Category: First Amendment Rights

Election 2017, First Amendment Rights, Good Governance

Election Endorsement: Lockwood, Bentley, Jamison, and Longoria

Posted on by Milton Coalition

First Amendment

October 2, 2017

Author:  Tim Becker

From now until Election Day on November 7th, I will be blogging exclusively about the election.  I will be advocating for and against specific candidates.  That is my right under the U.S. Constitution and I intend to vigorously exercise that right.

I support the following candidates:

  • Joe Lockwood – Mayor (incumbent)
  • Laura Bentley – District 2
  • Peyton Jamison – District 1 (running unopposed after Council Member Thurman declined to run for re-election)
  • Joe Longoria – District 3 (incumbent – running unopposed)

Because voting is at-large, you can vote for all four of the above candidates.

I oppose the following candidates:

  • Laura Rencher – Mayor
  • Bill Lusk – District 2

Mr. Lusk and Ms. Rencher seem to be running as a slate.  This makes sense as Mr. Lusk and Ms. Rencher have been close political allies for the last 2+ years.

The focus of this blog for the next 5 weeks will mostly be on the District 2 race between Laura Bentley, Chairman of the Equestrian Committee, and Bill Lusk.  However, in this blog post, I will focus on the other 3 races.

Mayoral Race.

I support incumbent Mayor Joe Lockwood for re-election.  Although I do not agree with Joe’s stances on some issues, I believe that Joe is committed to good governance in Milton.  That is, he is a strong advocate for governance processes that are fair, transparent, rigorous, and citizen-centric.  He is a genuinely nice guy who truly cares what citizens think.  Although he has not always voted the way I wanted, he has voted the right way on the most important issues, particularly the CSO and the Ebenezer re-zonings.  Over the past 2 years, Joe has endured a lot of criticism (at Council meetings and on-line) from Ms. Rencher and her allies.  He always just sits there and takes it.  He understands the importance of being deferential to citizens and allowing citizens to exercise their right to Free Speech.  Joe is deserving of a 3rd term as Mayor.

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Regarding Ms. Rencher, let me be blunt:  She would be an absolute disaster as Mayor.  I cannot even bring myself to imagine such a scenario.   George Orwell’s statement comes to mind “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot in your face—forever.”  For the past 2 years, I have witnessed Ms. Rencher’s non-stop temper tantrums at Preserve Rural Milton’s Facebook page.  Ms. Rencher has taken down PRM’s Facebook page.  Is she ashamed of what she has written there over the past two years?  Perhaps, she realizes that PRM’s non-stop political advocacy was in gross violation of IRS rules about political advocacy; PRM is registered with the IRS as an educational charity.  Not to worry, the IRS has revoked PRM’s tax-exempt status for failure to file required forms for 3 consecutive years.  However, my biggest criticism of Ms. Rencher is that she has mostly been missing-in-action over the past 2 years.  Her focus has mostly been on trying to get Milton to adopt conservation subdivisions, an idea rejected by a large majority of citizens.  I rarely see her at any city government meetings.  For example, she did not even show up for meetings on 2 zoning matters at Birmingham Crossroads—one involving a reduction in greenspace in the Publix shopping center.  And she lives just a few hundred yards from the Crossroads!  My intention is to mostly ignore Ms. Rencher, which has been my policy for the past 2 years.  I will not dignify her candidacy with comments at this blog.

District 1 Race.

Peyton Jamison is running unopposed for the District 1 seat.  I support Peyton’s election.  I only met Peyton for the first time in May 2017.  However, I like what I have seen.  As Chairman of the Planning Commission, Peyton has consistently voted against higher density rezonings.  Peyton has a strong work ethic and a lot of energy.  He is a likable family man and community leader.  I most admire Peyton’s courage in running for the District 1 seat.  Some in the community advised him to wait for Burt Hewitt’s seat to open up.  You see, Burt is moving to Cherokee County and will likely have to relinquish his seat on Council before his term ends.  Many political observers considered Peyton a shoo-in for Burt’s seat.  However, Peyton was not interested in a council seat being bestowed on him.  He did not like what he was seeing at Council and decided the time was now to effect change at Council.  He realized that replacing Burt would not do much to change policy or the dynamics at Council.  Rather than taking the path of least resistance, Peyton decided to take a risk and challenge the incumbent.  I admire him for his courage in doing this.

District 3 Race.

Joe Longoria is running unopposed for the District 3 seat.  I support his re-election.  As with  Lockwood, I disagree with Joe Longoria on some issues.  However, Joe’s heart is in the right place.  Joe is a smart guy.  He has a reputation for asking really insightful questions.  Joe understands the importance of vigorous debate at Council.  I especially appreciate Joe’s defense of citizens’ right to free speech.  I also appreciate Joe’s willingness to engage with citizens—in particular, citizens (like me) that are unpopular with some Council Members.  Joe Longoria is deserving of a third term on Council.

Citizens, as readers of this blog, you obviously care about governance in Milton.  Please forward my posts to other citizens and encourage them to subscribe to the blog at the Milton Coalition home page.  The key to good governance is informed voters!

Tim Becker

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Council Member Bill Lusk, First Amendment Rights, Good Governance, Milton City Council

Honor the Constitution By Following the Constitution

Posted on by Milton Coalition

We the People

September 19, 2017

Although there were only 2 agenda items and it lasted only an hour, last night’s City Council working session was quite interesting.  There were only five of us in attendance . . . mostly the usual suspects.

The first item was a proclamation recognizing Constitution Week.  This proclamation was presented by Bill Lusk, who sponsors most of Council’s patriotic proclamations.  I support such proclamations and other City-sponsored acts of patriotic recognition.  However, I frankly find Mr. Lusk’s sponsorship of these proclamations puzzling, as Mr. Lusk is clearly the most anti-Constitutional of the seven Milton Council Members, (although lately Matt Kunz, ironically an “American Studies” major in college, has been giving Lusk a run for his money).

I have tangled with Mr. Lusk for nearly 2 years.  Lusk has tried mightily to shut me and other citizens down because of our criticism of him.  In so doing, Lusk has shown a profound ignorance–or perhaps worse, a willful disregard for—the U.S. Constitution.  He has asserted that citizens speaking in public comment and in on-line forums are “violating” and “abusing” their right to free speech when they criticize his policy positions.  He has criticized petitions against his policy positions, perhaps not knowing that “the right to petition the government for redress of grievances” is also a First Amendment right.  He has also attacked groups of citizens that dare organize in any fashion to challenge our local government and in so doing, Lusk is trampling on Freedom of Assembly—another First Amendment freedom.  He is often supported in his attacks by Council Member Kunz (and sometimes Councilor Thurman).  He attacks citizen critics from the Council dais, in direct violation of City policy.  He has also excoriated his citizen-critics in the Milton Herald, comparing us to protesters that spit upon returning Vietnam veterans and to Loyalists during the American Revolution.

First Amendment

So my suggestion to Mr. Lusk follows.  Mr. Lusk, before you sponsor another patriotic resolution, please commit to actually reading—and better yet, understanding—the Constitution.  I might also suggest reading the Federalist Papers.  Unfortunately, I suspect Mr. Lusk will continue in his anti-Constitutional ways, true to the old saw that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks. 

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I take no pleasure in tangling with Mr. Lusk.  Mr. Lusk and I are both veterans.  Mr. Lusk served for 2 years in a construction battalion in the 1960s.  I thank him for his service to our country.  I volunteered for the U.S. Navy’s submarine service, serving as a nuclear submarine officer for 7 ½ years.  It is this investment of my time in the Navy to defend our great country and its institutions, including the Constitution, that keeps me fighting for good governance in Milton and against those, like Mr. Lusk, that block the way.

(Tomorrow’s blog post will cover the last night’s other Council agenda item on incentivizing large lots in Milton.)

Tim Becker

Council Member Matt Kunz, First Amendment Rights, Milton City Council

Kunz Makes Tearful Apology At Council Meeting . . .

Posted on by Milton Coalition

Kunz Apology

September 14, 2017

At last night’s city council meeting, Matt Kunz made a weeping apology for his reprehensible behavior at the previous city council meeting.  Over the past few weeks, Kunz has been all over the board with comments about his inexcusable behavior.  With his public comments and on-line posts, he kept digging a deeper and deeper hole for himself.  First, he stated he was merely “coaching” Joe Longoria to be a better “player.”  (It seems every situation in Mr. Kunz’s life lends itself to a football analogy.)  Then, he decided a better tack was to assert that Joe Longoria was the aggressor and he (Kunz) was just standing his ground.  Now he is apologizing for the “tone” of his comments and for kicking an injured player when he is down (yes, a fitting football analogy).

And of course, Kunz takes the obligatory swipe at citizens that have dared to criticize him at this blog and elsewhere.  Furthermore, he makes an assertion that has become a tedious refrain at council meetings.  Kunz and other Council members assert that citizens who criticize and expose local politicians are “violating the First Amendment” and “abusing their First Amendment rights.”  It is furthermore asserted that such criticism is slanderous and is hate speech that might lead to violence in Milton.  Ironically, the closest we have come to violence in Milton is Mr. Kunz’s rage incident a few weeks ago.

Sadly, Mr. Kunz is mirroring assaults (from both the extreme right and extreme left) on Free Speech (and other First Amendment rights) that we are seeing on the national level.  An example is the establishment of Free Speech “zones” on most college campuses–a painted box on some pavement in an obscure part of campus, where students are allowed to express their political views.  I suspect that we will soon see attempts by some council members to limit public comment at City Council meetings.  We have already witnessed a few attempts by council members to prod the City into issuing “official” positions on controversial policy issues.

Some City Council members’ profound ignorance and/or disregard for the Constitution should be of great concern to citizens, as council members take an oath to uphold the Constitution.  How can you uphold laws that you fundamentally don’t understand and/or don’t respect?

I will leave you will a little levity.  Following is a humorous YouTube video about a “YouTube Apology Service.”  (And yes, this blog can sometimes get a little snarky.)

Advocating For Accountability and Free Speech,

Tim Becker

YouTube Apology Service

YouTube Apology Service

Election 2017, First Amendment Rights, Milton City Council

Some Council Members Set Low Bar For Civility . . . Alienating Citizens

Posted on by Milton Coalition

Lusk-Kunz Conference - 2

September 12, 2017

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I would comment on Hatcher Hurd’s op-ed about incivility in the Milton Herald.  (Click on link for op-ed: Milton Herald Op-Ed on Civility in Politics)  However, as often happens with our Milton City Council, material presented itself that I could not ignore.  Specifically, Milton’s citizens were shocked by Councilman Matt Kunz’s out-of-control rage that resulted in “near violence” . . . Councilman Longoria’s words, not mine.  I was the only citizen to witness the event and I agree with Longoria’s assessment; he was right to disengage from Kunz.  The subsequent council meeting was equaling appalling, as what should have been a perfunctory council meeting was hijacked for political purposes.

The August 28th events are a good segue to my response to Mr. Hurd’s op-ed in the Milton Herald.  Mr. Hurd was non-specific about the sources and causes of incivility in our community.  I was puzzled that Mr. Hurd did not mention the extreme misbehavior of some council members not only in Milton, but also in Roswell and Johns Creek.  In Milton, council members’ tirades and attacks on citizens in the audience have become routine to the point of tedium.  In Johns Creek, a councilor stormed out of a town hall meeting, spewing invective as she went.

JC Town Hall

Let’s not forget who establishes the threshold for civility in Milton:  our elected leaders.  To the extent a culture of incivility exists, Council Members are largely responsible for it, a point Mr. Hurd overlooks.  My Navy and business experience (and volumes of leadership books back me up) tells me that leaders establish the culture of an entity, including government.  And it is abundantly clear that some of Milton’s elected leaders have set the bar very low for civility in Milton.  Citizens have now been witness to no less than six singularly uncivil temper tantrums from council members in council meetings.  On one occasion, these outbursts included overt threats to stop doing business with the Milton Herald.  Council members have screamed at citizens and used incendiary words like “hate” and “lynch.”  And unfortunately, the nastiness of some Council members has percolated to their appointees on committees.  In one incident, a committee chairman had to be gently removed from a confrontation with the mayor by the City Manager, while police converged on the scene.

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In contrast to some council members, citizens have been relatively restrained in their behavior.  Milton’s citizens are polite—perhaps to a fault.  However, politeness can only be stretched so far.  About two years ago, when the strong influence of Special Interests became painfully obvious, a handful of citizens began to push back on City Council.  Over time, more and more citizens joined the movement (one Councilman’s descriptor) for accountable government.  This resulted in over 1800 citizens signing (in less than 4 weeks) an 8-point petition on smart land use and good governance.  And it also resulted in an overflow crowd at a rezoning hearing—a first in Milton’s history.

Certainly, the passion of citizens is sometimes intense . . . Milton’s citizens care about their community.  However, what some might describe as citizen incivility is better described as righteous indignation.  And it has led to a citizen awakening in Milton that has encouraged candidates to finally step forward and challenge the status quo.  This is a positive development.  Milton has not had competitive elections since 2011, and it shows.  Elections provide clarity about issues facing the community.  Choice is good.  We, including Mr. Hurd, should be celebrating a return to competitive politics in Milton.  Let’s exult in the vigorous exercise of citizens’ First Amendment political liberties:  free speech, free assembly, and the right to petition.  Let’s have vicious debate among friends about the issues that matter most in Milton!  Let’s celebrate democracy in Milton, with all of the messiness that might entail!

Tim Becker

First Amendment Rights, Good Governance

Lesson of 9-11: Stand Up to Threats to Liberty

Posted on by Milton Coalition

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September 11, 2017

When posting about 9-11, one’s first instinct might be to post photos of that awful day.  Of course, the most dreadful photos were of the Twin Towers in Manhattan.  These images were surreal in their horror.  However, 16 years have passed.  And during that time, the area in and around where the Twin Towers stood has been redeveloped . . . reborn, if you will.  As it always does, America stood up to its enemies and is today stronger than ever.  So today, it seems more fitting to celebrate a stronger, more determined America with a photo of today’s One World Trade Center (still known to many as The Freedom Tower).  This new skyscraper conveys a sense of America’s soaring spirit and resilience.

Of course, there will always be threats to our freedoms.  These threats take many shapes and forms.  They come from without and within.  Some threats are overt; others are more insidious, but no less harmful.  As Thomas Jefferson stated regarding such threats: “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”  However, as 9-11 and other such events in our nation’s history demonstrate, sometimes vigilance is not enough.  Citizens must confront threats to our freedoms.  Citizens must show courage.  Locally, many citizens have been doing exactly that . . . standing up for Free Speech, Free Assembly, and the Right to Petition—all First Amendment rights.  These are rights that must be vigorously defended and exercised to ensure their endurance.  That is one of the most important lessons of 9-11.

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Tim Becker