Challenges Mayor To Public Debate On Westside Issue
posted February 3, 2005
) Walter Williams |
"I plan to contact my fraternity brothers and the 100 Black Men chapters across the state to tell them what I think about Bob Corker," Attorney Williams said.
He said, "I don't like his arrogance and the way he is always promoting himself."
Attorney Williams earlier said the Westside Development Corporation had to go out of business after Mayor Corker got mad at him and caused its funding to run dry.
Mayor Corker denied the city cut funding to the Westside group, saying it was its only steady funder at $75,000 per year.
Attorney Williams said, "I challenge Mayor Corker to appear in a public forum with me and see who's telling the truth and who's telling a tale. I have the proof."
He added, "There are some other things I could blow him out of the water with. I don't think he will mess with me."
Attorney Williams, who was chairman of the board of the Westside group, said Mayor Corker had taken Westside out of the Urban Renewal Zone. He said that made it much harder for the group to get grants. He said it left it with an 82 score. He said being in the zone is worth 10 points on the score. He said the group went before a major funding agency, but was told it needed to be at 90 to be considered.
Saying the Westside has the largest concentration of low-income senior citizens in the community, Attorney Williams said the mayor should have found a way to keep the Westside group in the Urban Renewal Zone "or found a way to make up the difference" in funds it cost the group.
Attorney Williams also said Mayor Corker had "dressed down" Westside executive director Daphne Sloan in a meeting attended by others. He said it was "unforgivable" to have done so in front of the group, that he said included mayoral aide Rayburn Traughber, Parks Director Jerry Mitchell and Housing Authority Board Chairman Ann Hennis.
He said he and Mayor Corker fell out over the Westside issue, and he said the mayor also got mad at him at the time he stepped down as city judge over an issue involving his successor.
He said the mayor had asked him for a recommendation on a successor and Council members asked him as well. He said he gave that to them privately.
Attorney Williams said Councilman Duke Franklin later said publicly that his choice was attorney Chantelle Roberson. He said that after it became public, he did not deny it. But he said that upset the mayor.
Attorney Williams said, "I am going to be emailing people I know across the state to tell what I know about Bob Corker. I'm not for him for Senate. After they hear what I have to say, I don't think they will be for him either - if they ever were."
Daisy Madison, city treasurer, said the city gave $75,000 to the Westside group in 2002, 2003 and 2004 and had them budgeted for the same amount next year.
The group is going out of business, and the Housing Authority will take over their property and assume their liabilities.
) Bob Corker |
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