Tag Archives: jobs

I’m all for openness —Tom Call



The member who hardly ever speaks at board meetings makes a strong case for openness.

Tom Call

called me back about the biomass plant,
and we talked about a number of other matters.
He remarked that he was not an appointed spokesperson for the Industrial
Authority, so this is just him talking.

I asked him about

Ashley Paulk’s remarks in the 26 April 2011 Lowndes County Commission
meeting.
Tom Call said VLCIA was not standing behind any other body,
and he clarified what had happened.

He said the biomass plant had been brought to the Industrial
Authority by

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Biomass is a bad idea —Matt Flumerfelt @ VLCIA 19 April 2011



Matt Flumerfelt says he’s a musician, writer, and poet,
and doesn’t usually go in for speaking about politics.
But he’s come to the conclusion that the biomass plant
is a bad idea.

Here’s

the video:




Biomass is a bad idea —Matt Flumerfelt @ VLCIA 19 April 2011

Regular monthly 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, 19 April 2011,

Videos by Gretchen Quarterman and John S. Quarterman

for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Wiregrass Solar is connected to the grid —Col. Ricketts @ VLCIA 19 April 2011



Acting Executive Director Allan Ricketts reported to the VLCIA board
that the Wiregrass Solar plant is connected to the grid now.
He gave a bit of detail about the commissioning ceremony that
was cancelled due to weather; apparently dignitaries from across
the state were expected to attend.
No new date has been set.
He’s still

supposed to let me know when the new date is set.

Here’s

the video:




Wiregrass Solar is connected to the grid —Col. Ricketts @ VLCIA 19 April 2011

Biomass protesters,
Regular monthly 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, 19 April 2011,

Videos by Gretchen Quarterman and John S. Quarterman

for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

About those minutes —Bobbi Anne Hancock @ VLCIA 19 April 2011



Stonewalling is a good way to get your Industrial Authority

on the front page
of the local newspaper (again).
Here’s video of what Bobbi Anne Hancock said to the board about their minutes (and other things).

First, here’s is VDT reporter David Rodock’s excerpt of what she
said last night:



Bobbi Anne Hancock, the woman who made an Open Records request with the
Authority for meeting minutes from 2006 to the present day, spoke to
board members during the citizens to be heard portion of the meeting.

“The majority of your costs for the request are for the five hours

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Protesters at Industrial Authority, 19 April 2011



The protesters are revolting these days!
Is there nothing an Industrial Authority can do to keep them off its doorstep?

Where are

these people protesting?
Could it be outside the Industrial Authority?




Protesters @ VLCIA 19 April 2011 Part 1 of 4:

Biomass protesters,
Regular monthly 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, 19 April 2011,

Videos by Gretchen Quarterman and John S. Quarterman

for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Why that sign says

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Former Mexican president Vicente Fox urges drug legalization

Sandra Dibble writes in signonsandiego 6 April 2011 that

Former Mexican president urges drug legalization




Photo by Omar Martinez — Frontera

Legalization of drugs in Mexico would not only lead to lowered violence
and drug consumption but also boost its economy, former Mexican President
Vicente Fox said Wednesday during a speech to a convention of newspaper
editors from the United States and Latin America.

“Things are going very badly for Mexico with the issues of organized
crime and violence,” Fox said in Spanish. “We’re losing large
volumes of tourists, if not in the interior, then at the border. We’re
losing a great number of investments.”

And if there were more jobs in Mexico, from tourism and investments,
there would be fewer Mexicans trying to sneak into the U.S. for jobs.

Will legalization cause more drug use? No:

On Wednesday, Fox cited the example of Portugal, where he said drugs
use has fallen by 25 percent a decade after they were legalized there.

That would be better than
locking up more people for private profit
while not decreasing drug use, and that’s what we’re doing now.

-jsq

When the biomass plant is cancelled —John S. Quarterman

What will happen to the spirit of activism when the biomass plant is cancelled?



I applaud the activism of

the many and varied biomass opponents!
Let me repeat my prediction: the biomass plant will never be built.
That’s no reason to stop doing what you’re doing.
You know opposition is having an effect when

VLCIA repeatedly denies it.

You might be surprised how many other people think this plant will
never be built.
Ashley Paulk told me

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Meanwhile in Dublin and Laurens County, Georgia



Jerome Tucker
mentioned that it was

Willie Paulk who enticed MAGE SOLAR
to Dublin and Laurens County, Georgia.
She’s

president of the Dublin Laurens County Chamber of Commerce.
Here’s

a writeup in GeorgiaTrend
about what’s going on there.

Hm, instead of

taking out $15 million in bonds to be paid back by the taxpayers,
the community around Dublin joined together and made available
just as much money:

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Explain about the penalties if the voters don’t pass T-SPLOST? –Norman Bennett

What about those penalities Corey Hull of VLMPO mentioned when he

explained T-SPLOST to VLCIA?



Norman Bennett, VLCIA board member and former chairman of the Lowndes County Commmission,

asked Corey Hull:

Can you explain that again for me about the penalties if the voters don’t pass the tax?
If the county’s got a project, then they’ve got to put up ten percent
or whatever the percentage is?

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Corey Hull explains T-SPLOST to VLCIA, 15 Feb 2011



What’s this about yet another sales tax decided on by
regional transportation boards and GDOT?

Corey Hull of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Metropolitan Planning Organization
(VLMPO)
explained T-SPLOST
at the regular monthly meeting,
Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA).
Georgia HB 277, which was passed by the legislature and signed into law
last year,
calls for a 1% regional sales tax (T-SPLOST) to fund
transportation projects.


The region including Lowndes County has 18 counties,

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