Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 10A
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Sunday, February 22,2004
The Forsyth County News
Opinion
This is a page of opinions - ours, yours and others.
Signed columns and cartoons are the opinions of the
writers and artists and may not reflect our views.
Newspaper still
focused on Forsyth
Last week, the
Forsyth County
News announced
the addition of a new
member to its corporate
family with the addition of
The Times in Gainesville
to a newspaper group that
also includes the Dawson
Community News and the
Barrow County News.
In the days that fol
lowed the announcement,
many of our readers have
asked what is in store for
their local newspaper.
And rightfully so.
The extent to which our
readers and advertisers are
interested in the course
being taken by the Forsyth
County News shows a
commitment to the news
paper which is heartening,
though not really surpris
ing considering the high
level of support we have
received year in and year
out.
The addition of The
Times to our small news
paper group will mean
nothing but good things
for our local supporters.
The reporting resources
of The Times will allow us
to add more stories of
regional interest such as
those dealing with Lake
Lanier and transportation
problems in northeast
Georgia to our news
pages. We will be better
equipped to follow those
stories that cross county
lines, and will be able to
bring to our news pages
stories happening else
where involving, or of
interest to, Forsyth
Countians.
At the same time, the
sharing of resources
Letters
How many times
must we say ‘no’?
As a Forsyth County resident and
taxpayer, I must say that the upcom
ing referendum on the multi-million
dollar “justice center" complex has
many problematic questions which
have not been addressed.
As far as jail “overcrowding"
goes, what are the demographics of
the jail population? How many
inmates are there on minor charges
who should not be there at all? There
is a possibility the jail is bloated with
such persons which is creating an
unnecessarily high population, in
which case a new jail may not really
be needed.
There have been many full page
and lesser size ads in the Forsyth
County News sponsored by a group
called the “Let's Build it! Campaign
Committee.” Who are the people
involved with this “committee” and
what is their compelling interest in
trying to have this issue passed and
this burden put on the taxpayers?
Will we taxpayers have to contin
ue voting on this every year until it
finally passes? This is the third time
in about as many years that it has
been on the ballot why?
What part of “no” doesn’t the
County Commission and the “com
mittee” understand? How many more
years will this continue to be put on
the ballot? Have we considered how
much it cost to put this on the ballot
between the publications
will allow advertisers in
both markets broader
exposure for their business
messages.
But the heart and soul
of the Forsyth County
News is its commitment to
covering local news, and
that focus is not going to
change. We are firmly con
vinced that the secret to
success for a community
newspaper is to provide a
broad expanse of strictly
local news coverage, and
are more determined than
ever to do so with our
expanded resources.
It is important to note
that while the ownership
and management of The
Times changed last week,
the owners and managers
of the Forsyth County
News remain the same.
Dennis Stockton, now
the publisher of The
Times, remains the CEO
of the company and will
continue to be involved in
running the Forsyth
County News on a daily
basis.
With the newest addi
tion to our corporate fami
ly. the Forsyth County
News will continue to do
w hat it has always done
provide the most compre
hensive news and advertis
ing coverage of Forsyth
County available any
where.
While our company has
changed a little, our mis
sion and our commitment
to being a leader in
Forsyth County have not.
We will still do what
we have always done, but
with additional resources
we hope to do it better.
repeatedly? The voters have already
spoken twice, it is irresponsible to
continually present this.
When this is voted down again
for the third time, will the County
Commissioners make another effort,
as they did recently with a deceptive
“end run," to get it passed through
the state Legislature against the will
of the voters and taxpayers?
It is evident, at least with this
matter, that it is expecting too much
to think that we can have responsible
government. Instead, it is "bread and
circuses” and “politics as usual”.
Vote NO!
Ted Brooke
Cumming
Road opponents
show no respect
The NIMBY folks are at it again.
"Not In My Back Yard” is the rally
ing cry for Three Chimneys and
Laurel Springs regarding road cre
ation and widening.
They are speaking from experi
ence. These are the same people that
drive past my subdivision on Bagley
Road at speeds nearly double the
posted limit of 35 mph. They don’t
have any respect for children here
but want everyone else to have
respect for theirs.
Sorry folks. Respect is earned.
Show that you respect the existing
/ £■ &
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iPocul/ Ir\ / f I 1
"I guess the flag vote has turned a bit anti-climactic..."
Georgia on the minds of candidates
Happy days are here again!
Georgia finally has regained a
place of importance in presi
dential politics.
North Carolina Sen. John
Edwards has picked Georgia
as one of his three target states
in the Super Tuesday
Democratic presidential pri
mary March 2. Edwards visit
ed Atlanta and Savannah last
week to rally his Democratic
troops. He immediately chal
lenged Democratic frontrun
ner John Kerry to a Georgia
debate before the primary. At
this writing. Kerry has not
responded.
Former Gov. Roy Barnes is
speaking at whistle-stops
across Georgia as a surrogate
for Edwards, his friend and
brother-at-the-bar trial lawyer.
Edwards’ Southern accent and
youthful exuberance seem to
play especially well in our
state.
Massachusetts Sen. Kerry
could do well here too. Fifth
District Rep. John Lewis of
Atlanta, a legendary hero of
the civil rights movement, has
endorsed him. And Kerry’s
fellow Vietnam veteran, for
mer Georgia Sen. Max
Cleland, is in his comer. Larry
Sabato. a nationally known
political analyst, even suggest
ed Sen. Cleland might make
an effective running mate for
Kerry, who is expected to
spend a bundle on get-out-the
vote activities in heavily
Democratic communities. The
Massachusetts senator is the
runaway favorite to finally
capture the Democratic presi
dential nomination, no matter
laws and you’ll earn some respect.
By the way, those red STOP signs
really do mean STOP!
Dennis Faulkner
Cumming
Cannot see forest
for the trees
This is in response to Mr
Germer’s editorial on Sunday, Feb.
15, regarding the extension of
Windermere Parkway and the so
called preservation of trees.
I found it very ironic that Mr.
Germer feels that there is justifica
tion to eliminate the extension of
Windermere Parkway based on pro
posed tree ordinance. Anyone who
has ever driven through Windermere
realizes that there was not much con
sideration given to saving trees. 1
feel that his true issue is a "not in my
backyard attitude" with no considera
tion to the other residence in South
Forsyth.
Windermere, Three Chimneys as
well as another approved 1500+
home community in the area have
been and will be beneficial to
Forsyth. Though, It is very obvious
that the past commissioners gave no
thought to the lack of road infrastruc
ture to support the developments and
other growth in the area.
Currently, masses of cars are
using very limited minor roads and
Bill
Shipp
how Georgia goes on Super
Tuesday. (Tip: Don't put any
money on Cleland as his vice
presidential choice.)
Even so, a Kerry-Edwards
battle may fire up enthusiasm
in the recently forlorn ranks of
Georgia Democratic voters.
Edwards’ supporters hope
the Southerner’s protectionist
trade message will resonate
across the state. More than
1 12.000 Georgia jobs have
disappeared since December
2000 as dozens of small
industries have closed or
moved out of the state, the
state Labor Department
reports.
In north metro Atlanta.
23,000 highly trained and
once well-paid computer and
information technology work
ers sit idle or wait tables
because their former
employers decided to out
source their positions overseas
to cut labor costs.
Whether Edwards can con
vert those workers' resentment
and disillusionment into bal
lot-box support will be
instructive. Most of these
abandoned high-tech special
ists. historically identified as
Republicans, could have a
sizeable impact on the voting
if they decide to participate in
the Democrats’ open primary.
Georgia's presidential pri
mary history is noteworthy.
uncontrolled intersections. The cur
rent parkway and surrounding roads
have already become cut throughs
for residence of both Forsyth and
Gwinnett to get from Highway 20 to
400, Peachtree Parkway or to office
parks like Johns Creek or Windward.
Heavy traffic is now the norm in this
part of the county and only going to
get worse.
Also, two lane-connecting roads
like Aberdeen Parkway are just not
going to handle the volume and will
actually create a bigger mess. Let’s
face it; the problem is here (and trees
are pretty much leveled) thanks to a
lack of leadership from past commis
sioners. The real issue is how to best
handle the current and future volume
of traffic in the area.
1 am sure that we can agree on
one thing, that we hope the current
leadership can provide vision for
long-term solutions that will be ben
eficial to all residents of the county
as a whole, not just neighborhood by
neighborhood.
Bill King
Cumming
County determined
to waste road money
Why does Forsyth County
Director of Engineering John Cunard
and the Board of Commissioners
insist on building a multi-million
Our state's 1992 primary may
have been the most important
political event in Bill Clinton’s
life up to that time. With the
zealous assistance of then
true-blue Democratic loyalist
Gov. Zell Miller. Clinton cap
tured Georgia after losing
New Hampshire and facing
the first big sex scandal of his
career (the Gennifer Flowers
episode).
The Georgia victory gave
“Comeback Kid” Clinton the
momentum to go on to win the
Democratic nomination and
finally the presidency.
Aw. but 1992 is ancient
history in political terms. Let’s
consider what Georgia's presi
dential primary may mean this
year. Unhappily, besides the
15 minutes of fame on nation
al TV and a few more delegate
votes for Edwards (or Kerry),
the Georgia Democratic con
test likely counts for little.
For starters, Georgia is
almost certain to fall easily
into the Republican column in
the Nov. 2 general election.
President Bush's setbacks in
Iraq and loss of jobs in
America don’t seem to sway
Georgians much. The specter
of gay marriages and court
denied monuments to the Ten
Commandments are what real
ly stir our passions.
Moreover, a review of
recent presidential primaries
in Georgia suggests an over
whelming majority of Peach
State voters are more interest
ed in the Republican ticket
than in the Democratic one,
regardless of issues.
For instance, in the 2000
GOP primary, featuring
George W. Bush vs. John
McCain, more than 650,000
Georgians went to the polls.
On the same day. the
Democratic joust between Al
Gore and Bill Bradley attract
ed just 285.000 voters. (In that
year’s primaries, nearly 50
percent of the Democratic vot
ers were African-Americans,
though blacks make up only
27 percent of the state’s popu
lation. More than 97 percent
of the voters in the GOP pri
mary were white.)
In the 2000 general elec
tion. Bush swamped Gore in
Georgia. 55 percent to 43 per
cent.
Those overwhelmingly
favorable Republican numbers
suggest Georgia will not be
counted among the nation’s
bellwether states in this year’s
presidential sweepstakes.
When the hoopla over the
March 2 primary subsides, the
guys with the sharp pencils
will check off Georgia as
“solid Bush” in November.
Both parties are well aware
that this is Bush country,
which is why we had better
make the most of the primary
circus on Super Tuesday.
The presidential calliope
won't be playing across
Georgia many more times this
year, except when Sen. Miller
drops by to entertain us with
more of his hillbilly hits on
the sins of the Democratic
nominee.
Bill Shipp’s column is pub
lished each Sunday and
Wednesday. His e-mail address
is bshipp @ bell south, net.
dollar parkway to nowhere? Do we
really need another Marketplace
Parkway? Ten years ago plans were
made to build the Windermere
Extension in conjunction with a pro
posed Forsyth Mall and the Outer
Perimeter. Now that the mall is dead
and the Outer Perimeter is dead, why
not let the Windermere Extension
die?
Are the Forsyth Commissioners
driving around the county at 8 a.m.
or 5 pm ? There are dozens of roads
and intersections that can be
improved to help alleviate traffic
without destroying greenspace.
Route 20 is busting at the seams, as
is Peachtree Parkway. Why spend at
least $6.300.(XX) to build a four-lane
road connecting these gridlock
ensnarled two-lane roads?
Todd Truelove quoted Mr. Cunard
in Sunday's article as saying that
“the road needs to be four lanes ... he
(Mr. Cunard) does not understand
how residents got the impression the
road would contain two lanes with
no median”.
Is Mr. Cunard not aware that the
Board of Commissioners voted last
year that the road would be two lanes
from Rte. 20 to Old Atlanta Road?
Or that the commissioners won com
munity support for SPLOST based
on the promise of keeping the
Windermere Extension two lanes?
Was it only after the now famous
See LETTERS, Page 11A