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Friday, October 11, 2013
The road to hell is paved with good intentions
I am Toto pulling back the curtain... Time to wake up Dorothy.. Wake Up!!!
More to come!!!
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Evidence - This Mayor and This Council have neglected their leadership duties
As a friend points out, "Still a lot of old and sometimes angry white guys around. Father time and a
few more elections will take a toll on this." That is what I mean by time being on our side. Too bad that so much of it is wasting away, when so much could be done to help the community go forward. We have a community with a lot of potential that has been stifled.
After reading this article, people will have to decide if Ignorance and Dogma are Bliss or whether it's time to start speaking up and out about what is being allowed to happen by the leadership in this community. If I didn't care, I wouldn't be down in this rabbit hole.
I was sent an interesting e-mail last week, that shows that not much has changed in the Whitener building over the last few years. The e-mail contained a link to a site called Concerned about Hickory. There is only one article on this site and it was published on March 27, 2013.
The article is entitled - Mismanagement. Well Hidden.
You need to go to this site and read about the accusations that need to be answered to. We have some big issues in Hickory with the way City Hall is being administrated. This is not the first time that I have read such information as is contained in this Concerned about Hickory Website.
As you may recall, I was sent a letter a few years ago that detailed similar information. That letter became an article that I published two years ago on September 6, 2011 entitled What is Going on at Hickory City Hall?!?!?.
Please go read this information. Our Mayor and City Council have completely invested in the City Manager style of Government to the point that Mick Berry has Carte Blanche to do anything he wants to do without question. It is to the point that Mayor Rudy Wright says that we can't have a splash pad unless Mick Berry says we can. The rest of them have said it multiple times throughout the years; that we can't have this, that, or the other, because Mick said we can't have it. Their job is to instruct the City Manager as to what the City wants and tell him to bring the various options; not to tell our elected officials what we can and cannot have.
The people of Hickory elected this Mayor and City Council to lead Hickory. They did not elect Mick Berry to lead Hickory. The City Council hired Mick Berry 8 years ago. The majority of the present council were responsible for that hire and they all have continuously renewed his contract. By all accounts, Rudy Wright sent Gary McGee packing and I haven't ever heard much bad said against Gary McGee by the people that worked for him or who dealt with him... On the other hand go read the articles.
This gets back to several items in the Agenda for a 21st Century Hickory. When we talk about Public Information, the Lack of Communication and Transparency, and the Conflicts of Interest. There is a circular conflict of interest in which the City Administration and the City Council protect one another's interests and they must rise above all of that - They Haven't. The City Manager Form of government is supposed to be a partnership with the elected body - The City Council. This is the United States of America. We don't need no stinking Commissar.
Upon further review, a note led to more discovery:
The Picture is from the Hickory Daily Record. The caption reads:
Mick Berry (left) Stake President and Bishop Michael Woods of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, look over scripture on Wednesday afternoon. Jeremy Detter - Hickory Daily Record
We have a pattern on several fronts here folks. Does this sound like the way a city should be run?
few more elections will take a toll on this." That is what I mean by time being on our side. Too bad that so much of it is wasting away, when so much could be done to help the community go forward. We have a community with a lot of potential that has been stifled.
After reading this article, people will have to decide if Ignorance and Dogma are Bliss or whether it's time to start speaking up and out about what is being allowed to happen by the leadership in this community. If I didn't care, I wouldn't be down in this rabbit hole.
I was sent an interesting e-mail last week, that shows that not much has changed in the Whitener building over the last few years. The e-mail contained a link to a site called Concerned about Hickory. There is only one article on this site and it was published on March 27, 2013.
The article is entitled - Mismanagement. Well Hidden.
You need to go to this site and read about the accusations that need to be answered to. We have some big issues in Hickory with the way City Hall is being administrated. This is not the first time that I have read such information as is contained in this Concerned about Hickory Website.
As you may recall, I was sent a letter a few years ago that detailed similar information. That letter became an article that I published two years ago on September 6, 2011 entitled What is Going on at Hickory City Hall?!?!?.
Please go read this information. Our Mayor and City Council have completely invested in the City Manager style of Government to the point that Mick Berry has Carte Blanche to do anything he wants to do without question. It is to the point that Mayor Rudy Wright says that we can't have a splash pad unless Mick Berry says we can. The rest of them have said it multiple times throughout the years; that we can't have this, that, or the other, because Mick said we can't have it. Their job is to instruct the City Manager as to what the City wants and tell him to bring the various options; not to tell our elected officials what we can and cannot have.
The people of Hickory elected this Mayor and City Council to lead Hickory. They did not elect Mick Berry to lead Hickory. The City Council hired Mick Berry 8 years ago. The majority of the present council were responsible for that hire and they all have continuously renewed his contract. By all accounts, Rudy Wright sent Gary McGee packing and I haven't ever heard much bad said against Gary McGee by the people that worked for him or who dealt with him... On the other hand go read the articles.
This gets back to several items in the Agenda for a 21st Century Hickory. When we talk about Public Information, the Lack of Communication and Transparency, and the Conflicts of Interest. There is a circular conflict of interest in which the City Administration and the City Council protect one another's interests and they must rise above all of that - They Haven't. The City Manager Form of government is supposed to be a partnership with the elected body - The City Council. This is the United States of America. We don't need no stinking Commissar.
Upon further review, a note led to more discovery:
You may find it interesting that Mick & Mike (Bennett) have put the hiring of an I.T. Manager "on hold". I think they are laying low, and did not want to hire yet another Mormon (Mike Woods) before the election, so as not to give any candidates any more ammunition.Mike Woods... hmmm - where have I heard that name before?
The Picture is from the Hickory Daily Record. The caption reads:
Mick Berry (left) Stake President and Bishop Michael Woods of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, look over scripture on Wednesday afternoon. Jeremy Detter - Hickory Daily Record
We have a pattern on several fronts here folks. Does this sound like the way a city should be run?
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Alert: Exploitation Well Crafted! and Rudy Wright
Update (6:45pm - 10/9/2013): Can you imagine how
you would feel if someone were to exploit your elderly parent for
personal gain? We all can because we've all dealt with issues of a loved
ones being in a vulnerable state whether mental or physical or both at
some time in our lives. Rudy Wright has mentioned frequently about his
mother's last years and dealing with Alzheimer's and yet he still
willfully went through with his scheme to exploit the former Congressman
purely for personal political gain.
Update 2 (7:35pm - 10/9/2013): I just heard a voicemail this evening that was left by Congressman Ballenger's wife that described the exploitation of the former Congressman by Mayor Wright as "Despicable".
Rudy Wright as seen in a picture in this mornings Hickory Daily Record (10/9/2013) with our Former Congressman Cass Ballenger in a photo-op stunt. I was sent a message that his family is vurry, vurry, (I cain't emphasize enough) vurry-vurry upset about this.
If they had known about this, the family would have never allowed it. The Assisted Living Center the Congressman resides in should have known better, the Hickory Daily Record should have known better, if someone set this up they should have known better, and MOST of all Rudy Wright should have known better. Given the inappropriate action and the family's feelings towards this, when can we expect the vurry appropriate public apology.
Rudy is trying to whip up Republican support as he runs against a Democrat. Rudy pushes the non-partisan angle in public, but pretends to be an ultra-conservative when he feels it benefits him. Remember this is the guy that promises to raise your taxes and spend money on beautification.
Rudy wants to call people out when he disagrees about a sign that is up for interpretation, but Rudy exploiting an 86 year old dementia patient for political purposes is fine????
Update 2 (7:35pm - 10/9/2013): I just heard a voicemail this evening that was left by Congressman Ballenger's wife that described the exploitation of the former Congressman by Mayor Wright as "Despicable".
Rudy Wright as seen in a picture in this mornings Hickory Daily Record (10/9/2013) with our Former Congressman Cass Ballenger in a photo-op stunt. I was sent a message that his family is vurry, vurry, (I cain't emphasize enough) vurry-vurry upset about this.
If they had known about this, the family would have never allowed it. The Assisted Living Center the Congressman resides in should have known better, the Hickory Daily Record should have known better, if someone set this up they should have known better, and MOST of all Rudy Wright should have known better. Given the inappropriate action and the family's feelings towards this, when can we expect the vurry appropriate public apology.
^ Used by permission ^
Rudy is trying to whip up Republican support as he runs against a Democrat. Rudy pushes the non-partisan angle in public, but pretends to be an ultra-conservative when he feels it benefits him. Remember this is the guy that promises to raise your taxes and spend money on beautification.
Rudy wants to call people out when he disagrees about a sign that is up for interpretation, but Rudy exploiting an 86 year old dementia patient for political purposes is fine????
Old Hickory in the lead
Tonight the results are in for Ward Voting and now we go to the Julian Whitener finals, in which the system works to dilute a level playing field of representation on the Hickory City Council, but that battle was lost last year and won't be changed for a few more years.
The Julian Whitener Finalists will be:
Ward 4 - Anetia Wright vs. Hank Guess
Ward 5 - David Zagaroli vs. Joe Brannock
Ward 6 - Jill Patton vs .......
Mayor - Rudy Wright vs Dr. Jody Inglefield
It will be an uphill battle for those facing the establishment, especially here in a community that looks to cling to traditions long ago abandoned by forward moving communities.
The Establishments Positions:
1) Taking care of Old Money interests first and foremost. Competition is a Sin.
2) Union Square, Union Square, Union Square. Obviously.
3) A community tailor made for 70, 80, and 90 year olds. Actions speak louder than words.
4) Business built upon Cheap Labor and Worker Bees. The Underemployment Economic Model.
5) Regressive Taxation for Public Relations. Paid for by the middle class. Spent by the Upper Class.
6) The City Administrative form of government is the be-all/end-all.
The Challenger Positions:
1) Term Limits.
2) We have got to fix this demographic issue.
3) Taking seriously the Health problems in this community.
4) Leveling the Policy making Playing Field. Conflicts of Interest are killing us.
5) Bringing the Community together as one through love and compassion.
6) The Mayor and City Council are responsible for our governance.
The Hound: Ernie Masche and I sat in a meeting with a gentleman yesterday who is a friend of mine and he talked about the origins of the Economic Development Corporation back in the 1970s. Most of the established "old money" companies in Catawba County were dead set against it's formation. It was named the "Catawba County Industrial Development Commission" - the precursor of today's EDC.
Everyone in this community today touts the EDC, but it would not have been allowed to form if certain people had not gone up against the local entrenched establishment of the 1970s, much as the Challengers to current city governance are having to do today.
We will see what happens in the next few weeks. Time is definitely on our side, but economic progress is not. We have not turned any corners. The economy continues to rot and we have people who have no interest in real issues and common sense.... We Move Forward!
The Julian Whitener Finalists will be:
Ward 4 - Anetia Wright vs. Hank Guess
Ward 5 - David Zagaroli vs. Joe Brannock
Ward 6 - Jill Patton vs .......
Mayor - Rudy Wright vs Dr. Jody Inglefield
It will be an uphill battle for those facing the establishment, especially here in a community that looks to cling to traditions long ago abandoned by forward moving communities.
The Establishments Positions:
1) Taking care of Old Money interests first and foremost. Competition is a Sin.
2) Union Square, Union Square, Union Square. Obviously.
3) A community tailor made for 70, 80, and 90 year olds. Actions speak louder than words.
4) Business built upon Cheap Labor and Worker Bees. The Underemployment Economic Model.
5) Regressive Taxation for Public Relations. Paid for by the middle class. Spent by the Upper Class.
6) The City Administrative form of government is the be-all/end-all.
The Challenger Positions:
1) Term Limits.
2) We have got to fix this demographic issue.
3) Taking seriously the Health problems in this community.
4) Leveling the Policy making Playing Field. Conflicts of Interest are killing us.
5) Bringing the Community together as one through love and compassion.
6) The Mayor and City Council are responsible for our governance.
The Hound: Ernie Masche and I sat in a meeting with a gentleman yesterday who is a friend of mine and he talked about the origins of the Economic Development Corporation back in the 1970s. Most of the established "old money" companies in Catawba County were dead set against it's formation. It was named the "Catawba County Industrial Development Commission" - the precursor of today's EDC.
Everyone in this community today touts the EDC, but it would not have been allowed to form if certain people had not gone up against the local entrenched establishment of the 1970s, much as the Challengers to current city governance are having to do today.
We will see what happens in the next few weeks. Time is definitely on our side, but economic progress is not. We have not turned any corners. The economy continues to rot and we have people who have no interest in real issues and common sense.... We Move Forward!
Monday, October 7, 2013
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Hickory Mayor Debate - Lenoir-Rhyne University - October 4, 2013
Friday night, Lenoir-Rhyne University hosted a mayoral candidate forum at P.E. Monroe Auditorium. All six candidates were present. Jeff Brittain, Candice Harold, Dr. Jody Inglefield, Ernie Masche, Terry Revels, and Rudy Wright answered three questions posed by the Lenoir-Rhyne Professor Cade Hamilton and his debate team.
Videos (2 parts) are at the bottom of this article. Video quality isn't so great because of the stage lighting effect and the natural darkness of P.E. Monroe. The contrasts lead to a white-out effect. This is the best debate that I have ever watched live - very professionally facilitated. This is as level a playing field as you will ever see in a local election.The only suggestion I would make is to have the time manager on the center-front row with large time cue cards.
Moderator Information:
Cade Hamilton, Director of Speech and Debate, School of Journalism and Mass Communications Lenoir-Rhyne University
The Questions:
- What is your most significant achievement for the greater good of the City of Hickory and why does that make you most prepared to be the mayor?
- What would you do as mayor to help attract cultural events and diverse populations to Hickory?
- What are the two most significant issues facing the city of Hickory in the next two years and what would you do to address those issues?
Additional Topic Areas:
- Transparency and Accountability
- Jobs and the Local Economy
- Variances between Candidates
In witnessing this forum, once again we see five candidates who see many issues in the community that need to be addressed and an incumbent Mayor who comes across in a My Way or The Highway fashion. At least on this night he didn't talk about turning the corner or say the other candidates wanted his job after he had done all of the hard work.
In this round, we once again saw a defiant Mayor inferring that he was going to keep on doing it the same way he had been for the past twelve years and pontificating about a lack of understanding as to why the other candidates weren't addressing the issues he wanted to address. He seems to be confused about this not being the typical Hickory City Council Beauty Pageant setting. Of course, I don't mind pointing this out since I will never be awarded the Mr. Congeniality trophy.
The voters will have to make the call as to whether they agree with the five candidates who would like to see the city alter course on some issues/objectives or the three term Incumbent who seems to be wondering why he is being challenged and especially in this manner. To my knowledge, we have never seen a political race such as this in Hickory. And it really isn't hard to understand why it has come to this. The Status Quo wants to blame the Hickory Hound and the CEG, but maybe it is time that they do one of my favorite exercises of the past six-plus years -- REFLECTION!!! It is a healthy exercise.
There was an excellent opening message by Dr. Inglefield about his wife Rebecca and her arrest last year and being shocked about what he has learned over the last few years. "What does it take to shock the people of Hickory." He related all of this to a lack of communication and transparency. There was another excellent message by Jeff Brittain about finding Shark Teeth on a beach. He has hundreds. Most people never find one. He has a plan. He related that to bringing jobs to our area. No plan, no jobs. Ernie Masche took a cue from Mayor Wright and walked out towards the audience and sat on the front of the stage and spoke about it being time for a change and about transparency and needing youth in the community. He says that we need to look out for the whole city and not just certain sections. Candice Harold spoke about going to the Taco Bell on Hwy 70 on the weekend and meeting the young people who cruise late at night and how they expressed that there is nothing to do around here. They wouldn't be out cruising if they had a place to hang out. Terry Revels comes across as a man who truly loves and reveres the United States of America.
The Mayor has changed the dialogue from "Inspiring Spaces" to "Innovate Catawba" and "Innovate Hickory". He said that Inspiring spaces is a part of all of that. Pigs and Billy Goats... lipstick still ain't gonna change the situation.
The Mayor is now saying what he said at the Democrat Dinner forum was a S.W.A.G. (Silly Wild @$$ Guess) remark. You can go to the link at the bottom of this paragraph where the Mayor point blank says that the number being discussed is $80 million ($20 million State, $20 million Federal, $20 million Hickory, and $20 million hopefully from private interests - $2 million each over 10 years). I have also heard that from other sources. He knows that people don't want to hear this.
Link to the $80 million Comment.
He and the city are also trying to ride the coattails of a man's devotion towards his wife in the creation of a conservancy on the lake and swerve the meaning of that devotion towards their own message and objective - Ain't Cool.
One last comment - Hickory United PAC is definitely in Rudy's corner. They have to be, because none of the other five candidates support their extremist tactics that prey upon ignorance. They were the ones that asked a question about whether the candidates would support a gun manufacturer moving to Catawba County. As Dr. Inglefield answered the question the young Co-Chair of HUPAC immediately sprang up out of his seat, which was very noticeable, dialed his phone and was heard saying they were going to run an ad against Dr. Inglefield on Tuesday morning. He didn't even have the courtesy to listen to the man's answer. Wow! How ingenious! How original! Just like their ACORN thing from last year, but you know what they say about coming around and going around. Boys being boys, they never seem to learn that such tactics come back to bite you in the end.
Part 1
Part 2
Videos (2 parts) are at the bottom of this article. Video quality isn't so great because of the stage lighting effect and the natural darkness of P.E. Monroe. The contrasts lead to a white-out effect. This is the best debate that I have ever watched live - very professionally facilitated. This is as level a playing field as you will ever see in a local election.The only suggestion I would make is to have the time manager on the center-front row with large time cue cards.
Moderator Information:
Cade Hamilton, Director of Speech and Debate, School of Journalism and Mass Communications Lenoir-Rhyne University
The Questions:
- What is your most significant achievement for the greater good of the City of Hickory and why does that make you most prepared to be the mayor?
- What would you do as mayor to help attract cultural events and diverse populations to Hickory?
- What are the two most significant issues facing the city of Hickory in the next two years and what would you do to address those issues?
Additional Topic Areas:
- Transparency and Accountability
- Jobs and the Local Economy
- Variances between Candidates
In witnessing this forum, once again we see five candidates who see many issues in the community that need to be addressed and an incumbent Mayor who comes across in a My Way or The Highway fashion. At least on this night he didn't talk about turning the corner or say the other candidates wanted his job after he had done all of the hard work.
In this round, we once again saw a defiant Mayor inferring that he was going to keep on doing it the same way he had been for the past twelve years and pontificating about a lack of understanding as to why the other candidates weren't addressing the issues he wanted to address. He seems to be confused about this not being the typical Hickory City Council Beauty Pageant setting. Of course, I don't mind pointing this out since I will never be awarded the Mr. Congeniality trophy.
The voters will have to make the call as to whether they agree with the five candidates who would like to see the city alter course on some issues/objectives or the three term Incumbent who seems to be wondering why he is being challenged and especially in this manner. To my knowledge, we have never seen a political race such as this in Hickory. And it really isn't hard to understand why it has come to this. The Status Quo wants to blame the Hickory Hound and the CEG, but maybe it is time that they do one of my favorite exercises of the past six-plus years -- REFLECTION!!! It is a healthy exercise.
There was an excellent opening message by Dr. Inglefield about his wife Rebecca and her arrest last year and being shocked about what he has learned over the last few years. "What does it take to shock the people of Hickory." He related all of this to a lack of communication and transparency. There was another excellent message by Jeff Brittain about finding Shark Teeth on a beach. He has hundreds. Most people never find one. He has a plan. He related that to bringing jobs to our area. No plan, no jobs. Ernie Masche took a cue from Mayor Wright and walked out towards the audience and sat on the front of the stage and spoke about it being time for a change and about transparency and needing youth in the community. He says that we need to look out for the whole city and not just certain sections. Candice Harold spoke about going to the Taco Bell on Hwy 70 on the weekend and meeting the young people who cruise late at night and how they expressed that there is nothing to do around here. They wouldn't be out cruising if they had a place to hang out. Terry Revels comes across as a man who truly loves and reveres the United States of America.
The Mayor has changed the dialogue from "Inspiring Spaces" to "Innovate Catawba" and "Innovate Hickory". He said that Inspiring spaces is a part of all of that. Pigs and Billy Goats... lipstick still ain't gonna change the situation.
The Mayor is now saying what he said at the Democrat Dinner forum was a S.W.A.G. (Silly Wild @$$ Guess) remark. You can go to the link at the bottom of this paragraph where the Mayor point blank says that the number being discussed is $80 million ($20 million State, $20 million Federal, $20 million Hickory, and $20 million hopefully from private interests - $2 million each over 10 years). I have also heard that from other sources. He knows that people don't want to hear this.
Link to the $80 million Comment.
He and the city are also trying to ride the coattails of a man's devotion towards his wife in the creation of a conservancy on the lake and swerve the meaning of that devotion towards their own message and objective - Ain't Cool.
One last comment - Hickory United PAC is definitely in Rudy's corner. They have to be, because none of the other five candidates support their extremist tactics that prey upon ignorance. They were the ones that asked a question about whether the candidates would support a gun manufacturer moving to Catawba County. As Dr. Inglefield answered the question the young Co-Chair of HUPAC immediately sprang up out of his seat, which was very noticeable, dialed his phone and was heard saying they were going to run an ad against Dr. Inglefield on Tuesday morning. He didn't even have the courtesy to listen to the man's answer. Wow! How ingenious! How original! Just like their ACORN thing from last year, but you know what they say about coming around and going around. Boys being boys, they never seem to learn that such tactics come back to bite you in the end.
Part 1
Part 2
Friday, October 4, 2013
Through the Looking Glass - See You Tonight
2013 Hickory City Elections - The Candidates < Link to everything about the candidates that have been willing to interact with the Hickory Hound.
Lenoir-Rhyne to Host Hickory City Mayoral Debate Details
Tonight's forum at Lenoir-Rhyne will be the most real discussion about political issues in our lifetime. You can take away the controlled pageantry of Hickory Inc. functions. It will be refreshing to see a level playing field and an open discussion about the policies that shape our future. Questions are finally going to formally be asked in a public setting. Let's get down to the raw truth. Who is going to stand up for the people of Hickory? Who has Hickory's best interests at heart?
Lenoir-Rhyne Mayoral Debate
October 4, 2013
6:00pm
PE Monroe Auditorium
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