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Here is a summary of the expenses: Continue reading
Here is a summary of the expenses: Continue reading
This is the problem:
“What I believe the three most important things are, not only for our community, and our state, and our country, but for our country, thats jobs number 1, jobs number 2, and jobs.”
I shook Brad Lofton’s hand after that speech and told him I liked it, because I did: in general it was a positive speech about real accomplishments. I’ve also pointed out I had a few nits with that speech. This one is more than a nit. This one is basic philosophy and policy.
Now one would expect an executive director of an industrial authority to be all about jobs. And that would be OK, if Continue reading
Update 24 Jan 2011 7:13 PM: Bruce J. Bendl found the FAQ.
In this video,
Brad Lofton tells the VLCIA board that staff have put a lot
of time and effort into building a website to answer
frequently asked questions about biomass, including
videos from the 6 Dec 2010 event.
When I congratulated Lofton on this
and asked the board for an answer to one of those qeustions,
I didn’t think to ask for a URL for this new website,
figuring it would be announced on
the main VLCIA website.
If it’s there, I don’t see it.
However, VLCIA has sprouted
a YouTube channel
in which the long-awaited professional videos from the 6 Dec 2010 event
have appeared, six weeks after the event.
More on that below. Meanwhile,
LAKE’s videos of the entire event have been on YouTube
since a few days after the event.
Continue reading
According to
their website, AlphaProTech sells:
“protective apparel, infection control and extended care products in addition to a line of construction weatherization building products for the housing market.”Hm, so if VLCIA promoted refitting local houses it would also be promoting AlphaProTech.
It’s interesting to hear Gary Minchew say regarding one company:
“we just don’t need to be the front man”
Interesting that VLCIA is not willing to be the front man for local industry (as we’ve also seen in this response from Col. Ricketts), when VLCIA clearly is the front man for Sterling Energy and Wiregrass Power LLC, neither of which are from around here.
-jsq
Ken Garren (Brad Lofton’s predecessor as executive director) speaks in support of the current VLCIA and the biomass plant, 18 Jan 2011.
“I made a decision that although I’m concerned about a lot of things, and I’m concerned about anything….I have to trust those people who are in those positions will do their homework and make the right decision. Then I will live with that. If it turns out to be wrong, then we live with that.
What bothered me was when I started reading in the paper about the veiled threats. The personal issues. …
When I started reading about veiled threats. When I started reading about people being chastised because they didn’t accept a brochure or some literature. You know, that bothered me.
Then when I read one of the rants about it; they wondered how you folks were chosen. If you don’t know how these people are chosen…. They ought to do their basic homework.
But I’m here tonight to say that: I’ve looked at it; I’ve researched it; I don’t always agree with all the things the authority does… but I trust in you….”
Update 2014-03-31: VDT wrote 3 March 2014 that Garren joined VLCIA after Sterling Chemical came in.
Then he praises Sterling Chemical which came in on his watch,
and while Norman Bennett (currently on the VLCIA)
was Chairman of the County Commission.
See for yourself:
In the current fashion he begins by saying when he first moved here (1965). Is that what’s required these days to be worth listening to? Continue reading
Mary Gooding answered:
“That really would be the city… we’re industrial development.”
She didn’t say which city. There is more than one city in the county. The question as sent to them in writing refered to Hahira; maybe that’s the city she meant. Should Hahira not expect any help from VLCIA?
And what about us who don’t live in any of the cities?
So far, all the new solar rooftop installations are in unincorporated
parts of the county, although
both are in Hahira’s 31632 ZIP code.
Col. Ricketts, at the direction of the board, has since sent me a response, which will lead off tomorrow morning.
VLCIA seemed somewhat confused as to what their protocol is as to answering questions: Continue reading
After pointing out that LAKE posted videos of the entire previous VLCIA board meeting as a proof of concept that if it could be done by a tiny volunteer activist group it could be done by a tax-funded professional staff, and complimenting VLCIA on finally posting videos of their 6 Dec 2010 event a month after LAKE posted videos of the Q&A and the rest of that meeting, I asked the VLCIA board who is going to buy the electricity from the biomass plant. Chairman Jerry Jennett answered:
“That’s not our problem.” [waves hands] “You see, industry comes and it’s his job to sell whatever his output is… the manufacturing plant… the output is electricity…”
So I asked how does that match with Col. Ricketts in the previous board meeting referring to a public/private partnership between VLCIA and Wiregrass Power LLC and frequently saying “we”.
Col. Ricketts responded that he was only referring to the solar plant and the GEFA grant. Well, yes he said that then, but he also said… Continue reading
We’re moving forward with permits in hand.or this one from December:
We’re moving forward now, and we are looking forward to the ground breaking which will be Spring of 2011.
But let’s not be too hard on VLCIA staff. At the 21 Dec 2010 board meeting, it became clear Continue reading
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2010 03:10:58 +0000Continue readingGood evening everyone.
It is obvious by now that Mr. Lofton has no proof whatsoever that biomass is “safe”. He does not have one statement by a medical organization, not one scholarly publication he can share with us that backs up his claim. (Coincidentally, the same is true for other claims, as the event on January 13 will show.)
Members of WACE (and others in the community) have tried to receive proof
No one but WACE has made any claims about our efforts to substantiate this project.Who are all these people, then, asking questions at the VLCIA’s 6 Dec 2010 event?
For example, this one, following up about the Environmental Impact Study he requested back at the EPD air quality hearing (see video of that event). He didn’t get an answer then, and at VLCIA’s 6 Dec event he still only got allusions to studies and standards that were not produced.
You can see Brad Lofton in that video, listening. Did he forget so quickly?
What about SAVE’s event at VSU at which Dr. Sammons spoke? What about the well-attended Biomass Town Hall that Pastor Angela Manning organized? And other events.
What about my question at the 6 Dec 2010 VLCIA board meeting? Continue reading