How to shovel taxpayer money to local cronies without a legitamate bidding process, by Greensboro's City Council

37. Renaissance (Bessemer) Shopping Center Redevelopment proposals.

New Bessemer Associates, whose owners have contributed to multiples of Greensboro City Council Members, was selected by an outside agent, who has given campaign contributions to current Greensboro City Council Members, to rehabilitate the shopping center with about $700,000 of taxpayer money.

New Bessemer could not come up with a grocery store to occupy the shopping center etc..., until another $1.5 million of extra taxpayer money suddenly and behind the scenes became available, that was not included in the original proposal considered by City Council.

New Bessemer didn't/couldn't do the job as originally proposed, as it couldn't meet the original requirements set out in what New Bessemer agreed to.
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Skip Alston's group, the Renaissance Center of Greensboro, was never involved in the RFP (Request for Proposal) process in the first place.

Without using official and required channels, unless City Council chose to override them, Skip's group walked to the front of the line with no other legitimate competition, and somehow gained a negotiating position for more than $2 million in taxpayer money, without the city initiating a bidding process for what has become more than twice the taxpayer money originally RFP's by the city.
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Without any opportunity for local entrepreneurs to compete for the project, Skip Alston stands to make $150,000 by using his influence as a former chairman of the Guilford County Commissioners and the corruptness of Greensboro's City Council so his clients can walk with about $2 million of taxpayer money, that was never published for RFPs.
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New Bessemer Associates is asking for about $2.2 million of taxpayer money, after not being able to meet the requirements of the original agreement.

No other parties were permitted or were even informed of a bid for the project.

What is not included in the above numbers is New Bessemer's intention to be the commercial real estate listing agent for the property, which will add another 10 to 15% of any rents in perpetuity to their bottom line.

This is Greensboro at its worst.

This is crooked.
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Crony capitalism is a term describing an economy in which success in business depends on close relationships between business people and government officials. It may be exhibited by favoritism in the distribution of legal permits, government grants and special tax breaks.

Crony capitalism is believed to arise when political cronyism spills over into the business world; self-serving friendships and family ties between businessmen and the government influence the economy and society to the extent that it corrupts public-serving economic and political ideals.

In many cases, the term is used interchangeably with corporate welfare...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crony_capitalism