Costly fixes
Existing highway interchanges show what not to do
One good thing about the design of the $1 billion I-285/Ga. 400 interchange is that GDOT has two interchanges within 10 miles that are examples of what not to do. Maybe that has something to do with the price. With that kind of price tag, maybe there is an alternative solution not involving highway construction that needs to be looked at.
ROBERT W. PEPPEL, TUCKER
Gov. Deal taking right approach to child welfare
After numerous failed attempts to get our state legislators to correct the primary direction of DFACS from reunification to “what is in the best interest of the child,” Gov. Nathan Deal has picked up the ball to correct this very serious and too-often disastrous situation. Thank you, Gov. Deal!
When a high-level state individual tells you “It’s always right for a child to go home” – can they be serious? When another state child advocate says a 2 1/2-year-old who has been in a stable, loving foster home for 2 years can become acclimated to a different home and family where there are many red flags – should she have to?
Gov. Deal, your approach hits the nail on the head! The primary direction of DFACS must be changed, as you have stated, to “what is in the best interest of the child.” Thanks, governor.
BOB GUHL, MONROE
DeKalb-YMCA deal good for residents, taxpayers
In the June 16 article on the public/private partnership of the YMCA and DeKalb County, several important points were missing that illustrate why this is a better opportunity than what was reported. In the proposal, the Y sells its assets of a 43,000-square-foot facility and 18 acres to the county for $4.95 million and reinvests all of the money from the sale into upgrading the facility and improving the green space. In turn, the Y will lease the facility back and absorb all ongoing operating costs of close to $1.3 million a year.
This project meets bond fund legal requirements and aligns with the parks and recreation master plan. It has been presented in public and county meetings.
As a community-centric organization, the Y will be proud to expand its scope of services to the area which, according to the DeKalb County Board of Health, lists obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and asthma as significantly higher in South DeKalb than in the rest of the county.
As an organization dedicated to improving the lives of those in our communities, the Y will be a dedicated provider of health and wellness programs, early learning and school-age academic achievement, summer camp, and senior services.
The need in South DeKalb is great, and it matters to us that the community is served in a way that meets those needs.
EDWARD G. MUNSTER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, YMCA OF METRO ATLANTA
YMCA a poor fit for DeKalb taxpayers
The YMCA is a piece of the puzzle for health and fitness, but the sale of the South DeKalb Y to DeKalb County is a poor fit for the County’s Green Space Bond Program. DeKalb’s bond referendum allocated funding for land and improvements and has largely completed approved improvements. We should reserve this money for land. DeKalb already invested $16 million on recreational facilities within three miles of the Y. This would concentrate 24 percent of our development bonds within a small area.
The agreement doesn’t protect DeKalb taxpayers. They must join the Y to access public facilities. There’s no restriction on how much the Y charges or earns, or that keeps excess revenues in DeKalb. No other entity has been offered such an agreement. If we contract our golf and tennis facilities to the highest bidder, we should invite competing proposals for public funding.
JEFF RADER, KATHIE GANNON, DEKALB COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
