Over and over again, the people of Paulding County told political leaders at the ballot box that they did not want a new airport in the county.
The people reject bringing the congestion and noise of a big-city lifestyle into our natural sanctuary, an idyllic country setting. But past county leaders joined in a plan to force a commercial airport into being, without the knowledge of unsuspecting taxpayers. They schemed and plotted against the people of Paulding, who did not want the expense and annoyance of an airport in our county.
Sadly, the secret was not discovered until it was too late to stop the airport.
Now we are told by our current board of commissioners — and all who support the airport — that the airport is a physical asset that is not going away, and that the harm done to us will greatly benefit the rest of the county through job growth. The past is the past, they say. We must get over governmental transgressions and invest our future as a community into this exciting economic development asset recently renamed Silver Comet Field, a.k.a Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport.
They keep telling us this unwanted airport is, in reality, a wonderful economic boon for the county.
That is not the truth of the matter as we see it.
We see yet another government scheme perpetrated on the people by those who, for fun and self-enrichment, wish to transform our little country corner of Georgia into Atlanta Jr., with a 24-hour full-service commercial airport, big-city traffic, pollution, congestion, crime and lots of city noise.
The people of western Paulding County have suffered a tremendous loss of the quality lifestyle that originally brought us here, along with a loss in the economic value of our homes and property.
Last week, in front of a packed meeting room of concerned citizens, the Paulding Airport Authority passed nearly $8 million in taxpayer-supported bonds for the airport expansion, on top of untold millions of dollars worth of prior bonds. All the county commissioners knew about the commercialization of the airport except Todd Pownall, who represents the people of west Paulding.
It was revealed recently that commission members, Industrial Building Authority members and airport authority members have engaged in a plan to hide a contract with Propeller Investments that will transform our sleepy little country airport into a second Atlanta airport with regularly scheduled passenger and cargo service.
If this is so wonderful for our county, why the secrecy?
Now, our ecosystem is threatened by fuel spills. Well-water supplies are endangered and, as one environmental surveyor told us when he was caught trespassing, “You can’t move that much dirt and not cause environmental impact.”
We have a right as American citizens to know what our government plans to do to our community. We deserve the truth.
