Newspaper Page Text
C0RV1N MATEI, JHP ARCHITECTURE/ URBAN DESIGN
lag).
irll
great
HAND ROLLED EMPANADAS
GABY’S ATOMIC CUPCAKES.
AND MOREI '
Do You Want to Change
□ We are conducting a study on a medication for treating alcohol
problems.
□ Participation will Include 5 in-person assessments, including 4
sessions of individual outpatient treatment for alcohol problems.
Q You will be asked to take a medication or placebo on two occasions.
Q There is no cost for the treatment
□ You will Veceive up to $395 for participating.
Q Call 706-542-9350 for more information.
The University of Georgia
III! Wf.l* HAM yl'M J^fllll N\l HAM h.I'M
SlINDYt UAU ui’M v i OSLO MONDAYS
2270 BARNETT SHOALS RD
706-850-8284
DELIVERY AVAILABLE THROUGH
ORDERBULLDAWGFOOD.COM
ATHENS NEWS AND VIEWS
Introspection, G'.O.P. Style: At a forum last
week hosted by the Athens Federation of
Neighborhoods, our local delegation of state
lawmakers— : four Republicans and Keith Heard,
thanks to Doug McKillip's party switch and
plenty of crafty district-drawing for this over
whelmingly Democratic-voting community—
gamely pretended to have seriously grappled
with how to afford Athens its due representa-.
tion during their recent legislative session.
The most telling instance of that, and appar
ently the most nearly sincere, was the candid,
admission by freshman Watkinsville Rep. Chuck
Williams of misgivings he had while voting
"yes" on McKillip's bill to outlaw abortions
after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Responding to
local OBGYN Ruth Cline's emotional appeal for
guidance as to how doctors should handle a
very specific and reasonably common medi
cal emergency after that 20th week without
performing harmful and unnecessary surgery,
Williams confessed, T hit the 'yes' button
A conceptual drawing ot tne proposed KD3se ■ wi »m> ivuvimuiuhmh v» un. ,uvn ■«.
Wells Homes, which would be dedicated to senior assisted living.
hoping the medical community would find a
way to deal with those issues." He expressed a
similar uncertainty about whether another bill
he voted for, requiring welfare applicants—
but no other prospective recipients of state
money—to take a drug test, constituted a fair
and responsible approach to safeguarding tax
payer resources.
It's interesting to parse the exact implica
tions of Williams' entirely justified doubts
concerning laws like these—the latter an
obviously unconstitutional singling-out of the
despised poor which nonetheless passed with
unanimous support from Republicans in
both chambers. What he is apparently unsure
of is whether such legislation constitutes an
undue intrusion of the state upon the dear
est privacy of individuals—a "government
overreach," if you will—which it has long
been one of his party's primary tenets to
oppose with fanatical vehemence. (Anybody
remember the G.O.P. furor last year over X-ray
security scans—you know, to prevent terrorist
attacks—of people who can afford to fly on
airplanes?) Should a committed conservative
err on the side of moderation when it occurs
to him that the bill he is considering may con
stitute a severe and unwarranted brandishing
of government power?
The answer to Williams' pang of conscience
is "absolutely, yes, of course," but it seems
still to be just beyond the grasp of even
this down-to-earth. Republican. The fervent
championing of such policies by his entire
caucus lays absolutely bare the hollowness
of the G.O.JYs "principles" once they brush up
against the far more urgent priority of cul
tivating and nurturing the basest prejudices
of the party's constituency. Could it be that
Williams does get it, after all, but is just tooj^
polite to say?
Y Pauldoe Redevelopment: The ACC Mayor and
Commission last week heard a presentation
on the long-discussed redevelopment of the
Jack R. Wells Homes, the local public housing
neighborhood usually known as "Pauldoe."
Athens Housing Authority Director Rick Parker
brought along Columbia Residential President
and Chief Operating Officer James Grautey
to give the lowdown on the plans, and they
are impressive. Columbia is tire development
"partner" the AHA will be working with on
the project which hinges on approval by the
state Department of Community Affairs of
an application for federal tax credits that
if awarded, would pay for about 70 percent
of the $47 million project The construc
tion, if it's funded,
will be undertaken
in three stages, the
first dedicated to
senior assisted liv
ing. The AHA is asking
the government for
a commitment to an
infrastructure invest
ment equivalent to
either 5.or 10 percent
that phase's cost
to help its bid for
the tax credits. ACC
Manager Alan Reddish
indicated that coming •
up with 5 percent—
about $700,000—is a
realistic goal, but said
10 percent "would be
difficult"
The plan calls for completely demolishing
the existing neighborhood and building a new
one from scratch. No public housing residents
would be permanently displaced; the rebuilt
development would consist of about one-third
public housing, one-third low-income, tax-
credit subsidized units and one-third market-
rate units, which would be fully integrated
and indistinguishable from one another. The
application for the tax credits must be filed by
June 14, and the AHA will have its response
in November.
Still No Master Plan: The mayor and commis
sion hammered out the details of ACCs FY
2013 budget last week, and commissioners
managed to scrape together funds for several
things Mayor Nancy Denson had trimmed, like
bus service from 8-10 p.m. and the county's
environmental coordinator position. But
they didn't find the money for a downtown
master plan, which has an estimated cost of
$100,000-200,000 but has been claimed as a
high priority in recent months, as controversial
development initiatives have highlighted ACCs
lack of a clear and enforceable vision for how
it wants its downtown to grow. Alternative
funding sources for the plan are still being
sought, possibly including SPLOST revenues
collected for business corridor improvements.
But the only thing that's dear for now is
that our local government still hasn't put Its
money where Its mouth Is when it comes to
planning for downtown's future.
Dave Marr news@hagpole.com
MAY 16.2012 FlAGPOLE.COM 5