Sheriff's Race Getting Crowded; Southside Mafia Officially Backs Silas

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Augusta, GA
By The Outsider

And then there were four. In just a week since Sheriff Ronnie Strength announced his retirement, someone opened the floodgates and candidates to take his job have been pouring forth.. with so far four making it official.

The first was Captain Scott Peebles, who is considered the heavy favorite and the handpicked successor of current Sheriff Ronnie Strength. Then came Lt. Richard Roundtree, who works for the Richmond County Public Schools public safety department. Then on Friday two more candidates emerged, Lt John Ivey, a 32 year veteran of both the Augusta Police Department and The RCSO, where he currently oversees polygraph tests, and finally Lt. Robbie Silas, a long time road deputy with the RCSO and the brother-in-law of Sheriff Strength,

The Southside Mafia Factor
Political observers say this is really Peebles' race to lose, but with a field already this crowded a run-off seems more and more likely. And we are hearing that more candidates may be waiting  in the wings with announcements planned next week. Complicating things for Peebles is Lt. Robbie Silas, who made his announcement this Friday and alluded to his familial relationship with Sheriff Strength and almost made it sound like the Sheriff had endorsed him, telling the crowd of 60 people who attended his rally, "I know (the sheriff) would like to see me win. To me, may the best man win.”


 Sheriff Ronnie Strength is on the record saying he will not make a formal endorsement until after the July 31st primary. But many political insiders say that Strength is actually supporting Peebles behind the scenes and even asked his brother-in-law to stay out of the race. We are being told that Silas' entry into the race is causing a bit of a rift within the Strength family.

So what is prompting Silas' run? At his rally on Friday, Silas says this is something he has been planning to do for years, but political insiders are telling us that remnants of the old Southside Mafia political machine may be behind it.

The Southside Mafia was a powerful Democratic party  political machine that controlled Richmond County politics for most of the latter half of the 20th century. They were the kingmakers when it came to local politics and pretty much hand selected the Sheriff. Charlie Webster was the last Sheriff who was a key figure of The Southside Mafia.  Strength was groomed by The Southside Mafia to ascend to the Sheriff's office and inherit Webster's political coalition . Strength kept that coalition together for 3 terms, not even facing an opponent, but in his final term Strength has tried to distance himself and the RCSO from the clutches of the old guard of the Southside Mafia.

This distancing from the wishes of The Southside Mafia was most conspicuous in the decision of where to locate the new administrative offices for the RCSO. The Law Enforcement Center on Walton Way  has been deteriorating for years, and a replacement for the facility was beyond any doubt. Key figures of the remaining Southside Mafia, including former Augusta Commissioner Jimmy Smith, lobbied hard for the new LEC  be moved to South Augusta into the old Smartway Furniture Building in Southgate Plaza.

Sheriff Strength did not push for the move to South Gate, his endorsement of that location would have likely made it a reality. In fact he seemed to support the downtown location across from the current Law Enforcement Center on Walton Way. In the end,, the commission agreed to build the new facility in downtown across from the current LEC. It is under construction now. Many key members of the Southside Mafia considered this a slap in the face and a sign that loyalties in the RCSO had shifted towards the downtown interests and against The Southside. And it was at that time that they  made a decision to produce their own candidate to challenge Sheriff Ronnie Strength's hand picked successor, Cpt. Scott Peebles. The feeling among many members of The Southside Mafia is that Peebles will take the department in a direction even further away from the interests of The Southside and will have loyalties more to downtown and westside political interests.

Political Insiders tell us that key figures of The Southside Mafia are backing Silas , and some of those  names will be quite familiar to many long time residents of Richmond County, including  former Democratic State Senator JB Powell and former Sheriff Charlie Webster who were in attandance at Silas' Friday rally. Silas made his announcement in front of Richmond County Democratic Party headquarters.

But it is  likely that all four announced candidates will run as Democrats, as running as a Republican on a General Election ballot in heavily Democratic Richmond County is considered by most political analysts to be an effort in futility.

But will The Southside Mafia be able to build a coalition to overtake Peebles? Their numbers and strength have weakened considerably since their heyday. And Peebles will likely be getting the checks from the big money donors on The Hill and the Westside.. and this is going to be an expensive race.. and all indications are that Peebles will have no trouble raising the cash. Sources tell us, that developer Clay Boardman among other notable Augusta area businessmen are lining up behind Peebles. So this seems to be shaping up as a battle between two political factions... with The Cabal backing Peebles and The Southside Mafia backing Silas.

The Southside Mafia may be betting that the 12th District Congressional GOP race may erode Republican voters away from Peebles and propel Silas into the run-off. It is expected that Peebles will run as a Democrat, but the July 31st primary election will also feature a hotly contested race for the GOP nomination for the 12th congressional district. Voters can vote in only one party primary. They will have to choose between the highly competitive Sheriff's race or the 12th Dist GOP Congressional Race. It will be a difficult choice no doubt for many Richmond County Republicans.

 Sheriff Ronnie Strength has already endorsed Sate Rep. lee Anderson in the 12 District GOP  race. But RW Allen has his base of support in The Hill and in West Augusta. So will enough Richmond County Republicans choose to forgo the congressional race to cross-over and vote for Peebles in the Sheriff's race? If not, the advantage could easily go to Silas in making it into a run-off instead of Peebles.

Shaft Vs The Lie Detector
Another political battle may be brewing at the other end of the political spectrum, with factions within the black community lining up behind different candidates. Richard Roundtree (not to be confused with the actor who played a cop) is assumed to be the heavy favorite within  Augusta's African-American community, and it seemed like he was running for the office months before he officially announced. But he is getting some competition from veteran cop Lt. John Ivey, who has been in Augusta-Richmond County law enforcement for the past 32 years, first with the the old city's police department and now with the Sheriff's Department heading up the polygraph division.

One of Ivey's key issues is forming a Citizens' Review Board for the Sheriff's Department. That won the approval of Frank Thomas, the longtime former director of the Human Relations Commission. He says that previous Sheriffs have resisted doing this. Political insiders tell us that Ivey is getting support from what can be described as "The Old Guard" of Augusta's black political elite. The word is they do not believe Roundtree has  earned his way into the Sheriff's office, and that his personal and professional baggage might be too much of a distraction in a campaign. They believe that a 32 year veteran of Augusta law enforcement will be the best candidate to compete against someone with Capt. Scott Peebles' resume head to head.

As for Roundtree, he admits his past mistakes but says he is a changed man, and has learned from his mistakes. He has made community-policing a central theme of his campaign. Insiders tell us that Roundtree's support is primarily coming from a younger generation within the African-American community, and this seems evident with Roundtree's savvy use of online social networking to connect with voters.

But ultimately what all four of these candidates may be fighting for is a spot in a run-off.. and that is seeming to be more and more likely now.. and if more candidates jump in, it seems almost assured. What we do know for sure is that this will be one of the most competitive races for Sheriff in decades.. and it could likely end up being the most expensive election in history for any Augusta-Richmond county political office. The stakes are high and the various political factions will play tough to maintain power or to reclaim their former glory. Stay tuned. More to come**
OS

UPDATE: Former Sheriff Charles Webster and former State Senator J.B. Powell have  endorsed Lt. Robbie Silas for Sheriff. Now things are getting interesting.

Related Stories:

• Peebles Announces Run For Sheriff; Silas May Be Staring a Family Feud
• Sheriff Strength's Exit Could Have a Big Impact on the 12th District Congressional Race
• Sheriff Ronnie Strength Calls It Quits

No Joy in Mudville: Has Deke Struck Out Over Downtown Ballpark?

Friday, March 16, 2012
Augusta, GA
By The Outsider

It appears that Mayor Deke Copenhaver may have struck out on his dream for a new ballpark at the former Golf and Gardens site in downtown Augusta. Dr. Ricardo Azziz, President of GHSU, threw a curve ball earlier in the week when he formally requested the 17 acre riverfront property be deeded over to The Georgia Board of Regents by The Georgia State Properties Commission so that it could be used for expansion of a new merged GHSU/ASU. Conspicuously missing from Azziz's vision for the property was a new baseball stadium for The Augusta Greenjackets. When asked about a new ballpark being part of his plans for the property by George Eskola of WJBF news, Azziz said: "It would be difficult to put a baseball stadium in a property that will actually be destined for developing the academic enterprises of the university...this new university,” and he went further saying, "It is not in our plans at this point.”

Azziz envisions a research park and innovation center for bio-tech and more, including possibly student housing. He says a conservative estimate could bring  between 300 and 500 new jobs downtown and perhaps hundreds of full-time  student residents. That would certainly be a big boost to downtown business. One of the main criticisms of locating a ballpark at the location is that it would sit empty a majority of the time and even when it does host games and other events that it would not necessarily  mean business would spill over to the rest of downtown. Ballparks are generally one-stop destinations, where patrons go to see a game, eat a hot dog, have a beer, and then hop in their cars and go home.  But having full time student residents and hundreds of new jobs in the area could indeed create a demand for more businesses in the downtown core.

The land is already owned by the state of Georgia so shifting it over to The Board of Regents for university expansion can be accomplished with little effort. But Mayor Copenhaver and Ripken Baseball officials were hoping to convince university officials to make a new ballpark part of their plans, but according to Azziz it isn't.

Indeed, as we told you back in January, a ballpark would consume a large portion of the Golf and Gardens property and it is not clear that it would have any benefit for the new university. The seasons for collegiate baseball and The Augusta Greenjackets coincide, so sharing a facility would be problematic. Also, GHSU doesn't really have a sports focus. ASU does have a sports teams, but their facilities are located at a complex off Wrightsboro Rd, and it is likely the new university would want to keep sports facilities consolidated in that location. A minor league ballpark just doesn't appear to factor into Azziz's vision for university expansion. He sees more hi tech jobs and an academic focus, not  peanuts and cracker jacks. But could there be more going on behind the scenes?

Did Backroom Deal Over Wal-Mart Doom Ballpark?
If there was ever any hope for a partnership between GHSU and Ripken Baseball for a new ballpark at the Golf and Gardens site, it may have been squashed over the controversial land deal for a new Wal-mart off 15th street. Sources tell us that Dr. Azziz was outraged over the city conspiring behind closed-doors to ink  a deal to sell a city owned parcel that was previously used as a bus washing facility to developers for a Wal-Mart grocery store for $400,000. The MCG Foundation says they had already made offers on the property for $1 million, more than double what the city was selling it to Wal-mart for. Dr. Azziz even threatened that legal action may be an option over the deal. Azziz says that Wal-mart does not fit into the University's plans for that area. The MCG Foundation says it also undermines their lease agreement with Kroger, which operates a grocery store adjacent to the site Wal-mart is eyeing. They also maintain the way the deal was conducted in secret was illegal.

Sources also tell us that key figures pushing the deal with Wal-mart are also big proponents of the downtown ballpark.. namely developer Clay Boardman and Mayor Deke Copenhaver. Clay Boardman has bought up dozens of properties in and around Harrisburg under the guise of various LLCs, and his vision for the area seems to differ greatly from that of GHSU and the MCG Foundation. Azziz and The MCG Foundation see more expansion for facilities housing academics, clinics and student housing for a merged university instead of a Wal-mart which they see as in congruent with their master plan. The friction has been building for years, but the deal over the Wal-mart brought it all out into the open.

The Bargaining Chip Theory
Another theory suggests that the power-play over the Wal-mart was well orchestrated and was intended to outrage Dr. Azziz. Boardman and other ballpark proponents had already gotten wind that Azziz was eyeing the Golf and Gardens property and had no intention of  allowing a ballpark there. They also knew that the MCG Foundation wanted the the Augusta Transit property, so by snatching it away from them, they could use it as a bargaining chip to force Azziz's hand on including a ballpark into the Golf and Gardens site. Developer Clay Boardman, a big downtown ballpark proponent and an in-law of Mayor Deke Copenhaver ,also sits on the board of the MCG Foundation, so he would certainly know about the intentions of that organization in wanting the Augusta Transit parcel off 15th street.

Seems far fetched, right? Well, maybe not. Sources tell us the city was well aware that the transit parcel was not big enough to accommodate a Wal-mart.. .they also wanted the land fronting 15th street where the Kroger sits that is owned by the MCG Foundation. In essence the Wal-mart cannot be built without the larger parcel. But now  knowing how badly GHSU and the MCG Foundation wants the transit parcel maybe they can strike a deal... we will give you a sweetheart deal on the transit parcel if you give us space for our ballpark at The Golf and gardens site. Again, this is only one theory.. but knowing the crowd behind this ballpark we wouldn't rule out any shenanigans. Let's also not forget that Fred Russell was a principal negotiator over the Wal-mart deal. At the same time he has been having talks with Ripken Baseball over where to build and how to fund a new ballpark.

Not Giving Up
The Mayor and Clay Boardman do not appear to be giving up on the downtown ballpark. Boardman already owns property across the street from the Golf and Gardens and is also trying to get the city to relocate the fire station on Reynolds street to ostensibly accommodate some kind of mixed-use development. Boardman told George Eskola of WJBF news regarding Azziz's plans for the site: “He hasn't finalized his master plan, so until he determines what his needs are for the property for the combined enterprise you can't really answer that question he can't answer that question is what he told me two or three nights ago.”

Boardman still believes there is room for negotiations over the ballpark, but will Azziz simply forget about the power-play over the transit facility property in Harrisburg that GHSU and The MCG Foundation wanted? Or does Boardman expect to strike a deal over that land in exchange for the ballpark?  Fred Russell  confirmed with George Eskola that a meeting has been arranged with Ripken Baseball officials to meet with him and Dr. Azziz next week to discuss the potential development of the Golf and Gardens property.

But even commissioners who have seemed to be on the Mayor's side are now saying that if a new ballpark is built, it will likely be built elsewhere. Jerry Brigham told George Eskola of WJBF: "I think it ends it for that site. (Golf and Gardens property) I don't think it ends the discussions about a baseball stadium.”


And other sites have been discussed, most notably the Villages of Riverwatch property near the new Costco. Others have suggested the old Regency Mall,  but that site is likely out because of the high price tag wanted by owners of the mall and the cost to demolish the facility.

But why the push to build any new ballpark? It has never been a popular topic with the general public, especially any proposal that includes public financing. Public polls and a democratic primary straw poll have shown overwhelming opposition to public financing for a new ballpark. The current stadium is only 16 years old and rarely fills to capacity and many baseball patrons enjoy the intimate ambiance of Lake Olmstead stadium. Lori Davis, a candidate for the District 1 Augusta Commission seat, has made opposition to public financing for a new ballpark a key plank of her platform, saying that "the city faces higher priorities which are not being adequately funded."

But moving the new ballpark may also factor in to Clay Boardman's vision for Harrisburg. It may not be so much about the need for a new ballpark but rather wanting the land where the current ballpark sits for other purposes.

Mayor Copenhaver contends that a new ballpark will need to be built at some point, telling George Eskola of WJBF news: " At some point, we're going to have to look at doing a new facility for the GreenJackets whether it is there or someplace else." 

But with whose money? In the past six years that there have been discussions over a new ballpark, Ripken Baseball officials have yet to put a number out there of what their financial commitment would be towards a new facility and how much they expect the public to chip in. And the Mayor has made it clear that he would like to avoid a public referendum on the matter, instead searching for "creative public financing" options. That basically means finding a way to leverage public debt without having to get the consent of the public to do so, and it happens all of the time. And commissioners can redirect SPLOST money without a public referendum, and there are millions sitting around in bank accounts all over the CSRA.

But if Azziz stands his ground, a downtown riverfront ballpark may have struck out for good. There may be no joy in Mudville for Deke and his downtown baseball acololytes. But unlike Casey, the Mayor hopes to force this game into extra innings so that he or a designated hitter can step up to the plate and  hit a homerun. But Azziz and the voters may just call a foul and bench this ballpark for good. More to come. ***
OS

Related Stories:

• Field of Schemes: can Russell Be Trusted Over Downtown Ballpark
• Just What Augusta Needs: Another Ballpark Study!
• The Truth is a Funny Thing in Aberdeen, MD Over Publicly Financed Ballparks

Augusta Commission District 7 Race Will Be One to Watch

Thursday, March 15, 2012
Augusta, GA
By The Outsider

So far, two candidates have announced to run for the District 7 Augusta Commission seat being vacated by Jerry Brigham: Seasoned former school board member and retired GHSU administrator Kenneth Echols and local political neophyte and state trooper Donnie Smith. At a forum hosted by the Committee for Good Government this past Tuesday night at Julian Smith casino, both candidates had an opportunity to introduce themselves and make the case as to why they would be the best representative for District 7.

Echols is no stranger to the politics of District 7; he represented it for 3 terms on the school board. He cited his experience on the school board and his career at GHSU (formerly MCG) and overseeing large budgets. He also alluded that his relationship with GHSU would provide valuable experience on the commission, especially as GHSU and ASU begin a merger.

The relationship between the city and GHSU has had some tension recently with the city negotiating a behind-closed-door sale of city-owned property that served as a bus washing facility to developers wanting to build a Wal-Mart grocery store.  The MCG Foundation claims they were left in the dark and previously made offers for the property valued twice as what Wal-Mart was offering. Dr. Ricardo Azziz, president of GHSU even threatened legal action against the city over the land deal.

Echols could certainly be able to make the case that the commission needs to open better lines of communication with GHSU, and his relationship with the university could provide that.

Echols also cited a record of being a strong fiscal conservative who would go after waste in government. In particular he zeroed in on the TEE Center debacle and a $836,288 change order that was just recently sprung on commissioners despite the city administrator knowing about it for months. Echols said: "To have errors like that is personally inexcusable.” This is quite a different tone on the TEE Center  than what we have heard from current District 7 commissioner Jerry Brigham, who has instead often criticized those who have been asking the questions over waste and improprieties over land deals involved with the taxpayer financed project. Brigham has voted consistently to move the project along uncritical of the many  irregularities and the waste associated with it. It appears Echols would take a different approach and would ask tougher questions. It appears that Echols would be more in alignment with government watch-dogs and reformers like Lori Davis.

State Trooper Donnie Smith did not address the TEE Center debacle at Tuesday's forum, instead speaking in broad platitudes straight out of Mayor Deke's political playbook such as "ending the city's racial divide." However, he gave no specifics on how to achieve that. Smith also uttered a rather peculiar statement: "I love Augusta. I love everything about it, even the things that make us bad.”  So is Donnie Smith saying that he loves the political corruption, back-room deals, and wasteful spending that has plagued the city over the years? It's one thing to love your city, but that shouldn't mean having to put up with the "things that make us look bad." It certainly sounds to us that Smith sounds a lot like Deke and his acolytes... more concerned with keeping up appearances than in fixing what is broken with city government.

But his tone does not surprise us. We have been hearing from multiple sources that Donnie Smith is being backed by key members of The Cabal. Though commissioner Jerry Brigham has not formally endorsed either candidate, we have been hearing that Brigham is backing Smith behind the scenes. And that may explain why Smith seems to be parroting one of Brigham's key issues: redistricting.

At Tuesday's forum, Smith described himself as a "warrior" fighting the redistricting map that was unanimously approved by an ad-hoc committee that included Commissioner Jerry Brigham. Despite voting for the map in committee, Brigham turned against it and is trying to start the process over with a new map in the state legislature. Donnie Smith says that he is against portions of District 7 being moved into District 1 and it seems to be his primary issue. But for a candidate who has also cited "ending the racial divide," as a primary campaign theme, his tough stance on redistricting may very well put him at odds with many members of Augusta's black community, who see the struggle over redistricting as a concerted effort to deny the county's black majority from attaining a political majority on the commission.

Sources are also telling us that Smith is getting behind-the-scenes support from Mayor Deke Copenhaver and Clay Boardman. Though it appears efforts to build a downtown ballpark at the former Golf and Gardens site have been squelched by Dr. Ricardo Azziz and his plans for GHSU/ASU expansion, there is an  effort afoot to build a new ballpark in District 7 at the Villages at Riverwatch property, and they will need a yes vote in district 7 to make that happen, and it is believed Smith will be that 'yes" vote. Well Smith, certainly did seem to echo a lot of the vague political buzz phrases employed by Deke, so there certainly could be something to it all. Perhaps Donnie Smith his getting coaching from the same political consultants who put Deke in office. District 7 will certainly be a race to watch this year.***
OS

Related Stories:

• Kenneth Echols Running for District 7 Seat
• Mega Bucks Being Pumped Into Dist. 3 Race

District 12 Forum Provides Insights and a Little Gossip

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Augusta, GA

By The Outsider

On March 12th at the quarterly meeting of the West Augusta Alliance the Republican candidates vying for the 12th District Congressional seat now held by John Barrow, were invited for a forum. The candidates were contacted by the alliance board weeks in advance with three of the four accepting the invitation within hours of being notified. The three candidates eager to participate were Lee Anderson, Maria Sheffield, and Wright McLeod. For whatever reason, Rick Allen was a hold out. Inside sources tell me that he might have gotten the message of the importance of this forum after a call was made to the Austin Rhodes show alerting Mr Rhodes of his MIA status. Word must have gotten around quickly because the proper call was initiated and Mr. Allen did make  it.  It Would not have been a good idea to ignore the West Augusta Alliance, at least that is what I hear.

The West Augusta Alliance was organized in 2002 with a purpose of becoming involved in local and state issues along with supporting the member neighborhoods in the alliance. Any neighborhood association located in Augusta, Georgia with a postal zip code of 30901, 30904, 30907, and 30909, may become a member.  The turn out at the Warren Road Community Center was impressive, as  every chair was filled. The meeting was called to order by Alliance President Lori Davis. As a side note, I found this interesting since Mrs. Davis lives in Harrisburg. Not that this is a bad thing, just looking around the room, those gathered were so,"West Augusta." Kudos to Mrs Davis and the forum moderator, Phil Williams for showing their leadership capabilities.

Rules of engagement were that each candidate would have 5 minutes each to introduce their platform.  Rita Hamilton, long time member of the alliance, was the time keeper. Candidates approached the microphone in Alphabetical order beginning with Rick Allen. He zeroed in on three things of major importance; Faith, Family, And Community. The main thrust of his comments centered around his exasperation with continued government intervention into the lives of small business owners as he has tried to make a living in the community. "There is no light at the end of the tunnel." He then went on to say that his business had survived 4 recessions and that he had never had to lay off a single one of his 100 employees. 

  "I solve problems on a daily basis." Hmmmm, like how to get the next tax payer funded project? Just a thought as one looks around at what has been built in Augusta by R.W. Allen. One would think that there were no other General Contractors in the area. 

On to Lee Anderson… Mr. Anderson is straight from the country and likes it that way.  Even though he was not as articulate as the other candidates, he has an impressive record." An unashamed conservative, Lee served on the Columbia County Board of Education for eight years and the Columbia County Commission for four years.  Since 2008, Lee has served as a representative in the Georgia State House.  This is a man who does not mince words and tells it exactly how he feels.  The feeling I got was that he was fed up. He is one candidate who already has working relationships under his belt. Full time farmers are the salt of the earth.

Candidate Number 3 was Wright McLeod. The way Mr. McLeod approached the podium and spoke into the microphone was immediately impressive to me. I knew there had to be military in his background.  There is something about the way those who have been in command present themselves, and he was no different; pollshed, deliberate and convincing. As a retired commander, one could feel his heart breaking with every word he spoke concerning the slow demise of our country under the current leadership. Military guys are that way and can you blame them? In the Navy, Wright flew the F-14 Tomcat Fighter Jet. He served in combat during Operation Desert Storm, and has flown 53 combat missions. As a Naval Officer, an attorney, a municipal judge, and a small business owner, Wright has an unequaled record of leadership and service."

Lastly, there is Maria Sheffield.  Maria is the only GOP candidate from outside of the Augusta area. She hails from Laurens County. Maria's personal story is compelling as she lost her mother at the age of 15 and later on cared for her disabled Father. She put herself through school earning her law degree by working full time.  She was taught  at an early age that you take care of yourself through hard work,"without relying on the government." Maria was the only one of the candidates who voiced her opinion of John Barrow, and attacking him in her campaign literature, " Your days of Saying one thing in Georgia and then voting the opposite way in Washington are over." I liked her style.  One thing I have learned about women., they are not afraid to go for the jugular and call out those who are making their lives miserable.  Men are more like tacticians. The woman's approach seems better to me to get everything out on the table and then get the job done.  Women also don't go on and on about  all of their accomplishments as men do. Yep, Venus and Mars.

The last segment of the forum focussed on individual answers to 4 questions that had been submitted by the BOD of the Alliance. To say that this ending was a Conservative's,"Love Fest," would be an understatement,  This part should be easy to write. Conservatives mostly all think  alike when it comes to the following issues; Taxes, Foreign policy issues, reviving the U.S. economy, and what the federal government  should really be doing. These candidates were no different. All four believe that the Tax System is broken and needs to be replaced with something much simpler, the single greatest foreign policy issue is Iran, the best way to revive the U.S. economy is for government to get out of the way of small business and let them create the jobs, and the only responsibility of our federal government is the protection of it's citizens militarily. Good answers in my opinion to four daunting questions….End of Forum…..

President Davis then closed the meeting by encouraging those in attendance to approach the candidates with questions of their own. Several members of the media were readily available…. A great success for the West Augusta Alliance and very informative.  Now to close with a little gossip from the floor of the gymnasium.

Robbie Silas is going to run for Sheriff of Richmond County and should announce this week.

Matt Aitken probably will not run for the District One Commission seat.

Donnie Smith thinks that the Augusta Commission should," just get along,"…. fairly naive for a District 7 candidate. Ever been to a Commission meeting, Mr. Smith?

Harold Jones has already announced his quest for Super District 9…..Did I miss something?

As I said.. chatter from the floor.***

OS

Peebles Announces Run for Sheriff; Silas Could be Starting a Family Feud

Monday, March 12, 2012
Augusta, GA
By The Outsider


Captain Scott Peebles made it official today, he will run for Sheriff. This did not come as a big surprise as Peebles has been considered for years to be Ronnie Strength's right hand man. Sheriff Strength has said he will not make an endorsement until after the July 31st general primary election, but its not a secret that Strength will be backing Peebles.

But complicating matters for Peebles and Strength is that Lt. Robbie Silas, who is Sheriff Stength's brother-in-law,  has also expressed interest in running for the position. This is creating a rift in The Strength family. Sources tell us that the Sheriff implored his brother-in-law to not enter the race because he would only split the white vote and could hand the office to Richard Roundtree. So far, Silas has not made a formal announcement that he will run, but it is expected within days. Sources are telling us that remnants of The Southside Mafia political machine are getting behind Silas and asked him to run. The Sheriff's office is one of the last areas of local government where The Southside Mafia still has some considerable influence and we are being told that they are not entirely comfortable with Peebles, which should be code that they don't believe they could control Peebles.

Anyone who  thinks that Peebles will be a continuation of Sheriff Strength's policing style may want to think again. At a packed 10am press conference at the Judicial Center, Peebles drew clear distinctions between his   public safety philosophy and that of his predecessor. At the top of his list was adopting community policing strategies, something that Strength has been reluctant to do. It was clear listening to Peebles, that he wants the Sheriff's department to run more like that of a big city instead of a rural county. This particularly impressed activists from Harrisburg who have been calling for the Sheriff's department to adopt community policing strategies for years now.  Peebles also said he would not hesitate to go before the commission to ask for necessary resources for his department. Strength has some times been criticized for not fighting cuts to his department more vigorously and asking for money to close a deputy shortage.

Peebles will likely run as a Democrat, despite having little in common with contemporary party leaders. Peebles is described as very conservative politically. The Sheriff's office is one of the few local partisan races, and running as a Republican in heavily Democratic Richmond County is a futile effort. The general primary election will be held on July 31st. If there is no Republican challenger, the Sheriff's race will be decided then, but for all intents and purposes it will be over then anyway despite having a challenger on the November ballot. The big question now is how many Republicans will cross over on July 31st to request a Democratic ballot to vote in the Sheriff's race.

Peebles is going to be counting on many of them to do just that to propel him to victory. But a hotly contested GOP congressional race will be held on the same day and voters will have to choose one or the other and not both. As we told you on Saturday, if enough Richmond County Republicans cross over to vote in the Sheriff's race, that could hurt local GOP candidates vying for the 12th District Congressional seat held by John Barrow. A candidate forum sponsored by the West Augusta Alliance will take place tonight at 7pm at The Warren Road Community Center. All 4 GOP candidates competing for the 12th US Congressional district seat have confirmed their participation. The general public is invited to attend.***
OS

Related Stories:
Sheriff Strength's Exit Could have Big Impact on District 12 Congressional Race
Sheriff Strength Calls It Quits
District 12 Candidate Forum Set for Monday