The Gwinnett County government is facing some serious financial issues, like so many other municipalities across the country are, and like so many they are having to make some tough decisions. Well nothing helps you make those kind of decisions like taking $15,000 of taxpayers money and heading to a retreat in the mountains of north Georgia.

You read that right. 27 county employees went on a taxpayer funded retreat to discuss what budget cuts would be needed to allow the county to continue operating and meet all of it's responsibilities.

There is a story within a story here however, and should be one of encouragement for those who labor away in the blogosphere wondering if you make a difference.

I caught this story last night on my local late news. They picked it up because a local blogger who writes at a site called GwinnettBuzz wrote about it. In the news report they even mentioned it.

But there is more. On the tv station's website where they have a video of it, which I can't get to play, I noticed the byline on the article included a name I am familiar with, Michael King.

I know Michael King first from a personal standpoint, his daughter and my daughter were friends in high school and he used to be associated with a group known as Project 21, The National Leadership Network of Black Conservatives. We had not been in touch for a couple of years but I came across him on Twitter and started following him. Michael now works for channel 11 (11 Alive) news. In the past he has also been a guest on Hannity and Colmes to talk about the Project 21 group.

The blogger himself has been mentioned before in regards to the series he did about the mandatory recycling program Gwinnett county implementated by the guys over at Red State.

So while the point of this story is to bring forth yet another case of idiots in governement positions, it is also a lesson in how the power of networking and leveraging the tools of the internet can make your voice heard.