Category: Good Governance

City Council Candidate Bentley, Election 2017, Good Governance, Smart Land Use

Bentley: Representing Citizens For The Last 2+ Years . . . Let’s Make It Official

Posted on by Milton Coalition

Author:  Tim Becker

Citizens, for over 2 years, Laura Bentley has been representing us before Council.  Over the past 2+ years, Bentley has attended nearly every City Council meeting (and dozens of other government meetings).  Bentley has addressed Council many dozens of times.  Advocating for citizens has been a full-time job for Ms. Bentley.  She has weighed in a every major issue before the City.  And she has proposed a number of initiatives that have been put on Council’s agenda and been approved.  Bentley has been a leader in opposing reckless development in Milton.  This includes leading efforts to successfully defeat dangerous rezonings to higher density in Milton. 

No candidate for Council in the history of Milton has come close to this level of involvement in our city government.  Because of her involvement, citizens are more apt to come to Ms. Bentley with questions and concerns than her opponent, who currently sits on Council!  If you don’t believe me, ask the residents of Wood Road and Ebenezer Road.  She advised both groups about zoning proposals that were going to desecrate their communities.  Ask the residents of Brookshade and Vickery Crest.  Ms. Bentley advised them on multiple re-zonings to higher density that threatened their property values.

Through her advocacy, Ms. Bentley has accumulated experience that trumps her opponent’s claim of being the more experienced candidate.  Mr. Lusk’s time in office with no record of accomplishments is NOT experience.  On Day 1, Ms. Bentley will be ready to serve on Council.  For the past 2 years, Ms. Bentley has been there for citizens.  Now it is time for us to be there for her and make her representation official by electing Laura Bentley to Council.

Following are a number of videos that clearly demonstrate Bentley’s advocacy on the major issues facing the City.  They demonstrate that Bentley clearly stands with citizens and against reckless development in Milton.  In these videos, she demonstrates the passion and intelligence that are her hallmarks.

  1. Bentley Leading the Charge Against the Infamous CSO

Laura Bentley led the opposition to the infamous CSO.  This included enlisting dozens of citizens to come speak before Council.  The CSO was a developer-promoted scheme to increase density, accelerate development, and introduce HOA-run sewer systems into rural Milton.

2. Bentley led the opposition to the Ebenezer Road rezoning.  Initially, the builder sought to cram 55 homes on 65 acres, with some houses on quarter acre lots.  Today, 21 homes are being built on most attractive 38 acres.  The remaining and less attractive 27 acres will likely support only a handful of homes, if and when it gets developed.  Delayed development is conservation.  Following is Bentley at the first Ebenezer hearing.

Unfortunately, the Ebenezer rezoning passed during the first hearing.  However, based on significant procedural issues (e.g., Council Member Thurman interfering 9 times in the hearing when she was recused), the Mayor vetoed the Council decision.  The rezoning was denied during the second hearing.  Following are Ms. Bentley’s impassioned Council comments against the rezoning at the second hearing.

Following is the vote on the Ebenezer rezoning, with Lusk and Kunz voting against denial of the rezoning.  They sided with builder’s proposal for 48 homes.  Notice their green shirts . . . this was to show solidarity with those promoting the Ebenezer rezoning.  Mr. Lusk and Mr. Kunz both actively promoted the developer’s project and rezoning ahead of the rezoning hearing, violating their duty of judicial impartiality.

3.  Bentley speaks against generous granting of variances.  On the night of the 2nd Ebenezer vote, Bentley also spoke against a variance request from a developer, who was seeking variances for 80% of his unbuilt lots!  Developers in Milton know that if they perform poor due diligence in purchasing a property, they can always come to Council to fix their mistakes.  In this situation, led by Ms. Bentley, citizens once again faced down a developer, who ended up withdrawing his variance application.  Mr. Lusk was silent during the discussion.

4.  Laura Bentley led the charge on protecting 3 acre lots on gravel roads.  She met with a group of Wood Road residents on multiple occasions to advise them and ensure they were successful in their aim of protecting their community.  If you drive down Wood Road today, you will see a raft of Bentley signs in appreciation of Ms. Bentley’s leadership.  Mr. Lusk was largely silent during the 3-acre lot size discussion.  His protege, Matt Kunz, and Lusk’s political soulmate, mayoral candidate Laura Rencher, both supported allowing one-acre lots on gravel roads!

5.  Laura has promoted initiatives to maintain Milton’s rural viewshed to preserve the look and feel of our community, to uphold our property values, and to honor our rural heritage.

6.  Laura Bentley led citizens in expressing support for Milton’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP).  The CLUP is a ctizen-generated document that is developed by a 17-member committee that captures the community’s desires and aspirations for land-use in Milton.  It designates how every parcel of undeveloped property in the city should be developed.  The CLUP was developed over a 12-month period, was facilitated by consultants, and involved several citizen workshops.  The CLUP was approved 7-0 by the Planning Commission.  Despite the 100s of hours expended to develop the CLUP and generous citizen input, Mr. Lusk (and Mr. Kunz) voted against the CLUP.  Lusk and Kunz argued that the CLUP should include the infamous CSO, despite widespread citizen opposition to this ordinance.  It was the ultimate act of disrespect toward citizens.  It was a vote against citizens.

Ms. Bentley spoke in favor of the CLUP every time it was on the City Council’s agenda.  Following is a video of Ms. Bentley speaking at a City Council working session.

Ms. Bentley also spoke in favor of transmitting the CLUP to the State of Georgia.  Following is a video of her comments before Council:

Conversely, Mr. Lusk opposed the CLUP transmittal, arguing in favor of adding language to allow so-called “conservation” subdivisions.  Listen to Mr. Lusk’s comments.  He just doesn’t get it or doesn’t want to get it.  Citizens have rejected this notion of cluster housing in rural Milton . . . end of story.  Mr. Lusk, what part of NO don’t you understand?

And here is the vote on the CLUP transmittal with Lusk voting against it.  Clearly, Mr. Lusk believes he knows better than citizens what is best for the City.

Finally, in October 2016, the CLUP came before Council for a final vote.   And once again, Mr. Lusk argued for his precious CSO.  Following are Ms. Bentley’s Council Comments urging approval of the citizen-driven and Planning Commission-approved Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

7.  Laura Bentley expressed clearly and concisely her and  citizens’ displeasure with the non-transparent changing of electoral district lines engineered by Council Member Karen Thurman so that she could keep her seat when she moved out of her district.

Citzens, Laura Bentley has been there for us–the citizens–for the last 2+ years.  It is time for us to be there for her with our support and our votes.  Vote For a Better Milton.  Vote For Bentley.

Advocating For A Better Milton,

Tim Becker

Election 2017, Good Governance

Many Small Acts of Political Courage Will Lead to a Tide of Good Governance

Posted on by Milton Coalition

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This post speaks to the importance of public participation in our local governance.  Over the last 22 months, on quite a few occasions, we have seen that great results can be achieved when enough citizens publicly engage.  The Ebenezer rezoning was defeated because 1800 citizens signed a petition, 100s wrote letters to Council, and we achieved an overflow crowd at the rezoning hearing.  I love the above graphic because it clearly demonstrates the importance of public engagement.

Daily, I speak with many citizens about the elections and city politics more generally.  And much to my dismay, I find that many citizens are afraid—yes, afraid—to publicly participate in local politics.  How is this possible in America, where politics are relatively tame, we have a tradition of peaceful elections, and rule of law is so strong?  But then I remember the old saying that “all politics is local” (Tip O’Neill).  And the reality in Milton is that some long-time politicians have created a culture of intimidation in our fine community.  Citizens, and even some council members, are afraid of the consequences of “crossing” certain politicians.  Some candidates are finding they have many closet supporters that are reluctant to make even a small political gesture, such as planting a campaign sign on their front lawn.  Such is the climate in Milton.  Of course, this poisonous culture has recently worsened because of spewing invective and even rage from some elected officials.  And it is my belief that one objective of this bad behavior is to put people off from engaging in politics . . . make local politics so acrimonious that average citizens will disengage in disgust.  Then politics is left only to the crazies and Special Interests.  Average citizens are effectively disenfranchised.  Good governance recedes.

So my point is a simple one . . . there is strength in numbers.  No one needs to be especially courageous if enough of us engage in the political process.  Regardless of which candidate you support, get out and participate in this election.  Plant a sign in your yard.  Attend a meet-the-candidate event.  Sport a candidate magnet on your car.  Proudly wear a campaign t-shirt.  Endorse a candidate at their Facebook page.  If enough of us participate, the culture of fear will recede, and a tide of good governance will wash over our wonderful city.  But it will take small acts of political courage from all of us.

Yard Signs

Tim Becker

Council Member Bill Lusk, Election 2017, Ethics, Good Governance

Mr. Lusk’s Grand Miscalculation . . . Overlooking the Citizen X-Factor

Posted on by Milton Coalition
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Sign Placed on Alpharetta Government Property On Night Before Early Voting

October 17, 2017

Yesterday, I published a post about Mr. Lusk’s assault on Crabapple under the cover of darkness.  On the night before early voting, Mr. Lusk plastered Crabapple with many dozens of illegal signs.  Let’s be blunt . . . this is cheating pure and simple.

So cheaters never prosper, right?  Well, I would like to think so, but that is not always the case, particularly with the campaign signs.  The City of Milton will certainly remove signs on city property (and there were some) and signs in the right-of-way.  However, signs that are properly located on private property are off-limits . . . the city has no way of knowing whether the sign placement was authorized by the property owner or not.  And Mr. Lusk knows this . . . and accordingly he will continue with his cheating . . . that is, unless we can change the calculus.  The calculus?  Yes, calculus.

You see, Mr. Lusk is an engineer.  To Lusk, politics is an equation . . . benefits on one side and costs on the other.  (BTW, integrity counts for nothing in this calculus.)  Every decision he makes is based on benefits vs. costs . . . to Mr. Lusk (not to you, the citizens).  The benefit of illegal signs are more votes.  The cost of illegal signs is perhaps—a big perhaps—a penalty (mostly likely a small fine) from the city.  This is a no-brainer for Mr. Lusk.  The benefits, more votes, outweigh the costs, a small fine (that is, if you can prove the infraction . . . a big IF).

Fortunately for citizens, Mr. Lusk has made many miscalculations over the past 2 years.  He has often gotten the calculus wrong.  The costs of many of his decisions have exceeded the benefits.  Why?  Because Mr. Lusk left out one critical variable in his cost-benefit analysis.  It is Milton’s X-factor.  What is that X-factor?  It is you . . . citizens.  Long ago, Mr. Lusk forgot about you and cast his lot with Milton’s Special Interests, aka developers.  Mr. Lusk became arrogant and entitled.  However, for the past 2 years, more and more of you have been showing up, standing up, and speaking out.  And that has made all the difference.  The citizen X-factor has turned Mr. Lusk’s calculus upside-down.  Mr. Lusk has increasingly found himself on the losing side of many issues.

So citizens, let’s turn Mr. Lusk’s yard-sign cheating to our advantage.  Let’s take the high road and leave Mr. Lusk stranded on the low road.  Here’s the plan:

  • Do NOT uproot Lusk’s signs. Leave that to the City and to private property owners.
  • Do NOT erect illegal signs—e.g., put signs on city property, in the right-of-way, or on private property without the property owner’s permission.
  • Report immediately any sign violations to City code enforcement.
  • If you see any Lusk crews erecting illegal signs on private property (also known as trespassing), immediately contact the Milton police. Ensure that Milton police trespass the perpetrators.
  • If you live in a subdivision where Mr. Lusk has planted signs on your subdivision’s borders (usually at the front entrance), immediately contact your HOA to request expeditious sign removal. HOAs should lodge a complaint with the City, so that Mr. Lusk is cited for a violation.  HOAs should also contact Mr. Lusk and demand that he cease-and-desist from illegal sign placements on HOA property.  Lusk’s city e-mail is bill.lusk@cityofmiltonga.us
  • Ensure your own yard signs are in good shape—that is, erect and perpendicular to the road. Those displaying signs on the open road should ensure their signs are out of the right-of-way.
  • If you don’t have a Bentley sign, get one.
  • Email Mr. Lusk to express your dissatisfaction with his blatant disregard of Milton’s sign ordinances. Here is Mr. Lusk’s e-mail address:  lusk@cityofmiltonga.us
  • Most importantly, educate your neighbors, friends, and family about Mr. Lusk’s attempts to subvert democracy in Milton.

If enough citizens take the above actions, we will once again upend Mr. Lusk’s political calculus.  He will stop the illegal sign placement.  Citizens, you are the X-factor in City politics.  If enough citizens are informed and engaged, we will oust Mr. Lusk and usher in an era of good governance in Milton.

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Lusk Signs on backside of Alpharetta’s St. Michelle Subdivision.  Note Milton Library in Background

The above photo shows some of Mr. Lusk’s signs on Mayfield Road.  Note the Milton Library in the background.  This is the sole location for early voting in Milton.  These 4 signs were placed on the night before early voting, along with dozens of other illegal signs in both Milton and Alpharetta.  The four signs in the photo are actually in Alpharetta.  The board fence is on the backside of Alpharetta’s St. Michelle neighborhood.  It is doubtful that the residents provided permission for these signs . . . or even know about them.  Code enforcement in Alpharetta will not remove these signs.  Removal requires tracking down the property owner and convincing him to take down the signs.  This example of Mr. Lusk’s sign placement is a metaphor for his record on Council . . . always bending, breaking, and changing the rules to his advantage and the advantage of his patrons.  Milton, we deserve better.

Advocating For Clean Elections,

Tim Becker

Council Member Bill Lusk, District 1 Redistricting Scandal, Ethics, Good Governance

Mr. Lusk Was Chief Accomplice in Redistricting Scandal

Posted on by Milton Coalition

Vote-Denied

October 10, 2017

Council Member Bill Lusk has pooh-poohed Milton’s recent redistricting scandal as much ado about nothing.  The Milton Herald wrote about Mr. Lusk that he felt “the request was a minor change and he didn’t think it required a public discussion.”  Furthermore, Mr. Lusk was the only member of Council that complied with Ms. Thurman’s request for a letter supporting legislation to change the district.  Mr. Lusk made minor modifications to a form letter provided to him by Ms. Thurman.

I strongly disagree that the district change was minor.  As I have discussed (in more detail) in previous posts, Ms. Thurman should have vacated her seat when she moved outside her district.  Changing District 1’s boundaries meant that all of Milton’s voters—every one of them (as voting is at large)—were disenfranchised.  Furthermore, the one third of Milton voters that live in District 1 were denied the opportunity to run for the vacated seat.  So the redistricting was actually a major change that impacted all voters.  Furthermore, with this district change, Mr. Lusk’s actions revealed his propensity for non-transparency, even when changing Milton’s Charter.

Unfortunately, there is an even darker side to this story.  It is a story that Mr. Lusk would prefer that citizens not know.  You see, Mr. Lusk was the one person, other than Ms. Thurman, that most directly benefited from the redistricting.  By moving the district lines, Mr. Lusk eliminated a potential competitor for his seat.  Had the district lines not been changed, Ms. Thurman would have found herself in Mr. Lusk’s district and might have challenged him.  Additionally, Mr. Lusk and Ms. Thurman have been political allies since the founding of the City, so the district change kept their alliance intact.  So you see, Mr. Lusk was Ms. Thurman’s primary accomplice in clandestinely changing the district lines in Milton, so that he could eliminate a potential competitor while also keeping his voting bloc intact.  Mr. Lusk aided and abetted in the thwarting of democracy in Milton.

Recently, Mr. Lusk went on the offensive regarding the Redistricting Scandal.  I urge all citizens to watch the above video of a nearly 7-minute rant by Mr. Lusk during a Special City Council Meeting called to extend qualifying period for the District 3 Council Seat.  Note the following when watching the video:

  • Mr. Lusk incredibly claims that the redistricting was “perfectly transparent.”  Quite the opposite was true.  At the time, not a single citizen was made aware of the redistricting.  No opportunity for public input was provided.
  • Mr. Lusk claims that all of Council participated in the redistricting.  This is false.  Notice Mayor Lockwood shaking his head in response to this assertion.  The truth is that Mr. Thurman worked with a state representative for 2+ months to change the district lines.  Ms. Thurman only apprised Council of the redistricting as the bill to change the district was being introduced in the Georgia State Assembly.  Only Bill Lusk submitted a letter supporting the change.
  • Mr. Lusk likens the redistricting to extending the election qualification period.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  No less than 5 times, the City Attorney advised Council that the qualification period extension was mandated by state law.  Contrast that with the fact that the City Attorney was kept entirely in the dark about the redistricting.  He likely would have advised that the redistricting be added to a Council agenda for discussion and approval.
  • Mr. Lusk asserts that the City’s issues stem from a personal agenda . . . yes, Mr. Lusk’s personal agenda.  Other than Ms. Thurman, Mr. Lusk had the most to gain from the redistricting, as described above.
  • Note Mr. Lusk’s use of the word “lynch” to describe citizens’ actions to expose malfeasance in our city government.  Such incendiary language has no place in our public dialogue, particularly coming from an elected official.  Rather than excoriating citizens for exposing corruption in our city, Mr. Lusk should be congratulating citizen watchdogs.
  • Mr. Lusk accuses his critics of “taking down the City.”  Unfortunately, he chose the wrong adverb . . . citizens are rather taking back the City . . . taking it back from the Special Interests and their agents on Council, like Mr. Lusk.

After watching Mr. Lusk’s rant, ask yourself:  Is this the best we can do in Milton?  Is Mr. Lusk really the best choice to represent me on Council for the next 4 years?  As someone who has attended nearly every city council meeting for the last 2 years, I can confidently assert that we can do better . . . and must do better.  I am voting for Laura Bentley.

(I have re-published some blog posts from the Redistricting Scandal.)

Advocating For Good Governance,

Tim Becker

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

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

Council Member Matt Kunz, Good Governance, Milton City Council

Kunz’s Monday Explosion Was No “Coaching Moment”

Posted on by Milton Coalition

Browns Steelers Football

August 31, 2017

Citizens:

As you know the City has been swirling in controversy since Monday when two City Councilmen savaged a fellow City Council member over an innocent mistake.  There was little/no negative impact to the City from the missed qualifying deadline.  Rather, the negative press and associated embarrassment came from Mr. Kunz’s temper tantrum followed by his and Lusk’s unrelenting attacks on a colleague in the subsequent Council meeting.  This was not a “coaching moment” as Mr. Kunz originally asserted.  (Note:  he is now changing his story . . . read below.)  It was more like kicking a injured player while he is down.  Remember that Council Member Longoria was recused from the discussion and therefore could not defend himself.  And notice that there is a time when Longoria is tempted to respond (one can only take so much abuse) and Kunz warns him that he is not allowed to speak . . . another kick to the groin.

When finally allowed to speak, Longoria took the high road and merely apologized for the inconvenience he had caused the City.  That is called “manning up” . . . something Kunz is clueless about.

Of course, Kunz is now changing his story.  He no longer asserts that this was just a “coaching moment” or that his “passion” just got the better from him.  Now, he has completely changed his story.  He now asserts at his Matt Kunz Gov Facebook page:

“The fact is, and his own picture proves this, that the other Councilman left his chair and came to mine. That’s why we stood by my seat. I did not go to him. He came to me. I stood my ground. I will not make any judgments to the other Councilman’s intent.”

So you see Kunz is now implying that Longoria was the aggressor and that Kunz was merely defending himself.  That is quite a change to Kunz’s story.  I suppose the coaching moment/passion version of events was not cutting muster with citizens, so Kunz is now making himself out to be the victim.  I am very curious to see how imaginative Kunz’s third and subsequent versions of the confrontation might be.  A body double version might be interesting or maybe a version that includes divine intervention.  Perhaps readers of this blog might suggest plot twists for Mr. Kunz.

The problem for Kunz is that quite a few people witnessed the confrontation at various points in time.  My sense is that witness accounts would not corroborate Mr. Kunz’s story.  I only caught the worst of it, which was the last minute when Kunz was yelling at the top of his lungs and flailing about.  My sense is that the City needs to address this issue.  This includes interviews of the two participants and all witnesses to the event.  Based on an analysis of the events, the City should take appropriate corrective action.  The City needs to reassure citizens, particularly our youth, that it does not sanction such misbehavior.

Citizens, nearly 22 months have passed since citizens came together (in the CSO debate) to push for smart land use and good governance.  It was a David-and-Goliath struggle, pitting citizens against Special Interests and their agents on Council.  Through hard work and organization, citizens prevailed.  The truth was on our side; the CSO was defeated.  Then came the battle over Ebenezer.  Again, there was a long and protracted battle.  And again, citizens prevailed.  The truth of Ebenezer is now being borne out by the facts on the ground—i.e., the property is being developed at a far lower density than the defeated rezoning would have allowed.  Since Ebenezer, we have gradually advanced the cause of citizens to the point where citizens are in an advantaged position.  We are now witnessing the desperate acts of politicians who have fallen out of favor with citizens.  Citizens, we need to be careful not to be baited or otherwise dragged into the mud.  Mr. Kunz is his own worst enemy.  He is only hurting himself with his excuses, denials, and changing stories.  I am looking forward to Kunz’s Hail Mary Pass.  Citizens will be standing ten feet tall in the end zone.

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Tim Becker

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Blog Statistics.  We have had around 550 views since Monday and over 700 viewings of Monday’s video clips.  Thanks for staying engaged.  Informed citizens are critical to good governance

Council Member Matt Kunz, Good Governance, Milton City Council

WSB News Story on Kunz Meltdown at City Council

Posted on by Milton Coalition

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August 30, 2017

Author:  Tim Becker

Citizens:

Following is a link to a WSB story on Council Member Matt Kunz’s meltdown at Monday’s City Council meeting.

WSB News: Council Member Kunz Temper Tantrum

I witnessed Kunz lose his temper on Monday.  As a consultant, I have worked for many dozens of companies.  I have seen several people lose their temper, mostly behind closed doors and not so up-close-and-personal.  However, I have never seen an outburst in the workplace like I witnessed on Monday.  I have never seen a person in the workplace publicly get in someone’s face like that.  I have never seen an incident so extreme that security was called.  And I honestly believe that what I saw on Monday would be a fire-able offense at many/most companies.  There was a time when such behavior–and other testosterone-fueled behaviors–were tolerated in the workplace; those days have long passed, except perhaps in Milton’s city government.

After a lot of time to think about it, the best excuse that Mr. Kunz could come up with is that he was applying a coaching technique.  He condescendingly asserts that he was helping Joe Longoria to become a better “player.”  By Mr. Kunz’s reckoning, he was just performing a good deed for his fellow man.  He was misunderstood.  And I suppose Joe Longoria and the rest of us are just a bunch of ingrates.  Is it Kunz’s intention to similarly “coach” his constituents to make them “better” citizens?

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It is amazing that Kunz would be unapologetic and use the tired excuse that his extreme temper tantrum was just “locker room” behavior.  How many times have we, especially women, heard that before?  Boys will be boys, huh?

Kunz chalks it all up to passion.  However, I can tell you that what I witnessed was not passion.  It was clear for all to see that Kunz was out of control.  Staff were clearly concerned . . . so much so that the police were summoned.

Most importantly, let’s not forget who establishes the tone and culture of our city government:  our elected leaders.  They should be held to a (much) higher standard.  I have now been witness to no less than six extended outbursts from Council members in Council meetings.  And unfortunately, the bad behavior of some Council members has percolated to their appointees on committees.  In one incident (video to be released later), a committee chairman (with a history of bad behavior) had to be gently removed from a confrontation with the mayor by the City Manager, while police converged on the scene.  And with that incident, the City once again looked away.

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So it is fair to ask some questions to the city and ourselves?  Does Kunz’s meltdown really reflect our aspirations for the City?  Does it improve the culture of our City government (as Mr. Kunz ridiculously asserts)?  Is it more or less likely that citizens and staff will engage our Council (most notably Mr. Kunz) knowing that we might be “coached” in such a manner?  You get the point.  Kunz set a real poor example.  Mr. Kunz showed singularly poor leadership, no matter how you cut it.  And he continues to show poor leadership by making up a bunch of lame excuses for his behavior.  (Yes, I think it is fair to say that Mr. Lou Holtz would be more than disappointed in Kunz.)  I suppose it will be left to citizens to drag our City out of the gutter, where Mr. Kunz (and Mr. Lusk) have left it.

Advocating for Citizens,

Tim Becker

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The blog really went viral yesterday.  Tons of hits.  The posted videos have been watched many hundreds of times.  Thank you for your ongoing support.  To achieve better governance, the City needs your continued engagement.  Our hopes for improved governance lie with you, the citizens.  — TB

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Good Governance, Milton City Council

Kunz and Lusk Savage Fellow Council Member Longoria . . . Shameful

Posted on by Milton Coalition
Lusk-Kunz Conference - 2
Photo From Yesterday’s Meeting:  Is this an open meeting with whispered conferences?

August 29, 2017

Author:  Tim Becker

Concerned Citizens:

Yesterday was a new low point in the politics of our City.  Two City Council members took it upon themselves to viciously attack a sitting Council member (and a citizen in the audience . . . me).  Following are a number of video clips from that meeting.  They will shock and disgust any reasonable citizen.  And they epitomize the issues of good governance that we have been discussing at this blog.

However, the worst attack came before the meeting.  Matt Kunz was so out-of-control that the police had to be called.  I arrived at the meeting early and was in the lobby.  A number of staff were disturbed by Council Member Matt Kunz’s confrontation of his fellow Council Member Longoria in Council Chambers.  Kunz was yelling at the top of his lungs and flailing about.  Staff stated that the confrontation had been going on for 10 minutes and that it had been escalating.  Staff had called security.  I myself observed Mr. Kunz’s confrontation and I can tell you that he was clearly out-of-control and there was a potential for violence–e.g., he might take a swing at Longoria.

Mr. Kunz’s confrontation continued even after the 2 separated and were seated in anticipation of the Council Meeting.

(Note:  a police officer did sit in the meeting for its entirety.)

Although more “calm” for the meeting, Mr. Kunz went on 2 rambling, yelling tirades in the meeting.  And rather than calm down his confederate, Council Member Bill Lusk added fuel to the fire and went on his own rambling tirade against Longoria (and again against me).

So what was the issue that so agitated Mr. Kunz to the point that security was called?  It was a simple mistake that Mr. Longoria made:  he missed the time to qualify for his Council seat by 4 minutes on Friday.  He got wrong the deadline for filing, thinking it was 5:30 pm, instead of 4:30 pm.  Because no one had qualified for the District 3 post, qualification had to be re-opened.  So this was Longoria’s grand offense.  Based on this honest and innocent mistake, Kunz (with an assist from Mr. Lusk) savaged Mr. Longoria–first in private, and then on the Council dais.  Mr. Longoria could not even speak as he was recused from the discussion . . . talk about kicking somebody when they are down.  (I similarly had to sit in silence as I was attacked.)  According to Mr. Kunz, the missed qualification deadline shows that Longoria is lazy, uncommitted, lacks passion, feels entitled to his seat, etc.  It was a stunning over-reaction from Lusk and Kunz.  Furthermore, it demonstrated a shocking disrespect for a fellow Council Member.  Citizens, we need to rally around and support Mr. Longoria in this matter.

Based on what I and others witnessed, you have to question not only Mr. Kunz’s fitness for office, but more fundamentally whether Mr. Kunz should be allowed to continue to interact with staff or citizens in an official capacity.  I am quite sure that a citizen who confronted a Council Member in such a fashion would likely be banned from City Hall and interacting with city staff.  And remember, as an elected official, Mr. Kunz should be held to a (much) higher standard than a citizen.  And for Mr. Lusk to aid and abet this sort of behavior is unconscionable.

So here goes with the video clips, in chronological order.

First is a video clip from the beginning of the meeting.  The City Attorney clearly states that Council should follow state law and “best practice” and extend qualification for 2 days.  He views the approval as perfunctory.  On FIVE different occasions during the meeting, the City Attorney advises, based on the law, that Council extend the qualification period, providing myriad reasons for doing so.  Kunz and Lusk do not seem to understand or care about state law; they have a different agenda that does not involve following state law.

Following is a bizarre and rambling tirade from Kunz.  It is provided in its entirety.  It shows a Council Member who is clearly out-of-control.

Immediately after Kunz’s meltdown, Council Member Lusk continues the tirade.  Instead of pulling his closest political ally off the ledge, he gets on the ledge with him . . . doubling down on the vitriol.  Notice that Lusk refers to the recent redistricting scandal as “perfectly legal and transparent.”  Remember that not a single citizen knew about the redistricting . . . NOT one.  That is Mr. Lusk’s definition of transparency . . . unbelievable.  Note also Mr. Lusk’s hyperbolic and incendiary language, including use of the word “lynch.”  Mr. Lusk has moved far beyond incivility in his remarks.  Lastly, Mr. Lusk asserts that Council is bending and breaking the rules to extend the qualifying period . . . this despite the City Attorney clearly stating that the extension is essentially mandated by state law.

Following is an immediate and clear rebuttal by the City Attorney of Mr. Lusk’s assertion that Milton would be breaking the rules with the qualification extension.  Mr. Lusk and Kunz would be told no less than 5 times that the extension would be following, not breaking, state law.

Following is my favorite video.  For months, the City has been roiling in debate over transparency.  The State of Georgia has an Open Meetings Law.  I would contend that these sorts of private conversations are a clear and public violation of that law.

This is a really good video.  Mayor Lockwood makes it very clear that he is not going to let Mr. Lusk throw him and the rest of Council under the bus, with Lusk’s assertion that all of Council was complicit in the redistricting.  Lockwood very clearly and convincingly rejects all comparisons between the redistricting scandal and yesterday’s perfunctory extension of the qualifying period, required under state law.

This video clip shows Lusk trying to exclude Council Member Mohrig from voting.  Once Lusk realizes that Mohrig will likely vote for an extension, he tries to exclude Mohrig from the vote.  Mohrig has none of it and clearly demonstrates (not included in the video clip) that he understands what is occurring even though he was calling into the meeting on his phone.  Longoria’s expression at the tail end of the video is priceless, as he realizes how Lusk is attempting to manipulate the vote.

Matt Kunz is not done ranting and raving.  Here is the coda to his earlier performance.  Kunz’s stance that he is standing on principle is a frequent Kunz refrain.  It is ironic in that he is perhaps the most unprincipled member of Council.

It is interesting that. after two bizarre rants, when asked the question about what the City should do, Kunz has no real solution.

Finally a vote!  Note that Bill Lusk does not have the courage to vote his convictions on this matter.  He ultimately chooses not to cast the deciding vote against the extension.  He barely raises his hand to signal his approval of the extension.

Longoria delivered a long and heartfelt apology.

Yesterday was an embarrassing moment in our City’s history.  Two Council Members viciously attacked a fellow Council Member, who was not able to even defend himself because of his recusal.  (Of course, I was in the same position in the audience . . . attacked with no opportunity to defend myself.)  Over the last 22 months, I have come to know Joe Longoria.   While I do not always agree with him on the issues, I respect his intellect, his willingness to honestly debate issues, his probing questions, and his defense of citizens’ rights to speak.  Joe Longoria is a decent man and did not deserve this savagery from Kunz and Lusk.

Perhaps the greatest of college football coaches, Lou Holtz, once stated “If you burn your neighbor’s house down, it doesn’t make your house look any better.”  Mr. Kunz and Mr. Lusk would be wise to follow this advice in the future.

You can watch the full meeting by clicking the following link:  Special Called Council Meeting To Discuss Extending Qualification For District 3

Advocating For Citizens,

Tim Becker