|
TODAY'S
ISSUE
Take off rose-colored
glasses and see suburbia
By
Benita M. Dodd
Vice President, Georgia Public Policy Forum
Special to GwinnettForum.com
(Editor's Note: Here's a refreshing view of
suburbia that we feel you need to see, even though it also mentions
the editor in the story. The event Benita Dodd writes about
was the Atlanta Journal-Constitution sponsored 69th semi-annual
Tour of Gwinnett.-eeb)
OCT. 22, 2004 -- About every six months, veteran journalist Elliott
Brack co-hosts a bus tour of Gwinnett County that highlights the
history and changing face of one of the nation's fastest-growing
counties.
Gwinnett is frequently attacked by activists as a prime example
of the out-of-control growth that they demand be reined in across
metro Atlanta, the so-called poster child for sprawl. It was no
surprise that when Commission Chairman Wayne Hill lost his seat
recently after 12 years, slow-growth advocates hailed it as a
victory over the pro-growth policies "destroying" the
county.
So it was refreshing when, from the environment to transportation
to the economy, the 69th semi-annual tour of Gwinnett this month
reflected an honest attempt to set aside the rose-colored glasses
that often romanticize "the good old days" and demonize
progress as a plague of "sprawl" and traffic.
Perhaps the most compelling lesson was encapsulated in an exchange
with the commission chairman, who took some time at lunch to address
the tour group of businesspeople, politicians, journalists and
community activists.
When Hill asked, "How many of y'all live in Gwinnett?"
many of the 30 or so tour participants raised a hand.
All the participants raised a hand when he asked, "How many
of y'all hate the traffic?"
Hill's tongue-in-cheek comeback was, "Well, then, why don't
you go back to where you came from?"
"I can say that now," joked the outgoing politician,
who activists nicknamed "sultan of sprawl" during his
tenure. Hill shepherded the county through a massive population
increase - 400,000 to 700,000 - and a budget that has more than
doubled, from $606 million in 1993 to $1.4 billion in 2004.
In spite of the criticism directed at the suburban lifestyle,
the bus tour unveiled a largely positive evolution of Gwinnett
from rural to urban county, which in turn has drawn more residents
to its quality of life. In the "good old days," by comparison,
rural life was harsh and unsanitary for the county's residents,
who were largely ignorant of the environmental devastation they
wreaked. When cotton was king in Georgia - and most of Gwinnett
was cropland - land was clearcut with no regard for the environment.
Huge swaths of wetlands were drained; streams were diverted, muddied
and clogged.
University of Georgia Professor emeritus Harold Brown describes
the impact of agriculture-based erosion in his book, The Greening
of Georgia. "The sand and silt in the channel of the Yellow
River in Gwinnett County was so deep in the 1930s that a 15 foot
sampling auger would not reach the bottom of the deposit,"
he writes.
As for the sprawl designation, tour co-host Jim Steele, chief
operating officer of Gwinnett County Schools, dismisses it admirably.
He described how "nodal townships" developed at depots
along railroad tracks in Gwinnett. According to the Gwinnett Historical
Society, the cities of Buford, Duluth, Norcross and Suwanee grew
along the Southern Railroad track (completed in 1871); Dacula,
Gloster, Grayson, Lilburn and Luxomni (which no longer exists)
grew along the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, completed in 1891.
"We haven't been sprawling," Steele pointed out, "We've
been in-filling."
The population has increased more than 2,000 percent in Gwinnett
since 1930, and 181 percent in Georgia, according to census data.
Yet there are more trees today, both in Gwinnett and in Georgia,
than there were 75 years ago. And more are being planted.
Nowadays, it's a trip to the confessional when one admits to
choosing a suburban lifestyle. Poor health, air pollution, traffic
congestion, obesity and massacred trees are piled in the cul-de-sacs
of conscience-stricken suburbanites.
There is a place in the market for people who choose other lifestyles,
be it a high-density or mixed-use community. The successes of
Gwinnett and so many other metro Atlanta counties depends on visionary
leadership that acknowledges that that the good old days weren't
exactly that good, then focuses on accommodating the future instead
of acquiescing to thwart the quality of life of the vast majority
who choose the suburbs.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Patriotism
is not the right of any individual or grup
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
OCT. 22, 2004 -- It takes an intelligent and level-headed person
to hold a belief and reasonably communicate with someone who has
an entirely different belief on that subject. Each should use
pure reason and intellect to reach the other. Losing your temper
amounts to losing face with the other.
 We're
talking about civilized discourse, of course. In the last few
years, we've enjoyed offering GwinnettForum for such debate. We've
been pleased at the number of people who have responded with their
thoughts on a variety of subjects.
Naturally, something as important as the direction that our nation
should go has stirred lots of souls recently as the United States
moves toward the election of a person to lead our nation. It seems
to us that there is a sharp difference in opinion of the two major
candidates for the presidency, with our nation seeming close to
a even balance of belief. It's an outgrowth of the 2000 election,
where our nation was virtually split 50-50.
Most perplexing in this year's debate is one particular theme.
Some people seem to equate patriotism with support for the war
in Iraq. You hear such simplistic thoughts as "You are either
with us or against us" in the conduct of that war.
That concerns us.
Being a defender of the American way of life does not necessarily
equate to support for the war. And it has nothing to do with being
a patriot. Indeed, most everyone knows persons who have been heroes
in prosecution of other wars of this country who for reasons of
their own are against the war in Iraq.
Now as we determine which of the two candidates to vote for in
the election for president, the choice seems clear, when it comes
to the war in Iraq:
- Voting for George W. Bush will mean you are supportive of
the way he has conducted the war. You expect to see more of
the same from him in the next four years.
- Voting for John Kerry can mean that you do not like the way
our nation is headed in the war. You would expect Mr. Kerry
to go about the problem in Iraq in a different manner, as well
as conduct the surrounding diplomacy in another manner.
Now consider: does either of these positions have anything to
do with patriotism? We think not..
People on both sides of the issue can be patriots. They both
love their country, both support the troops as they go about their
duties, both are zealous in all forms of patriotism.
Yet this doesn't mean that they will vote the same way in the
election, nor even in the efforts of the Congress on important
issues. One might even vote against appropriations for the military
on grounds that has nothing to do with patriotism. They hold different
beliefs, so you would expect them to vote differently on many
items.
But both are patriots.
Blind patriotism is akin to fuzzy thinking.
Syndicated Columnist Molly Ivins wrote recently:
"I am sick of the right wing claiming patriotism as its
exclusive purview. No one serves this country well who blindly
supports misbegotten wars in the name of patriotism.
"The right to dissent is one of the founding principles
of this country and is in itself a high form of patriotism. What
you owe your country is your best evaluation of whether we are
or are not going in the right direction."
So our thesis: there are left wing patriots. And right wing patriots.
And even moderate patriots too. Patriotism is not a right of any
particular group or party. A good American, a patriotic American,
can best express their patriotism by voting. Plain and simple.
ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
 The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is Hayes Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep
of Lawrenceville and Gainesville, and just opened this week, a
new Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep location in Baldwin. Terry Hayes is the
General Manager of the new Baldwin dealership. The location is
adjacent to the Hayes Chevrolet dealership on Georgia Highway
365 in Habersham County. General Manager Mike Hayes of Lawrenceville
and General Manager Tim Hayes of Gainesville invite you into their
showrooms to look over their line-up of automobiles and trucks.
Hayes has been in the automotive business for over 30 years, and
is North Georgia's oldest family-owned auto dealership. The family
is the winner of the 2002 Georgia Family Business of the Year
Award.. Check out their web site at: http://www.hayeschrysler.com.
For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: http://www.gwinnettforum.com/about/sponsors.htm.
McLEMORE'S
WORLD
10/22: Modern production
line
The latest from cartoonist Bill McLemore:
FEEDBACK
10/22: Feels action
against earlier attack might have helped USA
Editor, the Forum:
In reference to wars: does anyone believe that war is positive?
It was a necessity of preserving ours and other's freedoms; if
you will remember, 9-11-2001 changed that. What did you feel like
that morning and the days following the attack on America? No
president has ever taken this job lightly. We had been attacked
on New York City soil before but nothing came of it. Maybe if
something had been done then, we would not have a 9-11 to remember
forever.
Everyone wants to place blame. We can all claim blame to how
others perceive our country due to tremendous bickering and disrespect
shown daily by the media for the people we should be showing respect.
Ahh, but freedom of speech allows that? What has happened to what
our parents taught us about respect, honor, dignity, morality
and serving others? I believe that the president is protecting
our nation and our rights through the men and women in the armed
forces. I also very much respect that the majority honor and respect
the Commander In Chief of our country.
I thank God for a president that thanks and prays to God openly.
Our country was founded by men that believed the same. There is
more at stake than war; I disagree with Mr. Kerry's stand on abortion,
marriage and basically find him untrustworthy.
I do care about this country, my children and their future and
for that reason I will vote for George Bush on November 2. And
yes, eeb, others will draw different conclusions from me. That
is their choice and yes, that is what makes America great.
-- Ossie Randall, Suwanee
10/22: Enjoys thoughts
from Yvonne concerning election
Editor, the Forum:
Hooray Yvonne (FORUM, October
19) ! It sounds like Yvonne was born very bright ! It's
a shame that all voters are not. Oh well, I guess what some of
our citizens lack in intelligence, they make up for in other ways.
That's another thing that makes our country great.
-- Roy McCreary. Dacula
10/22: Claims that real flip-flopper is President Bush
Editor, the Forum:
He refuses to admit mistakes, says he‚and will do the exact
same thing! He claimed Iraq had WMD's and a link with Al Qaeda
and ominously warned of "mushroom clouds." Now he says
he bombed Iraq to "establish a democracy in the Middle East."
That's a flip-flop!
He opposed the 9/11 Commission, then grudgingly accepted it.
Flip-flop! He refused to testify under oath or allow any note
taking of his answers -- then insisted Cheney hold his hand. And
he claims Kerry's not credible?! Now that's hubris!
In March 1993, the WTC was bombed the first time. Clinton didn't
blame his predecessor, gone from office only two months. After
eight months in office, "W" blamed Clinton for 9/11.
Listen closely. He's still doing it. From Iraq to the economy,
he blames (or labels) someone else. "Bad intelligence."
"Flip-flop." "Liberal." Oh, yeah. America
needs four more years of that!
Bush must learn---as voters have---that being self-righteous
isn't the same as being righteous. No better time than November
2 for him to finally "get it."
-- M. Buckman, Lilburn
NEWS
What are those markings
on the roadways in Suwanee?
If dark swirls that look something like hieroglyphics recently
have appeared on the street you live on, you're not seeing things.
The "hieroglyphics" on Suwanee streets are actually
evidence that the City is working to maintain its roadways.
The hieroglyphics are made by an asphalt product that is used
to seal cracks in the roadway. Through a private contractor, Suwanee
recently has sealed 110 City streets or about 27 miles of roadway.
Rather than spending all of its available annual funding to repair
roads that are in poor condition, the City expends some of its
operational funds to prevent good roads from deteriorating, which
is what this crack sealing process achieves. Crack sealing prevents
water from entering the roadway subgrade and accelerating deterioration.
"It costs a lot more to repair bad roads than it does to
maintain a good road," explains Public Works Director Rich
Edinger. "The goal is to keep our roads in good condition."
BOOK
RECOMMENDATION
10/22:
From Calhoun Johnson
Charleston, S.C.
"Just finished reading a charming novel about a neurotic
millionaire looking to bring someone new into his life. Amidst
the twists and turns of "Millard Fillmore, Mon Amour,"
novelist John Blumenthal weaves a funny modern tale that includes
some information about an unlikely dead supporting cast member,
the nation's 13th president.
"Am currently reading a new series of 12 essays, "Where
We Stand: Voices of Southern Dissent," that probes what's
happened in the South on a variety of social justice issues. In
the foreword, President Jimmy Carter writes, "The writers
of this volume are all concerned about democracy and human rights,
and they offer wide-ranging incisive essays."
- An invitation: What books have you enjoyed? Send us your
best recent book along with a short paragraph as to why you
liked it, plus what you plan to read next. --eeb
ENCYCLOPEDIA
TIDBIT
10/22: Native to
state, lost camellia one of rarest trees in world
The Franklin tree or lost camellia (Franklinia alatamaha) is
an unusually beautiful tree, once native only to Georgia, that
is also one of the rarest trees in the world. Discovered in the
mid-eighteenth century, the Franklin tree was last recorded in
the wild by a nurseryman and plant collector in 1803. All known
specimens today are in cultivation.
 John
Bartram and his son William discovered the Franklin tree growing
along the banks of Georgia's Altamaha River near Darien, in McIntosh
County, in 1765. In his book Travels, William Bartram describes
it as a beautiful shrub that appeared to be related to Gordonia
lasianthus (loblolly bay), but with larger and more fragrant flowers.
They named the tree in honor of their friend Benjamin Franklin
and the river beside which they had found it (the species name,
alatamaha, reflects the Bartrams' variant spelling of Altamaha).
The Franklinia is a deciduous small tree or large shrub growing
fifteen to twenty feet high and ten to fifteen feet wide, with
elongated, dark green leaves that turn red, orange, or pink in
the fall. Its most striking feature is its showy two- to three-inch
snow-white flowers, with clusters of golden yellow stamens in
the centers. The tree flowers from late summer until frost.
In 1969 a set of four U.S. postal stamps was issued, each bearing
a plant associated with one of the four regions of the country.
Franklinia was chosen to represent the South.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
What you risk if
you do not decide to make an effort
"You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed
if you don't try."
-- Beverly Sills, via Deb Roberts of Duluth.
SEND
YOUR FEEDBACK
Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet
peeves or comments on any issue to Gwinnett
Forum for future publication.
===========================================
MORE: Contact Gwinnett Forum at: elliott@gwinnettforum.com
© 2004, Gwinnett Forum.com. Gwinnett Forum
is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and
sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve
life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA.
|
