Political Island

Hall County: Sex, Drugs, & Money

2010-11-23T10:04:00.000-08:00

There is an article in the Gainesville Times today that is very interesting.

www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/41721/

The interesting part is the points I have learned that do not show up in the article. Now I am in no way blaming Melissa Weinman. I assume I am digging a lot harder than Melissa due to rumors I am following up on. "Rumors" have it that the corrections officer that has been running this "business" is in charge of transporting the inmates to the Hall County Recycling Center. Also I have been told that inmates have been "meeting" with their girlfriends on the Recycling Center grounds. Also Recycling Center staff has been ignoring the issue and keeping quiet for some time. Lastly that Charlie Nix new all of this and never did anything to officially stop it.

Notice I say officially, my sources tell me that when things were noticed at the Recycling Center the standard procedure was to call Hall County Corrections and get them to get someone down there to "handle it."

I have also been told the Charlie Nix would not allow multiple officers on the facility to supervise the inmates. Now that in my opinion is just stupid. I'll be glad when someone competent is hired to replace Charlie Nix.

What is wrong with the Gainesville Times?

2010-11-21T13:46:00.000-08:00

The Gainesville Times Editorial Board (and Publisher) must be crazy. This morning I take a look at the editorial section and they have this article.

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/23/article/41669/

In the editorial they pretty much say that the incoming commissioners are crazy and ignorant. I ask the editorial board this question. What is wrong with elected official having character and fulfilling their promises? I suggest that there is more to it than them just having an opinion.

I think the upper management is making a concerted effort to protect Tom Oliver. Keep in mind even though I am very critical of Tom Oliver I truly like him. But enough about Tom Oliver lets get back to talking about the idiots over at the paper.

Now I do not use the word idiot lightly. I am going to look at this from an economics standpoint for a second. People get elected by majorities (all but the President) and majorities like to protect their choices, at least in the beginning. Everyone knows that newspapers across the country are hurting. I know I do not subscribe (why should I when I can read for free on line.) So why would they try and piss off 3 commission districts? I will reference the final line in the editorial. "The incoming commissioners were elected by the voters based on their own ideas and strengths as candidates - not with the expectation that they would blindly march to disaster behind Bell, like the children of Hamelin following the Pied Piper." (The incoming commissioners both promised to put the library in Clermont, FYI.) There is only one answer I can come up with that makes since. They are purposely trying to antagonize the readers to keep them reading. The only problem with that theory is eventually readers will just stop wanting the controversy. But seriously I do not really think that is what they are doing.

I am not going to just complain about the Times. I would like to commend Melissa Weinman for her coverage of the commission and many other things. I think she writes fairly and tries to give just the facts. This is all I ask. Just give us news not your personal slant. I realize the editorial section is for opinion but I am now referring to a larger issue.

If you, the Times, want to stay in existence I recommend killing the slant in what you write as well as what you cover. Keep it to news and I will continue to read. Make yourself an excellent paper and I may even subscribe.

Rumors have it.

2010-10-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

Rumors have it that Commission Chairman Tom Oliver is working behind the senses trying to get Paul Godfrey elected to the South Hall Commission seat.

Now I know Tom used to be a democrat and now he is suppose to be a Republican but I think Tom is more about the Party of Tom Oliver in charge than what is good for the County. Tom's pet chihuahua is leaving the commission kicking and screaming and mad as heck. He is spending all his free time calling employers of good citizens trying to get them unemployed like he is. I know Tom has to be pushing the guy to do it. Doesn't he have some eggs to load in a truck for Tom?

Now back to Paul Godfrey, I really hope he relaxes a little after he looses. I am sure as tense as he seems to be that the poor kids at Lanier Tech have to be getting the brunt of it.

Really BIG News in the Branch

2010-09-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have not heard, the BIG guy got elected by his peers to be Mayor Pro-Tem. You can read more here.

http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=232501

This makes him the Mayor until the election in November. More on that later.

Flowery Branch is dong it right.

2010-09-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=232431

Flowery Branch recently had an election for city council to replace Craig Lutz. We are all aware of the good things Craig Lutz is already doing even before getting officially elected. In the Flowery Branch election, Amanda Swafford was elected by a 2 to 1 margin. Amanda defeated Chris Strickland. Many of you will remember Chris Strickland who ran against State House Rep. James Mills. At the time claimed to be a staunch Democrat. In the Flowery Branch race he decided it was better to claim how Conservative he was but the citizens did not buy it.

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/archives/38079/

There are some interesting developments in this story. I will try and get more on this to you soon. For now look up the name Strickland in the Hall County inmate log.

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/154/article/38170/

I'm surprised that the Commission puts themselves in this kind of trouble. Don't they have a lawyer?

2010-09-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

Stupidly the Commission has agreed to release the minutes of the closed executive session. All they have done is expose the blatant disregard for the law. They are trying to make this issue about the payment to the Glades. Make note of the other business covered in the Executive Session. Melissa Weinman seems to be doing a good job on this story. Here are 2 follow up articles having to do with my previous post. I wish that County Attorney Bill Blalock would advise the Commission to be more careful. It seems to me like he sure is making his firm stay busy. Way to protect your client.

www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/38108/

www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/38143/

Hall County Commissioners are out of control, FOR NOW!

2010-09-16T02:58:00.000-07:00

The Hall County Commission seems to be completely out of control under the management of Commission Chairman Tom Oliver. I personally think that Mr. Oliver's ego gets in the way of better judgement. From what I have been told, Mr. Oliver was told in the executive session that the closed door meeting was against the rules. Once he was told of the error he looked for ways to make the mistake valid. Claiming the potential for a Law Suit. A better was to handle it would have been to acknowledge the mistake and bring the meeting back in to public view. I'll let you be the judge. Personally I am looking forward to the GBI coming in and looking into Mr. Oliver and Mr. Powell.

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/37808/

Candidates challenge Hall board's closed discussion
Gibbs, Lutz send letter to county over executive session

By Melissa Weinman mweinman@gainesvilletimes.com
POSTED: September 14, 2010 12:25 a.m.

Commission hopefuls Scott Gibbs and Craig Lutz are challenging the Hall County Board of Commissioners’ move to authorize $3 million in sales tax dollars toward the Glades Reservoir project.
In a letter sent to County Administrator Charley Nix, Gibbs and Lutz questioned the validity of a commission decision in executive session and requested the matter be taken up publicly.
Gibbs and Lutz claim that on Wednesday, the commissioners agreed in an executive session to pay for about $3 million in permitting costs for Glades Reservoir with a line of credit, until enough special purpose local option sales tax dollars are collected.
At the Thursday board meeting, Chairman Tom Oliver announced the commission had discussed the negotiations in executive session.
According to the Georgia Open Meetings Act, governments may only go into a closed-door executive session to discuss three things: potential litigation, personnel issues and land acquisition.

Hall County’s legal counsel advised the board members the discussion fell under the category of potential litigation; Lutz and Gibbs dispute that.

“I’d be more than happy to vote it at the next commission meeting if that clears the record,” Oliver said Monday.Gibbs, who is running unopposed for Steve Gailey’s District 3 seat, said his purpose with the letter was to make sure the commission’s actions were legal.

“In three months, I’m going into office and I am going to have to pay for that,” said Gibbs, who wants to have the matter discussed and voted on in public.

Lutz, who faces Democrat Paul Wayne Godfrey for the District 1 spot on the board, said he questions why the county held the Glades Reservoir discussion in executive session.

“I hate to say it, but (Hall County) has a history,” Lutz said. “The public needs a sense of confidence on what the commission is doing.”

Nix responded with his own letter later in the day.

“I understand that being a fresh face on the board, you are skeptical of the existing leadership. But before you crucify us all, I invite you to take the time to learn the intricate workings of our operation and meet the hard-working, honest people who make up Hall County government,” Nix wrote in his letter.

At issue is negotiations between Hall County and the owners of the Glades Farm property, where the proposed reservoir is to be built.

Oliver said the county has always agreed to reimburse the Glades property owners for costs expended in the permitting process for the reservoir. What was discussed in executive session was paying less of the costs up front and more following the issuance of the federal permit for the construction of the reservoir.

The county has been reviewing the reservoir plans, which date back to the early ’90s, and negotiating which charges — for engineering and consulting services, among others — are directly tied to the permitting process and should be paid for by Hall County.

“It’s basically an ongoing contract negotiation and we’re discussing partial payment,” Nix said. “We’re having to verify every document and invoice that they have presented to us.”

Back to Posting

2010-09-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

After taking a year off I'm gonna try and come back and do some new blogging. This blog will focus on Hall County and North GA. If you are Conservative you will probably like this blog most of the time. If you are not you will hate it. Have fun reading my thoughts.