Category Archives: VLCIA

“You can’t borrow yourself into prosperity.” —irony from VLCIA board member

Member of big-borrowing business board bashes borrowing.

A David Rodock story in the VDT 5 July 2011 included this quote:

Included among the guests was George Bennett, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority board member.

“I think it’s time we hold the elected officials accountable, whether they are Democratic or Republican,” said Bennett. “You can’t borrow yourself into prosperity. We need to talk with the legislators at the national level and get them to come around do what America is all about.”

I’m guessing this was G. Norman Bennett. Anyway, that’s quite the irony coming from a director of an organization that raised $15 million in debt Continue reading →

Who wants to live in a prison colony?

Judy Green, a prison policy analyst says:
“The very first contract for the first private prison in America went to CCA, from INS.”
Hear her in this video Private Prisons-Commerce in Souls by Grassroots Leadership that explains the private prison trade of public safety for private profit:

A local leader once called private prisons “good clean industry”. Does locking up people for private profit sound like “good clean industry” to you? Remember, not only is the U.S. the worst in the world for locking people up (more prisoners per capita and total than any other country in the world), but Georgia is the worst in the country, with 1 in 13 adults in the prison system. And private prisons don’t save money and they don’t improve local employment. As someone says in the video, who wants to live in a prison colony?

We don’t need a private prison in Lowndes County, Georgia. Spend that tax money on rehabilitation and education.

-jsq

PS: Owed to Jeana Brown.

1 in 13 Georgia adults in the prison system —Pew Center on the States

Georgia is number 1 in something: locking people up, 1 in 13 of adults, according to the Pew Center on the States.

That costs us more than a billion dollars a year in tax money, 5.9% of the state budget. That’s up from $133.26 million in 1983, increased by more than a factor of seven.

Meanwhile, the correctional population swelled from around 100,000 in 1982 to more than 550,000 in 2007. And while other states have started decreasing their prison populations, Georgia’s continues to increase. The state is even coming up with new ways to lock people up, such as kicking them out of mental institutions. We seem headed back towards plantation slave labor and prison road gangs in for minor drug infractions.

How about we reverse this trend? Continue reading →

Biomass plant land offer: Industrial Authority board meets this morning

A usually reliable source tells me that this morning at 8AM VLCIA will hold a special called board meeting to consider a specific dollar offer from Sterling Planet for the site of the proposed biomass plant. I see nothing in the public notices online. The Industrial Authority’s own online calendar has today marked, although it doesn’t say for what. The VDT’s online calendar does have it listed:
Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority Special Called Meeting
When Friday Jul. 8, 2011 8:00 AM
Description Purpose of meeting is to discus real estate. Call 259-9972.
Where Authority Offices
2110 N. Patterson St.
Valdosta, GA
The VDT calendar doesn’t say what real estate, but the source has usually been correct before. Since it’s about real estate they’ll probably go directly into executive session, which means the public can’t attend that part. However, public can attend the public street outside.

VLCIA Chairman Jerry Jennett previously said: Continue reading →

Deaf, dumb, and blind –George Boston Rhynes

A comment Monday on Budget Hearing wrapup: no questions were entertained from citizens -jsq:
Soon the people of South Georgia Will see that the old 1860 Valdosta City Chater Mentality is still in force but has been extended to all citiens. That is to keep all citizens deaf; dumb; and blind to what is really going on in South Georgia. But in the end truth, right and equal justice will most certainly win in the end as history always records! http://kvci.blogspot.com

-George Boston Rhynes

Eligible for prison road labor

In for a drug offense? Got out but failed a drug test? You may be eligible for a prison road gang!

AP wrote 4 July 2011, GA parolees & road maintenance

Georgia is expanding a pilot program that sanctions some parolees by putting them to work rather than returning them to prison.

The program began in Milledgeville, Gainesville, Columbus and Dalton. This summer it will be expanding to communities across Georgia.

Parolees are eligible if they have committed low-level violations of their supervision requirements, such as the onetime failure of a drug test or curfew violations.

How long will it take before these prisoners are sent to work in fields?

Wouldn’t it make more sense to stop wasting taxpayer dollars on locking up people for minor drug offenses?

Or maybe prison slave labor is a good way to celebrate July 4th.

-jsq

PS: Gretchen got this item from Dwight Rewis of Echols County.

We believe the entire law needs to be overturned —UUCA

Another Sunday, another religious group against the incarceration machine.

Jane Osborn sent this, dated 27 June 2011:

Editorial Statement to Atlanta Journal Constitution

Here is the statement Rev. Anthony David and Rev. Marti Keller sent to the Atlanta Journal Constitution editorial page editor today following the federal court ruling placing an injunction on parts of HB 87. We of course do not know if it will be published, but wanted to respond in a timely way.

As Unitarian Universalist ministers, we affirm justice, equity and compassion in human relations. We applaud the federal judge who halted several parts of Georgia’s anti-immigration law, but we believe the entire law needs to be overturned. It cannot substitute for comprehensive immigration reform at a national level. The law in its entirety is unjust, fear-based, and inhumane.

Rev. Anthony David

Rev. Marti Keller

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta

HB 87 feeds private prison profit at taxpayer and farmer expense. We don’t need a private prison in Lowndes County, Georgia: spend that tax money on rehabilitation and education instead.

-jsq

Anti-HB 87 rally makes national news

Ten thousand or so people marching who mostly never did before. Google news finds 267 articles like this one.

AP reports today, Thousands rally against Ga. immigration law:

Thousands of marchers stormed the Georgia Capitol on Saturday to protest the state’s new immigration law, which they say creates an unwelcome environment for people of color and those in search of a better life.

Men, women and children of all ages converged on downtown Atlanta for the march and rally, cheering speakers while shading themselves with umbrellas and posters from the blazing summer sun. Capitol police and organizers estimated that between 8,000 and 14,000 protesters gathered. They filled the blocks around the Capitol, holding signs decrying House Bill 87 and reading “Immigration Reform Now!”

Friends Jessica Bamaca and Melany Cordero held a poster that read: “How would you feel if your family got broken apart?”

And remember, HB 87 has many provisions that bring “customers” to CCA’s ICE prison.

We don’t need to feed the incarceration machine with a private prison in Lowndes County, Georgia. Spend that tax money on rehabilitation and education instead.

-jsq

Hispanics and farmers strike in Moultrie

Alan Mauldin wrote for the Moultrie Observer 29 June 2011, Stay-at-home protest: Latinos hope to show their impact:
Colquitt County’s Latino community is gearing up to make its presence known by, well, disappearing, at least as much as possible for the largest minority group.

On Friday, the day a strict new immigration law takes effect, many will stay home from work and refrain from shopping to help make others aware of the impact of their contributions in the county.

It’s not just workers participating: Continue reading →

Sumter County may go solar: where’s Lowndes County?

Sumter County gets it about solar power, independence and jobs. Where’s Lowndes County?

So how big is this National Solar project that Sumter County may get? Steve Leone wrote for Renewable Energy World, Seven Communities Waiting for the Sun in Southeastern U.S.:

The project will be a network of 20 solar farms, each of which will span 200 acres and generate 20 MW. It would be much larger than the 80 MW solar power plant in Ontario, Canada, currently the world’s largest.
The finalists are:
The communities selected by National Solar Power as finalists to become the location of the development are Gadsden, Hardee, Osceola and Suwannee counties in Florida, Sumter and Tatnall counties in Georgia and Guilford County in North Carolina.
And Lowndes County isn’t even in the running. Why not? Continue reading →