What a shame. I'm the last person to judge another person on these matters. I have made mistakes in my life that has cost me my liberty. I paid my dues to society and I tried to take a very negative situation and make something positive from it.
As an activist, I had been following the recent news stories and headline from all over the state about public corruption. In Gwinnett Co., Clayton Co. Fulton Co. and now Douglas Co. public officials are being investigated and many being indicted. A former Douglas commissioner is accused of forging court documents with the help of county employee(s)… etc.
Those who take an oath to uphold the laws and the Constitution, must be held accountable. Those who make laws against US, must be held to a higher standard.
Mayors and public officials are paid well for the mostly part time work they perform.
Perhaps the Douglasville situation was just a misinterpretation of the law; just a big mistake. Perhaps it was systemic conspiracy to put a few extra bucks in their pockets. Who is giving the mayor and council legal advice? What roll does the city manager have in payments to officials?
The recent TSPLOST vote was mainly defeated because the public just doesn't trust pubic officials. I understand why. The headlines scream of the unethical and criminal actions of public officials. Too often they feel they are untouchable… above the law.
I hope for Douglas County this event will send a message to officials that if you think your actions may be unethical or illegal, they probably are. Unlike the average citizen, we don’t have a team of attorneys to advise us. We seem to know when we cross the line. And when we do we must take responsibility and face the music.
I believe in redemption. Regardless of our mistakes, most of us get a second chance. We can’t change what happened yesterday, but from this moment on we can choose our path.
We should pray for wisdom each day and value our freedom.
Getting paid for "ribbon cuttings" and "luncheons" may have been an honest mistake, getting paid for the teleconferences - that are specifically denied in the ordinance - that is theft clear and simple. The ordinance was passed while he was on the Council and "clarified" when he was Mayor - right as the allegedly illegal payments started. He is either the most "honest person you know" or the least intelligent Blaming the "layers of people" for King Mickey's greed is a little ridiculous. He was the Chief Executive of the City, he should have been well informed of the ordinance. If he had any question in his own mind all he had to do was ask the City Attorney for a free (to him, we would have paid for it) opinion. Who "donated back their salary for most of their years"? Thompson? Then it would be really easy for him to produce the evidence that he gave well over $28000 back. "Dirty politics"? Thompson is an expert - just look at his recently failed attempt to keep feeding at the public trough by getting elected to the State House. Karma is a witch.
We're going to find out. Just keep tabs of what happens to Mickey and former county commissioner Freddie Ashmon, Jr. An average citizen can get years in prison for a couple of code violations, plus thousands of dollars in fines, court costs, attorney costs, plus PROBATION. But inmates die in the county jail because of denial of medical treatment, public records go missing, repeated "errors of accounting," and God knows what else and NONE OF THESE PEOPLE ARE IN JAIL! The system is rigged.