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Topic: County-A no-bid contract to solve procurement!
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Status: ACTIVE, BUT NOT IN GOOD STANDING AS OF 2-24-2014 Date: Present

This means he has not filed a single page document with the state for three years. How can he run a committee when he can't take care of a simple administrative function of his corporation. This corporation is on his biography for running for office.

Meetings are set for a finance subcommittee, but Tony can't seem to make them so they have a quorum!
Post Tue Apr 15, 2014 2:20 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Walked away from John Northrup today. He did not like my statement that I believed the the Genesee County Commissioners that voted for the no bid contract were corrupt. But I believe that and I refuse to fight in public. He just will have to deal with it. As far as I am concerned, he should have thought of the consequences of his vote. To the public even the appearance of corruption and behind the scenes deals smells bad.
Post Tue Apr 15, 2014 12:25 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Mike Killbreath is rallying against the county no-bid contract to Phil Shaltz and his company Hss.




No Bid Contracts, Pay to Play Contracting and Conflict of ...


hoodresearch.org/TheThinkersReport/?p=725

... no bid contracts have been the typical manner ... These also have been criticized as violating the constitution of Michigan and the city charter. A law firm, ...



No Bid Contracts, Pay to Play Contracting and Conflict of Interests

by Henry Teutsch • November 28, 2012 • Detroit, Government, Legal


Not the Kilpatrick Trial, But the Bing and Snyder Administration

Politics in Detroit is dirtier than ever and the various special interests are breaking all the rules. Double standards have become the new standard and the belief where the ends justify the means is alive and strong within the state of Michigan. Mayor Bing is proposing a contract to the law firm Miller-Canfield that is reported to be worth an initial value of $300 thousand dollars. The state of Michigan, represented by Treasurer Andy Dillon and Governor Rick Snyder has stated that if this contract is not approved that the state will attempt to force the city into bankruptcy. Dillon claims it’s a withhold of money, but the reality is a push towards bankruptcy. The only money the state can withhold from Detroit is the monthly revenue sharing funds that the state provides schools and local governments. The Detroit City Council, on advice from the city attorney, the city corporate counsel, has not voted on Bing’s proposal for various reasons including,
•A potential violation of state law, The Open Meetings Act
•A potential violation of the city charter
•A conflict of interest and by voting on the contract the council would be adopting a conflict of interest
•The corporate counsel has not provided a recommendation for a vote as required within the city charter.



With these reasons and others for voting not voting or voting no, why is there such a fight over this relatively small contract? On one side is the mayor and the state of Michigan, all republicans. On the other side are most of the city council, and the labor unions who represent large portions of the city workers. This contract has not been stated to impact any worker or union contract however the unions having been misled by Bing many times in his short tenure as mayor and are standing up for the process. The rules of government cannot be violated even if it appears that the contract itself is may be harmless. This is a fight over principle.



What does this contract mean?

The city enters into many contracts each year. There isn’t a firm rule that all contracts must be open for competitive bidding. The use of competitive bidding is employed at times by the city. However during the past ten years (which includes the largest high profile contracts, those contracts or contractors who are or were the focus of corruption charges or those contractors who have strong political allies in government) no bid contracts have been the typical manner for contracting. This proposed contract is also a no-bid contract.



Miller-Canfield has been doing contract work for the city for many years. What makes this contract different is recent history. Miller-Canfield has been strongly supportive of Governor Snyder and the republican anti-people platform over the past two years. The law firm helped draft or provided consultation in the most controversial laws in the recent history. Miller-Canfield supported the state law that was just repealed by the voters, Public Act 4 of 2011 and the Financial Stability Agreement, also known as the Consent Decree, a contract between the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan. These laws and contracts have been highly criticized as violating the principals of a democracy and a free society. These also have been criticized as violating the constitution of Michigan and the city charter. A law firm, who makes money from the knowledge and practice of the law taking a position that allegedly violates the law should be scrutinized to determine if the company has violated any ethics rules or other rules governing lawyers and the practice of law.



The truth is that this contract provides no benefit to the city whatsoever. The money will be provided to Miller-canfield in exchange for one or more reports or some other form of consultation. Miller-Canfield, and any law firm is prevented by performing work as a legal representative to the city by the city charter. Thus the city council and mayor is therefore prevented in contracting city legal work to any law firm. The city has a law department and by the rule of the charter, this department is the only law group that can represent the city, provide legal advice and review legal papers. What the city can do, and has done in the past, is hire individual lawyers, as temp workers, to work in the law department. This has occurred since Mayor Archer was in office. The city may hire temporary workers (temp employees) by contract to support the mayors administrative staff. This may include legal consultants, but this is non-binding and does not hold to the attorney client privilege. This privilege only extends in a client relationship and the only lawyer the city can legally have by the charter is the corporate counsel.



The fact that this contract is a no-bid contract is troubling since legal work could be handled by any law firm in the city, as well as the city law department. Therefore this contract is partially presented due to favoritism and political influence. The fact that the state of Michigan, Governor Snyder and Andy Dilon are threatening the city if this contract is not approved provides a window into probably corruption. Typically this activity is done behind closed doors. These types of votes by council are red flags for corruption in government. Yet the media is promoting the republican position and vilifying the council as well as the citizens who oppose these types of contracting arrangements.



Mayor Bing has stated that he no longer trusts the city corporate counsel and that he needs an independent lawyer to represent him. IF these allegations are true and the city lawyer is not trustworthy, this is grounds to dismiss the city corporate counsel. The mayor would only need to document the instances that have led him to these conclusions. The council would be forced to vote to dismiss the head of the law department based on Bing’s investigation. But this is not the true meaning of Bing’s words. Mayor Bing is indicated that the city lawyer won’t rubber stamp his proposals. Additionally the Michigan Bar Association would investigate to ensure that the rules for lawyers practicing in Michigan are being followed. Bing only need ask to being this process.



Krystal Crittendon, the city corporate counsel, has indicated in various forms and at various times that the schemes devised by or participated in by Bing are either not allowed under the city charter or simply not in the best legal interest of the city of Detroit. There has not been a case where Crittendon has stepped outside of her role as a lawyer and provided advice not solely based on the law. Disagreement over the law is common place. This is partially why the city employs many lawyers that can review and can freely give advice on all city legal matters.



Mayor Bing’s desire to hire Miller-Canfield is being done for political reasons. His intentions are not justified. His statements are unproven and are suspected not to be true. Bing has failed to explore all options as mayor. This is his prerogative, but his pattern is to only employ his desired outcome and then bully those in opposition until they agree. This worked in the past with Council. Its unknown if it will work again.







About Henry Teutsch

Henry Teutsch is a member of Hood Research. An interest in writing, with a love for programming databases and web sites, allows Henry to do both on The Thinkers Report.

http://www.facebook.com/hbteutsch



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Post Tue Apr 22, 2014 7:53 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Renewal of this contract is resurfacing.
Post Mon Apr 13, 2015 7:40 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Why can't we get an indictment on the county commissioners who voted on this no-bid contract with Shaltz?




http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/15/cps-federal-investigation_n_7074964.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000013
Post Thu Apr 16, 2015 4:43 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Federal Authorities Investigating Chicago Public Schools Contract



The Huffington Post | By Sam Levine

Posted: 04/15/2015 8:40 pm EDT Updated: 04/16/2015 9:59 am EDT

Federal authorities are investigating whether Chicago Public Schools improperly awarded a contract to a training academy that formerly employed the head of the school system, Catalyst Chicago reported on Wednesday.

The investigation focuses on a $20.5 million no-bid contract awarded to a development academy for principals and other school officials by CPS in 2013. CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett, whom the Chicago Tribune reported has not been accused of wrongdoing, worked at the academy before being hired by CPS in 2012.

Catalyst Chicago noted that the no-bid contract raised questions in 2013 because of its size.

"No-bid contracts should be reserved for extraordinary circumstances that demand highly specific skills in a short time frame,” Andy Shaw, president and CEO of the Better Government Association, told Catalyst Chicago in 2013. “It's too early to say if this one qualifies. But Catalyst has raised enough other questions to merit a review by the CPS inspector general."

The CPS inspector general did in fact open an investigation into the contract, but declined to comment to Catalyst on whether that investigation was still ongoing.

The Tribune reported that CPS is considering appointing an interim CPS CEO while the investigation was ongoing.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said during a press conference on Wednesday that he was not sure exactly what the focus of the investigation was. When asked whether he still had confidence in Byrd-Bennett, whom he appointed in 2012, Emanuel said that he couldn't comment until he had more information on the investigation, according to the Tribune.
Post Thu Apr 16, 2015 4:48 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

"No-bid contracts should be reserved for extraordinary circumstances that demand highly specific skills in a short time frame,” Andy Shaw, president and CEO of the Better Government Association, told Catalyst Chicago in 2013. “It's too early to say if this one qualifies. But Catalyst has raised enough other questions to merit a review by the CPS inspector general."

_______________________________________________________________

At least one citizens group is reviewing documents related to more than one no-bid contract entered into by the Genesee County Commissioners. This group reviewed campaign finance reports and were surprised to see a significant number of donations to one county commissioner from the county Prosecutors office. An attempt to influence the budget for their office? Improper? Can't ask the Prosecutor to investigate the people who control his budget, although he once threatened to sue over inadequate funding.
Post Thu Apr 16, 2015 4:55 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

I have people telling me there is no actual "quid pro Quo" in these contacts. However trading government contracts to those who promise to support these politicians does not pass the smell test! In fact there are prosecutions in similar instances in other states.
Post Thu Apr 16, 2015 5:01 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

see Genesee County corruption matters
Post Tue Apr 28, 2015 9:19 am 
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