Henry County Citizens voices

Affecting District 2 of Henry County Town Hall Meeting Tuesday, June 22, 2010, 7-8 pm

2010-06-14T06:55:00.000-07:00

COME TO THIS MEETING TO SEE HOW YOU FEEL THIS WILL AFFECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES.

Planning & Zoning Staff

Dutchtown Activity Center

Town Hall Meeting

Tuesday, June 22, 2010, 7-8 pm
This meeting will be held at Dutchtown High School at 149 Mitchell Road Hampton, GA 30228.

Proposed Dutchtown Area Master Plan

The Planning and Zoning staff would like to hear from you on what you would like to see in the Dutchtown Area. As a result of comments received, staff would like to host a 2nd Informal Meeting, to allow you an opportunity to look at various land use types, and design characteristics, which are a fundamental tool in the development of a Master Plan. This meeting will be held at Dutchtown High School at 149 Mitchell Road Hampton, GA 30228.

The primary purpose of the meeting is to get a better understanding of what we heard as it pertains to the future development and future land use types in the Dutchtown Area. We will also provide visual photos for you to look at and decide if those land uses and design characteristics are appropriate for your area.

What is an “Activity Center”?

• Activity Centers are included on Henry County’s Future Land Use Map within the Comprehensive Plan to be master planned at a later date.

• Master planning means determining where various types of new development can go, including streets, private property, and open space.

• The “master plan” will be enforced by a change in the law called an “overlay district.”

• The “overlay district” will also determine what new construction will look like.

What is a “School Node?”

• A “school node” has been determined to be a particular type of activity center centered around certain schools in Henry County.

• The activity center planned for the Dutchtown area is centered around the Dutchtown school complex and therefore is a “school node.” For an example, please view this PDF.

Why Dutchtown?

It is not just the Dutchtown schools.

• The plan assumes that clustering “new development” around schools will modify people’s driving behavior.

• The assumption is that if new residents live close to their child’s school, they will not have to drive so much.

There are many Henry County schools planned to have activity centers, encouraging “new development” around them.

Hoorah for Mayor Lee Stuart and all of the citizens,scouts and veterans who helped to clean up the Dabney Hunter Simmons Memorial Park

2010-06-01T13:04:00.000-07:00

House Representative Steve Davis District 109 Henry County Georgia......THANK YOU SIR

2010-05-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

I want to send a big thank you to Steve Davis for standing up and voting NO to the Redevelopment Powers Bill that our board of commissioners pushed so very hard to get passed and place upon the November voter ballot this year. It sure looks like Steve Davis stood alone by his NO vote; he did however show to me and many other citizen voters where his heart and concern for the citizens of Henry County really is. In my opinion he believes in doing the right thing.

No one citizen in this county of ours should vote in favor of this on the November ballot this year. Many citizens have already been adversely affected. There are already several examples of the poorly thought out voting practices that many neighbors in areas such as Winslow at Eagles Landing, the Industrial Warehouse surrounding an entire neighborhood which will store Clorox products and no telling what other chemicals.

Then there is also a subdivision just off Jodeco road that by a 5 to 0 vote by the current board of commissioners, excluding Mr. Roark of course, which has allowed 7 days per week from day light until dark regulation sized league soccer and football fields, in addition to using the 12 acres for recreational recess for a church and school. This property is jammed up against 13 homes, just 20 foot from homeowners property lines.

If you vote in the up coming November election, all I ask is that you keep this in mind. Do you want to give the board of commissioners of this county even more power? Especially redevelopment powers! I ask that you please educate yourselves as to all that will include, do your research. Ask questions. Larry Stanley is very well versed on this issue. The way you vote on this issue will affect you and your family’s way of life if you intend to remain here in Henry County. With that said, the vote of YES or NO is in your hands.

It could be your neighborhood's next that become unbearable places to live, that were once peaceful. It can change in an instant and be turned into an industrial nightmare. Those that voted in favor of these issues turning quiet neighborhoods into now unwanted properties to buyers do not have to live there, otherwise they would not have voted on these matters as they did!

I will vote NO on the ballot on this issue, how will you vote?
THIS IS THE ISSUE, READ THE BILL:
House Bill 1347 authorizes Henry County to exercise all redevelopment and other powers under the state Redevelopment Powers Law, and to provide for a referendum on the issues. It also allows the county to undertake community redevelopment projects, create tax allocation districts, and issue tax allocation bonds.

This is total BULL CRAP from the Henry Herald regarding the Henry County budget for 2011

2010-05-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

I took these paragraphs below from the ridiculous article that Mike Bush and the county manager Butch Sanders are talking about. Double talk that is all it boils down to. They not only want to take the SPLOST tax money that is supposed to be spent solely for SPLOST projects but also want the millage rate to go up by 11.75!!!!!!!!! If this county had managed the tax payers money in a manner that it should have been managed in the first place, then the budget for 2011 would not be such a dramatic affair with taxes being increased because of the current BOC'S management practices.

Read our lips,NO more tax, NO millage rate increase! Have the employee's take furloughs, have the BOC take a pay cut, decrease your retirement accounts, do something good for the citizens for a change. Any way you look at it, your plan is to take the SPLOST money to pay for other things and or raise the citizens taxes one way or another. Why not SELL the 166 plus acres the county purchased from the Abernathy's, Where did the county get FOUR MILLION DOLLARS to pay for that???????? we never needed it, we do not need it now. Where are the BOC'S priorities?

By the way does this millage rate increase include the millage that Big 5 Enterprises was asking for? has that been decided yet? no one has heard any more about that lately.

FROM THE HENRY HERALD:

Fiscal year 2011 begins July 1. The county expects to adopt next year’s budget during its second meeting in June, according to Henry County Manager James “Butch” Sanders.

Under one scenario, the county would raise the millage rate to 11.24 mills, said Mike Bush, county Finance Director. Under the second scenario, the millage rate would be hiked to 11.5 mills, and under the third scenario, the millage rate would be increased to 11.75 mills, Bush said. The current millage rate is 10.969 mills.

Bush said the first two scenarios would require the county to make withdrawals from its fund balance (or reserves), but the third scenario would allow the county to add to it. He said he supports the third alternative. “Any time I can build the fund balance, it adds to the financial health of Henry County,” said Bush.

Also, County Department of Transportation salaries, and expenditures on county-wide paving projects, would be removed from the 2011 budget, and replaced with dollar-savings realized from previous Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) projects, which cost less than anticipated, said Sanders. The total amount of those two items removed from next year’s budget would amount to a $4,463,553 reduction in expenditures, he said.

Other measures under consideration include: A 15-percent reduction in payments to Helping In His Name Ministries Food Pantry, A Friend’s House, Hands of Hope Clinic, Community Gardens, the Flint Circuit Council on Family Violence, and Prevent Child Abuse, said Sanders. The county may decide to eliminate funding for the Southern Crescent Sexual Assault program, he said.

A call to all Veterans....................the Veterans wall of Honor at Heritage Park in Henry County needs you to march!

2010-04-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

Would any Veteran or their family want a dog jumping over their inscribed dedicated veteran bench in Heritage park at the Veterans Wall of Honor?

The county manger can say what ever he wishes, however no one is buying the lame explanations. The few will take there stand very soon and all will become known to the entire arena regarding the Veterans Wall of Honor in Heritage Park. This photo is but one example of the disregard of an area that is sacred to all Veterans past, present,future and all of their families.

It does NOT matter whether the dog was from McDonough Mr. Sanders, McDonough is after all Henry County! This is totally outrageous and deserves a PUBLIC APOLOGY TO ALL VETERAN'S FORTHWITH!

Our Taxing Days By: The Doctor

2010-04-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

The nation we live in today is full of what the founding fathers fought to rid themselves of so they could have peace and tranquility. The public knows that a certain amount of taxation must occur to continue the works of the government which is to keep the people safe and free. It is not to make slaves of a populace who works daily for no fruits at the end. Freedom to live with some peace at mind and not have to worry about paying a tax that is far too much not even for your paychecks, but your homes and everything you buy.

We the people deserve far more than just a worry and a grind. This time of life in our society should be far from where we have taken ourselves and should be rested from the government. Conservatism must mean truly conservative ways within those who run our government from the local venue all the way to Washington, D.C. Being conservative does not make one a total monster to the liberal faction of government. What one must understand is that we understand there has to be taxation but on a more conservative level.

The working man and woman in our society must be given a chance to pursue that life, liberty, and happiness that was given to them in the Constitution of the United States of America. Follow the Constitution and those in leadership will find that their job will not be as hard as they have made it. The size of government has become so large that it cannot sustain itself without further taxation. Those in the leadership know this and it must be stopped before it happens. We have future generations to worry about besides ourselves. Can we do something now to curb this run away taxing nation? Yes, we can and if we the people say yes it can be done then it will happen. It might take time, but it will happen.

Thank you for listening.

The Doctor

The Veterans Wall of Honor and It's Meaning to a Veteran, A MUST READ FOR ALL

2010-04-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

The Veterans Wall of Honor and It's Meaning to a Vet
By TheDoctor

This article is about what the Veterans Wall of Honor means to a Vet here in Henry County, GA. The monument rises upon a hill inside of Heritage Park on Lake Dow Road. This grand structure is a fitting tribute of not only those who gave their lives in war for this nation, but for those who have come home to a place of solitude and rememberance.

The Wall of Honor was the vision and idea of a good hearted American who fought for this nation in World War II. He would pass away before it's completion, but the Wall would be an awesome experience for anyone who visits it.

Today the Wall is getting some much needed help from the Veterans Wall of Honor Preservation Committee formed to see that repairs that are needed are done. This group's sole mission is to see to the repairs of the Wall and to make sure that it is cared for in the future.

Time honored traditions of love, honor, and valor to one's nation are seen in the bricks that line the walk up to the monument. All the wars which our nation has been involved have a home on the Wall. To me and other veterans it is a sacred place where we can come and remember the past and look to the future.

YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS VIDEO

2010-04-06T07:08:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVAhr4hZDJEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVAhr4hZDJE

EVERYONE NEEDS TO REGISTER AND VOTE THIS NOVEMBER!!!!!!!

2010-03-30T06:37:00.000-07:00

Winslow@Eagles Landing,the campground Road extension and The LCI (Livable Centers Initiative)

2010-03-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

WELL? what are the BOCHC (Board of Commissioners of Henry County GA) going to do for these citizens with the four lane highway coming through their subdivision? It will cut the club house and pool in half! this is an outrage! Will the BOC meet with the Mayor Lee Stuart of Stockbridge to try and resolve this crisis issue?

"If" there is no other routes to take this corridor through. Will they build a pedestrian bridge over it? Will they build a tunnel underneath this monstrous eye sore and hazardous intersection. It will be a hazard to all the people from noctious fumes and noise! I hope none of these citizens and their children suffer from asthma! and or other conditions that will be exacerbated from all the 20,000 plus cars and commercial traffic per day coming through this area. Though it has been stated that this corridor has been proposed to alleviate traffic congestion. Is it the best idea? Is there a solution that is better for this subdivision and the families living within it? Where is the compassion after all?

A CONTINGENCY "LAWSUIT!" comes to mind for me on this issue. You can also forget any wild life surviving in this entire area of the Jodeco and Hudson bridge area, due to this huge by pass highway and the 13,000 acres proposed for the livable activities center and Bayer properties LCI deal. The deer population are walking around in a daze already through our neighborhoods. No trees for the squirrels to raise young in, no trees for what will have been abundant bird species. Birds eat insects you know. The entire balance of nature will be affected by this massive developing. What has happened to our ruralness?

I for one do not want to live in a clustered environment, it will be to industrial and made up. Furthermore Henry County can not take care of the lands they have acquired now. Parks go lacking, damages go unrepaired.

Definition of LCI: Many different commercial,condominium, government assisted housing,store fronts,assisted living facilites,all clumped together in one area. I do not think there will be any exclusions to what can be built by the private sector.

You can see more about this at this link: http://www.tunspan.com/hudsonbridge/

Citizens need to vote NO on the up coming ballot this year that will ask for tax allocation districting. It is just a play on words, believe me it is all about getting more of our tax dollars to build these habitat killing ventures that some of these officials are seeking.

While you are voting in November of this year, you need to vote out the district 4 and 5 commissioner's to start with. In 2012 the remaining commissioners need to be voted out until we have all new leadership,who honestly show compassion and interest toward their neighbors. That is the only way anything will get better for all of us.

God bless these citizens at Winslow @ Eagles Landing who have stood up against all odds and are still unwaivered in their justful cause. If you need my help just give me a shout! I love all those T-shirts, can I have one? Keep it up, you are in the right on this big time!

A REMINDER FOR THE HENRY COUNTY VOTERS / MORE REASONS TO VOTE THIS NOVEMBER

2010-03-22T05:27:00.000-07:00

BULLET AND LAND VIDEO'S:

The real facts about recently retired Henry County Chief of police Russ Abernathy land purchase of over 166 acres by our commissioners.

Fox 5 news uncovered the real story. This is but ONE, how many other land acquisitions have been completed under the guise of ? (whatever they wish to make up)

Our Henry County commissioner's at their finest!

Think about it, can we really afford to keep any of these people in office? when they are responsible for making the huge decision's that affect our hard earned tax dollars?

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/i-team%3A-bullet-and-land-020810
Reported By: Dale Russell

Edited By: Leigha Baugham

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. (MyFOX ATLANTA) - Henry County officials say a stray bullet from a police firing range was the catalyst for buying land for a new police training facility.

But the bullet incident didn't happen the way the county claimed it did and the land for the police training center was sold by the police chief and his nephew.

A FOX 5 I-Team investigation has examined police records and land deeds in the case of the stray bullet and $4 million land deal.

County leaders and police insist that they needed a new firing range and police training center, after a firearm training accident. But, the police department's own records tell a different story.

An Ugly Truth in Local Politics

2010-03-12T20:50:00.000-08:00

By TheDoctor

Here in Henry County where politics have always had a bite to them is not letting itself down at this time either. I remember years ago when Henry County was 90% Democrat and they couldn't get along then just as the Republicans have been having problems as of late.

The problem here in the Republican Party is that we have the main party and two split factions of the Republican Women of Henry County. Any time a party splits it's self for any reason shows weakness in the party structure and will give those who are working to make the party strong a hard row to hoe.

Just as happened before the Civil War in the Democratic Party it split itself and lost the Presidential Election to the newly formed Republicans. Now this was not the first or last time this has happened either.

When a party begins splintering itself, then various platforms are revealed which could go against one another. That way it is assured that whom ever they support will be hurt by this type of activity.

It doesn't matter who is in charge of the party they will have a terrible time until this seam is sewed back together. Most of the time when a split comes it is because people cannot get along with one another. But they should put personal differences aside to make the party whole and strong once again.

The understanding of keepng the whole together and not rushing to dissolve it's effectiveness is the wrong road to travel. This will only hurt the candidate and bring about hard feelings with them and their base. But that is what happens when personal problems seem more important than the party as a whole.

The Republican Party of Henry County has a good leader at this time. But the rival factions that have broken themselves apart will give him a hard time promoting the standards of this county's Republican Party. So if you are truly a Republican and believe in the party's principles you must start working together for the whole of the party or you will just become a club for people to gather and have conversation and that doesn't get people elected.

Our Voices Can Be Heard

2010-03-06T13:37:00.000-08:00

"We the People of the local County of Henry, of the Soverign State of Georgia,in these United States of America, do demand and resolve that the voice of the populace will be heard upon the walls of Freedom which echo across this land. Those who etched a start here in 1821 found a way to survive the elements and the wilds of the day. Across the panorama of time this county has seen change upon change. Men and women taken from bondage, during a war of brutality brought home for all to see. The days of rebirth and the construed nights of hard decisions that led this county into the early years before the Great Depression. Those families who struggled to survive and did so by shear human strength and with the helping hand of God to bring us to where our county lies today.

The people of this county great and small all have the same voice. If they do not have the same level of distinction then this clamour through our past was for nothing. The people have the voice granted to them by the man articles written in the past. The Declaration of Independence, The United States Constitution, The Monroe Doctrine, and the many Amendments created by our land to make our path easier. Freedom of Speech is a guaranteed right to the people and denying that right is the pretense of tyranny. Gather all eyes and ears and hear the voice of Freedom as it cries to be heard. Man has served himself a dish of sour milk here that needs to be sweetened by the stand up for freedom that is sorely needed. We the people of Henry County do declare that we deserve and we shall receive our voice before the shadow of tomorrow sets upon that right.

Written by: The Doctor

WATCH MARCH 2,2010 9AM REGULAR BOC MEETING AND SEE WHO'S POCKETS WILL BE JINGLING A BIT HEAVIER OVER THE LAMBERT BID BEING APPROVED BY THE BOC?

2010-02-27T07:52:00.000-08:00

Watch listen and learn how the deals are getting done here in Henry County. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure these folks out.

There is a very extensive list of very questionable deals made within SPLOST(tax payer funds)also with stimulus funding.

I have said it before and know it to be true. What goes around will come back around. We are almost back to full circle now. It is just a matter of time before the balloon will bust,when it does then the citizens of Henry County will have prevailed against the evil doers of this County.

WE DEMAND FULL DISCLOSURE OF "ANY" OTHER BIDS CONSIDERED!

Work will begin on a $192,515 facelift at the 70-acre Alexander Park in McDonough to prepare it for more walking trails.

2010-02-21T12:28:00.000-08:00

For this amount of money, I'll grab my weed wacker and rent a backhoe.

I even think I could have this completed all by myself in an earlier time frame.

The amount of money this county is spending never ceases to amaze me!

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS TO OR CONSTITUTION TO BE VOTED ON IN 2010 INTRODUCED BY AUSTIN SCOTT: CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR 2010, HE HAS WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN GEORGIA!

2010-02-19T07:21:00.000-08:00

09 LC 28 4399

House Resolution 75
By: Representative Scott of the 153rd

A RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to provide for state-wide grand juries; to provide for the jurisdiction, powers, and duties of state-wide grand juries; to authorize the General Assembly to provide by law for procedures for the summoning and empaneling of state-wide grand juries; to provide for a presiding judge; to provide that the Attorney General or his or her designee shall act as the legal adviser and prosecutor for such state-wide grand juries; to provide for the submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; and for other purposes.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.Article VI of the Constitution is amended by adding at the end thereof a new Section XI to read as follows:

"SECTION XI.

STATE-WIDE GRAND JURIES

Paragraph I. State-wide grand juries. (a) State-wide grand juries shall be summoned and empaneled upon petition of the Attorney General to the Supreme Court under procedures provided by law.(b) A state-wide grand jury shall consist of not fewer than 13 nor more than 23 persons. The jurisdiction of a state-wide grand jury shall extend throughout the state, and it may investigate and return indictments for crimes committed anywhere within the state. The term of any such state-wide grand jury shall not exceed 12 months.(c) The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall designate a superior court judge to act as presiding judge for each state-wide grand jury. Upon designation by the Chief Justice, the presiding judge shall summon and empanel a state-wide grand jury in accordance with procedures provided by law.(d) The Attorney General or his or her designee shall act as legal adviser to any state-wide grand jury. The Attorney General, in his or her discretion, may designate any member of his or her staff or any district attorney to provide legal advice, counsel, or assistance to a state-wide grand jury.(e) The subject matter jurisdiction of state-wide grand juries shall extend to the investigation and indictment of persons and other legal entities for any crime involving corruption in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the state, any political subdivision or municipality of the state, or any authority or instrumentality of the state, a political subdivision, or municipality; fraud by a vendor or recipient of goods or services for which funding has been provided by the Department of Medical Assistance; any violation of the election laws of this state; violation of the oath of a public officer; bribery; false statements, representations, or writings concerning matters within the jurisdiction of state and local governments; conspiracy to defraud the state or any political subdivision or municipality thereof; and any other criminal activity for which the Governor has directed the Attorney General to petition the Supreme Court for the empaneling of a state-wide grand jury.(f) It shall not be necessary for a proposed bill of indictment to be presented to a state-wide grand jury prior to its engaging in investigative activities. The attendance of witnesses and the production of documents at such investigations may be compelled by subpoena, signed by any official authorized by the state-wide grand jury to issue such process."

SECTION 2.The above proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be published and submitted as provided in Article X, Section I, Paragraph II of the Constitution. The ballot submitting the above proposed amendment shall have written or printed thereon the following:

"( ) YES

( ) NO

Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide for state-wide grand juries which shall have the authority to investigate and indict for crimes committed anywhere in the state, including those committed by public officials; to provide for the types of offenses which may be investigated and acted upon by such state-wide grand juries; to provide for a presiding judge; to provide authority for the Attorney General or his or her designee to act as legal adviser and to prosecute any indictments rendered by such state-wide grand juries; and to further authorize the General Assembly to establish by law procedures for the summoning and empaneling of such state-wide grand jurors?"

All persons desiring to vote in favor of ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote "Yes." All persons desiring to vote against ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote "No." If such amendment shall be ratified as provided in said Paragraph of the Constitution, it shall become a part of the Constitution of this state.

SEE THE SAME AT THIS LINK:

http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/versions/hr75_LC_28_4399_a_2.htm

BY VOTING YES ON THIS AMENDMENT IN 2010,YOU WILL BE VOTING TO STOP NON-ACCOUNTABILTY OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE FEDERAL,STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

TAKE BACK YOUR VOICE ON DECISION MAKING AND PUT A STOP TO THE BACK ROOM POLITICAL CORRUPTION

PRESS RELEASE: THE VETERANS WALL OF HONOR PRESERVATION COMMITTEE WILL MEET WITH THE COUNTY MANAGER AT HERITAGE PARK ON WEDNESDAY 2/17/2010

2010-02-15T10:39:00.000-08:00

Out for concern for the current state of the Veterans Wall of Honor, VWOH, located at Heritage Park in McDonough, GA, a group of private citizens have organized a preservation committee to ensure that this important tribute to our fallen military heroes and their families is maintained. The Veterans Wall was the vision of Ms. Joanne Consalvo-Mulvaney and her father Mr. Joseph Consalvo, a World War II veteran, to honor all of our military heroes who have unselfishly fought for our freedom and paid the ultimate price for us. The VWOH was dedicated in November 2008. Since the dedication, the monument has not been properly maintained by the Henry County Board of Commissioners and has received little preventive maintenance subsequently causing structural and or façade damage.

It is the goal of the Veterans Wall of Honor Preservation Committee, VWOHPC, to work with the BOC and the community to ensure that the monument is maintained and continues to exemplify the meritorious work of our brave men and women. Members of the committee are Alfred Britt, Robin Earnest, Mike Eddy, Susan Edwards, Don Henderson, Mike Moon, Larry Stanley, and Lee Stuart.

The committee has been gathering information as to the condition of the site and will be meeting with Henry County Manager, Mr. Butch Sanders, on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 11:45 AM. The meeting will take place at the VWOH site in McDonough and will focus on needed maintenance as well as other pertinent VWOH information. Anyone interested in assisting the Veterans Wall of Honor Preservation Committee may contact Mike Eddy at 678-641-2746 or via email: mikeeddy@att.net.
Chairman, Henry County Republican Party

There is MORE:

A slight change with regard to the interview:

TIME CHANGE ONLY: 11:30 AM on WEDNESDAY 2/17/2010

Look at the Martha Zoller Radio Show calendar: Look at the Martha Zoller Radio Show calendar:
The interview via conference call will be on 2/17/2010 Wednesday at 11:30 AM

The discussion will include: The Veterans Wall of Honor Monument and The Veterans Wall of Honor Preservation Committee.

Listen to it here: http://www.marthazoller.com/calendar.asp

I would not miss this if I were you !

The St. Valentine's Day Massacre: Henry County Style

2010-02-13T17:49:00.000-08:00

Most of us have heard about the famous murder that took place in Chicago labeled the St. Valentine's Day Massacre where warring factions of the mob establishment killed several people in a warehouse. Al Capone was believed to have been the one who ordered the job done. Now let's fast forward about eighty years to today. Henry County has proven to have itself a St. Valentine's Day Massacre of it's own brewing.
Here though we are not talking about mob hits and just down right murder we are talking about something else entirely. We are talking about the murder of taxpayers money through a system that seems to have a bottomless pit. The taxpayers have been lined up against the wall of greed and have been drained of their money to create things in this county that we just don't need.

Look at the plans for the Hudson Bridge Rd-Jonesboro Rd. Corridor. This is ridiculous wanting to bring such a creation to Henry County. The people don't get the quality service of roads, schools, and other amenities as it is already. Why would anyone want to bring such a creation to the county? Because they have not the forethought to see the problems that it will create and the troubles it will bring with it.

The taxpayers are being fleeced as it is through land deals such as the one that made the Abernathy family very rich and the taxpayers $4 million dollars poorer.

Not to mention the land deals that helped to make the former Sheriff's family a good deal more richer. A massacre in the making at the wallet.

Let's show how a massacre is accomplished with a person who has lived here all their lives. The Chamber of Commerce and Board of Commissioners finds out about a company wanting to locate within Henry County. Then either one of the rich in the group will go out and pay those good people what they feel is a nice sum for their property or threaten them with eminent domain. Then there is the idea of getting a good friend of the Chamber and BoC to sell their property at a premium to the folks who want to locate here. Of course they have no respect for their neighbors and friends they have known for years.

Money talks and the rest ..well you know the story.

So, we would like to wish everyone a happy St. Valentine's Day here in Henry County. Just be careful to watch your wallet because that massacre is lurking around the corner.

The Doctor

BREAKING STORY FROM FOX 5 NEWS INVESTIGATOR DALE RUSSELL UNCOVERS ANOTHER DIRTY DEAL IN HENRY - LAND BOUGHT WITH TAX PAYER FUNDS TOTALING FOUR MILLION

2010-02-09T12:34:00.000-08:00

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/subindex/news/iteam#

The story is listed by title: Bullet and Land
IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE FOX FIVE BREAKING NEWS STORY...................YOU NEED TO RIGHT NOW!

Will tax payers take heed now and VOTE?

BREAKING NEWS AFFECTING YOUR COUNTY

2010-02-09T06:36:00.000-08:00

The Henry County Chamber of Commerce has a new leader. Andy J. Welch, III, was installed during the organization’s 43rd annual meeting Saturday, at Eagle’s Landing Country Club in Stockbridge. He replaces Charles Woodroof. Mr. Welch stated in the article that he would like to see the county build a technical school in Henry County. “The budget’s tight this year, but the need for a technical school in this county still remains,” he told attendees. “It remains a strong and high priority of this chamber, and of our economic strategy for Henry County." See the full article here: Henry Herald

As I read this article, one thought came to mind for me as a tax payer in Henry County. The wordage in the first paragraph was key (installed) connections, connections, connections, like a big fish bowl!

Now my fellow tax payer's and voter's; I think a technical school would be great for Henry County, I do not however think that Henry should ask our legislators TO REQUEST more funds to build it. Henry has dipped enough stimulus and grant money out to last for quite some time. WE tax paying American's will be paying this money back now, THEN leaving it for future generations to pay back.

I highly recommend that our county sell NASH FARM BATTLEFIELD to pay for the technical school, in fact this property will be the perfect location for a revenue gaining facility to be constructed. I state Battled Field due to the fact that the BOC still have not moved forward to change the signage on the property to reflect Nash Farm Park. This park has been a drain on our county since purchased under
eminent domain by, you guessed right, the County Commissioners voting practices. SO let's sell Nash Farm for what it is really worth, make a huge profit as usual, due to taking someone elses land by under paying for it and build a technical school for our citizens. Put it to good use.

The citizens were not asked if they wanted to purchase Nash Farm, they were told.

Why not place this matter to the people of this county by vote?

It should read:

(Shall Henry County sell Nash Farm Park and the funds be spent to construct a Technical School for the citizens of Henry County)

We have enough parks, we have an over abundance of soccer fields, bike trails and questionable historical sites. At this time due to our economic challenges we owe it to ourselves and our families futures to do with a little less. To proceed in obtaining what we REALLY need instead of what we may want.

HEY HENRY:

"NO MORE STIMULUS MONEY!"

"NO MORE GRANT'S"

"STOP THE SPENDING SPREE!"

And NO to Broadband Fiber Optics!

Henry BOE takes a vote today to cut Orchestra Program, do they need to take budgeting courses?

2010-02-08T07:23:00.000-08:00

The kids were given one-day notice of the board meeting to discuss cutting the Orchestra programs at all high schools I just posted the following at their FaceBook site:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=281760218575&ref=search&sid=1164014160.1393891337..1&v=info#!/group.php?gid=281760218575

Just invited 36 Friends from around Henry County. What I am most concerned about is that our BoE has known for a couple years the tax base was dwindling. Last year they tried to get a $256-million bond for new schools. Thankfully the referendum failed. Now they are trying to cut $46-million from the budget -- that i...s what I call great forethought and planning! How about looking at adminstrative staff salaries, costs of athletic programs, the counseling staff at every high school... hey even Mr Surma can take a pay cut. The last thing to go on the chopping block should be beneficial programs for outstanding students!!! It is simply wrong to penalize students for the board's failure to manage their $500-million-plus budget.

Larry Stanley
McDonough, GA
Cell: 404-425-2361
http://www.hccitizen.org/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: "adeal0820@charter.net"
To: hc.citizen@hccitizen.org
Sent: Sun, February 7, 2010 6:52:46 PM
Subject: Fwd: Fw: Orchestra Update

My name is Meghan Deal, and I am a junior attending Union Grove High School. I am also an extremely active member of one of several Orchestra programs in Henry County, a program that is on the chopping block. The Henry County Board of Education has decided that to save money, the Orchestra program should be cut. We are doing everything in our power to try to prevent them from making such an irrational mistake. You met my fellow friends at the Kroger, and they gave me this e-mail address. I have forwarded you a parent letter that supplies Board of Education Member e-mail adresses. Please send e-mails, make phone calls, and sign the petition.

Your assistance is greatly appreciated.
Please preserve the smiles of over 700 students here in Henry County.

Forever Grateful,
Meghan Deal

Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 08:18:05 -0800 (PST)
From: PAUL & JEANNE BOLTON Orchestra Update
On Thu, 2/4/10
From: Cindi Chambers
Subject: Orchestra Update

To: "Craig Chambers"Cindi Chambers"
Date: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 7:57 AM

Dear Orchestra Parents,

After attending yesterday's School Board meeting, I am very concerned about the continued existence of the Orchestra Program in Henry County schools. The Board members will vote Monday (2/9) on whether or not to retain the Orchestra. It was obvious to me that from body language and wording that the vote will not be in our favor.

At this point, we, as a group (parents, students and other supporters), need to email or call the School
Board with concerns. Be aware that the School System is looking to cut 41 million dollars from the budget. Orchestra is self-sufficient. The county pays for the instructors salaries only. I am not sure that the school board understands the importance of a string program to the students that are involved. I did not hear of any athletic programs (or band/chorus) being cut or even trimmed. I feel that a cut of all programs in order for all programs to survive would be more equitable in this hard economic time.

We need the board to understand that these are the top academic students that will apply to major universities. They need the string program to help them spring board their futures when competing for coveted college acceptance and scholarships. A statistic I have seen states that "20% of Orchestra students are in the top 10% of their class, even though they make up less than 5% of the student population"...this is from a study performed by professors from Ohio State and Kent State (http://www.jstor.org/pss/3345761).

Here is the link to the Board of Education
http://www.henry.k12.ga.us/398board.htm

Please send emails and make phone calls to express your concerns and ask questions of your elected officials. They owe us answers.
My questions are:

1) What is the cost per orchestra student to the county vs. the cost per athlete?

2) How much does the school system spend to maintain the immaculate football and baseball fields?

3) What is the percentage of students that participate in orchestra that go on to enroll in college vs. the percentage that participate in athletics?

4) What is the percentage of students that receive scholarships vs. those that participate in athletics?

I have nothing against athletics and support them whole-heartedly. I certainly do not want to come across as attacking the valuable athletics programs at our schools. My concern is that these programs seem to have priority in situations like this, when maybe they should be more equal. I would be willing to bet that there was absolutely no study commissioned to look at the impact that orchestra has on a school system.

Also, there is a Facebook page that was created by a High school student to support the orchestra.

If you are on Facebook you should probably consider joining this group as it may be a good way to disseminate information. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=281760218575&ref=search&sid=1164014160.1393891337..1

We have 2 days to be heard. Feel free to copy and send to friends even it they are not orchestra parents, their support is needed.If we do not advocate for our children, no one else will.

Craig and Cindi Chambers

One person did send a message to all the BOE members today:
This is an urgent message.

Date: Monday, February 8, 2010 7:18 AM
From: A very concerned tax payer
To: Ray.Hudalla@henry.k12.ga.us, Pam.Nutt@henry.k12.ga.us, jbp@preston-cleveland.com, Charles.Vickery@henry.k12.ga.us, Erik.Charles@henry.k12.ga.us
Subject: WE NEED TO KEEP OUR ORCHESTRA IN THE BUDGET
Size: 1 KB
Dear Board: The parents of Henry County need , want and deserve answer's to the following questions before you vote today!

1) What is the cost per orchestra student to the county vs. the cost per athlete?

2) How much does the school system spend to maintain the immaculate football and baseball fields?

3) What is the percentage of students that participate in orchestra that go on to enroll in college vs. the percentage that participate in athletics?

4) What is the percentage of students that receive scholarships vs. those that participate in athletics?

Thank you,
A very concerned tax payer

My choice is Austion Scott for the next Governor of Georgia

2010-02-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

Scott for Georgia

Campaign Update - February 5, 2010

Dear United4change,
This has been another fantastic week at Scott For Georgia. We've gained many new supporters since Austin's debate last night, enjoyed lots of good press coverage, and Austin has continued to work hard to bring jobs to Georgia. Thank you for your support!

Austin Successful in Second Debate

Austin enjoyed another successful debate last night, this time in Alpharetta. It was an opportunity to explain his platform of job creation, education, and ethics in front of a group of more than 500 North Fulton Republicans, many of whom came up afterward with one thing on their minds: "Austin won it...hands down."

Austin's career-long track record on ethics and his solid, realistic proposals to fix the issues facing Georgia were very well-received. He told the audience that as a legislator, he does not conduct business with the state, nor does he accept campaign contributions from lobbyists. If elected, he promised to make our budget the most transparent in the nation and to reduce taxes to bring more jobs to Georgia.

"We're six months from putting our nominee forward to face a strong Democratic challenger and I'm the only candidate who's articulated a clear plan for our economy," Scott said. "That's what our Party needs going forward."

Austin introduces tax cut measures in GA House

Georgia needs jobs. On Monday, Austin introduced two tax reform measures in the Georgia House aimed at immediately bringing more jobs to the state. HB 1029 proposes to eliminate the corporate income tax in Georgia, and HB 1037 will cut the long-term capital gains tax in half. If passed, these two measures will move Georgia to the top of the list for many companies evaluating their relocation options.

"We have an opportunity right now to bring jobs to Georgia from manufacturing industries in the Northeast. These tax cuts will send a strong message around the world that Georgia means business," said Scott.

Click here for the full article from the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Coming Soon: Austin on Education

Austin Scott takes the success of our education system personally. Next week, we release a detailed look at his thoughts and plans for public education in Georgia.

We will discuss a variety of issues in Georgia education, including student performance, SPLOST funds, teacher compensation and retirement funding.

Remember, you can change the way we govern. Tell your friends and family to vote Austin Scott on July 20th.
Sincerely,
The Scott for Georgia Campaign Team

In This Issue
Debate Update!
Less Tax=More Jobs
Coming Soon
Featured Articles
Quick Links
Facebook
Twitter
More About Austin
Walk of Georgia
Featured Articles

Peach Pundit explores political corruption that Austin Scott fought against for two years.
And, from the Fayette County News: 'Scott holds promise'.

Scott for Georgia
PO Box 988
Tifton
GA
31793

Governor Perdue wants to change state government by giving the Governor elect in 2014 the power to appoint some state constitutional officers. Your thoughts?

2010-02-05T22:33:00.000-08:00

News broke that Gov. Sonny Perdue would like for some state constitutional officers to be appointed:

Gov. Sonny Perdue is proposing that four state constitutional officers now elected by the public should instead be appointed by the governor. The four are state school superintendent, agriculture commissioner, labor commissioner and insurance commissioner. The change would require two-thirds approval in each house of the Legislature, and would have to be ratified by the state's voters.

The governor elected in 2014 would be the first to appoint people to the four positions. It will require two thirds approval in each house of the legislature and would have to be ratified by the states voters.

Comments:

I will be voting for Austin Scott for Governor he is by my standards honest,trustworthy and most importantly wants Georgians to get back to work, he will demand Government transparency,which we have been yearning for.

I think Governor Perdue would be proud of my choice. Austin Scott holds the same standards that I voted for in Mr.Perdue.

I agree most completely with Governor Perdue regarding the position of Governorship having the power to appoint positions to Insurance,School,agriculture and Labor board's. I also adamately believe most importantly County commissioner Board's should be appointed by the Governor of Georgia and not by votes within the counties.

The county commission board is where the trouble starts,there are to many related people that have to many family ties and supporters through decades of generations within Henry County. How could this not perpetuate special considerations to certain individuals and companies that desire considerations. I know this practice occurs in Henry County, why would any other county be different?

The political game needs to cease. Commissioners in Henry County have been running their own agendas.

Citizens in Henry County are sick of it. They will be voting in 2010 and 2012 until the county is kulled of the good ole boy and one girl back door politics that the citizens of this county have indured for far to long.

Citizens in Henry County are finally taking a stand on it! it is time for change in their county. The current BOC has just pushed the last citizen to the breaking point.

I will be writing Mr. Perdue and ask him to add County commissioners to his list of county officials that should be appointed by the Governor of Georgia. I know that BJ. Mathis has been appointed by Mr. Perdue to head the committee for the 2010 census, however does he really know all there is to know about BJ? we shall see.

Posted by: votingin2010

This coming week be on the look out on channel 14 for the commissioners, the word is that the topic will be COUNTY OWNED FIBER OPTICS

2010-01-31T17:23:00.000-08:00

If you have not already, you need to send an email message to not just your district commissioner but to all of them. Tell them: We do not need it, we do not want it and we especially do not want to taxed for it, not now, NOT EVER!

If these sitting commissioners pass this fiber optics nonsense that they are trying their best to pursuad the Henry citizens is such a good thing, then get out your already half empty wallets my friends. There is no way that an endeavor of this size will not cost the taxpayers. If they get away with this now,after they are voted out, (which many of us striving toward) their replacements will ultimately be saddled with the contract debts incurred while these commissioners were in office. Most of the time they do not listen to us, perhaps 3 of them will on this issue, it will take 2 no votes and 1 to obstain or recuse himself, to stop B.J. Mathis's agenda she has planned. Of course that is a really BIG long shot no doubt considering the tract records of these sitting commissioners of their voting. I would not place good money on it.

So my fellow citizens if you really want to see what your district commissioners are made of watch the meetings. If you can not watch them on TV and you have access to a computer, the meetings are archived and video viewable at http://www.co.henry.ga.us/

On channel 14 you can view real time BOC meetings: the first and third Monday of the month at 9AM. The first Tuesday at 9AM and the third Tueday at 6:30PM, all these meetings are held a the Henry County Administration Building, 140 Henry Parkway, McDonough. These meeting are open to the public. Citizens can sign up for public comments, public comments can be about any topic a citizen wishes to address.

Fiber Optics/ a new topic by a fellow Henry citizen and poster

2010-01-28T14:21:00.000-08:00

The Doctor has left a new comment on your post: "It's time to start your own topic,email with a to...":

Why is more fiber optics needed for Henry County? The county is traversed to and fro with fiber optics from AT&T (the parent company), Charter, Comcast, and who knows what else. On my street the fiber optics cables run over head and underground, I guess to cover all the bases. But the point being this project smells of more than just adding something for the county.

The county appears to be wanting to get into the business themselves or are they doing it for a benefactor. The person in charge of the gathering of this material is Clark Rainer. Now Mr. Rainer is a very bright and smart young man. He is out promoting the fiber optics plan on the local cable tv show that is home to our Chairperson Ms. Mathis.

It has been shown that this type of plan has failed several times before right here in Georgia. It has been said and by Mr. Rainer himself that the plan was not to make money for the county, but he has also stated that revenue could come from telecommunications outlets. We can't have it both ways.

This has been a proposal ever since our Chairperson got into office. And it is interesting that it is continuing to be a hot topic for a person who knows little on the subject.

The people of Henry County should be given the chance to say whether the county should spend their money in this way. It doesn't matter whether it comes from bonds, grants or stimulus it has to be paid back.

Listen to the talk and watch the body language and the story can be told very vividly. This project is our new "Nash Farm" all over again. It's about time it stops and we get down to the real business of the people.

Posted by The Doctor to Henry County Citizens voices at January 28,

2010 10:02 AM

It's time to start your own topic,email with a topic and it will have it's very own header and comment section,moderated "only for profanity" NOT CONTENT

2010-01-28T05:24:00.000-08:00

Austin Scott wins first GOP debate/Focuses on job creation, education, ethics

2010-01-20T06:17:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Athens - Rep. Austin Scott enjoyed an excellent performance in the first debate between GOP candidates for governor, held last night on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens.

"I'm going to take the politics out of deciding what's good for our children and the education system," Scott said, when asked about how to improve education in Georgia.

The event, which was hosted by the Athens-Clarke County Republican Party and the University of Georgia College Republicans and broadcast live by major news networks around the state, was a resounding success for Rep. Scott.

"I understand the issues being faced by this state," he said. "To create jobs, I will eliminate the corporate income tax in Georgia. Think about the message that sends to the nation and the world: Georgia is ready for business."

Throughout the debate, Rep. Scott's focus was on three key issues: the economy, education, and ethics. These three areas have formed the basis for his platform for governor of Georgia.

He was mentioned by name by the panelists and moderator more times than any other candidate.

"I feel very confident about my campaign going forward," said Scott.

Rep. Austin Scott is a 14-year member of the Georgia House of Representatives and a candidate for governor of Georgia. For more information, visit ScottForGA.com or WalkingWithAustin.com.

Contact:

Hank Gurley

404-583-0455

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs "DUGH"

2010-01-19T19:46:00.000-08:00

I think this guy should wipe the brown off his nose! he evades answering direct questions. Obama sure picked one to run interference for himself. Gibbs kept spouting that he rejects the idea that a win for Scott Brown tonight would kill the Healthcare bill. We shall see?

If these Obamatons try to sneak in voting on the healthcare bill before Scott Brown is sworn in and gets his chance to vote! I think instead of 50 thousand AMERICANS waving tea party signs and AMERICANS wearing their yellow don't tread on me shirts, we need to amass around 100,000 on the White House lawn, that would be the ticket.

I could just stand up and yell hoooooooooooooray!

2010-01-19T19:09:00.000-08:00

Scott Brown wins by 62%, against democrat Martha Coakley, he will be taking over the senate seat in Massachusetts. Obamacare beware, the American people have spoken. We will not let you take our life and liberties away, not without a huge fight! They tried to push socialized medicine down the American peoples throats, to which they loudly replied tonight: NO WAY, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Since 1953 the senate seat in MA has been held by a democrat, This is one for the history books!

Still we all need to email our senators,house reps and get your blogs rolling. We have only begun this fight against being Obamasized.

When you get out to vote in Henry County for the people holding key positions that affect your way of life in your county. I hope you will all keep this night in your minds. When you vote,when you speak out, you will be making a difference in your way of life and your children's lives for generations to come.

Votes being cast today for senate seat of the late Ted Kennedy in MA

2010-01-19T03:35:00.000-08:00

Of course if I were in MA I would vote for Scott Brown (Rep). Obama of course ran out to a crowd at the very last minute to talk up that Martha Coakley(Dem).

This is a big one,we do not need the dems running the show,look at what they have gotten us into thus far since Obama went in!

If you do not want the government looking over your medical chart and bank records, plus a whole lot more detrimental items in this healthcare bill,we need to vote out the bad apples this year. Obama is only backing this Coakley person to get his healthcare reform piece of crap voted in by an out numbering of DEMS to REPS ratio in the house if she is elected.

So if you know anyone in MA call them to get out and vote.

As I listened to Sonny Perdue's 8th and final State of the State address,this portion really hit home, we can not allow our county to continue on this stimulus spending spree any longer.

2010-01-15T09:59:00.000-08:00

In Sonny Perdue's own words, this is a portion taken from his published speech, our Governor realizes that stimulus money does have a price to future generations

What stands out most is to me each generation’s willingness to pick up the yoke and move our nation forward. It has not always been pretty,but what has never happened in this nation is for one generation to drop the yoke and wait for the next to pick it up, never have they weighted them down with unbearable burdens!

This is our time to carry a heavy load and do the hard thing now for the sake of our children and grandchildren.

For our generation, the economic storm we now find ourselves in is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. These are hard times for Georgians, many have lost jobs and others are working harder and longer for less and checkbooks are harder to balance.

Here in this chamber, this time has forced tough decisions on us.

We spent the first six years of this administration, before this recession even began, making government more responsive … more efficient … more value-driven. And then came the biggest state revenue drop since the Great Depression.

Together, we've worked hard to find the best solutions and we asked our state team members through out our state for more, in an effort to maintain services with fewer resources. But, ladies and gentlemen, if we fail to do the hard thing now, our government will be spread far too thin to ensure that Georgia is more educated, healthier, safer and continues to grow.

It would be easy to sit back, as we sometimes do, point fingers at Washington, but even here in Georgia, we must remind ourselves that we need to avoid the temptation to serve the needs and wants of today at the expense of tomorrow. We must reject the course that promises the next generation little more than an expensive bill ,crushing entitlements and unfunded mandates.

We cannot vote ourselves ease and comfort at the expense of our children and grandchildren. Alexis de Tocqueville said it well, frighteningly, almost prophetically two hundred years ago:
“A democracy can only exist until the voters discover that from that moment on the the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury. With a result that a democracy always collapses over lousy fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average of the world’s great civilizations before they decline has been about 200 years. These nations have progressed in this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; from faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependency; from dependency back again to bondage.”
There has never been a cautionary tale so well-suited to a time and place as this one is to America, today here and now.

I love this one story that Thomas Paine recounted from the days of the American Revolution. He told of a tavern keeper at Amboy, who happened to be a closet Tory, for whom Paine had little respect. Paine described the scene:

“He was standing at his door, with as pretty a child in his hand, about eight or nine years old, as I ever saw, and after speaking his mind as freely as he thought was prudent, finished with this unfatherly expression, ‘Well, give me peace in my day … Give me peace in my day.’”
Thomas Paine goes on to say that a loving parent should have said, “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.” And Paine is right … “This single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty.” We must recover the spirit of that loving, sacrificing father.

I believe I stand with most Georgians, when I say, I am for doing with a little less if it means a lighter burden and a brighter future for the next generation. There is an honor in sacrifice and we must never pervert it into the distain of dissatisfaction!

I’ve talked a lot over the last few years about building a culture of conservation here in Georgia, using only what we need and being better stewards of our natural resources. At its core, that culture of conservation is a simple call to be satisfied with only what we truly need and it extends to every aspect of our lives. Going forward, we must forego the excesses of our time and reject the gluttonous instinct of this age.

These times demand that we worry less about bringing home the pork, and more about empowering our people to grow their own hogs. These times call for true leadership in our communities, calling people to create a better Georgia … elevating them out of the easy way of dependency. We have to call every Georgian to build rather than consume … to give rather than take.

And we must begin that transformation here!

The State of the County Address fact or fiction?

2010-01-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

Well it sure looks like a new fiber optics network owned by Henry County is certainly still on the agenda.

We got painted a pretty well rehearsed painting of how all these, expansions into residential neighborhoods will benefit the county. The taxpayers are the county. Fiber Optics will have to be upgraded to keep in step with growing technology, Upgrades that will require a new and continual budget for the department that will oversee it. I wonder did B.J. Mathis not listen or did she choose to ignore public comment from Deanna Jones, the representative from Charter Cable who spoke during public comment.

Where will the revenue come from for this budget? TAX PAYERS OR MORE BORROWED MONEY FROM STIMULUS. The tax payers now, their children, Grandchildren and their children to infinite, stimulus money is not free money!

A venture of this magnitude that will be affecting every citizen and their families for years to come should be required to be brought up for a special vote to the taxpayers. This should not be a decision made by 5 elected officials.

It is fine for someone to smile give a speech and tell you to look at the world as if it were a dream. Sorry but most of us all live in the real world of reality.

The county bought 61 forecloser homes, 6 sold. Woo Hoo! bring out the band!, unemployment rate is 10.3 for Henry county and 10.2 in Georgia, now that is reality.

The commissioners of this county need to listen to the citizens and allow a county wide vote on fiber optics

Veteran's Wall of Honor in Heritage park STILL in need of many repairs.

2010-01-12T05:24:00.000-08:00

The parks and recreation department has been notified of damages caused by rain,erosion and vandalism. The few repairs that were perform were mere quick fixes that were not meant to be permanent ones.

A committee of citizens has formed to oversee that this great monument to our Veteran's does not go into more disrepair. There are more photo's on the http://www.crghenry.org/ website.

I currently support Austin Scott for State of Georgia Governor

2010-01-08T08:51:00.000-08:00

I will not be voting for Karen Handle or Ray McBerry and of course not John Oxendine. I have been following Austin Scott, his campaign rings true. We all know who our county hopes to win. Just like in our county, we need someone new as Governor who has none of the usual ties to certain persons within Henry County. I sent emails to both Handle and McBerry asking them about how they feel our county is being managed. I got no replies, does that sound familiar to you?

This is not Camelot and Nash Farm sign debate?

2010-01-06T06:53:00.000-08:00

I have heard (1) commissioner speak up against obtaining stimulus monies for Nash Farm, then they go ahead and persue it. I think we all know that Stimulus monies are not free, the county itself may get the money but it has to be paid back by every American that pays taxes,their children,their Grandchildren and on and on.

I heard the BOC just yesterday discussing taking out a LOAN to purchase the McDonough recreation/senior center. Sure it would be great to have BUT do we really need it? It looks like the current managers of the county pot have spent out splost funds before they have all been gathered. The contract has already been signed and now they have to honor the purchase. You should not agree to buy a property if you can not pay for it with the funds that were designated for that property. It is borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. This is how all these folks that obtained mortgages that were not able to sustain the payment got into trouble. No one can predict the future, our country is in a current crisis or does the BOC think they are immune to failures. I would think that most municipalities would be tightening the reigns on spending and especially those who face layoffs,pay cuts,furlows and foreclosures due to our current economy. Henry County is not immune. What will it take I wonder to get this county going in the right direction again. After all, this is not camelot and the Kennedy's do not live in this county.

The Veterans Wall of honor at Heritage park is a perfect example. I have seen the damages at this monument and I think it is a disgrace that those who are responsible for keeping this area in the condition in which it looked when constructed are not taking care now. The BOC has already publicly stated that they can not take care of what they have now as far as Parks. They are purchasing a new one and it will have to be maintained, it makes no practical since what so ever! What on earth will it take? for them to see the light.

Question: What ever happened to the NASH FARM SIGN? debate, has it been discussed any further? will they move the sign? will they change the name?

Camp Ground Road Extension/Home owners speak out in BOC meeting this morning

2010-01-05T07:55:00.000-08:00

I finally got a good look at this 4 lane that will divide this neighborhood of 300 plus people directly in half. The highway is adjacent to the club house swimming pool. Every where lately in Henry county it seems that residents are loosing out to the BOC votes to big business. Citizens who elected these commissioners to look out for the very welfare of their families are having their property values sliced in half! Their children's lives are disrupted and parents are even in fear of their children not being safe.

I feel certain that this year will mark a change for the better for the citizens when they vote this year. Furthermore 2012 will be a time for a change as well. It may not help the citizens that have been so unfairly treated already, that is unless the BOC wakes up and starts listening to the people that voted them in.

From the BOC's ongoing actions in my opinion they do not intend to listen to us the citizens or vote on anything other than their own desires. Do they not work for us?..................I can answer that question myself, no, none of them are working for us!

Hoorah for CHARTER Rep..Deanna Jones of Duluth Georgia

2010-01-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

Even though the BOC wanted to squash bringing up the Fiber Optics venture this morning due to Mr. Jeffares of District II being out of town. At the end of the meeting just before executive session a bolt of lightening came in the form of a public comment: Deanna Jones, a representative for Charter communications gave a bold,honest and to the point overview of why municipalities should not enter into their own Fiber optic network. She went on to say that she requests that the county provide all citizens with studies performed that show this venture to be a viable one for the citizens. Deanna also stated that no one from Henry County has approached current providers to join discussions in order to gain other opinions or options before spending this mass amount of money by the County.

I urge everyone that has access to view this January 5, 2010 meeting. If you can not then I will have it on DVD and you can come to my house and watch it! It was GREAT!

You gotta keep your eyes on these guys every minute!

Posting this for Joan Scott.............call the commissioners with your concerns,perhaps they will listen this time?

2010-01-03T08:31:00.000-08:00

Henry BOC Votes Tuesday on Massive Fiber Optic Plan

By Joan Scott

On Tuesday morning, January 5 at 9:00 a.m., while most of us are working and unable to attend, the Henry County Board of Commissioners will hold a meeting to vote on a $14 million resolution to construct, operate and maintain a “community-owned” Fiber Optic Broadband Network. In other words, they want to become an Internet Service Provider and they want you to pay for it.

Chairman B.J. Mathis touts this as a cost-saving measure that would rid our schools and other county government offices of the data-connectivity costs of doing business with private sector providers such as AT&T and Charter.

In addition, the County owned fiber network would, says the BOC, also have the capability to serve small and large businesses in Henry County, where there are currently no direct fiber options available to our business community.

But history shows that municipally owned telecommunications systems ultimately become a ball and chain to their taxpayers. This will be no different in Henry County and will leave taxpayers on the hook for years to come.

Misuse of The Stimulus Act

Just to be clear, the $14 million price tag is a conservative estimate according to the feasibility study commissioned by the BOC in September. And, they say the project to lay 180 miles of fiber optic lines over a two year period will be paid for using funds from the Stimulus Act, but not before they put us on the hook for it with bonded debt first.

The $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act set aside $7.2 billion to bridge the digital divide and provide poor citizens with online access. It is intended for projects that establish broadband service for the first time to “unserved” area and to enhance services in “under-served” rural areas. Henry County is neither of those.

And, just in case the BOC hasn't been paying attention to the Tea Party protests, the stimulus spending is borrowed and printed money that our children and grandchildren will be burdened with repaying. So, why don't we just not spend it to begin with, instead of pretending that it's free money given to us by the federal government.

Track Record of Failure

According to a March 2009 policy paper by Americans For Prosperity titled “Municipal Broadband's Record of Failure” the results of recent projects that have already been undertaken, almost without exception, have been overwhelmingly negative.

They had this to say about a 2005 project in Philadelphia, PA:

“While the city struggled to get the system in place, the private sector forged ahead with innovation; in three short years the entire project was out of date”.

After two years and running 30% over budget a group of private investors completed the project with the help of some non-profit organizations.

In a related op-ed that ran in the Atlanta Journal Constitution in March of this year, Philadelphia city councilman Frank Rizzo warned this of municipal broadband experiments:

If federal policymakers now allow the stimulus funds to be used on highly experimental and speculative taxpayer-financed municipal networks — particularly where there already is broadband service and where the municipal networks thereby face daunting economics — they will be inviting the kind of pork and waste that President Obama has forsworn.

AFP also cites similar projects in Chicago, IL and Houston, TX that failed because private internet service providers were already effectively serving the area.

And, says AFP, smaller cities, too, have made the mistake of underestimating telecommunications cost and competition.

Lompoc, CA signed up only 281 customers for their municipally owned wireless network after estimating they'd need at least 4,000 to break even. In the mean time the taxpayers are having to subsidize its operation.

Ashland, OR incurred a $15.5 million dollar deficit when it folded its cable TV business.

St. Cloud, FL taxpayers opted to pay higher fees to private providers rather than put up with government mismanagement of their wireless network.

Apparently, Chairman Mathis thinks things would be different here in Henry County.

Free Market Competition

Right out of the box there simply will not be enough subscribers (residential and business) to pay for the network because high quality, low cost, free market services are already available in this area. These include Clear, AT&T, Charter, and Comcast to name a few.

While these companies continue to innovate, develop and upgrade equipment and services to meet consumer needs, I don't see any of them rushing into Henry County to lay fiber optic cable. The Henry BOC, however, claims a supposed demand exists for it simply because one Fortune 500 company decided they couldn't locate here without it.

The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a non-partisan think tank whose mission is to formulate and promote public policies to advance technological innovation and productivity, in March of 2009 had this to say about municipal broadband projects (page 17):

“The promise of affordable, ubiquitous fiber broadband service and the potential economic development opportunities that come with it are so enticing that a number of cities are considering the municipal fiber route. But despite the promises of municipal fiber, the actual success rate of these community fiber projects has been lukewarm at best and in many cases a failure at worst.”

They go on to say DSL and cable technologies have yet to reach their ceiling performance, which when increased incrementally based on market demands, is more cost-efficient.

So, as I see it, if the county can't keep up with these innovations it makes them a poor competitors. But, if the investments are made, the cost of sustaining this massive project will necessarily need to be subsidized with other tax dollars. This might be in the form of higher water or other utility costs or another rise in property, sales, or some other tax. That, by definition, is a form of wealth distribution.

This project will start out in debt and remain that way indefinitely. I urge all Henry County citizens to contact the Board of Commissioners and voice their opposition to this wasteful experiment.

Obamacare and our constitutional rights

2010-01-02T07:42:00.000-08:00

The Truth About the Health Care Bills - Michael Connelly, Ret. Constitutional Attorney, Constitutional Law Instructor…

Well, I have done it! I have read the entire text of proposed House Bill 3200: The Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009. I studied it with particular emphasis from my area of expertise, constitutional law. I was frankly concerned that parts of the proposed law that were being discussed might be unconstitutional. What I found was far worse than what I had heard or expected.

To begin with, much of what has been said about the law and its implications is in fact true, despite what the Democrats and the media are saying. The law does provide for rationing of health care, particularly where senior citizens and other classes of citizens are involved, free health care for illegal immigrants, free abortion services, and probably forced participation in abortions by members of the medical profession.

The Bill will also eventually force private insurance companies out of business, and put everyone into a government run system. All decisions about personal health care will ultimately be made by federal bureaucrats, and most of them will not be health care professionals. Hospital admissions, payments to physicians, and allocations of necessary medical devices will be strictly controlled by the government.

However, as scary as all of that is, it just scratches the surface. In fact, I have concluded that this legislation really has no intention of providing affordable health care choices. Instead it is a convenient cover for the most massive transfer of power to the Executive Branch of government that has ever occurred, or even been contemplated. If this law or a similar one is adopted, major portions of the Constitution of the United States will effectively have been destroyed.

The first thing to go will be the masterfully crafted balance of power between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of the U.S. Government. The Congress will be transferring to the Obama Administration authority in a number of different areas over the lives of the American people, and the businesses they own.

The irony is that the Congress doesn't have anyauthority to legislate in most of those areas to begin with! I defy anyone to read the text of the U.S. Constitution and find any authority granted to the members of Congress to regulate health care.

This legislation also provides for access, by the appointees of the Obama administration, of all of your personal healthcare information, your personal financial information, and the information of your employer, physician, and hospital. All of this is a direct violation of the specific provisions of the 4th Amendment to the Constitution protecting against unreasonable searches and seizures. You can also forget about the right to privacy. That will have been legislated into oblivion regardless of what the 3rd and 4th Amendments may provide.

If you decide not to have healthcare insurance, or if you have private insurance that is not deemed acceptable to the Health Choices Administrator appointed by Obama, there will be a tax imposed on you. It is called a tax instead of a fine because of the intent to avoid application of the due process clause of the 5th Amendment. However, that doesn't work because since there is nothing in the law that allows you to contest or appeal the imposition of the tax, it is definitely depriving someone of property without the due process of law.

So, there are three of those pesky amendments that the far left hate so much, out the original ten in the Bill of Rights, that are effectively nullified by this law. It doesn't stop there though.

The 9th Amendment that provides: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people;

The 10th Amendment states: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are preserved to the States respectively, or to the people. Under the provisions of this piece of Congressional handiwork neither the people nor the states are going to have any rights or powers at all in many areas that once were theirs to control.

I could write many more pages about this legislation, but I think you get the idea. This is not about health care; it is about seizing power and limiting rights. Article 6 of the Constitution requires the members of both houses of Congress to "be bound by oath or affirmation to support the Constitution." If I was a member of Congress I would not be able to vote for this legislation or anything like it, without feeling I was violating that sacred oath or affirmation. If I voted for it anyway, I would hope the American people would hold me accountable.

For those who might doubt the nature of this threat, I suggest they consult the source, the US Constitution, and Bill of Rights. There you can see exactly what we are about to have taken from us.

Michael Connelly
Retired attorney,
Constitutional Law Instructor
Carrollton , Texas

AFTER HAVING READ THIS, PLEASE FORWARD....If you don't care about our constitution, or your rights under it, just do nothing.

WE MUST HOLD CONGRESS ACCOUNTABLE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.

Fiber Optics, what will be next and who will have to pay the 14 million back, our BOC is out of control!

2010-01-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

They never cease to amaze me with their blatent distregard for the obvious. Take a look around, it is not time to spend more,more,more. It is time to stop spending. Get a clue, have they looked at the state of the economy lately? do they care? I think no! Why on earth does our county need to be in the business of competition with Charter,Comcast and AT&T. Who is this really benefiting in a BIG way? perhaps that will become evident eventually.

It will be most interesting to see how the vote goes on this venture. We all know that it has been rehearsed already.............Will it be 5 to zero,I think yes, but there may be some comments from one or two suto concerned commishes for show. It is all so rediculously silly.

The tax paying citizens of this county are not stupid and will get their voices heard on election day.

How many more key people will resign from Henry County and we are all wondering the real reason's WHY?

2009-12-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

Now Ray Gibson our Planning and Zoning Director is resigning, before that our county manager, also the fire chief has resigned. Coincidence? it would make anyone suspicious. It is true that Mr. Gibson has the experience Stockbridge needs. With a new Mayor for their city I think there are brighter days ahead for Stockbridge. It is my hope that very soon the citizens of Henry County will feel they can expect brighter days, once they get involved and get some big changes accomplished in their county.

I would like to mention that the Henry Herald stated in their article about the Lambert property and the way the BOC voted on it,that there was not to be a Clorox warehouse on that development. It will be interesting to see if not then, what will be warehoused there?

Dear Citizens,it looks like we will have 1,000 more concerned for change Henry County voters

2009-12-16T12:27:00.000-08:00

After the BOC public meeting last night in which our commissioners voted 5 to zero as usual in favor of big development. It would seem that the BOC won again against the citizens, even with all the valid concerns regarding water run off,contamination,children walking to and from school and of course the ever prominent property value loss. The BOC will only continue to win with this type of voting, if the citizens allow it to continue. Mr. Bowman was right, if we do not like the way they vote, then vote them out!

It is my opinion that from the 83 people against the ball field development off of Jodeco Road that got 5 to zero voting in favor of that development, the 300 residents at Eagles Landing got a 5 to zero vote which will have their subdivision divided for a highway and now, if I heard correctly from one of the residents that spoke last night,there will be about 1,000 more people who have the potential to make a difference in this county in the 2010 election year.
The numbers are adding up, that is a good thing, that is progress, that is a proof that the citizens are not content with the status quo. That prooves that the citizens are NOT being heard on the issues that affect their very lives within this county. The only way they can be sure to be heard now is to VOTE.

Upcoming BOC meeting for Rezoning which will impact more property owners homes

2009-12-09T11:21:00.000-08:00

Henry County Board of Commissioners

6:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Planning & Zoning Services

A. Rezoning Request - RZ-09-10 Lambert Family Investments, LLP of McDonough, GA requests a rezoning from RA (Residential-Agricultural) to M-2 (Heavy Manufacturing) for property located at the northwest corner of the King Mill Road/Iris Lake Road intersection in Land Lots 199, 217 and 218 of the 7th District. The request is for a warehouse development. The property is located within Commission District 1(Presenter: Ray Gibson, Director of Planning & Zoning) Exhibit #4

This is rezoning for a Clorox warehouse

*******************************************************************************************************

VOTERS IN GWINNETT STAND TOGETHER TO RECALL THEIR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, WAY TO GO GWINNETT!

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Gwinnett County Elections Office has issued applications to recall three county commissioners. The move comes one week after the five-member board voted 4-1 to increase the property tax rate by almost 21 percent.

Recall applications were filed for Commission Chairman Charles Bannister, District 1 Commissioner Shirley Lasseter and District 3 Commissioner Mike Beaudreau. Commissioners Kevin Kenerly and Bert Nasuti, who both voted in favor of the tax hike, are not seeking reelection in 2010. Beaudreau was the commission's lone dissenter on the vote.

Organizers of the drive have until Dec. 23 to collect the signatures of 100 registered voters living in the district affected. Election workers would have four days to verify the signatures. If the applications are certified, the elections office would then issue recall petitions, which in turn would have to carry the names of 30 percent of registered voters in the district.

This means organizers would have 45 days to get 28,000 signatures to recall Lasseter, 41,000 to recall Beadreau and 126,000 to recall Bannister. If successful, the elections office would schedule a special election to put the recall to a vote.

Lend your hopes and prayers that these citizens prevail

House representative and candidate for Governor Austin Scott has the right idea, we need this in Henry county right away! email,call and write your house representatives and senators.

2009-12-09T05:46:00.000-08:00

The 2010 election is now all about ethics. We need a candidate that can credibly talk about it.
Atlanta, GA — In response to allegations of misconduct in the State House of Representatives, Rep. Austin Scott today called again for the creation of state-wide grand juries with the power to investigate any government body or official in the state.
HR 75, introduced by Scott on January 16, 2009, would allow the State Attorney General to empanel a state-wide grand jury to investigate “corruption in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the state, any political subdivision or municipality of the state, or any authority or instrumentality of the state…”

“The need for the people to have a direct means of fighting corruption and holding their elected representatives accountable has been obvious for a long time,” Scott said. “The situation we find ourselves in today shows clearly that allowing government bodies to police themselves is unacceptable. Given the current environment, I expect the people of Georgia will demand the passage of this resolution. I will again seek the support of my fellow House members for HR 75 this session.”

HR 75 can be accessed here. http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/versions/hr75_LC_28_4399_a_2.htm

Scott, a candidate for governor, is a Republican from Tifton who has served House District 153 for 14 years. He is Chairman of the House Governmental Affairs Committee. As a member of the Republican leadership, he has never done business with the state, any political subdivision of the state, or any organization that receives funding from the state.

To learn more about Austin Scott for Georgia visit http://www.scottforga.com/ or follow him on his Facebook and Twitter web pages. He now holds the record for the longest walk (1,068 miles) by an American politician. His summer walk around the state eclipsed the record previously held by former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles in 1970.

Start your own topic regarding your county through the comments tab

2009-12-08T08:28:00.000-08:00

SEVERAL MORE GOOD REASON'S TO TIGHTEN THE HENRY COUNTY BUDGET

2009-12-03T06:47:00.000-08:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: george colgan
Date: Wed, Dec 2, 2009 at 8:31 PM
Subject: Red Alert: Here's One Of Those Changes They Were Talking About!
To:

FROM JEROME CORSI'S RED ALERT
Belly up: 10 states face imminent bankruptcy
Personal insolvency also surges as tax revenues decline

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: November 16, 2009
1:02 pm Eastern

© 2009 WorldNetDaily

Editor's Note: The following report is excerpted from Jerome Corsi's Red Alert, the premium online newsletter published by the current No. 1 best-selling author, WND staff writer and columnist. Red Alert subscriptions are $99 a year or $9.95 per month for credit card users. Annual subscribers will receive a free autographed copy of "The Late Great USA," a book about the careful deceptions of a powerful elite who want to undermine our nation's sovereignty.

Ten states are facing imminent bankruptcy, confounding any possibility of economic recovery as tax revenues continue to decline and unemployment increases nationwide, Jerome Corsi's Red Alert reports.

Those states in fiscal peril include California, Arizona, Rhode Island, Michigan, Oregon, Nevada, Florida, New Jersey, Illinois and Wisconsin.

(Story continues below)

The surge in looming bankruptcies among state governments is accompanied by a surge in the number of Americans filing for personal bankruptcy – further indicators the economy has a long way to go before an economic recovery is a reality in Middle America, Corsi explained.

The 10 states, accounting for approximately one-third of the U.S. population, face declines in tax revenue as unemployment now officially tops 10 percent and budget gaps that mean higher taxes loom in the future. State government officials have been laid off, key social services including prisons and police are strained and schools have been closed.

Corsi wrote that most states, unlike the federal government, are constrained by state laws to balance their budgets, meaning revenue shortfalls must result in reductions in state government-financed programs.

At the same time, the American Bankruptcy Institute reported personal bankruptcies surged 9 percent in October, with a 7 percent jump in business bankruptcies. Total bankruptcies in 2009 are expected to top 1.4 million, an increase of 30 percent from last year and the highest level since 2005, according to CNN Money.

The National Governors Association has reported state revenues across the nation were down 11.7 and 16.6 percent in the first two quarters of 2009, respectively.

The study further observed that state revenues will not return to 2008 levels in real dollar terms until fiscal year 2014, under the most favorable assumptions that the economy has already begun a slow and largely jobless recovery.

Red Alert reports that among the most severe problems facing the states is the outstanding liability of about $2.73 trillion in employee retirement, health and other benefits coming due over the next several decades, of which more than $271 billion is unfunded.

The National Governors Association presented the reality that "it will take states nearly a decade to fully emerge from the current recession."

"The truth is that the recovery period could be even longer if the bankruptcy and unemployment picture does not improve," Corsi wrote.

Just last week, Red Alert reported that the real unemployment number, including those who have dropped out of the labor force because they have become discouraged after looking for a job for a year or longer, was 22.1 percent for October 2009, not the 10.2 percent reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Budget crises mean cuts in welfare, benefits to illegals

As Red Alert has reported, Tom Blumer at NewsBusters has produced statistics that show California is in a welfare crisis, especially as unemployment in May rose to 11.5 percent.

Blumer produced charts to demonstrate that California has "chronically failed to do anything meaningful about its welfare population since 2002."

As of Sept. 30, 2008, California with 12 percent of the nation's population had a disproportionate 32 percent of the nation's welfare recipients, up from 22 percent only six years earlier.

The incidence of California residents on welfare is almost three and a half times that of the rest of the country, Corsi noted.

Blumer has argued that if California mirrored the rest of the country, 869,000 fewer of its residents would be on welfare, with the result that the nation's welfare caseload would be almost 23 percent lower.

Corsi surmised that California may have to consider ending state welfare altogether, stopping CalWORKs, the California state version of comprehensive welfare reform under the 1996 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families law.

"Perhaps not surprisingly, among all the proposals to balance California's budget, the politically correct state has yet to consider cutting social welfare benefits for illegal immigrants, including education of children in Spanish in the public schools or restricting access to hospital emergency rooms for nonemergency primary health-care services," he wrote. "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is likely to sell high-profile state property such as the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and San Quentin prison before tackling the politically charged issue of controlling the flood of illegal immigrants that continue to head north into California from Mexico."

WND columnist Ben Shapiro has estimated that education and health costs for illegal immigrants compose between 16.4 and 20.5 percent of California's budget deficit.

With President Obama suggesting in Tuesday's press conference that the time for the second $787 billion economic package was "not yet," Corsi said he doubts the White House can gain the political strength to add a California bailout to the list of bank bailouts, the AIG bailout and the GM/Chrysler bailouts.

Still, as Red Alert has previously reported, the California budget crisis is merely the most severe of what are likely to be widespread state budget crises in the coming months, with 47 states likely to face serious budget shortfalls before the end of 2010.

Red Alert continues to predict that as the state budget crisis deepens, the Obama administration will propose federal guarantees on state loans, even though the move would add trillions to the contingent liabilities of the United States.

Red Alert's author, whose books "The Obama Nation" and "Unfit for Command" have topped the New York Times best-sellers list, received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in political science in 1972. For nearly 25 years, beginning in 1981, he worked with banks throughout the U.S. and around the world to develop financial services marketing companies to assist banks in establishing broker/dealers and insurance subsidiaries to provide financial planning products and services to their retail customers. In this career, Corsi developed three different third-party financial services marketing firms that reached gross sales levels of $1 billion in annuities and equal volume in mutual funds. In 1999, he began developing Internet-based financial marketing firms, also adapted to work in conjunction with banks.

In his 25-year financial services career, Corsi has been a noted financial services speaker and writer, publishing three books and numerous articles in professional financial services journals and magazines.

For financial guidance during difficult times, read Jerome Corsi's Red Alert, the premium, online intelligence news source by the WND staff writer, columnist and author of the New York Times No. 1 best-seller, "The Obama Nation."

For full immediate access to Jerome Corsi's Red Alert, subscribe now.

Subscribe to Jerome Corsi's new weekly economic newsletter, Red Alert, for one year and, for a limited time get "The Late Great USA" free.

MORE REASON'S WHY SPENDING COUNTY DOLLARS ON PARKS SHOULD NOT BE PRIORITY AT THIS TIME

2009-12-02T07:26:00.000-08:00

Celente Predicts Revolution, Food Riots, Tax Rebellions By 2012

http://www.infowars.com/celente-predicts-revolution-food-riots-tax-rebellions-by-2012/

The man who predicted the 1987 stock market crash and the fall of the Soviet Union is now forecasting revolution in America, food riots and tax rebellions – all within four years, while cautioning that putting food on the table will be a more pressing concern than buying Christmas gifts by 2012.

Gerald Celente, the CEO of Trends Research Institute, is renowned for his accuracy in predicting future world and economic events, which will send a chill down your spine considering what he told Fox News this week.

Celente says that by 2012 America will become an undeveloped nation, that there will be a revolution marked by food riots, squatter rebellions, tax revolts and job marches,and that holidays will be more about obtaining food, not gifts.

“We’re going to see the end of the retail Christmas….we’re going to see a fundamental shift take place….putting food on the table is going to be more important

that putting gifts under the Christmas tree,” said Celente, adding that the situation would be “worse than the great depression”.

“America’s going to go through a transition the likes of which no one is prepared for,” said Celente, noting that people’s refusal to acknowledge that America was even

in a recession highlights how big a problem denial is in being ready for the true scale of the crisis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46MEqEgdLTg&feature=player_embedded

Celente says that by 2012 America will become an undeveloped nation, that there will be a revolution marked by food riots, squatter rebellions, tax revolts and job marches, and that holidays will be more about obtaining food, not gifts.

Celente, who successfully predicted the 1997 Asian Currency Crisis, the subprime mortgage collapse and the massive devaluation of the U.S. dollar, told UPI in November last year that the following year would be known as “The Panic of 2008,” adding that “giants (would) tumble to their deaths,” which is exactly what we have witnessed with the collapse of Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns and others. He also said that the dollar would eventually be devalued by as much as 90 per cent.

The consequence of what we have seen unfold this year would lead to a lowering in living standards, Celente predicted a year ago, which is also being borne out by plummeting retail sales figures.

The prospect of revolution was a concept echoed by a British Ministry of Defense report last year, which predicted that within 30 years, the growing gap between the super rich and the middle class, along with an urban underclass threatening social order would mean, “The world’s middle classes might unite, using access to knowledge, resources and skills to shape transnational processes in their own class interest,” and that, “The middle classes could become a revolutionary class.”

In a separate recent interview, Celente went further on the subject of revolution in America.

“There will be a revolution in this country,” he said. “It’s not going to come yet, but it’s going to come down the line and we’re going to see a third party and this was the catalyst for it: the takeover of Washington, D. C., in broad daylight by Wall Street in this bloodless coup. And it will happen as conditions continue to worsen.”

“The first thing to do is organize with tax revolts. That’s going to be the big one because people can’t afford to pay more school tax, property tax, any kind of tax. You’re going to start seeing those kinds of protests start to develop.”

“It’s going to be very bleak. Very sad. And there is going to be a lot of homeless, the likes of which we have never seen before. Tent cities are already sprouting up around the country and we’re going to see many more.”

“We’re going to start seeing huge areas of vacant real estate and squatters living in them as well. It’s going to be a picture the likes of which Americans are not going to be used to. It’s going to come as a shock and with it, there’s going to be a lot of crime. And the crime is going to be a lot worse than it was before because in the last 1929 Depression, people’s minds weren’t wrecked on all these modern drugs – over-the-counter drugs, or crystal meth or whatever it might be. So, you have a huge underclass of very desperate people with their minds chemically blown beyond anybody’s comprehension.”

The George Washington blog has compiled a list of quotes attesting to Celente’s accuracy as a trend forecaster.

“When CNN wants to know about the Top Trends, we ask Gerald Celente.”
— CNN Headline News

“A network of 25 experts whose range of specialties would rival many university faculties.”
— The Economist

“Gerald Celente has a knack for getting the zeitgeist right.”
— USA Today

“There’s not a better trend forecaster than Gerald Celente. The man knows what he’s talking about.”
– CNBC

“Those who take their predictions seriously … consider the Trends Research Institute.”
— The Wall Street Journal

“Gerald Celente is always ahead of the curve on trends and uncannily on the mark … he’s one of the most accurate forecasters around.”
— The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Mr. Celente tracks the world’s social, economic and business trends for corporate clients.”
— The New York Times

“Mr. Celente is a very intelligent guy. We are able to learn about trends from an authority.”
— 48 Hours, CBS News

“Gerald Celente has a solid track record. He has predicted everything from the 1987 stock market crash and the demise of the Soviet Union to green marketing and corporate downsizing.”
— The Detroit News

“Gerald Celente forecast the 1987 stock market crash, ‘green marketing,’ and the boom in gourmet coffees.”
— Chicago Tribune

“The Trends Research Institute is the Standard and Poor’s of Popular Culture.”
— The Los Angeles Times

“If Nostradamus were alive today, he’d have a hard time keeping up with Gerald Celente.”
— New York Post

So there you have it – hardly a nutjob conspiracy theorist blowhard now is he? The price of not heeding his warnings will be far greater than the cost of preparing for the future now. Storable food and gold are two good places to make a start.

An open email letter sent to our BOC from Larry Stanley regarding Nash Farm,not one of the BOC have commented or called Larry on this as of this post.

2009-12-01T13:07:00.000-08:00

Date: Monday, November 30, 2009 4:41 PM
From: Larry Stanley
To: mathiselizabeth@bellsouth.net, Randy Stamey , 'Reid Bowman' , John Basler , Warren Holder
Cc: editor@henrycountytimes.com
Subject: Nash Farm Resolution
Size: 21 KB

Dear Board Members,

I wish to address the resolution now before the commissioners regarding Nash Farm. "NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the master plan shall refer to the park as Nash Farm with an area set aside for preservation as Nash Farm Battlefield and the remainder designated for passive recreation. "

The Henry County government is again making a mockery of the honesty and integrity of the people they are supposed to serve. Continued promotion of the T. E. Nash property as the site of The Battle of Lovejoy, or the location of engagements in September-November 1864, is disgraceful. In April 2008 Citizens saw the board of commissioners reverse course on this multi-million dollar cover-up to justify wrongful use of eminent domain.

Continued participation is this fraud cannot bode well for any elected official wishing to maintain respectability. I fervently urge you now to forsake the lies and scandal brought onto the county. Remove the signage designating the property as a battlefield. And, stop the farce proliferated by resolutions that promote the lies.

Specifically the historical significance of the T. E. Nash property has been the subject of controversy because of historically invalid claims and partial truths. The LAMAR Institute report remains highly dubious and Mr. Pollard's stories reveal no scholarly, historical research. Even the quotations from recognized historical documents were used in part, not giving the full meaning or text of the works. Even the board of commissioners, on April 9, 2008, voted to remove the ‘battlefield’ designation and rename the park.

Please note the versions of history portrayed by Mr. Elliott and Mr. Pollard changed over time. As the Nash property became more politically important to certain officials and constituent groups, the "history" was molded and the "artifacts" became the Holy Grail.
The Henry County Board of Commissioners held a Public Meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, August 20, 2007

Mr. Dan Elliott, President of LAMAR Institute, stated August 20th is the anniversary of one of the most famous Calvary Battles in the Civil War at Nash Farms. Henry County has done a great justice to history and heritage by saving the property at Nash Farm. The archeological work was performed in the winter and the results have been reported and the artifacts are ready for permanent curation; the artifacts will be turned over to Henry County. In the research it was discovered there were four (4) battles in Lovejoy. The first battle was July 29th a Calvary action near the railroad and it may or may not have involved the Nash Farm property. The main battle was the August 20th battle; Mark Pollard has also done research on this battle. Most of the relics found pertained to the August 20th battle. The third battle was a major battle that is hardly known called “The Battle of Lovejoy” that took place September 2nd to the 5th. Tens of thousands of soldiers were at this battle. There are no physical traces of this battle on the Nash Farm property. The fourth battle is another little unknown battle. There was a lot of research to find out who was involved in the battles on the different sides so that personalities can be developed for the future museum.

I hope each of you will review research and restating of valid historical records concerning the Battle of Lovejoy Station on August 20, 1864: Henry Borrows from Clayton’s Heritage. Read an analysis, Part One and Part Two, of the county's depiction of the events on August 20th 1864, including the Lamar Institute's report of August 2007, the county website at www.henrybattlefield.com and published comments by the county's Official Civil War Historian.

The analysis resulted from research at the offices and websites of Henry and Clayton counties, the Georgia Department of Archives and History, work compiled by the Atlanta Historical Society. As well as correspondence and quotations from the National Park Service, Civil War Sites Advisory Commission, Georgia Historical Society, and the Georgia Battlefields Association.

Worthy of note are the troop positions drawn by Edward Ruger. The route was south from Jonesboro along the Macon & Western Railroad. The target was the depot and tracks at Lovejoy’s Station. Ruger’s depiction showed the Crawford-Dorsey house to the east, and McDonough-Fayetteville Road to the west.

There was a reason two land lots surrounding Lovejoy’s Station were annexed into Clayton County in 1877. There is reason the history and tradition is so well documented for places like Jonesboro and Lovejoy. The aftermath did spill into Henry County, but the facts are clear: the railroad was the primary target, and the battle on August 20, 1864 occurred in Clayton County.

A personal email to Mr. Dan Elliott asked for comments concerning apparent inconsistencies between (1) Mark Pollard's tale about the engagement on September 2, 1864 and (2) Mr. Elliott's comments (posted at www.jasonpye.com) stating, "NO entrenchments from the September or November battles have been identified on the Nash Farm property."

This point is key to the truth of that day's events. Excerpts from War of the Rebellion Official Records, Series 1, Vol. 38, Part 5 (The Atlanta Campaign) and Autobiography of Oliver Otis Howard, Major General, US:

The Confederate line entrenchments were described as immediately in front of McDonough road and behind Walnut Creek. That is north of McDonough Road and west of Nash property.

General Howard said, "Confederate works, which, strange to say, were as well constructed and as strong as if the Confederates had had a week to prepare them." Like the ones located, charted and documented on the Dorsey property.

The full text is posted here.

Surely there were Confederates camped on, or crossing, the property between July and November and they may have left some relics - or maybe someone else did. But no record says there was a battle on Nash property. Skirmishes stretching along McDonough Road to the east, orders not to engage.... Even General Hardee said there was “lively cannonading and sharpshooting along the lines, but with no important results.”

In closing please recall Mr. Pollards famous stories about finding the cannon shell in the eaves of the Nash farmhouse. That folktale is interesting because the house was built in 1920. Mr. Charlie Crawford, president of the Georgia Battlefields Association stated, “The Nash Farm buildings are post war.” Historical analysis, therefore, cannot accept the claim the J. P. S. Nash farmhouse was constructed prior to the Civil War. Furthermore, the house could not have been used by J. P. S. Nash and his wife during the war. They were married in 1868 – after the war.

Larry Stanley

More grant money (100,000) for Nash Farm for bike and walking trails. 130,000 total project cost

2009-11-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

Grant= 100,000
Local match= 4,590
In Kind+ 25,410

Where does the money in the Grant match fund come from? does anyone know? is it our splost tax dollars? is it from our property and sales tax dollars?

Then you have the yearly maintenance on these parks. It never ends with the spending. Like Reid Bowman stated today in the BOC meeting "we are not maintaining what we have now" and referred to the Moseley Park. Reid Bowman was the only one who opposed with a no vote on the application of the 100,000 grant monies for Nash Farm today.

Tomorrow's agenda in the BOC meeting will discuss awarding a bid to build ten (10) Soccer fields and a concession stand at the North Mt. Carmel Park for a whopping 1.8 million dollars!

After the BOC meeting today where a question of a resolution was raised "will they or will they not take down or move the Nash Farm Battlefield sign?"

2009-11-30T07:16:00.001-08:00

Resolution regarding Nash Farm

The County acquired the largest park within the county that consist of over 200 acres and the intent was to provide for passive recreational activities while also providing protection for the land of historical significance.

The use of the park needs to be maximized with a good master plan. Activities can be included within the park without altering the historical significance of the land. The master plan would explore things such as paved walking trails; paved parking lot; playgrounds consistent in size with other regional county parks; conversion of existing activity barn into an activity building; bike trails; equestrian trails and covered picnic pavilions. This list is not an exclusive list. Once a master plan is in place a budget can be created and the park can be opened up to as many as citizens as possible outside of the battlefield connotation. The request is that when the master plan is completed the park shall be referred to as Nash Farm with the battlefield site to be preserved as Nash Farm Battlefield.

Commissioner Mathis requested adding a Native/Heirloom Plant Garden to the list of things to consider within the park.

Commissioner Mathis made the motion to approve the resolution and to authorize an amendment to the current contract or to issue an RFP for proposal for a master plan and associated cost; Commissioner Holder seconded. The motion carried unanimously approving the following resolution:

WHEREAS, Henry County acquired property on Jonesboro Road consisting over 200 acres; and

WHEREAS, this property was acquired as Henry County Park Land in an attempt to provide protection for land with historical significance and to provide recreational amenities to the community; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners wishes to maximize the use of this park, which is Henry County’s larges park; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners believes it necessary to determine and adopt the uses of this park;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Henry County Board of Commissioners that the Henry County Board of Commissioners authorizes the issuance of an RFP for amendment and adoption of a master plan for this park to consider the inclusion of these potential elements:

1. Paved walking trails;

2. Paved parking lot;

3. Playgrounds consistent in size with other regional county parks;

4. Conversion of existing activity barn into an activity building;

5. Bike trails;

6. Equestrian trails

7. Covered picnic pavilions

8. Native/Heirloom Plant Garden

NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the master plan shall refer to the park as Nash Farm with an area set aside for preservation as Nash Farm Battlefield and the remainder designated for passive recreation.

Another post from Joanne Mulvaney, thank you Joanne

2009-11-29T14:36:00.000-08:00

Date: Sunday, November 29, 2009 1:59 PM
From: Joanne Mulvaney
To: earnest1455@charter.net
Subject: Fwd: Terroristic Threat Laws, Treason Laws, Assault Laws ALL capable of stopping extremist on OUR streets instilling fear in us, stating they wish to do us, our troops harm.
Size: 9 KB

This is the email I am talking about that you can post on your blog that I sent out to Senator Isakson and Congressman Westmoreland today and cc'd many others, including you. See letter below:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

November 29, 2009

Dear Senator Isakson and Congressman Westmoreland,

After speaking to several members of your staff earlier last week I am forwarding several Laws that I feel members of Congress as well as Law Enforcement around America really need to Re-visit and fully enforce these Laws already on the books as it pertains to extremist, fanatics on OUR streets, here in America, who are cheering and chanting the deaths of OUR soldiers and the demise and destruction of America. These actions may be tolerated while these things are being said about our soldiers and about our country while saying all this in foreign lands BUT when these words,actions are conducted, spoken on the streets of America our government, our police forces, need to wake up, step up to the plate and stop what I call the violation of several Laws already on the books. These Laws are (see definitions below):

1. Terroristic Threat Laws

2. Assault

3. TREASON

I will NOT accept from any elected official who says that because of "Freedom of Speech" that these extremist-fanatic terrorist are allowed to demonstrate on AMERICAN STREETS and in media articles, caught on video as well, that they cheer the deaths of our soldiers, wish to do America and its people harm, and encourage other Islamic brothers to carry out further attacks,,ALL ON OUR STREETS these words are spoken etc etc. Freedom of Speech is one thing BUT my government allowing people who clearly state they wish to do us, Americans, bodily harm AND their past track record PROVES they WILL do us harm, then action needs to be taken.

It is time to wake up, stop walking the politically correct fence and protect Americans from people who clearly wish to harm us, kill us and destroy America as we know it.

http://definitions.uslegal.com/t/terroristic-threat/

http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/tort-and-personal-injury-actions/assault/7309/

http://www.lectlaw.com/def2/t103.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason

Thank you,
Joanne Mulvaney
U.S Navy veteran

2009-11-29T13:09:00.000-08:00

I am posting this for Joanne Mulvaney per her request to get more people involved with getting something done about terrorism.

Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 7:42 AM
From: Joanne Mulvaney
To: tricia_chastain@isakson.senate.gov
Cc: joanne.m.mulvaney@gmail.com
Subject: Senator Isakson's office-Here are five videos the Senator needs to see.
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Tricia,

Thank you for contacting me today regarding my email I sent to Senator Isakson last week wanting two questions answered by him. Here are the five videos that I would like the Senator to see. The 3rd video on the list, www.wnd.com is the one that shows Muslim extremist-terrorist on OUR streets, in America, the day after the Ft Hood Shooting, Nov. 6th, cheering the deaths of American Soldiers by that Terrorist Malik Hasan. These Muslim extremist also chant the demise of "The Great Beast" they say is America. Since when are people who CLEARLY WISH TO DO US HARM allowed to cheer on the streets of the United States the deaths of our soldiers, the demise of America and NOT be rounded up by police authorities????

.First Video link below is from the Dutch Parliament leader Geertz Wilder warning America about Islamic Extremist who have taken over Europe and will also take over America under Islamic Sheriah Law if we do not do something now to stop it. So many Americans are asleep, looking the other way, sticking their head in the sand and or hoping this all goes away with MANY doing so to remain "Politically Correct" which Congressman Lynn Westmoreland told me is the main problem with all of this, the political correctness of it all. It Congress does not seriously address the extremist on OUR streets things will only get worse. The American government should NOT tolerate this behavior where religious extremist clearly wish to do Americans harm, want our soldiers killed by their Islamic brothers, cheering this from American streets and nothing is done to them etc.

If you are not aware of the Islamic Shariah Laws then many best get acquainted with them; beheadings, stoning women to death, family honor killings etc etc are what we have to look forward to in America, as Europe is already dealing with, IF we do not do something now.

Please let Senator Isakson know I look forward to his phone call.

Thank you,
Joanne Mulvaney
U.S Navy veteran
Stockbridge GA

http://www.youtube.com/v/NQOCcx5V9RI&hl=en

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,572998,00.html

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=115325

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULHHJ62TLG8

Video of Stoning to Death - Islam in action

Comment Policy

2009-11-29T08:44:00.000-08:00

The only restriction on the blog is no profanity. Other than that,there will be no deletions of any topic that users wish to discuss. UNLIKE some blog forums, I will not censor or be bias regarding your opinions and concerns.

I hope you will enjoy your participation on this blog and finally feel you can be heard.

Sincerely,
Robin