I have written a lot here about the mess in Alachua City, Florida. Charges were dropped against Charlie Grapski after he was charged with felony wiretapping though his tape recorder was sitting in plain view on a table.
Here is the background:
More vindication for the Alachua voting activist...Charlie GrapskiState: Watson breaking law by also being police officer"
ALACHUA - As both a city law enforcement officer and the Alachua city manager, Clovis Watson Jr. is illegally holding two offices, according to opinions written by the Attorney General.
That now leads to questions about the validity of arrests that Watson has made since 2002, including the well-known arrest of Charlie Grapski on charges that were later thrown out of court.
Questions also are raised about the fact that the city puts extra, "special risk" money into Watson's retirement fund, treating him as a police officer. Watson has even been given a second title, called "police commissioner."
Much more at the link.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/714But now it just gets more interesting, much more interesting. http://www.highspringsherald.com/articles/2006/12/04/breaking_news/break01.txtALACHUA -- Alachua City Hall caught fire Sunday night with flames shooting through the roof, and the building is so extensively damaged that mobile homes will be brought in Tuesday to act as a temporary City Hall for roughly three months.
The electrical system is the suspected culprit, said Alachua City Manager Clovis Watson Jr., who stood outside City Hall early Monday morning, directing city workers to other city buildings for emergency meetings.
Watson said the fire appears to have started near the room where city computer files are kept. Those city files primarily included financial information. Watson said the city works with an outside company on the city's utility billing, payroll and other financial information, and he said that company is going to send the backed-up information to the city by Tuesday.
PHOTO OF CITY HALL: The fire is believed to have started near the Alachua City Hall computer room (seen at left in the hallway). A more detailed inspection began around 11:30 a.m. today after a crane lifted air-conditioning units off the roof. The units could have fallen into City Hall at any time because of the weakened structure. (Photo By Ronald Dupont Jr.)And several interesting comments posted by Charlie at HEP.
http://howardempowered.blogspot.com/2006/12/alachua-city-hall-catches-fire.htmlI have been pushing for a number of key financial and other related public records.
I stated that if I did not receive them by today I would take legal action.
Then last night - about midnight - the fire.
Just move along, folks. Nothing to see here at all.