Scrambling for lifeboats as DeKalb sinks (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: taxes, zip codes, shopping center)

[AcidSnake]

I think it's simply all around neglect by all parties.

I blame the black babyboomers...my parents' generation...just as much as I blame the hillbillies currently running things. Too many of my elders have somehow adopted some lousy hyper-materialistic values.

People of my generation haven't had much luck in trying to right this ship. And it's due to the old folks who keep doing the same dumb things and still trying to keep up with the Joneses.

They don't want to realize that the media has brainwashed them into this neverending race to accumulate useless quickly depreciating crap at a high cost.

The Joneses are not meant to be caught up with. They never have been.

I know so many people of my parents' generation who moved out my childhood neighborhood...because they thought themselves too good for a mixed-income area. And started living beyond their means in order to chase some fleeting ideal of self-importance.

Buying some self-esteem as it were.

Now, they are barely scrapping by on measely 401(k)s & social security, nursing a lot of old-age ailments, and living in empty 3 story houses that they can't unload onto the market without taking a huge hit.

For many, there is no inheritance to pass on to the future. No wealth-building principles to hand down. Just debt, good intentions never realized, and talk of "spirituality".

All that energy that could've been put to improving the neighborhood, creating an economy to pass down to the upcoming generations, and fighting the backwards idiots at the Gold Dome...wasted.

Just wasted...

Originally Posted by toll_booth

This! And I'm sure none of these issues have anything to do with systems of racism. Amirite?

[Gulch]

I think in the end a push to reduce "home-rule" functions of counties in Georgia may be the way to go either through full incorporation or city-county consolidation.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by Gulch

I think in the end a push to reduce "home-rule" functions of counties in Georgia may be the way to go either through full incorporation or city-county consolidation.

Or county mergers. Our counties are just too small, IMO.

[skbl17]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Or county mergers. Our counties are just too small, IMO.

Agreed. I actually think we need some kind of minimum population or size threshold to enable an area to qualify as a county. Sometimes, when I look at the map of the State of Georgia and see all those counties, I wonder, "Why?"

Did you know that we have the second largest number of counties in the United States, at 159? That's second to Texas's 248, and yet, the overall county size in Texas is larger than that of Georgia counties.

It's an issue I wish the General Assembly would consider. Instead of keeping themselves busy with all this "cityhood" stuff, why not debate wide-sweeping local government reform? County mergers, the powers a county can have vs. a city, school districts, special bodies (i.e. transit authorities), and so on.

- skbl17

[AcidSnake]

There is probably some sort of cultural & political parallel to observe in the fact that Georgia has way too many counties for a state of its size...versus these extreme cityhood movements that taken root in the last ten or so years.

I wonder if some historian or political scientist somewhere is taking note of this situation and doing some research right now to tie it all together.

I would love to read that paper.

Originally Posted by skbl17

Agreed. I actually think we need some kind of minimum population or size threshold to enable an area to qualify as a county. Sometimes, when I look at the map of the State of Georgia and see all those counties, I wonder, "Why?"

Did you know that we have the second largest number of counties in the United States, at 159? That's second to Texas's 248, and yet, the overall county size in Texas is larger than that of Georgia counties.

It's an issue I wish the General Assembly would consider. Instead of keeping themselves busy with all this "cityhood" stuff, why not debate wide-sweeping local government reform? County mergers, the powers a county can have vs. a city, school districts, special bodies (i.e. transit authorities), and so on.

- skbl17

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by skbl17

Agreed. I actually think we need some kind of minimum population or size threshold to enable an area to qualify as a county. Sometimes, when I look at the map of the State of Georgia and see all those counties, I wonder, "Why?"

Did you know that we have the second largest number of counties in the United States, at 159? That's second to Texas's 248, and yet, the overall county size in Texas is larger than that of Georgia counties.

It's an issue I wish the General Assembly would consider. Instead of keeping themselves busy with all this "cityhood" stuff, why not debate wide-sweeping local government reform? County mergers, the powers a county can have vs. a city, school districts, special bodies (i.e. transit authorities), and so on.

- skbl17

The counties are that small because Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi and the county seat was 1 days horse or carriage ride from all parts of the county. Then natural borders were included. The Midwest used S,T, and R to create borders, that's how they get so many square counties.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by jeoff

And, Avondale Estates is its own city. Decatur is its own city. Candler Park is in City of Atlanta. Dunwoody...you really aren't making much of a case for unincorporated Dekalb (which is not a ghetto, but, should be much more popular than it is, based on location alone)!

The comment referred to almost all of DeKalb County being "ghetto." Those areas haven't seceded and joined Gwinnet or Fulton.

And LaVista Park, Toco Hills, Druid Hills, Medlock, Laurel Ridge, Northlake....none of those are run down impoverished areas.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

I think it's simply all around neglect by all parties.

I blame the black babyboomers...my parents' generation...just as much as I blame the hillbillies currently running things. Too many of my elders have somehow adopted some lousy hyper-materialistic values.

People of my generation haven't had much luck in trying to right this ship. And it's due to the old folks who keep doing the same dumb things and still trying to keep up with the Joneses.

They don't want to realize that the media has brainwashed them into this neverending race to accumulate useless quickly depreciating crap at a high cost.

The Joneses are not meant to be caught up with. They never have been.

I know so many people of my parents' generation who moved out my childhood neighborhood...because they thought themselves too good for a mixed-income area. And started living beyond their means in order to chase some fleeting ideal of self-importance.

Buying some self-esteem as it were.

Now, they are barely scrapping by on measely 401(k)s & social security, nursing a lot of old-age ailments, and living in empty 3 story houses that they can't unload onto the market without taking a huge hit.

For many, there is no inheritance to pass on to the future. No wealth-building principles to hand down. Just debt, good intentions never realized, and talk of "spirituality".

All that energy that could've been put to improving the neighborhood, creating an economy to pass down to the upcoming generations, and fighting the backwards idiots at the Gold Dome...wasted.

Just wasted...

Funny how much you sound like a baby boomer in the 60s!

[bu2]

Originally Posted by skbl17

Agreed. I actually think we need some kind of minimum population or size threshold to enable an area to qualify as a county. Sometimes, when I look at the map of the State of Georgia and see all those counties, I wonder, "Why?"

Did you know that we have the second largest number of counties in the United States, at 159? That's second to Texas's 248, and yet, the overall county size in Texas is larger than that of Georgia counties.

It's an issue I wish the General Assembly would consider. Instead of keeping themselves busy with all this "cityhood" stuff, why not debate wide-sweeping local government reform? County mergers, the powers a county can have vs. a city, school districts, special bodies (i.e. transit authorities), and so on.

- skbl17

Texas has about 5 times the area, but barely 1.5 times more counties. The real telling number is that 3rd place (Kentucky) only has 120 counties.

Consolidation is most needed in the rural areas. You don't need to be able to ride your horse to the county seat anymore. There's a vast amount of waste with the services in all these lightly populated counties.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by bu2

Texas has about 5 times the area, but barely 1.5 times more counties. The real telling number is that 3rd place (Kentucky) only has 120 counties.

Consolidation is most needed in the rural areas. You don't need to be able to ride your horse to the county seat anymore. There's a vast amount of waste with the services in all these lightly populated counties.

Good luck getting the counties to voluntarily give up their fiefdoms, especially if they're asked to do it so that Milton County could exist (I'd say reestablished, but the original Milton didn't include Sandy Springs).