March 9, 2012
Today I did something I usually never do. I read the squawkies.
And, today, amid the typical obtuse references to the president and normal political misinformation, were littered a plethora of downright rude comments about a local code enforcement officer.
Granted this code enforcement officer, Ruth Lewis, has found herself in the middle of an in issue that never should have become one.
She's the unfortunate code enforcement officer who was assigned a complaint that came through the city's 3-1-1 system of an "improper portable sign" at 2401 Dawson Road. Upon arrival, Lewis saw what she thought was the impetus for the call: a flag pole place smack-dab in the middle of a city-owned right-of-way in front of Gieryic's Service Station.
What Lewis failed to see was what was the real reason for the complaint, an immobile, dilapidated portable sign located behind a restaurant in the Village Green Shopping Plaza just adjacent to Gieryic's station.
What happens next is a matter of conjecture, but according to Tom Gieryic, Lewis, in a less-than-polite way, told him to remove the flag or face getting a citation.
Since that point, people have turned what was supposed to be a local sign ordinance issue that ended up being a violation of state encroachment laws, as justification for defaming a sworn peace officer.
"Mr. Gieryic, thank you for flying our American Flag. Fire Ruth Lewis."
"Ruth Lewis sounds like nothing more than someone who loves having power in her hands. She needs to have her little ticket book removed and all power to write citations taken from her."
"Officer Lewis needs to be sent back to school to learn the difference between a sign and a symbol."
"I see that Code Enforcement is now hiring illegal aliens as officers. Who else would think that the American flag is a sign? It is a symbol of our great country. Perhaps the code inspector should serve a tour of duty an gain a real perspective for the flag of my country."
At worst, Lewis did two things wrong in this situation. 1. Failed to see the "true" dilapidated sign at the Village Green Shopping Center that was reported. 2. Was allegedly rude with Gieryic when she confronted him about the flag being posted in the city right-of-way.
While grounds for a reprimand, these things hardly make Lewis an "illegal alien." In fact, she, along with all of the other public safety officials in this country put on a uniform everyday to serve and protect. She serves warrants. She goes into vacant, dilapidated homes often occupied only by vagrants and/or drug users.
And yet, just because she's enforcing a law she had no role in creating or crafting, she's now the enemy.
She must be unpatriotic. It's not like she works for a city manager who wore the Marine Corps Uniform for decades, retiring as a full bird Colonel. And it's not like her direct supervisor, Code Enforcement DIrector Mike Tilson, retired from the United States Army as a major after years in service to his country.
But rather than take a common-sense look at an issue, as soon it involves something as sacred as the American Flag, people replace their intelligence with an unyielding and misguided zeal.
What good is having a flag that stands for Democracy, a unified republic and the tenets of the U.S. Constitution if we abandoned the law of which it stands?
Frankly, if you have a problem with the fact that someone can't fly a flag in the right of way, call Nathan Deal, David Ralston or Casey Cagle. It was the General Assembly that adopted the encroachment laws in the first place.
I'm thankful for people like Ruth Lewis who, despite the fact they know the sign ordinance is a hot-button issue, do their duty regardless and enforce it. After all, just disagreeing with a law doesn't give an officer license not to enforce it.
Comments
billslugg 1 year, 2 months ago
Officer Lewis, please continue to do your job and please ignore your detractors. Those jumping on the bandwagon against you are from the same crowd that would be screaming for your head should the code violation have been overlooked and then caused someone to be injured in an accident.
agirl_25 1 year, 2 months ago
Mr. Sumner....... I want to comment on your comment, if I may. First, and this is a copy and paste of the beginning of your statement......."Today I did something I usually never do. I read the squawkies".........so now my question to you is.....when you mentioned the part about the illegal alien working as code enforcement officer (from the original squawk quote) were you as confused as I was? I noticed that in the squawk but nothing was discussed any further so am wondering if you know the story on that?
Abytaxpayer 1 year, 2 months ago
I think the implication was that they must be “alien” to America and did not understand the Flag is a sacred symbol of America.
Abytaxpayer 1 year, 2 months ago
J D thanks for the rosy side of the story. Unfortunately your rose in a lot of fertilizer. It is sweet that you wrote this in light of the fact you may not always be on Col. Taylor or Mike’s BFF list. As a business owner who has dealt with more than one Code Officer this incident is more the normal than not. A couple of notes. Upon Officer Lewis arrival she went after and demanded the removal of a Sherwood Church “yard sign” in the right of way next to Whispering Pines road. When told Mr. Gieryic did not place it there nor knew who did and Not getting the response she wanted she decide to take action against Mr. Gieryic and the Flag was what she focused on. True the Flag was in the right-of-way and Mr. Gieryic was not aware placing a Flag in the grass in front of his business was against any law let along one he had never heard of. The flag was in the grass one foot inside the right-of-way not 10 feet but just 1 foot. Had Lewis been a courteous, thoughtful or at least a patriotic person she would have advised Mr. Gieryic there is a right-of-way law that prohibits the placement of his Flag there but he could move it back one foot and be legal. But her desire to be a bully (and NOT her first time) she demanded he take down and remove the flag completely instead of moving it just one foot to make it legal. Code Enforcement is charged with stifling every form of advertising they can by using the Sign Ordinance. Sadly as you saw in the two hour flag pole discussion Planning sees Flags as a subtle way Business try to attract attention to their location so they have determined flying a Flag, patriotic or NOT, is a form of advertising and cannot be tolerated any more than they are forced to. Planning’s agenda is to limit anything they view as advertising even if it means disrespecting the Boy Scouts. Code Enforcers MUST wear guns to be intimidating. Some of Code Enforcement does serve warrants and chase criminals around Albany and they should have a bully attitude and gun for that job. But why must we send officers, who maybe jacked up and upset from chasing a bad guy, out to deal with business people who aren’t even aware they are in violation of an obscure law. A dedicated Sign Ordinance Representative would be much better received by the public than our present Gun and Badge Enforcers. The sign ordinance was supposed to clean up Albany. How many dilapidated signs have you seen repaired or removed since they passed the ordinance so many years ago and how many other Horror stories have you heard about Code officers having with businesses? 0/too many to count! Albany needs a sign ordinance but one that is pro-business and not just anti-advertising. If Albany was really “Pro-Business” we would not have to threaten our businesses with Guns and Badges. Instead we would have City employees making every effort to work with businesses so threats and bullying would not be needed.
Abytaxpayer 1 year, 2 months ago
True the "illegal alien" was over the line but many of the other posters have had or know someone who has encountered the not so nice Sign Police. I have not bashed Lewis for being unpatriotic but because of the repeated BAD behavior by her and others in Code Enforcement. One or two encounters do not make a bad reputation but repeated behavior does. I do think and hope it was in her zealous to take down “signs” she did lose sight that one of the “signs” she was after was indeed the American Flag and not just some form of advertising. Her haste and heated encounter may have momentarily clouded her respect for the symbol of what she was treating so poorly, I will try to hold to that belief and give her the benefit of the doubt. . Hopefully with all this uproar the Commissioners will realize the negatives far outweigh any positives and will take a common-sense look at the Sign Ordinance and this time they will listen to the Task Force. Commissioner Pike said it best, we are elected to represent our constituents not force our will on them.
PS The sugar coated story was nice considering some of the postings we have been seeing on this issue.
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