Corporal Gripweed: "Damn the Torpedoes; Full Speed Ahead!"

Monday, April 23, 2012

Augusta, GA

By Corporal Gripweed

“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead”

               Admiral David Farragut (Battle of Mobile Bay, August 5^th 1864)

              .

It seems of late, that we here in Augusta GA have had our fair share of controversies concerning latent governmental ineptitude. From the TEE Center/parking deck debacle, to the most recent revelations surrounding CHODO shenanigans in the Laney -Walker district, it appears that we have no shortage of city leaders who are willing to look the other way, while deals are made that benefit the few at the expense of  the many. I am continually saddened by the fact that many of these so-called leaders will attempt to  explain away these missteps, by calling those of us  who question their decisions as "divisive".

The fact that mines or “torpedoes”, in Civil War parlance, will be put in the way of any one who seeks the truth is just plain wrong. Sadder yet is the fact that so many people in this county feel that they have no voice and so are powerless to stop the machinations of their “representatives” that they don't attempt to engage government on any level. 

Case in point: The process for awarding the contract to conducting a forensic audit concerning the TEE Center parking deck has been delayed for a third time. More recently, a sitting commissioner has voted in an apparent conflict of interest to have the city repay money his CHODO owes to the federal government.

The ruling “elite” hope we won't attempt to navigate the minefield of connections and incestuous relationships that have “ruled” this city for generations, and to that I say, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.”

Moreover, these same elites also know they have the local mainstream print media, The Augusta Chronicle, as well as the so-called alternative print weekly, The Metro Spirit, solidly in their corner. So they say to themselves, “How can we lose?”

Well ...They WILL lose if we continue to ask questions, expose graft and navigate the minefields that scare the timid, but spur the brave to say, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”

If the  ruling class in Augusta loses, the city, and it's citizens win. It is up to concerned citizens to step up and ask questions and DEMAND answers...We here at Augusta Today and City Stink ask for your help in this battle...To continue to ask questions and expect cognitive, coherent answers. This is the bedrock of a representative republic. To expect anything less from our local leaders is tantamount to giving away our rights as citizens.

To any one who wonders whether this is a strategy that will produce results....Admiral Farragut won the battle of Mobile Bay when he roared, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”***

CG

See more Corporal Gripweed columns here--> Corporal Gripweed Commentary

Aitken Will Have a Poor Record to Defend

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Augusta, GA
CityStink.net Commentary

Augusta Commissioner Matt Aitken ended weeks of speculation yesterday by issuing a press release that he would indeed seek re-election. The news was not released until after 5pm yesterday on The Augusta Chronicle website, and a formal announcement is expected today at 5pm. Aitken will face challengers Bill Fennoy, Stanley Hawes, Thelonius Jones and Denice Traina. Aitken had previously said that he may not run for a second term because of what he complained as "negativity" from the media. We suppose what Aitken means as "negativity" is people holding him accountable for his record, and this time Aitken will have to defend his record as a commissioner. Let's take a look at it:

The main impetus behind Aitken's first run for the commission was passage of the TEE Center, the same one that has been mired in controversy over delays, cost over-runs and land not being deeded to the city as promised. As a commissioner, Aitken has voted consistently "to just move the project along", despite the mounting evidence showing waste of taxpayer dollars and the commission being mislead about key elements of the project. In fact, When Aitken was first elected, the TEE Center agreement was hurriedly passed just days later. Aitken has repeatedly voted against audits investigating the TEE center and parking deck debacle.

Aitken has taken great interest in trying to get a new ballpark built for Ripken Baseball, despite this ranking very low on the priority list for most District 1 constituents. Aitken even introduced a motion last Summer to commit the city and taxpayers to a partnership with Ripken Baseball to build a new ballpark at The Golf and Gardens site. The Commission rejected Aitken's motion but it was brought back in a different form by Commissioner Joe Jackson for City Administrator Fred Russell to enter into negotiations with Ripken Baseball to develop a "creative financing" package for a new ballpark.

Aitken has a habit of keeping his constituents out of the loop on key issues. One instance is the Opportunity Zone for Harrisburg, a motion that Aitken put on the commission agenda. The problem is he neglected to inform the residents of Harrisburg, which falls in his district. State law requires public hearings before these opportunity zones are put into effect. That was never done and residents were never informed. It was all done under the radar with no public input.

Aitken also ignored concerns from Laney-Walker residents when the Planing and Zoning Department was trying to sneak through an incomplete and fatally flawed overlay zoning application without conducting the required public hearings. When a concerned citizen, Dee Mathis, brought her concerns to the commission, Aitken (who serves as her commissioner) was silent, and ended up voting for the overlay application despite numerous errors. And when public meetings were held in the community, commissioner Aitken did not attend a single one of them.

We have heard repeatedly from downtown business owners that Aitken does not respond to their concerns. When the downtown clock, paid for with SPLOST money, was suddenly removed from downtown without any input from the downtown business community, there was no response or intervention from Aitken. Small business owners also complain that their calls for an enhanced security presence in downtown has gotten no response from their commissioner. In fact, Aitken voted for a budget that cut over $1 million from public safety. Instead of championing the interests of the small business owners, who are the backbone of downtown, Aitken often champions the special interests of the cliquish Downtown Development Authority, an entity that has virtually no representation from the downtown small business community. Aitken consistently favors big spending boondoggles that benefit the cronies of The DDA over basic needs that benefit the average small business owner.

Aitken is consistently absent from committee meetings and he rarely asks questions at regular commission meetings. It is also obvious that Aitken is clueless on many of the items that come before the commission. Does he even bother to research the items on the commission agenda or does he just vote as he is instructed to by his handlers? It appears to be the latter. If there is one glaring example of this it is the budget that was hurriedly passed last fall. Aitken voted for the budget, not realizing it contained over 30 lay-offs. He was even under the impression that it contained raises. Had Mr. Aitken even bothered to read key elements of the budget before voting on it? Apparently not. Isn't that the job of a commissioner.. to know what he is voting on?

In the following video that appeared on WRDW News 12 after the budget vote, reporter Chris Thomas queries Commissioner Aitken about the budget and whether he was aware of the layoffs. It was obvious that  Aitken was clueless... the awkward moments of silence... the deer in the headlights look... it said it all. Aitken can complain about a "negative" media all he wants, but  it's his responsibility to know what he is voting on. Aitken is simply not prepared to be a commissioner. The following video should become an albatross around his neck. Watch the video below. Is this someone who deserves a second term?

Recreation and Parks Director Tom Beck Shown the Exit Today

Rec. & Parks Director Tom Beck

Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Augusta, GA
From CityStink.net Reports

UPDATE: In a special called legal session today (Monday April 23) Augusta Commissioners voted 8-1 to fire Parks and Recreation Director Tom Beck with cause. Only Commissioner Grady Smith voted to keep Beck. Commissioner Jerry Brigham was absent from today's meeting.

*Below is our report from April 17th:

After today's Augusta Commission meeting, Recreation and Parks Director Tom Beck may be out of a job. Chris Thomas of WRDW first broke the story last week about what is being called "The Augusta Wreckreaction Scandal."  A whistle-blower within the department came forward with allegations of time cards being falsified and rampant favoritism. City Administrator Fred Russell has placed Beck on administrative leave and sources say that he will recommend his termination before commissioners today. That's strong action coming from Russell who has taken a passive role over the years when it came to disciplining incompetent employees. Since this involves a personnel matter, those discussions about Beck's job will be held behind closed doors in a legal session. So the question regarding Beck is.... Will he stay or will he go?

With the bunch we have on the commission there's no telling what to expect. Even if Fred Russell recommends termination, that's no guarantee the commission will fire Beck. And it would not be the first time the commission refused to discipline Beck on the advice of  a City Administrator. Back in 2000, then City Administrator Randy Oliver recommended that Beck be suspended for one week without pay for similar infractions. But Beck's supporters on the commission overrode Oliver, refusing to discipline the Recreation and Parks Director. Will the same happen this time? It's hard to tell, but perhaps this latest screw-up is the straw that breaks the camel's back and Beck is sent packing.

But Beck has been allowed to get away with a lot over the years, so commissioners may just end up giving him a slap on the wrist.  There have been numerous complaints over the years of Beck's lazy style of running the department and of rampant cronyism. Before being handed over to a private company, The Patch golf course was directly under The Parks and Recreation Department. The course lost hundreds of thousands of dollars annually for the city partly because of a lack of oversight from management and favoritism that allowed certain people to play for free. The course had also been allowed to deteriorate into such a poor state it was almost unplayable. Critics say this is indicative of Beck's lack of leadership and the lax way he runs the department.

Just over a month ago Beck made headlines when it was revealed that it was he who went to Brian Hendry, the now private operator of The Patch, and told him that there was $300,000 of SPLOST funds that he could get. When Hendry was awarded the contract for The Patch, he had agreed to absorb the costs of maintenance, but here was Tom Beck telling him that there was free tax money out there that he should get. Ultimately, commissioners denied the request by Hendry for the $300,000 in SPLOST money, but it showed blatant insubordination by Beck to go around his superiors trying to give hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax money away. Many critics ask why Beck wasn't fired or at least suspended for that? Critics argue that this lack of punishment over the years has made Beck feel as though he is untouchable and able to get away with almost anything. Will he be proven right again after today's meeting?

***
CS

UPDATE--> Commission Stalls on Firing Beck

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Commission Stalls on Firing Beck

Tuesday, April 12, 2012
Augusta, GA
By The Outsider

We don't know what all was discussed in the closed door legal session at today's Augusta Commission meeting, but we do know that Recreation and Parks Director Tom Beck was there to respond to questions over an internal investigation that just concluded over the falsification of time cards in his department and allegations of rampant cronyism and a hostile work environment. Commissioners decided to put Beck's fate off for atleast a week, placing him on unpaid administrative leave until Monday.

Holding off to make a decision on whether or not to fire Beck would have made sense if an internal investigation had not yet been conducted, but it has already been concluded. Sources tell us that the evidence was damning enough that City Administrator Fred Russell was likely going to recommend Beck's termination at today's meeting. Since these discussions occurred behind closed doors in legal session, we do not know for sure what Russell's final recommendation was.

But commissioners were presented with the evidence against Beck from that internal investigation at today's meeting, and they saw fit to simply suspend him without pay. So the question remains: Why stall on making a decision to fire Beck? To many people it is looking like the commission is just trying to figure out a way to wiggle out of having to fire Beck and simply give him a slap on the wrist. This is a department director who has had more second chances than Lindsay Lohan has had appearances before a judge. Will he squeak through yet again? The fact that commissioners were unwilling to make a decision today to fire Beck is troubling. It's not like this is the first time Beck has screwed up. And even if this was his first offense, falsifying time cards is a serious matter. How can a department head be trusted if he was complicit in falsifying time cards?

For some people it appears that a double standard exists in Augusta.. that if Beck was black, he would have been fired years ago.. but the entrenched good-ole-boy system has kept him around. Will that play out this time? We won't know for sure until Monday, but the fact that commissioners couldn't come to a decision today isn't very encouraging.***
OS

Related Stories:
Will Recreation & parks Director Tom Beck Be Shown the Exit Today?

Is Downtown Augusta Throwing Money Away on CADI Program?

             

Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Augusta, GA
By The Downtowner


Augusta’s downtown has been patrolled by a nine-man team for the past four years, and at the end of the year it will be up to the property owners to decide whether to keep them working.

Clean Augusta Downtown Initiative (CADI) began in early 2008 as a way to make downtown Augusta more clean, safe and friendly. Through the Great Recession and into the slow economic recovery,  property owners inside the Business Improvement District (BID) have been paying .00725 cents on every dollar of their property value to fund the $ 365,000-a-year program. (Augusta Chronicle;February 4, 2012).

As the 5^th year of this program approaches an end, downtown business owners will decide once again whether to continue to fund this program.  It will take 51 percent of the downtown property owners to keep the CADI program in place. As a downtown regular, I decided to  poke around a little bit to see how this program came into being and how business owners feel about the use of their tax dollars which now exists  in triplicate for them. That’s right, property owners in the BID are being taxed three times for their city services. Not only do they pay county taxes, they pay a tax that seems to be left over after consolidation called, “Urban Maintenance and Operation.” The BID was established in 2008 which levied a third tax. How did this happen and what are they getting for all of this money?

In 2007, the DDA began their campaign to encourage business owners to form a Business Improvement District which would allow the city to collect a special tax that would be used to help with issues specific to downtown. When talking to downtown business owners about this, most recollect that public safety was the issue discussed most often. As a matter of fact, paying for an expanded  public safety presence downtown was a huge selling point in getting the owners to agree to the program. Who doesn’t want more safety in downtown Augusta? It is a necessity for businesses to thrive.

 As the petition drive continued and meetings were held, I have been told that many business owners who were in opposition were not made aware of the meetings and were quietly left out of the loop. In July of 2007 with petition in hand and the new ordinance drawn up, DDA director Margaret Woodard presented all relevant documents to the Augusta Commission for approval.

According to meeting minutes, Commissioner Jerry Brigham began to question how a Board of Directors would be set up since this was not mentioned in the ordinance. He commented that this needed to be spelled out since so much money would be going through the hands of the board members. At this point in the minutes, someone identified only as, “Byrd,” assured Commissioner Brigham that the business owners in the BID would be nominating and voting for their own board members, (Byrd is quite possibly Byrd Warlick the DDA attorney). Satisfied with the answer, the Commissioners proceeded with a vote to enact the new ordinance without the clarification in writing….Mistake number one.

Now let’s fast forward to January of 2008. The minutes of the very first Board of Directors meeting for CADI show that all board members had been established and were in attendance at this meeting. Who nominated them and when did the business owners vote on them? Owners I have spoken with never saw a ballot. The result and mistake number two was that the early board members were obviously hand picked by the DDA.

Business Improvement District board members:
- Donald Bailey, Davenport Bruker, Len Carter, Bryan Halterman, Tennet Houston, Paul King, Robert Kuhar, Darryl Leech, Sanford Loyd, Julian Osbon, Jeff Partl, City Administrator Fred Russell, Tillman Sauls, Berry Smith, CVB Director Barry White,  and Margaret Woodard.

Sorry folks.  When I think of Downtown Augusta, I think of, Bonnie Ruben, Coco Rubio, David Hutchinson, Robin Schweitzer, Oolie, Jai West, Fred Daitch, Pat Johansen…Shall I go on? Where is the true representation on this Board?

Now that a bit of the stinky history is out of the way, The question that needs to be answered, Is CADI worth another five year investment? This downtowner  says, “No way!” At least not in its present state, and I have found that many downtown business owners are in agreement. Following are a few of the complaints that will have to be addressed:

• Why are we paying CADI to do what we’re already paying the city to do?
• Why was CADI never about Public Safety as we were told it would be?
• Where is all of the equipment CADI started off with? Especially those  machines that suck up cigarette butts.
• Where does $350,000 a year go with only 7 employees?
• Why does CADI now charge for graffiti removal? (Business owners were initially told that would be a principal responsibility of The CADI program)
• Why does CADI take care of the Board of Education property?
• Where is our Board Representation for downtown business owners?
• Why does the DDA charge $25,000 a year to oversee this program?
• Where is the survey from the DDA that was supposed to have been delivered to business owners by the end of March 2012 (according to the February 2012 Director’s Report).
• Will those of us who are in opposition be left out of the new process?

These are all great questions that need to be answered. As a downtown regular I see more vagrants and panhandlers than ever before. I strongly believe that Public Safety is the main ingredient that is lacking for downtown to be able to thrive. If there is a perception that the area is unsafe, then people won't come and spend their money, and having a more visible public safety presence gives people the perception that the area is safer. Downtown business owners were told that CADI would primarily serve that purpose, but that clearly has not happened.

Just think of what could really be accomplished with $350,000 a year of extra tax money with the right visionary in charge of the DDA? Just imagine what could be accomplished downtown with more downtown business owners being included in the process. Now is the time for the downtown business owners to organize, research, and take a stand. Do not let this opportunity to make a huge change pass you by. Become informed and get what you deserve, not what the DDA thinks you deserve. We are depending on you! Downtown is depending on you.***

DT

Stay Tuned
CitysStink.net has initiated an Open Records Request (ORR) on the CADI program and other DDA initiatives. We will have more updates detailing how the DDA misuses public funds and engages in cronyism over how funds are spent and who is appointed to these boards. Stay tuned.

Related Stories:
The Case of the Disappearing Downtown Clock

***Do you have a story idea, a tip, or would you like to write for City Stink? Then please contact us at: citystink@gmail.com***

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Here Come Da Judge: Federal Court to Settle Redistricting Mess

Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Augusta, GA
By The Outsider

Well it appears certain now that a federal judge will try to clean up the redistricting mess that Augusta placed itself in. Augusta commissioners voted 9-0 yesterday to seek federal intervention to end the saga over redistricting and get finalized district maps for the commission and school board.

Candidates and potential candidates for seats up for grabs this year have been in limbo since the local delegation could not come to an agreement on redistricting maps by the end of this year's session. That meant that the current maps drawn up after the 2000 census would still be in effect, but because of population shifts over the last 10 years, using the old maps would clearly put Augusta in violation of the 14th amendment of the US Constitution. So the city took preemptive action to settle the matter instead of waiting for a third party to file a lawsuit.

As we've stated in previous articles, this entire thing could have been settled months ago. An ad-hoc committee was convened last Fall for the explicit purpose of re-drawing district lines. This committee was made up of members of the Augusta Commission, Richmond County School Board, and the local legislative delegation. A redistricting expert, Linda Meggars, was brought in at taxpayer's expense to assist in redrawing the maps. Several drafts were considered, and in the end the ad-hoc  committee voted unanimously to endorse what was known as Map-3R. That map was also endorsed by the Richmond County School Board. However, it failed to get the endorsement of the Augusta Commission, when two commissioners who served on the ad-hoc committee (Jerry Brigham and Grady Smith) changed their minds and blocked it at the December 6th Commission. The vote tied 5-5, but since the mayor was absent (on vacation), the measure to endorse the map failed by default.

Then the process moved to the state legislature where it stalled again. State Sen. Jesse Stone (R. Waynesboro), at the behest of Augusta Commissioner Jerry Brigham, blocked Map-3R  from moving forward and instead proposed starting the process from scratch, coming up with an entirely new map. Then in the final days of the legislative session, Stone proposed adopting Map-2R (one of the earlier drafts considered by the ad-hoc committee). This proposal failed to win support in The GA House, so once  this year's session was adjourned, Augusta-Richmond County was left with having to use the old maps from the 2000 census.

If there is any good news out of all this is that the city's decision to seek federal intervention will speed up the process to settle this issue once and for all. But once the courts are involved, there's no telling what the new maps may look like. It is unlikely though that a federal judge would make drastic changes to the maps that have already been considered with elections coming up presumably on July 31st. Most likely, the courts will look at the various maps considered by the ad-hoc committee and approve one of those. In that case, the likely outcome is that the courts will opt for Map-3R. After all, it was approved unanimously by the ad-hoc committee , received the endorsement of the school board, and received the endorsement of 5 Augusta Commissioners. Also, Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver is on record supporting Map-3R. This is the map that is still on the city's elections website and the one that many candidates have already become familiar with. Going through a complete redraw could take months and with elections moved up to July 31st, that could create an even bigger mess, so it seems very likely that the courts will favor Map-3R.

Sending this to the Federal courts could mean that the State Senate Bill that moved Augusta's nonpartisan elections from the General Election ballot to the July 31st general primary ballot may very well be struck down or delayed, especially with new district lines not settled until May at the earliest. Holding the elections in July would leave little time for candidates to qualify under the new maps, raise money and campaign. So look for the elections date to be pushed back to November. So in the end, after all of this drama we could be right back where we should have been in the very beginning.***
OS

Related Stories:

• GA House Fails to Pass Redistricting Map for Richmond County
• Lack of Redistricting Map Causing Confusion for Candidates and Voters
• Mayor Deke Plays Both Sides Over Redistricting
• Deke Weasels Out on Redistricting

Access Denied! National Hills Residents Walled Off By Gate

Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Augusta, GA
From CityStink.net Reports


Imagine waking up one day and seeing a huge metal gate with fencing blocking your main access to and from your home. Was martial law imposed overnight? Is this to keep people out or keep you fenced in? Like a scene from the movie Red Dawn, had some conquering army swept in and turned your neighborhood into a prison re-education camp? These may have been some of the questions going through the minds of residents of National Hills subdivision off Washington Road across from The Augusta National Golf Course earlier this week when a large metal gate was erected, blocking access to and from the neighborhood along Northwood Rd (see graphic at bottom of the article), the main access road from the neighborhood into National Hills Shopping Center and onto Washington Rd.

Well it wasn't the work of any invading army; there was no wall surrounding National Hills neighborhood with armed guards asking for "papers", but for many residents along Northwood Road, it certainly did feel like a Checkpoint Charlie had been set up on their street, and they felt walled in. Making matters worse, the gate and fencing blocked off not only vehicular access to the shopping center and Washington Road, but all pedestrian access as well. National Hills residents routinely rent out their homes during Masters week and it  is usually just  a short walk along Northwood Rd through National Hills Shopping Center to the course.. but now residents and guests had to walk or  drive a longer serpentine route around the shopping center to access Washington Road and the golf course.

So who was responsible for this? It appears that the gate was erected by the owners of National Hills Shopping Center, NHEP LLC. The county maintained portion of Northwood Drive effectively ends where the gate was erected, on the boundary where the shopping center property begins.. at that point Northwood Road runs through the parking lot of National Hills Shopping Center and then accesses Washington Road just across from Augusta National Golf Course (see map at end of article). However, this route is normally open for residents of National Hills to access the shopping center and Washington Road.

It appears the gate was erected specifically to keep people staying in homes in National Hills from cutting across the shopping center property to access the golf course. A sign stated " Access Closed 4/1/12 to 4/8/12" and said violators would be prosecuted under Augusta-Richmond County ordinance section 3-5-3.  The sign also said that National Hills shopping Center was solely for customer use only. However,  the gate also  blocked many long time residents from accessing the shopping center... even on foot, which many do on a daily basis to buy groceries at The Fresh Market or patronize restaurants and other businesses. Having their direct access to the shopping center blocked meant that they would have to make a more cumbersome journey to get to what for some was just a few steps away normally. And some residents  we spoke with feared that blocking off direct access of their homes from Washington Road would impair the response times for emergency responders.

Donnie Thompson to the Rescue
The neighborhood association had begun exploring hiring an attorney to have the gate opened and access restored when prominent Augusta businessman Donnie Thompson came to their rescue. Thompson owns Windsor Jewelers, which is located in an out parcel that he owns adjacent to National Hills Shopping Center  along Washington Road where Northwood Road meets it.  Sources tell us that Thompson sued the owners of the shopping center, NHEP LLC on the basis that the gate violated easement agreements.  The court sided with Thompson  and ordered the gate opened. As of late Tuesday the gate was opened for vehicles and pedestrians to pass.

So just how did this gate go up without having to be approved by the city? Would it not violate zoning ordinances? The Shopping Center owners can argue that they were simply controlling access to their property.. like someone installing a gate at the entrance to their driveway. However, this  blocked a major easement that was always available to residents of National Hills before. Also, the gate and fence were unsightly, like something that belonged in front of a prison. Residents we spoke with said they would certainly not be allowed to erect such a gate on their driveways. So was someone asleep at the Zoning Department? Residents we spoke with say they got no answers nor any action from the city on this matter and they appreciate Donnie Thompson interceding on their behalf. It looks like Donnie Thompson has a lot of new fans and probably a lot of new customers as well.***

CS

Below is a map of the area (click to enlarge):