James R. "Butch" Palmer has been calling for gentrification in Harrisburg for two years, and with strong language.
In 2007, he formed an activist group called Harrisburg Organization Networking for Gentrification to Keep Our Neighborhood from becoming a Ghetto -- HONGKONG. He's a partner in a real estate venture called Harrisburg Gentrification Partners LLC. On the Web and in interviews, he has characterized the neighborhood's undesirables as roaches, fertile welfare queens, crack whores and trash.
Now running to replace Betty Beard in Augusta Commission District 1 -- a district that's 65 percent black and 31 percent white, and hasn't had a white representative in the 13 years since city-county consolidation -- Mr. Palmer said he doesn't see how any of his past efforts will hurt him Nov. 3.
He said he doesn't see a white community and black community in Augusta, just a large fed-up community.
"The black people I know don't like ghettos," he said. "The black people I know don't like riff-raff. The black people I know are middle-class people and they're proud of it."
Mr. Palmer and fellow activist Lori Davis have organized four protests of "nuisance" property owners since July 4. On Monday, they demanded the Augusta Commission adopt an ordinance holding landlords accountable for their tenants' behavior.
"I'm just as much out here promoting the Chronic Nuisance Properties Ordinance as I am my election," Mr. Palmer said Tuesday while campaigning door-to-door along Central Avenue. "I'm synonymous with this ordinance, and good will come of it whether I get in office or not."
This is his third try for public office. In 1986, he ran for the Augusta City Council's 5th Ward seat, and out of five candidates came in last place with 42 votes. He tried again in 1989 and came in last place out of four candidates with 12 votes.
Last week, Elliot M. Davis, 37, filed paperwork against Mr. Palmer to pursue a warrant against him for pointing a gun, a misdemeanor. Mr. Davis told police that as he drove past Mr. Palmer's Tuttle Street home Sept. 24 with his stereo on, Mr. Palmer pointed a shotgun at him and said, "Turn that music down, boy, before I shoot you."
A prewarrant hearing, where a Magistrate Court judge will decide whether Mr. Palmer should be arrested, has been scheduled three days after the election.
Mr. Palmer denies pointing the gun or calling the man "boy" and says it was Mr. Davis who launched degrading slurs at him that day.
JAMES "BUTCH" PALMER
AGE: 50
FAMILY: Single, no children
EDUCATION: High school diploma from Academy of Richmond County, class of 1978; cosmetology diploma from Augusta Technical College
CAREER: Harrisburg landlord; former owner and operator of Salon 606 on Crawford Avenue
LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE: Board member and former vice president, Harrisburg-West End Neighborhood Association; founder and organizer, activist group HONGKONG -- Harrisburg Organization Networking for Gentrification to Keep Our Neighborhood from becoming a Ghetto
CAMPAIGN PLATFORM: Government transparency and public accountability; communication with District 1 constituents; coordinating efforts between District 1 and other districts that are beneficial to Augusta; less emphasis on major projects such as the trade, exhibit and event center and more emphasis on neighborhood revitalization; safe, clean neighborhoods; equitable public services for tax dollars; monitoring nuisance properties for authorities to address
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Just might have the GUTS to get something done.
This guy is a NUT. He cannot represent District 1. District 1 is the CORE of the city and is not made up of just Harrisburg. Our businesses are not in Harrisburg and most of the people who live in District 1 are NOT in Harrisburg. He needs to stay in Harrisburg and continue his campaign. I urge voters to vote for a educated and sane representative. Butch is unpredictable in a BAD way and will surely embarrass District 1 if elected to fill Betty's seat. Just meet him one time and you will know exactly what I am talking about.
This guy is a hard worker and very active in improving his community. I think the commission and Augusta would be well served to have someone with his kind of energy and determination serving in Government. He seems to already have things started on the right track with this Nuisance properties ordinance. It shows also he would be proactive and would get things done instead of just go with the flow.
CSRACITIZEN,You need to go fly a kite. Sounds like your the nut.
CSRACitize007....Mr. Palmer is well read, well spoken and highly educated. His Harrisburg work has proved to the useful for All OF RICHMOND COUNTY!!! I bet that you have not met Mr. Palmer. He is a delightful gentlemen but he will not tolerate wrong doing. He is not a politician. He is real. He is what distinct one needs: www.butchforaugusta.org
Palmer is the only one with sense, Augusta will never amount to anything until crime is minimal. Build all the Tee centers, stadiums, etc... People will not come unless its safe. Rid the communities of crime, and people will move back creating wealth and higher tax revenues.
Yep, Chicago, sure found out that people will not come unless they rid their communities of crime.
Yea, vote for the shotgun toten hairdresser. Hes the only one with sense LOL.
He might be well educated but his demeanor is a tad much. I applaud his efforts to clean up his community but he needs to tone down the use of some of his wording. With that being said District 1 could do a whole lot worse.
In my opinion, Palmer has been the most willing to be the "tip of the spear" in trying to affect change. Not taking away from the other candidates, mind you. But he definitely seems to have a renegade streak that might light a fire under the WHOLE Commission.
Mr Palmer has alot of family in the Augusta area and when you talk to them they aren't supporting him. Harrisburg may rise Ms Davis but not with a "white Marion Williams"
restofthestory, If you want to make a habit of picking on me, let me know who you are. If you are not supporting what we are trying to do in this community, you are part of the problem. This is certainly easy to see through your posting. Deciding to spend your time posting to pick on individuals does not bode well for the type of person that you are. Posting is about adding ideas, not attacking people.
Ms. Davis don't blow smoke and try to hide your true motive. Your house was bought with abortion money and the walls reek with the cries of the unborn childern. You knew about the neighborhood before you moved but instead of having compassion for your new neighbors and using your blood money for good, you continue to look down on them. Look into their eyes and then look into a mirror and hope upon your judgement day the eyes looking at you will have more forgiveness than those in the mirros. We examine the foot prints of the past to understand the shoes you currently wear.
CSRACitizen007 ...Many people have met Mr. Palmer. He is admired and respected by many people including people who are in law enforcement , code enforcement and planning. It is the do nothnings that let conditions go haywire who do not like him. Mr. Palmer is going to win this election without a runoff becaue of all of the older black and white voters who are tired of the thugs and drugs!! They want this town cleaned up!!! Look at that photo of Mr. Palmer. He looks 35. He must be doing something right.
comparing Butch Palmer to Marion Williams!? That poster must be the same guy who mistook a donkey for a deer!
Butch Palmer is the only one with the guts and fortitude to change Augusta for the better. He works hard and has this city's best interests at heart. He gets my vote.
A psychological evaluation should be performed first. He's only worried about his own backyard and CSRACitizen007 is correct above. He is not highly educated nor a "delight" to be around. It would be an embarrassment to the city of Augusta. That's probably him complementing himself on how good he looks. Narcissistic s-i-c-k-o. It's hard to believe he's been in this town all these years and nobody sees it. You are being, ahem, snowballed. I'll pray for ya'll. Should'a said_____________"S t i c k 'u m B u t c h".
"If you want to make a habit of picking on me, let me know who you are." Sun Oct 4, 2009 5:44 PM I guess this tells us harrisburgwillrise is Mr Palmer. It was interesting to read his past posts, he's all about how wonderful he is.
SnowBallCity ...I do not see how it would be an embarrassment for this city to go in a clean, safe , decent and orderly direction. Mr. Palmer has my vote. You probably do not understand the term "single file" LOL
let me see, property owner, who lives wihtin the neighborhood trying to clean it up...calling those who have no ambition, committing crimes, being a constant drain of the resources of society(social programs), having multiple children out of wedlock then running to the welfare office for more and more assistance, crackheads and the dealers selling to them out of the homes located in the harrisburg area...Yeah i would say they are welfare queens, roaches, undesireables, riff raff and i will raise you one more mr. palmer and add human debris and vermin..there is nothing racist in calling those who live outside the law, irresponsible in their personal lives and conduct, doing anything that will have a negative impact on the neighborhood and society as a whole. all you bleeding hearts who blame society for those who CHOSE NOT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES (EDUCATION AND OTHERWISE) THIS COUNTRY HAS TO OFFER I CHALLENGE YOU to go get these type people who are ruining the quality of life in harrisburg and bring them into you homes and use your money to take care of them instead our tax dollars going to feed, clothe and pay their rents.....
lifelongresidient ....Well spoken. The surburban warm fuzzie people need to stay in surburbia in stead of enabling downtown demons!
People it is a shame that we as so called Adults are acting like children. Not everyone that receives public assistance is a no good person. Not every women that has a child out of wed lock is a welfare queen. What about the hard working woman or man who gets laid off and public assistance is their only recourse to holding their families together or Secton 8 gives them that leg back up to getting their life back in order. People stop name calling and help find the solutions to the problems. We need safe clean places for our children to go and learn and grow. Where our children are around positive role models and have the love and support of their community and not feel like they are outcast. We as adults need to lead. My hats off to all the candidates for atleast stepping up to the plate for change.
Out of those running in District 1, I'm sorry but Mr. Palmer is the only one that seems to have all of Augusta's best interest at heart. He is supported by the Joe Publicts of Augusta and not the elitist that try and run our city from the background. I feel if given a chance, Mr. Palmer will do a great job for us all.
Butch has the strongest platform. For anyone who wants to say he is a one-issue candidate, they obviously have not read it. The main thing for me is that we need commissioners who will not just carry the water for the good-ole-boy power brokers and ignore the rest of us. Butch has my vote.
Cleaning up Augusta with a shotgun in one hand and a hairbrush in the other. It doesn't seem correct to refer to any portion of your citizenry as "trash, roaches and riff-raff". And ejecting them to "someplace else" is hardly a solution. But it does clean-up your own backyard doesn't it? Selfish. There's more to Augusta than the microcosm called Harrisburg. The entire platform is smoke and mirrors. And he knows it.
Something tells me that snowball just may be one of the slumlords that Butch and the Harrisburgers have been protesting against. Anyway, the two time convicted drug dealer who is on parole and who can't even remember where he lives is what he is, a liar. His allegations are bogus, period, no one with an ounce of commone sense believes this criminal. And as for the words Butch has used in the past.. he has been referring to criminals who are terrorizing the neighborhood like the one who murdered that young boy last year who was riding his bicycle to get groceries for his grandfather. I think Butch was being too kind in his description... people like that are worse than trash in my book.
What does his sign/sticker say? Sic em Butch? Suc um butch? Sic um Butch? I CANNNNOT make it out....
old_man_river... I saw the big sign at his campaign headquarters on Broad Street.. It says: "Sic Um Butch!"
y a w n .
snowball.. you obviously have some personal grudge.. get over it!