Mulcare: Commissioner Resorted to Groundless Racial Pandering
On June 19, the Department of Justice (DOJ) approved Douglas County’s commission district map that was adopted on Nov. 1, 2011 in a bipartisan vote of 4-1.
Douglas County Board of Commissioner Mike Mulcare today released the following statement regarding approval of Douglas County's commission district map.
I never had any doubt that the new county district map would receive preclearance from the Department of Justice. That’s why four commissioners very prudently proceeded with qualifying under the new district map to avoid delays in qualifying and getting voting information sent to citizens.
The voting population “numbers” in the map, the respect for minority representation, the validity of the reasons for the map and the overall positive ways it will serve all Douglas County citizens have been validated by the Voting Rights Division of the DOJ when they gave their approval on Tuesday. They would not have hesitated to disapprove the new map had any aspect of the map not met voting rights requirements.
I am repeatedly asked this question: Why six months after a 42 day public input period (from September 20 to November 1, in 2011) has Commissioner Robinson challenged the map? I will refrain from speculation on his motives but simply state that if this map really had such glaring faults as he says, he failed his constituents in not “packing” Citizens’ Hall for the public hearing on November 1, 2011. He did not do so and not a single citizen attended the public hearing on the map which was advertised in numerous ways for over a month.
It has pained me and many Douglas County citizens to have a sitting county commissioner resort to groundless racial pandering that had absolutely no basis in reality. The fact is our county has gone from one “minority district” to two in the new map. This map fairly represents our demographic make-up, and no intelligent and honest person would say otherwise.
This commissioner will now face very viable opposition in Freddie Ashmon in the primary, something he would have avoided had he prevailed in his cynical challenge to the county’s lawful, equitable and fair district map. Because of the need to retain legal representation with the DOJ in Washington, D.C., what remains now is for all of us taxpayers in the county to pay these additional legal fees, caused by his and others’ political self-interests.
Commissioner Mike Mulcare
Other Douglasville Patch articles on this matter:
Robinson Outraged District Declared a 'Slum'
Robinson: BOC Redistricting Map Action 'A Slap in the Face'
Robinson Files Lawsuit Against Commission's Redistricting Map
Commissioner's Lawsuit Press Conference, Documents Released
U.S. Department of Justice Approves County Redistricting Maps
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Bruce
5:17 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
Freddie Ashmon Jr.? Isn't he the former Lithia Springs commissioner who attacked 62 year old Jimmy Hulsey at Cornerstone Baptsit church because Hulsey was publicly exposing the fact that Commissioner Ashmon missed 18 commission work sessions and voting sessions, but was being paid for attending them?
Is that the same Freddie Ashmon Jr. you are referring to?
Google search Freddie Ashmon Jr. and see what comes up.
All this was also reported in the Douglas County Sentinel, and you can read all about it in the back issues of the Sentinel.
Fred
12:59 pm on Sunday, June 24, 2012
Yes, either Robinson or Ashmon will be on the commission.
Too bad that "None of the above" is not an alternative on the ballot forcing another election with different candidates.
James Bell
11:21 am on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Why did the GOP not run a candidate in the Dist. 2 race?
James Bell
3:45 pm on Monday, June 25, 2012
I would not consider Mr. Ashmon a "viable" opponent. District one booted him out of office after his alleged assault on a citizen at a town hall meeting for which he was later arrested.
I (now regretfully) supported and voted for Ashmon. He told the citizens of Lithia Springs that he opposed spending $120 million on a new jail. Within weeks of being elected and allegedly after a special dinner with a special interest, he flip flopped his position and supported it, stabbing us in the back.
During his term of office Ashmon has called me at home screaming about those "G#% D#&% stupid idiots" who voted against the jail SPLOST. He was a mad man. He even offered me a job with the county. At the time I was to naive to understand this was a quid pro quo. I know get it. It was an attempt to get my cooperation and support for the jail SPLOST.
I wish Mr. Mulcare was as concerned about legal fees to defend the repeated election board violations as he is over the action of Robinson.
I see little difference in the democrats and republicans in Douglas Count. They all are nothing but a rubber stamp. Go along to get along.
Bruce
7:07 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
James, you forgot to mention the $40,000 for the special elections that Mulcare supported, like the special referendum for the alcohol referendum just a month or 2 before the Nov. eleciton.
Only Commissioner Lathan voted against it and that's because he always voted against anything having to do with liquor.
That $40,000 taxpayer paid for special election didn't work out the way Mulcare and Worthan wanted it to. The Sunday liquor sales was overwhelming defeated.
Bruce
5:44 pm on Monday, July 9, 2012
Just read in Patch that former Commissioner Freddie Ashmon, Jr. has been arrested in Douglas County, GA for forgery. There's another entry for google!
Arrested in 2004 for domestic and family violence, arrested in 2009 for assaulting a citizen who confronted him about the 18 commission meetings he didn't attend, now Ashmon has been arrested in Douglas County, GA for forgery. That's just great.
And this is the guy Mulcare thinks is a "viable candidate" to run against Commissioner Kelly Robinson.