Category Archives: Community

School superintendent to Governor: Please make my school a prison

A school superintendent observed that his state pays more per prisoner than per student, and suggested improving his school by declaring it a prison.

Here’s his letter to the editor of the Gratiot County Herald of 12 May 2011:

Dear Governor Snyder,

In these tough economic times, schools are hurting. And yes, everyone in Michigan is hurting right now financially, but why aren’t we protecting schools? Schools are the one place on Earth that people look to to “fix” what is wrong with society by educating our youth and preparing them to take on the issues that society has created.

One solution I believe we must do is take a look at our corrections system in Michigan. We rank nationally at the top in the number of people we incarcerate. We also spend the most money per prisoner annually than any other state in the union. Now, I like to be at the top of lists, but this is one ranking that I don’t believe Michigan wants to be on top of.

Consider the life of a Michigan prisoner. They get three square meals a day. Access to free health care. Internet. Cable television. Access to a library. A weight room. Computer lab. They can earn a degree. A roof over their heads. Clothing. Everything we just listed we DO NOT provide to our school children.

This is why I’m proposing to make my school a prison.

Continue reading →

Restudy that those are the right people

The last animal shelter speaker said she was looking at it from a business perspective. She called Commissioner Powell and they had a conversation. She got a copy of the animal control ordinance. She said she thought she had seen some things that others had not. She complimented the Commissioners:
I know you to be people of your word.
After all that she indicated:
I guess I’m just asking that you restudy… that those are the right people.
After she finished, Chairman Ashley Paulk said there would be a tour of the shelter and everyone was invited.

Here’s the video:


Restudy that those are the right people
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 24 May 2011.
Videos by Johh S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

If we can’t take care of animals and children…. —Cheryl Hatcher

If taxpayer money isn’t being used to defend the defenseless, what should it be used for?

Cheryl Hatcher said she has been involved with Humane Society for a long time (which the Chairman vouched for) and was among those who actually helped build the shelter.

There have been many discussions and conversations about things not being done properly at the shelter. And I really urge that you investigate what’s going on in the shelter. I applaud you for putting cameras in the tack room, although I think it’s been way too long to do that, but I applaud you for doing that.

I really think that it is not a waste of taxpayers’ money when you’re investigating to make sure that animals will be taken care of properly. If we can’t take care of animals and children, then the world is going to suffer.

I think that if it’s necessary to put cameras in the tack room there are bigger problems that need to be taken care of at higher levels.

Here’s the video:


If we can’t take care of animals and children…. — Cheryl Hatcher
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 24 May 2011.
Videos by Johh S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Neglect, abuse, suffering, falsifying documents — Susan Leavins @ LCC 24 May 2011

The animal shelter story isn’t just about animals. It’s also about mismanagement. It’s even about prison labor competing with local labor.

After Susan Leavins read from her statement to the Department of Agriculture about a starving horse, pigs castrated without pain relievers or antibiotics, and maggots in wounds, Chairman Paulk advised her she had one minute left. Then she got to her main point: Continue reading →

Boy Scouts and Board Appointments: @ LCC 24 May 2011

Those board appointments will affect all of us for some time to come. Here are videos of all of the 24 May 2011 Lowndes County Commission meeting except the citizens talking about the animal shelter; those will follow.

Remember, much of the discussion already happened the previous morning in the work session.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 23, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2011, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Laws relevant to Foxborough McDonald’s —Vince Schneider

He’s back from Afghanistan and has a new plan to fight McDonald’s. Vince Schneider asked the County Commission for an ordinance about hours.

After quoting from the U.S. Tenth and Fourth Amendments and talking about privacy rights, he read similar passages from the Georgia Constitution, and this one, from Section II. Origin and Structure of Government:

All government, of right, originates with the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole. Public officers are the trustees and servants of the people and are at all times amenable to them.
He then read a definition of ordinance, and noted that many ordinances deal with issues of safety, health, morals, etc.

His recommendation: for the Commission to pass an ordinance limiting hours of operation for such type of enterprises.

That’s the county attorney visible directly past Schneider (under the microphone). Of course it’s the commissioners who must propose and pass any ordinance. That will require Continue reading →

U.S. drug war afflicts Latin America and rebounds on U.S.

The war on drugs causes violence, poverty, and illiteracy in Latin America that drives illegal immigration into the U.S., for the profit of Monsanto, military contractors, and private prison companies. Does that seem right to you?

Neal Peirce wrote a syndicated column 22 May 2011, Misguided U.S. drug policies afflict Mexico, Central America:

The war on drugs in Mexico, partially funded by hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. government assistance, has not only failed to curb the trade but intensified horrific violence, corruption and human rights abuses, writes Neal Peirce.

For most Americans, the recent news of popular demonstrations in Mexico was probably a small diversion from the daily tide of bloody global reports from such faraway hot spots as Pakistan, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and Bahrain.

Why worry, most of us likely concluded, if thousands of Mexicans are marching in the streets, protesting the horrific violence and high death toll in their nation’s raging drug war? Isn’t that their problem?

It’s true, the news reports focus less on the American role, more on growing anger with the government of President Felipe Calderón and the meager returns from the massive police and military crackdown on the drug trade he inaugurated in 2006.

Since then, more than 37,000 Mexicans have been murdered, often tortured and brutalized before their deaths, as cartels battle for control of drug smuggling routes and brazenly assassinate anyone, official or average citizen, they think is in their way.

The hard lesson is that the war on drug dealers, decreed by Calderón and partially funded by hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. government assistance, has not only failed to curb the trade but intensified horrific violence, corruption and human-rights abuses.

So what can be done? Continue reading →

Southern Company “bullish” on solar

Colleen Kiernan, director of the Georgia chapter of the Sierra Club, wrote in the Atlanta Business Chronicle 22 May 2011, Wind energy a viable option for Southern Co.’s portfolio:
Two years ago, Southern Co. claimed “Renewable energy sources like wind and solar are not really an option for us in the Southeast.”

Now the new CEO, Thomas Fanning, says he’s “bullish” on solar. While the new attitude on solar is refreshing,

I’ve seen this before. AustinEnergy went in one year from solar isn’t an option to Continue reading →

Trash and biomass —Dr. Noll

This comment by Dr. Noll came in today on Got trash? Need disposal? Good luck. I ran across the picture at the same time. -jsq
There are some interesting parallels/similarities in regard to the discussion of trash and biomass.

There is no doubt mankind produces trash, as there is no doubt that we need energy. What we keep forgetting, though, is an honest reflection on how we can be less “waste-ful”, both in terms of energy and trash.

Thus, instead of reducing the amount of trash we create by Continue reading →

Got trash? Need disposal? Good luck.

So, as David Rodock reported this morning in the VDT solid waste management was a discussion topic for Lowndes County Commissioners, even though it wasn’t on yesterday’s work session agenda.

Interesting that a meeting was held after the work session. I was at the work session, camera in hand, and you can see what transpired there with talk of the jail , the possibility of Sunday alcohol package sales, oh and the animal shelter all during the County Manager’s Reports.

Nothing has been said (in public) about solid waste disposal since the public meetings where the pubic was told by Chairman Rod Casey and County Manager Pritchard that the county staff had “examined every option” and there was nothing that the public could possibly suggest that hadn’t already been considered.

The proposed plan (VDT Article August 29, 2008 Lowndes County’s proposed solid waste plan in effect Jan 1) was basically curbside collection (where no vendor could meet the proposed price cap suggested by the county) and what we ended up with was pay for drop off permits (VDT Article May 13, 2009 Solid waste disposal permits now available).

Joe Pritchard remembers those meetings like this (Update 25 Sept 2013 to add reference, “Commissioners want Lowndes out of the trash business” by David Rodock in the VDT 24 May 2011):

“I went through eight public meetings, better described as floggings, where the public just vented every ounce of frustration they ever had relating to solid waste over that time period,” said Joe Pritchard, county manager. “That was not a pleasant process. Yes, we need to come up with a way of notifying the public, but I’m here to tell you, that public meetings is not it.”

So, the problem (disposing of garbage costs money) still exists and the county has known that for years. Yet, here we are on the cusp of a crisis again and Commissioner Raines says

“My mind’s made up and I’m willing to call an emergency meeting tonight if we need to”

Why hasn’t the county been soliciting input during these two years that they knew the system was out of balance? Why must everything be a crisis?

-Gretchen