Voter Apathy 3

Well, I was ready to move on after tussling with voter apathy and all the implications. However, we received a letter to the Editor at the Fayette Front Page, and since I'm the Editor, I decided to post it on my blog, too. Excellent letter, very thought provoking. My reason for harping for long and so often over the past years regarding voter apathy is a wild hope that more people will get involved. It seems I've found a kindred spirit in that regard! -- Janet

Dear Editor,

Regarding Voter Apathy

Peachtree City and the rest of Fayette County are facing death by a thousand cuts. Little by little the city and county are lurching toward an urban wasteland. Due to a lack of broad citizen involvement in government and community the city and county will be controlled by narrow special interests.

Let's look into a hypothetical community future shall we?

What happens next is that the Publics shopping center east of the city is annexed. The city government faced with wilting property values and tax revenues gladly welcome this newfound source of revenue into the city coffers. All they have to do is give certain exceptions to the sign ordinance, not knowing that this will open a whole set of new problems surrounding the city's established ordinances. Learning from this "happy" experience, Counsel continues annexing properties to the north, east, south, and west. Including the 35-acre tract on 74 north that is currently under consideration by the council. More land east of the city will need to be annexed as growth continues down the 54 corridor and other properties are considered satisfactory. The old sign ordinances will be deemed "out of date and passé" or worse challenged by the courts. Cart paths are required to connect new subdivisions and retailing centers further east of the city. Fire, police, and city services are needed to support these newly annexed areas. Of course, more revenue is needed for the infrastructure that was never considered or somehow overlooked by council research, creating yet another fiscal crisis that needs to be addressed through new city tax increases. Traffic increases as properties proliferate just outside the city limits; only to be later annexed into the city and the cycle begins again. To the west across Line Creek, developers are at work ready to siphon business and tax revenues out of the city center. Planned tax revenues fall, but of course government needs to increase its size because the city is getting bigger and a new city hall is built using bonds paid for by, you guessed it, you. No one is watching anyway, so of course no one objects. More people leave the city and county.

Then the new county employee defined benefits plan and pay increases passed and implemented just before the election kick in. The city's defined benefits plan as well as the county plan runs a significant deficit. Coupled with a dismal economic outlook these programs engender new creative tax remedies all of them will be unfriendly financial solutions to our governments' fiscal dilemmas. Due to a lack of fiscal accountability by citizens, they allow government spending to balloon and greater tax revenues are required to fund it. Tax revenues decrease as people leave the county for greener pastures that are less expensive.

Commissioners continue to be reelected by relative small special interest groups, people that have been incentivized to vote for them, using our tax money. Government workers are happy and content until they find out that their retirement plans are bankrupt. Taxpayers are asked to fund the unfunded liability, they refuse the massive tax increases required to do this. Then and only then county employees realize there are no guaranteed retirement plans, just as Delta employees found out years earlier. County and city employees leave as they realize that they can't afford to live here with the small amount given to them by the now defunct retirement plans.

Due to the recent results of the countywide primary election, knowing that they were "safe" from the electorate the Board of Commissioners decided a week after these elections to suddenly cave in on the billboard lawsuit. No doubt advised by the new county attorney the commission was easily persuaded. Knowing full well they have at least two years for everyone to forget their latest bad decision and comforting themselves by knowing that no one ever shows up at the commission meetings anyway. Let's just imagine for a moment our new future. Look at the billboards in Fulton County that stop at the Fayette county line on Hwy 74, now imagine them continuing down the road toward your homes erected in what is now scenic green pasture land. Go look over the county line at Clayton County, notice anything along State 85 north and south? Well get use to it. You will see them between Fayetteville and Peachtree City; between 138 and Fayetteville, along S54 west to Clayton County, and S85 south to the Spalding County line, it's just a matter of time. This won't happen slowly, it will cascade throughout the county as landowners see they can make some easy money doing nothing but renting land space at our visual expense. Creating the same cluttered environment currently seen beyond our county lines. The county Commissioners won't be able or willing to stop this process. They have already given up the good fight started by past Commissioners that wanted to preserve what we had. Nothing like determined public servants working on the behalf of our citizens, right? We wouldn't want to take it all the way to the courthouse wall would we? Too messy and expensive, besides look at the tax revenue potential generated by these billboards! More people leave the county and city.

The proposed industrial park is built next to the bypass road currently being built around Fayetteville, increasing commercial and employee traffic next to some serene unsuspecting neighborhoods and schools. Land use plans are ignored or changed to "enhance" the tax base. Citizens in these neighborhoods protest but decisions have already been made and passed by the Commission before they are aware of what has happened to them. Property values in these neighborhoods plummet and surrounding schools deteriorate. Citizens wonder what happened and why they didn't know. Much of it due to the fact that complete published Board of Commission meeting minutes were not timely or accurately reported on the county website. And of course citizens never bothered to attend Board meetings to see what they were doing and why. Citizens were all too busy. The families in the affected neighborhoods move elsewhere.

Then enrollment in the schools decline as people move out and test scores continue to degenerate. In school learning conditions worsen and the good teachers and administrators leave the system as student violence increases. The School Board desperate for more money because of a misguided belief that assets and employees are the answer to the declining performance, ask for and get a SPLOSTS passed. Then quality education declines anyway because those things the Board wanted won't help improve anything. More good teachers leave, but more non-teaching staff employees safety officers and metal detectors are required to stem gang activity in the schools. Already overburdened property owners are hit again by ever-increasing tax bills as their property values fall due to failing schools. More citizens leave the county and city.

Economic activity declines. Empty storefronts appear everywhere as petty theft and shoplifting drive current owners out of business. No one will rent these properties as entrepreneurs choose better and safer locations to open their businesses. Large businesses question if this is the right place to locate their employees and choose some other community to set up their new facilities. The new industrial park fails to gain the needed tenants to pay for the bonds, but the bonds will still have to be paid. Government responds by increasing taxes needing more money to make up shortfalls in planned tax revenues caused by a diminishing commercial tax base and a failed attempt at attracting it. Never considering for a moment that they could actually reduce the size and scope of government as a possible solution. More citizens leave the county and city.

There will be nothing unique or special in Fayette County it will look like all other surrounding counties, billboards, empty stores, declining schools, and crime. Then significantly more citizens catch on to what is happening and move out of the county and city for a promised better life and family environment that is promoted elsewhere.

Drug use becomes rampant and cart paths become "crime paths", litter is everywhere, including needles and syringes left by the drug users. Drug houses sprout up throughout the county. Women and children are no longer able to walk their paths or streets and play in their parks without fear. Good citizens fight back by erecting fences around their property, destroying the openness of the city and surrounding county. Murders and robberies become commonplace and a siege mentality develop among the citizenry. Security services signs blossom in every yard. The valiant city police and county sheriff departments rightly demand more resources in order to fight the ever-increasing crime rates, thus increasing taxes again. Property values continue to fall and the community continues its downward spiral. The floodgates open and there is a mass exodus of citizens, and rental properties are all the rage.

Federal and State grants and subsidies are requested to solve our problems all with strings attached, losing more local control of property, politics, and schools, the final remnants of the original citizenry will die off or finally move way. Leaving behind a wasteland resembling current surrounding environs, with broken schools, and crime-ridden streets.

Think it can't happen here? Think again.

It can happen, it has happened to many communities. It's not just voter apathy; it's an unwillingness to become involved in the community and our political system by the good citizens empowered by representative government to change it. Refusing to improve knowledge of what is going on and acting on it. Refusing to demand fiscal restraint and political accountability. Refusing to register to vote. If registered then not voting in an informed way. Leaving it to someone else to fight for your homes and schools. Shutting your eyes to what is happening around you and hoping that it will all go away. But of course you may be one of those brave and noble citizens that simply move, right? It is easier to give up than fight or spend energy on local politics or community, right? Well friends, it will happen again no matter where you move, because you are the cause of all of these potential problems. You shape our future and our future will be your shame.

Rome was not built in a day and the city and county will not be destroyed in a day either, both will die from the thousand cuts of your neglect. Paraphrasing Shakespeare "The fault citizens, is not in our stars, but in ourselves."

Get involved; get your neighbors and friends involved don't just sit there, engage yourself in local issues, improve your knowledge of your government, register to vote and cast an informed vote!! Let's all begin to demand open accountable government, it is essential to our very freedom and clearly in our self-interest. It's your community; let's all fight for it. Wake up before our future catches up to us, and remember we can shape it.

If you agree with me and want to help with improving your local government email me at savefayette@gmail.com. Let's get organized let's shape our future and not just let it happen.

James Wingo
Peachtree City

Apathy Times Ten...

10.33% of those registered made the minimal effort to cast their vote in the run-off election. That's 10.33% of those in the county who are registered to vote (roughly 68,000), not 10.33% of the total population.

Since there were two candidates in each of the local races, that means that somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,000 people decided who won (5857 total votes in the Commission race, a little over half of that number voted for the winner).

In the primary election we have a bit over a quarter of the eligible voters show up. Divide that number in half (real broadly) and you have the number of voters who decided the future of the county.

Doesn't matter whether we had good candidates, bad candidates, good issues, bad issues, Republicans, Democrats... no excuses.

Everywhere I go these days I hear "voter apathy". I have made it a point to talk to as many people as I possibly could over the past weeks about their voting (or lack thereof).

People truly just don't seem to care. They don't seem to think their vote is important. They don't know the issues. They can't tell me who their County Commissioners are. They don't know the difference between the County Commission and the City Council. They don't understand the difference between the Fayetteville or Peachtree City police and the Sheriff. As much as various issues have been highlighted in the papers, they aren't aware (most say they don't even open the free papers tossed on their driveways!).

Do I sound frustrated? I am.

I know my favorite commenter is going to have an opinion (thank you, I do appreciate our "discussions" & understand the need for anonymity). I respectfully disagree with him (I assume ;-) on there not being much of a difference between the candidates. I do think the Defined Benefits and the employee raises were important. They are going to cost us bunches down the road. Of course, the guys (and they are all guys ;-) who're in office voting for these things won't be in office when the bill comes due. Someone down the road is going to have to make some tough, tough decisions regarding taxes at some point and they, not the ones in office now, will be the ones who are blamed.

I think there were some strong character differences between the candidates. But then again, I go to the meetings, I see the decisions and actions. I know all of the candidates who ran. I don't expect everyone to follow my lead and go to the meetings or be this involved. It's just impossible for most. But there is enough information out there for those who truly care. Everyone could attend a forum (there were tons of them). They could have visited websites, watched the videos on-line, read the answers in the papers (although I know for a fact that many of the candidates didn't write their own answers so that's not really a good indicator), etc.

I think we've crossed a line in these past few years that will completely change the direction the county goes. I think there will be a point were we look back on this broad time period and realize that this was the turning point.

One more point that I probably should find a place to stick above but won't ... I've been around long enough to see many elections in the county. We've had candidates in the past who were almost like clones, with no major issues, and had higher voter turnout than we've had in recent years.

I think it's a sad statement when so few people can dictate the direction a county of 112,000* goes.

*not sure of the number, just know I've heard that tossed out as where we are... we're over 100,000

Voter Apathy 2

I had a comment or two about the reason people didn't vote in the last few elections. The anonymous comments indicated that there weren't any viable, exiting, candidates. Nothing new, no one with a good message, etc., etc.

It was thought provoking and made me curious so I have had some friends out doing some unscientific polling.

Thus far all who said they didn't vote have said either they didn't think their vote ever mattered, they didn't have time to look at the candidates or they just didn't have time, were too busy, to vote.

A number of the people who did vote didn't know anything about the candidates, either. They did it based on friends recommendations.

Now there are a strong percentage of voters (I like to believe) who do read the papers, look at the videos, do their own research.

However, based on attendance at the forums, people didn't even bother to check out the candidates. I went to every forum. Aside from the two which included the sheriff candidates, there may have been 4 or 5 people in the audience who weren't affiliated with the candidates.

I go to the county commission meetings and to city council meetings on occasion. The only time there are more than one or two people is when there's something that is going to be in a group's backyard (we call 'em nimby's --- not in my back yard). Most elected officials know that only the nimby's are going to show up and then only if they happen to get word that a rezoning affects their square acres of Fayette County (or wherever).

A lot of people who moved here to Fayette County did so because they were disgusted or unhappy with the way their previous home of choice deteriorated. Based on the involvement in this county currently (it used to be much, much higher) I'd say they were quite possibly part of the problem where they used to live... they didn't get involved there, woke up one day and realized things had gone down hill. They moved to a better place. They're not watching what is going on here now and thus in a year, two years, five years, when the kids get out of school, they'll move to another bright spot.

It takes vigilance and involvement to keep anything great. We don't seem to have many who are willing to protect our quality of life. Lots of complainers, not a lot of action.

I have noted two groups that have sprung up recently. One is Harold Bost's Fayette Citizen for Open Government PAC, which the commenter probably won't care to read about as his / her contention is the last race was between Jack Smith and Harold Bost to some degree. However, I'll tackle that one at a later date. The PAC, from what I'm hearing, has attracted a fairly large number of participants so quite possibly it will become a force to recon with.

The other group is called Fayette Firewall. I gather it is a loose-knit group of individuals who write a joint blog or two. They have recently set up a website with articles on it so they may be getting real serious.

I'll be watching both to see if they're able to help spur some to get involved. I doubt anyone is going to agree with all that either group does, but even when there are differences of opinion, it's just good to see the concern and willingness to get involved.

Voter Apathy

Once again voter turnout in Fayette County was... well, pathetic. Close to 75% of the registered voters in the county didn't bother to vote. With all the options available these days there is simply no excuse other than apathy. Early voting was available in Tyrone, Peachtree City and Fayetteville. Absentee voting is easier than it ever has been. The polls were open from 7 in the morning until 7 at night on the 15th.

I don't know that the end result would have been any different if 100% of the voters had turned out. The end result isn't the point of this diatribe.

In the past Fayette County has been known for the involvement of its voting population. We've always had high turnout. However, in the last 3 elections we've had extremely poor voter participation.

When the citizens stop voting I see it as a sign that the county is headed in the wrong direction. When people who should care about what their elected officials are doing stop being involved, stop voting, then special interests take over. When no one cares enough to watch those who are directing the future of the county, deals are made, corners are cut and ultimately the citizens wake up and wonder what happened to their once-great way of life.

A large number of people moved to the county in recent years to get away from what they perceived as less-than-stellar living conditions. They chose Fayette County because of its great schools and great quality of life.

Read the newspapers. Our way of life is going quickly by the wayside. When I moved here my son was entering the first grade. Life was great, peaceful, no crime to speak of aside from the occasional kid prank.

Now? I hear from the Fayetteville police that they won't let their wives shop alone in the Pavilion. I hear from my now-closed favorite restaurant that the store next to them was robbed at gun point three time in the past year or so. I read about robberies and mayhem. We're being pressured to allow more multi-family housing. Old farms are being sold to developers. Fayetteville is building like there's no tomorrow. Big boxes are the norm. Large empty buildings dot the roads while new buildings are going up. I could go on and on.

We're becoming just like those places many left. And yet almost 75% of those who could make a difference can't be bothered to take the time to find out who's running for office and go to the polls.

I've been writing about this each election and it doesn't make a bit of difference. The only people who read this are the ones who agree and vote. Those who don't vote won't make it past the first paragraph, if they make it past the title.

It's a shame. And it's a sad thing for a once-great county that may just be on the other side of its prime. I still think it's not too late to change the county and save it. We just need more people who care enough to get involved.