While we're on the subject of consultants reports (see Buracker Study), who knows something about the Davenport Study in 2002 or 2003? This was a study about the costs of the schools and how to pay for them. With the School Board radio show coming up on October 5, now might be the time to dredge THAT up.
I posted the research I did about the landfill for the September 21, SPEAK OUT. You can find it here.
The reason this is important is because many of the same names are up for election. Read that in connection with your candidate choices. The names associated are: Raymond Kite, Gerald Cubbage, Allen Cubbage, Charlie Campbell, and Ron Wilson. Don't vote on rumor. Read the Minutes Book first.
Showing posts with label Elections stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elections stuff. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Gilbert's on the Job
Todd Gilbert, running unopposed for state representative, is on the Virginia Immigration Commission. He's also on the Internet. After seeing information about a member of the Immigration Commission on the Internet, Gilbert contacted Kaine's office with the information.
Here is what Gilbert may have seen. CLICK ON THOSE WORDS
According to Northern Virginia Daily, in an article on Friday, Sept 28, by Garren Shipley, Kaine announced the resignation of Dr. Esam Omeish, the president of the Falls Church-based Muslim American Society, from the 20-member commission studying the impacts of illegal immigration on the commonwealth on Thursday afternoon.
Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Woodstock, who first approached Kaine with concerns about Omeish, said he was "gratified that Kaine acted so quickly," but added that the incident raised serious questions about how thoroughly the administration was checking into the backgrounds of its policy advisers.
________________________________________________________________________
Congratulations to our Delegate! He has proven time and again that he is awake and aware and on the job for all of us.
And qudos to the power of the Internet.
Here is what Gilbert may have seen. CLICK ON THOSE WORDS
According to Northern Virginia Daily, in an article on Friday, Sept 28, by Garren Shipley, Kaine announced the resignation of Dr. Esam Omeish, the president of the Falls Church-based Muslim American Society, from the 20-member commission studying the impacts of illegal immigration on the commonwealth on Thursday afternoon.
Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Woodstock, who first approached Kaine with concerns about Omeish, said he was "gratified that Kaine acted so quickly," but added that the incident raised serious questions about how thoroughly the administration was checking into the backgrounds of its policy advisers.
________________________________________________________________________
Congratulations to our Delegate! He has proven time and again that he is awake and aware and on the job for all of us.
And qudos to the power of the Internet.
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Elephant in the Room
The Elephant in the Room (At What Price, Part 3)
There is a history in this county, that impacts the culture and the way things are perceived to be. Like it or not, that history has something, I'm not sure exactly what, to do with the Landfill. As I've looked at various actions currently, I think it looks like not only the past, but a lot of the present and the future, also have something to do with the landfill. Why? Because the landfill has in the past, and seems to be continuing in the present and the future, to be using up a considerable number of our tax dollars. I don't exactly know why yet.
I'm not talking about the 11 cents on the dollar, oh, yeah, it costs money to get rid of trash, type numbers. I'm not talking about the $400,000 a year in operating expenses plus the $600,000 a year in debt service plus the couple of million here and there that gets classified as new investment to open up new cells.
I don't actually know what I'm talking about yet. I'm still looking to find out.
Maybe someone reading this knows, and will tell me. Gary Gibbs suggested that I go get the court documents from June 2005. I'm doing that. It's in process. I've also been offered a copy of the actual contract buyout documents. But right now, I'm not quite sure what's going on. I'm just uncomfortable that the numbers and the documents I'm seeing don't have all their pieces yet.
Someone else suggested that I go back through the Board of Supervisors meetings from that time period. That would be the time period before electronic records were kept, so it would be quite difficult. Plus the meetings were closed. Perhaps someone out there would like to tell me where to look.
You see, here's what has me uncomfortable. I'm meeting the people who were around a long time, and I'm not meeting any Bad Guys. I read that Ed Kieloch book, but it didn't ring true to me. It didn't seem to present a rounded picture of what was happening, or present motivations, or describe the complexity, of how what looks like a bunch of normal and well intentioned people could have gotten into such a mess. It painted everybody as a Bad Guy, and then I met them, one by one, and they just didn't have any horns. People have flaws. They respond oddly under pressure. And they make mistakes. You can’t elect anybody to do anything, without later finding out they’re not perfect. Human beings are imperfect. Once in a while, one of them lashes out and tells the people not to touch the pastries, but things like that are just human mistakes, not actual character flaws.
It would seem like we could say, “It’s time to forget it and move on.” I would agree, but there are three reasons why we can’t.
First, we can’t forget it because we have the same names running for office or sitting in office that we had at various times during the landfill issue. Raymond Kite. Charlie Hoke. Carol Lee Strickler. Gerald Cubbage. Allen Cubbage. C R Suddith. Ron Wilson. Charlie Campbell. And more. These names appear in the past, the present, and in hopes for the future. If we don’t know what happened before, how will we prevent it from happening again?
Second, we can’t forget it because it hasn’t been fixed. That’s the part we need the contract documents to untangle. It seems it got somewhat fixed, sort of. But you can’t turn your head and look away yet. It’s not gone.
And then there’s a third reason we can’t forget it. The third reason is: you can’t forget what you never knew. People get impressions, perceptions, misunderstandings, half-truths, and just plain wrong information. It gets in their heads. And if nobody challenges it, it rots there, where it becomes a memory of something that never happened. This mistaken memory sits there where it calls and recalls emotion, which eventually triggers rage, frustration, and a sense of powerlessness. It is not empowering to fail to know. It is empowering to know. If we don’t know something, but we think we know it, that is the worst of all worlds.
Right now, in this beautiful county, full of wonderful people, we have a culture that promotes “lack of empowerment”. Because too many people think they know something that never happened. It creates a Boogeyman. It encourages fearfulness. It incubates apathy. It creates a populace that is willing to roll over and play dead. It reminds me of that old saying, “Nobody can be your boss without your permission.” The citizens are the boss of the Board of Supervisors. It’s not the other way around. A long term resident told me once, “There’s no point going in and talking to them (the Board). They just let you talk a while, and then they go do what they want to do anyway.”
Sarah, this man who said that to me was not talking about Allen Cubbage. It doesn’t matter which Board it is, or who the Chairman is. These aren’t professional politicians. They sometimes seem to the citizens to be arrogant baboons, and that is more than likely to happen, no matter who gets the job, once in a while. We just hope that the people who are elected have an intention to be kind, an intention to be responsive, and an intention to respond to the people. Even if they do, there will always be a time or two, under pressure, when it won’t look that way.
So here’s what I think.
I think we have to go back and correct the record on this landfill thing. I think we can’t let the Ed Kieloch book sit out there as the only recorded history of it, with the Karen Kwiatkowsky article as the entry point to Page County that comes up every time a tourist wants to rent a cabin. I think we can’t do well at marketing the county for business and tourism when it looks like people can expect to meet Boss Hogg and Cooter on Main Street.
I’m not talking about writing any books. I’m talking about getting the minutes of the Board meetings during the right period, getting the contract documents, and the court documents, and getting it clear and straight who did what to whom when. Summarizing it. And posting it on the Internet.
I think that’s the only way we’ll know.
Perhaps many people will say we don’t need to know, that it’s a dead horse. But I say . . . it’s a dead Elephant. And its carcass is rotting in the living room, while we all turn our eyes and our focus away from the current landfill issue, and bleed our property taxes onto the living room carpet.
So, whomever would like to help me find out . . . email Research@PageCountyWatch.org or post your clues for where to look right here.
And whomever thinks this isn’t important, just go Blog under a different post.
Alice
There is a history in this county, that impacts the culture and the way things are perceived to be. Like it or not, that history has something, I'm not sure exactly what, to do with the Landfill. As I've looked at various actions currently, I think it looks like not only the past, but a lot of the present and the future, also have something to do with the landfill. Why? Because the landfill has in the past, and seems to be continuing in the present and the future, to be using up a considerable number of our tax dollars. I don't exactly know why yet.
I'm not talking about the 11 cents on the dollar, oh, yeah, it costs money to get rid of trash, type numbers. I'm not talking about the $400,000 a year in operating expenses plus the $600,000 a year in debt service plus the couple of million here and there that gets classified as new investment to open up new cells.
I don't actually know what I'm talking about yet. I'm still looking to find out.
Maybe someone reading this knows, and will tell me. Gary Gibbs suggested that I go get the court documents from June 2005. I'm doing that. It's in process. I've also been offered a copy of the actual contract buyout documents. But right now, I'm not quite sure what's going on. I'm just uncomfortable that the numbers and the documents I'm seeing don't have all their pieces yet.
Someone else suggested that I go back through the Board of Supervisors meetings from that time period. That would be the time period before electronic records were kept, so it would be quite difficult. Plus the meetings were closed. Perhaps someone out there would like to tell me where to look.
You see, here's what has me uncomfortable. I'm meeting the people who were around a long time, and I'm not meeting any Bad Guys. I read that Ed Kieloch book, but it didn't ring true to me. It didn't seem to present a rounded picture of what was happening, or present motivations, or describe the complexity, of how what looks like a bunch of normal and well intentioned people could have gotten into such a mess. It painted everybody as a Bad Guy, and then I met them, one by one, and they just didn't have any horns. People have flaws. They respond oddly under pressure. And they make mistakes. You can’t elect anybody to do anything, without later finding out they’re not perfect. Human beings are imperfect. Once in a while, one of them lashes out and tells the people not to touch the pastries, but things like that are just human mistakes, not actual character flaws.
It would seem like we could say, “It’s time to forget it and move on.” I would agree, but there are three reasons why we can’t.
First, we can’t forget it because we have the same names running for office or sitting in office that we had at various times during the landfill issue. Raymond Kite. Charlie Hoke. Carol Lee Strickler. Gerald Cubbage. Allen Cubbage. C R Suddith. Ron Wilson. Charlie Campbell. And more. These names appear in the past, the present, and in hopes for the future. If we don’t know what happened before, how will we prevent it from happening again?
Second, we can’t forget it because it hasn’t been fixed. That’s the part we need the contract documents to untangle. It seems it got somewhat fixed, sort of. But you can’t turn your head and look away yet. It’s not gone.
And then there’s a third reason we can’t forget it. The third reason is: you can’t forget what you never knew. People get impressions, perceptions, misunderstandings, half-truths, and just plain wrong information. It gets in their heads. And if nobody challenges it, it rots there, where it becomes a memory of something that never happened. This mistaken memory sits there where it calls and recalls emotion, which eventually triggers rage, frustration, and a sense of powerlessness. It is not empowering to fail to know. It is empowering to know. If we don’t know something, but we think we know it, that is the worst of all worlds.
Right now, in this beautiful county, full of wonderful people, we have a culture that promotes “lack of empowerment”. Because too many people think they know something that never happened. It creates a Boogeyman. It encourages fearfulness. It incubates apathy. It creates a populace that is willing to roll over and play dead. It reminds me of that old saying, “Nobody can be your boss without your permission.” The citizens are the boss of the Board of Supervisors. It’s not the other way around. A long term resident told me once, “There’s no point going in and talking to them (the Board). They just let you talk a while, and then they go do what they want to do anyway.”
Sarah, this man who said that to me was not talking about Allen Cubbage. It doesn’t matter which Board it is, or who the Chairman is. These aren’t professional politicians. They sometimes seem to the citizens to be arrogant baboons, and that is more than likely to happen, no matter who gets the job, once in a while. We just hope that the people who are elected have an intention to be kind, an intention to be responsive, and an intention to respond to the people. Even if they do, there will always be a time or two, under pressure, when it won’t look that way.
So here’s what I think.
I think we have to go back and correct the record on this landfill thing. I think we can’t let the Ed Kieloch book sit out there as the only recorded history of it, with the Karen Kwiatkowsky article as the entry point to Page County that comes up every time a tourist wants to rent a cabin. I think we can’t do well at marketing the county for business and tourism when it looks like people can expect to meet Boss Hogg and Cooter on Main Street.
I’m not talking about writing any books. I’m talking about getting the minutes of the Board meetings during the right period, getting the contract documents, and the court documents, and getting it clear and straight who did what to whom when. Summarizing it. And posting it on the Internet.
I think that’s the only way we’ll know.
Perhaps many people will say we don’t need to know, that it’s a dead horse. But I say . . . it’s a dead Elephant. And its carcass is rotting in the living room, while we all turn our eyes and our focus away from the current landfill issue, and bleed our property taxes onto the living room carpet.
So, whomever would like to help me find out . . . email Research@PageCountyWatch.org or post your clues for where to look right here.
And whomever thinks this isn’t important, just go Blog under a different post.
Alice
Saturday, September 15, 2007
The Clique that Rules Page County
According to Bloggers on this site, there is a Clique ruling Page County. The members of this clique are both Republicans and Democrats, although it seems the Democrats usually just voluntarily bow out and let the Republicans primarily win. What NICE Democrats! People who run for office as either a Republican or a Democrat, are subject to being co-opted as members of this clique after they win. So if they are not members before they are elected, they become members after the election, and get enveloped in the arms of the clique, where their minds are influenced, and they change their votes, AGAINST the people, in favor of the dangerous Clique. The only people who are not subject to this seductive pressure to join are the Independents.
Folks, I didn't write that, I'm just summarizing the opinions posted on the Blog.
But this next part, I did write:
Calling on my twenty plus years as a corporate manager, and my seven years teaching Organizational Behavior at the college level . ..
that's not really as outrageous a proposition as it at first sounds.
Every group in humanity has a culture, really a subculture, that defines its “rules of behavior” and its accepted norms. This will happen in every human group, be it a family, a high school, a summer camp, an office, a farm, or a factory. In high school, which is where most of us first noticed that ‘cliques’ existed, this clique will define the measure of what it takes to be cool. Others will copy the mode of dress of the clique they wish to join, as there will be various types of cliques, and membership will center around behaviors such as dress code, language, tattoos, and risk taking. Membership in said Clique confers privileges. You are respected by others. You are associated with high prestige people. It enhances your self esteem. This is true whether the clique is a group that rides motorcycles, or a group that rabble rouses, or a group that governs. A clique runs Page County Watch. Every person chooses which cliques they join, and which cliques they aspire to join, in their daily life choices.
If you are not in the “in” clique, you will be in the “out” clique.
In a few scattered places, there will always be a Lone Ranger, who bears no allegiance, and carries his own flag. But even then, others will associate themselves with HIM, and then there’s a clique of the Lone Ranger.
When we elect our governing officials, we hope that each of them will consider US to be their clique. We hope that their clique allegiance will be to all the people they represent. If we don’t want illegal aliens in our county, we hope they will work to keep illegal aliens out. If we don’t want trucks barreling over 211, we hope they will do what it takes to keep . . . wait a minute. If we don’t want trucks, that pretty much means we don’t want business.
So now we’ve presented our elected officials with a dilemma. We do want business. But we don’t want trucks. We do want jobs. But we don’t want to change the rural nature. We’ve given them a dilemma, and a paradox. One too difficult to solve.
Now even though our elected officials have listened to us, and have wanted to make US their clique . . . they don’t know what to do. The question is too hard. And let’s not forget, these are basically volunteers. We don’t actually pay them enough to quit their day jobs to do this.
So in the time they have to work on this, they say, “what should I do?” They look around to see where to get advice and information. They look in the audience of their meetings, and who do they find? Empty seats, basically. So what else are they going to do? They can’t wait for a referendum on the ballot with every decision. They have to make decisions. So they obviously, as anyone would do, have to call on their own value system, and the people they consider to also have good judgement, which must be, would always be, their own friends. Anybody would do that. And as it happens, in a small town, where people can sit around and rock on the porch, their friends happen to also be in the Rotary Club, or fellow Republicans, or Democrats that are sitting at the next table at the Supper club. Well, who else would it be? What else would you expect them to do?
And then to those who aren’t in that circle of friends, who don’t go to those specific places, it looks like a clique.
By strict definition, it is a clique.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
So, yes, I think there is a Clique that Rules Page County. And by the nature of Humanity, there always will be. You, the voters, get the right to object to or affirm which clique the people you elect are in. If you throw out everybody who is in office right now, because you object to the clique they are in, you will get new people who are in a new clique, and then there will be a DIFFERENT clique who rules Page County. Maybe it will be better, maybe it will be worse. But it will be a clique, just the same. The trick is to get the voice of the people to be so loud it pressures whichever clique is in power to get with the program.
So, speak up and Speak Out. And most importantly, say what you say based on facts and numbers and research, whenever possible. Keep the personal attacks down, and the objective arguments up. There’s going to be a Clique that rules Page County, whether it’s this one or the next one. So give that clique what it needs to do the job right. The Clique isn’t Evil, Bad, or Corrupt. It’s just a natural phenomenon, like weather.
It’s Nature’s Law. So go with it, don’t fight it. And most importantly, don’t throw up your hands in defeat and say, “why should I vote?” Vote and Blog and Call in to the radio show. Your voice will influence the clique. Maybe you think it didn’t in the past, but it did, it just sometimes takes a while.
What do you think? Post your Comments.
Folks, I didn't write that, I'm just summarizing the opinions posted on the Blog.
But this next part, I did write:
Calling on my twenty plus years as a corporate manager, and my seven years teaching Organizational Behavior at the college level . ..
that's not really as outrageous a proposition as it at first sounds.
Every group in humanity has a culture, really a subculture, that defines its “rules of behavior” and its accepted norms. This will happen in every human group, be it a family, a high school, a summer camp, an office, a farm, or a factory. In high school, which is where most of us first noticed that ‘cliques’ existed, this clique will define the measure of what it takes to be cool. Others will copy the mode of dress of the clique they wish to join, as there will be various types of cliques, and membership will center around behaviors such as dress code, language, tattoos, and risk taking. Membership in said Clique confers privileges. You are respected by others. You are associated with high prestige people. It enhances your self esteem. This is true whether the clique is a group that rides motorcycles, or a group that rabble rouses, or a group that governs. A clique runs Page County Watch. Every person chooses which cliques they join, and which cliques they aspire to join, in their daily life choices.
If you are not in the “in” clique, you will be in the “out” clique.
In a few scattered places, there will always be a Lone Ranger, who bears no allegiance, and carries his own flag. But even then, others will associate themselves with HIM, and then there’s a clique of the Lone Ranger.
When we elect our governing officials, we hope that each of them will consider US to be their clique. We hope that their clique allegiance will be to all the people they represent. If we don’t want illegal aliens in our county, we hope they will work to keep illegal aliens out. If we don’t want trucks barreling over 211, we hope they will do what it takes to keep . . . wait a minute. If we don’t want trucks, that pretty much means we don’t want business.
So now we’ve presented our elected officials with a dilemma. We do want business. But we don’t want trucks. We do want jobs. But we don’t want to change the rural nature. We’ve given them a dilemma, and a paradox. One too difficult to solve.
Now even though our elected officials have listened to us, and have wanted to make US their clique . . . they don’t know what to do. The question is too hard. And let’s not forget, these are basically volunteers. We don’t actually pay them enough to quit their day jobs to do this.
So in the time they have to work on this, they say, “what should I do?” They look around to see where to get advice and information. They look in the audience of their meetings, and who do they find? Empty seats, basically. So what else are they going to do? They can’t wait for a referendum on the ballot with every decision. They have to make decisions. So they obviously, as anyone would do, have to call on their own value system, and the people they consider to also have good judgement, which must be, would always be, their own friends. Anybody would do that. And as it happens, in a small town, where people can sit around and rock on the porch, their friends happen to also be in the Rotary Club, or fellow Republicans, or Democrats that are sitting at the next table at the Supper club. Well, who else would it be? What else would you expect them to do?
And then to those who aren’t in that circle of friends, who don’t go to those specific places, it looks like a clique.
By strict definition, it is a clique.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
So, yes, I think there is a Clique that Rules Page County. And by the nature of Humanity, there always will be. You, the voters, get the right to object to or affirm which clique the people you elect are in. If you throw out everybody who is in office right now, because you object to the clique they are in, you will get new people who are in a new clique, and then there will be a DIFFERENT clique who rules Page County. Maybe it will be better, maybe it will be worse. But it will be a clique, just the same. The trick is to get the voice of the people to be so loud it pressures whichever clique is in power to get with the program.
So, speak up and Speak Out. And most importantly, say what you say based on facts and numbers and research, whenever possible. Keep the personal attacks down, and the objective arguments up. There’s going to be a Clique that rules Page County, whether it’s this one or the next one. So give that clique what it needs to do the job right. The Clique isn’t Evil, Bad, or Corrupt. It’s just a natural phenomenon, like weather.
It’s Nature’s Law. So go with it, don’t fight it. And most importantly, don’t throw up your hands in defeat and say, “why should I vote?” Vote and Blog and Call in to the radio show. Your voice will influence the clique. Maybe you think it didn’t in the past, but it did, it just sometimes takes a while.
What do you think? Post your Comments.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
The Landfill is still bleeding.
ANONYMOUS made this post on September 11.
"Your comments, People have to get involved and pay attention to what the Board is doing, or what will happen may not be the same county and land we all appreciate so much.
This sounds like you could be talking about the Battlecreek Landfill.
People got involved; People Paid Attention; The county and land are not the same anymore! And like the people have tried to tell you over and over....their voices were simply a distant cry to the Board sitting at that time. At least, the flood plain folks had positive results with the present board. And at least the landfill is back in the hands of the county."
Everybody -- post the history here. Who did it. What did they do. I think this is not over. The landfill is still costing us money. Big money, when you compare it to our tax bill. This is not resolved.
"Your comments, People have to get involved and pay attention to what the Board is doing, or what will happen may not be the same county and land we all appreciate so much.
This sounds like you could be talking about the Battlecreek Landfill.
People got involved; People Paid Attention; The county and land are not the same anymore! And like the people have tried to tell you over and over....their voices were simply a distant cry to the Board sitting at that time. At least, the flood plain folks had positive results with the present board. And at least the landfill is back in the hands of the county."
Everybody -- post the history here. Who did it. What did they do. I think this is not over. The landfill is still costing us money. Big money, when you compare it to our tax bill. This is not resolved.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
This is very disturbing
For the Speak Out radio show, I've invited all the candidates to come on and speak. So to kick off the program, I thought it would be good to have our new Registrar give us a summary of the elections process: how it works, and how we can feel confident that our votes count. I called the Registrar, Carol Gaunt, last week and invited her on the show.
As Carol is new, she at first suggested that one of the members of the Electoral Board appear with her, and I thought that was a great idea. She said she had to check with them before committing, which is a reasonable response. The next day, she told me that they "checked with the state board of elections" who told them she could only appear if
a) there were no call-ins allowed
b) she had the questions in advance
c) the interview was taped.
I said we couldn't tape the interview, but I would agree to allow no call ins and give her the questions in advance. She said that would probably be okay. Over the weekend, I emailed her the questions.
Here are the questions I sent:
Questions for Carol Gaunt
1. What is your background (resume)?
2. What are the responsibilities of the Registrar?
3. Who is on the Electoral Board, and how are they appointed? How long have they been on the Board? What are their responsibilities?
4. How many registered voters do we have in Page County?
5. How many people usually come out to vote?
6. How are the votes counted? What is the process for counting them?
7. What about the computer votes? How are they counted? How do the computer votes and the paper ballots get added together?
8. Are the computer votes safe? Are we sure they are being counted correctly? If we have to have a recount, would we be able to do it?
9. What is the procedure for making sure our voting process is clean? Would it be possible for dead people to vote? Would it be possible for illegal aliens to vote? How do we make sure people are only voting one time?
10. How are absentee ballots counted? How do we know they are really coming from the person who is registered?
11. What would you like to say to the listeners about the voting process?
On Tuesday morning, I received an email back from Carol, stating that after further consultations, she would be unable to participate in the broadcast. Her reason is that the timing takes her away from the office during a busy election season.
Now. What I have posted here is a set of facts. If I were speculating, I would say that the voters are not being well served by being told that the Registrar doesn't have time to kick off an informational meeting about the process of the elections. Or that the Registrar doesn't have time to answer questions about the voting process and its integrity.
What do you think? Blog here about your assessment of what just happened, and also tune in to the Speak Out radio show on Friday at 9 a.m., 1330 AM. Call in to the show with your opinion, on 743-5167.
Alice
As Carol is new, she at first suggested that one of the members of the Electoral Board appear with her, and I thought that was a great idea. She said she had to check with them before committing, which is a reasonable response. The next day, she told me that they "checked with the state board of elections" who told them she could only appear if
a) there were no call-ins allowed
b) she had the questions in advance
c) the interview was taped.
I said we couldn't tape the interview, but I would agree to allow no call ins and give her the questions in advance. She said that would probably be okay. Over the weekend, I emailed her the questions.
Here are the questions I sent:
Questions for Carol Gaunt
1. What is your background (resume)?
2. What are the responsibilities of the Registrar?
3. Who is on the Electoral Board, and how are they appointed? How long have they been on the Board? What are their responsibilities?
4. How many registered voters do we have in Page County?
5. How many people usually come out to vote?
6. How are the votes counted? What is the process for counting them?
7. What about the computer votes? How are they counted? How do the computer votes and the paper ballots get added together?
8. Are the computer votes safe? Are we sure they are being counted correctly? If we have to have a recount, would we be able to do it?
9. What is the procedure for making sure our voting process is clean? Would it be possible for dead people to vote? Would it be possible for illegal aliens to vote? How do we make sure people are only voting one time?
10. How are absentee ballots counted? How do we know they are really coming from the person who is registered?
11. What would you like to say to the listeners about the voting process?
On Tuesday morning, I received an email back from Carol, stating that after further consultations, she would be unable to participate in the broadcast. Her reason is that the timing takes her away from the office during a busy election season.
Now. What I have posted here is a set of facts. If I were speculating, I would say that the voters are not being well served by being told that the Registrar doesn't have time to kick off an informational meeting about the process of the elections. Or that the Registrar doesn't have time to answer questions about the voting process and its integrity.
What do you think? Blog here about your assessment of what just happened, and also tune in to the Speak Out radio show on Friday at 9 a.m., 1330 AM. Call in to the show with your opinion, on 743-5167.
Alice
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
It's Official!
There is an immediate opening on the Planning Commission for a new member from District 2. This is not a rumor!
You must be a resident of District 2, and if observation serves well, preference will be given to a Republican member of the Rotary Club.
Members of the Planning Commission don't get paid, or at least they don't get paid anything worth mentioning. But, they get to decide things like whether or not Danny Comer can build a house on his lot, whether Brenda Jolly can open a pet grooming business, and whether there can be a light on the cell phone tower so the helicopters don't hit it.
Also, they are deeply involved in the rezoning process which is trying very hard to occur.
If you are willing to get involved and volunteer for this critical and important position, please call Supervisor John Rust and tell him you want to be considered. His phone number is 743-5316 or email yogilura@shentel.net
Also, you might want to let me know about your interest. Research@PageCountyWatch.org
Alice
You must be a resident of District 2, and if observation serves well, preference will be given to a Republican member of the Rotary Club.
Members of the Planning Commission don't get paid, or at least they don't get paid anything worth mentioning. But, they get to decide things like whether or not Danny Comer can build a house on his lot, whether Brenda Jolly can open a pet grooming business, and whether there can be a light on the cell phone tower so the helicopters don't hit it.
Also, they are deeply involved in the rezoning process which is trying very hard to occur.
If you are willing to get involved and volunteer for this critical and important position, please call Supervisor John Rust and tell him you want to be considered. His phone number is 743-5316 or email yogilura@shentel.net
Also, you might want to let me know about your interest. Research@PageCountyWatch.org
Alice
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Real Estate Taxes
Topic 3: Prorating Real Estate Taxes – August 7 Work Session
These are my notes, the notes of one citizen who attended. They are not minutes of the meeting. I post them here, because if you wait for the official minutes to come out, it will be October, and then if there were anything discussed that you wanted to take action about, it will be too late. If anyone was there and had a different take on what happened, just hit the Comments button and add your two cents.
Charlie Campbell was asked a few sessions back to come up with a plan to start collecting real estate taxes when the building is finished, instead of waiting until January of the next year. Charlie presented that he would need more staff to do that because he would have to send people out to the field to see if buildings were actually finished. So the Board asked him why he couldn’t just trigger the tax collection from something normally in the building process, like an Occupancy Certificate. And Charlie said (I’m paraphrasing here, Charlie didn’t exactly say this): “Not all that many people actually get Occupancy Certificates” That was the IDEA of what Charlie said, it’s not what he said.
This caused a realization on the part of the Board, I think, that there was a bigger problem at work.
Anyhow, the Board emphasized that they hadn’t intended to cause so much more work for the department that new staff would have to be hired for this task.
These are my notes, the notes of one citizen who attended. They are not minutes of the meeting. I post them here, because if you wait for the official minutes to come out, it will be October, and then if there were anything discussed that you wanted to take action about, it will be too late. If anyone was there and had a different take on what happened, just hit the Comments button and add your two cents.
Charlie Campbell was asked a few sessions back to come up with a plan to start collecting real estate taxes when the building is finished, instead of waiting until January of the next year. Charlie presented that he would need more staff to do that because he would have to send people out to the field to see if buildings were actually finished. So the Board asked him why he couldn’t just trigger the tax collection from something normally in the building process, like an Occupancy Certificate. And Charlie said (I’m paraphrasing here, Charlie didn’t exactly say this): “Not all that many people actually get Occupancy Certificates” That was the IDEA of what Charlie said, it’s not what he said.
This caused a realization on the part of the Board, I think, that there was a bigger problem at work.
Anyhow, the Board emphasized that they hadn’t intended to cause so much more work for the department that new staff would have to be hired for this task.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Has the Tide Turned?
I wasn't at the first of the five District meetings, held in Shenandoah, but preliminary reports say . . . all is well. What I heard briefly late last night was that Goal 3, Objective 2, line C has been removed and replaced with a substitute language that is . . . just fine.
This would be tremendous news, and frankly it would speak very well of all the Supervisors. It would make peace return to the Valley. When I hear more, I'll post it.
If you were there, or you heard from someone who was there . . . tell us more.
Push the Comments button and Blog.
This would be tremendous news, and frankly it would speak very well of all the Supervisors. It would make peace return to the Valley. When I hear more, I'll post it.
If you were there, or you heard from someone who was there . . . tell us more.
Push the Comments button and Blog.
Friday, June 29, 2007
The REAL Page County
I just went to the nicest, homiest, warmest event. It was the Election Debate hosted by Mary Whitehead at the VFW. Mary was a fantastic Mistress of Ceremonies. She really knew what the deal was in Page County, and seemed to have everybody’s “number.” Mary invited all the candidates running for office, and the VFW hall was filled to overflowing with citizens. Every candidate got to say their piece and give their platform. Mary was very strict about not having any negative campaigning or crucifying anybody, either on the stage or from audience questions.
You know what? It was really nice. It was heartwarming to hear each person talk about why they wanted to run for office and what they wanted to do. It was amazing to me how many people came, since I knew it wasn’t publicized much. In addition to the candidates, Mary also had Todd Gilbert there, and a representative of Mark Obershain.
All the candidates were there except District 2 Supervisor John Rust, and District 4 Supervisor Gerald Cubbage and his Democratic challenger Raymond Kite. Other than that, everybody else running was there. They gave such GREAT speeches. I’m not kidding, they were really, really good speeches, from everybody.
What was so good about them was that these were real people, with real heartfelt desires to serve the people. It didn’t matter whether they were polished public speakers or just speaking from the heart. You could tell they were people who cared. All of them.
In fact, when you listened to them, you started to think, Gee. It wouldn’t really matter which of these candidates got the most votes.
They were all winners.
I hope everybody in Page County gets to meet the people who have put themselves on the line to run for office. Mary will be running another one of these debates in the Fall. In August, Page County Watch will be setting up a special Elections Section of the website, where every candidate will have their own pages, and citizens can submit Questions for the Candidates.
You know what? It was really nice. It was heartwarming to hear each person talk about why they wanted to run for office and what they wanted to do. It was amazing to me how many people came, since I knew it wasn’t publicized much. In addition to the candidates, Mary also had Todd Gilbert there, and a representative of Mark Obershain.
All the candidates were there except District 2 Supervisor John Rust, and District 4 Supervisor Gerald Cubbage and his Democratic challenger Raymond Kite. Other than that, everybody else running was there. They gave such GREAT speeches. I’m not kidding, they were really, really good speeches, from everybody.
What was so good about them was that these were real people, with real heartfelt desires to serve the people. It didn’t matter whether they were polished public speakers or just speaking from the heart. You could tell they were people who cared. All of them.
In fact, when you listened to them, you started to think, Gee. It wouldn’t really matter which of these candidates got the most votes.
They were all winners.
I hope everybody in Page County gets to meet the people who have put themselves on the line to run for office. Mary will be running another one of these debates in the Fall. In August, Page County Watch will be setting up a special Elections Section of the website, where every candidate will have their own pages, and citizens can submit Questions for the Candidates.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Dear Ms. Getz
Dear Ms. Getz, and Like-Minded citizens of Page, This is a response to your Letter to the Editor in the Page News on June 28, 2007
Page County Watch is not the "local activist group" that got the Page County Supervisors to buy back the landfill, costing the taxpayers a debt of $13M and counting. We weren't involved or active in that issue. Indeed, we did not exist at the time.
Page County Watch did not criticize or attack the previous Boards of Supervisors. We did not exist until April of 2007. We only formed as a result of the December 19, 2006, meeting of the Board, in which our houses were threatened over the flood plain issue. Before that time, many of us either didn't live here, or weren't paying any attention to elections or politics.
We are not a "local activist group". We are just homeowners who went into shock when we found out the local Board of Supervisors had the power to take away our property rights. And no one was watching what they were doing, or paying any attention to them.
You're right that the people who are elected to the Board believe they are civic minded citizens doing what is the right thing for the county. They don't have an evil intent. But they are people spending a few hours a month, in addition to their day jobs, who are making decisions that will impact the taxpayers of the county for 25 years or more. They can't do that job well in a vacuum. They shouldn't be sitting in that boardroom alone, with no citizen input, no citizen feedback, no citizen pushback, no citizen guidance. But they are. Because Page County citizens just elected them and walked away.
Like you, I never attended or paid any attention to the county government until it tried to harm me. Right now, looking at the budget that grew in one year higher than the property tax rise, the debt that will require another property tax rise next year and the following year and the following year, etc, this Board is harming YOU. The property tax rise does not pay for the schools. The money is not being managed in a way that will allow citizens to live here peacefully, business is not moving here, and the Board is about to pass a Comprehensive Plan that will guide zoning toward lot sizes that will not allow the children who grew up here to buy houses, get jobs, and live in their own homes.
These are big problems, big issues, and dramatic impacts on the citizens of Page, that can't be resolved by a couple of well intentioned but not "up to the task" elected citizens, who run from citizen input and "retreat" when they are challenged. Ms. Getz, it is YOU and people you know who need to help them figure out what you want. Do you want them to rezone your neighborhood, changing the value of your home and possibly forcing your family and relatives to sell and move away? Do you want your property taxes to rise again next year and the year after and the year after that? Do you want your friends and family to have to car pool down route 66 to get jobs? If you do, then keep doing what you're doing, and ignore this Board and these upcoming elections, because that's what you are about to get, if all goes according to the Comprehensive Plan which they created WITHOUT broad citizen input.
If you don't want those things, then show up at these Board meetings, find out what these plans are, and get involved. That won't make you an "activist" any more than it makes me one.
Alice Richmond
Page County Watch is not the "local activist group" that got the Page County Supervisors to buy back the landfill, costing the taxpayers a debt of $13M and counting. We weren't involved or active in that issue. Indeed, we did not exist at the time.
Page County Watch did not criticize or attack the previous Boards of Supervisors. We did not exist until April of 2007. We only formed as a result of the December 19, 2006, meeting of the Board, in which our houses were threatened over the flood plain issue. Before that time, many of us either didn't live here, or weren't paying any attention to elections or politics.
We are not a "local activist group". We are just homeowners who went into shock when we found out the local Board of Supervisors had the power to take away our property rights. And no one was watching what they were doing, or paying any attention to them.
You're right that the people who are elected to the Board believe they are civic minded citizens doing what is the right thing for the county. They don't have an evil intent. But they are people spending a few hours a month, in addition to their day jobs, who are making decisions that will impact the taxpayers of the county for 25 years or more. They can't do that job well in a vacuum. They shouldn't be sitting in that boardroom alone, with no citizen input, no citizen feedback, no citizen pushback, no citizen guidance. But they are. Because Page County citizens just elected them and walked away.
Like you, I never attended or paid any attention to the county government until it tried to harm me. Right now, looking at the budget that grew in one year higher than the property tax rise, the debt that will require another property tax rise next year and the following year and the following year, etc, this Board is harming YOU. The property tax rise does not pay for the schools. The money is not being managed in a way that will allow citizens to live here peacefully, business is not moving here, and the Board is about to pass a Comprehensive Plan that will guide zoning toward lot sizes that will not allow the children who grew up here to buy houses, get jobs, and live in their own homes.
These are big problems, big issues, and dramatic impacts on the citizens of Page, that can't be resolved by a couple of well intentioned but not "up to the task" elected citizens, who run from citizen input and "retreat" when they are challenged. Ms. Getz, it is YOU and people you know who need to help them figure out what you want. Do you want them to rezone your neighborhood, changing the value of your home and possibly forcing your family and relatives to sell and move away? Do you want your property taxes to rise again next year and the year after and the year after that? Do you want your friends and family to have to car pool down route 66 to get jobs? If you do, then keep doing what you're doing, and ignore this Board and these upcoming elections, because that's what you are about to get, if all goes according to the Comprehensive Plan which they created WITHOUT broad citizen input.
If you don't want those things, then show up at these Board meetings, find out what these plans are, and get involved. That won't make you an "activist" any more than it makes me one.
Alice Richmond
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Meet the Republicans
Meet the Republicans
Before I tell you about Meeting the Republicans, I should tell you I’m a lifelong Democrat. But regardless of our party affiliation in a Democracy, we choose who we vote for one by one. That’s what I was doing when I went to the Republican meeting.
There was a very nice event at the Bridge Theater behind Brown’s Restaurant last night. The Republican candidates for local office invited the public to have a social evening, a buffet, an open bar, and listen to some campaign speeches. Each candidate for office stood up and said why they would be a good choice. It wasn’t just a night for Republicans to come. It was for any citizen who wanted to meet the candidates and know what they stood for. Republican, Democrat, or Independent, on the local level, we vote for the person, not the party. It’s a small town. You can know who’s running, and you should. When you know the person, the party won’t matter.
Every candidate had their little speech, and I have to say, every one was impressive. Maybe even endearing. Well, okay, maybe Charlie Campbell was a little on the boring side, but he’s the Commissioner of Revenue, so what can you say? So far, nobody’s come out to run against Charlie. There’s no Democrat running against him, and the deadline for Independents is June 12. My only personal experience with Charlie is that I heard him ask the Board of Supervisors to give him a person who could monitor and supervise the appraisals, so the consultants couldn’t make mistakes that were not caught. That sounded like a good thing. I also heard him ask the Board for an approval to let Internet businesses have licenses. That also sounded like a good thing. So everything I’ve seen with my own two eyes says this man is doing his job. I’m one of those “imports” so maybe I don’t know much. All I know is what I see, and so far, that’s what I see. I see Charlie Campbell as a Thumbs Up. I can be wrong. I’m reporting what I saw.
Grayson Markowitz . . . fabulous speech. The kind of speech you know he practiced for hours before he gave it. Great delivery. Excellent body language and tone. Total sincerity. If I had to sum it up, I’d say, “Grayson said, you’ve known me as a man of integrity for all these years, you’ve seen that I work hard and I’m honest and I’m fair and I’m true to my word, and I’m going to keep on being that.” Geez. What more could a person say? I know, as an “import”, that when I needed a washing machine and dryer, Grayson didn’t just put it in, he adjusted it and fiddled with it until it was just right. When my refrigerator was broken, he fixed it. When I was looking for a freezer, he discussed the merits of various options with me. I have to tell you, folks, you do not get that in the city. If you know a man who has shown over the years that he will respond when you call, he will treat you with respect, he will consider issues with a sense of integrity, and he will work for your interests . . . you can elect a man like that to anything. I almost wondered whether Grayson wanted to run for President, but the field is getting pretty crowded, what with Fred Thompson entering. So Grayson Markowitz sounded like a winner to me.
Understand, folks, I don’t know Ron Wilson, the Democratic candidate, and the incumbent. I’m just telling you that I, personally, was deeply impressed with Grayson’s presentation. I believe that in a democracy, we have to look at both or all candidates and compare them, and then make our choice. I’m only telling you what I saw last night, and I was WOWed. I absolutely want to also look at Ron Wilson’s presentation. Voters need to do that. Look at all the choices, and then decide. We’ll do that in these columns, over time. But right now, last night, I saw Grayson Markowitz and I was deeply moved. To me, this was democracy as Thomas Jefferson envisioned it. A fine man, a member of the community, with a proven record, offering to “serve” in public office.
Next. Sheriff Daniel Presgraves. I can not describe how impressed I am with that man’s record and his presentation. Sheriff Presgraves has accomplished major objectives in this county. This I know for sure. When a person does a lot, that same person comes under a lot of criticism. Since the big controversy started, I’ve been asking people to tell me what it is that Danny has done wrong. Specifically, not in general “oh, he’s a bad guy” terms. I’ve been a person who has done a lot in the past. I know what kind of criticism emerges from that. All I saw last night was a guy with a long list of achievements. Guys with long lists of achievements, do generate enemies here and there. It’s like a Law of Physics or something.
Now, there are people running against Danny, and I will also look into them, and post their presentations. But I’m telling you right now, from what I can see, Re-elect Sheriff Presgraves signs are going to be posted in my yard, and Presgraves bumper stickers are going on my car. The objective record is too clear, and the rumor record is too unsupported by detail or fact.
That doesn’t mean I’m right. It means I’m participating in the political process. And you should, too. We live in a small place. You can know these people you are electing, and you need to do that.
More. We have three Board of Supervisors up for election.
District 2. John Rust. John is the incumbent, running against Larry Sours, the Democratic candidate. I truly wish John Rust would come out and say, “I’m against the Flood Plain Ordinance.” I cannot understand why he will not. And believe me, I have asked him to do so. BUT, I’m reluctant to suggest that he is NOT against the flood plain ordinance.
Trust me, to NOT be against the flood plain ordinance would be a ‘CHECK YOU OFF’ offense, in my book.
The reason I can’t check John Rust off is because if we get to the specifics, he is against all the bad stuff, and for all the good stuff. I just can’t understand why that doesn’t translate into the simple act of stating that the proposed flood plain ordinance needs to be dropped. If he would just read the thing, that would be the conclusion. Nobody could read that document without being incensed, so we have to conclude he still hasn’t read it. This is understandable, considering how obtuse it is, but it is not really excusable, considering how critical it is.
I’m failing to check him off because I’m thinking just maybe, he doesn’t like the idea of being pressured to answer a certain way without coming to his own careful conclusion. You can’t blame a person for not wanting to be pressured into an answer. That wouldn’t be right, either. You have to start with an assumption that people are acting to their own best integrity. In truth, I think that is usually, and most often, the case. Usually, the people you are talking to are making every attempt to answer with their own best integrity. Not always. But Usually.
So John Rust is still a “Jury’s Out” with me. He won’t answer directly on the Flood Plain Ordinance. He implies, he impugns, he dances around. But he doesn’t come right out and say it. So I can’t answer directly on him.
I can tell you that Larry Sours doesn’t have any problem saying “the flood plain ordinance is a bunch of silliness that should not be taking up all this time”
But maybe John is just a careful thinker and careful actor. That happens. We’ll see on June 14, at the Retreat. Residents of District 2 . . . I’ll tell you as soon as I know.
District 3. J D Cave. J D is not the incumbent. Charles Ballard is the incumbent, but he has taken ill, and can not continue his duties. J D was formerly the radio personality on the Friday morning SpeakOut. J D stood up and said he would always tell the truth, and he had expectations for himself and his constituents. A fine speech. A solid entry. And, most importantly to me, J D is against the flood plain ordinance. That was tongue in cheek, actually. It is most importantly to me, but it is also important that he present as a person who cares about the people in the county and will represent their interests. This all seems solid and stable and good to me. J D presents as and appears to be a good man, a solid candidate, and a fine representative. J D is running against Jim Turner, an Independent. Jim Turner is also a good candidate. Jim Turner is also against the flood plain ordinance. And where I live, that’s what counts. So this would be a real toss up. Luckily, I don’t live in District 3, so I will never have to make that choice.
District 4. Gerald Cubbage. Gerald Cubbage seems to me to be the quintessential local farmer. The man who represents Page County’s roots. As much as Gerald Cubbage is the standard of the “home boy”, I am the standard of the “import”. I am the Boomer who has come here to retire. Gerald is the farmer who represents generations of locals. Yet, we have a lot in common. Even though I only have a little plot of land to build my house, I brought my children here to that little plot, for twenty years. My boys grew up here. Their weekends were spent on this river. And when they grew up and left home, my husband and I decided it would be best for us to move here, so that our children could bring their children to the place they remembered growing up. It is these family values that Gerald Cubbage and I share. We both delight in our families and their relationship with the land. My land happens to include the river. Gerald’s land is far more extensive than mine. But he can see the tie. So he has no trouble saying, “let these people live their lives, and butt out” Gerald had no trouble saying that he saw the flood plain issue as one of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”
Are you tired of hearing about the Flood Plain yet? Think of it this way. It’s home. If someone threatened your home, you would be as passionate to chase them away, too. Our point is: this is like the Germans and the Jews. If you stand by and let someone threaten our homes today, it will be your homes tomorrow. So far, Gerald Cubbage, and J D Cave, on the Republican side, have clearly declared that they will not take our homes.
John Rust, Charlie Hoke, Carol Lee Strickler, and Tommy LaFrance have not made that declaration.
If you press them, they will say they would never do such a thing.
So why won’t they end the Flood Plain Ordinance change now? It has nothing else in it, as it stands. What “good parts” are they waiting to uncover? Why don’t they just read it and end the pain?
One cannot hide behind a process, when the homes of constituents have been threatened.
Stay tuned to Page County Watch for more on the elections and their process. AND. . .
Go ahead and BLOG by pushing the Comments button.
Before I tell you about Meeting the Republicans, I should tell you I’m a lifelong Democrat. But regardless of our party affiliation in a Democracy, we choose who we vote for one by one. That’s what I was doing when I went to the Republican meeting.
There was a very nice event at the Bridge Theater behind Brown’s Restaurant last night. The Republican candidates for local office invited the public to have a social evening, a buffet, an open bar, and listen to some campaign speeches. Each candidate for office stood up and said why they would be a good choice. It wasn’t just a night for Republicans to come. It was for any citizen who wanted to meet the candidates and know what they stood for. Republican, Democrat, or Independent, on the local level, we vote for the person, not the party. It’s a small town. You can know who’s running, and you should. When you know the person, the party won’t matter.
Every candidate had their little speech, and I have to say, every one was impressive. Maybe even endearing. Well, okay, maybe Charlie Campbell was a little on the boring side, but he’s the Commissioner of Revenue, so what can you say? So far, nobody’s come out to run against Charlie. There’s no Democrat running against him, and the deadline for Independents is June 12. My only personal experience with Charlie is that I heard him ask the Board of Supervisors to give him a person who could monitor and supervise the appraisals, so the consultants couldn’t make mistakes that were not caught. That sounded like a good thing. I also heard him ask the Board for an approval to let Internet businesses have licenses. That also sounded like a good thing. So everything I’ve seen with my own two eyes says this man is doing his job. I’m one of those “imports” so maybe I don’t know much. All I know is what I see, and so far, that’s what I see. I see Charlie Campbell as a Thumbs Up. I can be wrong. I’m reporting what I saw.
Grayson Markowitz . . . fabulous speech. The kind of speech you know he practiced for hours before he gave it. Great delivery. Excellent body language and tone. Total sincerity. If I had to sum it up, I’d say, “Grayson said, you’ve known me as a man of integrity for all these years, you’ve seen that I work hard and I’m honest and I’m fair and I’m true to my word, and I’m going to keep on being that.” Geez. What more could a person say? I know, as an “import”, that when I needed a washing machine and dryer, Grayson didn’t just put it in, he adjusted it and fiddled with it until it was just right. When my refrigerator was broken, he fixed it. When I was looking for a freezer, he discussed the merits of various options with me. I have to tell you, folks, you do not get that in the city. If you know a man who has shown over the years that he will respond when you call, he will treat you with respect, he will consider issues with a sense of integrity, and he will work for your interests . . . you can elect a man like that to anything. I almost wondered whether Grayson wanted to run for President, but the field is getting pretty crowded, what with Fred Thompson entering. So Grayson Markowitz sounded like a winner to me.
Understand, folks, I don’t know Ron Wilson, the Democratic candidate, and the incumbent. I’m just telling you that I, personally, was deeply impressed with Grayson’s presentation. I believe that in a democracy, we have to look at both or all candidates and compare them, and then make our choice. I’m only telling you what I saw last night, and I was WOWed. I absolutely want to also look at Ron Wilson’s presentation. Voters need to do that. Look at all the choices, and then decide. We’ll do that in these columns, over time. But right now, last night, I saw Grayson Markowitz and I was deeply moved. To me, this was democracy as Thomas Jefferson envisioned it. A fine man, a member of the community, with a proven record, offering to “serve” in public office.
Next. Sheriff Daniel Presgraves. I can not describe how impressed I am with that man’s record and his presentation. Sheriff Presgraves has accomplished major objectives in this county. This I know for sure. When a person does a lot, that same person comes under a lot of criticism. Since the big controversy started, I’ve been asking people to tell me what it is that Danny has done wrong. Specifically, not in general “oh, he’s a bad guy” terms. I’ve been a person who has done a lot in the past. I know what kind of criticism emerges from that. All I saw last night was a guy with a long list of achievements. Guys with long lists of achievements, do generate enemies here and there. It’s like a Law of Physics or something.
Now, there are people running against Danny, and I will also look into them, and post their presentations. But I’m telling you right now, from what I can see, Re-elect Sheriff Presgraves signs are going to be posted in my yard, and Presgraves bumper stickers are going on my car. The objective record is too clear, and the rumor record is too unsupported by detail or fact.
That doesn’t mean I’m right. It means I’m participating in the political process. And you should, too. We live in a small place. You can know these people you are electing, and you need to do that.
More. We have three Board of Supervisors up for election.
District 2. John Rust. John is the incumbent, running against Larry Sours, the Democratic candidate. I truly wish John Rust would come out and say, “I’m against the Flood Plain Ordinance.” I cannot understand why he will not. And believe me, I have asked him to do so. BUT, I’m reluctant to suggest that he is NOT against the flood plain ordinance.
Trust me, to NOT be against the flood plain ordinance would be a ‘CHECK YOU OFF’ offense, in my book.
The reason I can’t check John Rust off is because if we get to the specifics, he is against all the bad stuff, and for all the good stuff. I just can’t understand why that doesn’t translate into the simple act of stating that the proposed flood plain ordinance needs to be dropped. If he would just read the thing, that would be the conclusion. Nobody could read that document without being incensed, so we have to conclude he still hasn’t read it. This is understandable, considering how obtuse it is, but it is not really excusable, considering how critical it is.
I’m failing to check him off because I’m thinking just maybe, he doesn’t like the idea of being pressured to answer a certain way without coming to his own careful conclusion. You can’t blame a person for not wanting to be pressured into an answer. That wouldn’t be right, either. You have to start with an assumption that people are acting to their own best integrity. In truth, I think that is usually, and most often, the case. Usually, the people you are talking to are making every attempt to answer with their own best integrity. Not always. But Usually.
So John Rust is still a “Jury’s Out” with me. He won’t answer directly on the Flood Plain Ordinance. He implies, he impugns, he dances around. But he doesn’t come right out and say it. So I can’t answer directly on him.
I can tell you that Larry Sours doesn’t have any problem saying “the flood plain ordinance is a bunch of silliness that should not be taking up all this time”
But maybe John is just a careful thinker and careful actor. That happens. We’ll see on June 14, at the Retreat. Residents of District 2 . . . I’ll tell you as soon as I know.
District 3. J D Cave. J D is not the incumbent. Charles Ballard is the incumbent, but he has taken ill, and can not continue his duties. J D was formerly the radio personality on the Friday morning SpeakOut. J D stood up and said he would always tell the truth, and he had expectations for himself and his constituents. A fine speech. A solid entry. And, most importantly to me, J D is against the flood plain ordinance. That was tongue in cheek, actually. It is most importantly to me, but it is also important that he present as a person who cares about the people in the county and will represent their interests. This all seems solid and stable and good to me. J D presents as and appears to be a good man, a solid candidate, and a fine representative. J D is running against Jim Turner, an Independent. Jim Turner is also a good candidate. Jim Turner is also against the flood plain ordinance. And where I live, that’s what counts. So this would be a real toss up. Luckily, I don’t live in District 3, so I will never have to make that choice.
District 4. Gerald Cubbage. Gerald Cubbage seems to me to be the quintessential local farmer. The man who represents Page County’s roots. As much as Gerald Cubbage is the standard of the “home boy”, I am the standard of the “import”. I am the Boomer who has come here to retire. Gerald is the farmer who represents generations of locals. Yet, we have a lot in common. Even though I only have a little plot of land to build my house, I brought my children here to that little plot, for twenty years. My boys grew up here. Their weekends were spent on this river. And when they grew up and left home, my husband and I decided it would be best for us to move here, so that our children could bring their children to the place they remembered growing up. It is these family values that Gerald Cubbage and I share. We both delight in our families and their relationship with the land. My land happens to include the river. Gerald’s land is far more extensive than mine. But he can see the tie. So he has no trouble saying, “let these people live their lives, and butt out” Gerald had no trouble saying that he saw the flood plain issue as one of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”
Are you tired of hearing about the Flood Plain yet? Think of it this way. It’s home. If someone threatened your home, you would be as passionate to chase them away, too. Our point is: this is like the Germans and the Jews. If you stand by and let someone threaten our homes today, it will be your homes tomorrow. So far, Gerald Cubbage, and J D Cave, on the Republican side, have clearly declared that they will not take our homes.
John Rust, Charlie Hoke, Carol Lee Strickler, and Tommy LaFrance have not made that declaration.
If you press them, they will say they would never do such a thing.
So why won’t they end the Flood Plain Ordinance change now? It has nothing else in it, as it stands. What “good parts” are they waiting to uncover? Why don’t they just read it and end the pain?
One cannot hide behind a process, when the homes of constituents have been threatened.
Stay tuned to Page County Watch for more on the elections and their process. AND. . .
Go ahead and BLOG by pushing the Comments button.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
The Brenda Merica Story
Page County Watch wondered what the hullabaloo was with the County Registrar.
Here's the scoop.
The County Registrar is the person who makes sure our elections are set up and run in accordance with the rules. Brenda Merica has been doing this for 24 years. Her job is a salaried job, and she has been chosen and reappointed to this job time and time again, by both Democrats and Republicans. She has it down. She knows the rules. She makes sure they are followed, so our elections can be above reproach. This is a good thing.
But the Registrar's job is a political appointment. She is appointed by the Electoral Board, and the Electoral Board has the right to appoint someone else. They don't need a reason. They don't need to have cause to get someone else. They are elected, and the Registrar is apointed by the elected Board. That's it. It's their choice.
The Electoral Board is currently two Democrats (Nancy Bell Gordon and Juanita Sedwick) and one Republican (Bob Forrest). It's two Democrats because Tim Kaine is governor. If we had a Republican governor it would be two Republicans.
The Electoral Board started advertising for the Registrar's position. They will take applications and make a decision at the end of June. It is their right to do this, even though the current Registrar is doing a good job. I looked it up.
The only public concern would be that the new Registrar be capable of making sure our elections are on the up and up, and we don't run afoul of any state rules in the process. In many counties, there is an unpaid "Assistant" to the Registrar, who learns the ropes so that there will not be a glitch during any transitions. Our county didn't have an Assistant Registrar, so the rules are known inside and outside by only one person. Brenda.
If you think failing to reappoint Brenda Merica to this job is bad for the county, you are the citizens who elected Bob Forrest, Juanita Sedwick, and Nancy Bell Gordon to the Electoral Board. It is their decision, and they have not yet formally made it. They have the control over this. This wasn't done by the "imports", or the Sheriff, or the big bad developers.
If you think it's not right to pull this public servant out of her job of 24 years, and expose the county to potential disruption by mistakes in the election processes, call your elected representatives on the Electoral Board and tell them you as citizens want things done differently.
That's all the blogger has to say about this. What's your opinion? Hit the comments button.
Here's the scoop.
The County Registrar is the person who makes sure our elections are set up and run in accordance with the rules. Brenda Merica has been doing this for 24 years. Her job is a salaried job, and she has been chosen and reappointed to this job time and time again, by both Democrats and Republicans. She has it down. She knows the rules. She makes sure they are followed, so our elections can be above reproach. This is a good thing.
But the Registrar's job is a political appointment. She is appointed by the Electoral Board, and the Electoral Board has the right to appoint someone else. They don't need a reason. They don't need to have cause to get someone else. They are elected, and the Registrar is apointed by the elected Board. That's it. It's their choice.
The Electoral Board is currently two Democrats (Nancy Bell Gordon and Juanita Sedwick) and one Republican (Bob Forrest). It's two Democrats because Tim Kaine is governor. If we had a Republican governor it would be two Republicans.
The Electoral Board started advertising for the Registrar's position. They will take applications and make a decision at the end of June. It is their right to do this, even though the current Registrar is doing a good job. I looked it up.
The only public concern would be that the new Registrar be capable of making sure our elections are on the up and up, and we don't run afoul of any state rules in the process. In many counties, there is an unpaid "Assistant" to the Registrar, who learns the ropes so that there will not be a glitch during any transitions. Our county didn't have an Assistant Registrar, so the rules are known inside and outside by only one person. Brenda.
If you think failing to reappoint Brenda Merica to this job is bad for the county, you are the citizens who elected Bob Forrest, Juanita Sedwick, and Nancy Bell Gordon to the Electoral Board. It is their decision, and they have not yet formally made it. They have the control over this. This wasn't done by the "imports", or the Sheriff, or the big bad developers.
If you think it's not right to pull this public servant out of her job of 24 years, and expose the county to potential disruption by mistakes in the election processes, call your elected representatives on the Electoral Board and tell them you as citizens want things done differently.
That's all the blogger has to say about this. What's your opinion? Hit the comments button.
Friday, May 25, 2007
You heard it here first
Why wait for the Page News when you have Page County Watch?
At last night's Democratic Caucus, Larry Sours was selected as thecandidate to run against John Rust in District 2. Raymond Kite will run against Gerald Cubbage in District 4. There will be no Democratic Candidate in District 3.
The most important thing to me was that both Democratic candidates spoke out strongly against the flood plain issue and for property rights. They were willing to be pinned down about what they think. It was an important issue with the audience that the candidates they run not agree with this rezoning idea where you have to have a minimum of 10 acres to build a house. If it takes 10 acres to build a house, that means that the young people growing up here, basically can't stay. 10 acres costs at least $100,000 to $200,000 just for the land. For the board to pass that says, "go ahead and let our kids move on and move out, we won't have businesses or jobs here for them anyway"
Page County Watch, having members from both parties, can be EVERYWHERE. AND, we can report it faster than the newspaper. On Friday, June 1, there is a "meet the candidates" function for the Republicans at Browns restaurant at 7 p.m. Let's go meet them. And let's be sure we pin them down on what they think and believe about issues in the county. Don't let them get away with vague answers.
What questions would you like the candidates to answer? Post your questions as comments, and Page County Watch will try to set up a debate for all the candidates, somewhere, sometime.
Or, send your tips and information to Research@PageCountyWatch.org
At last night's Democratic Caucus, Larry Sours was selected as thecandidate to run against John Rust in District 2. Raymond Kite will run against Gerald Cubbage in District 4. There will be no Democratic Candidate in District 3.
The most important thing to me was that both Democratic candidates spoke out strongly against the flood plain issue and for property rights. They were willing to be pinned down about what they think. It was an important issue with the audience that the candidates they run not agree with this rezoning idea where you have to have a minimum of 10 acres to build a house. If it takes 10 acres to build a house, that means that the young people growing up here, basically can't stay. 10 acres costs at least $100,000 to $200,000 just for the land. For the board to pass that says, "go ahead and let our kids move on and move out, we won't have businesses or jobs here for them anyway"
Page County Watch, having members from both parties, can be EVERYWHERE. AND, we can report it faster than the newspaper. On Friday, June 1, there is a "meet the candidates" function for the Republicans at Browns restaurant at 7 p.m. Let's go meet them. And let's be sure we pin them down on what they think and believe about issues in the county. Don't let them get away with vague answers.
What questions would you like the candidates to answer? Post your questions as comments, and Page County Watch will try to set up a debate for all the candidates, somewhere, sometime.
Or, send your tips and information to Research@PageCountyWatch.org
Thursday, May 24, 2007
This Week with the Sheriff
Okay, the rumors are quelled. No, the sheriff did not resign. Nor did his deputy. No, the sheriff's wife did not leave him.
It's an election year, and all is fair in politics, right?
Grand juries are about looking to see if there is anything wrong. They are not a charge that there is anything wrong. Someone can allege things, imply things, throw innuendo, and start a grand jury based on things that are out of context. The grand jury is meant to go look more closely. Like a fishing expedition. The bad part is then rumors get started, and the next thing you know, people start believing the rumors. It is very easy to get people to believe rumors.
Got something to say about this? You can comment anonymously, but please throw in a fact here and there if you do.
It's an election year, and all is fair in politics, right?
Grand juries are about looking to see if there is anything wrong. They are not a charge that there is anything wrong. Someone can allege things, imply things, throw innuendo, and start a grand jury based on things that are out of context. The grand jury is meant to go look more closely. Like a fishing expedition. The bad part is then rumors get started, and the next thing you know, people start believing the rumors. It is very easy to get people to believe rumors.
Got something to say about this? You can comment anonymously, but please throw in a fact here and there if you do.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Page News Suspect?
The Page News and Courier
Small town newspaper, comes out once a week. Everybody reads it.The Fourth Estate. That's what we learn in school that the newspapers are. Journalists play a big part in our government. They keep our government honest. They report the FACTS. Yet, here we are, a few months from an election for Sheriff, and the newspaper puts a big front page headline out that says "Sheriff's Office under federal investigation?" Notice the question mark at the end of the headline. When you read the article, it says, the Department of Justice was in Page County collecting information, but no one knows why or what it was about. They also collected information on other things in the county. But no one knows whether the Sheriff's Office is under investigation, or whether some other office is under investigation.
So why would the Page News use a headline that implies it is the Sheriff's Office? News people know that many people just read headlines. Many people will remember only the words in the
headline, and believe that the article said the Sheriff's office WAS under investigation. That's not fair and balanced news reporting, Jamie Turner and Randy Arrington.
Page County Watch has seen this business of implying and impugning in other articles in the Page News. For one thing, Jamie wrote that the Flood Plain Ordinance came about because there was a letter from the state saying the county's existing ordinance was not in compliance. That wasn't true, but Jamie didn't check her facts. When PCW pointed out to her that she had written something untrue, she shrugged it off, as if writing untrue things was unimportant to a journalist. Then, in an article about the Comprehensive Plan, Jamie cherry-picked the audience comments, reporting the glowing and happy statements, without reporting the disgruntlements.
We don't need a small town newspaper with a bias. Local folks need just the facts. Our newspaper isn't supposed to be some type of Happy Hannah, guiding people's thoughts into one track, and putting light on only what the newspaper thinks is right.
If you have comments about this Blog, push the Comments button. Your opinion will show up immediately, without censorship. Page County Watch will delete anything that uses swear words or refers to taking illegal actions. Other than that, we publish whatever you say. You may post anonymously, or sign your name.
Small town newspaper, comes out once a week. Everybody reads it.The Fourth Estate. That's what we learn in school that the newspapers are. Journalists play a big part in our government. They keep our government honest. They report the FACTS. Yet, here we are, a few months from an election for Sheriff, and the newspaper puts a big front page headline out that says "Sheriff's Office under federal investigation?" Notice the question mark at the end of the headline. When you read the article, it says, the Department of Justice was in Page County collecting information, but no one knows why or what it was about. They also collected information on other things in the county. But no one knows whether the Sheriff's Office is under investigation, or whether some other office is under investigation.
So why would the Page News use a headline that implies it is the Sheriff's Office? News people know that many people just read headlines. Many people will remember only the words in the
headline, and believe that the article said the Sheriff's office WAS under investigation. That's not fair and balanced news reporting, Jamie Turner and Randy Arrington.
Page County Watch has seen this business of implying and impugning in other articles in the Page News. For one thing, Jamie wrote that the Flood Plain Ordinance came about because there was a letter from the state saying the county's existing ordinance was not in compliance. That wasn't true, but Jamie didn't check her facts. When PCW pointed out to her that she had written something untrue, she shrugged it off, as if writing untrue things was unimportant to a journalist. Then, in an article about the Comprehensive Plan, Jamie cherry-picked the audience comments, reporting the glowing and happy statements, without reporting the disgruntlements.
We don't need a small town newspaper with a bias. Local folks need just the facts. Our newspaper isn't supposed to be some type of Happy Hannah, guiding people's thoughts into one track, and putting light on only what the newspaper thinks is right.
If you have comments about this Blog, push the Comments button. Your opinion will show up immediately, without censorship. Page County Watch will delete anything that uses swear words or refers to taking illegal actions. Other than that, we publish whatever you say. You may post anonymously, or sign your name.
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