What Are They Up To?

Formation of North Fulton School District

Now that Sandy Springs it’s on its way to becoming a city. Imagine the Fulton County Board of Education beginning to work on forming a North Fulton School District within the next two years. The school board will figure out a way with the help of the state legislature to get a referendum that will allow them to vote on seceding from the south end of the county.

After getting South County to support two special local option sales taxes (SPLOST) they have taken the money and now are ready to run. They have built a ton of schools and projects with funds from South County for North County. Promises of new schools for South County are met with cost over runs and delays, delays that will eventually lead to them seceding.

It’s not only schools that are not being built and programs that are not being funded it’s a basic lack of respect.  Somehow this board seems to think we’re not intelligent enough to understand what’s going on. They are working diligently to add a new school to Sandy Springs although it’s not funded in the current SPLOST. In every document that has been published by this board in the last year they have somehow put Sandy Springs on par with North and South County. Why publish separate statistics about Sandy Springs? It’s their way of helping with the incorporation of Sandy Springs. In exchange for a legislative bill that will assist them with breaking up the school system within the very near future.

If you don’t think anything is afoot please go back and read through all the documents and all the board actions over the last three years. It’s obvious they are up to something and it’s not educating South County children.

It saddens me to think of this board would attempt such a bold move at a time when you would think people could work better together.  This is 2005, not 1955 but it’s unfortunate that more than 50 years after Brown versus Board of Education we are facing this dilemma.

What does this mean to South County?

1) Control of our educational institutions

2) Tough decisions

3) Tight tax dollars

4) No excuses

What’s going to be interesting is whether or not we will receive the same type of support from the state of Georgia that the new North Fulton system will receive. Better still whether they will try to force us to become a part of the Atlanta Public School System in order to “save money”. After all Mike King of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution thinks that all black people should be under one government.

Let me set the record straight I have no interest in becoming a part of the City of Atlanta or the Atlanta Public School System. It’s time that we began to have discussions among ourselves on what we should do next. It’s clear that if we wait too late we are going to be caught behind the eight ball. PTA officers should come together now to form a local group to explore the formation of our own system before it’s too late.

For the sake of our children we must be willing to do whatever is necessary to provide them with the best public education possible. Therefore we must continue our fight to get every school that we’ve been promised built before the secession begins.

James Reese

Editor

South Fulton Living.com

COMMENTARY

I can’t prove it but, the fix is in…

April 1, 2005

I’m going to repeat the title a number of times. This is no April Fools joke. You may read the AJC or the tea leaves either way you will soon come to the same conclusion.

State republicans pushed through a vote on self determination for Sandy Springs. Meanwhile the democrats are trying to get the number of the train that hit them. Unknown to the rest of the world the republicans tacked on a little amendment that keeps tax revenues in North Fulton. Again, democrats aren’t sure whether they’ve been mugged or not. What does this mean to us? It doesn’t sound good.

I can’t prove it but, the fix is in…you see they also created a storm with an ID voter bill. While democrats attempted to raise the dead and posture republicans snuck another in – a bill to make the rest of North Fulton a city named Milton in 2006!

Did you ever wonder why the rest of North Fulton didn’t seem to mind the creation of Sandy Springs as a city? No complaint about how their taxes would be affected. I can’t prove it but, the fix is in…they knew they would be next on the block. In the mean time Fulton County becomes less of a factor.

I have to give it to the republicans they figured if they couldn’t win Fulton County at the polls they would just dismantle it, district by district. I can’t prove it but, the fix is in… Check it out some guy in the AJC predicted the demise of Fulton County in the future because it will lose its tax base – so they think.

The fix goes even further. Over the last few years, the Fulton County School Board has built 17 new schools in Sandy Springs and North Fulton. There’s even a plan to build two new elementary schools in Sandy Springs with current and future funds when in reality there’s incredible growth in the south end of the county. In fact the BOE “Keeping Promises” report shows at least four new schools to be built in North Fulton and Sandy Springs (page 22) while the “Per Pupil and Capital Resource Allocation” shows only two.

A point that is even stranger, read the following from the “Per Pupil and Capital Resource Allocation” report.

What significant growth in Sandy Springs? If you review page one of the “Continuing to Close the Gap” report you will see a map that shows an area that is1/10 of the size of the for South Fulton.

Interesting enough quite a few of the Board of Ed reports break out Sandy Springs as it own entity along with North and South Fulton. It’s just their way of letting the Sandy Springs “100” know they are supporting them.

I can’t prove it but, the fix is in…after Sandy Springs then, Milton and a legislative slight of hand by the state legislature that will help the Fulton County Board of Education secede from the south end of the county. While the parents in South Fulton complain about the BOE they are quietly working on a plan to free themselves.

Unfortunately, that’s not the end. The republicans will move to consolidate a couple of South Georgia counties (the good ol’ boys will be willing to take one for Sonny), while creating a new 159^th county north of Atlanta with six cities and no unincorporated area.

There you have it, the “fix” that will move Fulton County to the door step of insolvency. What’s worse, Chattahoochee Hill Country our neighbor right here in South Fulton is exploring city hood also. We have one chance to rescue our way of life from the hands of the bigots that seek their utopia.

In the remaining years we should work with our schools to improve them by rewarding those who are committed to teaching our children and getting results, build strong communities and work with our remaining elected officials to draw Fortune 500 companies to shore up our tax base. Otherwise we will be in a fix.

James Reese

Editor

Commentary Deposits

What! You Need More Money for What?

November 15, 2003

Atlanta needs $3 billion to repair its aging sewer system. Here in South Fulton, sewer and water rate payers continue to foot more of the bill for years of neglect by the City of Atlanta. As is South Fulton residents connected to the city water and sewer system are paying additional fees for the same service as city residents.

Several remedies have been discussed including raising sewer rates by 45% as of January 1 (my monthly bill will go from roughly $80 per month to approximately $116 per month), raising the sales tax one cent (More taxes? Yeah right.), and privatizing Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (Not a bad idea , but not enough money will be raised). My remedy would be to take one-half a cent tax from MARTA and dedicate one-half a cent to the sewers.  That will leave us with no tax increase and a partial bailout. Better still turn MARTA over to the State of Georgia and split that one-cent between  sewers and road work that is desperately needed in Fulton County.  Putting the burden on the rate payers is not the answer especially when some of those payers are paying more just because they live outside of the city.

Thank God that I can afford to buy property outside of the city's water system and build a home with a well and septic tank.

Stand Off at City Hall

December 15, 2003

The Mayor of Atlanta and City Council have scored their territories as it relates to the sewer problems facing the City of Atlanta. The mayor wants to raise your monthly fee by 45% or your sales tax by 1% (Fulton County BOC is balking at this). The City Council decided to cut the mayor's proposal to a 14% increase with more later. The mayor stated that it wouldn't be enough and has vetoed the plan. The problem for the them and us is that several bond rating firms are lowering the bond ratings on city water and sewer bonds which means we are going to pay more to borrow whatever money we're going to need.

What is the answer? I don't know but no one is happy either way. The money has to found somewhere and I reiterate look at the MARTA 1%.

School Board Losing Touch?

January 11, 2004

Has the Fulton County School Board lost its common touch? First, the Board fires the School Superintendent Dr. John Haro without telling parents. They tell us that they let him out of his contract, but pay him $45,000.

Once it's revealed that the Board fired Haro for cause, they are saying they aren't in a hurry to replace him and is looking to Interim Superintendent Michael Vanairsdale (Former Deputy Superintendent for Operations) to take on the helm for good. I'm convinced that some Board members have other motives with Vanairsdale in charge.

Now Katie Reeves and some of her fellow members are seeking to double their salaries. What happened? This group has been led by Reeves for nearly a year and it's out of touch with what's best for the children in Fulton County Schools. An investigation should be undertaken to make sure these folks are keeping everything above board (no pun intended).

Fulton County Board of Education Continues to Run

Separate and Unequal School System

A plan to renovate Westlake High School is on track for a vote at next month's Board of Ed meeting. Parents are insisting that nothing less than a new facility will suffice. In a fight reminiscent of the struggle for Civil Rights and acceptance. Parents, students and community activists in the Westlake High School zone are at odds with Fulton County Board of Education over replacing the 40 year old facility.

The planned patch work will do nothing to resolve many of the issues that plague the facility and grounds of the structure located on Union Road. Students complain about dead end hallways, electrical failures that are guaranteed to lose your assignments on antiquated computers and a crowded cafeteria built for a much smaller student body. Technology is only a pipe dream because the current facility can't handle the necessary wiring that typically is put in the newest schools being built in Alpharetta and unincorporated North Fulton County.

Parents complaints include inadequate space and resources for the Math and Science Magnet Program, case and point -  science classes takes place in a portable trailer and the lab is held inside the main building. Not to mention the concert band is unable to use the timpani drums because there is no way to get them to the theater.  Even the faculty complains about the lack of office space and resources for the Math and Science Magnet Program. For years the fans of the basketball program have complained about the size of the gymnasium which is more than five to ten thousand square feet smaller than state educational specifications. These are just some of the problems facing Westlake High. I'm sure Banneker, Creekside and Tri-Cities High respectively, can add to this list of problems and defects.

Meanwhile, on the north side of the county new schools are continuously being built after the growth that precipitated the first Special  Local Option Sales Tax has slowed. In the meantime, the growth on the south side is out pacing the north and one new middle school (which will open over capacity in the fall). one replacement middle school and a host of renovations are taking place at the local high schools. 

It's clear this board is more interested in running day-to-day operations of the system rather than making policies. It's also clear this board has made and will continue to make mistakes that both North and South Fulton parents see as pure power grabs and arrogance.

Even more disturbing is this board continues to conduct its meeting in South Fulton at its cramped administration building which holds no more than 50 and lacks adequate parking. As a matter of fact parents are forced to park along the crowded side road leading to the Crestview Nursing Home. While it conducts business in North Fulton in the spacious Dunwoody Springs Elementary School cafeteria which holds at least two to three hundred. Is this an effort to stifle to voice of the parents in South Fulton?

To think some judge removed Fulton County from it's consent decree because he felt the school system was no longer mistreating, make that discriminating against South Fulton parents and students.

Once Again…the fix is in South Fulton a target

January 18, 2009

It’s shameful that we are 24 hours from the inauguration of the nation’s first black President and we have to continue to deal with deceit and bigotry in our front yards. A number of years ago, I wrote an opinion piece entitled I can’t prove it but, the fix is in. Well as some of you have told me I was more that prophetic on the April day in 2005.

Well, here we go again. The crystal ball is really clear now. After several years of Balkanizing Fulton County those on the receiving end turns out to be those pressing to get away from people of a different hue.  It appears because of the economic downturn they are having a harder time balancing their budget and providing services.

This little ditty, House Resolution 21 also has it origin in the state’s General Assembly. It appears the cast of characters remains the same – north Fulton legislators who by the way are in various leadership roles. In short, HR21 calls for a referendum to re-create once merged old Milton County.

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Georgia so as to provide that the re-creation of a previously existing county which was merged into another county may be accomplished by law, subject to the approval of the voters therein and subject to certain conditions;

HR21 goes on to detail how this should be accomplished through a state referendum (which doesn’t requires Sonny Perdue’s signature) and then by a vote of only the affected areas – north Fulton (old Milton County). Well this is where all of this should fall apart. You see the only areas that were merged into Fulton County in 1932 along with old Campbell County from the south side is what is now Roswell, Alpharetta, Mountain Park and the new cities of Johns Creek and Milton.

Oops, I didn’t mention Sandy Springs or did I? Let’s see old Milton County consisted of Roswell, Alpharetta, Mountain Park and the new cities of Johns Creek and Milton. Nope, Sandy Springs which was called Hammond in those days was a part of the original Fulton County.

This is where the deception comes, HR21 states the boundaries don’t have to be exact. In other words, with the help of the House State Planning and Community Affairs Committee chaired by a fellow republican they will “steal” Sandy Springs from Fulton County in their haste to get away from “that one” and his people.

The boundaries of the re-created county may be the same as those in effect immediately prior to the previous merger or may be generally similar but not identical as determined in the discretion of the General Assembly in the Act re-creating the county.

The General Assembly is full of allies of the north Fulton delegation which as I stated before hold quite a few leadership positions and thus can twist a few arms.

If they are able to carry out their plan like they did with the creation of the cities using the Shafer Amendment to keep tax dollars in the north Fulton.  Imagine what this means – Grady will have less funding, MARTA would become almost nonexistent, the poor citizens in those communities would suffer the most and in addition our schools tax dollars would have been stolen in a final act pretending as though we didn’t fund any of the numerous schools that have been built in their communities over the last 15 + years.

I believe we should fight to keep Sandy Springs in Fulton County if not for only one reason and that is – Fulton Industrial Boulevard in south Fulton built Sandy Springs! Tax dollars from what was once the largest industrial park east of the Mississippi created what is now Sandy Springs. Almost none of the money was put into south Fulton that is why south Fulton remains pretty much undeveloped.

Here’s another interesting fact. I’ve always questioned why the Fulton County Board of Education has worked with three distinctive planning areas (North Fulton, South Fulton and Sandy Springs) instead of two. It’s my guess if they can’t steal Sandy Springs then it wouldn’t be too terribly difficult to cut the cord. After all, they would have their north Fulton data separated. I truly believe that has always been the plan.

I’m making sure I pass this on the proper folks in the new Obama Justice Department to review applicable laws. I’m sure someone is being disenfranchised.

Want to follow my logic? Read the original I can’t prove it but, the fix is in on my website and the follow up piece What are they up to?

In addition, take a gander at this piece that appeared in Beaconcast.com

Want more proof something doesn’t smell right look at the historical maps of old Milton County and the historical maps of Fulton County.

A theft of an entire city may take place in from of our collective eyes if we sit quietly. I have no intentions of being quiet.

James Reese

www.southfultonliving.com

www.blog.southfultonliving.com

Alert!!!

Watering Allowed