Commission chairman says he will vote on project however city
officials want him to
Bibb County Chairman Charlie Bishop said Tuesday that his vote
on a
controversial plan to widen a local road will depend on what the next
batch of city officials wants him to do.
Bishop,
who has been targeted by opponents of the Forest Hill Road project for
his role in shuffling the plan through officialdom, told six City
Council members and about 75 residents they've got his vote - for or
against the project.
In other words, whatever the city wants
after the mediation session the county has called for is how Bishop
said he will vote. When Bishop announced that, City Councilwoman Elaine
Lucas turned immediately to Councilman Rick Hutto and said: "He's
putting it back on us."
Later, Lucas and a handful of other City Council members - and
soon-to-be council members - challenged Bishop on his motives.
Councilwoman-elect
Lauren Benedict, who attended a meeting this month with the chairman to
discuss the project's history and status, said Bishop was trying to
shift the burden of responsibility to City Council because he found
himself in an "untenable position," politically speaking.
Bishop
countered,as he did for much of the night, by saying Forest Hill "has
always been a city of Macon project," and "it has never been a priority
of the county." He added numerous mayors and city officials have
approved the project from their positions on boards and committees
associated with the Macon Area Transportation Study and the Road
Improvements Program.
Lucas said the council's role on those committees was limited,
adding the city has passed two resolutions against the project.
Billed
as an "update meeting" or an "informal discussion" about the Forest
Hill Road project, Tuesday's gathering of local officials and residents
at the Bibb County Courthouse ended up being more about how Bishop said
he would vote and how much control local governments have over the $24
million of state and federal highway money earmarked to make the
project happen.
If the project isn't aborted, work is scheduled to begin next
summer.
Recent
weeks have seen increased pressure from residents and activists, who,
besides lobbying local officials in private, have demonstrated against
the road project at the county courthouse after they learned the County
Commission has the power to stop the project cold. Commissioner Lonzy
Edwards recently proposed - and the rest of the commission agreed
unanimously - to set a mediation session among state and local
officials and the property owners who will be affected by the project.
The
format of and the date for that mediation has not been finalized, but
commissioners have said they want a Superior Court judge to mediate the
session, which could include officials from the city of Macon, the
state Department of Transportation and engineers from Moreland
Altobelli, the company that has handled the bulk of the work in the
project. Bibb's elected leaders also insisted the meeting be limited to
property owners who directly will be affected by the project's path - a
move to exclude many of the vocal activists who have campaigned against
the project for years and don't own property along Forest Hill Road.
The
project itself, which officials said has been scaled back three times
from its original proposal, calls for the current two-lane road to be
widened into three- and four-lane sections. The plan's design is based
on a disputed set of DOT traffic counts that contain data that has
varied widely.
Opponents of the project have argued traffic
counts are wrong, and the DOT's plan should be redesigned to lessen its
effect on the neighborhoods and reduce the number of trees that would
be lost. Tuesday night, a number of project opponents said local
engineers "pumped up" the traffic counts to secure state and federal
highway money. The project, they said, has been "designed on completely
erroneous information."
Van Etheridge, an engineer from Moreland
Altobelli who attended Tuesday's meeting to answer questions about the
project, disputed that. He said traffic has increased on Forest Hill
Road and continues to increase.
"We took traffic counts there a few weeks ago," he said. "The
numbers of cars on the road has increased."
Regardless
of how many cars are or aren't traveling on the road, commissioners
have consistently maintained there is no design money left to redesign
the project again, and the county has an obligation to complete the
project because it was one of the items approved by voters in a 1994
special purpose local option sales tax referendum.
Although minor
alterations to the project are possible, officials said Tuesday night,
the state and federal highway money is tied to current design and
cannot be dedicated toward the sort of massive redesign many of the
plan's opponents would like to see.
However, everyone in
attendance Tuesday was not against the project: A few people spoke up
in favor of pushing ahead with the plan to widen the road, others
nodded in agreement or quietly questioned the position of the project's
opponents. One vocal man told Bishop that city and county leaders
needed to show some leadership and complete a project that has been on
the books for more than 10 years because the area is growing and Forest
Hill is a "major" thoroughfare.
To contact writer Keich Whicker, call 744-4494.
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Yea Joe Allen kept his mouth shut
for once
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Again the Telegraph is blocking all
posts in support of the man running
against Timley. You can not type his name on a post. Try on today's
column you will see you cannot post. The paper is trying to control the
election in Timley favor.
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Why a attack on Joe Allen. Was it
not Mr Bishop that did all the
talking for Bibb County. Mr Bishop was the only one talking.If you were
there why did you not stand up and voice your opinion, one way are the
other?
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Reporter - Whicker needs to report
the facts as they are. The traffic
counts Are FLAT - not arguably flat. Open your eyes and report the
truth. Do the research you lazy [derogative]:
www.macon-bibb.com/FHR/traffic.htm
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I was there and was so happy Joe did
not speak. I think the buck is
being passed again. Bishop, Allen and Tickle me Elmo all need to be
voted out this next election.
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DOES ANY ONE HAVE ANY BACKBONE DOWN
THERE IN THE CITY OR ON THE COUNTY
COMMISIONERS?WHY DON"T THE DO THE RIGHT THING.ONE INJURED KIDS LIFE IS
NOT WORTH ALL THE PROPERTY ON FOREST KILL RD IF HE CANNOT MAKE IT TO
EMERGENCY ROOM BECAUSE OF A WRECK AND CONGESTION BROKE DOWN CAR TREE
LIMB OR A 2 DOLLAR CAR THAT WON"T MOVE.THE PROBLEMS ARE NUMEROUS OUT
THERE AT RUSH HOUR.JESUS HELP US GET THAT ROAD WIDENED I PRAY.
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Future Bibb County residents will
have to pay off Hotel debt and take
thier life thier own hands when they travel on Forest Hill Rd. Thanks
Elaine!
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Stop passing the buck you spineless
$^%$#@#!
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Keich can't count lanes. Forest Hill
is more than just 3-4 lanes wide.
It is Not Less Than 5-Lanes Wide Everywhere between Vineville and
Wimbish. It is 6-7 lanes wide in other places. Whicker is just a
mouthpiece for Moreland, Bishop and Elmo. And speaking of Elmo, Why did
Whicker not report that Bishop said Elmo would no longer vote on Forest
Hill because he has a conflict of interest? Is this not important
enough for you? $25 Million project with an inside voting official?
Whicker is a sycophant. He loves powerful officials too much to see
them clearly.
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Those of you who support the
project had better speak up now!!! You are not being heard.
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I'm glad Mr. Bishop will vote as the
City wishes on this City project.
However, restricting public input to property owners along the street
at this upcoming mediation meeting is not proper. This is a public
issue concerning the quality of life in our city. We all want the City
to grow and prosper, but we should also want to preserve our
established neighborhoods and scenic environment as we grow. So, this
is not just about the property owners alongside a street, this is about
the future of Macon and anyone who cares about Macon should be able to
be present and voice their opinion.
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Forest Hill should be 4-6 lanes
wide. Just the other day, I was in a
hurry and some idiot on Forest Hill was driving the speed limit and I
couldn't pass them. Had this project been completed, I could have blown
around them and gotten to my meeting on time. You people who oppose
this are selfish and self-centered. You should think of the rest of us
who do not want to be inconvenienced. Hey, you might lose some of your
yard, but at least the rest of us can drive faster and pass those that
get in our way. Oh, BTW leave Bass Rd alone since that runs by my
neighborhood.
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Frank, if you had left 5 minutes
earlier, you wouldn't have had to
speed. If you don't like the speed limit, take a different route.
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Joe quit your whining. You caused
half of this problem, now you're in a
box and don't know how to fix the problem you helped create. Do us all
a favor and resign.
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weren't the only sitting
commissioners at that time, Joe and Bert??? Notice the silence????
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I'm with Frank. We need wider roads
so we can get around all the slow
people. Let's make them all 6 lanes! Just look at Zebulon. Too much
traffic...it needs more lanes! And yeah, don't touch Bass Road. That's
a nice country road with little traffic.
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I don't think we should widen the
roads because if we do, think about how it will affect the roads that
are around it.
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I would like to know when the
traffic is so unbearable on Forest Hill?
I drive it frequently and never have found it to be overcrowded, lined
up or otherwise difficult to deal with going either way. Yes, I have
had to wait a minute or less for someone to turn into a driveway, but,
it was hardly a burdensome wait. Who started this process anyhow-
someone on the Council or Commission who was slowed to the speed limit
one day and decided it needed more lanes? As it is, I never have
trouble going at least 5 miles, usually more, over the speed limit
because there is little to no traffic to hold me back. Give it up, Road
Improvement Program.
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Charlie voting on the side of the
people, the greater population is the
very point in our democratic government. Those who we vote into office
are our reps to vote for the people as a whole. Perhaps our political
figures should remember this more often as they vote. As far as the
widening of the road is concerened, its going to happen at some point,
as Macon is a growing town with a robust economy following suit. Lets
figure out how to better our public school system and how to clean up
crime.
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Traffic isn't unbearable on Forest
Hill, the only issue I can think of
is where Ridge meets it. It tends to backup but has a lot to do with
the short distance between red lights between it, Vinville/Forsyth Rd,
and Napier. I never have issues with the Wimbish intersection. I think
it is just impatient people like Frank who don't like to drive the
speed limits. I don't speed, if the speed limit is 35, I drive
somewhere between 35 and 40 mph. I always get to work on time, could it
be because I give myself enough time in the morning to get ready and
leave the house at the appropriate time to ensure I am not late for
work. Why should my driving habits be persecuted by speeders who must
speed due to their irresponbilities. If they don't like, take another
road, Cut over and hit Riverside, speed limit is 50 there. And for the
Bass road comments, have you ever been in the line of people getting
off at the Bureau? that's as bad as it gets around here!
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This is what is wrong with
government. If the majority of residents
don't want it then the council should vote it down and move on. It's
really that simple.
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Charlie Bishop or any other
commissioner cannot win. Either go ahead
with the project or stop it. The first time there is a serious issue
with the traffic on the road, opinions will change. I am not for or
against the project, because it does not effect me that much. This is
just another not in my neighborhood issue. The I-75 and I-16 is another
one of these problems. DOT has a plan to fix the dangerous problem, but
not in my neighborhood. Government officials need to look at what is
best for all citizens and then do it.
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Shut up dammit and widen the road
for the good of all motorists!!!!!!
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The residents on Forest Hill are
like most other self centered, whats
in it for me, selfish people in todays society. This is just one reason
the country is going to hell in a handbasket.
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Frank is being facetious. If you
didn't notice, he is against widening the road.
I
have driven across and along Forest Hill many times, and frankly, I
don't understand why people still live on that street: so much traffic,
fumes, trucks, dangerous driving, high speed, and on top of that they
have their mailbox next to the road. wasn't that long ago that one of
their resident was killed while retrieving her mail?
for one thing,
you cna't stop progress without harming the area of economic growth,
why not let the city widen the road in exchange for some propeorty tax
cut? or sell your property and move to the monroe county, there are
plenty of houses with no traffic at all, if that is what you value.
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Vote D.A.V.I.D. C.O.R.R. and get
rid of Timley
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Poster 24, know what you are talking
about before making stupid
comments. Have you actually gone and talked to people on Forest Hill
road about this are is this coming from your vast knowledge of Macon
Sociology.
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PLEASE, PLEASE JUST SHUT UP ABOUT
JACK ELLIS, THE HOTEL, THE ROAD
PRODJECT, CHARLIE BISHOP, AND JOE ALLEN. THE PEOPLE OF MACON AND BIBB
COUNTY COULD KEEP THE JERRY SPRINGER SHOW SUPPLIED FOR YEARS TO COME.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH ALL THESE PEOPLE? JUST SHUT UP, YOU HEAR ME, JUST
SHUT UP. THEY SHOULD RENAME MACON "NUTSVILLE" GEORGIA.
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but after
turning onto Forest Hill from
Northside, isn't the city limit sign on about 5 or 6 houses down the
road, isn't a majority of the road actually more county than city? Just
curious since this is a "city" matter.
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DON'T YOU THINK CHARLIE BISHOP
LOOKS LIKE PORTER WAGNER.
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To the city and county of Macon
,Georgia.Forget the picky, standoffish,
self centered, the world revolves around north macon people of Forest
Hill Rd. Please come finish the work started on Millerfield Road, we
will gladly welcome you and can not wait to see so many eyesores torn
down especially the intetsection of Millerfield and Jeffersonville
Rd.Please come with your turn lanes and bulldozers so that we may get
to New Clinton Rd knock down Triangle Food Store. Come Quickly.
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4 Bridges in Bibb County made a National list of the
most Structurally Deficient Bridges in Georgia this week.
RE FHR: If additional turn lane was added at Vineville
Avenue, Ridge
Avenue and Wimbish, the small amount of rush hour congestion would be
alleviated. The rest of the $24 million dollars could be used to repair
the Structurally Deficient Bridges on Rocky Creek, Beaverdam Creek,
Walnut Creek and a Norfolk Southern Bridge.
source:
www.tripnet.org/GeorgiaReportOct2007.pdf
pages 6 & 12
In the meantime, please enact local legislation to
require all Bibb
County Residents to carry Life Preserves in their family vehicles.
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Well, I guess a previous poster is
correct. I could not type in D.A.V.I.D C.O.R.R. and get it posted.
What's up with that?
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The
Telegraph removes "ALL" comments from FHR articles on a regular basis.
Please ask them why and ask them why their County "reporter" leaves out
so many important details at FHR meetings. Watch the WMAZ video and you
will see "him" imbedded with and yucking it up with Bibb good ole boys
that oppose any modification to FHR.
1) Last night Van Etheridge of Moreland Altobelli said
the plans presented at the meeting were not the current plans.
2) A councilwoman elect publicly said that Bishop failed
to provide documents that she requested prior to last night's meeting.
3)
City Council has already passed 2 Resolutions requesting that the
County redesign Forest Hill Road. Bishop could not remember the 900
resident petition that was presented to him, so i guess he forgot this
detail too.
4) FHR residents presented official data that showed
FHR traffic growth is flat. Did Van Etheridge and Moreland Altobelli
take their car count on the day of the Riverside Dr accident when
traffic had to be re-routed to FHR?
5) Bishop praised Etheridge
of Moreland Altobelli for coming out of retirement to be at the
meeting. One audience member asked if Dallas Van Etheridge was being
compensated, Bishop tried to dodge the question but DVE finally replied
that he was compensated for last night's performance.
more unwritten details later...
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This Comment sums up last night's meeting:
"It
seemed to be an exercise by Bishop to try to convince voters in his
next County Commissioner?s race that even though Bishop is for the
road, that other people were for the road before Bishop was, and that
Bishop is still for the road but Bishop wants you to think that he will
act like he is against the road so that you will vote for him, so
Bishop is against the road but he is really for the road and in the end
it is all City Council?s fault."
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I am surprised after reading all
these coments that no one has
mentioned city/county consolidation. Let's cut to the heart of the
matter, this should not be a city thing or a county thing, rather it
should be a Macon thing. With 2 governing bodies for one "city"
problems and conflicts are bound to happen. An effort to consolidate
city and county would pay huge dividends throughout the area. Juat a
thought or 2.
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This road need to be widen so
motorists will be able to allow room for
emergency vehicles to pass. Forest Hil Road need a turning lane, a side
walk,and a shoulder for traffic to give right of way for emergency
vechicles such as ambulances, police, and fire trucks.You have got to
ask yourself, which is more inmportant, a life or a bunch of trees.
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To the last ,barely litterate,
poster. If you would pull off to the
side there would be room, they may need to add a shoulder and an
occasional turn lane, but five lanes is ridiculous. What is the hurry
to get down Forrest Hill? Late for your interview at Fred's? Why would
you say someone is self-centered because they don't want their home
ruined? Are you self-centered because you won't sell your home and
donate the proceeds to charity? Selling the house and moving isn't an
option. Who would buy a house on a road slated for widening?
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As a highly educated black female
with an Associates Degree from Macon
Junior College, I remind you that No...I say NO....families of color
live on the so-called Forest Hill Plantation
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Charlie was handed a hot potato with
this project, and he has tried to
do the most responsible thing with it for ALL Bibb county citizens.
Going through with the project vs. doing nothing is, obviously, the
better of the two options. It appears that he is not willing to fall on
his political sword for the project. There are too many much more
important things to accomplish. If the new Mayor and Council support
going through with the project, then it will be done... unless some of
those 'nutjobs' chain themselves to trees!
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Forest Hill Road and Old Lundy was
and still is one of the earliest and most successfully mixed race
communities in our City.
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To poster 'Tired'.....it's called
FREE SPEECH....if you don't like it
or it makes you 'tired', all you have to do is go up to the top right
corner of your page and click on the little 'X'....and all of this
stress will go away from you....then you can go take a pill and relax.
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To
know why entire strings of posts have been deleted, poster number
3852.48 at 10/31/2007 6:45 PM would most likely be a Telegraph insider
such as Keich Whicker, who has continually failed to report important
details about the FHR deal that would reflect negatively on his good
ole boy buddies at the County Commission. Randall Savage at WMAZ did an
detailed expose on the conflicts of interest by County Commissioners.
Whicker failed to report on it and defended them as if they were
kinfolk.
So, the Telegraph's current mindset seems to be if
you are white and with the County, it's okay for a company that you are
affiliated with profit from your elected office
But if Mayor Ellis had connections to a company that the
City Contracted with, the Telegraph would be all over him.
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If the current definition of
idiot/lunatic is to strongly question bad
government decisions, then i'm one of the proud poster children.
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Thank you very much, i'm flattered!
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No, Betty It's called verbal abuse
under the guise of FREE SPEECH
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Verbal Abuse of Ethicsless
Politicians. Hurry, enact legislation, Hugo Chavez and Venezuala will
be sooo proud.
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If you think Elaine's whitewashing
(no pun intended) of Nancy White is
something, wait until you see what she, David, and Timley do to
Timley's opponent next Monday and Tuesday (if I mention the opponent's
name, this comment will not be printed).
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Vic and Doc: Questioning government
is one thing, lying about the
issues, slandering people and distorting the truth all to further your
own (self-perceived) greater glory and your pathetic obsession with
killing a road project is not responsible citizenship. Any semblance of
substantive debate on the Forest Hill issue has been destroyed
partially by your misdeeds. We expect the politicians to act like
self-centered fools, but self-described "community activists" should
know better. Anyone who doubts your dubious methods and your lack of
character need only look how you continue to attack this reporter at
the Telegraph. Or they could ask how Victor he gets around town so much
if he's "disabled."
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Sorry, I miss your point. Ethics
less? Now, isn't that the pot calling
the kettle....Better check your other fingers before you start
pointing.
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He plays 'the victim' quite well!
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Dear "Tired of it."
If you took half of the 14 to 16 cardiac meds per day
that keep me
going and had to deal hour by hour with their side effects, you'd be
crying like a baby.
I make no apolgies for doing what i can
for my community and neighbors in the face of a severe and terminal,
post surgical heart conditon.
Besides, it only takes half a heart to deal with and
figure out you guys' self serving agendas.
Victor Jones
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You have no control over your heart
condition, that is true, but you do
have control over your mouth and actions. While I support anyone's
attempt to question government officials in order to promote
understanding, I don't support maniacal, unsubstantiated accusations,
whose purposes are only to incite. Doc and Lee, call off your dog!
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To the poor "a Victim" who is "Tired
of it" we say "Adios!" Good-bye
and Good-luck. Vigilant Patriots will throw a Boston Tea Party for your
Going-Away! Then we Americans will downsize and right-size the project
and get it constructed. Thank-you! and Goodnight!
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Who made millions off of Bibb County roads?????
Inquiring minds want to know.
What
sitting Commissioner helped promote using state funds to confiscate the
roads 10 years ago???? Inquiring minds want to know.
What low
life commissioner attempted to slander his fellow commissioner over a
clerical error in the minutes???? Inquiring minds want to know.
Joe Allen is a worthless pervert.
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Why hasn't the Telegraph reported on
an ethics complaint against a
County Commissioner at the Secretary of State's Professional
Engineering & Licenscing Board, upon which he sits. Now that is
news.
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Get your shoe or your shoe pictures
and go to sleep. You need your rest.
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Randall Savage's report was a piece
of garbage. Elmo voted ONE time on
Forest Hill. ONCE. And nobody, especially the intellectual thugs Doc
and Vic, can show how that vote translated into a dime for him, despite
their malicious and best efforts. As the other post said. All you two
are interested in is stirring up trouble and slandering people you
don't like. It ceased to be about the road a long time ago for you two.
And even if it still was, your manners and your methods are undignified
and well beyond what rational people consider to be proper and polite
behavior. The pair of you should shut up and be ashamed.
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Silence of the Lambs:
TUESDAY, MAY 2, 2006
Meeting Minutes including Motions of your favorite Commissioner: There
are many more:
1)
Contract between Bibb County and the Department of Transportation for
the acquisition of right-of-way on Forest Hill Road from Wimbish Road
to Northside Drive, RIP#9. (Joe Wood)
Mr. Wood began by saying that
this is an agreement between Bibb County and GaDOT that allows GaDOT to
reimburse Bibb County for the right-of-way cost on Forest Hill Road,
Project #8, from Wimbish Road to Northside Drive. He said Bibb County
has partnered with GaDOT under similar agreements (Project #12 &
13) and at this time would like the Committee to authorize Chairman
Bishop to sign the agreement.
Commissioner Bivins asked Mr. Wood if this item was time sensitive.
Mr. Wood said it was.
On
motion of Commissioner Richardson, second of Commissioner Hart and
carried, the Committee recommended that Chairman be authorized to sign
the agreement. The Committee further recommended that this item be
placed on the agenda for tonight?s Full Board Meeting.
2) TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2007
Extension
Agreement between Bibb County and Moreland Altobelli Associates, Inc.
for Program Management for the Macon-Bibb County Road Improvement
Program.
Mr. Sheets began by saying Moreland Altobelli is gearing
down the Roads Program and have only a few major projects left. He said
the monthly billings to the County and Moreland Altobelli?s staff are
decreasing. He continued by saying he recommends that the County extend
the contract for another year.
On motion of Commissioner
Richardson, second of Commissioner Hart and carried, the Committee
recommended that the contract be extended for one year to February
2008. The Committee further recommended this item be placed on the
agenda for tonight?s Full Board Meeting.
3) TUESDAY, JULY 18, 2006
Right-of-Way Agreement between Bibb County and GDOT for Forest Hill
Road at Sabbath Creek, STO-3213(5), RIP #8.
Mr.
Wood began by saying that approximately two (2) months ago the
Committee authorized the Chairman to sign a right-of-way agreement for
Forest Hill Road (RIP #8), which went from Wimbish Road to Northside
Drive. He said today?s agreement covers the bridge on Forest Hill Road
over Sabbath Creek, and refers to a different funding pot than the rest
of the project.
On motion of Commissioner Richardson, second of
Commissioner Hart and carried, the Committee recommended that the
Chairman be authorized to sign said agreement. The Committee further
recommended this item be placed on the agenda for tonight?s Full Board
Meeting.
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Look
pal, follow the money. In Bibb County its all about the money; always
has been and always will, until we begin to elect principled people.
Why else do you think that Jeffersonville Rd and some of the other
roads that have been "planned" never seem to get done?
Government furniture, land deals, road projects,
hotels..... FOLLOW THE DARN MONEY...
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Vic,
Doc and several others in the Forest Hill Neighborhood happen to care
about THEIR community. They research and ask questions. The answers
have proven to be suspect.
They deserve a lot of thanks. But who
cares? Your taxes were just raised because of inept politicans. And
they'll do it again. Then you'll start whining... It could easily stop
now.
Waste fraud and abuse doesn't need to continue.
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Hey Bishop, just let the people that
live on Forest Hill Road do what
they want. It's them who have been living there all of these years and
paying all of these taxes. Stay out of it. If you and Joe Allen stick
your nose in it there is no hope. Bibb County has gone straight to hell
under your leadsership. Do us all a favor and go away. Just Go Away.
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If Whicker and his ilk are "Tired of
it" then they should either
move-on or start digging into the truly interesting and important
stories involving the abuse of power and money behind the Forest Hill
Fiasco. Caution: Some of their "ilk" friends will be embarrassed and
exposed!
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TO 3852.75 the Election is next
year, if you have problems with Bibb
County Elected Officals . Then put up the 3 thousand dollars and get in
the race. I am sure you have no clue what Bibb County Commissioners
have to do in there job. So my quest to you PUT UP OR SHUT UP. and stop
talking about people. You have no clue.
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www.13wmaz.com/news/new_story.aspx?storyid=44283
"Project Takes New Twist"
Last Update:10/12/2007 8:34:55 PM
Web Editor: Randall Savage
The dispute over widening Forest Hill Road has switched
directions.
A
Macon man recently filed a complain with the state engineering board,
alleging Bibb County Commissioner Elmo Richardson acted unethically in
the Forest Hill Road widening project.
Richardson denies that,
saying he hasn't voted on any Forest Hill Road projects related to
Stantec since becoming a commissioner in September 2002.
The
Forest Hill Road project was controversial before the complaint was
filed. Some residents, including Carol Lystlund and Lindsay Holliday
have been trying to stop the project for years.
They say widening the road and adding lanes would
destroy the character of their north Bibb County neighborhood.
Now,
with the complaint alleging companies tied to Elmo Richardson made more
than $2.3 million off Forest Hill Road projects in the last decade,
opponents plan to work even harder to stop the project.
Lystlund said Richardson should put integrity first when
considering Forest Hill Road.
"I
would definitely advise him to withdraw from any discussion, from even
being in the room where the discussion is taking place,"
Lystlund said Friday.
Richardson
said his previous engineering company, Tribble & Richardson, won
contracts for the road project well before he was elected commissioner
in 2002.
The commissioner also pointed out that almost two years
before taking office, he sold Tribble & Richardson to Stantec.
"Actually,
those contracts go back to 1997 and 1998, which were originally Tribble
& Richardson contracts, and when I sold my business to Stantect in
November 2000, then, of course, those
contracts were assigned to Stantec," Richardson said.
Richardson
served as vice president of Stantec until December 2005 when he
retired. Richardson said he still rents office space to
Stantec.
The
complaint says Stantec earned more than $300,000 from Forest Hill Road
projects since Richardson became a commissioner and that
he voted on some of the projects.
Richardson denies he voted as a commissioner to award
contracts to Stantec.
"I
did not vote on anything that had anything to do with extending those
contracts or anything directly relating to those contracts,"
Richardson said.
But
Richardson said he did vote to allow Forest Hill Road to be designated
a state route, which paved the way for more state money
to widen the road.
Lindsay Holliday, an opponent of the widening project,
said Richardson shouldn't be voting on Forest Hill at all.
"His
company Stantec has made quite a bit of money on this project,"
Holliday said. "We think it's only right that he should recuse
himself from any further deliberations and votes."
Richardson
himself sits on the state board that received the complaint against
him. But Richardson said he'll remove himself from
the proceedings when the board considers the complaint.
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Excerpt from WMAZ article & 6-19-06 Financial
Disclosure
"Richardson
served as vice president of Stantec until December 2005 when he
retired. Richardson said he still rents office space to Stantec."
But in writing, he states:
On Richardson's Financial Disclosure Statement dated
JUNE 19, 2006:
Richardson states that he is Vice President of Stantec
Consulting Services Inc.
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Caution Macon, what exactly is it that you are going
after? Is it the
FHR redesign, biased reporting, or corrupt officials? Seems to me that
the redesign would come foremost.You've got the mediation meeting,
leave the other for another battle. But, then, maybe this is all about
Caution Macon attaining power, not really helping those on Forest Hill?
Supporters, they've changed the focus.
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If
inept reporting and ethically challenged officials are helping to
needlessly waste taxpayer money and blocking the sensible re-design of
FHR, let's just say all three.
When is this mediation that you
are referring to scheduled for and what are the ground rules and who
are they stacked in favor of or against?
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To: "Just Thinkin'"
Re: "What exactly is it you're going after, is it the FHR redesign,
biased reporting, or corrupt officials?"
Do you really think Macon can move forward- without the first, and
with- the last two issues you addressed above?
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Your
mediation, which was granted to you and will happen, will be about the
current GDOT FHR plans and requires a mediator. A mediator should not
care about how a situation came about, only what can be negotiated, if
anything.
Corrupt officials and biased news reporting comes
under arbitration and requires an arbitrator. FHR isn't going into
arbitration at this point.
Your recent numerous postings in the
last few pages have not been about FHR redesign, but biased reporting
and corrput officials, so once again, what is it exactly that you're
selling?
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I think you will find that the information on this
website will answer
all of your questions and increase your understanding of the Forest
Hill Road situation:
www.macon-bibb.com/FHR
Make
sure to read the links regarding Safety Issues, City Council
Resolutions, Water Drainage & Runoff, Roundabouts, Car Counts,
Purpose & Needs Statement, Trees, Right of Way Acquistions,
Petitions, Public Meetings, Citizen Input ,etc.
Education & Reason has yet to work with the Bibb
County Commissioners.
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I've read your website many, many
times, but nothing is said to
indicate your understanding of mediation practices or rules. Your
current information still supports why a redesign is needed. Are you
saying that this has to be your way or no way?
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Dear Ima,
The Georgia meditation rules are only 41 pages long but
involve more
government agencies,court systems and appedendices than the Katrina
FEMA relief teams had to deal with.
The fact that the rules "mention" conflicts of interest,
ethics and fairness are encouraging at first glance.
Items
that are not encouraging are that Transcripts of the Mediation will not
fall under the open government and disclosure rules. The closed
atmosphere of the proceedings are not conducive to public input and
understanding either.
Since we already do most everything
backwards in Bibb County, why don't we just have a three day, all
invited, open access meeting, with cameras continuously rolling and
live broadcast it on Public Access tv? We could even have Erick live
blog it if his attention span could hold up that long.
Let's
face it, most of today's government rules are written by government
paid lawyers to mystify the process and frustrate the average citizen
from participating in the process.
On July 15, 2007, after
reviewing the Forest Hill Neighbors alternate design concepts, Robert
Reichert exclaimed, "Isn't that just common sense."
Mr
Reichert was also reported to have made a firm commitment requiring
application of modern urban transportation planning techniques which
protect the integrity of our neighborhoods and the quality of life in
our community to all road projects in the city, including Forest Hill
Road.
If Mr Reichert maintains his pre-election stance, after
November 6, i suggest we follow his and the Macon City Council's
previously resolutioned lead.
If not, for now, let's just say it's going to be a long
four years.
But hopefully with the new Georgia Department of
Transportation
Commissioner Gena Abraham, who started yesterday, there will be some
old fashion common sense applied to the FHR situation. We'll see.
Common Sense Neighbors Watching
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You
can also get some Common Sense ideas and Good Government ideas from
Susan Hanberry Martin's editorial in today's Telegraph 11/2/07
www.macon.com/209/story/175504.html
"Residents get course in bad government"
After
attending Bibb County Commission Chairman Charlie Bishop's
"information" meeting about Forest Hill Road, I can only shake my head
in disbelief. What a mess.
I attended the forum with City Council
and mayoral candidates last Monday, and I was struck with how civil,
intelligent and thoughtful they were. I heard plans to revitalize our
city that included attention to quality of life, fiscal responsibility,
respect and hope. I was especially struck by mayoral candidate Robert
Reichert's hearkening back to the times when Macon did great things and
built great public spaces. All of them talked about creating a city
that our children would be glad to stay in or move back to.
Tuesday night was a different story. There was no clear
purpose for the meeting, and nothing was accomplished.
I
couldn't quite figure out why we were invited to be there. It was
apparently an attempt by Chairman Bishop to distance himself from
responsibility for decisions regarding Forest Hill Road prior to the
next county commissioner's race. This is what I heard: Even though he
is for the road, other people were for the road before he was, and that
he is still for the road but he wants you to think that he will act
like he is against the road so that you will vote for him, so he is
against the road, but he is really for the road, and in the end it is
all City Council's fault.
I have no idea why Bishop refuses to
hold a public meeting in a room big enough to hold the public (he
claims he invited more than 100 people and issued an open invitation)
and to reveal the so-far secret plans for Forest Hill Road. No one has
seen the plans for many years. Last week, residents went to
Moreland-Altobeli's office to look at the plans and was told they were
not public information. He returned the next day with an open records
request and was given a copy for which he paid $30. At the meeting last
night, Van Ethridge from Moreland-Altobeli told us that this was not
the current plan.
A lot of confusion, suspicion and distrust
would evaporate if affected residents were afforded the luxury of
actually seeing the plan. Bishop said that Moreland-Altobeli would meet
with individual homeowners to describe how their property would be
affected but refused a request to hold a public meeting to reveal the
plans to all interested parties. "The plan" was not available at the
latest stakeholder's meeting or Tuesday night. If they are so proud of
what they are doing for us, why won't they show us? How can informed
discussion proceed in a vacuum?
Bishop's attitude seems to be,
"I'm going to shove this road down your throats because I want to spend
the $28 million, and I'm not going to show you the plans."
We are
getting the lab course in bad government. Now that the citizens have
made their views clear to city officials, the laser light of public
scrutiny is now focused on county officials. Macon's problems were not
created by city government alone. Good leadership can negotiate with
GDOT to support a revised project that safely accommodates reasonable
traffic projections and protects the quality of the neighborhood.
Cities and counties around the country accomplish such win-win
solutions every day. It doesn't appear that Bishop has the skills or
the inclination to make this happen.
Message to the county: Do
what the vast majority of the public has asked you to do for years.
Drop the irresponsible plan. Put in the turn lanes, fix the
intersections, respect the neighborhood and get on with it.
Susan Hanberry Martin, an activist with the organization
"Caution Macon," is a resident of Macon.
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Sorry,
I still don't hear your answer to my original question asking which of
your three topics is most important to Caution Macon: FHR
redesign,corrupt officials, or biased reporting. I don't see Susan's
"common sense and good government ideas" in her letter, nor do you show
me your understanding of mediation in order to win for the residents of
Forest Hill.
To be honest, I interpret posts 81&82 to say that
your goal is to move Macon forward by using Forest Hill Redesign to
expose corrupt officials and biased reporting. I see your support of
Susan's letter as an adoring compliment,and post 86 as an unwillingness
to learn how to turn a situation to your favor.
Please, go to WMAZ13 and check out their "Forest Hill
Debate Rolls On" report to hear what Mr.Reichert says currently.
We can agree to disagree, and leave it at that. I'll look forward to
your other posts. Thanks for your effort.
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Forest Hill Debate Rolls On
Last Update:11/2/2007 6:42:18 PM
Web Editor: Colleen McPhee
Community activists in Macon have tried for years to
block the widening of Forest Hill Road in North Macon.
They've
demanded that the Bibb County Commission stop a project that it's
already approved. But now county commission chairman Charlie Bishop
says he'll go with whatever Macon's next mayor and city council decide
about Forest Hill Road.
"I would relinquish my vote and vote with
city council and the elected official from the city, since this is a
city project," Bishop said.
The Bibb county attorney has told the
county commission that the board can legally stop the project if at
least three of the five commissioners vote to stop it.
Bishop's comments didn't sit well with council member
Charles Jones.
"You ought to have the integrity to stand up and say:
this is what I believe, this is the way I'm gonna vote," Jones said.
Other's say it's too late for Bishop to change his vote.
"This
project has gone a long, long way," said council member Rick Hutto.
"And it's sort of one of those big ships that's very, very difficult to
turn around."
But others think it is possible.
"I say:
let's grab the ball and run with it as members of city council,"
council member-elect Erick Erickson said. "Let's take on the
responsibility and fix the problem."
The city council has voted twice to ask the state to
scale back the project.
But
Bishop has said the county doesn't have the money for a new design. And
the project manager has said the county will lose state and federal
money if it kills the project.
"Somebody's got to take the plate
and either say, get it done, or let's completely forget about
everything and leave it as it is," Mayoral candidate David Cousino said.
If it comes down to those two options, Cousino says he
would stop the project.
Democratic mayoral candidate Robert Reichert says he
would probably go through with it.
"If
the decision comes down to either a) do it the way it's designed, or do
nothing, I'm afraid that the majority of the people would say: do it
the way it's designed," Reichert told WMAZ.
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Forest Hill Debate Rolls On
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Last Update:11/2/2007 6:42:18 PM
Web Editor: Colleen McPhee
Community activists in Macon have tried for years to
block the widening of Forest Hill Road in North Macon.
They've
demanded that the Bibb County Commission stop a project that it's
already approved. But now county commission chairman Charlie Bishop
says he'll go with whatever Macon's next mayor and city council decide
about Forest Hill Road.
"I would relinquish my vote and vote with
city council and the elected official from the city, since this is a
city project," Bishop said.
The Bibb county attorney has told the
county commission that the board can legally stop the project if at
least three of the five commissioners vote to stop it.
Bishop's comments didn't sit well with council member
Charles Jones.
"You ought to have the integrity to stand up and say:
this is what I believe, this is the way I'm gonna vote," Jones said.
Other's say it's too late for Bishop to change his vote.
"This
project has gone a long, long way," said council member Rick Hutto.
"And it's sort of one of those big ships that's very, very difficult to
turn around."
But others think it is possible.
"I say:
let's grab the ball and run with it as members of city council,"
council member-elect Erick Erickson said. "Let's take on the
responsibility and fix the problem."
The city council has voted twice to ask the state to
scale back the project.
But
Bishop has said the county doesn't have the money for a new design. And
the project manager has said the county will lose state and federal
money if it kills the project.
"Somebody's got to take the plate
and either say, get it done, or let's completely forget about
everything and leave it as it is," Mayoral candidate David Cousino said.
If it comes down to those two options, Cousino says he
would stop the project.
Democratic mayoral candidate Robert Reichert says he
would probably go through with it.
"If
the decision comes down to either a) do it the way it's designed, or do
nothing, I'm afraid that the majority of the people would say: do it
the way it's designed," Reichert told WMAZ.
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"Somebody's
got to take the plate and either say, get it done, or let's completely
forget about everything and leave it as it is," Mayoral candidate David
Cousino said.
If it comes down to those two options, Cousino says he would stop the
project.
Democratic mayoral candidate Robert Reichert says he
would probably go through with it.
"If
the decision comes down to either a) do it the way it's designed, or do
nothing, I'm afraid that the majority of the people would say: do it
the way it's designed," Reichert told WMAZ.
WMAZ13 "Forest Hill Debate Rolls On" 11/2/2007 6:42:18 PM
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:_) I apologize for the multiple
posts. Don't mean to bash you over the
head with it, but didn't think it would post. Sorry :-(
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Ima, you're leaving me with the impression that you
might not have a lot of Common Sense:
"Message
to the county: Do what the vast majority of the public has asked you to
do for years. 1)Drop the irresponsible plan. 2)Put in the turn lanes,
3) fix the intersections, 4) respect the neighborhood and 5) get on
with it.
Susan Hanberry Martin, an activist with the organization
"Caution Macon," is a resident of Macon.
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And the Good Government concepts that you conveniently
overlooked are:
"I heard plans to revitalize our city that included
attention to quality of life, fiscal responsibility, respect and hope.
All of them talked about creating a city that our
children would be glad to stay in or move back to."
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Post 93: ?Ima, you're leaving me with the
impression that you might not have a lot of Common Sense:?
LOL
My Daddy told me my entire life that I had ?No common sense. You got
too much book learning.? Now that he has Alzheimer?s, he doesn?t
remember to say that any more, so I thank you for the memory and smile.
What I do possess is analytical thinking (which I did
get from
the book learning that he paid for), and I see past smoke and mirrors.
I do find it interesting that, out of my three assertions, you chose
Susan?s letter to use as an argumentative point, but, since you did,
let?s move on that.
NeighborsWatching, according to your post 93,
Susan's thesis is the following: ?Message to the county: Do what the
vast majority of the public has asked you to do for years. Drop the
irresponsible plan. Put in the turn lanes, fix the intersections,
respect the neighborhood and get on with it.? but nothing in her 8
previous paragraphs supports this thesis. If this is her thesis, then
her omission of the commissioners? offer of mediation narrows her cry
to that one stance only.
On the other hand, Robert Reichert
says: "If the decision comes down to either a) do it the way it's
designed, or do nothing, I'm afraid that the majority of the people
would say: do it the way it's designed,"(see posts 89, 90, 91)
Now,
over the years, I have attained some common sense, and my common sense
says that Robert Reichert would be more in tuned with the majority of
Macon than Susan Hanberry-Martin.
Post 94: ?And the Good
Government concepts that you conveniently overlooked are: ?I heard
plans to revitalize our city that included attention to quality of
life, fiscal responsibility, respect and hope. .... All of them talked
about creating a city that our children would be glad to stay in or
move back to.?? NeighborsWatching
Yes, I did intentionally
overlook them because I didn?t want to introduce religious
understanding into this conversation, but, since you have brought it
up, they are not ?Good Government? concepts, but they are Good
Christian concepts (?Hope? being the defining term) and can be heard in
any Christian church service that you choose to attend.
NeighborsWatching,
just like Charlie Bishop, I will also ?... stay here and listen to you
as long as you want.? (Eric Erickson, blogmacon.com, Oct. 30, 2007), so
the ball is now in your court. We can end this right now, or continue;
the decision is up to you.
Once again: By Caution Macon?s refusal
to acknowledge or focus on the Bibb County Commissioners? offer of
mediation, and by the organization?s representatives? continually
introducing their suggestions of corrupt officials and biased
reporting, the group has changed its focus from helping the residents
of Forest Hill Road to moving Macon forward by using Forest Hill Road
to expose corrupt officials and biased reporting. (your posts 81 &
82)
Oh ... and if my Daddy could understand this now, he?d proudly agree
that I?ve got a lot of common sense.
Until next time?
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Ima,
you missed the County Commission meeting when Chairman Bishop,
Richardson & Bivins had convenient memory losses when reminded that
two Forest Hill Residents delivered them a 900 plus signed petition
requesting scaleback of FHR. Something must be in the 4th floor water
pipes for them to have collectively forgotten the petition.
With
the twists and turns that the FHR issue has taken over the last 24
years, the other two issues that you are obsessed with excluding are
important details of the process and hopefully will lead to better
government in Bibb County.
Please tell us more about that
illustrious education of yours which seems painfully unable to see the
forest & trees for the profits of asphalt.
from top of the soon to be Asphalt Hill Road.
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Thanks for wading through the format change; I
appreciate your patience.
?...the
other two issues that you are obsessed with excluding are important
details of the process and hopefully will lead to better government in
Bibb County.?
I choose to exclude them because they are
unsubstantiated accusations and, because of that, they won?t lead to a
better anything. You have offered absolutely no proof of your
allegations and hope that we won?t see that you don?t. If you had, you
would have presented them in your first post. You paint a water colored
illusion with you innuendos and hyperbole. The citizens of Macon are
not stupid, and I resent your assuming that we are. According to the
consensus of 2000, the city of Macon has a population of 96,777, and
while 900 signatures does represent a lot of hard work, they don?t
represent the ?... vast majority of the public....? as Susan states in
her letter. There?s a big difference between forgetting the existence
of the petition and misrepresenting the importance of the petition.
Another
assumption: You say that I am ?...unable to see the forest & trees
for the profits of asphalt.? indicating that I am against the redesign.
You couldn?t be further from the truth. I think Caution Macon has some
very strong FACTS supporting their stance for the redesign.
Unfortunately, the organization insists on running these rabbit trails,
screaming about unsubstantiated biased reporting and corrupt officials.
Let your facts stand for themselves; they will prove worthy.
In
closing, this isn?t the first time that you?ve heard this. There have
been other posts showing you this perspective, but, sadly, you choose
not to listen. Keep thinking that the end justifies the means, and you
will put yourself on ?...top of the soon to be Asphalt Hill Road.? As
you sit there, just remember you mantra
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Ima,
your Dad was right. Despite a good bit of evidence on all fronts, you
continue to keep your head in the sand and perpetuate circuitous
semantics.
But you?re right that the people of Macon are not
stupid. The ones that spend a little bit of time at:
www.macon-bibb.com/FHR
clearly
see through your circuitous methodology , which only serves to enable,
support and perpetuate bad government in Bibb County.
Almost
everyone that I encountered at First Friday last evening brought up the
Forest Hill issue. Encouragingly, 100% of them expressed support for
the scaling back and redesign of Forest Hill Road.
I?m not
going to waste anymore time with you here but please know that your
Dad, you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.
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Dear Ima,
Thank-you for reminding CAUTION to refocus on our current issue - the
Redesign of Forest Hill Road.
I am a member of www.CautionMacon.org - Citizens Against Unwanted
Thoroughfares In Our Neighborhoods
Over the years, we won some battles - like saving
Ingleside Avenue; and, we lost some battles - like at Houston Road.
Along
the way, we have found many hurdles that must be crossed: corrupt,
unethical or ignorant officials = bad government; inadequate, biased or
erroneous reporting; educating the public about better urban design
options; poor planning at Macon-Bibb Planning and Zoning; meeting times
planned to discourage public input; et cetera.. . The list seems to go
on forever, and we do sometimes loose our focus.
We hope that
the Promised Mediation will help us all to refocus on modern,
context-sensitive, urban roads design at Forest Hill Rd. We hope this
exercise will result in saved public money and lives, not only at
Forest Hill, but also throughout our communities in Middle Georgia.
Thanks again,
- Lindsay
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