See also Redevelopment Authority: Vulgar, Obscene and Illegal!

Open Letter to City Housing Authority

  November 20, 2001

Elizabeth Hambrick-Stowe, Lawyer for the authority
Thomas M. Weber, Chairman of the authority
Lancaster City Redevelopment Authority
28 Penn Square
Lancaster, PA 17603

Greetings!

Why are you NOT doing your job? Over a year and half ago, you signed a contract with the state to funnel corporate welfare in the form of an interest-free loan for up to $4 million to the Penn Square Partners (PSP). You then signed a 10 page contract (which Mr. Weber signed!) with PSP. That contract had a simple task for the Penn Square Partners to fulfill: Put up a sign acknowledging that they received this corporate welfare. Where is this sign? Have you demanded that they put up this sign?

This contract also makes you responsible for "inspections", "monitoring", and "maintenance" just to name a few of your jobs. If you can't do something as simple as making sure that they PSP put up a sign - how can taxpayers possible trust you to make sure their millions are being spent properly?

I sent this to the authority's attorney, Elizabeth Hambrick-Stowe. This is the same attorney who acted as though my question about the $4 million loan had no basis in fact. I include her in this letter because she should be able to explain what mandamus mean. Basically, it means that if you don't do your job - I will get a judge to force you to do it.

Every taxpayer that reads this will be looking for the sign in the square. And make sure that it's big enough for us to read it while driving by - the law requires that everyone know that the PSP are taking corporate-welfare and you better start doing your job.

Ronald P. Harper, Jr.

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