Sunday, February 6, 2011
Here Is The "New Face Of North Minneapolis" Video That Don Allen Of IBNN Doesn't Want You To See...
Video by JordanNeighbor, blog post by John Hoff
Don Allen, a controversial blogger and self-described "businessman" whose bile-filled criticisms are mostly leveled at leaders within the black community, one of which recently said IBNN blog was "the equivalent of black on black crime," was the subject of a recent blog post here on Johnny Northside in light of the surprising news of Don Allen's $15,000 contract with the Minneapolis school system for video production, click here for that blog post.
Some of us kind of figured Don Allen might swiftly remove or "set to private" his "New Face of North Minneapolis" video if too much attention were brought to it, so a "fair comment and criticism" copy was made by a member of the community, which you can see above, embedded. As anticipated and predicted, the "New Face" video in question was set to "private" on YouTube so it couldn't be viewed shortly after it was linked from this blog and criticized as an example of Don Allen's video production skills and controversial content.
The purpose of this back-up video is not to...
...infringe anybody's copyright (worthless though it may be) but to make sure the document can't be hidden from fair comment and criticism.
So here it is. It speaks loudly for itself, as does the fact attempts were made to conceal it from being freely and easily viewed.
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44 comments:
$103,000 contract with Al Flowers, Minneapolis school system (!!!!) WTF!!????
OK, I was looking for this and had a hard time finding it, because Don Allen's writing on IBNN is so unclear and tangential. This discussion about Don Allen's $15,000 contact is a good place to bring up reports of Al Flowers $103,000 contact which would be, well, even more outrageous.
Here's what Don Allen said on an IBNN blog post about Al Flowers having such a contract:
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If you recall, in 2008 the Minneapolis Urban League in collaboration with Front Street Marketing, and Alfred Flowers received a pilot program grant from the Minneapolis Public Schools of more than $103,770.00 dollar to create and after-school tutoring program. I know this because I was asked to work on completing some of the paperwork and when I submitted the finished document with an invoice, I was told I wasn’t getting paid s*** and to never come back to the Minneapolis Urban League.
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There have been rumors for MONTHS about Al Flowers getting a big chunk of change from the Minneapolis school system, but even direct inquiries to Dan Loewenson in the Superintendent's Office were met with denials, "the Minneapolis public schools has no contract with Al Flowers."
But, of course, we figured this was a craftily worded denial since it was more likely to be some kind of corporate entity with Al Flowers behind it, not Al Flowers himself. As you see from the quote above, Don Allen is claiming to have worked on "some of the paperwork."
Hmmmm
Seems like racism raises it's ugky head again, Jack Hoff
Its.
The possessive form of "it" is "its" not "it's."
Like I said on the comments section of the previous post when Don Allen was writing to me.
Oh, wait.
Is that YOU Don Allen?
I wish you would proofread. I'm sure you meant to type "ugly" not "ugky."
Johnny - Get Sondra and Don Samuels to give you a gig. I complete my contracts.
I am glad my kids are not in Mpls public schools if they are stupid enough to contract with idiots like Allen and Flowers. They are just after the money, not to provide the schools with anything of value. Quite simply because they have nothing of value to offer. This is an outrage! Our schools are doomed!
To Don "Business Person" Allen:
But you sure are mighty slow paying off your wagers, compare and contrast to this blog post, here, and the comments in particular.
http://adventuresofjohnnynorthside.blogspot.com/2011/02/johnny-northside-blog-and-friends.html
Congrats on getting thrown off the Minneapolis Issues List for two weeks. Quite a distinction.
While you were off the issues list, as you are probably aware, Megan Goodmundson posted a list of some of the entities you have attacked, as follows.
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From where I stand, I see Don Allen has attacked MPS and numerous partners of
MPS, including but not limited to:
KMOJ – The Superintendent has a regular segment on this station
Achieve Minneapolis – Pam Costain is a direct partner
The City Council (called Betsy Hodges relationship with Gary Cunningham “Jungle Fever”) – They sit with MPS on the Youth Coordinating Board and the
Intergovernmental committee (which Betsy chairs)
Northside Achievement Zone – is working directly with MPS schools
Rep. Bobby Champion – is helping with the North High redesign
Rep. Jeff Hayden – meets with Superintendent
Insight News – a communications partner
University of Minnesota
General Mills – funds programs
MPL CPED – helps with the building issues
The Minneapolis Urban League – contracts to help with families
The City, Inc. – contracts to help with kids under served in MPS
-----------------
To this list I would add:
Hawthorne Neighborhood Council
And, incredibly, you (Don Allen) attacked Al Flowers over the issue of whether you got paid s*** when you helped with paperwork and Al Flowers got $103,000 from the Minneapolis school system, allegedly.
What's the deal, Don? Were you supposed to get a cut of that $103,000? If so, how much? Is there any connection between the $103,000 Al Flowers allegedly received and the $15,000 (or more?) you are scheduled to receive?
And Don...since you are the ONLY ONE to say in public that Al Flowers got $103,000 from the school system and this information is coming from you...
And since Megan Goodmundson directly asked Dan Loewenson from the Minneapolis school system (He Who Handles The Contracts) about whether there was a "contract" with Al Flowers, and since Loewenson said there was NOT, and that was MONTHS ago...
Maybe YOU can tell us what was the name of the Al Flowers entity that received the money?
If that's true.
It seems as though this video is supposed to promote fear about whites moving into the neighborhood. How is this different than white people creating fear about blacks moving into their neighborhoods after restrictive covenants were lifted? Isn't segregation something we want to overcome? Keep in mind that life doesn't always fit into neat categories - sometimes things are not always clearly "black and white." There are increasingly more interracial relationships and subsequently people with more interracial ethnicities. I myself am in an interracial relationship and there have been many other interracial relationships in my family. I have family members that are black, white, asian, and native American. I don't want to live in a "white neighborhood" or a "black neighborhood." I want to live in an integrated neighborhood where people not only get along but learn from and are enriched by having knowing others from various cultures. I know that sounds a little Pollyanna, but so be it - I guess I'm a little Pollyanna.
I'm right there with you.
The New Face video is juvenile at best and portends the junk MPS is likelt to get for its $15K. Sigh.
Damn right, and The Deets blog has jumped into the fray...
http://www.thedeets.com/2011/02/06/don-allen-poopgate-and-15000-from-minneapolis-schools/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheDeets+%28The+Deets%29
It's great to see that the School Board has the finances to broaden it's curriculum to include - Bigotry 101!
Officials in the public school system like Bernadeia Johnson need to be contacted about this. I tried to find her email but didn't have any luck.
Anybody?
Anybody?
Bueller?
Bueller?
Email I received from Don Allen this morning:
------------
Donald Allen to me
show details 5:09 AM (3 hours ago)
That's right Johnny boy - you get nothing. Your a bottom feeder.
DWRA
---------------
Note the spelling of "your."
Should be "you're."
Feeling blue? Doctors now say that you can lie yourself into happiness. By creating self deceptions,no matter how negative your problem, it can be turned into a positive and you'll have greater happiness.Abused or battered wives and children,those without jobs,the depressed,the mentally ill,the illiterate,the lonely,those who are crying over lost loved ones,individuals in the grips of poverty,the terminally ill,folks fighting addiction,people suffering from trauma,people trapped in low paying and demeaning jobs,families facing foreclosure or bankruptcy because they cannot pay their medical bills or don't have insurance( a.k.a. the working poor,) and societal hardships at every turn.For those that run into the hard wall of reality, these situations can diminish your will to carry on in a meaningful way. On the other side of the coin we have those who prey on these unfortunate folks and do so in the public eye with blatant impunity. In closing i would like to add that we need to puncture their mendacity by continuing to expose their falsehoods and watch them slowly disappear from view. P.S. Your amateur video is proof that those who fail to create a believable illusion are deemed failures. The worse reality becomes, the more people seek refuge and comfort in illusions. Sleep peacefully, Don. Good Day.
Bernadeia.Johnson@mpls.k12.mn.us
all district directory-
https://secure.mpls.k12.mn.us/bluebook/
Wasn't North Minneapolis a Polish neighborhood back in the day?
Wow...really? Is all you have time to do is find typographical errors in what other people write? Why don't you get off your ass and actually do something! Get your bills paid and your house out of foreclosure! REALLY?
I have just permanently lost all respect for the Minneapolis Public School system. Now that I understand that they see their primary duty as finding ways to funnel taxpayer money to Ponzi schemers and drunken, narcissistic fools, I will take every opportunity that arises to try to limit school funding--whether that means urging my neighbors to vote against future bonding requests, or lobbying the mayor and other officials to cut school funding.
Received a threat from Don Allen today, in open court before Judge Denise Reilly, that he was going to file a "harassment restraining order" against me for trying to expose this outrageous boondoggle of public tax monies.
Sigh. Digging in this crap is such a thankless task. So why can't I stop?
Oh, wait.
Because I love doing it so much.
I'm with 'ya in some sense "Glad I Don't Have Children". No way in hell would I send my kids to a Minneapolis public school in MPS' current state. But it's hard to balance that opinion with the hope for revitalization. Regardless of the anger over this video contract issue, we need smart and educated kids in our community. And I would still choose to, and hope that others would as well, support MPS because a public school's contribution to their respective community and the world is priceless. Even if people send their kids to private, home, or another city's school, I would hope that people can still see the value and benefit of their local public school even if the school's bureaucracy and decisions are sometimes faulty.
Minneapolis Public Schools are not as bad as people make them out to be. Also didn't they google Dons' name before they hired him??
Seems to me you are just looking to get sued again for contract interference.
Based on what I'm reading in all the blogs you may have a valid concern, but you have no standing to create the problems you are causing. I sense you are just digging yourself in deeper legal trouble.
Well evidently I don't get it: Is Mr. Allen's point that N.Mpls is a designated black ghetto and it should stay that way? Is he a white guy slumlord or what?
Are all our N.Mpls black neighbors poor and renters? Seems all the ones around here have been owners for 20 years or better 20-30% are they the minority or majority in this neighborhood. Once Nomi originally all white?
Is the point that, even with housing prices this low that only Rich white suburbanites want to move into dilapidated foreclosed rentals that the city is bull dozing? and why would they want to do that again?
My apologies but I am the only one that fails to see a connection here? And the Mn Schools gave this guy $15K for video work, like this?
Oh, now it's "contract interference" to criticize a contract awarded by a public entity?
Ha.
A talking baby? Wow, this guy is totally on the cutting edge.
When you call up the school district to cast dispersions on Don Allen you interfere. Isn't that why you are currently being sued? Something about contract interference?
I realize nothing a say will have any impact on you because you have a retort for everything. Just sayin.
"Dispersions?"
Yes, dispersions.
"The dependence of wave velocity on frequency or wavelength."
Don't cast stones at his comment just because you aren't as edjucated. (Sarcasm font, which also impacted my spelling)
We can assume the writer meant "cast aspersions". Maybe you should stop worrying about spelling and grammar, cast your arrogance aside, and try to understand the message. After all, YOU are the one being sued, again. And I'm sure there are others waiting in the wings to see how the current trial ends.
Regardless of who gets this contract, as a professional commercial producer, I must say that $15,000 for three spots is a ridiculously low number. $15,000 for ONE spot is absurd, even.
Unless you go with the level of production shown on the clips that were posted, but who in their right mind would pay to air something so horrendous? Maybe they are just little clips for the internet?
Regarding people waiting in the wings to sue me...
Yes, I saw "Spanky" Pete Rickmyer waiting in the wings today in court. But, oh wait, he was declared a frivolous litigant after he sued me, wasn't he?
Don needs a good bitch-slap with the ring hand.
I assume that's a metaphor as I hit the "publish" button.
It ain't Pete. You've fucked with a lot of people. How you payin for that attorney? Does he know what a psycho you are yet?
Fishing for information, are we?
Go fish.
Hail,hail, the anonameass gang's all here yut-de da-da-da-da.... YO,ass 5:47,your logic and logics equivalent of proof does not pass the smell test and neither does your old lady..whoever you are. Dumroll please.. in this corner we have The Donald a.k.a. "business person" Allen who fabricates about finishing his contracts and being an honorable kind of guy.I guess his contract with reality was the only one not completed.Ass 6:16 has generalized their way into oblivion but might still be open for reason.. reason being is that all of you anonameass naysayers are full of shit anyhow and make up yourmind before doing any historical excavating. 6:16, you never had any intentions of putting your kids in public schools so shut the hell up on that point. Your point about the unemployed clowns allen and flowers is an insult to fine idiots everywhere and right on the booger filled nose. This brings us to Anonymous 8:29 , who,after reading their post made me stop in my tracks... this is the North Minneapolis i grew up in. This is the North Minneapolis that was a place of people getting along from all backgrounds when i was being raised. The Boat docks here with a salute to Anonymous poster 8:29 who is anything but a pollyanna and whose post hits me to the core of my heart. If anybody at all feels like this they,too,are BEAUTIFUL. Thank you, February 6, Anonymous 8:29. I could have went on forever. People like you keep my hopes alive as do the revitalizers. Thanks also for the revitalizers like John and others who provide an excellent forum for those of us who sail on the same course. Good Evening.
How can someone with the grammar of Don Allen, be paid to advertise for them? What message are they trying to convey?
@Anonymous 12:11am - my theory is that MPS was not paying Don Allen for advertising. So his grammar/spelling/factual accuracy is a moot point.
My theory is they are paying Don Allen to be quiet about other scandals. So the hush money to Don Allen has become a scandal when they were trying to avoid a scandal to begin with.
Don Allen keeps alluding to some big dirt he's got. Corey Mitchell touched on it briefly in the Strib article already, and Don Allen himself keeps hinting at it, in his emails to the school district, in his responses he is posting online, saying things like "if Corey Mitchell really wanted a story he'd be asking me what information I have".
So, I'll ask Don Allen. Hey Don, what information do you have that you keep teasing us with? Please, tell us! We are all ears.
what is he talkin about theres some jobs out there.
If your not a thug or a felon or actually went to school.
im sure Dr King would be proud of Don for shitting on his dream.
What is next maybe promote some hate crimes? Don is no better than a natzi.
I don't know if I can agree with you...
That is to say, your spelling.
It's spelled "Nazi."
I admire the champions of positive social change, both the historic and contemporary crusaders. However, history shows their cause was dangerous as enemies accumulated on both sides of their path. If you cant beat them, as "they" woefully outnumber the crusaders, why not join them. If someone can wrestle $100,000 from a government entity, agency, grant, or other vehicle, can you really fault them? I think your exit strategy should be selling this blog with a noncompete attached and force the people you are rubbing against to pay you $200,000 to resume trucking full time. That is pleanty if invested wisely for the next 5 years to pay for 4 years at MIT. Your legal woes would fall by the wayside and your pecunairy interests would flourish. I know what I would do but I do not have the crusader gene.
It just might be time for a whole new slant to this old thread. Just as soon as I get a little time. Think you know what I mean. #gettingbacktothis
#4is2spellinitiatives
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