I'll add a new post with some new thoughts soon. In the meantime, enjoy!
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So the Newton County Board of Commissioners voted last night to reappoint William Thomas Craig, Esquire, as the County Attorney of Newton County for one more year. This was not unexpected, but yet it remains quite the mystery why the elected members of the Newton Co. BOC won't even look at trying to find ways to curb the excessive spending that is required for these legal services.
As was mentioned by a number of folks, these expenses are simply outrageous! And way out of line with what other counties of similar size spend on legal services. Hell, right here in Newton Co., we see the City of Covington, with a much higher budget, spending way, way less than Newton Co. does.
Why does this continue to happen? Was JC Henderson right? Has Tommy Craig been the county attorney for 38 years? I was thinking it was more like 25. Surely not 38. God help us if so; are we really that fucking stupid? Regardless, I think anyone that has an ounce of common sense would tell you that it's a very bad idea to have the same County Attorney for so long. It seems intuitive that it would breed conflicts of interest. Having a financial interest in things that aren't in the best interests of Newton Co.? Not a problem. He gets paid either way. If he messes up, as he's done many times over the years, he just gets more money to fix his own screw-ups. Jeez! Good work if you can get it, I guess. Speaking of JC, I hope Tommy Craig bought him some flowers before that meeting. I mean WOW! I think they might have to rate the video of Tuesday's BOC meeting now. Keith Ellis wasn't far behind. Nor was John Douglas or Levie Maddox. Sickening...
At least we had Nancy Shulz trying to fight the good fight. But then again, Craig's reappointment passed 5-0, so it's not like she really did a whole lot. But still, I appreciate her willingness to try to stand up for some fiscal sanity and respect for the citizenry. Over the years, I don't know how many times I've seen her fight and scrape for something that had no shot. Or how many times she's been willing to make a motion that needed to be made but for no one else to offer up a second. Or how many 4-1 votes there have been where she's the 1. Tell you what, sometimes I think she's the only one out of the bunch that has a set!
And now, time for a musical interlude. From the incomparable Elizabeth Cook:
Maybe the savior of Country Music. She's great, don't you think?
Anyway, back on point:
As some of y'all may know, I'm a big fan of UGA football. As some of you may also know, we recently lost our Offensive Coordinator, Mike Bobo, after he took the Head Coach position at Colorado State. I'm happy for Bobo. He deserves it. I've pretty much been a Bobo fan for almost 20 years. We're the same age and both attended UGA at the same time. I watched and appreciated his playing career and have since done the same with his coaching career. Despite coordinating the most prolific offenses ever in the history of UGA football, even up until his final game on the staff, Bobo was much maligned and very much a polarizing figure for the Bulldog Nation.
After he took the CSU job, I was sad to see him go but thought, as many others did, if this wasn't ultimately a good thing moving forward. You see, there had always been that rift in the DawgNation about Bobo. Didn't matter about the stats, data, or other info showing that he was a superb OC, there were those, a whole bunch of 'em, who didn't like him and were never going to like him. The rift was just too wide.
And then I think about the Newton Co. BOC. And how they've said time and time again that Wm Thomas Craig was just the greatest thing ever for Newton Co. How he was a genius. How he loved this place. How much money he had saved the county (which for all the tens of millions he's been paid, that would be great if he was able to save a bit here or there, ammaright?). The problem, though, is this: based on polls and just based on an honest feel for the public sentiment, upwards of 80 to 90% of Newton Co just isn't buying it. The popular sentiment is that Craig - making more than just about any County Attorney in Georgia to a tune of upwards of $1 Million per year, and having been in the same position for over a generation (maybe two?), and having multiple conflicts of interest, and, as was all but confirmed by the BOC last night, found to be the one literally RUNNING the county - IS. THE. PROBLEM. The rift just seems too wide.
So...with all that said, I think it's time for William Thomas Craig, metaphorically speaking, to take the Colorado State job already.
