There they go again!

Aiken politics came a little early this year! The following article and the one that appeared yesterday regarding Jane Vaughters' plans and businesswoman  Liz Stewart's  intentions to run for an at large seat on City Council were initiated by the Aiken Standard. It appears that the same old crowd of developers aided by the  paper is trying to jump start their chosen candidates campaign so as to discourage others from running. Deja Vu all over again.




From the Aiken Standard

3/14/2009 12:25 AM

Dick Smith won't seek re-election

By HALEY HUGHES
Staff writer

Aiken City Councilman Dick Smith announced Friday he will not seek re-election for his Fourth District seat, joining fellow Councilwoman Jane Vaughters in the decision to step down at the end of eight years of service.

Like Vaughters, who currently fills an at-large seat, Smith said he too believes in term limits. They were both elected in 2001.

"I think it's time to move on," he said. "It has been an honor to serve. Jane Vaughters and I have accomplished quite a bit."

The names of Dr. Bauer Vaughters and wife DeeDee, Jane Vaughters' son and daughter-in-law, have been floating around as possible candidates. Bauer Vaughters said neither he nor his wife will run for City Council at this time.

But the ballot for the City of Aiken's November municipal elections continues to take shape - another Council incumbent will seek re-election and a newcomer has announced he is running for an at-large seat.

Second District Councilwoman Lessie Price said Friday she will attempt to retain her seat on Council, one which she has held since the late 1980s. In fact, she was the first woman to run for and be elected to the governing body.

"We have seen tremendous growth. And I think, overall, it has been well planned. It has had a positive impact. We have dealt with housing, traffic and economic development and have tackled those as a body," she said of the areas she has focused on during her time on Council and will continue to focus on.

And though a formal announcement will come soon, Kent Cubbage told the Aiken Standard on Friday he is running for a City Council at-large seat.

"I decided to do this two years ago," Cubbage said. "I was inspired by the birth of my daughter. I figured I have to get involved because I want her to know the Aiken I love so dearly. I am more youthful than the other Council members and no one will outwork me or outwalk me. I will be the ears and voice of the whole City. I have the skills and experience to help lead the City."

He worked for an environmental consulting firm when he first moved to Aiken during which he said he learned the ins and outs of zoning, green space and adaptive property reuse issues. He is also a graduate of Leadership Aiken County, a 15-year Aiken resident and currently works as the biology program coordinator at Aiken Technical College.

"My motto is 'vision we need now,'" Cubbage said. "The City is at kind of a lull. When we come out of the current economic situation, I think growth will reach a peak again. And we could lose the Aiken we've come to cherish if we don't have the vision we need now. A vision both in favor of the citizens and businesses. Fostering and promoting entrepreneurship will get us through this economic situation. Small business is what is going to get us through this."

Cubbage will run as a Republican.

The City's other at-large seat is currently filled by Councilman Don Wells. Wells said Thursday he will run again.

Aiken Planning Commissioner and business woman Liz Stewart has also declared her intentions to run for an at-large seat.

City Council Update

AIKEN CORPORATION WORK SESSION – The work session on February 23rd with the Aiken Corporation began with a lengthy briefing on the history and accomplishments of this non-profit community organization. They have every right to be proud of what they have done for the Aiken community since their founding in the early 1980s. After their briefing, Council had an excellent discussion which focused on several matters of importance. Issues related to the Railroad Depot and African American Cultural Museum were discussed along with several concerns I voiced about the Fiscal Year 2008 Audit. If you are interested further in this item, please refer to the minutes of the work session which are not yet available. I will post the link on the next Aiken Journal entry.

APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS – I am please to announce the appointment of Stephen Mueller, who operates the Rose Hill B&B, to a position on the Accommodations Tax Committee and the reappointment of Pat Andringa to the Arts Commission and Robert Besley to the Building Code Appeals Committee.

CONVEYANCE OF CITY-OWNED LOTS TO HABITAT – At Monday’s meeting we will have First Reading of an Ordinance to give four city-owned lots to Habitat. Each year as they build houses and use these lots, we would replenish them with additional vacant lots.

AIKEN'S 175TH BIRTHDAY- This is an unusually light session for a City Council meeting so this posting will be very brief. I do want to let everyone know that planning is active for celebrating the 175^th birthday of the City of Aiken during the 2010 year. Bill Reynolds, who is the Chair of the Planning Commission, was nominated and elected as Chair for this massive planning event. Mayor Fred Cavanaugh is the Honorary Chair. Richard Pearce is the Staff Representative so please call him if you want to volunteer to serve on one of the Committees. He can be reached at 642-7657.

Local hospital care at risk if University comes to Aiken

Posted below are the beginning paragraphs of a column written by Dr. Ansemo Arthur a highly respected Aiken cardiologist. The Aiken Standard published the column today. Medical treatment everywhere is a highly subjective matter and most negative comments are either based on a single “bad” experience or hearsay.
City Council members are still receiving many comments from citizens who are either for or against the proposed new medical complex in Aiken. The Council unanimously rejected the University Hospital’s original request for a change in the concept plan based on the amount of traffic that the proposed 72,000 sf would create. What most citizens do not know is that the current concept plan for the land allows the University to build at least 30,000 sf. of office space so long as the building architecture is consistent with the original design.My understanding is that University Hospital might submit a new down-sized request for a change in concept plan that would permit them to build just one 17,000sf building. Any subsequent buildings would have to come to Council for approval.



"Local hospital care at risk if University comes to Aiken

2/23/2009 12:37 AM
By DR. ANSERMO ARTHUR

Guest columnist

As a current resident and practicing cardiologist in Aiken for the past 13 years, I, like many of you, have read with great interest the ongoing debate concerning University Hospital's foray into the Aiken medical community.

I will summarize what I believe to be the most salient points concerning this issue from a physician's point of view.

Everyone has a story. Whether it is about good or bad service, most everyone can remember and come up with at least one anecdote detailing some experience they may have had in the doctor's office.

I, as well as my partners, see patients from Augusta with similar stories detailing bad experiences they may have had with a doctor or hospital in Augusta. The fact is that all of this is irrelevant to the matter at hand. Just like those individuals who make a conscious decision to cross the river and choose me or any other doctor in Aiken, so too may a person living in Aiken make the choice to go to Augusta for the same purpose. It is about convenience and not choice! Competition notwithstanding, what price will we really be willing to pay in the long run for convenience?" more

Aiken City Council Meeting - Feb 23

AIKEN CORPORATION WORK SESSION – On Monday February 23 at 6 P. M. City Council will meet with the Aiken Corporation to review the various projects that Aiken Corporation has worked on or is currently working on. We will discuss the charter of the Aiken Corporation to ensure that it relates to current projects. As many residents know, the Aiken Corporation is building the Railroad Depot and supporting the building of the African-American Cultural Museum. In reviewing the information provided by the City Manager, it is clear that City Council, with the exception of Dick Smith and Jane Vaughters, has enthusiastically supported the use of public monies for each of these projects. Since 2004 Council has agreed to provide maintenance of the Railroad Depot, staff the Railroad Depot with the City Tourism Department, and accept the building when it is completed.

BEST FRIEND EXPRESS – We have received the 2008-2009 second quarter report from the Best Friend Express operation by Aiken County. The Lower Savannah Council of Governments reports ridership is up 27% from this time last year. In addition, their Dial-A-Ride program remains very popular, delivering 142 riders a total of 13,252 miles. Citizens, with a doctor’s statement indicating that their patient cannot physically access a regular Best Friend Express stop, can call Dial-A-Ride instead. More that 1/3 of the Dial-A-Ride participants are senior citizens who would not be otherwise able to travel to their medical, educational, or employment services destination.

DOWNTOWN PARKING ISSUE – Public Safety Chief Pete Frommer and his staff have investigated the concerns sent to Council about larger vehicles parking downtown. The particular area of concern they discovered was Richland Avenue between Laurens and Newberry Streets. We are working with SCDOT which owns the road. The problem can be easily fixed if the center lane marker is relocated. Hopefully, this will not take too long to complete.

SILVER BLUFF REZONING REQUEST – Council will consider a request to rezone 1.64 acres on Silver Bluff across from Hamilton Drive from Residential Multi-Family Low Density to General Business. The rezoning would consist of one lot fronting on Silver Bluff Road. The owner’s intent is to sell a portion of this rezoned property for a martial arts studio. The owner is asking that the traffic study be waived in return for him restricting the property to 1,000 or fewer trips per day. At the Planning Commission, many residents in the area were strongly opposed to this request.

FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CITY OF AIKEN’S COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE AND TRANSPORTION AND TO ADOPT THE 10 YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT ELEMENT – State law requires that a 10 year Capital Element be adopted as part of our Comprehensive Plan. This plan looks at potential funding for public infrastructure and facilities during the next 10 years and recommends the projects for expenditure for facilities such as water, sewer, and roads. Once this plan is adopted, it would then be coordinated with adjacent and relevant jurisdictions and agencies.

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN STUDY AREA – The Planning Commission has recommended that the Comprehensive Plan boundary should generally match the city’s water district line unless there is a good reason for a different boundary. They also felt that the Comprehensive Planning Area should expand further to the east. This would include the water district behind Rudy Mason Parkway and a large portion of the area between Toolebeck and U. S. 78.

IDENTITY THEFT POLICY – Council will be asked to approve a resolution establishing an Identity Theft Policy in compliance with recent federal and state legislation and regulation.

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA – Keep in mind that City Council agendas are available on line. The complete agenda includes supporting documents that we review to determine a course of action. The link for Monday’s City Council agenda is http://www.aiken.net/weblink7/docview.aspx?id=100645.

Common Sense from Ed Giobbe

The following comments appeared in the Aiken Standard on February 18 and are being posted here in case you missed.

“ONE OF THE GREAT STRENGTHS OF AMERICA IS THE ABILITY OF ITS PEOPLE TO COME TOGETHER IN A TIME OF NATIONAL CRISIS. THE PRESENT ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRISIS IS A TEST OF THAT ABILITY. THERE ARE THOSE WHO WOULD ATTEMPT TO ADVANCE SOCIAL PROGRAMS AT GREAT EXPENSE UNDER THE GUISE OF ECONOMIC STIMULUS.

THERE ARE ALSO THOSE WHO OPPOSE ANY ATTEMPT TO REDUCE UNEMPLOYMENT AND REDUCE ECONOMIC HARDSHIP AS IRRESPONSIBLE SPENDING AND SOCIALISM. WE MUST STEER A COURSE BETWEEN THESE TWO EXTREMES. WE MUST REJECT RIGID IDEOLOGICAL POSITIONS AND BE PRAGMATIC. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHAT WORKS.

THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO STOP THE ECONOMIC DECLINE
CAUSED BY THE COLLAPSE OF HOUSING AND ITS PARAYLIZING AFFECT ON BANKS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS. WE MUST HALT THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL OF FORECLOSURES, FALLING HOUSE PRICES, INSTABILITY IN THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM AND RESULTING UNEMPLOYMENT WITH IMMEDIATE, MASSIVE, DECISIVE ACTION. THIS WILL REQUIRE BOLD AND EXPENSIVE PROGRAMS TO DEAL WITH THE CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER OF THE CURRENT SITUATION.

TAX RELIEF MUST BE PART OF THE SOLUTION IN ORDER TO GET MONEY AND CREDIT TO START FLOWING INTO THE ECONOMY ONCE MORE. ANY ACTION MUST DEAL WITH THE PRESENT SEVERE AND DANGEROUS ECONOMIC DECLINE. WE NEED TAX CUTS NOW NOT LONG TERM. PEOPLE DON’T EAT IN THE LONG TERM, THEY EAT TOMORROW MORNING.

THE CAUSES OF THE PRESENT CRISIS HAVE BECOME PAINFULLY EVIDENT. GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS TO ADVANCE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITH LOW INTEREST RATES AND OVERLY LAX CREDIT STANDARDS WITH BANKS AND FINANCIAL INSTITIONS ONLY TOO EAGER TO LEND MONEY FOR MORTAGES WTH NO INCOME DOCUMENTATION BETTER KNOWN AS “LIAR LOANS”, LITTLE OR NO DOWNPAYMENT, ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGES WITH LOW TEASER RATES, PICK AND PAY (SKIP THE MONTHLY PAYMENT ANDADD IT TO THE PRINCIPAL). ALL MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE VEHICLE OF LOAN SECURITIZATION IN THE FORM OF HIGHLY COMPLEX MORTGAGE PRODUCTS NO ONE UNDERSTOOD OR COULD CORRECTLY PRICE. THE PREDICTABLE RESULT WAS THE SUBPRIME DEBACLE.

NOW THAT WE KNOW WHAT GOT US INTO THIS MESS, WE MUST MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN’T HAPPEN AGAIN. IT SHOULD START WITH OUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES THAT YEAR AFTER YEAR ENCOURAGED AND PROMOTED EASY MONEY, IRRESPONSIBLE HOME OWNERSHIP AND MASSIVE REGULATORY FAILURE. WHAT JUVENAL, THE ROMAN WRTER OBSERVED TWO MILLENIA AGO IS EQUALLY RELEVANT TODAY: “SED QUIS CUSTODIET IPSOS CUSTODES?” (“WHO SHALL GUARD US FROM THE GUARDIANS?”)

FOR FIFTY YEARS AFTER THE BANKING REFORMS OF THE 1930’S, THIS COUNTRY ENJOYED FINANCIAL STABILITY. BANKS LOBBIED HARD FOR MORE FREEDOM TO ENGAGE IN RISKER BUSINESSES RESULTING IN THE 1999 REPEAL OF THE 1933 GLASS STEGALL ACT WHICH HAD SEPATATED COMMERCIAL BANKING FROM INVESTMENT BANKING. WHAT RESULTED WAS A FINANCIAL CASINO OF COWBOY CAPTALISM.

MOST OF THE FINANCIAL CRISISES OVER THE LAST CENTURY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY OVEREXTENSION OF CREDIT AND BAD REAL ESTATE LOANS BY BANKS. AS THE OLD TIGER, GEORGE CLEMENCEAU, THE PREMIER OF FRANCE DURING WWI, SAID , “WAR IS TOO IMPORTANT TO BE LEFT TO THE GENERALS’. IT IS NOW OBVIOUS THAT BANKING IS TOO IMPORTANT TO BE LEFT TO THE BANKERS. THEY NEED TO BE PROTECTED FROM THEMSELVES. BANKS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS CAN NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENDANGER THE ENTIRE NATIONAL ECONOMY BY RECKLESS AND UNREGULATED LENDING.

AMERICA IS A STRONG AND VIBRANT COUNTRY WITH AMAZING RESILENCY. IT WILL OVERCOME THE PRESENT DECLINE AND EMERGE STRONGER AND MORE PRODUCTIVE. IF THERE IS A LESSON TO BE LEARNED, IT IS THAT AS A NATION, WE LOST OUR MORAL COMPASS. WHAT FOLLOWED WAS A RISE IN MATERIALISM AND A REVERENCE OF WEALTH FOR ITS OWN SAKE, THE PURSUIT OF AFFLUENCE UNEMCUMBERED BY VIRTUE.

FOR THE NEXT EIGHTEEN MONTHS ALL OF US, ORDINARY PEOPLE AND LAWMAKERS SHOULD STOP ACTING LIKE DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, CONSERVATIVES OR LIBERALS AND ACT LIKE AMERICANS. WE NEED A SENSE OF NATIONAL PURPOSE AND RESOLVE. THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY AND THE SURVIVAL OF OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM ARE AT STAKE.”

Moses and DeVine Intervention

The Aiken Standard published on February 18, 2009, still another letter from Moses Mims who as usual extolled the countless virtues of the Obama administration. He also exaggerated approval ratings for President Obama and his plans. While Mims says that Obama and his plans enjoy a 76% favorable rating, Rasmussen Reports Obama had 60% approval as of February 18. As for his plans, some of which are nebulous, only 38% believe the so-called stimulus bill will help.

As is customary for all those of the liberal left, Mims indulges himself in obligatory bad-mouthing of Republicans and the Bush administration, which he blames for our current economic problems. This he and his like minded comrades do with the full support of main stream media despite the fact that much of the problem can be traced back to potentially well meaning (I give the benefit of a doubt), but irresponsible pressure on banks to give mortgages to individuals who could not afford them. From that point we started down a slippery slope that may never end.

This pressure for risky loans came during the terms of Presidents Carter and Clinton and their congresses. Long time Congressman Barney Frank (D) and long time Senator Chris Dodd (D) were the protagonists (we need term limits) and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were the enthusiastic implementing organizations.

Mr. Mims also takes a swipe at Rush Limbaugh who understandably is hated by the left because he graphically exposes its dubious plans and deceitful practices to the light of day. I don’t listen to Rush everyday and sometimes I don’t agree with him, but thank goodness he is out there exercising his free speech rights just as Mr. Mims does.

Mr. Mims prejudice about the rights of a private citizen to exercise free speech gives fair warning to those who have genuine fears about where our great country is headed. Soon we will see the "Fairness" Doctrine re-instated or a similar bill to hush Rush and all other citizens who share information or opinions which differ from the policies of the Obama administration. 

The Aiken Standard on February 18 also published a guest column by Jack DeVine who has opinions that differ from those of Mr. Mims. DeVine reviews the Obama record after one month in office and discusses his take on The Good and The Not So Good.

Under the Good category he praises President Obama’s active leadership, his looking forward, not back and his assembling of a talented and solid team.

On the Not so Good side he criticized those who continue to dis George Bush., saying it was time to be honest and respectful to our former President. Mr. DeVine said the outsourcing of the stimulus package to the congress was a huge blunder and the closing of Guantanamo and liberal hand-wringing on interrogation tactics were moves that diminish our security in a dangerous world.

I applaud the Aiken Standard for publishing the guest column from Jack Devine and the Moses Mims letter.  I have lived in several countries where the press is closely controlled and citizens who speak or write opinions that differ from those of their government do so at their own risk.

I urge citizens of our great country, of every political persuasion, to write to their elected representatives and demand that they protect our free speech rights. The “Fairness” Doctrine re-instatement or something similar but cleverly disguised must never be approved.

UPDATE; Peach made  excellent  comments to this post and mentioned Senator DeMints article in The Augusta Chronicle today. Go here .