By Emerson Drake
9/6/11
Did anyone else notice they don't call it that anymore? Yet Muratore went to the Safety and Communities Committee and arranged (interesting how councilmen scratch each others backs) to head up the BRCH (Blue Ribbon Commission on the Homeless), he also managed to get people of similar thinking or agendas named to it.
Former SCAP Directors, who when they were exposed to the light of day, chose to abandon ship in the face of public knowledge and criticism. Yet they continued to accept SCAP funds to foster a mistaken belief in the Community they were a non-profit doing Gods work.
Also interesting is how Muratore appointed a friend and business partner "not in the official sense", but Joe did get his real partner Ryan Swehla's and Scott Monday's Trinity renovations to use him for all of their home inspections. And just because this same man helped Joe get elected to the City Council, well that had nothing to do with anything. But Moradian does have an intense dislike for the homeless which he blames for just about all of societies problems.
Now on Wednesday 9/7 they'll be parading before the Safety and Communities Committee their manifesto. But where did this document come from? They didn't meet in public to discuss its contents. They certainly haven't met in public and voted. So where did it come from?
Well much of it came from the same man who has overstepped his bounds and placed a heavy hand on this BRCH to direct their agenda and results. Now that Muratore has given back (read forced to) the $62,500 dollars and been banned from further NSP2 participation, (Trinity Renovations and Benchmark Reality are almost inseparable in the NSP2 conversation) his hands are clean and his desires are only for what's best for Modesto.
Yeah Right.
The BRCH has been attempting to paint the homeless "both temporary and permanent" with the same broad brush as second class citizens. If these commission members weren't so agenda driven, one is looking for someone to write a grant for money (ala SCAP style) and others attempting to funnel more funds into organizations they either represent or head, this could almost be believable.
Wednesday at 5:30 the Safety Committee will meet to hear the official version of the BRCH suggestions. No public discussion by its members and no public vote on its contents.
Why didn't Councilman Muratore just save us a lot of time and render his edict six months ago.
Heck, why is Joe Muratore still a Councilman?
