Category Archives: Community

5.a. Legal issues —Attorney Talley and others @ VCC 25 August 2011

Council Carroll noted that council was merely voting on putting a referendum on the ballot.

Attorney Talley said he hadn’t looked at soem of the legal possibilities, and talked about several specific pairs of counties consolidating schools.

Council White asked for further clarification.

Manager Hanson used an analogy of annexation (for which he said there were at least four legal methods) to indicate that proponents could pick whichever one they liked. He said someone could choose to challenge it in court. I believe he also said council could vote against holding the referendum.

Here’s the video:


5.a. Legal issues –Attorney Talley and others @ VCC 25 August 2011
petition, education, referendum,
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 25 August 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

5.a. The process has not been followed. —James Wright @ VCC 25 August 2011

Council Wright again said proper legal process had not been followed.
The local school boards that are responsible for this burden should have sent a motion to the state board of education asking for it [a feasibility study on consolidation]. That has not happened.
He called the state board of education and the Valdosta Board of Education and no feasibility has been done.
The process has not been followed.
…
This is the law.
…
This is in black and white.

Here’s the video: Continue reading →

5.a. I believe … our Valdosta citizens can make this decision —Ben Norton @ VCC 25 August 2011

Council Ben Norton, who hardly ever speaks, noted that he was elected at-large and thus represents all of Valdosta, and said:
If this came to us with every legal T dotted and I crossed, as Council … Carroll stated already is to put this referendum on ballot. I encourage our citizens if that is the case … to study carefully both sides of the issue and I believe with all my heart that … our Valdosta citizens can make the decision.
He never did say which side he was on regarding consolidation.

And of course once again it’s just Valdosta citizens voting on an issue that affects the entire county.

And yes, he really did say “T dotted and I crossed” and he had to be prompted for the name of his Council colleague.

Here’s the video: Continue reading →

5.a. questions about voting on consolidation referendum @ VCC 25 August 2011

Excerpts from various questions from Council:
Deidra White: Which ones of these legal issues have we seen together?
Robert Yost: … this motion [to deny the referendum], if it fails … ?
Mayor Fretti: If this motion fails, we have to turn around and ask for a motion in the affirmative.
On “the timing thing”:
Manager Hanson: That question will have to be answered by the Lowndes County Board of Elections.
Attorney: There’s no time that’s stated; it’s a negotiation.
Manager Hanson: We could just advertise to make a work session on Tuesday and a public meeting for the first [?] after that… a special session.

Here’s the video: Continue reading →

Planning Commission meets tonight

The organization that considers every rezoning request for Lowndes County or any of the cities of Valdosta, Dasher, Hahira, or Lake Park, the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, meets tonight, 5:30 PM, 29 August 2011. This appointed body decides nothing, but it does make recommendations to the elected governing body of the appropriate county or city, which does take those recommendations into account before deciding. If you want to rezone, or if there’s rezoning near you, you would do well to go to the Planning Commission meeting before it gets to your local elected body.

The Planning Commission’s remit is not just rezoning cases. According to the City of Valdosta’s writeup:

The mission of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) is to look beyond short-term solutions in planning for the future of the Greater Lowndes community; to improve the public health, safety, convenience and welfare; and to provide for the social, economic and physical development of communities on a sound and orderly basis, within a governmental framework and economic environment which fosters constructive growth and efficient administration.

The Planning Commission meets at the old Lowndes County Commission offices: Continue reading →

Valdosta Board of Education considers consolidation tonight

This is a rare local government body that has their agenda online in web-accessible form (rather than entombed in a PDF). Tonight’s agenda includes this item:
17. A. Consolidation/board position – Mr. Lee – action required
Also this item:
18. B. Public forums on consolidation will be held Sept 8 (VHS PAC), Sept 20 (VMS) and Oct 25 (JLL) from 7-8:30 p.m.
I wonder will these be real forums, or the sort of fake forums VLCIA and CUEE have foisted on the community? CUEE’s Kick-Off meeting had no opponents speak, took questions only in writing, and conveniently didn’t get to Rev. Rose’s question of what would consolidation do to improve education. LAKE has published videos of the whole thing.

The only real dialog I’ve ever seen about education around here was was the one held by the Lowndes County Democratic Party 2 May 2011. LAKE has published videos of the whole thing.

According to the VBOE web page tonights meeting is: Continue reading →

NAACP on MLK on War on Drugs

I hate to repeat a preacher, but it’s Sunday, and Robert Rooks wrote for NAACP 24 August 2011 U.S. Approach to War on Drugs Ignores Dr. King’s Lessons on Justice, Compassion.
After forty years of the war on drugs, America continues to have laws that stratify society based on race and class and continues to ignore Dr. King’s lessons on justice, compassion and love.

My favorite quote from Dr. King speaks to the heart of the problem with America’s criminal justice system. “Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.”

America’s criminal justice system is reckless and discriminate. America has five percent of the world’s population but 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. Blacks are incarcerated at four to five times the rate of whites for drug crimes, even though the majority of those who use and sell drugs are white. The majority of those incarcerated are people who have a history with mental health and substance abuse.

Not only does incarceration impact individuals but it undermines families,

Continue reading →

Wal-Mart Workers Need Help Now From American Government Elected Officials! —George Rhynes

Received yesterday. -jsq
The following video shows Mr. Charles Judge!

“First off, you have to know what your job is.”
—Charles Judge
He was one of the several employees I supervised as Sporting Goods Department Manger at Wal-Mart Store #2615 in Valdosta, Georgia. On March 20, 2008, I was wrongfully terminated for “INABILITY TO PERFORM JOB” without training.


Video by George Boston Rhynes.

It has been 3 1/2 years since my wrongful termination and I have written Wal-Mart Stores Inc. thirty letters, thirteen videos, 34 pages of documented proof that I was never trained; nor entered into Wal-Mart Stores Inc. four week mandatory training program as other employees. Moreover, it should be a shame and disgrace that several former and current President Mike Duke has all ignored me as if I was a worker in the Republic of China or in some other third world nation!

Even more un-American is that Chairman David Glass along with his entire Wal-Mart Board of Directors has followed the local Wal-Mart Store Manager at Store #2615 in what is definitely unprofessional behavior along the lines of respecting workers rights. Wal-Mart Executives seem to believe that the American People (customers) have made Wal-Mart Stores Inc. a god beside God and answers to no one. More videos will follow from real workers and former assistant managers until you are as sure as I am that Americans need workers Rights in this NATION for all employees.

As elected officials (government officials) I do hope that you begin to look at workers rights and my wrongful termination without any recourse because I am in an “At Will to Work State”, Georgia. This means any worker can be fired for GOOD cause, BAD cause, or for no cause at all and like Wal-Mart. They are not required to provide a reason for you, your spouse, child or neighbor for why they wrongfully terminated you! http://walmartstore2615.blogspot.com

We are 100% sure that there is nothing Wal-Mart Executives or Board of Directors will or can do in my case or cases like mine. Therefore, as a Retired Military of the United Armed Forces that followed our “Code of Conduct” in the military need a code of conduct for (ALL) American Workers.

My wrongful termination has forced me to follow the same “CODE OF CONDUCT” that all United States Military Veterans had to follow. Therefore, if I could place my life on the line and face death for foreigners on foreign battlefields then surely I can stand up for my own family members and love ones.

Yes, I intend to fight as hard for myself, my own family and fellow American Workers here in the Home Land! God Bless both the righteous and the not so righteous. Peace, love and overstanding. We are not who we claim to be; but who we prove ourselves to be over a given period of time and after three and one-half years Wal-Mart EXECUTIVES has proven who they are to the American people and the world.

GEORGE BOSTON RHYNES
Retired United States Armed Forces Military Vietnam
A concerned citizens and brother of all humanity

T-SPLOST Public Meetings Set —SGRC

Received yesterday. -jsq
For Immediate Release For More Information Contact:
August 25, 2011Corey Hull, 229-333-5277

Public Meetings Set for Transportation Sales Tax Project List

The Southern Georgia Regional Transportation Roundtable has set a series of public meetings to review the Draft Constrained Investment List for the following counties, representing the Special District for a proposed transportation sales and use tax: Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner, and Ware.

In 2010, Governor Sonny Perdue signed into law the Transportation Investment Act of 2010, a law prescribing a regional sales tax referendum for transportation projects. Jay Roberts, State Representative from District 154-Ocilla, and Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, said “This law gives

Continue reading →

5.a. First time I’ve heard some of these arguments —Deidra White @ VCC 25 August 2011

Council Deidra White wondered what would be the repercussions if council took more time to decide this issue, since this was the first time she had heard some of these arguments.

Attorney Talley said he wasn’t sure what the timeline was to prepare ballots.

Um, maybe he should talk to the Board of Elections.

Manager Hanson said there are different sections of the Constitution that might apply.

Attorney Talley noted that the Home Rule Act did not apply, even though it was cited in the petition, since the school system charter is not in the City of Valdosta charter; it’s a separate pact.

Manager Hanson noted qualifying for city elections is next week, so Continue reading →