealth to begin with. So in the second example, the first buyer is willing to pay the $10,000 for the worthless property. Why because the buyer knows that the appraised price is not $2,000 but $40,000.

This $2,000 home was divided up for a profit of $38,000 by two individuals. The last buyer without knowldege has a home lacking in truth in lending that is only worth $2,000. This information was not shared with the last buyer, by the seller or lender that the house was overvalued..illegal fiipping. The loan was for more than the value of the property and the lender should have made sure several different appraisal confirmed that the house was really $40,000 or they were as responsible as the seller in deceptive lending. Call it by what ever name, flipping, it was fraud if the property was overvalued or over assessed and the information was never shared with the buyer.

Illegal flipping of over assessed home with information not shared with buyers is what has happened to many families in Fort Wayne, supported by our elected officials..go read the books.

.


Where is Attorney General Stephens Carter on this? Why is Attorney General Carter not investigating and charging elected official with fraud? Home owners or business owners are embarrassed that they were robbed by people they trusted to give them a fair deal. This just made these crooks fat cats and smug in going for bigger deals.

Can we say Southtown mall. The Mayor Graham Richard used eminent domain to steal the property of Whichard to sell to another buyer. That buyer is holding the land to sell at a high price. What did Whichard get about $4.5 million dollars for property that would be appraised at a higher value without any improvement? Now ask yourself the question? Is this not flipping? You bet it is, but the city official calls it saving the tax payers dollars when it sold the property under the market value.

The city not only overtaxed the citizen, (but likes to say them are saving the taxpayer dollars )in the over assessing of property during the 2002 property reassessment but it also entered the real estate business to take advantage of the over assessment. Millions of dollars stolen from the taxpayer, explains why we see an outgoing smiling Mayor Dick.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Susan Brooks’ office was handling so many mortgage fraud cases in the Indianapolis area that she set up a task force, bringing together federal prosecutors, the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Postal Service Inspector’s Office and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Inspector General.

Some folks need to contact those folks in the morning!

In Cleveland, a grand jury has indicted 59 defendants on 269 charges of racketeering, forgery and theft in a $3 million mortgage scheme involving 38 properties. The ringleaders in that case are accused of using false information to get mortgages.

Don't forget to check out the mortgage fraud blog. And a little disclaimer this is in no way legal advice.

Redistricting- Where to vote?

I check the IMAP for voting location for Ronald Buskirk and posted that information. A comment on the blog suggest that Ron Buskirk filed in the right district based on the City's July 2006 redistricting map. Conclusion, Buskirk will be challenging Tim Pape, if this is true.

From the city's website:

The six re-confingured council districts were given final passage by City Council in July 2006. Approximately 40 neighborhood associations will be changing from one council district to another. If you are a registered voter in one of these areas of change you will be recieving new precinct information from the Allen County Election Board before the May 2007 primary.

The First Admendment-Expressing an Oppositional Point of View

Fredrick Douglass is well known for being an abolitionist. Douglass escaped slavery and was outspoken about the institution of slavery. Douglass wrote a book called The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, An American Slave. Douglass started the most prominent newspaper for African-American, to voice his opposition to the institution of slavery. Douglas published an African-American newspaper in 1847 in Rochester New York, called the North Star. The credo expressed by the newspaper: " The object of the North Star will be to attack slavery in all its forms and aspects advocate universal emancipation exact the standard of the colored people; and to hasten the day of freedom to our three million enslaved fellow countryman." according to the Black Press and The First Amendment by James D. Williams. Read more click here.

Mitch Harper files in the right district beats out Ronald Buskirk who filed in the wrong district

Photo used with owner's permission

Mitchell Harper escaped a challenge by Ronald Buskirk. Mitch Harper will be the lone republican seeking the republican nomination for city council 4th district. It appears that all the shining comments from the party chair about the Buskirk's name won't help Ronald Buskirk in the fifth district. Buskirk does not live in the fifth according to the voting registration records but the fourth district. Buskirk would have had to run in the fourth district city council race. This may lead to a challenge that must come from the voters.

Harper reports Buskirk filing and even Buskirk bio. but not the fact that Buskirk papers were for the wrong district. That Mitch Harper over at FWOB can be a sly one if you don't watch him very closely. H/t to Indianapundit.

Address

3210 WASHINGTON RD N


City
FORT WAYNE
US Congressional District
3
State Senate District
16
State Representative District
80
County Commissioner District
3
County Council District
4
Township
WAYNE
School Board District
FW 5
School Board East Allen Electoral District

School Board East Allen Residential District

City Council District
FW 4
Voting Precinct
412
Voting Location
VFW POST 857(VETERAN OF FOREIGN WARS)
Voting Location Address
2202 W MAIN ST
Voting Location City
FORT WAYNE

Several potential candidates were surprised by who they wanted to challenge was not their representative. Some potential discovering they were not in the district they thought they were in either withdrew their names or decided to run for an at large candidate seat.

If the potential candidates are confused about their district can you imagine the number of voters who do not know who their representative is. Matter of fact, some of the current representatives are unaware of their boundary. So much for an informed electorates under the redistricting administrated by their council representatives.

City owned baseball park-Harrison Square Park

The downtown fortwayne baseball website has an interesting interview with Jason Freier, an attorney and one of the owners of the Wizard.

What I found interesting was this statement,

City-owned ballpark and related development, share some revenue streams with the City and assume some of the operating costs in the City-owned facility.

So does that mean the Wizard will play their games there and that the park will be used for other activities sponsored by other groups including the city? I assume such activities such as the three river festival, German fest, etc. So, I would take that to mean that the park will be leased to Hardball Capital for Wizard Games in exchange for their dollars toward the downtown development.

Harrison Square is a mixed-use commercial development in Fort Wayne, Indiana, that is currently a concept. It will feature a ballpark that will be primarily used for baseball, and will be the home field of the Fort Wayne Wizards minor league baseball team. It will possibly open downtown in 2009 at the corner of Harrison and Jefferson, and will hold 8,000 people. A recent poll of Fort Wayne residents suggests that they do not back the ballpark component of the project

from the online encyclopedia.


The other option for Hardball would be to invest in their investment, the Wizard, by renovating Memorial Stadium, the Wizard current playing location. The interview suggest the city did not support the team or its fan with the ill maintained Memorial Stadium as much as they are ranting and raving about in hope of bringing these fans downtown to support a retail component. Matter of fact the interview cite areas which did improvement in support of their teams.

If Harrison Square, for whatever reason, does not come to fruition, our focus would turn to finding our second best option to fulfill the aforementioned commitments. That, most likely, would be to work with Randy Brown and the Coliseum Authority to renovate and improve Memorial Stadium. Memorial Stadium is a facility, frankly, that was built with a minimum of amenities to begin with and that has not kept up with the times and is showing its age. The fact that Memorial Stadium remains a great place to take a family for a game is a testament to the incredible job done by the Wizards local management and dedicated employees, led by our General Manger Mike Nutter, and to the great job that Randy Brown and his staff do managing the facility.

For us to provide the sort of gameday experience our fans deserve, a very significant investment would have to be made to bring Memorial Stadium up to date. Less was invested in Memorial Stadium when it was built than virtually any other facility we are aware of that was built during the same time frame and no significant improvements to the facility itself have been made in the intervening 15 years. As a matter of comparison, the ballpark in Lansing opened just three years after our stadium but more than twice as much money was invested in that facility. Also, the ballpark in Lansing is undergoing a multimillion dollar improvement this off-season and a commitment has been made to put millions more in over the next ten years.

One needn’t look as far as Lansing to understand how out of date Memorial Stadium is, however, you just need to walk across the parking lot and take a look at the Coliseum--compare a suite in the Coliseum to those at Memorial Stadium. If Harrison Square cannot be brought to fruition, our goal would be to make Memorial Stadium a facility, like the Coliseum, that our fans can enjoy and that the community can be proud of. We just think that the resources necessary to do so are better spent
downtown, where such a facility can have so much more of an impact on the community as a whole.

Mr. Jason Freier is exactly right, city official do not believe in supporting what the city has already. So what the city is now doing is trying to save their risky investment of tax payers dollars in the Grand Wayne Center and the Library, by trying to get the baseball games downtown. And to entice the hardball capital company to go along for this ride, the city is giving Hardball everything but the kitchen sink. Why, so the city can use the money Hardball would have used to renovate the Memorial Stadium for the Wizard fans. Instead the city wants Hardball to plop it down in another long shot using tax payers dollars.

The fact that city officials do not want to invest in our schools is another example of how the city neglect its buildings, until they are required based on federal law. Another scheme was the building of the Safety Buildings with tax dollars that could have been used on other projects in the city. You know the one I am talking, the stolen land called Southtown Centre that cost over $40 million dollars. But the city creates these scheme to try to gauge and line the pockets of their friends. But Mr. Freier you would recognize such unethical dealings, being that you are a successful wealthy businessman dealing with a city in need of some serious funds.

Great interview.

Harrison Square Supporters-Mayor or City Council Members?

The News Sentinel prints this letter to the editor from John Shoaff a city council member in response to a letter to the editor from Fred Rost on council members commitment to the Harrison Square project.

In his otherwise-thoughtful Feb. 15 guest column, Fred Rost errs in linking the City Council to the mayor’s position and actions on the Harrison Square project. Contrary to his assertions, the council is not “leading” or “moving forward” at this time on that project. The administration has brought neither this project nor any part of it to the council. We have not discussed it as a body, either at the council table or behind closed doors (where assembly of enough of us to form a consensus would be illegal).

If Rost were to approach us individually, he would find we are all asking questions. I think he would be impressed by the diversity of our opinions and concerns. Two council members, Tom Smith and Don Schmidt, are calling a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. March 8 at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 4700 Vance Ave., to solicit further public input. For all of us, the complexity and high cost of public funding, with its high opportunity cost, mandates that we evaluate the project with the greatest of care before approving or rejecting it.

I would also like to respond briefly to a point made Feb. 16 in a guest column by David Haist. Haist stated correctly that a volunteer task force had recommended a complex of the type represented by Harrison Square. However, it was one of numerous recommendations, and it was not made a priority. It is important to clarify that the task force was disbanded before it would have had the opportunity to evaluate and approve the suitability and prioritization of the Harrison Square plan itself.

I would also ask Haist and other supporters of the project to bear in mind that many who question or even oppose Harrison Square remain nonetheless as deeply committed to downtown revitalization as he is. The overarching question for all of us should be whether Harrison Square isthe best way to get us there.

John H. Shoaff, at-large Fort Wayne City Council

Feb. 15, 2007

I have to agree with mayoral candidate Matt Kelty’s Feb. 1 letter on the proposed Harrison Square project. I believe his position of supporting downtown redevelopment, but questioning whether the proposed stadium is the best way to do it is a practical and measured position. The questions he believes needs to be answered are indeed right on; particularly, Who benefits?

There will be proponents of the project who will undoubtedly criticize Kelty’s call for a business case, transparency, accountability and public discourse on the $125 million proposal as being anti-progress and critical of so-called leadership. As an Army combat veteran of two conflicts and a business executive, it is my experience that there is a difference between leading on an issue and demonstrating leadership.

As a new Army lieutenant coming out of graduate school, I was an Army leader, but I demonstrated leadership after I gained the confidence and trust of my platoon through good judgment, competence and genuine concern for their well being, to where they would follow me anywhere and do anything, enthusiastically and without question. The mayor and the City Council may be leading on this issue, but they have not demonstrated leadership, evidenced by the people overwhelmingly questioning their judgment on promoting the stadium. I believe we deserve more facts and less marketing.

Although Kelty was called a “skeptic” by a recent editorial in The News-Sentinel, I believe his skepticism is well-founded, particularly when one looks at the speed and ferocity with which the mayor’s administration and City Council is moving to get a vote and break ground on Harrison Square. What’s the hurry? I think all would do well to ask who benefits from this project and follow the money.

Early on in his first term, Mayor Graham Richard moved away from having any one law firm represent the city and has successfully spread it around to many Fort Wayne law firms. So who are the local law firms aligned with this proposed project that will benefit from it moving forward? Further, are any City Council members or their respective firms positioned to directly and materially benefit from a Harrison Square transaction? If so, shouldn’t they recuse themselves from voting on the issue to avoid a conflict of interest?

Southtown Centre is heralded as a model success. I would agree the Menards and Wal-Mart have been good additions to the area, but approximately $30 million for a hardware store, a general merchandise store and public-safety academy (a solution in search of a problem)? Too much! As a project, Southtown was over budget and not on schedule, at least as originally briefed to the City Council (and I wouldn’t be so fast to blame it all on litigation). And again, who benefited? Sole-source contracts with much of the work coincidentally going to some of the mayor’s largest campaign contributors. C’mon, we can do better than that.

Kelty is right. If the stadium idea is such a good business opportunity, why aren’t businesses flocking to fund the entire endeavor with no public funding required? I might agree to some favorable tax treatment (such as General Motors has received in Allen County) if private developers built downtown, but even then, wouldn’t we want to make sure that whatever project was being built works with downtown, is part of more comprehensive plan and achieves our objectives for revitalization? If a public investment is to be made downtown, shouldn’t it be made in revitalizing the surrounding neighborhoods, what Kelty calls the “urban core,” so it seamlessly becomes a vital part of the fabric of downtown?

Polls indicate people support the revitalization of downtown. The question is how; the answer should make business, practical and strategic sense and be supported by residents. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of this issue is the arrogance. The mayor and City Council are moving forward on their own, regardless of public outcry and disapproval, then calling it “leadership.” Since the mayor and some City Council members have decided to leave office this year, the public doesn’t have much leverage with key elected officials for them to consider and act on their concerns.

Downtown, yes; stadium, no. If it does get rammed through, we should all ask, cui bono?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fred Rost is a senior vice president at Sierra Nevada Corp., former general manager of General Dynamics in Fort Wayne and a Fort Wayne resident.

Times up

Times up...for now in seeking the primary nomination. By noon time, an additional 17 candidates had filed their necessary paperwork.

Quote Source-Matt Kelty Fort Wayne Reader's Cover Comment By FWOB

Eloisa to Abelard

In these deep solitudes and awful cells,
Where heav'nly-pensive contemplation dwells,
And ever-musing melancholy reigns;
What means this tumult in a vestal's veins?
Why rove my thoughts beyond this last retreat?
Why feels my heart its long-forgotten heat?
Yet, yet I love! — From Abelard it came,
And Eloisa yet must kiss the name.

Dear fatal name! rest ever unreveal'd,
Nor pass these lips in holy silence seal'd.
Hide it, my heart, within that close disguise,
Where mix'd with God's, his lov'd idea lies:
O write it not, my hand — the name appears
Already written — wash it out, my tears!
In vain lost Eloisa weeps and prays,
Her heart still dictates, and her hand obeys.

Relentless walls! whose darksome round contains
Repentant sighs, and voluntary pains:
Ye rugged rocks! which holy knees have worn;
Ye grots and caverns shagg'd with horrid thorn!
Shrines! where their vigils pale-ey'd virgins keep,
And pitying saints, whose statues learn to weep!
Though cold like you, unmov'd, and silent grown,
I have not yet forgot myself to stone.
All is not Heav'n's while Abelard has part,
Still rebel nature holds out half my heart;
Nor pray'rs nor fasts its stubborn pulse restrain,
Nor tears, for ages, taught to flow in vain.

Soon as thy letters trembling I unclose,
That well-known name awakens all my woes.
Oh name for ever sad! for ever dear!
Still breath'd in sighs, still usher'd with a tear.
I tremble too, where'er my own I find,
Some dire misfortune follows close behind.
Line after line my gushing eyes o'erflow,
Led through a sad variety of woe:
Now warm in love, now with'ring in thy bloom,
Lost in a convent's solitary gloom!
There stern religion quench'd th' unwilling flame,
There died the best of passions, love and fame.

Yet write, oh write me all, that I may join
Griefs to thy griefs, and echo sighs to thine.
Nor foes nor fortune take this pow'r away;
And is my Abelard less kind than they?
Tears still are mine, and those I need not spare,
Love but demands what else were shed in pray'r;
No happier task these faded eyes pursue;
To read and weep is all they now can do.

Then share thy pain, allow that sad relief;
Ah, more than share it! give me all thy grief.
Heav'n first taught letters for some wretch's aid,
Some banish'd lover, or some captive maid;
They live, they speak, they breathe what love inspires,
Warm from the soul, and faithful to its fires,
The virgin's wish without her fears impart,
Excuse the blush, and pour out all the heart,
Speed the soft intercourse from soul to soul,
And waft a sigh from Indus to the Pole.

Thou know'st how guiltless first I met thy flame,
When Love approach'd me under Friendship's name;
My fancy form'd thee of angelic kind,
Some emanation of th' all-beauteous Mind.
Those smiling eyes, attemp'ring ev'ry day,
Shone sweetly lambent with celestial day.
Guiltless I gaz'd; heav'n listen'd while you sung;
And truths divine came mended from that tongue.
From lips like those what precept fail'd to move?
Too soon they taught me 'twas no sin to love.
Back through the paths of pleasing sense I ran,
Nor wish'd an Angel whom I lov'd a Man.
Dim and remote the joys of saints I see;
Nor envy them, that heav'n I lose for thee.

How oft, when press'd to marriage, have I said,
Curse on all laws but those which love has made!
Love, free as air, at sight of human ties,
Spreads his light wings, and in a moment flies,
Let wealth, let honour, wait the wedded dame,
August her deed, and sacred be her fame;
Before true passion all those views remove,
Fame, wealth, and honour! what are you to Love?
The jealous God, when we profane his fires,
Those restless passions in revenge inspires;
And bids them make mistaken mortals groan,
Who seek in love for aught but love alone.
Should at my feet the world's great master fall,
Himself, his throne, his world, I'd scorn 'em all:
Not Caesar's empress would I deign to prove;
No, make me mistress to the man I love;
If there be yet another name more free,
More fond than mistress, make me that to thee!
Oh happy state! when souls each other draw,
When love is liberty, and nature, law:
All then is full, possessing, and possess'd,
No craving void left aching in the breast:
Ev'n thought meets thought, ere from the lips it part,
And each warm wish springs mutual from the heart.
This sure is bliss (if bliss on earth there be)
And once the lot of Abelard and me.

Alas, how chang'd! what sudden horrors rise!
A naked lover bound and bleeding lies!
Where, where was Eloise? her voice, her hand,
Her poniard, had oppos'd the dire command.
Barbarian, stay! that bloody stroke restrain;
The crime was common, common be the pain.
I can no more; by shame, by rage suppress'd,
Let tears, and burning blushes speak the rest.

Canst thou forget that sad, that solemn day,
When victims at yon altar's foot we lay?
Canst thou forget what tears that moment fell,
When, warm in youth, I bade the world farewell?
As with cold lips I kiss'd the sacred veil,
The shrines all trembl'd, and the lamps grew pale:
Heav'n scarce believ'd the conquest it survey'd,
And saints with wonder heard the vows I made.
Yet then, to those dread altars as I drew,
Not on the Cross my eyes were fix'd, but you:
Not grace, or zeal, love only was my call,
And if I lose thy love, I lose my all.
Come! with thy looks, thy words, relieve my woe;
Those still at least are left thee to bestow.
Still on that breast enamour'd let me lie,
Still drink delicious poison from thy eye,
Pant on thy lip, and to thy heart be press'd;
Give all thou canst — and let me dream the rest.
Ah no! instruct me other joys to prize,
With other beauties charm my partial eyes,
Full in my view set all the bright abode,
And make my soul quit Abelard for God.

Ah, think at least thy flock deserves thy care,
Plants of thy hand, and children of thy pray'r.
From the false world in early youth they fled,
By thee to mountains, wilds, and deserts led.
You rais'd these hallow'd walls; the desert smil'd,
And Paradise was open'd in the wild.
No weeping orphan saw his father's stores
Our shrines irradiate, or emblaze the floors;
No silver saints, by dying misers giv'n,
Here brib'd the rage of ill-requited heav'n:
But such plain roofs as piety could raise,
And only vocal with the Maker's praise.
In these lone walls (their days eternal bound)
These moss-grown domes with spiry turrets crown'd,
Where awful arches make a noonday night,
And the dim windows shed a solemn light;
Thy eyes diffus'd a reconciling ray,
And gleams of glory brighten'd all the day.
But now no face divine contentment wears,
'Tis all blank sadness, or continual tears.
See how the force of others' pray'rs I try,
(O pious fraud of am'rous charity!)
But why should I on others' pray'rs depend?
Come thou, my father, brother, husband, friend!
Ah let thy handmaid, sister, daughter move,
And all those tender names in one, thy love!
The darksome pines that o'er yon rocks reclin'd
Wave high, and murmur to the hollow wind,
The wand'ring streams that shine between the hills,
The grots that echo to the tinkling rills,
The dying gales that pant upon the trees,
The lakes that quiver to the curling breeze;
No more these scenes my meditation aid,
Or lull to rest the visionary maid.
But o'er the twilight groves and dusky caves,
Long-sounding aisles, and intermingled graves,
Black Melancholy sits, and round her throws
A death-like silence, and a dread repose:
Her gloomy presence saddens all the scene,
Shades ev'ry flow'r, and darkens ev'ry green,
Deepens the murmur of the falling floods,
And breathes a browner horror on the woods.

Yet here for ever, ever must I stay;
Sad proof how well a lover can obey!
Death, only death, can break the lasting chain;
And here, ev'n then, shall my cold dust remain,
Here all its frailties, all its flames resign,
And wait till 'tis no sin to mix with thine.

Ah wretch! believ'd the spouse of God in vain,
Confess'd within the slave of love and man.
Assist me, Heav'n! but whence arose that pray'r?
Sprung it from piety, or from despair?
Ev'n here, where frozen chastity retires,
Love finds an altar for forbidden fires.
I ought to grieve, but cannot what I ought;
I mourn the lover, not lament the fault;
I view my crime, but kindle at the view,
Repent old pleasures, and solicit new;
Now turn'd to Heav'n, I weep my past offence,
Now think of thee, and curse my innocence.
Of all affliction taught a lover yet,
'Tis sure the hardest science to forget!
How shall I lose the sin, yet keep the sense,
And love th' offender, yet detest th' offence?
How the dear object from the crime remove,
Or how distinguish penitence from love?
Unequal task! a passion to resign,
For hearts so touch'd, so pierc'd, so lost as mine.
Ere such a soul regains its peaceful state,
How often must it love, how often hate!
How often hope, despair, resent, regret,
Conceal, disdain — do all things but forget.
But let Heav'n seize it, all at once 'tis fir'd;
Not touch'd, but rapt; not waken'd, but inspir'd!
Oh come! oh teach me nature to subdue,
Renounce my love, my life, myself — and you.
Fill my fond heart with God alone, for he
Alone can rival, can succeed to thee.

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;
Labour and rest, that equal periods keep;
"Obedient slumbers that can wake and weep;"
Desires compos'd, affections ever ev'n,
Tears that delight, and sighs that waft to Heav'n.
Grace shines around her with serenest beams,
And whisp'ring angels prompt her golden dreams.
For her th' unfading rose of Eden blooms,
And wings of seraphs shed divine perfumes,
For her the Spouse prepares the bridal ring,
For her white virgins hymeneals sing,
To sounds of heav'nly harps she dies away,
And melts in visions of eternal day.

Far other dreams my erring soul employ,
Far other raptures, of unholy joy:
When at the close of each sad, sorrowing day,
Fancy restores what vengeance snatch'd away,
Then conscience sleeps, and leaving nature free,
All my loose soul unbounded springs to thee.
Oh curs'd, dear horrors of all-conscious night!
How glowing guilt exalts the keen delight!
Provoking Daemons all restraint remove,
And stir within me every source of love.
I hear thee, view thee, gaze o'er all thy charms,
And round thy phantom glue my clasping arms.
I wake — no more I hear, no more I view,
The phantom flies me, as unkind as you.
I call aloud; it hears not what I say;
I stretch my empty arms; it glides away.
To dream once more I close my willing eyes;
Ye soft illusions, dear deceits, arise!
Alas, no more — methinks we wand'ring go
Through dreary wastes, and weep each other's woe,
Where round some mould'ring tower pale ivy creeps,
And low-brow'd rocks hang nodding o'er the deeps.
Sudden you mount, you beckon from the skies;
Clouds interpose, waves roar, and winds arise.
I shriek, start up, the same sad prospect find,
And wake to all the griefs I left behind.

For thee the fates, severely kind, ordain
A cool suspense from pleasure and from pain;
Thy life a long, dead calm of fix'd repose;
No pulse that riots, and no blood that glows.
Still as the sea, ere winds were taught to blow,
Or moving spirit bade the waters flow;
Soft as the slumbers of a saint forgiv'n,
And mild as opening gleams of promis'd heav'n.

Come, Abelard! for what hast thou to dread?
The torch of Venus burns not for the dead.
Nature stands check'd; Religion disapproves;
Ev'n thou art cold — yet Eloisa loves.
Ah hopeless, lasting flames! like those that burn
To light the dead, and warm th' unfruitful urn.

What scenes appear where'er I turn my view?
The dear ideas, where I fly, pursue,
Rise in the grove, before the altar rise,
Stain all my soul, and wanton in my eyes.
I waste the matin lamp in sighs for thee,
Thy image steals between my God and me,
Thy voice I seem in ev'ry hymn to hear,
With ev'ry bead I drop too soft a tear.
When from the censer clouds of fragrance roll,
And swelling organs lift the rising soul,
One thought of thee puts all the pomp to flight,
Priests, tapers, temples, swim before my sight:
In seas of flame my plunging soul is drown'd,
While altars blaze, and angels tremble round.

While prostrate here in humble grief I lie,
Kind, virtuous drops just gath'ring in my eye,
While praying, trembling, in the dust I roll,
And dawning grace is op'ning on my soul:
Come, if thou dar'st, all charming as thou art!
Oppose thyself to Heav'n; dispute my heart;
Come, with one glance of those deluding eyes
Blot out each bright idea of the skies;
Take back that grace, those sorrows, and those tears;
Take back my fruitless penitence and pray'rs;
Snatch me, just mounting, from the blest abode;
Assist the fiends, and tear me from my God!

No, fly me, fly me, far as pole from pole;
Rise Alps between us! and whole oceans roll!
Ah, come not, write not, think not once of me,
Nor share one pang of all I felt for thee.
Thy oaths I quit, thy memory resign;
Forget, renounce me, hate whate'er was mine.
Fair eyes, and tempting looks (which yet I view!)
Long lov'd, ador'd ideas, all adieu!
Oh Grace serene! oh virtue heav'nly fair!
Divine oblivion of low-thoughted care!
Fresh blooming hope, gay daughter of the sky!
And faith, our early immortality!
Enter, each mild, each amicable guest;
Receive, and wrap me in eternal rest!

See in her cell sad Eloisa spread,
Propp'd on some tomb, a neighbour of the dead.
In each low wind methinks a spirit calls,
And more than echoes talk along the walls.
Here, as I watch'd the dying lamps around,
From yonder shrine I heard a hollow sound.
"Come, sister, come!" (it said, or seem'd to say)
"Thy place is here, sad sister, come away!
Once like thyself, I trembled, wept, and pray'd,
Love's victim then, though now a sainted maid:
But all is calm in this eternal sleep;
Here grief forgets to groan, and love to weep,
Ev'n superstition loses ev'ry fear:
For God, not man, absolves our frailties here."

I come, I come! prepare your roseate bow'rs,
Celestial palms, and ever-blooming flow'rs.
Thither, where sinners may have rest, I go,
Where flames refin'd in breasts seraphic glow:
Thou, Abelard! the last sad office pay,
And smooth my passage to the realms of day;
See my lips tremble, and my eye-balls roll,
Suck my last breath, and catch my flying soul!
Ah no — in sacred vestments may'st thou stand,
The hallow'd taper trembling in thy hand,
Present the cross before my lifted eye,
Teach me at once, and learn of me to die.
Ah then, thy once-lov'd Eloisa see!
It will be then no crime to gaze on me.
See from my cheek the transient roses fly!
See the last sparkle languish in my eye!
Till ev'ry motion, pulse, and breath be o'er;
And ev'n my Abelard be lov'd no more.
O Death all-eloquent! you only prove
What dust we dote on, when 'tis man we love.

Then too, when fate shall thy fair frame destroy,
(That cause of all my guilt, and all my joy)
In trance ecstatic may thy pangs be drown'd,
Bright clouds descend, and angels watch thee round,
From op'ning skies may streaming glories shine,
And saints embrace thee with a love like mine.

May one kind grave unite each hapless name,
And graft my love immortal on thy fame!
Then, ages hence, when all my woes are o'er,
When this rebellious heart shall beat no more;
If ever chance two wand'ring lovers brings
To Paraclete's white walls and silver springs,
O'er the pale marble shall they join their heads,
And drink the falling tears each other sheds;
Then sadly say, with mutual pity mov'd,
"Oh may we never love as these have lov'd!"

From the full choir when loud Hosannas rise,
And swell the pomp of dreadful sacrifice,
Amid that scene if some relenting eye
Glance on the stone where our cold relics lie,
Devotion's self shall steal a thought from Heav'n,
One human tear shall drop and be forgiv'n.
And sure, if fate some future bard shall join
In sad similitude of griefs to mine,
Condemn'd whole years in absence to deplore,
And image charms he must behold no more;
Such if there be, who loves so long, so well;
Let him our sad, our tender story tell;
The well-sung woes will soothe my pensive ghost;
He best can paint 'em, who shall feel 'em most.

By Alexander Pope

Build it and they will read

When I was a kid, I read lots of different newspapers. In my home we had local newspapers, and newspapers from Detroit, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Indianapolis. In several classes in school the students would discuss an article read from the newspaper. So, I would discuss articles I found in these out of town newspaper. Famous columnists that I read during those days were Carl Rowan and William Buckley. For Buckley, I think it was because he favored my history teacher. I think.

Fast forward, today our newspapers has a brand new building, aided by millions of tax payers dollars. But it's readership is down. I see the newspaper lying around in schools and in the classrooms. And what are the few students I see reading, reading the sport page. I have no problem with the sport section, my oldest daughter entrance into journalism was writing about sports. But students how about current events? Where is that in the newspaper they ask ?

So, if a new building for our newspaper does not improved the adult writer's appeal to students to pick up a newspaper to read current events, do we blame the new building? Nope, so why are we surprised by the writing by these editors denouncing the spending of dollars on building for educating students. These adults editors are in a new building and they can read far better than these students, but these students are not reading or buying their newspapers. These students are online, killing the sells of advertisement dollars in the well written newspapers.

Yes sirree bob, a half a billion dollar is worth it to take our children into the future.

So Long Mayor Dick

Sixty four candidates have signed up for the primary. Republicans have a total of 39 and the the Democrats 25. A few are incumbents others are candidates from other failed races and many are new to the races. Some were welcomed by their party leaders and others were not. Some were confused on what position they would run, one just in the wrong place for the right race.

The Republicans signed up early and the Democrats were a slower pace in signing on for the primary. Men first, and a few women followed. Female republicans signed up early for positions to handle the money, democrats followed. But there was no Mayor Graham Richard. The man with two first names or last name or however, you look at it, Mayor Dick has not signed on. The great visionary that has bankruptcy Fort Wayne and it's citizenry, will not run again. The mythical catalyst god will not hang around to see so many of them fail as the citizen seek a new leader to pull them out of the mess and uncover the mess.

Mayor Dick where will you go, while others hang around to pull the citizens out the mess or uncover the mess? Maybe we'll see you on Oprah promoting your book! Or work with Al Gore on global warming, since you have recently caught the environment bug, forget about our brownfields, combined sewers costs, and polluted air you placed secondary while you building a world class city. We're going to miss you Mayor Dick, oh how we're going to miss you.

A government by the people for the people has until noon for other patriots to sign on the dotted line.

Readings for African-American History

One day I will make a list of all the books I have throughout the house, but not today on history, especially African-American history and policies. African-American history can be found in lots of writing. It depends on what you are searching for that will guide your reading. Here is a just a few books I found in thrift shops of authors, stories, history and jokes involving the African American community: Read more click here.

Hotel to replace downtown Belmont

Folks traveling to downtown Belmont to purchase their spirits, will find themselves standing in the lobby of the proposed new Marriott Lobby. While standing at the Belmont counter you will have to envision what the Marriott lobby may look and feel like.

Belmont will shutting the doors of this downtown liquor store on March 31, 2007. Belmont will move it supplies to the office and warehouse located at 3309 North Anthony. The loyal customers can select from 17 other Belmont stores to do their shopping, The closest Belmont stores to the downtown area are at Fairfield, South Calhoun, and W. Jefferson Street.

Original it was reported that Belmont was to move where the current Greyhound Station, but for reason not disclosed the deal fail through for the city. Holiday Inn is located across from the Greyhound Station.

I am surmising here. I believe that the stadium movement to downtown impacted the fact that the hotel would be built at the Belmont location across from the Grand Wayne Center. Belmont was ousted from the land. The stadium choice nicked the plan to renovate Holiday Inn because location wise, the Holiday Inn is quite a distance away from the proposed location of the new downtown stadium.


Just analyzing the data that is available, I suspect that downtown development has also been nicked as well to pursuit support and development of the new stadium. The direction of the location of the stadium is away from downtown and toward Webster and Ewing across Jefferson cutting off downtown and the southside.

Of course to appease the local business men, Harrison Square is touted as land investment for these business owners who would like to relocate to the area to provide services that will be needed by the anticipated crowds from the baseball stadium and convention goers to the Grand Wayne Center and the Allen County Library.

Downtown will simply maintain a cosmetic staple of buildings serving as a historic landmark. Nothing will be added to attract folks to shop or play downtown beyond the the new stadium and library. This is simply utilizing funds that could improve the city toward investment in projects to attract dollars from out side source to compensate for the loss of jobs from businesses closing and leaving the city of Fort Wayne. And this is called economy development without creating jobs for the taxpayers?!!!

This from an intuitive perspective that lack all the necessary data in making my assessment.

Winter Ice

Allen County County Tax Adjustment Board

It bothers me that the Allen County Tax Adjustment Board will appoint members. It sounds like another group determining where money will be spent rather than meeting the needs of the community. According to FWOB Mitch Harper

Last month, the County Council asked Harper and Bill Fishering, the County Attorney, to address the board regarding the history and statutory basis of the Tax Adjustment Board.

If readers remember, Attorney William Fishering was alleged to have made a comment in regards to the county auditor,lack of swiftness.

Ladies and Gentlemen before I move into the Bridge Bond issue I have a matter
I need to address. Last night we had a joint City County Council meeting; during that meeting I was engaging in a debate with Councilman Pape over certain finances. I made a comment with respect to the Auditor’s office which at best may have been considered a slight and at worst been considered a direct attack. I wanted to say that I have the utmost respect for the Auditor’s office they are doing a wonderful job through extremely difficult times with the reassessment,

ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL MEEETING MINUTES
TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2004
3
cash flow shortages as well as our overall lack of money because of the falling COIT. The comment had to do with their ability to get their hands on the numbers quickly. In many instances the Auditor’s office does not have the ability to put their fingers on numbers quickly, it is not their fault it is the system that we have in county government with various claims andfunds. I was trying to emphasize that claims are against certain funds and you can’t necessarily
tell who get them and who had what and you have to go through and hand do all of that
reconciliation and was trying to tell Mr. Pape that it just not possible for the Sheriff to come up with an exact number. With that said I want to apologize to the Auditor; I do think she is doinga wonderful job; I think their staff particularly Tera are implementing new systems that mayactually easy to do some of those things that Councilman Pape wanted done we just don’t currently have it. That also is not a slight of the Auditor’s office because they have been working hard at that but they have been overwhelmed with these other developments, they truly have and have been doing a wonderful job. To the Auditor and to anyone else who thought I did that I do apologize it was not my intent.

This board sounds like a group of folks who will be the auditor's tag team.

Side note: I also remember Attorney Fishering, as an attorney for the County, in the chamber of Judge Norman Baker when Baker was trying to determine whether or not to have officers of the law in the courtroom during a hearing. Judge Baker decided that the officers were indeed not needed as he was being told. Also, Judge Baker was surprised to learn that my legal training was not from being a paralegal as he was told. Judge Baker had the sense enough to listen and investigate and not simply believe those who first had his ear. (Correction: I earlier stated it was Judge Paul Cherry).

The reason I say this is because the board that is to listen to the tax payers serve more as bullies in avoiding correcting errors rather than accountability toward the taxpayers.

. A clique of pals so to speak.

Photo used with owner's permission

Harper is due to make his announcement for running in the fourth district,today. How convenient, right after County Council approved the Tax Board. Timing or Photo Op?

Matt Kelty in Fort Wayne Reader

Matt Kelty mayoral hopeful for the Republican party may not be getting mainstream news media coverage. Mainstream media appears to support as the appointed nominate, Nelson Peters. Nevertheless the voters are not in agreement with party leaders or media shot callers. But unlike other potential candidates, Kelty has tapped into other media outlets.

Fort Wayne Reader, a media outlet has given Kelty the cover of their publication and the insider pull out section. The article written by Michael Summers is a good read for getting a glimpse of Kelty and his campaign strategy. Read the article, to learn how Kelty has been able to get his name in the public's ears and the public's eyesight in spite of the slight by the local media. According to the article, Kelty has worked on Richard Lugar and Dan Coats campaigns. And as far as organizing, Kelty was key in organizng a ton of folks and in another event involving funds in a single day.

It is clear that Kelty is making in road into the minds of some voters. His name has appeared on many of the political minded local bloggers pages. But Kelty is hitting the pavements in reaching many voters going door to door. This is similar to a campaign wielded by a Laura Waterman. It was reported that Waterman wore out several pairs of tennis shoes campaigning against Tom Henry. Waterman was an unknown at the times and almost upset Henry's reelection bid 2460 to 2465 for the third district seat of city council in 1995. Henry if he files and win the democratic nomination may face Kelty, if he wins the Republican nomination for mayor. Kelty almost upset a long time politician, Win Moses for Indiana State representative in 2002 in a close race. Moses won with a little over 60 votes.

Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007

Senator Barack Obama de-escalation act for 2007.

Potential Candidates for Campaign 2007

The Republican political party had their luncheon this afternoon, and a few potential candidates filtering into the Allen County Election Board to declare their candidacy before the February 23, 2007 noontime deadline. Although many potential candidates have already signed on, some with letters of endorsement from their party chair. Others appears to be bent on challenging the old inertia from the status quo polished career candidates.

One potential candidate, David Hecke, when asked why he was challenging a candidate, (city clerk) expressed the fact that his family had been in the city for over 200 years and that was more than enough to qualified him. Good enough. Several other potential candidates walked in seem bored by just flicking the television channels as a past time for the elderly and hobbled in to get into the action by participating in the political process beyond simply voting. With little fanfare and with a great deal of dignity, these men quietly filled out their declaration of candidacy for primary nomination form and filed. Filing was the easy part. So easy was it that one potential candidate filed and later found out he was not in the district and withdrew his filing. Nevertheless, whipping up the voters to support these new comers will be the hard part, especially with so many new names enter the primary.


For example the at large seats appear to be attracting lots of candidates from the two party system of Democrats and Republicans. And the Mayor nomination (six filed )may not have as many as the at large candidates (nine filed) but the list has time for growth.

Democrats

♦Tom Cook Jr., unknown to the Allen County Democratic Party

♦Frederick Steinke, unknown to the party

Republicans

♦Matt Kelty, local architect

♦Nelson Peters, Allen County Commissioner

♦Ivan R. Hood, unknown to the Allen County Republican Party

♦Wilbert “Duke” Brown, unknown to the party

Well the crowd does not dampen Wilbert Curtis " Duke" Brown's spirit. Brown, one of the potential Mayoral candidates was pleased as punch in meeting some of his challengers at the Republican's luncheon. Brown expressed the fact that the luncheon was a great experience where he was able to mentally sizes up his competition within the party. Brown states he is in to win.

But some potential candidates have not sign up although the media has informed the voting public that these individuals may be entering the primary race. Potential candidates like Tom Henry and Mitch Harper had not signed up by 4:15 today, but the deadline is not until noon February 23, 2007.

Deadline fast approaching for declaring candidacy

Courtesy of AWB's website and Mitch Loves me, so he won't mind. Okay maybe he does not love me, and I stole this picture, for two reasons, well three.

Outrageous

Dear Attorney General Steve Carter:

We know you visited the City of Fort Wayne and suggested a fine of almost $200,000 for the injury to the Schwab Foundation, but what about all folks at Fort Wayne Neighborhood Partnership. And what about the NeighborWorks folks with the folding of its nonprofit. Where's the money?


Former Executive Director Nicole Turner-Ridley should feel vindicated with the recent reporting of the closing of the doors of the NeighborWorks organization. Ridley firing may have been used to cover the operation of the organization by the board members. I blogged about this earlier:

One thing that I don't understand is when an investigation is ongoing for African-Americans the media shouts criminal charges. But, shouts are mistakes with raced whites there is no charges or criminal activity pending when wrongdoing is reported in the media. If the investigation ever makes it to the media. This is not to excuse anyone's behavior, but too often board members who are responsible for oversight are hand picked in order to usurp accountability or to excuse the requirement of their fiduciary duties.

Still, it should not comes as no surprise that folks rarely see the fruition of a project meant to alleviate the condition of an impoverished area because huge amount of money has been diverted to unauthorized areas or to save profit for nonprofits.

So that $200,000 was not enough for the million dollar Schwab foundation or the meager selling of the small number of properties for NeighborWorks listed in the news story.

Migration patterns of African-Americans create Black History Sites

"SoulOfAmerica.com's 12 Top Travel Destination Guides for Black History" (listed in alphabetical order and including links to their Black cultural sites):

1 Atlanta - In addition to the birthplace, church and tombs of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, Atlanta is home to Auburn Avenue Research Library and APEX Museum. Atlanta Cultural Sites

2 Baltimore - The first wax museum of African-American history, "The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum," the remarkable Reginald Lewis Museum and the new Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Museum are located in Baltimore. Baltimore Cultural Sites Read more click here.