What was missing from Brad Lofton’s speech?

Seems like there’s something from Brad Lofton’s speech at the Lake Park Chamber of Commerce on 28 January 2011. Right at the end he mentioned:
a project we’ve been working on


Brad Lofton, Executive Director, Valdosta-Lowndes COunty Industrial Authority,
speaking at the Lake Park Chamber of Commerce annual dinner,
Lake Park, Lowndes County, Georgia, 28 January 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

What could that project be?

Right at the beginning Lofton said:

Ben Copeland beat me slap silly
Maybe that’s a clue. What did Ben Copeland say about Brad Lofton?
Brad Lofton was going to talk after me, and he’d talk about biomass. [laughter]


Video of Ben Copeland, Past Chairman of the Board, Wiregrass Technical College,
speaking at the Lake Park Chamber of Commerce annual dinner,
Lake Park, Lowndes County, Georgia, 28 January 2011.
by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Copeland also said:

“One of the things that keeps some of these rivers going is the treated effluent that goes into them.

Now Brad Lofton wants to use some of that up in a biomass plant. We have a problem there.”

And Ben Copeland concluded by saying:
I look forward to what my friend Brad Lofton has to say. I’m sure he’s not going to have any question and answer period tonight.


Video of Ben Copeland, Past Chairman of the Board, Wiregrass Technical College,
speaking at the Lake Park Chamber of Commerce annual dinner,
Lake Park, Lowndes County, Georgia, 28 January 2011.
by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Well, Copeland was right: Lofton didn’t have a Q&A period. Not that he ever really has.

Curious how Ben Copeland has no hesitation mentioning biomass three times, and criticizing it, while Brad Lofton can’t even bring himself to say the word. Quite a change from only a few weeks ago when VLCIA took out a full page ad in the VDT about the proposed biomass plant!

Who knows? Maybe VLCIA is starting to realize that the biomass plant is a joke around the county and a huge distraction from other, much better, work VLCIA is doing.

Which brings us to Luana Goodwin’s question in the VDT:

I wonder if there is any way for the Industrial Authority, County Commission and City Council to now do the right thing for Lowndes County. How can they save face?

-jsq