A couple of weeks ago, I brought up in an article that Bibb County Commission Chairman Sam Hart may have a conflict of interest in dealings with the Bibb County Board of Education and his tutoring firms S & V Educational Services and the Middle Georgia Center for Academic Excellence and his support of Dr. Romain Dallemand's Macon Miracle plan.  I then brought out more details in a second article and proved thanks to Angel Caldwell that there is indeed a very strong possibility that a conflict does in fact exist.  I was overwhelmed with positive comments from members of both parties and citizens of our community who, like I, feel that there is a conflict.  I even went a step further and asked an objective attorney to look at the evidence.  He also agreed that the appearance of a conflict exists.  I now feel that there is even more evidence of further conflicts that Chairman Hart has with another entity that does business with Bibb County:  The Bibb County Department of Family and Children Services, or DFACS.

An Open Records request of all business conducted between Bibb County DFACS and Chairman Hart's company S & V Educational shows that there was a contract, or "Memorandum of Understanding", between the two that began on May 31, 2011 and ended on July 29, 2011 in order that Hart's S & V would provide a summer program for 100 children at the cost of $40 per day for a total of 44 days, giving Hart's company a grand total of about $178,000.  (See below.)

Now you ask, why is this a conflict of interest?  That's very simple:  the Bibb County budget, which Chairman Hart has partial control over, has allocated the very same DFACS $850,000 per year.  That's right math majors.  Chairman Hart's company S & V is beneficiary of almost 25% of all of the money earmarked by the board that he is Chairman of that DFACS receives, see page 123, line 3 in the Health Welfare section.  Chairman Hart voted in favor of the 2011 budget...

Now a couple of good questions come from this:

1.  How was S & V Educational Services picked by DFACS to be the vendor for this ?

I also received an email via my Open Records request that was sent from Clifford O'Connor, who is over the  Administration and Finance for the state DFACS, that outlines the plan.  It states that the plan has been "approved as an exception to normal payment types under UAS 518" but doesn't provide the vendor, S & V, by name.  The email is dated 5-11-2011 and the plan started 5-31-2011.  Funny thing, too.  The 'Memo of Understanding' between DFACS and S & V isn't dated, with the exception of a handwritten "6" where the date should be, however, it looks to be cut off.  This leads to other questions. 

2.  Were there bids released by DFACS for this program so that other companies besides Sam Hart's could compete for it?

Even if there was a bid process for this program, it does not excuse the fact that Chairman Hart is in direct conflict of interest in approving funds paid from Bibb County taxpayers that were funnelled into a company that he owns and his son Sheldon is director of. 

3.  Were the other Bibb County Commissioners given full disclosure that Chairman Hart's company would directly benefit from the amount of money allocated to DFACS that was included in the Bibb County budget that they were voting on?  Was there any discussion at all of a possible conflict?  Was it discussed with County Attorney Virgil Adams?  (Don't forget that the "V" in S & V Educational is for Virgil as in Virgil Adams. I'm sure that they will claim there is no conflict there either.)

Now from what I have seen, S & V Educational and the Middle Georgia Center for Academic Excellence have done some very good things, however, that isn't the point.  The point is that the owner of these companies, Bibb County Chairman Sam Hart, has put himself in a position of conflicted interest and should be held accountable for his actions.

 

John McCain lost in '08 because he lost the center. George W. Bush won re-election in '04 because he won the center. And so it goes.

In the Wall Street Journal, writing about electability, Michael Medved said, "Most political battles are won by seizing the center. Anyone who believes otherwise, ignores the electoral experience of the last 50 years..."

Mr. Medved makes the point that general elections are won "by seizing and holding the ideological center.” In the last  two presidential elections, “more than 44% of voters described themselves as 'moderate,' and no conservative candidate could possibly prevail without coming close to winning half of them (as George W. Bush did in his re-election).” And their number is increasing.

According to a Gallup Poll, 40% - a record number - of Americans call themselves Independents a/k/a moderates. The remainder are almost evenly split between Democrats, 31% and Republicans, 27%.

[By the way, Republicans routed Democrats in 2010 and won back the House by appealing to the center as the base stood firm. They received 58% of the vote from Independents. And we now have Republican governors in Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin and a Republican senator from Massachusetts for the same reason.]

These voters are not ideological purists; not strident, hard-core, litmus test true-believers in the rigid catechisms of Left or Right. They hold the key to winning in November.

The American Spectator's William Tucker observes that they are, "...newly successful people [who] have become the pivotal bloc that swings the state between Republicans and Democrats. They are not committed to either party. They are not terribly involved with social issues. Their main worry is the economy. If Republicans make birth control and separation of church and state the major issue, they will go Democratic. If the Democrats mess up the economy and produce $4.50 gas and 8.3 percent unemployment, they will swing Republican. That will probably decide the 2012 election.”

In a humorous piece on Mitt Romney, I went on record last December as a supporter. That support is based on Romney's private and public sector experience and my belief that he can win enough support from the center. His rivals cannot.

Messrs. Medved and Tucker conclude - and echo my assertion - that Romney is the most electable.

Romney's biggest asset will be Barack Obama's name on the ballot. That will guarantee a huge turn out of the conservative base. Count on it.

Last week, Romney was endorsed by the county's largest Tea Party organization - Freedom Watch - as well as by Jeb Bush and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC). That's the kind of broad-based support he's getting from conservatives.

Mitt Romney as the 2012 GOP standard bearer will be more than just an appealing candidate. Every poll  indicates he has the best chance of defeating Barack Obama as well as keeping the House in GOP hands. That's the end game.

In the Republican Primary for Georgia’s 12th Congressional District Lee Anderson has demonstrated he is very different from his three Republican opponents Rick W. Allen, Wright McLeod, and Maria Sheffield.

And not in a good way.

Lee Anderson has, in effect, made the primary a three person race for conservatives based on four instances where he demonstrated a negative approach to the campaign which disqualifies him from serious consideration.

 


1: Walking Away from Ethics

Lee Anderson attended the press conference held by the Ethics Alliance, made up of various organizations concerned about the state of ethics under the Gold Dome, as an alleged co-sponsor of House Bill 798, the Ethics Reform Bill, on January 12, 2012.  

Lee Anderson was identified as a co-sponsor by one of the primary organizers of the press conference and allowed himself to be promoted as such.  Lee Anderson even spoke at the press conference and reminded everyone he was running for Congress.

Subsequently, lobbyists made it known that anyone who supported House Bill 798 and Ethics Reform would not be supported in the campaign efforts with campaign contributions.

For reasons only he can explain, and he needs to explain, Lee Anderson is no longer listed as a co-sponsor of House Bill 798.

There are multiple articles from reputable media organizations pointing out the only remaining Republican supporting House Bill 798 is state Representative Tommy Smith. The conservative leaders, who organized the press conference, have held a subsequent press conference and given many interviews pointing out that only state Representative Tommy Smith remains from House Republicans.

It is one thing for a Republican state Representative to have not yet made a commitment to House Bill 798. But, to show up at the press conference, stand with the conservative leaders, trying to suggest you are a conservative, trying to earn conservative support, and then to remove yourself once the insider, establishment lobbyists tell you to…well, that is betrayal.

Lee Anderson has walked away from Ethics, the Tea Party and Georgia Conservatives. This is a prime example of insider, establishment politics.

Worse, when House leaders introduced an alternative Ethics Bill Lee Anderson failed to co-sponsor this moderated legislation.

What is of particular concern is Lee Anderson may have violated an existing ethics rule at the initial press conference. Lee Anderson was attending in his capacity as an incumbent state Representative – not as an announced candidate for Congress. Lee Anderson was receiving a salary paid for with taxpayer dollars to attend the press conference. The moment Lee Anderson injected his political campaign into his remarks, he, ironically, demonstrated the need for ethics at the state Capitol and damaged the credibility of all those organizations who invited him to speak.

2: A Misleading Poll

On January 26, 2012, the following was posted on the Lee Anderson for Congress Facebook Fan Page:

“A new poll out today shows that I am leading in the race for Congress.” In a typical, political move, Lee Anderson wants reporters, donors, and voters to believe there is a legitimate poll showing him with a lead in this campaign.

The truth is that Lee Anderson paid a vendor to do a poll.  It comes as no shock the vendor found a way to imply the person paying him is winning in his own poll. 

3.Lee Anderson’s Reserved Ignorance

This was the headline Lee Anderson earned from Forbes Magazine on Forbes.com going viral across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Rarely does a candidate in a primary make national and international news, but Lee Anderson has managed to do so. 

Just not in the manner in which his campaign team wants to promote.

At a Statesboro forum Lee Anderson was asked whether he would try to change the Federal Reserve or abolish it if elected.

“We must build our reserves even stronger than what it is now … on the federal level,” Anderson replied. “On the state level, we are building back our reserves up now.”

The question was asked by a young high school student who is close friends with the son of GOP 12th District Chair Lawton Sack and who was attending with Chairman Sack.

Unfortunately for Lee Anderson the Statesboro Herald was in attendance and reported this answer and posted this video:

http://www.statesboroherald.com/multimedia/3918/

However, when contacted by the Augusta Chronicle for a comment on the clip – again, posted by the Statesboro Herald, Lee Anderson decided to launch a blanket attack against all three of his Republican primary opponents:

From the Augusta Chronicle: When contacted by phone for comment about the clip, Anderson said, “They’re trying to be dirty already. They can play dirty politics. I go the high road. I run a positive campaign.”

 

It really is ironic just as it is clear Lee Anderson does not understand the issues surrounding the Federal Reserve it is apparent he either did not understand the clip was posted by the Statesboro Herald or he did not care and decided to try and deflect by attacking his opponents.

The record should show that the first candidate to attack in this primary is Lee Anderson as he attacked the character of Rick W. Allen, Wright McCloud, and Maria Sheffield. An attack which is not justified based on the evidence.

4. Endorsements – Clarified

On March 12 Lee Anderson posted on Facebook: I have earned the public endorsement of 207 community leaders and local elected officials in every county across the new 12th. 

Sounds great.

The only problem is this list was misleading at best.

For reasons only Lee Anderson can explain, he allowed a list to go out with dozens of names of both elected officials and community leaders who not only have not endorsed him, but in some cases are actually supporting one of his opponents.

Several of these elected officials either face or might have a primary opponent themselves. There have been multiple instances where these incumbent Republicans have expressed anger at Lee Anderson for including their name without their permission. They believe Lee Anderson decided to exploit them and potentially cause them problems with in their local primary for his own personal promotion.

In several instances, certain community leaders who are active with organizations who need to be professionally positive with all the candidates found their names on this list after receiving Lee Anderson in their office on a courtesy first time “meet the candidate” meeting. The same type of meeting the person has hosted for all the other candidates in the primary. Again, Lee Anderson put several people who represent organizations and causes in the awkward position of having to call the other campaigns to explain that they have not endorsed Lee Anderson.

Harder for Lee Anderson to explain to activist Republicans is why a large number of the people on the endorsement list are well known elected Democrats.

While it is important to have Democrats support a Republican in the General Election what has puzzled several Republican leaders is why Lee Anderson has to rely on such a large amount of support from Democrats - who are working against other Republicans in the district.

Certainly Lee Anderson enjoys the support of some number of those who names were listed but there were many who had no idea they would be included because they have not endorsed Lee Anderson.

5. Why This Matters

The National Republican Congressional Committee has declared Georgia 12 to be a Top Five Targeted Pick Up Race. There will be a serious, multi-million dollar effort to defeat Congressman John Barrow.

Who the Republican nominee is matters in this district.

Of the four candidates three of them are conducting themselves in a professionally appropriate manner. Rick W. Allen, Wright McLeod, and Maria Sheffield all are running campaigns which, while competitive, seem focused in a traditionally honorable pattern.

With Lee Anderson it appears there is a pattern of negative actions which give the appearance of abandoning, accusing, and exploiting others for the singular purpose of advancing his political campaign.

Republicans in Georgia have four choices in the primary, while We Are Politics continues to assert that Maria Sheffield remains the front runner based on her conservative grassroots support and her electoral strength in the district in 2010, Rick W. Allen and Wright McLeod also deserve consideration as serious credible candidates.

Sadly, Lee Anderson, through a series of unfortunate negative actions, has demonstrated he is not in the same class as Rick W. Allen, Wright McLeod and Maria Sheffield.

Editor's Note:  Sheriff Howard Sills of Putnam County, Georgia is one of the most respected law enforcement officers in the state.  I did not know much of anything about HB1176 until I recieved an email from Sheriff Sills, but I can tell you that if Sheriff Sills feels this strongly about an issue, it deserves to be looked at again.  Sheriff Sills has graciously allowed us to reprint his letter in hopes of getting Georgia State Senators to review HB1176.


To the People of Georgia

 Last week, the Georgia House of Representatives passed House
 Bill 1176.  It passed with a 164 to 1 vote, and the lone dissenter announced that he accidently voted no.  It is being touted as the most significant sweeping change in Georgia's criminal justice system in history, and it is projected to save the state government $264 million in spending over the  next 5 years.  In today's Atlanta Journal Constitution, one Representative is quoted as saying it's ".an incredible piece of legislation."  Governor Deal is quoted as saying it was ".amazing to have achieved such consensus on a bill that implements major reform."

 This bill was first read on the floor of the House on February 27th.  Since that initial reading there have been at least half a dozen substitute versions to come out.  There was only 1 committee hearing on the bill, as passed, and that happened last Wednesday afternoon, then the bill was voted on in the House yesterday.  It will now go directly to the Senate.  There will be no further hearings, and it is expected they will vote on it Monday.

 I have been a police officer for almost 38 years, and I find it truly incredible and absolutely amazing that such drastic changes could happen so quickly, especially since the vast majority of the citizens of this state have no knowledge of the consequences that will follow these changes in our laws.  The Devil's dancing in Hell; and every thief, burglar, check forger, and hoodlum from Trenton to Tybee, from Bainbridge to Blue Ridge, will be grinning from ear to ear if this passes the Senate next week.  When it comes to being soft on crime, this legislation will nestle our miscreants in a down filled feather bed of comfort they never remotely thought they could slumber in.

The bill as passed is 59 pages long and contains many nuances and complexities that cannot be explained with any brevity, but one of the primary functions of House Bill 1176 is to make numerous crimes that are now felonies, misdemeanors.  This will certainly save the state government money because all of the costs associated with punishment of misdemeanors are borne by the counties.  If you are prosecuted for a misdemeanor in a county that has a State Court, as Putnam does, all of the costs of operating that court are paid by local county taxpayers.  If you are convicted of misdemeanor and given time to serve, you do it in the county jail.  All of the costs of operating the county jail are borne by the local taxpayer also. The state government provides no funding for the operation of your jail when it comes to misdemeanors.  When you really look at who the local county taxpayers are, you will find that the people who own land pay most of the cost of running county government.

This legislation will also create new Drug and Mental Health Courts called "Accountability Courts".  I guess this means that the criminals presently dealt with in our existing courts are simply not held accountable for their actions. 

The new Drug Courts will provide an alternative to the traditional judicial disposition of cases involving people charged with crimes related to possession, use, sale, and distribution of illegal drugs. You can expect constitutional challenges from defendants who are denied access to a Drug Court.  An individual charged with the same crime in a county that is affluent enough to fund a Drug Court will get to go into treatment programs, etc. and will never be convicted, whereas a person arrested and charged in a poor county that can't afford a Drug Court, gets prosecuted, convicted, and goes to jail. 

You can also anticipate like scenarios when it comes to the Mental Health Courts, and I would also expect a plethora of criminals will assert they are suffering from a mental illness and want their cases disposed of in a
non-traditional manner.  Regardless, there will be new costs for these new courts.  Unless the state government provides funding for these courts, the costs will be going on the back of the local taxpayer.

It is my personal and professional opinion that the crux of this legislation is nothing more than attempt to shift more of the burden of incarcerating prisoners from the state to the counties.  Most of our jails are already full and many of the inmates in them are being held for the state Department of Corrections, which never adequately reimburses us for the costs associated with housing their prisoners. Our counties are already suffering  from the impact of the downturn in the economy, and our tax digests have decreased accordingly.  Placing any further burden on the local land-owning taxpayer is unfair and unjust. 

When I prepare a warrant for the arrest of a criminal, I swear that to the best of my knowledge and belief the person committed an offense against the STATE OF GEORGIA, not the land-owning taxpayer of Putnam County.  The responsibility for the costs associated with those who commit crimes against the state should be borne by all the citizens of the state equally.

All of the hoopla for "Criminal Justice Reform" was spawned from the rising expense to state government caused by keeping so many criminals in state prison.  One of the statistics often cried is that Georgia's prison population has doubled in the last 20 years alone.  This is true statement, but they never mention that the total population of this state has also doubled in the last 20 years!  It took 257 years from the time Oglethorpe climbed up the bank in Savannah for the population to reach 5 million in 1990, but only 20 more years to reach almost 10 million.  Would one not expect some correlation between the increase in population and an increase in crime?  It is unfortunate indeed, but there is a significant percentage of our latest 5 million residents who are not exactly living at the foot of the cross. 

A sheriff has the duty to preserve the peace, and protect the lives, persons, property, health, and morals of the people; and I believe the consequences of this legislation becoming law will seriously impair my ability to do my duty.  Those of us who have a comprehensive and practical knowledge of the realities surrounding crime and punishment in Georgia know that this bill WILL NOT improve public safety. 


I therefore urge you to contact your state Senator immediately and implore him or her to vote against House Bill 1176.  There is precious little time left!

In 2011, the best team in baseball on paper was the Philadelphia
Phillies.  Indeed, virtually every sports commentator expected the
Phillies to win their division, pennant, and the World Series.  On the
other hand, no one gave the St. Louis Cardinals much of a chance.  In
fact, with 31 games to go, the Cardinals were ten and a half games
behind the Atlanta Braves in their division.  As painful as it was to
watch, the Braves collapsed and the Cardinals went on to win the
division, the pennant and the World Series.  The Phillies were not even in the World Series.  As the old adage goes, that is why they play the games.
In the race for the GOP Presidential nomination, Louisiana's primary
marked "halftime."  Heading into Louisiana, states with delegates
totaling 1,141 had decided - just short of the 1,144 needed for the
nomination.  With Louisiana, the process moves past the halfway mark with 34 states having decided, accounting for 1,187 delegates.
Certainly, most insiders and television commentators consider former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney to be the prohibitive favorite to win
the nomination.  Yet, he must still win the nomination with an entire
half yet to be played.

The nomination process is so complicated and diluted that it is
difficult for any candidate to actually put the race away.  Instead,
until mathematically eliminated, former Senator Rick Santorum, former
Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Congressman Ron Paul - like the Cardinals
last year - continue to compete for the GOP nomination.  And so the
process goes on toward the Republican National Convention in Tampa from
August 27-30, 2012.

In a Presidential race that has had many unexpected twists and turns,
this is no small thing. The truth is that with 4 candidates remaining
this deep into the calendar, the GOP nomination moves into unchartered
waters.

Some big upcoming dates could determine whether Governor Romney can put
the race away, or whether the nomination goes into overtime.  As a
result, the timing and sequence of the primaries in the second half is
important.

After Louisiana on March 24th, there are three primaries on April 3rd -
with two that are winner-take-all.  The winner gets all the delegates
and the rest of the candidates get nothing.

First, there is the primary in the District of Columbia.  Having failed
to meet the legal requirements, Senator Santorum will not be on the
ballot.  Instead, it will largely be a contest between just Speaker
Gingrich and Governor Romney.

Second, there is Wisconsin, which is also a winner-take-all state. This
is considered by most to be a 'must win' for Senator Santorum.   It is
among the 'blue collar' states included in any strategy he has for
remaining viable through June.

Third, there is Maryland which is proportional.  Most insiders consider
Governor Romney to be the favorite.  But because of the rules, it will
be difficult for him to win a majority of the delegates.
These three contests - D.C., Wisconsin, and Maryland, set the stage for
the GOP nomination for almost an entire month because then the process
really slows down.

Three weeks later, on April 24th, (more than four weeks after
Louisiana), five more states decide.  No one knows what such a hiatus
can mean in the modern world of daily politics.  Everyone agrees that,
besides needing Wisconsin, Senator Santorum almost certainly faces a
'must win' in Pennsylvania (whose delegates remain unbound regardless of
outcome).  The other big contests on April 24 are Connecticut, Delaware,
Rhode Island and delegate rich New York (95).

Then, the process speeds back up.  Two weeks later, on May 8th, more
southern primaries take place in North Carolina and West Virginia along
with Indiana followed by Nebraska and Oregon on May 15. Then, the fourth
quarter of the GOP nomination process begins with a delegate rich 3-week
dash that really could decide the nomination.  The fourth quarter begins
with more southern primaries in Arkansas and Kentucky on May 22nd.  They
lead into Texas (155 delegates) on May 29th.

After two weeks of southern primaries, the process then turns on June
5th to California (172 delegates), New Jersey (50), New Mexico and South
Dakota.  California and New Jersey alone represent almost 20% of the
delegates needed for the nomination and are both winner-take-all
contests.

In total, the states in this final 3-week stretch have 509 delegates -
or almost half of what is needed for the nomination.  The final primary
(Utah) is not for three weeks afterwards - on June 26.
If no candidate has the 1,144 delegates by June 26, the process moves
into overtime.  This is when the candidates try to woo unbound delegates
to get them over the 1,144 threshold.  If no candidate can do that, then
it really will be an open convention after all.

I certainly caused quite the firestorm when I dared to suggest that Bibb County Commmissioner Sam Hart may  have shown a  conflict of interest last week when he endorsed Dr. Romain Dallemand's Macon Miracle plan being that Chairman Hart owns S & V Educational Systems, a company that offers tutoring for students of Bibb County that need extra help in my article "Getting To The Hart of the Macon Miracle."   

So far I've been labeled a 'redneck blogger' by someone who hid behind a pen name and left a comment here....A 'nut' and 'gnome Knowles' by Macon City Councilwoman Elaine Lucas; and a 'liar' by Telegraph editor Charles Richardson.   (I wear insults from Elaine Lucas as a badge of honoras I know that I must be on the right path.  By the way, my wife actually likes the 'gnome' Knowles thing...Thanks much Elaine.)

Let's set a few things straight.  First, in the Macon Telegraph story that I linked above, the writers stated that Tom Wagoner, President of CORE Managment here in Macon and a candidate to take Chairman Hart's position, was the 'person who asked Knowles to look into it.'  The next morning, Mr. Wagoner called into the Kenny B and Charles E Show to deny the statement and said it was a mistake on the Telegraph's part.  That's when Charles went on to say that either Mr. Wagoner or I was a liar.  Mr. Wagoner is telling the truth.  I am telling the truth.  I will state, as I have stated before, that the person who I spoke with regarding this...The person who actually gave me the heads-up on Chairman Hart's involvement in the Bibb County School System will remain an unidentified Democrat.  That's all the hints I'm giving and I will not give up my source.  The only reason that I have identified this person as a Deomcrat is to refute Chairman Hart's statement as well as Charles Richardson's that this was a 'political attack.'  WRONG.  This was a minor investigation into the Macon Miracle that uncovered a major conflict of interest. 

Second, the best definition I can find for a Conflict of Interest is:  A term used to describe the situation in which a public official or fiduciary who, contrary to the obligation and absolute duty to act for the benefit of the public or a designated individual, exploits the relationship for personal benefit, typically pecuniary.  (Pecuniary means money...)  Now I want the readers to analyze the relationship that Chairman Hart has with the Bibb County Board of Education....Chairman Hart is listed as the owner of S & V Educational Services.  (See page 138.)  Virgil Adams, the Attorney for Bibb County, is the "V" and is also the attorney who filed the incorporation documents.  Many people have suspected that Hart and Adams were in business together...(This proves it, though Hart says Adams is only a 'named partner' and recieves no money from it....)  Chairman Hart's son Sheldon is listed as an officer of the company.  Is it not safe to assume that there is a hint of inpropriety given the fact that Chairman Hart has openly commented about the educational system that he has a direct financial interest in?  Chairman Hart has denied that he has recieved any money from the Bibb County School system and that this is Title I money that is filtered through the system.  What concievable difference does that make?  By the way...Chairman Hart also owns a company called "Middle Georgia Center for Academic Excellence".  I called S & V and asked if the two companies were related and was told very quickly that they are affiliated.  (A quick scan of the Form 990 that has to be filed for the IRS shows that Chairman Hart recieves well over $100,000 per year from the  Middle Georgia Center for Academic Excellence.  See page 7.)   The plot thickens even more in that Macon City Councilman Virgil Watkins works for the MGCAE...

Angel Caldwell, a local concerned citizen not to be confused with Angel Hopper, looked into the situation a little deeper.  She sent an email to several members of the media around town, including Charles Richardson, stating that there is in fact a conflict of interest and proves her point by showing that by the "methods through which SES (Supplemental Education Service) providers (S & V Educational being one) are paid. He asserted that the local BOE is simply an intermediary that funnels Federal Title I funds from the government to the provider. This is not the full story. The local BOE (or LEA - local education authority - as it is referred to in the attached documents) does, in fact, negotiate both the contract and the hourly rate per student with the SES. Here is the process:

1.  The potential SES provider applies to the state BOE to be added to the approved provider list for the LEA's they indicate on their application. (i.e. S&V applied to Georgia to be added to Bibb County's SES list that is given to parents.) A copy of the application is attached that includes all instructions and regulations from the SBOE.

2.  The state then approves the SES provider and adds them to the list of approved providers.

3.  The LEA receives the list from the state, and they must provide the complete list to parents who request SES services for their child. Neither the LEA nor any of it agents is allowed/supposed to recommend any SES provider over another.

4.  Once any parent selects a particular provider, the LEA then negotiates a contract and an hourly rate per student with the provider. This is where the conflict comes in. Chn. Hart has to negotiate his contract and rate directly with the Bibb BOE, so it stands to reason that, while he may not be guaranteed selection by a parent, he could be offered more favorable contract terms and hourly rates by the BOE in return for his support of the Macon Miracle and Dr. Dallemand. The providers can negotiate on things such as transportation for students, use of school facilities (LEA's can charge for use of school sites by SES providers), etc.  

Here's the response that Angel received from Charles Richardson:

"Angel, I'm glad you've done your homework. First point, it doesn't matter whether Sam Sr. or Sam Jr. is the registered agent if there is no conflict.  (A point that Richardson tried to make by saying he wasn't even sure which Sam was the registered agent.  If he would have taken the time to Google it he could have found out for himself.)   If there was a conflict, which there isn't, it still wouldn't matter, it would aid his son instead of himself. What you highlight assumes there are irregularities. That's a stretch. However, lets take a stretch that's just as ridiculous. As chairman, Hart helps recruit an industry that going to bring 200 jobs, and oh, those families have children — surely some of them will need tutoring. Lets stop the recruitment in its tracks."

Hold it....stop right there Chuckie....Shouldn't a public official be above reproach when it comes to his finances?    He states, "What you highlight assumes there are irregularities."  First, how do we know there aren't irregularities without an investigation?  Second, he didn't even know which Sam Hart, Jr. or Sr., was the registered agent for this company.  Is he any more a credible critic of this situation than Sam Hart is a proponent of the Macon Miracle, a plan he by Hart's own admission that he had yet to read when he endorsed it?

Richardson continued..."Lets be real about this. Under your scenario of conflict, he couldn't take his wife out to dinner on his own dime because the owner of the restaurant might give him a campaign contribution because they ate at his restaurant. There is such a thing as something sublime. There is also the ridiculous. The perception and reality is this was a cheap political attack and nothing else."

And there you have it.  Mr. Richardson and 'Macon logic' at it's finest.  His restauraunt scenario isn't even remotely similar to the situation that Hart has.  The preception by most rational thinking people is that there is a conflict of interest, not that this is a "cheap political attack".  (Though I am glad to see that Richardson and Elaine Lucas have found some common ground here.) 

So...to summarize the "no there ain't no conflict of interest" scenario, the Bibb County Chairman and the Bibb County Attorney are in partnership together in a company that is affiliated very closely with another company that employs not only the Chairman's son but also  a Macon City Councilman who happens to be the Vice-Chair of the Appropriatons Committee.  I must be a ‘redneck nutty gnome’ to think there's anything wrong with that picture.  A very well respected member of the community wrote me and said, “the public would never understand it.  And those that do could care less.”  I hope this is changing one column at a time.  Stay tuned.

 

I want to add a brief P.S. to my last commentary, "What's a 'True' Conservative?"

It comes from my article of November, 2011"The Know Nothing Republican Party." I said that the Republican Party is hostage to rigid, ideological purists. And that "the sunny optimism of Ronald Reagan the intellectual heft and humor of William F. Buckley and the principled, civil, tolerant conservatism of Barry Goldwater are no longer the face of the Republican Party."

I also cited the following, which  goes to the heart of and echoes my thesis that there's no such thing as a 'true' conservative. Moreover, that the "true" conservative assertion. is counter to our conservative heritage:

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed column, Peter Berkowitz contrasts the reigning Know Nothing elements of the party to the kind of conservatism which use to be the foundation of the Republican Party - and to which I subscribe - the conservatism of Buckley, Goldwater and Reagan:

"The notion of conservative purity is a myth. The great mission of American conservatism - securing the conditions under which liberty flourished - has always depended on the weaving together of imperfectly compatible principles and applying them to an evolving and elusive political landscape.

"William F. Buckley Jr.'s 1955 Mission Statement announcing the launch of National Review welcomed traditionalists, libertarians and anticommunists. His enterprise provides a model of a big-tent conservatism supported by multiple and competing principles: limited government, free markets, traditional morality and strong national defense," [Italics Added].

Editor's Note:  WeArePolitics is proud to publish this editorial written by State Senator Cecil Staton of the 18th District with his permission.  Senator Staton graduated from Furman University with degrees in Religion and Philosophy and also has his Graduate Degree from the University of Oxford.  

There has been much deliberation in recent weeks about the proposed "Macon Miracle" plan aimed at improving public education in Bibb County. Due to the current demands of session, I have not yet had time to study this plan in great detail. However, I believe it is of utmost importance to ensure the plan’s transparency and full disclosure. Recently, I’ve received an enormous amount of feedback from concerned parents who are convinced the “Macon Miracle” is ill conceived and does not adequately represent our students’ best interests.

Let's be honest. We really do need a miracle in public education in Georgia. In spite of enormous expenditures at the federal, state, and local levels, we languish behind many other countries, and Georgia is near the bottom when compared with other states. What is the solution? More money? In an effort to support Georgia’s educational system, we've increased property taxes, passed E-SPLOST’s, and built state-of-the-art facilities. Both Congress and several presidents have addressed the ongoing need to strengthen educational initiatives through programs such as “No Child Left Behind.”

In addition, we’ve spent more on public education than ever before. State spending on K-12 education currently makes up 38.2 percent of the total appropriated state funds – yet long-standing problems, performance and outcomes have not significantly improved. Money alone is not the answer.

In order for our state and nation to see the changes we desire in education, there is a different kind of miracle that we need and should pray for. It has to do with what's happening with Georgia families. In reality, our education problem in Georgia is as much a family problem as anything else. It is more about what's happening afterschool and on weekends than what is happening during regular school hours.

According to data from the Georgia Department of Public Health, 64.2 percent of births in Bibb County in 2010 were to unwed women. For African-American families, the figure is even higher at 80.9 percent. Because of this, children are being raised by single mothers without the influence of a father. Some of these mothers do the best they can despite their lack of a strong support base. I suspect that in these cases, values and commitment to the education of their children is a real priority in the home. But, for far too many, this traditional family breakdown leads to poverty, a lack of personal responsibility, a lack of discipline, crime, substance abuse, and bruised and damaged children in our public schools with little support at home.

There is a clear correlation between parental involvement and a child's educational success. In fact, it is probably the most significant factor. I don't think a shiny new program named "Macon Miracle" is going to do very much. Perhaps it sounds good. Maybe it will justify spending some extra money. It might even stave off criticism for a while as we give the program a chance. At the end of the day, what we need is a real miracle where our churches, civic leaders, educators, and local elected officials come together and find ways to support children from broken families. That may be even more expensive. It may require a lot more work outside the classroom. But let's not kid ourselves. We truly do need a miracle, specifically one that addresses the very heart of the issue – lack of parental involvement, broken families, and children who suffer as a result.

In the past couple of weeks I have brushed the surface in regards to the tremendous conflict of interest that has been discovered between two of Bibb County's elected officials, Bibb County Chairman Sam Hart and Macon City Councilwoman Elaine Lucas, and the Bibb County Board of Education.  Both of these officials have come out strongly in favor of Dr. Romain Dallemand's Macon Miracle plan and have been extremely outspoken in their support.  Both own educational service companies that provide services for failing students of the Bibb County School System.  Though I have not completed my research on both individuals, I have enough information to share with everyone regarding Chairman Hart as the  citizens of Bibb County need to be informed.

I have learned that Chairman Hart has two separate corporations listed with the Georgia Secretary of State's office that are directly connected to educational services that do business with the Bibb County Board of Education:  S & V Educational Services and the Middle Georgia Center For Academic Excellence.

In documents released to me yesterday by the Bibb County Board of Education via an Open Records Request Chairman Hart's S & V Educational Services has recieved over $77,000 from the Bibb County School System in exchange for services to help students who are currently failing in the system since 2009.  As a matter of fact, a check for over $8000 was cut just yesterday.

Now I do want to make one thing perfectly clear:  I do not feel that there is anything illegal about Chairman Hart's company nor the dealings that it has with the Bibb B of E.  However, in my opinion, there is a tremendous conflict of interest in that Chairman Hart has proffited in the failure of students in the system and is now supporting Dallemand and his plan. 

Section 2-380, subsection (a)(5) of the Bibb County Code of Ethics states
"Circumstances such as, but not limited to, the following are deemed in conflict with and "adverse" to the proper discharge of official duties of county officials and employees:
(5) Attempting to influence the actions or conduct of a county official or employee in behalf of a business entity in which the county official, employee or family member has a financial interest or property interest.
 
It is in my opinion that being part of a news conference involving anything dealing with the Bibb County School System would violate this code by Chairman Hart being that he owns two companies that get direct payment from the same system.  In Hart's words, "I ask the community to stand with Dr. Dallemand and the Board of Education throughout its implementation.  By doing so, I believe we can move towards being an innovative and successful community. We must do better, and the Macon Miracle Plan is a start in the right direction."

Does Chairman Hart have the right to voice an opinion?  Certainly...But not in matters that have a direct impact on his checkbook as this issue does.  He should have taken the high road on this and not let his views be publicly known.

I now pose this question as well:  Will Chairman Hart and his companies profit from the Macon Miracle plan when it's implemented?  I think the taxpayers of Bibb County need to be asking this as well before they blindly support the "Dallemand Dream".
UPDATE:  Apparently the "V" in S & V belongs to none other than attorney Virgil Adams who just happens to be the attorney for Bibb County.  Did I fail to mention that he was taken out several times by Dr. Dallemand on the taxpayers nickle to upscale restaurants like Marco's?

(Photo courtesy of the Macon Telegraph.  Woody Marshall, photographer.)

In the business world, stakeholders of publicly traded corporations place their trust in corporate Board of Directors who perform a myriad of duties in an effort to help their business maximize profit, produce quality products, and benefit the stakeholders’ investment in the corporation. These boards typically hire and oversee Corporate Executive Officers (CEO), whose sole purpose is to run to day-to-day operation of the business and maximize product and profit. If the CEO fails, the board fires the CEO. If the board doesn’t fire the CEO when the CEO fails, the shareholders revolt. Businesses have failed in this scenario. It is the prerogative of the stakeholders to question a board’s decision making process when hiring a CEO and allowing that leader to implement their ideas and plans. In fact, a laissez faire attitude by stakeholders is tantamount to burying heads in the sand- a willful blindness.

Last week, the Bibb County School Board (Board of Directors) approved Superintendent (CEO) Romain Dallemand’s “Macon Miracle” plan of action for the Bibb County Public School System by a vote of 5-3. Members of the community (stakeholders) are mixed in their response to the plan. However, positive and negative feedback is critical when implementing a broad sweeping new initiative. To allow for a free pass would be detrimental to Bibb County children’s education (business product).

So, really, education is not a business; it’s far more important than any profit a business can make. But the business model is a tried and true measure of how to do things, and works in the reality of what’s happening in Bibb County.

You’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t believe that we need major changes in the Bibb County School System. The system’s graduation rate is hovering around 50%, and a number of schools don’t make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP- a component of No Child Left Behind). Business looking to develop new industries or expand their companies evaluate a community based on a variety of factors, education being near the top. One can only wonder how much business opportunities Bibb County has lost because of our public education system throughout the years. While the population of the state of Georgia has grown 18.3% since 2000, Bibb County has lagged behind at 1.1%. We need something new.

Superintendent Dallemand has taken what he sees as a unique opportunity and has introduced the Macon Miracle. The plan has lofty goals to transform the Bibb County Public School System in to one of greatness. A plan such as this is bound to be met with criticisms and some support. Both are necessary to completely vet a program.

At a recent forum at Central High School on the Macon Miracle, one Bibb County teacher indicated that the local school system is like a cancer, and that if you had cancer you would never ask the doctor for what tools he would use to treat it or what ingredients are included in chemotherapy treatments, Likewise, she proffered, board members should not fixate on details of the plan’s implementation. A local resident criticized board members who have asked for the costs of the plan, because, she said, the board has been “spending money to fail” for years. “Now take (the) dollars and do some successful work,” she said.

    Lastly, Macon City Councilwoman was quoted as saying, “It is time for us to make a change,” Lucas said. “I support the Macon Miracle, and you are a fool if you don’t, too.”

    Parents (stakeholders) who do not support the Macon Miracle in its entirety are not fools- they are concerned individuals doing their job. What more important investment in this community than the public education system to evaluate with a fine tooth comb? The comments that Macon Miracle Supporters are making against the “questioners” are ludicrous. When such a large, broad sweeping program is proposed, it is our duty to question aspects of implementation and finance. Otherwise, how do we know that we aren’t just signing a blank check over to the Superintendent?

    The Miracle has passed, and now we must live with that 5-3 vote. However, the hard work has yet to begin. And now is the time to continue questioning all aspects of the plan. Dallemand’s plan has line item expectations, and we should, as a community, ask Dallemand how he plans to implement each portion of that plan. Where will the money come from, and how much does it cost? How long until we see results; will they be immediate? Should they be immediate? Will the Board of Education’s reserve budget be depleted so that millage rates won’t go up? Will there be mass reductions in force, costing hundreds of jobs? How will the transfer of out of district students to a new school work in concept?

    Asking these questions is not “foolish”, silly, ridiculous, or anything otherwise. In fact, asking the question about the plan is what we need to do. Everyone in Bibb County is a stakeholder: if you have a child who attends public school, you certainly have an immediate vested interest; if you pay taxes, you are making a financial investment and you have an obvious interest; if you live in this county and hope to see job and economic growth, you want the education system to improve and thus you too have an interest. You must question, respectfully, to hold accountable. That’s what we need to be doing now.

In closing, I will say that Miracles are defined as a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is considered to be divine. Throughout history, people have insisted that they witnessed miracles of divine intervention. More than ever, we need God’s blessing as we work together as a community to make Bibb County Schools a successful school district.


But Miracles must be seen to be believed….and we WANT to believe…..