a discussion ensues

"often you express your doubt about things that are proven fact. that kind of thinking is not productive in public office. there is a saying that goes well with high scale leaders even Lincoln was said to quote it" if you make the "best decision you can with what you know now, no one can judge you negatively later". the fact is decisions must be made. when you have leaders that are always in the "what if" mode. the rest suffer from lack of leadership skills." While I appreciate the rational approach over the rude approach, I am not clear about that which you are speaking of. When I bought my house I did DUE DILIGENCE. I looked at ALL the possible things that could affect my decision - is there termites? is the area low and possibly prone to flooding? is there structural damage? what about the schools in the area? What about financing? can I afford this house? what are the interest rates? etc etc. Anytime anybody makes a major decision, due diligence should be done to minimize current and future risks. Once all the potentials have been addressed, an informed decision can be made, but NOT before. I would be glad to sit down and discuss the issues or we can just address them here, for all to see and participate. I would have no problem with that. Thank you for your kind offer. I will look forward to hearing from you. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

ideas, not slogans

We have run the gamut from Vote For Me- Im Latin, to Vote For Me, Im Female, and Vote For Me, Im Billy's Buddy And Will Do Whatever He Tells Me To Do - that is a big improvement? I am not so sure. What about new ideas, being a proponent for accountability, transparency, reasonable construction fees,and due diligence as a process for doing City business as a platform for consideration by the people? Those are the ideas my campaign is built on. The people will decide if those things make sense to them and are what they want in a representative, or not. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

due diligence denied?

IF 9 of the County commissioners DONT want to allow annexation it wont happen either, and we will have wasted a lot of time and energy putzing around with VGs ridiculous demands in the meantime. Isnt our lobbyist supposed to check out all the Commissioners for us and let us know? At last count 9 were NOT in favor and that seals that deal, no matter WHAT the municipalities decide or demand, rant or rave. Lets talk directly with Sosa, if need be. VG is a waste of time- a wannabe player who is trying to hold us up with delusions of grandeur. Talk to people who actually have some abilities to make this happen- IF, after all is said and done, due diligence shows it to be a positive and equitable thing for all the residents involved.

ruling by fiat, or royal decree

Annexation is only an oppurtunity if the probable benefits outweigh the probable liabilities. DUE DILIGENCE needs to be done before those probabilities can be sorted out. When MILLIONS of the taxpayers dollars are on the line possibilities are not enough. Would you rather invest your monies in a possibility or a probability? Due diligence is what should make the difference between a possible benefit to the residents of MS and the probable benefit to us, if, in fact, the benefits truly exist. Due diligence is needed to look at ALL the possible benefits and potential drawbacks so that an informed decision can be made, balancing one against the other. Judging from the total LACK of due diligence in the new gym caper it is extremely doubtful that the majority of the Council has any desire to, or intentions of, actually DOING due diligence! It IS their obligation as public servants and stewards of our tax monies BUT, since they pushed thru the multi-million dollar gym project without even the appearances of doing due diligence, will probably try to do the same thing again. We will see tonight if it will be a pep rally for the proponents or a serious and detailed discussion of the several important issues involved.

dont know Jack

Apparently Jack and his junior high school buddies have too much time on their hands. Expanding our tax base to include more businesses would be a good thing, IF the negatives dont outweigh the positives. ALL possibilities have to be scrutinized carefully, not just SOME of them, like the gym project, so as to give the appearance of, at least, that DUE DILIGENCE is REALLY being done! This is another project that will impact the citizens of this town, and their kids, for DECADES. Lets REALLY do DUE DILIGENCE this time! What a concept! to actually DO what City officials are SUPPOSED to do! It would be a welcomed change! after the new gym fiasco, however, I have SERIOUS doubts it will ever happen. Mayor Bain and his merry band of jesters will lead us FORWARD alright, right over the cliff.

annexation

Wouldnt it be prudent to look at the pros and cons of the zoning and pollution issues BEFORE dividing up whatever land may become available? If either one of the issues makes annexation not feasible dividing up the land would be a waste of time, no? We need someone who is familiar with the environmental issues to advise us on this from an unbiased, realistic perspective. In addition, we need some clear guidance from the County regarding the control of the zoning problem, and to look at both the positive and negative potentials of this proposal.
Of course, this would entail doing DUE DILIGENCE, something the Council is incapable of, and has refused to do lately. It is the City's right and responsibility to do DUE DILIGENCE before making any MAJOR decision but since they failed us miserably on the new gym issue how could we POSSIBLY expect them to attempt it on this issue? THEY WONT. The message is clear- they know best and will decide FOR us what we want and need, without bothering us with a vote. They will decide which options are important and which ones will be looked at seriously, saving the residents the time and energy to actually look at and discuss ALL THE OPTIONS. Remember, these are the guys who graduated at the TOP of their class at clown school and never met a construction cost they couldnt TRIPLE, at least.

Personally, I dont see the County giving us valuable land and income they could use with THEIR budget cuts and belt-tightening.