Attorney General Letter Response to Open Records Act Complaint from Viola Davis dated August 17, 2018.
Attorney General Letter Response to Open Records Act Complaint from Viola Davis dated August 17, 2018.
Attorney General Letter Response to Open Records Act Complaint From Viola Davis by Viola Davis on Scribd
Open Records Act Complaint on Price Gouging by DeKalb County
Open Records Request Complaint on Water/Sewer Billing Crisis
By Viola Davis
To DeKalb County Taxpayers and Voters:
We submitted an Open Records Request for the emails of Zachary Williams and Antrameka Knight to perform further research on the water/sewer billing and water crises. We were given an original price of $135.00 each for the digital versions of the emails. We delivered the full payment of $135.00 for Zachary Williams’ emails via money order on July 9, 2018. We agreed to pick up the request via a hard drive on July 16, 2018. We had several citizen researchers ready to go through the emails. However, the county attorney changed the price from $135.00 to $5,376.74.
Truthfully, we cannot afford this price and see such a price as an “over-charge”.
We have received email information from several similar Open Records Requests in the past without such a “review charge” to include:
- Kelvin Walton’s emails – Prior Chief Purchasing Officer (CPO) for DeKalb County Purchasing and Contracting Department …charge was $52.50 on request number 1 and $97.50 on request number 2.
- Talisa Clark’s emails – Present Chief Purchasing Officer (CPO) for DeKalb County Purchasing and Contracting Department…charge was $187.50.
We are forced to ask, “What are they trying to hide?”
Please Note. In reference to your correspondence to me dated August 10, 2018, concerning our Open Records Request for Zachary Williams’ emails, I am not requesting this information as a State Representative-Elect for House District 87.
You will note that all correspondence concerning our request has been submitted by our organization/ministry of Unhappy Taxpayer & Voter and as a community missionary. I have submitted requests to the County as a community missionary for over twenty years. Kindly consider this request as the same.
We are forwarding a timeline of events involving this request and copies of emails, plus other documents for you to review.
Since it is your vote that “hires and fires” elected officials, and your tax money that finances the elected officials’ salaries, budgets, staff, equipment, etc., we proclaim that you are the “Employers” and elected officials are the “Employees”!
Please contact your “employees” and ask the following:
- Why did the County overcharge for this Open Records Request? Is it because we are researching the water/sewer billing crises?
- Finally, what are they trying to hide?
Timeline for Open Records Request for Zachary Williams and Antrameka Knight emails
- July 5, 2018 – We sent an Open Records Request for Zachary Williams’ and Antrameka Knight’s emails.
- July 5, 2018 – We were informed the Open Records Request would cost us $135.00.
- July 6, 2018 – We stated that we would deliver the money for the items requested in the Open Records Request to the Finance Department.
- July 9, 2018 – We delivered $135.00 in the form of a money order to the Finance Department for Zachary Williams’ emails. At that time, we requested an approximate date of when we could pick up the emails (hard drive).
- July 11, 2018 - We agreed to pick up the emails (hard drive) on Monday, July 16, 2018.
- July 12, 2018 – We informed our citizen researchers/volunteers that we will pick up the emails (hard drive) on Monday for them to start review.
- July 13, 2018 – We were informed that our Open Records Request concerning Zachary Williams would have an additional charge.
- July 16, 2018 – We requested information on the additional charges.
- August 3, 2018 – We made a second request for information on the additional charges. We were informed the charges will be well over $1000.00. We challenged the reason for such a drastic and elevated charge.
- August 12, 2018 – We decided to inform the taxpayers and voters of the additional charge of $5,376.74. We ask, “What are they hiding”?
Open Records Act Complaint – DeKalb County Price Gouging With Attachments by Viola Davis on Scribd
Grandmother Challenges Ethics of Ethics Commission by Garland Favorito
Garland Favorito is with Carolyn Cosby.
Grandmother Challenges Ethics of Ethics Commission
ATLANTA, GA – Canton Tea Party founder Carolyn Cosby, a 67-year-old grandmother with physical health challenges, is appealing ethics complaints that she should have registered her small social interest groups as political action committees. The claim alleges she expressly advocated for or against issues or candidates while Cosby contends the advocacy was implicit. Her July 25th appeal hearing in Fulton County Superior Court presented a new challenge to the ethics of the Georgia State Ethics Commission.
The commission’s reputation was shattered in 2012 when it was forced to pay over $3 million dollars to four former employees in wrongful termination lawsuits after they were fired or had their pay diminished while the commission investigated the 2010 campaign of Governor Nathan Deal. The commission was subsequently defunded, restructured and renamed the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission. It then cut a “Deal deal” which fined the Governor $3,350 for questionable expenditures that were not fully investigated. These included over $300,000 in non-disclosed or potentially misdirected payments involving his daughter-in-law and private plane flights.
But in Cosby’s case, the commission applied a double standard. An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) fined her $30,000 although Cosby’s total expenditures for all groups were likely 1/10th of that. The commission never held a final hearing to review the ALJ decision. Cosby’s attorneys Bruce Fein and Stephen Humphreys argued her disproportionate fine and selective prosecution are arbitrary and capricious as well as a retaliatory attempt to silence watchdog groups who oppose the political establishment.
Georgia law states that anyone who may affect the outcome of an election must register as a committee, however, the commission has never attempted to enforce the law before [O.C.G.A. 21-5-3], O.C.G.A. 21-5-34]. Fein explained the U.S. Supreme Court already ruled in the 1976 Buckley v. Valeo case that Cosby’s implicit advocacy is protected by the 1st Amendment. Asst. Attorney General Christian Fuller, who represents the commission, did not refute that argument. Fein made the same argument at the ALJ hearing but Judge Stephanie Howells stated she could only rule on Georgia law, not constitutional issues even though she is sworn to uphold the U.S. and Georgia Constitutions.
Mrs. Cosby has established a new website to defend free speech rights. She first came under scrutiny from a complaint filed by a former Cherokee County commissioner. Cosby incurred much wrath after exposing “Bobo’s Boondoggle”, a landfill deal that was bungled by commissioners and cost Cherokee taxpayers millions of dollars.
Judge Jane Barwick will rule on the appeal. The Ethics commission chair is Mary Paige Adams and its Executive Director is Stefan Ritter. Ritter successfully argued for the state to retain its unverifiable voting system in a 2009 Georgia Supreme Court case.
#GAPOL #GAGOP #GADEMS #LPGA #CPGA #GALEGAL
@News 95-5 and AM 750 @WSB WSB-TV @11Alive @WXIA-TV 11Alive @FOX 5 Atlanta @CBS46 @Politically @Georgia Politically Screwed
@Phil Kent @Dick Williams @Dunwoody Crier Newspaper
@Erick Erickson @Greg Bluestein @Mark Niesse
@Jon Gillooly @Jessica Szilagyi
Amended Complaint – Teresa Slayton vs. DeKalb County Civil Action File No. 18-CV-3085
Filed 7/18/2018
Teresa Slayton vs. DeKalb County, Georgia Civil Action File No. 18-CV-3085
We purchased another Whistleblower complaint today. This is the amended complaint of Teresa Slayton vs. DeKalb County, Georgia Civil Action File No. 18CV3085. Since the taxpayers and voters are the “Employers” of this local government, we will help provide these complaints to educate the public on risks that may cost our government taxpayers’ money.
https://www.wsbtv.com/video?videoId=792920220&videoVersion=1.0
Teresa Slayton vs DeKalb County – Whistleblower Lawsuit Amended Complaint Civil Action File No. 18CV3085 by Viola Davis on Scribd
Teresa Slayton vs DeKalb County – Whistleblower Lawsuit Civil Action File No. 18CV3085
This is a copy of the Whistleblower Lawsuit Civil Action File No. 18CV3085 Teresa Slayton vs DeKalb County
Teresa Slayton vs DeKalb County – Whistleblower Lawsuit Civil Action File No. 18CV3085 by Viola Davis on Scribd
New Leadership Set Higher Standards and Quality Life for DeKalb County
New Leadership Set Higher Standards and Quality Life for DeKalb County
By Viola Davis
DeKalb County electorate sent a strong message that its taxpayers and voters wanted a higher quality of life and ethical leadership. Due to continuous news stories of corruption, blight and unethical behavior, the voters demonstrated accountability by removing several incumbents and replacing them with new leadership. After a year, we want to report the following findings:
CEO Michael Thurmond – CEO Michael Thurmond entered the office with an initial action plan that placed the money where his mouth is. He went on the attack to improve blight in DeKalb County with the help and support of the Board of Commissioner by financing the Quality of Life unit, an innovative program created by the Solicitor General’s Office. CEO Thurmond ended deficit spending, built the county’s fund balance and moving forward to place DeKalb County on a more solid financial foundation. Due to systemic problems ranging from inadequate planning, staffing and training to inefficient billing software, defective water meters and insufficient communication that had eroded customer confidence, he continued the moratorium on water shut-offs.
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners approved $2.6 million for Operation Clean Sweep in the county’s 2017 operating budget of $1.3 billion. This funding helped CEO Thurmond address his top priorities involving the county’s water billing crisis and blight. We are proud to announce that CEO Thurmond is responsible for the removal of more than 5,600 tons of debris, clearing over 20 illegal dumping sites, and addressing over 80 dilapidated properties. It is long overdue to sing CEO Michael Thurmond’s accomplishments.
Commissioner Steve Bradshaw – Commissioner Steve Bradshaw defeated the incumbent in a runoff election with a landslide victory from the 4th Commission District of about 150,000 people in the Stone Mountain area. He recently demonstrated unity by appearing with Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson and Commissioner Gregory Adams at a town hall meeting to discuss the proliferation of store closings in South DeKalb at the Lou Walker Senior Center on Panola Road. Commissioner Bradshaw and Presiding Officer Jeff Rader created the ad hoc committee to identify the “root cause” of the problems causing the water crisis in DeKalb County.
Commissioner Steve Bradshaw set a completely new standard for launching “Quarterly in the Fourth” community breakfast meetings for District 4 constituents and other interest parties. He sent out a mailer to inform the public about the meetings. The focus of the meetings involved code enforcement, quality of life issues, and safety. The meeting was heavily attended and gave the taxpayers and voters the opportunity to address Commissioner Bradshaw directly with their concerns and issues within the district. With the cry for more information and public contact, Commissioner Bradshaw is setting a high standard for others to follow. Hats off to you, Commissioner Steve Bradshaw!
Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling – Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling established the “Quality of Life Unit” in 2017 to address concerns about code violations and nuisance issues in the county. With the help of CEO Michael Thurmond and the Board of Commissioners approving a budget request of over $70,000 from the Office of the Solicitor-General, the “Quality of Life Unit” includes:
Two Assistant Solicitor-Generals
A Community Prosecutor
An Investigator
A Legal Assistant
One of the Assistant Solicitor-Generals appeared at Commissioner Steve Bradshaw’s community breakfast over the weekend to inform the public of Solicitor-General’s mission and a directive to target dilapidated properties with numerous code citations, the prosecution of cases involving code violation, blight, nuisance and other issues plaguing communities. By working with the Magistrate Court, the partnership between the different government agencies demonstrates how the overall quality of life for the citizenry of DeKalb County can be uplifted through unity and setting priorities to eliminate these problems and answer the public outcry for improvements. We say to Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling, thank you for showing us that action speaks louder than words.
Georgians Celebrate First Victory against Permanent Tolls, SRTA Credit to Private Parties (SB183)
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Garland Favorito
Phone: 404-664-4044
March 17, 2017
Georgians Celebrate First Victory against Permanent Tolls Extension of Credit to Private Parties also struck down
ATLANTA GA – Citizens activists are cautiously celebrating their first victory today in a battle to prevent Georgia from becoming a permanent toll road state. On Thursday, the House Transportation Committee voted to strip the permanent toll road language from the highly controversial SB183. The committee also voted to further revise the bill language so that the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) could not extend credit directly to private organizations and individuals, another controversial point. The new, amended bill also appears to close a loophole that may have allowed tolls on existing road capacity.
Citizens had spoken out against another clause that removed the competitive bid requirement however, that clause was included in the committee substitute bill that was passed Thursday. Proponents argued that the original language was consistent with current Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) procedures that allow “value engineering” in lieu of competitive bidding.
The original SB183 sailed through the Senate by a 50-1 vote before hitting a brick wall of vocal activists who discovered the bill content as it reached the House Transportation Committee. A rubber stamp of approval was expected for Sen. Brandon Beach’s bill in the committee since it was co-sponsored by three of Gov. Nathan Deal’s floor leaders.
However, committee members significantly altered the bill before passing it Thursday, much to the pleasure of attendees who had unanimously spoken against the bill in the first hearing on March 9. Those attendees were particularly complimentary towards Committee Chairman Kevin Tanner who they felt made a concerted effort to understand the bill, listen to their concerns and find common ground to make the legislation as palatable as possible for all viewpoints.
The revised bill now moves to the Rules Committee where it will likely receive passage to the House floor for a vote. Georgians cannot relax if the House votes to pass the measure. Once SB183 passes the House, the House and Senate versions will be sent to a Joint Committee that will decide which version should be adopted. That committee could discard the House version and send the Senate version to the House for a floor vote.
Action Alert SB 183: No Public Debt Financing Private Gain
ACTION ALERT: Attend the GA House Transportation Committee Hearing
Thursday 3/16, 1:00 PM
614 Coverdell Legislative Office Bldg., Room 506
Atlanta, GA 30334
The people of Georgia must show up in strength to defeat #SB183 the “For Whom the Road Tolls” bill. The Governor’s bill proposes the State of Georgia to loan private parties moneys out of taxpayer funds, AT RISK, to build and operate unlimited numbers of toll roads all throughout the state, and for these private concessionaires to collect tolls in perpetuity, even after the state loans are paid off. The people need to show up and stand against the crony-capitalist exploitation of the Georgia Taxpayer.
Read SB183
Section 2 allows SRTA to extend credit to private individuals and organizations
Section 3 legalizes permanent toll roads in Georgia.
Section 3 allows mandatory tolls to be imposed on Georgia roads in the same manner as implemented in states like New Jersey and Florida. It also allows tolls to be placed on existing road capacity.
If you can’t attend in person, please call the committee members and let them know how you feel about the state loaning money to private corporations and tolls in perpetuity.
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS
(click link for representative website and contact info)
Tanner, Kevin Chairman
Watson, Sam Vice Chairman
Epps, Bubber Secretary
Ballinger, Mandi L. Member
Benton, Tommy Member
Burns, Jon G. Member
Carson, John Member
Coomer, Christian Member
Corbett, John Member
Cox, Clay Member
Deffenbaugh, John Member
Dempsey, Katie M. Member
Frye, Spencer Member
Gardner, Pat Member
Gilliard, Carl Wayne Member
Hanson, Meagan Member
Harrell, Brett Member
Hitchens, Bill Member
Jones, Sheila Member
Jones, Vernon Member
McCall, Tom Member
Newton, Mark Member
Nimmer, Chad Member
Prince, Brian Member
Rutledge, Dale Member
Rynders, Ed Member
Setzler, Ed Member
Taylor, Darlene K. Member
Taylor, Tom Member
Waites, Keisha Member
Williams, Al Member
P.S. Please forward to your lists and share/tweet on social media.
Action Alert by Field Searcy with In Defense of Liberty.TV
SB183 Testimony – March 9, 2017
House Transportation Committee
SB183: STATE LEGISLATURE TRYING TO ELIMINATE SEALED BIDS & EVADE PUBLIC SCRUTINY BY GIVING TAXPAYER MONEY TO OTHER ENTITIES TO DO WORK
SB183: STATE LEGISLATURE TRYING TO ELIMINATE SEALED BIDS & EVADE PUBLIC SCRUTINY BY GIVING TAXPAYER MONEY TO OTHER ENTITIES TO DO WORK
Posted on March 9, 2017
March 9, 2017
Hearing on SB183 March 9, 2017 at 2PM
https://livestream.com/accounts/19771738/events/6811894/videos/151342386
The following information was sent from Catherine Bernard, a lawyer and political activist. This information shows you how desperately we need to drain the Georgia swamp!
“…to preserve [the people's] independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.” -Thomas Jefferson
Dear Friends,
With a Republican-controlled state legislature and Republican officials occupying all executive offices in Georgia, you’d think we might get some fiscally conservative policies. This legislative session continues to show how wrong that expectation would be. Other than a few targeted tax breaks for wealthy special interests, like yacht owners and Delta, the 2017 legislative session has been new taxes, more taxes, regulations, and scariest of all – new powers to borrow and lend public money.
Today at 2:00 p.m., in Room 506 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building at the Capitol, the House Transportation Committee will hear testimony onSB183. Most of the coverage of this bill so far has focused on how it would create permanent mandatory toll roads, but that’s only part of the issue. What’s even more dangerous are the provisions eliminating the public competitive bid and sealed bid process requirements for State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) projects, combined with the massive new grants of power to SRTA: to extend credit and make loans to any type of entity, to incorporate multiple non-profit corporations as subsidiaries of SRTA, and to expand the definition of “self-liquidating project” to include not just projects by cities and counties, but by any “person, firm, corporation, limited liability company, or other type of entity”. I.e., they can take your money and give it to literally whoever they want to, and they might even do it through private corporations set up to evade public scrutiny.
The permanent mandatory toll road part is pretty bad too. Georgia law only authorizes the state to charge a toll until the road construction project is fully paid for, e.g. GA 400, where tolls were collected from 1993 to 2013 (and even then, it took dedicated citizen activists holding the government to its promise). Changing this would be a big deal, deserving of much more public debate than we’ve seen on this important topic.
Send an email to the Committee chair, Rep. Kevin Tanner, and the bill sponsor, Sen. Brandon Beach, letting them know what you think of this bill.Email Rep. Tanner Email Sen. Beach Or give them a call: 404.656.3947 and 404.463.1378
Good news on the no-knock search warrant bill, though: I showed up at the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing ready to testify against SB94, but the bill sponsor didn’t show up and it was removed from the agenda. Since it didn’t pass the Senate before Crossover Day, technically it’s dead for the session – but this legislation has already been revived too many times, so I’m keeping a close eye on it.
Thanks for engaging with these important issues, so that together we can make our political world more reasonable and thoughtful.
Warm regards,
Catherine
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TWG
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Suspicions surround DeKalb’s ‘missing’ millions by Mark Niesse
Suspicions surround DeKalb’s ‘missing’ millions
By Mark Niesse – The Atlanta Journal Constitution, August 9, 2016
The item is buried on a 4-year-old DeKalb County Purchasing Department spreadsheet: an eyebrow-raising $72,348,739.04 to build a sidewalk.
The actual cost? Just under $1.26 million.
DeKalb officials say the discrepancy is some kind of error — a baffling but harmless mistake.
But the citizens group Unhappy Taxpayer & Voter is more wary. In a county that has seen one government corruption case after another, members of the group say, it’s obvious a comprehensive audit needs to be conducted.
Read entire article at link: http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/suspicions-surround-dekalbs-missing-millions/nsCqL/