The Watercooler
By Staff
9/3/2006 02:21:05 PM


This is an open blog for discussing whatever you`d like.


Note: Remeber that while we encourage open discussion on these blogs, violations of the SoundOff blog policy will not be tolerated. So please keep it civil, or you will be banned.


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Bird Dog
Comments: 288
Joined: 09/06/2006
10/30/2006 12:41:04 AM
MM....most of your rantings make no sense and show your true innerbeing. You may need to seek anger counseling. I was not even speaking to you about "whose house you are typing in" comment. I was saying that Draz is a guest of the RNT blog page and she continually batters them, as you do, when frankly, you and I are guest here. I will try to make things clearer for you. Do you also want me to use larger font(print size) and double space my words anl lines so it will be easy for you to understand and read.

P.S. Why don't you ask all your law enforcement buddies why they ganged up on Matt starting immediately at the crash scene that he caused and started this huge conspiracy against him that has gone all the way up to the judge.

Another P.S. You asked below what is a big MO........ that would be short for M-O-R-O-N.... any other questions?

 
JBT
Comments: 101
Joined: 10/03/2006
10/30/2006 12:29:47 AM
msla, they should not have to take the stand. Their statements should be enough for the jury to go on, along with your testimony. I'm sorry the DA office is giving you the run-around!
 
msla
Comments: 539
Joined: 12/29/2005
10/30/2006 12:24:04 AM
This past spring, a man 'showed himself off' to my grandgirls and I at a local store. We're finally about to have a jury trial. When the whole thing first happened, the DA's office (Floyd County) said the girls wouldn't have to actually see the man again or get up on the stand. And they talked about several ways they were going to handle them. Mainly, since the girls were clear, video seemed to be a good option since all of us separately verified one another in our stories of the event.

Now one girl just turned 6 this month and the other is 7. I got the subpoenas this week and have tried to find out how will they be handled. I have yet to get anyone from the DA office or Victims Witness Protection office to respond.

What do you all think? Should these girls go on the stand in front of a jury? I firmly believe in justice. And I don't want anyone coaching them. But I also don't want them out there by themselves. Since I'm also a witness, I can't emotionally help them. (By the way, I have custody of these girls. I've raised them for 5 years.) I feel betrayed by the DA's office. Originally, they had several alternatives to this.

 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/30/2006 12:18:30 AM
p.s. dogdo,MATT is locked up in a cell at floyd CO. JAIL . Does that make you happy.Some of my best friends are police and firefighters.They are sickened by what has happened to Matt.They are also his friends.There is always a bad apple in the basket.WORD IS THAT IT IS YOU. Telleveryone more about this special form of probation that you have come up with.It sounds kinda like another one of your lies.
 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/30/2006 12:02:03 AM
YOU showed up almost three yrs. later.Who knows where from.You were wise to say he didn't lie. I think you know the truth.But if anyone is lying, it's you.The wittinesses that came forward after the trial both live in Shanon. I am typing in my house.Iam sure if the .rnt. had slandered your family you would be thankful.Spent the day reading again,it is strange that they also said during pretrial,police reports and the very first RNT.report that she was making a left turn onto burlington of 53. No one even mentioned her stopping at that time.Weird how a story gets twisted.Feb.17 04.From the RTN. I quote,Robert hicks said he was waiting to cross the hiway when the G.M.C. Envoy tried to make a left hand turn.The light was orange and turned red,he said . He couldn't stop. This is what this man said then. his story changed with each interview. According to locals at a restaurant he eats at. He said he was at the gas station and didn't realy see it happen.He said all he knowed was it was a bad wreck.That is what makes me wonder how he could afford that new nissan frontier.This is not the honest man the DA. had the jury beleiving.She was not clearing the intersection. She almost missed the turn altogather.She wason the phone,not paying attenion,wasn't even in the turn lane,when she turned and stomped the gas.She almost hit the front of the log truck,according to three honest folks that didn't even try to change there story.BD. YOU SHOULD SHUT UP AND WATCH IT ON T.V.
 
Bird Dog
Comments: 288
Joined: 09/06/2006
10/29/2006 11:02:57 PM
MM, it was a beautiful day and thankfully I did get to enjoy it, I hope you did to. Thanks for thinking of me. I am sure you were at peace knowing that all the convicted criminals and felons in our society did not get to enjoy this day,freely walking our streets and driving on our roads. I also hope all the dedicated men and women on our police forces and fire dept.'s enjoyed this beautiful day. I know it's tough on them doing the work they do, while continually being ridiculed by people such as youself and the MFT.com website.

P.S. I bet Matt got to go out in the prison yard to see this day unless he was put on double secret probation for something.

 
Bird Dog
Comments: 288
Joined: 09/06/2006
10/29/2006 10:52:58 PM
Draz, If you hate the RNT so much and think they don't have to print things, whose house do you think you are typing in. You should be saying THANK YOU to the RNT for them to even allow you to continue you to post your ^@#$@*(((&%^ , when all you do is throw brbs at them. That's about how thankful alot of people are in this world. They think they can get away with anything.

 
Bird Dog
Comments: 288
Joined: 09/06/2006
10/29/2006 10:48:40 PM
Draz, Why would anyone pay attention to you....you hear what you want to hear. Funny thing how 12 of his peers FOUND HIM GUILTY UNAMIOUSLY....12 out of 12, not 90% or 80%...that's 100%, everybody and that is why he was found GUILTY. He had 2 years to prepare. It failed. There is no new evidence. Mysteriously, only ONE person at the trial, thinks he did't run the RED light and that was his brother. I would put less believability in his story then Von Baron. Not because I think he is a liar, but because he has a motive not to tell the truth or to remember things differently, than they really were. NO ONE ELSE AT the trial had a motive to LIE. Not saying he lied, only that his story would not recieve the credibility on witnesses that were unrelated. And then, EVERYONE that shows up TWO years later from near and far says something different. It's like getting to see the test and then taking it the next day.As far as CRAP, that's all you dish out. Twisted truths and Lies.... As for the kids in Atlanta, it's very bad, but the difference is that they turned left while the light was green and it was backed up by the witnesses. That's a HUGE DIFFERENCE from this case, where she was clearing the intersection after coming to a stop in the middle of the median crossover as verified by the witnesses who attended the trial.

 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/29/2006 10:45:43 PM
There is very few things cool on this blog. Could we start another blog and call it the woodstove? In the past more things were talked about around the heater this time of year.Water is good,cooler is not.How bout waterheater? Just a suggestion.Seems that some folks are tired of our subject matter. Moving on to something else would be good .Don't think their is anybody but B.D.that disagrees that Matt got railroaded. HIS OPINION DON'T HAVE ANY MERRITT,so why carry on.If the true story concerns you,it will be my pleasure to help you.Mountain man.
 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/29/2006 08:33:30 PM
Can anyone explain this excuse of being in an intersection and having the stupidity to go on out and risk being hit by oncoming cars.Idon't get it. NEVER WILL!Even if that was indeed what happened to Candice,it was a mistake on her part.Either way Matt was destroyed by the RNT.and many others.When the smoke clears and the true story is heard.Matt should destroy the lyers that put him through this hell.It will happen,count on it.
 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/29/2006 08:05:12 PM
It was one of the most beautiful days in my memory.Wish Matt could have seen it.Birddo,hope your day sucked!
 
drazzil4assil
Comments: 8
Joined: 09/10/2006
10/29/2006 07:06:21 PM
Are you ever gonna pay attention or are you gonna keep spouting that crap about 'clearing the intersection'. She whipped over into the turn-lane at the last second and turned so fast and sharp that 4 witnesses said it looked like she might roll over.And she kept right on 'blowing thru',she did not yield,or slow,or stop AND she did not have the right to clear the intersection cause she WAS NOT on Burlington going thru she was TURNING LEFT IN FRONT OF ON-COMING TRAFFIC!!!The sad truth is that because she was in a hurry she made a horrible and near fatal mistake.But does laying the blame on someone else make that any less the truth...NO that just adds a horrible twist to it.The thing that needs to be remembered it could have been anyone in her path,she did not know because she did not take the time to try to see around the loaded log truck or the trees in the median.That is why we should always take time to make sure 100% of the time that our path is clear, if we all just drove in front of each other cause we are in a hurry...well we would all be in a mess.(just in case ...that one was for the dawg) B1222 Hope I helped you understand about the clearing of the intersection,if not read on...IMA spoke about the wreck this week near Atlanta where 3 young korean men died in a horrible and tragic way when they turned in front of on-coming traffic.The driver of the truck that they turned in front of was not cited nor given a ticket, yet the young man that was driving was ticketed because he did not yield...and he did die as a result of his mistake.That is so sad that 3 young men died as a result of a mistake that one of them made, but at least the charges were placed on the person responsible and not laid on the poor man that thy turned in front of...yet again that could have been any one of us!!!Furthermore R.N.T. prints just what they want to, if they do not like you or the subject matter out it goes.In fact I was told if they do not want to print something they do not have to...and do not tell me that for enough money they will print anything, cause I asked them and they will not!!Of course if another paper or news source picks it up and tells it they would love to.
 
Davis120
Comments: 11
Joined: 09/03/2006
10/29/2006 12:38:00 PM
Mountainman, I am totally against the foot bridge (look at my comments under that topic). There are a thousand ways 2.4 Mil could be better spent in the city. I dont think that Floyd county will have anything to do with the bridge but I may be wrong. There already are a couple of fishing docks at Riverside Park, in the little section closest to Celeneese.
 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/29/2006 11:27:42 AM
You sound a little upset,birddo.Look over the transcript again. Then check the statments given to the police interviews. Commonsense would suggest,they would be at least simular.Only one wittiness had the same statement each of five times, you figure out who it was.Don't even consider McDolald and Turner.Do,esanyone know what a big MO. is.It don't make any difference what color the light was .Candice failed to yeild again .And caused another wreck .The big question is ,why did she even have adrivers liscence?After a driver accumulates 10 points the state take that persons lisence.She already had 11 pts.I may be a hick ,but I can add just fine.R.Hicks is from Adairsville. My educationis not relivent to this.You quote Steve Cocks as if you know him.That came straight from his opening statement.
 
Ima D Scamp
Comments: 286
Joined: 08/30/2006
10/29/2006 12:53:54 AM
Bird_Dog.......... I had one nerve left and you stepped on it! Copycat!
Just an observation and MY OWN OPINION!
 
Bird Dog
Comments: 288
Joined: 09/06/2006
10/28/2006 11:33:49 PM
An uneducated HICK(no relation to the Hicks at the scene of Matt's crime) said "Commonsense would tell even an uneducated,hick from Armuchee to wait a second ,instead of pulling out in front of a truck". She didn't pull out in front of a truck you big MO...and she did wait, the light turned RED, she was clearing the intesection when the RECKLESS driver blew thru the intersection and T-Boned her car.....maybe people on probation should wear ankle bracelets MM and Draz....but the convicted felon Matt was already on probation, so WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT.....put him on DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION like in Animal House or put him in jail so he will learn a lesson.

 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/28/2006 10:43:44 PM
Thank,s for the info.It would seem that way.No-one realy denies it!The cards were stacked ,so he lost. Only problem is, nobody won either.This matter will be resolved.Matt should be free. It is unamaginable to most,but almost 3 yrs ago M att was on his way home from work.Acar made an illigal left turn into his path.He didnt make it home yet. He lost his business,his future wife,and everything else.Why?I can answer any thing about the wreck and trial.7,000 pages of testimony,adds up to one big pile of B.S.
 
bloggeye
Comments: 285
Joined: 08/18/2006
10/28/2006 10:01:58 PM
It is crazy. Here is the site: http://politics.netscape.com/story/2006/10/28/poll-americans-dont-want-politicians-constraining-judges

mntnman444 is against mandatory sentences. It is very strange. Check it out.

Matt was one to make an example out of? From what I read from the site they primed everyone to conclude he was wrong from the git go.
 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/28/2006 09:35:56 PM
That is crazy,bloggeye.Is their also a bias judge involved?MTNMAN,don't post there,birddo might.If we are parallel,I hope it stays that way.Made a mistake on last post. It should have read,OF 179 accidents 80% involved failure to yeild. Just a fact.Needed to make that clear.
 
bloggeye
Comments: 285
Joined: 08/18/2006
10/28/2006 09:21:04 PM
I just had a crazy parallel world experience. I always log on to Netscape and happened checked out a story on activist judges and elected officials, and read some of the posts on that blog. Are mntnman444 and birdog the same ones as the ones with similar names on this blog? They were taking similar positions I would expect them to take. I wonder because I have a name on there that is similar to mine on here, but I never post comments. They were sparring with each other as well. How strange huh?
 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/28/2006 07:29:02 PM
In every accident at 53 and Burlington.80 involved a failure to yeild in which one turned in front another.This is the same thing that happened in the Dunagan,bendick wreck.Only one time in the history of this deadly intersection was the person who failed to yeild not charged.GUESS WHO?
 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/28/2006 07:09:24 PM
dog,You are truly messed up on the rules of the road.Didn't have to look far.Only twice have I heard,it's O.k. to turnin front of traffic if you are caught in the middleof the intersection.From you now ,and D.a. cocks in Matt,s case. Commonsense would tell even an uneducated,hick from Armuchee to wait a second ,instead of pulling out in front of a truck.Just because you 2 people say they have the right,don't make it right.
 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/28/2006 06:17:06 PM
DAVIS,I stated that 8 of 10 didn't deserve to be put through the hell of jail.The system of so called justice in floyd co.don't care if your guilty or not. If you can pay ,then you can go home.If youdon't have the money ,then the tax payers have to support the inmate for as long as it takes.Some innocent people that don't have the money,have to sit in jail.Some for months or years.It seems their aren't many rich people in F.C .jail.At least not for long.The city of Rome is a large part of floyd co.Is this SPLOST MONEYonly coming from inside the city limit,or do all of us have to pay for a second foot bridge.Have you noticed the traffic on the exisiting bridge.In any given day,it would be no more than 100people.Idon't think we need another usless structure.Iwould vote yes for a fishing deck.It would cost less and do the public more good.
 
drazzil4assil
Comments: 8
Joined: 09/10/2006
10/28/2006 04:40:03 PM
Most people sitting in jail/prison are there because of the strict rules of probation that are almost impossible to follow.Not everyone, but most...and it made me wonder why can't they wear an ankle cuff and stay at home and work if they are not a danger to others.So I asked a probation officer right here in Floyd Co., he said it is because the co. can not afford for everyone to wear one and if everyone can't then no-one can.Well I know of one teenage girl that wore one for over a year, and her family did not pay for it.In fact someone else I know offered to pay for his own cuff and was told NO. That is a bunch of HOG WALLER cause that means the co.(I mean us tax payers)are paying to house and feed people that could be out working. Of course if they do'nt want to work then may-be that is where they need to be.But a lot of these people are put back because they moved or had to work late and did not get to report on time,I know a lady that lost her job because it was go to work or to report and if she did not report she would lose her job, home,children and freedom.I bet keeping one person in jail costs a lot more than the ankle monitor or a little easier rules about reporting for probation.AND YES dog I do know there are people that need to be in jail...but Matt Dunagan IS NOT one!!!I have missed a lot of talk here of late...I must have been in hibernation...but I am back.
 
Davis120
Comments: 11
Joined: 09/03/2006
10/28/2006 01:01:05 PM
Mountainman, How do you figure 8 out of 10 people accused of a crime in Floyd County are innocent? It COSTS the county to lock people up, from paying the salay of the police officer all the way to the cost of presenting a case in court. The City of Rome is building the foot bridge not Floyd county.
 
Bird Dog
Comments: 288
Joined: 09/06/2006
10/28/2006 09:18:18 AM
There is a major difference between RED and YELLOW. On yellow it was thier fault, however, on RED, if they were waiting in the intersection, when the light turns RED, thru traffic comes to a stop, the cars in the middle of the intersection clear the intersection, so the traffic now with the GREEN light can cross. If thier light was YELLOW, it's thier mistake. If it had turned RED and they were clearing the intersection, it is blatantly the truck fault. LOOK IT UP. Just an observation and opiniion as usual.
 
Ima D Scamp
Comments: 286
Joined: 08/30/2006
10/27/2006 11:10:37 PM
HI: Mountainman....... did u read the Atlanta Newspaper today? 3 students died in a wreck in Suawanee (sp?) in Gwinette County.
they were in a sedan. They turned in front of a logging truck ...... statements said that both vehicles had yellow lights and the car was charged with being responsible for the accident. Look it up! (However all 3 teens,Korean are all dead). Thought you might find this of interest and might possibly help in the case with Matt. BE SURE TO LOOK IT UP.
Just an observation and opiniion as usual.
 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/27/2006 09:08:33 PM
An innocent man is in jail! Most of you have never experinced this HELL.This is the place that our lawmen take the lawbreakers.8out of 10 don't deserve this hell on earth. Floyd Co. takes in more money from the innocent citizens in one month than the splost fund can get in a year.If they lock you up in FLOYD CO. it will cost you at least a months pay. Thats if you are innocent.heck with splost, lock every one in jail ,they'll pay any amount to be free .Then Floyd CO. CAN BUILD A FOUR LANE WALKING BRIDGE across the river.
 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/27/2006 08:23:21 PM
It is sad.Matt was innocent of the D.U.I.charge.The D.A.s office took the charges to the grand jury 4 times ,without getting an inditment.Then they pulled a rabbit,and called it reckless driving.According to ADA. Cocks the bases for recklessdriving was the amended statement of R.Hicks.This state wittiness has at least 4 different versions of the accident.After his statment to Mark Wallace,from F.C.P D.He came back to say that Matt was going 70 to80 mph ,and gassed on it.This is how they came up with the reckless driving charge.Months or years later.Matt was driving a heavy work truck.Deisel,with a six speed.Hicks said he heard it go varooom just before the crash,I have driven a chevy with the Vortec v-6 or v-8.When I KICKED IT ,IT WENT VAROOOOM . also driven a simular truck to the work truck Matt was driving.It lost power when I KICKED IT. The only way to make it go varooom,would be to down shift.Don't think he had time to even consider that. It would be like a deer running in front of you.If you don't see it ,theres no way to react to it.

 
bloggeye
Comments: 285
Joined: 08/18/2006
10/27/2006 02:25:01 PM
It's sad to say, but our judicial system is far from perfect. Sometimes guilty people are not found guilty, and sadder still many innocent people go to prison or death row. Money and race do matter. As does mental illness. I have a friend's sister with a bipolar disorder arrested for falsely making a 911 call. She sat in jail for weeks without a doctor or her medication. Not only that, but her sister could not take her underwear to change into. She had to give the police money for them to go out and buy her underwear. What's the point of that? I have many other instances I could use as well.

We also know evidence is tampered with or left out of many trials. The conviction of Matt seems like it may have a lot of gray areas and it doesn't seem as if he had a fair trial, especially by parading the car around as "here is what drinking and driving can do," before the trial. The trial probably should have had a change of venue. The jury had probably made up their mind before they were even called up. It seems like some in the area had a lynch mob attitude.

 
maggie
Comments: 1360
Joined: 01/08/2006
10/27/2006 11:03:43 AM
Glad Ringgold High School had the good sense to postpone all the homecoming activities until tomorrow. Sure wouldn't have been any fun standing out in the rain to watch a parade, that is if anyone bothered to show up to be in it!!!!!!
 
msla
Comments: 539
Joined: 12/29/2005
10/27/2006 08:17:21 AM
Brian, the question was more rhetorical than anything else. I meant, there have been lots of chances for any of us to add our personal ideas in this process. If the accounting area is a real sore spot for you, the meetings need your presence whether a SPLOST vote is ever voted in or not. If you can't get to the meetings, your demands can be answered in writing under the Freedom of Information Act. But relentless critical writing on a blog space is not going to change the accountability of much of anything. The government entities and whatever departments you want to track are where you need to place yourself. Most taxpayers, me included, love folks like you who have the time to go to these meetings and keep getting figures. 'Keep 'em honest,' so to say.

In the case of what is on this SPLOST list for this vote, the horse has already left the barn.
 
msla
Comments: 539
Joined: 12/29/2005
10/26/2006 11:53:45 PM
Brian, I agree that things will eventually get done even without the SPLOST vote. That's what I said in my previous post. But I don't want to wait for the state, or wait on any other money, to step in and have to fix anything. Not this time and not for some of these projects. That is my point. I live very near the 53 intersection you were talking about. How many accidents happened before that was improved? (And, by the way, because of the mix in local traffic and highway traffic, we still continue to have accidents there.) This is our county community and we share a responsibility to help one another.

The last vote on SPLOST taught the commissioners a lot about the will of the people. We will say no. We will get disgusted. Unfortunately, one thing that can never happen is the ability of anyone or anything to make everyone happy. We'll never see the day that voters will rush to the voting booths, smiling, practically holding hands together in glee, because 'We agree! We agree! We agree!' on taking care of each other in the same way!

And if you had a lot of accounting questions, where were you in between the SPLOST votes? Before now? But I'll stand behind you and support you on that in the future - probably most folks will or already do involve themselves. It's like this: we have a county and it's stocked full of people. It stretches and changes because life makes its demands. Will we be re-active or pro-active? Every once in awhile, the voters get to decide. So, no, a tornado hasn't hit. A hurricane didn't kill a bunch of us. But I get to go to the poll and vote to put a few things in place that could help my county be a better place to live. I like that. And if something horrible happens in the future, I like the idea that we tried to put things in place to minimize the tragedy. I like sharing the cost with others, even a person just passing through but who stopped and bought a little something. I like getting more and paying less. Always have.

 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/26/2006 11:11:18 PM
None of us will ever agree to this verdict.It may seem strange to the likes of you .i,TALK TO GOD,sometimes he answers us.The only way to know the answer is through faith.If that little voice says its right,then that is what GOD sounds like.Do those signs ,stickers and petitions bother you?We need you to give an interview.I feel that you could help our cause.If you have something to say ,on camera of course.We will listen with an open mind,and give your thoughts to the world.You know how to reach us.

 
Bird Dog
Comments: 288
Joined: 09/06/2006
10/26/2006 10:20:41 PM
There's no way anyone will want everything on this SPLOST or any that will be approached in the future. If you favor the majority, then it's good, if not, then it's not. Brian, I think the rec funding is only 14% of this fund. That leaves 86% for other improvements. Most all of the rec issues are needed as well.

 
Bird Dog
Comments: 288
Joined: 09/06/2006
10/26/2006 10:16:29 PM
What did he sound like? If you are that close to Him, just get him to open the prison door? If he's not guilty, the doors will open and he will be set free, if he's GUILTY, he will remain where he should be. If he was found GUILTY, by a jury of his peers, all of his appeals fail even with the support of these petitions and signs, ect. ect., will you ever agree that he was GUILTY?
 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/26/2006 10:08:43 PM
Well,I sent the prayers up.Actually got a reply.God told me that he had enough prayers for Candice.Now, all he wants is prayer for Matt.That jury got screwed. I don't blame them for being P.O.ed. Lets pray for them also.
 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/26/2006 09:35:16 PM
We are not going to go through this again.Bird -dog,where were you on Feb 17, 2004.Did you see this accident?Have you interviewed anyone involved? Do you know all the facts that have come out since the trial? Even some of the twelve are seeing the way it realy happened.Their virdict was based on what the judge allowed.That was rediclouis,He should have recused himself from this trial.If a lawyer had been that close to the other family, the judge would have called a mistrial.Why did this judge say he didn't know the persons involved?They were church members at the same church for over 20 yrs. The Envoy was displayed in front of this church for 3 weeks.The judge is also a deacon there.He don't remember the Envoy and denied that he was a deacon in that church.Did you notice ,the state wittiness were coached.The only time their storys matched was at the trial. Open your eyes dog.
 
Bird Dog
Comments: 288
Joined: 09/06/2006
10/26/2006 08:23:26 PM
msla....very well said
 
msla
Comments: 539
Joined: 12/29/2005
10/26/2006 07:21:06 PM
The SPLOST vote is like any other: if you like it more than you dislike it, vote yes; if you dislike it more then you like it, vote no. It's an over-all package with an opportunity to get tax money from people who are not just the property owners.

Brian, in particular, you really hammer against more money for the Armuchee recreational area. I have a few funding projects that I'd rather not have on this list. But I am voting for the SPLOST this time around. We are being offered some extra money to carry out things that we might never get again. And everything will only get more expensive no matter when or how it gets done. Some of the projects are at the near-critical stage. Review the list again. Just thinking about traffic around that certain corner of Berry College during rush times makes my teeth want to grind. And when there is even the slightest glitch like a dead car or truck in the way, or the power is out, well,....AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

The group worked hard to put this together. It wasn't just a matter of trying to be fair. And maybe that is the rub, I don't know. But it was also a matter of need, like triage at an emergency center. But this is our county and we all bleed together. Sure, we can keep buying bandages and taking turns putting the pressure on trying to stem the flow of need and concern. We can keep screaming for something else to be done and someone else to pay for it 'somehow.' It just doesn't happen and 'life isn't fair.' That isn't going to stop some of us from sucking it up and doing what we think is for the good of the whole. If we also pay for something we personally don't want, so be it. The price of bandages keep going up too.

As an example, how are we going to face one another if some major disaster happens and it could have been handled by the Cave Spring fire station if we'd just taken care of their needs instead of waiting over and over again? How many of their citizens or firemen will pay the price? I'll stop right here about the traffic because we all know I could go on and on about regrets and potential loss of life if we don't act on our flaws.

Sometimes I don't know if we really get it. What happened to our sense of civic duty and pride? It's not 'high school' where if I can't get it my way, no one gets anything. SPLOST is money we can get from all sorts of people who don't live here. Now let's nicely take their money and take care of our needs. If somebody gets to be happy at a recreation area as a by-product, so be it.

 
Ima D Scamp
Comments: 286
Joined: 08/30/2006
10/26/2006 04:28:35 PM
Brian1222, I am not sure if you meant that Ronnie Wallace was elected Mayor or not, but I do not think there has ever been a vote for Mayor of Rome. If my memory serves me right, I believe he is selected by the City Commissioners. Now, if I am wrong, I stand to be corrected. However, check this one out. He was Prez of The Bank of Cave Spring at one time (aka United Community Bank) and left under mysterious circumstances (do you think perhaps he was asked to leave by the then Chairman of the Board,the late Charles Williams?)Would be interesting to know about that tidbit of info. If that is a true story, then somewhere along the way, someone has erred and we have gone gone back to the days of Gov. Huey Long (Louisiana) and the "I will pat you on your back if you pat me on my back" kind of politics.
Just an observation, as usual!
I still contend with the cliche' Vote, Vote, Vote.......... then you can't complain!
 
shannonres
Comments: 32
Joined: 01/17/2006
10/26/2006 02:46:06 PM
The presentation linked on the RNT site was put together by the RFPRA. It's an amended version of the same SPLOST packages that have been submitted several times, this time with more baseball and Armuchee priorities.
 
shannonres
Comments: 32
Joined: 01/17/2006
10/26/2006 09:39:12 AM
All you have to do to find exact SPLOST plans is do an archive search on RNT or go to the city's website. This link might work: http://216.55.168.114/Files/Documents/2006recreationSplost.pdf if it doesn't go to the homepage of RNT and click SPLOST under documents in the news, and then scroll down for the rec projects list. There's a 45-page slideshow that details everything.

 
Bird Dog
Comments: 288
Joined: 09/06/2006
10/26/2006 08:09:41 AM
Hey Brian, where are the rec facilities located in Armuchee?. I don't know honestly and was going to ride by when i was in the area this weekend. Also, where did you get the info on exactly what they were planning out there? You said, "they have a nice new park! They don't need a 2 story basketball gym or 2 buildings w/ basketball courts, they don't need swimming pools, or $600k of tennis courts..." Do you know these items for a fact? I would like to see what they have in mind on these rec funds as well in addition to the location of the funding. some are pretty self explanatory, some ae not. I still think the SPLOST is a much fairer way to raise funds from more sources rather than sticking it to the same select few each time....
 
Bird Dog
Comments: 288
Joined: 09/06/2006
10/26/2006 06:52:06 AM
I am not well educated on the SPLOST Brian. Frankly, put more into looking into it last night to support what I believed was the right thing to do. I am tired of supporting all the projects around us, while also being the main source in this community of the taxes. Spread out some of the taxes to the people that enjoy all the same priveleges in this county as I do, without owning property yet benifitting from all the same amenities. Why penalize just the property owners in this county, because that is where they go FIRST to get money. Let's spread the tax among everyone in the county and even take advantage of the people WHO DO NOT LIVE IN THIS COUNTY and do not benefit from the SPLOST just as they are doing to us... Also, on the rec projects, I would not call 14% an overwhelming majority..it is divided as follows:
Roads and Streets ($27,755,000 or 52.43%)
Fire and Safety Projects ($2,110,000 or 3.99%)

Facilities ($15,274,825 or 28.85%)

Recreation ($7,797,000 or 14.73%)

VOTE FOR THE SPLOST.....It's the best thing to do for our county
 
Bird Dog
Comments: 288
Joined: 09/06/2006
10/26/2006 06:35:42 AM
12 out of 12 people were convinced that he RAN the RED LIGHT and was driving recklessly through the intersection. Not a majority MM, it was unamimous even BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT. Not even 11 outta 12, it was all 12 Floyd Co. citizens that were apprved by his lawyer that found him GUILTY. Pray for the victim's recovery and pray for the person who broke the law to be rehabilitated and learn from his mistake. Don't be a fool and listen to a fool. Look's like there 12 people who believed the facts were enough to convict him and NOT ONE to stop it. Justice has prevailed. God Bless America....

 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/25/2006 11:55:29 PM
Don't be fooled by a fool.Get the facts.
 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/25/2006 11:47:06 PM
That is your story, and stick to it.At least one person beleives it.YOU!Don't forget to pray for Matt.And birddog.
 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/25/2006 11:23:32 PM
It is over for him. But not for you.Now that the truth is out and Matt didn't break any laws.All you have todo is try and convince the world that it is O.K. to turn left into oncoming traffic.That should be easy for a person as perfect as you.Correct if wrong,Was therea baby involved.If that is so, why didn't we here about that.
 
mountainman
Comments: 739
Joined: 09/13/2006
10/25/2006 11:03:01 PM
How can 115,000,000 be free to any county.It sounds easy if you are a thief.Whitfield Co. has the most millionaires per square mile in the U.S.A. While Floyd Co.hasn't even made the list.Bartow co.is in the Atlanta Metro area.It don't have a choice.It has to grow. We are blessed to be off the interstate hiway.SPLOST is a rip-off.We can still enjoy our county in nature.If we slow development,it will pay off in having a place to live ,that isn't one house next to the other.Don't you pee off the pourch
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