Neighborhood revitalization program does not ‘fleece taxpayers’
Re: “ACORN isn’t the only organization fleecing taxpayers,” Sept. 15
I am writing to correct a number of inaccuracies in Marta Mossburg’s column, which cites three small business loans made by the Department “to businesses apparently no longer operating,” and a loan to the owner of a “so-far undeveloped real estate tract.”
Wrong. The loan to the supposed “real estate tract” was in fact made to the recently completed Miller’s Court project in the Charles Village area of central Baltimore. This long-vacant and formerly derelict historic building has been renovated to LEED standards and is now fully leased to teachers and nonprofits.
The four loans Mossburg says are “likely” delinquent are not delinquent. In fact, one is paid off. She also made three references to individuals or businesses as if they had borrowed funds from DHCD when, in fact, they have not.
The subject of the column, the Neighborhood BusinessWorks (NBW) program, has made $56 million in loans to 230 small businesses since 1996, received $48 million back in program income so far, and has another $16.5 million in outstanding loans that yielded us more than $3 million just last year.
DHCD wishes to assure the public that we are not “fleecing taxpayers.” Contrary to the impression left by these highly inflammatory and grossly untrue charges, NBW is a sound program that delivers impressively on its revitalization mission and also ably fulfills its obligation to be a good steward of financial resources.
Raymond A. Skinner
Secretary,
MD Department of Housing and Community Development
Good idea, bad location
Re: “Farmers market knots traffic in downtown D.C.,” Sept. 18
I agree with Mrs. Obama that a downtown farmers market is a great idea. However, the planners are going about it all wrong.
The market certainly should not be in the middle of a city street, closing it down to all traffic when there is plenty of park space. In fact, adequate open space right near the White house can and should be used instead.
It seems the D.C. Department of Transportation got it right the first time, and should not have caved in to this bad location.
Laszlo Pentek
Arlington
If you’re racist, which side of Obama are you against?
Am I missing something? Why does everyone refer to President Barack Obama as “black”? Isn’t he half white, too? When people of color disagree with his policies, are they being racist against his white half? When white people disagree with him, are they only half racist?
It seems society continues to espouse an archaic mind set known as “the one drop rule,” in which any person having “one drop” of African ancestry was considered non-white and not afforded the privileges of the white class.
Let’s dispose of antediluvian terms and rules, respect everyone’s mixed heritage, and not classify a person into one niche or the other.
J.L. Underwood
Fulton, MD
