A protester I hadn’t seen before:
I live in the shadows of where they were talking about building it. So I’m a little sceptical when they tell me that, you know, it’s safe.He told me his name, but my memory for names is like, er, what was I saying? Somebody please help identify him.They told me the same about Agent Organge before I went to Vietnam. It turned out it was dangerous to us.
Here’s the video: Continue reading
Every protester has a story:
We’re here to protest the building of the biomass plant. We think it’s ill-conceived to contaminate our air. Our children, retirees, all sorts of folks….
Here’s the video:
Ill-conceived to contaminate our air –Barry Z. Hyatt @ VLCIA 19 April 2011
Biomass protesters,
Regular Meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
Norman Bennett, Tom Call, Roy Copeland, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett chairman,
Brad Lofton Executive Director, J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Allan Ricketts Project Manager,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 19 April 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
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In case you thought they had gone away,
here’s a video of biomass protesters at the most recent
Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA) meeting.
I suggested they put up some permanent signs.
Here’s the video:
Protesters @ 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.
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But there are still those who don’t understand the purpose of a newspaper, and it’s clearly not to be a marketing tool for the community. In addition to reporting the news of the day, a newspaper’s job as a member of the “fourth estate,” so deemed by Thomas Jefferson, is to hold public officials accountable for their actions.Now let’s see them apply the same standard to CUEE, or can the VDT not see through the bogus claims of an organization it supports?
To The Times and its editorial board, it’s far worse for the community’s image to have public officials knowingly lie, illegally withhold public documents and try to bully those who are only after the truth.
“When officials act like they are hiding something, they usually are.” When officials act like they are hiding something, they usually are. You can’t be accused of lying if you don’t lie. You won’t receive an open-records request if you answer questions honestly and in accordance with the law.
Companies looking to settle in a community are understanding when it comes to crime, as it happens everywhere. But far more interesting to them is the honesty and integrity of the community’s officials.
If an entity will lie and withhold information from the local news media and the citizens, why would industry expect any different?
There was an old game show called Truth or Consequences. Too often, some entities ignore the truth and are surprised by the consequences. Sadly, the public too often feels the consequences when it could use a little truth.
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I hear this all the time around here:
“We’re not going to get into debate.”
“We will not, however, debate you over e-mail.”
“There’s been enough debate.”
“one more public meeting with 15 minutes of pros and cons and then hopefully that will be the end of discussion.”
“I’m not going to debate you about that.”
“Debate is not allowed.”Well, why not? When did “debate” become a dirty word? What if we call it a civil discussion, will that make it sound better? Nobody seems to know how to do that, either.
And that, my friends, is the real failure of the local education system.
Next: how they do it in the best education system in the world.
-jsq
Well, it’s good to know somebody’s in charge at the Authority.“It’s forthcoming. I can’t tell you anything because quite frankly, lawyers have their own schedules. I literally do not know specific details because I’m not privy to that information as of this moment.”
My mistake in thinking they just elected you Chairman.
Much more in David Rodock’s story in the VDT today, Decision still looms for future of once proposed biomass plant site.
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The IA promised a future of more open communication.Good point!
And yet Tuesday, the board’s attorney refused to answer any questions regarding the potential sale of the land to the company, citing a caveat in the Open Records Act that protects information involved in a current legal issue. The Times issued an Open Records request Tuesday to obtain the information requested or copies of the litigation documents, assuming that since the attorney cited this exemption, there is an active lawsuit over the land sale.
The VDT acknowledged its own mistake and moved to correct it: Continue reading
I promise one can only imagine what it’s like to have a loved one die in your arms from a chronic lung disease like COPD, when every breath is a struggle and each day that passes a long and horrible death is the inevitable, my mother moved here with me from south Florida, her quality of life changed until her death from COPD in 2003. Biomass affects everyone, not just in the county it’s built in.
I personally have children which I would love to see grow with strong healthy lung functions. Some children and adults already have asthma and other lung disorders. I’m not quite sure of the long term effects biomass consist of but I am quite sure were going to be the ones that suffer in the end each and every one of us! It does raise my concern when Dr. Noll speaks about biomass and we all might need to rethink the potential danger it will bring with it. Previously I thought it was a good energy source, I now think otherwise. Speak now or forever hold your peace because I get this feeling… there sneaking in!
-Susan Leavens
Dr. Noll, president of WACE, welcomed VLCIA’s new executive director Andrea Schruijer, and
then reminded the board that the honking cars outside
indicated an ongoing community assessment of biomass,
and he encouraged them to consider previously presented
materials and to prevent the biomass plant from
finding a back door to come back in.
He remarked that he had visited his mother in Germany:
One and half years ago she was in the intensive care unit for about three weeks because she had severe lung issues. She moved away after that to an area where there isn’t the kind of air pollution she was exposed to before hand, and every single day she wakes up she feels like she’s on vacation.
Here’s the video:
Because of my mother —Dr. Noll @ 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.
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David Rodock wrote in the VDT 14 July 2011, Industrial Authority welcomes new director,
That sounds like Industrial-speak for they’re going to “move on to” things that do work. However she chooses to phrase it, it’s about time.When it comes to the proposed biomass facility and maintaining a healthy relationship with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, which assisted the Industrial Authority in attracting the project, Schruijer believes staff and board members will be able to work through the situation.
“With economic development, it can be difficult to juggle a lot of different items,” said Schruijer. “It’s a balancing act to make sure you have all the parties involved and educated on the situation. The Department of Economic Development was there to help us recruit the project and they did just what they were supposed to do. In fact, they went above and beyond their duties by brushing over this project with a fine tooth comb. We worked with them and they worked with us. It seemed like a good project, and I think we’ll be able to work through this, maintain a good relationship with them as long as we keep the avenues for communication open.”
Regarding transparency: Continue reading