Who's been drinking the Kool-Aid? (Atlanta, Decatur: schools, closing, living in)

[nature's message]

Originally Posted by Georgia

Same here, Gimmie a Beer! Mmmmm Beer

Oh yes. Have a beer drinking contest at Oktoberfest.

[cbreeze22]

My cousin and I were just talking about this. He's from Chicago, I'm from LA - while apathy is everywhere, it seems to be a suffocating force here. Sure, you're welcome to take this personally if you're from here, and you're welcome to say whatever stereotype about California or the midwest you think will help your argument. I certainly don't think it's everyone here, or only happens here. Still, our opinions are not unusual among transplants.

I can't say it's a southern thing (although who wants to hold the volumes of protests done in CA in the humidity and heat of GA?), but the acceptance of mediocrity is disturbing.

We tossed around the idea that maybe it's because what's considered an achievement is so much easier to accomplish here. Own a nice, fairly large home for less than $150k, drive a decent car, skip over one state and do beach vacations or family theme parks... it's all pretty easy to do here (relatively speaking). That ease of success breeds apathy, and unfortunately a lack of empathy for those who can't for whatever reason.

Anyway, that's what we thought.

[plessthanpointohfive]

People used to say the same things about Cajuns...but Cajuns always said it's because Cajuns work to live, not live to work.

The whole work hard/success ethics comes from the line of protestants who believed that if you were blessed by God it would be apparent in your material success. The result was a lot of people working hard to have material success so everyone could see how blessed they were.

But Cajuns are Catholics....

And most of my above story is just a folk tale, so don't get your panties in a twist over it.

[opal649]

I understand what you mean about apathy. People are different in other places and willing to turnout to protest..for example, the Los Angeles School Board decided to lay off 7000 employees including many teachers....the teachers protested and turned out in force...if that happened here, we would not see mass protest...

[straighttalker75]

This is all true.

However, there is nothing you can do about it... so just forget it and get back to your TV, there's new episode of 24

[AcidSnake]

Originally Posted by trelane

I've been in ATL for over two years. I have a lovely home and I'm trying to make the best of living here, but I have to address a sore subject and see if I'm the only one.

At the company that brought me here, at my house of worship, in conversations and in the news, I see a repeated pattern of accepting situations that are less than satisfactory without any real attempt to correct them.

My company's stock tumbled and never regained, clients left by the handfuls. My staff: "Well, that's the way we've always done things around here.". We and several new families didn't get a welcome packet from our temple because the volunteers didn't communicate with each other. The committee chair: "Well, they're volunteers. You can't expect a lot." Metro Atlanta knows there is a traffic issue. The legislature goes belly up this year. Public outcry? Lasted five days. Clayton County was losing accreditation. Voter turnout for board elections? About average.

This isn't an outsider's POV about 'lazy Southerners'. I'm watching transplants who've lived here for 20 years adopt a 'well, what can you do about it?' mentality. I'm convinced there's something in the water.

Don't ever tell me there's a problem with no resolution. That's one statement guaranteed to get my dander up. Might as well call Marty McFly a chicken and expect him not to react. There's always a resolution, provided enough folks care.

Is this just me? Has anyone else experienced this?

Blame the 24hr news/Internet culture. It encourages a mindset of short attention spans and a total obliviousness to reality.

Also not enough people who matter(educated, middleclass) feel that they suffering, at least not enough to get out in the streets & protest, not like the Civil Rights days when many felt like they had nothing to lose.

My humble opinon of course...

[David1502]

[quote=cbreeze22;8633637]My cousin and I were just talking about this. He's from Chicago, I'm from LA - while apathy is everywhere, it seems to be a suffocating force here. Sure, you're welcome to take this personally if you're from here, and you're welcome to say whatever stereotype about California or the midwest you think will help your argument. I certainly don't think it's everyone here, or only happens here. Still, our opinions are not unusual among transplants.


For people who are new to the Atlanta (and or the South), it may appear that the populace is apathetic, however, when you look at the energy the residents of the suburbs along the northern arc of I-285 have put into creating and sustaining their municipalities, you will get a different impression. From Smyrna and Vinings, to East Cobb and then to the recently formed Cities of Sandy Springs and Dunwoody, you see anything but apathy and instead an invigorated populace engaged in their communites concerned about their public schools, police and fire protection as well as zoning issues to insure they maintain their quality of life. Just one example is the tenacity of the citizens of Sandy Springs who spent 40 years trying to form their own city when the City of Atlanta wanted to forcibly annex their community against their wishes. Also, if you think residents here don't care - go to a zoning meeting when a developer wants to put in apartments, a check cashing place, pawn shop strip joint.

Finally, as one who spent a good bit of time in CA on business, I don't see roads with landscaped medians like we have here in Cobb (e.g. Spring Rd. in Smyrna, Johnson Ferry in East Cobb not to mention the network of bike/walk trails), but instead I see roads that need repaving but won't be anytime soon because the state of CA has a $42 Billion deficit while taxing its more prosperous residents 10% (as compared to GA's 5%).

Also, I forgot to mention the newly created municipalities of Johns Creek and Milton in North Fulton which show further citizen involvement.

[J2rescue]

I always find it curious when people try to paint a broad brush of the people in a city like Atlanta primarily because the majority of the people aren't even from here.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by David1502

Finally, as one who spent a good bit of time in CA on business, I don't see roads with landscaped medians like we have here in Cobb (e.g. Spring Rd. in Smyrna, Johnson Ferry in East Cobb not to mention the network of bike/walk trails), but instead I see roads that need repaving but won't be anytime soon because the state of CA has a $42 Billion deficit while taxing its more prosperous residents 10% (as compared to GA's 5%).

I personally would rather see more secondary arteries in the metro with paved shoulders, more turn lanes at intersections that already have stop lights, and more bike trails and pedestrian walkways/sidewalks. Some areas of Cobb are doign well with the latter, and SPLOST funds are doing some fixing of the first two, but it's a very slow process. Some of the intersections on the E/W Connector still blow my mind, though, because of the lack of turn lanes on some busy roads and existing turn lanes on roads with far less traffic. What did they do ... throw darts??!?

Landscaped medians look nice, but don't really do much to improve the existing transportation infrastructure. It's putting lipstick on a hog, in essence. Use that money for something actually USEFUL!

[Iconographer]

Do I smell yet another thread that implies that the South is inferior to other regions? Methinks I do.