Lithonia Georgia - What Was That About Public Embarrasment and Black Politicians?

"Can't we all just get along?"
I recall that famous phrase after a tremendous display of public incivility. Well someone needs to ask the government of Lithonia Georgia in Dekalb County if it is possible.

The local news has been covering the confrontations between the Mayor, City Council and Police Chief for at least 3 weeks now. Sadly another one of those "Please don't let them be Black" moments have come and gone. Now we are in the "How low can they go in the mud" phase of events.

Weeks ago the mayor fired the police chief after finding out that he made some expenditures that did not cross her desk. The city council rebuked the mayor and rehired the police chief. The police chief sent his officers to patrol city hall. When the mayor's staff attempted to report to work they were "carded". After refusing to identify themselves because they had been working there for a long time - they were arrested. The doors of City Hall were locked, preventing the residents of this new "Black majority" city in the eastern part of Dekalb county to go without the benefit of access to the municipal officials charged to deliver them the services......as THEY had voted them into office to deliver.

Add Lithonia Georgia to the long list of cities in which a certain group of candidates from a certain political machine had played upon the hopes and dreams of a given race of people. The growing population had the POWER via their numbers and were influenced by the POPULARITY of what was being promised to them. They changed governments and now have "their people" in office.

What I don't understand as a Black man who is looking at all of this and an independent who is evaluating WHY my people are beholden as we are.....WHY IS IT that the "usual suspects" are not willing to see one common thread that is present in all of these people and IF INDEED the "Black Best Interests" are being advanced by them?

Clearly "Blacks In Power" alone does not equal "Black Community Best Interests". This needs to be BROUGHT OUT OF THEM by managing them not by being happy that they are present and all of the "Conservatives and Republicans are gone". In the absence of a common enemy, it seems that those who never had developed deep roots on governance turn in on themselves.

AJC Article: Lithonia mayor asks judge to define duties

Lithonia's power struggle is going to court.

An attorney representing Lithonia Mayor Joyce McKibben is asking a Superior Court judge to decide the mayor's powers, which have been at the heart of a struggle between the mayor and City Council. The court motion comes on the heels of a state official's written opinion that Lithonia's charter limits the mayor's authority in the DeKalb County town.