SF Redevelopment targets Business Development Inc. and its stelwart employee Jed Silver

At the December 21, 2009 meeting held at 1800 Oakdale the Bayview Hunters Point (BVHP) Project Area Committee (PAC) made a fool of themselves by trying to fire Mr. Jed Silver who has worked very hard, and under very difficult conditions, to serve the BVHP PAC and more the inept, arrogant SF Redevelopment employees and especially one Vanessa Dandridge who is the acting Project Area Manager having replace one Lisa Chen-Ziyas who is on maternity leave.

Many of the sitting BVHP Project Area Committee (BVHP) PAC members had no clue why Mr. Jed Silver was targeted. At the last moment - copies were made and circulated to everyone. I read the letter and what I read was totally uncalled for. More - there was NO due process. Our Nation is one of due process - dictators are not tolerated in the United States of American less the the Bayview Hunters Point - the cradle of some astute advocates.

At the December 2, 2009 meeting before the full Project Area Committee (PAC) Mr. Jed Silver stated that it was not right for the BVHP PAC to deliberate on the agenda item to grant Sole Source contract to Lennar linked to the reconstruction of of Alice Griffith Public Housing.

As much as Mr. Jed Silver stated his reasons clearly - the arrogant Vanessa Dandridge belittled Mr. Jed Silver and made some statements that were not true.

More, there was no legal counsel present. Perhaps, the full BVHP Project Area Committee did not expect the majority of the BVHP PAC in good standing - to vote down the proposal to give Lennar the Sole Source Contract. Bottom line at the appropriate time if a Legal Counsel was present - he or she could have clarified the situation at hand - but, as I said there was NO legal counsel present.

The intention of the crooks behind the scene was to hoodwink the constituents of Bayview Hunters Point - but this failed. The BVHP PAC on their own voted down giving Lennar - Sole Source contract to Lennar to reconstruct Alice Griffith Public Housing that comes under the jurisdiction of the SF Housing Authority.

I know for a fact that Tiffany Bodee, Michael Cohen, and a few others were upset. But, I can assure you the fault was that of Vanessa Dandridge and on these grounds she should be fired. At the least we do not want her in our community dividing the people. Mr. Fred Blackwell should take note of this.

It is simply WRONG for an inept SF Redevelopment Agency employee to take on the BVHP Project Area Committee - facilitator in public while the entire meeting is broadcasted on radio - in this case KPOO at 89.5 FM.

The letter signed by Mr. Stephen Maduli-Williams in his letter addressed to Mr. Calvin Hayes the President of Business Development Inc., states:

" If Mr. Silver continues in the role of PAC coordinator, the work of the Agency in the Bayview Community will continue to be derailed, and the PAC will lose its relevance. For this reason the Agency requests that, effective immediately Jed Silver no longer occupy the position of PAC coordinator. If Mr. Silver is not reassigned, the BDI contract will be evaluated for termination".

In the past as with the Redevelopment of the Western Addition the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency has had the habit to come in meek as mouse and then gentrify large areas. In the Western Addition the SF Redevelopment Agency (SFRA) has been responsible for destroying thousands of families.

Thousands of families were given Certificates to be accommodated in affordable housing and never contacted. To this day - the scars inflicted on the constituents of the Western Addition - mostly Black and many Middle Class - cry to heaven for justice.

Now, we have Blacks such as Vanessa Dandride who has NO family values with set of mind that favors God alone knows what, has no history of the community, is not respected in the community - trying to come and tell us - in the community what is good and what is not.

The SF Redevelopment Agency in San Francisco is the most despicable institution and well known for the turmoil and adverse impacts it created and continues to create - to this day - all over San Francisco.

We have hundreds of sound San Francisco contractors that can do construction in the Bayview Hunters Point. But, for some reason only certain contractors are favored by the SF Redevelopment Agency.

Truly speaking - new housing should be built for the residents of Alice Griffith that is Public Housing and the residents moved away from Alice Griffith that is close to a toxic dump, dangerous radiological elements adversely affecting all living beings , dangerous particulates. A host of other factors like liquefaction and flooding.

The SF Redevelopment Agency plants a newbie, inept, arrogant, favoring a life-style not accepted by the majority in our community - to head as Project Manager and to address very complicated issues that this dumb, inept, arrogant woman cannot comprehend less execute. We do not want her in our community - replace her with someone that is knowledgeable.

Mr. Calvin Hayes has a track record and I have seen him bid other contracts and the SF Redevelopment Agency bends backwards to give it to Saul Bloom aka Donald Saleman and puts down Business Development Inc., - millions of dollars have been given on a platter to Arc Ecology.

At yesterday's meeting long time resident of the Bayview Hunters Point, home owner, and advocate - Espanola Jasckon, stated to those gathered some facts and the history of how the BVHP Project Area Committee came about.

It was Calvin Hayes that is the President of the Business Development, Inc., who crafted the By Laws and created the 501 (c) 3 linked to the BVHP Project Area Committee and I have the documents and have read them.

The present fiscal sponsor of the BVHP PAC is the Bayview Opera House an institution that itself is in deep trouble.

The SF Redevelopment Agency (SFRA) has failed to maintain a standard less with sound accountability and transparency. You can see this when one attends the SFRA Commission meetings. Most of the decisions are done behind close doors. The SFRA has not been audited in decades and is a quasi- State Agency and feeds off - Tax Increment and borrowing money. The SF Redevelopment Agency has a track record of removing people - known as GENTRIFICATION.

The SFRA has favored thugs and unruly characters to come to the SFRA Commission meetings and other related meetings. The SFRA and its employees are fully aware of unruly folks being bused, paid, fed with pizza, and told to say things that they do not - understand.

The SFRA has two sitting Commissioners that have been investigated linked to projects in the Bayview Hunters Point by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Lennar is a Rogue Developer that has failed at Mare Island and brought down the City of Vellejo. Lennar promised to build 10,000 homes and after 10 years had nothing to show and declared bankruptcy.

Lennar has the Shipyard to develop but has chosen with folks like Saul Bloom, the SFRA, the Mayor's Office of Economic Development and Michael Cohen to take 23 acres of Public Trust Land and try to hoodwink the constituents of Bayview Hunters Point.

The SFRA has now adjoined itself to other conflicts with the SF Housing Authority that has failed to provide decent amenities and housing to thousands of innocent but poor people - living at Alice Griffith.

The SF Housing Authority has failed at Potrero Hill, Hunters View, Oakdale Public Housing, Sunnydale Public Housing. The SF Redevelopment Agency thinks it can facilitate the HOPE SF Program and with it fast track - gentrification - with no serious consequences.

The pity is that Blacks are deeply involved in adversely harming other Blacks. Most of them work for the SF Housing Authority, serve on the SF Housing Commission and work with SF Redevelopment Agency - one of them is Dwayne Jones - another Amos Brown.

Porvety Pimp Pastors (PPP) are bought and these so called Shepherds that are supposed to look after the sheep are busy serving mammon and the devil himself. Pitying one segment of the population against the other.

BDI, Calvin Hayes, and Mr. Jed Silvers deserve the support of the community at large.

We, the community and we can collect signatures if the SF Redevelopment Agency wants - advise the Director of SF Redevelopment Agency to remove Vanessa Dandridge who has NO understanding of our community and is arrogant.

At all meetings held by the quasi-State Agency the SFRA that has complicated rules that govern the meetings and others that govern the SF Redevelopment Commission - making it so complicated that for years - the BVHP PAC meetings have been conducted in less then a transparent manner.

At the December 2, 2009 Tiffany Bohee who does not live in the community, less San Francisco, made some statements that were refuted by the Legal Counsel at the December 21, 2009 meeting.

I have requested the Director of the SF Redevelopment Agency who has access to the SF Redevelopment Commission and to the SF Board of Supervisor - to have present Legal Counsel at all important BVHP Project Area Committee meetings. Especially when the lives of thousands are affected as with the direct and indirectly consequences - linked to the 2558 acres directly and indirectly affected in the so called Project Area.

The SFRA is now revealing to the Public at Large at this late date - that the SFRA under whom the BVHP PAC is supposed to follow certain guide-lines have NOT been following the guide-lines. To make matters worse the BVHP PAC do not have the Bylaws and other protocols that I have read and have. The Chair, Angelo King has been conducted the meetings in a dictatorial manner - willy nilly.

At the earliest the BVHP PAC must be provided the By Laws other pertinent rules and regulations.

The BVHP PAC is slated to have a workshop and at this work shop, Mr. Fred Blackwell the SFRA Director - should invite Espanola Jackson and other constituents that have worked hard for the community to be present.

The SF Redevelopment Agency has not served the constituents of Bayview well - the very large area the SF Redevelopment Agency calls its Project Area - is more then the layperson in the Bayview Hunters Point is aware of.

Over 100,000 constituents from Zip Code 9107, 94124, and 94134 are adversely affected.

Few know about the BVHP PAC meetings.

Mostly corrupt Blacks in leadership - such as the Chair of the present BVHP PAC are in charge.

At yesterday meeting - December 21, 2009 a Samoan Pastor exposed Mr. Agnelo King to the shock of myself and others. Angelo King is the Chair, of the current BVHP, PAC but I have not seen him in past years participate in the affairs of the community.

As the Project Area was declared over a large area - suddenly folks like Angelo King and Veronica Hunnicutt - were put in position to make decisions not for the community - by those that pay them and to whom they are beholden. Both Angelo King and Veronica Hunnicutt hail from the Western Addition - Veronica Hunnicutt still resides outside the Bayview Hunters Point - some where in the Western Addition according to reliable sources.

No one gets a free pass and those holding the position of Chairs of the BVHP, PAC and Chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee to the Shipyard - better listen to the community at large. We want accountability and transparency and we want it before most folks that live in the Bayview Hunters Point are removed. The past is the past - as most have witnessed by a surge of those that want accountability. We hope to remove the corrupt and being some adjudication that is fair.

All that, that is corrupt must change - God Willing - we, the people have seen the bright light - and in the brightness we have seen and witnessed - corruption of the worst order - that must be eradicated.

Mr. Jed Silver should be retained and allowed to do his job. Vanessa Dandridge who does not know anything much about our community - should not come to create division in our community.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/franciscodacosta/sets/72157623050771302/show/


Francisco Da Costa
Director
Environmental Justice Advocacy


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