Tag Archives: Georgia

VLCIA land accounting

Chairman Jerry Jennett is asking for an accounting of the land VLCIA has bought using their $3 million a year in dedicated 1 mil property tax and $15 million in bonds that Lowndes County guaranteed for them. And it seems that much of it is in lots too small to be useful.

While the VLCIA board was approving minutes for their 17 May 2011 regular meeting, Chairman Jennett said this:

On the last page, where we’re talking about the industrial park acreage, this is real good the way you’ve presented this, it shows Azalea West 17 acres Lake Park 10, Hahira 10, [?] 165, Miller 220, West Side 155.

Let me ask you that in future you do one more thing. That you tell me how many 100 acre sites you have, how many 50 acre sites you have, and how many 25 acre sites you have,

[Col. Ricketts made some response.]

Then I’m going to assume that everything else is ones, fives, and tens. And my point would be that we track those, and that when someone comes with a project that and they need 200 acres, we can’t do it. But I think there might be room for at least one and maybe two 100s. I think that’s important when we think about people….

It’s good Chairman Jennett is having Col. Ricketts keep track of all this land VLCIA has acquired. He started on this project at Brad Lofton’s last board meeting, when he asked Lofton about lot sizes. I look forward to the results.

Incidentally, while that list Chairman Jennett read does add up Continue reading →

Videos from VLCIA board meeting of 17 May 2011

For anyone who wants to review what the Industrial Authority did in its last regularly scheduled meeting, which was 17 May 2011, before going to today’s irregularly scheduled meeting, here is a playlist.


Operating at a slower pace VLCIA 17 May 2011 Part 2 of 2:
Regular Meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
Norman Bennett, Roy Copeland, Tom Call, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett chairman,
J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Allan Ricketts Acting Executive Director,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 17 May 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Treating an “epidemic of mass incarceration” —Physicians in NJEM

Everybody from Serpico to Richard Branson and even the U.S. Senate says the War on Drugs has failed and we should stop locking up so many people. Now physicians weigh in.

ScienceDaily, 1 June 2011, U.S. Physicians Call for New Approach to Address National ‘Epidemic of Mass Incarceration’

With 2.3 million people behind bars and an estimated 10 million Americans cycling in and out of correctional facilities each year, the United States is in the midst of an “epidemic of mass incarceration,” say researchers from the Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights, a collaboration of The Miriam Hospital and Brown University.

In a Perspective article to appear in the June 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the authors argue that much of this epidemic is due to inadequate treatment of addiction and mental illness in the community, which they say can be linked to policy changes over the last 30 years, such as severe punishment for drug users as a result of the nation’s “War on Drugs.”

“More than half of all inmates have a history of substance use and dependence or mental illness, yet they are often released to the community without health insurance or access to appropriate medical care and treatment,” says Josiah D. Rich, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights, which is based at The Miriam Hospital.

“Sadly, without these linkages to transitional care in the community, the majority of these individuals will re-enter the revolving door of the criminal justice system, which already costs our county $50 billion annually,” he adds.

What is to be done? Continue reading →

The other immigration reaction

Probably everybody has heard that Alabama followed Georgia down the Arizona lock-’em-up anti-immigration path.

According to Albor Ruiz in the New York Daily News, 12 June 2011,

Washington’s inaction on the immigration crisis is no longer sprouting only hostile and inhumane local laws. But there is growing evidence an increasing number of local and state officials have tired of playing an abusive and costly anti-immigration game they don’t believe in.

Two weeks ago, Gov. Cuomo pulled New York State from the Secure Communities federal deportation program, following Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn who had done the same weeks before. And days after Cuomo’s decision Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick took the same courageous step. All three governors are Democrats and strong allies of President Obama.

They had plenty of reasons to quit the controversial Department of Homeland Security program. Promoted as a tool to deport undocumented immigrants convicted of serious crimes, in reality Secure Communities targets mostly low-level offenders or those never convicted of any crime at all.

And who benefits by arresting such people? Private prison companies, which hold the new prisoners.

It’s not just northeast state, either. Here’s a city and state on the frontline of immigration, Los Angeles, California: Continue reading →

When will the Wiregrass Solar plant be expanded? —John S. Quarterman @ VCC 9 June 2011

Compliments to Mayor Fretti for saying we will competitively expand the Wiregrass Solar plant!

Responding to George Rhynes’ point, I said that while I had recommended moving Citizens to be Heard to the end of the agenda, it never occured to me that it might get moved after Council Comments, which did lead to an impression that Council did not want to hear and did not plan to respond. I noted that if Council videoed its own proceedings and put them on the web, that would help make the problem moot. I’m thinking videos distributed by the City Council itself would probably get more citizens viewing them than ones distributed by bloggers like me and George and by LAKE.

My main point was that, even though Brad Lofton and Col. Ricketts apparently never told Mayor Fretti, there was a larger solar array in Continue reading →

Citizens to be Heard will get moved back earlier —George B. Rhyne s

George Rhynes said he’s positive Citzens to be Heard will get moved back earlier in the agenda. The VDT quoted that part, in a story that doesn’t appear to be online yet. He also criticized the VDT for printing more about animals than about jail deaths.

Here’s the video:


Citizens to be Heard will get moved back earlier —George B. Rhynes
Regular Meeting, Valdosta City Council (VCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 4 June 2011.
Videos by Barbara Stratton for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Here’s George’s own video and writeup of what he said.

-jsq

Economic opportunity and cooperation —John Robinson @ VCC 9 June 2011

Discussing the VSEB program, John Robinson remarked:
We need the council up here to show us interest in this program.
He recommended everybody work together, including city and county.

Here’s the video:


Economic opportunity and cooperation —John Robinson @ VCC 9 June 2011
Regular Meeting, Valdosta City Council (VCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 4 June 2011.
Videos by Barbara Stratton for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Juneteenth in Valdosta

There are at least two Juneteenth celebrations scheduled in Valdosta this year:

7PM Tuesday June 14, 2011, Mathis Auditorium

Celebration Dinner
Minister James Robinson, Guest Speaker
Greater Morning Star Baptist Church
$10/ $5 (Children 4-10)
Call 253-8313 or 460-4889 for Tickets.

10AM – 6PM Saturday June 18, 2011, Pinevale Learning Center

VSU NAACP says:
From free food to a Gospelfest, there will be various vendors, organizations, and sponsors from all over in attendance.
Jane Osborn’s Community Calendar says: Continue reading →

Some might refer to this as sprawl —Tim Carroll

This comment from Tim Carroll came in Friday on Bright flight visualized. -jsq
John,

You may want to consider other reasons for Lanier’s residential growth. There was an explosion of lower cost housing there over the past 10 years. It has attracted a large percentage of Moody folks. This was in part a response to the cost of homes in Lowndes Co. More specifically land cost. One component of the ULDC adoption was a call for higher density developments in the unicorporated areas where at the time, land was cheaper. Unfortunately, those that owned the land picked on the demand and guess what…..the prices started to climb quickly.

Some might refer to this as sprawl. The other item of interest is the budget woes the Lanier County Board of Ed is having as a result of this growth. Residential property demands more in services than it pays for in taxes. Just something to consider. There may not be a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow.

-Tim Carroll

Juneteenth in Brooks County: 18 June 2011

Juneteenth started in Galveston, Texas, where the news of the Emancipation Proclamation arrived on the 19th of June, 1865. This year in Brooks County, Georgia, Juneteenth will be celebrated on Saturday the 18th of June from 8AM to 3PM at the Brooks County Courthouse.

According to WCTV:

Brooks County Juneteenth Festival. The mission is to restore, explore and preserve African-Indian history in Brooks County Georgia. The purpose is to honor, cherish and acknowledge the sacrifices our ancestors suffered and endured to allow us the blessings we enjoy today. The theme is “Honoring Our Past to Celebrate Our Future”. Anyone interested in being on committee, participating as vendor, performer or display an exhibit should call.
More details from Fannie Jackson in a facebook note dated 11 June 2011: Continue reading →