ScottNAtlanta
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@mariasaporta @ScottNAtlanta You sure did...and now I remember having read it. The positive here is that Mr Parker has brought his A game here. He wasted no time in taking care of this. It looks as if none of the original players are involved anymore...a good thing as I see it.
Then I think the question should be why in the heck was he hired back and by whom. That person or persons should be fired as well as Graham...not "paid leave". Well at least Parker is doing something to clean up the messes left for him...he'll be busy for sure
If you remove the outlying counties it still failed by 41%-59% which is 4% closer. My point was that it could have been sold in a better way if it was a smaller region and would have had less of a pushback from the outer counties which in turn influenced messaging in Cobb...which was what caused it to fail. I agree it was pretty much the state shirking its responsibility in favor of ideological purity. The money for the 400/85 ramps was already available before the tolls came off GA 400 (roughly 45 million in the bank...so to speak) so that was already paid for. The state was stupid for not taking into account the massive growth this would spur. Trust me when I tell you the amount of times I cursed whoever designed that road without completing the 85 exit ramps when it would take 20mins to get from the 400 Sidney Marcus exit to turn right on to Cheshire Bridge Rd...something I gladly dont have to do at rush hour anymore. I am of the opinion that all those that screamed about the tolls coming down should be forced to just deal with it as is...you get what you pay for and the sooner some of these people learn that lesson the better we will all be...there aint no free lunch...even if you live in Cobb
@Native Atlanta Boy If the T-SPLOST had passed, the BELTLINE would have knocked 5 years off construction, They wouldn't have to "look" for funding for the GA 400 interchange...in fact they would be well on their way towards construction. The reason it failed is more because of the way the region was put together. The needs of Fayette Co. have very little in common with those of DeKalb. If it had been Atlanta, Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Clayton, Gwinnette ...it might have had more of a chance of passing. Also, the business community was extremely flat footed in getting their message out, while the Tea Party machine proved very effective (if not very truthful). In this information age, unfortunately, the message that gets out first (whether truthful or not) seems to stick...and the vote took place in one of the most dishonest times I can recall (locally and nationally). When you have former flight attendants pushing policy...thats what you get
Well...I'd say Rawlings speaks for a very vocal MINORITY of residents (of which I am one of those residents). Would I like it to be some wonderful upscale shopping district? That would be cool, but its not realistic, and the market is not there yet to support it. What you would end up with is a bunch of empty buildings which would be far worse. I knew what Cheshire Bridge Rd was like when I moved into the corridor area in '98. My guess is many of the pro-zoning change residents did too. If it was that big of a problem for them...they should have gone elsewhere...period. You should not impose you will on something that was already in existence just because you made a poor choice in where you live...you have the ability to go elsewhere, and probably should.
Would it really be that hard to contain all of this in 1 post...maybe 2??? It gets very hard to follow and dilutes any points you are making to have 7 posts (I've even noticed you have 5 min to edit if you forget something
I've said it before...let MARTA shut down for a couple of days. Then people will realize whats at stake. Rep Jacobs would be whistling a different tune if that happened
Skipping the union question for a second...privatization is not the end all that its made out to be. Memories sure are short around here. Many of these services were privatized in the past to horrible ends in service and financially. Look at the citys attempt to privatize the waterworks if you need a good example.
Second, its called PUBLIC transit for a reason...not "public only for who uses it" not "public minority" "public poor" transit...but public transit...which means everyone contributes. Trying to make MARTA pay for itself with fares is disproportionally unfair to the poor who depend on the system. FYI...no "PUBLIC" transit system pays for itself. It depends on (wait for it) PUBLIC funds through taxation of some sort as do roads, bridges, and all sorts of other government services we want, and thus pay for. Do I use all the services my tax dollars pay for, no...should we be able to pick and chose...no. We pick representation...and we've done a bang up job on that now, haven't we
This is such a nobrainer. You get 3 years of 100% funding...all the jobs created by that funding in the medical services field which are higher paying jobs and people are healthier...sounds just horrible doesn't it. Deal is incompetent and it is showing more every day. Listening to tea party boosters like Debbie Dooley and Jenny Beth Martin who have no clue about any of the policy they advocate is just plain dumb. Nathan Deal needs to learn to count as well...600,000 is a lot of votes to energize against you and your party
@The Last Democrat in Georgia It makes you wonder where all the money goes and to whom. I think if our leaders could focus on one thing at a time and see it through we would be ahead of where we are now. By the time they are ready to act on something the parameters have changed so much they have to start over with another study, or worse they try to go ahead with something that is well past its time of being useful
@The Last Democrat in Georgia @ScottNAtlanta
Then shouldn't we have 10x the revenue to help mitigate the difference? Just sayin'...lots of studies...little in the way of execution is the problem
I have to say my thoughts are conflicted on this. Fulton Co is dysfunctional as it gets, and it needs fixing, but the approach being taken is just as blatantly partisan. They are always screaming about cities in Fulton being represented, but you never hear the city of East Point being included in those discussions. I am no fan of any of the commissioners. They act in their own self interests and play the race card WAY too many times to the point people are dismissive of the charge of racisim. They also did themselves no favors increasing their own budgets while cutting everything else.
@Burroughston Broch @mariasaporta most renewable energy uses steam turbines...solar heats water to steam that moves the turbines. Wind uses kinetic energy, I believe not steam...and the technology for both is moving ahead in leaps and bounds
@JWK Thats ALEC and they have introduced a new bill this year, HB282. It is a shining example of legislative capture. There is nothing in this bill that benefits constituents. It only benefits AT&T and Windtream preserving their monopoly. It guarantees high prices, no competition and slow speeds. Like it or not, broadband is a utility. You cant even fill out a job application without broadband. The 1.5mb/s limit in this bill is laughable. BB is defined by the FCC as 4mb/s (laughable in its own right. Susan Crawford is an expert on this subject. I included a link to an interview with her too.
http://www.muninetworks.org/content/roundup-coverage-georgia-bill-slow-telecom-investment
http://www.muninetworks.org/content/susan-crawford-and-bill-moyers-discuss-internet-access-america
Since I am originally from Chattanooga I feel like I can comment on this. I remember when I was in high school, at 5:30pm you could shoot a gun down market street and nobody would even know...it was a ghost town (1983...fyi). To see it now (my parents still live there), its like night and day. To say Atlanta is an apples/orange comparison is wrong. There are a lot of things Atlanta can learn. The TN legislature isnt exactly thrilled with the progressiveness of CHA. They passed a law after CHA broke ground on their fibre network that effectively keeps it from expanding to adjacent areas that really want it, and it limits any new muni networks from being built. I am green with envy when I go to visit and use their internet. Its BLAZING fast, costs half what I pay and the customer service they get is wonderful and provided LOCALLY. The jobs stay there and dont go to an out of state company that doesnt have local ties. The difference is CHA's leaders have been on the same page throughout. They have the same racial problems (in many ways worse than ATL), but they all made the decision to do what they had to do to make the city better, and they had a plan to do it which they executed. Atlanta has had more plans and studies then could be listed. The problem here is a big lack of execution. I think ATL's leaders have realized that they will be on their own now if they want things to be done. There are, however, many more limits placed on the local areas in GA imposed by the state
Lets see...Politifact has 2 rated statements for Mr. Brown. False and Half True. He is one of the worst kinds of people in office...self serving. As fas as I and a lot of other people are concerned he can leave and take Fayette Co with him. Why does anyone care what he thinks.
Can you please give us some examples of the rampant corruption? It should be quite easy if its that bad.
@Burroughston Broch my point was that he is going to have many more headaches than his peers in other cities...many more...unnecessary but none the less there. I hope he can produce a miracle. Atlanta needs one
@Burroughston Broch I do...because the Commonwealth of MA usually pays it. They did last year. One of these days people will realize that public transit is supposed to be subsidized...thats why they call it PUBLIC...supported by fares and taxes. Unfortunately, Atlanta's was not funded properly from the start. Allowing Cobb and Gwinnette to benefit without paying in is not a formula for success...just take a look at the park/ride lots and check the plates on the cars if you doubt me. I will say that zone fares would also help. The point is, in Boston they have the full state backing, here, we have none. In fact just the opposite. I'm surprised Deal and Company haven't just taken it over...he seems to be the final word on everything else
@Burroughston Broch I'd say for what he is about to step in...thats barely adequate. The job in Boston will be a breeze compared to Atlanta. They actually support transit there