Supervisor Wiener's Aide Meeting: Notes and Recommendations

Below is a copy of notes handed to Adam Taylor, a legislative aide to Supervisor Scott Wiener, on October 15, 2015. We discussed Jonathan Vernick's fraud case and his removal from Baker Places. I will follow up with an analysis of the points made in the meeting in an upcoming post.

 

Notes for Adam Taylor:

 

1. The purpose of this meeting is for Jonathan Vernick, Executive Director of Baker Places, Inc. to retire owing to his memory loss.

 

 2. Evidence of his memory loss:

1. Dozens of personal interactions in which dates, events, and directions were confused. One day an event would be scheduled to happen a week in advance and then the next day I would be told something different.  These memory lapses occurred on a regular basis between January 27, 2015 and February 24, 2015.
2. Three long-term employees explained that it is an “open secret” that Vernick has dementia.

 

3. An audit conducted in 2008 found that Baker Places, Inc. has cash flow problems and does   not follow accepted accounting principles in many cases. Please study the audit which I have enclosed.

 

4. According to the IRS 2013-2014 990 form, Baker Places lost over $800,000. The debt was paid to the IRS in February 2015.  Please note that there has not been a CFO for some time (although one may have may hired recently).


5.  I respectfully request an independent audit be conducted as it appears as though the taxpayer’s money is not being well managed.

 

6. In my particular case, Jonathan Vernick made a real estate exchange in February 2015 (apparently in order to pay the taxes owed to the IRS ) in which I vacated a studio apartment (56 Francis Street) while in return I got an equivalent studio apartment (337 Fulton Street). Now because of memory loss, he cannot recall the meeting having taken place—even though there are 3 witnesses and record of what was agreed to.


7. In addition to memory loss, mismanaging the public’s money, committing fraud, Jonathan Vernick has done many other things which makes him unqualified to be the director of a nonprofit. Some examples include:

• Unlawfully evicting 6 tenants from a baker places-owned building—according to the Rent Board, the duplex at 54-56 Francis Street was under the rent control ordinances and thus the tenants were entitled to written notice which would spell out their rights and why the building was being sold. Instead Jonathan Vernick had his employees lie to the tenants and tell them the building was being repaired; this breeds a culture of deception which is unacceptable!

  

• Forged the signature of the Chair of the Board at Baker Places,  Nick Lederer. Evidence for this claim includes a de facto admission by the one who wrote the letter: Fancher Larson. Also, when I wrote Mr. Lederer in April 2015 he had no response to the this serious charge. There are several other lines of evidences, but if it is the case that he committed forgery (and it is true), then this is unacceptable conduct and thus he needs to be replace by the end of the year.

 

• Staff at Baker Places engaged in a conspiracy to commit fraud. Examples include: Having other write letters on his behalf (until recently I had been under the false assumption that he had written them) which contains false statements; refused to give me a copy of any contract (July 26 request to Masami Endo); had employees deceive me by having me fill out a rental application (February 9, 2015); an attempt to evict me in September 2015 based upon “harassment” because I stood up for my rights and wrote him several letters; when I agreed to be both in the program and be a tenant (April 13, 2015), he turned around and concocted a scheme to evict me for violation of the program rules (which I have no idea what they were).
   

8)  What must we do now? The following are some options:

 

a. Jonathan Vernick needs to resign by December 31, 2015 and find a suitable replacement.

 

b. Defund Baker Places as a nonprofit.

 

c. Allow his outrageous behavior to continue.

 

9) Although option "a" is an optimal outcome, I am not sure he is ready to retire at this point. If that is the case, then defund Baker Places and then fund the 10 programs (or so) through a different source. There are other nonprofits such as the Progress Foundation which might be able to help.

 

10) Follow up: It is essential that we monitor this situation. Thus it is likely that I will need to meet with you, Supervisor Wiener, and other stakeholders. Thank you for this meeting as it is a first step to resolving a tricky situation.

 

 

An Open Letter to the San Francisco Board of Directors: Why Jonathan Vernick Needs To Retire

An Open Letter to the San Francisco Board of Directors: Why Jonathan Vernick Needs To Retire

1) Jonathan Vernick, who is about 65-years old, has mild, but chronic memory loss consistent with Alzheimer's. Others around him know this but are protecting him. Why? Sources: Dozens of personal observations and statements by three individuals who have known him for years.


2) In the 2013-2014 fiscal year he lost over $822,000. out of a budget of $11.8 million. This should be a red flag that something is amiss. The Board of Supervisors need to demand some answers starting with the former CFO, Judith Stevenson. Source: IRS 2013-2014 990 form.


3) Jonathan Vernick defrauded a tenant out of over $200,000 by making a real estate trade but then later denying the exchange had taken place. Source:  Rent Board charge filed on August 10, 2015.


4) According to 2008 audit by the Controller's office of San Francisco into Baker Places, Inc., there is a consistent pattern of unwillingness or inability to following accepted accounting principles. Source: See 2008 audit with San Francisco's Controller's Office 


5) Jonathan Vernick forged the name of the Chair of the Board, Nick Lederer on a document. I find this quite disturbing if true (and it is true) as it goes to the character of the this man.  The March 31, 2015 letter (as was the April 9, 2015) was written by Fancher Larson on his behalf and given to me. The signature for this Internet copy could not have been signed by Mr. Lederer since he knew nothing about the letter when I asked him about it.  Sources: Fancher Larson and April letter sent to Mr. Lederer.


6) Jonathan Vernick had 6 clients removed from 54-56 Francis Street by having case managers tell various lies about repair to the building (when in fact the building was being sold to make up over a $800,000 loss from the previous year). This is disturbing because Jonathan Vernick and/or his representatives have created a culture of deception. Source: Personal observations.


7) The mismanagement of funds has been going on for years and thus a police report was filed about possible embezzlement charges on September 2, 2015 with the San Francisco Police Department. Clearly, without Jonathan Vernick's immediate retirement, nothing will change. Source: See police report.

From the above 7 arguments, it follows that the Board of Supervisors need to either:

a) Defund Baker Places for the fiscal year 2016-2017; or

b) Demand Jonathan Vernick's retirement by the December 31, 2015.

Please visit www.defundbakerplaces.blogspot.com or email me at www. safeway7354@gmail.com for

Letter To Mayor Lee: Demand Jonathan Vernick's Removal

Below is a copy of a letter I hand delivered to the Office of the Mayor, Yesterday, October 5, 2015. My goal is to have a  tête-à-tête with one of his aides.

October 5, 2015

 

Dear Mayor Lee:

 

What if you knew you were supporting fraud? Would you do something about it? Here’s your chance to spend the taxpayer’s monies wisely by defunding Baker Places, a non-profit funded at $11.8  million per year by San Francisco.

My goal is to ensure the taxpayer's monies of San Francisco are well-managed by removing Jonathan Vernick from  Baker Places, Inc. He lost over $800,000 in 2014 of taxpayer's funds (see 2013-2014 IRS 990 form); he has memory loss consistent with dementia; he has engaged in unethical and illegal conduct including fraud, illegal evictions, forgery, and so forth (documents supporting these claims are available at http://www.defundbakerplaces.blogspot.com ).

The paradox is this: While Baker Places funds about 10 different programs designed to help populations in need of housing such as HIV+ individuals, it is being badly managed by a man who is about 65-year whose brain is no longer functioning at its optimal performance. Since there is no working board of directors at Baker Places, and other channels of redress have been blocked (because in over 25 years in the same position he wields a lot of control), I have to ask you, the mayor of the city, for help. Thanks again for your response as I will come by next week to schedule an appointment to discuss the removal of Jonathan Vernick from Baker Places.

 

Sincerely Yours,

 

 

Jonathan Vernick's Fraud Case: FAQs

Resources about the Jonathan Vernick Case

Below are some resources the reader may find helpful:

1. Jonathan Vernick--Go Fuck Yourself! This is the info sheet for public distribution. 

2. Contact Us — FBI. The hotline number is 1-800-CALL-FBI. This is contact info for the FBI. Please contact them and have Jonathan Vernick arresteded along with his enablers. 

3)  Reader Wants To Know If There is Enough Evidence For a Legal Inquiry – This post gives an excellent overview of the legal case against Jonathan Vernick.

4)   Board of Supervisors : Home—This is the contact info for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Please contact them and demand Jonathan Vernick be dismissed as executive director of Baker Places.

5)  San Francisco Board of Supervisors: Defund Baker Places—Now! This is an open letter to the Board of Supervisors demanding that Baker Places be defunded.

6)  Stop this Bullshit--Jonathan Vernick has dementia! This post gives direct evidence of Vernick’s early-stage dementia. 

7)  Baker Places Board of Director’s Meeting on June 15, 2016: Reporter’s Notes—My notes of the Baker Board of Director’s meeting.




8) Financial Documents and Information Prepared for Tom Mesa, a Representative of the Department of Public Health --This is an excellent overview of the Jonathan Vernick case.




9) How we got into this mess: a subjective first-person account --This is an historical document from November 5, 2015 in which I explain how this case came to be.

What is your concern about Jonathan Vernick?


By his criminal conduct he has committed fraud of nearly $200,000. He illegally evicted me from my rent-controlled apartment at 56 Francis Street. Because he has dementia, he now cannot recall making the real estate exchange before three witnesses.


Why not just file a lawsuit?


A lawsuit will do nothing about Jonathan Vernick remaining at his position of Executive Director of Baker Places in which he disrespects both clients and employees. My goal is to advocate for his immediate removal.


Why should I care?


As a taxpayer of San Francisco you are supporting fraud and mismanagement of public funds. The nearly $12 million spent on this nonprofit could be spent on other projects and/or non-profits.


What proof do you have of your claims?


According to the IRS 990 form, Jonathan Vernick lost over $822,000 in the fiscal year 2013-2014. In addition, he has committed fraud against tenants from a building he owned. Please visit www.defundbakerplaces.blogspot.com for additional proof.


Why don't you just go to the Baker Board of Directors?


There is no functioning Board of Directors as after 25 years in the same position as executive director Jonathan Vernick runs Baker Places without any oversight.


What other resources have you contacted for redress?


The San Francisco Rent Board, The San Francisco Police Department, Community Health Services at 1380 Howard Street, nearly a dozen attorneys, several members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the San Francisco Mayor's office, clients advocates at 1663 Mission, contacted the attorney for Jonathan Vernick, started a blog on September 18, 2015, contacted several members of the media, handed out documents to citizens calling for Jonathan Vernick's removal, and have made several other contacts.


Do you really want Baker Places defunded?


Yes. Although I would accept the position of Executive Director of Baker Places, because of my dedication to the Truth, I would have problems dealing with employees who have been made to do illegal and unethical acts. I fear Baker Places employees have been so corrupted that there is no way I could manage this non-profit without dismissing many of the employees.


What can I do to help?


Contact your supervisor and the mayor's office. Also, visit my blog at www.defundbakerplaces.blogspot.com . I will be happy to provide additional documents and background information if you call me at 415-865-0734 or email me at safeway7354@gmail.com.