Editor, At the Aug. 17 Ludowici City Council meeting, I presented a three-page document containing information about nepotism, which means the hiring of a family member. I actually read it to the entire room so no one could say they didn’t know what I was talking about. I handed each member a copy of the three-page document and also gave one to Mr. Kitchens, the city attorney.
I also read the conflict of interest page from the city’s own manual of policies and procedures. Item No. 5 reads: “Never discriminate unfairly by dispensing of special favors or privileges to anyone, whether for pay or not; and never accept, for self or family, favors or benefits under circumstances which might be construed by reasonable persons as influencing the performance of government duties.”
Item No. 6 reads: “Make no private promises of any kind binding upon the duties of office.”
Item No. 8 reads: “Expose corruption wherever discovered.”
Item No. 9 reads: “Uphold these principles, ever conscious that public office is a public trust.”
To my disgust, the next morning, one of these so-called government officials — who attended the city council meeting — dropped into Ludowici City Hall to get a family member a job. Not just “give” them a job, but “make” a job since there currently are none available.
What has been done in previous years is in the past, but citizens, we have the right — as tax payers —to demand that no more officials hire their family members. It is especially wrong to pay someone a salary for a job that doesn’t exist.
Ludowici