From Lori Davis, Augusta, Georgia, Mayoral Candidate 2010:
This time last year I was running as a candidate for Mayor of Augusta, Georgia against Deke Copenhaver. Recently your Mayor Michael Bennett came to Augusta to meet with Mayor Copenhaver along with other Augusta city leaders to discuss the possibilities of a public private partnership in the building of a new Minor League baseball ball stadium for the Augusta Green Jackets. Mr. Bennett’s trip was funded by the Cal Ripken Organization which also has a minor league stadium in Aberdeen, Maryland. The reason that this is of interest to me is because in my campaign, I opposed the building of a new stadium with any public funding. The reason for this is that the city of Augusta was 9 million dollars in debt with basic needs of the citizens not being met. Mayor Copenhaver has continued to promote this stadium against the will of the people. Another reason that this trip caught my attention is that I had read an article in the Baltimore Sun which had less than a glowing review of the Ripken stadium deal in Aberdeen and it’s lingering aftermath. It seems that the city has lost money year after year in trying to pay their indebtedness. There is no surprise here. Historically, these minor league stadiums have never brought in the revenue that their promoters say they will. We don’t expect this to be any different in Augusta Georgia. I am sure that Mayor Bennett has HIS personal reasons for coming all the way to Augusta to help the Ripken Group sell a deal to a Mayor that has HIS personal reasons for wanting this stadium. The behavior of both men appear disingenuous. I would like to encourage the voters of Aberdeen Maryland to give Patrick McGrady a chance to serve as your Mayor. Had I had this opportunity here in Augusta there would be no need for this letter.
Lori Davis
Augusta, Ga. Mayoral Candidate 2010
I thought Aberdeen was corrupt, but it sounds like Augusta and this mayor Copenhaver is giving us and Mike Bennett a run for our money. Go Patrick. You had my vote a week ago.
Augusta has being corrupt down to an art form. In the case in Augusta the mayor’s extended family and friends own all lands adjacent to the proposed new baseball stadium. So evidently our mayor’s entourage of family and friends stand to profit handsomely from the proposed stadium in downtown Augusta, of course while using public funds.
This is coming from a candidate that received less than 20% of the votes in her election. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for McGrady. So it appears that most people in her community approve of the current mayor and his ideas. Most people know in Aberdeen that the property near the stay was meant to be developed but the city, not Mayor Bennett, sold the land to a group that now can afford to build on the land. So how is the stadium’s fault? The past city administrators should had done their homework on whom they sold the land to and maybe it would be developed and creating that tax revenue that would have offset the stadium. Those are the facts so I don’t think we need some “want to be” telling us what is going on here.
I forgot to mention the Democratic Primary in Augusta Richmond County had the public financing of the proposed downtown on the ballot and it failed miserably and by the way Augusta Richmond County tends to vote Democratic more times than Republican.
As another issue the ‘good old boy’ network in Augusta Richmond County has been entrenched for generations and with it comes political machines as well as predicatable voting irregularities. In today’s political world don’t you find it rather odd that in a city and county (Augusta Richmond County) that is approximately 51% is African-American (2000 census) that the Mayor (Deke Copehnaver) is white and six of the ten county commissioners are white as well. So I leave it to the readers to figure out that riddle.
Because Ripken’s “Tufton Group” has the final authority on what gets built around the stadium. Check the contract the City has Ripken, it’s all public information. Or don’t and just stay the status quo…..
Yes.. the city made a horrible deal with Ripken; that is why the city loses money on the stadium. I am confused why mayor Bennett would try and spin a different tale down to the people in Augusta.
From what I gather, this mayor Copenhaver bought his two elections.. spending close to a half million dollars for a mayor’s job that pay less than $76,000 a year. Makes you wonder. Also, I understand he bought off several of the churches which down there means you buy the election. Same stuff happens here, except up here the Heltons buy the elections. I’d say considering what Ms Davis was up against, she did surprisingly well. It’s always tough for an average citizen activist to go up against the well funded political machine. It seems like politics in Augusta, GA are very similar to the politics here in Aberdeen.
I dont know if the mayor in Augusta bought his elections, but I guesss you believe everything you hear or read. Do you really think he could buy off churches? Its the Bible Belt down there and they take relgion serious, I find this hard too believe.
How about just election fraud?
As for using churches for political muscle it is why one former state senator from Augusta is already doing time in the Federal Prison system.
I’m guessing that Ms Davis had a lot less than $500,000 at her disposal to run against this trust fund baby Copenhaver. But that’s all beside the point. Aberdeen made a horrible deal on this stadium. We all know that. Bennett also knows the truth. Why he would go down and try to paint a different story leaves one to wonder what his real motivations are. I remember when this whole stadium deal was being sold to the taxpayers. We were promised all of these big developments around the stadium and that would more than pay for the costs. But so far all we have gotten after 9 years is a hotel, and that was after massive taxpayer subsidies. Now they are trying to peddle the same BS to the people in Augusta and our mayor has been trying to help Ripken Baseball hoodwink the taxpayers in Augusta. That is just wrong, and I am ashamed that our mayor tried to do this to the good people down in Georgia. He should no better.
Well Vanessa, you sure seem to know a lot about Augusta politics. For somebody that lives up here you sure dont know the entire story. Do you know who bought the property around the stadium and hasnt done anything with it? We all knew that property was going to creat property taxes to offset the stadium. You should know its not a secret but I have serious doubts you know all the facts. I mean you kno more “facts” concerning “the good people of Georgia.”
By the way, I voted for Bennett the last time, partly because he understood that the city made a bad deal on the stadium and he wanted to negotiate a better deal so we didn’t lose as much money. But now he goes down to Ripken Baseball to Augusta and tries to sell them on a bad deal on a stadium. No way Bennett gets my vote again. What he did was dishonest and I believe he must be gaining financially to lie like that.
I love the stadium. It’s beautiful. Do I think the taxpayers of Aberdeen should have paid to build it? No. Especially not knowing what I know now. I was all for the stadium in the beginning but now I believe this should have been a 100% privately funded venture. It has been a money loser for the taxpayers. That’s public record. Why mayor Bennett would try and say otherwise for an audience in Augusta, GA leaves a lot of questions. I voted for Bennett. Will I vote for him this time? No. I still believe politicians should be honest, even when it’s to people who are 5 states away. When a politician has proven that they are willing to sell themselves for profit then how can the voters back home still trust them?
Mr Wynn, just be honest and admit who you work for. I mean, really; it’s pathetic. You know as well as I do and everyone else in Harford County how the stadium was sold to the public. All of these grandiose promises were made that the stadium was going to be this magic bullet that would bring oodles of new tax revenues to Harford and Aberdeen. So why have my utlity rates and taxes gone up each year? Why does Aberdeen still find itself in the hole financially over this stadium? Atleast the county had the good sense to be somewhat cautious with their money. If you truly lived here when this stadium was being sold to the public then you know that they made all these big promises about a big real estate development that would be a windfall for Aberdeen and Harford County and would pay off the stadium and yield a profit. I remember the discussions. The naive city leaders bought into it without researching the truth and so they have left us with a money-pit that drain the city treasury of valuable resources every year. We were told the stadium would more than pay for itself. Many city leaders bought into that. Now we are still paying for that. Mayor Bennett knows this history. It’s not a secret. I am very disappointed that mayor Bennett would misrepresent the facts to help Ripken Baseball,, who was partly responsible in saddling us with a bad financial deal in the first place. I believe we were mislead about this 9 years ago. For mayor bennett to try and mislead people in another city over this is inexcusable and it has cost him my vote. I guess though you have other reasons for supporting Bennett, like he had for lying to the people down in Georgia.
Way to go Lori Davis! Speaking the truth for Augusta, Georgia.
thank you to everyone who helps augusta not get steamrolled against our obvious wishes not to buy ripken a new stadium. we already have one in great shape and well-loved, but ripken wants more corporate hospitality space. ripken really should pay for that himself/thrmelves. we are a poor city with a few rich people bleeding us dry. we hear the bill’s gonna be forty million.
Have any of you McGrady supporters listened to your canidate?
Actually I have listened to him and have been very impressed. He may be young, but he certainly gets it. His platform is well thought out and addresses the main concerns of most average Aberdeen taxpayers. I’m not really sure what you are alluding to but Mr McGrady comes off as very professional with a well articulated platform that speaks to the people, certainly something I cannot say for the incumbent.
In my case, I am an Augustan that is really ticked off that the Mayor of Aberdeen comes to Augusta on a paid for speaking junket to tell my fellow citizens of Augusta Richmond County how wonderful the Ripken Organization and the Ripken minor league baseball stadium has been for Aberdeen.
As for the suitable of either candidate, I would rather have a honest public servant than a public servant that can be bought and paid for by special interest.
In this case, it certainly looks like Mayor Bennett was bought and paid for by either special interest in Augusta, Georgia, by the Ripken Organization or combination of them both.
Raymond “KO” Class is right…the only two honest sports are horse racing and wrestling.
Go Otto
Don’t you think Patrick should get a real job and some life experiences before you make him mayor?
Nothing good to say about your guy, so you are beating on the challenger? Tough position to be in.
Maybe McGrady could get a job with the State Police, steal a copy of the promotional exam, then use that copy to cheat his way to a promotion, then lie and say it was everyone elses fault. That would make him a great Mayor, wouldn’t it? Oh, sorry, left out the part where he should then befriend a local developer, help him buy surplus City property, and then give him immediate tax breaks as his first “official” act as Mayor.
Now why would we give this carpertbager the time of day and actually entertain her recommendation for our mayor, heck she probably doesnt even know where Aberdeen is located, much less the full effect of her meaningless endorsement.
This is akin to me saying hey everyone in Helena, Montana, vote for billy ray, because we met him one time in Aberdeen, we dont know anything about your politcs but what the heck, he plays a mean game of golf………………… Next she will try to get us to protest in the streets as an occupy Aberdeen….. to fight government.
She is a moron!!!
The only morons are the people who keep re-electing the same old establishement in Aberdeen. Your City may have a AA credit rating, but they don’t have enough cash to pay their own operating expenses. And God forbid if you ask a question at the town meeting about how the City operates! Your told to sit down and shut up, then threatened to be forcebly removed.
Wake up Aberdeen. BRAC (and the rest of Harford Co) is passing you by!
you simply dont make any sense………
I agree with the statement from KB with one small exception, BRAC and Harford County are not passing them by. BRAC has passed by. The event occurs daily as they flock out of the gates and head somewhere else. A AA rating is not all that great either. Remember that the US debt has gotten worse since Moody’s lowered the rating to a AA.