Saint Paul RICO Update/ The HORRORS of PHA housing
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posted by Bob at Tuesday, March 25, 2008
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Tuesday, March 25, 2008
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56 Comments:
There is copy errors.
This is an email between councilman Pat Harris and others.
Fwd: 1085 Montreal Avenue
The above folks are tenants in the Montreal Hi-Rose, at 1085 Montreal. They stopped
by the office yesterday afternoon and I met with them at their request to discuss what they see as a complete failure of the system currently in place for the safe operation of the Montreal Hi-Rise. While some of their concerns are strange, I told them I'd pass them all along to you. I think what they would like is to meet with you as they've tried taking this problem to various levels of federal and state government to no avail.
Here goes:
--The elevators at this building continue to be put out of service several times a week. They claim that other residents of the building urinate in the elevators and hallways near the elevators but that maintenance staff will not clean the carpets or
clean up the insides of the elevators.
--Both claim to have wixnesses acts of prostitution in vehicles parked in the Hi-Rise parking lot. The police have an officer living in the hi-rise (1 think
there's one living in most of the PHA hi-rises throughout the city) who they say is completely ineffective and not willing to listen to residents 'concerns.
--Mentally ill residents are not being followed up with to ensure they are takin9
their medication. There is an on-staff psychologist at the Hi-rise but they clalm
she doesn't care what happens to the residents. They also claim that 3 suicides in
the building can be attributed to this lack of follow-through.
--Raw sewage has been known to back up into the individual apartment tubs and sinks
with staff not responding. Management is also not following up on units that have
multiple resi~ents living in them - by PHA/HUD rule, there's only supposed to be one
person per Unit.
--They have brought this to the attention of congresswoman Betty McCollum and claim that she went to the PHA staff and now they are quite unsure where to go next. They
do have a fear of retaliation by the current leadership of PHA.
They made it a point to say that Debbie Montgomery's mother is a resident of Montreal Hi-Rise, and also wanted to ensure that their names would not be released
to PHA staff again by our office. To say the very least, this was a very strange meeting. Please let me know where you think this should go.
CHR
Attached Message
Date:
To:Harris_pat
cc:Marshall_John
TO:Harris Pat
To:chris Rider
From:
Subject:
6/28/2004 2:58:21 PM
Fwd: 1085 Montreal Avenue
2004-08-27-11-33-48-Chris_R;der-FWd-1085 Montreal Avenue
Mr. ~ has lived in the Saint Paul Public Housing Agency's Montreal Hi-Rise building-for a few years. Yesterday, a 74 year-old resident was trapped in their one main elevator for a period somewhere beLween 18 and 24 hours. Mr ...... feels that complaints have been made to PHA staff about the elevators, but nothing has
been done to date. He had a lengthy list of events that have occurred (please see
the attached). Here's PHA's web link on Montreal:
http://www.stpaulpha.org/montreal.htm
FYI, Montreal Hi Rise has 18 floors, with approximately 10 units per floor.
I explained to him that PHA, although affiliated with the City, is not governed by us per sa. However, I told him it would be possible for us to make certain that his concerns are heard by PHA staff. would you like me ~o draft something for Jon Gutzmann?
CHR
A~tached Message
Date:
To:
BC:
From:
Subject:
6/28/2004 1:49:17 PM
ward3
JOhn_Marshall
Chris Rider
1085 Montreal Avenue
Reference our ealier phone conversa~ion today regarding elevator problems within my hi-rise building ... Am I correct that you said Public Housing is
not reallY under your off1ce's jurisdiction ... if so, just who do they answer to?
Please clarify at your earliest convenience. Thanks, again.
Attached Message
Date:
TO:
Be.:
From:
Subject:
6/28/2004 1:05:07 PM
ward3
John_Marshall
Chris Rider
lO85 Montreal Avenue
REFERENCE OUR PHONE CONVERSATION THE MORNING OF JUNE 27, 04, concerning frail, 75 year old woman entrapped in building elevator for 18 to 24
hours before being freed. Below is a history of that elevator's
malfunctions and lt's related info, from March 23, '04 thru June 26, '04:
(excuse the typo's)
3/26, F, Gam: #1 elev. down.
3/27, Sat, 1015am: .•. called elev. co. and chewed 'em out good, told them of L· fi l'l'nCiden~ where elevtor jerked SOd vh~Ol~nt1Yd he landed 0n" his ass when it came to stop and entrappe himm ,nS1 he was freed
by co. about 50 minutes later. (elev has been stuck several t1me past two weeks before Jim's incident, maybe as far back as Dec, '03). Also
told them about another person who rode down elev with the doors wide
open - all the way to ground!
2004-08-27-11-33-48-Chris_Rider-Fwd-_1085_Montreal-Aven
3/29, M, noon: ... elev. being worked on
~/31, W,.735am: Got 9n elev with ASI worker (Charatie) , on G, and elev. Jerked vlolently, hesltated and moved up ... *** called co. and reported problem and the many preceding problems, as I did on call sat •.. the rep. told me that the elev. co. would not respond to a "resident's" call -.
that it had to be reported by bldg. management. UNBELIEVALBEI I told caretaker lmmedlately.
1040am: I called co. back and asked them to tell me exactly why
they do not respond to a call from residents that there is an elevator
malfunction. The rep. responded that because my management does not
specify that the elev co. is ALLOWED to respond to a resident call, the co., then, does not respond. This is true even though my management does not say that the co. CANNOT respond to a residence's call .
BIG Q: How can co. justify not responding to a call about a
malfunctioning elevator (regardless whether it be a resident or management who calls)?
4/1, 630am: Elev being worked on all day yesterday and still down
this morning.. Noon: elev still down and being worked on. ***Talked with
Paul (Bldg. Mngr) about elev co. refusal to respond to a resident's call of a malfunctioning elev. He was receptive and told me he'd check into it. He made copy of above.
4/2, 815am: #1 elev still down This is 3rd day working on it. Never have they shut down an elev. for more than a day before (s1nce I've lived here - over 3 and a half years), that I know of. I am not totally convinced Paul was completely forthright about problem, even though he
did seem receptive. what bothers me is that when I told him about Jim Lantto's incident in elev about 2 wks ago, he claimed he never heard about it, which is contrary to what Jim told me - that the caretaker had
reported the incident to Paul.
4/3, Sat, 630am: Both elev. running ... #l was comletely shut down w, T & F.
4/5, M, 81Sam: caught #2 elev. down from 13th flr hearing buzzer from
the #1 elev going continually as I rode down in #2 •.• at G encountered repairman "making light" of problem with people sittin in lobby. I told
him quickly that there wasn't a goddman thing funny about it. what is funny about someone being caught in an elev for 45 min., et., etc .... In any event, the #1 elev. is down again did they just bandaid it for the week end? .. lpm: both now working again.
4/10, sat, 330pm: #1 down again, stuck on 17th floor ... here we go again.
"Housing must have contacted the ekevator co's phone service and
straightened it out, because I called and they accepted and responded to it, even though I was a resident nad not mngmnt. I was told by a supervisor that they will always do this •.. At 350pm the phone service called back and informed me that the elev. co. had received my message and that they'd be out this eve to fix it.
4/11, sun, 745am: Elev #1 still down, now stuck on 14th flr.
4/12, M, 630am: #1 still stuck on 14th flrj I am quite sure no one
worked on it yesterday, and I did not call phone service ... 930am: both elev's now working.
4/13, T, 640am: #1 down again, stuck on 11th floor .•. called it in and phone service the call no problem.
(at least 10 time since Mar 36th (10 out of last 20 days) and the two wks
2004-08-27-11-33-48-chris_Rider-Pwd-_108S_Montreal-Aven
before Mar 26, I estimate it was down about 5 time, including at least once when a person was entrapped. And this is only what I observed.
4/14, w, 6S0am: #1 down again - stuck on 2nd floor withdoors wide
open •... Note: Called city E1ev. Inspector, Jim carlson, and he said he'd put some pressure on company to right things.
4/15, Th, ?am: Elev. working throughout day, up and down with doors closed, not in service;.
4/20, T, noon: #1 working early am; now maint. has it tied up working on it.
4/21, w, 6am: ... called phone service: #1 stuck on 7 w/doors wide open.
NOTE: Yesterday, Paul (Bldg Mngr) knocked on my door l50pm and
asked me to meet with him and Les Sarne (project Leader/p.H. Elevator
overseer for Hi Rises). Big notice! They kept the heat on for me NOT to call elev. co. phone service, but rather, to call the elev. emerg. phone system from inside an elev •..They did not convince me, although I
accepted a # from paul, but decided against that. •..•
710am: called phone service agaln. this time to report Elev #2
stuck on 2nd floor ... now both e1ev. stuck. went to 2nd floor to make sure no one was inside. I knew it was only a matter of time for this to
happen •••. I had waited on 13th to go down from 6:50 to 6:55, then walked down. walked back up after calha "service" and found j •.•'•••
(1306) sitting in his wheelchair still waiting for an elevator to take him up to 14 for his breakfast. He'd been walting at least 20 minutes.
7:18am... went to check on elev's. Heard one and waited 6 minutes,
and #2 came - now working. went to Ground: at 726am (exactly 1 hour, 26 min after my 1st call at Gam reporting #1 stuck on 7th flr) a maint. man came into bld~, and told him exactly what had transpired. he asked me If
I had called lt in. HUH?
1020am: returned from 4 mile walk ... both e1evs working, co. trucks gone.
4/22, Th, 3pm: At Gam found bldg plastered w/si~hn from e1ev co that
theyd be doing extensive work on the e1ev's and lf everything went well they'd be done by The (today) eve. when I returned from my walk about
720, all signs were gone and both e1evs were working.
Then, when I left at 1045am, the #1was down, and was told by an
ASI employee that 2 people, one of the being a handicapped man in
wheelchair, Dale 1 apt , had been entrapped in #1 e1ev earlier
in the morning. It remalned down when I returned at 11Spm.
5/6, Th, G45am: called into phone service ... Elev #1 down, stuck on
ground floor, doors c1osed •.. At 728am I got a call from shindler E1ev.co. that a maint person will arrive in about one half hour.
5/10, M, 3pm: noticed repairman working on #1 about the 4th floor.
5/11, T, 7am: #1 still down w/note on doorsaying pre-ventative maint.
PREventive, maint., my foot - the damn thing is broke!
5/14 1 F, lOam: #1 jerked (slipped) while leaving 13th and again before
landlng on ground .•• heard that antoher person had been entrapped in #1 yesterday. 5/16, Sun, 745am: #1 is down again with no indicator 1ijghts showing what floor it is stuck on, bu it is definitely stuck. Called itin to
phone service at 910am •.. shinder E1ev Co. called me at 922 and said
mechanic would be out within the hour.
1140am: just chedked and found #1 stil1l down and called phone
service again. After 10 minutes was finally informed that the "job" was
Page 4
•
· I~OP4-08-27-11-33-48-chris_Rider-Fwd-1085 Montreal-Avenue
assigned to a different" tech, and I could expect him to be out here
today - no time estimate given ... OH MY!
1150am: shindler called and said mechanic would be out as soon as
possible.
2:15pm: Mechanic just finished working on elev. It is now working.
NOTE: Another resldent told me today that he and 3 others
(including a handicapped person in a wheelchair) was entrapped in elev #1
Thurs ... He called on emerg. phone in elev ...when service called elev. back and learned what had happened , said, "oh, it was probably because it was so warm out." .•.what a nonsensical thing to say ..•Also, when they
came to get them out, they were actually stuck below the ground floor level, and he and others in elev had to lift wheelchair bound person up to floor level to get her out.
5/17, M, gam: Emailed the fol to Les sarne, project Leader for PHA (in
charge of Housing hi-rise elevators):
"1. please reiterate why you prefer residents to make non-emergency
maint. calls from elev. emerg. phone rather than calling the elevator company's phone service.
2. please give me the number of incidents when a person or persons
have been entrapped in a Montreal Hi-rise elev since Jan 1, 2004,
including dates.
3. Along with many other residents, I am becomeing more and more frustrated with the on-going problems with elev. #1; entrapment incidents seem to be happening at an excessive rate. I have decided to contact the city Elevator Inspector again, and I am considering contacting my city
counkcilman and/or the media as well. The elevatorsituation at this
hi-rise is, in my view, intolerable and possibly unsafe for the number of vulnerable individuals using them daily. I *** ... talked with city Elev Inspector also, who assured me that the elev co. was doing all they could to find the problem. He told me he would see if he could have them operat eh elev without doors opening
(operating, but not in service) to try and find glitch ..•which he must have done, as for much of the day Mand T, it was running coninuously, but with door closed, not in service.
5/20 1 Th, noon: #1 in service again after 3 days of mostly in "out of
servlce" mode •.. we will see ... I distributed letter to all apartments to let me knw of any problems they might have with the elevators, esp being
entrapped. (put this letter on lobby BB on Jun 16, '04).
5/21, F, 540am: Both elev working
6/13, sun, 530am: #1 elev. down ..• floor directional lights on ground floor both out, so don't know what floor it is stuck on. Called it in to
phone service co. at 830am .
... 1 was told by another resident that #1 had been down last week end.
Phone service called back, told me #1 was shut down last night until
Mon. morning.
6/14, M/4pm: I apt , stopped me in lobby and told me others
had told her about the #1 elev jerking and slipping (one woman
pregnant) ... also partially witnessed what she presumed a repairman open #l's doors and hollor up and tell a woman that he'd get her out just as
soon as he could. Also, I noticed elev. phone service notice was missing from B.B. I replaced it with my own hand printed sign and included statement, "Do Not Remove From BB, and signed my name.
The #1 ;s now running up and down, G to 18 and down to G
continuously, but not in service ...The elev. co. did not begin lusing this technique until after my second call to ckity Elev. Inspector May 17. In other words, they didn't know when somethin went wrong unless it
was reported to them! So someone in the meantieme could be (and was)
entrapped in elev.
2004-08-27-11-33-48-Chris_Rider-Fwd-_1085_Montreal_Aven
6/15\ T, 620am:, #1 still running out of service, up and down cintuously.
Noticed the.sticker Signs on the elev stating, "Out of service for
scheduled malntenance" ..• ERRONEOUS statement... no more scheduled than there's a man in the moon.
345pm: AS above •..original BB sign (Elev Phone Service #, etc.)
back o~ BB ... took mlne down. I sent my 2nd EMail to Les Sarnes stating essentlally same stuff I did May 17, but this time asking for him to respond ASAP and in writing (as of June 27, '04, I have't heard a word from him via any means of communication).
6/16. W, 4pm: Still running up and down continuously, out of service.
6/18, F, 330pm: Earlier today, another co-resident told me that sometime
during the day yesterday, BOTH elevators were down ... people couldn't get back upstairs to their apts. How long both were out of service I don't know... when I left yesterday at 745am, and upon my return to Bldg around
4pm, both were working today.
6/19, Sat, 515am: Both in service.
6/23.w, 840am: On leaving I heard #1 buzzer, saw that elev was stuck on 12th flr and went to see if anyone was entrapped ... found sponge stuck in
outer doors causing elev to be inoperable .•. removed sponge and have it
and related event to Beth (bldg office worker) ... elevators worklng when I left!.
6/27, Sun, 71Spm: shindler Elev Co. called and told me the~ would be out in a half hour ... I never called the phone service, who evidenitly received a call from someone else ... I had noticed early this am that the
elev was down (stuck on an unknown floor, as the around floor #1 elev.
indicator lights were out). But, I never called it in.
~~~~~930PM;~just knocked at my door and told me that
(702), an old lady of about 75 or so) had been entrapped~.
#1 since about 730pm last night until about 830pm today when Shindler
maint. man finally freed herself ... **~people had noticed her missing, and had looked all over for her, even calling hospitals, etc., when finally
someone thought of the elev .•. ***Other'than soiling herself and being a little shook up, she seemed ok, according to reports. she was also checked over by parametics, and was deemed fit to stay in her apt ... *n* just talked to ........ She said"'" was stuck in #1 anywhere
from 18 to 24 hours.
THANKS FOR TAKING AN INTEREST ... I am sending a copy of this EMail to the
Pioneer press ...I simply have had enough ! !
One more example of how the law suit doesn't make any sense. Here is council member Harris' office trying to put the heat on PHA to fix the elevators, just like they would any other landlord.
What's your point Bob? Did you think there weren't problems in the buildings?
I thought you guys were saying that the City ignored PHA and went after the private landlords? Sounds like Harris is trying to figure out how to put pressure on PHA? They got someone in to fix the elevator...
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
Yeah right CHuck....read it again. They tell the tenant they can't do anything , but they'll make sure sure PHA hears his voice! Big deal. If it were a private landlord, they'd railroad the guy through their crooked little court and then bulldoze the place. More special treatment of the kind you and Thune recieve when it comes to code violations.
Ha Ha - what a joke. All this time with Eric and Repke trashing the ricomen and calling them slumlords and it turns out the city of St Paul is the slumlord. I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL
St Paul has the nerve to call the people suing them slumlords?
LOL
Jeff M., any of this intimidation stuff sound familiar?
It sounds like this place is one of those there problem properties that the city likes to get after so much.....you know what I mean? The type of properties that have landlords that won't do anything? This demonstrats the hypocritacal character of city leaders who think every little thing a neighbor complains about is a problem, but where is Queen Kathy when it is the city of St Paul that needs the spanking? Oh wait....maybe this place doesn't have any black people living there for the city to chase out. That must be it!
Again, as the council members office said, PHA isn't the City's. So all of you that think that PHA and the City are one in the same you are wrong. The issue in the suit is somehow the City treats PHA different than private landlords.
Well, here is a council member calling the owner (the head of PHA) and personally chewing him out. PHA has someone there fixing the elevator. The City inspects the elevator.
The difference between PHA and the problem landlords is five years later (and as many owners) the problem landlord still won't have sent someone to fix it.
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
1:30, I am tuning in to this and I am currently drafting a suit against PHA for its continued breaches of contract and violations of Federal Laws.
Intimidation and retaliatory eviction practices are just some of the civil crimes I am alleging in the suit.
This suit is a continuation of my prior suit against PHA where Judge Mott dismissed it on grounds of immunity .
The new suit is for continued corruption.
I learned some things from the last suit and I dont expect I will get Judge Mott this time.
I think this relationship between PHA and the city will start to really become a factor in the RICO
cases.
The corruption of both of them
reaks of garbage and its really starting to stink in St.Paul.
Jeff Matiatos
Dream on Repke! The city does treat PHA differently than private landlords. While they may not be the same, they are under the same codes that the city of St Paul doesn't seem to enforce against the PHA. How much more obvious could it be after the things we have read here?
Don't you ever wonder Chuck how the landlords get their hands on all this stuff? I am aquainted with some of those landlords in the lawsuits Chuck. Some of them were in business for years and years and forged some very solid relationships with all kinds of city employees. Not all of those employees have thought what the city is doing to the landlords as a whole is right and when the city picked on just the wrong guys, all they had to do is start making phone calls to find out where all the skeletons are hidden in the city. From what I've read here in the past months, it would appear that they have used that information to trap the city in the lies and covers ups that the city now cannot get out of. The rest of this lawsuit should be really interesting. When some of these city workers are being arrested for perjury and obstruction of justice (among other charges) you'll still be spinning the same old shit Chuck and people will still be laughing at you, only harder!
So far since I've been a part of this blog I've seen code enforcement come down on single family and duplex landlords, slumlords, other housing agencies, city employees, contractors, city officials (Police Chief), city council members (Thune) AND friends of some of these people (Repke), twice.
Yet, you are still trying to tell me that the city code enforcement only targets the landlord who rents to the poor and those with connections don't have to worry. Is there some category of connections higher than the Chief of Police or a Council Member who was the former President (its only seven members)?
It appears that code enforcement is pinching all violators. Where the uneven enforcement comes in is that its a reactionary function. No calls, no code enforcement. Someone needs to call their attention to violations.
We have examples of how this can lead to targeting for personal reasons and produce a very lopsided result. On the other hand, if you have no violations, does it matter if they show up?
Eric
from the emails-
The elevators at this building continue to be put out of service several times a week. They claim that other residents of the building urinate in the elevators and hallways near the elevators but that maintenance staff will not clean the carpets or
clean up the insides of the elevators.
my response-
It sounds like residents are pissing on the floor waiting for the elevators. And pissing in the elevators with fear the elevator maybe falling, or urinating waiting to be rescued. It is SICK management didn't clean it up!
And management didn't fix this safety/health hazard for weeks and months. WOW!
from the email-
Both claim to have witnesses acts of prostitution in vehicles parked in the Hi-Rise parking lot. The police have an officer living in the hi-rise (I think
there's one living in most of the PHA hi-rises throughout the city) who they say is completely ineffective and not willing to listen to residents 'concerns.
my response-
If I had my way prostitution would be legal so these ladies could go right to the clients home in privacy. But, it isn't legal and it shouldn't be going on in parking lots. I also don't believe in the BIG BROTHER theory of having a police man baby sitter in everyone's neighborhood. And so much for community policing at this high rise. The cop don't seem to be into BIG BROTHER either. Is he getting a reduced or FREE rent?:-)
from the emails-
--Raw sewage has been known to back up into the individual apartment tubs and sinks
with staff not responding. Management is also not following up on units that have
multiple residents living in them - by PHA/HUD rule, there's only supposed to be one
person per Unit.
my response-
The evidence here suggest this building is operated by SLUMLORDS.
Bob said... "The evidence here suggest this building is operated by SLUMLORDS."
Actually we don't have evidence here at all what we have is a four year old accusation. Which is a lot different than evidence.
I love how you guys object to the legislative hearing process, public City Council meetings and housing court hearings, as all of them being corrupt and biased. But we have copies of a four year old email from a City Council secratary to her member about a report from an unhappy resident and that is hard evidence and Bob convicts PHA.
You guys are great.
One is so glad that you never win elected office.
As to the guy who said there is all of this evidence coming and blah, blah, blah... we are four years into it and nothing.
The best thing you have and I have said it before here is the chance that someone might make a buck out of the fact that not all emails have been able to be retreived and that the judge you have, has asked the City to come up with documents that it didn't create, pay for or ask to be created (TIHS).
But, still no evidence of anyone getting anything out of this (RICO) including PHA.
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
Chuck, I have evidence that PHA has engaged in retaliatory eviction practices and fabricating
serious lease infractions to evict PHA tenants who complain.
Do you want to see it ?
We will make a believer out of you
yet.
Jeff Matiatos
Jeff Matiatos
One more thing, how about the moldy refrigerator that was left in a PHA hi-rise common area
that was left there after a tenant had died.
The frig had mold in it so bad you couldnt see the inside wals of the frig and rotten food was toxic and infested.
It had been their for 3 months until a tenant called St.Paul Fire
inspections who wrote it up.
It is a violation of Minnesota statutes to leave refrigerator
stored in a public area with out removing its door ( child safety ).
When the Fire Official got there, he opened it up and had to retreat
outside.
It was removed before the end of the day.
Jeff Matiatos
Its so funny how Chuck and The Pea Brain Eric come out of no where when these suits are talked about.Why don't you two f@%&ING bimbos go to edemocracy and talk about light rail and when the tress will bloom this year.
Chuck If something in the Rico suits said that shit stinks you'd say wheres the evidence.And little man tough guy Eric if someone makes a buck off this suit and changes how the city treats the people of your color you'd cry foul cause a white man made money protecting minorities.Eric get off your lazy ass and see how the city is violating your people.Chuck just shut up.We all know your a talking head for Thune.
I'm so sick and tired of these two dickheads!I'm rooting for the plaintiffs just for the fact that the city has these two out here defending them.
Sid
To Eric
Yes it does matter "if they show up." When they show up they lie about violations that don't exist. They make accusations that the landlords will not fix their property when they do. They railroad people through "fixed courts." They bring false criminal charges against people. Maybe that type of behavior doesn't matter to you, but I'll bet it does to most people.
Chuck where are you getting this idea that there has been no evidence? There's been more evidence presented here than you can shake a stick at, and it's all come from official court records and sworn testimony.
Your spin about the city not being able to present all the emails is a deliberate deception and you know it. When someone gets sued for something they have a obligation to preserve that stuff. Instead the city is out shredding inspection records and deleting emails. People with nothing to hide don't do that Chuck! You're dating an attorney aren't you? Why don't you ask her what she would do if someone she was suing started destroying evidence? Your all wet on this one Chuck.
2004, the PHA Board included Sheriff Bob Fletcher, St. Anthony Park Bank , Andy Boss plus others?
Haven't checked on current Board
Is it any wonder that 90% of the St. Paul Cops do not live in St. Paul, to protect St. Paul /citizens and the RNC REpublican Convention ? Doesn't Pat Harris work for some Bonding Co, He must be licensed by the Commerce dept. Perhaps Conflicts?
Nothing wrong in St Paul. They're doing a great job. Couldn't do better myself!
Boss Tweed would be green with envy if he could see st Paul these days.
Chuck & Eric, no matter how you guys spin this a jury isn't going to like hearing all of this. The city is going to look real bad and pay the price for the sloppy management of Montreal High Rise.
Now I know the city doesn't operate this building, but, just think of the jury impact this and all those other bad stories Bob has posted here for over a year.
The end is near Mr. Repke and Mr. Mitchell. It isn't to late to save face.
Bob, did you get this e-mail in the trash or write it yourself ?
City employee. HA HA HA.
I see Chuck posting all the time that the RICO men have no evidence.
Now Jeff tells us that he has evidence on PHA, the other half of the corrupted duo of St.Paul city code enforcement / and PHA.
Its there for the asking Chuck.
Chuck and Eric where is your evidence that the city is innocent?They aren't just going to throw you wind bags up on the stand.So where is it?Haven't heard a lick of evidence from you two yahoos.And Ericby the way I finally found out where you live and obviosly see its not about the code to you.Get my drift?
Tim Ciani
Tim, PLEASE, do not send code enforcement over to Erics house.
Tim if they had the evidence,the court would have issued summary judgement in favor of the city 4 years ago.
Why do you say that Bob ?
Bob are you there ?
Why should Eric suffer some kind of consquences for expressing his opinion here?
It isn't good for the blog. I am surprised we haven't lost Chuck through this kind of behavior.
I'll say it here and now. Eric gets wrote up, I will do the repair work myself.
Why shouldnt Eric suffer some kind of consequences ?
I will tell you Bob. Eric is no better or worse than the rest of us and he shouldnt be exempt from the rath of code enforcement if his property isnt up to snuff. You go out of your way to protect and pamper these babys.
You should work for a diaper cleaning service and get an award for pampering. Or should I say convicted of pampering.
Better get your tools ready.
AAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGG!!!!
What we have seen posted here are stories about people who felt that they were treated unfairly by code enforcement. That they were required to repair things that other people were not, or that as a result of code compliance issues they were unable to either rent or sell their properties.
There is nothing illegal or corrupt about the City making you follow the law. If the requirements of the law costs you money, well folks that is how you say.... tough.
The next contention is that the code is not fairly enforced. Well for most properties enforcement is complaint based. Those of us who have been a victom of someone with an attitude using code compliance to "get us" know that is a pain, but that isn't illegal or corrupt either, it is as you might say... tough.
Neither of those things have anything to do with the main charge in Federal Court which is a RICO violation. A conspiracy that would take something away from someone to benefit someone else. There is nothing "taken away" that benefits anyone else.
The other contention in the suit is that somehow all of this is race based because the tennents in these problem properties are mostly of color. Well, so are the tennents in the nice places and in PHA. So, there is no evidence of the City trying to "rid" itself of minorities. If anything it is trying to assist them in getting repairs made.
So, that realy gets us to the point of the suit. A bunch of wealthy guys who are use to getting their way. That are use to exploiting the poor for their revenue get ticked off that the City is requiring them to treat the residents humainly. So, they bring litigation and use the justice system as a tool to cost the City money. Their goal is to get the City to back off and allow them to continue to exploit the poor.
They get lucky on a judge that rules that even though the City didn't know what the plaintiffs would ask for in discovery they were required to stop following the State law about destroying old records and continue to store everything imaginable and some things that weren't even imaginable, until the suit was over. Further that the judge would rule this three years later forcing the City to try to retreive information that State law required it to destroy but for this ruling that they couldn't have known was coming. And, like I have said that the judge would include information that the City didn't to ask to be writen, pay for to be writen, managing its writing, verify the acuracy of its writing or get paid to have writen... the truth in housing reports.
So, that is where we are at now. The lawyers don't appear to have any interest in finding anything that looks like a RICO case, they are just trying to suggest that the smoking gun must exist because not all emails have been recovered.
Its a bunch of BS
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Rpke
Send them over Tim.
If you've seen my house, then you know that they will have to dig pretty hard to find violations. If they write me up, then I will do what I do when I feel I've been wronged, kick the crap out of them. Just kidding.
Writing me up will prove a point that I've been making. That is,
1. I can believe that there is some uneven enforcement going on.
2. People who don't like their black or Asian neighbors can use it to get a record of calls going- like they do the police.
3. They will write up anybody, including so-called politically connected people.
That last point flies in the face of the lawsuit.
Now, targeting me because you don't like what I say is pretty anti-American. If you want to match connections and tools on 'getting back' at people. Then you go ahead and send them over. When they're done, I'll have a fine. I'll pay it- maybe.
Then I'll have a mission Ciani and you'll be the focal point of it. I will get to use my resources and connections to cause an 'inconvenience' in your life, which has nothing to do with physical harm, just utilizing the public services, you know, like you did. And, listen close buddy, it doesn't matter if you live in the city or not.
Make sure you have the right Eric. There are a few us with the exact same name. You wouldn't want to harass an innocent citizen would you? Only the one guilty of the crime of- disagreement.
Please do this, I fuckin' dare you. I've been growing bored lately. Coming after you would be nice break from the norm.
Eric
Sid and others, ummm, when have I defended the city. You retards and inbreds can't keep up with who is saying what. How are you going to sue a city?
Sid, I may be a dickhead, but you're a pu$$y, and you going to find yourself getting f*cked if you continue to this with me. You got something specific, let it fly. You don't? STFU!
I don't care who gets the money if the case even is won or settled. If that happens, then there IS proof of targeted systematic discrimination happening on behalf of the government. I care about that more than what some yahoo gets in a cash amount. I've got about 15 years of a record of fighting and advocating against discrimination. Its not going to stop because I'm proven wrong on one case. That is-IF- the suit follows through and we see some sort of pattern.
Right now, all they have is lost emails. The emails that have been presented, show that city employees were concerned about possible discrimination. That again, counters the point of RICO. What's missing is the city employees email conspiring to discriminate. You think you can say that all of your proof is in the missing emails?
Sid, calling me lazy, is like calling you intelligent. No correlation with the truth. Now go back to work- my mistake. Go back to slapping your wife, drinking your PBR and complaining about the government.
Eric
9:37 said,
You go out of your way to protect and pamper these babys.
my response-
They have the guts to come here and use their name. Everyone knows who they are. I respect them for coming here out numbered and in very adverse conditions.
Both Eric and Chuck contribute to the livelihood of this forum immensely.
I am considering closing the blog down for periods of time should these guys get any problems.
You should shut it down for good !
12:31, don't you like the forum? Why you even here?
Your here for the same reason the rest of us are. This is one hell of an interesting forum.
I think it's chikenshit to insinuate to Eric that his house might get an inspection. I don't like Eric and what he has to say most of the time, but this running out to someone's house and make trouble for them is cowardly. That's what the city does. Do you want to reduce yourself to the scum that the city leaders are just to make a point? We can beat these guys with their own ignorant arguments, leave their homes alone.
I thin there's a lot more to the lawsuits than what you see Chuck. What about all the veidence that's been posted here? How do you turn a blind eye to it and say there's nothing? By the way, there's no state law tht says you start destroying evidence when you get sued!
can't we all just get along?
Chuck said,"So, that realy gets us to the point of the suit. A bunch of wealthy guys who are use to getting their way. That are use to exploiting the poor for their revenue get ticked off that the City is requiring them to treat the residents humainly. So, they bring litigation and use the justice system as a tool to cost the City money. Their goal is to get the City to back off and allow them to continue to exploit the poor."
Ciani says,"Now their wealthy huh?I thought they were just slumlords.Your great city officials should have been able to squash them like bugs.We all know that these suits have cost the city a lot of money and exhausted many of their resources.If there is nothing to the suits why is it costing the city so much to defend.Are you saying any supposed frivilous lawsuit that comes along will cost the city money.Get real Chuck suits don't hang around for 4 years without merit ask Gloria."
Eric relax!You just a little man with code issues.I won't turn you in.I promise.Bigger fish to fry.But one question,"If you support code,why don't you have a code issue free house?"
Good night you sand baggers!
Tim Ciani
Chuck says,"So, that realy gets us to the point of the suit. A bunch of wealthy guys who are use to getting their way. That are use to exploiting the poor for their revenue get ticked off that the City is requiring them to treat the residents humainly. So, they bring litigation and use the justice system as a tool to cost the City money. Their goal is to get the City to back off and allow them to continue to exploit the poor."
What Chuck means in plain ebglish with no spin is that the city who is used to getting their way because no one has the money to sue them and the city who is used to exploiting the poor to get Federal funding to help their budget problems that Coleman wants to blame on the Governor, got ticked off because the landlords are going to force the city to repect the taxpayers civil rights, So the city uses the justice systems loopholes to do all kinds of "end runs" around the discovery process (like destroying evidence) to cost the plaintiffs money. The city's goal is to get the landlords to back off so the city can continue to exploit the poor.
Isn't that what you really meant Chuck? Why don't you say it so common people can understand it?
Thanks Bob for cleaning up all the garbage here.
Now We Have 2 Classes of People
The Real Needy
and
The Real Greedy
Look folks the state law on data practices encourages government agencies to get rid of shit written about you after three years. How long do you want the notes from one inspector to sit in a file about you, where every new employee in the place might look at it? Or phone calls to council members from neighbors bitching about crap, or angry smokers calling about the smoking ban?
At some point all that garbage gets thrown away, and the state law is three years.
So, the City routinely dumps that stuff after three years. Otherwise every scrap of paper that came in to every government office for the last two hundred years would be piled up in a warehouse somewhere. It makes sense.
So, what has happened in this case is these guys sue (in 2004 I think)and the City holds onto THEIR files (the files of the cases in question). The City goes on deleating all the rest of its garbage as the law requires. The law suit goes on its mary way, discovery is happening, we have the brew-haha about the council and Mayor testifying and then the lawyers don't have any questions from them and it looks like this thing is just about dead.
Then (in late 2006 or early 2007)the plaintiffs ask for the garbage on every other house in Saint Paul and every note ever sent to every council member or the Mayor. And the City says we think that's a bad idea judge but we can give them everything back three years from today if you order it. The plaintiffs say no, the City needs to give us everything on everybody ever writen from three years before the case started - back to 2001. The City says judge they're nuts we have been dumping all that shit like we are suppose to for the last 2 1/2 years, how are we to know that these guys were going to ask for this crap 2 1/2 years after the case started?
To this point the judge has said to the City go find it, pull back up the data by every means possible. And that is where we are at.
There has been no "destroying of evidence" because there is no "evidence." What there has been is the routine destruction of data and the City is trying to recall it from it back up systems.
Again, for this to be a RICO case someone had to get something out of whatever bad occured to the landlords. There is still no evidence that anyone got anything out of what ever bad things anyone believes happened to them or anyone else.
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
Chuck, its not so much what the E Mails say about citizens, it has more to do with communications linking city employees to a conspiracy to bankrupt and destroy
the landlords.
Nice try at another spin though private.
I see you have returned to base.
Chuck,
Please explain why the city does not have citizen oversight, on the standards of the citizen oversight by other cities of this size.
Is it any wonder why the city has made such a mess of itself, with major RICO and human rights lawsuits?
Try again.
First: Sarge, there is nothing in any of the emails that we have seen here that there was ever any interest in anyone to bankrupt anyone, nor any conspiracy.
There is communication between layers of the same government. The City talks to itself. That is not a conspiracy. There is an effort to turn up the heat to get landlords to repair or remove the structure on their land. That is not a desire to bankrupt them or any kind of conspiracy.
Second...citizen over sight... we have had that discussion here. Your elected officials is your citizen over sight. We also have an extensive system of community councils that anyone in the public may join. That is also citizen over site.
Any board or commission to oversee a City department would be appointed by the Mayor and Council and would be filled with people bitching that the City is to easy on absentee landlords. That is why you would fight against what you claim to be asking for.
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
Chuck I'm sure the plaintiffs have more evidence that we are seeing.This sanction hearing should be a big test to see if these suits are legitamate.Next thing we'll hear you saying is the Judge is corrupt.
We've heard that the complaint based system targets minorities and the city doing nothing to change the system so it doesn't target.
We've heard Jackie Girling talking about how Dean Keonen and the city is using his size and influence to intimidate property owners.
We've heard Al Hester of PHA conspiring with city officials to get St.Paul on a graded system so they could reduce rents under a federal guidline of substandard housing.Leaving Pha with more money itself.
We've heard how PHA has 30+ gangs in their units and many many problems with their up keep of their properties.
We've heard Dawkins state in a Pioneer Press interview Divas Bar was being targeted because of their black clientele.(Wonder how he came up with that?)
We've heard how the city sends out Mike Urman of Fire Inspection to address code issues when the problem is vulgar language coming from kids on a street corner that could be relatives or friends of the house Urman wants to inspect.WHY?
And ON and ON!!
Chuck please get serious!Bob has laid out all this evidence here for all of us.Its preety simple to draw your own conclusions.Chuck you are beginning to look pretty silly.
Tim Ciani
Tim
What you have there are a serries of issues that add up to nothing.
We have seen here that it is a complaint based system and at least two council offices were aware that the potential for race targeting existed and they were going make sure it DIDN'T happen (Thune and Benenav/Prince).
We have seen inspectors shot and the need for the City to from time to time have police officers come with them for protection.
We saw a council member make an inquiree of PHA if there was anyway to reduce section 8 payments to slugs that wouldn't keep up their property. No evidence that it ever occured, only that a question was asked.
We have seen that the City tries get cops into PHA like they do anywhere else. We have seen council members putting the heat on PHA to keep up their properties.
We know that Andy Dawkins is an attorney and as such will advocate for who ever is paying him (its a job).
We have seen how the City did a study of problem properties and concluded that most problem properties that draw police complaints have other issues and the that the City has attempted to have a wholistic approach to problem properties and allert all levels of City services when there are problems.
So, Tim get serious. After all of these years still nothing where someone got something from the greif the landlords went through. Nobody that gets something so no RICO.
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
Chuck said,"We know that Andy Dawkins is an attorney and as such will advocate for who ever is paying him (its a job)."
Ciani says,"Well said Chuck.Your kinda and advocate who gets money from the city,Right?It explains all you spinning.ITS YOUR JOB!"
Keep up the good work Chuck.You'll look as stupid as Dave when the judgemnet comes down.
Tim Ciani
I remember something about that problem property report Chuck. Bob had something here about it a long time ago. Are you refering to the one where the city says people's contitutional rights are just an "unintended consequence" to allow them to evade the city's sanctions? I think that statement is very telling of the city's position towrd our constitutional rights. It also goes hand in hand with what the landlords are suing for doesn't it?
Looks to me like the city of St Paul is a slumlord and Kathy Lantry is at the head of the city. Does that mean Kathy Lantry is a slumlord?
Hey Kathy
How about all the gangs living in the PHA? When are you going to send your NAZI inspectors over there to clean it up and run them out?
In 2001 and before
Sheriff Bob Fletcher sat on the board of public housing.
Then someone complained that it was a confect, of being the one that tosses people on the street on foreclosures and the one that puts them in public housing.
He lost that position fast after the complaint.
The Ramsey County's Sheriff' was started in 1848, and had time to fester into a gangster type of law enforcement over the years.
Who runs our county law.
People like County Attorney Susan Geartner, Ramsey County Judges like Larry Cohen and others, Sheriff Bob Fletcher, and the list of the people in between goes on and on.
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