Coal Plants Washington and Ben Hill not quite dead yet

Somebody’s been watching too much Twilight. Plant Washington now joins the undead. But maybe Plant Ben Hill is really dead.

Dave Williams wrote for the Atlanta Business Journal yesterday, Georgia coal plant project to push on,

Cobb Electric Membership Corp.‘s board of directors voted Tuesday to pull out of the $2.1 billion 850-megawatt Plant Washington project, citing the uncertain impacts of tightened federal regulation of carbon emissions. Cobb EMC was the largest participant in the consortium Power4Georgians.

The consortium began looking for other partners to replace Cobb EMC well before Wednesday’s decision, which had been anticipated, said Dean Alford, spokesman for Power4Georgians.

“This in no way changes the course,” he said. “It’s still full steam ahead.”

But he wouldn’t say who else would help fund it. We’ll see whether he’s blustering or actually has any further backers.

John Roach and Kim Isaza in MJDOnline yesterday, EMC backs out of plan to build coal-fired plant, had a list of the other current partners: Continue reading →

Quitman 10 + 2 Press Conference

Received yesterday. -jsq
News never reported in the Quitman FREE PRESS or in SOUTH GEORGIA NEWS MEDIA:


Video of Quitman 10 + 2 Press Conference in Atlanta 23 January 2012 by voiceofthevoiceless1

From the YouTube description:

Senator Emanuel Jones is demanding “all charges are dropped”
Continue reading →

Videos of last night’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session @ LCC 2012 01 24

Yesterday’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session didn’t last long. Here’s the agenda.

Here’s a playlist:


Videos of last night’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session @ LCC 2012 01 24
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 24 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Commission had not seen Moody AFB gate contract with Scruggs before Work Session @ LCC 2012 01 23

We still don’t know what the county is going to do about that cost overrun for the Moody AFB gate. Nobody said at the work session yesterday morning; maybe they’ll say at the regular session tonight when they vote on a contract with some sort of revised dollar figures in it.

County Manager Mike Fletcher waved around a copy of the revised contract with Scruggs Company for the new Moody AFB gate, but said he had not provided it to the Commissioners. I wonder if they’ll see it before they vote tonight? He said it was 226 pages long, but most of that was DOT boilerplate, and only something like 20 pages was the actual county contract. Seems like they could read that much by tonight.

So could we, the public, if it was somewhere we could see it.

He also didn’t say what happened to the $128,497.05 cost overrun. The Commissioners asked no questions.

Here’s the video:


Commission had not seen Moody AFB gate contract with Scruggs before Work Session @ LCC 2012 01 23
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 23 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Just as prohibition of alcohol failed… the war on drugs has failed —Richard Branson

Richard Branson wrote for the Telegraph yesterday, It’s time to end the failed war on drugs
Just as prohibition of alcohol failed in the United States in the 1920s, the war on drugs has failed globally. Over the past 50 years, more than $1 trillion has been spent fighting this battle, and all we have to show for it is increased drug use, overflowing jails, billions of pounds and dollars of taxpayers’ money wasted, and thriving crime syndicates. It is time for a new approach.

Too many of our leaders worldwide are ignoring policy reforms that could rapidly reduce violence and organised crime, cut down on theft, improve public health and reduce the use of illicit drugs. They are failing to act because the reforms that are needed centre on decriminalising drug use and treating it as a health problem. They are scared to take a stand that might seem “soft”.

But exploring ways to decriminalise drugs is anything but soft. It would free up crime-fighting resources to go after violent organised crime, and get more people the help they need to get off drugs. It’s time to get tough on misguided policies and end the war on drugs.

Branson isn’t just a billionaire speaking his mind, he was also on the Global Commission on Drug Policy that studied the problem and recommended last summer that we end prohibition.

Branson does bring his business experience to bear: Continue reading →

Videos of this morning’s LCC Work Session, 2012 Jan 23

OK, the new camera and video conversion software are sorted out, so here are videos of this morning’s work session on the same day. Here’s agenda. More about specific items later, but meanwhile feel free to view ahead and post your comments on what went on.

And remember: they vote tomorrow evening!

Here’s a playlist:


Videos of this morning’s LCC Work Session, 2012 Jan 23
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 23 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Authority (VLCPRA) 2012 Jan 19

Here are videos of the entire January monthly meeting of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Authority (VLCPRA).

Here’s a playlist:


Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Authority (VLCPRA) 2012 Jan 19
Regular Session, Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Authority (VLCPRA),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 19 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Abandoning part of Bethany Road contentious and enlightening @ LCC

Quite a few people showed up at the Lowndes County Commission public hearing about abandoning part of Bethany Road, speaking pro and con. We learned many interesting reasons for abandoning that road, which would apply to many dirt and maybe paved roads in the county, many of which are on the county’s paving list. More about that and an interesting view of the press in later posts. First, here’s what we’re talking about.

12 December 2011 Work Session

Here are the minutes:
Abandonment of a Portion of Bethany Road, County Engineer, Mike Fletcher, presented a request by citizens for the abandonment of a portion of Bethany Road. Mr. Fletcher explained that the Commission was being asked to make an initial determination that either the section of the county road system has been ceased to be used by the public to the extent that no substantial purpose is served by it, or that its removal from the county road system is otherwise in the best public interest. Mr. Fletcher added that once the initial determination was made, staff would move forward with the appropriate advertising of a public hearing at which time the Commission could make a final decision.
Here’s video in which County Engineer Mike Fletcher said the part of Bethany Road to be abandoned runs from Bethany Drive down through the Stith and Turner family properties towards Old US 41 North as far as the Rykard property, and that all residents would still have access out to other roads. County Manager Joe Pritchard noted that Continue reading →

Pop the drug war balloon: legalize and regulate the drug trade —Terry Nelson, LEAP

LTE in the WSJ, 21 January 2012:
The article illustrates what I learned over my 30-year career as a federal agent: Cracking down in one place doesn’t make drugs disappear, it only moves the trade elsewhere. This so-called “balloon effect,” combined with the insatiable demand for drugs across the globe, means that no level of law-enforcement skill or dedication can make a significant dent.

The only way to pop the proverbial balloon is to legalize and regulate the drug trade, which would eliminate the opportunity to make enormous black-market profits. It wasn’t easy for me to come to this revelation after dedicating so many years to enforcing drug laws, but it is common sense. Law-enforcement officers don’t have to chase gangsters selling booze from town to town because we ended the failed experiment of alcohol prohibition decades ago. It is time we do the same for other drugs.

Terry Nelson
Executive Board Member
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
Granbury, Texas

And that will pop the incarceration bubble, as well, according to CCA’s own 2010 report to the SEC. -jsq

How much will we pay for a new gate? LCC meets Monday AM and Tuesday PM, 2012 January 23-24

A VLMPO appointment, a rezoning, five special lighting districts, and refunding taxes? What’s this one:
7.a. Grant Re-Application for the Rural Transportation Program and Associated Resolution
Is that for T-SPLOST? Is it about the discretionary funding? Or is it about re-applying for $12 million to widen old US 41 North? Or is it a periodic update for the MIDS bus system? If they put the agenda packets on the web with the agenda, we’d know.

Oh, and this one:

8. For Consideration – Contract with the Scruggs Company for Davidson Road Project
Maybe we’ll hear some answers to some of the questions raised by that project last time.

Here’s the agenda:

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2012, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →