Letters to the Editor

Commissioner Horgan should be removed from office by governor

Tue, 12/01/2009 - 4:25pm
By: Letters to the ...

I have a few comments on the saga of county Commissioner Robert Horgan. I recall a similar case that happened in Griffin back in the late 1990s involving an elected official of Spalding County.

This gentleman was an elected school board member and, in his words, “a man of the cloth.” He was a minister of the gospel and quite a respected member of the clergy.

However, he was accused of sexual harassment of three school employees and threatening the assistant superintendent.

He was never criminally charged, but it was determined he violated a state ethics code that held an “elected” official, even though he was just a school board member, to a higher standard of conduct.

He refused to resign and eventually after much legal haggling, Gov. Roy Barnes used a relatively unknown legal maneuver to remove Mr. Stokes from his position. Just last year, Gov. Sonny Perdue used this same method to remove four school board members in Clayton County.

My point is this: Mr. Horgan was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, which is a crime, where most people arrested just for that go to jail.

It doesn’t matter if he thinks his arrest was not related to his “official duties as a Fayette County Commissioner.” He broke the law.

Shouldn’t an elected officials’ job be a 24/7 position to be held accountable for their actions just as an average citizen is if they broke the law?

I think if any elected official, whether it is a school board member, a county commissioner or the president of the United States (remember President Nixon), breaks the law or violates their ethical responsibility, they should not be allowed to continue to serve in any capacity.

Is it going to take the removal of Mr. Horgan by the governor to finally resolve this charade?

By the way, Mr. Stokes had the “audacity” to run for his school board seat after his removal but was denied that post by a majority of the very voters that has elected him in the first place.

Calvin Griffin

Fayetteville, Ga.

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You letter is laughable....
Submitted by Spyglass on Fri, 12/11/2009 - 9:10am.

You must have enjoyed Reefer Madness.

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More anti-Horgan/Pot hysteria and lies
NUK_1's picture
Submitted by NUK_1 on Fri, 12/11/2009 - 8:59am.

My point is this: Mr. Horgan was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, which is a crime, where most people arrested just for that go to jail.

No, they don't. Not even here in the Bible Belt is that the case. Try to get informed first and then maybe someone with an open mind might consider your opinion. As it is, your totally inaccurate statement might fire up the few vocal residents who are obsessed over this issue, but that's it.

Do you know what a MISDEMEANOR is? Do you realize that most people do NOT go to jail for being convicted of a misdemeanor, even if it's pot?

I could care less about Horgan and never voted for him in the first place, but some of you people are scary with how much time and effort you expend over nothing. The economy is in the toilet, most Fayette governments are looking at budget shortfalls and tough decisions, you have a bypass seemingly few want, a BOE failing miserably in their duties, etc. etc., but noooooooooo, it's Horgan getting caught with a small amount of weed! OH MY GOD! It's the end of the world!

If Horgan got relocated to Mars today, it wouldn't change a damn thing. Maybe you could then tell your kids "Hey, see what happens to people like Horgan who smoke pot?" and they could then look at you and say "who is Horgan?"


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Mr. Griffin
Submitted by PTC Observer on Sat, 12/05/2009 - 2:26pm.

Excellent points, the folks at FAYCOG look into this and see what it would take to have the Governor take up this cause.

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Bypass The Commissioners
grassroots's picture
Submitted by grassroots on Tue, 12/01/2009 - 11:15pm.

The commissioners bypass (pun intended) us by not having to respond at meetings so let's bypass them by having our own town hall meeting. See town hall meeting at:
http://www.splostpoll.blogspot.com/


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Well Said
Submitted by ginga1414 on Tue, 12/01/2009 - 6:38pm.

I agree, as do a whole lot of folks. However, the voters in this County don't usually get to have their say. The powers that be usually find some way "around" it or they find a way to settle the problem "right here, right now." Or better yet, they condemn property so they can build the West Fayetteville Bypass to make it possible for John Wieland and other powerful developers to build enough houses to fill an empty school the County built but couldn't fill. Then there are always the old solutions of lies and deceit. Our officials have learned that if one thing doesn't work, something else surely will.

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