Newspapers, government watchdog groups and open government advocates across the state of Georgia have cheered the recent decision of Forsyth County Superior Court requiring the city of Cumming and its mayor, Henry Ford Gravitt, to shell out $6,000 each for violations of the Georgia Open Meetings Act.
The prosecution of the city and mayor has been extolled as a victory for Attorney General Sam Olens. It has been a a victory for the blogger, Nydia Tisdale, whose rights to video tape a city council meeting were abridged.
The case has also been styled a win for open government activists. Newspapers, such as The Valdosta Daily Times, see it as great news for those of us who take our roles as the Fourth Estate of government seriously. This battle and victory, however, in reality is a win for the people of Georgia. Continue>>>
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