Video: Peas Lost to T-SPLOST

Monday, July 30, 2012
Augusta, GA
By Al Gray

In his latest anti T-SPLOST video, Al Gray, explains how our buying power will be pea'd away if T-SPLOST passes. Watch his video below.

Government Watchdogs Meet with D.A. Over ParkingGate

Friday, July 27, 2012
Augusta, GA
From CityStink.net Reports


Government watchdogs and CityStink.net contributors Lori Davis and Al Gray will meet with District attorney Ashley Wright at 3:00pm today to discuss the evidence they have uncovered in the TEE Center Parking deck debacle. Davis spoke at the July 17 Augusta commission meeting and urged city leaders to halt a management contract with Augusta Riverfront LLC for the $12 million publicly financed parking deck at 9th and Reynolds Streets. The contract was tabled because there were not a sufficient number of votes for it to proceed.

After Ms Davis' presentation before commissioners, Mayor Deke Copenhaver sarcastically suggested that she needed to take this matter to the District Attorney and it was time for her to "put up or shut up." Cost Recovery Specialist Al Gray, who has done much of the analysis on the transactions and deals concerning the parking deck for Augusta Today and CityStink.net, said the mayor's statements were strange considering  all of the reports they have released concerning the parking deck have been backed up by the city's own documents. At this same July 27th commission meeting a forensic audit looking into the parking deck deals was voted down and a substitute motion by Joe Jackson to forward the matter the the District Attorney and GBI passed.

Gray says that government watchdogs have had to go through an unwieldy, expensive and time consuming process to obtain public records to uncover the truth, and they have encountered stonewalling from some government officials in this process. Gray says "I would hope that between the Mayor and DA, we gain access to all information to answer our issues or that the DA takes action to investigate with a promise to address them with supporting documents."

Lori Davis says that she is confident that the evidence and truth is on their side and they already have hundreds of pages of documents to prove it. Al Gray says that a comparison matrix  he was asked to put together shows that the management contract under consideration with Augusta Riverfront LLC amounted to a "blank check" and did not meet the city's own RFP guidelines. In fact, he says that Augusta Riverfront LLC never even submitted a bid, whereas other companies did, like Aampco Parking Systems, that met the city's RFP guidelines. But city administrator Fred Russell ignored the RFP guidelines and ignored the bids from the companies who  had agreed to the city's terms  in favor of the "blank check" contract with Augusta Riverfront LLC. This shows a wanton disregard for the interests of the taxpayers.

But some political observers believe that the DA is a dead end and point to the handling of the David Fry case as an example, citing that the District Attorney was too eager to accept an Alford Plea by Fry's defense attorney to keep the matter from going to trial. They also question whether she can remain unbiased on the matter since she is running for re-election this year, and her boyfriend, Donnie Smith is running for the District 7 commission seat being vacated by Jerry Brigham. Donnie Smith was the first to suggest the matter be forwarded to the D.A. he has also stated on the record that he doesn't believe there is any "smoking gun" in the case to warrant further investigation.

Lori Davis says she is not quite sure what will come out of the meeting today but says, "I hope that the DA will provide citizen support  that we have not been getting from our Mayor and some of the commissioners. I also hope she can remain unbiased because I am sure that she will be getting a lot of pressure from outside sources."

**We will have an update after their meeting with the Distrtict Attorney.***
CS

Related:

• Why is the Parking Deck Contract This Rigged?
• Cutting Through the Spin Over ParkingGate
• Lori Davis Appeals to Conscience of Commissioners
• Fox 54 Swallows Deke Bait

Special Report: No R.W. Allen GuaranTEE?

July 25, 2012

Augusta, GA

By Bradley E. Owens

**Editor's Note: Orange Text Links to supporting documents referenced in this article**

Augusta Today member Dean Klopotic submitted a Georgia Open Records Request seeking the R.W. Allen LLC (RWA) billings for the Tee Center related contracts they are performing. The Law Department of the city of Augusta issued a response which included RWA invoice number 24 representing costs through March 31, 2012. Our investigating team has since obtained RWA invoice number 26 from other sources in city government and turned the documents over to cost recovery accounting specialist Al Gray for analysis and review.

RWA boasts of having an “Open Books Policy” but their Tee Center project manager Jim Cely declined to allow us to visit their offices to view supporting documents to the billings obtained through the Georgia Open Records Request.  RWA CEO Rick W. Allen, currently a candidate for Georgia's 12^th Congressional District, had previously pledged to allow Mr. Gray access to the billing detail records. Despite being assured they would cooperate we were not allowed to see the documents and instead, Cely gave instructions to direct inquiries to Augusta Administrator Fred Russell....the same Fred Russell who has displayed a pattern of withholding VITAL information from Augusta Commissioners on the TEE Center and its companion parking deck across the street.

The Tee Center Contract with R.W. Allen LLC is a Construction Manager at Risk guaranteed maximum price (GMP) contract. Under a fast track, a cost plus contract with a GMP, the Construction Manager sets its fee, general conditions (overhead) expenses, and other costs necessary to construct a total facility.  These contracts are or can be comprised of multiple subcontracts and work with the CM (RWA in this case) self-performing portions as if they had been subcontracted. In other words, they can hire themselves to do certain parts of the job as the Construction Manager. 

Once the drawings and design work is 75% complete the GMP was officially set at a price of $29,700,000 and accepted by the Augusta Commission. There have been two change orders (“change orders” are contract modifications which usually are increases in the cost of the fixed price cap due to unforeseen “changes” that affect the construction itself) executed which bring the total price to $30,113,215.  So as you can see, the agreed upon price of the TEE Center construction was $29,700,000.00 but due to the two “change orders” the final projected price tag (there could be more change orders before it is completed so I say “projected”) is now a cool $30,113,215.

Since the more detailed supporting documents for RWA’s invoices (which are pretty vague) are not likely to be in the possession of the Augusta government and therefore open records accessible and the honcho over at RWA, 12^th District candidate R.W. Allen, has already broken his pledge to allow us access to the documents (a politician breaking a pledge to the tax payer? SAY IT ISN’T SO!); here are the questions we would pose to Mr. Russell and to Program Manager Heery International to find out the details of these invoices for us, the lowly tax payer footing the entire bill of $30mil and change.

Has there been Double Billing of General Conditions Costs?

Let’s be clear here, these are complicated contracts but the billing is not if you are willing to bear with me and see the questions we are asking.

Article 7.4.1 sets out the components of the contract price and these are repeated in Exhibit A in the contract. to be paid by Augusta, so a cost has to fall into one of those two categories and be authorized by the terms of the contract to be billed. To cover the contractor’s overhead costs, called “General Conditions” in construction language, RWA put in a General Conditions Guaranteed Maximum cost of $1,082,670 in the contract and in Exhibit G.

The capped GC cost is described this way on page 56: Items that are included within the General Conditions Costs for which the Construction Manager is entitled to no additional compensation include without limitation:.....viii "That portion of insurance GL and Auto Builders Risk and P&P bond premiums that can be directly attributed to this Contract for Construction".....ix. Fees and assessments for the building permit and for other permits licensesand inspections for which the Construction Manager is required by theContract for Construction to pay.

Looking at the latest payment application available, on line 2 of the Form G703 appearing on page 2,

we find an amount listed for General Conditions costs of $1,082,475, which is only $195 less than the stated limit in the contract. Augusta is making progress payments, which total $697,917 (less 5% retained by Augusta) through this invoice, based upon component invoicing and RWA labor charges. In addition to the GC costs, we found $167,585 charged on page 2, line 19 of the G703 schedule for P&P Bonds. 


Based upon the contract having capped GC costs to INCLUDE the P&P bonds, separate invoicing in this manner appears to be a duplicate charge, especially since the contract also says this: “The overhead and profit component for any change includes the cost of bonds and insurance"which seems to preclude the additional billing of P&P bonds separately in this manner. The P&P bonds for the subcontractors are in their OWN costs.

Besides the P&P bond issue, there is the same issue with the $48,961 of permit costs on line 18 of the payment request.

These two issues relating to costs billed separately that appear to be already covered by capped General Conditions total $216,546. It is recommended that these costs be reallocated against the capped GC costs of $1,082,670, or line 2 on the G703 billing schedule of values. 

Extension of General Conditions without Required Change Order?

Accompanying payment request number 24 was a document entitled “Augusta TEE Center Contingency Log” which includes a $16,393 item labeled “extended builders risk cost due to delays. There was an invoice supplied showing the builder's risk policy was being extended to October 2012.  ”The contract says this - All adjustments in compensation or extensions of time shall be by change order (page 38)"

No change order was found to extend the duration of the project, so shouldn't this charge be covered by the capped General Conditions that includes builder's risk insurance?

A much more important and broader issue, is whether RWA intends to collect extended general conditions for the approximately 6 months greater time until completion of the project to include the more costly GC costs, like supervision. The project duration in the contract was set at 24 months, yet the project is on the 26^th monthly billing.

Does the charging of builder's risk premiums for project delays mean that there will be a costly claim for extended General Conditions at the end of the project? Will extension costs be continued to be charged against the contract contingency, instead of being authorized by change order, as the contract apparently requires?

Lack of Pricing Details limits Change Order Price Analysis?

Augusta Today and City Stink contributor Lori Davis submitted a Georgia Open Records Request on another matter concerning the TEE center kitchen equipment that was added to the RWA contract as Change Order 1 to increase the Contract Price to a total of $29,276,987. Included in the information provided  was the pricing from the subcontractor, itemized by equipment price, but unsupported by cost versus overhead and profit analysis of the pricing.

The contract says this in Article 15:"If and to the extent the change involves work of one or more subcontractors the overhead andprofit component for subcontractors shall be fifteen percent 15 and theoverhead and profit component for the Construction Manager shall be seven percent 7 of the amount allocable for subcontracted work."

Unless there is additional analysis not presented with the City's response to the GORA request, how can RWA tell whether the 15% limitation on overhead and profit has been met with respect to Change Order 1? Is sufficient cost information being obtained on other project changes to meet the contract limitations on combined overhead and profit?

Construction Equipment Rentals in Steel Costs?

Within the supporting backup for Payment Application 24 for the steel cost category was an invoice to RWA for construction equipment rental.  The contract has this inclusion within the definition of General Conditions costs: "xviii Rental charges for temporary facilities and for machinery equipment and tools not customarily owned by construction workers"

Since the equipment rentals seem to be within General Conditions (Overhead), wouldn't such costs be covered by the allowed 15% overhead and profit markup allowed on work self-performed by the Contractor?

Summary

1.      Aren't $216,546 of bond and permit costs separately billed also within the capped General Conditions expense in this contract?

2.      Did the billing of $16,393 for extending insurance coverage to October 2012 presage a claim for an additional number of months of general conditions expense, including Contractor Supervisory labor, and unforeseen costs.? Without a change order, should this item have been charged to contingency?

3.      Is there sufficient cost detail provided by subcontractors to assure that contract limitations on maximum, combined overhead and profit can be verified?

4.      Are construction equipment rentals separately billable from overhead and profit markups?

5.      Will Augusta review the contract to assure that all contingency and allowances are recaptured by the city at project completion on this major contract? Others?

We expect that the Mayor and the City Commission will assure that these questions are answered.***

B.O.


**Augusta Today members Al Gray, Lori Davis, and Dean Klopnik also contributed to this report**

**Below is the GMP Construction Contract between RW Allen Construction on the city of Augusta for the TEE Center:

RWA GMP Contract

T-SPLOST Report: Don & Ron's $87 Million Tax Give-Away

Just Dandy or Downright Irresponsible?

Monday, July 23, 2012
Augusta, GA

By IndyInjun

A loose coalition of anti-tax and community activists has arisen locally to oppose T-Splost, which is the chosen acronym for a proposed new 1% sales tax dedicated to transportation. This measure is Referendum Item 1 on the July 31 Georgia primary election ballot. If passed, the sales tax rate in most counties in the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) increase from 7% to 8%, for a whopping 14.3% sales tax increase.

The funds collected from the new 1% T-Splost in all of the 13 counties in the CSRA  region would be dispensed in two pots. 75% of the money goes into a designated, preapproved investment list projects, called the “Constrained Investment List.” Many, if not most, of these projects in the CSRA have long been on the Georgia Department of Transportation’s planned projects list to be built with motor fuel tax funds. For example, the extension of Riverwatch Parkway to Washington Road in Evans has been on the DOT planned list for a decade or more. Columbia and Richmond Counties are MPO’s (Metropolitan Planning Organizations) under the authorizing bill, the Transportation Investment Act of 2010, and will be empowered to use the new T-Splost funds largely without DOT involvement.

The horse trading with the other 11 counties was thorny. As best can be told, the trade-off was to build the large investment list projects in Augusta and Columbia County early in the 10 years of the T-Splost, while the Investment list projects for the rural counties are delayed largely to the last 3 years, carrying the risk that the funds will run out. The bill says that these projects are guaranteed to be built but provides no funds.

Dandy Don Loves Taxes

The other 11 counties are willing to be in this arrangement only by virtue of the 25% “Discretionary” Funds or Cash Pot. This 25% is set based upon a combination of road miles and population which vastly favors the rural counties.

How much money is Augusta and Columbia County giving up into the Cash Pot for the rural counties? An astounding $87.6 million!  Augusta gives up $63 million and Columbia County gives up $23 million in cash! Proof of this is found in the spreadsheet that the CSRA Regional Commission provided, although it required extending some of the data and calculations to divulge the truth of the matter.

Don Grantham, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Transportation Board for the Augusta Region, and CSRA Regional Transportation Roundtable Chairman Ron Cross were extremely generous with the “cash pot” funds to be doled out from their counties!

Why aren’t these figures being publicized? ***


IJ

CSRA TSplost Revenue Gains and Losses by County

Signs of Desperation for the Tax Hikers

Money No Object to Ram T-Splost Down the People’s Throats

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Appling, Georgia

By Hwy221

From the $8 million Lobbyist Shill Group ConnectGA2012, birthed to pitch the Transportation ‘Investment’ Act, to the various tax-loving Chambers of Commerce cheerleaders, the “New Jobs!” cries from Helen to Hahira sound like some obsessive mantra. The people of Georgia have never seen a slicker effort to separate them from their money than from these T-Splost salesmen.

With a little effort, salesman-in-thief Nathan Deal almost begins to look like Euctice Haney from Green Acres and after you watch this clip, you will understand why. When old Nathan came back from Congress, pursued by an ethics investigation, yet elected in a landslide over Roy Barnes, he was encouraged to think that Georgians are all rubes like Sam Drucker and Oliver Wendell Douglas.


(click video below to play)

If we buy off on his T-Splost scam, well maybe we are past all hope.

Take a gander at what folks headed west on Washington Road (Highway 104) have been treated to starting this week. Scarcely 100 yards apart, with no visible ROAD WORK between, are two signs like this, one on each side of the road.

(click image to enlarge)

For what purpose are they there?

Based upon the positioning of these signs and the obvious lack of road improvements around, our sales tax dollars are only at work buying loudly colored signs pitching more sales taxes.

These people are shameless in their manipulative hijinks aren’t they?

The sure sign that we see is very clear – COLUMBIA COUNTY HAS MORE SALES TAX MONEY THAN IT NEEDS!

T-Splost? Let’s make that into the bug-on-a-windshield thing it sounds like.


Just say NO! to T-Splost!***

• Join the Anti T-SPLOST movement on Facebook

Related Stories:

• 15 Reasons to Detest T-SPLOST and Punish Its Promoters
• Al Gray Warns Rural County Leaders About "Shameful" T-SPLOST

Simon Says He is Cheaper; Watchdogs Say "CAP It!"

Friday, July 20, 2012

Augusta, GA

By Bradley Owens

Elections have had October surprises but lately anytime the Augusta Richmond County meets with a parking deck agreement on the agenda, watch for the wild, woolly, and unexpected.

The February meeting saw a last minute compromise whereby proposed parking deck manager Augusta Riverfront LLC (ARLLC) was conditionally awarded a management agreement with the condition that the land they own under the Reynolds Street Parking Deck (all but a small parcel) being transferred free of the almost $7,000,000.00 in liens that bedeck the title to the land bank

The Augusta-Richmond County commission meeting on Tuesday, July 17, 2012, saw a morning pre-meeting surprise, when ARLLC's Paul Simon offered a cost comparison between numbers he suddenly provided and those submitted by Ampco Parking, who had been recommended for award of the management contract for the parking deck based upon its competitive low bid. (It is noted that Administrator Fred Russell directed the award to ARLLC, who was not part of the bid process, after notifying Ampco that its bid was rejected.)

There is no surprise that Simon says his numbers were $14,000 lower, I mean what did you expect him to say, “We are bilking you?”

The surprise was that he took the risk of putting numbers to a combination of two dissimilar deck agreements, one cost-reimbursable and the other a net lease deal, with the gamble that the commission would take his last-minute, arguably improperly-disseminated (through Fred Russell) gambit at face value and approve the management agreement.  All of this happened despite ARLLC’s failure to get the liens released hence clearing the title for the land bank and doing as they promised.

The public needs to take his bet and counter with one of its own.

Open Challenge to Paul Simon

Dear Paul,

Since you are pleased to present such a reasonable budget, let's cap it at the numbers shown. We agree that you really don't need the following to make this a profitable deal, so let’s drop these items from your earlier proposal;

·        $250,000 referenced in the capital budget section,

·        The liability insurance cost reimbursement that would have been covered by the Ampco fee

·        Overarching power to expend Augusta's money as you see fit

·        The ability to define “costs” in whatever manner you deem expedient

·        Latitude to assign high-priced employees to the deck deal

·        Two fees totaling $50,000 (Ampco's was less than $18,000)

·        The ability to exceed the budget with impunity (Ampco was prohibited from doing that, weren't they?)

Those of us in the community have read repeatedly in ARLLC partner Billy Morris' newspaper for the need to have sound financial policies in government operations.  That being the stated position of the “Big Boss” we are quite sure you will see the need for a procedures manual by which Augusta's auditors can judge compliance with some contract mandated standards, won't you? Such a manual was going to be required of Ampco so certainly you are prepared to give us one, right?

Yes, Paul, we are pleased that you have put forth these solid numbers and are sure that you would be willing to share those for the Conference Center Deck, so we can see about how the second $25,000 fee is accounted for. We are also interested to know about how the costs relating to the 150 ground level spaces in the Reynolds Street Deck that you own, subject to liens, are treated. Our “back-of-the envelope” calculations brought that cost, based upon your numbers, to about $47,000 or so a year.

Mr. Simon, if you are willing to cap the costs at the numbers shown, eliminate all of the provisions in the management deal that make it a blank check to your LLC and dispense with those pesky liens, I think we can make a deal.

Because then, and only then, you just might be on the same footing as Ampco.***

B.O.


**View Paul Simon's "comparison" below**

ARLLC - Budget Comparison

Cutting Through the Spin Over ParkingGate

Friday July 20, 2012
Augusta, GA
By The Outsider


Despite how some government officials and members of the local media have been trying to spin the events from this past Tuesday's Augusta commission meeting, the citizen watchdogs who have been leading the charge for more transparency and accountability in the ParkingGate debacle won two significant victories.

Lori Davis went before the commission to appeal to the conscience of city leaders to "park" a very lop-sided management contract for the $12 million publicly financed Reynolds Street Parking deck with Augusta Riverfront LLC. As we detailed in a previous report, the lop-sided contract, that was drawn up by ARLLCs own attorneys (not those hired by the city) was riddled with loop holes and amounted to a blank check. To put it in simple terms, it was a bad deal for the taxpayers.

Earlier in the day on Tuesday we got word that there was some political maneuvering by Commissioner Jerry Brigham and Augusta Riverfront LLC President Paul S Simon, to try and ram through the contract at the last minute. This followed a finance committee workshop the previous Friday where a majority of commissioners said they were not prepared to vote in favor of the contract as it stood and wanted a thorough comparison of the deal with ARLLC and others that had been rejected by city administrator Fred Russell. City hired outside counsel Jim Plunkett was tasked by commissioners to provide that analysis. Many commissioners expected the parking deck management contract to be removed from the agenda for the July 17th commission meeting.

But surprisingly, early on Tuesday, a comparison  magically appeared just in time for the commission meeting that supposedly said the ARLLC deal was $14,000 cheaper than one Aampco Parking systems had submitted in an earlier bid. The only problem is, this comparison was drawn up by Paul S Simon and Augusta Riverfront LLC... the same folks who have been trying to get the lucrative parking deck management contract... hardly an unbiased source. Why didn't Augusta's hired outside counsel Jim Plunkett put together the comparison as he was tasked to do by commissioners at the Finance Committee work session the previous Friday? Paul Simon and Jerry Brigham probably thought they could catch commissioners off-guard like they did on February 7th, when a tentative management agreement was passed with similar last-minute political maneuvering. George Eskola, senior government reporter for WJBF news pointed out the obvious conflict of interest in Augusta Riverfront LLC providing their own comparison in his 5pm report on July 27th,  "But this comparison is coming from Paul Simon of Augusta Riverfront LLC the company that owns the Marriott not the city's attorney who worked on the deal ”


But this time things would not go in Paul Simon's favor. The contract was tabled for the second time in a month after Commissioner Jerry Brigham announced that he did not have the votes lined up to pass it. So now it will go back to the drawing board... where hopefully the taxpayers can finally get a more favorable deal, one with caps on what ARLLC can bill the city  and minus all of the loopholes that gave Paul Simon practically a blank check courtesy of the city of Augusta. This is what we have been asking for months.... to halt this hideously bad contract from being approved, and  to get a better deal for the taxpayers. The results from Tuesdays commission meeting now provide that opportunity.

But to listen to some in the local media, particularly a struggling weekly print tabloid, the results from Tuesday were somehow a rebuke of Lori Davis and a defeat for the citizen watchdogs at Augusta Today and CityStink.net. We have to wonder... what meeting did they attend? As we said, Paul S Simon and Augusta Riverfront LLC were unsuccessful in their last minute efforts to ram through a lop-sided management contract for the parking deck. Lori Davis, the citizen watchdogs, and the taxpayers of Augusta won that day.

Some in the media wanted to focus all of their attention on the vote to halt progress on the forensic audit looking into the questionable deals associated with the parking deck. Though certainly the circumstances and  the evidence uncovered thus far warrant a full forensic audit, it has hardly been the primary goal for the citizen watchdogs like Lori Davis who have been investigating this matter since October of last year. The main goal has always  been to make sure that the taxpayers get a better deal and a better return for its $12 million investment in the deck. This also means assuring that the city gets control of the land free and clear of all bank liens. The results from Tuesday's meeting were a step in that direction.

The story that some in the media have been completely missing over the forensic audit is the hypocrisy of its most vocal opponents on the commission who have been complaining it is just a waste of taxpayer money, all the while these same people are more than eager to sign over a blank check to Paul Simon and Augusta Riverfront LLC in a series of bad deals that would pay for many forensic audits.

However, something rather stunning happened at Tuesday's meeting that also seemed to go unnoticed by some in the Augusta media, particularly the folks at that struggling weekly print tabloid. In lieu of proceeding with the forensic audit, commissioner Joe Jackson made a substitute motion to forward this whole debacle over to the District Attorney and the GBI. That motion passed with an overwhelming majority. Wow. Whatever Jackson's motivation, he is on to something here.  We have been having to go through a cumbersome and expensive process of initiating numerous government open records requests to uncover the evidence in ParkingGate.  Jackson's move could now give government watchdogs and investigators unfettered access to the volumes of government documents that exist on these deals. Again, this is yet another win for the citizen watchdogs and taxpayers.

Commissioner Jackson also suggested that perhaps we should "open Pandora's box" and look into the deals associated with the Laney-Walker redevelopment project. We could not agree more, and we have also been at the forefront of that investigation, initiating numerous open records requests that have revealed more waste of tax-payer dollars and possible fraud in that massive project.

These are all quite major revelations in this story, and a bit of a vindication for government watchdogs like Davis, but the narrative the folks over at that struggling weekly print tabloid have been attempting to pursue is one of ridiculing Davis over the childish behavior and disrespect shown by some  government officialsl. In particular, the writer at the tabloid mentions an incident at the Finance committee work session last Friday where Paul S Simon tried to belittle Lori Davis and us here at CityStink.net for our investigative reports into the parking deck debacle.  Simon called us the "bad press." Well, we will gladly wear that title as a badge of honor coming from Simon.

We of course wouldn't expect him to rave about our reporting, as we have pretty much thrown a wrench into his grand plans to get a lop-sided management contract for not just the parking deck but also the even more lucrative TEE Center. Mr Simon probably never expected anyone to question these deals, better yet dig deep into them with open records requests.They have become accustomed to a largely complacent local media, like the folks at the struggling weekly print tabloid, who find these matters just "too complex" to pursue. This has allowed Simon and the folks at Augusta Riverfront LLC near free reign in Augusta to get pretty much whatever they want courtesy of the taxpayers. This lead to them becoming complacent and feeling emboldened, and always looking for more. They never saw us coming.

The folks over at that struggling weekly print tabloid thought it was funny that some Augusta commissioners snickered when Paul S Simon admonished Lori Davis and us here at CityStink.net for an article we did a couple of weeks ago that showed how the management contract under consideration with Simon's company was riddled with loopholes that had Augusta on the hook for maintenence and equipment costs  for the entire 640 space parking deck, when Simon's company would still own and control the entire ground floor.We rightly pointed out this did not appear to be a fair deal for the city. But Simon took to the podium last Friday to complain,
"You see all this stuff on these blogs that’s just wrong...they had me on a little street sweeper." This prompted giggles from some commissioners in a scene that the weekly tabloid described as a "bunch of fraternity brothers" and according to the tabloid, this surely must have been embarrassing for that pesky Davis woman.

Notwithstanding the not-so-subtle undertones of sexism in all of this, the point that was also completely missed by the weekly tabloid is that amid all of these snickers from the good-ole-boys club, no statesman emerged to call Mr. Simon out, instead they fell over themselves to kiss his ring. Here was a man coming before them acting as though his company was doing Augusta a huge favor by allowing the city to use the Marriott brand on the $12 million parking deck the taxpayers had paid to build on his land. Simon's company not only got a wonderful $12 million new parking deck courtesy of the taxpayers, but also a $38 million gift in a brand new convention center attached to his hotel, giving his company exclusive use of the facility. And we pay him hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for this honor. And now he was coming before the commissioners pretty much demanding that they sign off on a hideously lop-sided management contract that added more insult to injury. Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth!

And Lori Davis should be made to feel humiliated in all of this? If anyone should feel humiliated, it's the city leaders who have allowed themselves to be taken for such a ride. You build a $12 million parking deck on land you don't even own, and even worse it has over $7 million worth of bank liens on it. You build a $38 million convention center without an executed CORE agreement and also on a parcel of land still owned by Paul Simon's company. Maybe the snickers should have been directed at themselves. Surely, Paul Simon was probably saying "you suckers" under his breath.

But at the end of the week a majority of commissioners saw the bad deal for what it was and put a halt to it. Good for them. Commissioners Wayne Guilfoyle, Bill Lockett and Mayor pro-tem Joe Bowles have shown particularly outstanding leadership on this matter and should be applauded by the taxpayers. Sure, the buildings cannot be unbuilt now, but commissioners can now see to it that the taxpayers get the best return on their investment, and that has always been our primary goal from the beginning. People like Lori Davis should feel proud and the taxpayers of Augusta should thank her for her courage and perseverance in this ordeal.

And despite the ridicule from the folks at that struggling weekly print tabloid, there have been others in the local Augusta media who have provided commendable coverage of this story. Particular accolades go out to George Eskola of WJBF, Chris Thomas of WRDW, Renee DeMedicis and Doug at WNRR 1380 AM, Ben Hasan's Urban Pro Weekly, The Metro Courier, Austin Rhodes and Scott Hudson at WGAC.

A free press is an integral part of any democracy, holding our government accountable to the people. The role of a free press is to cut past the spin and propaganda to get at the truth. This is a duty that some in the Augusta media obviously still believe in. Some though, like the folks at that struggling weekly print tabloid, seem to think it is more important to ridicule those of us who still believe in that principle. As they belittle the government watchdogs who have been breaking the big news stories over the past 8 months, perhaps it is out of frustration, as they see the writing on the wall and their role in Augusta's media world slipping rapidly into irrelevancy. Oh and by the way, we can handle the ridicule. If we are making this many people angry in Augusta's establishment, then we must be doing something right.***

OS

Related Stories:

• Corporal Gripweed: A "Ghost" of its Former Self
• Simon Says He is Cheaper; Watchdogs Say "Cap It"
• Lori Davis Appeals to Conscience of Commissioners

Fox 54 Swallows Deke Bait

Friday, July 20, 2012

Augusta, GA

By Al Gray

George Eskola should be proud. In the run-up to the Augusta Commission meeting this Tuesday, there was a last-minute interjection of an accounting analysis by a party in the midst of the Tee Center Parking Decks controversy. George knew about it early. His wise years of experience said take the new gambit with a grain or two of salt.

George wrote:

“But this comparison is coming from Paul Simon of Augusta Riverfront LLC the company that owns the Marriott not the city's attorney who worked on the deal. ”

Precisely.

+100 for George.

Then there was this report by Jake Wallace of Augusta Fox affiliate WFXG.

Wallace seemed impressed by Mayor Deke Copenhaver's cheap trick of having the city's external auditor from the firm of Maulden Jenkins put on the agenda to give a positive report on the annual city FINANCIAL AUDIT soon after Augusta Today activist and City Stink contributor Lori Davis' presentation in favor of a forensic audit of the Tee Center Parking Decks agreements and against approval the proposed parking deck management agreement that would have been the subject of the forensic audit. Wallace wrote -

“Mayor Deke Copenhaver agrees, saying the finance team received high praise at tonight's meeting by an auditor for the 2011 audit, is the same team who worked the finances of the TEE Center deal.

"They applauded our finance folks for doing such a great job with fiscal management," Copenhaver says. "That's the same team that put this deal together. Why would they do something different on the parking deck and the TEE Center than they did with the city finances?"

Wallace totally blew it.

A city financial audit only attests that generally accepted accounting principles have been met with respect to the city's transactions. It does not extend to the point of questioning HOW the transactions come about or whether a contract is totally stacked against the city's interests. That is the role of a forensic audit. After a flawed deck deal is executed, a financial audit will find everything to be just wonderful versus the standard of the flawed contract. A forensic audit would derive the answers of whether there are material controls deficiencies in contract administration and would seek to identify fraud in the execution and application of the management agreement.

Deke trotted out a financial auditor and Fox obliged his clever subterfuge by equating the annual city auditor's report about finances with one about a much more in-depth audit of only a couple of complex transactions.

For another thing, the city's finance team has had practically nothing to do with the deck agreements, as Augusta is using outside legal counsel, bond counsel,and even has gone to the extent of excluding the Convention and Visitor's Bureau chief, Barry White, a figure who was integral to the early Tee Center presentations to the city commission and the city executive most attuned to the contract needs to be negotiated.

Wallace did not know that, or at least, did not report it.

Fox 54 came up short and looked amateurish in rising to the bait.

We are sure that they will get better, given a few more years around Augusta politics. It truly is a world all to its own.

This writer remembers George when he was an amateur, too.***

A.G.


Related Stories:

• Cutting Past the Spin Over ParkingGate
• Corporal Gripweed: A "Ghost" of Its Former Self
• Simon Says He is Cheaper; Watchdogs Say "Cap It!"

Corporal Gripweed: A "Ghost" of its Former Self

The "Spirit" has been rapidly sliding into irrelevancy

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Augusta, GA

By Corporal Gripweed

"Augusta's Independent Voice since 1989"

                Metro Spirit.

I've lived in Augusta all my life. And when The Metropolitan Spirit first showed up on the streets of town in 1989, a lot of Augustans were excited. Finally an alternative paper appeared to give voice to those who wanted to read local issues not covered, or worse, covered poorly by the daily of record.

Through different publishers and editors the paper has managed to stay in print , notwithstanding a few weeks when it was shut down last year. It soon reappeared under the stewardship of former publisher Joe White. I've been a mostly loyal reader. I'm from the old school. I like to have a hard copy in my hands rather then spending all my time tied to a computer screen, so when I could I'd pick up a copy to thumb through; it became a part of a weekly routine.

This week I've had enough. It's time to say "when". When I saw this weeks "Insider" column I knew then that the time had come. Not just because of that column, although  it was  the straw that broke the camel's back for me. It's been a long time coming. It's no secret that the Metro Spirit has become increasingly irrelevant in recent years. It went from being an in depth, investigative paper from the days of original publisher David Vantrease and editor Tom Grant's tenure, to being nothing more than a fatter "Verge", or a skinnier Chronicle, without the good comics

 So why even bother anymore?

Cases in point. The New York Times crossword? Big deal. The "hippy-dippy horoscope?" I can get it online. National political commentary? Let's just say the columnist who has been trying to do THAT the last few weeks has been sophomoric bordering on the idiotic. I won't further embarrass him by naming him, but his byline states that he was ,"once the most un-intimidating bouncer at the Soul Bar". Okay….If I want to listen to those kinds of rants I'll just watch MSNBC for a few minutes.

Downtown happenings? A map in the centerfold with a bunch of pictures and arrows ain't cutting it either. Austin Rhodes? While I'm a conservative and generally agree with him, I can listen to his show to get his take on things, rendering the Spirit irrelevant yet again. Even the whines have lost their luster.  They've become mostly redundant bemoaning things like the  smell in south Augusta and the number of fat women in local bars. Yeah, that's original, and obviously indicates the overall drop in IQ points of the average Metro Spirit reader.

But what really turned me away was, as I mentioned earlier, this weeks Insider. In the old days you could count on the Insider (or at least the paper in general) to be of the sort of advocate that spoke truth to power. Goodness knows Augusta needs more of that these days.

  

Those days are gone.  It has become apparent to me and many of us at CityStink.net and Augusta Today, that publisher Joe White and, in particular news editor Eric Johnson have obviously decided to take a different tack: That of ridiculing those of us who only ask for transparency and truth from public officials.

They have once again taken aim at our own Lori Davis in an attempt to paint her, and by extension, the rest of us, as rabble- rousing nut jobs who should just let Billy Morris, Paul Simon, Deke Copenhaver, Fred Russell, Margaret Woodard and half the Commission continue to run the city as their own little fiefdom. Obviously Joe and Eric think that the Morris/Simon Consortium knows what's best for Augusta than we as average Augustans do.

A part of me can understand their frustration. They haven't broken a hard hitting story in years. Instead, they've had to rely on people like us to do the dirty work to which they then report on the aftermath. So there probably is a bit of "journalistic jealousy". That, combined with the undeniable fact that print media is dying and they are firmly in the crosshairs of that impending reality. But to continue to call themselves an "independent voice" is laughable.

As I said, print media is dying and I'm going  do my part by not picking up the Metro Spirit anymore. The death of this publication can't come quickly enough for me, nor can it come quickly enough for those of us in Augusta who want the REAL truth. Maybe another publication will come along soon to fill the void and give us that truth, not the truth as seen by Joe White and Eric Johnson. ***

CG


Related Stories

• Cutting Past the Spin Over ParkingGate
• Simon Says He is Cheaper; Watchdogs Say "Cap It!"
• Fox 54 Swallows Deke Bait

Video: Al Gray: Vote NO to T-SPLOST

Thursday, July 19, 2012
Augusta, GA
From CityStink.net Reports


In his latest video, Al Gray, of ArrowFlinger Reports and a CityStink.net contibutor, explains why it is so important for Georgia voters to defeat T-SPLOST on the July 31st General Primary ballot.



Related Stories:

• Don & Ron's $87.6 Million Pot of Gold
• 15 Reasons to Detest T-SPLOST and Punish its Promoters
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• Lies, Damned Lies, Statistics and T-SPLOST
• Why T-SPLOST Must Be Defeated (Video)

Lori Davis Appeals to Conscience of Commissioners

Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Augusta, GA
From CityStink.net Reports


Lori Davis, a candidate for the District 1 Augusta Commission seat and a contributor to CityStink.net, went before the commission yesterday to urge city leaders to halt action on approving a very lop-sided management contract for the Reynold's Street Parking deck that has been mired in controversy since its opening last Fall. Davis appealed to commissioners' consciences and asked them what kind of political legacy they want to leave. In the end, commissioners tabled the parking deck contract with Augusta Riverfront LLC. We have printed the full text of Lori Davis' remarks before the commission below. We will have video when it becomes available.


***********
I come before you today, once again as a citizen...A VERY concerned citizen. Most of you know me, and know what I stand for in this community. You are well aware, I belong to a group of like minded individuals who are worried about the direction this city has taken in the last several years…

This is no ordinary group.. We have the capabilities among us to uncover information that has been deeply buried.… In voicing our opinions, our group has sometimes been applauded by members of city government. To you we say Thank You!!.. What we are doing can be a thankless task. Other times we have been merely tolerated, in some cases we have been treated with outright hostility.I remind you, if it weren't for this group of like mined individuals,YOU as Commissioners,and WE, as citizens would have never known the TRUTH about questionable projects such as one in particular that you are here to discuss and vote on today..The lop-sided parking deck deal agreement..

Citizens DESERVE the truth, and taxpayers have PAID for the truth..

I was rather rudely reminded this last week by two separate Commissioners, of the place that citizens have in the process of government.. NO SURPRISE HERE... We've gotten used to it.

In conversation,Commissioner Brigham said to me, in an offhanded remark that there are many people who come before the commission with a variety of .. "unimportant" issues…Commissioner Joe Jackson said, ON CAMERA., that a forensic audit should not be done just to satisfy a, "special interest group".We can assume they were talking about our group of dedicated individuals who wish nothing more than that the truth be told, to ALL citizens.

I was saddened and to hear these Commissioners speak this way. Embarrassed for them and embarrassed for us.I think several of you would agree.. Gentlemen WE the CITIZENS of Richmond County ARE your special interest group, and nothing we bring before you, or any other citizen, should EVER be viewed as unimportant..much less verbalized.

I believe I know the reasons for certain members of city government's attitude towards our research team..

After we began to investigate the TEE/Center/Parking Deck deal, it became apparent that the deals put together, from day ONE were, NEVER in the best interests of the city, but were from the very beginning, slanted in favor of the companies involved. 

This is not conjecture, nor is it , as Mr Brigham told me, "Just our opinion". It has been proven through open records requests paid for out of our own pockets, along with some good old fashioned detective work.

Most of the material we've uncovered has been dutifully forwarded to you in order to help you better grasp the scope of the problem we face. We challenge you to stop and think about your future votes as all eyes are now upon you. 

Our findings have also been been forwarded to the media. Sadly,print media, especially the daily paper of record has paid only cursory attention to our well documented revelations, with very little,if any investigative journalism utilized. That's not surprising, considering the owner of that paper is one of the major players in this hastily prepared and ill-conceived parking deck plan.

Let me be clear….We don't necessarily blame the businessmen involved. They are doing what any savvy businessmen WOULD do, get the best deal for their company.But we would hope that these same businessmen would have some sense of moral duty to the community in which they live. Sadly we don't see that sense of civic- mindedness here. Making all of this even harder to swallow…Moral bankruptcy in the pursuit of monetary gain is an affront to hardworking, taxpaying,honest citizens .Although not illegal…… disturbing nonetheless.

We also do not hold individual commissioners, nor the Mayor wholly to blame. ..Unless the city charter is changed and Commissioners become full time public servants we cannot expect them to spend the time to investigate these deals. However, we DO take issue with those who are paid large salaries to look out for taxpayers interests, and you should as well. They are specifically,the city administrator Fred Russell, along with his one man outside legal team, Jim Plunkett… They are the ones who let the citizens of this county down, They have let YOU down by agreeing TIME AFTER TIME, to deals that were never in the best interests of the taxpayers.

Sadly, in the case of the parking deck agreement, we the people,were last on the list of "special interests" when this deal was crafted. 

Given Augusta's current financial situation, we can ill afford.to continue to do business this way..The recent First Friday incident illustrates the problems created from funneling money into these lop-sided deals, thereby having less to spend on more important things like public safety.We are now reaping what we have sown.By wasting public resources on various pet projects to benefit the few,the many who ARE left in Richmond County are paying the price.

I ask ALL of you here today, knowing what you now know about this parking deck deal, and this form of deal-making within your ranks, how will you proceed? Will you be remembered as one who began to right this ship, or one who continued down his own path into moral bankruptcy?We are the people you are elected to serve.We are the people you campaigned to and asked us with all sincerity for our vote...You must resolve on this day to hold accountable those who put their own "special interests" ahead of the interests of the people whether it be one among you or those who continue to pressure you from the outside.

As Thomas Paine said, "These are the times that try men's souls" I ask,Who owns your soul? The people? Or those who would profit at the expense OF the people?
I recommend today that you do the right thing. Table the current parking deck lease agreement until the other proposals can be studied and compared.In last week's parking deck workshop, Jim Plunkett was specifically tasked by YOU to do this. 
Also, move forward with the forensic audit for full transparency for your constituents. Don't sign any lease agreement without the release of the liens as promised by Wells-Fargo.

And lastly, Make sure that the new agreement meets the original RFP of the contract, with not only a budget, but commercial terms securely in place.
If all this is done, then the citizens of Richmond County will again be able to put their faith and trust in you as true leaders.

Perhaps this could be the greatest deal of all….
Lori C. Davis"***


**Below is a video excerpt of Lori's Speech**

Public Forum Discusses Future of First Friday

Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Augusta, GA
By The Downtowner


Around 80 people packed a conference room at the downtown Ramada Plaza hotel last night to discuss the future of First Friday. The forum was hosted by the Downtown Advisory Panel (DAP), an organization created by the Augusta Commission in 2003 to advise them on issues concerning downtown. The DAP has mostly been dormant since 2006 but was just recently resurrected with a new board of directors voted in last month.

About 23 people spoke at the forum ranging from Augusta commissioners, downtown business owners to representatives from civic organizations. The vast majority in attendance agreed that First Friday needed to continue but that it needed better organization and a beefed up police presence, particularly after 10pm when crowds can get unruly. Coco Rubio, a downtown bar owner, suggested creating two First Fridays, an earlier and more family friendly event ending at 10pm and an after hours First Friday geared more towards adults starting when the family event ends. Rubio suggested strict enforcement of the city's curfew for the after hours event and more police walking the streets instead of sitting in their patrol cars.

Commissioners Bill Lockett, Joe Bowles, Grady Smith and Wayne Guilfoyle were all in attendance at last night's forum. Mayor Pro-tem Bowles gave the crowd his assurance that he would not vote to kill First Friday. Commissioner Lockett agreed. Conspicuously absent was Commissioner Matt Aitken, whose  District 1 encompasses all of downtown. Also absent was any representative from the Downtown Development Authority as well as Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver. Mike Walraven, the chairman of the Downtown Advisory Panel says he invited all Augusta commissioners, the Mayor, the DDA, and members of the media to last night's forum.

Earlier in the day the Mayor held a meeting in his office with Margaret Woodard, the head of the Downtown Development Authority and two invited downtown business owners where he announced the creation of a campaign to add extra security for First Friday and would start by writing a check for $5,000 towards the effort and encouraged others to do the same. But many downtown business owners say they are already paying through the Business Improvement District (BID) to the tune of $350,000 a year for what they were told would be for enhanced security. Instead all of that money goes towards the CADI (Clean Augusta Downtown Initiative), which the DDA runs for a fee of $25,000 a year. Many downtown business owners have questioned the exhorbitant price tag for CADI and believe the money could be better spent.

Many people questioned why the mayor was meeting with the Downtown Development Authority to discuss First Friday and leave most downtown business owners and other stakeholders out of the loop. Many point the finger of blame at the DDA and its executive Director Margaret Woodard for First Friday becoming disorganized in the first place. Brad Owens, a former downtown bar owner who served on the DDA between 2005-2006 says "First understand most of what you have been told is misinformation, disinformation, propaganda and spin. Most of the information you have been told about the DDA and First Friday is 100% wrong." 


Owens goes on to explain, "This all goes back to a time when the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) had done away with the original sponsors of the First Friday event in an attempt to keep the pass through funding it receives to support it and to not give it to the new sponsors, the Greater Augusta Arts Council (GAAC). This led to a very public conflict between the Chairman of the DDA, Paul King and myself. King was arguing to NOT give up the money that the DDA gets for First Friday to the Arts Council and I was pushing to have it cut from the DDA and reassigned to support First Friday."


Former Augusta Commissioner Andy Cheek took to Facebook and referred to the mayor's private meeting as "a joke." Cheek went further saying "If we move forward without at least getting a handle on who dropped the ball we're making a big mistake, especially when the mayor meets with the very person who dropped the ball in the first place......Apparently this is the type of leadership the Mayor supports. There is no confusion on the proper board that should be handlng the path forward on First Friday. The Down Town Advisory Panel is the governing body having jurisdiction. The DDA is attempting to do an end run around them. The DDA has failed and is corrupt. Its time to reconstitute the DDA and fire  its director."

After ignoring last night's public forum, DDA director Margaret Woodard announced what she is calling an "official" meeting to discuss First Friday this Wednesday at the the downtown library, but critics  say the DDA and Woodard are the problem and have become obstacles to progress downtown and  instead only serves the interests of their political cronies while keeping most downtown stakeholders out of the loop.***

DT

*Below is video from the First Friday Forum hosted by the Downtown Advisory Panel (courtest of Kurt Huttar)

.