The Greater Greensboro Observer obviously doesn't mind that their reporters and contributors post print material on their personal weblogs.

GGO reporter Sam Hieb has posted his article on the County Commissioner meeting that will appear in this coming Tuesday's edition of the alt-weekly.  GGO contributor Billy "The Blogging Poet" Jones has posted the fourth part of his series on red light cameras in Guilford County.

The GGO website is still obnoxiuosly inactive though. 

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Whether or not you agree with the "High Point Choice Plan", everyone must realize that a dangerous and extraordinary event occured during the County Commissioners meeting this past Thursday.  During that meeting a majority of Commissioners voted to deny the school board's request to re-allocate $2M to upfit four schools for programs that are slated to start just over a month from now.  This $2M was to have come from already-issued bonds that were approved by the voters in 2001 and ear-marked for a completed elementary school construction project that came in under budget.

Notice I said four schools because this money wasn't only for High Point high schools.  Lost in the injustice and histrionics felt and demonstrated by the ABC of Guilford County parent group was the fact that $382,544 of the denied amount was to have gone to a new and non-controversial magnet program in Brown Summit.  This College Prepatory Middle School was designed to offer high academic rigor for 6th,7th, and 8th graders.  It's status is now in limbo every bit as much as Andrews, High Point Central and Southeast High Schools.

The N&R put it succinctly when they reported the outcome of the vote yesterday:

"Under North Carolina law, county commissioners control the release of any capital improvement money, even though the money belongs to the school system. Commissioners typically have released such money, leaving decisions on how to use the money up to the school board. "

When it comes to formulating policy and programs for Guilford County Schools, our Board of Commissioners should have the same amount of input as every other citizen of the county...  one person - one vote... when it comes time to elect our School Board.

Through the ballot box we entrusted the current school board with the task of running our schools.  Through politicized meddling, a majority of our Commissioners usurped authority that is, by law, vested with our elected School Board during last Thursday's meeting.

I, for one, do not want a bunch of bickering partisan politicians screwing around with my children's education like they did last Thursday.  It was an ugly and perverted coup that can only be explained by the fact that this is an election year.

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I think that Ed Cone is correct in his prediction.

By the way... is my website loading as slowly for everyone else as it is for me?

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Update: I called Tom Phillips.  He was informed before the meeting that the amendment could not be rescinded because the matter would have had to have been advertised before Council action could be taken.  There had not been time for that.  He says it is the Council's intent to advertise and revisit the amendment based on the outcome of the July 6th meeting of concerned parties.

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OK, I am either gullible, or misinformed.

Back on June 8th I wrote that the City Council voted 8-1 to adopt an amendment to the noise ordinance as it pertains to special events in the Central Business District.  The ordinance change appeared to be enabling legislation so fireworks displays can be allowed at the new stadium because no other change of downtown event practices are on the horizon that I have heard of.  If that was the amendment's intent, it failed it's mission because the ordinance amended only concerns itself with events lasting 3 or more days.  Baseball games don't normally last three days.

Downtown neighborhood residents were frustrated by the change because they hadn't been consulted.  This frustration translated into phone calls and emails to City Council.  Many were headed to City Hall to speak on the matter at the last Council meeting but Councilman Tom Phillips informed me in an email that the ordinance amendment only applied to special events lasting three days or longer.

Later that day Phillips called and asked that I inform everyone that the City's legal staff found that the amendment had some unintended consequences and that it would be reconsidered the following Tuesday.  He also told me that everyone affected will be called together to hash out their differences.  I did what Tom asked.

Yesterday, while I was crowing about how I may have affected John Hammer's Rhino column I stated that the Council voted to rescind the amendment.  JW commented in that post that I was mistaken and she emailed Councilwoman Sandy Carmany to read what I wrote.  In a subsequent email, Sandy informs me that I indeed overstated the situation.

Carmany: "...THAT DID NOT HAPPEN -- no vote was taken on the issue.  Legal staff WAS instructed to work on it and eliminate some discrepancies in language and conflicts with other parts of the ordinance, but the 1AM issue did not come up to my remembrance (then again, it was very late at night and I could be mistaken, but I don't think so).  At any rate, the ordinance with the change is still in effect, and I am not so sure a majority of council is willing to support backing off that 1AM provision.  So don't go to sleep yet (pun intended)!"

I will call Tom Phillips this morning to ask what part of our conversation I got wrong.  I have been contacted by City Attorney Terry Wood - the meeting between downtown neighborhoods, Action Greensboro and DGI has been set for July 6th.

It appears to me, because the ordinance amendment is now law (the 30 day rescission provision has expired), that those that might be opposed to the change are at a disadvantage.  I hope I am mistaken.

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