Atlanta Unfiltered

Screws tight on Georgia banks Refunds promised for gas gouging rare Imperial Sugar executive says CEO tried to shush her Richmond County Circuit turns again to senior judges on taxpayers’ dime Columbus denied $5.5M from stimulus for NCR

Classic Center parking deck closed over possible structural flaws Racial hiring oversight ends for police, fire in Macon, Bibb

Sales tax collections that support Atlanta’s rapid-transit system will not return to pre-recession levels until 2017, according to a new economic forecast. Georgia State University’s Rajeev Dhawan says sales tax revenue will continue to fall through 2011 and will take six more years to climb back to 2008 levels.

OSHA proposes $379,800 fine for Mar-Jac Poultry plant Waste sites cleaned (or not) on EPD’s timetable St. Marys residents annexed in 2000 still waiting for sewer lines

Aug. 13, 2009 — Several Georgia lawmakers have gotten deeper into tax trouble this year, even as legislative ethics panels investigate some members’ failure to pay income taxes, property records show. The biggest unpaid bill belongs to Rep. Willie Talton of Warner Robins, who owes $39,197 for local property taxes.

DeKalb legal fees soar in discrimination suit DeKalb police shake up ‘top-heavy’ department MARTA member off criminal probation Testing change by Cobb school chief surprises some board members Former CB&T vice president pleads guilty to bank fraud Athens-Clarke commissioners pledge greater grant oversight

Ga. asks DOJ to reconsider citizen check rejection

Fulton County officials admit serious violations of election rules for mishandling thousands of absentee ballots in 2008, attorneys said today. Hundreds of voters may have been disenfranchised because Fulton screwed up requests for mail-in ballots, state investigators found, and vote-counters ignored security and accuracy guidelines. Former judge Norman Underwood: Fulton’s 2008 performance was “unacceptable, unsatisfactory and embarrassing.”

This Gwinnett County-based group spent 86 cents of every dollar on professional fund-raisers — not missing children. Much of what was left went to CEO David Thelen and his wife.

(UPDATE: Atlanta’s municipal clerk has posted PDF files of 2009 campaign disclosure reports for mayor and council candidates here.)

Four years ago, Atlanta city government did a nice job making campaign disclosure reports available online for candidates for mayor and City Council. In 2009, a tight budget apparently will keep the city from posting details on the millions of dollars raised by Atlanta candidates. So Common Cause of Georgia, the good-government advocacy group, is filling the gap with its Moneywatch site. You can search for yourself to see where the special interests, elected officials and aides to former Mayor Bill Campbell are lining up in 2009. (What? You thought I was going to do it for you? Maybe a little later.)

Audits shine harsh light on Ga. bank failures Cobb school board to vote on transparency options Jekyll Island residents find proposed land leases unattractive

Marilyn Boyd Drew appealed her July 20 firing as DeKalb County’s parks and recreation director, but she won’t get a hearing like the county’s police chief did. Records show the county rejected Drew’s appeal on the grounds that her job was exempt from the Merit System’s protection. She was once mistakenly classified as a merit employee, but not anymore.