Robert Horgan & Greg Dunn on Defined Benefit Retirement

Letter to the Editor Regarding Article in Citizen Newspaper on May 14

This letter addresses a front page article in the May 14, 2008 issue of the Citizen newspaper.

Commissioner Robert Horgan suggests that I may have an “ethical issue” with a campaign contribution I received in 2006. He is referring to a $2,000 contribution from attorney Tommy Craig who was instrumental in securing the Federal and State permits for Lake Horton and Lake McIntosh. Mr. Craig is an outstanding attorney who specializes in the complicated and extraordinarily cumbersome processes involved in Federal and State requirements for securing permits to construct reservoirs.

Mr. Craig was hired by the Board of Commissioners in the late 1980s when George Patton was Chairman of the Board. I was still serving in the U.S. Army. The Board made a wise decision. Over the years Mr. Craig has been called when necessary to overcome the intricate maze of federal and state requirements.

When I received the unsolicited contribution, Lake Horton had already been completed years before and the permitting process for Lake McIntosh was in its final stages. Fayette County can not build any more reservoirs thus there was no anticipation that Mr. Craig’s services would be needed in the future.

More to the point, when I received the contribution, I called and discussed with Mr. Craig that according to the County Ethics Ordinance, which I wrote and followed precisely every day I was in office, I would never be able to discuss or vote on any business he might have or desire to have with the county in the future. He told me he understood all that, he complimented me on my open and honest leadership of the board and said he simply wanted to see people like me remain in office.

When I accepted his contribution he understood completely that it precluded me from involving myself in any way should he ever attempt to do further business with Fayette County.

I have made an issue of Mr. Horgan’s role in the current Board’s violation of Georgia’s Open Meetings Law and the Board’s subsequent “cover up” of that violation. It is unfortunate that rather than addressing the public on that serious issue, he merely attempts to side-step it with a baseless personal attack which could harm not only my reputation, but Mr. Craig’s as well.

Ironically, Mr. Horgan and the current Board have recently hired Mr. Craig to do some of the routine post-permitting legal work to complete the construction of Lake McIntosh, work typically handled by our previous attorney, Bill McNally. This is evidently necessary only because the Board fired Bill McNally and hired an in-house attorney who apparently does not have the expertise to perform the legal work Mr. McNally did during the construction of Lakes Kedron and Horton. But that’s a different issue for a different time.

Greg Dunn
Candidate for County Commission
Post 1

Short video at the Fayette County GOP First Saturday Breakfast

From the Fayette Front Page YouTube site:

Why I am running for County Commission... again

After having proudly served 8 years on the Fayette County Board of Commissioners, the last six as Chairman, and being out of elected politics for the last 1 ½ years, many of my friends have asked me why I would do it again. Why not just enjoy life with my fantastic wife, spend more time with my wonderful kids and grandchildren?

It’s somewhat difficult to perfectly put feelings into words, but I’ll try.

For as long as I can remember I have felt responsible to do whatever I can to make my country and community better. After 29 ½ years of serving my country on active duty military service, I retired in our marvelous community. I could have moved anywhere in the U.S., but chose to remain in Fayette County. Our quality of life far exceeds most communities in our country. I had no idea I would ever enter into elective politics.

As I observed the activities of the Board of Commissioners way back in the 90’s I witnessed special interest influences on some Commissioners and Commissioners doing favors for their business partners without disclosing their relationships. I could not sit idly by without at least trying to fix what I perceived as inappropriate actions that could hurt our community, thus I chose to run for office.

I am proud to say that I authored a tough Ethics Ordinance immediately, and within 28 days of being sworn in it was passed. I’m even prouder to say that in my eight years on the board I never witnessed any pandering to special interests or violations of ethical conduct from any of our commissioners.

Unfortunately during the last 1-½ years there are numerous examples of special interest voting creeping back into County government.

Additionally, I am concerned that the county is preparing to give millions of dollars in pay raises to county employees (above and beyond their cost of living allowance and merit increases) and to replace our current defined contribution retirement system with a defined benefit system which will be an enormous long term burden on every taxpayer. This is especially ill advised at a time when many of the citizens who have to pay these bills are losing their jobs, having their benefits reduced, watching their home values decline, and in some cases losing their homes.

Again I feel that if good people do nothing our community could slip into mediocrity or worse within a short time.

I have been deeply saddened when many people in different parts of the county have said to me that we are already going downhill and as soon as their kids graduate from school they intend to leave the county. Janet and I love this community and intend to spend the rest of our lives here. We simply do not believe our county can’t avoid what some people believe is inevitable.

There is always the best, the worst and the mediocre in all aspects of life. I am determined for us to remain the best. Our quality of life, our public safety our courts and our school systems are the envy of most Georgians who know what we have here. The only reason we might fail is if our great citizens let it happen.

Our community is not simply a suburb of Atlanta – we are a distinct community of diverse people who share aspirations for a great life for our children, grandchildren and ourselves.

Ironically, on occasion I have been accused of being too aggressive, too tough, and too impatient when things need to be done. While I don’t think those descriptors paint the full picture of who I am, I plead guilty to all those when I’m fighting for our taxpayers, when I’m fighting in Atlanta for our community and when the safety of our citizens is in jeopardy.

I believe it takes strong leaders during tough times. I have spent my entire adult life in service of my country and community and I again see the need to fight to preserve our way of life.

I guess these feelings explain better than my words why I would willingly once again enter the increasingly nasty world of politics in America. Incidentally, our politics don’t need to be ugly either!

I hope you will join me in the fight for our community’s future.