Protesting is the American way.

I saw people are protesting Obama at overpasses with "Impeach Obama" signs. A couple of guys were arrested last weekend at an overpass in Missouri. They basically had their First Amendment rights impeded upon and the police said that it was a failure to obey orders. If the police are violating your Constitutional rights, and you are breaking no valid law, then you have every right to express yourself and anything they say or do is superseded by your Constitutional rights. If they order you to go jump off a building, you don't have to.





And by the same token I have seen people associated with the right of the Republican Party here in North Carolina getting beyond upset over the people on the left of the Democrat Party protesting through what they call "Moral Mondays" and thinking that government officials should forcibly put a stop to it.

The Moral Monday Protesters - Civitas - Database
Art Pope-funded group launches database targeting Moral Monday arrestees - Facing South

Protesting is the American way. I don't necessarily agree that these protests are effective, but I do believe in these people's right to protest. Expressing oneself about issues one is passionate about is a healthy exercise in Democracy. Freedom of expression is one of the founding principles of this nation and yet we see every side of the political spectrum, especially those in power, aiming to shut those that they disagree with down. We see people on the left wanting to see people on the right arrested and people on the right wanting to see people on the left arrested. Would you want to be arrested for lawfully protesting what you oppose?

We should be tolerant of one another and do more listening. In the above examples we see that this authoritarian desire to control others and suppress expression has become all to prevalent in our modern culture. In my opinion, the final outcome of shutting people down if those in power do not agree with them takes us to a very bad place.

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of August 20, 2013

` I began recording the City Council late last year, because of my desire that the City do it on their own as any modern 21st century community began doing long ago. I had people tell me that they couldn't make it to the meetings, but they would like to see what is going on. I was also told by some council members that my summaries did not truly reflect the record, so having a video/audio recording cannot be misinterpreted.

So below is the City Council meeting. Beside each agenda item, you will see the minute:second. You can drag the marker on the video display to the point in the broadcast that you are interested in seeing.

Due to a technical difficulty the Video starts at the 5:49 mark



   
Agenda about the City Council meeting of August 20, 2013

Special Presentations

A. (2:30) Presentation of the Carolina Cycle Challenge by Mandy Pitts and John Link
* Carolina Cycle Challenge Website

Hound: (Brett's father responds to this in the comment section. I did not mean to say that the bike ride that Vicar Powell created at Mt. Olive was Brett's Ride or she had anything to do with it. Sorry if I caused a misunderstanding in my writing. My point was in my personal disappointment about Brett's name being taken off of the ride.

It is a shame to me that this bike ride will no longer be known as Brett's Ride. The origins of a bike ride were at my church, Mount Olive Lutheran. Vicar Vickie Powell (now Reverend) back in 1999 helped to create a bike ride as part of her mission. Each Vicar has to fulfill a mission during the year they spend with us before heading back to the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina. Brett was a teenager and participated in it and like the many young people at Mt. Olive he really enjoyed it. Brett's Grandfather Walter Hitchcock was a Pastor at Mount Olive for 24 years.

We had the Bike Ride at Mount Olive for a few years. When Brett faced his battle with cancer, he was asked what he wanted to do and this Bike Ride was part of his mission. He was a brave young man and an inspiration to all who face the ultimate adversity. He had so many friends. My cousin's were his age and knew him very well. His name needs to always be synonymous with this bike ride. 

(In the comments section, Brett's father explains the origins of the bike ride and why they decided to take Brett's name off of the Bicycling event. Thank You for the information Mr. Gosnell. Sorry for having some of this wrong.)

Mr. Gosnell comment,
"Brett’s family preferred that his name not be associated with the new ride. We believe that the new event would be better served developing their “brand.” Quite frankly, many members of the Brett’s Ride committee, including Brett’s family, were exhausted after nine years of planning and organizing the event. Since none of Brett’s family planned to be involved with the new ride and Brett wasn’t around to approve the use of his name, we felt it was better that they give the event another name.
Brett’s family, as well as the Brett’s Ride Committee, strongly supports the Carolina Cycle Challenge. We are honored that the Rotary clubs and the City of Hickory decided to continue an annual cycling event. I am very much looking forward to riding in the coming event – something I was never able to do at Brett’s Ride."

B. (10:15) Business Well Crafted Award: Lenoir-Rhyne University by Alan Jackson and Lenoir-Rhyne University President Wayne Powell 

Hound: Lenoir - Rhyne is a vital part of this community. It is also "THE" Lutheran University here is the mid atlantic region. So many of us have a connection with family members, friends, and associates who received their formal education at LR. They do deserve recognition for their work in the community. 

* Lenoir-Rhyne a "Business. Well Crafted." - Hickory Inc. Statement
* Business Well Crafted - Lenoir Rhyne Web Page

C. (19:20) Announcement of a Community Gift to the City by Andrea Surratt, Robert Lackey, and Robert Lackey Jr.

* Hickory Inc. statement on this gift of property development at Geitner Park
* Deidra Templeton Lackey obituary from December 2011
* Donation to expand Geitner-Rotary Park announced at Hickory City Council meeting - Hickory Daily Record - John Tinkelenberg - August 20, 2013

Hound: This is an amazing gift and legacy provided by the Lackie family to the people of Hickory. And it would be wonderful if other's could/would be generous in such a fashion related to benevolent endeavors in the community going forward.


Persons Requesting to Be Heard
A. (43:00) Cliff Moone thanked City Staff Attorney for providing some information about the City's Video Recording of Council meetings that he had requested.


New Business - Public Hearings
1. (44:45) Voluntary Satellite Annexation of Property Located at 1076 Fox Chase Drive containing .42 acres.

New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. (49:50) Vacant Building Revitalization and Demolition Grant Agreement for ZLoop Knitting Mill, LLC. 

Hound Comment on the meeting
Wonderful  coincidence that what I have mentioned as part of the 21st Century Hickory Platform was incorporated into this meeting. John Link talks about Fitness Well Crafted, where I have mentioned Dr. Jody Inglefield's Wellness Well Crafted. It is more than words folks. It is actions. And the City Inc. has nothing to do with this bike ride other than providing some police officers to monitor it and propaganda.

Then we have the mention by Alan Jackson of Microlending. Microlending came from Harry Hipps campaign four years ago. And we have seen the actions taken upon this subsequently - none. Joe Brannock is taking up this cause along with Dr. Inglefield. As a person who has a finance background it is something I truly believe in and that is probably the reason why it hasn't seen the light of day. Mayor Wright and Mick Berry are smothering the opportunity. The BDC can talk about it all day long, but talk is cheap. We need people that can help them facilitate such endeavors.

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - Better Dialogue with the Public

7) Dialogue - we need all Hickory governmental agencies and their staff to be open, truthful, honest, helpful and transparent. Willing to discuss and carry on open dialogues with the citizens.

In speaking with Jeff Brittain about his Mayoral Candidacy, he espoused his support to have regular townhall meetings with the people of Hickory. This is something that I have believed in for years, but I was told by City Council members that they had reservations, because they didn't want to sit through an attack session. I honestly don't think that people are going to verbally attack the City Council during such a meeting. People might express disagreements with the council, but I wouldn't expect shouting matches.

The problem is that this Mayor and Council seem to have an obsession about controlling messages. Somehow saying the same talking points over and over again is supposed to lead to results. Constantly spinning the message is supposed to keep the message on track until the final desired outcome is achieved.

Unfortunately that isn't how life works. You have to cite the goal you are looking to achieve and allow open input and free thinking methodology to define, design, and map out processes and then keep all options available moving forward. There must be defined targets of accountability along the way to assess whether you are on the path towards successfully achieving the goal. Adaptability, Flexibility, and Nimbleness are the keys towards successful endeavors in life.

Public officials should listen to everyone, whether they are actual supporters or not. Just because people have different ideas than you may have does not mean that they want to tear down the City. You must get outside of the group of like minded friends and yes men to find out what is really going on around here socially and economically. Having open-minded, democratic governance brings buy-in and acceptance from the public at-large versus doing things behind closed doors and manipulating processes to avoid input, which leads to ambivalence and eventually hostility when you are seen as picking winners and losers and the winners are always the circle that surrounds you. Any wonder why we don't have "Unity" in the Comm"UNITY"?

Jeff Brittain for Mayor Flyer
Click on the Flyer and Ctrl+ will magnify it.

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - Public Information

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - Helping Small Business, Start-ups, and Entrepreneurs

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - an Agenda on Health and Wellness

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - Learn from National Studies & Surveys

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - Independent Boards and Commissions

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - Term Limits

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - Public Information

6) Public Information should be user-friendly, open, and accessible in accordance with North Carolina General Statute 132. We understand that when legal issues and private negotiations related to Economic Development arise that there will be a need to keep certain information secret, but as those issues are resolved that information should be immediately accessible. To the greatest extent possible, information should be available electronically online. When information is from the pre-electronic era, it should be made accessible for a minimal cost (10-cents per page) and within 5 business days of the request being made. The key is that there should not be games played with Public Information.

Hickory Incorporated has long played fast and loose with the spirit of the law when it comes to providing Public Information. This led to the arrest of Rebecca Inglefield on September 13, 2012. Most people walk away in frustration when they find obtaining information to be riddled with such obstacles. Some people seem to think that this is alright and people should have to jump through hoops to obtain information or that they should not be provided information. If that is the case, then kiss free society goodbye. The level of control of information defines the level of Liberty (less) versus Tyranny (more).

Hickory City Officials tell you that the information you are going to get is the information you are entitled to under the law. What they don't tell you, but imply, is that it is going to be their interpretation of what they can get away with under the law and not a gram or an inch more. If you are a regular citizen and you don't understand the information, then tough, you'll have to go get a lawyer. If you are a lawyer, then you will have to meet them in court, because they aren't going to be forthright until a judge orders them to be and they have exhausted all appeals.

I don't want to say this. No one wants to say this, but it is what we have experienced as we have sought the costs associated with the Sails on the Square project. We have sought the actual and associated costs of the fabric the "Sails" are made of and we have met a stone wall every step of the way.

Any of the candidates who embrace this platform will help to tear down that wall!
 

(Play Song)   John Crone’s new single “Blurred Lines” featuring TI, Pharrell, Robin Thicke, and Rudy Wright


I am in no way associated with the site that created the song above. I have been accused of being the creator of this tumblr site, but it is very raw and has vulgar material. These vulgarities damage the credibility of the message, but I don't think the author cares, because it is a parody site. 

I think whomever created the site is very creative, but way over the top when it comes to the message. They took my material and the Conover Crusader's material and enhanced it in a very creative way. So I wanted to allow you to be able to hear the song without going to the actual site, because it fits very well with what we are discussing when it comes to the Hickory Incorporated relationship with Citizens and the spirit of Public Information Laws.

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - Helping Small Business, Start-ups, and Entrepreneurs

5) We need to do what we can to help small business, start up businesses, and local Entrepreneurs move forward. This encourages entrepreneurship, which puts people to work. We will find a way to create and facilitate a microlending-entrepreneurial plan in this community. We think this is a vital mission and purpose that the city's Business Development Commission should embrace.

The BDC needs to be diverse and aggressive in its work. Marketing and promoting current business is fine, but it will not grow an economy that has lost thousands of jobs over the last several years. The BDC should be trying to attract “magnet” large businesses and focus on Cluster and Niche Economic Development that feeds off of the manufacturing and technical service skills of local citizens. This will generate “spin off” supportive small businesses. The Goal would be to expand and empower the scope of the BDC to facilitate tangible Economic Activity.

Hickory City Government has stood in the way of all of this. Rudy Wright has specifically stood in the way of this as he espoused on Hal Row's radio show in May 2011. The City Manager actually told a local citizen that it was illegal for Hickory Incorporated to get involved in a Microlending function, even though there are other local governments and other governmental agencies involved in such Economic Mechanisms/Activities.



This is a new day and we must think in a new way!