Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Fiscal Imbeciles

And some wonder why Dunwoody and Brookhaven seceded and others are planning to.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

They left because they want more government and they like paying county and city taxes.

Anonymous said...

At first I thought this was a old clip but it ain't! Guys this boat is sinking fast, update those resume's.

Anonymous said...

This is the video you chose to post only a few hours after we all learned Ellis was indicted??

Anonymous said...

Gannon said we need to examine all offices to see where to cut.....Lets start with the BOC and all those overpaid employees in the Maloof building. This place is a joke!!

But that won't happen. The cuts will be with the grunts of the county, the ones that actually do the work.

DeKalb Officers said...

Give it time Anon 9:37. The Burrell video is not ready yet.

Thanks for reading!

Anonymous said...

Kathie Gannon tells the citizens that services cost money! Hey Commissioner, you are correct but if the BOC had not waisted insane amounts of money over the past few years on building libraries, parks and non-essential services, then perhaps we would have the money for the raises and a lot more.

You know, I have never posted on the blog before but I am sick and tired of the County BS. Not just the BOC (I think is the main problem) but also with the citizens. I know there are good people in this county but lets take a quick look at what kind of educated (?) decisions they are making.

Re-elected CEO Burrell Ellis (Indicted today June 18th 2013)
Elected and in some cases re-elected the entire school board (all suspended)
That is just this year....

How about Vernon Jones? we are still living with the horrible mistakes and corruption that is his legacy. West Exchange Place buildings as one example.

Hell, when former Chief of Police Bill O’brien went before the BOC 2 years ago to ask for more money so that we could have another Police Academy (to fill all the vacancies for officers who left the department) and to ask about the holiday pay issue that only covers 8 hours per day, he told the BOC that police officers work 10 hours days.

I almost fell over when Commissioner Elaine Boyer stopped him in mid sentence and stated that she had been a Commissioner for 6 years in DeKalb County and did not know that police officers worked 10 hours shifts. She sounded so condescending and seemed to question the validity of the Chief’s claims.

But, was I really surprised? Nope, why should I be surprised that a County Commissioner is so clueless to the inner workings within the Police Department? We have over used police cars that are unsafe with well over 100,000 miles on them. We lowered our hiring standards so that we can put more bodies on the road. We have outdated software that was never designed to do what we need it to do. We have piss poor facilities and no real resilience for the essential services the County is required to provide the citizens with. Instead, its parks and libraries that get votes so that is where the money goes.

We Police Officers are not immune from blame. yes the vast majority are doing the best we can in a very, very bad situation; however, we bitch at every little thing. Perhaps its the results of not being heard for so long. From time to time, I will read this blog and there is some interesting views here, but i get so put off with the relentless bashing on each other and calling out names ( as if those people actually cared). Hell I even read a bitch about the new flash lights. Give me a Fucking brake! Its a great light, it cost you nothing, it cost the county nothing! Get over it and move on.

End Part One

Anonymous said...

Part Two
I started here over 15 years ago. Back then we were one of the best departments in the country. My God how far we have fallen.
Do none of the citizens in this County even question why we have had so many police officers leave the department? Do none of them question why so many municipalities have chosen to incorporate? Do none of them question why we build an insane Library that is hardly used on Klondike Rd (the very edge of the county) and have not given the police officers raises since 2006?

I make the same amount today that I did in 2006! Hell the National cost of living allowance is 4% per year. By that math I should at least be making 28% more and that’s without any type of pay raise. My contract with the County that I signed over 15 years ago said I was a salaried employee with a guaranteed minimum 3% increase per year. Well the raises stopped in 2006 and we started having to punch a time clock like some minimum wage flunky at a fast food chain.

Ok, so we have a new Police Chief and so far I have no real complaints about him, time will tell. But I do get the feeling that he wants whats best for us so I am hopeful. But truth be told the power to affect real change in this department is at the BOC. They control the budget, the tell the chief yes and no. This is a horrible situation, especially when they have not one clue as to how the department is run or how it should be run.

Citizens of DeKalb, more and more good cops will leave the county. More and more municipalities will leave the county. More and more revenue will leave the county, until you make a good decision for fiscal responsibility. A good decision for accountability. A good decision for you and your children.

Fire your current leaders and send them packing, they have done nothing for you except what they had to do to get your vote. Become active in your community, get your neighbors involved. Educate them and show up for meetings. Demand that the CEO (who ever that ends up being?) and the BOC stop the bull shit. Cut out the non essential crap and focus on the things that you can not live without. Police, Fire, EMS, Schools, Water, etc... Cut back on what you can. Do you really need trash pick up more than once a week? Do you really need the county to manage so much of your life?

Well thats my rant, I will go have a beer now and see where this goes if it does at all.

Anonymous said...

Kathie Gannon, what a hypocrite. The Board of Crooks has been riping this county off for decades. And Richard Stogner just unbelieveable that he is working for any government. This sorry DeKalb board of Crooks treats it's Public Servants just as bad as it treats its dogs.

The good employees of DeKalb County deserve better.

I guess the Governor will be making an announcement before long.


PatsQB said...

FYI... I've said this before, as a registered DeKalb voter there are no choices. The BOC and CEO had no one running against them. DeKalb voters had no other choices.

Anonymous said...

Anon 8:47 PM,

Check your facts before you make moronic comments. Residents of Dunwoody and Brookhaven have the lowest overall tax rates of anyone in the county, including the unincorporated areas.

If you are going to bitch at least take the time to be informed.

Anonymous said...

What happened to the richest county in the south. The county that everybody wanted to live in...the county with one of the best police departments in the country........Democrats !

Anonymous said...

When the county (Dekalb) doesn't care regarding its employees and its taxpayers, why would it care about anything? The only thing that this county cares about is those who have managed to get their hands on taxpayers money and Federal, State, and Local funds to line their own pockets and use the county job as a stepping stone to prop up their ego.

This all in all is nothing new and will not change anytime soon unless something major happens. It is a way of life that has been going on for many years, and as long as we (taxpayers and employees) keep on re-electing these idiots and thieves, nothing is going to change.

There is an old phrase: When a person with a large ego cannot make it in the private sector, he or she will run for public office. Many members of the Board of Crooks are just that. Once more thing......W. Burrell Ellis was a county commissioner a time back.

Anonymous said...

."however, we bitch at every little thing. Perhaps its the results of not being heard for so long."

This is the fact and for many, many years. This blog is the first and only vehicle that has ever allowed us to tell it like it is...it gets out of control sometimes but the reason is that the police know what has been going on here for many yeard and no one listened.

Anonymous said...

To 1029 and 1030...your "rant" should be an editorial in every newspaper in the metro area. Do it now while the subject is hot !

Anonymous said...

SHAME!

And this is why Ellenwood will be next to incorporate. Update those resumes yall.

http://reviveellenwood.com/revive_ellemwood_018.htm

Anonymous said...

They left because they are tired of paying all the taxes and getting none of the services.

Turns out that people who actually work for a living are willing to pay city taxes for city services.

When you live on the section 8 welfare plantation of south dekalb and pay little or no taxes you are content with the sub par services the crooks hand you.

LoFlyer said...

Some great thoughts expressed! I particularly appreciate Anon 10:30's opinion that many of us have been thinking for years. This blog was closely observed during the Bolton fiasco, but with the constant bitching and infighting that goes on, many lost interest in the DOS blog. The truly sad thing, as has been stated, many of the employees and directors know exactly what is wrong with the county and how to fix it.
With Ellis being charged with extortion, the conviction of ex-CEO Jones, perhaps now is the time to seriously reconsider DeKalb governments CEO form of government. There is little doubt the CEO form of government is a failure. Worse than that, it is a “black hole” of financial waste, a bloated, overpaid staff, and disgraceful or criminal ethics. I wrote to DeKalb delegation chairman Moseley on the issue and received no replay or acknowledgment. That is about what I expected, which kinda sux.
What really pissed me off is the coverage by metro-Atlanta journalists of DeKalb government. When a DeKalb scandal was reported, there rarely was follow up coverage by journalists.
One small example, when Vernon Jones and company was convicted in federal court of creating a hostile work environment, there was no follow up report about DeKalb government efforts to correct the issue. DeKalb's response was to eventually rehire Richard Stognar to his old position and pay the federal fines and a whopping five-fracken'-million dollars to pay for the worst legal defense ever devised by man or woman. No one was held accountable and nothing done about the issue.
My fracken' opinionated opinion,
KenC

Anonymous said...

Hey BOC...You want to save 8 million dollars? Cancel the construction of the 3 senior centers you voted to build. Once again, the employees are going to have to suck this up.

Anonymous said...


@June19, 2013 at 6:31AM
http://web.co.dekalb.ga.us/TaxCommissioner/pdf/Millage.pdf
tax rate for unincorporated 45.39 millage
Dunwoody is only 44 millage but the number is misleading because the city benefits from the self-taxing Perimeter CID (an additional 4 mills). They cover some public works and public safety cost that would have fallen on the city and probably would have required a hirer millage rate.
All other cities in the county have a higher tax rate than the unincorporated.
Actual dollars paid by citizens will be lower after the HOST is applied. Last year the unincorporated citizen received the most benefit from the HOST.
All rates are for 2012. Rates will be posted later this year for 2013 millage & HOST.

old warhorse said...

re;6:00. BULLSH*T? South-side may not be "getting a free ride",but they are getting all the money! Successfull citizen's are sick and tired of their tax money going south of 78. Although the majority of the crime in this county is south-side,there has never been any improvement in the communities,or business district's. AND,it "ain't" been for the lack of trying. These "big successfull stores" have all closed up because they have been shop-lifted out of business,fast food/restaurant's closed because they being robbed out of business,or are to unsanitary to eat in /shopping center's vacant/abandoned because shopper's are afraid to go there,especially at night.Dirty/inferior grocery store's/filthy convenience store's/gas station's. It's not even safe to go to a car wash! You are not even safe in your home,and you take your life in your own hand's when you leave, because of car jacking's/home invasion's/drive by shooting's/car theft's/bank robberies(don't even think about going to an a.t.m).Blighted/depressed neighborhood's/sub par school's,unsafe bus transportation for children because of unruly "thug" kid's,"thug" parent's fighting at school's/bus stop's/park's. Children having children(thug+thug=thug's).South-side(or Gresham Park ,as it was called back in the day)used to be one of the nicest section's of this entire county. Don't believe me? Take a look at Candler Rd.,Covington Hwy.,Memorial Dr.,compared with the past. Everybody that is anybody is either leaving,or starting their own cities. Don't blame the county, blame a large "portion" of the demographic's. I just feel sorry for the poor folk's,the elderly,and those that can't relocate ! IF YOU DO WHAT YOU'VE ALWAY'S DONE, YOU'LL GET WHAT YOU'VE ALWAY'S GOTTEN. I'm successfull because I got off my ass and worked and continually improved thing's for my family, and my community. NOBODY GAVE ME A DAMN THING !!! Just stating the cold hard fact's.

Anonymous said...

Very well said Old Warhorse!

I was born and raised in DeKalb and retired from the Police Dept and NOBODY there seems to want to remember how nice it really WAS years ago. Sure we all had to leave the county and commute long distances to come to work there for decades to raise our children in a safe place, but it was worth it to me because I love my children and there is no way I could let them grow up in that environment. Nobody ever gave me anything either.
Maybe the folks in DeKalb County are just idiots, and being used by criminals to get thier votes. But then, what good is a new library (etc) if you cannot read... Or maybe they just dont care about thier childrens safety....
One thing is for certain, only complete FOOLS would elect the kind of criminals that run the show in DEKALB COUNTY.

Anonymous said...

DeKalb Commissioner Elaine Boyer shows up late at BOC meeting today as usual. Then she is the only one to vote to destroy the Johns Family Property Treasures bought with DeKalb Green Space Park Bond monies. Thank God for the others, the New Animal Shelter will be at the citizen and Study Approved site at PDK Airport. As usual many citizens were denied their rights to speak by this crooked Board of Commissioners.

old warhorse said...

I hate to keep coming on here,but,JUST DAM'N!! REALLY??? Why in the hell doesn't the county utilize one of the hundred's of abandoned shopping center's,big box stores,or abandoned ware-house's? There are many vacant industrial area's,ideally located,plenty big enough,utilities,the whole shooting match(probably should'nt have said "shooting".DOH)!!sTHIS WOULD WORK GOOD/LAST LONG TIME,SERVING AS THE NEW HIGH SPEED/LOW DRAG A/C FACILITY! The county used the old abandoned Treasure Island,then re-abandoned Home Depot,right across the street from old 34 and the jail. Something like that was more than good enough for massive office space for those county services employee's! Guess it "just ain't" good enough for the down-trodden/discriminated against stray dog's and cat's that constantly roam the street's of this county. The "Old Ladies/Yuppie/Soccer Mom/Animal Strike Force evidently think's the stray's need a fricking 5***** hotel to be euthanized in. Hey,why doesn't the county just build a bigger one,on the same site as the old one? Why is it necessary to provide an area with a tranquil pond and greenery,to a bunch of "dead dog's and cat's walking"! If the O.L.Y.S.M.A.S.F.,is so worried about bull-sh*t like this,while the rest of the county services,and everything else is going down the shi**er,then why don't they go adopt all the son of a bitches,and take them to their fancy/smancy homes? JUST SHOOT THE SON OF A BITCHES LIKE WE USED TO. DAMMIT,just(3)three more and I would have been a quadpruple "animal at large ace" !! For GOD'S sake,O.L.Y.S.M.A.S.F.don't get your pantie's in a wad ! I was only joshing ! (STILL FRIENDS)??