Milton County (Atlanta, Decatur: employment, bankrupt, best schools)

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by lilmusket

How about simply consolidate with Forsyth County?? georgia has way too many counties as it is. I could see merging north fulton and forsyth into one county.

I do think that would be a better solution than establishing yet another bureaucracy.

[waronxmas]

Ugh, I'm so sick and tired of these tax whiners out there. America works under a progressive tax code. If you make more, you pay more (in theory). Not doing so is shirking your responsibility as a citizen. Before anyone says "easy for me to say" I make enough to notice it when it's time to pay taxes and such, but I do it because it's one of my duties as a citizen.

Anyway, like others have said since splitting up the county would be so expensive this would never work. Also, this proposal had more teeth when Buckhead and North Fulton were more conservative politically. Each area is becoming more progressive by the day and I wouldn't be surprised that within 10 years you couldn't tell Alpharetta from East Atlanta...politically of course :P

On the other hand I do think there is a problem with the amount and influence of representation across the entire Metro Atlanta region. Even though I despise the tax whiners, I do think those who do not receive an appropriate number of services do have a case. Just not the ones that throw out the arbitrary "41% of taxes/29% of services" crud. If you have 600,000 people packed in a very small area, and 400,000 spread out in a very large area, whom do you think will get an higher concentration of county services and focus?

So for that, Atlanta needs to move to a government similar to that of Greater London. All county and city boundaries will remain the same. Mayors can be converted to borough presidents, and the public can elect representatives to a Metro Legislature. Everyone gets a say, but everyone gets to keep a level of independence. It could totally work! What?

[Saintmarks]

I have posted a call for a more consolidated approach like Greater London as well, but see it more as a combining of all of Fulton and Dekalb and then boroughs within of about 50,000 to 75,000 apiece, allowing the names of places like Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Decatur, Buckhead, East Point, Stone Mountain, Tucker etc to live on.

I wonder the legal ramifications of resurrecting Milton County with portions that were not Milton County before. When Milton County was in existence, Roswell was in Cobb and Sandy Springs was always Fulton. Of course the Roswell of the day was the original town centered around Atlanta Street and Marietta Street (9 and 120 today) not the city limits of today which stretch from the Cherokee line to the Gwinnett line.

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

I do think that would be a better solution than establishing yet another bureaucracy.

Wholeheartedly agree.

[FromCLTtoATL]

I'm fairly new here still, but it only seems to make sense from a geographical perspective. The county is practically pinched together about two-third of the way up.

I haven't heard another compelling argument ... I also agree with those who say there are just too many counties in Georgia, period. The last thing the state needs is ANOTHER one.

I think they ought to look at logical county mergers and reduce the number by half.

[City Fanatic]

Originally Posted by waronxmas

Ugh, I'm so sick and tired of these tax whiners out there.

Then I'd imagine that you'd have called the individuals to the Boston Tea Party "whiners", or you'd have called the Founding Fathers or the Minute Men "whiners".

America works under a progressive tax code. If you make more, you pay more (in theory).

Says who?

Some states have no income tax. "America" doesn't work under a socialist tax code. In fact, for much of its history, there was no income tax. Added to that, the "income tax" amendment was never properly ratified, despite the fact that many of the documents say that it was.

What is "Progressive" about it? I get tired of Socialists calling themselves "Progressive", when they're actually "Regressive", as taxing people more stifles innovation, causes businesses to lay off people, raises unemployment rates, and causes the prices of products to rise.

Not doing so is shirking your responsibility as a citizen.

Where is it noted in the U.S. Constitution that paying taxes is a RESPONSIBILITY as a citizen? It isn't there. Furthermore, as stated, the 16th Amendment was never properly ratified.

Before anyone says "easy for me to say" I make enough to notice it when it's time to pay taxes and such, but I do it because it's one of my duties as a citizen.

It's your duty, huh? What socialist told you that?

Anyway, like others have said since splitting up the county would be so expensive this would never work.

Sure, it would work. However, it'd probably bankrupt Fulton County and the city of Atlanta. Milton County would be doing just fine and dandy.

Also, this proposal had more teeth when Buckhead and North Fulton were more conservative politically. Each area is becoming more progressive by the day and I wouldn't be surprised that within 10 years you couldn't tell Alpharetta from East Atlanta...politically of course :P

Surely you're kidding. Aside from non-whites, those groups who are generally against America's historical founding and constitutional governance, most people in North Fulton are conservative-minded. I don't see the demographics shifting to the point where it'd be anything like East Atlanta. That little neighborhood is loaded with flamers, and they're as left wing as you can get. Such would be quite a jump to say that people in Alpharetta would rather vote for a hard core socialist compared to a constitutionally-inspired conservative. Dream on.

Again, why do you keep calling it "Progressive" to be a socialist, when it doesn't result in any progress. It only destroys the economy.

[City Fanatic]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

Yeah, I think it died down. The article you referenced is dated April 21 and was big news in an obscure suburban newspaper.

If it isn't dead then it should be. It sounds like a few whiny residents of North Fulton thinking that they deserve a bigger voice just because they have more money. We live in a democracy...it doesn't work that way.

This is a stupid idea supported by divisive-minded people...and only provides amunition for more negative criticism - just what Atlanta doesn't need.

Deacon, I'm sure that you realize that we do NOT live in a democracy, but rather a Constitutional Republic.

Why is it a stupid idea? If people are paying more and getting less services, then it is within their right to petition for a break-away. It should happen.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by waronxmas

Ugh, I'm so sick and tired of these tax whiners out there. America works under a progressive tax code. If you make more, you pay more (in theory). Not doing so is shirking your responsibility as a citizen. Before anyone says "easy for me to say" I make enough to notice it when it's time to pay taxes and such, but I do it because it's one of my duties as a citizen.

Very commendable of you. However, this 'progressive tax system' that you are so fond of is currently putting 60% of the tax burden on the top 5% of the wage earners...and apparently it's not enough.

www.ntu.org/main/page.php?PageID=6

Here's the latest brilliant idea being vomited out by the administration: a 5.4% annual surcharge on anyone that enjoys the status of millionaire. Great.

www.fatwallet.com/forums/finance/938606

The 'whiners' will take it for just so long.

[RainyRainyDay]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

The 'whiners' will take it for just so long.

And then you'll ... pick up your guns?

[AcidSnake]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Very commendable of you. However, this 'progressive tax system' that you are so fond of is currently putting 60% of the tax burden on the top 5% of the wage earners...and apparently it's not enough.

www.ntu.org/main/page.php?PageID=6. (http://www.ntu.org/main/page.php?PageID=6. - broken link)

I'd say its reasonable, given the fact that those top 5% help enable wars among many that has essentially bankrupted our our country. Yep that same top 5% that has allowed others to fight, to get crippled and die, and live lives of insecurity and suffering in my point of view have NO right to complain about paying so many taxes.

So many of these "patriots" will then jump through hoops in order to avoid helping these veterans. Sometimes it really makes me sick when I read these stories in the newspapers about veterans fresh from Iraq and Afghanistan struggling to get on their feet and having to wait from some "white knight" in the form of an ad hoc non-profit system to build them a retro-fitted house or donated some craptacular used van that breaks down half the time.

So yeah, you know what? Make the lazy bums pay.

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Here's the latest brilliant idea being vomited out by the administration: a 5.4% annual surcharge on anyone that enjoys the status of millionaire. Great.

www.fatwallet.com/forums/finance/938606

The 'whiners' will take it for just so long.

It's just as well that they do whine. I only that the common people will wake up and not allow the wealthy with their media to brainwash them into making even more tragic decisions on how this country should be operated.