December 11,
2007
Dr. Mark
Elgart
President/CEO
ADVANCED
Advancing Excellence in Education
1866 Southern
Lane
Decatur,
Georgia 30033-4097
Dear Dr.
Elgart:
This is my official response to the silly and irresponsible complaints filed
against me by Rod Johnson. I understand that Rod filed a complaint against me
about my “spending habits” and offered as evidence my stay at the Renaissance Hotel a couple of months ago when
I attended the Council of Urban Board of Education (CUBE) of which I am a member. Clayton
County Board Secretary Deanna Jordan asked me to host and accompany a group from
CUBE which was set visit the Clayton County School System on Friday. I was told
to ride with them from Atlanta, with the bus pulling out from the hotel at 7:30 AM. In fact, this group visited Rex Mill
Middle School and Riverdale High School where a ceremony and reception was held for them at both schools. Dr. Duncan spoke at both of these ceremonies. As a member
of CUBE (an official caucus within the National School Board Association of which I and several of my fellow board members,
including Chairperson Davis, are also members), I attended several workshops on both days.
Why did I stay at the Renaissance? I stayed there because this is the
hotel that Ms. Jordan booked me for. There were no rooms available at the Georgia
Tech Conference Center
where the conference was being held. Ms. Jordan
tried to book me at other hotels but because of the many activities in Atlanta
on this weekend, she stated to me that she could only book me at the Renaissance. (I
think that this was the weekend that Tech played UVA as well as the competition of the High School Battle of the Bands and
the FAMU-Tennessee State game was held
at the Georgia Dome.) I would have gladly stayed at Motel 6 had Ms. Jordan
booked me there. I could have driven home 25 miles one way except for the fact
that my car had been totaled (and is still totaled to this day). In fact, I still
have to catch a ride to the school board meetings. My son dropped me off at the
hotel and also picked me up on Sunday. About the rib supper and a piece of cheese
cake: When I walked back to the hotel from Georgia Tech that evening, I arrived
at there at about 10:30 PM, and the hotel’s restaurant was closed. I was
extremely hungry because I had not eaten since about 1:00 PM. I had to order from the kitchen and had to be served in my room.
I can assure you that had the restaurant been open, I would have eaten in the restaurant. I am not aware of any board policy that prohibits board members from ordering food to the room in such
an extenuating circumstance. I am sure that I am not the only board member who
has ever had to order food to the room when attending this type of conference. The
total hotel bill for three nights and also for the required meals is not out of line for any board member or SACS official. In fact, Chairperson Davis applauded the work that I did, especially with the students,
that weekend with the CUBE group and even asked me to elaborate about it at the next board meeting.
Now let me address my residence and domicile.
A politician can have many residences (and many do, including Rod Johnson) but only one domicile. My domicile has always been 9005 Gatewood Drive in
Jonesboro. I have two disabled uncles
and a disabled cousin who now reside with me at Gatewood Drive. They have to be cared for, and I am their caretaker. I also
take care of my parents in Atlanta who are also infirmed and cannot take care
of themselves. When my mom is in the hospital, I stay at my parents’ house
and I have asked Ms. Jordan to mail my board packet there
from time to time. I spend the night with my uncles and cousin at Gatewood
Dr. and also cook for them. I also have an 82 year
old aunt whom I take care of in Atlanta.
Her husband has recently died, and she has no children. I sometimes spend
the night with her too. Our family does not believe in sending the aged and infirmed
relatives to nursing homes, and the burden seems to fall on me to take care of them.
One of my uncles at Gatewood Drive is also on dialysis and has
to be transferred by me (using my son’s truck) to East Point for treatments. He has to be there on time. Only Gatewood
Dive has ever been designated as my “Homestead Exemption” which according to Georgia Statutes and case law determines
one’s legal residence for all purposes, including voting. Gatewood
Drive has been my domicile for 27 years and still is. As
the courts say, it is where I “hang my hat” and always intend to do so.
I can name you many politicians in Clayton County,
past and present, who have more than one residence. In fact, Mr. Johnson himself
recently changed his Marlborough residence (in a quadplex) to an apartment across
from Tara Stadium presumably so that he and his legislator-wife could have a residence which overlaps their respective political
districts. (His mail from the county office would return many times marked as
“Undeliverable.”) The Johnsons’ house on Bell’s
Landing in Morrow, Georgia is not located in Celeste Johnson’s
legislative district and is also not located in Rod Johnson’s school board district.
The quadplex in Marborough is not located in Celeste Johnson’s house district but is located in Rod’s school
board district (although it was empty in 2004 when Rod was using this as his “domicile” while running). However, the Chase apartment in front of Tara Stadium on Battlecreek Road which the Johnsons began renting
in October of 2006 accomodates both of their political districts. My domicile
is not empty and it has never changed. It is swirling with activity with me in
the middle of it. My friends, relatives, neighbors, and even students gather
at my Gatewood Drive house on a regular basis. It is like a little neighborhood recreation center. All my
bills arrive there each month. My driver’s license has Gatewood
Drive emblazoned upon it, and Rod Johnson is the biggest hypocrite around for even suggesting that
this is not my domicile.
Dr. Elgart, I hope that my response is satisfactory, and I welcome you to our
county any time you get the notion to visit. Outside of political discourse,
I think that we are a nice group of people, although a little too zealous sometimes.
Thanks
for your assistance,
Lois Baines-Hunter
