Oconee County, GA Politics

Please consider using the link to send an email to Congressman Broun about Bush's torture judge. Woven brightly, Daniel J. Matthews, Jr. Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 08:22:37 -0600 From: act@credoaction.com To: Subject: Tell Rep. Broun: Impeach the judge who authorized Bush torture.   The man who suborned torture should not be a federal judge. Tell Rep. Broun: Impeach Jay Bybee. Jay Bybee wrote memos giving the Bush admi...

Subject: Tell Congress: Impeach Judge Jay Bybee. Dear Friend, When presidents and federal judges take office, they must swear to support and defend the Constitution. But federal judge Jay Bybee worked long and hard to undermine the Bill of Rights - and to make sure that President George W. Bush could do the same. On March 2, the Justice Department released a series of legal memos, some authored by Jay Bybee, that made a mockery of the Constitution, and gave the Bush Administration legal cover to wiretap Americans without court approval, to send prisoners oversees where they were likely to be tortured, to use U.S. military forces for domestic purposes, and a number of other actions that previously would have been considered unconstitutional. For his service, Bybee was rewarded by the Bush administration with a federal judgeship. Working Assets (now CREDO) worked to oppose that nomination, but only 19 senators sided with us, and Bybee was overwhelmingly confirmed. Now that we know the ex...

Rich Rusk has worked hard for Moore's Ford Memorial Committee. Go see his movies, if you can, even though they are being shown in Monroe in Walton County. Woven brightly, Daniel J. Matthews, Jr. From: richrusk@bellsouth.net To: ; Subject: SAVE THESE DATES - March 27-28 film screening/public forum Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 05:37:28 -0500 SAVE THESE DATES - MARCH 27 & 28   Dear folks,    This press release for our March 28 film screening/public forum in Monroe went to local news media today.    The Obama administration's Justice Dept. and FBI are going public with the Moore's Ford investigation.    Open attachment for better formatting.     Rich   P.S. Please do attend the March 27-28 events. On Friday, March 27, we host a "Meet and Greet" for our guests at the Monroe Community Center. Let's turn out and support this investigation.        Moore's Ford Memorial Committ...

John Gauld: Broun wrong on assault weapons | Athens Banner-Herald

How do we get all the leaders, activists and concerned people of every stripe and persuasion in Oconee County, Georgia to come together for one night? That was one the main question I distilled from the latest gathering of frustration known as the Oconee County Democratic Committee this evening at the Courthouse Annex. There are a lot of creative, intelligent, amazing individuals who attend church, go to soccer games, and build things in their backyards who do not judge you based on whether you attach a D or an R on the back of their name. Civitans, Rotary, Woodmen of the World, Clarke - Oconee Cattlemen's Association, Moore's Ford Memorial Committee, the Junior League, every school's PTA, every sports league, every church group, all have one thing in common: they care about our present and future. How they go about it, how they share their viewpoints, those are the different paths, dreams and fulfillment from whence we derive our differing viewpoints. I had just come from ...

So Pat has been super busy rewriting the script for the twice postponed "Dancing with the Stars, Part 2" with Courtney Gale, John Keane, and many other Athens and Oconee County dancers and non-dancers which was the victim of the recent slowly retreating snow storm. But read the book already? OK! Woven brightly, Daniel J. Matthews, Jr.    The book group the Oconee Democrats sponsor is reading a wonderful book  in March. Consider joining us!    We've chosen "The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court" by  Jeffrey Toobin. The New York Times described the book as "engaging,  erudite, candid and accessible, often hard to put down."    Toobin graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was  editor of the Harvard Law Review (a prestigious role President Obama  carried out later). Toobin is a staff writer for New Yorker magazine  and senior legal analyst for CNN.    "The Nine" was chosen a...

Spill underlines sewer capacity problems | adam.thompson@onlineathens.com Thank you to Adam Thompson of the Athens Banner-Herald for letting us know how affluent effluent is being pumped into our creek.

Paul Broun! 1!!!1!1! | Blogs.OnlineAthens.com

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: Ask your Representative to Cosponsor Tobacco Regulation Bill

----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Karen Solheim <ksolheim@oconee.k12.ga.us> To: ccdc@clarkedemocrats.com; ccdc-nm@clarkedemocrats.com Sent: Tuesday, March 3, 2009 1:51:23 PM Subject: March 14: AAD (Athens Area Democrats) meeting Dear CCDC members and friends,   The next meeting of the Athens Area Democrats is Saturday, March 14, 2009, beginning at 9 a. m. at Trump's new location (Shops at South Athens, intersection of Milledge Avenue and Macon Highway).   The email below from Anita Brannen contains ALL the details including the program information (sounds great!), cost, and ticket purchase deadline.   I hope you can plan on attending.   Sincerely, Karen Solheim CCDC Vice Chair for Communications ----------------------------------------------------- From: Anita Brannen < anitabarney@charter.net > Date: March 1, 2009 3:38:00 PM EST To: Undisclosed-recipients: <>; Subject: Breakfast - 14 March Why is it that people don't w...

Woven brightly, Daniel J. Matthews, Jr.  Date: Mon, 2 Mar 2009 17:12:52 -0500  From: stewards@altamahariverkeeper.org  To: stewards@altamahariverkeeper.org; bryce.baumgartner@gmail.com  Subject: Oconee River Coal Plant     Your help is needed this week to support the effort to stop the  proposed Plant Washington Coal Plant near Sandersville. Join local  residents, Altamaha Riverkeeper James Holland, and representatives from  citizens groups in seeking information about how this proposed power  plant will impact the Oconee River and ground water resources.    Please attend the Plant Washington Q&A Session on March 5th in Sandersville.    Background:  On Thursday, March 5th, the Georgia Environmental  Protection Division (EPD) will take questions from YOU about the Plant  Washington proposal. By asking your question and speaking up at this  forum, you will help ensure a clean environment no...

Please attend if you can Woven brightly, Daniel J. Matthews, Jr. From: oconee@yahoogroups.com To: oconee@yahoogroups.com Date: Tue, 3 Mar 2009 00:01:56 +0000 Subject: [oconee] Oconee Democrats Regular Monthly Meeting, 3/5/2009, 7:00 pm oconee Yahoo! Group Oconee Democrats Regular Monthly Meeting Thursday March 5, 2009 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm This event repeats every month on the first Thursday. NOTE NEW LOCATION: Oconee County Government Annex Gree...

I stayed off the road as much as possible for our supposed six inches of snow here in Oconee County yesterdaym starting at approximately 12:44 pm Sunday at my house. I kept periodically shoveling the driveway and was damn glad I did so today. Lowell and his neighbor buddy Seth tried building a snow fort with out much success. Various dogs I had never seen before came down my street to have a sniff at and with my dog Josephine. I would periodically brush off the lights of my neighbors driving in the streets and announce amazement at their bald tires in this treacherous conditions. When the power started to flicker around 4 pm I heard tree branches cracking in the neighbors yard and told them they needed to move their minivan lest it become the latest victim of the snow fury. I heard a little thunder snow and decided I would make a run for Publix in my 4 wheel drive diesel 2500 pick up truck. It was not as nearly chaotic in the grocery store as I would have first imagined, although it wa...

Adam Thompson of the Athens Banner-Herald wrote me an email today to ask if everything is all right, and I replied that I have been very busy and bummed out massively about the death of guitarist Randy Bewley of Pylon. I need to add more content to this blog and keep people posted on my rather narrow viewpoint of what is going on in Oconee County, Georgia. Truth is not a whole lot has been happening in my neck of the world. About the most exciting thing I have done recently is buy a glow in the dark 28.5 gram basketball for my son. Lowell decided not to play soccer this spring and also asked not to be talked into playing on either the Oconee Recreation Department or Oconee Futbol Club traveling teams. With the economy the way it has been lately, that was not a difficult decision to swallow. Some parents would make their little soccer prodigies play even if they did not want to, but honest to goodness I could tell he was not that into it the last season we played on the big field. I am...

Please follow through on this important action alert to save our streams and river buffers. Woven brightly, Daniel J. Matthews, Jr. Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:38:48 -0500 From: stewards@altamahariverkeeper.org To: stewards@altamahariverkeeper.org Subject: Action Alert: Stream Buffer Destruction Bill Legislative Action Alert March 9 Legislative Action Alert March 9   GWC Alert February 24 , 2009   Action Alert   Call members of the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee by 4:00 PM today – ask them to OPPOSE SB 155. This bill will be heard in the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee TODAY at 4:00 PM. Committee Contact Information: http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/senate/natresources.php ....

Tim Bryant will be interviewing Dr. Russ Page on his NewsTalk 1340 WGAU AM Newsmaker Thurdsay show at around 9:30 am Thursday, February 19, 2009 to discuss TDRs and our program on Sunday. Please tune in if you can and call in any questions or save them for Sunday.

Minutes Oconee County Democratic Committee Meeting February 5, 2009 Oconee County Government Annex, Watkinsville, Georgia Committee members present: Jonathan Veit (5-3) Chair; Rita Bennett (3-2) Secretary; Violet Dawe (1-1)Treasurer; Tony Glenn (1-2); Dan Matthews (2-2); Linda Elkins (3-1); Vicky Moody (4-1); Becky Vaughn (5-3). Robert Wyatt (6-1); Diana Jeffreys (6-2); Pat Adams (6-3). Committee members absent (excused): Ann Stoneburner (1-3) Vice-Chair; Sarajane Love (2-3); Herb West (5-1); Myrna Adams West (5-1); Committee members absent (unexcused): Bill Yarbrough (4-2). Others: Erika Ferrari, Liz Goodroe, Carl McGrath. Minutes: The minutes of January 8, 2009 meeting were approved, unanimously, after a motion by Dan Matthews. Financial Report: Violet Dawe, Treasurer has reported we have $XX,XXX.XX dollars in the bank account. The checks to the NEG Food Bank and the Spay and Neuter Clinic have been cut. Old Business: Yard Sale Proceeds: Jonathan has contacted both the NEG Food Bank ...

Thank God that developer Frank Gunter Property LLC dropped their lawsuit against the Oconee County Board of Commissioners for an ill-advised, poorly planned and almost unanimously opposed shopping center in a neighborhood that does not need one. Almost everyone in the Chaddwyck subdivision - at ground zero of this proposed development - came out against this bird brained proposal, as did the Planning Commission and initially at least so did the Board of Commissioners. Put a Whole Foods or Trader Joes there (or anywhere in Oconee for that matter) and I might be down with it. Former Oconee County Board of Education candidate Ashley Hood should put her name in for the newest slot on the Oconee Planning Commission advertised in the Enterprise this week. I drive my son to school a couple of times a week to Athens Academy along LaVista Road off 441 and as anyone who has tried to exit from the neighboring Waffle House, it is already difficult to turn left against traffic. I turned right on to...

MINUTES OF MEETING OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL CITY OF WATKINSVILLE February 11, 2009 PRESENT: Mayor Luken, Council members Link, Purcell, Brodrick, Walsh, and Walter VISITORS: See attached sheet. QUORUM CHECK: Mayor Luken acknowledges a quorum is present. All speakers are asked to approach the lectern and address Council. MINUTES: Councilman Walsh moved and Councilwoman Purcell seconded the motion to approve the January 14, 2009 Minutes as presented. Opportunity for discussion. Motion carried unanimously. Councilman Link moved and Councilwoman Purcell seconded the motion to approve the January 28, 2009 Minutes with noted changes. Opportunity for discussion. Motion carried unanimously. KENT BEESE: Councilwoman Purcell moved and Councilman Link seconded the motion to approve the business license for A-Affordable Stump Grinding at 1091 Taylor’s Drive. Opportunity for discussion. Motion carried unanimously. JOEY BRACK: Councilman Brodrick moved and Councilman Walter seconded the motion ...

We love Courtney and want her to win Woven brightly, Daniel J. Matthews, Jr. See the attached flier and the info below.  For those who may not know, Courtney lives in South Oconee.  She's a beloved neighbor, a great friend, and a HUGE advocate of South Oconee.  Oh yeah, and now she's a dancing star! Here's our chance to help her while helping others.  Vote for Team 11Alive! Courtney needs your support as she gears up to perform in the Dancing with Athens Stars.  Courtney may not be known for her dancing skills, but she is known for her competiveness. The couple with the most votes (donations) wins the audience favorite award.  She went from 2nd to 3rd to 4th place out of 12.  So, don't delay and vote for her today.  You can vote by going to www.project-safe.org , click on Dancing with Athens Stars, scroll down to group 11 -Courtney Gale and Ron Putnam and click donate.  It is $1 per vote and all donations supp...