Open Blogging-How Do You Like the Georgia GOP’s Pre-Planning On Water & Traffic?
by Bill Simon
You got to hand it to us, the GOP, as leaders, we don’t much think about the future unless it’s the future sex lives of consenting adults.
In 2001, then-Governor Roy Barnes proposed the Northern Arc to help alleviate traffic on the north end of 285, as well as I-75 and I-85.
BUT, on a wave of protests from residents who would be affected by the Arc, as well as legislators who were running in the districts involved in the Arc’s path, the anti-Arc crowd swept Republican Sonny Perdue into office in 2002. And, the Northern Arc project was killed.
Six years later, we’ve got even worse traffic. But, our GOP leadership in the Mansion, the House, and the Senate, all believe if you bury a problem (and never utter a word about it) the problem will go away.
Which brings us to the most acute problem in the northern part of Georgia now: low water supplies.
However, it’s not as if it has just snuck-up on us. The region has experienced low rainfall for YEARS. And, earlier this summer, Governor Perdue pulled a little “pray for rain when we have a 99% chance of it predicted already” stunt in mid-Georgia.
But, had he (and, the other GOP leaders) looked at the regional problem, they could have decided MONTHS ago to ban ALL outdoor watering use. However, we just don’t like to think about the future too much, unless, it’s about how much money we can raise OR, as I said before, the sex lives of consenting adults. That sh*t is stuff the GOP really “cares about deeply.”
So now, we are getting close to banning all water use except for the necessity of drinking and hygiene.
There is a report out last week that said the Atlanta metro-area has about a 3-month supply of water in Lake Lanier. Three weeks ago was when Sonny got off his duff and looked around and said nothing…..nothing until the Cobb County Water Authority who FIRST declared a ban on all outdoor watering. THEN Sonny decided “Golly….if someone else is willing to take a political risk, I guess I will to!”, and that’s how Sonny came to banning all outdoor watering use in North Georgia.
Here’s the new slogan for the GOP: Leaders On The Sex Lives of Others, Dead Last On Everything Else. Vote For Us, Won’t You?
What’s your input?
October 19th, 2007 at 8:56 am
test
October 28th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Test works! Good post, Bill.
October 28th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
Sonny Perdue has been a disaster as governor, period. Problems with water, health care and transportation, have all been neglected in favor of rain prayers, Go-Fish initatives, and insider land deals. While the governor’s criminal negligence may have given after-the-fact vindication to leaders like Bill Byrne, Roy Barnes and Mark Taylor, such vindication does not help the state as a whole.
While I continue to disagree with you, Bill, regarding the Northern Arc (I’m glad it was killed; it’s just a shame that the proposed moneies for the NA were not channelled instead to mass transit), the rest of your editorial seems to be a call for change in the GA Legislature.
Do you seriously think, though, that such change can occur exclusively through a Republican primary process? As long as the Fulton County GOP shenanigans are being tolerated by the state party, as long as Speaker Richardson is touting his regressive, anti-local-control tax fiasco, as long as Chambliss’ mealy-mouthed meandering on immigration is blithely accepted, I continue to see nothing positive to be gained from under the GOP umbrella.
Dubose Porter for Speaker in 2008!
October 28th, 2007 at 11:10 pm
Charley,
The Fulton County GOP mess is about to be resolved, and I’d hardly call a recommendation by the Appeals Committee for a new election as “tolerating” their shenanigans.
By the way, the Legislature and the Governor’s office operate completely independent of what’s going on at the county and state party level. In fact, it is completely irrelevant to anything elected officials involve themselves in.
I cover it because I’m the “inside-party reporter.” This is nothing but a carnival sideshow.
October 28th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
Charley, Part 2
But, to your question, I don’t think any of these guys will be tossed-out of their seats by a GOP primary process, unless they vy for a brand new elected position.
If you want change, you’ll have to rely on your party to change things via the General Election.
October 29th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Hey, we immigration-control activists tried to tell ya years ago. We’ve been talking about population numbers and sustainability for a long time. Immigration, including births to immigrants, has been driving most of our nation’s population growth for many years now. We can talk about failures to address the water supply infrastructure, but the bottom line is, we have finite natural resources, and we can limit growth or all go down together.
October 30th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Bill Simon,
Good post. I’ve heard about the water problems on and off since I moved to the area in 1996. However, it seems, as you say, that everyone ignores the problem until it becomes a crisis.
And yes, we should have banned watering lawns months ago. I haven’t watered mine this year because it seemed fruitless. I could spend a ton of money watering or just let it go dormant. I chose the latter.
I think there’s one thing that you have left out of the equation-the business lobby. How many landscapers etc. would have suffered earlier if there was a ban? I think that might have had something to do with delay.