Tag Archives: Law

Cobb EMC backing off of coal at Plant Washington

Could Plant Ben Hill be next?

Kim Isaza wrote for MDJOnline yesterday,

Cobb EMC’s pursuit cools on coal-fired power plant

Cobb EMC’s interest in building the coal-fired Plant Washington


appears to be dead, and the company has begun soliciting bids for
its future power supplies.

The electric cooperative has already spent $13.5 million toward
permitting for the coal plant, which would be a new direction for
the company from simply delivering electricity to also generating
it.

On Jan. 24, Dean Alford, a spokesman for the Power 4 Georgians
consortium of EMCs behind Plant Washington, is slated to address the
Cobb EMC board, presumably in an effort to save the plant, for which
his company, Allied Energy, got a no-bid development contract from
P4G.

The Cobb EMC board could decide at that meeting whether to put any
more money toward the project.

Many details of the 850-megawatt Plant Washington, including exactly
why it is needed and any firm idea of what it will cost to build and
operate, have been kept quiet, sparking critical questions from EMC
members and environmental groups. It was proposed under former EMC
head Dwight Brown, who is facing 34 criminal charges of theft and
racketeering relating to his leadership at EMC.

So can somebody come up with an 850 MW solar plant to propose by 24 Jan 2012?

-jsq

Who gets to serve on the Brooks County School Board —VDT

The VDT caught up with the TV stations today on the Quitman 10 story,
and provided updates and context they did not.

David Rodock wrote on the front page of the VDT today,

Gov. suspends `Quitman Ten’ officials,

On Tuesday, Deal issued his order prior to the Brooks County Board
of Education’s first meeting of 2012. Dr. Nancy Whitfield-Dennard,
Elizabeth Diane Thomas and Linda Faye Troutman were notified of this
suspension at approximately 4:30 p.m., according to sources.

That’s a bit more context than

the TV stations provided.

The VDT also says who gets to serve instead:

Following the governor’s suspension this week, Brooks County school
board member Brad Shealy, who is also an assistant Southern district
attorney, was appointed to serve as president of the board with
board member Larry Cunningham serving as vice president. Shealy
served many years as the school board president prior to
Whitfield-Dennard being named president last year.

That seems to be

the same Brad Shealy who used to be chairman
until the recent election.

The VDT adds this context:

Continue reading →

Gov. Deal suspended 3 Brooks Co. School Board members

The two local TV stations have an update on the Quitman 10:
the governor has suspended the three who were elected to the Brooks
County School Board.
If the VDT has covered this, I must have missed it.
(OK, I should look at
today’s paper….)
There’s also nothing about this on the

Brooks County School Board website.

Jade Bulecza wrote for WALB yesterday,

Governor orders Brooks Co. School Bd. suspensions



Superintendent Debra Folsom got the governor’s order Tuesday
suspending the three board members.

“This is all new territory for us,” said Folsom. “We’re consulting
our attorney to see what the next steps we will take to fill the
positions.”

December 20 a review commission made up of the attorney general and
two school board members from across Georgia were appointed by the
governor to review the case.

“They heard evidence from the prosecution and from the accused and
the conclusion of that they made a determination and forwarded that
to the governor’s office whether to suspend or not to suspend the
three school board members,” said South Georgia District Attorney
Joe Mulholland.

December 30, the review panel unanimously made their decision.

That would be the same Joe Mulholland

who’s been on TV saying things like

Continue reading →

Solar energy trust to help fund Bulloch County’s budget

This story is very interesting in light of Georgia’s territoriality
agreement which (I am not a lawyer) basically says not just anybody
can sell electric power to municipalities.

Mary Carr Mayle wrote for SavannahNow 27 September 2011,

Solar firm establishes energy trust

Two area doctors, co-owners of the Tabby Power Solar Co. in Bulloch


County, have formed the Georgia Energy Trust Fund to direct part of
their company’s proceeds to the county.

And, while it will take more than a few generations – some 350
years, in fact – Savannah dermatologist Dr. Sidney P. Smith and
Brunswick pathologist Dr. Pat Godbey hope the trust fund will
eventually generate enough money to pay all of Bulloch County’s
budget and create a prototype other rural Georgia counties can
follow.

Initially, the doctors are donating 1.5 percent of the gross
receipts from their six-acre solar farm in Pembroke to the trust,
which will invest in state bonds for the county. The county will
then receive half of the earned interest, with the other half
reinvested for the county.

Interesting angle, that: they’re not directly selling the power
to the county; they’re using some of their income to buy bonds
for the county.
And they’re inviting others to do the same:

Other county solar installations, both private and public, will be
able to contribute to the fund, he said.

Will Georgia Power (or somebody) sue?
We’ll see!

And they didn’t wait for North Carolina or New Jersey to do it first:

Smith believes the Georgia Energy Trust is the first trust fund of
its kind in the country.

“It will lead to financial independence in the counties in
which it is enacted.”

Sounds like a plan to me!

-jsq

Quitman 10 to see Gov. Deal in Atlanta —George Rhynes

Received today. -jsq


Moreover, I have just been notified that the Quitman 10 will be
traveling to Atlanta on Friday

to meet with Georgia Governor Deal
about remaining on the Brooks County Board of Education.
I will most certainly miss

Senator Robert Brown here in the

State of Georgia.

-GEORGE BOSTON RHYNES

From Macon, Patrick Davis provides insight into the Quitman 10 case

While the Valdosta Daily Times, WCTV, and WALB remain silent
about the Quitman 10,
and all you hear on local TV is

the D.A. giving his opinion of the case,
in faraway Macon Patrick Davis digs into more things we should be hearing.



Patrick Davis wrote yesterday for the Macon Political Buzz Examiner,

Jim Crow politics on display as Brooks County absentee case proceeds

Brad Shealy, who had been the long-time chairman of the Brooks Board
of Education faced the prospect of being voted out as chairman and
witnessing a majority-black Brooks County Board of Education for the
first time ever.

Shealy lost his position when new leadership was elected in January
2011.

Shealy’s day job is the assistant district attorney under J. David
Miller who originally started the investigation back in the late
summer of 2010.

Excuse me?
The former Brooks County school board chairman works for the D.A.’s office?
And the D.A. is going on TV for pre-trial propaganda in the case?

Patrick Davis asks the obvious question:

Continue reading →

D.A. Joe Mulholland on Fox News on the Quitman 10

This is what local TV viewers are hearing and seeing about the Quitman 10.
Somebody tell me, is it appropriate for a district attorney to declare
people guilty before trial?

Justin Schuver wrote for the Post-Searchlight 29 November 2011,

Mulholland interviewed on Fox News

Local viewers of Fox News on Sunday morning might have seen a


familiar face on their screen, as South Georgia Judicial Circuit
District Attorney Joe Mulholland was interviewed by the national
news station about his prosecution of a voter-fraud case in Brooks
County, Ga.

Mulholland spoke to Fox News newsman Eric Shawn for approximately
four-and-a-half minutes about the case, which involves 12 citizens
charged for allegedly tampering in a July 2010 primary election.

According to the Valdosta Daily Times, school board incumbents Gary
Rentz and Myra Exum were leading in their races, before the absentee
ballots were counted. After those 979 absentee ballots were
tabulated, challengers Linda Troutman and Elizabeth Thomas were able
to overtake the incumbents’ leads and eventually win election in
November.

On Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation
arrested

Continue reading →

Lowndes County priorities: tanks and lunches for Commissioners, but no lunches for seniors?

So the Lowndes County Commission wouldn't accept a grant for NOAA Weather Radios, (but did vote themselves $75/day travel per diem), wouldn't accept a grant for an emergency vehicle, cancelled lunches for seniors, and barely approved a grant to help people with home downpayments, but the Lowndes County Sheriff's office did accept a grant for an armored vehicle.

Dawn Castro wrote for the VDT today, BearCat Rules: Lowndes sheriff’s office has new armored vehicle

BearCats are typically referred to by law enforcement as being armored rescue vehicles primarily used to transport tactical SWAT officers to and from hostile situations and to assist with the recovery and protection of civilians in harm’s way during terrorist threats, hostage incidents or encounters with armed offenders. The BearCat is designed to provide protection from a variety of small arms, explosives and IED threats.

Sure, and it will never be used against peaceful protesters.

Last month in Tampa, Adam Freeman wrote for WTSP.com 21 November 2011, Are Tampa police using tanks to threaten Occupy protestors?

Members of the movement say TPD is cruising by in the big, armored trucks. Pictures spread around the country over Facebook and Twitter, leading to speculation that TPD was moving in with the tanks.

But officers say it's just a coincidence, and the vehicle act passed by on its way to a Great American Teach-In event.

Maybe the Lowndes County Sheriff's dept. would never misuse an armored vehicle.

And I know, the Sheriff is a constitutional officer and the Lowndes County Commission has very limited control over the Sheriff's budget.

But it's still our same tax dollars. Are these our priorities?

-jsq

FVCS Final Meeting 15 November 2011

Former electoral opponents met Tuesday as FVCS held

its final meeting,
with Rusty Griffin, Vice-Chair of CUEE,
watching at the MLK Monument as
Sam Allen, President of Friends of
Valdosta Schools (FVCS) announced the dissolution of FVCS.

Sam Allen,

as he has before,
called for

reconciliation of opponents on the recent school consolidation referendum,


and support of the two school systems,
financially and otherwise.

In addition to FVCS regulars such as JC Cunningham,
Chamber Chair Tom Gooding was there,
as were current Valdosta Mayor Sonny Vickers and
Mayor-Elect John Gayle, plus re-elected Valdosta City Council At-Large Ben Norton.
Valdosta School Superintendent Cason was there.
I didn’t see Lowndes Superintendent Smith,
although various members of

Continue reading →

57 year overdue house cleaning —Barbara Stratton

Received today on

Repealing the 1928 GA School Consolidation Law. -jsq

The 1926 statute that needs to be removed is

OCGA 20-2-370. The


1983 constitutional law
had priority of law precedence over the older statute &
CUEE was advised before they asked for signatures it could be protested
on those grounds before or after the vote. Thankfully we did not have to
go that route. I remember in high school I did a project on outdated laws
still in the GA Constitution including mandatory hanging for horse theft
(which I liked). There was also a law if you hit & killed a cow or pig
on the road you were required to get out & slit the throat so the owner
could salvage the meat & many others that were outdated & no longer
enforced. I trust these have now been removed. The general assembly
should be thankful that we are addressing this 57 year overdue need for
house cleaning & remedy this in January. Rule of Law should never remain
questionable when it is the duty of our lawmakers to provide clarity.

-Barbara Stratton

According to Justia.com:


2010 Georgia Code

TITLE 20 – EDUCATION

CHAPTER 2 – ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

ARTICLE 8 – CONSOLIDATION OF INDEPENDENT AND COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEMS

§ 20-2-370 – Referendum on repeal of special school law and consolidation of systems



O.C.G.A. 20-2-370 (2010)

20-2-370. Referendum on repeal of special school law and consolidation of systems

Whenever the citizens of a municipality or independent school district
authorized by law to establish and maintain a system of schools by local
taxation in whole or in part are operating a system of public schools
independent of the county school system and wish to annul their special
school law and become a part of the county school system, they shall
present and file with the governing authority of the city a petition
signed by one-fourth of the qualified voters of their territory; and the
governing authority shall then submit the question at an election to
be held in accordance with Chapter 2 of Title 21. A majority of those
voting shall be necessary to carry the election. Only qualified voters
residing within the municipality or district for six months prior to
the election shall vote. An election shall not be held for the same
purpose more often than every 12 months.

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