LAST week authorities
captured two fugitives who had been on the lam
for three weeks after escaping from an Arizona prison. The convicts and
an accomplice are accused of murdering a holiday-making married couple
and stealing their camping trailer during their run from justice. This
gruesome incident has raised questions about the wisdom and efficacy of
private prisons, such as the one from which the Arizona convicts escaped.
Two weeks ago I delivered the official NAACP letter to all City Council
members (and Mayor Fretti) asking for a written response as to their
position on biomass and selling reclaimed water to the Wiregrass, LLC,
proposed incinerator.
No response. Not one.
I have heard that at least two Council members refuse to do so because
“it might be used against them.”
Citizens are entitled to hear where their elected officials stand on
these issues. At least Councilmen Vickers, Wright, and Yost have stated
publicly that they support biomass, even though black infants are already
dying in Valdosta at a rate twice as high as white infants. According
to Mr. Wright,
Our community could subsequently also “monitor” increases in respiratory
illnesses, cancer rates, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality
rates. Just ask the American Lung Association, the American Cancer
Society, and the American Heart Association.
This is incredible. A city council member who still hides behind an
EPD air permit, and who chooses to ignore the testimony of thousands of
medical professionals throughout the United States. At the same time,
we have a City Council that continues to isolate itself from its citizens
with a policy that undermines open dialogue.
The continued silence of our City Council and Mayor in regard to biomass
is mind-boggling. Haven’t they noticed the developments of the past
couple months? The regular protests? Hundreds and hundreds of signatures
and voices in opposition to biomass? Ashley Paulk’s statement? George
Bennett’s statement? Even a statement, it appears, by Wesley Langdale
who said that biomass is economically not feasible … which is something
WACE stated as far back as October 2010, supported by an article from
the Wall Street journal called “(Bio)Mass Confusion”.
Dr. Mark George once asked all City Council members the following
question: “What is it you still need from us, so that you understand
that biomass is a bad deal”? To my knowledge that question was never
answered.
Last night I shared a letter from a local physician
Pretty much everyone agrees there are problems with the two local
school systems in this county, those of Lowndes and Valdosta.
Proponents and opponents of school unification even agree on many
of the details.
They just don’t agree on the solution.
CUEE believes that unification will somehow lead to solutions to all this,
and
believe is the word they use,
because they have no evidence.
Opponents such as me
don’t see any plan to get to better education, and some think that unification
will cause problems that CUEE is not even considering,
just like integration did in 1969.
Here’s a pair of pie charts from 2008 from
Who’s losing in Winnersville?
a project unification opponent Dr. Mark George was involved in:
On Friday, April 29, 2011 I met with Mr. Yost to discuss the biomass
issue in person. Mr. Yost stated that he is FOR the biomass project and
FOR selling (grey) water to the plant.
When asked for his reasons, he said it “would be good for the citizens
of the county”. When pressed to clarify, he said that the jobs and
the energy would be good for the citizens. He had no clear rationale
for how these 25 jobs would positively effect his constituents, nor how
diversifying GA Powers energy sources would help his constituents.
The other reason given for supporting the biomass project
Roger Budd III read a speech about socialism and communism
and government oppression.
He didn’t like not being able to build a restaurant
because he hadn’t yet been able to get a building permit.
Hm, I guess he wouldn’t like the city paying for
making videos of its meetings available to the public,
like me and my socialist buddy Dan Davis suggested.
He didn’t like it —Roger Budd III @ VCC 21 April 2011
Regular monthly meeting of the Valdosta City Council (VCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 21 April 2011,
Videos by George Boston Rhynes for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Nolen Cox said he knows standard reporting procedures for expenses.
He also doesn’t like regulations.
Once again the city Attorney responded.
Dan Davis said he had similar concerns about the city’s travel policy.
He added that he thought “these meetings should be televised”.
That got a brief round of applause.
Hm, that sounds like
something I’ve suggested several
times to the same council.
Since Dan Davis and I couldn’t get much farther apart on most political issues,
maybe televised meetings are an issue with bipartisan support!
They both talked about expenses for sales representatives.
I wonder if that’s all they think elected officials are.
After a student award was announced,
Roy Taylor’s attorney addressed the council about
the mayor’s expenses during Citizens to be Heard.
Roy Taylor is visible in the audience as the camera pans.
The mayor was not there;
he has since explained
he was spending quality time with his family.
The mayor’s expenses —Roy Taylor @ VCC 21 March 2011 Part 1 of 3:
Regular monthly meeting of the Valdosta City Council (VCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 21 April 2011,
Videos by George Boston Rhynes for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
So he was surprised when he discovered a group proposing to
finance such a plant.
And he later learned that there were many health problems
with biomass plants, and he now thinks it would be wrong to build it.
So as my mother would say, Rev. George Bennett is a big man!
Rev. George Bennett is a big man @ LCDP 2 May 2011
Debate between proponents of school system unification (CUEE) and opponents,
at Lowndes County Democratic Party (LCDP), Gretchen Quarterman chair,
Videos by George Rhynes, Jim Parker, John S. Quarterman, and Gretchen Quarterman
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 2 May 2011.
I asked if he wanted publicity about this and he said yes. -gretchen
May 5, 20011 marks the 6th anniversary of
the arrest of the Valdosta 15.
It was the day that 15 of Valdosta’s finest citizens were arrested
in City Council, charged with “Disrupting a Public Meeting,” and taken to
the Lowndes County Jail. We were denied bail, and a telephone call. And,
in some instances, medicine.
The city spent thousands of dollars on our arrests and appeals. In the
end, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled
LAST week authorities captured two fugitives who had been on the lam for three weeks after escaping from an Arizona prison. The convicts and an accomplice are accused of murdering a holiday-making married couple and stealing their camping trailer during their run from justice. This gruesome incident has raised questions about the wisdom and efficacy of private prisons, such as the one from which the Arizona convicts escaped.
