The Citizen Newsletter

The Conservative Voice of Henry County

Issue # 384

February 5, 2013

In This Issue:
Page Feature 2 4 5 5 6 7 8 9

I highly recommend T & K FIREWOOD, Toby Spiers and Kenny Byrom. Reach them at tandkfirewood@yahoo.com or (678) 772-9946 I went to Craig's List and sent emails to a couple of local sellers. Within 5 minutes I got a call back. Within 2 hours Kenny arrived, unloaded and stacked the wood. I bought a stacked truck load (about 3/4 cord) for $75. I paid an extra $25 for them to unload & stack in my back yard. Great deal!

Gird Your Loins: Stockbridge

Residents Seek Ordinance Change Marines Conduct Urban Training GA Sheriffs Support 2nd Amendment Accountability: Georgias Senators Henry County Voters, Mike Moon John Douglas for US Congress Retailers Closing Stores

Over 67,000 reads at Scribd.com

Do you have a story to tell? Become a Citizen contributor. Submit your opinions, commentaries and articles to hc.citizen@hccitizen.org

When Steve Kroft of CBS News finally got around to asking President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton about the terrorist attacks in Benghazi resulting in the death of four brave Americans, President Obama decided it would be a good time to go for laughs. One thing I can guarantee you is that at this moment, somewhere, somehow, somebody in the federal government is screwing up." It's disgusting to write-off the complete and total failure in Benghazi as nothing more than "someone in the federal government screwing up." REMEMBER BENGHAZI

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149 BURKE ST, STOCKBRIDGE, GA

COME TO BISCUITS & BRUNCH FOR REAL HOME STYLE COOKING!

Gird your loins: Stockbridge Hires Ousted Henry Chairman BJ

Mathis as City Economic Development Officer
BY JOANIE SCOTT, Proof of Right

It is the trend in Henry County. When a person cannot win elections, such as the recent appointment to the Development Authority by new commissioner Gary Barham - or a political payoff from members of the Stockbridge city council, we are stuck with people the citizens have already soundly rejected!! ~ The Citizen
Stockbridge Mayor Mark Alarcon has announced the hiring of ousted former Henry County Chairman BJ Mathis as its new Community and Economic Development Officer. This makes Mark Alarcon unfit to be Mayor. Either Alarcon is aware of ethically challenged Mathis history of abusing taxpayer funds and approves of foisting her corrupt behavior upon the residents of Stockbridge. Or, he is painfully negligent in his oversight of City Administrator David Milliron who hired Mathis without any knowledge or input from City Councils members. They only learned of the hiring at the same time the public did in an email sent Thursday by Alarcon. And, lets face it; it would be an insult to our common sense for Alarcon to claim he was not involved in the selection of Mathis for this position. From what I gathered during last years campaign, it was common knowledge that Mayor Alarcon supported Mathis reelection. Additionally, Alarcons wife was the vice president of a political organization, Conservative Republican Women of Henry County, which held a fundraiser for Mathis reelection effort. That group is led by Sahar Hekmati who was recently arrested for disorderly conduct. Hekmati and Mayor Alarcon are both officers of the Georgia GOP 13th District whose convention was thrown out for flagrant rule violations by the Georgia Republican Party at their statewide convention last year.

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Mayor Alarcon chooses in his press release to try and glowingly justify hiring Mathis based on her experience as Chairman of the Henry County Board of Commissioners. But the truth is, her record in that position is exactly why he should not her any decision making authority over taxpayer funds. Mathis facilitated Henry Countys purchase of a $17 million dollar airport which directly benefited its adjacent landowners who contributed more than $15k to her campaign coffers. Her biggest donor from this group was none other than Billy Abbate whom was also appointed to the County Board of Health during Mathis reign of terror. He is currently in jail awaiting trial on 24 counts related to child molestation. Mathis oversaw the purchase of property for the new 911 Emergency facility in which the-Zoning Board Chairman Terry Echols profited $34k in taxpayer money for payment of a real estate commission on the deal. If thats not bad enough, after being investigated by the District Attorney, it turned out Echols was not even a licensed real estate agent. He pleaded guilty to charges and was FORCED TO RESIGN FROM THE ZONING BOARD. Mathis signature appears on the purchase agreement which falsely identified the seller of a property in order to hide the fact that disgraced Zoning Board Chairman Terry Echols uncle was the actual seller who absconded with $380k of taxpayer funds. In the same exact vote in which she spent $4 million to purchase land from the nephew of the police chief after his zoning request was denied, she also spent $3.2 million to purchase 123 acres for a vacant lot in Kelleytown from her crony real estate developer and former president of the Henry Council for Quality Growth after his zoning request was also denied. Mathis ILLEGALLY APPROVED the appointment of former District 2 Commissioner Fred Auletta as County Manager when former manager Butch Sanders resigned last year. The County clearly stated Auletta was ineligible for the position yet she allowed it anyway. All of this spending that Mathis undertook to reward her cronies resulted in a $10 MILLION UNDERFUNDING of the annual budget last year which resulted in a property tax increase for the residents of Henry County. So, that is the record Mayor Alarcon should have considered before hiring BJ Mathis. But instead of protecting the taxpayers of Stockbridge, hes played her same game of Reward the Cronies.

Left to Right: Stockbridge Mayor Mark Alarcon; Accused Child Molester and BJ Mathis Campaign Donor who benefited from the airport purchase and Board of Health Appointee Billy Abbate; Ousted Chairman BJ Mathis; Former Zoning Board Chairman Terry Echols who resigned in disgrace from Mathis Administration after pleading guilty to charges.

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Residents seek to modify Henry County GA Ordinance

Larry & June Stanley, Stockbridge GA, have started the process to request a change to the Henry County ULDC in regard to keeping fowl in R-1 zoned areas. Currently the restriction requires a minimum of three acres and RA zoning. We are happy to work with county staff toward defining specific requirements and authorizations for the code change. Note the attached spreadsheet of other Georgia counties and cities where fowl, specifically chickens, are allowed for non-commercial uses. R-1 zoning currently allows multiple dogs, cats, even pigs as pets. Fowl such as chickens, quail or ducks pose no more nuisance or public health problem and they do produce eggs for personal consumption. Araucana chickens and house an R-1 subdivision. The lot is between neighboring houses Araucana are brightly colored eggs. Blue-shelled eggs of higher protein levels and lower market eggs. It is our intention to purchase three or four them in a coop within our fenced back yard in heavily wooded and there is ample space or property lines. birds that produce blue Araucana chickens have cholesterol levels than

We hope you will join us in this endeavor. Please contact June at

JUNE7420@YAHOO.COM.

Learn how to become a beekeeper

Many of the greatest beekeepers were handed this fascinating hobby or business down like a family heirloom, passed from generation to generation. What other insect do you know of that has had its biproduct (honey) mentioned for a total of 57 times in the Holy Bible, New King James Version? Do you
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know of any other hobby that the whole family could be involved in, learn from and share the many rewards? If you are interested in starting your own generational beekeeping heirloom, then the opportunity is available on Saturday, February 16, 2013 when the Henry County Beekeepers Short Course (Basic Beekeeping) is being offered. The price for this opportunity is a mere $25.00 for adults (children 18 years old or younger can attend free with a paying adult). The course will be held at the Public Safety Building Meeting Room, 116 Zack Hinton Parkway South, McDonough, Georgia. For more course information or application please go to WWW.HENRYCOUNTYBEEKEEPERS.ORG (Click on Educational Opportunities) or call Tom Bonnell at 770-473-5434.

Marines to conduct realistic urban training in Jasper Co.

JASPER CO., SC (WTOC) -

The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit will be conducting training operations as part of their pre-deployment training in Jasper County from Feb. 7 to Feb. 9. The realistic urban training will be conducted in Ridgeland and surrounding communities. The exercises will be conducted under the supervision of the II Marine Expeditionary Force's Special Operations Training Group. During the training, Jasper County citizens may see and hear military vehicles and aircraft, and spot Marines and sailors in uniform carrying weapons. The exercises will also take place during the night. Folks may also hear audible "popping" sounds as Marines fire blank ammunition. Between Feb. 1 and Feb. 7, Marines will be notifying residents face-to-face and door-to-door that the training will be occurring near their property or residence. They will also provide a handout and contact information if citizens have questions or concerns about safety and noise. Although there is no direct danger, civilians are advised to stay away if they see training occurring. Law enforcement will also be present to help aid in this process.

Georgia Sheriff's Association against stricter gun control

WSB-TV Action News The Georgia Sheriff's Association, a group that consists of the more than 100 elected sheriffs from around Georgia, said stricter gun control measures won't stop mass shootings. The GSA's position on the gun debate, which is posted on the homepage of the GSA website, is as follows: "The sheriffs took an oath to support the Constitution and will stand by the 2nd Amendment. The sheriffs will aggressively oppose federal or state legislation which infringes upon law abiding citizens' right to bear arms. The sheriffs further agree to support any legislation that would effectively penalize criminals who use firearms in the commission of crimes." Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills is president of the GSA. He told Channel 2's Shae Rozzi that that one way to reduce gun-related crime would be to ensure that
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felons served their full sentences, insisting that lax sentencing of one felon cost a Clayton County officer his life in December. "If he'd served his time, that officer wouldn't be dead today," Sills said. "But he'd been released on parole twice. He'd been convicted before of what? Shooting somebody in the head." "We have other issues besides just trying to ban weapons," Coweta County Sheriff Mike Yeager told Rozzi. "We have big mental health issues that need to be addressed across this whole country and I think that's one of the bigger problems." Yeager said his wife is a longtime school teacher and he said he feels for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn. Sills agreed that mental health is the bigger problem behind mass shootings, not the weapons that are used.

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This is completely INSANE, CORRUPT and they need to hear about it. Then they need to be voted out in the next election. Why do you send money and/or weapons to the enemy?

NOTE: Both Georgia Senators Chambliss and Isakson are listed!

Congressmen who willfully take actions during war time that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled, or hanged. Abraham Lincoln, 1863.

Henry County Voters and Their Vote

by Dr.Michael Moon

In all the years since I can remember, Henry County voters and their vote has meant little to the people in charge. Usually, when the citizens vote an elected official from office that means they have either lost faith in them or it was time for them to go. It is an ugly thing that continues to swirl and churn to this day. It doesnt matter what elected position the person held or a person tried to gain, the people who followed and became in charge ruined it all by appointing the very people who were voted from office or were never elected. There have even been people who were hired to be certain managers or directors that were let go from that position and placed into another position that involved the citizens. You can leave the county administration area and go to the water department or leave as commissioners to be appointed in other areas such as zoning, development and educational.

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What bothers many is that if a person was voted out of a position or was replaced because of lack of faith and then is placed into other jobs within the county or municipalities, then they cannot trust the governing body that has placed those very individuals. Where is the oversight? Why were they not elected? Who sought to gain their appointment? What motive is behind it? How much money is involved? These are questions that the citizens have a right to know the answers to. Why would a governing body throw out its leader and appoint one of their own to that very leadership role? Usually, when someone either dies, retires, resigns or is impeached there is an election to replace that individual. When the governing body replaces that individual without the citizens consent, then the governing body has evolved into a dictatorial form and has not given the citizens due process. When people are given positions within a government after they have been voted out by the citizens it can lead to bad feelings, lack of trust, a vote of no confidence in that government, and further anger within the community. Most of the time the people chosen for the positions are not qualified for the positions due to lack of the proper educational requirements, but in our County it has been known to lower the requirements to bring in either a friend or a former elected official. Just because they were elected to an office does not mean they have the education to fulfill the job they are appointed to. Given all that transpires in the backroom meetings where decisions affecting the citizens are usually made, people lose trust in those people who attend those backroom meetings. Usually, it is a given thing that a certain action will be taking place to appease those involved. Conflicts of interest abound when an elected official has a family member on an appointed board whether it be city or county. This has occurred many times over the decades here in Henry County. Will any of this change? The answer to that is no. Nothing will change as long as there are links to the various individuals who seem to feel they are the only people who can do the job. There are many people in the country who can fulfill positions and can do a quality job and not give the perception of a conflict of interest. But with fore thought and a lack of malice to none, this is Henry County and one reason why there is such a voter apathy amongst the citizens.

Douglas for Congress

Retired Army Officer and former GA State Senator John Douglas for Georgia's 10th Congressional District. A stong combination of Paul Broun and Allen West, a no nonsense conservative ready to take Georgia's voice to Washington DC.

Douglas for Congress campaign kickoff rally!! February 7, 2013, 1:30pm, front steps of the old Newton County Courthouse in Covington. Help us work towards bringing fiscal and political sanity to the federal government.

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Eight Retailers That Will Close the Most Stores

For many retailers, the sales situation is so bad that it is not a question of whether they will cut stores, but when and how many. Most recently, Barnes & Noble Inc. (BKS) decided it had too many stores to maintain profits. Its CEO recently said he plans to close as many as a third of the companys locations.
HTTP://FINANCE.YAHOO.COM/NEWS/EIGHT-RETAILERS-THAT-WILL-CLOSE-THE-MOST-STORES-173320796.HTML

1. Best Buy > Forecast store closings: 200 to 250 > Number of U.S. stores:1,056 > One-year stock performance: -36.8% 2. Sears Holding Corp. AP Photo/Alan Diaz> Forecast store closings: Kmart 175 to 225, Sears 100 to 125 > Number of U.S. stores: 2,118 > One-year stock performance: 8.8% 3. J.C. Penney REUTERS/Mike Blake/Files> Forecast store closings: 300 to 350 > Number of U.S. stores: 1,100 > One-year stock performance: -53.6% 4. Office Depot Jack Dempsey/Invision for Office Depot/AP Images> Forecast store closings: 125 to 150
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> Number of U.S. stores: 1,114 > One-year stock performance: 50.7% 5. Barnes & Noble REUTERS/Mike Blake> Forecast store closings: 190 to 240, per company comments > Number of U.S. stores: 689 > One-year stock performance: 8.95% 6. Gamestop 7. OfficeMax 8. RadioShack

Read about people who cannot seem to do the right things. Watch your elected officials repeatedly waste your money and betray your trust.

Dont just whine! Speak out. Get involved.

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