Unification Project:
http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/9394032.htm Posted on Fri, Aug. 13, 2004 Editors: I support unification by either means of: (1) Sudden unification by state law, and/or/simultaneously (2) Gradual unification by the piecemeal combinations of duplicate departments and elimination of redundancies. One of our many redundancies is that Macon-Bibb has two Indian chiefs, The mayor and the county commission chairman. One or both of these positions must be emasculated during the process to achieve unification. This is why I disagree with your editorial position, in which you seem to be supporting the perpetuation of a powerful mayorship. Even if we had only one chief, I still believe we would be better served by a hired manager who serves at the pleasure of the entire council/commission. A good people-person politician unifier is unlikely to also possess the skills of a cutthroat capitalistic business manager. Lindsay D. Holliday -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unification documents: http://www.macon-bibb.com/Unity/Index.htm
|
No SPLOST oversight Posted on Sun, Feb. 15, 2004 http://www.macon.com/mld/telegraph/news/editorial/letters/7949860.htm Editors: A vote March 2 for the proposed SPLOST is like saying: Dear Mayor Ellis and Dear Chairman Olmstead, I approve of your job performances and I totally trust you to wisely spend our taxpayers' money as you desire with no "checks and balances" and no "citizen oversight" to distract you. A "no" vote says to C. Jack Ellis and Tommy Olmstead: "Based on your recent job performances, I do not trust you to spend this money wisely behind closed doors without real public input and scrutiny." How could anyone who has knowledge of the serious abuses of the past two SPLOSTs vote "yes" to such an open-ended tax as this one? The last paragraph of this SPLOST authorizes an additional $35 million of new bonds (debt) to be issued. Incredible. Links to information about the past two SPLOSTs is posted on-line at http://www.macon-bibb.com/SPLOST We need to insist on better government and fiscal responsibility with these luxury programs. This SPLOST seems custom written for insider deals and fiscal abuse, so I will vote "no," and I hope you will too. We will never get better options to vote on if we continue to accept the same old stuff. I challenge Ellis and Olmstead to redesign this SPLOST for the November ballot. Let's try doing it right for once. Lindsay D. Holliday Macon |
[published in abridged form on Wednesday September 8, 1999.]
Editors -Macon Telegraph
September 6, 1999 - submitted
Stone Tablets and Scofflawss
The Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) is withholding reasonable access to public records concerning the Macon/Bibb Road Improvements Program. A court reporter from Claude Joiner, Inc. has typed a transcript of verbal comments at a public hearing held on July 13, 1999 at the Macon Centreplex concerning the proposed Eisenhower Parkway Extension. These transcripts were given to the GaDOT in two formats: 1- a stack of typed pages, and 2- one computer disk containing the same information.
After my numerous requests for a copy of the information on the disk, Ms. Walker of the DOT finally offered to send me photocopies of the paper stack for $69.50, which included shipping and handling. Why should a taxpayer be charged for "snail-mail" and paper (delivered of course over our GaDOT roads) when a copy of the computer disk can be emailed instantly (over the phone lines) at virtually no cost?
GA State Law (code 50-18) provides that copies of computer based records must be provided by the most economical method. Can you imagine how hard it would be to disseminate information if it had to be chiseled on to stone tablets - or photocopied from original paper. A well-trained engineer understands this problem very well.
To read a more thorough accounting of my attempts to acquire public records from the DOT, go to http://www.hollidaydental.com/dotpr.htm
Why is the DOT attempting to hide public record details from the public about this $150 million project? Macon has no meaningful oversight of its $300M Road Improvement Program. How long should this be tolerated?
Macon, GA
teeth@mindspring.com
The letter above was published partly edited by the Macon Telegraph on Wednesday September 8, 1999.
It read like this:
DOT should reassess records policy
Editors: The Georgia Department of Transportation is withholding reasonable access to public records concerning the Macon/Bibb Road Improvements Program.
A court reporter from Claude Joiner Inc. has typed a transcript of oral comments at a public hearing held on July 13 at the Macon Centreplex concerning the proposed Eisenhower Parkway Extension.
These transcripts were given to the DOT in two formats: (1) a stack of typed pages, and (2) one computer disk containing the same information.
After my numerous requests for a copy of the information on the disk, Lesa Walker of the DOT finally offered to send me photocopies of the paper stack for $69.50, which included shipping and handling. Why should a taxpayer be charged for "snail-mail" and paper (delivered, of course, over our DOT roads) when a copy of the computer disk can be e-mailed instantly (over the phone lines) at virtually no cost?
State Law (code 50-18) provides that copies of computer-based records must be provided by the most economical method. Imagine how hard it would be to disseminate information if it had to be chiseled onto stone tablets - or photocopied from original paper. A well-trained engineer understands this problem very well.
Why is the DOT attempting to hide public record details from the public about this $150 million project?
Lindsay Holliday Macon |