Check out my articles in the Arts & Entertainment section under TV on Examiner.com/Atlanta

Stephen Anthony Campbell on Examiner.com

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Could This Be The Beginning Of The End For Circuit City?

A few weeks ago, Circuit City announced that it was closing over 100 of its store including all locations in Georgia. The company cited the ailing economy as the cause. Well I wish I could be one of those people that after hearing the news, their jaw drops and have such a surprised look on their face. Well I can honestly say that I’m not surprised, in fact I predicted the company’s downfall, but not because of current circumstances.

I’ve told this story it seems like hundreds of times, but I don’t mind doing it again. I only wish I had my blog around this time a year ago. Perhaps things would be different. Anyway… last Christmas I decided to treat myself to a new HD TV. Because I don’t believe in just walking in a store and buying the prettiest model I see, i did tons of research on brands, models and prices. After crunching all the info I decided that I would not buy just one, but two TV’s. When I bought my last two TV’s I paid nearly $2000. So when I decided to buy these new TV I was expecting to be paying around the same price. To my surprise the price had drop considerably, partly due to the demand but also because of the holiday discounting the stores do to move inventory. I quickly realized that for the price I was prepared to pay, I could buy two TV’s. My original intention was to buy an HD LCD TV for my den. But now I could also buy a TV for my new bedroom. So that is that was the plan I went with.

After careful research I choose two TV’s. They were two different brands, sizes and located at different stores. The TV for my den I decided to buy a Polaroid 42’ LCD TV from Circuit City. The best deal I could find for the size I wanted was on Circuit City’s website. So I bought the TV online would pick it up at the closest store. The Closest store to have the TV in stock was a 25 minute drive away. So by the time I was able to get to the store, they had already closed for the night. So I go the next evening to pick the TV up. By the time I get to the store the next night it’s already more than 27 hours since I originally ordered the TV and received email confirmation. So I go to where you are suppose to go, to present the confirmation number, ID, and method of payment verification. They tell me to go over to the merchandise pick up area. So I’m waiting over there for nearly 10 minutes, so I knock on the service window and ask about my TV. The lady that said they were trying to find a guy that was big enough to bring it out. So after another 6-7 minutes a guy emerges with the TV and helps me load it into my car. So after ordering the TV 27 hours ago, and waiting nearly 20 minutes, I believed that I was owed a gift card for waiting because of the Circuit City’s 24 minute guarantee. According to the store’s guarantee the time you wait in line inside the store is excluded from the 24 minutes. I waited nearly 20 minutes for my item to be brought out from the stockroom, when it should have already been ready to bring out. So I explain this to the manager on duty and they say no. You have to give them time to get the item. I countered, “That’s not what the guarantee states, if that were the case you would never be violating your guarantee.” So instead of arguing with the manger on duty, which turns out was only a supervisor, I decided to call the Store Manager the next day.

The next day comes and I call the store and ask to speak to the store manager, I’m told he’s not available but they were the Assistant manager. I tell her my complaint, and she says no problem. She gives me her name and tells me it won’t be a problem. So I’m happy that it’s resolved. The Assistant manager tells me to ask next time I’m at the store to get my $24 gift card. So a couple of days later I’m in the area and stop by and try to get my gift card. I’m told that the Assistant Manager I spoke with is off that day, and I would have to speak with her because no one knows about the situation. So I’m thinking ok, I’ll come back another day. I was kind of bummed in the fact that this store is 25-30 minutes away from where I live. I do not really want to make a special trip for the gift card. So I call the next time to see if she is there, and I speak with her to let her know I’m on the way, they she pulls a 360 on me. She totally changes her tune and says that she can’t issue me a gift card because of the incident. So I ask to speak with her manager, and he tells me the same thing. I get all the way to a regional manger that apologizes but doesn’t issue me a gift card. So At this point I’m pretty ticked. If it were not for the fact that the TV was so big, and I had a hard time getting it out of my midsize car, I would have taken it back. I was so mad; I came close to renting a truck or van just to return it. But I decided to exact my anger in telling people my story and not recommending Circuit City for anything.

You see my revenge is very satisfying to me. I’m the person that people I know go to ask recommendations on what to buy and where. So when I recommend brands or stores, I just don’t include Circuit City in my advice. So when people ask what about Circuit City or why I didn’t mention them, I explain what happened to me. I am happy to say that in the last year I’ve bought or helped people buy several thousand dollars worth of electronics. I’ve often joked about becoming an electronics personal shopper for people that are not tech savvy. My only concern with the downfall of Circuit City is the status of my extended warranty on the TV a purchased.

Circuit City shot itself in the foot a few years back. It put more emphasis on it’s spin off CarMax, that it allowed store like Best Buy and Wal-Mart to come up and take control of the market. They had to play catch up, like creating their tech repair unit fogdog after the successful launch of Best Buy’s Geek Squad. Sales have taken a nose dive for years, and the economy over the last few years did not help their position. Big box retailers still have not learned the basics of retaining customer loyalty. In this economy companies can’t afford to lose repeat customers. $24 dollar gift card in the long run is a small price to pay to retain a repeat customer. There isn’t much in Circuit City that one can buy for just $24, so pretty much any purchase made with the gift card will require additional money. That gift card would translate to additional purchases in Circuit City and another opportunity to sell even more merchandise. It’s a cliché, but it’s very true, a bad customer experience cost a company more customers as opposed to a good experience. People like to tell as many people that will listen to a bad experience, this blog entry as an example. I call it therapy for a frustrated consumer.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Georgia’s Senate Race Decided

The Georgia Senate race between incumbent Saxby Chambliss a Republican and Democratic challenger Jim Martin is finally over. Sen. Chambliss retained his seat by a clear majority. Chambliss beat Martin by receiving nearly 57% of the vote. Voter turnout for the race was about 20% of registered voters.

Both candidates put up a fierce 4 week long battle of campaign ads, big name speakers and of course the name calling and mud slinging that we have come to expect. Some of the Republican’s superstars came to Georgia to campaign for Saxby Chambliss such as Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Arizona Sen. And former Presidential candidate John McCain and for Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Jim Martin had Former President Bill Clinton and former Vice-President Al Gore come down and help his campaign. Martin had asked for the Democrats biggest star, President-Elect Barrack Obama. However it seems that the President-Elect wasn’t interested in making any kind of significant effort to help Jim Martin win the Georgia Senate seat and help the Democrats gain the so called “Super Majority”, 60 Senate seats that would make the democratic controlled senate filibuster proof. To his credit, President-Elect Obama did help Jim Martin’s campaign by recording a radio ad that was released the week before the run-off, robotic calls to residents to ask them to vote for Jim Martin, and he mailed out a postcard with “Happy Holidays” on it along with a picture of the Obama family.



I think that President-Elect Obama might as well make this mistake number one as the highest profile Democrat and as a leader. Let face it, the radio ads, postcards, and “robo” calls are all great, but making an appearance in Georgia would have been a 100 times more effective than all four combined. Georgia had record turnout for the Presidential election. Nearly a million and two-thirds fewer democrats voted in the runoff than the general election. The President-Elect could have taken a few hours at the beginning of the run-off campaign and towards the end to come down to Georgia and talk Jim Martin up, and help motivate people to go to the polls. I really believe that most people didn’t understand how crucial this election was to the democrats. Sure they heard all the spin on TV news show, but it’s different if the top Democrat himself, a superstar came down for the people to see and hear.

Barack Obama’s presence in Georgia would have been the extra boost needed to get people to the polls. People are still caught in the awe and excitement of his election. Having the President-Elect here campaigning for Jim Martin would one, tell people that the election isn’t over yet, two, that he cares about what happens in Georgia, three, that having a 60 seat in the Senate is so important it warrants’ his attention especially since it will help him make the changes he campaigned on. People clearly needed motivation to go to the polls for a run-off.

Recently the President-Elect revealed his choices for cabinet appointments, among them were current Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and former political opponent Hilary Clinton, nominated for Secretary of State. I think he made some great choices in people, however I don’t think it was very smart to pull an active and popular Senator from a seat that can be strangle defended by Hilary Clinton. But despite the difficult work he is obviously conducting in preparation for the transition of power, there isn’t any excuse why he couldn’t have hopped on a plane and come to Georgia for a few hours. As President-Elect he can be briefed or hold meetings anywhere he chooses. He has time to go to the gym for a couple of hours a day, he could have flown down and help win the Senate race in Georgia. I hope this doesn’t come back to hurt him politically in the future. He has such great plans; it would be a shame that his first mistake could affect the rest of his administration. Let’s hope it doesn’t.

Friday, November 14, 2008

You Can Call Him Mr. President!

On November 4, 2008 the world watched in suspense as votes across the country were tallied leading to Barack Obama’s historic win. The Senator from Illinois, was elected the nations first black President. Now more than a week later, reality has set in for most people and it’s not the total calamity that many of President-elect Obama’s opponents thought it would be.

President-Elect Obama seems to moving in a very rapid and smart manner. He has made the financial crisis a top priority. He has his transition team in place before the election to make sure they “hit the ground running”. He has been having regular meetings with his economic advisory board made up of people he trusts.

This new president has many challenges starting out, the financial crisis being at the top, also, a high unemployment rate, a $10 billion a month war and a country divided by a long and brutal election cycle. The best thing Barrack Obama can do, is make sure he retain the help of the very best when it comes to the economy, foreign policy and the war in Iraq.

The transition of power looks like it may be a smooth one. This week President and Mrs. Bush met with the Obama’s at the White House. President Bush has vowed to make the transition as easy as possible. I believe that he will work hard to make sure that the transition is seamless.

Now is the time for all Americans to unite and work together to get this country back on track. The election is over. The winners have been very sensitive and not gloating at their victory. They are reaching out to the opposition to help solve the nation’s big issues. To me, that what a President does, lead the entire nation and not just the party they belong to.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

The Comedy Of Politics


Everyone loves a good joke, especially if it’s at the expense of an elected official. For years politicians have been the source of material for the late night shows. Shows like “The Tonight Show”, “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “Saturday Night Live” are notorious for their political satire. It’s always a treat when the politician being poked fun at makes an appearance and can laugh at themselves. On Saturday night, Governor Sarah Palin did just that. Sarah Palin stopped by the “SNL” studios and made an appearance in a couple of sketches. Although she didn’t say very much, it was obvious she was having fun with it.



Over the years we’ve seen politicians that are often the bud of jokes on late night television make appearances. I remember President Bill Clinton playing the saxophone on “The Arsenio Hall Show”. Janet Reno made an appearance on “SNL” in 2001 and in 2002 Al Gore hosted the show. So why would politicians appear on shows that make fun of them? Well the answer has more to do with who’s watching those shows. Today, younger adults are getting their information from shows like “The Daily Show” or “The Colbert Report”. “Saturday Night Live’s” Weekend Update is so popular that they have a special Weekend Update on Thursdays. The candidates are always campaigning for votes; they want to win people over. So they go on these shows to look more human. People can watch and see that they are people too, and they can laugh at themselves. These shows have a huge followings. Sarah Palin’s appearance on “SNL” was the show’s highest rated episode in 14 years.

With less than 2 weeks until Election Day, we can expect the candidates to step up the campaigning until election night. So I’ll expect the jokes and the sketches to get even funnier as “E-Day” approaches. Although I love the sketches and jokes, my favorite form of political satire comes from Mike Luckovich, a national syndicated political cartoonist. I think his drawings are pretty right on!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Madonna Is Calling It “Quits”

Mega Pop Star Madonna is divorcing her husband of more than seven years Guy Ritchie, according to media reports. News came today that Madonna, considered the highest-earning female singer has given up efforts to save her stained marriage. The couple has one child together seven-year-old Rocco, along with a three-year-old adoptive son from Malawi.

Rumors of divorce have been circulating for months now. Madonna has been linked by the media to A-Rod. She’s even been spotted at his games. She has maintained that she and the Alex Rodriguez are just friends. Friends or more than just friends, it would appear that Madonna is now free to publicly pursue a relationship with Rodriguez if she chooses to do so.


Madonna is believed to be worth more than $500 million dollars. With that kind of money at stake, its no wonder that she has enlisted the legal services of Fiona "Steel Magnolia" Shackleton, she is a high profile divorce lawyer that handled Paul McCartney’s divorce from Heather Mills. It’s being reported that the couple did not have a prenuptial agreement, so Ritchie could walk away with more than $100 million dollars.

Madonna’s marriage joins a long list of celebrity couples calling it quits. It really says a lot when this country is facing dire financial times and Madonna’s marriage is considered more noteworthy one news websites than the presidential debates or the economic bailout plan. You have to wonder what this world is coming to.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Markets Rebound, Cash or Credit

After one of the worst week in Wall Street history, the Dow rebounded with a gain of more than 936 points. We are finally getting some good news from Wall Street. The rebound is believed to be a reaction to news that several central banks from around the world including the Federal Reserve will be giving banks that are in turmoil short term funding. The thinking is that by infusing the banks with cash, it will help thaw the frozen credit markets.

Speaking of credit, it has become very difficult if not impossible for people to obtain mortgages or auto financing during this financial crisis. Banks are very skittish at the moment. You know its bad when banks are afraid of lending to other banks. I’m sure everyone is watching and waiting to see if the government’s $700 billion bailout plan will make a difference.




I remember when I was a kid, not many families had credit cards. Credit was for the rich. Back in the day, we use to have a cash market. If you needed a new refrigerator or a new mattress you paid in cash. Credit wasn’t so easy to get back in those days especially for minorities. If you didn’t have the money for something you needed and didn’t have credit, there was this great program that was very popular called “layaway”. With layaway, customers could pick the items they wanted, have a store put it aside with a deposit, usually anywhere from 10-25%. The customer would then be able to make small scheduled payments on the item until it was paid for and then could take possession on it. I can remember lots of stores that had layaway, Lionel Play World, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, J.C. Penny and Sears. Now, you would be hard pressed to find a store that has a layaway plan.



In today’s troubled times, the middle class needs layaway now, more than ever. Perhaps we are going to learn a lesson from the financial crisis and move back to a predominantly cash market. We will buy only what we can afford. We will buy the cars that match our bank accounts and not our personalities. We will no longer be the fast food society of “I want what I want, When I want It.” I think if anything should be learned from this is we need to live our wage and not above it.


Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Tyler Perry Has The Golden Touch


It seems that everything Tyler Perry touches turns to gold. The successful director and Atlanta resident just formally opened a 30-acre multi-million dollar facility that will be the new home to his production company Tyler Perry Studios. The studio is located near Greenbriar Mall where the lot of the old Delta building once stood.

The studio located in the Southwest side of Atlanta is reported to be over 200,000 square feet of office and studio space. It contains several sound stages, a 300 seat screening room and will be used to produce episodes of the TBS sitcom, “House of Payne”. Perry named the four of five sound stages after legendary entertainers Ruby Dee, Cicely Tyson, Quincy Jones and Sidney Poitier.




Most people would think a man of Tyler Perry’s success would choose Hollywood to build a studio. But it’s very clear that Mr. Perry is making a major commitment to Atlanta. Tyler Perry received a lot of praise from celebrities such as Hank Aaron, Sidney Poitier and Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Jackson, for opening a facility in Southwest Atlanta. Attending the grand opening of Tyler Perry’s new studio was a guest list that included Hollywood legends and young up and coming stars.

During the grand opening festivities a group of protesters demonstrated near the studio. Four writers for the sitcom “House of Payne”, were fired earlier in the week. The protesters were wearing t-shirts with the WGA (Writer’s Guild of America) on them and held signs saying “Perry Has No Shame”. Its reported that fired writers were pushing for unionization.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Victor Hill Losses Case In Federal Court



Controversial Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill has been order to pay $475,000 in damages stemming from an arrest in 2005. When Victor Hill took office in 2005, one the first things he did as sheriff was fire a couple dozen or more sheriff’s employees. The brother of the man Hill beat during the election, Mark Tuggle called Sheriff Hill’s office and left angry messages about the firings and demanded a meeting. The sheriff then had Tuggle arrested for making harassing calls. Tuggle was held nearly 30 hours.

Mark Tuggle decided to fight back and filed a Federal lawsuit against Victor Hill. In his lawsuit Tuggle alleged that Victor Hill violated his civil rights, the First and fourth amendments and the Sheriff maliciously prosecuted him. The jury found in favor of Tuggle on two of the three charges. The jury did not find Victor Hill guilty of malicious prosecution.

Mark Tuggle sued Victor Hill as Sheriff and as an individual; Clayton County may have to pick up some of the cost for the civil judgment. The judge has yet to determine how much Hill will have to pay in Tuggle’s attorney’s fees.

It’s kind of ironic and somewhat funny that Victor Hill was sued and lost over an incident that started at very beginning of his term as sheriff. Now that we are at the end of his term, his bullying has come back to bite him in the “you know where”. It’s just another in a long line of things that the Clayton County Taxpayers will have to pay for because of the sheriff.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Governor Sonny Purdue started an investigation to determine if Victor Hill has abandoned his post. It’s been speculated that Hill has been MIA since he lost his attempt at re-election in the August run-off. His staff insists that those reports are not true. The Governor has charged Harris County’s Sheriff Mike Jolley, Butts County’s Sheriff Gene Pope, and Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker to investigate the allegations.

Friday, October 3, 2008

The Atlanta Gas Crunch : The Good, The Bad And Just Plain Ugly

The gas situation seems to be getting better. Earlier this week Quick Trip (QT) vowed to has gas at 100% of its stations by Tuesday, and it looks like that kept that promise. Gas is flowing much better in Atlanta now. Stations that were without has for the longest time now have open pumps. Things are starting to get better, and it’s about time.



Last weekend was pretty rough for motorists. The Georgia vs. Alabama game was Saturday, and hundreds flocked to Athens for the festivities. Out-of-towners were warned not to come to Georgia if they lived more than half a gas tank away because gas was scarce. Law enforcement in the Athens area said that they would be towing cars out of gas to make sure that the street remained clear of obstructions.

So amid the activity going on that weekend, I went to Wal-Mart with my uncle to pick up a prescription. He said that he needed to get gas, and I knew that that particular Wal-Mart had gas earlier that afternoon. So about halfway to the Wal-Mart we run out of gas. I was a little shocked, its been a very long time since I’ve been stuck on the side of the road with no gas. I knew that there was a CitGo gas station about a mile ahead. So my uncle decided to go for gas. On his way to the station, a man in a pick-up truck saw the car the car on the side of the road out of gas and my uncle walking and decided to give him a lift. The man happened to have two gas cans in his truck of gas and offered to give us enough to make it to the gas station. The man just happened to be headed to put gas in his work truck as well.

The man followed us to the Wal-Mart, and my uncle told him he would re-fill the gas can. So when we get to Wal-Mart there is a line of about 20 cars on each side of the station. It took us about 20 minutes or so to get to the front of the line. We finally became the third car waiting to pull up to a pump, when a man in a car speeds around every one in line and pulls behind a car about to pull away from the pump. I was in total disbelief. This guy couldn’t help but see a long line of people waiting their turn for gas. Was surprised me even more was that the guy that would have been next in line, didn’t really budge. The women in the car ahead of us got out of the car to confront the line breaker. She went over to the guy, and asked him “what did he think he was doing”, but she used some language that I would rather not repeat. He muttered something like he was out of gas, and needed it now. They started arguing at the pump. There was a man riding in the car with the woman, he went inside and told the cashier what happened. The cashier came out and asked the man to leave the pump and wait in line like everyone else or they would be forced to call the police. The man acted like his need for gas was far greater than everyone else’s need. The police were called and made the man leave. We got our gas. Amazingly the man that lent us gas to make it to the station refused us paying him back. He wouldn’t let us give him money or allow us to fill his gas can back up. That was really generous of him. I know that his kindness will be rewarded 10 fold down the line.

This incident reminded me that people are just people. Situations bring out the very best in some people and also bring out the worst in others. During this whole gas shortage I’ve seen people act aggressive trying to get gas, be very generous and helpful, and just outright mean. Life is just too short to bicker and argue especially over gasoline.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Need to Get Away??

If you having been saving to get away from the everyday, now may be a good time to go, that is if you have the dough. I’ve been flooded with sales and deals for travel. Although the economy is taking a plunge, there are some great opportunities to get away if you can spare the cash. I’ve found deals at hotels in Las Vegas, and deals and sales from Delta Airlines, Hotwire.com, and NorthWest Airlines.

I got a notice that
Delta is having a sale on flights from Atlanta, Boston, & New York. Fares range from $69 up to $149. The destinations are pretty much across the board. The cities offered are:

Akron,OH - Minneapolis/St Paul, MN
Baltimore, MD -Moline-Quad Cities, IL
Bloomington, IL - New Orleans, LA
Buffalo, NY - New York-Kennedy, NY
Charleston, SC - New York-La Guardia, NY
Chicago-Midway, IL - Newport News, VA
Chicago-Ohare, IL - Orlando, FL
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX - Pensacola, FL
Dayton, OH - West Palm Beach, FL
Denver, CO - Philadelphia, PA
Detroit MI - Phoenix, AZ
Flint, MI - Pittsburgh, PA
Fort Lauderdale, FL - Raleigh/Durham, NC
Fort Myers, FL - Richmond, VA
Gulfport, MS - Rochester, NY
Houston-Bush , TX - San Antonio, TX
Houston-Hobby, TX - San Francisco, CA
Indianapolis, IN - Sarasota, FL
Jacksonville, FL - St. Louis, MO
Kansas City, MO - Tampa, FL
Los Angeles, CA - Washington-Dulles, DC
Las Vegas, NV - Washington-Reagan National
Memphis, TN - White Plains, NY
Miami, FL - Wichita, KS
Milwaukee, WI

I thought it was a pretty good deal. I trip from Atlanta to New York, any airport s on $99 one way. It would be great if you want to buy now and fly later. The fares have a 10 advance purchase and have to be used by January 30, 2008.
Delta’s sale on fares ends on October 31, 2008 so hurry if you want to take advantage.

I was checking out prices at the
Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, and they have several days during the week where the room rate is under $80 a night. That is pretty good deal for that hotel. Typically prices are much cheaper during the off-season and especially during the week. I recommend checking the prices at the hotel’s website and then compare them to the discount travel services like Cheapoair.com, Hotwire.com and Priceline.com. Hotels will have promotions from time to time, but the best deals are likely to be found on the discount services, if the hotel isn’t running a special.

Hotwire.com has deals on Vegas hotels as low as $32 a night. They also are advertising deals on flights on United Airlines and hotels in Florida. You can sign up to their travel ticker and they will email you new deals as they become available.

NorthWest Airlines is over a promotion running now on cruises. Just in time as the cold weather moves in, you can take a vacation to a nice an toasty destination. NorthWest is offering, for every dollar you spend you receive a WorldPerks bonus mile (NorthWest frequent flier program.) NorthWest is offering deals on cruises on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean cruise lines. Cruises on Celebrity start at $299 and a free on-board credit. Royal Caribbean cruises start at $399 and also include a free on-board credit. Both cruise purchases earn WorldPerks miles.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Lithonia Mayor Joyce McKibben Is Voted Out 166 to 47

A special election was held on Tuesday, at issue to recall Lithonia’s Mayor. In a vote nearly 3 to 1, residents sent the embattled Mayor packing. 166 votes ousted Joyce McKibben. The Mayor has been the subject of media reports for months, first after she tried unsuccessfully to fire the city’s police chief. Then there was a period of infighting with the city council. And then there were also those now infamous skirmishes with Lithonia police over computers and access to city hall among other things.

The latest part of this saga was the mayor tried to have a concert promoter prosecuted for making threats against her. That case was dismissed. Ironically that concert promoter was part of an effort to recall the mayor. Lithonia has been in the news for weeks now; I don’t expect this to be over. Mayor McKibben hinted in an interview with local news reporters that she wasn’t going quietly.

Only 20% of registered voters in Lithonia voted in the special election. Now the door opens for new candidates to run for the now vacant office. Mayor McKibben can run again if she chooses to do so. Whoever runs and wins this election, they may still face the same resistance. Although I don’t agree with how Joyce McKibben went about cleaning up city hall, I admit it did need some cleaning. The police chief I think was out of line a number of times, especially with the issues over gas cards and hiring. Also, no matter what powers the city charter gives the mayor, she is still the mayor and deserves respect from city employees.


I also take issue with how members of the city council have acted. Instead of trying to reach a compromise they have resorted to petty bickering. Changing the locks on the building, having employees arrested, and directing police to harass the mayor, and someone altered the city’s website removing the title of mayor from Joyce McKibben’s name, all of this was unnecessary. They should have taken the higher road. On the news tonight a member of the city council, Kathleen deCocq was just overjoyed and very excited about the 166 to 47 vote. She should have just made a simple statement and let it go. It just made this whole process look like a big school yard fight.

I think the Mayor has good intentions, and that she may be right on several things. But personalities, lack of tact and perhaps bad judgment help get us to this point. The real looser in this is the residents of Lithonia. Let’s not forget this is the city that had to ground its city vehicles because it couldn’t afford to pay the auto insurance. The city has had some major problems these past few years. Someone needed to go in and make a change in the way things were done. Perhaps that person isn’t Joyce McKibben, but I do think that someone needs to at least investigate some of her claims, if not only to give residents piece of mind.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Wall Street Bailout Bill Fails and Wall Street Tumbles

The $700 Billion Bailout Bill Fails and Wall Street Has Record Fall.

Today Congress voted on the President’s $700 billion Wall Street bailout bill. It was supposed to help stabilize the economy and calm investor’s anxieties over the banking crisis. The bill failed to pass. Over 60% of Republicans voted no to the bill. No Both Democrats and Republicans are blaming each other for the failure. The republicans blame Nancy Pelosi’s partisan speech for them turning against the plan. Democrats say that Republicans didn’t support a plan created by the leaders of their own party.


One of the biggest obstacles for this bill, Democrats were afraid that if they voted for this bill, and Republicans turned against it, that Republicans would use it against Democrats in the November elections. It may appear that Democrats had reason to worry. But a new problem has popped up just as Congress prepared to vote today. Wall Street took a huge dive.



The Dow dropped down to -777 points, the largest point drop in history. The markets started to drop before the vote and continued afterwards. Only making today’s failure to pass the bailout that much more bitter. Washington politicians are going to have to regroup and agree on something. The situation is getting worst.


Today it was announced that Wachovia would sell its banking services to Citigroup. Wachovia was saved from collapse because if its large interest in real estate by Citigroup. Citigroup will pay more than $2 billion for Wachovia’s banking operations. The deal was made just hours before Congress was to vote on the Wall Street bailout. What’s going to happen next? Will another major financial institution collapse?


With our markets on life support right now, our country is particularly vulnerable right now. If we are not careful and stay on top of what is happening on Wall Street, I fear that if there were any type of terrorist attack even on a small scale, it could mean disaster for the country. The finger pointing on Capital Hill needs to stop, and lawmakers need to get back to the table and find a way to help the country’s financial system before it’s too late to anything.



See how Congress voted on the failed bill

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Atlanta's Gas Crunch

Most of Metro Atlanta’s motorists are feeling the gas crunch. Atlanta is experiencing a gas shortage that some compare to the 1970’s. Only this time people are confident that the gas supply will get back to normal much sooner. But as more and more stations run dry, people are playing musical gas stations trying to get fuel before their gauges hit “EMPTY.”

There are a lot of people pointing the finger, saying that the Governor didn’t have a plan and knew something like this could happen. One good thing is that the Gov, has asked the Environmental Protection Agency, to relax the rules for special fuel for the Atlanta area until the supplies stabilize. That will mean we will get gas from sources that we normally couldn’t use. That way we get gas in Atlanta, faster.


As we wait the situation out, people are obviously frustrated and its showing. I’ve herd on the news of police being called to stations that do have gas because of customer fights. I’ve seen something similar first hand. I was at a Quick Trip gas station in Dekalb County, and there were people screaming out the window. The lot of the station was just chaos. The station I was at wasn’t fortunate enough to have an employee outside directing cars like I saw on the news. We sure could have used one though, people were lined up in all kinds of ways trying to get to a pump. It almost seemed like the people waiting in line had their own rules for getting gas at this station. People that had pumped gas were blocked from getting out of the lot because people had started lines to try to force their way into the lines coming from the street. It was every car for itself. Well I’ll just end by saying it was a very tense situation. I pumped my gas and got out as fast as I could.

I think we should wait until this shortage is over before we start pointing the finger at who may or not be at fault for this. Perhaps Atlantans can punish those they hold responsible at the voting box this November.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

60th Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards

It’s not just another awards show, but is the only awards show I'll watch from beginning to end. The 60th Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards, broadcast live from the NOKIA Theatre in Los Angeles. The show airs live on ABC. The ceremony recognizes the best of prime time television. 2008 marks the first year that the Television Academy will recognize reality TV hosts. TV viewers can go to a special website and view a collection of videos of the nominated hosts of prime time’s reality TV. The videos contain interesting facts about the nominees.

Tonight’s show opened with daytime talk show queen, Oprah Winfrey. Oprah introduced the reality TV show hosts, Tom Bergeron, Heidi Klum, Jeff Probsts, Ryan Seacrest and Howie Mandel.

And the Winners are……

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
The winner is…….
Jeremy Piven
My pick: Jeremy Piven. Piven is a great actor and as Ari, he makes the show!


Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
And the winner is…….
Jean Smart
My pick: Amy Poehler…. I always look forward to seeing her on SNL, but especially after she took over hosting duties at weekend update….. and she’s way funnier than Jimmy Fallon ever was.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
And the winner is…….
Zeljko Ivanek
My pick: Is a tie: William Shatner is roll on the floor and down the stairs funny. The shenanigans his character pulls on “Boston Legal” are so outrageous, but somehow we manager to still love him at the end, that’s talent!
Also Ted Danson’s performance as the complicated bad guy in “Damages” is simply awesome. He makes playing ruthless look easy.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
And the winner is…….
Dianne Wiest
My pick: Chandra Wilson, has a huge presence on screen. It’s no wonder she was a “Grey’s Anatomy” breakout star. Her character is brutally hard on the doctors, and yet she leaves us seeing her as a mother figure.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
And the winner is…….
Laura Linney
My pick: Phylicia Rashad, a superb actress, that I miss dearly from network TV. She always gives a memorable performance that you just want more of.

Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series
And the winner is…….
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
My pick: Saturday Night Live, the hsow is always funny, Live and unpredictable. The sketches are always timely and really makes you laugh and sometimes make you think.

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series
And the winner is…….
Tina Fey won the award for the episode “Cooter” on 30 Rock. Tina Fey is a great writer, she did wonders for SNL.

Outstanding Made For Television Movie
And the winner is…….
Recount
My pick: A Raisin In The Sun, I thought was a wonderful movie, the kind of movie that you don’t see enough of on the major networks.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
And the winner is…….
Tom Wilkinson
My pick: Denis Leary, I can’t get enough of this guy. He’s funny even when he’s not trying to be. Denis Leary is a great actor and has real talent.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
And the winner is…….
Dame Eileen Atkins
My pick: Audra McDonald, an amazing talent on screen and in the theater. Its always great to see one of her performances.

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
And the winner is…….
The Amazing Race
My pick: Top Chef, never has watching TV looked so good. The food and the food is just mouth watering. Never a reason to wonder what to cook for dinner when Top Chef is on.

Outstanding Miniseries
And the winner is…….
John Adams
My pick: A tie between Tin Man and The Andromeda Strain. Both are modern takes of classic movies. Andromeda Strain merges science with sci-fi to make a chilling and somewhat believable scenario. Tin Man is a modern update of one of America’s most memorable movie.

Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety Or Music Program
And the winner is…….
Don Rickles
My pick: Don Rickles, I’ve been a fan of Don Rickles ever since he insulted me on live TV some 15 years ago. I was just a kid then, and it was funny as heck. The guy is never boring, and can come up with stuff fast. Go Don!

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series
And the winner is…….
Glynn Turman
My pick: Robin Williams as a sicko on Law & Order SVU, the guy has a talent for playing disturbed charaters. An he does it brilliantly.

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
And the winner is…….
Cynthia Nixon
My pick: Cynthia Nixon, nothing better on Law 7 Order when you don’t see the twists coming. Cynthia Nixon, played her role like no one else.

Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series
And the winner is…….
Mad Men • Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Pilot)
My pick: The final seasons of Battlestar Galactica and The Wire. The Wire is a show that never received the awards and acknowledgement it deserved. Battlestar Galactica is a show that has kept us guessing from the TV miniseries to the regular series, always has a surprise for the audience.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
And the winner is…….
Paul Giamatti
My pick Paul Giamatti, an excellent performer.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
And the winner is…….
Alec Baldwin
My pick Alec Baldwin. Alec Baldwin is a great actor in 30 Rock. He really compliments Tina Fey.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Sally Field as Nora Holden-Walker, Brothers & Sisters • ABC

Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson, The Closer • TNT

Glenn Close as Patty Hewes, Damages • FX Networks

Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Holly Hunter as Grace Hanadarko, Saving Grace • TNT


And the winner is…….
Glenn Close
My pick: all of them, they all play complicated and powerful women. They command your attention on each of their shows. It’s hard to pick a favorite.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
And the winner is…….
Bryan Cranston
My pick: James Spader , Boston Legal is a great dramady and James Spader keeps us laughing, and delves into social issues in a refreshing way.


Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
And the winner is…….
Tina Fey
My pick Tina Fey, I’m a big fan, so is it any wonder she won again.

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
And the winner is…….
Jeff Probst
My pick: Howie Mandel or Jeff Probst. Survivor being a survivor in reality TV, no wonder Jeff Probst won.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO

Entourage • HBO

The Office • NBC

30 Rock • NBC

Two And A Half Men • CBS

And the winner is…….
30 Rock
My pick: 30 Rock and Entouarge two of the best shows on TV.


Outstanding Drama Series

Boston Legal • ABC

Damages • FX Networks

Dexter • Showtime

House • FOX

Lost • ABC

Mad Men • AMC

And the winner is…….
Mad Men
My pick: Damages, a complex and suspenseful drama that is a real gem on TV.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

We Finally Hear From Gov. Palin Herself

Well it finally happened, the interview with Alaska’s Governor Palin. Charles Gibson’s interview with John McCain’s running mate was the first of several interviews to air. I now know why it took them so long before they let her sit down with reporters. I wasn’t impressed with her answers. Charles Gibson and even the women from “The View” having interview John & Cindy McCain, have gotten criticism for the questions they asked. First off these people are running for the most powerful position in this country, not the PTA. They need to be asked the hard questions. They may not like the questions, but the people want the answers to them.

Governor Sarah Palin certainly has the republicans party fired up, but what concerns me is how she downplays the state of economy. Just days after the interview aired, Wall Street stumbled. The markets went down, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, insurance giant AIG is in trouble and Merrill Lynch has been sold to Bank of America. What is the “appropriate role of government”? I would think it would be to help stabilize the American financial system?

Gov. Palin told
Charles Gibson that “our economy is weak right now.” I think weak would be an understatement. She says that Government should play an appropriate role, but what exactly will that role be. John McCain has flip-flopped on the issue of government bailing out Wall Street. McCain said that government shouldn’t get into the mess that irresponsible Wall Street executives made. But after the Fed announced an $85 billion dollar bailout of AIG, McCain’s tune changed to sound a lot like that of the White House.




Even with the bailout of AIG, Wall Street reacted to the news, and the markets took another tumble. The economy is more than just weak, it’s a disaster. Banks are struggling to stay afloat. Rumors are floating that Washington Mutual is up for sale. I call it homemade financial terrorism. The Housing market and sub-prime mortgages burst, now banks, insurance, stocks are falling.

All before now McCain has been saying that the market will correct itself and now action is needed. But I disagree. The numbers speak for itself, unemployment is up and don’t forget the number of people that have exhausted their unemployment benefits and not found jobs. They almost never get included in the figures which would make the unemployment rate significantly higher than those announced by the government. Homeowners across the country are on the brink foreclosure.

AIG’s bailout, whether we agree with it or not was done with taxpayer money. So if AIG is getting bailed out, I think struggling taxpayers deserve a bailout as well. If Sarah Palin’s interview is any indication of what’s ahead if she is VP, then I’m pretty concerned.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Remembering September 11

Today is the seventh anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the worst act of terrorism on US soil. People all over the country are commemorating the tragedy and remembering those who lost their lives that day. While we remember that day in September, I think we should also remember what lead up to those events and ask ourselves are we any safer? Lapses in intelligence allowed the hijackers to get as far as they did. Lapses in intelligence lead us to war with a country that had nothing to do with the attacks. Today we are still relying on intelligence to keep us safe. Is it working, are we safer? I can’t say. We haven’t had another attack since then.

Seven years after The Towers fell, Osama Bin Laden is still at large, but Saddam Hussein is dead. Recently there was news that the Al Qaeda leader in Pakistan was killed. But still no sight of Bin Laden. It seems like the current administration took a detour in the hunt for Bin Laden. A detour, that sent us to Iraq. Are we safe because of the actions of our government? I want to say yes, but I have to question that. We have put so many resources into stabilizing Iraq; I want to know what resources have been allocated to capturing Bin Laden?

It really makes me wonder, being the world’s superpower, having the best and most technologically advanced military in the world, what’s going on? The next President needs to listen to advice of the trained and experienced military leaders. We need to find Bin Laden, secure our boarders and make sure we have dependable human intelligence to help keep us safe. At this point I’m not sure if the government has kept us safe, or just pure luck there hasn’t been another attack.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Gov. Sarah Palin Finally Does Interviews


We will finally get to see an interview with Sarah Palin, the republican nominee for Vice President. The McCain campaign hasn’t made her available for interviews since it was announced that she was McCain’s running mate. After all the attacks on her about her daughter to lack of experience, I would have expected to come out swinging with a whirlwind of interviews. That didn’t happen, so now it gets me to wondering.

Did John McCain really know about the Bristol Palin’s pregnancy? It would seem with all the delay in making her available to reporters that they have something to hide. Perhaps more than we even know. Perhaps they are giving her an intensive prepping so she will be ready to face the media.

It seemed clear to me and most other people that saw her at the RNC, that she is more than capable of holding her own in an interview. So why the wait? If anything whatever positive effects Sarah Palin brought to John McCain is slowly being eroded by keeping her away from the press. It just sends up red flags all over the place. Perhaps John McCain will better explain why they have been hiding her. Better yet, maybe Governor Palin will explain herself.

Governor Palin will finally do interviews, with the first of them airing on ABC News. Charles Gibson will be interviewing the Governor. The interview will be aired in parts over a few of the
ABC News show like World News, Good Morning America and the news magazine 20/20. I’m sure the question many are asking is, could Hillary Clinton have put Barack Obama in a better position? We will never know.

Monday, September 8, 2008

HBO Premiere Of True Blood


The Premiere of the HBO series "True Blood" aired last night. The show is based on the novels of acclaimed author Charlaine Harris. We've seen tons of vampire shows on TV, but this one has a slightly different spin on the tale. In this series the vampires don't lurk in the dark, It's public knowledge that vampires exist. There is even a vampire rights movement. The main character Sookie has some sort of psychic ability. Its not quite what I expected. Vampires aren't necessarily evil in this series. There is a synthetic blood that's sold in stores that vampires can drink instead of human blood. It's like the vampire equivalent of a energy drink.

The plot is kind of confusing, there is so much going on. The show isn't like any of the vampire shows I've seen on TV lately. This vampire world is completely different. The bad guys aren't so easy to identify. It still isn't clear what abilities vampires have. So far we know that silver is a weakness. As the show progresses we should find out if they have super human strength, or other supernatural abilities.

So far the show is off the a slow start. The first episode spent a lot of time establishing the characters and less on defining the story. But if the first show is any indication, expect to see plenty of graphic vampire/human sex, come on it's HBO after 10pm. Apparently its all the rage to sleep with a vampire, or drink vampire blood as super Viagra. I did think it was very interesting that HBO aired two 30-minute specials to introduce "True Blood" and explain the characters and series.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Hockey Mom Accepts Republican Nomination

On the third night of the Republican National Convention, Gov. Sarah Palin accepted her party’s nomination for Vice President. She talked a lot about her family. Her husband is a snowmobile racer and championship fisherman; her son serves in the United States military. She spoke of her three daughters and her infant son with special needs.

I thought the beginning of her speech was the most important. Basically it was a formal introduction of her husband and children. We know more about her commitment to her family. It’s what the whole country in a sense has been waiting to her about. She asked how dare the left question her parenting skills. She said that if elected, parents and families of special needs children could trust that they would have an advocate in the White House.



She made it clear she wasn’t part of the Washington political establishment. That the same people who tried to derail Sen. McCain in 2000 was also trying to cast doubt about her. She presented a pretty strong case of why she is the VP nominee. She fought corruption in her state of Alaska. She was able to get ethics laws passed into law. Rudy Giuliani talked about her experience as a mayor and governor being more that that of Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Bidden together. I don’t know if you can fairly say that. Sen. Bidden has been in Washington a while now. She also blasted Sen. Obama for not being able to make lead in crisis and his lack of significant legislation.

The Governor spoke of John McCain being a prisoner of war. She talked about his character and leadership during those dark times of his captivity. The sacrifice he made for his country. Her speech showed us how much she respected him as a leader. She talked of the need to move this country from its dependence on foreign oil and the development of alternate energy sources. All excellent points I think on ways to lift the huge financial costs off the shoulders of the American people.

Tonight if there was any question whether this “Hockey Mom” was a good choice for a running mate, it’s been answered. She showed us she can handle what her critics throw at her and she can fight back. She has energized John McCain’s campaign, exactly what they needed to do at this point. They have opened a door that Sen. Obama in a way closed when he passed Hillary Clinton over as his running mate. Gov. Palin just may be able to pull in those undecided Clinton voters. These are exciting times for both parties. Both the Democrats and Republicans are making history now. I really can’t wait to see what happens next.

90210 Again!!!!

90210 is the world's most recognized zip code, but it’s not the show I watched as a kid. Its sexier and has more of a modern edge and makes the original look a little Sesame Street. This new version of the show is a more modern look at the lifestyles of the rich and bratty. Its off to a good start for a teen drama. It starts off with a familiar brother and sister from Kansas storyline with an interestingly fresh twist. The return of the characters Brenda Walsh and Kelly Taylor all grown up and with kids seemed a little odd at first but it works for the show. But this is Beverly Hills were the plastic surgeons have plastic surgeons… and there are plenty of young beautiful people running around the halls of WBHH. The pilot episode didn’t waste any time showing off the mansions, private jets, sex, drugs, alcohol and cyber bullying. I’m sure with this being the wonderful world of TV and all the students at WBHH will be taught a lesson or two about the dangers of those naughty behaviors.



The show is provocative and edgy enough to attract a new following of fans. With the return of old characters it may lure fans of the original as well. But let’s not forget it’s a teen drama, Gossip Girl meets The O.C. and One Tree Hill. I remember the hoopla there was for Luke Perry back in the day… so I can see teeny boppers all over the country going Ga-Ga over the new show. I have a friend who just drools over Chad Michael Murray from One Tree Hill. She is totally into the guy and watches every episode and anything with him in it. I’m betting the guys on this new show will be thrown into pop history as well.

I’ve seen some nice and lukewarm reviews of the show so far… but I like what I’ve seen so far. Its not the same show that launched Tori Spelling’s career. I’m sure the show is going to make new stars and a whole new TV phenomenon… we just have to wait and watch and see where it takes us. One things for sure, there is a no shortage of teenage drama to be seen on screen. I look forward to the next episode

Friday, August 29, 2008

Sen. John McCain Names Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as Running Mate


Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin won the Republican VeepsStakes. The Gov. Appeared with John McCain at a press conference earlier today.




In what I can only characterize as a near upstage to Barrack Obama’s nomination last night, Sen. John McCain has tapped Alaska’s Governor, Sarah Palin to be his Vice Presidential running mate. Gov. Palin is a 44 year old mother of five, one of whom has Down syndrome. The Governor is considered a fiscal conservative, and a political outsider. She is the youngest Governor in Alaska’s history.

It’s more than obvious that McCain wants to use Gov. Palin’s naming as his running mate to reach those angry Hillary Clinton supporters who have vowed not to vote for Sen. Obama. It’s a gutsy and very bold and smart move for Sen. McMcain. I don’t think he will be able to lure many Clinton supporters. Gov Palin and Sen. Clinton have totally different values. Gov. Palin is Pro-life and has a lifetime membership with National Rifle Association.

The next hurdle John McCain will have to overcome is the lack of experience Gov. Palin has in office. She is only in her first term as Governor. Are people really going to be comfortable having a VP, with very little experience within reach of the Presidency? McCain will have to work overtime spinning the Governors lack of experience versus all the benefits she brings to the campaign.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

VeepStakes MiStake????


Last night I watched Hillary Clinton's speech at the Democratic National Convention. I have to tell you, if I didn't know any better I would have thought she was the presumptive nominee for President. She not only sounded Presidential but she looked Presidential. From her suit, posture, her walk, tone of voice, and her words, she wore the role like it was natural to her. It makes me wonder why she isn't the nominee. Well I'm pretty sure her supporters have asked that question a million times. With so many people watching and listening, this is probably the most important speech she will ever give. So much was riding on what she said. I think her words got through to many of her angry supporters. While a few are still on the fence or being courted by the Republicans.

Hillary Clinton was greeted by a standing ovation. She not only energized but she laid the case out on the table why you should vote with her for Obama for President and not McCain. I think that it is remarkable, just simply amazing that this woman is so gracious having lost the chance at the world's most powerful job, to lend her support to her former rival. She put it all out there on the line for him, and she came through big time. I'd definitely say that Sen. Obama owes here a favor or two. Perhaps Attorney General or Secretary of State now that VP is filled???

Only time will tell whether Barrack Obama's choice in a running mate was a mistake. Sen. Biden is a distinguished statesman, and I'm sure he has all the right qualifications, but he's no Hillary Clinton. And that's biggest thing this campaign has to over come fast to stay a float. It's day three at the DNC convention and we get to hear from Sen. Biden. Over the coming weeks we are going to know more than we wanted about him, his wife and kids. I guess in the back of my mind I will always wonder What if....



Wednesday, August 6, 2008

North Georgia Politics Is Starting To Get Interesting

Last week could you tell that it’s getting down to wire for some of the political races as we approached the Run-off election? Among the offices up for election was the Clayton County Sheriff. The incumbent Victor Hill went up against former Clayton County Deputy Sheriff, Attorney Kem Kimbrough. In a recent debate with Sheriff Victor Hill, Kimbrough cited Hill’s numerous conflicts with other law enforcement agencies and local leaders. Basically Kimbrough raked Hill over the coals about his ego and personal agendas. I found the exchange to be pretty interesting considering recent events between the Sheriff and Clayton County Commission Chairman Eldrin Bell. I think by calling out the Sheriff’s antics, Kimbrough put the pressure on Victor Hill to come up with a better defense than he has previously. Apparently voters didn't care for Hill’s “skirmishes” with local officials. County residents booted Hill out and Kem Kimbrough to face the republican challenger.


And speaking of egos, Dekalb County CEO Vernon Jones battled for the democratic nomination for a U.S. Senate seat with Jim Martin. Over the years Jones has been at the center of controversies including illegal campaign contributions and an accusation of rape. Despite the controversies he’s managed to retain strong support from Dekalb citizens. In what may be a huge blow to the Jones for Senate campaign, civil rights icon Rev. Joseph Lowery Endorsed Jim Martin. Both candidates lobbied for the endorsement, however Jim Martin won out. In a press conference Rev. Lowery talked about Vernon Jones conservative views and support of President Bush. Jim Martin defeated Vernon Jones bid for the U.S. Senate seat by nearly 20%. They say change is good, and any change from the previous will be a much needed improvement.



Vernon Jones’ vacated office of Dekalb County CEO will go to Burrell Ellis. Ellis won yesterday’s run-off election by a landslide. At 50 years old, Ellis who served eight years as a County Commissioner will be the fourth Dekalb County CEO. Ellis beat his opponent state representative Stan Watson by a vote of 63% to 37%.



And finally, there will be a new Sheriff elected in November. The embattled Fulton County Sheriff Myron Freeman lost his re-election bid last night to Ted Jackson a former FBI agent. The Sheriff has been under fire his entire term regarding courthouse security, safety and staffing at the jail. A few weeks ago a federal judge threatened to hold him contempt of court because of the lack of improvement at the Fulton County Jail. All of that including the highly publicized trial of Brian Nichols has caused Fulton county voters to kick the sheriff to the curb and elect new leadership. Ted Jackson will face republican challenger Michael Rary.



And one quick note, the effort to recall Lithonia Mayor Joyce McKibben has until this Monday to collect 330 valid signatures. Last I heard they needed 35-40 more signatures on the petition. And if that wasn’t enough trouble for Mayor McKibben, it’s also being reported in the AJC, that The Mayor’s home is in foreclosure. I’ll keep an eye out for any more information regarding the recall.

 
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