Thursday, March 21, 2013

Augusta Commissioners Praised by Olens



AUGUSTA, GA - The city's government could be worst, therefore Augusta residents should be thankful for the kind of commissioners and the Mayor leading the business of governing, according to the Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens. Just two weeks ago three commissioners were censured by the Commission for doing business with the city. None of them resigned.


For example, in other part of the nation a jury convicted former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick of most of the federal charges against him -- including racketeering conspiracy, extortion and the filing of false tax returns -- in a case that accused him of using the mayor's office to enrich himself and associates, CNN affiliate WDIV-TV reported.

Former Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Cynthia Hutchinson pled guilty to three public corruption charges and was sentenced to four months in the Broward County Jail by Broward Circuit Judge Michael Robinson.

The results of an investigation in California into allegations against Richmond’s assistant city manager Leslie Knight showed that she had violated several city staff policies, according to a statement released on by the office of the city manager.

The investigation stemmed from a 59-page complaint last August by Stacie Plummer, the city’s finance manager for the library and cultural services department. In Plummer’s complaint, she stated that Knight had been receiving a monthly allowance of $450 to “drive her car for city business” while also using a car from the city. Plummer alleged that this had gone on for more than seven years.

“I think that people will feel the outrage that I have always felt, because that is taxpayer money,” said Plummer, who said she is hoping the county’s District Attorney’s Office and the FBI will look further into the matter, now that the city’s investigation is complete. “The city policy is one thing, but state law violations are something else.”

Since corruption is everywhere and at all level of government, Augusta will just have to let the three commissioners, the Mayor and the administrator keep taking care business. At least that was the impression given by the Georgia legal chief Olens to the audience during the Commission meeting. This in spite of most residents asking the commissioners to resign and to give back the money they gain for hiring themselves.

UPDATE 7/22/2014:

District 8 Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle, censured, ran unopposed and will keep his seat until 2018.
District 10 Commissioner Grady Smith, censured, ran opposed by a lawyer but won the election and will keep his seat until 2018.
District 6 Joe Jackson, censured, will be out at the end of the year for term limit.

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