Tag Archives: 8 Feb 2011

NOAA Weather Radios “wasteful spending” –Richard Raines



Are NOAA Weather Radios “wasteful spending”?

We’ve already seen staff present the case for
about 5,000 NOAA Weather Radios at $21.50 each, paid for out of grant money.
They made that case at the 8:30AM 7 Feb 2011 Lowndes County Commission Work Session.



At the regular session the next day (5:30 PM Tuesday 8 Feb 2011),
citizen Nolen Cox spoke against the NOAA grant and more generally said

“just say no to grants”.
He also went on at some length about how he didn’t believe in climate change.
Nevermind that the fifth U.S. or British board of inquiry has

reconfirmed yet again that the data and analysis for climate change
are solid.



EMA Director Ashley Tye summarized the case for NOAA Weather radios,

according to the minutes,

stating Lowndes County had been awarded $107,500.00, in Hazard Mitigation
grant funding for the purchase of 5,000 NOAA weather radios to benefit
all of Lowndes County. Mr. Tye added that Alert Works had presented the
low bid in the amount of $21.50 per radio.

Finally, the Commission had some discussion.
According to the minutes:

Continue reading →

Citizens and Sheriff Prine recognized @LCC, 8 Feb 2011



The Lowndes County Commission seems to have suddenly gone from
lecturing citizens about how it’s a waste of tax money for
people to speak too often to inviting all sorts of citizen
groups to show up and speak or be recognized.
I call that a good thing.
We’ll see if this
era of good feelings lasts.
In addition to
the many students speaking about Tranqulity Trail,
at the same meeting the Chairman recognized

a Boy Scout troop


(at least I think that’s what that one was)
and

Boy Scout Troop 418
(I’m pretty sure about that one).
Also the



Chidren’s Advocacy Center
(more about that one later).
And



Sheriff Prine thanked the Commission for their support
in

searching Ocean Pond for seventeen days.





Regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 8 February 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Tranquility Trail –James Wright and students @LCC, 8 Feb 2011



Valdosta City Council member James Wright and students speak
to the County Commission about

Tranquility Trail.
The students have a number of good points, such as

“It’s not about me but our community”
and

“Don’t Litter, Make Our Trail Glitter”,
and

trees have educational and recreational benefits,
and

“We need our community to come in with us…
how our community can get involved.”
James Wright wraps up with

“Development of our community and our citizens.”
There’s more. Here’s the whole thing:





Regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 8 February 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Are all these medical associations and doctors lying? –Dr. Noll



In the new

era of good feelings,
Dr. Noll asked the Lowndes County Commission
whether they thought all the medical associations
and doctors who oppose biomass plants are lying,
same as he later
asked the Valdosta City Council.
He also offered to

discuss with biomass proponent Nolen Cox,
who spoke immediately before.
Here’s

the video.





Regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 8 February 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Era of good feelings at County Commission




Shutting down debate didn’t work,
so now we have the era of good feelings at the County Commission.
Here

Chairman Ashley Paulk thanks Dr. Michael Noll for a previous meeting:





Regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 8 February 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Some of us did wonder when next thing was

Noll’s microphone went off.
But that was apparently just a technical failure, which continued
for a while during the meeting.

I commend Chairman Paulk for his recent civil and,
as Commissioner Lee used to say,
“adult-like manner.”

However, as County Manager Joe Pritchard reminded everyone later at the
County Commission retreat,
the county government is still having a bit
of difficulty adjusting to all this recent transparency.
Let’s help them by showing them by example on many topics that
the road of respect goes both ways.

-jsq

Say no to grants and shut off debate on biomass –Nolen Cox, LCC, 8 Feb 2011



Local resident Nolen Cox says government grants are more addictive than drugs,
and “all the federal money is my tax money.”
He mentions federal debt, and lists only social programs.
Regarding grants, he’s specifically referring to a proposal to
accept a grant for NOAA weather radios, which we’ll come back to later.

His other topic is that he thinks we need more oil, more nuclear, and
biomass.
His recommendation:
“I would stop discusssing it.”
He thinks it’s like global warming, which he thinks is a lie.
He sums up:

Build the plant, employ people, get on with the program.

It’s interesting that these are about the best arguments biomass proponents have.
Perhaps he’s not aware that shutting off the debate was tried recently
and doesn’t seem to be working too well.
Here’s

the video.





Regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 8 February 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq