Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2007 > November > 15 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USMike Jacobs: Vernon Jones doesn’t need that veto power
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just got back from a speech by Newt Gingrich at a meeting of the Jewish National Fund in Atlanta. Among several legislators in the audience was state Rep. Mike Jacobs of north DeKalb County, who turned in his Democratic credentials earlier this year.
We began talking about DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones, who this week vetoed an ordinance to roll back closing time at bars from 4 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.
Now a Republican, Jacobs said he was preparing legislation — general, not local — that would strip Jones of his veto power. The legislation would apply to every county commission in Georgia, but the DeKalb CEO is one of the few heads of local governments so empowered.
This from Jacobs in a follow-up e-mail: “The bill would prohibit the CEO from vetoing legislation and enable the county commission to preside over and set the agenda for county commission meetings. In order to become effective in DeKalb, the bill would require a referendum to occur in 2008.”
Another House Republican, Jill Chambers, is a co-sponsor. Jacobs said the introduction of the legislation so quickly after Jones’ veto isn’t a coincidence. “We aim to put citizens, neighborhoods, and their elected commissioners back in the driver’s seat of the DeKalb County government,” Jacobs said.
But let’s go back to that referendum.
Jones is a candidate for the U.S. Senate. Let’s assume he wins the Democratic nomination. With this bill, Republicans in effect would be calling for a countywide referendum on Jones’ eight-year tenure as CEO — just as Jones would be counting on DeKalb for a lopsided turn-out in his favor.
What an interesting little bill this could turn out to be.
Comments
By One
November 15, 2007 2:48 PM | Link to this
Vernon’s a crook anyway………only the fools in Dekalb would keep him around this long!!!!!!!!!
By Good stuff Mike
November 15, 2007 3:19 PM | Link to this
Here in DeKalb, we are sick & tired of Vern’s entire act, the out of control spending, bond after bond passed by county “authorities” without any public input, outright questionable hiring practices by his Human Resources Director Joe Stone, meddling with the police department, questionable greenspace purchases, the federal reverse discrimination lawsuits, etc.
Props to Jacobs & Chambers, but where is the rest of the DeKelab Delegation? Where’s Adelman, Millar, Weber, Steve Henson, Steph Stuckey, E. Jones, etc.???
The head of the DeKalb Delegation, Stan Watson, is the frontrunner to be the next county CEO, and he for sure wants to keep the system the way it is now. The rest of the delegation usually lets him have whatever he wants without a peep.
The state rep’s and state senators of the DeKalb Delegation turn a blind eye again and again to the shadiness, and have little to no credibility left to DeKalb residents/taxpayers. Thanks to Mike Jacobs and Jill Chambers for having their eyes open.
By Annette
November 15, 2007 3:44 PM | Link to this
Thank you Mike and Jill for putting the people in DeKalb back in charge. The only thing that could be better would be the ELIMINATION OF THE CEO POSITION! That position is a complete waste of tax payer funds. At least your proposed legislation puts that the CEO position into the administration of Commission policies, only.
By Loser Vernon
November 15, 2007 3:49 PM | Link to this
JONES IS A COMPLETE LOSER. Anything that anyone can do to get rid of him, lessen his power, or get him out of the way in running things in DeKalb would be welcome. A recall would be really great. He needs to go because he has abused his office, alienated nearly everyone in the county (Black and White), and really screwed up DeKalb for years.
His petty, ego driven vindictiveness; his loss of economic development; his ineffective leadership; and on and on, make him a real failure as a supposed leader. How in the world he thinks he could ever get elected to the Senate is beyond me. We will be so happy to be rid of his racially divisive and offensive lackluster persona.
By Craig
November 15, 2007 4:09 PM | Link to this
Wow. At the national level we wished the chief executive would actually have used the veto power once in a while. But at the local level, some people want to take the power of the veto away. So in other words, there will be NO check on the power of a simple majority on the commission? Wow. So much for checks and balances. Tyranny of the simple majority….
By D. Cardboard
November 15, 2007 4:47 PM | Link to this
Cardboard for CEO!
By snd
November 15, 2007 4:50 PM | Link to this
Three-way Jones will NOT win the nomination.
http://www.friendsofjoshlanier.com/
By Craig has a point
November 15, 2007 5:10 PM | Link to this
Craig’s sort of right. Jacobs’ legislation needs some fine-tuning. But Vern is an out of control, sexist, tax and bond overspending, ego-maniac. And no wonder he loves the nightclubs coming to DeKalb; his personal lawyer, Dwight Thomas, represents some of the night clubs.
By Star
November 15, 2007 5:24 PM | Link to this
Majority Rules, Craig! That’s what gives the minority a fighting chance. A better solution at the county level is a commission chair with a vote, only in the case of a tie. That insures that more people have a voice. If Jacobs could get his face out of Chamber’s rear end long enough, he might realize his days as a state Rep. are numbered anyhow!
By The Thin Guy
November 15, 2007 8:11 PM | Link to this
Did anyone expect Emperor Jones to allow a bunch of peons to kick his Bro Packman out of a bar @ 2:30 am? What he going to do @ 2:30 am? The museums are closed. As a milk drinker I couldn’t care less one way or the other. Just don’t drive. Try walking under the influence.
By John Galt
November 15, 2007 9:19 PM | Link to this
The problem with creating a county chair position is it would require a local bill, which the Democrat DeKalb legislators have been blocking. Jacobs’s attempt to accomplish essentially the same thing with a general bill is a bold move. Should play well in a district Perdue and Isakson won, if the DeKalb Dems can get their face out of Vern’s rear long enough to see that.
By So silly...
November 16, 2007 1:33 PM | Link to this
Do any of you who are against VJ even paid attention the BOC meetings where it clearly shows that the CEO doesn’t vote on the items on the agenda. The 7 other commissioners do. And despite how everyone feels about him, have DeKalb not become a better place to live, work and play? Let’s look at the facts and not the person. Who made this possible?
By So silly...
November 16, 2007 1:33 PM | Link to this
Do any of you who are against VJ even paid attention the BOC meetings where it clearly shows that the CEO doesn’t vote on the items on the agenda. The 7 other commissioners do. And despite how everyone feels about him, have DeKalb not become a better place to live, work and play? Let’s look at the facts and not the person. Who made this possible?
By Anti-Jacobs
November 16, 2007 2:51 PM | Link to this
I’ll make a deal: we can get rid of the CEO position if we can get a new state representative for the Mike Jacobs seat. Despite Vernon’s major negatives, we have not forgotten that Jacobs turned his back on those who elected him. I hope in 2008 we throw the top two bums out (that means Vernon AND Jacobs).
By Open&Transparent
November 18, 2007 2:50 AM | Link to this
This is not about Vernie. Maloof had too much power (at least he was the smatest guy in the county). Liane Levetan had too much power (and wow was she clueless). Vernie has too much power, and has caused the public to lose all faith in county gov’t operations.
Let the commissioners set their own agenda. Let there be checks & balances.
State Rep. Stan Watson, leading candidate to be the next CEO and head of the always ineffective DeKalb Delegation of state rep’s and state senators, will do everything he can to keep the CEO power set up the way it is. He’s licking his chops hoping to go from a lowly state rep. to an elected office like DeKalb CEO, where he can do pretty much whatever he wants. And he of course already has Vernie’s backing.