Lamar County Supervisor District 4 Poll

[TDaleBeavers]

Tuesday is the big run-off between Fred Hatten and Randy Thomley for Supervisor District 4. If the election were held today, for whom would you likely vote?

[Lamar Elephant]

Ok, I've been looking around this site for the answer and can't find. I even just read the rules page of My Hattiesburg. Maybe I missed it . . .

Apparently a new member such as myself cannot vote in polls. I would like to cast my vote on this poll for Mr. Hatten. When will I be able to vote in polls?

Sorry, I'm new at this and still learning my way around the site. I'm sure aaron has the rule somewhere.

[Bahlk]

I believe once you have 20 posts you can...play a few word games and you'll be there in no time

[TDaleBeavers]

I'll admit the numbers so far surprise me a bit, even though this is entirely unscientific. However, I remain convinced that a sizable Hatten victory is imminent on Tuesday.

[RGDoherty]

I wouldn't count on that, if everybody that voted for Stuart and LeNoire throw their support to Randy Thomely, he would win.

[MrPaulB007]

http://canebrake-ms.org/decnews.htm

As for me and my house, it is not what Hatten has done, but what he didn't do. Honestly, I think a monkey would have made "progress" in our fast growing county in the last four years...it is inevitable with our growth rate.

And for writng blank checks for his York friends with our sweaty tax dollars without knowing the actual costs...even when the attorney general has to be consulted because of the preception of their approval of the unknown expense may actually be illegal...such as in the link above. And just for writing blank checks in general with my tax dollars!

I just hope for any jail times sake they gave the attorney general all the information such as the dam really doesn't have to be used as a bus route...the subdivision exits to the highway on either side of the dam. Needless to say, Thomley is my hope for the future!

[MrPaulB007]

I'll admit the numbers so far surprise me a bit, even though this is entirely unscientific. However, I remain convinced that a sizable Hatten victory is imminent on Tuesday.
Some people pray for opportunity, others like myself pray for God just to shut the doors he doesn't want me to go through...If Thomley loses the election, at least he cared enough to try to make a difference and make the issues known.

And with 52% of the district not even caring to vote in the primary...we may get what we deserve in the runoff, another 4 years of uncontrolled, unexamined annexation progress with blank checks written out of our tax payer checking account. We reap what we sew.

I am always hoping for the best and ready for the worst...

[TDaleBeavers]

I'm not a fan of further Hattiesburg annexations into Oak Grove and Lamar County, period, and I've made that clear in the past. However, having the Board of Supervisors file an objection to an annexation effort, is no more going to prevent a Chancery Judge from approving it, than a private citizen or group of citizens doing so. File your objection, have a good lawyer, who can put forth sound legal arguments, and may the best side win.

I am no more going to vote against Fred Hatten because he found it imprudent to spend our tax dollars to pay someone else's legal fees, than I find it wise to vote for his opponent because he's being backed and bankrolled by a group of developers who are making the objection. There are many more issues facing Lamar County than Hattiesburg annexation/Oak Grove incorporation, and I believe that on balance Fred Hatten has shown excellent leadership over the past four years. These issues include getting Lamar County out of a $3 million budget hole at the beginning of his term without raising taxes, and showing strong leadership after the Big Bay Dam disaster and Hurricane Katrina.

As most everyone knows, one of my closest friends ran for District 4 Supervisor this year, and I did vote for him on August 7th, and was one of the the 51 percent that Mr. Thomley so alludes to. However, I will be voting for the incumbent on Tuesday. Fred Hatten has served well, and is the best candidate in this race. He deserves another four years.

[Kitty]

You know, it sounds like this race is all about developers and their respective bankrolls.

I just want my street paved. :smt009

[Bahlk]

You know, it sounds like this race is all about developers and their respective bankrolls.

I just want my street paved. :smt009

They better hurry because you know after the election there is slim chance of that happening for at least 3 years

[wilebill]

However, having the Board of Supervisors file an objection to an annexation effort, is no more going to prevent a Chancery Judge from approving it, than a private citizen or group of citizens doing so.
Finally, 2 or 3 months after I asked Fortenberry (?) that question -how can a supervisor affect annexation - an answer comes forth.

[Bella]

I would like to vote for Mr. Thomley. I am also new at this and unable to vote.

[Bella]

Mr. Beavers I am a little confused. I once heard you give a speech for Oak Grove City and I took it that you were unhappy with the current supervisor. I'm a suprised by your show of support for him now.

If you encouraged and supported your friend to run against him doesn't that show that you weren't happy with his job performance?

Just asking.

[Augustus McRae]

Let me do a little "limb-crawling" - I don't have the patience to go back and look for it, but when Randy Thomley qualified to run for this race, the "Augustus McRae" prediction was that he would win. Don't have a "dog" in the hunt, but that's still my bet!

[TDaleBeavers]

Mr. Beavers I am a little confused. I once heard you give a speech for Oak Grove City and I took it that you were unhappy with the current supervisor. I'm a suprised by your show of support for him now.

If you encouraged and supported your friend to run against him doesn't that show that you weren't happy with his job performance?

Just asking.


I have never said that I was particularly unhappy with the current supervisor, and I have long considered Fred Hatten to be a friend (no snickers please), dating to my campaigning for him in 2003 and my time as County GOP Chairman. I did not recruit or particularly encourage anyone to run against him. And, other than putting up a sign on my dead end road which maybe a dozen people saw in three months (counting the garbage crew and mailman), I stayed out of the race.

As I said, I'm simply not sure having the county Board of Supervisors file an objection to an annexation effort is anymore going to stop Hattiesburg from being successful in this annexation than the objection that is currently on file. After all, all kinds of groups have opposed annexations in the past, and haven't always been successful.

Simply put, I'm not a single issue voter. While some would like to judge Fred Hatten's four years on the Board for this one vote, I'm not one of them. I think he has a proven record of leadership for our county, and is the better candidate.

[Kitty]

I have never said that I was particularly unhappy with the current supervisor, and I have long considered Fred Hatten to be a friend (no snickers please) . . .

http://images.dietclub.com.au/branding/dc/library/snickers.jpg

[Bella]

Spoken like a true attorney!!

As I listened to you speak the night of the OG City meeting I was very impressed with your public speaking ability. You are very much a motivating speaker who is easy to understand. But I will say again that I got the impression that you did not support the current supervisor. Maybe that was then and this is now.

I once read a letter to the editor from a former supervisor, Wayne Hale. He wrote how they always tried to fight annexations and that he thought the current board should also. If you were once for OG City then the annexations should bother you. I would think. So I don't understand why you would support Mr. Hatten when he is clearly for more annexations into our community.

I just have to ask, Mr. Beavers, what color are your flip-flops?

[TDaleBeavers]

The Oak Grove City meeting(s) was long before the Board of Supervisors voted not to object to Hattiesburg's latest annexation. Thus, at that time, I had no record of Fred Hatten's to even consider at the time of that meeting. When the vote did come, even if Fred had voted to support filing an objection on behalf of the Board, the motion would not have carried.

I remain convinced that there would be many benefits to the Oak Grove area by incorporation. My position has not changed on this or Hattiesburg annexation very much since the spring of 2006. However, now living south of the proposed boundary, all I have is an opinion. If you want Oak Grove to incorporate and stop Hattiesburg annexations, work on convincing two thirds of the voters to sign the petition or lobby for legislation to cut the requirement to a more reasonable level (i.e. 55 or 60 percent).

By the way, there was a candidate running this year preparing to propose such a bill. :smt102

[Bella]

I hope your poll is a good indicator of how the race will go! I've watched the numbers today and they go back and forth! I've enjoyed the last few weeks reading everyones post.

Good luck to all and remember to vote.

[TDaleBeavers]

I just hope there is a good turnout tomorrow. With the relative lack of races, including no statewide Republican primary races, I worry that the turnout won't exceed 25 or 30 percent.