Tenant Claims Games Rigged

By Steven Michael

Commentary from Cincinnati Street Vibes

   Recently, Lincoln Courts gave a function in the parking lot behind the Public Relations Building on Cutter. The event was supposed to update the residents on the "Hope VI Project for Renovations" that is projected for the Lincoln Courts Projects.

   There were games for the children, prizes, free food... hot dogs, hamburgers, and soda there also. There was Bingo, where prizes were awarded in a drawing. Residents went around and got a card they gave you to fill out with stars and dots. You put the cards in a box they held for the drawings at the end of the event.

   Prizes were VCRs, 19" televisions, fans, a glass set, bicycles, etc. This is where the deception began. Lets start with Bingo. You were only supposedly allowed two cards. Some people had four to six cards. The lady issuing the cards must have previously checked the Bingo balls and cards because she knew exactly what cards to give to whoever she wanted to win. The same people kept winning.

   The Bingo game was fixed from the beginning; she held the winning cards and gave them to a selected few. You could see right through the scam.

   The prizes for the drawing for the other prizes was the next big scam. The box for the drawing held cards that were supposedly selected at random. Selected at random means to take 3 to 4 cards at a time, put them down on the table, and read the names the people you are familiar with? You still didn’t know who the other cards’ names were that she held up under the box. This was very disgusting seeing this going on right in front of your face.

   "Hope VI" is supposed to place residents in a selected apartment until the renovation process is finished. Well, I hope and pray they don’t select the residents the way the parking lot function was run or a lot of people are in for a rude awakening. I "hope" this doesn’t happen.

Copyright NEOCH and the Homeless Grapevine published July 1998 Cleveland Ohio