Letter to the Editor

Council not answering questions on public housing

Saturday, April 28, 2012

To the editor:

As most readers know, I was arrested twice on March 10 for refusing to leave Clearlake Public Housing. What most of you don't know is that Blytheville City Council members Missy Langston, Monte Hodges (who sat on the BPHA before he was a Council member), John Musgraves and Stan Parks were present at the Feb. 20 Health and Sanitation Committee where I asked these Council members which city committee Blytheville Public Housing was under so I could ask for help for the residents. No one could tell me, and Missy Langston said she would find out and let me know. She never did.

At the last Council meeting, April 17, one of the residents and myself wrote a letter to Mayor Sanders and the Council asking to speak regarding BPHA and was denied the opportunity to speak. Why were we denied? Why didn't the mayor or the Council let us know we would not be allowed to speak? Is it because they don't want the public to be aware of the many problems Blytheville Public Housing has now and for years before? Did they not want to hear that some of the residents' furniture and mattresses were thrown away without permission and have not been replaced? Why do we have to fight for our rights to information that is beneficial to not just the residents at Clearlake, but to all who live in public housing? Why is it that BPHA is requesting the "Release of Funds from HUD The Removal of Thirty-Two Apartments" (Courier News 4/19/12) but have not discussed what their plan is for the residents that will be affected? It is disturbing to me, and should be to all, that the actions of this current mayor and council seem very similar to the past mayor and council, which I was a part of from 2009-10. I challenged the past mayor and council to support my call for an independent audit, an investigation of the city and information from the mayor on his monthly activities -- to name a few-- but received no support.

The current mayor has said we must not look back, we are going forward. However, to go forward, we need answers about the past that will help the future. What do we know about the other activities that the city is still involved in? We have not had a finance meeting for two months and no one is giving a report to the citizens. What about the $10,000 we should be paying the county for jail fees monthly? What is the current bill from the tax lawyer we hired in 2011? How many lawsuits are pending against the city? What about the complaints that have been filed against Chief of Police Ross Thompson? What happened to the water meters that were stolen? Why is Rick Mosley not fired? Why are residents paying higher water bills and some businesses paying lower ones for using more water? Are businesses paying the $5 monthly fee that residents are being billed? How much are we paying Silent Security for services on all units of the city?

These are some of my questions that the mayor and Council won't answer and seem to resent me asking. Maybe if some of the other citizens asked these questions, they might get an answer from the city.

I, and residents of Clearlake Public Housing, thank Progressive Baptist, Prince of Peace, American Greetings and General Baptist District Association, the Rev. C.Clay Sr. moderator, for their generous donations to purchase mattresses and box springs.

Carol White
Blytheville