First Slice 5-18-12: State board member is also state's landlord
The top news stories in Atlanta this morning.
1. Dr. Larry "Jeff" Payne, a Governor Deal appointee to the State Properties Commission, resigned after the AJC found he'd not disclosed that he'd leasing a building he owns to the state. (It's not against the law, it just has "conflict of interest" stamped all over it.) According to the terms of the lease, Payne will receive $140,000 a year for 10 years, although the deal must be renewed every year (and the state must pay as steep fee if it cancels the lease.) Couple things: One, I make that trade-off ($140k x 10 vs. serving on b.s. state board) every time. Two, with a name like Payne, why have the nickname "Jeff"? Why not "Max" or "Royal" or "Chronic"? I see a missed opportunity.
2. According to the sleuths at Channel 2 Action News, Georgia is seeing "a little bit higher rate" of snake bites this year. To summarize: don't go outside, or snakes will kill you.
3. Police are guarding school buses and children at bus stops on the last day of the semester in Clayton County after a man pointed a rifle at a school bus full of children yesterday. Police recovered the rifle and a notebook listing bus numbers. The lesson, as always: the suburbs aren't safe. Move to Atlanta proper, people.