Since its inception, The AmericUSumter Observer (ASO) has been a pivotal voice for this community. ASO chronicles stories that are local and national in scope, with an emphasis of chronicling issues that affect Americus' Black community. Our stories cover issues as less threatening as social news to more involved, unpopular issues that expose racism whether committed by Blacks or Whites. Our aim is to report the facts and inform our readers as to what is really happening in Sumter County. Another aim of ours is to highlight those elected official's voting records, especially Black officials who are in office because of Black constituents. These Black elected officials must be accountable to their constituents.

Again, ASO joins the NAACP in calling our readers' attention to Sumter County's Black elected officials who do not vote in the interest of their constituents. Let these officials be reminded that all elections are "local" meaning: elected officials usually vote according to their constituents' needs and desires. It is political suicide for any elected official-Black or White-to ignore this political primer. Simply put, elected officials get and continue being elected by responding to and bringing home the "bacon" for their constituents. That is a political fact and it is intelligent to do so.

Our elected Black officials have yet to grasp this simple political logic. Their defense for not serving their constituents' needs is the same old weak response that has been given to this newspaper and to the local NAACP whenever asked, "We were elected to serve all the people". This statement will be morally true if the elected officials were voted into office by other ethnic groups but that is not the case. But the political reality for most of our Black officials is that they were elected by a Black majority. This line of reasoning by our Black elected persons is cowardly. Take for example GA's US Senator Saxby Chambliss, he is supposed to vote the interest of all the people (his constituents), but we know Chambliss votes in the interest of his majority White constituents if he is expected to be reelected. Why can't our elected officials understand the numbers game in politics? And, why are elected officials continuing to give away their political capital (their votes) without ever receiving any political benefits for their constituents? These Black elected officials are not politically astute if they think that their White elected colleagues share their scared to death philosophy of claiming to"serve all the people," especially those officials coming from predominately all-white districts.

The Black community in Americus needs to think seriously the next time they cast their ballots. No more should we tolerate electing individuals who are not qualified or have no interest in meeting the needs of Black people. An excellent example that makes our point is the overwhelming rejection of Bob Fuse by White voters who cast their vote wisely when they rejected the candidacy of Bob Fuse in a recent City Council election. Fuse is the brother of County Commissioner Andrea Pearlette Fuse Brooks. Bob Fuse was soundly defeated — he received less than 25 votes. The Whites in that district supported someone who looks like them and they expect him to look out for their interests. Imagine having a Commissioner Bob Fuse, a person who is misguided and misinformed; one who has threatened bodily harm to the Publisher of this paper if negative articles are printed about his sister, Commissioner Andrea Brooks. We know what damage Brooks has caused her constituents. The community cannot afford to chance a brother and sister act where both are misguided and neither will have the spine to meet the needs of their Black constituents.

Below are our brief assessment of the eight Black elected officials on the County Commission, County Board of Elections, City Council, and Sumter County Hospital Authority. Our assessment reveals a very dismal record for these eight officials. All have disappointed the Black community in one or all three of the areas we assessed: 1) their qualifications 2) their inability to be true advocates for their people 3) their lack of nurturing and caring for their constituents.

County Commissioners
Commissioner Al Hurley has tried to help his community by working with the NAACP and other advocacy groups to help advance the Black community. He is a business man who has run into some financial constraints which has lessened his ability to fight effectively. The other County Commisssioner, Brooks, was mentioned above.

Sumter County Board of Elections
Thomas Sims, a retired mail carrier and David Hunter, a teacher at Georgia Southwestern State University need to become more active and aggressive in solving complaints that are before their election board. Election Supervisor, Sherry Ratliff has been extremely blatant in her unfair and racial discriminatory practices during elections. The local NAACP, the Black community, and this paper have been battling Ratliff from all fronts because of her racist practices during elections. Some of these practices violate the law. We urge Sims and Hunter to take an aggressive stance and request an investigation of Ratliff. We feel such investigation will result in finding all types of discrimination directed at Black which should remove her from that position.

City Council
The Americus City Council has three Black members who are just "bench warmers." All three voting records are pitiful at best. And all three have yet to take a strong stand on controversial issues. Perhaps their intentions are sincere but they lack the aggressive stance that would bring about significant changes needed for the community. For instance, neither of the three took an active position on several discriminatory issues that needed their votes. Council members Eloise Paschal and Eddie Rhea Walker are two relics who need to lead or get out of the way. It is painful to see two former educators—Paschal, the librarian and Brooks, the government teacher—, elected to such a strong position when they are weak in their convictions. Voters need to retire these two and replace the two with bold individuals who do not hesitate to fight for what is right. The more we complain about them the more entrenched the two become in their outdated, old school-type of politics. Paschal and Walker lack the political know how to fight for their constituent's interests. When Paschal and Walker were asked why they did not take a strong position in calling for the removal of police officer Michael Middeleton, Walker answered saying "we didn't have the votes." Middleton brutally beat a local Black citizen. A politically savvy politician would have sought support from her voters to create an outcry for Middleton's removal. Councilman Lorenzo Johnson has turned out to be a younger version of Paschal and Walker. Maybe the next elections, his voters will closely scrutinize his voting record and determine that they are better off without him on the Council.

Sumter County Hospital Authority
The Sumter County Hospital Authority's Black members, Reverend Michael Coley, Fred McLaughlin, and Willie Paschal (husband of Council woman Eloise Paschal), have done grave harm to this community. Talk about "seat warmers," they sat on this powerful Authority and gave away their voting power to Whites on the Authority. All three Black men are guilty of watching us lose our hospital to an outside entity. We tried desperately to make the three men understand that the majority of the patients who use the hospital are Blacks from the community and that they needed to avoid getting us in the situation that we are in. Our pleas were in vain. The three signed off on a 40 year lease by Phoebe Putney Hospital in Albany, GA for a bargain $25 million dollars. We have reported previously in some detail what happened to the hospital and how Authority members allowed CEO David Seagraves to tank the hospital.
Those same Authority members watched while Jerry Adams, previous CEO, abuse his power and left this county with almost $500,000 dollars after his ouster. Now we have learned that the Authority is allowing David Seagraves to exit with nearly $1,000,000 in a golden parachute.

The NAACP and Americus Sumter Observer will continue to exhaust all methods and avenues to get our Black officials to work on behalf of their constituents and not remain just seat warmers. Too many important issues are in the pipeline for these elected officials to be less shy and less timid with their voice and vote. Americus needs and wants change for the betterment of all our citizens, especially for our young people. This community cannot continue to lose its youth because they lack opportunities here. Black elected officials need to stop making silly excuses and start seriously helping to advance their constituents. Your constituents expect strong representation on these boards and council where you just sit.