Oconee County, GA Politics

Some information from Jim Martin, who is a Vietnam Veteran and marched with our Veterans on Veterans Day in Atlanta today, about what it means to him.   Sincerely, Dan J. Matthews, Jr. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Jim Martin <newsletter@martinforsenate.com> To: DANMATTJR@YAHOO.COM Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 9:05:32 AM Subject: Grateful and Humbled Dear DANIEL, Every year as we mark Veterans Day I feel simultaneously grateful and humbled. Like all Americans, I am grateful to the millions who have served our country and to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. And like all veterans, I'm humbled by the outpouring of support from my fellow countrymen. I'm not a war hero, I just served my country like so many Americans. When I shipped off to Vietnam, Joan was left alone to take care of our two month old daughter Morgan. The kind of sacrifice that Joan made in caring for Morgan alone is the kind that many Georgia families are experienc...

Now can we get President Obama to help elect a Congressman we won't be so embarrassed by like Dr. Paul Broun? About Barack Obama Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Go to this link and think about those who protect our Democracy. I thank God for Noah Harris and everyone else who has died in protection of America.

More information about Jim Powell and the Run Off Election. Woven brightly, Daniel J. Matthews, Jr. From: George@JimPowellforGAPSC.com To: gpbirchby@gmail.com Subject: TWO DOWN AND ONE TO GO!! Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:58:52 -0500       Two elections down, one to go! Thanks to your support, the Jim Powell campaign for Public Service Commissioner is on a roll. Jim won the Democratic Primary with 85% of the vote, and on November 4 was the top vote-getter in the General Election, receiving more than 1.7 million votes statewide.   Now, one very important step to victory remains: the General Election Runoff on December 2, 2008 . Runoff elections are a very different dynamic, and conventional wisdom is that Democrats do not return to the polls for runoffs. We will have to prove that thinking wrong this year!   It will take additional campaign funding for that to happen. Jim's opponent is raising money from the utility industry'...

Thanks to David Jarrett for sending me this link. Woven brightly, Daniel J. Matthews, Jr. To: oconee@yahoogroups.com; communications@clarkedemocrats.com; Athens_UU@yahoogroups.com From: davidj8@charter.net Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 18:44:40 -0500 Subject: [oconee] absentee ballot Here is the form to apply for an absentee balot for the run off: http://www.dontwait in08.com/ uploads/dontwait in08/absentee_ ballot_app. pdf print it and send it in if you don't want to stand on line Dec2. __._,_.___

Glad to see Jim Powell is taking it to the streets and not waiting for the battle to come to him. Woven brightly, Daniel J. Matthews, Jr. From: George@JimPowellforGAPSC.com To: gpbirchby@gmail.com Subject: FW: Statement of Jim Powell, re: Runoff Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:37:38 -0500   STATEMENT OF JIM POWELL Democratic Nominee, Georgia Public Service Commission, District 4 November 10, 2008   Our first-place finish in last week's General Election is another positive step toward victory in the race for Georgia Public Service Commission. I am so appreciative of this tremendous support from the people of Georgia.   We have much work to do in the final weeks of this campaign. I look forward to continuing our conversation with Georgia voters about how important it is to elect a Public Service Commissioner who will bring some balance to the decision-making process on utility rates, energy policy and consumer protection.   I am th...

 Carl and Elaine were biking by my house yesterday and I gave him my last Jim Martin for US Senate yard sign. We swapped stories about yard signs, chalk art and assorted post-election bliss. It is good to know that Barack Obama for President staff Natasha Patel is staying here in Georgia on orders from the National Office to help us organize and remove Saxby Chambliss from office and put Jim Martin in the US Senate.   Subject: Martin Runoff Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:39:41 +0000 All, Just in from Natasha - see her message below.   It's time for Chamblis to go! Let's do what needs to be done to win Georgia's U.S. Senate post for Martin so we can help President-Elect Obama with his new job! Carl McGrath 1031 Simonton Drive Watkinsville, GA 30677-2579 (706) 769-3400 From: Natasha Patel <npatel@georgiaforchange.com> Subject: Martin Runoff To: "Natasha Patel" <npatel@georgiaforchange.com> Date: Monday, November 10, 2008, 9:14 AM Hi Everyo...

Woven brightly, Daniel J. Matthews, Jr. Date: Sun, 9 Nov 2008 16:45:25 -0500 From: lbbecker@mindspring.com To: Subject: Update on Daniells Bridge Road ; Dear Signers of the Petition Regarding the Rezone on Daniells Bridge Road: Some of you know this. The Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night postponed the hearing on the rezone on Daniells Bridge Road just east of the blind curve. The Banner-Herald has not written about this. The Enterprise got most of the story wrong. For that reason, I'm writing to provide an update for those who need and want it. Although the Board of Commissioners had agreed to the public hearing on election night, several members decided at the last minute they would like to see details of what is planned for the upgrade of Daniells Bridge Road west of the site. They discovered they needed these plans only after citizens contacted them to complain about the rezone. The plans are unlikely to include an elimination of the blind curve. In ...

I would be remiss not to mention the n ear-unanimous passage of beer and wine package sales in Bogart . Just in time to join the rest of the county and keeping Bishop and North High Shoals as the lone locations where beer and wine may not be sold in businesses.

I was disappointed in the total turnout for the State of Georgia going down from the previous Presidential Election. Blake Aued writes about the Athens area turnout and quotes my friend Laura Floyd in Oglethorpe County (hope they had a great parade yesterday). They still have local elected officials in Oglethorpe of the Democratic persuasion. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Aaron Gould Sheinin had an article about the gains Georgia Democratic Party members made through out the state with the infrastructure in place for more gains in future elections . I found the accompanying map to be very interesting.

 Time for a parade indeed in Oglethorpe County at noon Saturday. Please attend and bring your friends and family. Subject: [oglethorpedems] Please join us for a celebration! Date: Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:42:01 +0000 Come out to Oglethorpe County for a Victory Parade!    The Oglethorpe Democrats, our candidates, and our offical mascot Spinoza the Donkey will get out to celebrate on Saturday, Nov. 8, at noon - parade lineup at 11 AM at the Oglethorpe Animal Clinic, Highway 78 and Smokey Road.  The parade will travel down Smokey Road to the Crawford Depot.   Wear your best red, white and blue, bring your yard sign (wires removed) and a bag of candy to toss to the kids!  We welcome walkers, bicyles, horses and vehicles - for more information, please call parade organizer Delbra Favors at 706-743-3271   See you there! (and please pass this along) Laura Floyd Oglethorpe Democrats 706-743-3792   PS - ph...

Ice Cream Shop for Sale Located right outside Atlanta Perimeter Anyone looking for a manageable small business with an established clientele of both adults and kids, in a rapidly growing town, within commuter distance of Atlanta will see the potential of this little gem. This cute little shop in the historic downtown area is perfect for 1 a 2 people. It is a fully equipped 1000 Sq. Ft. turnkey operation with a great rent-only $1400.00 a month. It is a gathering place for young families. Located in a cottage-like commercial setting, it is surrounded by other local attractive businesses steeped in Southern charm and tradition. Located in an arts community by a cultural venue that hosts one of the states largest Pottery Events. Directly across is a venue that holds outdoor picnic and concert events that attract 500 to 1000 folks. This location is a regular vendor at these events! As with most great small towns, the merchants work together to host a monthly event that attracts hundreds of ...

Once again Lee Becker calls out the county organ The Oconee Enterprise newspaper with some serious misreporting by Miss Vinnie Williams via pdf file and thorough fact checking and correcting. Many Oconee County Democratic Committee members expressed disdain in their listserv this afternoon in their choice of headlines and coverage locally on the political scene. Perhaps I will post some of it later. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Lee Becker < lbbecker@mindspring.com > Date: Thu, Nov 6, 2008 at 10:58 PM Subject: Correcting Enterprise Report To: lbbecker@mindspring.com Dear Friends, I usually let this kind of thing pass, but the story in today's edition /The Oconee Enterprise/ regarding the Daniells Bridge Road rezone postponement is so bad I felt I had to try to correct it. I've marked up a copy of the story pointing out what is wrong. I could not find much of anything right. The link to the correction is in my blog at http://www.oconeecountyobserva...

Plenty of opportunity to help Jim Martin in his run off Tuesday, December 2. We talked about this race tonight at the most packed meeting ever for the Oconee County Democratic Committee. Christmas meeting at Becky Vaughn's house on Meriweather Drive on the back end (Jimmy Daniel Road side) of Jennings Mill -------- Original Message -------- Subject: We Did It (almost) - Help Jim Martin NOW! Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 17:25:07 -0500 (EST) From: Mike Cantone & Beth Hand <info@saxbyshameless.com> Reply-To: info@saxbyshameless.com To: danjmatt@bellsouth.net Take Back Georgi...

Please attend this meeting if you can. We are already plotting for the December 2nd runoff for Jims Martin and Powell Woven brightly, Daniel J. Matthews, Jr. From: becky@beckyvaughn.org Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2008 15:05:27 -0500 Subject: [oconee] Re: Thanks all Let me echo all the beautiful messages of thanks on a job well done on so many levels.  We are working hard in Oconee County to have a positive presence.  We would love to add any of you to our listserve--just let me know.  There are lots of opportunities to be involved:   1. Our meetings are the first Thursday of each month (as in tomorrow) at the Oconee County Government Annex 1291 Greensboro Highway 7:00 pm is social with the meeting starting at 7:30 pm.  We would love to have all of you.  2.  All interested in discussing  political issues gather at Krimson Kafe for lunch on the 2nd Saturday after the 1...

  Last December ... Obama at the Holiday Inn on Merle Hay Road on a very snowy night.  Dumb luck - showed up late but got "rope line" seats and we were the first to meet him as he worked the line ... and signed the postcard Christmas card the campaign had mailed to our house. 

More shady dealings uncovered even in the BOC backing out of having a legally advertised hearing. Great reporting as usual by Lee Becker ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Lee Becker < lbbecker@mindspring.com > Date: Tue, Nov 4, 2008 at 11:10 PM Subject: BOC postpones again a rezone request To: lbbecker@mindspring.com Dear Friends, The Board of Commissioners tonight voted to postpone until Dec. 2 the public hearing on the proposed rezone for nine acres just east of the blind curve on Daniells Bridge Road so the county's public works department can draw up plans showing the county's hoped for improvements of Daniells Bridge Road between the Oconee Connector and Lynn Drive, which is at the center of the curve itself. The Board took the action after the public hearing had been advertised and more than a dozen citizens showed up to speak against the rezone. The date for the public hearing also had been set in legal documents the county filed to settle a laws...

 Nice to hear from Rich Clark today; he lost to Tom Breedlove by a 2-to-1 margin for the Board of Education Post 5. -------------- Forwarded Message: -------------- From: "Rich Clark" <richclark32@yahoo.com> To: <clark4boe@yahoo.com> Subject: Oconee Board of Election Date: Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:54:08 +0000 I am grateful to all of you who supported my candidacy for the Oconee Board of Education.  While I won't have the privilege of serving our county as a member of the BoE, my commitment to public education and to our students, teachers, and schools is undiminished, and I'll continue to follow BoE issues and activities as an engaged citizen.    I hope that we all continue to work together on the issues for which we share mutual concern.      --Rich Clark   __________________________________________ Rich Clark 1230 Castle Drive Watkinsville, GA 30677 706-769-1004 (h) 706-410-0226 (c) ...

Lowell and I had the supreme honor to sit in on the entire hand court of six tired souls to herald the magnificent efforts of City Clerk Julie Sanders in the contested race with Luke Bishop and Joe Walter in the Watkinsville City Council race. They counted, counted again and counted two more times to make sure they had the exact numbers. The tally was close in the first precinct I listened to as Johnny Pritchett kept tally along with a couple of women whose names I did not get. Johnny's wife Carolyn was on the other side of the room getting the government annex totals with two other ladies. Lowell did get caught up in the back and forth nature of the totals as the names were read off of each ballot. Absentees were tallied and totaled and Julie made darn sure the totals were correct. Expectant candidates perched outside the door and congratulatory hugs were made. Joe Walter, currently a co-owner of a car wash and a former code enforcement officer and police officer will return to t...