Sunday, April 15, 2012
He Said, He/They Said Continued
On April 3, Sam Pratt posted on his blog the results of his research into the violations on record for buildings in New York City owned by Eric Galloway's not-for-profit Lantern Organization. Today, Tom Swope, executive director for the Galvan Initiatives Foundation, Galloway's new not-for-profit here in Hudson, responds to Pratt's data on the foundation's blog.
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Interesting. It amounts to "don't believe me? just ask me, I'll tell you." Citing to your own organization is bootstrapping of the lowest order, particularly in light of the independent media outlets' collective fact-finding regarding Lantern. And, still, no apology for the insults to Marston, Haddad & Wagonner.
ReplyDeleteYes,it is very reassuring when the Executive Director of GalVan Initiatives /spawn of Lantern says
ReplyDelete"I have been quite busy, but have found a moment to attempt to correct the record.
This statement comes from someone that runs Lantern's buildings in NYC:"
So I am relieved that "someone" nameless that
runs Lantern's buildings in NYC, has cleared this all up, for Tom .
I believed from the moment I read GalVan's class-baiting editorial that the entire council had an apology coming to them.
ReplyDelete... [crickets] ...
Way to win public support, GalVan.
Sam Pratt submitted this reply to Tom Swope's defense of the Lantern Organization:
ReplyDeleteSo far this not a "he said/they said" situation, but one of "Galvan vs. every other source." Here, for example, is another firsthand testimonial from someone who actually has lived in a Lantern building:
http://www.sampratt.com/sam/2012/04/primary-source.html
Regarding Swope's weak reply to stark evidence of problems at Lantern properties, anyone with basic reading comprehension skills would have noted from my posts that:
(A) the timing of complaints and responses was specifically addressed; and
(B) the violations highlighted—again with great specificity, building by building—are of recent vintage, not ancient history.
Thus both of Swope's dodges have been pre-rebutted.
Swope/Galvan also fails to explain the scathing CBS report on Galloway's management of NYC housing, which contained firsthand reportage and allegations from his tenants.
Thus both of Swope's dodges have been pre-rebutted. (One sometimes is moved to wonder if he truly attended Harvard, or the Harvard Correspondence School of the Cayman Islands.)
I'll quote from the CBS article:
ReplyDelete"The HPD declined CBS 2 HD's request for an interview, saying we were being unfair to The Lantern Group."
That 2008 report is about the only one to be found, and has been dragged out before. It was generated by neighborhood agitators against a plan Eric had on West 94th Street. I am told there was no veracity to the report. That the agency responsible for oversight wouldn't comment should mean something.
Tom Swope
I would also note that 7 of the 11 buildings I cited, and Sam reported on, are new construction. The argument Tom makes, by quoting an unverified source on the Lantern payroll, would only be applicable to 4 of the 11 projects.
ReplyDeleteThat the only source you, Tom, can cite to about how Lantern is a good landlord is a paid employee of Lantern "should mean something" and, in fact, does mean something: it means that there are no positive reports about Lantern from any third party sources. CBS News is biased against Lantern? Galloway? On what basis? Why would a respected journalistic enterprise squander its goodwill and good name to smear an organization or person no one has ever heard of before?
ReplyDelete'Supportive housing' doesn't help anyone
ReplyDeleteBy James Panero
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Monday, August 22, 2011[excerpt]
"How these developers reap their profits has much to do
with the close relationship between the supportive housing industry
and the government agencies that fund them
Before joining Lantern as executive director, Jessica Katz worked
at New York City's Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
At HPD, according to Lantern's website,
Katz was "responsible for an annual Supportive Housing pipeline worth over $100 million."
More than $15 million of that went to Lantern as an
interest-free loan
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
[On Lantern Starboard Concept
of SRO'S over commercial
space at 5th & Warren]
GOSSIPS OF RIVERTOWN
Monday, April 12, 2010
Monday Night at City Hall
[2 excerpts]
- - - - - -
"The project has been talked about as a homeless shelter
and transitional housing,
but Jessica Katz, Executive Director for the Lantern Organization,
was emphatic that the proposed building would not be a
transitional housing facility. Rather, it would provide
"permanent supportive housing" for the mentally disabled,
the homeless, and those with substance abuse problems
Tenants would have leases and pay 30 percent of their income in rent,
whatever their income might be--VA benefits,
SSI, SSDI, or wages from work."
- - - -
[same article]
" Common Council President Don Moore pointed out
that although the Lantern Organization has sixty-one people on staff in New York City
, there would be no Lantern support staff in Hudson
and no one who would be paid by Lantern to provide services.
Instead the Lantern Organization would be relying on local agencies,
such as Columbia Opportunities,
to provide the support needed for the building's tenants. "
From GalVan Initiatives Foundation
ReplyDeleteApril 15,2012
"That the Lantern Group continues to get funding for their projects
should be a testament to the high quality of their management. "
quote
"from someone who works for Lantern Management in NYC"
written by Tom Swope Executive Director of GalVan Initiatives
-----------------------------------------------
[not much of a testament]
NYTMetro
Guilty Plea Expected in New York Housing Agency Bribery Case
By MOSI SECRET
Published: March 22, 2012
A former senior official at the New York City agency that helps build affordable housing
is expected to plead guilty on Friday to charges related to accepting $600,000 in bribes and kickbacks.
. The official, Wendell B. Walters, a onetime assistant commissioner
at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development,
was arrested in October on racketeering charges;
he was accused of taking money from developers involved in building about $22 million
in moderately priced housing overseen by the agency
in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens since 2002.
from cityofhudson.org
ReplyDeleteMarch 29, 2012: Special Meeting -
Common Council
Time: 6:00 PM
Table Of Contents:
Agenda
Documents
Agenda:
1. Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance.
2. Roll Call.
3. Motions to receive Call of the Meeting.
Resolution.
1) A resolution of support on behalf of the City and the Common Council
for the development of a Supportive Permanent Homeless Housing,
City of Hudson Police Station, and City of Hudson Court House
as part of a Three-Unit Condominium Project.
Adjourn.
Documents:
Call of Special Meeting (PDF - 508.3 KB)
Police/City Court/Housing - Proposed Resolution 3/29/2012 (PDF - 9.2 MB)
[worth reading]