Guilford County Voters Nice Job on Soil and Water

Yes Weekly is reporting tonight that the candidate for soil and water who won in November is now out of the county CLICKHERE

This is a great case that if you don't know who to vote for don't vote at all. Or in the case of the Simkins Political Action Committee it is ok to tell them I don't need your piece of paper to vote , I have a brain.

Here is what was reported back in October in TRIADWATCH with the title being"Found a Soil and Water Candidate to Vote for in Guilford County" CLICKHERE


Andrew Courts needs to be the new Soil and Water District Supervisor. It is only fair to the 33, 847 who voted for him and if it is true as Yes Weekly is reporting in that Kirk Perkins is not in this county at all.

We will see what the Greensboro News and Record reports tomorrow on this.

UPDATE HERE IS THE ARTICLE IN GREENSBORO NEWS AND RECORD
CLICKHERE

New Garden Road Wedding Planner Gone, Here Comes Another Rezoning on New Garden

While traveling down New Garden Road in Greensboro North Carolina yesterday . There was a new rezoning sign on the property that tried to get a wedding facility proposed for that property back in early fall here are the past post on that issue

Stop The Wedding Planner CLICKHERE

Stop The Wedding Planner Withdrawn CLICKHERE

Mapquest of where this rezoning is CLICKHERE

This also spurred on a group of citizens in the area to start a blog called Friends of New Garden CLICKHERE

This new rezoning is compatible with the neighborhood across the street and should have been proposed the first time on that property. Here is what the neighborhood is saying about this new rezoning case.

On Dec. 1, the owner of the lots send a letter to nearby neighbors saying that she now believed the lots would be better used for multifamily development. She thinks the style and size of units that would be compatible are similar to those at Seven Gables on the other end of New Garden. The price ranges would be from $350,000 to $400,000 according to the owner. The back part of the property (wet land area) would not be rezoned. She asked for comments and several of us nearest to this property did let her know that this was certainly a viable option since it would be similar to developments across the street, not make any significant impact on traffic, and would be quiet (unlike an event center!).

It would not be realistic to hope that those properties would remain single family at this stage of the game because of the rezoning to upscale multi-family that has already taken place across the street.

The City of Greensboro sent out a Notice of Public Hearing about this new rezoning request. The hearing will be on January 12 at 2pm and those of us who protested the rezoning to an event center are not planning on disputing this new request as it stands. If anyone wants to attend to make sure it passes as requested, they are certainly welcome but there’s no need for a neighborhood gathering or effort.

Here are quotes from the letter from the city.

“A proposal to rezone . . from RS-12 (residential-single family) to CD-RM-5 (conditional district-residential multi family) has been received… The RM-5 zoning district is intended to accommodate duplexes, twin homes, townhouses, cluster housing and similar residential uses at a density of 5.0 units per acre or less. The requested CD-RM-5 application contains the following conditions:

1) Uses: Limited to a maximum of 22 townhomes/condomium for sale
2) Building exterior shall be at least 50% brick with some stone and wood accents
3) Access shall be limited to one curb cut on New Garden Road
4) Each townhome/condominium shall have an attached garage.

If approved, use of the property would be limited to the uses and by the conditions listed above.”

If you have questions or concerns, contact Friends of New Garden via the e-mail link on the web site, www.friendsofnewgarden.org
The web site should be updated soon.

Everyone has their own opinion and this e-mail is not an official notification from the Friends of New Garden, however, the small group of residents of Woodland Hills who initiated the action taken to defeat the proposal for an event center generally accepts that this is the most realistic option for that piece of property and probably the best we can hope for. We are not planning on taking any action against this new proposal.

_________________________________________________________
Let's take a few issues with this new rezoning case. The traffic on New Garden is horrendous especially where after Jefferson Road it turns back down in to a 2 lane road. Expanding the road to 4 lanes should be a top priority for the City of Greensboro even with a minimal impact of these townhomes. A condition should be put on to say that this development will get the go ahead as long as the 4 lane road is built to handle the increased traffic.

One other aspect of this rezoning case is for the City of Greensboro to make these rezoning cases have a required meeting with the effected neighbors not just a voluntary meeting . It is becoming apparent that the developers want minimal input from neighbors all you have to do is look at how the rezoning case off of elm street and cornwallis where the neighbors were not informed till the last minute. Here is the link to their blog CLICKHERE

Time for the City of Greensboro to make a requirement to meet with neighbors not voluntary. Below is a link to a prior article in TRIADWATCH where it talks about the High Point City Council has a requirement and what it says.

Here is the title of the article

Mike Barber wants a Love Fest with Local Developers CLICKHERE and at the bottom of article is the Citizen Information Meeting for High Point N.C.

Greensboro News and Record 10 Questions Article on Triadwatch and Keith Brown

In today's local section of the Greensboro News and Record Sunday December 28, 2008 they have a segment called "10 Questions" CLICKHERE where they interview local citizens and ask them questions.

I was asked to come in for an interview to talk about the issues and how I got started on my local blogs . It is with great thanks that I want everyone who has helped me along the way on these 2 blogs Triadwatch and Protest Petitions for Greensboro .

Below is the whole article for all to see.

10 PLUS QUESTIONS FOR KEITH BROWN

If you are thinking about running for office in Guilford County, you might want to start reading Keith Brown's blogs. That's because the Greensboro native and current High Point resident has made it his business to investigate area power brokers.

In his blog Triad Watch, he has taken on developers and uncovered incomplete campaign finance reports from local pols. His other blog, Protest Petition for Greensboro, advocates for a statute that requires a super majority to approve zoning cases when abutters don't approve.Brown sat down with reporter Amanda Lehmert to talk about his work as a watchdog.

Q. Why did you start blogging?

A. There was a rezoning case off Friendly Avenue. It was such a controversial case, I think it barely passed City Council, and Robbie Perkins was the deciding vote on that case. I said, "Listen, this is unfair to the citizens of Greensboro. They need to have the right to have a protest petition like everyone else." A lot of the bloggers started to get into it. That was the next avenue. You need to get a blog.

Q. When did you start protestpetitiongreensboro.blogspot.com?

A. I started the protest petition blog back in February 2008.

Q. What about your other blog, triadwatch.blogspot.com?

A. Triad Watch came about because I pigeonholed myself into the protest petition blog. So if I ever wanted to write about any other avenue - for example transparency in government, Heart of the Triad, rezoning cases - I couldn't write about it on a protest petition blog.

Q. What makes blogging a good format for you?

A. I think there are a lot of issues out there that places like the Greensboro News & Record won't write about. For example, the campaign contributions is the big thing I am into. I look at the lax reporting of a lot of people from Guilford County on their campaign contributions.

Q. How do you research campaign contributions?

A. You can go on the Guilford County Board of Elections Web site and actually see who is giving campaign contributions. You can really see who are the movers and the shakers in town and who is giving money to who. That's what I really want to report about.

Q. Right now you have a letter out to the state Board of Elections questioning a local campaign finance report. How did that come about? What were you looking for and what did you find?

A. I was just looking at the Sim kins PAC (political action committee). ... One of the things I noticed was there was a $5,000 contribution from Action Greensboro, and that was reported under individual contributions in the Sim kins PAC.You have to wonder, why do they give a $5,000 contribution to the Sim kins PAC? It was because they wanted all those (Greensboro 2008) bonds to pass, I'm sure. That was one of those things that I thought, this isn't right because it was under individual contributions. I am trying to figure out , can Action Greensboro, as a nonprofit, give money to a political action committee? Second of all, I would like to know, why was that labeled under individual contributions?

Q. What other kinds of issues have you uncovered in the campaign finance reports?

A. (County Commissioner Skip Alston's second quarter report) had nine contributions and they had nothing underneath for job profession or where they worked. Some didn't even have an address under there. The North Carolina general statute states that you have to have name, address and who their employer is. It's called transparency in government. We have to know who these people are and who they are giving to. Do they have a zoning case in front of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners? It's not just Skip Alston . Larry Proctor (who ran for at-large commissioner) is another. (County Commissioner) Paul Gibson was another one.

Q. Who has done a good job filling out their paperwork?

A. Kirk Perkins was a gold star Guilford County commissioner. He had everything. There was not one thing wrong with his campaign contributions. I don't see why they can't do the same thing Kirk Perkins did. He's his own campaign treasurer. So if anyone wants to learn, learn from him.

Q. How did you become interested in doing this kind of investigative work?

A. There was that (Society of Professional Journalists) Citizen Journalism Academy. I did go to that. One of the main things I got out of it was (learning about) the Freedom of Information Act.

Q. As a High Point resident, why are you so interested in things that happen in Greensboro?

A. I have lived here my whole life. I grew up here. There are things I want to do in High Point, too. I want to see a city like High Point, which is in the top 10 in the state, actually come into the year 2009 and start videotaping their City Council meetings.High Point needs that because nobody goes to the meetings.

Thank You Brit Hume for Special Report You Will Be Missed

Brit Hume has stepped down as host of Special Report on Fox News Channel. Above is a tribute to him and hopefully in future he will be a Fox All Star on Special Report. One of the best segments of the show was the Political Grapevine at around the 6:30 pm part of the show and it won't be the same not hearing Brit Hume say this "Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine". Good luck Brit Hume in your retirement and Bret Baier the replacement will do a fine job as well.

Remove Guilford County Commissioners, Think Twice Because This Could Happen

If anyone wants to remove our arrogant and secretive Guilford County Commissioners from their positions of power , you might want to read this editorial from the DAILYPRESS December 19, 2008 on a case in Gloucester County ,Virginia near Hampton Roads. Here is what the lead editorial had this to say.

"The citizens of Gloucester County who exercised their right to take their dissatisfaction with their representatives to the Circuit Court are being punished for their efforts."

It is a great editorial and is interesting to see a judge do this to the citizens of Gloucester County Virginia.If you would like to read the whole editorial CLICKHERE or just click on the title of this blog.

BELOW ARE MORE POST OF INTEREST IN THIS CASE

Experts: Ruling maybe illegal CLICKHERE

Petitioners say people are asking to help pay $80,000 CLICKHERE

WASTEWATCHER from Citizens Against Government Waste

WASTEWATCHER is a monthly dispatch from Citizens Against Government Waste

December 2008

A Monthly Dispatch from Citizens Against Government Waste

Troubles with TARP
By Leslie Paige
Barely sixty days after its establishment, the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) is itself, well, in big trouble.

580,000-Square-Foot Money Pit
By Sam Leverenz and Sarah Maroney
On Tuesday, December 2, the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) opened its doors to its owners the taxpayers - for the first time. After six years of construction and countless revisions, what seemed like a never-ending project has finally reached completion. While the CVC provides new services for visitors and a nice view of the Capitol, it is the $621 million price tag that has been making news.

USDA Makes $49 Million in Payments to Ineligible Individuals
By John Frydenlund
In October, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report titled “Federal Farm Programs: USDA Needs to Strengthen Controls to Prevent Payments to Individuals Who Exceed Income Eligibility Limits.” The report was requested by Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee.

The Mayors’ Stocking Stuffers
By Leslie K. Paige
In anticipation of the rapid passage of a $1 trillion stimulus package as soon as President-elect Obama and the new Congress take office in January, the U.S. Conference of Mayors released its wish-list of what it called “shovel-ready” projects that the Conference claims can be completed in 2009 and 2010 and will create 847,000 new jobs. With taxpayers already experiencing the worst holiday season in years, this is another big lump of coal in their stockings.

CAGW’s Project: Privacy
By Sam Leverenz
CAGW’s Project: Privacy will examine government’s role in ensuring that every person’s information is protected and help citizens manage their privacy. Through education and coalition building, Project: Privacy will build a bi-partisan network of groups and individuals to recommend effective privacy policy at all levels of government.

NEWSBUSTED on TRIADWATCH for 12/20/2008 LAST VIDEO OF THE YEAR FOR 2008

Topics in today's show: Jesse Jackson Jr. accused of bribing to get Senate seat, Fox News reporter buys John McCain Blackberry, Fran Drescher says she wants Hillary Clinton's Senate seat .

This is the last video of the year for 2008, check out the video on the top of this blog.

Newsbusted video new for 12-16-08

Topics in today's show: Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich gets in trouble, Barack Obama insists he is not connected to corrupt gov. Colin Powell vs. Rush Limbaugh, Canadian obese passengers have right to two seats for price of one . Just watch video at top of blog.Enjoy a good laugh for the day.

Mangum v. Raleigh Bd. of Adjust., (613PA07) 12/12/2008, Neighbors vs Strip Club

Mangum v. Raleigh Bd. of Adjust., (613PA07) 12/12/2008

HAT TIP UNDER THE DOME CLICKHERE

The neighbors in a North Carolina Supreme Court case involving a topless strip club and businesses who are directly effected by this special use permit given by the Raleigh Board of Adjustment have won this round of the argument Here is what was said.

BRADY, Justice.
In this case we determine the circumstances under which an adjacent property owner or property owner in close proximity has standing to challenge a Board of Adjustment's grant of a Special Use Permit. We hold that petitioners have standing to challenge the Raleigh Board of Adjustment's issuance of a Special Use Permit to PRS Partners, LLC and RPS Holdings, LLC. Thus, we reverse the decision of the Court of Appeals holding otherwise and remand this case to that court for determination of issues not reached by that court.

Here is what was said in conclusion

Because petitioners' allegations and testimony demonstrated the existence of special damages if the Special Use Permit were granted, petitioners have standing to challenge the issuance of the permit, and the Court of Appeals erred in holding otherwise. Accordingly, the decision of the Court of Appeals is reversed, and the case is remanded to that court for determination of the remaining issues raised by respondents but not addressed by the Court of Appeals.

If you want to see the whole case click the title of this blog post above or go here UNDERTHEDOME

One interesting aspect of reading this case was the use of what happened back in 1969 with Jackson v. Guilford County Board of Adjustment.

Jackson v. Guilford Cty. Bd. of Adjust., 275 N.C. 155, 161, 166 S.E.2d 78, 82 (1969) (citations omitted). Additionally, [i]f . . . that which purports to be an amendment permitting a use of property forbidden by the original ordinance is, itself, invalid, the prohibition upon the use remains in effect. In that event, the owner of other land, who will be specially damaged by such proposed use, has standing to maintain a proceeding in the courts to prevent it.

NEWSBUSTED on TRIADWATCH for 12/12/2008 NBC MEET THE PRESS SECRET

Topics in today's episode 12/12/2008: David Gregory takes over Meet the Press, Chris Matthews mocks Joe the Plumber, Twilight movie a big hit, Joey Fatone dedicates a public toilet

Video is above on TRIADWATCH

T Dianne Bellamy-Small Wants To Know Who Are The Falcons?

Greensboro City Council Member T Dianne Bellamy-Small during the council meeting on December 2, 2008 was congratulating the new McDonald's that has opened up at the loop intersection off of I-85 bypass in her district which is # 1.

During the agenda where matters are discussed by members of council at around the 3:08:20 mark on video CLICKHERE then proceed to the December 2, 2008 video, T Dianne Bellamy-Small was talking about the hustle and bustle of the McDonald's and how there were high school students, they were the Falcons and I don't know what high school that is but they had Falcons as their mascot.

Let's help T Dianne Bellamy-Small out on just who the Falcons are. This High School has been around since 1962 and the school name is South East Guilford High School CLICKHERE , and you can also add South East Guilford Middle School CLICKHERE because they are also called Falcons. This high school and middle school are right down the road from your district #1, so next time when some High School or Middle School kids comes into the new McDonald's off of the bypass 85-40 remember that the Falcons are from South East Guilford High School and Middle School.

We report you decide.

BRAND NEW NEWSBUSTED for 12-2-2009

New for 12-2-2009 Newsbusted and in this episode,
In this week's show: the U.N. reaction to terrorist attacks in India; the "office of the president-elect"; holiday shopping at Wal-Mart; and Jessica Alba as a math genius. It is embedded on front of TRIADWATCH