Buie Under Investigation
Albany’s Downtown Manager, Don Buie, is under investigation currently as a result of allegations that he had a former contract employee for ADICA cash a $2,000 check but only keep $400 of it. The employee in question, Nicole Brown signed an affidavit but then recanted her statement, issuing a handwritten statement.
Now, the GBI is investigating.
Of course, there are plenty in Albany who are happy to see Buie in trouble. Let’s face it, there is a significant section of the population of Albany who think money is being wasted downtown and Buie gets to be the poster boy for that.
However, these are just allegations that, if true, are no different than if anyone else stole money from the government…our tax dollars. Buie claims that he welcomes the GBI investigations because it’ll prove his innocence. For his sake, I hope so.
You see, with the target that’s already on his back by virtue of his legitimate actions as the downtown manager, he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. Should the GBI investigation come back as anything other than an actual clearing of all charges against Buie, that target will only get bigger.
Of course, if the charges are in fact true, then the city has some explaining to do as well. Why wasn’t this caught earlier? Why was anyone given the authority that would allow this? And these are just the questions I can come up with before my first cup of coffee in the morning. Catch me when I’m awake and there will be more.
The GBI investigation will hopefully be quick. Quite frankly, given that the witness recanted her affidavit, I don’t see there being much chance of charges being filed. Of course, the GBI is very good at their job, and will hopefully find the truth, one way or another.
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July 1st, 2009 at 8:20 am
This is the guy running the organization that Langstaff says we should trust with $6 million because their projects are too valuable and important to be disclosed to the people paying for them (the taxpayers).
One other point: I have been told (but have not confirmed) that several dispossessory actions against Buie for non-paid rent exist on file in Dougherty Magistrate Court. Can someone confirm this? If so, this would tend to confirm the total lack of judgment of our local government in giving this person and his unelected organization a blank check with taxpayers dollars.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:05 am
Jack: So far, Buie is only being investigated. Time will tell the tale of whether he actually did this or not, so let’s not jump to conclusions.
As for dispossessory actions, I’ll have to see what I can find. That would show a lack of judgement, but it wouldn’t tell everything.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:59 am
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/albany-ga/T9IM8IA5QQTNJ59DT
Is Nicole Brown PureDynasty?
July 1st, 2009 at 11:58 am
Whatever the investigation shows, how did they come up with a $2,000 payment for this woman?
Did Buie decide the amount? Did he approve and write the check?
July 1st, 2009 at 12:31 pm
This situation ruffles on so many levels:
The investigation into what is clearly a criminal matter should continue even if the potential co-defendant recanted her possible self-incriminating statement. That is not a reason to quit inquiries into the purpose of the check? Who authorized? etc. If Buie is cleared, then we will all understand the reason. If he stays, we need to have confidence that he can be trusted with the $6m bond revenue.
IMHO, in the current economic environment, we shouldn’t be spending money downtown on development OR on Buie’s salary anyway. We should be cutting costs to the absolute bone.
The last thing Albany needs at this point is another incident that erodes what little confidence might remain in public officials.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:02 pm
That should come out in the investigation Jack. There may have never been a $2000 payment, or there may have been for $2000 worth of work. If it can’t be shown one way or the other, then we have a big problem and the city will need to do something to repair the public confidence which will more than likely be at all-time lows.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Cartman: Those are great points. Again, I come back to the issue of accountability.
The City and County creates these organizations such as ATI, ADICA, Sign Ordinance Task Force and Keep Albany Dougherty Beautiful, they then give them to people like Don Buie and Judy Bowles and then let them run on “cruise control” with no apparent oversight. In fact, in ADICA’s case, it blatantly refuses to disclose what it plans to do with public monies. These organizations need to be shut down before they harm the taxpayer further.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Tom: whether or not a $2000 check exists is an easy matter to uncover. Whether it was tendered for cash is also objectively provable through bank records.
Whether Buie got a kickback or not may be a question for a court, but assuming the existence of the check, one has to ask how and by whom it was approved.
If Don Buie alone has the authority to write checks like this to a present-former-future girlfriend, then we have some serious issues here which need to be dealt with whether or not criminal issues exist.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I wouldn’t think it would be that hard to track down. The presence of a $2000 check, plus a $400 or less deposit around the same time in Ms Brown’s account, plus a transfer of some type of $1600 (or even a deposit of a similar amount in the wife’s account) all would seem to point towards the original stories accuracy. While you or I may not be able to track this information down ourselves, I would think that the GBI would have the resources easily enough.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Sounds like everyone is essentially on the same page. The proper course of action is both simple and clear. Let the investigation continue.
The only improper thing to do at this stage is to drop the investigation.
July 1st, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Yeah, I don’t think the investigation will get dropped, at least not for a while. If so, then I think the City still needs to take some kind of action to minimize the authority of Buie so that there is no way anything could even look improper. They can’t fire him without cause, and an investigation isn’t sufficient cause.
Or, they could do the truly right thing and just quit all the downtown nonsense and use our tax dollars for more important things like arresting gangbangers and burglars, rapists and armed robbers. You know, the little things.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Tom, your last post is spot on. One-hundred percent accurate.
But try communicating it to someone like Bob Langstaff. After he finishes telling you that he had absolutely nothing to do with the Arch, the Riverquarium, the sign ordinance, etc., etc., he will then tell you that we’ve already spent so much that we can’t now turn back….and by the way, he can’t tell you what ADICA is planning because of all the “competition” from other investors to get in on their projects. Right.
If it wasn’t our city, it would be funny….
July 1st, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Well, we’ve covered that with Commissioner Langstaff previously, so it’s not really appropriate to rehash all that in regards to the Commissioner. However, I agree that it’s never to late to stop, because I seriously doubt we’ll ever get a return on that “investment”.
Of course, I personally prefer that ADICA does “lose out” to the competition from other investors. Private investors are always preferable to governmental ones.
July 1st, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Private investors are indeed preferable to governmental ones.
Judging by the “new” sizeable construction over the past two decades, our downtown growth appears to be taxpayer funded: City-County Government Bldg; DoCo School Board Admin Bldg; APD Bldg; RiverQuarium; Ga Dept of Labor Bldg; Ray Charles statute; turtle park playground; a very expensive public restroom; Bridge House renovation; skateboard park; and the Federal Courthouse.
The only sizeable commercial bldg has been the downtown Hilton. But that involved (continues to involve?) taxpayer money as well.
All for very little return. It appears to me to already be a failed experiment.
Why not give Buie a reasonable severance; disband ADICA; and quit funding these unnecessary failures.
Sorry for the hijack and a little rant crept in there as well.
July 1st, 2009 at 6:49 pm
I agree completely, Cartman. What is the hold that people like Don Buie and Judy Bowles have over their un-elected, taxpayer-funded kingdoms? These people are as dangerous to the local economy and local taxpayer as termites are to a building. We have to say NO before more damage is done.
Tom, please check with Magistrate Court on the third floor. I am very interested to know if you can confirm what I was told about the dispossessory warrant(s).
July 2nd, 2009 at 5:01 am
Cartman: No argument there. While downtown does look a lot better than it used to, there’s still very little reason to actually go down there for most Albanians. Harvest Moon was one of the few. Now, it’s just events at the Civic Center (which is mostly Wildcat’s games) or events at the State Theater that will bring them down there, and then only for a brief time.
Don’t sweat the “rant”. Frankly, I’m in agreement with you.
Jack: I’ll see what I can dig up.
July 2nd, 2009 at 8:06 am
[...] a soap opera, more is revealed in the saga of Don Buie and the GBI investigation. WALB reported yesterday evening that the investigation was sparked by [...]