Never Make ASSumptions

Yesterday, around 11:30 am, I navigated past the road closure signs and avoided a wreckless driving code enforcer that apparently was too distracted by his cell phone conversation to notice the stop sign he bypassed, to drive up to the service window at city hall and noticed the closed for lunch sign. I reached into my pocket to retrieve my cell phone, unlike others, I don't talk/text on my cell phone while driving. As I was posting the picture, while still at city hall, I wondered why the clerks didn't stagger their lunch breaks. Just before going to city hall, I stopped at the drive thru window at the bank. The young lady that generally work the window was gone, probably to lunch, but there was someone else there to assist the customers. Again, I wondered why this didn't happen at city hall. Afterwards, I was headed back home. When I pulled into the driveway, I noticed activity on the photo I posted. One comment suggested something may have happened to cause one clerk to leave; requiring the other clerk to work alone. Honestly, I never thought of that. I then asked someone to gomwith me to city hall. I told her the window was closed and asked her to go inside to pay the water bill. She went in and both clerks were sitting in the office, eating lunch. So, on the busiest collection day of the month, there wad a decision made to close the window so the clerks can enjoy an hour lunch together. Why am I not surprised? The citizens are always put on the back burner when it comes to this administration. There's no need for me to elaborate on their unfriendly disposition and utter lack of professionalism but most have encountered the frigid aura exuded within the clerk's office. After leaving city hall, for the second time in one day, I stopped by the library to take advantage of the free tax preparation services. On the door of the library, there was a notice posted for a special called meeting at 3:00 pm. The agenda included a report from the Army Corp of Engineers, another attempt to have a collection agency collect past due fines owed to the City of Lumberton and to set a date for a citywide clean up.

There was a newstory posted last night on WDAM with the headline, "City of Lumberton offered 2.5 million dollar grant. The operative word being offered not granted. After reading the brief article, it seems that Winston is already spending the grant money, despite the fact that the grant requires 25% matching funds, up front. In case you were wondering, that means the City of Lumberton would need to have $625,000 in order to get this grant. I know Winston has allegedly instructed the city clerk to give misleading budget information so he could, right before the County election, claim to be the "savior" of Lumberton by preventing us from going over the fiscal cliff. Unfortunately, I don't think there was enough bad bookkeeping and erroneous billing mistakes to cover $625,000 in matching funds. But according to Winston, everything is going to work out. Keep in mind, he has been on the news crying broke; he even pleaded with the Lamar County Board of Supervisors, saying we're broke. Somehow, as we enter election season, Winston is optimistic about the fiscal stability of this city. He cried broke to basically eliminate police protection. He cried broke to refuse training for Alderwoman Rogers. He cried broke when he sold our library to Lamar County for $1, when he signed over the deed to Wood-Hinton Park and when he decided to turn a certified, heavy manufacturing industrial park into a watermelon field but now we're in the money. Just as I blogged months ago, the City of Lumberton always had money; otherwise, Winston would have stopped signing checks. Winston has no problem leaving the city without adequate police protection and keeping inept department heads in place as long as it serves his political agenda. Winston is playing Russian Roulette with the citizens of Lumberton and any damages/casualties are nothing more than collateral damage.

The board has considered using another collection agency to collect unpaid fines. Another bad idea. The city has been down this road before; twice. How many more times are we going to go around this mountain? Tne collection agencies get their money upfront and after they collect their fees, Lumberton is left with uncollected fines. The solution to this matter is the amnesty program (especially now that it's tax season) and allowing the court clerk to work 40 hours. The court clerk was doing a great job collecting old fines and to show their appreciation for her hard work, the board made her position a part time job. For some reason, the board felt she could produce the same amount of results with half the hours. They don't realize, by cutting her hours, they're actually losing money. But for some reason, they have no problem with the number of hours wasted by other departments. If they go with this collection agency, they will loose more money but the collection agency will be whistling all the way to the bank.

There's supposed to be a city wide clean up. I don't see the purpose, especially since the mayor has every entrance into the city looking like the set of Sanford and Son. There has been offers to help, but they stipulated that the clean up should begin at city hall. Good luck with that. I'm sure they'll give you a date of the proposed clean up. Unfortunately, the mayor and the majority of the board does not want to share the date with this blog so I'm guessing they're not serious about their efforts. In closing, a member of tbe LEDC told me they're having a meeting on 2/19/2015 and suggested I attend. We shall see.

Comments

  1. Did you see the interview on WDAM. I am still laughing. Plus Ben is so Dumb you go on TV for what? Your City doesn't have the money and if they did all the the citizen should be upset because you guys have no protection and your insurance is going to hit the sky with no fire department. You all are so funny.

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  2. Ben Wintson is so silly!

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  3. I sure this started with the last Administation.

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  4. Lumberton Informer stay away from blogging concerning this Grant because if it doesn't work their going to play the blame game. Love you

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    1. The grant was offered. They're going to lose the grant because they don't have the matching funds.

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  5. Mr. Winston is a millionaire and he love the City of Lumberton maybe he can loan the money? LOL

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  6. Ben is going to pull $625,000.00 from his ass.

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  7. There was a time when Lumberton didn't have to worry about trash all over the city. Otis Washington and Harry Wilkes kept the city clean but Danny want people that ride around all day and not hard workers. The public works department is a joke. They do nothing and they want to charge you for everything. I wonder what they're going to do when grass cutting season come back around. I know they know you're going to monitor the way the cemeteries are maintained. Like you said the public works department get what they want. We don't have money for police officers but we will find money to hire seasonal workers so Michael Tims can ride around smoking cigarettes.

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  8. Since the Mayor, Jay, Kent and Tommie doesn't think the citizens of Lumberton have rights and they are running the city let them pay the money. They have no respect for the citizens.

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    1. Where are they going to get the money from? Their support of Ben Winston is allegedly funded by Ben Winston via loans, pocket change, favors. You best believe he's promised them something and they're selling out those they're supposed to be representing for crumbs from their master's table.

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  9. Why is that Cooke girl so nasty? Do she think she need to be as nasty as Merlin to keep her job? She's truly a disappointment. When she was hired I was rooting for her. Now I wish the dummie would go back to Hattiesburg with her no test passing ass. If she focused more on her studies and less on defending the old lady she work with maybe she wouldn't be in court trying to retain custody of her chirren.

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    1. I think her last names is Jones. Over time, I noticed her demeanor towards me has changed. I guess it's hard to remain cordial to a person that's constantly being talked about in the office. I too was one of her biggest cheerleaders when she got hired especially when I noticed that Danny Davis didn't want to train her. Personally, I don't care about her or any of the other clerks/department heads personal lives. But I care about how I'm tarted as a citizen of this city. I don't care if you like me or not but you're not going to disrespect me. If you work in a public position and can't be polite and professional, then you should look for another job. What I will not tolerate are eye rolls and being placed on hold every time I call with a question. Again, if you don't have customer service skills, then find a job where you don't interact with customers.

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  10. Ben Winston has plenty money hell he own just about all of Lumberton and half of Oak Grove i kno his high ass profiting good off them rental properties in OG!!Yall gone learn today bout that man!!Use God To Criticize!!I'm done cause i can go on bout the The Low Down Dirty Preacher!!!He is the hex over this town!!

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  11. I would like to commend the person who wrote that Lumberton looks like the set of "Sanford and Son," from every direction I see this. I often wondered why the residents and business owners are not fined for their lax in keeping their yards and homes particularly on the main roads free of debris or unwanted household affects. Its hideous. This is an opportunity to put money towards beautifying the city with the fines collected. Fines could begin after an official warning with a letter and after that begin fines somewhere around 60 days and increasing it each 30 days thereafter.

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