Category: Milton City Council

Good Governance, Milton City Council

State of the City: Mayor Gives Credit Where It Belongs . . . To Citizens

Posted on by Milton Coalition

State of City

March 6, 2018

Last week, Mayor Joe Lockwood delivered a “State of the City” speech.  The speech was preceded by a nice cocktail hour, paid for by the Chamber of Commerce and catered by local vendors (including Cheeses and Mary).  The Mayor spoke to a packed City Council Chamber.  He was followed in his remarks by short updates from each of the city’s department heads.  The City Manager, Steve Krokoff, gave introductory and closing remarks.  It was quite a nice event.

The State of the City event was powerfully symbolic of positive changes that have occurred in the City over the past 2+ years.  This change has been steady and substantive.  As with all “State of . . . ” speeches, the mayor recited the positive achievements of the City and painted an uplifting vision for the future.  Mayor Lockwood acknowledged the contributions of the City Council (including former council members), city staff, and county/state officials.  However, Mayor Lockwood reserved the most credit for the city’s success to citizens, where it rightfully belongs.  This was condign acknowledgment of the role citizens have played in the progress of the City.  The Mayor’s remarks highlighted the exceptionalism of Milton, owing to the specialness of its citizens.  However, Mayor Lockwood went even further with his remarks.  Mayor Lockwood not only acknowledged Milton’s citizens, he challenged Milton’s citizens to engage in our city government.  And “challenge” was the perfect word, as it demonstrates our new city council’s recognition that good governance is directly correlated with citizen engagement.  Our founding fathers were acutely aware of this correlation.  They understood that consent of the governed meant much more than free and fair elections; they knew that good governance required active participation of citizens.

I especially liked that Mayor Lockwood was specific in his challenge, recommending 9 actions to citizens:

  1. Attend a city council meeting.
  2. Reach out to council members.
  3. Participate in a community planning event (e.g., a Community Zoning Information Meeting).
  4. Respond to a community survey.
  5. Follow local government on social media and post a comment.
  6. Sign up to participate in the citizens’ government academy.
  7. Visit a fire station.
  8. Chat with a Milton police officer.
  9. Attend one of the City’s special events.

Mayor Lockwood also asked for a show of hands from citizens that were at the new City Hall for the first time.  It was refreshing to see a few dozen raised hands, evidence of new faces and voices in our city government.

SOC Audience

Mayor Lockwood’s speech was indicative of recent positive changes in our city government.   The speech was a clear signal that citizens will not only be heard and respected by our local government, but citizens will be proactively engaged in local governance.  This emphasis on citizens is evident in our new council, whose proceedings are marked by professionalism and integrity.  I believe that a new day is dawning in Milton’s governance . . . governance recognizing that our great citizens can make Milton America’s greatest small city . . . but only if we proactively engage those citizens.

Advocating For Citizens,

Tim Becker

Former Councilman Bill Lusk, Milton City Council, Smart Land Use

Hamby Sewer Extension Denied! Another Win For the Community!

Posted on by Milton Coalition

Sewer Creep

February 22, 2018

Last night, citizens witnessed the first tangible benefits of the new composition of Council resulting from the addition of Laura Bentley and Peyton Jamison.  The extension of sewer on the south side of Hamby Road was denied.  I am quite sure that this extension would have been approved in December–before Bentley and Jamison were elected to Council.  Bentley made the motion to deny; Jamison seconded the motion.   Council denied the extension.  It was a beautiful moment for citizens.

I believe the sewer extension would have been approved in December under the previous council.  And in fact, Laura Bentley’s opponent in the election, Mr. Bill Lusk, was lobbying for approval of this sewer extension, even before the facts were known.  Last night’s vote was 6-0, but don’t be fooled by that.  I believe both Councilmen Kunz and Mohrig would have voted for this sewer extension in December.  I base this opinion on their previous voting records, their questions and comments last night, and my experience with both council members.  And Kunz’s video (discussed below) provides clues to his true views on this matter.  Having said that, I think any rational person, perhaps including Mr. Kunz and Mohrig, would have had a difficult time voting for this extension, considering that citizens and City staff blew gaping holes in the developer’s plan last night.

Three of us spoke last night in opposition to the sewer extension.  Thanks to Cleveland Slater and Julie Bailey for their impassioned and fact-driven arguments.  We are truly blessed to have citizens that invest copious amounts of time to understand these complex issues and advocate for their fellow citizens.  Both Cleveland and Julie do so motivated by nothing more than a love for their community.  Following are videos of both citizens.  (I am intentionally leaving out my video as I cannot hold a candle to these two.)

By the way, it takes a lot of courage to address Council.  A lunatic fringe in Milton, supported by current (Kunz) and former council members, have used various bullying tactics to abridge the exercise of basic political freedoms in Milton . . . but alas, to no avail.

Warning!  The Hamby Road sewer issue is not fully resolved.  Council only denied the request to extend sewer to the portion of the Hamby Road development where the developer acknowledged he did not have a right to sewer.  The issue of whether he is entitled to sewer on the 18-acre parcel that is/was part of the Manor must still be decided.  The City Attorney is currently analyzing this issue.  However, it should be noted that our same City Attorney advised Council 10 years ago when Council passed a motion to ban sewer in all unplatted areas of the Manor.

Now to Councilman Kunz’s video.

Kunz’s video demonstrates that Mr. Kunz either lacks a basic command of the facts or else he is showing his long-held bias towards sewer . . . or probably both.  Mr. Kunz contends that sewer is “already allowed” in one area (18 acres) south of Hamby.  This is 100% false.  Whether sewer is “already allowed” is the question that the City Attorney is researching and the question the City (perhaps Council) must ultimately answer.  Later Kunz actually refers to this 18-acre area as “sewered.”  Again, this is 100% false.  No part of the south area of Hamby is sewered.  NONE.  Period.

Mr. Kunz justified his no vote by stating that he was “confused” about the issue.  And he characterizes staff’s objections to the developer’s site plan as “questions.”  This is a disingenuous description of staff’s comments, which were generally definitive and specific.  Staff was clear that the developer’s 10-lot and 8-lot proposals were higher density than existing zoning laws would allow.  My sense is that the developer could legally only build 5 homes on the site, so half the number of homes he claimed were possible.  Furthermore, the marketability of some of these lots/homes would be questionable.  (BTW, I applaud Mr. Kunz’s for publishing these post-Council wrap-up videos, but he has an obligation to not misstate the basic facts, especially in his position as an elected official.)

Lusk PhotoLastly, former Councilman Bill Lusk was a no-show at last night’s council meeting.  Mr. Lusk’s opinion is that Milton’s development should be “left to the professionals.”  Because of their professional degrees, licenses, and certifications, Mr. Lusk believes these so-called professionals are beyond reproach.  Well, last night, we saw a “professionally prepared” site plan (once again) thoroughly discredited by a few lowly citizens.  And we saw a new city council that expertly sorted through the issues, squarely deciding in favor of citizens and against reckless development . . . proof that elections matter.

Tim Becker

Council Member Matt Kunz, Milton City Council

Kunz Tantrum . . . Ignore Him . . . Focus on the Future and Citizens

Posted on by Milton Coalition

January 17, 2018

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Some of you may have read the recent Milton Herald article “Kunz Video Takes Mayor to Task.”  If not, following is a link to the article:

Milton Herald: Kunz Video Takes Mayor to Task

Let me provide a little more context than the Milton Herald article provides.  Mr. Kunz has been publishing political videos online.  Mr. Kunz’s videos seem part of a larger strategy to disparage and discredit our most recently elected officials (even before they took office):  Mayor Joe Lockwood and new council members Laura Bentley and Peyton Jamison.  It is pure politics.  Kunz clearly views these council members (and Burt Hewitt) as his political enemies and worthy of his public disdain and admonishment.  (A warning about these videos . . . they are classic Kunz . . . smarmy and self-congratulatory.  Kunz is the greatest thing to happen to Milton . . . just ask him.)

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Lockwood, Bentley, and Jamison

Mr. Kunz states in his introduction video that he is going to get “controversial” with his videos . . . citizens, hold onto your seats, we’re in for a rough ride.  And I have to give Mr. Kunz his props.  In his second video, he states that “it is unfortunate that we have elections.”  It is certainly provocative to question our democratic institutions . . . particularly coming from an American Studies major . . . and actually quite shocking coming from an elected official who has sworn to uphold the US Constitution.  Of course, this is not the first time that Mr. Kunz has taken issue with the pesky U.S. Constitution.  Along with former council members Lusk and Thurman, Kunz has asserted that some citizens speaking before Council are “violating” and “abusing” the right to free speech . . . and on occasion, Kunz and Company tried to infringe on that right.  Fortunately, a majority of council and the City Attorney have sided with citizens.

constitution-burning

Unfortunately, Mr. Kunz’s lament about the evils of democratic elections missed the mark; Kunz did not get the attention he was seeking.  So Kunz upped the ante (and lowered the tenor of civil discourse) by asserting that Mayor Lockwood sabotaged our city government by endorsing Laura Bentley and Peyton Jamison.  This time, Mr. Kunz found his mark and the Milton Herald published a story about his comments.

So given that the Milton Herald acknowledged Mr. Kunz, I thought I would also weigh in.  For quite some time, this blog has ignored Mr. Kunz.  The reason is that Mr. Kunz is isolated and irrelevant.  With his near-violent confrontation with Joe Longoria, following on the heels of a number of other missteps, Mr. Kunz has effectively sealed his political fate . . . politically speaking, he is a dead man walking and hence not worthy of much attention.

(Here is link to my previous post on Kunz’s council’s confrontation with Joe Longoria:  Milton Coalition: Kunz Council Meltdown)

Mr. Kunz seems to sense his irrelevance, and that is why he is acting up.  Kunz’s objective is to garner attention.  Think about it.  The election is over.  What’s the value in rehashing the election?  What’s the value of alienating new council members, even before they took their seats on Council?  Does Mr. Kunz really believe his comments will make Mr. Jamison and Ms. Bentley more likely to work with him or trust him?  Does Mr. Kunz really believe his comments are going to help our city and its citizens?  Of course not.  Kunz is only worried about saving his political neck.  At this point, he has calculated that he has nothing to lose.  He is not going down without a fight.  And if the city government and citizens suffer as a consequence . . . so be it.

child-temper-tantrum

The metaphor that best describes Mr. Kunz’s current strategy is “tantrum.”  Like a toddler who doesn’t get his way, Mr. Kunz is throwing a tantrum (thankfully, this time without the threat of violence).  And for the same reasons as a toddler:  to get attention and to get his way.  A few folks have expressed concern to me about Mr. Kunz . . . and yes, I agree that he is an embarrassment to the City.  However, my advice, particularly to our City government staff and City Council, is to ignore Mr. Kunz.  I suspect that Mr. Kunz will follow the Terrible Twos playbook and escalate his antics, which should make for good entertainment.  However, our city government needs to focus on citizens . . . a notion that Mr. Kunz does not get and never will get.

In the most recent election, citizens voted to shift power back to themselves (and away from Special Interests and their agents on Council, like Mr. Kunz).  Time, resources, attention, and mental energy spent on responding to Mr. Kunz are wasted.  The City should not be distracted from the main task at hand:  serving the community.  Mr. Kunz is stuck in the past and digging himself an ever deeper hole.  Let him keep digging . . . our City government should focus on the future and on citizens.

Tim Becker

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BTW, the effects on the 2017 election of Mayor Lockwood’s endorsements are unclear, but he certainly was not responsible for even the greater part of Ms. Bentley’s 42-point blowout victory.  And in any case, Lockwood has the right–you could argue, even the obligation–to endorse candidates he believes will best serve the interests of the City.  Furthermore, it is noteworthy that Lusk did not post Matt Kunz’s radioactive endorsement of him, perhaps realizing such an endorsement would be a net-negative to Lusk’s campaign.

In a future post, I will be posting my own tough questions for Mr. Kunz.  And I have quite a few.  🙂

Milton City Council

Tonight: Let’s Show Support For Our New Council Members and Celebrate

Posted on by Milton Coalition

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January 8, 2018

At tonight’s Milton City Council meeting, Laura Bentley and Peyton Jamison will take their oath of office and be officially seated on City Council.  The swearing in will be a wonderful moment for the citizens of Milton.  It is an occasion for celebration and the culmination of a citizen’s revolution that began over two years ago.  

I encourage citizens to attend tonight’s swearing in.  We need to show our support for our recently elected Council members.  Laura, Peyton, and Mayor Joe deserve our congratulations and well wishes.

I have gotten to know Laura and Peyton over the past few years.  Both exhibit the qualities that we seek in our elected officials.  They are honest, smart, and hard-working.  They are committed to clean and competent government.  They value principles over the privileges that seem/seemed so important to some members of our current/previous councils.  They are committed to reigning in the reckless development that is marring our fair city.  And I know that Laura and Peyton wish to serve because they genuinely care about citizens (not to feel good about themselves or look good to others.)  They want to shift power back to citizens . . . and away from the Special Interests that have exerted far too much influence over our city government for far too long.  Most importantly, Laura and Peyton have demonstrated the courage that we seek in our leaders.  In seeking office, both bravely challenged Milton’s power structure, which had inserted its tentacles deep in our City government, after 6 years without competitive elections.  It truly was a David-vs.-Goliath undertaking for both candidates.  Joe Lockwood showed courage in endorsing Laura and Peyton for the path of least resistance was certainly to endorse the status quo.

The biggest shout-out goes to the fine citizens of Milton.  Once again, you demonstrated why Milton is the Number 1 community in Georgia.  Milton’s citizens educated themselves about the issues and engaged politically to effect change.  Citizens realized that we can only maintain our quality of life by making our government best-in-class–a government that is clean, competent, courageous, and citizen-centric.  Citizens endorsed this aspiration by electing Laura and Peyton.  So let’s celebrate tonight and show our support for our recently elected city council members and Mayor.

Tonight’s city council meeting commences at 6 pm in City Council Chambers in Crabapple.  Joe, Laura, and Peyton’s oath of office is the first agenda item, so citizens will have plenty of time to get home and settle in for the tonight’s college football championship, which begins at 8 pm.

UGA vs. Bama

Tim Becker

Council Member Bill Lusk, Election 2017, Milton City Council

A Baker’s Dozen of Reasons Not To Vote For Bill Lusk

Posted on by Milton Coalition

Recently, I endorsed candidates for the upcoming City of Milton elections.  The most important race in the City is for the District 2 City Council seat, which pits Laura Bentley, Chairman of the Equestrian Committee, against 11-year incumbent Bill Lusk.  I truly believe the Bentley-Lusk race is a referendum on the future course of our city.  The contrast between these 2 candidates could not be starker.  Ms. Bentley is the antithesis of Mr. Lusk.  Ms. Bentley stands squarely with citizens; Mr. Lusk stands squarely with Special Interests (aka developers).  Ms. Bentley is a strong advocate for good governance; Mr. Lusk opposes good governance at every turn.  For the last several years, Mr. Lusk (and his sidekick, Matt Kunz) have been at the center of dysfunction and gridlock in the City.  And Ms. Bentley, as a community leader, has politely, but firmly, opposed—and often thwarted—their political shenanigans.  

I have attended nearly every City Council meeting over the past 2 years and have been witness to Mr. Lusk’s poor voting record and his bad behavior.  The list of reasons to not vote for Mr. Lusk are many and varied, ranging from his advocacy for high density housing to his temper tantrums on the Council dais.  Following are a baker’s dozen (13) of these reasons—any one of which provide sufficient cause to cast a vote against Mr. Lusk, but taken in their totality show an elected official who is clearly out of touch with his constituents and who has violated the public trust.

  1. Lusk voted against the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP). The CLUP was written and unanimously approved by a 17-member Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC).  The CLUP captures the community’s aspirations for land use through multiple citizen workshops and citizen input at CPAC meetings; it is a citizen-driven plan.  The CLUP was unanimously approved by the Planning Commission.  The CLUP process was facilitated by professional consultants over a 12-month period using a rigorous, proven process.  Only Council Members Lusk and Kunz voted against the CLUP.  In so doing, they rejected the input of the community, 100s of hours of work by citizen volunteers, and the recommendation of the Planning Commission.
  2. Lusk promoted the so-called “conservation” subdivision ordinance—the infamous CSO. This developer-promoted zoning ordinance would have brought cluster housing to un-sewered areas of Milton.  Mr. Lusk attempted to circumvent the City’s process for developing ordinances in his attempt to force through the CSO.  After the defeat of the CSO, Mr. Lusk (and Mr. Kunz) attempted to achieve the goals of the CSO through the Ebenezer rezoning.
  3. Lusk has voted 4 times to extend sewer in Milton, resulting in higher density housing than would have been allowed under existing zoning. (See post on Sewer Creep = Higher Density = Higher Developer Profits)
  4. Lusk has voted for 3 re-zonings that resulted in 2-3 times higher density than would have been allowed under existing zoning. This includes 1) the townhouse development across from Cambridge High School and 2) the infamous Ebenezer rezoning.
  5. Lusk promoted Brightwater Homes Ebenezer project in advance of the Ebenezer rezoning hearing, thereby violating his duty of judicial impartiality in zoning hearings, which are judicial proceedings. This is akin to a judge advocating for a litigant in advance of that litigant appearing before the judge in a court trial.  Mr. Lusk and Mr. Kunz even sported green polo shirts to demonstrate their solidarity with the developer.  Mr. Lusk supported Mr. Kunz’s negotiations on behalf of the developer in the rezoning hearing.
  6. Lusk routinely lashes out at citizen-critics on-line, in the newspaper, and from the Council dais. This is a violation of the city’s policy that government officials show deference to citizens, even when those citizens are critical.  In his lashing out at citizens, Mr. Lusk has questioned both the patriotism and volunteerism of his critics.  Furthermore Mr. Lusk has shown disdain for citizens’ exercise of their First Amendment rights:  Free Speech, Free Assembly, and Right to Petition, even asserting that citizens are “abusing” and “violating” the First Amendment freedoms with their comments at Council and on-line.
  7. Lusk was the chief accomplice in the clandestine redrawing of District 1’s boundaries. Mr. Lusk was the only Council Member to write a letter Representative Jan Jones supporting the redistricting.  In so doing, Mr. Lusk kept an ally on Council while eliminating competition for his seat on Council.
  8. Lusk recently attempted to throw Milton City Council election qualification process into disarray by advocating against extending the qualification period, in opposition to state law and the advice of the City Attorney. In so doing, Mr. Lusk joined Mr. Kunz in savaging fellow Council Member Joe Longoria at a City Council meeting, where Mr. Longoria was recused and therefore unable to defend himself.
  9. Lusk engages, during council meetings, in private consultations with Council Member Kunz to coordinate their strategies on issues before council—this is a direct violation of Georgia’s Open Meetings Law.
  10. Lusk routinely circumvents the City Manager to directly engage city government personnel—in direct violation of Milton City code. Mr. Lusk has a widely known reputation for constantly meddling in the day-to-day operations of the City government.  This includes showing up (late) to a Charter Commission meeting and directing/interrupting the proceedings, including urging the commission to expedite its proceedings.
  11. Lusk successfully lobbied for a second vote on a subdivision platting that had been rejected by Council when he became aware that a developer friend was  involved in the project requiring the platting. Mr. Lusk then reversed his vote on the platting, which resulted in approval of the platting and creation of a non-standard one-acre lot on a gravel road.
  12. Lusk asserts that development of Milton needs to be entrusted to developers, as they are licensed and certified professionals. Furthermore, Mr. Lusk asserts that Milton should not put any additional “hurdles” in the way of developers in Milton.  And Lusk maintains that Milton’s Planning Commission is composed of non-professionals that render subjective recommendations, and accordingly should not be granted additional authority over land use.
  13. Lusk has promoted HOA-operated and maintained private sewer systems (i.e., community septic). These systems are relatively untested and have experienced issues both in Milton and in other jurisdictions.  Such systems are needed to support cluster housing in rural areas of Milton.

Advocating For Citizens,

Tim Becker

Council Member Bill Lusk, Council Member Matt Kunz, Council Member Thurman, Election 2017, Milton City Council

Three Sad Chapters in Our City’s Narrative . . . Let’s Turn the Page on Dysfunction in Our City

Posted on by Milton Coalition

Ask yourself:  Are Lusk, Thurman, and Kunz really the best we can do?

Triumvarate

It’s hard to watch the news anymore.  And no, I am not talking about the national news.  I am talking about the local news.  Over the last 4 months, Milton has gotten more than its fair share of negative press.  And it is always the same 3 Council Members at the center of the dysfunction:  Lusk, Thurman, and Kunz.  Let me take you down Bad Memory Lane:

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Chapter 1:  Thurman’s Redistricting – A Scandal of “Biblical” Proportions (July 2017)

In July, Council Member Karen Thurman was at the center of the redistricting scandal.  As you might recall, Ms. Thurman was moving outside of her district, but desperately wanted to keep her seat.  So Thurman found a legislator willing to sponsor a bill to redraw her district lines to include her new home.  The problem is that this change was made totally unbeknownst to Milton’s citizens.  Zero transparency.  Following is the story from the Milton Herald:

Milton Herald: Thurman Redistricting Scandal

This story elicited two very bizarre political speeches from Ms. Thurman.  In the first speech, Ms. Thurman descended from the council dais to deliver a speech to Council from the citizens’ podium.  Wrapping herself in an armor of Bible scripture, she delivered a rambling, holier-than-thou attack on her critics . . . we were all haters.

 

Then, a few weeks later and after the scandal had broken, Ms. Thurman again attacked citizens—this time from her lofty perch on the council dais.  Ms. Thurman cast aside her previous love-thy-neighbor theme in favor of Old Testament fire-and-brimstone.  In rambling tirade, Ms. Thurman screamed at citizens and even threatened the Milton Herald.  It was the epitome of a self-inflicted mortal wound.  Ms. Thurman had dashed all hopes for re-election and withdrew from the race for her Council seat.

 

However, Mr. Lusk later carried on the fight for Ms. Thurman, delivering a quite nasty speech in her defense while also excoriating fellow Council Member Joe Longoria.

 

Chapter 2:  Matt Kunz Meltdown – Heisman for Unsportsmanlike Behavior (August/Sept 2017)

Events in Milton got even stranger with Matt Kunz’s tirade against Joe Longoria prior to a special-called Council meeting.  Mr. Kunz squared up with Mr. Longoria and was yelling at the top of his lungs.  Longoria had the good sense to retreat to his seat.  During the council meeting, Kunz then doubled down on his bad behavior when Kunz tagged-teamed with Bill Lusk to humiliate Joe Longoria, who was recused from the discussion.  Following are stories from the Milton Herald and WSB:

WSB: Kunz Goes Off On Longoria

Milton Herald: Near-Violence Event Before Council Meeting

 

 

At a later council meeting, Kunz later made matters even worse when he later issued a weeping non-apology apology for his previous bad behavior.  See video.

 

In addition to his Heismann, Mr. Kunz recently won his merit badge for conflict of interest when it was revealed Kunz swore in the President of the Great Atlanta Homebuilders Association . . . the one and only Charlie Bostwick of Brightwater Homes . . . the developer whose project Kunz marketed in the Ebenezer rezoning.

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Chapter 3:  Bill Lusk Email Scandal:  Political Limbo – How Low Can You Go! (October 2017)

Not to be outdone, Bill Lusk wins the Oscar for Malfeasance and Misbehavior with his misappropriation and misuse of the Memorial Markers list.  Every major local news outlet covered that story.  No surprise.  After all, how often is a sitting council member reprimanded by the City Manager and City Attorney for a major ethics violation?  Mr. Lusk set a new low in city politics.  No matter how low the bar, Mr. Lusk somehow manages to shimmy his way under it . . . Lusk is a master of the political limbo dance.

Milton Herald: Milton Issues Apology for Improper Use of Emails

WSB: Longtime Councilman Using City-run Database to Solicit Votes

The Patch: Councilman Used Emails For Veterans Program To Promote Campaign Event

AJC: Milton Councilman Improperly Used Email Addresses From City

Chapter 4:  ??????????????????????????

After reading and watching these news stories, can you honestly say these Council Members (Thurman, Kunz, and Lusk) are the best we can do?  Do we really want our city to continue to be mired in dysfunction brought on by this triumvirate?  Citizens, with this election, let’s start a new chapter in City politics—one focused on smart land use, good governance, and listening to citizens.  Let’s begin by electing Laura Bentley to City Council.  Let’s leave behind the dysfunction of Lusk, Kunz, and Thurman.

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Thank you for your on-going support of good governance and smart land use in Milton.  Yesterday, the blog passed 10,000 hits . . . a major milestone.

Tim Becker

woohoo

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. 

old-dog-new-tricks

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

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