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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2010 > February > 18 > Entry
Editorial: SCLC scandal forces accounting here
If Rev. Raleigh Trammell’s critics at the national Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta hadn’t gone to authorities about his alleged financial improprieties, the civil rights organizations he oversees here would still be receiving — and mishandling — public money.
That’s in large part because Rev. Trammell has a long history of successfully intimidating people.
In fact, the trouble he faces today does not arise because anyone in the Dayton community has stood up to him or called him to account (though an employee has filed a sexual harassment complaint against him).
The list of individuals and institutions — including this newspaper — that could have been, and should have been, scrutinizing him more intensely is long.
Now that the FBI has descended upon and seized records from Rev. Trammell’s home, his daughter’s home and the local SCLC offices, governments and non-profits that have dealt with the Dayton SCLC and the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, of which Rev. Trammell is executive director, are cutting off money.
They are embarrassed and belatedly asking for what should have been routine accountings.
It’s not a proud or confidence-inducing moment.
On Sunday, Feb. 14, staff writers Lynn Hulsey and Tom Beyerlein reported that Dayton’s SCLC and the ministerial alliance received about $3.7 million in public money since 1999; more than $900,000 of that was handed out in just 2008 and 2009.
Among the problems:
— Last year the SCLC received $34,500 from the federal government to operate a battered women’s shelter. For at least the last five months of the year, there was no shelter.
— The ministerial alliance has also received federal money for a food pantry that isn’t operating.
— Montgomery County awarded the SCLC and IMA $184,260 for assistance to needy families during 2008 and 2009, but there’s little documentation that meaningful services were provided.
— Part of Montgomery County’s award to the SCLC and IMA included a $40,000 grant to provide home-based meals to nine people. Spending on that program, too, lacked good record keeping.
— The state gave money to the SCLC in 2009 for a battered teen program, but held back on $53,000 for 2010 after administrators became concerned about the group’s books. Moreover, the SCLC got the 2009 and 2010 funding even though a local committee that vets grant requests had not ranked its proposal high.
— After the county health department gave a $50,000-plus grant for an HIV/AIDS outreach program in 2008 to another entity, the SCLC sued — unsuccessfully, though it’s appealing.
Perhaps the saddest thing about such a long list is that it undermines public confidence in the many social service programs that are consistently run responsibly.
Montgomery County Administrator Deborah Feldman has acknowledged that Rev. Trammell threatened to withhold support for the human services levy renewal in 2003 unless the county funded organizations he supported. That explains a lot about Rev. Trammell’s relationships.
The prospect of being called racist or being boycotted at the urging of Rev. Trammell and others he brought along was enough to make people in and out of government blink, turn a blind eye or avoid confronting Rev. Trammell.
The SCLC name and the black ministers’ group were seen as carrying weight with a lot of people.
Meanwhile, back in Atlanta, the allegations — no criminal charges have been filed — are that Rev. Trammell and the SCLC’s national treasurer haven’t accounted for over a half-million dollars.
There, as well, Rev. Trammell’s behavior has been threatening. He became national chairman in 2004 after an ugly power struggle in the organization, most pointedly with the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, who helped form the SCLC with the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In that fight, Rev. Trammell engaged in profane name-calling, even committing one vicious rant to writing.
Rev. Shuttlesworth is a civil-rights icon who invited Rev. King to Birmingham to protest and bring attention to the violent and even murderous treatment of blacks there. When Rev. Trammell was put in charge, Rev. Shuttlesworth told the SCLC’s directors that he hoped historians didn’t write that they ushered in “Trammell’s Folly” or “Trammell’s Tragedy.”
The national SCLC’s bitter, embarrassing internal strife and its struggle to make itself relevant to a new generation of blacks long pre-dates Rev. Trammell’s leadership. But there’s no question that the latest controversy is rocking a storied institution that, if it dies, deserves a more dignified death than one precipitated by scandal.
However the controversy is resolved at the national level, it is, at the same time, having the consequence of forcing overdue soul-searching and accounting in the Dayton community.
Permalink | Comments (30) | Post your comment | Categories: Civil Rights, Editorials, Ellen Belcher, Locals in national affairs
Comments
By Enough Already
February 18, 2010 6:05 PM | Link to this
It’s way to late to address the disgust those of us who pay taxes and have always known these public monies were given to all the wrong people for the wrong reasons. I would hope there’s an awakening by our inept political leaders that we should no longer believe in this siren’s song coming from the inner city of “woe are we” & “there’s a need for economic justice.” There’s only a need for indictments and “NO”.
By Enough Already
February 18, 2010 6:06 PM | Link to this
It’s way to late to address the disgust those of us who pay taxes and have always known these public monies were given to all the wrong people for the wrong reasons. I would hope there’s an awakening by our inept political leaders that we should no longer believe in this siren’s song coming from the inner city of “woe are we” & “there’s a need for economic justice.” There’s only a need for indictments and “NO”.
By Happy in Huber
February 18, 2010 7:55 PM | Link to this
Just another example of Montgomery County Administrator Deborah Feldman’s horrible handling of her job. She has done a terrible job leading this county and it is time for her to do the proper thing a resign today! Ms. Feldman has been asleep on the job as we have lost thousands of jobs and now thousands of tax payer dollers to this fraud Trammel.
By Accountability Please!
February 19, 2010 8:27 AM | Link to this
I sincerely hope that this very public exposure of a lack of stewardship of the hard earned taxpayer dollars actually results in improved accountability. Let’s please, please, please examine the combined human service levy, for example. We taxpayers never really know where those dollars go — trust us is all we hear as back room deals are obviously being made to buy support of individual agendas. We taxpayers must demand accountability and recognize that politicians are primarily concerned with buying support for their reelections with our hard earned tax dollars. Let’s return to requiring individual agencies to go to the taxpayer directly so we know just what it is we are paying for — not the old smoke and mirrors routine that has become institutionalized here in Montgomery County.
By null
February 19, 2010 8:48 AM | Link to this
Question is the county administrator into corruption? Buying votes with tax payers money is bribing that to me means we have a corrupt official looking out for our tax dollars. Time to clean up the good old boys club in the county.
By bobby
February 19, 2010 9:37 AM | Link to this
Spreading the blame for tolerating Raleigh Trammel is a generous attempt to deflect criticism from the County Commission and Deborah Feldman.Deborah Feldman works for the county commission. She will remain administrator until we have new commissioners that are not attached to the Democratic Party and Raleigh types….Ellen, Is BF a personal friend?
By Bagwell
February 19, 2010 9:46 AM | Link to this
I very seldom ever agree with anything the Gottlieb spews, but I do this time! Now, will the DDN finally quit using kid gloves on the racist and thieving Trammell, and call like it is?
By jaybee
February 19, 2010 10:28 AM | Link to this
Again, kudos to reporters for their fine job. Noted that most of articles did not allow for reader comments, and editorial took its time to address this theft and extortion for votes. Agree with above post that editorial writers trying to soften any outcry for removal of corrupt county officials including Deborah Feldman and Lieberman, Dodge, et al. Also agree with above posts we need followup or look into all human services levy records including Health Board and see where the money goes. Thanks again reporters for your public service.
By todaysnews
February 19, 2010 10:47 AM | Link to this
Feldman takes no action absent a policy or direction that is set by the Board of commissioners. They decided to funnel money to someone that had already been convicted of stealing public money. It is called policy and politics. I would hope that the DDN would look into all of the money the BCC is giving to felons and street gangs (street souljahz). To further other criminal enterprises.
By todaysnews
February 19, 2010 10:49 AM | Link to this
Feldman takes no action absent a policy or direction that is set by the Board of commissioners. They decided to funnel money to someone that had already been convicted of stealing public money. It is called policy and politics. I would hope that the DDN would look into all of the money the BCC is giving to felons and street gangs (street souljahz). To further other criminal enterprises.
By chiefwino
February 19, 2010 12:39 PM | Link to this
A comment to the DDN editorial board/publisher. There has been much moaning and nashing of teeth about the decline/death of the newspaper industry. One function that papers have traditionally done well has been the in-depth research & analysis of stories particularly politics and corruption. I believe a return to the investigative roots of journalism would go a long way toward stemming the tide of newspaper deaths. Less reliance on generic wire service features and innane celebrity gossip and more true reporting of local issues would provide a product worth paying for. There have certainly been accusations of impropriety against other Dayton-area charities/fund raisers in the recent past but where has been the DDN in investigating them.
By Raoul
February 19, 2010 4:00 PM | Link to this
I hope the DDN will dig deeper into the piggy-trough of tax payer money going to so-called ‘social programs’. The food stamp program would be a great place to start. It’s no wonder that the Dayton area is known far and wide throughout the state as a place for easy money and entitlements for those wanting to scam the system. Now which political party do you think might be getting the votes for all these connected social programs? The country is going broke not so much because of Wall Street, where greed is driven by private capital, but because of the gluttony and unaccountability of Main Street, where nobody asks where or why you get money and entitlements from the government. Folks, we aren’t doing anybody any favors by making it easy to scam money from tax payers.
By calvinj
February 19, 2010 5:18 PM | Link to this
The Human Services levy was bloated from the beginning asking for not a renewal and then an additional amount but a totally new, over-sized amount. I said at the time it was too much. And it turns out the Human Services is just another social program given out to the democrat machine members in the county. Waste. Waste. Waste. =========Can we get a repeal of the new levy and a reduced levy to replace it. Then maybe, with DDN watching what actually goes on, they will become good stewards of the People’s Money. Feldman needs to go. And time for new County Commissioners.
By Disgusted
February 21, 2010 9:45 AM | Link to this
I cant believe the DDN is finally reporting a true crime involving a Democrat racist. I am sure the involvemnt of local politicians is long and deep, This is even better than the hatchet job you tried to do on the Sheriff. Maybe the editors are beginning to read thee comments from citizens. Lets see if they have the guts to after Democrat politicians.
By Bo
February 21, 2010 12:31 PM | Link to this
I find it interesting that the Dayton Daily News has elected to stop accepting on-line reader comments to stories in the Sunday, Feb. 21 edition related to the SCLC and the alleged criminal financial activities Rev. Raleigh Trammell. Perhaps the comments were too inflamatory to post. Clearly Mr. Trammell’s conduct at the best of times has been questionable. Claiming to represent the interests of minorities who were victims of discrimination, he would periodically stage prayer vigils, which media would willingly cover, while he engaged in a pattern of making outrageous and unsubstantiated statements of discrimination by area employers. It is starting to become clear now that the once proud SCLC organization has been marginalized by his leadership…and his conduct hasn’t been altruistic after all. Hopefully, the good news end to this unfolding saga, is area charities will reinforce their efforts to provide reasonable oversight of how contributions are spent for the betterment of others.
By Horace
February 21, 2010 6:01 PM | Link to this
I would imagine if Trammel had been living on the South side of the county and wasn’t black there would have been much greater oversight. But becauswe he’s a race baiting Jesse Jackson wannabe, it was hands off Raleigh. Feldman has to go, this hands off policy is part of the criminal conspiracy.
By Tim
February 21, 2010 7:29 PM | Link to this
I concur with chiefwino.
By Washington Township
February 21, 2010 8:37 PM | Link to this
Seems like some accountability issues with Feldman and the County Commission as well as with Trammell and Shanklin. According to the Mary McCarthy op-ed the county waived audit requirments for money going to Trammell & Shanklins’ organizations.
By Fix the problem
February 21, 2010 11:41 PM | Link to this
It is sad to see such abuses take place with public monies so needed at this time. If I could preside on the case both Rev. Raleigh Trammell and his staff would be locked in the battered women’s shelter, without water and food for three years. The members of the auditor’s office who failed to oversee the use of this money would be immediately suspended without pay and indicted on criminal charges as well as neglect of duty while in public office. They too should be fined and be required to serve time in jail. If we don’t impose serious fines and imprisonment for lack of duty to those public officials now, the abuse will continue.
By fortressdayton
February 23, 2010 11:02 AM | Link to this
Stop referring to the man as ‘reverend’. I, too, am an ordained minister. I paid for my ordination with $20.00 I postage stamps some years ago. Religious organizations are some of the most racist and abusive organizations around. They have no business receiving public (tax) money, because they avoid oversight. The Mormons were officially a racist organization until 1979, IMA and ‘StreetSouljahz’ serviced the black community. Why should taxpayers fund preferential ‘charities’? And don’t call me racist…I am a ‘Reverend’ too! AND I have a doctor of divinity, which makes me just as much a ‘Dr.’ as MLK. You cam put a tiara on a cow, but it is still a cow.
By RL
February 25, 2010 4:57 AM | Link to this
The first mistake the DDN made was assuming the SCLC is a “social services” organization. In truth it is a highly politicized, racist organization that only has interest in helping one class of people.
By wrc
February 25, 2010 10:08 AM | Link to this
People you forgot one thing,most of the county commission is Republican so at least here locally both are to blame as it’s been going on for decades.You don’t believed me just asked Sen.Turner.As once started neither party wants to risk enflaming public outcry unless they can prove otherwise as it might hurt in being re-elected.So lets cool it as both parties are guilty.To think otherwise only shows how narrow minded you are.Thats what wrong now nationally,to many of us want to place blame instead of fixing our country or county.It’s easy to blame,only trouble is it’s stopped the politicians from fixing it now.
By bobby
February 25, 2010 11:49 AM | Link to this
wrc, You are incorrect. All three members of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners are members of the Democratic Party and ran as democrats. There are no Republicans on the commission.
By David
February 25, 2010 11:54 AM | Link to this
If we are fortunate, we will get to see Raleigh Trammell go to his final reward from a prison cell.
By Disgusted
February 25, 2010 6:25 PM | Link to this
I would suggest that the Sheriff should start a local investigation into tax payers money misspent or taken criminally. They can work in cooperation with the FBI and make sure that this is not swept under the carpet.
By mrbyron
February 26, 2010 10:20 AM | Link to this
Dayton is failed city that can’t account for money well spent.
By It's Great in Dayton!!!
February 27, 2010 8:51 AM | Link to this
Have you heard? McD’s has a new McTRAMMELL SANDWICH!! It starts with a thick slice of PORK, wrapped in BALONEY, and placed atop a whole bunch of GOVERNMENT BREAD. There’s NO ACCOUNTING for it’s sudden popularity. Served in a brightly colored little round box, that can later be worn as a hat.
By JD
February 27, 2010 9:14 AM | Link to this
Anyone see a theme with Montgomery County? Sheriff hires all his buds and his little ‘sis, they don’t pay taxes, they aren’t qualified for the job, they don’t get any tax paperwork from the county and then Phil’s boys try to shred the paper trail. Now they pretty much do the same thing with this crook. No oversite, no auditing, sounds like Montgomery County is run by morons, crooks and idiots.
By It's Great in Dayton!!!
February 28, 2010 9:32 AM | Link to this
Quick survey: Who is a greater embarassment to Dayton : Raleigh Trammell or Larry Flynt? Please vote!!
By Get the facts straight
February 28, 2010 2:40 PM | Link to this
JD get your facts straight. This is a criminal matter. If you read anything about the Sheriff, he did nothing wrong. No one was ever accused of not paying their taxes. You must be someone that assumes everything you read here is gospel. The Sheriff never committed a crime but in time we will see that Trammell is guilty of fraud.