Ask yourself:  Are Lusk, Thurman, and Kunz really the best we can do?

It’s hard to watch the news anymore.  And no, I am not talking about the national news.  I am talking about the local news.  Over the last 4 months, Milton has gotten more than its fair share of negative press.  And it is always the same 3 Council Members at the center of the dysfunction:  Lusk, Thurman, and Kunz.  Let me take you down Bad Memory Lane:

Chapter 1:  Thurman’s Redistricting – A Scandal of “Biblical” Proportions (July 2017)

In July, Council Member Karen Thurman was at the center of the redistricting scandal.  As you might recall, Ms. Thurman was moving outside of her district, but desperately wanted to keep her seat.  So Thurman found a legislator willing to sponsor a bill to redraw her district lines to include her new home.  The problem is that this change was made totally unbeknownst to Milton’s citizens.  Zero transparency.  Following is the story from the Milton Herald:

Milton Herald: Thurman Redistricting Scandal

This story elicited two very bizarre political speeches from Ms. Thurman.  In the first speech, Ms. Thurman descended from the council dais to deliver a speech to Council from the citizens’ podium.  Wrapping herself in an armor of Bible scripture, she delivered a rambling, holier-than-thou attack on her critics . . . we were all haters.

 

Then, a few weeks later and after the scandal had broken, Ms. Thurman again attacked citizens—this time from her lofty perch on the council dais.  Ms. Thurman cast aside her previous love-thy-neighbor theme in favor of Old Testament fire-and-brimstone.  In rambling tirade, Ms. Thurman screamed at citizens and even threatened the Milton Herald.  It was the epitome of a self-inflicted mortal wound.  Ms. Thurman had dashed all hopes for re-election and withdrew from the race for her Council seat.

 

However, Mr. Lusk later carried on the fight for Ms. Thurman, delivering a quite nasty speech in her defense while also excoriating fellow Council Member Joe Longoria.

 

Chapter 2:  Matt Kunz Meltdown – Heisman for Unsportsmanlike Behavior (August/Sept 2017)

Events in Milton got even stranger with Matt Kunz’s tirade against Joe Longoria prior to a special-called Council meeting.  Mr. Kunz squared up with Mr. Longoria and was yelling at the top of his lungs.  Longoria had the good sense to retreat to his seat.  During the council meeting, Kunz then doubled down on his bad behavior when Kunz tagged-teamed with Bill Lusk to humiliate Joe Longoria, who was recused from the discussion.  Following are stories from the Milton Herald and WSB:

WSB: Kunz Goes Off On Longoria

Milton Herald: Near-Violence Event Before Council Meeting

 

 

At a later council meeting, Kunz later made matters even worse when he later issued a weeping non-apology apology for his previous bad behavior.  See video.

 

In addition to his Heismann, Mr. Kunz recently won his merit badge for conflict of interest when it was revealed Kunz swore in the President of the Great Atlanta Homebuilders Association . . . the one and only Charlie Bostwick of Brightwater Homes . . . the developer whose project Kunz marketed in the Ebenezer rezoning.

Chapter 3:  Bill Lusk Email Scandal:  Political Limbo – How Low Can You Go! (October 2017)

Not to be outdone, Bill Lusk wins the Oscar for Malfeasance and Misbehavior with his misappropriation and misuse of the Memorial Markers list.  Every major local news outlet covered that story.  No surprise.  After all, how often is a sitting council member reprimanded by the City Manager and City Attorney for a major ethics violation?  Mr. Lusk set a new low in city politics.  No matter how low the bar, Mr. Lusk somehow manages to shimmy his way under it . . . Lusk is a master of the political limbo dance.

Milton Herald: Milton Issues Apology for Improper Use of Emails

WSB: Longtime Councilman Using City-run Database to Solicit Votes

The Patch: Councilman Used Emails For Veterans Program To Promote Campaign Event

AJC: Milton Councilman Improperly Used Email Addresses From City

Chapter 4:  ??????????????????????????

After reading and watching these news stories, can you honestly say these Council Members (Thurman, Kunz, and Lusk) are the best we can do?  Do we really want our city to continue to be mired in dysfunction brought on by this triumvirate?  Citizens, with this election, let’s start a new chapter in City politics—one focused on smart land use, good governance, and listening to citizens.  Let’s begin by electing Laura Bentley to City Council.  Let’s leave behind the dysfunction of Lusk, Kunz, and Thurman.

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Thank you for your on-going support of good governance and smart land use in Milton.  Yesterday, the blog passed 10,000 hits . . . a major milestone.

Tim Becker