By Sam

May 24, 2007 9:06 AM | Link to this

Talk to the bartender….obviously, Deacon Benny Harbin thought the phone pole was some man waving at him!!!!!!

I know Chief Pennington is a little busy right now with the Narcotics Squad BUT…

The Chief needs to answer why no sobriety test was completed at the scene and WHY was the investigation report was left open until Wednesday?

By Shirley

May 24, 2007 9:46 AM | Link to this

Do not point fingers at my Chief Pennington or our Atlanta police officers!

The only germane question is for State Representative Ben Harbin - Chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee:

What were you doing wrecklessly driving around the isolated streets of Atlanta at 1:00AM on a Sunday morning in a drunken state of condition?

I’ve e-mailed Representative Harbin at ben.harbin@house.ga.gov and I have not yet received an answer. Why?

By Bruce Wilcox

May 24, 2007 10:18 AM | Link to this

Benny Harbin could not have been drunk, it was Sunday.

By cnote

May 24, 2007 10:35 AM | Link to this

“I’ve e-mailed Representative Harbin at ben.harbin@house.ga.gov and I have not yet received an answer. Why?”

Do you live in his district? If not, then his responsiblity to reply should be the same as any other citizen who received a DUI and a subsequent email from a random stranger inquiring about it.

By Shirley

May 24, 2007 10:48 AM | Link to this

C-note,

Representative Harbin is one of 180 members representing the entire State of Georgia.

Living in House District 118 should not be requisite for receiving an e-mail reply from the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

Plus, I inquired of Rep. Harbin about his support of some very strict enforcement provisions in anti-DUI legislation he sponsored six years ago.

I may live in Atlanta, but Rep. Ben Harbin owes me and the entire State of Georgia some answers!

By It's 1 am Sunday & I'm 2hrs from Home

May 24, 2007 1:58 PM | Link to this

Ben, Are you willing to take a lie detector test on pedestrian story? Richard Pennington, Why in the heck wasn’t there a field sobriety test done? Stop counting your comp time hours and start doing some work.

http://www.atlantamagazine.com/blogs/entry.php?id=1355#comments

By Thomas

May 25, 2007 9:08 AM | Link to this

Read the linked police report. Not only did the officer perform field sobriety testing and Rep. Harbin failed, but Harbin refused the requested blood test at Grady. He could lose his driver’s license for a year!

By Politicsisagame

May 25, 2007 10:28 AM | Link to this

No, each of the 180 members of the House and the 56 members of the Senate do not represent everyone, they represent only their district. Together they represent Georgia but individually they answer only to their districts. As for Ben Harbin, I’m sure he regrets what he did. Don’t tell me everyone who is blasting him now has never ever done anything stupid in their lives! I don’t believe it. It was 1 in the morning and it was isolated so the person most at risk was him. And I don’t understand all this…’what was he doing out at night.’ What are we….a police state? People aren’t allowed out for a day of amusement or recreation? Harbin probably went out with some friends after the golf tournament. I believe 6 Feet Under, a restaurant/bar and also a Jazz Club are in that area. Maybe his wife didn’t want to go and chose to do something else. Marriage isn’t a prison. My spouse and I don’t always do the same things at the same time and we’ve been happily married for 34 years! No one on earth is a saint. That’s what Heaven is for. We learn from our mistakes, and God willing, no one is injured in the process. Ben Harbin is a good man who made a mistake. I, for one, will cut him some slack. “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”

By Sam

May 25, 2007 10:52 AM | Link to this

“Politicsisagame”…..nice try Benny….glad to see your laptop is working….laptop has a whole new meaning for you since being in the lockup….so you had your wife’s “permission” to cruise around Grant Park at 1:00AM drunk as a skunk….some marriage……some wife….some conservative Christian family values….Benny, I thought you represented Baker Woods Baptist Church as a Deacon……so your congregation approves of your staggering around Grant Park……doing what….ministering to “midnight capitalists” renting their personal wares…..by the way fool….you do represent the entire state as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee….and you represent Georgia very poorly with your sad behaviors….be a man Benny…resign your Chairmanship for starters….go to church this Sunday….instead of the Hotlanta pokie (no pun intended…yes, pun fully intended) and beg your congregation for forgiveness….then go get a blood test!!!

By Ted

May 25, 2007 2:30 PM | Link to this

Does Sonny’s staff have anything else to do besides blog?

Go take a cig break.

By Earl

May 25, 2007 2:54 PM | Link to this

Seems like Sonny’s staff does want to influence who’s the next Chairman of the House Appropriations. How quickly they forget. Rep. Harbin donated $5,000 to Sonny’s campaign last year. So much for gratitude. What have you done for me lately?

By Earl

May 25, 2007 2:54 PM | Link to this

Seems like Sonny’s staff does want to influence who’s the next Chairman of the House Appropriations. How quickly they forget. Rep. Harbin donated $5,000 to Sonny’s campaign last year. So much for gratitude. What have you done for me lately?

By Politicsisagame

May 28, 2007 6:03 PM | Link to this

Sam, I’m not Ben Harbin. I’m not in the Gov’s office, not an elected official and not a lobbyist. I am interested in keeping up what is going on in state government since it affects my daily life. And I have my own opinion and a right to post it. I do work around government but am one of the ‘little people’.