Should Atlanta(Metropolitan Area) Secede from Georgia? (Savannah, Washington: construction, college)

[BobKovacs]

OK, so the high-tax, high earning area of Atlanta should keep all of its own money, and the rest of the state should just deal with whatever they can muster up. So, along that same line of thinking, I guess the wealthier areas within Atlanta should keep their own, and not have to contribute to attempts to improve the poorer areas of the Atlanta metro??? Where does the "I get to keep mine and spend it how I please" mentality stop? Should we succeed from the USA too, so we can better manage all of the money that Atlanta's people send to Washington? Never mind- I think that was tried once before.

I'm no fan of the Robin Hood method of tax usage, believe me- I saw over $8 billion squandered by the state of NJ when I lived there, in an attempt to build better schools for towns that couldn't afford them like Newark, Camden and Trenton. But at trashed as those areas are now, can you imagine what would happen to them without some help from the wealthier cities in the state? Should we allow the same to happen to Macon, Augusta, Savannah, Columbus, etc??

[PeteyNice]

They already do that. See Sandy Springs. The Metro area pays the freight for the state government. A state government that is run by folks from rural Georgia who like our money but hate us.

It's like the movement for downstate NY/NYC to break away from NY State when the government in Albany starts ignoring them and spending too much on upstate projects.

It's just that in NY state politics downstate drives the bus more often than not. Here Atlanta never does.

[Cubancoffee]

Bob, I remember last year people in North Fulton griping about how "their" tax dollars were being wasted paying for projects in (less affluent) South Fulton. So this is not a new phenomenon. The notion of taxes being used for the "common good" -- which is supposedly how we fund our government -- is a quaint anachronism, replaced by "I got mine and the heck with you." We've been convinced that government is the least efficient way to get things done (which has been dutifully proven when people who believe in that idea get into power). There was once a day when it wasn't considered anti-American to believe that there were some things that ONLY the government could do. But selfishness and greed have turned that on its head.

[gt6974a]

what a stupid article...

[bgnzsavnh]

How about this pork project:
New roads to be built are the Rincon Bypass and the Effingham Parkway. Traffic into Savannah is so much worse than in Atlanta, it takes a whole hour to go 45 miles to work. Commuters in metro Atlanta just can't possibily understand how bad traffic is in Rincon. Something has to be done about that 15 minute back upon GA 21 each morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We can't wast anymore $ building unnecessary roads in Atlanta when Rincon is suffering
We must first alleviate Rincon's traffic congestion.
there is no interchange space left on I-95. so GDOT is to terminate the 6-lane truck route onto residential streets (Benton Blvd and Highlands Ave) to get to I-95 at Jimmy Deloach Parkway
Them 'Fing-ham Blues:

[backfist]

Although secessation is literally not possible, I like the idea of doing it figuratively. If folks in rural Georgia despise any and all things about metro Atlanta, fine. Not only can they stay where they are, they can forego the tax revenues that we share with them.

But what we cannot do is allow spiteful, hateful, indifferent and/or apathetic people to maintain an interest in this state's economic vehicle, if they refuse to share in its maintenance and upkeep. In that regard, maybe it's best that the New Yorkers, Californians and Chicagoans keep relocating here. There are some changes in Georgia that are much needed and long overdue.

[BobKovacs]

I'm obviously new to the GA area, and therefore don't understand all of the political ins and outs of the past. However, seeing how the Atlanta area is by far the majority, shouldn't it be possible for this area to essentially make the decisions as to who gets into office? Or is it like what I left behind in NJ, where it's not a matter of getting the "good" candidate into office in lieu of the "bad" but rather a case of taking the less corrupt, lesser idiot of the two?

[wxjay]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

I'm obviously new to the GA area, and therefore don't understand all of the political ins and outs of the past. However, seeing how the Atlanta area is by far the majority, shouldn't it be possible for this area to essentially make the decisions as to who gets into office? Or is it like what I left behind in NJ, where it's not a matter of getting the "good" candidate into office in lieu of the "bad" but rather a case of taking the less corrupt, lesser idiot of the two?

The first part of your statement is the most profound here. The problem is that the 5 million metro Atlantans cannot all agree on an answer, allowing the needs of metro Atlanta to go unheeded. However, little by little, I believe that metro Atlantans are starting to band together in terms of realizing that building 14 lane highways only creates more issues and that better transit options are needed. Other issues like this should help to continue to unite metro Atlantans to eventually quiet the naysayers in politics.

[Navyeyedgirl]

Originally Posted by Atlantasfinest

I stated should the "entire metro area of Atlanta" split not just the City of Atlanta. Which would include the five core counties; Fulton, Dekalb, Cobb, Gwinnett and Clayton we would have 3.3 million people, bigger than 21 states. With the addition of the remaining counties on the Atlanta Regional Commission, we would have a nicely compact state of 3.9 million residents that would rank No. 25 in US population.

I like the idea...but then my question would be...where to draw the line with what is the Atlanta Metro Area and what is not... For example, I somewhat see Cumming as part of the metro area and it is in Forsyth County. Also, what about certain parts of Cherokee County, Hall County (especially the Lake Lanier areas), etc? I do see Atlanta as being something different from Georgia, though - so I do agree.

I ran into this same "stuck on the fence" feeling when I read an article in Atlanta Magazine about recreating Milton County and what areas of North Fulton should be included. Example: There is a debate if Buckhead could be considered part of North Fulton, or if it just stops at Sandy Springs.

Thank you for sharing this article!

[neil0311]

Sounds like the same talk heard in NY and CA (and other states), where large urban areas compete politically with the more rural areas of the state. This is nothing unique to GA and where does it end?

Why would I in Cobb want to join the City of Atlanta in a state? Why not the state of Cobb or the state of East Cobb? Why would I want my tax money flowing to the City of Atlanta where I have virtually no economic or political interest? See...it all depends on your perspective.