A federal corruption probe and a developer charged with bribing
a county commissioner, who already resigned, admitting it;
all that plus drug dealing, nepotism, perjury, cronyism, and at
least one prison term,
in Gwinnett County.
This AJC story has a quote by VSU alumnus and current ADS rep.
Steve Edwards.

David Wickert wrote for the AJC 8 September 2012,

Widening probe stains Gwinnett reputation,

New details of a federal investigation paint a troubling picture of
corruption deeply embedded in Gwinnett County—allegations that
may undermine the county’s previously sterling reputation as an
economic dynamo.

Bribery allegations have now embroiled two county commissioners, a
planning commissioner and a zoning board member….

One of Lasseter’s first acts upon taking office in January 2009 was
to appoint Gary — a longtime friend — to the
Municipal-Gwinnett County Planning Commission, which would pass
judgment on his development plans, including the waste transfer
station off Winder Highway.

More dominoes in the federal corruption probe began falling last
week, when prosecutors filed a bribery charge against developer Mark
Gary. They say Gary paid Lasseter and Fanning $30,000 in casino
chips in 2009 for Lasseter’s vote for a waste transfer station Gary
wanted to develop. Gary is expected to plead guilty to the bribery
charge and is cooperating with investigators.

One of Lasseter’s first acts upon taking office in January 2009 was
to appoint Gary — a longtime friend — to the
Municipal-Gwinnett County Planning Commission, which would pass
judgment on his development plans, including the waste transfer
station off Winder Highway.

“I thought it was a conflict of interest, him being there and
having applications at the same time,” said Hastings, who
served on the commission with Gary. When the transfer station came
up for review, the planning commission was unable to make a
recommendation because Gary and two other commissioners abstained.

The Board of Commissioners approved the project 3-1 in April 2009,
though it was never built. Gary’s alleged payment to Lasseter and
Fanning came that June.

Another company, Advanced Disposal Services, tried and failed in
2004, 2006 and 2007 to win commission approval for waste transfer
stations the county’s planning staff supported.

But the company apparently lacked what Gary had: Close ties to
county commissioners.

“It’s almost like the people that abide by the rules and try
to do things the right way don’t win,” said Steve Edwards,
Advanced Disposal’s Georgia marketing manager. “The people
that bend the rules, they’re the ones that wind up winning.”

None of that could ever happen around here, right?

Let’s hope not:

Gwinnett’s fall from grace has been fast and dramatic….

Jeffrey Finkle, president of the International Economic Development
Council, said corruption can scare off business prospects if it’s
pervasive.

“I could point to small communities where you didn’t know
where you could find an honest official in town,” Finkle said.
“Those are the cities that are going to be routinely skipped
by everybody.”

One result was many county commissioners got voted out in Gwinnett County.
Hm, didn’t that happen here in Lowndes County after the County Commission
approved Sterling Chemical locating here?
The VDT reminded us of that

19 December 2010,

…citizens are tired of being told what’s best for them, having no
say so in how their tax dollars are spent, and having their concerns
ignored.

Why is the Lowndes County government
wasting taxpayer money suing a local business trying to put it out of
business for the benefit of a company owned by investors in New York City?
After

the VDT reported after last year’s County Commission Retreat that

Commissioners decided that getting out of the “trash
business” was best and that a non-exclusive agreement with
current curbside pickup companies (which about 12,000 citizens
already employ) would provide service without putting any people out
of business.

Maybe if the County Commission ever held public hearings before they
made decisions regarding closing their former waste collection sites,

as state law appears to require them to do,
maybe we the people and the taxpayers would know.
Since they didn’t, we may have to make up our minds anyway.

-jsq