PHA loses another Director who's hands were caught in the cookie jar.

[kbjc72]

Interim PHA Director Speaks On Michael Kelly’s Affair « CBS Philly

I'd like to see them hire a female, preferably an attractive one. I would apply for employment at PHA immediately!!! A little office action and a raise or two would be nice.

[palvar]

Interim PHA Director Speaks On Michael Kelly’s Affair « CBS Philly.

What a disaster - I'd heard that Kelly was doing good things at PHA.

[seand]

Apparently once a new director finds out about the switch in the director's desk that Carl Greene had installed that turns the desk into a rotating water bed with mood music and lighting, the temptation becomes irresistable.

[ArcticSplash]

Apparently once a new director finds out about the switch in the director's desk that Carl Greene had installed that turns the desk into a rotating water bed with mood music and lighting, the temptation becomes irresistable.

Who needs Viagra when you have the top job at PHA? Apparently the position is FLUSH with opportunity and SWOLLEN with projects that need projecting.

[phillycat]

Who needs Viagra when you have the top job at PHA?

who knew so many irresistable women worked at the PHA?

[raider.adam]

who knew so many irresistable women worked at the PHA?

Well, Kelly hired this one in particular, from what I understand.

[OffenseTaken]

Sleeping with subordinates is frowned upon for a good reason, but come on: Carl Greene was monstrous. There's really no comparison.

I don't even understand why Kelly resigned over this, unless it was because his wife found out.

[Hospitalitygirl]

Sleeping with subordinates is frowned upon for a good reason, but come on: Carl Greene was monstrous. There's really no comparison.

I don't even understand why Kelly resigned over this, unless it was because his wife found out.

You're playing Devil's Advocate with this one, no? Really, you believe what you just wrote?

Among other things, it's expressly prohibited in the employees' rule book, and he was doing it while ON THE TAXPAYER'S DIME.

And really...was he even punished? He has another, similar, position in DC as head of the Office of Housing and Community Direction. What did he lose?

On the other hand, what did we as taxpayer's lose?

Implode all of these agencies.

[Dave]

What a disaster - I'd heard that Kelly was doing good things at PHA.

Yeah, I hear he was known in NYC for downsizing their bloated public housing agency. I'm pretty disappointed. I can't condone inappropriate conduct, but will they be able to find somebody else to run PHA who will be able to fix that mess?

[Dave]

Implode all of these agencies.

This. I think Philly needs to just start over from scratch with a completely bare-bones city government that supports basic services and infrastructure. The less they add to that, the better.

[OffenseTaken]

You're playing Devil's Advocate with this one, no? Really, you believe what you just wrote?

Among other things, it's expressly prohibited in the employees' rule book, and he was doing it while ON THE TAXPAYER'S DIME.

And really...was he even punished? He has another, similar, position in DC as head of the Office of Housing and Community Direction. What did he lose?

On the other hand, what did we as taxpayer's lose?

Implode all of these agencies.

Of course it's prohibited, and like I said, it's good that it is.

The most taxpayers lose from this is the $30,000 pay hike that Kelly gave her. (It's not like she was underqualified btw.) While it underlines exactly why sleeping with a subordinate always poses a conflict of interest, it's downright paltry compared to Greene's iniquities.

To say this is "another" corrupt PHA director of the same ilk as Greene borders on hyperbole.

[Litter Box]

Of course it's prohibited, and like I said, it's good that it is.

The most taxpayers lose from this is the $30,000 pay hike that Kelly gave her. (It's not like she was underqualified btw.) While it underlines exactly why sleeping with a subordinate always poses a conflict of interest, it's downright paltry compared to Greene's iniquities.

I think she left the country and returned to her home country, from Ch6.

[seand]

This. I think Philly needs to just start over from scratch with a completely bare-bones city government that supports basic services and infrastructure. The less they add to that, the better.

Fair enough. I'd just point out that PHA like other agencies like it, are basically a Federal program, following Federal rules with Federal funding. The big problem is the local politicians like to steer how the money gets spent locally and don't really care about its impact or how well its run otherwise. As long as they can claim credit when it builds a shiny new bunch of buildings, they don't care what the director does. Basically they view it as an opportunity to skim as much off to locally connected hands as possible.

I'd actually rather have less not more local influence on how it runs its business.

[seand]

Dupe post

[raider.adam]

This. I think Philly needs to just start over from scratch with a completely bare-bones city government that supports basic services and infrastructure. The less they add to that, the better.

Except all the money comes from rent and the feds.

Of course it's prohibited, and like I said, it's good that it is.

The most taxpayers lose from this is the $30,000 pay hike that Kelly gave her. (It's not like she was underqualified btw.) While it underlines exactly why sleeping with a subordinate always poses a conflict of interest, it's downright paltry compared to Greene's iniquities.

To say this is "another" corrupt PHA director of the same ilk as Greene borders on hyperbole.

It is a huge indicator of poor judgement as well as sexual harassment liabilities.

Is what he did as bad as Carl Greene? No. Should he lose his job over it? Yes.

[Dave]

Regardless of where they money comes from, the fact remains that just about every agency in Philadelphia is hampered by inefficient management and ridiculously cumbersome labor contracts. I'd rather not get the federal money than have an agency run the way PHA is run. It seems to be doing more damange in its current state than it provides help.

[seand]

We don't really have a choice. We have poor people. X amount of poor people means X amount of housing allocations, as I understand it. Again, if the Navy or the Coast Guard have a facility in Philadelphia, Jannie Blackwell doesn't get to control who gets building contracts, etc. Feds may have their own issues contracting but there is not the crazy corruption of unaccounted for Federal money being doled out by local politicos. The more the PHA is out of local hands, the better.

[ArcticSplash]

PHA is way better off in control by foreigners rather than local politicos. It just is. It will still spend like a drunken sailor but at least the influence in local contracting power is greatly diminished that way.

[raider.adam]

We don't really have a choice. We have poor people. X amount of poor people means X amount of housing allocations, as I understand it. Again, if the Navy or the Coast Guard have a facility in Philadelphia, Jannie Blackwell doesn't get to control who gets building contracts, etc. Feds may have their own issues contracting but there is not the crazy corruption of unaccounted for Federal money being doled out by local politicos. The more the PHA is out of local hands, the better.

The thing is, I don't think HUD has any desire to directly run and manage all their housing funds. They just want to hand the money over and keep their hands clean of the **** shows that happen in the trenches. On the reverse, the military doesn't want each state running its local branches.

[Dave]

Hand it all out as section 8 vouchers, then. As much as people hate section 8, it's probably better than having a huge corrupt agency managing rental housing. Adding some kind of safeguards that kick a landlord out of the section 8 program if they don't do a good job of screening and managing their tenants could go a long way toward making sure the section 8 housing doesn't become a crime hotspot.

Anyway, I agree with less local control. Also, less bureaucracy is what I'm looking for. Managing who gets rent assistance probably requires much less overhead than building, managing and policing entire housing projects.