Can Clayton lure new businesses?
A few new businesses are trickling into Clayton County. At a time when much of the attention is focusing on problems in the school system, it’s refreshing to learn new jobs are being created. Read my latest blog entry on Wordpress
Home > Clayton.Talk > Archives > 2008 > January
January 2008
Will promises be kept this time?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Super Tuesday, Clayton will vote whether or not to continue the one-cent tax for another six years, which is expected to raise an additional $305 million dollars.
The current SPLOST collection ends in October, 2008.
Three out of the six promised recreation centers (Virginia Gray Recreation Center in Riverdale, Carl Rhodenizer Recreation Center in Rex, and Jim Huie Recreation Center in Jonesboro) are completed. One center was supposed to be built in each commission district.
According to news reports, Commission Chair Eldrin Bell stated the remainder of that money is collecting interest in a bank account, and promises to begin construction on two more recreation centers by the end of February.
If approved, the next SPLOST will also fund several new projects for Clayton cities, as well as many public safety necessities, including: new police precincts and vehicles, a new Juvenile Justice Center, a $23 million countywide Public Safety Digital Network, a multipurpose fire department building, additional fire engines, ambulances, transportation and road improvements, among many other things.
However, some residents would first like to see promises made in 2003 kept before handing over more money.
According to a Clayton NAACP press release, “Neither the cities nor the county have prioritized these projects with dates.” There were no completion dates given for 2003 SPLOST projects, either.
“Most people in the community feel the Clayton County Commissioners have not properly spent the [2003] $240 million SPLOST,” says Dexter Matthews, president of the Clayton NAACP. “So the taxpayers would be foolish to give these same people $305 million and trust them to spend it properly.”
A brochure promoting the February 5 SPLOST warns that “Without SPLOST funds, Clayton County may find it necessary to discontinue county services or increase property taxes.”
This penny tax is collected from anyone who spends money here, instead of Clayton’s property owners possibly bearing the financial burden alone.
Yet if the monies collected are insufficient to fund all of these projects, taxpayers will have to pick up the rest of the tab anyway. Or vote yes to another SPLOST in the future. Should we trust that if we vote “Yes”, promises will be kept this time?
Can we afford to vote “no” in order to hold our elected officials accountable for past unfulfilled promises?
Go to www.claytonsplost.com to learn more.
P.S. - Thanks to members of the Clayton County Wide Homeowners Association, we can now go online to complete and submit a Leadership Profile Assessment Form, which allows Clayton residents to voice opinions about what We would like to see in our next School Superintendent! Please complete by Thursday, January 31, 2008 at www.clayton.k12.ga.us/administration/boardofeducation/news.asp
Permalink | Comments (35) | Post your comment | Categories: Kimberly Allen
Clayton puts brakes on county vehicle use
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As of February 1, county employees will no longer be allowed to drive county vehicles home.
As per news reports, more than 70 police officers will lose their cars.
“Commissioner [Sonna] Singleton and I voted against this matter because we believed that more consideration was sorely needed. The county police were not the only departments with major concerns regarding their abilities to provide for the needs of the citizens because of this change. Fire, EMS, EMA, etc. will also be severely impacted,” explains Commissioner Wole Ralph.
“This process was done in a vacuum with commissioners Bell, Edmondson and Gray making their decisions without department heads. It was also done without taking into account the economic impact of the families of county employees, and their needs. As a result I asked Chairman Bell, in his role as chairman, to meet with department heads, gather their input and bring back to the board a recommendation, but he refused. As a result we could not support a process that we believed to be closed, insufficient, did not address critical needs in the county and lacked compassion for the employees.”
Chairman Eldrin Bell along with Commissioners Virginia Gray and Michael Edmondson voted in favor of the policy changes despite objections from Police Chief Jeff Turner and several Clayton residents.
Bell says this move will save more than $3 million in fuel costs yearly.
That $3 million will cost Clayton residents police visibility and response times. This will also affect how many crimes get solved - or don’t get solved.
Isn’t there another way to cut costs without putting the public at risk?
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Permalink | Comments (51) | Post your comment | Categories: Kimberly Allen
Students speak out
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The good news is Clayton’s class of 2008 will graduate from an “accredited” school system.
The bad news? While immediately affecting 3,217 juniors’ chance at graduating high school, every student’s education and future is at risk if accreditation is lost.
Meet Marcel Smith, who is already considering colleges such as Duke and Georgia State. When he is not studying or playing basketball for Morrow High School, he is serving as an assistant coach at Rex Recreational Center. The junior plans to study medicine and pursue a career as a sports doctor or psychologist.
“I work hard in school so that I can get into college. All of my work will be in vain if we lose accreditation, because I am aiming for an academic scholarship,” says Smith, who hopes to use his basketball skills to gain acceptance into a good Division 1 college. “The school board needs to get their priorities straight because this really is affecting a lot of the students that are working hard,” added Marcel.
Jonesboro High School junior, Chelsea Bivins, left a lasting impression on all in attendance at a recent school board meeting.
Bivins’ accomplishments include, among many other things, being a member of the Future Business Leaders of America, the National Honor Society and non-profit 21st Century Leaders. Chelsea and her 3.8 GPA are looking into the University of North Carolina, University of Florida, Georgia Southern and UGA, with a possible major in either broadcast journalism or law.
“I’ve done my part. I’ve worked really hard to achieve the things that I’ve achieved. Because of the actions of someone else jeopardizing my opportunity to do whatever I want to do in life, that is unfair,” says Bivins. “I haven’t done anything wrong, I’ve actually done everything right. They are adults and it upsets me that they can’t be better role models for myself and every student in Clayton County.”
Clayton students, how do you feel about the accreditation issue?
Permalink | Comments (50) | Categories: Kimberly Allen
New sheriff in town?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So far there are five people who want to become your new sheriff and one who wants to keep his job.
Below is a brief overview of our potential choices that I know about (in alphabetical order). If there are any others, please share with us:
Victor Hill (no website yet) - incumbent; former detective in the Clayton County Police Department; former District 81 Representative; recently reported that he intends to get “re-elected on his record of “quality of life issues,” and vice crack downs.”
Kemuel A. Kimbrough, Sr. (http://kemforsheriff.com/) - an attorney who worked five years in a previous sheriff’s administration.
Sherman Lemon (http://www.claytonpolice.com/CriminalInvestigationDivision.htm) - 28-year veteran of the Clayton County Police Department, currently serves as commander of its Criminal Investigation Division.
Jack Rainwater (rainwaterforsheriff.com) - 14-year career in law enforcement; former senior investigator for the Georgia State Department of Human Resources; currently working in private security management; has lived in Clayton county since 1974.
Ernest W. Strozier (http://www.strozierforsheriff.org/ ) - a lieutenant and 15-year veteran with the College Park Police Department; over 20 years of law enforcement experience in total.
Garland Watkins (http://electgarlandwatkinssheriff.com/) - current Clayton County police lieutenant; one of the 27 fired by Sheriff Hill in 2005.
Some Clayton residents who are shopping for a new sheriff worry that the vote will be split amongst all of these potential candidates, and Hill could get reelected anyway.
What do you think about these possibilities? Do any of them interest you, or are you satisfied with our current sheriff?
Permalink | Comments (143) | Categories: Kimberly Allen
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