Transportation

Anderson Resident,

Ms. Cindy Wilson and Mr. Bob Waldrep have formed an alliance against virtually everything, especially if it costs money. Since the accreditation process of the County Transportation Division will cost $25,000, they decided to vote against it.

I’m personally not opposed to their alliance. It has been entertaining and thought provoking. As long as the County Council is divided 5/2, we need not to be too concerned.

In the debate last evening over the acquisition of the Palmetto 800 MHZ Communications System, Ms. Wilson and Mr. Waldrep opposition, once again, highlighted the great work by County officials in researching the project thoroughly before offering the proposal to the County. Mr. Taylor Jones and Captain Matthew Littleton emerged out of the Council meeting as true professionals and intelligent planners.

Ms. Cindy Wilson and Mr. Bob Waldrep have formed an alliance against virtually everything, especially if it costs money.

- Art Kaldas

That is exactly why Waldrep comes across as an ineffective leader and C Wilson is nothing more than a stick in the mud.

If you are not going to help the county, please resign your seat and have someone who will, take it. Obstructionism does nothing to aid in the progress of this county.

- SSHM

Does anyone know if the County Transportation Department has received its accreditation yet? And are Bob Waldrep and Cindy Wilson still against this?

Who said they were against it ?

They did as is evidenced when they voted against it.

Constituent, not trying to stir up a controversy here, but why did you revive this five-month-old thread to ask a question you could have gotten answered with a simple telephone call?

Constituent, not trying to stir up a controversy here, but why did you revive this five-month-old thread to ask a question you could have gotten answered with a simple telephone call?

- JDTippett

JD,

First, I was curious as to whether the Transportation Department has received their accreditation and the county offices are closed today, it is Saturday if you haven't noticed.

Second, Do you honestly think Bob Waldrep or Cindy Wilson would even take my phone call? And if they did I doubt they would answer. If they have changed their mind, this would be a good place to make that claim as the elections are coming up.

Why would Waldrep or Wilson have to answer that question? Doesn't McAbee know?

By the way, that $25,000 accreditation fee wouldn't include dinner for 16 at Greg Norman's Australian Grille, would it?

(C'mon, Constituent. It's Saturday. I'm bored. I'm just playin' with you.)

I haven't asked McAbee but I have noticed he is blogging so if he is so inclined as to answer I'd love to know. Though I doubt he and Bob and Cindy have much to say to each other.

Who said they were against it ?

- Daneboy_4

They voted against it.

I don't know if the actual accreditation has been received. However, I support it and believe it will be good for the county.

Who said they were against it ?

- Daneboy_4

They voted against it.

- Bill McAbee

You know, I voted against the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) in Pickens County a number of years back, but it wasn't because I was opposed to local governments having additional sources of revenue beyond property taxes, fines, fees and whatever the state "generously" doled out while underfunding Aid to Political Subdivisions year after year.

I opposed LOST because of the way our geniuses in Columbia used it as a tool to turn local property tax rates into a STATE issue to take the pressure off their own fiscal ineptitude while also USING IT AS A TOOL TO FURTHER UNDERMINE HOME RULE.

So, was I opposed to the TAX and the CONCEPT, or was my "No" vote based on the PROCESS and the ULTIMATE EFFECT OF THAT TAX (which serves to muddle the true cost of local government in the minds of the residential property owners?

Based on the logic in see in recent posts, I'd guess that many would assume I'm opposed to giving the ability of local government to tap new sources of revenue. And nothing could be further from the truth.

And, McAbee, if we want to get into a history lesson here, we can go back to the Local Government Finance Act of 1985 that got gutted in committee and died because it came out as a total wash for local governments. But why would we want to bore people that that little legislative joke?

And this has to do with accreditation in our transportation department and the price of eggs in China, how? (you know I'm just kidding)

If you are trying to suggest that Bob Waldrep and Cindy Wilson voted against moving toward accreditation because they may not have liked the way our Transportation Department is run, then what better way to bring it up to efficiency than to move toward accreditation?

Your argument just doesn't fit this one, did you post on the wrong thread? (again, I'm just kidding)

Constituent, the post could apply just as easily to the 800mHz system. I was just pointing out that a vote AGAINST a specific motion doesn't always indicated opposition to the underlying project.

Well JD since you want to discuss 800 Mhz here too I will be glad to oblige.

If you had read the minutes as I have and were present when Cindy Wilson and Bob Waldrep were arguing against 800 Mhz as I was, then you would know that they with their own words said they were against 800 Mhz.

If they had some ulterior reason for voting against it, as much as the two of them love to hear themselves talk, I am sure they would have said so. They had no problem bringing up every reason in the book as to why they did not support 800 Mhz. So to try to say there may have been some other reason does not hold water.

As far as voting against accreditation they again said they did not want to spend the money no matter how little it cost. They sure didn't mind spending $60,000 on a useless study of impact fees.

Con, are you and Bill posting from the same computer its like you know what each other is thinking.

No, Great minds do think alike though. Having attended the same meeting and read the same minutes, it doesn't take a genius to come to the same conclusion:

That Bob Waldrep and Cindy Wilson with their own words said they were against 800 Mhz.

Besides I have my own computer, Mr. McAbee will not let me near his computer as he says my house is where computers come to die.

Constituent, the post could apply just as easily to the 800mHz system. I was just pointing out that a vote AGAINST a specific motion doesn't always indicated opposition to the underlying project.

- JDTippett

JD,

It does when they attacked it from every angle and were proven wrong from every angle.

If Bob Waldrep and Cindy Wilson had another reason for opposing 800 Mhz they should have said so, they sure didn't mind saying they opposed it because of every other reason in the book.

The fact is that they did not support 800 Mhz for any reason. They did not support our Fire Fighters, EMS, or First Responders on this issue.

As a person that in separate incidents has had their home burn down and a child burned on 18% of her body, I have had the unfortunate opportunity to see that these fire fighters are very experienced and estute in their field. They take a great amount of time studying the latest and most useful equipment that will help them save more lives and help more people. They are the ones that have been relentless in their study of the 800 Mhz system, They are the ones that said this is the best system currently available to them.

As they are the ones that put their lives on the line for all of us average citizens, Bob Waldrep and Cindy Wilson should have given them the credibility that they deserved. Instead, they tried to discredit their judgement on every turn.

No, Bob and Cindy did not ever support 800 Mhz and in that decision they did not support the expertise of our Fire Fighter, EMS, and first responders.

JD,


Second, Do you honestly think Bob Waldrep or Cindy Wilson would even take my phone call? And if they did I doubt they would answer. If they have changed their mind, this would be a good place to make that claim as the elections are coming up.

- Constituent

Constituent



Registered: 06/24/06
Posts: 710 Sunday, March 30 2008 @ 03:00 PM EST

JD,

If a person really wants to be heard by his councilman he/she will call or write a letter. I have done both.

Bob Waldrep is my councilman, and it is no secret that I am not happy with his service. However, to Mr. Waldrep's credit, every time I have called him he has taken my call or called me back. He has met with me upon my request and always treated me professionally and with respect.

My guess is that all of our council members welcome their constituents comments even when they don't agree.


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C'mon, constituent, which is it ?