Two consecutive weekends of demonstrations in the small coastal Georgia town of Bloomingdale have led to nothing but stiff resolve from Mayor Ben Rozier, who is refusing requests to resign after a controversial Facebook post.
Rozier posted the message on the Gossip Bloomingdale GA Facebook group on June 16, alluding that being on government assistance was “privilege.” Bloomingdale is a Savannah suburb with a population of about 2,700.
Rozier told WSAV he regrets the post he made on Facebook but has no plans to resign.
Local resident Hannah Minter has been one of the organizers of the protests and told the station she plans to keep doing so until Rozier resigns.
The city administrator told WSAV they cannot force the mayor to step down, but they could hold a recall vote.
»MORE: Mayor of tiny Georgia coastal town under fire for Facebook post
Rozier's full post was posted by WTOC. Here is its entirety:
“What is privilege? ... Privilege is wearing $200 sneakers when you’ve never had a job. Privilege is wearing $300 Beats headphones while living on public assistance. Privilege is having a Smartphone with a Data plan which you receive no bill for.
“Privilege is living in public subsidized housing where you don’t have a water bill, where rising property taxes and rents and energy costs have absolutely no effect on the amount of food you can put on your table.
“Privilege is the ability to go march against, and protest against anything that triggers you, without worry about calling out of work and the consequences that accompany such behavior.
“Privilege is having as many children as you want, regardless of your employment status, and be able to send them off to daycare or school you don’t pay for.
“Privilege is sending your kids to school early for the before school programs and breakfast, and then keeping them there for the after school program ... all at no cost to you ... paid for by the people who DO HAVE TO DEAL WITH RISING TAXES AND COSTS! ... you know, us so called ‘PRIVILEGED’ the ones who pay while you TAKE TAKE TAKE!”
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