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Floyd suggests addition of two seats
on county commission
By
Rep. Hugh Floyd
Special to GwinnettForum.com
APRIL 10, 2007 -- Gwinnett County remains a national "poster
child" for population growth and development. We've been at
the forefront of progress and growth for decades; we're now Georgia's
second-largest in population; and we keep growing year after year.
And while our county leaders have done a tremendous job preparing
us for that prosperity, we have unquestionably outgrown our current
system of government. A county commission with only four districts
might have been sufficient 30 years ago, but not any more.
Floyd |
That's why I am sponsoring two legislative alternatives for expanding
the county commission by two members, thus providing closer representation
and better service to our residents.
Under one proposal, House Bill 741, the two new members would each
represent a "super district" that overlays the boundaries
of two of our current districts, giving everyone two county commissioners
representing them, rather than one. One of the super districts would
encompass current Districts 1 and 2, while the other would overlay
Districts 3 and 4.
The second proposal, House Bill 740, would reapportion the county
into six separate districts.
One positive benefit of this approach would be the elimination
of the so-called "district courtesy" voting policy in
which commissioners automatically defer to one another on rezoning
votes within one's district. This policy is informally but consistently
followed and has the potential to give too much power to special
interests, rather than the good of the whole county.
The addition of two new commissioner positions, either for super-districts
or at-large commissioners, would improve the commission's decision
making. These two new commission votes plus the chairman's vote
would give each district commissioner an opportunity to get a majority
of four votes on any issue that was in the best interest of the
entire county.
There can be no question that these changes are in the best interest
of all residents of our county. Now let me answer a charge that
has been made that I am making this proposal for partisan political
gain. Nothing could be further from the truth. The super district
proposal would have virtually no impact on the prospects for electing
a Democrat to the county commission, and the six-district plan was
not drawn with any partisan political performance in mind. The goal
is closer and better representation -- nothing more.
The concept of adding seats on the county commission by either
method continues to receive positive feedback from many Gwinnett
leaders and residents. For example, the Sugar Hill City Council
has adopted a resolution in support of the super district proposal.
Gwinnett's four county commission districts are closer in size
to congressional districts, instead of the form of local government
that is designed to be closest to the people it represents. For
instance:
County ....... Population ..........People in
District
Gwinnett ......757,104 ..............189,276
Fulton ..........850,000 ..............121,000
DeKalb ........675,500 ..............96,500
Walton ...........72,000 ..............12,000
Barrow ..........60,000 ..............10,000
Chatham ......238,500 ..............30,000
I hope you will contact your state representative and senator and
express your support for expanding our county commission to meet
the needs of Gwinnett's growing population. Please share your opinions
with me as well, at any time, as to whether the six-district map
or the addition of two super districts is the most effective approach.
Feel free to call me at home, 770- 921-2735, or by email at hughfloyd@mindspring.com.
This is an idea whose time has come.
Enlarging county commission will not necessarily
improve it
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
APRIL 10, 2007 -- Today's edition includes the idea that Rep. Hugh
Floyd is proposing to create a larger Gwinnett County Commission.
We understand Rep. Floyd's reason, for as the county commission
has grown, that means each commissioner now represents a lot of
people.
Brack |
Yet proposing the larger commission does not necessarily mean that
it will result in better government. Nothing could be farther from
that idea. You want an example: perhaps you should look at the 15
members plus a president of the Atlanta City Council, or the seven
people on the Fulton County Commission. Does more people on these
boards automatically mean that we will get better government? Not
necessarily so.
Elect good people and you will have good government, no matter
how big or small the body will be. It's up to us to elect better
people if Rep. Floyd is doing this to get better government. (Perhaps
we can attract better people with paying commissioners a better
salary? Not necessarily either, we suspect.)
Rep. Floyd gives several reasons he wants to see a larger governing
body in Gwinnett. Among them:
- Elimination of "District Courtesy" allowing the person
in that area to be deferred to on rezoning and similar suggestions
within that district. How six district commissioners instead of
four does this, we can't figure out. This is a matter for the
County Commission itself to formally or informally have within
its normal practices. We suspect, in reality, that it will never
see this change, because of "human nature" and each
commissioner wanting to protect his own turf.
- Improve the decision making: how six can think better than four
persons, we have no idea.
- As Rep. Floyd says: "Two new commission votes plus the
chairman's vote would give each district…an opportunity to
get a majority of four votes…." How this is different
from today's joining a district and chairman's vote….which
gives " an opportunity for a majority," only if they
can convince one other person. What's different?
Rep. Floyd laments that Gwinnett's commission districts are "closer
in size to Congressional district. We failed to understand. They
are big districts, but a Congressional District represents approximately
720,000 Georgians, and each current district commissioner represents
189,276 Gwinnettians. Each commission district is big, we all agree,
but no where near as big as a Congressional district.
Consider something else. There still are nine counties in Georgia
with a single county commissioner. Those counties are: Bartow, Bleckley,
Chattooga, Murray, Pickens, Pulaski, Towns, Walker and Union. In
Bartow County, population 91,266, its residents voted against changing
from a one man commission last year.
Back when Gwinnett had three commissioners, some people wanted
to "enlarge" the commission, and eventually did, going
to a five person board in 1968. At that time, Gwinnett had an estimated
59,800 residents, and the word was that we could have better government
with five members of the commission instead of three.
To that enlargement, we agree that the bigger commission was better.
After all, back then, all needed to move action was to get one more
colleague to agree with a commissioner. But when enlarged to give
persons, now the district commissioner had to get TWO persons to
agree with him. It was harder, and some felt, better.
But going to a seven member body, isn't necessarily better. That
means a district commissioner now will have to get three people
to agree to move action. It gets harder, perhaps not necessarily
better.
Elect good people and let them govern. You don't need a large body,
only good people.
We appreciate Rep. Hugh Floyd's proposal for stimulating the public
discussion. We feel he is sincere in his efforts. We merely don't
agree with his proposal.
 The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is the Aurora Theatre,
Gwinnett County's first choice for professional theatrical entertainment.
Celebrating its 11th year, the Aurora Theatre is committed to producing
quality, professional theatre for all of North Georgia. The Aurora
is now in its interim theatre at Lawrenceville City Hall. Opening
night is April 12 for a play by the author of the Oscar winning
film Moonstruck, John Patrick Shanley. Italian American Reconciliation
is a spicy romantic comedy, set in Little Italy. This funny fable
reminds us men are like cannoli, hard on the outside but sweet on
the inside. This production is made possible through the sponsorship
of Scientific Atlanta. The show features Aurora Theatre Producing
Artistic Director Anthon Rodriguez is his fist stage appearance
of the 2006-2007 season, teamed with Al Stilo of the Aurora staff,
to present a whacky duo pleasing to the audience. The offering continues
through May 6. To purchase individual tickets, season tickets or
for more information, visit their revamped NEW website at www.auroratheatre.com
or call 678-407-6690.
Finds
Masters Tournament hits the mark directly on the head
Editor, the Forum:
Despite not being a golfer, like any red-blooded sports fan, I
was excited to finally spend a day at the Masters Thursday with
some fine brethren. It was all it has been said to be, and more.
As usual, you will note in the sports pages that August National
won again, though it challenged the golfers with tough days of play..
Thought you would like to hear one story which you probably won't
read about in the newspapers. We were sitting in the grandstand
on the fourth hole, when Justin Rose hooked one into the stands
and hit a gentleman three seats down the same row we were on. After
they determined that the man was ok, they retrieved the ball and
gave it to the man, who also shook hands with Rose. The man returned
to the seat directly behind where he had been sitting and play continued.
When the next group hit on the par 3, 240 yard hole, Stewart Cink
also hit into the same grandstand, hitting another gentleman sitting
in the SAME seat that the first man had vacated!
I'm not sure what the odds are on this happening, but they are
probably about the same as me winning the tournament! Oddly enough,
Justin Rose finished with one of the low rounds of the day, and
well, Cink would just as soon forget the whole day!
That is my true golf story for this lifetime!
-- Charles Summerour, Duluth
Feels writing letters
so simple even cavemen can do it.
Editor, the Forum:
Writing a ridiculously biased editorial or uninformed letter to
the editor is so simple that even a caveman could do it.
This signing statement issue and the recent firing of U.S. attorneys
have caused the boxer shorts of many progressive pundits to really
bundle up and chafe. I recently saw an historical documentary about
FDR. President Roosevelt had inherited an extremely conservative
Supreme Court and lost multiple battles over his alphabet soup new
deal legislation. However, President Roosevelt was a shrewd and
dirty political fighter. He tipped the balance of power by threatening
to legislatively increase the number of judges on the court and
pack it with progressives. The Supreme Court relented and allowed
the United States to start its suicide march towards socialism.
There is nothing new under the sun. President Bush's use of signing
statements is another move in the power struggle chess game among
the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches of our government.
According to Wikipedia, The United States Supreme Court "recognized
court deference to executive interpretations of a law if Congress
has not directly spoken to the precise question at issue1 and if
the interpretation is reasonable." The court has not surrendered
its power of judicial review as it struck down the line item veto
in 1998 and they "gave no weight to a signing statement in
interpreting the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005." The Congress
was very clear in its intentions for the money in the current emergency
war funding legislation. Thus, it is clear in this case why President
Bush will veto the emergency war funding appropriation instead of
issuing a signing statement. It is also constitutionally clear that
the President is the Commander in Chief and not 535 Congresspersons.
Just think of the lively political debate if the President signed
the appropriations bill and then totally ignored the strings attached
citing his authority as Commander in Chief!
-- Wayne Buchheit, Dacula
Dear Caveperson: We remember history differently.
As I recall, FDR tried to "pack" the Supreme Court in
his favor by adding two more justices. That got turned down. However,
the country was in such bad shape that soon power shifted on the
Supreme Court itself, and decisions began to go FDR's way. Let
me caution you and other readers on relying on Wikipedia for factual
references. Since anyone can go in and change what is on Wikipedia,
I find it questionable, if not unreliable. -eeb
Feel Cheney and Limbaugh
are sharing same medications
Editor, the Forum:
In a recent interview with Rush Limbaugh, Vice President Cheney
re-asserted that Al Qaeda's al-Zarqawi terror group were operating
in Iraq before any American service member set foot on Iraqi soil.
Yet, Mr. Cheney's contention of a link between a dead dictator
and those involved with an act of terror on American soil is an
insult to every man and woman in uniform. His argument directly
contradicts a recent declassified Pentagon report which conclusively
confirms that there was no collaboration between Saddam Hussein
and Al Qaeda before the 2003 invasion. The 9/11 Commission report
in 2004, also concluded that there was no connection between Saddam
and bin Laden's group at the time of the U.S. invasion.
Investigations and interrogations of Saddam and his former aides
have compelled this administration's own military to challenge assertions
made by Cheney.
When, despite evidence to the contrary, Cheney continues to insist
that Al Qaeda was alive and operating in Baghdad before the U.S.
invasion four years ago, clearly any rational person can only deduce
one thing, that he and Mr. Limbaugh must be sharing the same meds.
Perhaps they should share the same bunker.
-- Ralph Greene, Snellville
Annandale's
annual Jazzy Thing to be at Hamilton Mill
Annandale's Annual Jazzy Thing to Be at Hamilton Mill
Annandale at Suwanee, Inc. will host the 14th Annual Annandale's
Jazzy Thing fundraiser on Saturday, April 21 at 6 p.m. at the Hamilton
Mill Business Center, 4325 Hamilton Mill Rd., Buford. Proceeds benefit
Annandale Village, which houses adults with developmental disabilities.
The night has a Cajun theme, and will see attendance of 1,000.
Experience a casino, silent auction, dancing to Zydefunk band, and
authentic Cajun food prepared by local and Louisiana Cajuns!
For more information and to purchase tickets contact Nancy Trujillo
at 770-945-8381 or purchase on-line at www.registereasy.org/jazzy.
Norcross tells dates,
performers in two concert series
It's a simple pleasure - music in an outdoor setting - but it gives
such a richness to our lives. Take advantage of this Norcross amenity
and meet your friends in the park!
This spring and fall lunchtime concerts will be offered on Thursdays
in Thrasher Park from 11a.m. to 1p.m. The performers will be:
April 12 Robby Robertson
April 26 Dominic DeSantis
May 10 Honky Tonk Angels
September 6 Robby Robertson
September 20 Dominic DeSantis
October 4 Alias Smith & Jones
October 18 Honky Tonk Angels
Memorial Day is the beginning of the evening concerts, 7:30 to
9:30 p.m., in Thrasher Park. Tables may be reserved by contacting
Rip Robertson at 770.448.2122 or by email at crobertson@norcross-ga-gvt.com.
The schedule is:
May 28 Jazz Guardians ensemble of the US Army band
June 8 Counter Point Bluegrass
June 22 Skin Alley Cats
July 7 Atlanta Blue Notes
July 20 "Tom Sawyer" presented by Lionheart Theatre
Company
August 3 Banks & Shane
August 17 Orquesta MaCuba
August 31 HowYaLileMeNow
September 16 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra "The Strings"
September 29 Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs
October 27 City Birthday with Minton Sparks at Community Center
New London Theatre
plays Wilder's Our Town as next offering
The New London Theatre will present Our Town by Thornton
Wilder on April 13-15 and on April 27-28 at the Centerville Community
Theatre at 7:30 p.m. at 3025 Bethany Church Road.
This classic play is set in the small town of Grovers Corner, N.H.
in the early 1900's. Its theme is more applicable in our current
day than ever before - the importance of relationship.
Darrell Ritchie, Bill Larson and Jennifer Mardis star in this play.
Mr. Wilder desired to allow the audience to participate in the magic
of the performance by drawing on their imagination to fill in the
sets and props. The actors are therefore called upon to not only
act out their roles, but also to pantomime all the action involved;
from the delivery of newspapers to fixing breakfast. The church
choir brings an added dimension to the performance by lending strains
of harmony behind all three acts. For more information, visit www.newlondontheatre.org
or call 770-979-3691.
Book
signing April 21 at Buford Museum for "The Big Shoe"
On April 21, the Museum of Buford will host McHoyt Moore for a
special book signing and art exhibit at 95 East Main Street. Moore
will be signing his book entitled "The Big Shoe, as I Remember
It.".
The book is based on Moore's memory and experiences riding in the
Bona Allen "Largest Shoe in the World on Wheels" car with
his father Loyce B. Moore. He was eight years old at the time, and
traveled with the car, riding in parades and special events, yelling
"Buy Bona Allen shoes, they do more for you" and dispensing
leather, Bona Allen key holders from within the size 300, width
EEEEEEEEEEEE shoe.
The narrative book is a first hand account to the operation of
this one-of-a- kind promotional icon from a child's standpoint.
It is supported with historical photos . The cost of the book is
only $12 with a limited number of the first edition.
Moore has also planned an exhibit of his paintings from his collection
that he has executed over the past 30 years. McHoyt Moore has painted
all of his life, both professionally and for recreation. The Museum
has on display an early "Buford City Hall" sign that Moore
painted nearly 35 years ago. This will be a great opportunity to
see works by a native artist .
The Museum will have special hours on this Saturday, 10 a.m. to
7:30 p.m. For more information about the Museum, please visit us
on the web at www.museumofbuford.com. If you have a special group
or event, you may contact me, Lynn A. Bowman, 770-616-6318 for private
showing. Admission has always been, and remains free.
Gwinnett Tech's Phil
Gibson wins top educator award
Gwinnett Technical College horticulture instructor Dr. Phil Gibson
has been named the Educator of the Year by the Georgia Green Industry
Association. Gibson has been an instructor at Gwinnett Tech for
18 years.
Gibson |
He teaches a wide range of topics including plant identification,
landscape installation and maintenance, grading and drainage, erosion
control, pest management, irrigation, horticulture science, turfgrass
management, soils, plant nutrition and botany. Students rely on
Gibson for advisement, career counseling and job placement. The
lab manual used in the soils course, published by Thompson Learning,
was authored by Gibson.
Gibson has also authored numerous scientific studies about his
research findings, and his current research interests include phenological
effects of specific agents in peach trees and genetics of infectious
agents as they relate to certain viruses in plants
Un-recommended restaurant: Texas Roadhouse,
Snellville
"One place I would never go to again is the Texas Roadhouse
restaurant on Scenic Highway (which is no longer is very scenic)
in Snellville. Nothing was cooked right and took 45 minutes for
the food to come. We all agreed: never again there, fifty bucks
for a crummy meal for three people. We were there about a month
back. Go to Longhorn instead. At Texas Roadhouse, even the sweet
potato was undercooked. They also try to 'bump you up' to ordering
extras, asking 'Would you like this, care for that" etc., without
telling you they charge for every little bit of extra stuff, every
item, which is very sneaky. We made a point of asking if these suggestions
cost extra and our waitress sheepishly admitted it, and we said
no thanks to all. I'm an easygoing person and fairly easy to please
but resent being taken. Those guys took us."
-- Marshall Miller, Lilburn
- An invitation: What
Web sites, books or restaurants have you enjoyed? Send us your
best recent visit to a restaurant or most recent book you have
read along with a short paragraph as to why you liked it, plus
what book you plan to read next. --eeb
Peyton
Anderson Foundation limits scope to middle Georgia
Peyton Anderson Foundation Limits Scope to Middle Georgia
The Peyton
Anderson Foundation of Macon is the result of one man's determination
to repay his community for the success he achieved during his lifetime.
Peyton Anderson grew up in the newspaper business and was the owner
and publisher of the Macon Telegraph and News from 1951 to 1969.
When he died in 1988, the bulk of his fortune was left to form the
Peyton Anderson Foundation.
Seven foot tall statue of Peyton Anderson in front of Community
Foundation of Middle Georgia in Macon was done by Snellville
Sculptor Julie McCraney Brogdon. |
Juanita Jordan was named the director of the foundation, and the
original trustees were Ed Sell Jr., John Comer, Ed Sell III, and
Evelyn Matthews Anderson. Anderson set up two requirements for the
disbursement of the foundation's funds: recipients must be 501(c)(3)
organizations (that is, tax-exempt, charitable, nonpolitical organizations)
and the money must be used for the benefit of Macon and Middle Georgia.
Because Anderson had always preferred to contribute seed money rather
than funds for ongoing operational costs, the trustees tried to
choose causes that would make a lasting difference.
The original endowment was approximately $35 million. Since the
foundation has been in existence, it has given an estimated $40
million to local organizations. In 2004 the fund reportedly contained
more than $75 million, a tribute to the careful investment and management
exercised by the board of trustees.
The grants made by the Peyton Anderson Foundation have been diverse
and have had a lasting impact on middle Georgia and the city of
Macon. Among the most significant grants to date are $3 million
to NewTown Macon for the renovation and revitalization of the downtown
area, and $2.5 million to the Tubman African American Museum. Other
substantial grants have been made to the United Way (for the Peyton
Anderson Community Services Building); Mercer University (for the
Convocation Center); the Medcen Foundation (for a health education
center); the Museum of Arts and Sciences; Macon State College (for
the endowment of two faculty chairs); and the Salvation Army (for
the construction of several centers).
Throughout his life Anderson was quick to tell people, "You
made your money in Macon; you should spend your money in Macon."
Through his foundation, Anderson's money continues to be spent in
Macon, thereby improving the lives of all the citizens of middle
Georgia.
Those who know God's
will always coincides with theirs
"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them
to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires."
-- Women's Civil Rights Leader Susan B. Anthony (1920-1906).
Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves
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