Former chair of
Community Partners in Education (CPIE) Jerome Tucker continued:
Three weeks ago, at JL Lomax, I had lunch at Southeast Elementary Community
Partners in Education.
I didn’t see a Chamber […] person there; I didn’t see a CUEE member there.
How in the world are you going to know what’s going on in school
if you don’t go in?
[Applause]
Jerome Tucker has experience in all the major local business organizations
and with both the local school systems.
He used to be the chair of the Community Partners in Education (CPIE)
that a CUEE board member had never heard of.
He is the voice of experience, and here’s what he said:
You told me not to cheerlead, but I’ve got the mic in my hand.
I don’t have the right to vote, but I’m encouraging
everybody to vote no.
I have friends in the city.
Call them; tell them to vote no.
[Applause.]
This is too important an issue in our community not to lead a cheer.
Then he established his personal credentials, stated the truth as he knows
it, and issue a challenge.
First he bragged on the local school systems:
Somebody’s supposed to be about business thinks we don’t have what it takes
to compete;
somebody make a statement, and I’m an old country boy.
My granny told me things that are said are the truth or a lie.
The things I say … this afternoon are what I’ve experienced.
That’s what I call a primary source.
He discussed other places that brag on our school systems, then:
I challenge anybody to have been as involved as consistently and as long as I have
in business and community development in and around Valdosta and Lowndes County.
I’ve served as chairman of the Industrial Authority.
I’ve served as chairman of the Tourism Authority.
I’ve served as chairman of the Valdosta Technical Board of Education.
I’ve been on the superintendent’s council of schools.
A member of CPIE since its inception.
I challenge anyone….
There are a bunch of changes to the Comprehensive Plan and the
Land Development Regulations (LDR) that people ought to pay attention to,
scheduled for tonight’s Valdosta City Council (VCC) meeting.
But the one many people are going to see is this one:
6.a) Consideration of a Position Statement on School Consolidation.
Nolen Cox seems to think CHIP grant recipients don’t work.
Chairman Paulk declined to let Mrs. Cox speak because he said in a letter
to the Commission she called them idiots.
When he let Nolen Cox speak, Cox said:
I think it’s interesting that the comments
about the CHIP grant comes after the vote.
Y’all must be an all-wise group.
Chairman Paulk referred to that as sarcastic.
Cox disagreed.
Paulk said it was in his opinion and he decided such things there.
Cox asserted that:
to get a $300,000 grant it takes about $420,000
of tax money accumulated from citizens.
He didn’t cite any source for those figures.
He did claim the Commission was luring people into homebuying
while home prices are going down.
Somebody had to work for the money that they didn’t get
to give to somebody who didn’t work.
Sounds like he was saying CHIP grant recipients don’t work.
I wonder how they pay their mortgages then, since CHIP grants
as near as I can tell only help with down payments?
This grant will serve people who are in the 80% or below median income bracket.
These people probably would not be able to afford purchasing a house
without down payment assistance.
And especially in today’s economic times these people need a hand up.
Instead of renters, they become taxpayers, and that certainly helps our economy.
Thanks for accepting the CHIP grant –Carolyn Selby @ LCC 27 Sep 2011
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 27 September 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
A citizen (didn’t get his name; sorry) stood up to remark on the stray dogs
that kept getting loose in his neighborhood, and how when animal control came
they just took the dogs back to their owners, who let them loose again.
Chairman Ashley Paulk had no hesitation in saying the sheriff should be called
on the owners.
Stray dogs and the law @ LCC 27 Sep 2011
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 27 September 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Twice Tuesday Ashley Paulk broke a tie to vote for assistance state-funded
assistance for poor people for affordable housing.
Joyce Evans made the motion, Crawford Powell said nothing,
Richard Raines was absent, and Paulk seconded and broke the tie for.
Tuesday the Lowndes County Commission considered a routine acceptance of a
Community HOME Investment Program (CHIP)
grant.
The previous morning at the work session, Commissioner Raines had
(according to the VDT) said he was against it.
(This is the same Richard Raines who thought
NOAA Weather Radios were “wasteful spending” back in March.)
However, Raines was not at the regular session Tuesday;
presumably he was on one of his many sales trips.
Twice, Commissioner Evans made a motion related to CHIP,
and Commissioner Powell did nothing.
Twice, Chairman Paulk exercised his privilege in such a case
and broke the tie, seconding and voting for the CHIP grant.
Tuesday the Lowndes County Commission voted to renew a land lease contract
with a saddle club for I’m pretty sure they said $100 a year.
Commissioner Powell made the motion.
Yet he said nothing at all a few minutes before and after when two
votes came up about routine acceptance of a
Community HOME Investment Program (CHIP)
grant to help relatively less affluent people afford housing.
Commissioner Raines, who grandstanded about CHIP the previous
morning at the work session, apparently had no problem with the
saddle club subsidy.
He didn’t show up Tuesday to vote for or against either.
Now I have nothing against the saddle club; I know little about it. It’s the double standard that bothers me.
If you have trouble hearing what is said in this video,
thank the Commissioners for
the award they gave LAKE.
Commission votes to subsidize saddle club
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 27 September 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
VSU student Bobbi Anne Hancock asked Gov. Nathan Deal what was going on
with the selection process for a new president for Valdosta State University.
He went on at some length but I can’t quite make out whether he answered the
question.
What about VSU President selection? —Bobbi Anne Hancock to Nathan Deal @ VSU 16 September 2011
Student protesters,
Press Conference, Gov. Nathan Deal (VSU),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 16 September 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
What about Phil Kent? — Kathryn Grant to Gov. Deal @ VSU 16 Sep 2011
Student protesters,
Press Conference, Gov. Nathan Deal (VSU),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 16 September 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Three weeks ago, at JL Lomax, I had lunch at Southeast Elementary Community Partners in Education. I didn’t see a Chamber […] person there; I didn’t see a CUEE member there. How in the world are you going to know what’s going on in school if you don’t go in?
