MY BET IS THAT GREG Edwards will do the right thing in bringing criminal charges in the Albany downtown manager case.

I THINK THE STRATEGY will be to scapegoat Don Buie, get a little money from Lajuana Woods and then the Langstaff types can say “we fixed it.” Of course, they’ve learned nothing from the whole experience, but that’s not the point.

SOUNDS LIKE BUIE MAY get his but let’s not forget that throwing the book at Buie doesn’t/won’t resolve the issues that caused the discovery of Buie’s misdeeds in the first place. I guess it’s safe to say we’ve made a start but there is a long way to go. Except for Buie, every element of the downtown equation is exactly the same as it was when concerned citizens (not city/county employees, not elected officials, not board members) demanded accountability. The ADICA board should still resign, the $6 million bond should still be stopped, the entire gerrymandered TAD scheme should still be re-examined, City Manager Alfred Lott’s hiring practices should be evaluated, the City, County, an other government entities should still get out of the rental property business … the list goes on.

I WILL BE VERY surprised if any charges go beyond Don Buie alone. If you’re right, it will be a happy surprise.

HOPEFULLY, THERE WILL BE enough on Buie to convince him to sing. I’m waiting to see who else is under the covers.

WE WILL SOON FIND out how deep our good-ole’-boy system runs when we see if Mr. Edwards will take the evidence and use it to convict or lets yet another leach suck the life out of our city. One thing is for sure, Mr. Edwards should be aware that there are many that have begun to pay attention to our city’s well-being and we will all be watching for his decision.

SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN TO me why an 11-year-old had access to a gun and used it on an invader.

ESPECIALLY A .357-Magnum. He’s lucky he’s lucky he didn’t hurt himself shooting it.

TERRY HART, I KNOW it was a tough decision for you but as I said before, you are much too good for any Dougherty County office.

REGARDING TERRY HART’S withdrawal from the City Commission race: Albany has no future

IT JUST COMES DOWN to the mayoral election in 2011 or sooner if the present mayor resigns. Always has. Nothing major will change before then.

NOT QUITE. THE MAYOR is only one vote on the commission. Even a new, righteous mayor couldn’t change the tide necessarily. The commission needs a serious overhaul to really make a difference, the mayor’s removal being a key part of that overhaul, but only a part. In a “strong mayor” system, that mayoral power would have more impact and make a bigger difference from the get-go. But with the “weak mayor” system we currently have in place, the actual impact would be minimal.

I BELIEVE JUST ONE person on the commission or a mayor that would really honest-to God stand up and object to the actions of the others would make a world of difference. The press couldn’t ignore it and any local elected official can speak directly to the people through the local media any time they wish. For example how powerful would it be for a commissioner to exit a meeting and say, “I’m sorry that my colleagues voted to spend $6 million hard-earned tax dollars on downtown redevelopment even though they all acknowledge we don’t have a plan of any description”. If we had just one on the inside to shine a little light on the process I believe we’d see improvement. It’s true they may still control the vote but full disclosure makes casting the vote a bit more difficult. Wishful thinking …

AGREED, IT WOULD HELP. However, it remains to be seen how much news it actually makes, and how the local media portrays it. He/she will get labeled as obstructionist just for starters. It will get much worse than that before it’s over. While there are some damn good folks with the local media, there are a few who I just don’t trust to show it truthfully. Whether or not it ultimately changes things is still a matter for debate. That said, I’d love to have a chance to find out.

WITHIN ANY GROUP OF equally ranked people, persons will rise to position and exercise leadership or authority … call it group dynamics or team dynamics. Juries, sports teams, Animal Farm … it happens. The “mayor,” one vote or not, is given that mantle of authority. He gets invited to speak at events, etc. etc. he is THE MAYOR. He holds the gavel at commission meetings. Don’t underestimate the title and “running” the meeting. It has tremendous weight. And in the reality of this commission in this community, THE MAYOR does have sway.

YEA, THE CITY OFFICIALS were so eager to sweep this under the rug they FIRED THE guy, did a special audit of ADICA which they released to the public, as under the law they were obligated to do, and passed a resolution that makes ADICA board members work at the will and pleasure of the City Commission. Grow up and realize there is no conspiracy here. What exactly is everyone so ticked about, anyways?

THE CITY AUDIT MEANS nothing. The GBI’s audit is all that matters. The commission and mayor value their positions of power and had to act or be held accountable for doing absolutely nothing, which is what the mayor on the record preferred. If there was no conspiracy, why do you think the GBI thought it was worth looking into?