Common Cause Georgia panel discussion on ethics, hosted by Jim Walls, brings both Tea Party and Occupy leaders to the table.

Georgia Corruption Report

It is an undisputed fact that Jim Walls is the most trusted name in Atlanta news and I have deepest respect for him and the job he does on his Atlanta Unfiltered website. Investigative & watchdog journalism is his specialty and he may be the ultimate expert on legislative ethics in Georgia.

It is my distinct pleasure to invite you to a panel discussion being organized by Common Cause Georgia where Mr. Walls will be discussing the findings of the Corruption Risk Report Card (shown above) along with his detailed analysis with other panel members who are usually on polar opposites of the political spectrum, leaders of the Tea Party and Occupy movements. 

Please join me on Tuesday, May 22nd at 7 P.M.

Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Church
Fellowship Hall

471 Mt. Vernon Hwy.

Sandy Springs, GA 30328

Reception starts at 6:30 pm and discussion starts at 7:15pm.

Here’s the list of sponsors and speakers:

Panelists:

Jim Walls of Atlanta Unfiltered

Robert Feria of Occupy Atlanta

Either Debbie Dooley of the Tea Party Patriots or Julianne Thompson from the Atlanta Tea Party

Event Sponsors – Atlanta Tea Party Patriots, Common Cause Georgia, and Georgia Tea Party Patriots

Supporting Sponsors – Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation, Heneghan’s Dunwoody Blog, Jack Abramoff*, North Georgia 9-12 and Progressive Democrats of America (Georgia Chapter)

*Jack Abramoff, notorious lobbyist turned ethics crusader can not be in attendance but supports the event.

DeKalb Falcons in Sembler Stadium? Item may be up for discussion on Thursday in Doraville.

WSBTV News Clip

Monday night the Doraville City Council went into executive session specifically to discuss the possible acquisition of property. That same day the Georgia Supreme Court told DeKalb County’s development authority that it needs voter approval to sell bonds to pay off the debt on a new performing arts center. (See Atlanta Unfiltered.)

But the impact of the ruling could be much broader, subjecting virtually any bond issue by the authority to a public referendum. In a footnote on page 3, the court said a 2007 law requiring voter approval applies to bonds issued for “any new buildings or facilities or improvements to existing buildings or facilities.”

Since the cat is out of the bag with DeKalb County and others thinking of purchasing the GM plant in order to build a new football stadium for the "Doraville" Falcons, the Supreme Court ruling may have just thrown a wrench into their plans.

Thursday's town hall meeting on the future of the GM site is scheduled for Thursday evening at 6:30 pm at the Forest Fleming Arena, 3037 Pleasant Valley Drive, Doraville, GA 30340.

This land deal is by far the most important development project in the history of the City of Doraville and Council-member Bob Roche is so concerned over DeKalb Counties Plans that he has stated that if this happens that "Doraville might cease to exist"

High court: DeKalb voters must approve arts center bonds (Sembler & future GM purchase too?)

From the award winning blog by Jim Walls of Atlanta Unfiltered. (A daily must read.)

The Georgia Supreme Court told DeKalb County’s development authority Monday that it needs voter approval to sell bonds to pay off the debt on a new performing arts center.

But the impact of the ruling could be much broader, subjecting virtually any bond issue by the authority to a public referendum. In a footnote on page 3, the court said a 2007 law requiring voter approval applies to bonds issued for “any new buildings or facilities or improvements to existing buildings or facilities.”

That would include a controversial proposal, tabled in June, to help the Sembler Co. complete its Town of Brookhaven mixed-use project. Sembler had asked for a bond issue to pay for a $52 million property tax abatement, a deal that the DeKalb Board of Education and a majority of county commissioners opposed unless they were given a chance to vote on it.

The controversy flared up further over authority chairman Gene Walker’s role in the decision-making. Walker last year sought and won a seat on the DeKalb board of education, a race financed in part by more than $20,000 in political contributions by members and associates of the Sembler family. Walker has since resigned from the authority.

The high court ruled that the authority cannot sell bonds to pay off $4.3 million in debt on the new Porter Sanford III Performing Arts Center without voter approval. A DeKalb County judge refused to validate the bonds last year, siding with state Rep. Mike Jacobs, who had intervened to argue the authority would be violating the language of a law he sponsored unless there were a public referendum.

In his brief, Jacobs argued the law would not affect every transaction by the authority. But the court said a literal reading of the law shows it applies to virtually any bond issue that the agency might consider.

“What the Supreme Court is saying,” Jacobs said, “is that the referendum requirement as currently written also applies to any bond deal where the authority … is constructing new buildings or improving existing buildings, and that would include the private bond deals.”

Jacobs said he believes voter approval is necessary for some deals, such as so-called “backdoor general obligation” bond issues by the authority, whose members are all appointed by the DeKalb County Commission. In other cases, such as the proposed Sembler deal, he might support amending the law to only require approval by the county commission.

“In all cases, a body of elected officials would have to sign off on it,” he said.

DeKalb argued the law is unconstitutional because it only applies to one county and does not apply to any municipalities. The justices disagreed.