The new DERA (ADDED TO July 18/19 2010)

I attended the DERA AGM yesterday. Not much happened except the Board has been overtaken by the Christians: the Christian group on Jackson Street across from Oppenhemier Park: the co-op of old houses. Just what the DTES needs another secretive religious cult. And more bizarre every single dysfunction director was reelected.

More about the meeting when I have time... I still can't believe in the middle of this controversy the federal government gave DERA $215,000 per year (until 2012) to administer a childcare program. DERA has broken every single rule of governance and the federal government and the community thinks that it is okay. What I mean by community is Brit Community Centre and the Strathcona Community Centre.

I briefly read the financial statements that were presented to the AGM last Thursday this morning being July 19th 2010. The financial statements were up to September 30 2009. The two DERA creative bookkeepers are now in big trouble; hopefully, the two of them will be thrown out of the certified general accountants association. It states on page 11 that the Board of Directors agreed to have the Society pay $6,000 in legal fees incurred by the Executive Director for a lawsuit with a former city councillor, Peter Ladner. This law suit did not involve DERA; only its executive-director, Kim Kerr. I was at the December 2009 meeting when this "account" was discussed. No invoice was produced; no one knew what the fees were for (Sister Elizabeth said they were court costs: that is different than legal fees)and the final decision was not to have been made until the invoice was produced. It was never produced. Peter Ladner told me that Kim had paid $5,000 for costs to the City prior to September 30 2009, so what was this $6,000 for? This discussion was December 2009 at a DERA board meeting. Not prior to September 30 2009 therefore the financial statements are trash (fraudulent). Those responsible for the financial statements are Linda Segneuret, CGA, DERA's auditor, and Ruth Hoffman, CGA, DERA's accountant. And the new proposed Society Act 2012 wants us to trust professionals more. Forget it. Blind trust of professionals begets legal corruption.