Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Vernon Is Running....Maybe


Dekalb County CEO Vernon Jones is exploring running for U.S. Senate in 2008.

And I'm just not sure how the hell I feel about it. Back in 2003 as I drove over a pot-hole filled road I told a friend, "if that S.O.B Vernon doesn't get this damned road fixed I sure as hell won't vote for him again." A couple of months later the road was fixed.

Jones is an ego walking around in a suit. His has a prediliction for the rock star life, rules with an iron fist and enjoys picking fights with local media. But he has fixed the roads, improved the parks and generally kept the county on the rails. He's a bit Nixonian in his dichotomy.

Not long ago, Mel and Catherine of BfD asked me what I thought about the possibility of Vernon running. I responded, "In Dekalb we like our politicians a bit crazy, but..." and I couldn't finish the sentence. Well now I can.

In Dekalb we like our politicians a bit crazy. Just like any good southern family has a crazy aunt or uncle we all love. We just don't necessarily want them to wander outside so the neighbors can see just how crazy they are.
Photo courtesy of the AJC

2 comments:

Jen said...

Vernon is a disaster.

Anonymous said...

Disagree with your premise. He hasn't fixed many of the roads...needed a bond just to keep pace with regular maintenance, and he's pushing for a penny sale tax for roads.
Trust me, he heasn't fixed the parks. He's acquired greenspace, which was proposed back in a comprehensive plan in 1999, and big props to him for that, but the parks & rec. dept. is a mess as are most county parks.
And keeping the county "on its rails"? He has almost doubled the county budget in his tenure, while adding hidden fees like the stormwater fee to the water bill, allows a bunch of psuedo county "authorities" to issue multi-million dollar bonds without an iota of public transparency, and has to push for a $280 mil bond just to keep up.
And he doesn't blink that the county spends over a half-million for his bodyguard posse.
This so-caled "conservative Democrat" has spent in huge ways, but has been brilliant in masking the spending.

http://www.co.dekalb.ga.us/facility/funding.html
In 2003 $15 Million of Revenue BONDS were issued through the Building Authority for land acquisition and the first phase of design and construction in support of a new Juvenile Justice Center.
In 2005 $35.7 Million of Revenue BONDS were issued through the Building Authority to support the remaining construction phase of a new Juvenile Justice Center.
In 2004 $50 Million of Revenue BONDS were issued through the Public Safety and Judicial Facilities Authority to support the implementation of various public safety and judicial system projects.
In 2005 approximately $10 Million of Certificates of Participation were directed towards the renovation of the Courthouse to be accomplished through the Public Safety and Judicial Facilities Authority.
In 2006 $6 Million of 911 Funds were directed towards the construction of a new 911 Center to be accomplished through the Public Safety and Judicial Facilities Authority.