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Below you'll find recent comments by Gwinnett Forum readers
about issues of the day:
10/31:
Concerned
about what
was being
taped to her
mailbox
Editor, the
Forum:
Yesterday
when I arrived
home, I found
the current
issue of the
nonprofit
Historic City
of Norcross
Times Newsletter
taped to the
front of our
mail box.
This issue
contains information
about the
mayor's race
and the candidates
running for
City Council.
I am sure
it was hot
off the press
and the Newsletter
Chairman,
Bill Barks,
was concerned
if it was
mailed it
wouldn't reach
voters before
the election
next Tuesday.
-- Pat
Fadal, Norcross
(Editor's
Note: Barks
told the Forum
that he had
checked with
the Postmaster
and that as
long as it
was not in
the box, it
was OK, since
the post "belonged
to the person."
However, postal
officials
told the Forum
Thursday that
any item touching
the box should
be charged
postage. Barks
told the Forum
that in the
future he
would put
in a plastic
bag when delivering.
-eeb)
10/28:
Health forest
initiative is
ploy in disguise
Editor, the
Forum:
I believe that
the Bush Administration's
"Healthy
Forests Initiative"
is merely a ploy
to disguise the
truth--that President
Bush is a champion
for the timber
industry. In a
presidential proclamation,
Bush praised forests
for the lumber,
paper and other
wood products
they provide.
But National Forests
also provide clean
water, fish and
wildlife habitat
and unrivaled
hiking, hunting
and fishing opportunities.
It's time for
a wildfire policy
that provides
funding to protect
homes and communities
first, rather
than a policy
that increases
logging under
the guise of fuels
reduction.
-- Charmaine
MacKenzie, Lawrenceville
10/28: Surprising
that more cities
do not call for
impeachment
Editor, the Forum:
It is not surprising
that the City
of Santa Cruz,
Calif. has passed
a resolution to
ask Congress to
impeach Bush &
Co. for "High
Crimes and Misdemeanors."
The reason given
is that President
Bush violated
international
treaties, manipulated
public fears to
justify war, and
violated Constitutional
Rights.
What is surprising
is that other
cities have not
done the same.
Our states and
cities are all
cutting back on
essential services
such as fire and
police, schools,
hospitals and
emergency services
due to a lack
of funds.
The cost of the
invasion and occupation
of Iraq equals
approximately
$1,660 for every
man, woman and
child in this
country. The invasion
would never have
taken place if
Congress and the
people had not
been lied to about
the imminent threat
posed by Iraq,
the then non-existent
connection to
terrorism and
Bin Laden, the
non-existent weapons
of mass destruction,
and the Iraqis'
supposed willingness
to trade their
oil for freedom.
Despite the fact
that Bush knew
that all of his
justifications
for war were untrue,
he continues to
repeat them in
every speech.
If we permit this
Administration
to continue their
campaign of imperialism,
we will all pay
dearly in many
ways. It's time
to call for impeachment!
-- Charles
Prendergast, Los
Angeles, Calif.
10/24:
Duluth rezoning raises
some basic questions
Editor, the Forum:
The City Council
of Duluth recently
by unanimous vote
(5-0) approved the
annexation/rezoning
of the McDaniel Enterprises
property, consisting
of 99.7 acres, on
Old Peachtree and
Buford Highway. This
decision by the Duluth
City Council is part
of a trend that has
led to over 10,000
acres of unincorporated
Gwinnett County being
annexed by municipalities
in the last year.
So what makes this
action by the Council
so newsworthy?
When property is
annexed, the owner/developer
seizes on the desire
by local
municipalities to
increase property
tax revenues and is
able to negotiate
zoning uses, buffers,
density and other
concessions that would
not customarily be
available under the
existing zoning in
the county. It is
a perfectly legal
process since the
city has the authority
to zone property.
This makes annexation
a winning endeavor
for both parties.
Some would argue
that the owner/developer's
actions were unscrupulous.
The owner, McDaniel
Enterprises, and the
developer, Pulte Homes,
have been working
secretly since the
end of the legislative
session, which ended
in February to establish
the zoning for the
McDaniel property
to a Planned Unit
Development (PUD).
Rather than solicit
input from the surrounding
community or inform
the 97 residents of
Chattahoochee Mobile
Home Park, the owner
waited until days
before the zoning
hearing to post the
signs giving the public
notice of the hearing
on August 4, 2003.
Only when the signs
were posted did the
residents understand
why the landlord had
been so persuasive
in the need to change
their leases to a
month to month basis.
Now their tenure at
the Mobile Home Park
becomes most uncertain.
The surrounding subdivisions
were also caught by
surprise. Many of
the homeowners in
the adjoining subdivisions
were enjoying the
last week of summer
vacation before school
resumed. The legal
notices publicizing
the Public Hearing
were run under the
City of Duluth so
it was unlikely that
the homeowners in
Gwinnett County would
take note. In every
possible way the owner/developer
kept the pending annexation/rezoning
under the radar of
potential opposition.
This strategy worked
to perfection.
The city's Planning
Staff had been working
for months with the
developer tailoring
the plan that was
presented to the Zoning
Board. It received
the proposed materials
on Thursday prior
to the hearing on
Monday. Equally important,
the Board relies heavily
on the Planning Staff
for direction, especially
on questions of law
and compliance.
Whose interests were
best served by the
city's Planning Staff
in this annexation?
Why is the proposed
Planned Unit Development
contrary to the city's
zoning ordinance?
Why would this plan
be accepted by the
city, but would never
have been approved
in Gwinnett County?
There were a lot
of questions left
unanswered that night
at the Zoning Hearing
in August. The approval
by the Zoning Board
sealed the victory
for the owner/developer.
The rest of the process
was mere formality,
because the City Council
knew of the annexation
months before the
Zoning Board and they
knew how they would
vote.
The annexation/rezoning
process is a problem
begging for attention.
It allows the
owner's burden under
zoning law to be circumvented.
The owner has the
burden to prove that
the current zoning
is detrimental. Annexation
removes this burden
and with it comprehensive
use plans and zoning
are thrown out the
window.
Whose vision should
be embraced? Multi-family
RM uses are not consistent
with the surrounding
zoning. Why should
municipalities be
allowed to displace
homeowners and disenfranchise
the voices of surrounding
subdivisions?
It is an issue whose
time has come and
needs to be addressed
by the State Legislature.
-- Jef Fincher,
Developer, Parsons
Plantation Subdivision
and resident
10/24:
Questions calling
work a masterpiece
Editor, the Forum:
In your recent column
about John Grisham's
book, "Runaway
Jury," you casually
called the book a
masterpiece.
A masterpiece? I
can see one of the
works of Hemingway,
or Shakespeare, or
maybe even Eudora
Welty. But Grisham?
Give him a few years,
and maybe. But not
now.
A masterpiece? I
don't think so.
-- Anonymous in
Washington
(Editor's
Note: I agree. Bad
choice of words,
and not a real masterpiece.
But the book is
still a good read.---eeb.)
10/21:
Gwinnett Tech
should have been
under state control
Editor, the Forum:
Gwinnett Tech
President Sharon
Rigsby cites four
factors she contends
have contributed
to record-breaking
enrollments at
Gwinnett Tech.
They are:
-
A
great product
in technical
education,
-
The
quality of Gwinnett
Tech faculty,
-
Quick
response to
work place needs,
and
-
New
programs and
increased classroom
space.
If Rigsby is
even remotely
trying to credit
local ownership
and/or her stewardship
as the driving
force behind these
four factors,
she needs to prove:
1) Why and how
she -- rather
than the technology
revolution, a
recessionary economy
and their impact
on the composition
of the Metropolitan
Area's workforce
-- made technical
education into
a "great
product."
2) Did the enrollment
increases at Gwinnett
Tech outpace that
at all other Georgia
technical schools
managed by the
state Department
of Technical &
Adult Education
(DT&AE). And,
if so, was Gwinnett
Tech's faculty
the prime causal
factor for the
increased enrollments,
and why and how
she was able to
assemble a faculty
superior to any
that the DT&AE
assembled?
3) Why DT&AE
ownership/operation
of Gwinnett Tech,
with a local advisory
board, could not
equally as quickly
have responded
to statewide workforce
needs?
4) Why and how
adding new programs
and more classrooms
at Gwinnett Tech
benefits the vast
majority of resident
K-12 students
moreso than economic
development, statewide
businesses and
industries and
out-of-county
students (who
constitute one-third
of Gwinnett Tech's
quarterly enrollments)?
Gwinnett Tech
should have been
transferred to
the DT&AE
years ago and
the multi-millions
of local school
taxes so saved
applied to legitimate
K-12 education
needs. Gwinnett
County K-12 school
taxes and SPLOST
proceeds should
only be used to
finance K-12 education;
state/local/private
funds from Departments
of Industry &
Tourism, CIDs,
etc., should finance
economic pursuits.
-- Donald F.
Valtman, Lilburn
(Editor’s
Note: Gwinnett
County funded
Gwinnett Tech
since its inception
in 1984, until
July 1, 2003,
when oversight
was transferred
to the Department
of Technical and
Adult Education,
with a three year
phase in. eeb)
10/14:
Says some groups have
larger axes to grind
Editor, the Forum:
Your recent article
about eminent domain
from Cleveland, Ga,
and the HOPE group:
I don't know if there
is any thing to what
this guy is talking
about or not.
I do know we in Georgia
have a great power
system that is the
least costly in the
country. If Georgia
Power and the others
are required to make
the changes this group
wants, our power costs
will skyrocket. I
am not in any way
connected to the utility
industry, but I have
found most of these
type organizations
have a larger ax to
grind than the one
they talk about. You
need a comment from
Georgia Power or the
Public Service Commission
from someone that
knows more than most
of us average people.
-- Chuck Brack,
Sugar Hill
(Editor's
Note: See article
from Georgia EMC today.
No word from Georgia
Power.-eeb)
10/14:
Ramifications of report
on searching in Iraq
Editor, the Forum:
After months of searching
and the expenditure
of millions of dollars,
David Kay, the head
of the Iraq Survey
Group, has just presented
his report on his
search for Iraqi weapons.
He found what was
essentially a vial
of Botox which had
been in a scientist's
refrigerator for ten
years. Until last
year, Kay was vice-president
of Science Applications
Corporation, a major
recipient of taxpayer
largesse in the form
of huge contracts
in Iraq, including
a $650 million contract
to supply services
for the US army and
run a US propaganda
radio station in Iraq.
In the meantime,
BBC News, on October
9, 2003, reports that
Condy Rice is saying
that new evidence
uncovered by weapons
inspectors proves
Iraq had posed a serious
threat and that the
invasion was justified.
She stated that the
report that was presented
to US lawmakers last
week provided "hard
evidence of facts
that no one should
ever have doubted."
And Bush gave a speech
in New Hampshire saying
Iraq "will no
longer be a breeding
ground for terror,
tyranny and aggression."
Perhaps Bush and
Condy are just visiting
from another galaxy
- or did they not
read the report?
-- Charles Prendergast,
Los Angeles, Calif.
10/7:
New bridge going up in
Charleston is sight to
behold
Editor, The Forum:
How well I remember going
to Savannah to see the
Talmadge Bridge under
construction. It was truly
an engineering marvel.
You might want to advise
your subscribers that
there is an even greater
engineering marvel under
way in Charleston, a new
modern bridge across the
Cooper River that goes
OVER the two current bridges.
They will eventually be
taken down. The diamond
towers are nearing completion
and should be finished
by the end of November
or in early December.
It is an awesome sight
to behold and to see it
taking shape is a once
in a lifetime opportunity.
Disregard the fact that
I am a past president
of the Charleston Chamber
of Commerce.
-- Doug Donehue, Charleston
10/2:
Wonders if roundabouts
will work well in built-up
area
Editor, the Forum:
Regarding Judge Winn's
article about roundabouts
(Forum, Sept. 30), I write
this in light of having
just arrived at work after
seeing one of our frequent
collisions at a Gwinnett
intersection.
After seeing roundabouts
(and double ones) 20 years
ago in England, I have
often wondered how they
would work in "modern"
America, given our thought
and design processes.
Judge Winn's views from
a more rural perspective
is interesting, but I
would wonder what local
experts like Marsha Anderson
of Street Smarts and others
think of roundabouts as
a way to reduce accidents
via less speeding at our
intersections and keeping
traffic moving at the
same time?
My guess is that we may
have to open our minds
and become more creative
to the solutions to moving
around in an urban area
like Gwinnett and reducing
accidents at the same
time. Experts and novice
traffic engineer input
would be interesting,
as was Judge Winn's.
-- Charles Summerour,
Duluth
10/2:
GHRP to construct first
senior housing in Gwinnett
Editor, the Forum:
Great news! The Gwinnett
Housing Resource Partnership
will construct its first
Senior Housing Community
in Gwinnett!
The Georgia Department
of Community Affairs announced
today that the GHRP's
Huntington Court senior
housing community has
been awarded Low Income
Housing Tax Credits, the
major source of financing
for affordable housing.
Huntington Court will
be a 152 unit housing
community in Buford and
will include cottage style
and apartment style homes
for seniors.
It is a joint venture
between NorSouth Development,
GHRP, and Progressive
Redevelopment, Inc.
-- Marina Sampanes
Peed, executive director,
GHRP Inc.
WHAT'S YOUR PET PEEVE? Send your peeve Gwinnett
Forum for future publication.
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