Tag Archives: Lowndes County

Private Prisons don’t save money in Arizona

For this Sunday, a video of a church person spelling out The Pitfalls of Private Prisons; story by Caitlin Harrington for Arizona Public Media, July 20, 2011.
Arizona recently greenlit a new private prison slated to host over 5,000 beds.

Private prison supporters have long argued that private prisons save the state money. Now new research by the American Friends Service Committeesuggests Arizona’s private prisons are generally costing the same amount, if not more than state prisons.

“There’s an abundance of evidence that private prisons aren’t saving us money, are not entirely safe, and are really not good for the state of Arizona,” says Caroline Isaacs, program director of the committee, tells Arizona Illustrated.


Caroline Isaacs, program director, American Friends Service Committee

We don’t need a private prison in Lowndes County, Georgia. Spend those tax dollars on rehabilitation and education instead.

-jsq

The end game is …. —Karen Noll

Received yesterday on “the qualified voters voting thereon in each separate school system proposed to be consolidated”. -jsq
Questions abound: Why is it that Lowndes County residents will not be voting on the most important issue to face their school system since its inception in 1950?

If I lived in the county I’d be mad that CUEE and the Chamber of Commerce chose to leave my vote out of such a very important decision.

Quick fact: Consolidation alone will not save money & Consolidation alone will not improve academic success, according to the Vinson Institute report commissioned by CUEE and the Chamber.

Further Query: Why would CUEE and the Chamber of Commerce spend $50 grand to collect the signatures for the petition causing the City of Valdosta to spend thousands of tax dollars (2 staff dedicated to task & 4 temps hired) to verify the signatures on the petition?

Continue reading →

Not clear houses are more important than agriculture —John S. Quarterman @ LCC 12 July 2011

If somebody puts a subdivision next to your field, beware of trash, and the same if you buy a lot in it. For that matter, why do we need more houses?

Some of what I said:

To expand a little bit on that subdivision next to our west field, one of the builders continued to push trash into our field until I had to sue him for trespass in Superior Court to get him to stop.
I meant to say in Magistrate’s Court.
I called code enforcement multiple times and they did nothing to help stop it. Now that there’s a new fire chief perhaps things are better, but anybody who’s got a field nearby might want to watch for that.

Anyone who hopes to buy houses in the subdivision might want to watch to see if there are any dumpsters in there, because the subdivision near us, the trash was buried in the yards; you can ask anyone who owns one of those lots.

As far as needing houses for Moody, there are usually ten houses for sale in that subdivision, and roughtly 10 or 15 more that are for rent. So it’s not clear we actually need more houses.

As far as lot size, this is the same issue as came up last year with Glen Laurel on Old Pine Road. … The room was filled with people for the same reasons that you’re hearing now. At that time the commission decided to say ….

You can see for yourself what happened in May of last year: Continue reading →

Joe Pritchard notified of euthanasia violation March 2011

Joe Pritchard told us in May:
“We were not able to substantiate … accusations other than that … castration of pig.”
Yet he was notified in March of a euthanasia violation and missing drugs.

This PDF contains an inspection report dated “03-18-11” from the Ga. Dept. of Ag. Animal Protection Section. The images contain excerpts related to a euthanasia violation. -jsq

Recordkeeping – Page 186 on 01-26-11 was
missing on the Euthanasia paperwork. Total of 36cc
unaccounted for. Violation 40-13-13.08 [11] issued.
Continue reading →

Sprawl is not fiscally prudent —Gretchen Quarterman @ LCC 12 July 2011

David Rodock wrote in the VDT 13 July 2011, Citizens speak against Cat Creek crowding:
Gretchen Quarterman also spoke against the proposition, citing that extending residential areas further out into undeveloped Lowndes County would create greater strain on an already tight fiscal operating budget.
She referred to a report County Planner Jason Davenport commissioned from Prof. Jeffrey H. Dorfman of UGA, Local Government Fiscal Impacts of Land Use in Lowndes County, December 2007, in which he recommended development close in to existing services for the most benefit to all parties. As Prof. Dorfman has said,
“Local governments must ensure balanced growth, as sprawling residential growth is a certain ticket to fiscal ruin*
* Or at least big tax increases.”
He noted
“The same growth done more densely and contiguously saves both money, farmland, and provides environmental amenities.”
Prof. Dorfman has even quantified national averages for Continue reading →

Traffic on Cat Creek Road at Nottinghill —Thomas E. Stalvey Jr. @ LCC 12 July 2011

Schoolchildren, safety, and farmland: three topics that often seem forgotten in discussions of development. Opposing the proposed rezoning for Notthinghill, neighbor Thomas E. Stalvey Jr. noted that traffic on Cat Creek Road is already a problem, and adding a subdivision would make it worse. He noted that it’s traffic routed down Cat Creek to Moody that accounts for a lot of it. He said school children stood out on the road and they were already in danger.
“If we put 49 more houses out there, it’s just going to up the risk.”

He explicitly linked road widening to development: Continue reading →

Roy Copeland elected Chairman @ VLCIA 19 July 2011

Outgoing chairman Jerry Jennett asked nominating committee chair Tom Call to read the slate of officers discussed last time to server for FYE 2012. They were: Roy Copeland Chairman, Mary Gooding Vice-Chairman, and Norman Bennett Secretary-Treasurer. The board voted unanimous to approve that slate, and Jennett practically threw the hot potato gavel to new Chairman Roy Copeland.

Here’s Part 1 of 3: Continue reading →

Small emerging businesses —Mr. Robinson @ VLCIA 19 July 2011

John Robinson congratulated Roy Copeland for accepting the position as chair of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA) and said:
We’re looking forward to working along with you guys, because we truly need the help now on the other side of the railroad track over there.
…
And we do believe that if everyone try to work together we can get something done.

Update: What the VDT said:

Received a thank you from John Robinson of the Black Businessmen’s Association during the Citizens to be Heard portion of the meeting for agreeing to work with small and emerging businesses, with the goal of removing the “social divide” in the city;

Here’s the video:


Small emerging businesses —Mr. Robinson @ VLCIA 19 July 2011
Regular Meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
Norman Bennett, Tom Call, Roy Copeland chairman, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett,
Andrea Schruijer Executive Director, J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Allan Ricketts Project Manager,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 19 July 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Valdosta City Council just passed motion for alcohol referendum —Jordan Leman

Jordan Leman is a student at VSU who had just spoken to the Valdosta City Council in Citizens to be Heard, at the same regular session yesterday where they approved putting referendum about Sunday alcohol sales on November’s ballot.
“…try to get as many college students and as many non-college students here in Valdosta and Lowndes County to go out and vote for it or to go register to vote.
…
Get the word out to go vote on Sunday sales.”

Here’s the video:


Valdosta City Council just passed motion for alcohol referendum —Jordan Leman
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 21 July 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Update: What the VDT said:

Buying alcohol on Sundays just got one step closer to reality Thursday evening, with the Valdosta City Council’s passage of an ordinance to authorize a referendum for the Nov. 8 General Election.

The referendum will allow voters in the city of Valdosta to decide whether package sales of malt beverages, wine and distilled spirits should be allowed by retailers on Sundays between 12:30 and 11:30 p.m. Currently, citizens can purchase alcoholic beverages on Sundays at local restaurants. This measure, approved by the state of Georgia’s legislature this year, will allow package and grocery stores, and other retailers, to sell alcoholic beverages on Sundays.

The measure passed 5 to 1, with Councilman Robert Yost opposing. Councilman Deidre White was not in attendance.

-jsq

I was hurt … from holding the loop stick while the pig pulled, jerked, and squealed out of pain —statement of Amanda Jordan

In this PDF of a statement of 5 May 2010 from Amanda Jordan, she alleges inappropriate use of euthanasia, improper boarding of horses, improper castration of a pig, and resulting physical injury to an employee. She asks for:
“I feel that some detailed financial, paperwork, and computer investigation should be conducted within the Lowndes County Animal Services office. Taxpayer’s dollars are spent to keep these animals of Lowndes County safe, and I’m sure if the citizens of Lowndes County were aware of some of these things they may be very hurt and disgusted with the Board of Commissioners for not making sure the right measures are being taken to do what is right for this office.”

Here is a transcription. -jsq


My Name is Amanda Jordan. From June 2005 to December 2007, I worked for the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners Office with the Animal Services Division. Linda Patelski was the director and my direct supervisor during that time. I enjoyed my job as a shelter attendant dearly. It was such a pleaser to see animals get adopted to new homes or returned to their owners if they were picked up by Animal Control officers.
As rewarding as it was, I also had other jobs that were not as pleasurable. Euthinizing animals were sometimes heartbreaking. While some animals were injured, sick, or feral, others were perfectly healthy and just needed a home. Due to the lack of space in the facility they had to be euthanized. I recall a full term pregnant female dog came into the office. Normally, this would be a reason to put a dog down due to the inability of space to house a mother dog and her puppies. Because this particular mother dog was some sort of small breed and her puppies expected to be small breed Linda Patelski (the director) decided we must keep these puppies for adoption. Even with the risk of diseases they were saved for the adoption room as other healthy dogs were put to sleep to accompany the space for the puppies. The shelter also has
Continue reading →