By: Diane Benjamin
The Atlanta Public Library sent a notice to residents claiming none of the investigations found wrongdoing:
The residents of Atlanta should read the heavily redacted FBI reports I obtained by FOIA for themselves. It’s really easy to insert Bill Thomas on many of the blank lines. The Library claims the FBI redacted the information.
The legal fees may have cost the library $30,000, but the TAXPAYERS saved $200,000 because “members of the community” knew it was illegal for Bill Thomas as a Board member of the library to sell his building to the library.
It was also illegal for Thomas to apply for a State Grant claiming it was for the library when the money would have been spent on a building he owned.
It is obvious Bill Thomas donated the building to keep from getting prosecuted.
Proof – PDF page 10:
Fill in the blank – we know whose name is in that box.
We live in Illinois were crimes aren’t crimes unless somebody decides to prosecute. Way too many never are which is why Illinois ranks at or close to the top of corrupt states.
The FOIA included lots of PAC opinions from the Attorney General you can read for yourself. Keep track of how many found no fault only because the library eventually complied with the law.
Read about the alcohol given away at library events and the claims made any left was stored for future events. The board admits to drinking after meetings but claim they brought their own alcohol. Citizens aren’t stupid, decide for yourself if:
(1) you believe them and (2) if your elected representatives should be drinking on public property after meetings. Ask them to explain how they weren’t violating the Open Meetings Act.
Wow. What this illustrates, among others, is that corruption exists even in smaller towns. Chicago doesn’t have the market covered on Corruption. I hope the citizens in Atlanta make changes for better reps at the next election.
Bill Thomas and the library board should be thanking the citizens for bringing this malfeasance to their attention. Why? Because if the transaction would have been allowed to complete, they would have been charged with a felony! So all we have here is some folks who evaded being charged with a felony thanks to the vigilance of the Atlanta citizens. Atlanta is Atlanta, full of clueless leaders who only care about their status in the community and how they can line their pockets with taxpayer dollars or take advantage of tax dollars for their benefit. Bill is the “Jim Jones” of the group and the rest of them are kool-aid drinkers aka followers. So, we just have to sit back and see how Bill poisons their kool-aid. History proves on many occasions that the kool-aid always gets poisoned. Bill should know these things because he is a history major and based on a post earlier this year on his FB page he supports tearing down historical statues and some of our stupid community leaders supported his view so I want to know when tall Paul comes down. Put your money where your mouth is Bill! If you are going to tear down historical statues then when is tall Paul coming down? You can’t pick and choose! And since some of our city leaders sided with you then this should be an easy decision.
Maybe they should rename the library the “JB Pritzger reading room” Make Bill the care taker, so to speak..
Still plenty of time to file for spring elections. Many positions only require 50 signatures. I’d have to look, but requirements may be lower in small jurisdictions.
Things will not get better until YOU get involved!
– Support Good Candidates! if you can’t find any, then
– Recruit Good Candidates! if you can’t, then
– BE Good Candidates!
And Good doesn’t have to be Perfect, or even Great, just better than what we’ve had.