An Important Email

This piece about the murder of Sheriff Elect Derwin Brown, the "suicide" of Charles Hicks, and how they connect to the dastardly character, Vernon Jones created a bit of a stir and has become a sort of cult favorite in the blogosphere. (Yes, I risk sounding awfully arrogant with that statement however the numbers don't lie) I received an email from someone that wishes to remain anonymous for now in response.

Mr. Volpe, Greetings... I have recently been reading many of your comments specifically relating to corruption, politics, and particularly Dekalb County.. You Sir are right on point!!! The dynamic that resulted in the ELECTED by the people Sheriff Derwin Brown (as opposed to the establishment "appointed" Sheriff Tommy Brown) was certainly a result of a vast conspiracy not merely the action of a single individual(Sid Dorsey)..

Derwin had himself uncovered many instances of longstanding good ole boy wink and nod politics and outright corrupt practices. Additionally, he aligned himself with individuals ( such as yours truly) who had personal knowledge of corrupt practices and deals that government officials elected in Dekalb had engaged by formed cozyrelationships with business people for their personal gain and pecuniary benefit. All be it strip club operators, county vendors, bail bondspeople, or off duty officers with private security accounts; Derwin represented the end of this type graft. These miscreants wanted him stopped and they stopped him. Maybe by not necessarily pulling the trigger but by creating an atmosphere and culture that resulted in demented and ignorant individuals like Dorsey, Cuffie, et al feeling that it needed to be done and should be done..

These tacitly involved individuals have Derwin's blood on their hand to the same extent as the trigger men...

Moreover, allowing individuals like Vernon Jones, Charles Hicks, Louis Graham, and Thomas Brown (the prmier figurehead) to run the government is nothing short of a farce.. Mr. Hicks may have truly had a crisis of conscience and therein lies the reason for his unfortunate death (be it suicide or murder). The real power brokers (Bob Wilson, Ray Suddeth, Mark Dehler, Frank Redding, and Sembler) are the ones reaping the real benefits $$$ from these shenaigans in Dekalb County government over the last 15 years. Unfortunately, it is at great cost to the taxpayers and underminds the sheer fiber that our Constitution is foundationed upon and yes cost at least one hero his life..

What everyone needs to understand is that nothing that I have exposed has happened in a vacuum and that ultimately it all connects. I can only bring the truth to the open but it is up to the citizens of Atlanta and Georgia at large to act. You can all start by demanding free and open hearings about Grady before one more dime is dropped in their coffers. Furthermore, you can all make a statement by giving Vernon Jones a resounding loss in the primaries. The citizens can demand some answers in the case of State Senator Charles Walker. Unless you all are satisfied with one man, his daughter, and the companies they ran being convicted of 127 felonies, being sentenced to ten years, and no one else even being charged.

Take what I say next or leave it, however your city and state is home to the most obscene corruption I have ever witnessed and given my home city that says plenty. Sadly, as it stands now, the aptly described hero, Sheriff Derwin Brown didn't merely die but he died in vain. Not only did he die in vain but his memory is being spat on everyday that Vernon Jones runs for the U.S. Senate. There is no doubt in my mind that he is a part of the very corruption that is a cancer in your city and state. The very idea that he is campaigning rather than answering for his endless sins is obscene not only to me, but frankly to the memory of Derwin Brown.

You have the power to make this stop. You watched while a hero died and did nothing. You watched while one of the biggest hospitals in the country was pilfered and did nothing. How long will you stand by and watch this happen? Unless, you the citizens, finally rise up nothing will change. I hope that now, once and for all, you will finally say enough is enough.

(UPDATE)I realize that if anyone picks up any part of the story of the Grady crisis in the middle, they will likely get lost. Thus, if this story is your first exposure to the mess surrounding Grady Hospital, you are probably thoroughly confused. Since we can't have that I have put together a summary of the entire fiasco that tries to put all of its moving parts together in one piece. Please read it for guidance. Also, please check out the recommendations that I and my colleagues have put together for fixing Grady Hospital.