S1E8: Taco Bell, South Suburban Land Bank, and BP Capital

This episode follows Mayor Riley Rogers as he works with the South Suburban Land Bank to bring a new business to Dolton in 2017 (the Taco Bell on Sibley), along with hundreds of thousands of dollars from the land sale and recurring sales tax. Rogers’ political opponents (Duane Muhammad, Valeria Stubbs, and Robert Pierson) respond with misinformation and ambitious rhetoric to expel the government redevelopment entity from Dolton, and replace it with a shady private entity (BP Capital) run by a mercurial lawyer (Anthony Bass) and a dishonest real estate developer (Don Meadows). The purpose of this episode is to showcase the difference between pragmatic leadership and dangerous demagoguery, and how political indifference can have serious ramifications - up to the point of allowing a private entity to steal homes from taxpayers. It also shows a version of Tiffany Henyard that is unrecognizable today, and sets the stage for future episodes that will cover the full story of BP Capital in Dolton.

It is worth pointing out that Valeria Stubbs, Duane Muhammad, and Robert Pierson all lost their trustee seats over the BP Capital disaster. Valeria Stubbs has continued her involvement in Dolton politics, continues to run for a trustee seat in each election (2021 and 2023), and still manages to garner a couple hundred votes each time. While this documentary aims to avoid attacking any particular individual, it is quite evident that this particular individual caused tremendous damage to Dolton, and likely took kickbacks/bribes from BP Capital for doing so - the only logical explanation for her unwavering support for a housing scam (BP Capital) that stole property from the residents who entrusted her with their welfare. The attorney who facilitated this scam (Anthony Bass of sgbcesq.com) has faced no repercussions for his involvement, and the con artist who spearheaded the BP Capital scam (Donald Meadows) continues to write real estate loans and advise homeowners to this day.

This is the eighth episode of a documentary series on local politics in Dolton, Illinois. The overall objective is not to target specific individuals or push a political agenda. Instead, it seeks to illustrate how democracy can falter when civil discourse and transparency are lost. The situation in Dolton mirrors broader political dysfunction seen in local, state, and federal governments across America.