Category Archives: Safety

Bulgaria cancelled a new nuke

If Bulgaria can do it, Georgia can do it: end a new nuke boondoggle. Bulgaria started opposition when building the plant seemed irreversible, yet they reversed it. We can, too. And we can get on with solar and wind.

Rayna St. wrote for Global Voices 31 March 2012, Bulgaria: Construction of the Nuclear Power Plant “Belene” Cancelled,

On March 28, Bulgaria officially announced the cancellation of its newest nuclear power plant (NPP) “Belene” construction. The Parliament has stopped this controversial project after years of discussion and more than half a billion euros invested in the construction of the first reactor.

Nuclear opponents in Bulgaria undid a done deal, starting with this:

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How and why did New Hampshire ban CWIP?

After years of protests and the Three Mile Island nuclear accident
in Pennsylvania,
the New Hampshire legislature passed a law that denied
the Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH)

Construction Work in Progress (CWIP) charges
before the Seabrook nuclear plant


provided electricity to its customers.
One of two planned Seabrook reactors did finally go into service in 1990,
more than a decade late and far over budget.
Meanwhile,
the New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled the anti-CWIP law was constitutional,
and PSNH went bankrupt in 1988:

the first
investor-owned utility since the Great Depression to declare
bankruptcy.

Seabrook was the last nuclear reactor built in the United States.
Until now.
In Georgia.
Which has CWIP.
Maybe we should
change that.

Here’s an excerpt from

a corporate history of
Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH):

By January 1972 PSNH had decided not only to build a nuclear plant
at Seabrook but also to have it consist of two 1,150-megawatt units,
to be completed in 1979. PSNH was to own 50 percent of the $1.3 billion
project and share the remaining investment with other New
England utilities. In January 1974 the New Hampshire Site Evaluation
Committee, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and other
regulatory bodies had issued the basic permits, but interveners in
the case succeeded in having the New Hampshire Supreme Court
overturn these permits. After repeated appeals and rehearings PSNH
received its construction permit in July 1976—and experienced
its first protest at the planned site.

There followed a decade of other protests at the site, inside
regulatory chambers, and in New Hampshire and Washington courtrooms.
The 1979 accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear-power plant in
Pennsylvania—to name but one event that triggered concern

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Faith groups urge state governors not to sell prisons to CCA

From

Quakers
to
Catholics,

“Our
organizations advocate for a criminal justice system that brings
healing for victims of crime, restoration for those who commit
crimes, and to maintain public safety.”

religious groups oppose privatization of prisons.
Here is

the text of a letter
many of them sent to all 50 state governors,

joining the ACLU in opposing
CCA’s recent

offer to 48 states to buy their prisons.



You can help

drive away CCA, 5PM this Tuesday, March 6th.
Or sign the

petition to the Industrial Authority
to reject the private prison in Lowndes County, Georgia.

-jsq

March 1, 2012

Dear Governor:

We the undersigned faith organizations represent different


traditions from across the religious and political spectrum. Our
organizations advocate for a criminal justice system that brings
healing for victims of crime, restoration for those who commit
crimes, and to maintain public safety.

We write in reference to a letter you recently received from Harley
Lappin, Chief Corrections Officer at Corrections Corporation of
America (CCA), announcing the Corrections Investment Initiative –
the corporation’s plan to spend up to $250 million buying prisons
from state, local, and federal government entities, and then
managing the facilities. The letter from Mr. Lappin states that CCA
is only interested in buying prisons if the state selling the prison
agrees to pay CCA to operate the prison for 20 years — at minimum.
Mr. Lappin further notes that any prison to be sold must have at
least 1,000 beds, and that the state must agree to keep the prison
at least 90% full during the length of the contract.

The undersigned faith organizations urge you to decline this
dangerous and costly invitation. CCA’s initiative would be costly

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Motorcade against CCA, 5PM Tuesday March 6th

Do you want to live in a prison colony?
Help us say, CCA Go Away!

Join us 5PM Tuesday March 6th 2012 at the private prison site (Dasher-Johnson
Road off US 84 at Inner Perimeter) for a motorcade by Valdosta City
Hall to the Industrial Authority offices: for education and against the
private prison.

When: 5PM (rush hour) Tuesday March 6th
How: Cars, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles
Who: Everybody is invited
What: Oppose the Private Prison
From: Proposed Private Prison Site

US 84 @ Inner Perimeter Road

(Staging on Dasher-Johnson Road next to US 84)
By way of: Valdosta City Hall

Valdosta City Council Work Session

Honk to say No CCA!
To: Industrial Authority Office

2110 N. Patterson Street

(Patterson at Park Avenue)

Bring a sign: No Private Prisons!
Contact:
noprivateprisons@gmail.com

Winn Roberson, 229-630-2339, winnroberson@bellsouth.net

John S. Quarterman, 229-242-0102, politics@quarterman.org





on the web


View Larger Map





Petition

Winn Roberson read the newspaper Friday (February 24th)
and realized the prison site
was down the street from him, so the news finally sunk in.
This motorcade was his idea to drive the point across to the
Industrial Authority: we don’t want a private prison!

John S. Quarterman lives about as far away from the prison site
as you can get in Lowndes County, but realizes it will affect
everybody for many counties around.
So let’s say CCA Go Away!

-jsq

PS: If you can’t come, you can still sign the

petition to the Industrial Authority, or write a letter to the editor, or…

CCA private prison VDT front page today



Former Sheriff Paulk luke-warm; Sheriff Prine completely opposed.
Water and sewer, wetlands, federal funding: all hurdles, says Paulk.
Sheriff’s Association also opposed, says Prine.
More in the VDT article.

Lowndes County Sheriff Chris Prine has also shared his thoughts
on the private prison industry:

“If I’m going to house an inmate and if I’m going to be responsible,
I’d rather them be in my facility not a private prison,”
said Prine.
“If I’m going to be responsible for them
I want them to be within my reach.
the Sheriff’s Association
feels the same way I do.
I’d say the large majority of Sheriff’s feel the same way about this.
I don’t want a private facility handling my prisoners.”

Here’s

video of Sheriff Prine saying most of that a few weeks ago.

They also mentioned

the petition
and
quoted me:

“If those signatures and calls are making any impression
on the Authority they certainly don’t admit to it,”
said Quarterman.
“This is another Lofton (Brad Lofton, former
Authority executive director) project.
It’d be nice if the Industrial Authority represented the community
they were located in.”

Do you want the Industrial Authority to notice?
You can sign the

the petition,
or send VLCIA your own letter,
or write a letter to the editor to the VDT, or….

-jsq

I am very concerned about a community that would purchase an armored vehicle over weather radios —Sharon Flory

Received 17 February. -jsq

My name is Sharon Flory and I am the Sales Representative for Alert
Works Products, the company who was working with Lowndes County to


distribute roughly 3,500 weather radios to the community. After
working for about 8 months with Ashley Tye we were both ecstatic when
the grant came through only to be shot down by the newly appointed
commissioner. I could not believe

what I read below.

She quoted

Lowndes County priorities: tanks and lunches for Commissioners, but no lunches for seniors? -jsq

I am very concerned about a community that would purchase an armored
vehicle, that would only protect about 5 people at a time, over
purchasing weather radios that would protect upwards of 10,000 people
when you consider the families that live in each home.

I am a sales rep and my job is to sell radios BUT my job is also my
passion. I live in Ohio and have been affected by storms all of my
life. I have been down right scared to death from storms and feel that
the politics in this town is not moving in the right direction.

I see that you have the same feelings and hope that you can make a
difference. Thank you for caring and keep up the good work. Someone
will listen!!!

-Sharon Flory

Alert Works

419-779-8132

Ankle monitoring for Lowndes County Jail @ LCC 13 December 2011



Tuesday the Lowndes County Commission approved ankle bracelet monitoring
for nonviolent jail inmates so they can serve the rest of their time
outside the jail, putting them in a better environment and
decreasing expenses at the Sheriff’s office.
This sounds like a good idea.
I have not expressed an opinion because,

as Barbara Stratton pointed out,
the public doesn’t really know what was in the proposal County Commissioners
got in their agenda packet.
However, I would like to compliment Commissioner Joyce Evans about trying to do
something about nonviolent prisoners.

Summarizing the

ankle monitoring discussion of Monday morning,
County Manager Joe Pritchard Tuesday evening asked the Lowndes County Commission
to approve continued work by county staff with the Sheriff’s office in implementing
an ankle monitoring system to move some inmates out of the county jail.

Commissioner Richard Raines gave the credit to Commissioner
Joyce Evans for both proposing a drug court and for
proposing ankle monitoring.

Commissioner Evans declined comment but did make the motion,
seconded by Commissioner Powell, and approved unanimously.

The VDT had a little more information
in David Rodock’s Wednesday story:

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Lowndes County priorities: tanks and lunches for Commissioners, but no lunches for seniors?

So the Lowndes County Commission wouldn't accept a grant for NOAA Weather Radios, (but did vote themselves $75/day travel per diem), wouldn't accept a grant for an emergency vehicle, cancelled lunches for seniors, and barely approved a grant to help people with home downpayments, but the Lowndes County Sheriff's office did accept a grant for an armored vehicle.

Dawn Castro wrote for the VDT today, BearCat Rules: Lowndes sheriff’s office has new armored vehicle

BearCats are typically referred to by law enforcement as being armored rescue vehicles primarily used to transport tactical SWAT officers to and from hostile situations and to assist with the recovery and protection of civilians in harm’s way during terrorist threats, hostage incidents or encounters with armed offenders. The BearCat is designed to provide protection from a variety of small arms, explosives and IED threats.

Sure, and it will never be used against peaceful protesters.

Last month in Tampa, Adam Freeman wrote for WTSP.com 21 November 2011, Are Tampa police using tanks to threaten Occupy protestors?

Members of the movement say TPD is cruising by in the big, armored trucks. Pictures spread around the country over Facebook and Twitter, leading to speculation that TPD was moving in with the tanks.

But officers say it's just a coincidence, and the vehicle act passed by on its way to a Great American Teach-In event.

Maybe the Lowndes County Sheriff's dept. would never misuse an armored vehicle.

And I know, the Sheriff is a constitutional officer and the Lowndes County Commission has very limited control over the Sheriff's budget.

But it's still our same tax dollars. Are these our priorities?

-jsq

Map of traffic fatalities in Lowndes County related to paving and widening

What do you see when you zoom in on traffic fatalities in Lowndes County, Georgia?
Lots of road deaths on roads recently paved, for one thing.

Simon Rogers wrote for the Guardian 22 November 2011,

US road accident casualties: every one mapped across America

369,629 people died on America’s roads between 2001 and 2009. Following
its analysis of UK casualties last week, transport data mapping experts
ITO World have taken the official data from the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration – and produced this powerful map using
OpenStreetMap. You can zoom around the map using the controls on the
left or search for your town using the box on the right – and the key
is on the top left. Each dot represents a life

The national view is very interesting, but let’s look at Lowndes County:


I don’t know what that adds up to, but it looks to me like a lot of dead people,
and in just nine years, from 2001 to 2009.
Far more dead people than killed by terrorism.

OK, but where are these fatalities happening?
All over the county.
Let’s zoom in on Hambrick Road:

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Hazard mitigation and some licenses at County Commission 24-25 October 2011

Last Monday there was a hearing about

hazard mitigation plan updates


which I, uh, showed up late for.
Ten minutes late, which, given that nobody else showed up at all, meant
that the county staff went home, so as to avoid wasting taxpayer dollars
presenting to an empty room.
That was the second and last public hearing
So if you want to see that presentation, your last chance is
Monday morning at the County Commission Work Session:

4. Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Presentation (work session only)

That is not a public hearing, so you can’t speak.
They did hold two public hearings at which you could have spoken.

Other items include a beer and wine license (these are often controversial),
an employee health care plan renewal (I think that’s what Section 125 is),
and a telephone company site lease agreement.
Plus:

7.c. Travel policy

Here’s

the agenda.


LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

PROPOSED AGENDA

WORK SESSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2011, 8:30 a.m.

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011, 5:30 p.m.

327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

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