Category Archives: Economy

Cadillac, Michigan, biomass plant

Natasha Fast, Angela Manning, Allan Ricketts (Project Manager), Geraldine Fairell, Keisha Ferguson, Brad Lofton (Executive Director)

In the VLCIA meeting with concerned citizens of 10 June 2010, one of the action items taken by the VLCIA was:

Obtain, if available, an analysis of the property value trends of residential/ commercial property adjacent to the Cadillac Michigan biomass electric generating plant.

Col. Ricketts has reported back on that action item.

My transcription of what he said is rather long, so please follow the link.

Allan Ricketts’ summary: nobody could find a systematic analysis of property value trends. He did get various personal analyses (as above).

I agreed he’s made a good effort to find what he could find.

And that we would continue looking in other sources.

-jsq

Greyfield Villas

Previously discussing the Glen Laurel subdivision on Old Pine Road near Bemiss, several of the people speaking against at the County Commission meeting mentioned the Greyfield subdivision. That’s Greyfield Villas; see the entrance sign in the picture on the right. It’s in Lowndes County but not in Valdosta; somebody correct me if I’m wrong abo ut that. In that picture it’s hard to read the sign in the background on the north side of North Oak Street Extension. Here’s a closeup:

For Rent. Just inside we see a dumpster with For Rent signs on the houses on either side: Continue reading →

Whole trees as biomass?

Previously I promised to come back to the subject of whole trees. Allan Ricketts asserted in the VLCIA meeting with concerned citizens on 10 June 2010 that the biomass plant Wiregrass LLC proposed for Valdosta will never burn whole trees because it would be economically unfeasible for it to do so. While I have no doubt that Col. Ricketts is acting on the best information given to him, there are reasons to be sceptical about what will happen in the future. Continue reading →

Highland Renewable Energy Strategy

Previously writing about biomass and carbon dioxide I said I’d supply an example of the sort of thing I’m looking for as a regional analysis for renewable energy, including biomass, solar, wind, wave, tides, and others. Here it is: the Highland Renewable Energy Strategy approved by the Highland Council at its 4 May 2006 meeting. It’s a 58 page document about renewable energy strategy and planning guidelines, considering numerous types of renewable energy, pros and cons of each, power distribution, effects on environment, protected areas, etc., illustrated copiously with detailed maps. And updated: Continue reading →

Jailing Too Many People Costs Too Much

John Schmitt, Kris Warner, and Sarika Gupta write about The High Budgetary Cost of Incarceration:

The United States currently incarcerates a higher share of its population than any other country in the world. We calculate that a reduction in incarceration rates just to the level we had in 1993 (which was already high by historical standards) would lower correctional expenditures by $16.9 billion per year, with the large majority of these savings accruing to financially squeezed state and local governments. As a group, state governments could save $7.6 billion, while local governments could save $7.2 billion.
These cost savings could be realized through a reduction by one-half in the incarceration rate of exclusively non-violent offenders, who now make up over 60 percent of the prison and jail population.
A review of the extensive research on incarceration and crime suggests that these savings could be achieved without any appreciable deterioration in public safety.

There’s a 19 page PDF report published by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, but that one graph pretty much spells it out: incarceration went up abruptly starting in the early 1980s and continued up, while crime did not. What we have here is a very expensive policy mistake.

And where does most of the cost come from? Continue reading →

Hildegard’s not closed

Picture by Judy Baxter.

Kay Harris reports in the Valdosta Daily Times:

And it looks like Hildegards in downtown Valdosta is closed, but I’m not sure if it’s temporary or permanent this time.

Really? A reader comments on that story:

Greg Frier 6 hours ago
I want to note that Hildegard’s is not closed.

Continue reading →

Hahira City Council

In the regular meeting, Hahira City Council, June 3, Mr. Benjamin speaks up in Citizens Wishing to be Heard:

As you can see by the pan around the room, the meeting was pretty well attended. The average local government session around here gets maybe a couple of people who aren’t elected or staff. This one had probably half a dozen.

Each Council member, Ralph Clendenin (District 3), Allen Cain (District 2), Terry Benjamin (District 1), and Rose Adams (District 4), made a statment, followed by Jonathan Sumner (City Manager) and Wayne Bullard (Mayor).

Here’s a playlist. Videos by John S. Quarterman and Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE.

Hahira Elected Officials and Staff. Minutes of previous meetings and future schedule.

Your Lowndes County Tax Dollars at Work

On the county web pages there’s one about Where does your money go? Here’s a pie chart version:

Most of the county budget goes to law enforcement.

This does not include the larger budget of the Lowndes County School Board. I also don’t think it includes dedicated millage such as the one mil that goes to the Industrial Authority.

-jsq
John S. Quarterman

Hahira Teachers Learn Trees

Jade Bulecza reports for WALB that Teachers take outdoor learning to the classroomTeachers take outdoor learning to the classroom:

About 25 teachers from Lowndes County schools were out at the Pine Grove Farm in Thursday identifying trees and looking at leaves.
It’s part of project learning tree, an environmental education program.
Renee Galloway says students don’t really get out of the classroom in language arts and reading, so she’s glad she’ll have new lessons to bring to her class.

Maybe later they could even take the students out to the trees!

“Hopefully, our teachers can take back the importance of the timber industry to Georgia’s economy to their classrooms,” said Joy Cowart, a Project Learning Tree facilitator.

That’s one good lesson. Others might be the diversity of native forests and the economic and natural benefits of reforestation.

Cost of Incarceration in Georgia

Carrie Teegardin and Bill Rankin write in the AJC about A billion-dollar burden or justice? AJC investigation: Georgia leads nation in criminal punishment:

Georgia taxpayers spend $1 billion a year locking up so many criminal offenders that the state has the fourth-highest incarceration rate in the nation. When it comes to overall criminal punishment, no state outdoes Georgia.

They note that scare tactics made that happen.

But today, many public figures with strong anti-crime credentials are asking if that expenditure is smart, or even if it’s making Georgians safer. The debate about crime and punishment, once clearly divided along party lines, is now a debate in which conservatives often lead the charge for change.