04.29 Ledger 01 - The Cherokee Ledger-News

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Publisher DAVE CAUGHMAN T H E C H E R O K E E LEDGER-NEWS Editor GERRY YANDEL Assistant Managing Editor ERIKA NELDNER ©2009 Lakeside Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved. Articles and advertisements may not be reprinted in whole or in part without the expressed written consent of Lakeside Publishing Inc. The Cherokee Ledger-News, published weekly on Wednesday by Lakeside Publishing, Inc., 103 E. Main St., Woodstock, GA 30188-4908. Periodicals postage paid at Monroe, GA and additional post offices. USPS 021-137. Postmaster: Please send address changes to The Cherokee Ledger-News 103 E. Main St., Woodstock, GA 30188-4908. Phone (770) 928-0706 • Fax (770) 928-3152 Send e-mail to: editor@ledgernews.com Write us at P.O. Box 2369, Woodstock, GA 30188-1379 Disclaimer: The views expressed on the Opinion page are not necessarily the views of the publisher or the staff of the Cherokee Ledger-News LEDGER-NEWS OPINION 6 THE CHEROKEE LEDGER-NEWS MANAGING EDITOR: GERRY YANDEL APRIL 29, 2009 CHEROKEE VOICE ■ ISSUE: April 29 marks 100 days in office for Barack Obama. QUESTION: How has President Obama done in his first 100 days? “I'm not impressed.” David Garner Canton “He sounds good on TV, but, in reality, it's not really working.” “I'd say middle of the road.” Kim Stone Hickory Flat Michelle McKinney Holly Springs “I don't have a clue yet.” Rodney Holbrook Canton “I guess he's doing fair, considering the shape it was in when he got there.” Ray Vickery Holly Springs “I'm in favor of a few of the things he's done, but the majority, no.” Tammy Sloan Canton O ne Etowah Valley’s road to nowhere of the responsibilities and obligations of publishing a weekly opinion column, at least the way I see it, is that one should be open to dissenting viewpoints and be willing to change one’s mind – and say so – when the situation calls for it. This, I think, is one of those situations. I had previously written a column supporting the approval of the Etowah Valley project, formerly know as Canton West, based on the fact that a lot of people in our county could use the work right now. While I still feel that the project could provide a lot of jobs for a lot of people in Cherokee who are in the building industry, I’m having second thoughts about the project. Perhaps I got a little bit rusty from having the residential growth in the county all but dry up when the mortgage meltdown occurred. Luckily, our Cherokee County- Municipal Planning Commissioners didn’t get rusty when the Etowah Valley case came before them earlier this month for a public hearing and subsequent discussion that lasted about two hours at the new county administration building. The commission at that time voted to table the application for a second public hearing, which is currently scheduled for May 5 at 7 p.m. Opponents of the project who spoke at the first public hearing raised a number of points, some of which were further expounded upon during the planning commissioners’ discussion afterward, that caused me to re-assess my feelings about the project. At issue was whether the project should have to be re-reviewed through the DRI (development of regional impact) process, what would happen if PEC had to bail out of the project for economic reasons, why 428 units of residential senior living weren’t included in the unit count of about 2,800 for the 2,300-acre proposal, the potentially hazardous flexibility of RD-3 and, most importantly, the true status of the proposed four-lane parkway. Unfortunately, the RD-3 zoning classification is what it is. RD-3 zoning is subject to a wide range of densities – from three units an acre to six units an acre – and we have seen developers in the past come back before commissioners to increase their RD-3 density for economic reasons. If the RD-3 classification is too open-ended, it should be revisited and fixed, but to penalize a developer on the front end for wanting to use a valid classification would be like charging someone for DUI when they drove up sober to a liquor store to buy booze. Likewise, I don’t see the seniorliving units, which would be rezoned under the Office and Institutional classification, as being a deal-breaker, either. Although there will be some separate homes as part of the senior complex, the idea is that seniors would eventually move from those to assisted living and full-time care units. That kind of component would have no impact on the schools, and almost none on traffic and services, such as police and fire. But, the question about a new DRI review, particularly in light of the current parkway status, is another matter entirely. DRI reviews are done by the Atlanta RegionalCommission (ARC) and, when appropriate, as in the case of large residentialdevelopments, by the Georgia RegionalTransportationAuthority (GR- TA). The ARC weighs a devel- DIALOGUE Gerry Yandel opment’s regional impact on infrastructure, the environment, how it fits into the area’s land use plan for long-term growth and other factors. GRTA evaluates the proposal’s impact on traffic and whether current road systems need improvement to support the anticipated influx of new residents. Although the ARC’s decisions are not binding, most communities weigh them heavily when deciding on rezoning issues for a proposal. GRTA, on the other hand, can withhold state and federal transportation funds if a developer and a community decide to ignore its decisions and conditions, which typically entail road improvements to handle additional traffic and vehicle trips brought on by large developments. In a letter sent April 7 to Cherokee Planning Director Jeff Watkins, the ARC said a re-review was not necessary, because the scaled-down version of Canton West did not meet the requirements, based on land use and the size and scope of the proposal, to warrant a new DRI review under the ARC’s rules. ■ ■ ■ However, the letter also stated: “ARC strongly recommends that Cherokee County and the developer identify new funding sources for this transportation project and work with the city of Canton to request an administrative modification to the RTP (Regional Transportation Plan) in regards to this project.” GRTA’s response was even less equivocal. “If there are substantial changes to a plan, we expect the developer to discuss them with us – especially if they affect one of the conditions,” a GRTA spokesman told me. “If the changes are significant we would want to re-evaluate the DRI. Our DRI staff is going to follow up with the city.” The city has already spoken; last week Canton, which appears to want nothing to do with Etowah Valley whatsoever in light of the city having about 3,000 empty homesteads already looking for owners, formally removed the Etowah Valley parkway from its RTP. Furthermore, it is highly doubtful the city will allow any type of road connected to the project to be constructed within its city limits ... which pretty much foils about 75 percent of the conditions and requirements for road improvements GRTA has said are necessary for the project to proceed. GRTA’s assessment was based on a four-lane road being put between Ga. 5 and Ga. 108 to handle the majority of the project’s expected traffic, but PEC has said it only plans to build a two-lane road, as per its original deal with Canton under Mayor Cecil Pruett. While there are no state or federal funds attached to the parkway project – which would need an additional $25 million or more to be widened to four lanes – GRTA’s findings should not be discounted, particularly by anyone who lives in the area and intends on being able to drive anywhere around there in the future. Everyone else in Cherokee should let their commissioners know how they feel about the county possibly approving the proposal and being on the hook to pony up $25 million of taxpayer money to put the appropriate four-lane road out there. Perhaps the planning commission did PEC a favor by tabling the application for a second hearing – as opposed to recommending denial outright – but I’ll reserve judgment on that until after GRTA takes another look at it … even though no one asked them to do so. LETTERS ■ Turn off the TV and be productive Dear Editor, Media in America has begun to ensnare most of the kids who live there. It has produced so many new means of entertainment that many kids and young adults spend an average of 45 hours a week using some sort of electronic entertainment or communication device. It has gone too far, and some type of reform is needed, but focusing on what parents and their children can do to limit how much time they spend using media devices by find- ing other, more fulfilling, things to occupy their time is where it should start. I think the most effective way would be to simply not have a television in the house other than in the sitting room, den, living room or anywhere that the entire family will know that someone is watching the TV at any one time. Perhaps a more subtle approach, which might prevent any confrontations, would be to remove the cable box but not the entire TV from the room. A house could have just broadcast TV; it has very few channels, so there is less chance to have immoral programming on. I also believe that the use of the Internet on a cell phone is a waste of time and can lead to disaster when a person can watch any TV show they want whenever they want to watch it. At the least, these simple guidelines can help me, and they can surely help others. Daniel Bailey, 15 Woodstock
APRIL 29, 2009 OPINION THE CHEROKEE LEDGER-NEWS 7 Dear Editor, I would like to share my experience with the response to a 911 call by the Cherokee County emergency squad over the Easter weekend. My wife and I were visiting my daughter in Canton, when, all of a sudden, just before dinner, my wife lost consciousness and slumped down to the floor. She lay over, and her eyes rolled back, and she would not respond in any way. A member of the family immediately called 911, and a fire truck and ambulance pulled up to the LETTERS ■ Thanks, Cherokee 911 house within minutes, and five corpsmen were at her side in no time. They took over and made some tests and had her sitting up in a chair within a short time. They Tell Cherokee what you think. Letters to the Editor may be submitted by fax to (770) 928-3152, by e-mail to editor@ledgernews.com or by regular mail to 103 E. Main St.,Woodstock, GA 30188. All letters must be typed or e-mailed and must include a phone number to verify authenticity. We reserve the right to reject publication.We reserve the right to edit for libel and brevity. ■■■ were all very professional and could not have been nicer. They had her talking and feeling great before they left and offered to transport her to the hospital if we felt she needed further tests. I would just like to say that Cherokee County should feel extremely lucky to have such capable employees, and the people there should be secure knowing they can get such good response when and if the need arises. More knowledge is more power Dear Editor, The recent letter, “Knowledge is power; we need some (April 15),” was impressive; I learned much from it. I like the observation, “Knowledge is power. Knowledge of someone else's ignorance amplifies that power exponentially.” It’s a gem! We can combine that with, “Power corrupts, therefore, exponentially amplified power leads to exponentially amplified corruption.” Examples: •Those in-the-know (no regulations) sold subprime mortgages to “dolts,” then sold those mortgages bundled to other dolts running big businesses (Citigroup, etc.), who then bought credit default swaps from AIG, some of which were passed to Lehman Bros., and so on .… Meanwhile, the fast-buck operators collected millions in commissions along the daisy chain, big business re- Big brother Obama is watching Dear Editor, I’m old enough to remember when George Orwell’s “1984” (a science-fiction novel about a society that turns into a totalitarian nightmare) was required reading in eighth grade. By now, everyone’s familiar with the line, “Big Brother is watching.” But, there are two other references that need repeating in the age of Obama. First, a rewriting of history takes place. One example: When Obama says, “The world came together and defeated the Soviet Union.” This is revisionist histo- Dear Editor, The recent tea parties were an affront to our citizens and a gross misinterpretation of our historical revolt against being taxed by Britain without representation. They were completely scripted, organized and paid for by two groups with the most to lose: corporations that continue to offshore our employees and avoid taxes by setting up shop in other ‘The people (of Cherokee County) should be secure knowing they can get such good response when and if the need arises.’ ported record profits, CEOs bagged obscene compensations, and Republican politicians declared the economy in great shape thanks to their leadership. So here we are. • The letter-writer deplores the general public’s ignorance, which he attributes to the “despicable and outrageous state of our (United States?) school system” that turned out Obama supporters. Generally, public schools are worst in Southern states, where Obama lost; apparently, “dolts” did not vote for him. • Lacking “some critical basics” (like knowing U.S. history?), Republican Gov. Rick Perry is threatening secession by Texas – looks like “dolts” are falling for it. • Economics, trickle-down version: Republicans promise that untaxed wealth of the rich will lead to investment. Remember ry at its best. Eastern Europe fell to Communism, and Western Europe developed a policy of “go along to get along,” in the hopes of being conquered last. Only Reagan and Thatcher stood up to the Soviet Empire, but an accurate version of history is not conducive to Obama’s new world order. Second, a rewriting of the English language called “newspeak” is adopted. Sound familiar? The war on terror is now called “overseas contingency plan,” terrorism is now called “mancaused disasters,” wasteful The bitter taste of tea countries, and high-net-worth individuals that don't want to return their tax cuts or return to a world where they contribute to eliminating our tax debt. The only partying was done by mega-media outlets, like Fox, to bolster their viewer ratings, and mega-millionaires, like Hannity and the rest, as another setting to sell books and promote their own net worth. If we're genuinely upset with Joe Bradford Sea Island those demand/supply curves in Economics 101 showing that supply (investment) responds to increase in demand, not the other way? So, now corporate money is spent on million-dollar makeover of executive bathrooms. • What would you call those who believe that tax cuts (mostly for the rich) are the solution to every economic problem? Yeah, let them cut the taxes of the unemployed. • Disappearing buyers are followed by disappearing jobs and businesses; the economy shrinks. What’s the Republican solution? Make the last remaining spender disappear and cut federal spending. Then we can join the revival tent. So there. Knowledge is power, use it. William Haffner Ball Ground spending is called “investing,” and spending more money (in his first 60 days) than the 43 previous presidents combined is “fiscal responsibility.” Thanks to “newspeak,” 95 percent of us will get a tax-cut (when 40 percent don’t pay income taxes at all), and Obama has already tripled the national debt, but promises to cut it in half in 10 years. (Huh?) If Orwell were alive today, he would say, “1984 is a science-fiction fantasy, not a blueprint.” Bob DelGiudice Woodstock our taxes, the place to start is with our local and state representation, who are shifting taxes to the middle class, paying volunteer wages to the people that educate our children and the people who keep us safe, and spending disproportionate amounts on themselves, buildings and pavement. Patrick Thompson Woodstock • How will cutting parapros make a difference in the budget when they are the lowest-paid employees? • Why are some of the best veteran teachers in Cherokee County being asked to resign while teachers with less experience and less qualifications are being offered contracts? Where are our priorities, and can you spell nepotism, Dr. P? • Thank you to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s department for doing something about the speeding on Wade Green Road. • School buses wouldn’t need cameras if hoodlum parents would discipline their children and teach them respect for their elders, as well as others. • The BridgeMill HOA should prioritize their attorney funds and spend them enforcing lawn maintenance and annual HOA collection rather then harassing homeowners with beautiful yards that have unauthorized flagpoles. Please do not spend my money on this frivolous lawsuit. • Amazing, it took the Obama administration and the Democrats to teach the GOP how to organize on the Internet. Wow. • You’re right, knowledge is power, and the problem was, we had years of Mr. Bush, supported by those persons who have no education and are also the ones serving in our military, God rest their poor souls. • I think we should all go out to eat at a school cafeteria, because their health reports are always perfect. • As a citizen of the city of Ball Ground, I am quite pleased with the direction the police department is going. I feel very safe and very comfortable and very proud of the job that they’re doing. • Hey, Dr. P, instead of getting rid of the parapros, who are at the front line teaching our children, how about getting rid of all the layers of fat, like all the excess assistant principals we have. We don’t need two and three assistant principals at each school. When I was a kid, we had one principal and one assistant; it worked fine. • Wake up, No. 2: Bush knocked over the trash can, but Obama is the one trying to pick up the trash that Bush spread around. • The hummingbirds are back. Time to get those feeders out. • The county buys land for $25,000 per acre and questions city growth patterns. Holly Springs buys land for $150,000 per acre and annexes far from their city center. Which one is working responsibly? • Hey Cherokee County, want to save money? Turn off your lights at night at the new county administration building on Bluffs Parkway. • President Obama picked North Carolina to win the NCAA tournament. It looks like he finally got something right. • I think the parents of the kids with the ATVs and motorcycles on Scott Road need to keep them on their own property and quit making a mess on mine. • To the Language Police: If there’s anything worse than a dangling participle, it’s a run-on sentence. Police yourself. • Thanks, Obama, for raising the cigarette tax. I had to take my daughter out of ballet so I could afford cigarettes. Now, I have a feeling that she’s going to be a Republican. • The person who said the marshals and animal control should watch “Animal Planet,” should ride with animal control and see exactly what they do, because animal control does a fine job here in Cherokee County. • When they were putting all these red-light cameras up, all the SOAPBOX ■ little cities and towns were saying, “Oh, no, we’re not after the fines. This is all about the safety of the residents.” Now that the revenues are down, they want to take the cameras down. Go figure. • Why doesn’t the veterans cemetery on Ga. 20 have a nicer entrance and sign? That’s the least we can do for our veterans. • Tea party? It should have been called a sour grapes wine party. •I’d like to be the first neighbor to welcome the new bus fueling station to the Clayton community. I’ve been here for years, and I live just down the street. I’d like to welcome them, and I’m glad to see the county is spending money. • If you have any doubt about how obese America has gotten, just watch a few episodes of “The Price Is Right,” “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” or “Deal or No Deal?” I think that will put all your doubts to rest. • Yet another way for the school board to cut their budget is by getting rid of maintenance men who work on their own personal weedeaters in the maintenance shop. • People, please turn your signal on before you turn. • What are firemen going to do now that the BridgeMill HOA has said they’re not against the flag, they’re against the pole? • The Woodstock Police cannot give you a speeding ticket for going less than 10 mph over the speed limit. • The Language Police? Well, honey, you’re in the South. • It isn’t just Bush or just Obama. It’s senators and congressmen and judges and bank presidents and big business CEOs and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and everyone who works for their own benefit and ignores the needs of our country. Americans need to relearn how to work together. • Has anybody else noticed how bad Marietta Highway is getting? They have now colored around the potholes. Hopefully they will repave the whole road. It needs it bad; there’s nothing but holes in that road. • The tea party was not meant to be cute. Go ahead and continue to downplay our rights as American citizens to question and protest against the government. All you are doing is fueling our motivation to make sure we get this country back on the right track and not on Obama’s socialistic agenda. • Quote from G.W. Bush in 2002, “We got a problem here in America that we need to address: Too many American families, too many minorities do not own a home.” No, it’s not Bush’s fault; that would make you a fool, wouldn’t it? • You would have thought when they built Canton Marketplace they would have planned better for the traffic on Ga. 20. • The tea parties were the type of protest the liberals always dreamed of put could never quite pull off. They were too busy watching “Farenheit 911” and listening to the Dixie Chicks. • If I want to drive 55 in the lefthand lane on the expressway, I’ll do it. Why does everybody keep flipping me off ? • So, that’s where the Language Police is at. The Ledger-News reserves the right not to publish Soapbox items based on libel or other considerations the editor and publisher deem valid. Comments may be edited for brevity. Please keep comments as brief as possible. If you have a lengthy opinion, please submit a letter to the editor. To submit a Soapbox, call (770) 928-1055
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04.29 Ledger 01 - The Cherokee Ledger-News

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