Friday, September 26, 2008
Dunwoody - Friendly Divorce or Death by Bow Tie
At the Sept 23, 2008 DeKalb County Board of Commissioners meeting, the lawsuit against the City of Dunwoody was discussed and then deferred until the next meeting. It was at that time that Commissioner Elaine Boyer entered a few corrections on what was said previously and then CEO Vernon Jones wanted to reply to Ms. Boyer's comments.
He espoused his knowledge of Constitutional Law then went on to discuss Brook Run Park but forgot to mention that he specifically promised the park 11.5 million dollars in the last bond referendum but only spent about 5 million to date. The premier park that he discusses is a playground which has no benches nor shade for the parents who want to watch their children, a water feature that has been broken for several years, a skate park that is now a large capital drain for operations, vandalized buildings that are still unlocked and a safety hazard to the community.
He then discusses the lack of diversity on the Governor's Commission and the new City Council claiming that the new City of Dunwoody was created to accomplish the goal of "Bleaching Governments".
The CEO then goes on to state that Dick Williams, Editor of the Dunwoody Crier played to peoples fears in order to get the city and because of that the CEO then stated that he prays for Mr. Williams "because one day Dunwoody is going to change and I hope that bow tie doesn't get so tight that it chokes him and kills him because he can't accept the results."
A member of the audience then yells out, "That's Disgusting!!"
When Mr. Williams was informed of the comment he stated... "The disappointing, vindictive comments made by the chief executive Tuesday were just another example of why 40,000 Dunwoody residents voted with their feet this year and are itching to start their new city. Eight years of embarrassing behavior, racial divisiveness, higher taxes and declining services are Vernon Jones' legacy for the people of DeKalb County."
Well, everyone knows Vernon is bonkers, BUT as far as the diversity issue, I am disappointed to see a City Council made up of only white males.
ReplyDeleteWell, there is one post to be resolved and it will either be a white female or a man of Native America extraction. However, absolutely no one on the council comes without ties to Citizens for Dunwoody. That should be a bigger concern.
ReplyDeleteWhy?
Well, let's see. I watched the public access channel presentation used to create this video last night. How long did it take for someone to convert it into an anti-them pro-us propaganda piece and post it on YouTube? Hours?
Let's hope these same people show the same enthusiasm for posting videos of all Dunwoody council meetings, all city documents referenced and created, and all conference calls. Better yet, let's hope the city posts these on the internet. But with CfD firmly in charge, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting.
As for Dick Williams, he has long ago had to abandon legitimate, investigative reporting. Remember the Dunwoody High basketball fiasco? Last piece of investigative reporting done by the Crier.
I also know first hand that he will publish scathing criticisms of Jill Chambers or Vernon Jones, but if you write a similar letter suggesting something unsavory about the link between CH2M and Citizens for Dunwoody, or a particular individual, you'll get an email explaining why you are wrong. It is a dismissive and Mr. Williams' actions have made it clear that his objectivity has been compromised by his affection for the city and those running it.
There is nothing really wrong with that since he isn't laying claim to being a journalist, neither by word nor deed. It is also unreasonable to expect any more from a community paper that derives its revenue from advertisement. We should expect it to be a fan magazine because this business model does not tolerate the controversy associated with asking hard questions.
And finally, approximately 8500 voters cast their vote in favor of the referendum and there were some votes against it. If you use the county's number for total registered voters then 35% threw a party that we'll all pay for. If you use the hyperbolic 40,000 then our partying friends are only one out of five.
Let's hope we do a better job keeping our figures straight when it comes to the budget.
Vern loves his nightclubs
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GRqYaSe1ko