Monday, May 27, 2019

RECORDS SHOW THAT MAYOR SCOTT LIED ABOUT PAYMENT TO FIRM CONNECTED TO A STAFF MEMBER

IN APRIL MAYOR SCOTT  SAID THIS RECORD DID NOT EXIST WHEN WE SENT A FOI REQUEST FOR IT

For someone that campaigned on transparency, our autocratic, feckless and frightened mayor has proved that was all talk.

 
"I AM THE CEO AND CUSTODIAN OF RECORDS FOR THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK"


The latest proof of that came to light this week.

In a response to this FOI request...



Scott provided a response and we were surprised to the purchase order that was for the Critical Incident video.

We were surprised because we made a verbal FOI request back on April 9th seeking records regarding the cost to the city for the critical incident video (for the police shooting in late February) that was produced by the marketing company, The Design Group, which Mayor Scott stated he used during his campaign for office.

The city via it's FOI coordinator,  sent a response later that same day "Per the custodian there are no such records responsive to this request".

Mayor Frank Scott is the official custodian of all city records. All information flows through his office after he issued an edict to that effect.





The mayor did a similar thing when we sent an FOI request for records for his proposed budget changes. His response was no such records exited.

At a board meeting, he stated he did not release information to the media prior to the board meeting because he wanted city employees to hear his decisions about job cuts from him. We will follow on on this matter in an up coming post.

That is an admission that he violated the law. 

We are filing a criminal complaint against Mayor Scott regarding his wilful violation of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. Also, we are filing a civil lawsuit on the same violations. 

Should Scott be convicted of a criminal violation, he could be removed from office. In fact there is an opinion from the Arkansas Attorney General that outlines that. Click here to view the opinion.









Monday, May 20, 2019

DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP SNUBS HOMEGROWN ARTISTS IN DEAL TO FAVOR NW ARKANSAS PAINTER AND LOCAL ART SELLER


 
THE CoC PREFERS A WHITE OUT-OF-TOWN PAINTER OVER LOCAL BLACK ARTISTS FOR MURALS

On October 18, 2018, an artist named Jason Coy Jones out of Fayetteville, know for his altered thrift store art mocking religious themes...
 
HOW DO YOU COPYRIGHT YOUR DOODLING ON THE WORK OF ANOTHER PERSON?




painted a mural on Main Street in downtown Little Rock, AR. His 2018 mural was part of the InspiredLR mural project, an initiative of Downtown Little Rock Partnership's Public Spaces Committee. Click here for the CoC press release.





On May, 14, 2019, the same InspiredLR mural project, an initiative of Downtown Little Rock Partnership's (an arm of the Chamber of Commerce "CoC") Public Spaces Committee announced the winning artist for a competition they held for the creation of a separate mural by an Arkansas artist on the Union National Plaza Building at 124 W. Capitol Ave. 

  


Why not a Little Rock artist?

Because the CoC and their Downtown Partnership don't really give a flying fuck about Little Rock. If they really did, they could have used this to promote and showcase Little Rock artists.

Could it have been that the artist from Little Rock that applied were folk of color?

The winner was to be awarded a $30,000 grant.

We put in a call to Gabe Holmstrom, DLRP Executive Director to ask if public funds were used to fund the grant. Our call was not returned by the time of publication.


Well, the he winning artist was Jason Jones.

That's right, the same Jason Jones who painted the 2018 Main Street mural as part of the InspiredLR mural project, an initiative of Downtown Little Rock Partnership's Public Spaces Committee. Click here for the CoC press release.


This is what Jones said in an interview:


“Last year, I had the pleasure of painting a small, temporary mural on Main Street. My time was really special when I was painting the mural downtown. People, who I had never met, were so kind and hospitable to me-- they brought me food, gave kind remarks, and even high-fived me. It will be nice to create a large permanent mural that will add to the landmarks of downtown Little Rock, and to give back to the community that welcomed me with open arms.”

How about the Downtown Partnership (CoC) giving back to the local artists and let their work be displayed to show what the city has to offer.


What Jones failed to mention is that "small temporary mural" that he painted on Main Street in 2018, was was part of the InspiredLR mural project, an initiative of Downtown Little Rock Partnership's Public Spaces Committee. That's right, the same two groups who awarded Jason Jones the $30,000 grant to complete the mural on the Union National Plaza Building at 124 W. Capitol Ave by the end of June, 2019.


Jones and the InspiredLR mural project, an initiative of Downtown Little Rock Partnership's Public Spaces Committee should have let the losing contestants and public know this fact. In these types of competitions, participants are routinely not able to apply if they've had any affiliations with the competition organizers.

Jones was chosen and awarded the $30,000 grant a mere 7 months after painting their first mural. 


This is a clear ethical violation and a conflict of interest. What they did is not fair to the other 70 plus artists who submitted to the contest. many who were from right here in the city.


They should have been told that Jones, the winner of their $30,000 grant had worked with the InspiredLR mural project, an initiative of Downtown Little Rock Partnership's Public Spaces Committee on a mural 7 months earlier in 2018. 


Hence, the judges and selection committee were already familiar with the look and style of Jones' work, which gave him a clear advantage during the judging process. Thus, it cannot qualify as a blind judging due to the fact that all of the 70 plus artists who submitted to the competition did not have the same opportunity. 

And he had White Privilege working for him.


Another sketchy thing is that Jones has or will have work for sale at M2 Gallery.

We wonder what backroom deals Mac Murphy made with Jones and the CoC?

 
MAC MURPHY

The citizens of Little Rock and the local artists who were cheated deserve to know the truth.

Will we get the truth from the CoC/Downtown Partnership?

Hell no.

Stay tuned for updates. 

***UPDATE - 5/26/19***

Turns out that the NWA rescued thrift store art doodler has stolen all or part of his latest mural in the works in downtown LR from Dallas artist Chris Arnold.


 
Back in the 1990's, Arnold completed a mural in Dallas titled "Mass Transit".  You can read about it by clicking here.



As the article mentions, the committee in Dallas looked for artists outside the city  just like they did here in Little Rock.

More than one reader has sent us messages about the similarities, evne in the first stages. 

Arnold also painted a mural in Hot Springs. You can read about that by clicking here and here.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

MAYOR'S LRPD BODYGUARDS RACK UP $6,959.12 IN OVERTIME PAY FOR 80 SOMETHING HOURS OF WORK IN 16 DAYS

 
DOES FECKLESS MAYOR SCOTT SPORT A BULLET RESISTANT VEST OUTSIDE CITY HALL?

According to records obtained from the city of Little Rock via a Freedom of Information request, two LRPD officers assigned to be part-time bodyguards/drivers for our autocratic, feckless and frightened mayor have racked up $6, 959.12 in overtime payments since April 19th.



LRPD officers Irving Jackman and Chris Henderson were the two officers selected to babysit Mayor Scott and drive in around in a late model black Chevy Tahoe. They do not wear uniforms performing this duty. They were assigned to this task after the Pulaski County Prosecuting cleared now fired LRPD Officer Charles Starks of any wrongdoing in the homicide of Bradley Blackshire on February 22nd.

Jackman received $3,560.48 for 88 OT hours and Henderson received $3,250.80 for 84 OT hours.  You can view their OT time sheets by clicking here

These hours were in addition to their regular patrol shifts. Each officer has an annual salary of $51, 590.66.

Look closely at the documents for  April 30th and May 7th. They were providing protection on board meeting days. There are usually three uniformed officer assigned to cover the board meetings.








What did these plain-clothed officers do while the board meeting took place? Hang out in the mayor new office to watch Netflicks and chill?

Why the double coverage by LRPD when the mayor and LRPD cannot produce a single document to justify his need for bodyguards.

Our FOI request also confirmed that little else is being done to provide security for Mayor Scott other that these two paid wing men.




 Stay tuned. More to follow.

###


Sunday, May 12, 2019

DOES MAYOR FRANK SCOTT ACTUALLY LIVE AT HIS RAGGEDY "OFFICIAL" RESIDENCE?

THE MAYOR'S CRIB - BUSTED SHUTTERS, PEELING PAINT AND GUTTERS ON THE GROUND

Does our autocratic, feckless and frightened mayor actually live where he claims he does?

Frank Scott, Jr. made a big deal out of living in SWLR during his campaign.

Never mind that he held his watch party at Cajun's Warf and not at an establishment in SWLR. Well, given that his rich Republican friends would not go south of I-630 after 5:00 p.m., that was probably the spot to make them feel comfortable.

According to Scott's voter registration,  he resides at 7903 Edwina Drive.


According to filings at the Pulaski County Assessors Office, Scott owns that home and has since August 21, 2008. He paid $107,000 for it. He claims a homestead exemption on the property.



He also uses that residence for the assessment of personal property.



Scott received a ticket from LRPD back in January 2018 for failing to transfer vehicle registration and careless and prohibited driving (he has a lengthy history of traffic and parking violations).


Scott paid a $115.00 fine in exchange they"dismissed" they charges. 


Props to the two officers Jessie Hampton and Kevin Ward. that pulled over a mayoral candidate and wrote him a ticket.



But take a closer look at the rundown residence he states is his home.

BUSTED SHUTTERS, RUSTED  COLUMNS AND UNKEMPT SHRUBBERIES - SIGNS OF NEGLECT

PEELING PAINT, GUTTER LYING IN FLOWER BEDS - SIGNS OF A PROUD HOMEOWNER
Does this look like the home of a successful banker?  A former Highway Commissioner? A mayor of the largest city in the state?

It looks like a trap house

A huge indicator that Scott doesn't spend a lot of time at the residence is a lack of an alarm sign (and no alarm permit registered with city hall) or external security camera. Also the absence of one of those hi-tech police camera on the utility pole in his yard is the biggest indicator.


LRPD has at least 53 of these cameras.  We have posted on our Bad Government in Arkansas Facebook page the location of many of these.

The Arkansas Times published a story about the cameras when LRPD first deployed them back in 2013.





We ran a story about LRPD using one of these cameras to spy of From His Throne Ministries and their efforts to assist our homeless citizens. You can read that post by clicking here.

You might ask why is the absence of a LRPD camera at his alleged residence telling.

Well, you might recall that the day the prosecuting attorney cleared the killer cop Charles Starks in the murder of Bradley Blackshire, Scott was assigned two LRPD detectives to be his bodyguards and drivers.

This was due to threats (some made by LRFOP members according to Scott - he told this to an associate of ours back in January - see our post).

Scott  says the LRPD advised him he needed protection.

Is the protection only during the work day? Seems that if there are credible threats to the mayor's safety, that the least LRPD would do is put one of their surveillance cameras on the utility police at Scott's alleged residence.

WHY IS THERE NO LRPD SURVEILLANCE CAMERA ON THE POLE IN THE YARD OF SCOTT"S ALLEGED RESIDENCE ? IS IT BECAUSE HE DOES NOT ACTUALLY RESIDE THERE.

That camera could be monitored 24/7 by the officer that sits behind the BR glass at police HQ on Markham with a room full of TVs/monitors.  That desk is manned 24/7.

If that is actually the mayor's residence, and he needs bodyguards, then a camera like those that LRPD deploys all over the city should be in place.

The next clue is a burglar alarm or lack of one.

There are no visible alarm signs on the property. A telephone call to city  hall for information about an alarm permit at that location did not reveal one.



Maybe the mayor does live their and he doesn't care about the appearance of his home and how it reflects upon him.

Maybe he spends all his money on clothes and eating and drinking at high end trendy places and a hidey-hole apartment or condo. He sure as shooting isn't spending any money on maintaining or upgrading his alleged residence.

I LIVE THERE, BUT DON'T STAY THERE


Stayed tuned for updates...we have more to follow.