November 15, 2009
GBR
Valdosta, Georgia
TO: Editor, Local Television Stations, Fellow Citizens, Internet, Blog, and Beyond.
The Valdosta Daily Times published their support of school consolidation on November 15, 2009 and asks “Who knows how many business and industrial opportunities have been lost because prospective interests have seen our situation of two schools systems, one predominately White, one predominately Black, and concluded Valdosta-Lowndes County is a Southern through-back to segregation.”
However local newspaper and television stations seems to have contributed to our community being behind other metropolitan cities in the State of Georgia by not publishing cutting edge issues to the general public. Example: The following were items of information that citizen should have been informed about in our community. These concerns were brought before the Valdosta City School Board of Education but not published.
(1) That only thirty-minutes were allocated for citizens to be heard,
(2) It is difficult to get on the School Board Agenda to speak.
(3) Only thirty-two seats are available in a city with a population of 48,000
(4) Valdosta City Fire Codes could have been broken by over crowded room.
(5) Hallways, and lobby were blocked.
(6) Seats place down both sides of each isle.
(7) Only one side of the front doors was unlocked.
(8) People sitting in front of board members on the floor.
(9) That citizen had a right to know of all public meetings.
(10)No speaker system available for citizens to hear what was going on at the meeting.
(11)Former School Superintendent Walker picture was sill NOT displayed.
(12)120 citizens attended meeting but only thirty-two seats were available.
(13)473 citizens attended previous meeting but only thirty-two seats were available for the general public and the press at a public meeting in the State of Georgia.
(14)Two letters to the Board of Education requesting a larger facility be made available but not even a courteous reply was received from elected officials.
Should local news media be concerned about the safety, and if public meetings are made available to the general public in the State of Georgia? Now Pass It ON!
GEORGE BOSON RHYNES
Retired United States Armed Forces Veteran
A concerned citizen and brother of humanity
