Norcross.Talk

By Bruce Wilcox

April 1, 2007 10:12 PM | Link to this

Yes, it did not get this way overnight, so it will take a while before it get’s back a little of it’s luster. The new ‘Quality of Life’ Police unit I admit I was more than a little leery of, we heard the promises before. My neighbors and I were talking about the improvements taking place just yesterday and more visible police presence in the neighborhoods, the unit seems to be working. And to the members of the CID, thank you for sticking it out when so many others ran.

By Michael H. Smith

April 1, 2007 10:32 PM | Link to this

Enforcing laws actually works. Gosh, who could have believed that enforcement would ever work.

I’m excited anytime the image of the county improves and very disappointed it was ever allowed to deteriorate. Still not happy with the deadbeat county government delegating to a CID the duties it should be doing.

By delois

April 2, 2007 7:55 AM | Link to this

I’ll be excited when we finally sell our house in Lawrenceville and can get out of the Gwinnett Village area altogether (and don’t kid yourselves, the Gwinnett Village actually extends to Lawrenceville these days).

By Woody Bass

April 2, 2007 9:05 AM | Link to this

Michael: Interesting comment regarding delegating… can you elaborate or provide examples?

By Last American

April 2, 2007 10:07 AM | Link to this

I don’t see any changes. It still looks like Mexican City.

By Michael H. Smith

April 2, 2007 10:43 AM | Link to this

Are you kidding Woody? You are starting to remind me of someone else we all regrettably know.

Why did we need this CID Woody? Care to elaborate? If you do, those examples should be enough. BTW I lived in that area for about 16 years before moving to L’ville, so I know the before and after of the area that many others don’t.

But I’ll give you one example just to prime the pump, the easiest one. The very fact a district like this has to be created says the county has failed the area and has to create an quasi government entity with the power of taxation to do the job the county won’t do.

That Woodrow my man is called delegating.

By Bruce Wilcox

April 2, 2007 10:57 AM | Link to this

Woody, Smith can never actually answer his rantings, unless of course Lou Dobbs has already explained it to him.

Seems our good man Smith would rather have the county pay for improvements instead of allowing businesses to tax themselves for the common good. I can not understand how a conservative like Smith loves bigger government, while a Liberal like me would rather the government a stay of our business.

By J. Wright

April 2, 2007 11:02 AM | Link to this

I want to congratulate all the efforts that CID is doing. I do believe the county government failed to enforce the ordinance, creating blight in these areas. It is sad that they had to tax themselves becasue the county government failed to do their jobs. I can’t wait to see the landscaping done on the interchanges on I-85. You see some of this done at the interchanges on I-285 (Ashford-Dunwoody, etc), which was pleasing to the eye. I hope the CID extend themselves to Lawrenceville. Lawrencenville is the county seat and it should represent respectfully as well. Keep up the good work. We still have much to do (i.e. cleaning up trash and graffiti, plant more quality trees, enforce ordinances, and fight crime).

By Michael H. Smith

April 2, 2007 11:35 AM | Link to this

Oh boy the nonsensical raving liberal elitist rants his delusions once again Woody.

Now a little time for the some painful truth: 1) Government does not pay for anything it takes our money to pay for everything - including a CID. 2) Businesses pass on taxes to the consumer. (Didn’t need Lou or John Linder to explain either of these two points)

So Wilcox in a state of denial as usual would lead anyone dumb enough to believe his tripe that this CID will not cost taxpayer/consumers a cent whereas county government does.

We the citizens pay, not the county or businesses or this CID.
Add another layer no matter if that layer is a quasi public private government and the cost increase along with the size of actual government. Even with possible block grants included, which by the way is our tax money being returned; we are paying the bills not government.

Don’t forget Wilcox wants more county government in our affairs he says we need six county commissioners.

By Bruce Wilcox

April 2, 2007 11:38 AM | Link to this

Failed to “enforce the ordinance”, what ordinance states that stores have to remain where they were instead of following the population? The same fate is now hitting Pleasant Hill, the anchor store moves out and all the smaller stores follow. How much is a absentee landlord going to spend on an empty shopping center, if they can even be found.

The problem still exsists with the Board of Commissioners, unlimited growth, development after development, it isn’t going to change until there is no more room to build. But then, like Atlanta, we start the process all over again, buy the blighted area’s up cheap and start anew.

By Woody Bass

April 2, 2007 11:40 AM | Link to this

Michael: Relaaaaax. Im not disagreeing with you… it just sounded like you had specific examples and I was curious.

By Bruce Wilcox

April 2, 2007 11:43 AM | Link to this

As a conservative Smith should know that competition always lowers prices and the taxes are never passed on to the consumer, doesn’t he listen to his president

By Michael H. Smith

April 2, 2007 11:44 AM | Link to this

Because a CID in Lawrenceville was brought into the subject I’ll have to disagree with the need of a CID here. Lawrenceville is doing a good job without this so-called self-taxing scheme. If additional revenues are needed I’d rather pay the tax increase directly and cut out the CID middleman.

By Michael H. Smith

April 2, 2007 11:57 AM | Link to this

Bush is a liberal Wilcox I have tried to tune him out since 2002 as most other conservatives and even moderates have. Election 2006 was a referendum on Bush did the liberals listen.

By Bruce Wilcox

April 2, 2007 12:19 PM | Link to this

Now I have made Bush a Liberal, ah the power we possess. I’m busy today and my job is finished here, any and all defaming of my good name will be answered at a later time.

By Michael H. Smith

April 2, 2007 12:30 PM | Link to this

Did I say Wilcox made Bush a liberal? Yep busy day indeed, fabricating perhaps.

By Pam

April 2, 2007 2:49 PM | Link to this

Woody,

I am excited about the future of The Village. Thanks so much for the update!

By Woody Bass

April 2, 2007 3:29 PM | Link to this

GO GATORS!!!

By Woody Bass

April 3, 2007 1:21 AM | Link to this

WOOHOO!!!

ITS GREAT

TO BE

A

FLORIDA

GATOR!!!

By matt

April 3, 2007 12:34 PM | Link to this

If this was a private business and this was all they had to show for a year’s worth of work, they’d be fired.

BUT- I will give them the benefit of the doubt provided we see dramatic changes in the next 12 months as they have has more than enough time to plan.

By matt

April 3, 2007 12:43 PM | Link to this

One thing the village could do to seperate itself from every other metro area is to time the traffic lights. Just like every other area in Gwinnett, the civil engineers decided to control traffic with series of untimed lights instead of cloverleaf or frontage road systems.

By making it easier to get in and out the area, people will look forward to patronizing the businesses located there.

By Woody Bass

April 3, 2007 5:40 PM | Link to this

matt: All I can say is, I think you will be very pleased to see whats in store for this area. Very. Pleased.

By matt

April 3, 2007 7:24 PM | Link to this

Outstanding. As a homeowner in the county, I have high hopes for Gwinnett.

By B

April 3, 2007 7:41 PM | Link to this

The Village is a good place and I am excited about the direction it’s going.Those who make negative remarks probably don’t even live there.

By Katie

April 4, 2007 6:10 AM | Link to this

How can you change the image of a community when it’s full of illegals, drug dealers, punks, prostitutes and losers. Yes, I live in Norcross. Seems to me if it quacks, it’s a duck; No matter what costume you dress it up in. You can build parks, but you can’t safely use them. You can make off ramps look nice but if you use them you might get car jacked. It’s all window wash, covering up problems the county can’t deal with. I’d rather see money being spent on some of the larger issues instead of making things ‘appear’ pretty.

By Woody Bass

April 4, 2007 7:39 AM | Link to this

Katie: Its a step in the right direction, and every little bit is going to help. The area didnt turn this way overnight and it certainly wont correct itself overnight either.

By Katie

April 4, 2007 7:58 AM | Link to this

Woody, I agree, however, I’ve been in Norcross for almost 10 years and haven’t seen any changes except for thrasher park. So much money being spent on one block area yet Norcross is so much larger. I used to live in the historic area and it is very well kept but now that I moved to another location in Norcross I feel as if I’m in a ghetto. Hell, I think I do live in a ghetto. Maybe with expansion my property value will go up so I can sell and get the hell out. Right now, if I were to sell my home I’d lose money. If I could do it all over again, I would have bought property in the country. That way, at least I’d have a few years before the preplanned communites took over. I’m very frustrated, very frustrated and am becomming quite hateful because of it.

By Woody Bass

April 4, 2007 10:16 AM | Link to this

Katie: I understand, believe me and you are far from alone. Just be patient because it will take time. If they are able to pull off what they are trying to accomplish, I believe you will want to stay and be very glad you did.

By Chuck

April 4, 2007 11:24 AM | Link to this

I’ve been here for well over 20 years, and to date have done nearly all of the I-85 ramp cleanup, graffiti repairs, etc. Still no sign of anyone else helping, so presumanly this means that we’ll get to clean up nice freshly landscaped ramps soon. CID’s are nice and all, but seem to be more interested in cash flow than with whacha call residents.

By Last American

April 4, 2007 11:59 AM | Link to this

Katie, I also live in Norcross - off of Buford hwy (aka Illegal hwy). A couple of years ago the county put in sidewalks (in my area). It made it really nice for all the Latino womem to walk in groups with their baby carriages. Of course none of them work. 12 years ago when I bought my house (pretty much a low income area) all American neighborhood - but still everyone kept their property and house kept up and people had respect about the noise ordinance. Now it’s all non-english speaking people. Seven ladder work trucks, YOU name it - it’s in their driveway. I have called the county about many problems and they have taken care of it. Wait a couple of months and it’s right back. When someone moves out - there is never a For Sale sign - but someone else moves in. I don’t know how this works. The signs on the stores are all in Spanish. Auto shops, sandwichs shops, dinners are all owned by Latinos now. My point, how would I ever be able to sell my house. Any where else that I could afford - I will still be the Last American. I put a lot of money into my house and I would never get it back. Angry, you better believe it. I would like to share this with you. I was in Publix last week - there was a young Latino women with an infant and a little girl about two years old in front of me at the check-out. She had a shopping cart packed with groceries. She paid for this with her free money (food stamps). The remainder of the groceries that she could not pay for with her free money -she opened up her wallet and took out her GOLD AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD.

By Katie

April 5, 2007 9:13 AM | Link to this

Last American, yes, they put sidewalks in on my street too (huddersfield) and I had to call the city for 8 months to get them to put a wall up because when they cut my yard for the sidewalks they didn’t put a retaining wall in and my yard was eroding—way to go norcross. We have pot holes (a few feet deep sometimes) and instead of fixing the underlying problem, the city comes and poors rocks into the holes—way to go norcross. Just slap white wash on and make the citizens forget that there are more problems waiting around the corner. We now have a wall, but the little punks in the hood paint it with their stupid graffiti—the little bastards. Our mail box has been taken out 5 times by cars or kids walking by. Our neighbors mail box was stolen in the middle of the night. Yeah, I’m sure changes will happen in the near future.

By Sandy_G

April 5, 2007 12:29 PM | Link to this

To the gentleman who has single-handedly picked up trash on the on and off ramps, thank you! You finally have some help now. I was on my way to work one day last week and passed the CID’s work crew out picking up trash on the Beaver Ruin Road onramp area. It’s a shame however, that they will pick up trash and mow and the very next day, there is more trash thrown all over the place.

If you spend a little time perusing the web site of the Gwinnett Village CID, you will discover that they are already in the process of installing a new fiber-optic based light timing system on Jimmy Carter and Beaver Ruin Roads that will automatically time the lights based on the traffic flow. This is the most common sense money that has been spent on transportation in our area in 20 years. While we have been screaming for something like this from our county officials with no response, private enterprise has made it their number one priority. They have also employed their own private security force that is dealing with the prostitution and other street crimes and have provided funding for office space for Quality of Life officers who will be enforcing county codes for property maintenance, junk cars, etc.

They understand that traffic problems, crime, run down properties and trash-filled streets invite more crime and scare off potential businesses and industry that could provide jobs and more tax dollars to our county. Apparently, our county commissioners are just now waking up to this fact after 20 years of poor planning and lax enforcement that has allowed this area to become a huge problem.

The CID’s in this area are planning some major transportation fixes using private money such as additional overpasses over I-85 to take some of the traffic load off of Jimmy Carter, Beaver Ruin, Indian Village, etc., widening and completely reworking the overpass at Pleasant Hill, and building connector streets to link up some of the “maze” of streets that go nowhere. Landscaping may seem like a waste of money, but pulling an area up out of a downturn is all about perception. If people entering an area see signs of improvement, like landscaping, new construction, new sidewalks and street signs, etc., it creates a positive “buzz” about the area and draws in investment.

Give them some time to get things rolling and you’ll be surprised what happens in the next few years. The county government could never act as decisively, quickly and efficiently as private citizens and businesses when they are organized.

By Woody Bass

April 5, 2007 1:20 PM | Link to this

Sandy: VERY well said. Thank you.

By Last American

April 5, 2007 3:08 PM | Link to this

Does anyone out there agree with this. That all Billboards, and any kind of sign - should be in ENGLISH.

By Michael H. Smith

April 5, 2007 3:40 PM | Link to this

I’m glad you applaud what Sandy _G said Woodrow.

While we have been screaming for something like this from our county officials with no response, private enterprise has made it their number one priority. They have also employed their own private security force that is dealing with the prostitution and other street crimes and have provided funding for office space for Quality of Life officers who will be enforcing county codes for property maintenance, junk cars, etc.

Note:

County officials condemned for their failings. Comment in error is that this is private enterprise now at work. When in fact it is a “public private enterprise” created and empowered by law. Add to this a private security policing force in conjunction with public quality of life officers empowered to enforce law.

Now Woodrow apart from the heavens dividing and sending down lighting-bolts striking you in your buttock do you need anymore EXAMPLES to convince you that the county government is delegating its’ responsibilities and authority; that is, other than what you’ve just praised all over the place so magnanimously?

I like this misleading claim:

The county government could never act as decisively.

Wrong Sandy_G: The county government has chosen never to act as decisively and the government is not some obscure selfless entity. The Government is none other than businesses and we the private citizens.

By Michael H. Smith

April 5, 2007 3:46 PM | Link to this

I don’t like billboards Last American but I do agree with English only as the publicly used language.

By Sandy_G

April 5, 2007 3:56 PM | Link to this

Mr. Smith, County government (or should I say county politicians) have not “delegated their responsibilities” to anyone. Delegating would mean that they had actively enlisted someone else to be responsible. They have not. They have ignored their responsibility to plan our communities with a vision toward the future and ignored their responsibility to enforce the ordinances that they have written. We have some new commissioners now who are trying to swim against this tide, but for the most part, the commissioners of the past simply “rubber stamped” requests for inappropriate re-zonings that lowered the property values of surrounding properties and refused to listen to voters who objected. They have ignored the wishes of the people and the responsibilities of their offices and instead, focused their attention on maintaining the status quo and their own careers.

Yes, the government is supposed to be “of the people, by the people and for the people”, however, it seems that after a few years in office, our government officials become a little elitist in their thinking and tend to act as it they know better than “the people” and act on their own rather than on the wishes of their constituents. That’s why, in my opinion, office holders, just like baby’s diapers, should be changed often, and for the same reasons.

By Michael H. Smith

April 5, 2007 4:24 PM | Link to this

We certainly disagree about delegated Sandy _G., everything this CID is now doing the county government should do or hire done just like this CID is doing in planting vegetation, cleaning up the area. The county government has shirked responsibility (once again) and delegated government responsibilities (assigned those task) to this CID.

I can however appreciate this opinion: That’s why, in my opinion, office holders, just like baby’s diapers, should be changed often, and for the same reasons.

And might I add for many of the same reasons, we don’t need anymore dirty diapers wearers. We have more than enough already without these CID or CIA babies.

By Woody Bass

April 5, 2007 7:54 PM | Link to this

Michael: Again. Reeeelaaxxx. I asked you that very pointed question for a very good reason. I know very well how these problems happened. And hopefully sometime in the future.. youll find out why I asked.

By Michael H. Smith

April 5, 2007 9:27 PM | Link to this

You know very well how these problems happened? Gee, I can’t wait, can you give me some EXAMPLES?

By Ryan

April 6, 2007 10:19 AM | Link to this

Does anyone know what is going on at the Amberley Suites off of Oakbrook Parkway? I am assuming this has to do with the ordinances and hope this gang, thug, prostitute hangout is shutdown.

By SSSSS

April 6, 2007 10:06 PM | Link to this

i personally think they should fire the PR person or politician who decided to name the area “Gwinnett Village.” That is the stupidest idea i have ever witnessed.

By Michael H. Smith

April 8, 2007 2:23 PM | Link to this

A perhaps not so unusual article appears – at least presently - in the metro section of today’s AJC paper that presses social conscience into action. For this cause the rude interruption and off topic comment is made.

There is someone I hope you will meet, his name Charles Nyaga. http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stories/2007/04/07/0408metwaiting.html.

Mr. Nyaga is an immigrant according to the article - a legal immigrant of course - who through no fault of his own is now the subject to deportation simply because he did work hard, played by and obeyed – to the government letter - our rules. Normally our courts when functioning properly use their power of judicial review to right such wrongs imposed – as on Mr. Nyaga - under law - rather than as other occasions have noted, write wrongs from the bench into law. No argument the letter of the law has been violated in this case and that ignorance of the law provides no excuse. However, the sum soul n’ spirit of all that is the nature of law in this country cannot be in finality subject to the tyranny of ink laying upon the despotism of paper to dismiss readily the commonality of fair play from our inalienable senses of what is right and what is wrong.

My fellow legal immigration reform advocates of like mind, all which represent me in government at any level and my fellow Americans. I urge you we cannot allow this man and his family to be deported.

Please excuse me for now, I have some very important people I need to write letters to.