Council Carroll noted that council was merely voting on putting
a referendum on the ballot.
Attorney Talley said he hadn’t looked at soem of the legal possibilities,
and talked about several specific pairs of counties consolidating schools.
Council White asked for further clarification.
Manager Hanson used an analogy of annexation (for which he said there
were at least four legal methods) to indicate that proponents could
pick whichever one they liked.
He said someone could choose to challenge it in court.
I believe he also said council could vote against holding the referendum.
Council Wright again said proper legal process had not been followed.
The local school boards that are responsible for this burden
should have sent a motion to the state board of education
asking for it [a feasibility study on consolidation].
That has not happened.
He called the state board of education and the Valdosta Board of Education
and no feasibility has been done.
Council Ben Norton, who hardly ever speaks, noted that he
was elected at-large and thus represents all of Valdosta, and said:
If this came to us with every legal T dotted and I crossed,
as Council …
Carroll stated already
is to put this referendum on ballot.
I encourage our citizens if that is the case …
to study carefully both sides of the issue
and I believe with all my heart that … our Valdosta citizens
can make the decision.
He never did say which side he was on regarding consolidation.
And of course once again it’s just Valdosta citizens voting on
an issue that affects the entire county.
And yes, he really did say “T dotted and I crossed” and he had to
be prompted for the name of his Council colleague.
The organization that considers every rezoning request
for Lowndes County
or any of the cities of Valdosta, Dasher, Hahira, or Lake Park,
the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission,
meets tonight, 5:30 PM, 29 August 2011.
This appointed body decides nothing, but it does make recommendations to the
elected governing body of the appropriate county or city,
which does take those recommendations into account before deciding.
If you want to rezone, or if there’s rezoning near you,
you would do well to go to the Planning Commission meeting
before it gets to your local elected body.
The mission of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) is to look
beyond short-term solutions in planning for the future of the Greater
Lowndes community; to improve the public health, safety, convenience and
welfare; and to provide for the social, economic and physical development
of communities on a sound and orderly basis, within a governmental
framework and economic environment which fosters constructive growth
and efficient administration.
The Planning Commission meets at the old Lowndes County Commission offices:
17. A. Consolidation/board position – Mr. Lee – action required
Also this item:
18. B. Public forums on consolidation will be held Sept 8 (VHS PAC), Sept 20 (VMS) and Oct 25 (JLL) from 7-8:30 p.m.
I wonder will these be real forums, or the sort of fake forums VLCIA and
CUEE have foisted on the community?
CUEE’s
Kick-Off meeting
had no opponents speak, took questions only in writing,
and conveniently didn’t get to Rev. Rose’s question of what
would consolidation do to improve education.
LAKE
has published videos of the whole thing.
After forty years of the war on drugs, America continues to have laws
that stratify society based on race and class and continues to ignore
Dr. King’s lessons on justice, compassion and love.
My favorite quote from Dr. King speaks to the heart of the problem with
America’s criminal justice system. “Power without love is reckless
and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power
at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at
its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.”
America’s criminal justice system is reckless and discriminate. America
has five percent of the world’s population but 25 percent of the
world’s prisoners. Blacks are incarcerated at four to five times the
rate of whites for drug crimes, even though the majority of those who
use and sell drugs are white. The majority of those incarcerated are
people who have a history with mental health and substance abuse.
Not only does incarceration impact individuals but it undermines families,
He was one of the
several employees I supervised as Sporting Goods Department Manger at
Wal-Mart Store #2615 in Valdosta, Georgia. On March 20, 2008, I was
wrongfully terminated for “INABILITY TO PERFORM JOB” without
training.
Video by George Boston Rhynes.
It has been 3 1/2 years since my wrongful termination and I have
written Wal-Mart Stores Inc. thirty letters, thirteen videos, 34 pages
of documented proof that I was never trained; nor entered into Wal-Mart
Stores Inc. four week mandatory training program as other employees.
Moreover, it should be a shame and disgrace that several former and
current President Mike Duke has all ignored me as if I was a worker in
the Republic of China or in some other third world nation!
Even more un-American is that Chairman David Glass along with his
entire Wal-Mart Board of Directors has followed the local Wal-Mart
Store Manager at Store #2615 in what is definitely unprofessional
behavior along the lines of respecting workers rights. Wal-Mart
Executives seem to believe that the American People (customers) have
made Wal-Mart Stores Inc. a god beside God and answers to no one.
More videos will follow from real workers and former assistant managers
until you are as sure as I am that Americans need workers Rights in
this NATION for all employees.
As elected officials (government officials) I do hope that you begin to
look at workers rights and my wrongful termination without any recourse
because I am in an “At Will to Work State”, Georgia. This means
any worker can be fired for GOOD cause, BAD cause, or for no cause at
all and like Wal-Mart. They are not required to provide a reason for
you, your spouse, child or neighbor for why they wrongfully terminated
you!
http://walmartstore2615.blogspot.com
We are 100% sure that there is nothing Wal-Mart Executives or Board of
Directors will or can do in my case or cases like mine. Therefore,
as a Retired Military of the United Armed Forces that followed
our “Code of Conduct” in the military need a code of conduct for
(ALL) American Workers.
My wrongful termination has forced me to follow the same “CODE OF
CONDUCT” that all United States Military Veterans had to
follow. Therefore, if I could place my life on the line and face
death for foreigners on foreign battlefields then surely I can stand
up for my own family members and love ones.
Yes, I intend to fight as hard for myself, my own family and fellow
American Workers here in the Home Land! God Bless both the righteous
and the not so righteous. Peace, love and overstanding. We are not
who we claim to be; but who we prove ourselves to be over a given
period of time and after three and one-half years Wal-Mart EXECUTIVES
has proven who they are to the American people and the world.
GEORGE BOSTON RHYNES
Retired United States Armed Forces Military Vietnam
Public Meetings Set for Transportation Sales Tax Project List
The Southern Georgia Regional Transportation Roundtable has set a series
of public meetings to review the Draft Constrained Investment List for
the following counties, representing the Special District for a proposed
transportation sales and use tax: Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien,
Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier,
Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner, and Ware.
In 2010, Governor Sonny Perdue signed into law the Transportation
Investment Act of 2010, a law prescribing a regional sales tax referendum
for transportation projects. Jay Roberts, State Representative from
District 154-Ocilla, and Chairman of the House Transportation Committee,
said “This law gives
Council Deidra White wondered what would be the repercussions
if council took more time to decide this issue, since this was
the first time she had heard some of these arguments.
Attorney Talley said he wasn’t sure what the timeline was to prepare ballots.
Um, maybe he should talk to the Board of Elections.
Manager Hanson said there are different sections of the Constitution
that might apply.
Attorney Talley noted that the Home Rule Act did not apply,
even though it was cited in the petition, since the school system
charter is not in the City of Valdosta charter; it’s a separate pact.
