The Right to Work is in great danger!

The following message is very clear. We must all join together to defeat this latest move to bring down America.Please sign the petition and contribute.

Dear Dick, The "Death of Right to Work." That's what the Wall Street Journal calls the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) attempt to do what the Big Labor bosses have been dreaming of for decades -- destroy the Right to Work of every worker in every state in the country. And unless you act TODAY, I'm afraid they just may succeed! As you know, in 2009, the airline manufacturer Boeing announced it would open a new plant in the Right to Work state of South Carolina, employing over 1,000 men and women. But since South Carolina is a Right to Work state, the Big Labor bosses at the International Association of Machinists union can't force the workers to pay up or be fired. Furious, the union bosses have filed an "Unfair Labor Practice" charge against Boeing -- demanding that the plant be shut down. And President Obama's appointees at the NLRB are more than happy to oblige. In fact, the NLRB's acting General Counsel, Lafe Solomon, recently filed a complaint against Boeing asking a judge to stop production at Boeing's South Carolina plant and force Boeing to transfer the manufacturing to Washington -- a forced-unionism state. If the Big Labor bosses get their way, it is likely the 1,000 workers will be laid off and forced into the unemployment lines. And it gets worse. The Wall Street Journal called the complaint "The Death of Right to Work" because if the NLRB can stop a business from operating in a state simply because that state prohibits compulsory unionism, companies and workers will have nowhere to flee from forced-unionism tyranny. And the stage will be set for the National Labor Relations Board to DESTROY every state Right to Work law in the country. You and I cannot let this happen. The Obama bureaucrats at the NLRB cannot be allowed to dictate to companies where they can operate, or to workers for whom they can work. But they will, if you, and millions of Americans like you, do not mobilize to stop them. That's why it's vital sign the petition to your U.S. Senators IMMEDIATELY. You see, the NLRB's charges are completely baseless. But by forcing Boeing to spend millions of dollars defending themselves, the Board has effectively scared thousands of other companies out of moving or expanding into Right to Work states. Fortunately, there is a bill in Congress to order the NLRB to stand down. The Job Protection Act (S.964) simply says that employers have the right to open businesses and hire workers wherever they think it makes sense to do so –- and the Obama bureaucrats at the NLRB won't be able to sue them for making the sound economic decision to move to a Right to Work state. As you'll see, the petition urges your Senators to support the Job Protection Act to forbid the NLRB to persecute Boeing or any other company for creating jobs in Right to Work states. The fact is, the NLRB is one of Big Labor's most effective accomplices in increasing its forced-dues power. And over the past few years, Obama's NLRB has repeatedly ruled against workers who have tried to exercise even their most basic rights. Whether these workers sought to dismiss unwanted union "representation" or attempted to stop their forced dues from being used to elect handpicked Big Labor politicians, the story was the same -- union-label NLRB appointees sided with their Big Labor allies in favor of compulsion. And since the 2010 elections -- it's only gotten worse. You see, with the political winds shifting in our direction, the union bosses know they're going to have a hard time ramming their radical agenda through Congress. So they're depending on Obama's hand-picked bureaucrats at the NLRB to expand their forced-dues empire through regulatory fiat. And this current action against Boeing, as bad as it is, is just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, the Big Labor bureaucrats at the NLRB are scheming to impose most of Big Labor's agenda on the American people, including: *** Card Check Forced Unionism, which would STRIP workers of the right to a secret ballot in union elections, allowing union thugs to intimidate workers one-on-one -- or three-on-one -- into signing so-called "union authorization cards;" *** Unfettered access to the workplace, forcing employers to allow radical union militants to access private company property to harass workers into signing themselves and their fellow employees over to union boss control; *** Mandatory binding arbitration, which would allow President Obama's hand-picked minions to impose the terms and conditions of employment on private American workers and companies; *** Quick snap, ambush elections that leave employers and independent-minded employees with virtually no time to share truthful information –- so workers only hear one side of the story -- Big Labor's! That's why it's vital you act TODAY! The good news is, there is one way you and I can stop Obama's NLRB from forcing more workers under Big Labor's forced-unionism grip. And that's by mobilizing the millions of Americans who oppose compulsory unionism to turn up the heat on Congress to shut down the rogue NLRB's bully tactics immediately. The Job Protection Act will block the Board's attempt to force Boeing and other companies from Right to Work states into forced-dues states. And shutting them down on this fight will discourage the Board's bureaucrats from risking their careers to concoct new schemes to bring more workers under Big Labor's thumb. But passing the Job Protection Act won't be easy. That's why I hope you'll agree to chip in with a contribution of $10 or more to the National Right to Work Committee. Through direct mail, email and telephone, our plan is to mobilize up to ten million Americans to expose the NLRB's schemes. And that's just our initial push. We'll also hold press conferences in targeted states calling on Congressmen and Senators, by name, to slash funding for the National Labor Relations Board. And then, funds permitting, we'll run hard-hitting newspaper, radio and TV ads in the crucial few days just before the vote in Congress. If Big Labor's NLRB gets away with their attempt to bypass Congress and RAM Big Labor's agenda down the throats of the American people, it will deal a crippling blow to our already-struggling economy. And millions more Americans will be forced to pay tribute to a union boss just get or keep a job –- if they can find a job at all. That's why I hope you'll consider chipping in with a contribution of $10 or more. President Obama's allies at the NLRB are doing everything they can to increase Big Labor's power over workers and employers all across the country. Your support is critical to stop them. So please, sign the petition to your U.S. Senators IMMEDIATELY. Please act today! Sincerely, Mark Mix P.S. The NLRB's attempt to force Boeing to move jobs from a Right to Work state to a forced-dues state is outrageous and extremely dangerous. Congress must pass the Job Protection Act to bring this rogue agency under control. So please, sign the petition to your U.S. Senators IMMEDIATELY! And if at all possible, please chip in with a contribution of $10 or more. The National Right to Work Committee is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, single-purpose citizens' organization dedicated to combating compulsory unionism through an aggressive program designed to mobilize public opposition to compulsory unionism and, at the same time, enlist public support for Right to Work legislation. The Committee's mailing address is 8001 Braddock Road, Springfield, Virginia 22160. The Committee can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-325-7892. Its web address is http://nrtwc.org/ Not produced or e-mailed at taxpayer expense. To help the National Right to Work Committee grow, please forward this to a friend. To view as a web page, please click this link: view online.

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City Council Needs to Rethink Decision

I sent the following letter to the Aiken Standard a few days ago and it was published today along with a letter from Ted Enos entitled" Come clean about complex land deal." I encourage you to read all of the pertinent letters and then let County Council hear from you. To paraphrase Senator Dirksen's famous quote " a million here and a million there, soon we'll be talking  real money."

Council needs to rethink decision

The Aiken Standard published two good letters yesterday regarding the proposed new county complex. One from Fred Hryniewich and the other from Jane Vaughters . I hope other citizens weigh in and let their wishes be known.
I have always believed that the ideal location for the county complex is where it is now. However, many arguments were made against rebuilding on the current site and we were told it would cost more than finding a new location. So after much fussing around and maneuvering a new site was found. Despite doubts expressed by many citizens and a few council members the council moved forward even after it learned that a multi-million dollar mistake had been made. One wonders if the unnamed source of the bad information concerning tax credits under the Community Reinvestment Act had a dog in the hunt. Why did Council not use good sense and return to the original plan which does qualify?
 We have not actually closed on the contract for the new site and I understand the County wants to buy even more land before we do so. There is most certainly a penalty for non-closure but it would be very small compared to the extra costs that will have to be paid if we continue with the current plan.
County Council should make all terms and costs of the current contract public. Then fully explain to its citizens any cost difference between continuing on the present course and abandoning it in favor of the current location. I also hope that the Council would shy away from any attempts at grandeur for the final building that result in higher costs but no additional functional workspace.

It is so easy to spend other folk’s money!

Dick Smith

» Williams: Ignorance, Stupidity or Manipulation Commentary

The following commentary by Walter Williams is excellent. It is depressing that Rangel who is neither ignorant nor stupid clearly manipulates facts for political purposes.Too many years in office and the only way to get rid of him and so many others is to enact term limits.

» Williams: Ignorance, Stupidity or Manipulation Commentary

City Council Update from Dick Dewar

AGENDA ITEMS FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON MONDAY JUN 27

BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS: Councilman Ebner recommended the appointment of Judy Sennett to the Community Development Committee.

PROPOSAL BY AIKEN YOUNG PROFESSIONALS FOR 5^TH FRIDAY EVENTS: Representatives from the Young Professionals Group of the Greater Aiken Chamber of Commerce are scheduled to join us at our June 27th meeting to share their ideas for a proposed regularly occurring event: 5th Friday in The Alley. They are here to request the use of The Alley and Bee Lane in those months that have a 5^th Friday: July 29th, September 30th, December 30th, March 30th, and June 9th. They want to feature music, multiple types of entertainment, and family-based activities from 6 - 8 p.m. those nights. They also hope to partner with downtown businesses so that feature menu items can be sold as part of these events from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. They are also requesting City support of this effort via an in-kind donation of tents, tables, chairs, or related items that may be needed to support their efforts.

FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO ADVANCE CAPITAL SALES TAX FUNDS BY A RESERVE FUND LOAN FOR THE SPCA JOINTLY-OWNED SHELTER CONSTRUCTION: One of the construction projects listed in the most recent Capital Sales Tax list, that was approved by our voters last November, is proposed city-owned space to be located in the new SPCA shelter that is being built on Willow Run Road. Council committed $1,000,000 in Capital Sales Tax funds toward this project. The Aiken SPCA broke ground for this project on May 19, 2011. They anticipate beginning making draws against this amount this Fall. To prepare for these draws, we have proposed an ordinance. It follows the model we used to advance the funds used to purchase new mobile laptop computers for our patrol division public safety officers.

FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE REGARDING THE LOCATION OF MANURE CONTAINERS: Our Planning Commission has reviewed a request from our Equine Committee to modify our Zoning Ordinance. Specifically, our Equine Committee asked that Section 3.3.21.C.4, Aiken Zoning Ordinance, be modified to delete the requirement that manure containers be located at least 25 feet from property lines. Both the Planning Commission and the Equine Committee have voted unanimously to remove this 25-foot setback. In practice, it has proven most effective for removal of manure to have these containers located as conveniently as possible. Many times, this location is at a zero-setback location from a property line.

FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE REGARDING ALLOWED USES IN THE PLANNED INSTITUTIONAL ZONE: Our Planning Commission has voted to amend Section 3.1.6, Aiken Zoning Ordinance, regarding the allowed uses of property in our Planned Institutional Zone. The specifics of the proposed changes are contained in Exhibit A to the ordinance. Council will recall that these proposed changes are a result of requests for Planning Commission review that you made at our annual joint meeting with the Commission. As to the review of the Use Tables for Planned Commercial developments, the Planning Commission has placed this item on their agenda for a public meeting and vote at their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 12, 2011.

RESOLUTION TO RATIFY EXISTING MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS AND AUTHORIZE ENTERING INTO ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS: City Solicitor Ben Moore has alerted us about a recent South Carolina Supreme Court opinion regarding Mutual Aid Agreements. Law Enforcement agencies rely on these agreements to bolster their resources at times of need--including emergencies, special events, or natural disasters. A prime example of the benefits gained from mutual aid agreements is the response to the Graniteville train wreck a few years ago. For Council consideration is approval of a Resolution to ratify all existing mutual aid agreements and allowing Aiken Department of Public Safety to enter into mutual aid agreements with the agencies listed in the Exhibits to the Resolution.

ACCEPTANCE OF A GRANT TO THE AIKEN DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY BY U. S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: Aiken Public Safety Department Director Pete Frommer has informed the City Manager that the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded us a $12,800 grant. This grant, from the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program, will be used to purchase new equipment to replace dated law enforcement equipment.

SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE FOR HOLDING A REDISTRICTING REFERENDUM: This item on the Agenda is a result of City Council’s June 2, 2011, meeting. It proposes a 6-1 Council Districting Plan to be voted upon by our citizens by a referendum during our November 8, 2011 general election. The proposed referendum would be on the question of whether the existing 4-2-1 City Council Districting Plan should be revised to a 6-1 Districting plan. For City Council consideration on second reading is an ordinance to establish a November 8, 2011, general election referendum and the referendum question proposing a change from the existing 4-2-1 City Council districting model to a 6-1 all single-member district plan based on the results we received from the 2010 U.S. Census.

SPECIAL NOTE: This referendum is mandated by the Voting Rights Act and the results of the 2010 Census. Voters need to be aware that under the 4-2-1 system we have now, each voter directly elects 4 of the 7 members of the Council. Under the 6-1 system, each voter will only elect 2 of the 6 members of the Council. A 6-1 configuration significantly reduces the power of each vote.

SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO MODIFY THE ANNEXATION AND SITE PLAN FOR 2352 WHISKEY ROAD – PROPOSED CRACKER BARREL SITE: Murray Brothers Land Development, LLC had previously petitioned for annexation and approval of a site plan for development at 2352 Whiskey Road in Aiken. This site is proposed as a new location for a Cracker Barrel Restaurant on this property. This ordinance passed on December 13, 2010. As part of this annexation and development, a 0.35-acre tract was proposed to be included for extra parking. It now appears that the owners of this parcel do not wish to sell this 0.35-acre tract. Therefore, Murray Brothers have asked that the ordinance passed by City Council be revised to exclude this 0.35-acre tract and no longer require its inclusion for this proposed development. Ed Evans has reviewed this request and determined that this parcel is not necessary in order to complete this proposed development.

SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING OF AN ORDINANCE TO ABANDON AND RELOCATE A PORTION OF ATHOL AVENUE RIGHT OF WAY: As part of the sale of a portion of City-owned property to Murray Brothers Land Development, LLC, it will be necessary to close a portion of Athol Avenue and relocate it. We will forward this road-closing ordinance to Aiken County Council for their consideration. This City ordinance to close and abandon a portion of Athol Avenue was approved on first reading at the June 13, 2011, meeting. For City Council consideration is second reading and public hearing of an ordinance to close a portion of the right of way of Athol Avenue and to realign it.

SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO SELL 7,480 SQUARE FEET TO MURRAY BROTHERS LAND DEVELOPMENT, LLC: As part of the Murray Brothers Land Development, LLC improvements to their land for location of a proposed Cracker Barrel Restaurant to be built, the City agreed to convey two parcels. One is 6,780 square feet on Athol Avenue and the other is 700 square feet on Oak Grove Road. These conveyances will allow the best configuration of the lot for location of a Cracker Barrel restaurant. In order to complete this conveyance, a portion of the Athol Avenue right of way needs to be abandoned by Council. The Athol Avenue right of way will be repositioned to run alongside the consolidated lot.

SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CITY CODE SECTION 22-10 REGARDING THE OFFENSE OF PUBLIC INDENCY: After a recent request from the Aiken Community Playhouse Board of Directors, the City Manager directed City Attorney Gary Smith to review our City Code Section 22-10. His review revealed a need to update this Code Section to reflect decisions and court cases that have taken place since the original ordinance was passed by City Council. The City Attorney has developed proposed revisions to City Code Section 22-10 in light of these case decisions. City Solicitor Ben Moore has reviewed these proposed revisions and agrees they are needed.

MISCELLENAEOUS ADDITIONS:

MUNICIPAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: For the 19^th time, the City of Aiken has been awarded a Municipal Achievement Award by the Municipal Association of South Carolina. This year’s award, in the Public Works category, was for our Green Infrastructure Project. It represents a collaborative project with Dr. Gene Eidson and Clemson University’s Center for Watershed Excellence as well as the US Environmental Protection Agency, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, and several city divisions. Its goal is to prevent erosion and pollutant runoff into Hitchcock Woods. Runoff is abated via a system of rain gardens, vegetative buffers, and cisterns in parkways and pervious pavement throughout our downtown. Data is analyzed by monitoring devices in the parkway to determine the success of erosion prevention in Hitchcock Woods. The Municipal Achievement Award program was established in 1987 to recognize innovations in local government. We have also completed installation of three pedestrian bridges as part of this pilot project. One is on Park at City Hall, another is located on York Street, and one is on Chesterfield Street, between Regions Bank and Casa Bella Restaurant.

SCDOT SIGNAGE AND VEGETATION CLEARING: SCDOT engineering staff conducted a full field review of all new intersection sign installations to help determine which traffic signs can be removed once sight lines are improved. City Horticulturist Tom Rapp is in the process of completing clearing vegetation from intersections identified by SCDOT. We anticipate more signs being taken down once these efforts are completed.

RESURFACING OF BEE LANE: The City completed the resurfacing of Bee Lane from The Alley to Richland Avenue. There are new brick pavers spanning its entire length. This project, funded by TIF and Capital Projects Sales Tax revenue, also installed additional parking and a new dumpster container structure adjacent to Bee Lane.

SUMMER PROGRAMS AT CITIZENS PARK: Glenn Parker, our Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Director, has reminded us that Citizens Park has a full slate of activities this summer. July will see the Dixie State Baseball Tournament for 13 and 14 year olds as well as the Southeast Regional Tournament for the Cal Ripken 12 Year Old League. In addition, several softball tournaments will take place at Citizens Park in the upcoming weeks.

CROSLAND PARK SUMMER PROGRAM: As part of the City’s commitment to neighborhood revitalization, our Neighborhood and Development Services division is organizing a summer program for children ages 5 to 15 who live in Crosland Park. This program will run weekdays from July 5 through July 29 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. City staff has worked hard to provide a varied and interesting roster of programs including a workshop provided by Home Depot, animals from the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, and a bike rodeo provided by Public Safety. Every day, the program will conclude with a Character Moment to reinforce lessons taught during each session.

CROSLAND PARK WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM: The Neighborhood and Development Services division has hired temporary workers to begin performing weatherization of houses in Crosland Park. This program, funded by an EPA grant, will air seal and insulate attic access and attic fans, perform HVAC filter replacement, and install compact fluorescent lights in participating households. In addition, SCE&G contributed $5,000 to the weatherization program. Neighborhood and Development Services director Leasa Segura anticipates using this donation to purchase materials used in the residential weatherization. As of June 16, 23 households have signed up to participate in this program. City staff anticipates these residences will be weatherized by August.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) AWARD FOR FY 2011-12: The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s CDBG program awarded the City $195,224 for FY 2011-12. This amount will be used by Neighborhood and Development Services to assist with various programs: $106,224 is for emergency repairs; $5,000 is for neighborhood initiatives; $15,000 is allocated for relocation; $30,000 for lot cleanup and demolition; and $39,000 for administration.

MOBILE COMPUTERS PROJECT COMPLETED: ADPS Director Pete Frommer has confirmed that all additional mobile computer units have been installed in our patrol vehicles. We now have a total of 57 mobile data terminals [MDT]. Our IT Division provided valuable support for this project.

COMMENDATIONS: Mary Goins, the League Director of the United States Tennis Association/South Carolina, writes to commend Glenn Parker and his staff for hosting the 4.0 - 5.0 State Championship during the Memorial Day weekend. She gave special recognition to our Weeks Center tennis professional, Mark Calvert. Jaime Carter, Supervisor of our Finance water bill payment window has received a very complimentary comment card from a customer.

CITY EVENTS:

MONDAY, JULY 4: City offices will be closed in observance of the Independence Day Holiday. Offices will reopen at 8:10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 5.

TUESDAY, JULY 12 AT 6:00 P.M.: The Planning Commission will hold its monthly meeting in the City Council Chambers. A public hearing will be held to review any recommendation by the Planning Commission regarding our Planned Commercial Zone use tables contained in the Aiken Zoning Ordinance.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18 AT 6:00 P.M.: The Aiken Council of Neighborhoods will meet at the Smith Hazel Community Center. This group currently has five neighborhoods actively involved. All City neighborhood representatives are encouraged to participate with the group.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 AT 11:00 A.M.: To celebrate Labor Day, the City of Aiken will be sponsoring a Hard Labor Day BBQ Cook-off at the Newberry Street Festival Center. Attendees will be able to sample some of the finest pulled pork, ribs, chicken, and fixings that area cooks, many from our local law enforcement community, have to offer. Proceeds from this event will benefit The United Way of Aiken County.

For other events and happenings around Aiken, be sure to visit www.AikenIS.com.

We the People Speak

It is time to run this youtube again. We must never give up. Please watch!

Elected officials too extravagant with tax money

Victor Fricke has written another excellent letter.He makes good points about entrenched politicians and the ease with which they spend the taxpayers money.He advocates that we throw the pols out and I very much agree Personally I believe the only way it can happen is to legislate term limits. The letter appears in the Aiken Standard website.

Determined Disinterest in Our Own Destruction

All Americans should read and understand what is happening to our great country. Please read the following posting by Frank Gaffney and also follow the links within the article. Center For Security Policy

Letter to The Aiken Standard Regarding New County Complex

 Jane Vaughters former City Council member has weighed in on the new County Complex. Her letter to the Aiken Standard raises very appropriate questions which have not yet been answered. Jane will express her concerns at the County Council work session tomorrow evening at 6:00 PM. 

Dear Editor,
In Monday’s paper I saw the drawing for the proposed Aiken County Office Complex.  Since one of the major reasons for moving from downtown where we own 9 acres out to the bypass was supposed to be to save taxpayers’ money, I was surprised by the elaborate design.  I thought the point was to build a convenient  and useful building with easy access for those doing business with the county.  If we had wanted a Williamsburg style design, we could have gone to a pattern book and not had to pay expensive architects .  I was taught that good architecture is sensitive to the buildings around it.  This is an area with industries  (thank goodness!) and a state office with attractive brick facades visible from the road—simple, functional and no Williamsburg replicas. 

After reading your article, I was struck by the number of questions you did not ask about the project.  What is the price of this façade as compared to a simpler design?   Towers and stairs cost lots of money.  What will the interior be like?   Indeed, what  is the budget for the entire project?  Where is the money coming from? The local option sale tax is not enough.  Are they counting on higher property appraisals to bring in extra money?   How much is being paid for the land?  How much land is going to be bought?  From whom is the county buying the land?  I would hope that your paper and our council will give taxpayers the answers to these questions before rather than after a decision is made on the design.   In this difficult economic time we should expect careful spending.

Jane Vaughters

House Approves Redistricting Plan — Weekly Legislative Update from Rep. Tom Young

Tom Young has an excellent website and is doing a good job of keeping his constituents informed. Follow the link to read his latest weekly update.

House Approves Redistricting Plan — Weekly Legislative Update from Rep. Tom Young

Letter to the Aiken Standard Regarding School Board Transparency - We The People - Aiken

There have been several informative postings concerning the Aiken County Schools. We the people-Aiken has made several interesting points. The following will be useful in your understanding of the issues.

Letter to the Aiken Standard Regarding School Board Transparency - We The People - Aiken

School Board Budget Vote is this Tuesday, June 21

The School Board will vote on Tuesday whether or not to raise property taxes by $4.8 million for the citizens and business owners in Aiken.  We believe in supporting education and our teachers, but the School Board has failed to take suggestions from the public and be transparent about their building plans.

When asked for audio minutes from past school board meetings, the school district's attorney responded to a citizen requesting $59.06 for ten cassette tapes.  Cassette tapes, really?  A school district that has 1023 interactive white boards, 2615 laptops, 7134 personal computers, 95 wireless mobile carts, 105 servers, 408 networking switches, and 11 video broadcasting systems certainly has the technological capability to record public meetings and make them available in .mp3 format on their website, like the City of Aiken does?  Clearly, this is not a problem with technology; it is a problem with transparency.

We understand that the School District has facilities needs but they haven't provided this information to the public.  The Five Year Facilities Plan contains $101 million in future spending without any details about what will be built.  Over $40 million of future spending is listed simply as "renovations" for various schools.  The public deserves to know how this money will be spent, especially when the school board wants a 38% increase in the debt millage to take an additional $10 million of taxpayer money for undisclosed school building projects.  

The School Board has failed to hold the district's administrators accountable on the issue of transparency.

If you are as concerned as we are, please call and email the School Board and demand transparency and no increase in taxes.  You can find the contact information for the School Board members here.  You can find your school district information on your voter registration card.

We also encourage you to attend the school board's meeting at 7:00PM Tuesday, June 21 at 1000 Brookhaven Drive. 

We the People - Aiken

www.wethepeopleaiken.ning.com

The Gunwalker Week that Was

This past week saw HUGE revelations in the still underreported Gunwalker scandal – the government operation where BATF agents encouraged Arizona gun dealers to complete volume sales of automated weapons to straw buyers, knowing or suspecting that the guns were headed for Mexican drug cartels. For months, Senator Grassley and Congressman Issa, in their oversight capacities, have been asking for information, but say they have been stonewalled. Issa, as Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, finally scheduled hearings, two of which took place this week.

On Monday, Issa called four Constitutional experts, all who had previously been appointed by or served in Democratic administrations, to testify concerning the authority of the oversight committee to have access to the questioned information. Most of their testimony was impressive in its objectivity, fairness and absence of political bias. The bottom line outcome was essentially that, although there might be some maneuvering to frustrate and string the process out, the Committee is in fact entitled to unfettered access. A good summary can be found here.

Wednesday’s hearing included testimony from the family of Brian Terry, the murdered Border Patrol agent (some of the Gunwalked weapons were found at the murder scene), three BATF special agent whistleblowers, and Ronald Weich, Assistant Attorney General for the US DoJ. The Terry family was sympathetic and called for finding the truth and punishment of those responsible, including those in government. Weich was frustrating in his insistence that the DoJ had responded to hundreds of pages of information requests (even while Issa held up page after page completely blacked out as redacted) and that he did “not know” the answer to many of the who-know- what-when and who-authorized-what questions.

The heart of the testimony came from the special agents who testified of their early apprehensions expressed to their superiors, that they were told this operation was approved “much higher up,” that they were told to document but not to follow or interdict the straw purchased guns, that no information came out of the operation other than what was already known about who the straw purchasers were, and that there was no mechanism in the procedures that would have generated evidence for criminal prosecution. If the operation did not produce better information or evidence, one has to question the purpose, as Issa managed to do in this exchange when questioning special agent Forcelli:

Issa: I am going to follow a line of questioning I think I have been seeing develop throughout here with law enforcement experts. You have two points, you know the old expression, you connect the dots. The first point is the straw buyer; the last point is the scene of the crime. You've said, each of you, Special Agents, that in this case, as soon as you got to the next point of connect the dots, you were generally sent the other direction. You were not allowed to go beyond that next point. You weren't even allowed to follow that next point, even when they headed north with the weapons.
Now, if an operation like Fast and Furious seems to have a pattern, a consistent pattern, that you're only looking for two points--the beginning and the end--it's not a criminal prosecution. It's not an effective one. Plus, of course, if you take the logic that you can't prosecute a straw purchaser if the gun is in Mexico, if you take that point, then that part of it was frivolous from the start, even though today, every one of those straw purchasers has been charged, oddly enough, with the evidence that was available before that gun ever walked beyond the first step.
So let me just ask a question for your supposition, but I think it's a very well educated one. If you only look at the beginning and the end of the dot, isn't the only thing you've proven is that guns in America go to Mexico? Now could that be a political decision? Could that be a decision that basically, we just want to substantiate that guns in America go to Mexico--something we all knew, but would have considerable political impact, as Mexico began complaining about these, and they could say, "Well, yeah--we're even rolling up the straw purchasers." It wouldn't change the fact that Mexicans were dying at the behest of the United States, but wouldn't it ultimately meet a political goal?
Forcelli: I imagine, sir, that it's possible. In this instance, I think it's more just as I said earlier. A case agent had a bad idea; a group supervisor who failed to rein her in; an ASAC who failed to rein in--the chain of command, all the way up, failed.
Issa: But you'd agree that it doesn't meet any criminal goal--goal of prosecuting, the way it was handled?
Forcelli: No, because you can't show the chain of how those pieces of evidence went from Point A to Point B, which you'd need to prove at a trial.

While this story is creeping into some of the mainstream meadia, most of the narrative is that Gunwalker was a sting operation gone bad – the BATF would allow the gun purchases and watch them “walk,” ultimately identifying and catching big fish. But Wednesday’s testimony and Issa’s question tells us there was no tracing and no way to prosecute any of the so-called big fish. In essence, there was no sting, so how could it be a sting gone bad?

While these hearings were taking place, several new pieces of information became public. Issa released three emails which evidenced that high level BATF officials know about the operation and that acting director Ken Melson (who reports to Eric Holder) actually watched some of the sales real time from his office where he had access to the surveillance camera in one of the gun dealerships, thus dispelling the earlier story that Gunwalker originated as a rogue operation in a district office. Also, Issa was given a copy of a memo documenting an October 2009 meeting which seems to be one of the origins of Gunwalker. The meeting was attended by many high level government officials, including FBI Director Robert Mueller (who, remember, reports to Eric Holder). This new information contradicted many past statements made in response to the Issa/Grassley requests, as Issa pointed out in his questioning of Weich (and probably fueling Weich’s insistence about what he doesn’t know).

In a surprising wrap-up to the hearing, the Minority Ranking Member Elija Cummings suggested to Weich that the ATF and DoJ response to Committee requests has been slow and justified or not, has left the majority feeling that information is not forthcoming. He asked if time could be scheduled where the executive branch and committee stadd could work together to review documents to agree on which could be released and what should be redacted. Issa repeated the request, which Weich said he would take back to his superiors. Once again, the blog Sipsey Street Irregulars has a good report here.

What a week it was. The cover-up cannot last that much longer.

Carolina Dog Trial Not A Vendetta Or Waste Of Taxpayer's Money

On June 3 the Aiken Standard published an article, "City Drops Two Charges In Dog Death Case". The only person referenced in the article was the defendant, Jane Gunnell, quoted as saying "This was a personal vendetta rather than anything to do with the dogs. I think it was a tremendous waste of taxpayer's money and court's time." According to the City Solicitor's case file, police reports, witnesses statements and judge's court comments this trial was far from that.

On the night of September 11, 2010 Kent and Gretchen Baldwin, their son Bo, and two of Bo's friends returned to the Baldwin home on Colleton Avenue after the Clemson game and found the family dog, a 12-year old black Labrador named Maggie, dead under the side porch. Maggie had been viciously ravaged. Her blood, hair, fluids, and tissues were all over both porches of the house and pieces were strewn about in other areas. It appeared that Maggie fought desparately for her life on both porches, with dirty foot prints and furniture strewn around the side porch under which she finally sought safety and died. Some of her hair and blood were also in the swimming pool where it appeared that her killer(s) had been drinking after slaying her. In their sorrow, and to remove the horrifying sight of her remains, Kent buried the remains in the backyard.

Earlier that day, George and Jackie Miller, who lived down the street, saw four of Jane Gunnell's Carolina dogs running onto the Baldwin's property. Jeff Beckner, another neighbor, also saw four to five of the Caroilina dogs running loose that day. When it became known that Maggie had been attacked and killed, the Gunnell dogs were suspected because of their presence on the Baldwin property and because of problems the community has experienced with the Carolina dogs over the past few years.

On October 19, 2006 Carolina dogs had attacked and mauled Sandy Honeck's 13-year old cat in her backyard on Kershaw Place. The cat's leg had torn off, among other injuries, and Sandy had to take her to the vet to be put down. When Sandy's grandson had tried to save the cat by picking it up and fighting off the dogs with a hoe and bricks, the dogs threatened him. The reporting officer tried to approach the dogs but they "became aggressive". The Aiken Animal Control Officer, Jeff Wilson, arrived and captured three of the dogs with the help of a tranquilizer gun but two others fled onto Sumter Street. One of the captured dogs was microchipped which, when traced, revealed that it was owned by Jane Gunnell.

Other encounters with Mrs. Gunnell's Carolina dogs had also occurred. They attacked a Golden Retriever being walked down Colleton Avenue on a leash. The neighbors called the police on several occasions when the dogs climbed the fence and came into their yards. The dogs would rush the fence and gate growling and snarling when people walked by the Gunnell property on Horry Street. Police were also summoned when the dogs barked all night.

As a result of this history, and the attack on the Baldwin's dog, Mrs. Gunnell was cited on several accounts involving having loose dogs, failure to contain a vicious animal, and failure to license such animals. The authorities also ordered Maggie's decomposing remains dug up and examined for cause of death by veterinarian Holly Woltz. Dr. Woltz's report indicates she was unable to determine the cause of death from the remains. Mrs. Gunnell suggested that Maggie had been killed by a pack of coyotes.

A court date was set for November 15 but Mrs. Gunnell requested and received a trial delay. A second trial date was set for December 13. On that date the witnesses arrived in court as instructed at 8:00 am and waited for nearly an hour. Mrs. Gunnell's attorney finally arrived and announced that she would not be appearing and now requested a trial by jury. A new trial date was set for her jury trial on April 28-29 but that date was changed due to the judge's calendar. Another date was set for her requested jury trial, May 19. Mrs. Gunnell and the witnesses appeared in court that morning but Mrs. Gunnell asked that the trial date be changed
again so that she could attend a son's wedding in Virginia. She also asked that the trial be delayed for two weeks after the wedding. The trial date was again changed, to June 2 and 3.

On June 2, the prosecution witnesses again appeared at court only to be told that a panel of jurists would first be selected from which all attorneys would draw when arguing cases before the court during the month of June. That process took the lion's share of the morning. The selected jurors were sent to a separate room to wait for the Gunnell trial to resume.

Following jury selection, Ben Moore, Aiken City Solicitor, entered into a series of negotiations with Mrs. Gunnell and her attorney over a plea bargain agreement. Judge's normally urge parties to find an agreement. The City Solicitor was careful to review each revision of the plea bargaining with the group of ten prosecution witnesses. However, he eventually informed us of a disappointing development. The judge had determined that the city of Aiken does not even had an ordinance limiting the number of convictions a person can have for failure to control a vicious animal before the city removes the offending animal(s). Therefore, even though this would be Mrs. Gunnell's second conviction if found guilty by the jury, the city would have no right to remove the dogs from her property.

The City Solicitor committed to immediately draft an ordinance for presentation to the City Council in order to correct this public safety and health hazard and recommended we approve the plea bargain agreement. The agreement and resultant court order allowed Mrs. Gunnell to plead guilty to a lesser charge of having a loose animal but requires Mrs. Gunnell to never again have Carolina dogs in the city of Aiken, including her property on Horry Street. Any non-Carolina dogs that she keeps there must be microchipped. The court also provides that if Mrs. Gunnell moves to another residence in the city of Aiken, she can petition the court to have Carolina dogs on that property but the court must concur and the property must also be inspected by the City Animal Control Officer to determine that the dogs can be safely contained. The necropsy report was entered into the case file at Mrs. Gunnell's request, even though the judge explained that it is a "meaningless piece of paper". Under these circumstances, the prosecution witnesses felt that it was their civic duty to approve the plea bargain agreement.

The trial was obviously not a vendetta or waste of taxpayer's money but the correction of a serious legal deficiency in the protection of city residents from attacks by uncontrolled vicious animals. Many other cities have such an ordinance. It is our hope that the new Aiken ordinance will be called the Maggie Law.

At the conclusion of the trial, Mrs. Gunnell was directed to stand and face the judge. After affirming that she understood a series of the trial's aspects pointed out by the judge, and pleading guilty to a lesser charge and fine, she was told that this was a win-win situation for both sides: If her dogs are vicious, the community would now be safe from them, and if Mrs. Gunnell had been found guilty by the jury she would have faced a possible 90 days in jail.

Gambling With Your Money

By Deedee Vaughters

Over the last 15 years the South Carolina legislature has given away over $2 billion dollars of taxpayer -funded incentives to private companies in the name of economic development.  This is a sizable amount of money for a state that has an annual general budget under the $6 billion dollar mark. 

Further, The South Carolina Policy Council reported earlier this year that the state now exempts more in sales tax than it collects.  Currently $2.7 billion is exempted while $2.2 billion is collected. 

With this type of money being “invested’ into private corporations by our legislature for the purpose of growing the economy; one would think that there would be a process by which to determine the return on investment and the overall effectiveness of the deal.  However, this is not the case. 

Currently there is no means by which to track whether a company has met its obligations on job creation and investment targets.  In addition, there is no way to hold that company accountable if they failed to meet those targets. 

This is simply ludicrous.  When would anyone ever invest their own money without demanding to see the return on investment?

While the legislature has no means for tracking the return on investment for their economic development incentives; the following statistics and examples illustrate the overall effectiveness of such practices. 

In  the last 15 years while $2 billion in special deals were awarded; the unemployment rate went from 5.2 % to 9.4%.    Between 2008 and 2010 the South Carolina General Assembly claims to have created over 59,000 jobs with their special incentives.  In that same time frame, 118,000 jobs were lost.

Specifically, here are some of the economic development failures of the SC General Assembly over the last 15 years:

* 1994 - Air South -$17 million, bankrupt 3 years later with 700 workers laid off

*1998- Western Star Trucks - $25  million for 400 jobs.  Plant closed in 2000.

*Innovista - $100 million over the last two years. The  Innovista buildings continue to sit  unfinished and empty.                  

* Inspiration Network - $26 million.  In 2009 the company laid off workers, froze

   salaries and stopped all 401K contributions.

*2011 - $1 million to the Institute for Business and Home Safety in retroactive tax breaks to a company already operating in South Carolina.

To this list Boeing could be added.  We are still waiting to see if they are indeed coming to South Carolina.  They were promised over $500 million to  create 3, 100 jobs. 

With the exception of Senator Greg Ryberg; every member of the Aiken Delegation voted to award Amazon a special deal as well. 

When does it end?  When will the Aiken Delegation as well as the majority of the South Carolina General Assembly see the proverbial handwriting on the wall?

The government can not drive the economy.  Free market capitalism drives the economy.  When the government attempts to drive the economy, by giving tax advantages to a chosen few favored corporations;  the outcome is failure as proven by past history. 

I recently had a politician ask me; “What would you have me do? I must do something.”  My reply, “Lower the tax burden for all, not just a chosen few.  Decrease the amount of paperwork and regulation.  Reform workers comp and fix the egregious unemployment tax now levied on businesses.  Most importantly when it comes to economic development; please just get out of the way and let the free market work.”

The writer is a small business owner in downtown Aiken.  She also serves as Vice Chairman of the South Carolina Policy Council and a South Carolina Lottery Commissioner.  

Ronald Reagan tells a Good One

Even in our despair there is a little humor to be found. Be sure to watch it till the end

Committee Staff Report Emphasizing Politics behind Yucca Termination

This AP story was carried in the Augusta Chronicle today. It is absolutely disgusting politics as usual by the Obama administration.When will it end? Please read and forward .

IG Report, NRC Staff Concur with Findings of Committee Staff Report Emphasizing Politics behind Yucca Termination | Committee on Science - U.S. House of Representatives

City Council Update from Dick Dewar

AGENDA ITEMS FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON MONDAY JUN 13

SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING OF AN ORDINANCE

TO SET THE MILLAGE RATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2011-12: Every year

City Council adopts a budget for the following year, as well as a separate

ordinance to establish the millage rate to meet our annual budget needs. Council

reduced the millage rate in 2008 from 71 mills to 66 mills. This year, by maintaining

the millage rate at 66 mills, we realize 23 consecutive fiscal years without a millage

rate increase. Over that same period of time, the millage rate has been reduced on

five separate occasions from an original 120 mills to the current 66 mills. We have

been able to decrease our millage rate in spite of the revenue losses we have

experienced in these tough economic times. We are happy to have been able to

avoid raising taxes, and we attribute this successful effort to the careful

stewardship of our funds by our Council and staff. City Council approved this

ordinance on first reading at our May 9, 2011, meeting.

SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING OF AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE A BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2011-12: Included in this agenda packet is the proposed City of Aiken budget for July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012. Our zero-based budgeting sessions from Fall, 2010 and earlier this year have provided the basis for us to plan for revenues and expenditures next year.

As we have done in past years, our proposed budget consists of three major sections:

General Fund

Enterprise Fund (Water and Sewer Utilities)

Other Funds:

Aiken Theatre

Stormwater Fund

Local Accommodations Tax

Sunday Alcohol Sales Fund

Victim Services Fund

Aiken Municipal Airport

Community Development Block Grant

Ventures Industrial Park

Northside Redevelopment

Crosland Park

Our total budget expenditures for these funds are $49,496,233. Total planned expenditures in the FY 2010-11 budget were $46,899,538.

The main increase in this year's expenditures is $3,950,000 for a new well and water plant on Silver Bluff Road. This project has been on the Capital Projects list, and expenditures were included in last year's budget for site acquisition and design work. This design work is expected to be completed this fiscal year.

We have sufficient holding accounts for us to borrow from and to cover this new water plant estimated expense, and then repay these borrowed funds through our annual utility system depreciation appropriations.

Comparing the proposed FY 2011-12 budget to our peak budget in FY 2007-08, then subtracting expenditures made with depreciation or special holding funds, we will be spending $38,455,578 next year versus the $39,330,325 we spent in FY 2007-08--$874,747 less in expenditures. Our actual budget—factoring in the rising cost of living--is shrinking, not expanding.

In addition to the proposed water plant construction, we are also proposing to phase in replacement and upgrading our department and divisions radios. The FCC is undertaking the process of splitting existing radio band frequencies to provide more radio bandwidths. We propose covering approximately one-half of the total anticipated costs this year, and the other half in FY 2012-13, about $190,000 each year.

Some of our other major purchases include:

Airport Glideslope Path Completion

Fourteen (14) ADPS vehicles

Twelve (12) firefighter self-contained breathing apparatus

Rear-loading truck for our Recycle Division

Electric vehicles

Street sweeping equipment

Trenching safety equipment

Mowers and other landscaping equipment

Other department vehicles

Utility Division heavy-duty service trucks

Succession Management Training

Smith-Hazel security cameras

Depending upon revenue receipts, and any carry over surplus funds from FY 2010-2011, we have included a small potential cost of living salary increase for our employees of 1%. We will also be reviewing our health insurance benefits to see what increases may be needed, as we have done in past years.

FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE FOR HOLDING A REDISTRICTING REFERENDUM: This item on the Agenda is a result of City Council’s June 2, 2011, meeting. It proposes a 6-1 Council Districting Plan to be voted upon by our citizens by a referendum during our November 8, 2011 general election.

The proposed referendum would be on the question of whether the existing 4-2-1 City Council Districting Plan should be revised to a 6-1 Districting plan.

For City Council consideration on first reading is an ordinance to establish a November 8, 2011, general election referendum and the referendum question proposing a change from the existing 4-2-1 City Council districting model to a 6-1 all single-member district plan based on the results we received from the 2010 U.S. Census.

SPECIAL NOTE: This referendum is mandated by the Voting Rights Act and the results of the 2010 Census. Voters need to be aware that under the 4-2-1 system we have now, each voter directly elects 4 of the 7 members of the Council. Under the 6-1 system, each voter will only elect 2 of the 6 members of the Council. A 6-1 configuration significantly reduces the power of each vote.

FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO MODIFY THE ANNEXATION AND SITE PLAN FOR 2352 WHISKEY ROAD – PROPOSED CRACKER BARREL SITE: Murray Brothers Land Development, LLC had previously petitioned for annexation and approval of a site plan for development at 2352 Whiskey Road in Aiken. This site is proposed as a new location for a Cracker Barrel Restaurant on this property. This ordinance passed on December 13, 2010.

As part of this annexation and development, a 0.35-acre tract was proposed to be included for extra parking. It now appears that the owners of this parcel do not wish to sell this 0.35-acre tract. Therefore, Murray Brothers have asked that the ordinance passed by City Council be revised to exclude this 0.35-acre tract and no longer require its inclusion for this proposed development. Ed Evans has reviewed this request and determined that this parcel is not necessary in order to complete this proposed development.

FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO SELL 7,480 SQUARE FEET TO MURRAY BROTHERS LAND DEVELOPMENT, LLC: As part of the Murray Brothers Land Development, LLC improvements to their land for location of a proposed Cracker Barrel Restaurant to be built, the City agreed to convey two parcels. One is 6,780 square feet on Athol Avenue and the other is 700 square feet on Oak Grove Road. These conveyances will allow the best configuration of the lot for location of a Cracker Barrel restaurant.

In order to complete this conveyance, a portion of the Athol Avenue right of way needs to be abandoned by Council. The Athol Avenue right of way will be repositioned to run alongside the consolidated lot.

RESOLUTION TO PURCHASE 32.65 ACRES NEAR HITCHCOCK WOODS, ALSO KNOWN AS PEGGY’S POND: Peggy Penland, President, Houndslake Corporation has contacted us about selling us land known as Peggy's Pond, on Dibble Road, in the western section of the city. This tract is approximately 32.65 acres. It has been appraised for $118,000.00.

Engineering and Public Works Director Larry Morris has visited this parcel and reviewed the appraisal prepared by Olivia Post. He is recommending purchase of this tract as preservation of green space and as a potential site for wetlands preservation and a walking trail installation. We have funds in One Cent Sales Tax Green Space accounts to purchase this tract.

APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION FOR PARKING LOT AGREEMENT WITH FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH: Wade M. Brodie, on behalf of First Baptist Church of Aiken, and its Trustees, are requesting City of Aiken acceptance of an agreement for the mutual use of lots immediately adjacent to the north of the proposed Center for African-American History, Art, and Culture [CAAHAC]. This lot will provide parking for the proposed Center as well as for the recently completed Heritage Park.

Under the proposed agreement, the church would have the right to use these lots for Sunday services. This agreement has been proposed along the lines of the agreements that were done in downtown Aiken in the late 90's that resulted in additional parking off Richland and Laurens behind several downtown businesses.

It is the hope that this agreement would provide much needed parking in this area of town for these facilities.

SPECIAL NOTE: This item was considered at our last meeting, but was deferred because there was no cost associated with the project. The total cost to upgrade the parking area with curb and gutter, lighting, and landscaping is estimated to be $42,000. The board of the First Baptist Church has not approved this concept.

FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CITY CODE SECTION 22-10 REGARDING THE OFFENSE OF PUBLIC INDENCY: After a recent request from the Aiken Community Playhouse Board of Directors, the City Manager directed City Attorney Gary Smith to review our City Code Section 22-10. His review revealed a need to update this Code Section to reflect decisions and court cases that have taken place since the original ordinance was passed by City Council. The City Attorney has developed proposed revisions to City Code Section 22-10 in light of these case decisions. City Solicitor Ben Moore has reviewed these proposed revisions and agrees they are needed.

RESOLUTION TO PURCHASE 1269 ALFRED STREET IN CROSLAND PARK: We have experienced sewer backups in Crosland Park from time to time. In an unusual set of circumstances, a backup at 1269 Alfred Street sat undiscovered for several weeks. The resulting damage to this house, after thorough investigation, appears to be irreversible. Staff has investigated this situation and is recommending purchase of this estate property in lieu of attempting to repair it. Once we have obtained title to this property, we will abate it and determine its best future use.

REQUEST TO USE PARK AVENUE FOR AIKEN’S MAKIN: For the last 34 years the Greater Aiken Chamber of Commerce has been using the parkways along Park Avenue for the Aiken's Makin' Festival. Last year booths were actually placed on Park Avenue, to much acclaim. They are requesting City Council's permission to hold the 35^th Annual Aiken's Makin' in Park Avenue from Chesterfield Street to Union Street on Friday and Saturday, September 9 and 10, 2011, from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. on Friday and 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. on Saturday. This has historically been a very successful event for our community. As part of this event the entire westbound lane and half of the eastbound lane of Park Avenue will be closed to traffic. Public Safety will work with Chamber staff to hold this event with the least interruption to surrounding businesses.

SCHEDULE FOR COUNCIL MEETINGS IN JULY AND AUGUST 2011: As we begin another South Carolina summer, Council has not typically scheduled second meetings in July or August to allow folks to schedule their summer vacations. We are again suggesting that we not hold second Monday City Council meetings on Monday, July 25 and August 22, 2011. If some important issue comes up, we could always go ahead and schedule a second meeting during either month, if needed.

MISCELLENAEOUS ADDITIONS:

CITY MEETING WITH SCDOT. The Mayor, ADPS Director Frommer, and the City Manager met with SCDOT officials on May 24 to discuss the new intersection signs that have been the subject of much public comment. From this meeting, it is our understanding that these intersections were part of the 2,200 statewide that have the highest traffic collision incident rates. SCDOT used a contractor to install these signs. While they are seeing a significant reduction in collision rates, they stated they remain willing to lookat the intersections cited by Rep. Tom Young, Mayor Cavanaugh, Public Safety Director Frommer, and me. That site visit is supposed to have now been done. We anticipate seeing their report soon regarding the corrective measures they will be taking regarding these intersections.

COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT AWARD. For the 19^th consecutive year, the City of Aiken Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) has been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). Finance Director Dim Abney reports that our CAFR has been judged by an impartial panel as meeting the high standards of the program. These standards include demonstrating a constructive spirit of full disclosure, clearly communicating its financial story, and motivating potential users and user groups to read our CAFR. The City has submitted our CAFR for review and received this award every year since 1992.

AUDITOR’S LETTER OF PLANNED SCOPE AND TIMING. Elliott Davis will conduct our FY 2010-11 financial statements audit. Their firm has sent a letter detailing the scope and timing of the audit. It highlights key areas involving the process including communication, independence, the audit planning process, materiality, internal control and compliance, and timing. Elliott Davis commenced preliminary fieldwork on May 3^rd.

SCDOT BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT. The City is working with SCDOT on their preliminary designs for the bridge reconstruction on York Street. Norfolk-Southern Railroad is requiring the existing bridge to be raised to meet clearance standards for their railroad equipment. Preliminary plans show the installation of a single bridge on York Street in place of the two existing bridges. As more information is made available by SCDOT, we will share it with you.

CITY EVENTS:

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21 AT 6:30 P.M. in the monthly Crosland Park Neighborhood Association meeting at the Crosland Park House, 1248 Crosland Drive.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21 AT 7:00 P.M. The City’s award-winning green infrastructure project will be featured on SC ETV’s “Making it Grow!” program hosted by Rowland Alston, Jr. This Emmy Award-winning program focuses on gardening topics while highlighting interesting places and products from around South Carolina. Council may recall that Mr. Alston and his crew visited the City on May 4 to film and speak to staff and Dr. Gene Eidson of Clemson University about our innovative Green Infrastructure project.

SATURDAY, JUNE 25 AT 3:00 P.M. will be the Fire Over Aiken celebration. It returns to the Western Carolina Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 25 at 3:00 p.m. This family-friendly 4^th of July celebration offers fireworks, rides, games, food, and music for the entire family. The admission is free; however a $5.00 parking fee will be used towards donations to the Child Advocacy Center.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, AT 6:00 P.M. The City of Aiken Council of Neighborhoods will meet at the Smith Hazel Community Center. This group currently has five neighborhoods actively involved but all City neighborhoods are encouraged to participate in the group.

For other events and happenings around Aiken, be sure to visit www.AikenIS.com

COMMENDATIONS. Geneva Curry Lewis writes to compliment ADPS officers Marcus Lawrence, Daymon Spann, and Dave Flanders for their solving the theft of her window air conditioning unit. The case was first reported on May 25 and the officers’ efficient work solved this case the very next day.

Debi Foshee, Secretary, South Carolina State Chapter of the Philanthropic Educational Organization Sisterhood, writes to thank Public Safety for its assistance during their group’s recent state convention in Aiken. Public Safety provided temporary handicapped parking spaces, prepared parking maps, and staffed these meetings with a public safety officer to provide assistance.

Ella Ruth Curry writes on behalf of Pine Lawn Cemetery Committee to recognize the volunteers from Public Safety that helped with the cemetery cleanup on May 21. Officers Jason Griffin, Wilson Dandy, Matt Bramlet, and Travis Griffin were instrumental in getting the property ready to honor our citizens and veterans for the Memorial Day Remembrance.

School Superintendent Beth Everitt has written to thank Public Safety Director Pete Frommer for his participation in their Criminal Justice program at the Aiken County Career and Technology Center. Public Safety officers provided technical support, as well as practical experience, while serving as role models for students.