The following opinion article addresses a vote scheduled Monday night by the Board of Alders on an Elicker administration request to approve $900,000 in tax credits to nonprofit corporations controlled by imprisoned sexual predator Daniel Greer. Click here for a background article about that vote and related lawsuits accusing Greer of committing fraud through the companies. The Elicker administration and many alders argue that unlike with other state and federal funding requests for which the city is charged with drawing up lists and approving lists of recipients, the city has no legal ability to say no to or independently audit requests for these tax credits, a position challenged by Alder Steven Winter.
The city and the state must stop assisting Rabbi Daniel Greer’s continued abuse of the criminal justice system and his sexual assault victim. The way to stop it lies with Mayor Elicker. Will he do the right thing?
It is never surprising to Black folks when glaring inequities are identified. It is even less surprising to learn that those who have historically received preferential treatment in the criminal justice system are able to financially thrive from state sponsored support, even after being tried and convicted by their peers.
We are used to the stories of mob and gang leaders thriving in prisons while continuing to lead their criminal enterprises from the inside, often with the help of officials of the system meant to keep them on the straight and narrow. But it especially shocks the system when the person convicted of heinous crimes and still receiving preferential treatment is a faith leader.
We are fond of saying that people are innocent and should be treated as so until they have their day in court. Rabbi Daniel Greer has had his day in court and has been convicted and is serving a 20-year sentence for sexually assaulting a former student. The court also ordered him to pay $21.7 million in restitution to his abuse victim. These are undisputed facts.
Yet, somehow, Greer has been able to continue to run his non-profit businesses from behind bars, with the assistance of his wife, the New Haven city government, state government and donors, while avoiding paying restitution to his victim. The ability to continue to serve as the boss and to profit from his ongoing business enterprises while avoiding court ordered payments is bad enough in itself, but is made worse by our government’s assistance. Greer’s enterprises still receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax credits, which it then turns around and sells to private companies.
Every year the City of New Haven sends a list of non-profits approved for participating in the Neighborhood Assistance Act. The approved companies are then able to solicit donations from private companies, who are able to then reduce their state tax burdens. Everybody seems to win; the nonprofits get much need donations while the private companies are able to make donations while reducing their taxes. But, as always, Greer has learned to game the system. Everyone knows it, but no one is moving to stop it. The city and the state are pointing to each other, and don’t seem to have the nerve to decide to opt out of this abuse of the system.
Stopping the support to Greer could not even be considered a bold decision, it seems to be pretty common sense. This private and government support of this perversion of the system must stop, and it should begin with Mayor Justin Elicker and the Board of Alders. First, Elicker should lead by indicating in writing to the Board of Alders that he would like to amend the approved NAA list to remove Greer’s enterprises. That would show true leadership on an issue he has been especially silent up to this point. Elicker should just say no to the child abuser.
Second, the BOA should follow Elicker’s lead and amend the list this evening. Send a message to the state that the City of New Haven will not support Greer’s continued abuse of the system. The BOA claims that they don’t have that power to say no. They do and they should. If the state disagrees with that decision, let them make the next move. The BOA should just say no to the child abuser.
The private donors should stop contributing to Greer’s enterprises until they are transferred to a non-profit beyond reproach. Some have already done so. The others should just say no to the child abuser.
Finally, the state should support the city and the child abused by Greer by not providing NAA tax credits to companies who contribute to Greer’s companies while under current ownership/leadership. The state should just say no to the child abuser.
If Greer does not agree with these decisions, let him sue. The victim and the taxpayers will be the better for these choices. To me, it doesn’t seem to be that tough of a decision to make.
Rev. Boise Kimber is pastor of First Calvary Baptist Church.
Simply send an email to every Alder and tell her/him to vote NO on tax breaks for Greer properties until the B of A investigate thoroughly the use of such funds and establish compliance.
Again the Alders need to establish standards and rules for approval these tax breaks instead of passing the buck and routinely approving with NO oversight at the local level.