Tag Archives: James Wright

CALL TO ARMS –James Wright @ VCC 2013-07-11

Received a few minutes ago. -jsq

A call to arms, I wanted to share with you a e-mail I received from
Nolan Cox. I find his message offensive and seem as if he has a real


issue with low income residents. It would mean a lot if you can make
it to the Council meeting (5:30 p.m.) as I plan to address this
during Council Comments and hope that we can get input from the
community regarding this statement below. Your presence will help
us get the point across that our community mean something.

I have also included my response to Mr. Cox

Nolan Cox- Tea Party/Republican Party President

“As I listened to your discussion at the City Council work
session about the “need” to give away $800,000 of
taxpayer’s money through the Federal Home Loan Bank Program grant,
I was thinking that only about half of Americans pay federal income
taxes, and 43% of every federal dollar spent is borrowed, with the
interest on the nation’s $17 trillion debt soon to be larger than
the nation’s defense budget. Defense spending is a legitimate
constitutional function of the federal government, but repairing
houses, like most welfare giveaway programs, is not a legitimate Continue reading →

Jobs at the City of Valdosta


Valdosta City Council James R. Wright reminds us there are jobs open
at the City of Valdosta. Here’s the online list, which currently looks like this the table below.

-jsq

Job Type Application Deadline Salary
Police Officer Full Time 7/30/2012  $32,042.46
Neighborhood Development Coordinator Full Time 8/10/2012  $35,773.66
Laborer (Streets) PartTime 8/15/2012  $18,068.18
Public Works Director Full Time 8/8/2012  $62,994.88
Operations Superintendent Full Time 8/8/2012  $35,773.66
Automotive Service Worker Full Time Open Until Filled  $21,961.67
Refuse Collection Driver Full Time Open Until Filled  $23,059.92
Heavy Equipment Mechanic Full Time Open Until Filled  $26,694.72
Heavy Equipment Mechanic PartTime Open Until Filled  $12.83/hour
Human Resources Director Full Time Open Until Filled  DOQ

-jsq

Strategies for Lowndes County? —John S. Quarterman

My op-ed in the VDT today. -jsq

Our high schools and college graduates mostly have to go somewhere else, because jobs here are few and many of them don’t pay enough for a decent living. Should we not care enough about our families and our community to come up with strategies that grow existing businesses and attract new ones that will employ local people?

We need discussions and strategies that involve the whole community, going beyond just the usual planning professionals, to include all groups and individuals with information or opinions, whether they got here generations ago or last week: for fairness and for freedom.

Sometimes we see local strategy. Winn Roberson organized Drive Away CCA. Ashley Paulk verified there was no business case for a biomass plant in Lowndes County after many people successfully opposed it. School “unification” opponents, out-financed 10 to 1, still defeated that referendum 4 to 1.

How do we go beyond opposing things and move on to sustainable strategies that build clean industry?

The Industrial Authority focus group meeting I attended Wednesday was refreshing, because their consultants asked the opinions of people some of whom previously had to picket outside. The previous day, VLCIA Chairman Roy Copeland said this strategic planning process was a long time coming. I agree, and while nobody can say what will come of it at this point, I hope it does produce a real Economic Development Strategy.

Building on the Valdosta City Council’s annual consideration of affordable housing,

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Transparency in Valdosta (or not): Impediments to Fair Housing @ VCC 2012 04 05

The Valdosta City Council has apparently heard of transparency, but seems unclear on how to go about it, judging by this housing analysis issue.

David Rodock wrote for the VDT Sunday, Valdosta’s quality of life: Disagreement over how to fix the issues,

In early April, Valdosta City Council members voted almost unanimously to approve the submission of a plan to HUD that would address socio-economic problems for citizens — except for District 1 council member James Wright.

“I felt as if we didn’t have enough time to review the document,” said Wright, as the 100 page document was not provided until the day before the vote.

The document in question is the “Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing” and was prepared by a Texas firm, J-QUAD Planning Group. The study is required of any city that receives funds directly under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program though the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which Valdosta became eligible for in 2004.

According to the minutes of the 5 April 2012 Valdosta City Council meeting, Council Wright wanted to delay voting on the document because there was a lot of public interest in it. Mayor Gayle pointed out it was simply a pro-forma analysis required by HUD, and not a plan. Council Vickers said they could form a committee to make a plan. But the council didn’t seem to include formation of such a committee in the motion to accept the analysis that finally passed.

So Council Wright has moved ahead on his own:

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Citizens are entitled to hear where their elected officials stand —Leigh Touchton

This comment from Leigh Touchton came in today on
“Because it would be monitored. -jsq



Two weeks ago I delivered the official NAACP letter to all City Council
members (and Mayor Fretti) asking for a written response as to their
position on biomass and selling reclaimed water to the Wiregrass, LLC,
proposed incinerator.

No response. Not one.

I have heard that at least two Council members refuse to do so because
“it might be used against them.”

Citizens are entitled to hear where their elected officials stand on
these issues. At least Councilmen Vickers, Wright, and Yost have stated
publicly that they support biomass, even though black infants are already
dying in Valdosta at a rate twice as high as white infants. According
to Mr. Wright,

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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

Farmers grow renewable energy? –James Wright



Grow crops to burn for fuel, or for food?
Valdosta City Council member

James Wright brings up
an article about farmers growing plants for biomass fuel.
These things get passed around by council members, and I’m pretty sure
this one that came to me indirectly is it:



November 12, 2010 – Incentivizing Renewable Biomass Production,
by New Energy Farms, Leamington, Ontario.
What they’re mainly recommending is

Miscanthus,
which is a genus of clump grass.




The above video was already posted as part of

After all the citizens left –Valdosta City Council, 20 Jan 2011.

Now call me old-fashioned, but I prefer local farmers growing food

Continue reading →