Pareja Alega Fraude Musical

Crítican a los promotores de bailes Viva Entertainment Network Después de Que la Banda Toca Solo 3 Canciones en el Eagle's Club

Por H. Nelson Goodson
12 de marzo del 2009

Milwaukee- La asociación de promotores de Chicago Viva Entertainment Network (Viva) con Aragon Entertainment Center, 1106 W. Lawrence Ave, de Chicago, Ill, están recibiendo presión después de que un número de parejas fueron estafadas cuando asistieron al Baile de San Valentin que se presentara el pasado febrero en el Eagles Club de Milwaukee.
Las parejas pagaron $60 dólares por cada persona en la puerta, porque los boletos por adelantado estaban todos vendidos. “Nuestro grupo era de tres personas y tuvimos que pagar $180 dólares en total para poder entrar al baile. Nosotros fuimos con intención principal de escuchar a La Sonora Santanera de Carlos Colorado, la cual tocó última y solo tocó tres canciones”, dijo Odette Martínez. Martínez estaba muy desengañada y quería un reembolso. Ella junto a su grupo fueron a hablar con los promotores de Chicago que estaba colectando los boletos y efectivo para el baile. Martínez notó que ellos habían dejado el evento.
Esa noche en Milwaukee, se estima que los promotores de Viva ganaron un total de $75,000 dolares por los 1,500 participantes al baile incluyendo como 300 personas cuales pagaron $60 cada una. La Sonora Santanera tambien toco en los salones de baile de Los Globos y el del Aragon ambos de Chicago.
“Estoy muy disgustada al saber que estos promotores se han negado dar un reembolso a personas cuales estan enojadas porque un grupo sólo tocó tres canciones defraudando a la gente,” dijo Julia Negrete Smith de la ciudad de Mexico D.F. cual es una admiradora de la musica de La Sonora Santanera.
Unos días después del evento, Martínez se comunicó con Viva Entertainment quienes auspiciaron el baile en su número de teléfono 773-561-9500, el cual estaba desplegado en las tarjetas postales de publicidad. Ella hasta fue al Super Mercado El Rey en el Sur César Chavéz Dr. donde tambien venden boletos de baile para presentar una querella sobre el incidente. Los boletos para el evento también se vendieron en el 7 Mile Fair.
Desafortunadamente, casi un mes más tarde, un representante de Aragon Entertainment Center se comunicó con ella el pasado martes. Martínez dijo que ella trató de explicar al representante de Aragon lo que había ocurrido y él se puso rudo, no quiso cooperar y se engancho el teléfono.
Cuando el Periódico El Conquistador se comunicó con un representante de Aragon de nombre Mike Uribe Junior, él dijo que La Sonora Santanera, Grupo Montez de Durango, Banda Viento, y los Jinetes de Tierra Caliente tenían todos programados turnos para tocar por 45 minutos cada uno. Pero, Martínez y otras personas que asistieron al baile el 14 de febrero confirmaron que la Sonora Santanera solo tocó 3 canciones. Cuando El Conquistador le preguntó a Junior si la Sra. Martínez iba a recibir el reembolso de su dinero, Junior contestó que “él no estaba preocupado por eso”. El también añadió que durante los años nadie ha tenido una queja. “Yo me imagino que nadie se había tomado el tiempo de quejarse hasta ahora”, dijo Martínez.
El martes, Martínez decidió que ella ya no quiere el reembolso, pero si quiere advertir a la comunidad Latina de Milwaukee y del área de Chicago sobre la alegada estafa musical conducida por Viva Entertainment y Aragon Entertainment Center de Chicago.
El medio multi-millonario mal representan lo que ellos proveen y anuncian. Ambos, Viva Entertainment y Aragon Entertainment Center han fallado en advertir al público por medio de su publicidad en el medio-oeste que los grupos van a actuar por solo 45 minutos cada uno, pero que en este caso La Sonora Santanera toco solo tres canciones.
Las personas que sientan que ellos no recibieron el entretenimiento por el cual pagaron deben de comunicarse con estos promotores y deben reclamar un reembolso. Los mismos promotores de Viva Entertainment tuvieron al grupo El Recodo y otros grupos actuando el pasado 7 de marzo en Milwaukee, y más grupos diferentes están programados a aparecer en el Eagle’s Club el próximo 21 de marzo. Es una operación anual de más de un millón de dólares, “de lo cual lo más posible estos promotores no pagan los impuestos de Wisconsin”, comentó una pareja que no quiso ser identificada.
Aun así, Martínez dijo que ella se iba a comunicar con el Wisconsin Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, el Better Business Bureau, los noticieros de las estaciones de televisión locales de Telemundo en TV 63 y Fox 6, así como con el estado para presentar una querella.
La controversia sobre el reembolso de dinero, cual Junior y Viva Entertainment con Aragon Entertainment Center no han tomado responsabilidad cuando los grupos no tocan su turnos completos continua fermentado. Lo más seguro es, que a los ineptos representantes les va a costar millones cuando la gente comience a descubrir que ellos salen mejor de no asistiendo a dichos bailes y vayan a su tienda de música local a comprar los CD’s de los grupos lo que va a probar ser menos costoso. Ellos entonces podrán disfrutar esa música por horas, especialmente en estos días en que estamos enfrentando momentos económicos difíciles.
Los dueños al presente que operan bajo el nombre Aragon Entertainment Center, son también los propietarios de Viva Entertainment, Viva Marketing Group y otro medios a través del área de Chicago, de acuerdo a su página de la Internet.

Music Scam Alleged By Couples

Viva Entertainment Network dance promoters criticized after band played only three songs at Eagle’s Club

By H. Nelson Goodson
March 11, 2009

Milwaukee- Chicago’s Viva Entertainment Network (Viva) promoters associated with Aragon Entertainment Center, 1106 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL. are taking heat from numerous couples for being short changed when they attended the St. Valentine’s Dance at the Milwaukee Eagle’s Club in February.
The couples ended up paying 60 dollars for each person at the door. Because the advanced tickets were sold out. “In our party, there were three of us and we paid 180 dollars in total to get into the dance. We actually went to hear la Sonora Santanera de Carlos Colorado, who played last and only played three songs,” Odette Martinez said.
Martinez was very disappointed and wanted a refund. She along with her party went to speak with the Chicago Viva promoters collecting the tickets and cash from the dance. Martinez noticed they had left the event. That Saturday night in Milwaukee an estimated $75,000 was generated from the more than 1,500 people that attended including three hundred people who paid $60 at the door.
That same night La Sonora Santanera was also scheduled to perform at Los Globos Ballroom, and at the Aragon Entertainment Center Ballroom, both located in Chicago.
“I’m disappointed to hear that these Viva promoters generate thousands of dollars from fans of the groups performing and they can’t even refund any money to unsatisfied fans when for unexpected reasons a band failed to perform their full set,” said Julia Negrete Smith an avid dancer from Mexico D.F. who was at the event.
Martinez contacted Viva Entertainment who sponsored the dance at their contact number 773-561-9500, which was displayed on their advertisement post cards a few days after the event. She even went to Super Mercado El Rey on S. Cesar E. Chavez Dr. where advanced tickets were sold to complain about the mishap. Tickets for the Viva events are also sold at 7 Mile Fair.
Unfortunately after almost a month later, a representative from the Aragon Entertainment Center contacted her on Tuesday. Martinez said she tried to explain to the Aragon representative what had happened and he became rude, uncooperative and the call was disconnected.
When El Conquistador Newspaper contacted the Aragon representative by the name of Mike Uribe Junior, he said La Sonora Santanera, Grupo Montez de Durango, Banda Viento, and Jinetes de Tierra Caliente had sets of 45 minutes each to play. But, Martinez and other people attending the dance on February 14th confirmed La Sonora Santanera had just played three songs. When El Conquistador asked Junior, if Mrs. Martinez would get a refund? Junior replied that “he was not worried about it.” He also added that for years no one had ever made a complaint. “I guess no one had actually taken time to complain until now,” Martinez said.
On Tuesday, Martinez decided she doesn’t want a refund anymore, but would like to warned the Latino community in both Milwaukee and the Chicago area about the alleged music scam being conducted by Viva Entertainment and Aragon Entertainment Center from Chicago.
This multi-million dollar venue is not really what it seems to provide and advertise. Both, Viva Entertainment and Aragon Entertainment Center have failed to warned the public through their advertising bliss in the midwest that the groups performing will actually perform at least 45 minutes per set each, but in Martinez’s case La Sonora Santanera had only played three songs.
People who feel that they didn’t get their money’s worth of entertainment should contact these promoters and should ask for their refunds. The same Viva Entertainment promoters had El Recodo and other groups perform on March 7th and another venue with different groups is scheduled for March 21st at the Eagle’s Club once again. It’s a yearly million dollar operation, “which most likely these promoters don’t even get to pay a Wisconsin Tax,” commented a couple who did not want to be identified.
However, Martinez said she will contact the Wisconsin Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, the Better Business Bureau, local news Telemundo TV 63 and Fox 6 television stations, and the state to make a complaint.
Controversy over the lack of refunding money, and taking responsibility for groups not performing their full sets by Junior and both Viva Entertainment and Aragon Entertainment Center continues to brew. Most likely, their inept representatives might cost them millions when people begin to discover that they are better off skipping the dance and head to a nearby local music store and buy a recent CD of the groups performing for much less. They can enjoy their music for hours, especially today when we are facing hard economic hardships.
The current owners operating under the name of Aragon Entertainment Center, are also the owners of Viva Entertainment, Viva Marketing Group and other venue throughout Chicagoland area, according to their internet web site.

Why is Big Gov't as some call it, trying to bail us out of economic crisis?

By H. Nelson Goodson
March 7, 2009

Well the private sector, Wall Street, and Giant corporations are going belly up and people can't expect the private sector to bail us out. Most of them ran out of money and are cutting jobs.
AIG already received over 30 billion from Big govt. and is not working? Probably, they will need another 60 billion. Some believe it's a waste.

Entering into the seventh year of the Iraq war, it is actually costing more than 12 billion per month. Not including Afghan. war. The cost of both wars "beyond 2008, working with "best-case" and "realistic-moderate" scenarios, they project the Iraq and Afghan wars, including long-term U.S. military occupations of those countries, will cost the U.S. budget between $1.7 trillion and $2.7 trillion — or more — by 2017. Interest on money borrowed to pay those costs could alone add $816 billion to that bottom line. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has done its own projections and comes in lower, forecasting a cumulative cost by 2017 of $1.2 trillion to $1.7 trillion for the two wars, with Iraq generally accounting for three-quarters of the costs," according to an article dated March 9, 2008 by Charles J. Hanley AP Special Correspondent.
To many, this money should have gone to people already on the unemployment ghost list who are no longer statistics because they no longer qualify for unemployment insurance compensation. Most of them have become homeless and are trying to survive in the streets of our cities, and states.
To the majority of Americans, the only way out is the President Obama bail out, despite what the other political perspective thinks. They were in power for the last 8 years. Wasn't it them and their President who got us into this economic mess? Absolutely! Hopefully, we as a united nation can get back up on our feet, and become a prosperous nation once again.
Give the Economic Bail Out Recovery plan a chance... could be the only way for economic recovery.
Damn, I shouldn't have drank that energy drink...now I'm writng on.

U.S. ICE and Homeland Security Officials Lacking Accountability

Time to recall Joe Arpaio, Sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona

By H. Nelson Goodson
March 5, 2009

Washington, D.C. - The raid late last month in Bellingham, Washington by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has definitely sparked a new debate over accountability of our federal law enforcement agencies. Janet Napolitano, the new Homeland security secretary didn’t even know a raid had been planned for months and executed by U.S. ICE and Homeland security officials. Immigration officials arrested 28 undocumented immigrants working at Yamato Engine Specialists during the raid. Napolitano says she will investigate, but came short of flexing her authority to led these federal officials know that they are now working for a new Homeland security secretary. Whose President and Congress with a majority of Democrats has a different view on immigration enforcement.
Should rogue U.S. ICE and Homeland security officials responsible for the covert immigration raid be held accountable? For their over zealous attempt to challenge Napolitano’s and President Barack Obama’s immigration stance. Obama wants work-site enforcement to be focused on the employers who hire undocumented immigrants. Obama’s approach on immigration enforcement is quite different then former President George W. Bush.
Immigration rights groups and reform advocates are now organizing across the nation against this type of covert raids and are advocating accountability.
In Arizona, last weekend several thousand people marched during a peaceful protest against Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Phoenix. The protesters want Arpaio to stop abusing U.S. ICE program 287(g), which allows designated law enforcement officers under supervision of U.S. ICE agents to exercise certain immigration enforcement authority. Arpaio is now accused of using local police and deputy sheriff’s as immigration officers without actual supervision of U.S. ICE agents to oversee the relentless immigration raids and sweeps in Latino neighborhoods. A new report from the Government Accountability Office shows that federal oversight of the 287(g) program has been sorely lacking, according to a March 3 editorial by the New York Times.
The protesters in Phoenix have marched in large numbers, but now they need to get organized politically and recall Sheriff Joe Arpaio. I’m sure a potential candidate willing to bring criminals to justice instead of focusing primarily on immigration enforcement can challenge Arpaio. This country is still a democracy, isn’t it.

Former Police Association President Facing 18 Years In Prison

Charged with two felony counts

By H. Nelson Goodson
El Conquistador, LNS
March 5, 2009

Milwaukee - On Tuesday, Bradley DeBraska, 53, former Milwaukee Police Association President waived his preliminary hearing and will go on trial. DeBraska who retired 2005 was charged back in February 13, with two felony counts, according to Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm. He is charged with one count of identity theft to obtain money or credit, and one count of forgery, both as party to a crime.
DeBraska was once considered an influential figure within the ranks of the Milwaukee Police Department. He was a police officer for 27 years, including 17 as union president. DeBraska’s alleged corrupt and forgery scandal is now forcing the membership in the Milwaukee Police Association (MPA) to keep a distance from the former MPA president.
Chisholm says that DeBraska ordered his union secretary Candy Johnson in July 2004 to fabricate a memo he dictated word by word pretending to be a 1999 memo from former Common Council President John Kalwitz to city labor negotiator Frank Forbes. The secretary who is testifying against DeBraska said he told her to “take this to the grave,” according to the criminal complaint. “Potentially millions in public money was affected by this document. This is serious business,” said Chisholm.
The city wanted to used money from a pension fund, but the police union challenged their attempt to used more then $2 million to $3 million from the pension fund to upgrade pension computers. The city said it did not have a cap on spending, but DeBraska fabricated a memo saying that Kalwitz had agreed to a cap with “the ceiling of 3 million for ERS computer costs.”
If convicted, DeBraska is facing 18 years in prison and up to $20,000 in fines. He remains free on a signature bond, according to court records.
Political activists in Milwaukee say that they doubt DeBraska will serve any actual time in jail. They believe DeBraska still has very influential friends in the political scene and at City Hall who would rather see him get probation.

Ex Presidente de Asociación de Policía Enfrentando 18 Años en Prisión

Cargado Con Dos Felonías

Por H. Nelson Goodson
El Conquistador, LNS
5 de marzo del 2009

Milwaukee -El pasado martes, Bradley DeBraska, 53, ex Presidente de la Asociación de Policía de Milwaukee desestimó su audiencia preliminaria e ira directo a juicio. DeBraska quien se retiró en 2005 fue cargado el 13 de febrero, con dos cargos de felonía, de acuerdo al Fiscal de Distrito del Condado John Chisholm. Él está cargado con un cargo de robo de identidad para obtener dinero o crédito, y un cargo de falsificación, ambos como partido en el crimen.
DeBraska fue una vez considerado una figura influyente dentro de las filas del Departamento de Policía de Milwaukee. El fue oficial de la policía por 27 años, incluyendo 17 años como presidente de la unión. El alegado escándalo por corrupción y falsificación está forzando a la membresía del Milwaukee Police Association (MPA) a mantener sus distancia del ex presidente del MPA.
Chisholm dijo que DeBraska ordenó a su secretaria de la unión, Candy Johnson, en julio del 2004 a que fabricara un memo el cual él dicto palabra por palabra pretendiendo ser un memo del 1999 del ex presidente del Concilio Común John Kalwitz al negociador de labor de la ciudad Frank Forbes. La secretaria quien está testificando en contra de DeBraska dijo que él le dijo a ella que “se llevara esto a la tumba”, de acuerdo a la querella criminal.
“Potencialmente millones en dinero público fue afectado por este documento. Esto es un asunto serio”, dijo Chisholm.
La ciudad quería usar el dinero de un fondo de pensión, pero la unión de la policía retó su atentado de usar más de $2 millones a $3 millones de los fondos de la pensión para mejorar las computadoras de la pensión. La ciudad dijo que no tenía un límite en gastar, pero DeBraska fabricó un memo diciendo que Kalwitz había accedido a limitar los gastos “con un nivel de gasto máximo de 3 millones para el costo de las computadoras de ERS”.
Si resulta convicto, DeBraska se enfrenta a 18 años en prisión y hasta $20,000 en multas. El se mantiene libre en una fianza de firma, de acuerdo a los registros de la corte.
Varios activistas en la politica en la ciudad de Milwaukee dicen que probable DeBraska se salga con la suya y no alcanse cárcel por sus delitos. Se atribuyen esto por los amigos influyentes de DeBraska en la politica y en la alcaldia, según estos.

Pow Wow de Invierno

Por H. Nelson Goodson
El Conquistador, LNS
5 de marzo del 2009

Milwaukee -El Festival Indian Summer auspició su 17mo Pow Wow Anual de Invierno durante el fin de semana en el Wisconsin State Fair Park, en la pabellón de Productos de Wisconsin. Los organizadores del Indian Summer dijeron, que un pow wow tradicional es un evento Nativo Americano, el cual une a la gente para bailar, cantar, socializarse y mantener viva la cultura de su tribu. Una sesión de pow wow siempre comienza con la Gran Entrada, durante la cual todos los bailarines se alinean de acuerdo al estilo y edad, entonces entran a la arena mientras un tambor ordenador principal canta una canción especial. El tambor ordenador especial es un grupo de indios Americanos responsables de proveer música para los bailarines. Durante el baile entre las tribus, un tambor canta una canción y cualquiera de los indios Americanos y otra gente pueden unirse al baile.
Un pow wow usualmente presenta un mercado extenso donde vendedores de alrededor del país ofrecen artesanía de indios Americanos, joyería de oro y plata, alimentos y hierbas tradicionales, libros y un sinnúmero de otros artículos para comprar. En la mayoría de los pow wow’s los vendedores de alimentos ofrecen el popular y tradicional pan frito, tacos Indios, incluyendo perros calientes y refrescos.
Para experimentar el pow wow y la “Madre Tierra” como lo hacen los Nativos Americanos, haga planes para asistir al festival más grande de Indios Norte Americanos en Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “Madre Tierra” es una expresión metafórica común para la tierra y su biosfera otorgada y sostenimiento de vida. “Para la soberanía India y la afirmación de la cultura nativa: la tierra es, en realidad, Madre de esas naciones”, escribió Jace Weaver el autor de Defendiendo a la Madre Tierra: La Perspectiva Nativo Americana en Justicia Ambiental.
El Indian Summer va a celebrar sus 23ro aniversario del 11 al 13 de septiembre, 2009 en el Henry Maier Festival Park (los terrenos del Summerfest} en el hermoso área frente al Lago Michigan.
La Mesa Directiva del Festival incluye miembros de muchas tribus y naciones, incluyendo las Chippewa, Oneida, Menominee, Ojibwa, Ottawa, Apache, Potawatomi and Mohican, de acuerdo a los organizadores del Indian Summer.