Oconee County, GA Politics

This season I have been coaching my son in basketball at the Oconee County Recreation Department primarily at the John T. Brannen building's gymnasium of the Herman C. Michael park. We play two games at the slick rubberized floor of Malcolm Bridge Elementary School. If anyone wants to run for the Oconee County Board of Education on a "no more unsafe rubberized gymnasium floor" platform to perhaps replace David Weeks' slot now that he is running for Christine Franklin's chair slot (she is not seeking re-election), I will certainly support and endorse them. Previously I coached the oldest kids in the recreation department (15-16 year olds) and was popular enough to be picked to coach an all-star team to state where we were stomped at Fort Stewart about 15 years ago. Now I am coaching the youngest kids and have learned you cannot employ the same competitive techniques with the smaller children. The Oconee County Recreation Department has always been very good to me,...

GA - President - Oconee - Dem Primary 14 of 14 Precincts Reporting - 100% Name Party Votes Vote % Obama, Barack Dem 1,816 55% Clinton, HillaryDem 1,358 41% Edwards, John Dem 111 3% Kucinich, D Dem 5 0% Biden, Joe Dem 4 0% Richardson, B Dem 4 0% Gravel, Mike Dem 3 0% Dodd, Chris Dem 1 0%

To get out and VOTE! Then please do. Thank you very much. Georgia joins 21 other states in the first real Nationwide Primary. McCain will probably zip up the GOP nomination tonight, although Romney is in full panic mode while Huckabee won West Virginia's convention today already. Should be an interesting day for political junkies such as myself. Since Bob Smith and Cokey Elder seem to be supporting Romney, I hope McCain wins locally. I would imagine Hillary will nip Obama in Oconee, but we shall see in a few hours.

More results from Lee Becker - including tangible results from his efforts Dear Friends,   Lost in the media reports about the Board of Commissioners meeting on January 29 was a major concession by the Oconee County administration regarding when the bids for the upgrade for the Rocky Branch sewage treatment plant will be available to the public. The public will get to see those bids before the Board of Commissioners votes, not after, Chairman Melvin Davis said on the 29 th . This contrasts with what Oconee County Administrative Officer Alan Theriault told me in an email message on December 26, 2007. Theriault said the bids "will be available to the public at such time as the final award of the contract is made or the project is terminated or abandoned." Clearly the calls for openness have had some impact. Davis also made a promise to Friends Vice President Tim Price in response to Tim's restatement of our three demands regarding protection from flooding, t...

Predictably enough, Oconee County Board of Commissioners Chairman G. Melvin Davis is denying any and all wrongdoing in his recent secretive decision making processes involving water treatment for Barber Creek at the Rocky Branch LAS sewage station as well as a recent retreat. What the chairman does not fully comprehend yet is that the damage and perception is cast with him as the villain in the latest chapter in the shadowy government philandering and secret back room negotiations. Yes the crime is not the worst offense ever committed, but in the public arena perception is reality, and the perception is another good old boy, back room back stabbing, no good no account ne'er do well untrustworthy public dis-service by yet another career politician suckling the tempting teet of corporate graft and corruption. Read Lee Becker's well written summary and check out his blog as well. Dear Friends,   Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin Davis has gone on the offensive foll...

Let's hope he knows the west coast offense now that all state 2009 QB Zach Mettenberger signed with the Dawgs a year earlier. Welcome Mitch Olson.

The New Day News from the Democratic Party of Georgia Big turnout predicted tomorrow The Democratic Party of Georgia is predicting a larger-than-normal turnout for Georgia's February 5th Democratic Presidential Primary. Reports from around the state indicate a surge in early and absentee voting, and the turnout trend should continue on election day as well. Across Georgia, people are talking about the strength of the Democratic candidates, and excitement about the election is high. Please encourage all of your friends, family, and coworkers to vote in the Democratic primary on February 5th. Thousands turn out for Jefferson-Jackson Dinner Over five thousand Democrats from all over Georgia were in attendance at the Democratic Party of Georgia's annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner on January 30. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) spoke to the crowd, telling Democrats, "Who says we can't turn Georgia blue?" Senators Barack Obama and John Edwards were also invited to the eve...

Your actions speak louder than words, but that will not stop me from chastising you for your ignorance, intolerance, bigotry and general dumb ass trespassing behavior. First of all, the habitual crimes you are committing on my property have been reported repeatedly to the Watkinsville Police Department. They know who you are, they are watching out for you and you shall be apprehended eventually. Every time you bend, remove or do whatever to my sign, I will put it back up. You shall not deter my spirit, especially on my 45th birthday today. Yes, Happy Super Sunday Birthday to me. It is funny to me how you leave unmolested my neighbor Liz and Jimmy's Huckabee yardsign alone. Tells me you might be a disgruntled old man with nothing better to do than appoint yourself the thought police man of the neighborhood/subdivision. I do not campaign or canvass at your house, however, please respect my freedom of speech. Obama will win Georgia Tuesday despite your redneck efforts. Barack Obama ...

If 40 people (rich, poor, old, young, gay, straight, black, white, Asian, male, female, blonde, brown, gray and bald) can come out in the rain to a house in Jennings Mill to hear an Obama staffer (from Mississippi by way of New Hampshire) talk about canvassing selected precincts with little more than 24 hours notice, then I think we shall see a rousing win for the Senator from Illinois in the Georgia Presidential Preference Primary on Super Duper Tuesday. Please remember to go vote Tuesday. Get out the VOTE!

I did not attend the Oconee County Board of Commissioners' meeting Tuesday, but Athens Banner-Herald writer Adam Thompson did, and here is his article about the goings-on with Chairman G. Melvin Davis attempting to diffuse the extremely palatable anger about some of his decisions in the recent past about water sewage in Barber Creek. The PR spin is on both here and in the Courthouse. Also here is what they called an institutional editorial from the editors - I presume - chastising the Board of Commissioners for their duplicity and closeted dealings. I should also give props to former BOC chair and current attorney Wendell Dawson and his investigative research on some of the more dubious dealings of his replacement at his web site.

Even if you are not the biggest fan of Senator Barack Obama and his campaign to be the President of the United States, I would greatly appreciate your commentary of a Letter to the Editor I wrote appearing in today's - Thursday, January 31, 2008 - edition of the Athens Banner-Herald. So far the reactionary zealots have made me look like a member of Al-Qaeda for supporting Obama. You would think that we could evolve beyond such petty bickering and insubstantial name calling in this day and age. Any help is greatly appreciated. Have a nice day and see you tonight?

7 pm Thursday in the back end of Jennings Mill there will be an organizing meeting for weekend canvassing for Senator Barack Obama at the home of the Bodansky family at 1040 Miller's Lake Landing (just off Jimmy Daniel back entrance of Jennings Mill on the right). Clearly the symbolism of the wealthy white golf and country club suburb folks supporting Obama is an outstanding sign of things yet to come this Tuesday for Georgia and the best hope for real change in Obama for Oconee. There is also an Obama HQ at 116 Sycamore in Athens. Get a sign, vote during the advance period, be brave and vote for the best candidate.

The Moore's Ford Memorial Committee Tri-County Talent Show is always an entertaining showcase of our youth from Walton, Oconee and Clarke counties, demonstrating how horrible lynching deaths 50+ years ago at the Walton-Oconee border can result in an opportunity for education and enlightenment half a century later. Woven brightly, Daniel J. Matthews, Jr. PLEASE ATTEND FEB. 16 TRI-COUNTY TALENT SHOW/MLK CELEBRATION   Dear Moores Ford members and friends,    At 7 p.m. on Saturday, February 16, the  Moore's Ford Memorial Committee is hosting our Sixth Annual Tri-County Talent Show/Martin Luther King Celebration.    If you have never attended one of these, NOW is the time! They are terrific.       Help us "Live the Dream, Celebrate the Dream, Achieve the Dream" at the Oconee County Civic Center.      PLEASE SUPPORT MOORES FORD SCHOLARSHIPS    These talent shows are our main fund raisin...

Super blogger Lee Becker has asked Attorney General Lee Becker and another watchdog group to put the Oconee County Board of Commissioners under scrutiny after their shifty dealings with the Rocky Branch water processing. Please attend the meeting Tuesday or at least write your Board of Commissioners and let them know what you think of their repeated pattern of sleaze, lies, secrecy and corruption.

  Please pass this message on to anyone who is interested in open government in Oconee County.   What Is Happening?     The Oconee County Board of Commissioners on 1-29-08 will get an update on bids for design and support for the upgrade of the Rocky Branch sewage plant, which will discharge treated sewage water into Barber Creek.   What Do We Know About the Bids?     Only the names (no addresses) of the nine bidders.   Why Do We Know So Little?     The County closed the bidding process, saying citizen knowledge about the bids will "taint" the bidding process.   That Is Silly. Why Is the County Keeping Us in the Dark?     Because an examination of the bids in the first round showed the County was trying to use a cheaper and less efficient treatment technology.   What Kind of Technology Is Being Used Now?     We don't know, because t...

Dear Dan, All over Georgia, people are talking about the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner .  The response has been overwhelming, and demand for tickets is high.  To show the nation how excited Georgia Democrats are about this event, we're offering you a very special opportunity - now, if you haven't purchased tickets, you can come see the Presidential speeches for only $25! Click here to buy your tickets for $25 ! Of course, you can also buy tickets for the whole evening, including dinner, a chance to help us honor Senator Max Cleland and Congressman John Lewis with the first-ever Georgia Giants awards, and preferred seating for the speeches by Senator Clinton and Senator Edwards.  Those tickets are only $250, but we only have a few left.   You can still invite Senator Obama to be there by clicking here . Click here to buy tickets for the dinner and Presidential speeches ....

Once again Lee Becker does an excellent job explaining the situation much better than I could, so please read his post about the upcoming Oconee County Board of Commissioners meeting and why you should attend: Dear Friends, The Oconee County Board of Commissioners will get an update on the bids for the upgrade of the Rocky Branch sewage treatment plant at its meeting on Tuesday. It is not possible to know if the Board will be asked to take action or anything about the bids themselves or the review process since the County has closed the entire process to citizens. The County offered bidders the option of using one of two technologies for the plant. I've been told by an expert on these plants that the technologies differ significantly  and that the only way to know which will produce the higher quality water is to have details about the bids. At the BOC meeting on Tuesday, members of the Board of Directors of Friends of Barber Creek will ask the BOC not to take any actio...

Transferable Develop Rights aren't very sexy, but they are important. Please consider attending this meeting. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: important discussion about TDRs in Oconee county Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:01:38 -0500 From: bill paul <bpaul@uga.edu> To: bill paul <bpaul@uga.edu> CC: Tom Hurst <tom2299@bellsouth.net> , ANTHONY GLENN <aglenn@uga.edu> , Bob and Harriett Nix <bob-harriett@charter.net> , Bonnie Murphy <mayabee333@bellsouth.net> , Brian Broderick <bjbrodrick@bellsouth.net> , Chrissy Moffett <chrissymoffett_76@hotmail.com> , christine rodick <christine.rodick@gmail.com> , Dan Matthews <danjmatt@bellsouth.net> , Don Shenk <donschenk@charter.net> , Gail Hoge <gwhoge@bellsouth.net> , Gwen Darden <gmdarden@charter.net> , J Lintecume <Birdgirl59@netzero.com...

Will there be any fall out from the absence of jurisprudence in the extremely light sentencing of embezzler Jim Ivey? The most likely and deserving victims would be Oconee County Board of Commission members chairman G. Melvin Davis and Jim Luke. They are both public servants and private people that should be dealt with swiftly in the voting booth. We need to maintain a level of dignity and sobriety in the removal of anyone willing to serve in public leadership. Just because someone testifies at a trial does not automatically condemn those with whom they side. I commend these gentlemen for standing up for their convicted colleague. But I also counsel that this testimony was delivered at a steep political price, and now it is time to pay. There are ways of registering our displeasure with the decisions of the Board of Commissioners while maintaining decorum in public meetings, and giving our leadership polite disapproval in the appropriate forum. Do not harass them in Publix or in the...

Dear Friends, I want to call your attention to two items of significance to those of us concerned about water and other environmental issues affecting Oconee County. First is a meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday (January 22) in Masters Hall in the Georgia Center on the University of Georgia campus to discuss the proposed National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility, which would be located on South Milledge avenue near the Middle Oconee River separating Clarke and Oconee counties. At the meeting, Edward Hammond, U.S. director of the Sunshine Project, an international watchdog agency opposed to biological warfare, will be speaking. Hammond is being brought to Athens by FAQ, a local group trying to make sure people are informed about the project. The second item is the public notice that Walton County is seeking a reissuance of its permit to discharge 3.4 million gallons per day of treated sewage water to Jacks Creek, a tributary to the Apalachee. As a point of reference, the proposed upgrade to th...