Local Radar

The fix is in
web posted November 11, 2005

A column by the Editor

OPINION

Who does Jim Oliver think he is?

That may be a strong statement, but one based on hard cold facts. In the past Mr. Oliver could not drag himself away from promoting the all white publicly funded Fox Creek High School to attend Planning Commission meetings yet he had the nerve to state in Thursday night’s meeting that the commission had been working on zoning for the Lake Trenton area “all year.”

Excuse me Mr. Oliver but you have not been working on anything at the planning commission; missing roughly 70% of all meetings does not give you the right to speak up on any matter before the commission by any stretch of the imagination. Furthermore the issue regarding Lake Trenton is just a few months old. But you wouldn't know that since you haven't been attending the meetings now would you?

More revolting was his lecturing of Commissioner Hudson, who does attend the meetings, on what the commission has done over the last year. In order to even be aware of the matters before the commission one has to be involved in the meetings. Mr. Oliver spends his time attending meetings as a school board member of the Fox Creek High School Board, which meets the same night. It is obvious where his loyalties lie.

Mr. Oliver’s pro-zoning agenda comes from his appointment to the commission by former county councilman Danny Bishop, who was voted out of office for zoning Merriwether against the will of the majority of land owners and subsequently defeated in three elections.

In addition Mr. Oliver stated that a majority of the residents in the Lake Trenton area wanted zoning even when the very numbers presented to him showed only 1/3 actually supported the measure. Perhaps Mr. Oliver spent as much time in math class as he did attending planning commission meetings.

Mr. Oliver stated he was there to represent the entire county in matters. Wrong again Einstein, you were appointed to represent Merriwether and you cannot even find the time to do that properly. Attending five of twelve meetings is not what one would consider “committed.”

Oliver should have been removed from his position Thursday night but instead was given great weight in his agenda which is, in my experienced opinion, scripted by County Administrator Wayne Adams. As much as Adams is an embarrassment to the county council Oliver is just that for Councilman Joel Hudson of Merriwether and the Planning Commission.

It is well known Councilman Hudson would not support the rush to a vote without informing the people of the county as was exhibited in the thrashing of the zoning of the whole county stemming from the chicken farm scare when Adams hid from the council about what they were voting on. Once the secret zoning of the whole county by Adams passed the County Council looked like total idiots. When it was exposed by EdgefieldDaily.com council shot the improper vote down 5-0. Now Oliver is supporting, and voting to pass, just that with the vote of the Planning Commission Thursday night.

Then again, the useful idiots Wayne Adams uses to promote giving him more power over private property owners is well known in social terms and the majority of the local media is too fearful of reporting the facts in the matter.

Not EdgefieldDaily.com.

The fact of the matter is the only business the Planning Commission had on its agenda should have been the removal of the ever absent Jim Oliver. It is odd how Oliver is there only to vote when things Adams supports is on the agenda, or slipped in without public knowledge. See a pattern?

Adams’ untruths to the council on zoning the whole county; which should have resulted in his firing, a statement supported even by the most stringent supporters of the zoning of the Lake Trenton area; he obviously scripted the meeting Thursday night.

Why did the Lake Trenton area residents turn out in masse for a meeting where zoning was not even on the agenda? Why did planning commission members vote to make themselves out to be untrustworthy and untruthful? Just last month they promised to inform not only Lake Trenton area residents of what was to be proposed, but the entire county. Yet, Thursday night, with a biased crowd obviously asked to attend the meeting; they vote off agenda to zone property.

The planning commission just made themselves out to be even bigger fools than the county council did with a similarly “inserted” off agenda vote pushed by Adams.

To add insult to injury the issue of Oliver’s chronic absenteeism was addressed when Chairman Burt asked if he would be at all subsequent meetings to avoid being voted out and Oliver answered yes. After the matter of his removal was over he advised he would not be attending the December meeting.

If the “fix being in” was not evident before it was obviously cemented then.

Then again, Oliver believes the general public is not paying attention.

The question is, are you?

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