Category Archives: Ethics

There are problems at the animal shelter. They have not been resolved.

I think it’s time to ask: what did they know, and when did they know it?

Let’s construct a timeline:

  • 2011-05-20 euthanasia violation
  • 2011-05-20 statement from Heather Terry
  • 2011-05-23 County Manager Joe Pritchard tells the Commission and the public:
    “We were not able to substantiate … accusations other than that … castration of pig.”
    That was even though WCTV already reported there had been several euthanasia violations last year.

    Pritchard also said they (the county in its previous investigation, presumably the one of 2010) examined the character of those testifying for the complaints and he said they found biases.

  • 2011-05-24 County Commission Chairman Ashley Paulk tells the Commission and the public:
    “Whatever problems there are, they’re going to be resolved.”
  • 2011-05-24 The VDT quotes County Manager Joe Pritchard as saying:
    “It’s no longer a case of an individual making a claim, as it will be evident by the physical evidence provided by the security cameras.”
    and:
    “You take that policy, coupled with the updated standard operating procedures, added to the technical verification and I think that addresses the issues. My purpose is to eliminate any problem or potential problem.”
  • 2011-05-31 statement by Director Linda Patelski saying two people fired for euthanasia violation of 20 May 2011

Continue reading →

If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything

LAKE does not generally repost anonymous comments, but I’ll make an exception for this one that came in today on Somebody has gotten fired at the animal shelter. -jsq
Alot of times, the local county residents are too afraid of retaliation TO bring forth allegations of cruelty, or corrupted officials. So I’m all for outsiders tossing in their two cents. I don’t live in Lowndes Co – far from it – but I do know how corruption can fester in these rural counties when the residents choose not to speak out.

Kudos to ALL of the Lowndes Co taxpaying residents who speak out – not only for the animal’s rights, but for their own human rights, as well.

Corruption corrupts. Period. And if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.
-An Outsider Looking In

Many other comments have appeared on that and other recent posts, some of which will probably get reposted here, but meanwhile you can go to the blog and see for yourself. In general, saying who you are will greatly increase the chances your comment will get reposted, as will sticking to issues and avoiding personal attacks.

-jsq

Maybe we citizens need to hear the rest of the story —Barbara Stratton

Received today on Ashley Paulk is a big man again:
Ref comments by outof control – This is definitely confusing. I don’t see anything in the controversy about contracts being put out to bid. Isn’t the fact an electrical company owned by one of the board members was contracted to do work on a government project illegal conflict of interest? It appears to me that someone needs to come in & educate all the government entities (elected & appointed)& the public in Lowndes Co on what conflict of interest means.

I have seen several incidents in government meetings where an elected or appointed individual excused himself from voting because of an admitted COI. How does that excuse the COI when COI also includes impaired objectivity, unequal access to information, etc. Basically if there is any connection between a government elected or appointed official & a private company contractual relationships of any kind come under COI & are not supposed to be allowed even if a bid process takes place.

That is another reason why citizens should not allow public/private partnerships. Normal bidding procedures are ignored

Continue reading →

Crawford Powell is a big man

According to David Rodock in the VDT today about last night’s County Commission regular session:
Only one citizen, Dr. Michael Noll, came forward to speak with commissioners. Noll asked commissioners to speak with Industrial Authority board members about the 22.2 acre tract of land that is being considered for purchase by Wiregrass Power LLC. Noll is concerned the company will use the land to pursue previous plans to construct a biomass facility, a proposal which has seen considerable negative community backlash over the last year.

“I think commissioners made this very clear that the Industrial Authority should have been done with this project,” said Paulk. “I don’t think we’ve changed our mind. I can’t speak for the City of Valdosta, but I think they’re prepared to make some moves and make a statement on their behalf in the immediate future. It’s a project that didn’t work and when things don’t work, move on to things that do. That’s my personal opinion.”

District 3 commissioner Crawford Powell offered his insight on the issue, “The issue the Industrial Authority has is they had a contractual agreement on the sale of the property and so they’re trying to work through that but I don’t think there’s any particular excitement on their behalf to continue down that road.”

According to usually reliable sources, it was Crawford Powell who Continue reading →

Ashley Paulk is a big man again

Kay Harris wrote on the front page of the VDT 1 July 2011, Fireworks at Parks and Rec meeting, quoting board member Ashley Paulk,
“These contracts are invalid, and the same employees who did this did the same thing last year and we told them then not to do it again. They seem to think the Authority doesn’t run Parks and Rec., but we do, and since this was done illegally, with prior warning not to, these individuals should be fired for insubordination.”
This was about a contract with Black Crow media. Last night Ashley Paulk told various people after the County Commission meeting that when he went down to Black Crow to do the morning radio show he usually does before the board meeting, he wasn’t even allowed in the building. I asked him, so does this mean you’re going to keep quiet? He answered,
“No, not when I’m right!”
Remember, Ashley Paulk was a big man back in April Continue reading →

Falsified logs at the animal shelter?

Previously I’ve posted briefly about the notarized statement by Susan Leavens of 5 May 2010. Here is more detail, with pictures. The statement alleges animals smothered, strangled, stabbed in the eye, cut, torn, beaten, slapped, thrown. Improper drug use “who signed this thing?”. Racial profiling and discrimination. Unresponsive county officials and threats from them. Oh, yes, and falsified logs of euthanasia.
“And it was time for the abuse, neglect and deceitfulness to stop.”

Susan Leavens stated:

“On 4/28/2010 I came in from checking traps around 1030 am, I was told while euthenizing a cat, the syringe I was draw pentosol out didn’t matter what mattered was the 10cc syringe, so if it was not enough to euthenize the animal then set it aside it would die. But the 10cc one is the one that needed to come out right. I said “WHAT!” Tim Cook explained that to me he went and got Ryan Curtis and he explained the very same thing, he said even if you don’t have a full cc of pentosol, say it’s a cc on the log because the 10 cc syringe mattered not what we were using to euthenize with! It was very apparent that human[e] euthanasia was not important that the numbers were. This was very disturbing to know we were being made to make the animals suffer because the numbers might be off!”
In the statement she names multiple people she says were witnesses to the falsification of euthanization log entries, and even to the complete rewrite of a log and shredding of the previous copy.

Her statement also describes: Continue reading →

Mayor Fretti Ethics Hearing cont. with Taylor, Harris, and Flumerfelt

We saw part 1, and now here are the rest of the videos George Boston Rhynes sent of the Valdosta City Council’s ethics hearing of 22 June 2011 about Mayor Fretti’s travel expenses. There was assorted legal wrangling, plus appearances by George’s comments are quoted below. -jsq

Here’s Part 1 of 8:


Mayor Fretti Ethics Hearing cont. with Taylor, Harris, and Flumerfelt Part 1 of 8:
Mayor Fretti’s Expenses,
Ethics Hearing, Valdosta City Council (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 22 June 2011.
Videos by George Boston Rhynes for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Alvin Payton, Jr. asked quite a few questions. Continue reading →

Mayor Fretti Ethics Hearing

George Boston Rhynes sent this video of the Valdosta City Council’s ethics hearing about Mayor Fretti’s travel expenses. George remarks:
Searching for the truth in a web of questions….
The first citizen voice heard is Roy Taylor, whose investigation instigated this hearing, and whom the VDT since informs us (in their paper edition) has donated to almost every Valdosta City Council member.

Here’s the video. -jsq

The rest of George’s videos of this hearing are posted here.

-jsq