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Click on the article title to read the entire article and some earlier articles are printed below in full
October 2010 - Why I Consider Myself a Libertarian (guest columnist; Chad McGowan)
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Why Life in Gastonia was Started
The article in the Gaston Gazette that featured our website has garnered a lot of attention and we wanted to make sure that everyone understood about the process. Mayor Stultz evidently thinks there are better ways of getting results such as contact the elected officials directly. Well Mayor, we did, and you failed miserably! Here is what transpired in email conversations with the mayor.
July 24, 2008
Life in Gastonia: I am writing for the third time to your office to find out why nothing is being done to help the neighborhood in which I live. (the first two were not responded to) In the last year two clerks have been shot at the corner store, a woman on May St was raped, my neighbor across the street on Scruggs was robbed, my neighbor across the street on Mauney had a peeping tom, the residence 3 houses away was riddled with bullets, and there have been 3 wrecks on Scruggs and two wrecks on Mauney due to speeding vehicles. All of this since last July. I am sure there are many more incidents that I don't even know about.
Houses sit vacant with overgrown yards and trash from the prostitutes that hang out in them. We have witnessed prostitutes pick up "johns" right in front of our house and watch them drive around the block having oral sex! Garbage sits out on the streets and doesn't get picked up. We have street lights out, street signs missing, and we need additional stop signs or speed humps to combat traffic problems. We have drug dealers and homeless people that walk the streets asking for money and trying to sell stolen goods. Junk cars and furniture sit in yards. We have recently seen rats in the yard. Most of the remaining residence that actually care about a safe neighborhood are making plans to move or have already moved.
Why is this happening? Why do you not care? I will make this promise to you. Our small group of neighbors are organizing and we have contacted the media to join us. We will get involved politically to make sure the next city leaders do not ignore us. We will provide information to the media about the lack of police response and the problems with illegal activity that is allowed to prosper in our neighborhood. We have also started building a website that will promote everything that is wrong with Gastonia for all the world to read. I am hoping it will come up in web searches right beside everything that is being done to improve the downtown area. I think people should know the real truth about this city as opposed to fluff that your office promotes.
Mayor's Response: We certainly do care about your neighborhood and will be contacting you soon. Mayor Jennie
A week and a half later the Asst. City Manager did contact us and thanked us and we certainly thank him for his involvement. Our point was (and still is) it took three emails to the mayor's office and untold hours of documentation to get the city's attention. Lifelong residents tell stories of failed petitions and calls that went unanswered. Many had given up. We understand some things can take time but that doesn't mean we shouldn't expect equal treatment and continue to fight. Everything on this website is exactly how it really is. Drive through the area and decide for yourself. It should also be noted we have received about 10 letters from other residents that have contacted the mayor's office or their city council rep and were either told the issue would be looked into or heard no response at all. In every letter they stated that the problem was never fixed and they never received any further correspondence.
Click Here to read the full article
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Wi Fi Why?
In a recent edition of the Gaston Gazette, there were two articles about services the city is providing to residents. One article was about free Wi-Fi that the city has installed to try and lure residents downtown. (Click HERE to read the article) The other article was about how the city is planning to charge residents for trash pick up because the city needs more revenue for the budget. (Click HERE to read the article) I am sure I am not the only ones that sees a problem here.
Let's look at the Wi-Fi first. The article states that it only is strong enough for outdoor reception. I don't think it will be used much on cold or rainy days. It also states that it is not a secure signal and warns people not to use the signal for banking or other applications that use passwords. What this really means is it is only good for surfing the net. Are people really going to flock to downtown to surf the net? Even the city council can surely see the reality of this. It will end up a waste of money. Most of the people I know don't even rely on Wi-Fi signals anymore. With the phone companies offering air cards and the development of smart phones, Wi-Fi is a dying technology. Perhaps that why in the same article it states that the city is in talks with Time Warner Cable to have cable installed in the same area.
Now let's look at trash pick up. How in the world do they expect to implement a program that charges people different rates and has different pickup schedules? In my neighborhood they can't keep a pick up schedule now without the other factors to consider. The city manager, Jim Palenick, states it would also encourage recycling. I say NOT!! If you want to encourage recycling don't charge people for it. Hand out recycling bins and have a truck pick it up on trash days. Issue fines for those that throw recyclable items in the trash. This would be similar to almost every other city in the country. Why does Mr. Palenick think he needs to reinvent the wheel at every turn? Instead of pouring so much money into trying to renovate downtown, build a recycling plant and make money on the program. Take a cue from the school system which has received national attention for it's biodiesel program which not only recycles but saves money on fuel costs.
I wonder sometimes if the city council even lives in Gastonia. Everywhere I go I hear complaints about the city tax dollars being spent on the down town projects. Still, almost every week there is a new plan to spend more money. Tax dollars, state grants, federal grants, and on and on. I used to be in favor of some of the projects for downtown but it is to the point I can no longer support any of it. If the city budget needs to be tightened then get out of the development business. Quit spending tax dollars on projects the tax payers don't want and don't need. It would be nice to have a thriving downtown area but it is not vital for the survival of the city.
The hotel convention center plan failed. The big splash failed. Despite what their website promotes, downtown has only gained a few bars and other eclectic shops. There was the sidewalk fiasco. The deals with the County to acquire more property. Disputes with private developers. Lawsuits threatened. Nothing has brought a large number of people into the area. Of course the latest is to renovate the Webb Theater and lease it out. STOP already. The city is a public municipality. The city budget is tax dollars. The city is not a developer. I have never heard of a public municipality that was more successful at development than the private sector. It is not going to happen. NEVER EVER! Let the private sector do the development. Two historic buildings were demolished to make room for Mr. Palenick's dream projects with the full blessing of the city council. At the time, Mr. Palenick quoted a time frame for project completion and went on to say that if the development could not proceed that the land would be sold. That is what should have been done. Sell the land to a private developer and let them spend their money to build something. Read that last sentence again. Spend THEIR MONEY, not tax payer dollars. How many thousands upon thousands of dollars have been spent on studies for these failed projects. I bet if you could put that money back in the budget the city could afford to pay the residents to pick up trash. Now Mr. Palenick has proposed a parking garage. For what? There is already enough parking for the 5 residents that actually go downtown.
This is a plea to all residents of Gastonia, not just the Westside, but the whole city. You elect these leaders. They serve you. Despite what Mayor Stultz may think, this is not a kingdom that she rules from the throne. She is the Mayor, not the Queen. Speak up! Please let the elected officials know that it is time to be responsible. If the city's basic services need more funds, quit wasting those funds on pet projects and everything would be fine. Even Mr. Palenick knows this is wrong as he points out in the Gazette article that it might not be popular with elections coming up. ( All fine for him since his position is not an elected one.)
I challenge the Gaston Gazette to run an article, and print for all to read, the total number of dollars that have been spent in the last 10 years on pet projects downtown. Compare that to the revenue the city says they need and I think the problem would be very simple to see. Gazette, are you up to the challenge? Would you dare print an article criticizing the decisions of our elected officials. Probably not but it would make for some interesting reading.
My opinion, nothing more, but I hope people will wake up and truly make Gastonia a Great Place.
Todd Pierceall
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G Town Secrets Revealed
One thing that everybody can agree on is that the economy is bad. Perhaps it is getting better but with unemployment still high this area can still claim it is not good. Families are cutting back on expenses, trying to save money. People are losing their homes, savings accounts are being wiped out, and college funds are being depleted. It seems everywhere you look their is bad news. Well, not quite. The City of Gastonia is doing quite well it would seem.
Over the last few weeks we have been treated to stories of the city buying downtown buildings, offering cash incentives to elected officials to opt out of insurance and of course forging ahead with plans for the conference center and the new park. It is our wish that the city share their remarkable ability to find money in these tough times with the rest of us. Share the secrets with the citizens that are losing their homes and jobs. Help us understand how this all works. We need help!
Unfortunately it is simple. We, the citizens are the answer. We are the city's secret money stash. You and I are the big G Town secret. Everything that is being done is paid for by tax dollars regardless of the fact it might be local, state, or federal. One way or another YOU are paying for all this. It is nice to know that the city feels that a conference center and insurance for elected officials are more important than jobs and housing for it's citizens.
We are so lucky to live in G Town.
Editorial Staff
5/25/2010
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County Commissioner Gets His Answer
For our article on the political parties we wanted to get honest feedback from as many individuals as possible. Our goal was to get an accurate picture of the political landscape in Gaston County. County Commissioner Tom Keigher was one of the persons who responded to our questions. His response was, "do you, who ever without name support me?" We were puzzled at the answer to a question with a question (not to mention his question is worded strangely) but we would like to respond. Mr Keigher, NO, we do not support you! We are a non biased website. A group of individuals trying to provide the public with a service. We write about concerns and problems in our community and try to engage the everyday citizen in their government and help them solve their problems. It is unfortunate that you have chosen not to help with this goal and instead chose an answer that you thought was cute but is in fact self serving and ridiculous. We hope that during your next term you will think of the citizens instead of yourself and actually give positive guidance and leadership to this County. It is not too late to learn new tricks.
For those persons who took the time to answer our questions seriously we would like to extend our appreciation. For those that didn't, sometimes no response is a response.
09/2010 |
To Speak or not to Speak
Often the Mayor and City Council have wondered aloud why more residents do not attend the city council meetings or get more involved in the city. We personally have been very involved. Of course in recent interviews with the Gazette, Mayor Stultz and Councilman Reid refer to us as vocal minorities, detractors, negative, and so on. We can only guess that what the mayor means is that she wished more people would get involved if they agree with her. If they don't, she doesn't want them involved. Oh well Mayor Stultz, you don't always get what you want!
Get involved. Disagreeing with the current establishment is not unpatriotic
and it does not mean you do not support your hoetwon. It means you probably care more and you want a voice in what happens. We need to shake things up in Gastonia and only the residents can do that.
9/2010 |
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