On the LAKE Front

Videos, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission March 2012-03-26 @ GLPC 2012 03 26

Here are videos of the entire March regular meeting of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC). I would include a link to the agenda, but they don't publish those anymore. They don't even have a website anymore. So you'll need to watch and try to figure out what's going on.

They meet again tonight. For that meeting, we've got an agenda.

Here's a video playlist for their March meeting:

Videos, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission March 2012-03-26
Regular Session, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 26 March 2012.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).

-jsq

Fixing the illusion of certainty in Georgia Power's decision-making

Why is it so hard to get a company like Georgia Power or The Southern Company to get on with solar and wind power for clean energy, for national energy independence, and, most importantly to such corporations, for their own profit? Why instead do they keep investing in coal and natural gas and wasting our tax and customer dollars on nuclear financial boondoggles? Why did Cobb EMC back new coal plants until they had their nose rubbed in national shame about corruption and do nothing about solar until their shareholders revolted and changed a majority of their board? We don't even need to wait for that forensic audit the new Cobb EMC board wants to get the big picture. Such companies consider what they're used to to be low risk, and anything new to be risky. Why are they so stodgy, and how do we change that?

These companies have many decades of experience with coal and natural gas, so they consider them less financially risky. (Details like neighbors dying disproportionately from cancer cost a little bit to buy up property, but that's nothing compared to readily predictable profits.) Even nuclear such companies consider not risky to them, since they've got the federal government and their own customers guaranteeing all the financial risk through Construction Work in Progress charges on their bills for power they're not even receiving from the new nukes and agreement from Georgia PSC that cost overruns like those caused by concrete sinking into the dirt can be passed on to the customers.

Neal Stephenson wrote for World Policy Journal September 2011, Innovation Starvation,

The illusion of eliminating uncertainty from corporate decision-making is not merely a question of management style or personal preference. In the legal environment that has developed around publicly traded corporations, managers are strongly discouraged from shouldering any risks that they know about—or, in the opinion of some future jury, should have known about—even if they have a hunch that the gamble might pay off in the long run. There is no such thing as “long run” in industries driven by the next quarterly report. The possibility of some innovation making money is just that—a mere possibility that will not have time to materialize before the subpoenas from minority shareholder lawsuits begin to roll in.

But if the old ways turn out to be suddenly risky, change can come. Funny how Cobb EMC changed its tune after subpeonas started raining down for its former CEO Dwight Brown. Sure, he got off on a technicality, but it turns out Cobb EMC shareholders didn't like

VLMPO seeks comments for Transportation Project List

Received today. -jsq

Please find attached a press release to announcing a public comment period for the Draft Transportation Improvement Program for the Valdosta-Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Corey Hull, AICP
MPO Coordinator
Valdosta-Lowndes MPO

A copy is on the LAKE website. Here is an excerpt:

The Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP, is the short-range plan approved by the VLMPO Policy Committee that allows federal funds to be spent on various transportation projects in the region. The projects are selected from the 2035 Transportation Plan that was adopted in September 2010. Projects in this year's draft TIP include: the construction of an overpass on West Hill Avenue, the widening of Forrest Street, from Park Avenue to Bemiss Road, and the purchase of right-of-way at several I-75 interchanges ahead of future construction activities.

VLMPO will be accepting comments by phone, email, or fax all the month of May.

The VLMPO staff will also host an Open House on May 22, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Georgia Regional Commission office located at 327 W. Savannah Ave. in Valdosta. Hull says, “VLMPO staff will be on hand to answer questions from the public about their transportation concerns. The open house format allows people to quickly get their questions answered without having to sit through a long meeting.”

Transparency by a local government agency!

-jsq

 

Glynn County live video streaming

Local governments around here seem reluctant to post videos of their own meetings, or even to post board packet items on the web. We've seen examples of how to do it from Travis County, Texas and Leon County, Florida, but those are other states; maybe our Georgia local governments don't want to look at such examples. How about Glynn County, Georgia?

Found on Glynn County's facebook page:

Did you know...Glynn County now offers live streaming and archived videos of BOC meetings ONLINE! No cable? No problem! Join us tonight at 6:00 p.m. Glynn County, GA — Official Website — Media Center

Looks like their 24 April 2012 Work Session lasted more than two hours.

And they live-stream and archive videos of their planning commission, as well. It's 18 April 2012 meeting lasted about 24 minutes.

Back on the Glynn County web pages, they have their proposed budget online more than a week before their budget public hearing which is a special called meeting that they will put on cable channel 99 and live stream online.

Meanwhile, they have Board of Commissioners minutes online that include

"Break it down in common VOICE". —Fannie Jackson

Received today on History should reward all research. -jsq

I like to read LAKE because it allows people with opposing views to voice an opinion. For example, I no longer feel the need to read my hometown paper, the little advertiser, the DC Caller and various other right wing promoters. Another example, George and I disagree on many issues and Ms. Stratton and I disagree on many issues.. Citizens with the same rights as everyone being bullied.. intimidated.. feels familiar. Koch brothers, ALEC, local DA, local BOE, etc... Take your pick. Ms. Stratton, I respect your VOICE. But, I have been too busy getting myself and others CERTIFIED to REGISTER voters and per Ken Collins ANYONE can vote ABSENTEE for ANY reason AND, I can pick up as many ABSENTEE APPLICATIONS as I wish and TAKE them to my family which includes practically EVERYBODY in BROOKS.. Not to DISRESPECT your VOICE, but your previous comment about "anyone NOT capable of getting ID.." basically STUPID. In 2012, there are souls in my community who STILL need all the Fannies and Georges to "Break it down in common VOICE". I can just see Deal, Olens, Carter, Golden and ALL the others huddling NOW to change this little VOTER PERK! I wish someone would please tell this to the guys on 105.9. And George, I have NEVER listened to them.. Do not feel the NEED. I got too many people asking me to come explain some WORDS to them..And, I thank my late father, Mr. Charlie Milton (Bud) Jackson, Sr.. Brooks counties' GREATEST TROJAN for this.. Daddy never learned to read and write, but he was so PROUD EVERYTIME he marked that X on his ballot..

-Fannie Jackson

And all posts (and comments) on the LAKE blog are the posters' opinion, except in the rare cases where a post is clearly labelled "for LAKE". I congratulate everyone for keeping it civil. Please remember to discuss the ideas without attacking the person.

-jsq

Georgia Legislators with ALEC Ties —Thomas Kirkpatrick

Received 25 April 2012 on ALEC covers the spectrum in terms of bad policy for people. -jsq

To answer your closing question, which you most likely asked rhetorically, I offer the following list:

Georgia Legislators with ALEC Ties

House of Representatives

• Rep. Calvin Hill, Jr. (R-21), State Chairman,[19][21] Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force and International Relations Task Force member[28] and recipient of ALEC's 2011 State Chair of the Year Award[1]
• Rep. Don L. Parsons (R-42); Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force
• Rep. David S. Casas (R-103); Education Task Force
• Rep. Doug Collins (R-27); Civil Justice Task Force
• Rep. Edward H. Lindsey, Jr. (R-54); Civil Justice Task Force
• Rep. Ed Setzler (R-35); Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force
• Rep. Larry E. O'Neal (R-146); Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force
• Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-41)[19]; Health and Human Services Task Force
• Rep. Ben L. Harbin (R-118); International Relations Task Force
• Rep. Gerald E. Greene (R-149); International Relations Task Force
• Rep. Josh S. Clark (R-98); International Relations Task Force
• Rep. Jack Murphy (R-27); Public Safety and Elections Task Force
• Rep. Mark D. Hamilton (R-23); Public Safety and Elections Task Force
• Rep. Tom R. Rice (R-51)[19]; Public Safety and Elections Task Force
• Rep. Donna Sheldon (R-105)[19]; Health and Human Services Task Force
• Rep. Judy Manning (R-32); Health and Human Services Task Force
• Rep. Lynn Smith (R-70); Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force
• Rep. Michael Harden (R-28); Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force
• Rep. Charlice Byrd (R-20)[19]; Health and Human Services Task Force
• Rep. Howard R. Maxwell (R-17); Education Task Force
• Rep. Jan Jones (R-46); Education Task Force
• Rep. Charles E. Martin, Jr. (R-47); Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force
• Rep. Kip Smith (R-129); Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force
• Rep. James W. Mills (R-25)[19]; Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force
• Rep. Mike Dudgeon (R-24); Education Task Force
• Rep. Carl Rogers (R-26); Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force
• Rep. Terry England (R-108); Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force
• Rep. Paulette Rakestraw-Braddock (R-19); International Relations Task Force
• Rep. Billy S. Horne (R-71); Public Safety and Elections Task Force
• Rep. Kevin Cooke (R-18); Public Safety and Elections Task Force
• Rep. Lynne Riley (R-50); Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force
• Rep. Buzz Brockway (R-101); Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force
• Rep. Barry D. Loudermilk (R-14); Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force
• Rep. Amos Amerson (R-9)[19]
• Rep. John Meadows (R-5)[19]
• Rep. James Mills (R-25)[19]

Senate

History should reward all research —George Boston Rhynes

Received yesterday on Georgia Governor Nathan concerning this alleged suicide. -jsq

Ms Barbara Stratton!

Thanks for the info along the lines of

"getting beyond racial bias and discussing issues honestly as friends, respect each other's opinons and not be afraid of reprisal from racial antogonists?"

History should reward all all research and to better understand or overstand the racial bias in America one only need to study what happened in our world before todays religious belief systems infected hate under the name of religion and the elites.

-George Boston Rhynes

Doing what I do because its all about us; collectively as we travel the righteous path in and among those that does not want for their neighbor; the same things that they want for themselves and their own families. It is what it is...

Valdosta confused about water uses

Is there an outdoor water restriction in Valdosta, or isn't there? The city and the newspaper seem confused about that. Also remember much of Lowndes County gets its water indirectly from Valdosta through the county's utility system. And that with groundwater levels at all-time lows, we need to be conserving all the time anyway, and thinking about how much and what kind of growth we want.

The City of Valdosta front page says:

In the Spotlight

The City of Valdosta has issued an outdoor water restriction suspending all outdoor water uses for 72-hours, or until further notice. Click here for more.

Yet if you click there, you get this error page:

Error The page you have requested does not exist. Please click here to go back to the home page.

Similarly, there was a VDT article on that subject, but that link also goes nowhere now.

Stephen Abel wrote for WALB yesterday, Temporary water restrictions in effect for Valdosta,

Folks in Valdosta need to think twice about washing their cars, or doing anything else that uses much water, this weekend.

"The city of Valdosta is urging all citizens to immediately cease outdoor irrigation use and all other nonessential uses of water. Now and throughout the weekend," said Public Information Officer Sementha Mathews.

Severe vibrations in the water pumps is what put them out of commission. "The city's water treatment plant experienced some mechanical issues this week with two of its raw water well pumps which caused the low levels in water," said Mathews.

So, did the city fix its pumps? Or is it just confused about what to do?

WCTV posted this update, and seemed to indicate the water restrictions were still in place:

The City of Valdosta sincerely thanks the citizens who responded quickly to its request today to cease all outdoor irrigation and non-essential use of water. Currently, there are no water quality issues in the system, and the water provided by the city is safe for all purposes.

People should be conserving all the time anyway. These suggestions from the city are pretty good for a start:

Surely a thorough investigation should be conducted to determine the facts. —Barbara Stratton

Received Thursday on Georgia Governor Nathan concerning this alleged suicide. -jsq

With all due respect to Mr. Rhynes, who I consider a friend, no one knows all the facts in this hanging death of an inmate and yes all prisoners should be protected even against themselves for liability and ethical reasons. However, if I had just committed and confessed a murder I personally might prefer suicide, probably because I would think I did not deserve to live if the shooting was not in self defense. Perhaps Mr. Rizer was of that opinion, and if so he should have the freedom to make his own choices. Yes, I know about the Baker Act, know all the correct answers to pass suicide prevention training, and I have the Wingman card with rules for suicide prevention in my wallet. However, I am still a believer in free will including suicide. If there were any circumstances that contributed to his ending of his life against his will then surely a thorough investigation should be conducted to determine the facts.

Planning Commission agenda for Monday 2012-04-30

Here is the agenda for Monday's meeting of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC). It was faxed to Gretchen Quarterman of LAKE by GLPC chair Bill Slaughter, at her request.

Does anyone volunteer to transcribe it or OCR it?

There appear to be four cases for final action by Valdosta Mayor and Council on 10 May 2012, and three cases for final action by the Lowndes County Commission on 8 May 2012. GLPC itself is advisory: it votes on recommendations, but it does not decide.

You may wonder why we don't just point to the official copy of the agenda on the GLPC website. That's because that website no longer exists (try the above link; you'll see). It's still linked to from the City of Valdosta web page for GLPC. More on all that later.

-jsq