Category Archives: Economy

Private prisons considered harmful —Gretchen Quarterman to Jack Kingston

Gretchen Quarterman
3338 Country Club Road #L336
Valdosta GA 31605
26 August 2011
PDF
 
Hon. Jack Kingston
Member of Congress
First District of Georgia
 
Dear Mr. Kingston,

You asked me last week in Tifton to provide you with evidence that private prisons have fewer guards per prisoner than public prisons.

Here is an example:

“The largest juvenile prison in the nation, Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility houses 1,200 boys and young men, between the ages of 13 and 22, and is run by a private contractor, the GEO Group based in Boca Raton, FL. … State audits over the last several years had already indicated the burgeoning problem. While it is recommended at youth facilities to have an inmate-to-guard ratio of 10:1 or 12:1, Walnut Grove had a ratio of 60:1.”
“When the Wolves Guard the Sheep,” by Mariah Adin in Kids and Crime, 28 March 2011
It’s not just less staff, it’s less qualified staff: Continue reading →

Where was CUEE at the school board meetings?

If “unification” is about education, where was CUEE at the last two days’ school board meetings?

Maybe we’ll see CUEE at some of the three forums VBOE is organizing. Maybe they’ll address issues such as consolidation producing no improvement in academic achievement, consolidation causing increased taxpayer expense, and the need for any consolidation proposal to come from educators and parents, and to be voted on by all the citizens in the affected school districts; you know, the issues LCBOE just called them on.

-jsq

What it takes to run for Mayor of Valdosta

People ask me: what does it take to run for mayor of Valdosta? A few qualifications, a few skills, and a vision would sure help.

Well, you have to qualify. That costs $750 down at the Board of Elections.

According to the City of Valdosta’s website, there are a few other requirements:

Qualification Mayor. To be eligible for election or appointment and service as Mayor, a person must be a minimum of 21 years of age, be a resident of the City of Valdosta for one year prior ro the date of qualifying, and a registered and qualified voter of the City of Valdosta at the time of qualifying.
Then you have to campaign and win. Some people will doubtless spend a lot of money running for mayor. However, some recent elections to Lowndes County Commission and Valdosta Board of Education indicate Continue reading →

T-SPLOST public meetings coming up in a few weeks

The public meetings for Transportation Sales Tax Project List are coming up in a few weeks. The one in Lowndes County is:
Monday, September 19, 2011; 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.; at the Valdosta City Hall Annex; 300 North Lee Street, Valdosta, Georgia; presentation will begin at 10:30 a.m.
There’s a meeting in Fitzgerald later that same day, and an earlier meeting in Waycross on Wednesdday, September 7th.

If you’re interested in saying something about the 50% increase in the Old US 41 North widening project or about some of the other projects still on the constrained list, this would be the place to do it. You can also send in written comments. Here’s contact information.

-jsq

The most damaging useless thing —Craig Cardella @ VBOE 29 August 2011

Craig Cardella said his wife Anne was a current Valdosta City Schools teacher and former Teacher of the year, and he was a former city manager who had done community development all his life.
I can tell you without doubt this is the most damaging useless thing I’ve seen proposed in many many years. This will do more damage to our community than just about anything I can think of short of a hurricane running through the middle of town. It will damage both the county and the city school systems severely. It will hinder the growth of the education of our children. It will cause chaos among the city and county school staffs, both of which are like this, because a lot of times they’re the same people.

Here’s the video:


The most damaging useless thing —Craig Cardell @ VBOE 29 August 2011
education, referendum, consolidation, statement,
Work Session, Valdosta Board of Education (VBOE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 29 August 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

More transcription; he’s just getting to the best parts: Continue reading →

Celebrate the leadership that the BOEs have shown. —Karen Noll

Received yesterday on Unanimous: LCBOE votes to oppose school consolidation. -jsq
This is truly a time for educators, and the families of students in our communities’ schools to celebrate the leadership that the BOEs have shown.

That said, I would like to commend the LCBOE on the strength of their resolution. They not only state clearly that consolidating the schools would not increase in academic achievement, but a large tax increase would be expected. Another point that LCBOE included in their resolution is that such a referendum should only be brought by citizens, families, or educators. Jame Wright also made this point in his statement to city council last week. Without the support of the educators involved, and the families impacted, such a referendum question is just a big buck political agenda on the ballot.

This town is still small enough to call this spade – money trying to drive the education bus into the ditch.

Let me just say this-

NOT WITH MY KIDS’ EDUCATION, YOU DON’T!!!

The school systems don’t want to consolidate —WALB

Jade Bulecza wrote for WALB today, School systems oppose consolidation
Two south Georgia School systems don’t want to consolidate.
Hm, they noticed yesterday’s VBOE meeting with its statement and today’s LCBOE meeting with its resolution.

Almost as interesting is what they don’t mention. CUEE is not named; it’s just “a citizen group”. And there’s no mention that both meetings were full of FVCS people opposing consolidation, and not one single CUEE member willing to speak up for it. Less than two months ago, both WALB and WCTV named both groups and used words like “Talks Heat Up” (WALB) and “Showdown” (WCTV). What’s changed, TV media?

-jsq

LCBOE resolution against school consolidation, read by Supt. Smith

Here is the text of the resolution against school consolidation adopted today by the Lowndes County Board of Education. It does not seem to be on their web pages yet. First a video of Superintendent Steve Smith reading the resolution, followed by the text of the resolution.

Here’s the video:


LCBOE resolution against school consolidation, read by Supt. Smith
education, referendum, consolidation, statement,
called meeting, Lowndes County Board of Education (LCBOE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 30 August 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

This text is my transcription of what was read. I have added a few links.

-jsq

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS the Lowndes County Board of Education, Valdosta, Georgia, met on August the 30th 2011, to discuss positions regarding the consolidation of the Valdosta City School System and the Lowndes County School System.

WHEREAS the Valdosta City School System met in session on Monday

Continue reading →

5.a. Legal issues —Attorney Talley and others @ VCC 25 August 2011

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.

Here’s the video:


5.a. Legal issues –Attorney Talley and others @ VCC 25 August 2011
petition, education, referendum,
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 25 August 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Planning Commission meets tonight

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 Planning Commission’s remit is not just rezoning cases. According to the City of Valdosta’s writeup:

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: Continue reading →