This issue has a lot of peculiarities. The city engineer was quoted as saying he hoped Radney Plumbing, Inc. could be chosen for the project since the company had provided them a low price on similar work. Whatever happened to the bid procedure that is supposed to proceed any new construction activity regardless of personal preferences. Is this an impromptu public/private partnership where bidding gives way to cronyism? Oops, seems like I recently read that PPP’s were now being called beneficial corporations. Either way they are blatant fascism (mixing government & private business)& we don’t need them in Lowndes County. Under proper bidding procedures it would have been imposible for a contractor to have been given a go ahead by any mythical person. The project is expected to cost $132,000 of tax payer money & I think we deserve proper bid procedures to be certain we are getting maximum benefit from our expenditures.I have no comment on the statement the pipe needed to be put in the ground so it would not go to waste other than I never new water/sewer pipe had a short expiraton date. Perhaps we should ask how so many feet of pipe were left over from another project since I’m sure 12″ pipe is not cheap. Does our project estimator need to sharpen his pencil?
It seems County Commission Chairman Paulk questions “the wisdom of spending that much taxpayer money without any prospect of income in the near future’. I’m glad someone is concerned about the taxpayers. Since it has been acknowledged we citizens have an interest in the obvious four way fiasco between city, county, private contractor & private landowners,I trust the VDT will continue to keep us informed of all the facts as they surface.
-Barbara Stratton
Tag Archives: Ethics
Valdosta water project on county land, with no city or county approval
David Rodock wrote in the VDT 23 November 2011, City project on county land
Without City Council approval, the installation of 5,600 linear feet of water/sewer pipe is being installed on Racetrack Road, at the very edge of annexed City property.County says City didn’t notify. City says did.
This part is particularly interesting:
City Engineer Pat Collins said they had sent the county a letter and had not started on the project. He also said the city hoped to bring the project before council on Dec. 8, so they could make use of approximately 1,000 feet of 12 inch pipe leftover from a previous project.So “not started” apparently includes digging ditches and installing 12 inch water mains. And “approval” means ask the Valdosta City Council after that’s already been done. And never ask the Lowndes County Commission, despite this project being on county land.
Not to worry, there’s a familiar excuse: blame the contractor! Continue reading
Private prisons —Matt Flumerfelt
Dear Andrea, We spoke not long ago by phone. I just want to let you know that plans to bring in a private prison here are not going to sit well with many of us. In fact, it will most likely bring about a repeat of the recent Biomass issue. I don’t mean we are opposed to it. I mean we are vehemently opposed to it. It seems that Allen Ricketts and the other Board members don’t understand that Valdosta’s citizens don’t want to be informed of, for example, what finished products and raw materials will be stored in the distribution center slated to locate in Valdosta AFTER the contract has been signed. We have a right to know beforehand what kind of facility it is and what will be stored there. Informing us after the fact is not transparency. This is an issue that will continue to be revisited as long as the VLCIA continues to act unilaterally without considering the wishes of those who live here. We don’t want to be presented with a fait accompli. Also, the VLCIA is really not doing due diligence when it continues to court businesses that raise concerns over the ethical standards of the Board itself. Thanks. Matt Flumerfelt
Pardons board rejects clemency for Troy Davis
In the VDT via AP today:
Georgia’s pardons board rejected a last-ditch clemency plea from death row inmate Troy Davis on Tuesday despite high-profile support from figures including the pope and a former FBI director for the claim that he was wrongly convicted of killing a police officer in 1989.Continue readingDavis is scheduled to die Wednesday by injection for the killing of off-duty Savannah officer Mark MacPhail, who was slain while rushing to help a homeless man being attacked. It is the fourth time in four years that Davis’ execution has been scheduled by Georgia officials.
Steve Hayes, spokesman for the Board of Pardons and Paroles, said
Lowndes County doesn’t do what it says —Ernest McDonald @ LCC 8 August 2011
For example, regarding moving a power line from one side of the road to another as agreed:
We met every person involved. The state, the high pressure gasline…. The telephone buried cable people, they came. The county engineer came…. And we all agreed…. Put stakes in the ground…. The stakes had rotted down.It’s been so long the stakes rotted down, and nothing ever got done. As Ernest McDonald said:
That’s not right.The County Engineer was missing from the meeting. It’s a bit hard to see in the picture, but there are only two heads in front of the glaring window, and the Engineer would be the third head in the middle.
In another issue, Ernest McDonald paid $650 to find a sewer line, marked it, and the county tore up Continue reading
“Shelter Attendant and Animal Control Officers have been threaten by county officals” —Ronnie A. Ganas
This is Ronnie Ganas’s statement which was recieved June 6th 2011, at 2:44 pm from shirley kingIt’s rather hard to read, so here’s a transcription of what I think it says. -jsq-Susan Leavens
On several events I have observed the euthanzing being falsied and redone so the amounts should be correct. This records was redone by Michelle Shultz and she was approved to tdo this illegal action by Linda Patiskie. They both know this a controled substance accountability log. The euthanzing log and the bottles have a DEA number. This act of falsifying records have been seen by other Animal Control Officers and Shelter Attendants. I do not remember dates but euthanzing logs and tracking sheets and work schule and time sheets will prove the falsifing. Linda Patiskie has full Knowlegde and approved this illegal actions.Continue readingShelter Attendents and Animal Control Officers have reported cruelty to animals and abuse
Where did your promise go, Commissioner Gary Black? —Susan Leaven
From: SUSAN LEAVENSContinue reading
To: gary.black@agr.georgia.gov
Sent: Tue, August 9, 2011 4:51:54 PM
Subject: Where did your promise go? We were counting on you Commissioner Gary Black.Dear Commissioner G. Black,
On July 26th 2011, I contacted you with anticipation of a response to matters of concern regarding Animal Protection problems in your division, as well as issues involving Lowndes County Animal Services.
On July 30th 2011, I sent a second email to your office, indicating
No inhumane treatment issues other than the pot belly pig?
Mr. Prichard has made many comments in reference to several of his employees; in recent news paper articles and on the evening news indirectly of course that “they” had bios opinions and even questioned my character in one article.
Mr. Prichard also informed everyone there were no inhumane treatment issues other than the pot belly pig. Well I believe in this document from County Manager Joe Prichard to Ms. Mary Green with Department of Agriculture animal protection says otherwise. I believe Mr. Prichard’s recent statement to the media was though our investigation we found no wrong doing… lets list them here.
Continue reading
Crossovers from the CUEE/Valwood donor list. —Alex Rowell
Here’s the crossovers from the CUEE/Valwood donor list.It seems like being on the board or even publicly supporting a group dedicated to combining two public school systems while being a trustee or donor of the community’s biggest private school might present a conflict of interest.
CUEE Board Member David Durland is a Valwood parent and donor.
Of the listed supporters on CUEE’s website, there are three Valwood trustees, one of whom is a spouse of another trustee: Ed Crane, Dutton Miller, and John Peeples (whose wife Jane is also a trustee).
Source on Valwood donors:
2010-2011 Annual Fund Donors As of June 30, 2011Source on CUEE supporters/board:
CUEE, Inc. Board of Directors
Referendum Supporters—Alex
Maybe we citizens need to hear the rest of the story —Barbara Stratton
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.Continue readingI 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