Atlanta: Low Quality of Life? (2009, home, college)

[Tzman]

Now Y'all be kind here. Apparently in other post that I made involving Atlanta, someone was offended. Comments to my reputation stated that I wasmisleading. I have lived in Atlanta most of my 53 years and worked for Atlanta Fire Rescue for over 26 years. In reality I think As Jack Nicholson said in "A Few Good Men""YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH" !!!!!!!!!!!!!
What ya think ther Sports?

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by gt6974a

I start a new job on the 12th and will be using the express bus to get downtown from Acworth, but my new job just happens to be at the corner of Peachtree/International blvd.

Atlanta govt issue again, Didn't they already pass an ineffective no panhandling law.

Well again, with NO budget money set aside for public transit, even those existing express bus routes may be in danger - or their fares may at the very least go up to pay for the shortfall in funds.

Yes, a strong anti-panhandling law was put into place by the city leaders a couple of years ago and they tried at first (seriously for the first time) to strictly enforce it. The moment they did, numerous activists did protests and filed lawsuits saying it was unconstitutional. The legal fees of trying to defend it from the activists most likely caused them to back off and let the bums take over again.

Think back on news reports to right before the Aquarium opened. One of the biggest mouthiest activists was on TV threatening to "shut the place down" if they enforced the panhandling ordinance around the building, and didn't exclusively hire the homeless people to work there. He wound up being arrested for making terroristic threats, but anyway, every time they try to enforce any time of vagrant laws this is what happens.

[gt6974a]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Well again, with NO budget money set aside for public transit, even those existing express bus routes may be in danger - or their fares may at the very least go up to pay for the shortfall in funds.

Yes, a strong anti-panhandling law was put into place by the city leaders a couple of years ago and they tried at first (seriously for the first time) to strictly enforce it. The moment they did, numerous activists did protests and filed lawsuits saying it was unconstitutional. The legal fees of trying to defend it from the activists most likely caused them to back off and let the bums take over again.

Think back on news reports to right before the Aquarium opened. One of the biggest mouthiest activists was on TV threatening to "shut the place down" if they enforced the panhandling ordinance around the building, and didn't exclusively hire the homeless people to work there. He wound up being arrested for making terroristic threats, but anyway, every time they try to enforce any time of vagrant laws this is what happens.

You mean those bastards from the ACLU, their ex-president just got caught with kiddie porn, lol. Yeah, that's why I said govt issue and goes back to the top where the Atlanta govt. is the problem in the city. I'm agreeing with you.

Us Cobb residents are labeled as crazy conservatives but things get done up here.

[LLD]

A bit misleadinig.... it wasn't the head of the ACLU. It was the EX president of the Virginia chapter of the ACLU.

p.s. congrats on your new position and I hope the transportation options available work for you -- seems like they will so that is very positive.

[kicksavedave]

Originally Posted by Georgia

Add 10:
A freeze on all housing development building permits for 3 years in Atlanta and surrounding counties. This is NEW developments. There is plenty of current homes on the market 75,000+ and zones that can be placed for re-development.

Interesting solution, but do you really think its fair to put countless home builders, contractors, carpenters, plumbers, etc, out of work because of poorly managed growth? It's not their fault that the govt hasn't properly sized improvements to meet demands. Clearly there is a problem with out of control growth, but it's not the fault of the guys with the hammers and nails and cement mixers. Its the fault of the planners...

As for Casinos, California has casino's all over, and crime in and around those areas is no different or higher than any other neighborhoods. Same with places like Biloxi, Tunica, Scottsdale, etc. And of course the Vegas strip is perfectly safe. The correlation between crime in Atlantic City and the presense of Casino's isn't very strong... Tons of other places have high density crime without Casinos...

Not wanting a Casino is fine... The fact that simply playing a friendly home game of poker with your buddies for $20 can land you in jail makes Georgia very scary to me. Using the myth that making various forms of gambling legal will just attract high crime just seems like an excuse to me.

[Georgia]

Originally Posted by kicksavedave

Interesting solution, but do you really think its fair to put countless home builders, contractors, carpenters, plumbers, etc, out of work because of poorly managed growth? It's not their fault that the govt hasn't properly sized improvements to meet demands. Clearly there is a problem with out of control growth, but it's not the fault of the guys with the hammers and nails and cement mixers. Its the fault of the planners...

As for Casinos, California has casino's all over, and crime in and around those areas is no different or higher than any other neighborhoods. Same with places like Biloxi, Tunica, Scottsdale, etc. And of course the Vegas strip is perfectly safe. The correlation between crime in Atlantic City and the presense of Casino's isn't very strong... Tons of other places have high density crime without Casinos...

Not wanting a Casino is fine... The fact that simply playing a friendly home game of poker with your buddies for $20 can land you in jail makes Georgia very scary to me. Using the myth that making various forms of gambling legal will just attract high crime just seems like an excuse to me.

It is not my intention to wish carpenters, truck drivers, equiment operators, etc., to become unemployed. Your right, it is not their fault. With this being said the large issue is the developer and the beaucrat. A freeze on "new" building permits would then transfer attention to re-development of current locations. Currently they are looking to re-develop downtown Lawrenceville and doing a good job. Next is the re-development of W. Lawrenceville from 20west to the next light. This will maintain employment of licensed, qualified, "legal" workers.

The current structure is a mess and a coming nightmare for the taxpayer. With developers running unchecked, building housing development after housing development, then running leaving you and I along with the workers stuck with the bill. This is why we are hearing about an additional increase in the state sales tax, increased fees, etc., just to handle the traffic, etc.

This gets back to Atlanta improvement. There are good examples such as Chicago, Boston, Arlington/Alexandria, VA, and parts of NYC that show how well re-development works. Employment opportunities, lower taxation, less congestion, appreciation in home prices, etc. Of course with Atlanta City we will need a complete overhaul of the current political spectrum.

Remember the basic math in regard to development run a muk.
For one home will bring a minimum of 2 cars on the road. 200 permits equal an additional 400 cars on the road.

The best example in Gwinnett right now is Rt 324 just past Dacula Road. A small 1 3/4 lane road intersecting at a blind curve, which also comes out on Fence Road, also at a blind curve. In 2006 before development 3 individuals were killed. But what, here comes Mr Developer and Mr Beaucrat. Stick a 250 home development with 500+ cars. Real smart.

Im with you on the planning. but man something has to be done and soon.

[gt6974a]

Not sure if it's still there but I know Douglas County put a hold on all permits b/c of it's growth while I was rewriting some of their jail software. Cobb never did that, and look at Cobb now.

Those people put out of work aren't exactly legal! I have a buddy that pours foundations and his whole crew is illegal, <EDIT>

[Meredith2]

Everybody has an opinion.

What you didn't read is that the city of Atlanta is just a small portion of what is considered the Atlanta metropolitan area. The city is primarily in Fulton County but also falls over into Dekalb county. Georgia has 256 counties which are relatively small in size compared to other Southern states. Air quality is a problem all over the metropolitan area because people live too far away from their jobs.

Having said that, there are very livable places in the city of Atlanta and in the larger metro area also called Atlanta. Likewise, there are very unlivable places in both. The metro area has far more people than does the city and everyday there is a big flow into the city from the metro outlying areas and the same flow, out in the afternoon. This results in a reduced quality of life and air. Dekalb County passed a green spaces referendum several years back and has purchased many parks and has a tree ordinance that requires permission to cut a tree of a certain circu****ence unless it is threatening life or property. Atlanta (city and metro) is considered one of the most densely forested urban areas in the country. These tree ordinances have cut back on the allowing of bulldozers to indiscrimately take down centuries old trees. Gwinnett county does not have such an ordinance and I doubt that the more northern/southern counties do either.

[Georgia]

Originally Posted by Meredith2

Everybody has an opinion.

Georgia has 256 counties which are relatively small in size compared to other Southern states. Air quality is a problem all over the metropolitan area because people live too far away from their jobs.

.

Actually, the state of Georgia has a total of 159 counties

[Georgia]

Originally Posted by Tzman

Now Y'all be kind here. Apparently in other post that I made involving Atlanta, someone was offended. Comments to my reputation stated that I wasmisleading. I have lived in Atlanta most of my 53 years and worked for Atlanta Fire Rescue for over 26 years. In reality I think As Jack Nicholson said in "A Few Good Men""YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH" !!!!!!!!!!!!!
What ya think ther Sports?

Atlanta sports:
Gwinnett Gladiators - Great
Atlanta Thrashers - OK, but I'm a Flyers and Devils fan
Atlanta Falcons - Only one team in the eyes of God, the Philadelphia Eagles
Atlanta Braves - Does Jane Fonda still hold an interest in the team? If not, then they are ok, if so, hope they lose
Atlanta Hawks - Like'm can they ever win?
Dawgs - Well heck, ya just gotta love UGA. That's Uga as in the mascot, thus you root for the team.