Oconee County, GA Politics

Attack of the 20 Million Dollar Man com Despite promising Georgians to run a positive campaign, Sonny Perdue launched the first negative attack of the campaign. Ask yourself, why would an incumbent Governor attack his opponent unprovoked? Why would a candidate who is supposedly up in the polls attack first? Why would a Governor tell the voters on Friday that he wants to run a positive campaign, knowing that an attack mailing was going to be arrived in mailboxes on Monday? The answer? He hasn’t been doing his job. He has not been working for you. He has cut more than $1 billion from our schools, $828 per child in every classroom. He has taken healthcare away from pregnant women. He has kicked the elderly out of nursing homes. He has made it harder for children with special needs to receive necessary medical care. This is not an exaggeration of the facts. It’s the truth . No matter how many secret attack mailers Sonny Perdue sends to Georgians, he can’t hide from his dismal record. T...

For Immediate Release – October 4, 2006 Contact: Linton Johnson, 404-285-2453 or http://webmail.bellsouth.net/agent/MobNewMsg?to=linton.johnson@wordexpress.info TWENTY-ONE GEORGIA DISTRICT ATTORNEYS ENDORSE JUSTICE CAROL HUNSTEIN FOR RE-ELECTION ATLANTA – Citing her record of upholding tough penalties for violent criminals, 21 District Attorneys from across the state have endorsed the candidacy of Justice Carol Hunstein for re-election to the Supreme Court of Georgia. The District Attorneys include both Democrats and Republicans, reaffirming Justice Hunstein’s broad support from Georgians of all political viewpoints. The District Attorneys who have formally endorsed Justice Hunstein in the November 7 General Election include: n Fredric Bright of Milledgeville, Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit n John Gray Conger of Columbus, Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit n Daniel Craig, Augusta Judicial Circuit n Tom Durden of Hinesville, Atlantic Judicial Circuit n Denise Fachini, Cordele Judicial Circuit n ...

North Oconee High School 'Gossip' bloggers identified Two 15-year-old girls admit to creating MySpace site By Merritt Melancon juliana.melancon@onlineathens.com Story updated at 2:10 p.m.M on Wednesday, October 4, 2006 WATKINSVILLE — A pair of 15-year-old girls admitted to Oconee County investigators Tuesday that they are behind the MySpace site that disrupted their high school by showcasing the dirty laundry of dozens of other students. The girls, both students at North Oconee High School, will not be identified to the public because they are juveniles and still under investigation for distributing explicit materials to minors, said Oconee County sheriff’s Lt. David Kilpatrick. North Oconee Principal John Osborne asked Kilpatrick, a 10-year veteran of computer-based crimes investigations, to help find the bloggers whose "NOHS Gossip" site on MySpace incited student arguments and generally disrupted an entire school day on Sept. 11. The site, which was poste...

HOST A HOUSE PARTY FOR MARK TAYLOR We are looking for individuals across Georgia to host house parties to helpraise money for Mark Taylor's campaign and spread Mark’s vision of Georgia’sfuture to their friends and family. We are planning several house partiesbetween now and Election Day, four of which will include a conference callwith the Big Guy. The house parties will be held on the following dates: Saturday October 14 12 - 2 PM Tuesday October 17 6 - 8 PM Saturday October 21 12 - 2 PM Thursday October 26 7 - 9 PM If you are unable to host a party on these days, you can host your own eventat your convenience. If you would like to host a party, please visit theHouse Parties for Taylor website( http://www.party2win.com/marktaylorforgovernor/ ) specifically designed toassist you in managing your party. To sign up click on "Host a Party". Whilemany campaigns have house parties just to raise money, we also would like toincorporate volunteer activities into each house party...

STATEWIDE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES Governor: Mark Taylor http://www.marktaylor.com/ Lieutenant Governor: Jim Martin http://www.jimforgeorgia.com/ Secretary of State: Gail Buckner http://www.gailbuckner.com/ Attorney General: Thurbert Baker http://www.thurbertbaker.com/ Commissioner of Agriculture: Tommy Irvin http://www.tommyirvincampaign.com/ Commissioner of Insurance: Guy Drexinger http://www.guyforinsurance.com/ State School Superintendent: Denise Majette http://www.denisemajette.us/ Commissioner of Labor: Michael "Mike" Thurmond http://www.electmikethurmond.com/ Public Service Commissioner: David L. Burgess http://www.davidburgess.us/ Public Service Commissioner: Dawn Randolph http://www.dawnforgeorgia.com MARK TAYLOR'S PLAN FOR GEORGIA - Restore the funds that were cut from Georgia's Public Schools Restore the funds that were cut from Georgia's HOPE scholarships Remove sales tax from over-the-counter medicines Institute PeachKids, which will provide healthcare f...

There will be a celebration to honor Burnell Brown on Sunday, October 22 at 3:00 at Bethel Baptist Church. Many of you know Burnell. He served on the Democratic committee for several years and has stories about Republicans (such as Bob Smith) trying to buy votes through him! Mr. Brown is a real leader and pillar in this community.

Those Never-ending GOP Family Values Republican Commissioner ( of Richland County, Ohio ) David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison. Republican Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, Edison Misla Aldarondo was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his daughter between the ages of 9 and 17. Republican Committeeman John R. Curtain was charged with molesting a teenage boy and unlawful sexual contact with a minor. Republican anti-abortion activist Howard Scott Heldreth anti-abortion activist who gained fame during the Schiavo media-circus, was convicted of two charges of raping a child in 2002 . Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor. Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge was sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl....

Hello all. I hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather this weekend. Unfortunately I have some indoor responsibilities and can’t take full advantage of the mild temps. On to the business at hand….. I previously emailed you concerning the residential rezone requests by Plum Creek Timberlands (Rezone #5146 and #5147, both A1 to AR5, total of 66 homes on ~365 acres along US441 in the south end of the county). As you know, the Planning Commission recommended approval for the two requests, and the issue now comes before the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night (October 3, 2006; 7:00 p.m.; County Courthouse on Main Street in Watkinsville). This issue is more than just a question of further residential development in the southern region of the county. None of us are opposed to the idea of homes and families as neighbors, but the bigger issue is proper growth at the proper time with the proper infrastructure available to support it. As we all know, the area of the county south of...

Dear Concerned Citizen, I am righting to encourage you to come the next Board of Commissioners meeting October 3rd. Plum Creek Timberlands will be requesting a rezone of 365 acres of timber land from A1 to AR5. We want to send a message to the timber company as well as the BOC that we don’t want to see the South end of the county become a row of subdivisions. This timber land backs up to the Apalachee River and is one of the most exquisitely beautiful and natural area in the county. As a result of state and federal programs the timber company can profit almost as much by putting the land into a trust as it will putting it into houses. We are quickly loosing our natural environment. There are ways to preserve our natural treasure and allow land owners to profit. This piece of land will be a key element in making the River Walk that Mr. Russ Page is working so hard to create. If you want to preserve an historic piece of nature that we as well as our children can enjoy, please come and si...

http://www.atlantaprogressivenews.com/news/0091.html Diebold Added Secret Patch to Georgia E-Voting Systems in 2002, Whistleblowers Say By Matthew Cardinale, News Editor, Atlanta Progressive News (September 28, 2006) (APN) ATLANTA – Top Diebold corporation officials ordered workers to install secret files to Georgia's electronic voting machines shortly before the 2002 Elections, at least two whistleblowers are now asserting, Atlanta Progressive News has learned. Former Diebold official Chris Hood told his story concerning the secret "patch" to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., for Kennedy's second article on electronic voting in this week's Rolling Stone Magazine. Hood's claims corroborate a second whistleblower who spoke with Black Box Voting and Wired News in 2003. Whistleblower Accounts "With the primaries looming, [Chief of Diebold's Election Division] Urosevich was personally distributing a 'patch,' a little piece of software designed to correct g...

Republicans really like to violate the sign code ordinances around Watkinsville and Athens. First there is a huge sign in front of Chicken Express for Cowsert that clearly violates the Watkinsville ordinance as it was given to me by Code Enforcement officer Robert Hegge. I just wish he would enforce his codes with equinimity and impartiality. The same would go for the local GOP HQ on Main Street in Watkinsville with the one sign every 10 feet for frontage on the street rule, which the Republicans seem to bask in their ignorance and indifference to, at least from this rather jaded perspective. Then there are all the signs posted on the freeways before football games. Not to mention the exits around the campus at UGA. Do candidates ever get fined for their immense ethical and legal lapses of judgment when it comes to placement of yardsigns? I highly doubt it. As a doctor friend told me yesterday when leaving the highly successful Becky Vaughn fundraiser in Watkinsville, "Republicans...

* The Yard signs are in! Let us know how many you want! * We'll be walking this weekend. Let us know if you can help! * The September 30th financial deadline is looming. Help us look good. Make a donation today at www.beckyvaughn.org * invitation attached-- ****Please note change in location to Jittery Joe's in Watkinsville**** You are invited you to a reception with and a Special “Surprise” Guest Wednesday, September 27 6-8 pm Jittery Joe's (note change in location) 27 Greensboro Hwy Downtown Watkinsville Suggested Contribution $50 Please RSVP to Jenny Vaughn at 706-546-5258 or jenny@beckyvaughn.org Paid for by the Committee to Elect Becky Vaughn www.beckyvaughn.org Becky Vaughn Candidate State House District 113 1030 Meriweather Dr. Bogart, GA 30622 706.354.8785 706.540.9724 (Cell) becky@beckyvaughn.org Becky Believes we deserve a choice Becky Believes we need a change Donate today at www.beckyvaughn.org

There are various links in this email which did not survive the transistion; write me back and I can forward you the actual email or check out http://www.marktaylor.com We would like you to join us in a fun and innovative way to help Mark Taylor become the next Governor of Georgia. The campaign is launching a brand new initiative called House Parties for Taylor, a grassroots initiative that starts with you. By hosting a house party, you can help Mark build the grassroots support needed to win this November AND help the campaign raise money to support the effort. We are looking for individuals across Georgia to host house parties to help the campaign raise money and spread Mark’s vision of Georgia’s future to their friends and family. We are planning several house parties between now and Election Day, four of which will include a conference call with the Big Guy. The house parties will be held on the following dates: Saturday October 14 12 - 2 PM Tuesday October 17 6 - 8 PM Saturday Oct...

From Terry Holley's Campaign Folks, we are excited about what has been happening in the campaign over the last few weeks. People have been responding to Terry very well. We attended a great event in Madison County which came on the heels of the event the Oglethorpe Dems put together for us. We have been getting Terry out there to your committee meetings and also out meeting the newspaper editors in all the counties across the district. The response from the Newspapers has also been quite warm. Please keep the events coming. If Terry can't make it we will do our best to have someone there to represent him. As many of you know the September 30th is the next campaign finance deadline for us and many other campaigns. If you have given before and can give again please do. If you have been waiting to give, now is the time. Give Terry the dollars he needs to carry his message to all the voters of the 10th District. We can win this if you join us. If we work together to spread the Dem...

I am hoping some intrepid reader of this blog might have miraculously taped the infamous appearance of Charlie Norwood at the Greene County Farm Bureau a week or so back where he ostensibly said "Some of the Republicans aren't worth taking out back behind the barn and being shot" and "All of the Democrats aren't worth being shot" over their views about immigration. If you heard him there, or taped it, call me ASAP at 706-769-1131. I am trying to get a website called congresspedia (like wikipedia only for members of congress) to put it in their file for all of humanity to see on the website. I need corroboration people!

I did not make this one, but here is the unpassed nor approved minutes of the Watkinsville City Council meeting: MINUTES OF MEETING OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL CITY OF WATKINSVILLE September 13, 2006 PRESENT: Mayor Luken, Council members Link, Purcell, Brodrick, Walsh and Walter. VISITORS: See attached sheet. QUORUM CHECK: Mayor Luken acknowledges a quorum is present. Mayor Luken also asks those with non-emergency cell phones to turn them off or down. All speakers are asked to approach the lectern and address Council. WATKINSVILLE BEAUTIFUL YARD AWARD: Councilwoman Samantha Purcell announced The Thomas’ of Simonton Bridge Road as receiving the Watkinsville Beautiful Yard Award for the month of September. The selection was made by The Big Easy Cafe. MINUTES: Councilwoman Purcell moved and Councilman Walsh seconded the motion to approve the minutes of the August 9, 2006 Council meeting as presented. Motion carried unanimously. JEFF HARGENS: Councilman Walter moved and Councilman Link second...

If anyone wishes to use this blog to announce their candidacy, by all means please do so. Here is Merritt's story on the council vacancy and special election moving across the street. Why they can't do it in the same place is beyond me. Council election planned Bishop By Merritt Melancon | juliana.melancon@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 12:32 AM on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 The city council of the tiny Oconee County town of Bishop has decided to fill its long-vacant fifth council seat after the town's attorney advised that it probably is the right thing to do. The City of Bishop will hold a special election to fill Post 1 of the Bishop City Council on Nov. 7 at the Bishop City Hall across from the Bishop Community Center on U.S. Highway 441. Candidates who wish to be on the ballot can pay a $5 qualifying fee and register at the Oconee County Board of Elections Office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and from 8 a.m. until noon Wednesday. The city cou...

Below I’m including some recent comments that Gary Noffke would like shared with the whole group. If you have a response you’d like to share with the group, send your comments to me. Otherwise provide feedback directly to Gary (garynoffke@bellsouth.net). His primary concern is with potential loopholes in the recently passed stormwater ordinance that may allow for MORE development in rural Oconee. Two sections of the stormwater ordinance that Gary references are: D. Stormwater Management in the Non-Urbanized Area Section 6 of this ordinance shall apply to areas not within the area of the County regulated under the NPDES Stormwater Phase II Permit in the following circumstances: any residential development containing lot sizes of three (3) acres or less and having five (5) or more lots, all non-residential development, any development with size, configuration, and/or density that would lend itself to be considered an urbanized area, or if the site is designated a hotspot for stormwa...

Greetings! We just wanted to let you know that we are hosting a fundraiser for Terry Holley on Wednesday, September 20, (tomorrow) from 6-8 p.m. at our house in Carlton. Terry is running for Congress against Republican incumbent Charlie Norwood, and this is a great opportunity to meet him and ask questions. Drinks and barbecue are being provided--please bring a potluck dish, and a friend. Thanks, Chip and Dena Chandler 706-797-3501