Waldrep-Wilson-Preston Lawsuit

I think that this stupid lawsuit is a total emabarassment to Anderson! Preston and Waldrep should act like real MEN and sit down, and work this out. Then, they should hold a press conference together and announce how they are working together for the good of Anderson. Right now, they are acting like two babies. I think that the Anderson County Council has turned into an episode of Romper Room!!!!!

I actually bought it to find out. If you live in Pendleton, it's available at the post office. The audit becomes even more important as the possible estimated value of the contract could be as high a 300,000.00 per year including perks. At a three year buyout it would cost the county nearly 1,000,000.00 to buy him out. All the county has to do in January is NOT put him on administrative leave to end the game. TYhe Council can require Preston place Humphries on leave and the Park Police can stand around and make sure that the auditors are not harassed. End of buy out, audit gets done and Preston's suit can't be filed.

Here is a question for all the people who believe he is innocent. If he is "paid off" and leaves and then the auditor finds lots of things wrong what will you say about the pay off? Will you stand by your statement, he deserved the extra money? The audit is going to be done. You pay off 900,000.00 and it costs twice.

-1-opinion

If you wonder why the ICAR related plant went to Laurens instead of closer by in Anderson, it is things like this. If we can get Preston out of here, I don't care anymore about what he did in office. It will cost us far more in lost revenues from economic development to keep harping on him and showing big business why they should not invest here.

We got an economic development plan that is failing against counties our size, a drying up lake, a growing crime rate, roads and bridges in need of repair without pork tied to them, and all the old right can offer is to talk about Joey Preston and "getting him."

If you are a Carolina fan like me, you would probably be trying to hold account Brad Scott for his payoff after we sent him on his way. Nevermind that moving on got us bowls that more than paid for Scott's buyout.

That is what Anderson County faces. Like it or not, the elected representatives of the people made a contract with Preston. Preston has outlived his usefulness before the contract is up. You settle with the man and move on and thus make more money for the county than fighting and giving ammo to the competition on why not to invest in Anderson County.

Geez, it is frustrating. I was against Preston's administration, and against every tax increase passed by council. Some of you know I lost a longtime friend over my commitment to conservative government. I just can't get why so many can not get that the best thing to do, from a conservative perspective, is to find a way to just move on get some investment in here. If we drag this thing out with investigations and the like, all it will do is send investment away, leaving you, the average taxpayer with a bigger share to pay for services. Get this straight. Preston, McAbee, whomever's credit card bills were perhaps wrong, but they are a drop in the bucket for the services we all tend to agree on like public safety. The only way your taxes will be lower is if industry comes here and brings in people and ponies up. If you cripple the county's reputation, guess what, you will be stuck with the bill, because most of your friends and neighbors like the idea of say, a Sheriff's department or a fire department.

Don't get me wrong, I am happy with a more conservative council that will likely hold the line on taxes and fund first things first. However, this obsession with Joey Preston and the out going council members is irrational, and flies in the face of the rational approach to government conservatives take. It is liberals who live on emotion, not us.

BMcCarty:

That makes wayyyyy too much sense for this forum.

None-the-less, I agree.

Anderson County should be filing a lawsuit against the City of Anderson on behalf of County Residents who are screwed by the Electric City Utility water scam, not wasting tax money on personal vendettas.
Lets see if the new council will represent.

Remember it is Electric City Utilities, not just water. You may be next when they get the Electric, Gas and Cable Utilities...

Remember how Preston announced the Florida company coming to the old grocery store location on E. Greenville St. and would employ 350 people using phones to solicit business? He announced it just before the council election in June but it didn't work to save his kingdom.
I rode by the business yesterday and noticed only about a dozen cars out front. Anyone know if they are open yet and how many actual employees work there? Seems like it's taking a long time to run some phone lines.

How can Joey Preston jusify his huge salary when he has messed up Anderson County so much?

If wrong doing is allowed to be rewarded with a payoff, what is the sense of saying anything is wrong? Let everyone run amok and throw money at them to leave does not make sense.

-non-sequitur

What wrong-doing? All we have is a bunch of misleading questions, slanted to make people look bad, i.e. "when did you stop beating your husband?" type.

Sure it's wrong to reward wrong-doing, that persumes there is wrong-doing. Where's the proof ?

Try to stay up but please don't get to far ahead of the facts.

How can Joey Preston jusify his huge salary when he has messed up Anderson County so much?

-andersonretro

A better question is how can a guy who has done so much for Anderson County be rail-roaded out of his job by a few people who have done little or nothing for Anderson County ? It is unjust!

The first issue is if Preston has been adequately compensated for his work over the past 12 years. His salary and perks indicate he has been fairly compensated for his work. The "buy out" is an unnecessary bonus. What I have suggest is that rather than pay off Preston the new Council have the audit performed in a controlled manner where Preston and Humphries can not interfere and are available to answer questions if needed. The employment attorney that was just hired can give them recommendations on how to accomplish that without a "breech of contract". We have not heard if the contract is valid after Jan. when the new Council are seated. If the contract becomes void in January there is no need to pay him off in December.If there is no wrong doing found from the audit and the contract is valid, then they can tell Preston they are not renewing the contract and he has two more years to work off his time or he can leave of his own accord when he finds a new job. This would result in no pay off. The Council can then take the time to look at how business has been conducted and have a more open role and better control of the finances.On the other hand if there is a pay off prior to an audit and the audit shows rampant abuse of county funds, there will be a huge outcry from those of us who have asked that this wait until the need arises and the findings of the audit are in while those who said buy him out will have egg on their faces. In times of financial stress financial prudence should be exercised. It is not prudent to hand out money unless it is an absolutely necessity.

-1-opinion

Too much conjecture. I suggest you let the process go forward. Neither you nor I have any influence over it regardless.

The difference ? I support fair treatment, including a buyout if an agreement can be worked out.
I'm not sure what you want.
Either way, what we want doesn't matter. It's in others' purview.

You don't know that he hasn't done anything wrong or maybe you do know and have a reason for not wanting it to all get put out there for everyone to see. Very few men with the amount of influence and power he has been able to give himself are good guardians. Remember these words""I cannot accept your canon that we are to judge Pope and King unlike other men with a favorable presumption that they did no wrong. If there is any presumption, it is the other way, against the holders of power, increasing as the power increases. Historic responsibility has to make up for the want of legal responsibility. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or certainty of corruption by authority. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it. " Lord Acton. Preston has used his infuence to gain what he wanted and needed. Under the current Council there has been no stopping him. It is the 2009 Council he fears.

-1-opinion

Wow! Are you hooked on prose ? I've NEVER heard anyone call Preston a "great man." Heck, I doubt HE even thinks he rises to that level.
I certainly don't want to subscribe to what Lord Acton said. Who's he and what does he have to do with Anderson County? But, if you like quotes, try this one. "Judge not lest Ye be judged also.." Further, Bob Waldrep, who appears to think he's a great man likes to go around quoting Lord Acton too. Why don't you ask 'ole Bob how he conducted himself when he was in Columbia during his State Senate years? Hardly the "great man' morphology when coupled with his name in the same sentence. I thought I'd try a little prose myself.