$180 million poured into Newtown's 2-square mile radius

At least $180 million in taxpayer money has been poured into Newtown's two-square-mile neighborhood.

For example:

- $12 million recreation center.

- Newtown Front Porch Council: The president resigned after allegations of financial mismanagement.

- Man-Up of Greater Sarasota is being audited after inconsistencies in spending of federal grants.

- Sarasota gave $500,000 to the Newtown Redevelopment Corporation, but cut the funding for lack of results and an inability to account for the money.

- State and local tax breaks for businesses aren't creating jobs.

- 30% of Newtown is out of work.

- British tabloids call the area a "ghetto" and "gangland."

Fredd Atkins, Sarasota's first black mayor, said that ultimately...

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article...ts-for-revival

[quote=Herald-Tribune]

At least $180 million in taxpayer money has been poured into Newtown's two-square-mile neighborhood.

For example:

- $12 million recreation center.

- Newtown Front Porch Council: The president resigned after allegations of financial mismanagement.

- Man-Up of Greater Sarasota is being audited after inconsistencies in spending of federal grants.

- Sarasota gave $500,000 to the Newtown Redevelopment Corporation, but cut the funding for lack of results and an inability to account for the money.

- State and local tax breaks for businesses aren't creating jobs.

- 30% of Newtown is out of work.

- British tabloids call the area a "ghetto" and "gangland."

Fredd Atkins, Sarasota's first black mayor, said that ultimately...

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article...ts-for-revival[/quote:2z5v9x94]
Why do you post here? I can only assume it's to stir up the shit. If you are really working for the paper, please show some integrity and ethics.

He is basically saying that we wiped our behinds with the money and flushed it down the toilet. It has done nothing.

The County just opened criminal cases against their employees for stealing money from them. Where are our marching orders on this blatent theft of City funds? The City crys poor all the time but it's ok to steal 180,000,000? COME ON, we can wrap this up no problem the suspects have already made ommissions in the press.... just follow the numbers. We are begging the City of Sarasota to let us do our job, pull the trigger and let the heads roll. These people are stealing from you (City Manager and Commission) and then laughing about it right in your face but you want to take our pensions and our benefits and thats just fine. We come to work, we do our job, now do yours! Unless you make a stand against them they will continue no matter where you hire them from, left unchecked the criminality will continue to run rampant!