Tuesday, December 21, 2010

"That's Just The Way Things Are Done In Government"

These people really don't care about wasteful spending. Burrell Ellis spent $150,000. on furniture? And we were furloughed?

And they wonder why the county lost 5 million dollars through the ticket furlough.

Stan Watson, you sir are an ass! The people of DeKalb elected you. You are answerable to them. When you waste taxpayer money, you must answer for it.



Also see Before He Takes Office, Stan Watson Is No Friend

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ridiculous. Why would you allow any employee to buy anything from the County knowing that the replacement costs be significantly higher? The problem here is that as an elected official, he essentially answers to no one that he has been elected. Is there any voter who would have been ok with that kind of waste? That $11,000 could have gone to a million other places. How slimy do you have to be to allow that expenditure to go through?

Anonymous said...

You know...one day I may rise to the rank of Captain or higher and have a take home car. I may just want to purchase that car at a SUBSTANTIAL DISCOUNT! Heaven knows I'm gonna need transportation to and from the county job when I'm hired back as a contractor!

Corruption at it's best... Our President's home town, Chicago, has nothing on Dekalb!

Anonymous said...

Here's what's interesting: the Atlanta News community keeps reporting on the wasteful spending, shady deals, you-name-it committed by these elected officials - and, they don't even deny it anymore - they just shrug and say "that's how it has always been done." And THEN - they keep getting re-elected! I guess these thugs need to steal directly from the voters' homes before anyone takes notice. Breaks your heart...I'm sure that even as I type someone is trying to figure how to get to our pension. That reminds me - anyone get one of these ballots regarding the pension? Anyone know what that's all about?

Anonymous said...

Whats with this pension ballot? I didn't get one yet but be very careful what you vote for or against. Be very careful that you don't give the pension board or the BOC any more power over our pension.I agree with the previous poster, I bet the county is drooling all over their silk ties about how they can get to the pension to use it a and waste it.Dekalb officers, can you post the ballot and explain? Thanks

Anonymous said...

Damn...leave the damn county office furniture where it is and make the new guy use it. County tax dollars bought it, its four years old, why should the taxpayers spend $12k more for new furniture? Why should the outgoing commissioner get a deal of her county furniture anyway. This is supposed to be a government not a ROOMS TO GO anyway.It's a scam and a waste. Dekalb County needs a Tea Party riot to set these free loaders straight.Just think of all the scam crap they get away with that doesn't make the news. Every single Dekalb Co taxpayer should be mad as hell about this BS.

Anonymous said...

Crack is whack!

Sharod Abulshithead said...

Dont you moron county employees get it, the dumb ass Dekalb citizens dont care.
They voted them into office let them vote them out, we cannot do a damn thing to resolve the problem.
Sorry but they are only so many JD's in dekalb.
Not enough to change a damn thing.
If the citizens wont stand up for us, then why stand up for them.

Anonymous said...

Have you ever seen police precinct furniture- desks-chairs-file cabinets-and everything else is very old. I think some of it was bought in the early 90's. We have been able to survive on old used stuff.

Anonymous said...

Hell the more tax money they take in, the more they can spend on their own perks. They reward their friends with payoffs and positions.

Anonymous said...

I guess, much as us P.O.'s in the MM's, they don't want to sit in another persons farted up chair...

Anonymous said...

First of all Mrs. Gannon if 12-13,000k dosent seem like alot of money then please write me the check I could use it, you jack wagon.
And I can only hope that the office that Morris Williams was being intervied in wasent his.
Was I the only to notice the compltete disarray on the desk. No damn wonder the county is screwed up, he cant find his was out from the mounds of shit on his desk.
And look while im at it, Morris do us a favor and wipe the foam from the coner of your mouth. Thats how perps look when they are lying, they start foaming from the mouth as well you shit bird.

Anonymous said...

Please take this as constructive criticism from someone who admires what you're trying to do with this blog. You are doing a great service here, but you're your own worst enemy.

This post is a perfect example of how getting all emo is trashing your reputation. Decatur suits are blowing you off because you keep making obvious mistakes that make you look like a raving loon, even when you are right.

According to the news spot, Ellis spent $150,000 on transition costs IN TOTAL, not $150,000 just on his furniture. That's a big difference.

Worse, the guy you tee off on is NOT Watson. The guy being interviewed is Morris Williams, the Board chief of staff. Watson was not consulted about the furniture issue. The mistake is easy to make, given how heavily edited the TV spot is, but if you're going to trash someone, you really need to know who you're talking about. Williams is identified in both the TV spot and the associated article at http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=169058&provider=top

See, the thing is, you have great points to make. It IS outrageous that 4-year-old furniture is being sold at pennies on the dollar and new furniture being bought in replacement. It IS outrageous that Ellis' total transition costs from CEO-elect to CEO were $150,000 or anywhere NEAR that. And it's GREAT that you're providing another outlet for this information to get out.

But, it's pretty easy for people to blow you off when Burrell can just show that HIS furniture didn't cost anywhere near $150k and when you can't even correctly ID the people you're getting all emo over. It's easy for him to say "well, those guys over at Dekalb Officers Speak are just confused, and make mistakes all the time...heck, they don't even know the difference between Williams and Watson!"

As for Watson, it's not clear to me from the TV spot whether he thinks this is all OK or whether he's actually dismayed to find out that this is SOP for the county. The spot is heavily edited. I don't know Watson from Adam, and I don't like that he wouldn't answer the reporter at the beginning of the spot, but again, it's so heavily edited, who knows what came before he closed the SUV door on the reporter?

Again, you are doing a great service for your fellow officers and for the citizens of Dekalb by making us aware of these issues. But if you're going to trash someone, you need know who you're talking about. If you're going to get outraged, you need to know what you're outraged about. Otherwise, you lose credibility, and worse, so does everyone else who is rightly upset about the issue and tries to voice concern with the CEO and BOC.

Anonymous said...

Anon 10:15.......please proof your posting before hitting the "enter" key. I have no clue what you are trying to say!!!

Anonymous said...

I just got the pension ballot. Does anyone know anything about this????? The only thing that concerns me is the very last Amendment. Basically the pension board isn't allowed to invest our money in real estate loans. But they want to add a line that would allow them to if the loan is "issued by the United States Government or an agency thereof". Sounds like they want to use our pension to buy some kind of government securities made up of the failed mortgage loans the government has been buying up. Looks like our pension is going to be used to pay off the FED bailout of the mortgage business.

Anonymous said...

Be very careful with this pension ballot. It may be a way for them to use our pension to fund some more government BS. It may be a way for them to get at our pension through the back door disguising as an investment. IE the investment in the early retirement that we had no input into. We don't want to authorize these morons into bailing out any part of the government. Be careful...think about what you are voting for or against. I have not seen a ballot yet. I don't trust these jackasses as far as..well you know. Loflier what do you think?

Anonymous said...

They talk about budget cuts and less revenue, but look at all the spending they do everyday. They still waste money and their will be no end to this no matter who is on the BOC or CEO.

Anonymous said...

Wow! Is the new county attorney awake? Allowing a government official to purchase items, bought with taxpayers' funds, in a sale other than a published auction, well that might well be tap-dancing on the state law reqarding anti-gratuities! Has anyone noticed the fancy sign at the entrance to PDK? How much is it going to cost to remove Stokes' name and put Watson's? tsk, tsk, wasting further taxpayer dollars!

Anonymous said...

Hmmmmmm....it's okay for our BOC, etc. to buy county equipment, but repeatedly ruled against county policy for personnel to pitch in to buy an officer who is retiring after however many years of blood, sweat and tears their service weapon? That ruling has come from the county attorney's office. Not surprised, but what a double standard, and evidently against county policy. Not that THAT means anything anymore.

Anonymous said...

After reading the Crossroads article regarding an outgoing DeKalb County commissioner or judge or whoever else being able to purchase their county-purchased furniture for pennies on the dollar, I implore the citizens of DeKalb County to voice their opposition to this wasteful practice. None of the other major governments around us allow this practice and Cobb County makes it illegal. Which it should be.

As a detective, there is nothing wrong with me inheriting a vacated desk and car by an outgoing detective no matter what its age which I did. These items should only be replaced as it is deemed essential.

This is just more wasteful spending by the Bunch of Crooks Bankrupting Our County. Good for you Commissioner Gannon for realizing that this practice is waste and changing your previous tune of approval to opposition.