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Comments by huzzah
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Posted on November 19 at 8:35 a.m.
The thing to remember in all of this is that Preston has a pretty ironclad contract (whether or not it should have originally been signed is a moot point, it HAS been signed and IS in effect). Because of the comments of the incoming council members, there already exists a defacto breach of that contract. It does sound like some behind the scenes discussions have taken place and that this has been ramrodded through the council, but let's look at what it really means.
Due to Preston's contract and the comments of the incoming council, it is pretty much guaranteed that he will receive the full payout regardless of what action is taken. If we wait until the new council takes office, they will summarily dismiss him, resulting in numerous protracted court cases before Preston receives the money which he is contractually guaranteed. He is already going to be awarded this money, how much additional money should the county give to lawyers and the court system because two shortsighted council members refuse to accept the inevitable? I believe that the sitting council realized what would happen and decided to save the taxpayers of Anderson County the additional costs and negative publicity of a long, drawn-out, uncivilized, and unpleasant court battle.
Huzzah to the council for their foresight and common sense!
On Anderson County Council votes to release Preston from his contract for $1.14 million
Posted on November 17 at 8:22 a.m.
This was a very nice story. My question though, and I don't really mean to be a spoilsport, is why exactly is this news? What is the point of this news story? Has the Rev. White just died? Is the park now visible because of the low lake levels? Is there a reunion for attendees? Has one of the paintings been found? Why is this the lead story in the Anderson Independent? Surely there is something more newsworthy to report. It is pretty sad that I have to read the Greenville newspapers to get any actual news about Anderson, it appears that the AIM is great for human interest stories. Perhaps this story would have been better left for the pages of the Hometowner.
Posted on November 7 at 11:06 a.m.
I know I am probably going to be in the minority here, but I thought the focus of High School was supposed to be on education. It just seems wrong that there is an article concerning the monetary "take at the gate" when South Carolina still ranks among the worst in the nation educationally. Are we really more concerned with how much money our football team makes than providing the students with a quality education?
I might feel differently if all of this money was to be used for educational purposes, but I have a sneaking suspicion it is just used for new stadiums, uniforms, etc. Can someone explain the educational benefits of this system to me? Hanna may have the best stadium in the area, but how exactly does that help the children to get a decent job, earn a decent wage, and support their future family? Sure, there is the possibility that a few of the students may have an excess of natural talent and receive a scholarship to play football at a good university, but wouldn't the money be better spent to provide a better education for all of the students rather than just a select few?
Posted on October 29 at 2:21 p.m.
responses continued
3rd Paragraph)
First of all, if you will reread my post, the very first sentence states that I am a Preston supporter, I have not "flip-flopped". I did not say that I was tired of Mr. Preston's antics alone (as you try to make it sound), I said that I was tired of all of the squabbling by every member of the county government. Because of all of their bickering, our ENTIRE county government, not just Mr. Preston, has lost my respect and the respect of large portions of our community, therefore, I believe that they are no longer an effective governing body. I blame this more on the county council than on Mr. Preston, he is only defending his actions (which have been repeatedly approved by the majority of the council) and looking out for his honor and future.
4th Paragraph)
You say that all of his accomplishments could have been made by any competent administrator. First of all, by your own statement, you have just admitted that Mr. Preston is NOT incompetent as you so often claim. Secondly, I disagree that just any administrator could have accomplished these things, with our county council's penchant for penchant for disagreeing with and firing administrators, Mr. Preston had to be political, powerful, consistent, and convincing just to get anything accomplished. The fact that he has been able to make any of the changes he has with our council is not far short of miraculous. Yes, it does take a special kind of miscreant to perform all of the activities you mentioned, it is called a politician. Each and every single person in politics has to do all of these things daily, you have to vote for others' proposals so that they will vote for yours,in other words, you have to give a little to get a little. This is, if not the very definition of politics, at the least the practice of it in today's climate, not just in Anderson County, but everywhere. As for "self serving", I sure as hell hope that he is, if you are not doing a job that you are proud of doing, then why are you bothering to do it at all? He should be striving to receive accolades and approval from all who surround him. Lastly, Mr. Preston has not given me a job, a meal, a contract, or anything else, in fact, I have never met the man. What he has given me is a county with steady growth, a progressive economy, an increasing tax base, more governmental funded programs, better infrastructure (both civil and industrial), and more businesses at which to shop (which further benefits the local economy). In short, yes, by supporting Mr. Preston and his policies, there is something "in it" for me and everyone else in Anderson County, a better, more progressive future. By stifling these policies and reverting to the good old days, we will do nothing more than let our county revert to a stagnant backwater county, definitely not something to be proud of.
On Anderson County Council committee plans recommendation regarding Preston at next meeting
Posted on October 29 at 2:21 p.m.
Responses
1st Paragraph)
You are taking it out of context in the manner that the whole theme of the article is the good that Joey has done for the community. It explains why he insisted that these stipulations be included in his contract, and the good that has come from them. He did not write the contract, he just said that before he would agree to it these provisions must be included.
2nd Paragraph)
Yes, a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then. Numerous lawsuits brought by Cindy Wilson and Bob Waldrep, several audits, untold amounts of ill will, etc, all to no effect, because there was no underlying need for them but the self-supporting antics of 2 members of the county council. Yes, I suppose you could say that the awards that Joey and the county have received were "bought and paid for." The county had not received these awards previously, so obviously improvements needed to be made in order to bring this county to a point at which it could be considered for any awards, this did require money. Additionally, since Mr. Preston was the administrator that pushed these changes through, and the previous administrators were not able to get any changes made that automatically puts him in the class to receive personal awards as well. Lastly, some of you were fools then and still are.
On Anderson County Council committee plans recommendation regarding Preston at next meeting
Posted on October 29 at 8:34 a.m.
OK, I have read the article that your URL points to Cindy, and I can not, for the life of me, figure out how you are going to try and use this against Joey Preston. That article offers nothing but glowing praise for him and outlines all of the good he has done for our community. The quote you provided, which I can only figure you are taking out of context, explains his salary demands and the reasons behind them very clearly. I do recommend that everyone read this article and see for yourselves that Joey is not the monster that certain people try to portray him as, on the contrary, it appears that he is simply their scapegoat.
On Anderson County Council committee plans recommendation regarding Preston at next meeting
Posted on October 29 at 7:56 a.m.
I do so love hearing about our town's community events the day after they happen. It would have been nice to know that this was happening last night, I would have loved to participate, but as usual there is no notification anywhere. Why can't we actually announce that some of these things are taking place?
On Not too chilly for chili – 10th Annual Downtown Chili Cook Off warms up Main Street
Posted on October 27 at 9:58 p.m.
I don't think it is any secret that I am a Preston supporter (and if it was, here is my acknowledgment of the fact), but all of this has gone too far for too long. The entire county council has lost any shred of respect that any of them might have had in my eyes.
I don't have any confidence that anyone on the county council, or in the county government has anyone's concerns on their minds but their own. They have wasted untold amounts of time and money on their petty squabbling and incessant infighting.
This latest round of name-calling and bickering in a council meeting is absolutely uncalled for, uncivilized, and unacceptable. The sniping remarks and smart@#$ed comments are not what I expect my tax dollars to go towards. I am not defending any group over another here, I condemn every single one of them. I do not have any confidence in any of them being able to responsibly or professionally govern a game of Monopoly, let alone Anderson County.
In my opinion every single member of the council, the county administrator's office, and the county accountants should step down from office. Can you not see the shame you are bringing upon our county by your antics? Residents of nearby counties smirk and joke about the latest idiocy by the buffoons in Anderson. It makes me embarrassed to go see friends and relatives in other parts of the state, and don't for one second think that they do not know what is going on here. Welcome to Anderson County, the laughing stock of South Carolina.
I say shame on all of you in the county government. You should all apologize for the way you have maligned the trust of those who elected or appointed you and resign from office. You all seem to be more concerned with your own pet projects and petty grievances than with properly running the government of this county. Maybe someone else can do a better job, or maybe they can't, but I cannot see them doing much worse. I am disgusted by the lot of you and hope that you feel all the shame that you rightly should.
On Anderson County Council committee plans recommendation regarding Preston at next meeting
Posted on October 23 at 2:56 p.m.
It sounds to me like someone did not approve of his leaving a puppy in the car and rescued it. I would recommend looking at the animal shelter or one of the rescue groups for the puppy. Hopefully it at least has some distinctive markings so he can find it.
On Pendleton man reports puppy stolen in latest vehicle break-in
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Posted on November 26 at 8:14 a.m.
I hope they get the lake level on Keowee raised quickly. It must be horrible to have the lake almost 6 feet below full pool. I certainly am glad that we don't have to deal with anything like 6 whole feet of missing water on Hartwell.
Ever notice how difficult it is to convey sarcasm through electronic media?
On Duke begins raising Lake Keowee level