Stop the Insanity!

Monday, September 10, 2012

Augusta, GA

By Lori Davis

Looks like Mr. J's Famous Door Supper Club is going to see some new business. The dilapidated former night club located on Laney Walker Blvd. has sold to the city's Land Bank for $332,840, when the property is only valued at $83,000. The plan is to tear it down and build a new office to house the Department of Housing and Community Development, just one block from the old office. That would be Chester Wheeler and Company; the same Chester Wheeler who has continued to be in hot water for apparently mismanaging Federal Funds overthe years.

Now there is going to be another pot of money to dive into? Red Flag Number One.  On the surface, most of us would say that there is just no way to justify this and we would be correct. Why would the city agree to do this? Well according to Fred Russell,"It's a small part of a very complex puzzle." To translate, we are just too dumb to understand everything that is involved in this deal." Red Flag Number Two….. Augusta citizens are beginning to understand a lot, and are not looking so dumb these days. Look at the players.  Follow the money. Same cast of characters.  Same CRAP!

CityStink.net has been alerted that Donna Murray, who is a deputy chief appraiser for the City, spent a lot of time at this club and was very good friends with the owner. Red Flag Number Three. I believe she said something to the effect that the property had not been appraised since 2005 because of a lack of help in the appraisers office…convenient in my opinion, Red Flag Number Four.

When we received this next comment at CityStink.net from a concerned citizen, we decided to pass it along to our readers as well. We need to know the truth about these deals and put a stop to this insanity!

"Have you ever seen this place - go look at it. It's a run-down dump that could have easily been condemned if they really 'needed' it. And that excuse that property values have risen...and there have been staffing shortages!

"WHAT??....and it was a thriving business at the time it sold.

The tax on my property  has certainly gone up since 2005 while my sales have gone down to almost nothing. They didn't have any staff 'shortages' then."

"And Fred Russell - he's either the most incompetent city administrator or he's on the "take" or most likely BOTH.

There is NO way the city needed this piece of crap land at this hugely inflated price especially with all of the empty space in the Municipal Building." (Augusta Citizen).

Where are our city commissioners on this deal?  In a conversation I had this a.m. with my commissioner, he was not even aware that this deal had taken place. Not surprising!  Business as usual in Augusta, Georgia…… And lastly from our angry citizen……."Just like the technique used by the master greed mongers at the Marriott - how can you blame the 'poor' blacks for just trying to even up the score."

"I just can't stand much more of this corrupt b.s.

If I could sell my property I'd be gone today -  it just continues to get worse.

Billy and Paul soak up all of the big dollars and the rest of the worker termites finish the job.....

But there is no money to even clean the parking wells on Broad Street.

This is beyond disgusting."  (Augusta Citizen)

I would say that we at CityStink.net would have to agree. It is amazing to me as a citizen of Augusta since 1991 that this keeps going on and  on while the downtown area and South Augusta continue to disintegrate. Seems to me to be a tit for tat between the white power brokers and the black power brokers and the rest of us can just suck it up and live in our our nasty drug ridden neighborhoods and the like. When the tax base is totally gone, then what?  I guess daily greed is what wins out.  As long as the greedy are getting their money, who cares what happens to the rest of the city?

We can see this reflected in the Downtown Development Authority, as well  $Millions in SPLOST dollars have rolled through this authority and where does it go?  To the crony capitalists who own the properties while the  downtown business owner who is renting the space is  suffering. Keep it up dear leaders and we will keep it up on our side. There might just be a day of reckoning really soon for all of you. One major suggestion from CityStink.net to get this city on the right track. Get rid of  Fred Russell, Chester Wheeler "Dealer" , and Queen Madge Woodard. That would be a good start. It's time to stop the insanity!

LD