MRS. SPRAGGINS' RECENT EDITORIAL (DAILY HERALD 3/23/04) CONCERNING THE LIBRARY SHUFFLE SHOULD BE RENAMED TO THE NITA SHUFFLE. SHE WAS NOT CONVINCING IN HER DEFENSE OF HER OWN PARTICIPATION IN OVER PROMISING AND UNDER-DELIVERING FROM THE 1996 SPLOST PROGRAM. SHE EAGERLY OVERLOOKS THAT THE LAST PROGRAM FEATURED POLITICAL PROMISES FOR WHICH NO POSSIBLE FUNDING EXISTED. IN FACT ABOUT $30 MILLION IN PROPOSED PROJECTS HAD TO BE TRIMMED BECAUSE OF FUNDING.

WHEN THE CURRENT BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MET THE CHALLENGE IN PUBLIC MEETINGS SOME HARD DECISIONS HAD TO BE MADE. PROJECTS WERE ALIGNED INTO THREE TIERS BASED ON PRIORITIES DERIVED AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT AND INPUT. COMMISSIONERS GAVE UP DISCRETIONARY SPENDING, REMOVED MANY PROJECTS AND REALIGNED MANY OTHERS. MRS. SPRAGGINS EASILY FORGOT THAT SHE AND OTHER PAST COMMISSIONERS OVER-SPENT AND MANY PROMISES COULD NOT BE FULFILLED BY THEIR SUCCESSORS IN OFFICE.

YES, DISTRICT 5 COMMISSIONER LEE HOLMAN ALLOCATED FUNDS FOR ROADS. AS HE SAID, DANGEROUS ROADS KILL PEOPLE. THROUGHOUT HIS CAMPAIGN FOR OFFICE HE PROMISED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS OF TRAFFIC, ROAD DESIGN AND REPAIR, AND TRAFFIC SIGNALING. AT LEAST HE RECOGNIZES THE POOR CONDITION OF OUR COUNTY'S INFRASTRUCTURE AND CHOSE TO MAKE WHATEVER STRIDES HE COULD TO IMPROVE OUR SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE. NO, MRS. SPRAGGINS, COMMISSIONER HOLMAN DID NOT SUBVERT WISE DECISIONS OF THE PAST. RATHER HE DID THE BEST HE COULD WITH THE MESS HE INHERITED.

MY OBSERVATION OF MRS. SPRAGGINS' TENURE IN OFFICE REVEALED VERY CLOSE TIES TO SPECIFIC FINANCIAL INTERESTS IN HENRY COUNTY. HER VOTES AS A COMMISSIONER BETRAYED HER ALLEGIANCES TO SPECIAL INTERESTS, AND THOSE PARTIES HAVE BEEN SMARTING EVER SINCE THE 2000 AND 2002 CHANGES IN OUR BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS. HER SNIPING AT MR. HOLMAN IS JUST MORE OF THE SAME DISINFORMATION THAT WE SUFFERED IN THE PAST. HOW CAN MRS. SPRAGGINS BELIEVE THAT HENRY COUNTIANS ARE SO IGNORANT, STUPID OR FORGETFUL?

THE CITIZENS OF FAIRVIEW AND ALL OF HENRY COUNTY DESERVE TO KNOW THE REAL BACKGROUND OF OUR 1996 SPLOST MANAGEMENT, SPECIAL INTERESTS AND POLITICAL FORTUNES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT SORRY STATE OF AFFAIRS. HOW CAN WE MORE CLEARLY EXPLAIN WHY VOTERS TURNED DOWN THE 2000 SPLOST REFERENDUM? SOME PEOPLE JUST NEVER UNDERSTAND THAT WE VOTERS ARE NEITHER STUPID NOR FORGETFUL.

Too many people are caught up in name-calling. Republican, Democrat, Black, White, Conservative or Liberal: just pick one. We are not all alike, and we must look beyond the moniker to see the person and understand their individual concerns and frailties. I am not racist because I am a Southern, white, middle class male. I am not ignorant because of my Southern, conservative, God-fearing upbringing. By the same token I am not “right” because someone else is “wrong.” I pray that we can somehow see past the color of skin, nation of origin, and whether a man is Christian or Jew. In order to survive we must acknowledge each other’s presence and the fact that Our Heavenly Father put us all on this earth as brothers and sisters.

The issues of race, family values, honesty, integrity and deep religious commitment are deeply rooted in Southern culture. It does not matter if you are Black, White, Asian or Hispanic. These are the Truths we have lived with since birth. It is futile to attempt to change the 30, 40 or 50-year socialization process. Before anyone goes crazy, and I get 100 emails and phone calls -- I am talking about trying to change a person’s internalized belief system. Any perceived attack on our personal, individual self will be met with strong reaction. We are a strong people and proud of our Southern heritage. Reading various news accounts and seeing the outcome of our nationwide elections, it certainly appears that the so-called Southern ideologies are far more common than the liberal press would have us believe.

The history of the South cannot be described in the single word, slavery. We have now survived 138 years since the War of Northern Aggression, and 127 years since the end of The First Reconstruction. My own great, great grandfather is my link to that war-torn era and he was laid to rest over 80 years ago. A flag is a banner used to identify something about who we are – and that includes who our ancestors were! Can we finally move past the liberating effects of re-writing history toward changing who and what we are? The strength of survival can be found in learning from past atrocities, and savoring past accomplishments. The key word is past. We cannot change history, and we cannot relive it. What we must do is live together – today.

In deference to Mr. Reedy’s writing skills, he is also guilty of singing from the ‘progressive’ hymnal. We all agree that civil rights, earned and deserved, cannot be forsaken. But in declaring people as close-minded and delusional because of the flag is exactly the kind of thinking that cost King Roy the governor’s office. From his picture I would guess that Mr. Reedy is barely old enough to remember the Carter presidency, much less the bigotry and atrocities his writing conjures up. A little reading would reveal the hardships endured by both Black and White Southerners, and it was not all about race. His opinion is based on a limited historical and cultural view that conveniently supports a so-called progressive agenda.

For most people, the image of the Confederate Flag conjures up the "blue cross with white stars on a red background" which is more properly known as the Confederate battle flag. It is true that some ignorant, self-serving and dangerous people have adopted that banner as their own emblem. The actions and motivations of such people are morally, ethically, socially (and sometimes legally) WRONG. Their words and actions do not represent a majority. Their use of the banner is a slap against our ancestral patriots who died beneath it.

But the imagery and meaning of the original flag represent a different time and culture when honor, family and country came above all else. For many, many people it is a rightfully honored and respected symbol. I would suggest that today’s writers fully research the history of Southern Culture before lumping everyone into a single basket. To do otherwise sounds, um, racist? Ignorance focuses on cultural differences and promotes discord, the very reason that many people disdain the liberal media bias.

In the last twenty-five years we have elected four presidents from Southern states: Jimmy Carter from Georgia in 1977, Daddy Bush from Texas in 1989, Bill Clinton from Arkansas in 1993 and “W” from Texas in 2000. Political clout in our region is nothing new, and party affiliation was not the benchmark. When we select leaders we naturally vote for those who represent our own view of what is right and good. A simple history lesson will show us that liberal agendas have been on the decline, and terms like ‘progressive’ have come to mean anything goes. Let’s face some facts from the Clinton years, namely that one man, and the Party’s support for him generally downgraded perceptions of Democrats. Take Perdue for another example, a Democrat who changed parties. A majority of Georgians agrees with him about how government should operate, and the character of the leaders we select to do the job. This election was about, to quote the governor-elect, “the power of the people.” Now can we move past labels and stereotypes when defining what is truly in our hearts?

Finally I would say that Sonny Perdue won the election because of a tidal wave flowing across Georgia. It is the wave of real people with deep-seated religious and social beliefs who cannot accept political shenanigans and social engineering. We did not need a re-creation of our educational system, purely partisan district lines, partisan budgetary games, land and money for votes campaigning and a series of boards and authorities that accomplished nothing but greater bureaucracy. Many people neither wanted, nor agreed with the reasons for changing the state flag. That amounted to political and economic blackmail (re: the threatened South Carolina boycott). First as Americans, and also as Georgians, we do not negotiate with foreign or domestic terrorists. Funny thing, that we perceive threats to our way of life, our common sense and our sense of propriety as terrorizing.

The so-called Republican Victory is not that at all – it is a retaking of personal responsibility and accountability for our government. There is a clash of ideologies and ideas, which is good. We must engage in reasoned debate, entertaining all points of view. What we must not allow is government for the few and by the few. We must not submit to a vocal minority who continually attack what they do not understand. Quoting our new governor, “We will govern in a way to make you proud.”

Dear Friends,

Re: Final SPLOST Comments

Our campaign was successful. The citizens are indebted to you for your hard work and dedication in preserving Henry County’s quality of life.

The following is the final vote tally per precinct: Locust Grove for 816 against 587; Tussahaw for 776, against 660; Sandy Ridge for 545, against 542; Westside for 867, against 647; Lowes for 386, against 339; South Hampton for 661, against 580; North Hampton for 602, against 591; Mt. Carmel for 921, against 806; Pates Creek for 1044, against 762; Wesley Lakes for 696, against 571; McDonough for 1294, against 909; McMullen for 988, against 794; East Lake for 557, against 427; Hickory Flat for 583, against 433; Stockbridge East for 1039, against 438; Stockbridge West for 558, against 361; Stagecoach for 681, against 741; Cotton Indian for 541, against 463; Pleasant Grove for 877, against 729; Austin Road for 814, against 793; Swan Lake for 318, against 353; Shakerag for 907, against 976; Ellenwood for 653, against 586; and Absentee for 1418, against 986.

The margin of approval exceeded 3000 votes with approximately 55% in favor. The referendum passed in 20 of the 23 voting districts in a general election with a high-voter turnout. We can be pleased with our efforts, but disappointed in the 15000 voters, who remain opposed to SPLOST. Many others reluctantly voted for SPLOST only because of the County’s current traffic problems. The strategic location of signs designating future SPLOST projects, the television ads, the newspaper advertisements and the personal contacts swayed enough voters.

It is my opinion the narrow margin of victory suggests three clear mandates to our government leaders.

There must be a commitment to select competent personnel and contractors to manage and perform projects. The projects promised must be started and completed on a timely basis and their progress reported regularly to the public.

There must be an effort to find more efficient means to provide governmental and educational services. The recipient of a 3-cent sales tax revenue and beneficiary of the fourth highest metro Atlanta property tax rate, Henry County has few other funding options available.

There must be an assurance to property owners of no additional property tax increases. In fact a property tax rate rollback should be considered.

With an expectant population of 165,000 by 2007 renewing SPLOST for another term will be necessary. Without fulfillment of these mandates, passage of SPLOST will be difficult in 2007. In the next five years there must be progress towards restoring public confidence and trust in our local government.

Hans M. Broder, Jr.

EDITORIAL
November 6, 2002
Christi Tate

THE HUNT FOR ACCOUNTABILITY: COOPERATION DOESN’T MEAN LOOKING THE OTHER WAY

Nine months ago, the October term of the Henry County Grand Jury recommended that Henry County hire an internal auditor to examine Henry County’s government. A top to bottom performance audit would reveal discrepancies between policies and procedures and uncover irregularities.

In September, eight months after the Grand Jury made its report public, the inescapable need for a performance audit and an outside investigation became apparent in the form of a black eye. Kevin Duffy, an AJC reporter covering Henry County, and Jennifer Leslie, a broadcast news reporter, told the tale of how dozens of employees had received raises seemingly without the proper approval. Worse, the raises totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars. No one had any explanations.

On October 1, Henry County Commissioners called the pay raises, "unauthorized," but did not call for law enforcement intervention. But, the board did vote to request a performance audit, also known as a forensic audit of the affected departments.

The weeks and events that followed the revelation of the pay raise scandal have been bittersweet for those of us who have made a commitment to ensuring that our government operates openly, honestly and efficiently. On this hand, are the 750 people who in 2001 signed a petition calling for an outside investigation of county finances and performance audits: They cannot resist saying "I told you so." On the other hand are those officials who might think, but never say, "I wish we had listened." But the ones who seemingly have made the decisions are those officials who are stubbornly impervious to the cries for accountability. Pinned in the middle are the people who have been brutalized for merely making the effort to uncover problems for the sake of fixing them. The mere bashing of someone who noticed the sky is falling is a tactic which has worked well until now.

Observers are left with a nagging question.

Is it possible that the open disdain for Chairman Leland Maddox’s unrelenting, (albeit sometimes clumsy) efforts to root out corruption blinded the BOC? Have board members falsely equated "get along" to mean "look the other way?"

As a highly efficient agitator is effective at cleaning the dirty laundry, so it is so with the health and cleanliness of local government The problem as I see it, is that an intimidator is not the same as an "agitator" in this context. Dissent for the purpose of political posturing when the target is the person striving for accountability in the face of its obvious need sours the air.

Progress is defined by the health and openness of our government. It is not defined by how well a board blocks the prying eyes of an active citizenry. When the public stays home officials who would rather conduct their business without any questions believe an absent citizenry is a boom for progress. However, when citizens stay home the community is denied access to citizen input and scrutiny. Local reporters rarely have the resources or edict to dig beyond the surface caught in the confines of early deadlines usually associated with community papers. The result is unfortunate. Officials get lax knowing that no one is watching, and ultimately, the price gets paid. The rules and regulations that were meant to ensure stability and turnkey efficiency – no matter who sat in the Commissioners’ booth, get blurred into virtual nonexistence because citizens have been forbidden from underscoring the importance of the rules.

THE SET UP FOR A SCANDAL: BLURRED GUIDELINES AND NO CLEAR OVERSIGHT

The pay roll scandal was three years in the making before a Henry County employee, weary of continually questioning raises, got fed up. After questioning raises that doubled salaries and being told "I told you so, so do it, no questions asked," the employee decided to get someone’s attention.

Documents revealing some of the more outrageous pay increases were gathered and slipped to District I Commissioner Warren Holder. Holder, a business man himself, picked for the task because he is known as a listener and fair negotiator, was flabbergasted. His disbelief was to be shared. This past summer, as Holder and County Attorney David Brenskelle examined records they discovered something even more disturbing than just pay irregularities. The news they delivered to their colleagues couldn’t have been pretty.

First, the raises might have been handed out over several fiscal budget years. Documents show the raises at least for Oliver and Risher go back to 1999. Neither board supervision nor annual financial audits of the county’s finances detected the apparent irregularities.

But worse, Holder and Brenskelle discovered outdated County ordinances which failed to define the powers of the County Manager, who had apparently signed off on his own pay raises, as well as others. This meant that until the ordinances were revised, and accountability defined, the County was vulnerable to similar problems in the future.

Absent this clear-cut definition of where formal policy began and ended relative to pay raises, the board seemed reluctant to place blame onto Jim Risher, the County manager, or anyone for that matter. The board has been forced to admit that the mess was so convoluted, and the system so flawed, that County officials found it was impossible to make sense out of documents which should clearly exposed culpability. The paper trail, it seems, was many things, except a clear path leading to those responsible.

Blame sharing was unpopular, as many commissioners struggled to remember whether discussions of proposed policy had been approved, or simply tabled for a vote for a later date. Activists speculated that some of the discussions had been inappropriately handled behind closed doors. Citizens could not understand why officials did not immediately call in law enforcement.

THE PAYROLL SCANDAL: A CONUNDRUM OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

A report drafted to Commissioners by the October term of the Henry County Grand Jury recommended in January of 2002 that the board hire an internal auditor to conduct a performance audit. The recommendations followed a report by the previous July Grand Jury which had heard testimony about incomplete or missing home inspections. In that report, the Grand Jury found that the County had allowed outsiders and certain officials to exert undue influence over building department employees.

The report issued in January stated that performance audits would help the County correct deficiencies such as "sloppy paperwork" blamed for the allegations that some houses had received certificates of occupancy even though the houses had not passed inspection. What is now apparent, but painfully admitted if at all by anyone else, had the board supported Maddox and the petitioners, performance audits might have taken place and uncovered problems much earlier. In fact, the report testifies to the fact that the commissioners had been told eight months before the payroll problems became public that performance audits were distinctly different than the state mandated audits performed each year. A performance audit would discover policy discrepancies and irregularities as well as financial potholes, according to the grand jury report. In addition to recommendations, the report refers to a lengthier document detailing the research conducted by the Grand Jury into whether the Commissioners needed to hire an outside auditing firm.

While it is not known whether the report of the Grand Jury was circulated to the members of the BOC, as the pay raise issue unfurled like a black flag, each commissioner had to have known trouble brewed. As Commissioners discussed the matter, apparently behind closed doors, lurking outside was the fact that for more than two years, a mob of angry voters had been crying out for performance audits only to have been criticized, and ignored. About 750 had signed petitions and written letters. Some citizens could only articulate the desire for some action by the County to reassure the voters that the officials did indeed hear the cries for accountability. What the voters and the petitioners got was ridiculed.

THE CRY FOR PERFORMANCE AUDITS: DID IGNORING THE CALL TURN THE ELECTION ?

Both Commissioner Nita Spraggins and Phil Crosby continue to blame Maddox for the outcome of this past election, alleging that unfounded personal attacks marred the election and cast doubt on whether the voters have issued a mandate at all. But, in light of the current state of affairs, Blaming Maddox and his supporters is impervious to reason and better described as motivated by convenient memories. In actuality, the math is simple.

Spraggins, quoted in a local paper in 2001, described the 750 people who had signed a petition demanding performance audits and a review of SPLOST accounts as, "Disgruntled former employees, and losing candidates." Unfortunately, those "disgruntled former employees and losing candidates" were apparently all registered voters who she could scarce afford to alienate. In her successful bid for re-election in 1998, Spraggins had won her district by less than 200 votes. Crosby, accused by some of being too cozy with developers, lobbed his own criticisms and antagonistic remarks towards those who signed the petition. Crosby had won his seat from Lyndia Hurd in 1998 by less than 30 votes. Calls to Crosby to discuss the petition by one of its organizers prior to its hitting the street went unreturned.

At the time of Spraggins and Crosby’s comments in 2001, voters had begun to organize. The sights and smells of an anti-incumbent movement were apparent, but the two seemingly missed the signs, as political observers wondered aloud at the wisdom of cataloging so many voters in such a negative manor.

But both candidates were unapologetic and stubborn in the face of mounting dissatisfaction with outdated zoning ordinances, an expired land use plan, and the inattention to details attributed as the source of trouble with the SPLOST program. No formal budget had been adopted until 1999. Spraggins’ appointee lived in Fayette County. Questions about a building that had not changed in appearance for months were answered with, "Be thankful for what you have," months before anyone began to go public with problems. Christopher’s financial troubles went largely unreported by the media – and Henry County – months before the troubles were known. It was against this background of unapologetic attitudes and unanswered questions that Spraggins and Crosby labeled their critics, telling supporters that the noise about the petition wasn’t worth acknowledging.

A contemporaneous review of the petition by Spraggins would have revealed the opposite to be true. Nearly half of those who signed the petition, belittled by one state official as being motivated by "mob mentality" came from Spraggins’ District. Crosby had access only to the sounds of dissatisfaction. One organizer of the petition collected more than 200 signatures from District IV, but lost them before the entire document went to local and state authorities. Many in Spraggins’ district who had declined to sign the petition out of fear of retaliation in 2001 promised those gathering signatures during the heat of the day that their voices would be heard not on the petition, but instead from the privacy of the voting booth. Those promises were apparently kept.

The flip responses from Commissioner Nita Spraggins, and Phil Crosby to the ground swell cry for accountability, now appears as the clear-cut reason why both lost their bids for reelection.

THE HEALING POWERS OF SIX: DENIED TO THE COUNTY BY ONE?

AJC Reporter Duffy said it all when he recently wrote, "The flap over the Henry County pay raise scandal brought to the surface many old incidents that many would just as soon forget." Many would like to forget the grudges which have impeded progress in Henry County. But according to the article, the man who enjoys portraying himself as the "can-do" commissioner just won’t let the bad blood go. It was true that the meeting was a rip-roaring display of nastiness, but to some degree, many had – albeit erroneously – believed that the outpouring of old grudges was a "cleansing moment;" The agitation of old ills to clean them away. All of the bad blood had been dealt on the table for all to see. And like the demons it conjured, many hoped it had been exorcised.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that the call for performance audits was indeed right on the mark, no one dared to say what is apparently unfashionable: Leland was right.

Since then, others have set aside the past in the interest of our County’s future. Gary Freedman however, holds onto his like a bad aura. This lingering specter could haunt Freedman later as his inability to let go of unrighteous grudges has defined the tone and tenor of his remaining tenure. Thus far, all the voter has heard are sour notes. Gary’s remaining time on the board will not, apparently, include cooperation, but a continued quest to bash political adversaries, feed and justify old grudges, while wrapped in a hopeless struggle with his inability to accept the division of power set forth by local enabling legislation. For Freedman, his reasoning seems unyielding to the hard cold reality which did not sink in any better during former Chairman Jim Joyner’s tenure: Freedman lacks the executive powers needed to direct employees without input from the board. After all, there can be only one chairman. What we want to hear is the music associated with a new day, and a new approach to an active citizenry.

COOPERATION: THE STANDARD, NOT A FATEFUL ACCIDENT

Now that we got a welcomed glimpse of the power of cooperation, we can settle for nothing less. The board approved a resolution that spelled progress via a compromise. Leland Maddox agreed to undo his controversial directive that two, ranking Henry County Police Officers begin an internal review of the County payroll problem. Instead, the board unanimously agreed to formally invite the Georgia Office of the Attorney General to appoint a special prosecutor, and an investigative team of law enforcement personnel to investigate the matter alongside the licensed auditing firm. The Commission has sent the invitation to the AG and the resolution to the AG’s office and awaits a response.

While some folks were disappointed to see the show end, I and many others were pleased to have the board work together to avert what three days earlier promised to mutate into a nasty, lengthy, and unproductive court battle. The four commissioners, led by Freedman, who had publicly disapproved of Leland's flexing his executive power, would have lost their call for an injunction. I cannot imagine any court issuing an opinion that the other board members could; a) Obstruct an investigation once it started and b) Usurp the stated powers of the chairman who believed in good faith that he was adhering to his duty to root out corruption. As a hand full of us left that meeting in which the compromise was reached, we believed that all five members and the chairman shared our belief that this was the beginning of a new sense of cooperation between members of the board.

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Larry R. Stanley
Better Tomorrow For Henry County
P. O. Box 1987
McDonough, Georgia 30252
http://bettertomorrow.net

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Letter to the Editor
October 11, 2002
Jeff Goolsby

If Illegal President Thief Bush is given Congressional authority to start wars to satisfy his childish ego, upon Congressional approval, Saddam Hussein could kill millions of American civilians in one day with the biological weapons stupidly given to him by President Reagan. We must persuade our Senators to back off. This problem can be handled in a better way without the massive human slaughter, us or them.
    Illegal President Thief Bush's alcohol blurred college bravado could well be risking millions of American lives with his obsession to kill Saddam Hussein. We stood the Soviet Union down without killing us or them. We could advise Saddam Hussein that if he causes one American to die that he and his co-horts would die next and stand him down.
    We could stop his oil sales and ship food and medicine to Iraq citizens. This combined with unfettered inspections would remove most of our risk Iraq. Visit www.democraticexcellence.com for more information and news links regarding this risk. CIA and FBI warnings support this statement.

Jeff Goolsby

News Release - October 8, 2002
By Larry Stanford
Public Information Officer
Henry County

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