DPW WORKERS CAUGHT RED-HANDED WORKING AT DPW SUPERVISOR RUDY PERSAUD'S HOME; DPW WORKERS TAKE OFFENSE TO CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT YUHANNA EDWARD'S RACIST REMARKS

CORRUPT DPW SUPERVISOR RUDY PERSAUD

DPW WORKERS AS THEY WORK ON RUDY PERSAUD'S PRIVATE HOME WITHOUT PERMIT

DPW WORKER STANDING NEXT TO CITY OWNED EQUIPMENT PAID FOR BY TAXPAYERS

DPW WORKERS AS THEY WORK ON RUDY PERSAUD'S HOME

DPW WORKERS HAVING A CASUAL CONVERSATION AT PERSAUD'S HOME

UNLICENSED CONTRACTORS WORKING ON PERSAUD'S HOME WITHOUT A BUILDING PERMIT

CITY OWNED VEHICLE AND CITY OWNED EQUIPMENT AT PERSAUD'S HOME

DPW WORKING AT PERSAUD'S HOME HAVING A CASUAL CONVERSATION ON THE TAXPAYER'S DIME

RUDY PERSAUD'S YARD RUBBISH DUMPED ON A SIDE STREET AND LATER REMOVED BY 2 DPW SEASONAL WORKERS.  THE 2 SEASONAL WORKERS HAVE SINCE BEEN TERMINATED BY DPW COMMISSIONER TERRENCE HORTON

DPW WORKER AND CITY OWNED VEHICLE

CITY OWNED EQUIPMENT AND CITY OWNED VEHICLE

Dpw Commissioner Terernce Horton is a Convicted Criminal

Mount Vernon taxpayers have become outraged at the latest scandal to plague the administration of Mayor Clinton I. Young Jr.  On Tuesday, April 13^th, 2010, community activist and Democratic district leader Samuel L. Rivers held a press conference in front of City Hall.  Rivers publicly called for an investigation into DPW Commissioner Terrence Horton and DPW Supervisor Rudy Persaud. 

Rudy Persaud has a history of treating equipment paid by City of Mount Vernon taxpayers as his own.  In 1996, Rudy Persaud was suspended without pay for lending out a City owned power saw to a co-worker.  Sources have also told Mount Vernon Exposed®™ that every year Rudy Persaud steals flowers paid for by Mount Vernon taxpayers for his personal use.  The source said all you have to do is drive by Rudy’s house and compare the flowers planted in his yard to the flowers planted around the City of Mount Vernon. 

Last week, Rivers received in the mail, photographs that show Rudy Persaud using City equipment and City workers to do work at his private residence located at 312 E. Lincoln Avenue.  On Wednesday, April 14^th, 2010 Rivers presented the photographs to the Mount Vernon City Council and called for an investigation into Persaud’s illegal activities. 

City Councilwoman Karen Watts stated publicly that theft of services in unacceptable to the taxpayers of Mount Vernon and asked that the matter be referred to law enforcement officials for investigation while City Council President J. Yuhanna Edwards took a different approach to the situation. 

Samuel L. Rivers presented a wealth of information to the City Council body of Wednesday evening.  Rivers asked, “Why are taxpayers paying for the storage of 8 brand new garbage trucks at the Department of Public works garage?”  Sources have told Mount Vernon Exposed®™ that these garbage trucks have already been registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles and have already been added to the City of Mount Vernon’s insurance policy.  Sources have also said that Commissioner Horton is waiting until Memorial Day to put these trucks on the road and that Horton is also waiting to have his name as well as the Mayor’s name put on these trucks.  There has never been a DPW Commissioner in the history of Mount Vernon that has had his name out on sanitation trucks. 

When it was time for the Councilmember’s to respond to the public’s comments, City Council President J. Yuhanna Edwards went off the deep end when responding to Rivers’ comments.  Instead of thanking Rivers’ for bringing information about corruption in the Department of Public Works to the City Council, Council President Edwards told Rivers’ on the record, that he is no longer going to be allowed to put “Political Prostitution” as the topic of discussion at City Council meetings.  Edwards stated his reason for doing so, was because he wasn’t a political prostitute.  It was quite evident that Edwards was sipping Kool-Aid from the same cup as Mayor Young, just from opposite ends of the cup. 

During the break after public commentary, Rivers’ approached Edwards and told him that he was infringing upon his constitutional rights to free speech by not allowing him to speak on topics of his choosing.  Rivers’ also told Edwards that if he restricted him from speaking about what he wanted to speak about, that he would be sued in his individual capacity.  Edwards responded, “Stick to Real Estate, you’ll make more money.”  Rivers then called over City Clerk George Brown and informed him that if he attempts to censor any of Rivers’ topics of discussion that he too will be sued for infringing upon Rivers’ constitutional rights.  Brown then responded that he will seek an opinion from the Corporation Counsel’s office.  After a few minutes or so, Brown told Rivers “problem solved”, whatever that meant.

Is City Council Presidents J. Yuhanna Edwards a racist?

CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT J.YUHANNA EDWARDS

Mount Vernon Exposed ®™ has received several calls and emails over the past few weeks concerning the conduct of City Council President J. Yuhanna Edwards.  During the City Council’s radio show on WVOX, a DPW worker called into the show complaining about DPW Commissioner Terrence Horton and the horrendous working conditions that they endure on a daily basis. 

Mount Vernon Exposed®™ was informed that City Council President Edwards quickly interrupted the DPW worker and told him to put his grievance in writing.  The following morning, Edwards went down to the DPW yard and spoke to the men during morning roll call.  Many, if not all of the DPW workers took offense to Edwards remarks.  

The DPW department has already become a hostile environment since Terrence “Hitler” Horton takeover.  Edwards’s speech and presence that morning only made matters worse and further divided the department.  Mount Vernon Exposed®™ interviewed approximately 25 DPW workers of various ethnic backgrounds to get an idea of just how bad things are in the department and details of Yuhanna Edward’s speech.  One African-American worker said “Yuhanna Edwards’ speech was uncalled for; I cannot believe that he came down here and defended Terrence Horton.”  “Did Yuhanna forget that the previous Commissioner (James Finch) was black?” he added.

Mount Vernon Exposed was told that Yuhanna Edwards told DPW workers of his past business relationship with Joan Horton, the mother of DPW Commissioner Terrence Horton.  Edwards told them that he took Joan Horton to court and successfully sued her for a dispute arising from their business partnership.  Joan Horton and Edwards ran a paint store together at 12 E. 3^rd Street in Mount Vernon at the site DPW Commissioner Terrence Horton uses as the corporate headquarters for Q.F.I. Inc.  Commissioner Horton is nearly 3 years behind on property taxes, owing in excess of $30K.  Foreclose proceeding will begin next month unless Horton pays the past due balance to the City of Mount Vernon. 

Mount Vernon Exposed®™ was informed that Edwards also told DPW workers during his speech, “I don’t like Terrence, I love him”, and “If the DPW Commissioner was white, you wouldn’t act like or treat your Commissioner like this”. 

Mount Vernon Exposed®™ spoke with City Council President Yuhanna Edwards earlier during the week.  Edwards immediately asked Mount Vernon Exposed®™ publisher Samuel L. Rivers “Are you taping me?”

Rivers was surprised that Edwards would ask such a question, as only “political prostitutes” and crooked politicians ask if they are being taped.  It was now quite clear that Yuhanna Edwards is making a deal for a higher office or some other political favor.

Rivers told Edwards about the frustration that many of the DPW workers had expressed in the past few days and also asked him about his comments that were perceived to be racist in nature.  Edwards responded that some of the guys down there are racist and they don’t like taking orders from Terrence Horton.  Edwards further stated that if what he said was repeated about the DPW workers being racist, he would deny it. 

City Council President J. Yuhanna Edwards appears to be out of touch with reality or chooses to simply ignore the wrongdoings and criminal activity taking place in the Department of Public Works.  It has become increasingly clear that his prior business relationship with Joan Horton is clouding his judgment when it comes to making decisions affecting the Department of Public Works.  It is recommended that City Council President Edwards abstain from voting and recuse himself from any investigation involving the Department of Public Works.  Many taxpayers have expressed concerns that Yuhanna Edwards’s previous business relationship with Joan Horton is a conflict of interest.

City Council President Yuhanna Edwards must take a position and must not flip flop on issues of public concern.  Either you are against corruption or you are for it.  There is no in between.  It has also been stated that City Council President Yuhanna Edwards is considering a run for Mayor in 2011 if Comptroller Maureen Walker declares her candidacy.  Edwards’s reason for doing so is because his pal Steve Horton has apparently become ineligible due his blatant violation of federal law, specifically the Hatch Act of 1939.