for the weekend and the Cape Fear Blues Festival at Battleship Park.
Keeping fingers crossed that the rain doesn't follow us.
Friday, July 29, 2005
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Listen and Learn
Our commissioners are back from their island getaway and at least one of them is touting it as a great success.
"I'm a better commissioner today because I went to that conference," said Commissioner Paul Gibson.
Particularly useful, he said, was a morning-and-afternoon session on budgeting that featured a presentation by Mecklenburg County, which recently switched to a more results-focused budget process that treats county government like a business.
It seems to me that you could have learned a little about that here. If you would listen to your fellow commissioners instead of excluding them because they are from the "other party" you might hear something interesting.
Commissioner Mike Winstead told you the day you passed the budget that he couldn't imagine a business being run this way.
Now after passing a $510.5 million budget and taking your $3000 taxpayer jaunt to the islands, you're receptive to the idea of running it like a business?
What was the "other party" telling you? Input, input--discussion, discussion. Instead you left them out, proceeded with your "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" budget negotiations AND included yourself a 40% raise on the back of the taxpayers.
Shame, shame.
Now after the budget full of "pork" and your "vacation" you have finally had a revelation and have seen the light due to a meeting in Hawaii?
We'll see.
One thing I do like about your "revelation."
"RESULTS-FOCUSED"
Hopefully that means that the majority party will at least listen to and try to work with the minority party and try to get some positive results for Guilford County.
What you have been doing is nothing but an embarassment.
"I'm a better commissioner today because I went to that conference," said Commissioner Paul Gibson.
Particularly useful, he said, was a morning-and-afternoon session on budgeting that featured a presentation by Mecklenburg County, which recently switched to a more results-focused budget process that treats county government like a business.
It seems to me that you could have learned a little about that here. If you would listen to your fellow commissioners instead of excluding them because they are from the "other party" you might hear something interesting.
Commissioner Mike Winstead told you the day you passed the budget that he couldn't imagine a business being run this way.
Now after passing a $510.5 million budget and taking your $3000 taxpayer jaunt to the islands, you're receptive to the idea of running it like a business?
What was the "other party" telling you? Input, input--discussion, discussion. Instead you left them out, proceeded with your "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" budget negotiations AND included yourself a 40% raise on the back of the taxpayers.
Shame, shame.
Now after the budget full of "pork" and your "vacation" you have finally had a revelation and have seen the light due to a meeting in Hawaii?
We'll see.
One thing I do like about your "revelation."
"RESULTS-FOCUSED"
Hopefully that means that the majority party will at least listen to and try to work with the minority party and try to get some positive results for Guilford County.
What you have been doing is nothing but an embarassment.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
WRECK
Morning wreck shuts down northbound 85 atNC 62. 18-wheeler goes off bridge onto Kivett
Drive blocking both lanes and catching on fire
Picture from Hickory Creek Road and not very
good as this was as close as they would let me get
(maybe time for some form of blogger press pass
LOL)
Hope driver is OK but from the look of the truck it is very doubtful and ambulance was still there a couple of hours after the wreck
Don't know details but heard truck was hit and
pushed off bridge-----also heard he may have fallen asleep
UPDATE: News 2 said driver of Southbound car fell asleep and crossed median and hit truck head on----truck then rolled off the bridge and onto Kivett Drive----thankfully the 3 people in the car survived as did the truck driver who was rescued from the wreck by 3 bystanders and is in critical condition in the hospital
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Friday, July 22, 2005
If You Like the Blues................
this is definitely a show you don't want to miss.Guitar Shorty, aka David Kearney, will be playing the Blue Bayou Club in Hillsborough this Saturday night.
At age 16 Shorty joined the Ray Charles Band.
At 17 he recorded his first single under the direction of Willie Dixon for the Cobra Label
When he got a chance to play for Guitar Slim, Shorty moved to New Orleans. There he fronted a house band at the legendary Dew Drop Inn where he got to play with T Bone Walker, Big Joe Turner and Little Richard.
Shorty's albums are great and show the dedication the man has put into his music, but his stage show is something you don't want to miss. His no holds barred show has been known to include back flips, somersaults, and headstands. None of these occurred the last time he was at the Bayou (probably because of a small stage) but he did wow everybody with his bar- top antics and when he walked out the front door playing his guitar, leaving his band inside, and proceeded to walk around a city block never missing a beat.
So, if you like the blues and need something to do Saturday night, maybe I'll see you in Hillsborough. It will be worth it.
May want to call and make sure tickets are available.
Saturday, July 16, 2005
You Are Turning Into----------
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You are turning into one fine young man and an even finer human being.
I'm very, very proud of you.
It is indeed an honor to call you my son.
HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY!!!
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A premie at only 5lb 6oz----
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HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!! Well almost----8 more minutes.
A premie at only 5lb 6oz a cabbage patch doll was quite a bit bigger than him.
Friday, July 15, 2005
The Big Link
This weeks Big Link is here.
No posts this week as I had a lot going on. Still trying to find a job and get the schooling set up.
I did have a great road trip last Saturday. Went to see Michael Burks at the Double Door Inn in Charlotte. Michael played at the Carolina Blues Festival in Greensboro in May.
For those that did not attend, you missed a show. He really should have been the headliner, although I have nothing against the Holmes Brothers, who did headline.
In Charlotte, as well as Greensboro, Michael was phenomenal. Michael started playing at 10 and his FIRST SET did not end until 12:50 am. Yep, 2hrs 50 min of the best guitar playing, drum banging, bass thumping, organ orgasmic blues I have heard in a long, long time.
If you like the blues, Michael Burks has a show you don't want to miss. He plays the Triad often. Blue Bayou in Hillsborough or the Double Door in Charlotte. Make sure you see him.
Maybe ONE of thes days we'll have a venue in Greensboro that is not afraid to book some national blues acts, and you can see them without driving so far.
No posts this week as I had a lot going on. Still trying to find a job and get the schooling set up.
I did have a great road trip last Saturday. Went to see Michael Burks at the Double Door Inn in Charlotte. Michael played at the Carolina Blues Festival in Greensboro in May.
For those that did not attend, you missed a show. He really should have been the headliner, although I have nothing against the Holmes Brothers, who did headline.
In Charlotte, as well as Greensboro, Michael was phenomenal. Michael started playing at 10 and his FIRST SET did not end until 12:50 am. Yep, 2hrs 50 min of the best guitar playing, drum banging, bass thumping, organ orgasmic blues I have heard in a long, long time.
If you like the blues, Michael Burks has a show you don't want to miss. He plays the Triad often. Blue Bayou in Hillsborough or the Double Door in Charlotte. Make sure you see him.
Maybe ONE of thes days we'll have a venue in Greensboro that is not afraid to book some national blues acts, and you can see them without driving so far.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Friday, July 08, 2005
Good Ol' Boys
After receiving my property tax bill in the mail today, I just had to get one more post in, bitching about the budget recently passed by our "fiscally responsible stewards of taxpayer money", the Guilford County Commissioners.
I wonder why Skip Alston thinks everyone should play by the rules except him?
Earlier this year, he declared that employees of Greensboro's housing department were racist because he didn't like the way a black- owned apartment management company was treated.
He accused Jenks Crayton of "special tax favors" (on hearsay from one of the Tax Dept. employees) to Commissioners Steve Arnold and Billy Yow. Even after the State Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina Department of Revenue cleared Crayton of any wrongdoing, he is still not satisfied.
Yet he managed $250,000 dollars in this budget for his Civil Rights Museum, with a pledge of $250,000 over the next three years, for a total of $1 million dollars.
The county's rules say grant applications must be filed by March 11 and contain enough information so that officials can evaluate how the money would be used. The Civil Rights Museum "did not apply for funds during the stated application process," say county budget documents. Nor did it meet the requirement of providing tax-exempt documentation and an annual certified audit and management letter in advance.
Although future boards are not required to fund the $250,000 pledge the next three years, with this bunch in power, do you really think it won't happen??
You got to have the "power."
Then there's the 40% raise for the County Commissioners, making them, on average, the highest paid board of County Commissioners in the state. At a time when jobs are leaving the state by the thousands leaving people un-employed, housing needs, and health insurance needs, this is nothing but a slap in the face to the taxpayers of this county.
So Skip, Bruce. You claim to represent the maligned, downtrodden, and the poorest of poor in this county. Hope you've already picked out your charity or food banks to send that $500 a month too. Show 'em you really care.
Nearly $800,000 is going to local corporations to fulfill economic incentives commitments. Save your incentive money. Get off your asses, stop partisan bickering, back room politics and trying to "get one up" on the other party. Work together to make Guilford County a model county and you won't have to pay anyone to come and create jobs and contribute to the tax base. Make them "want" to come here and be a part of this county. The way it is now I don't see how anybody wants to live here anymore. (This advice meant for both parties. Not just the one responsible for the budget.)
This budget leaves the county's operating reserves at the bare minimum suggested by the NC Local Government Commission. The three top finance officials in Guilford County, Budget Director J. D. Rowland, Guilford County Manager Willie Best, and Finance Director Brenda Jones-Fox, all warned the commissioners not to take money from one-time sources to pay for operating costs.
Alston said budget officials wouldn't have let the commissioners use one-time money and money from a bond repayment fund if it were problematic. What he didn't say is they have no vote on the matter. So $3.4 million from one-time sales tax revenue, $1 million from the county's reserves, and $2 million from a fund meant to pay off school bond debt and other bond debt, has been included in the budget. That is one-time money that will not be available next year initially.
Right after the meeting where the budget was passed, Commissioner Kay Cashion was already starting to distance herself from it. When asked about the budget she said, "Well, I don't agree with everything that's in there."
Well Kay, when are you going to start doing the job you were elected to do? The people that voted for you didn't send you up there to be a "yes" lady for your party. They sent you up there to do what's right for the people of this county. If you don't "agree with what's in there", don't vote for it or at least try to change it. I don't remember reading about anything you were promised in the budget. To be a rubber stamp is unbelievable.
Commissioner Kirk Perkins. "I'm sure they're good projects. I just don't know anything about 'em."(In reference to some High Point programs funded.)
Kirk, isn't part of your job to find out about these things you are spending the taxpayer's money on? TAXPAYER money. Not yours. Seems like you would have a little more desire and ambition to at least "try" to be informed on what you're voting on. That's the "budget process."
Commissioner Carolyn Coleman, who voted for the budget, when asked how the county will be able to pay for this budget and address future debt, said that maybe the county economy will improve this year, and the Commissioners may be able to find some places to cut in the future to help pay for things.
I doubt it Mrs. Coleman. You didn't try to find any cuts this year so why should we expect any difference in years to come?
I will keep my fingers crossed and hope the economy improves though. Then I might be able to find a job, pay my taxes, and keep my home, unless the county is willing to "forgive" my tax burden this year.
Commissioner Bruce Davis got $20,000 into the budget again this year for a youth league football program. It bought uniforms last year anjd those are good for several years. What are we gonna get this year?
Other sports spending includes $5,000 for the High Point Golf Swingers Youth Program, and $5,000 for the Macedonia Baseball Little League Program.
Hell, I need golf lessons. Wonder if they'll teach me?
Commissioner Paul Gibson has to be my favorite.
Gibson said he supports the civil rights museum but has no idea how the $250,000 will be used. That wasn't discussed, he said.
"We spent less time talking about the budget than I spend with my home budget," Gibson added. He didn't like everything in it but,"I held my nose and voted for it."
So much for the budget process.
A day or so after the budget vote Mr. Gibson had second thoughts about the Commissioners raise in the budget. He said he wasn't upset about the raise but the process in which it was achieved. (No discussion)
Playing both sides of the fence??
Must be. The raise still stands as of today. With the Republicans in the minority it will probably stay that way.
Republican Trudy Wade said she wasn't planning on taking the raise. Republican Mike Winstead said he'd turned it down already. Kudos to them.
I have to agree with Skip Alston on one thing.
There is a "Good Ol' Boy" network alive and kicking in Guilford County.
It's just not the people he thinks it is.
I wonder why Skip Alston thinks everyone should play by the rules except him?
Earlier this year, he declared that employees of Greensboro's housing department were racist because he didn't like the way a black- owned apartment management company was treated.
He accused Jenks Crayton of "special tax favors" (on hearsay from one of the Tax Dept. employees) to Commissioners Steve Arnold and Billy Yow. Even after the State Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina Department of Revenue cleared Crayton of any wrongdoing, he is still not satisfied.
Yet he managed $250,000 dollars in this budget for his Civil Rights Museum, with a pledge of $250,000 over the next three years, for a total of $1 million dollars.
The county's rules say grant applications must be filed by March 11 and contain enough information so that officials can evaluate how the money would be used. The Civil Rights Museum "did not apply for funds during the stated application process," say county budget documents. Nor did it meet the requirement of providing tax-exempt documentation and an annual certified audit and management letter in advance.
Although future boards are not required to fund the $250,000 pledge the next three years, with this bunch in power, do you really think it won't happen??
You got to have the "power."
Then there's the 40% raise for the County Commissioners, making them, on average, the highest paid board of County Commissioners in the state. At a time when jobs are leaving the state by the thousands leaving people un-employed, housing needs, and health insurance needs, this is nothing but a slap in the face to the taxpayers of this county.
So Skip, Bruce. You claim to represent the maligned, downtrodden, and the poorest of poor in this county. Hope you've already picked out your charity or food banks to send that $500 a month too. Show 'em you really care.
Nearly $800,000 is going to local corporations to fulfill economic incentives commitments. Save your incentive money. Get off your asses, stop partisan bickering, back room politics and trying to "get one up" on the other party. Work together to make Guilford County a model county and you won't have to pay anyone to come and create jobs and contribute to the tax base. Make them "want" to come here and be a part of this county. The way it is now I don't see how anybody wants to live here anymore. (This advice meant for both parties. Not just the one responsible for the budget.)
This budget leaves the county's operating reserves at the bare minimum suggested by the NC Local Government Commission. The three top finance officials in Guilford County, Budget Director J. D. Rowland, Guilford County Manager Willie Best, and Finance Director Brenda Jones-Fox, all warned the commissioners not to take money from one-time sources to pay for operating costs.
Alston said budget officials wouldn't have let the commissioners use one-time money and money from a bond repayment fund if it were problematic. What he didn't say is they have no vote on the matter. So $3.4 million from one-time sales tax revenue, $1 million from the county's reserves, and $2 million from a fund meant to pay off school bond debt and other bond debt, has been included in the budget. That is one-time money that will not be available next year initially.
Right after the meeting where the budget was passed, Commissioner Kay Cashion was already starting to distance herself from it. When asked about the budget she said, "Well, I don't agree with everything that's in there."
Well Kay, when are you going to start doing the job you were elected to do? The people that voted for you didn't send you up there to be a "yes" lady for your party. They sent you up there to do what's right for the people of this county. If you don't "agree with what's in there", don't vote for it or at least try to change it. I don't remember reading about anything you were promised in the budget. To be a rubber stamp is unbelievable.
Commissioner Kirk Perkins. "I'm sure they're good projects. I just don't know anything about 'em."(In reference to some High Point programs funded.)
Kirk, isn't part of your job to find out about these things you are spending the taxpayer's money on? TAXPAYER money. Not yours. Seems like you would have a little more desire and ambition to at least "try" to be informed on what you're voting on. That's the "budget process."
Commissioner Carolyn Coleman, who voted for the budget, when asked how the county will be able to pay for this budget and address future debt, said that maybe the county economy will improve this year, and the Commissioners may be able to find some places to cut in the future to help pay for things.
I doubt it Mrs. Coleman. You didn't try to find any cuts this year so why should we expect any difference in years to come?
I will keep my fingers crossed and hope the economy improves though. Then I might be able to find a job, pay my taxes, and keep my home, unless the county is willing to "forgive" my tax burden this year.
Commissioner Bruce Davis got $20,000 into the budget again this year for a youth league football program. It bought uniforms last year anjd those are good for several years. What are we gonna get this year?
Other sports spending includes $5,000 for the High Point Golf Swingers Youth Program, and $5,000 for the Macedonia Baseball Little League Program.
Hell, I need golf lessons. Wonder if they'll teach me?
Commissioner Paul Gibson has to be my favorite.
Gibson said he supports the civil rights museum but has no idea how the $250,000 will be used. That wasn't discussed, he said.
"We spent less time talking about the budget than I spend with my home budget," Gibson added. He didn't like everything in it but,"I held my nose and voted for it."
So much for the budget process.
A day or so after the budget vote Mr. Gibson had second thoughts about the Commissioners raise in the budget. He said he wasn't upset about the raise but the process in which it was achieved. (No discussion)
Playing both sides of the fence??
Must be. The raise still stands as of today. With the Republicans in the minority it will probably stay that way.
Republican Trudy Wade said she wasn't planning on taking the raise. Republican Mike Winstead said he'd turned it down already. Kudos to them.
I have to agree with Skip Alston on one thing.
There is a "Good Ol' Boy" network alive and kicking in Guilford County.
It's just not the people he thinks it is.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Lady On The Move
Patrick's first pole in only her eighth career start, giving Team Rahal the first three starting positions.
"I know a lot of this started because I'm a chick in a race car," Patrick said. "Now it's turning into, "Look what this rookie can do."
Indeed.
A win in the near future??
"I know a lot of this started because I'm a chick in a race car," Patrick said. "Now it's turning into, "Look what this rookie can do."
Indeed.
A win in the near future??
Floyd Back?
Watching the Live 8 broadcast today and saw the much anticipated reunion of Pink Floyd, rumored to be just this one time gig.
Awesome set if you ask me.
Roger Waters says that a Pink Floyd reunion "is highly unlikely, but I'll never say never".
I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope these guys get their differences worked out. Of all the group reunions and reunion tours going on lately, this is one I'd really like to see happen.
Awesome set if you ask me.
Roger Waters says that a Pink Floyd reunion "is highly unlikely, but I'll never say never".
I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope these guys get their differences worked out. Of all the group reunions and reunion tours going on lately, this is one I'd really like to see happen.
Friday, July 01, 2005
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