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Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2005
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Redistricting debated
jflynch@theCitizenNews.com For nearly three hours Saturday, a mixed crowd of about 100 concerned residents listened as their neighbors stood to make the case for or against district voting. When it was all over, however, the only consensus seemed to be that nobody wants Fayette County to go the way of Clayton County, where politics driven by race has drawn national headlines in recent weeks. Ive seen the results of district voting and Ive seen the results, just like you all have seen, of at-large voting, said Richard Braun, who lived in Clayton for 20 years before moving to Fayette six years ago. Nobody has to tell me when I cross the county line that Ive left Fayette County. The mess that is there in Clayton today was there a long time ago, it didnt just happen, countered Rep. Roberta Abdul-Salaam of Riverdale, whose 74th District includes a portion of Fayette. The Clayton criticism aside, neither position seemed to gain much ground in the debate over how Fayette County elects its Board of Commissioners. Rep. Virgil Fludd, D-Tyrone, chairman of the seven-member Fayette County legislative delegation and organizer of the meeting, is still hopeful that a bill will be introduced in this years General Assembly session to force a switch from at-large to single-district elections. Early proposals displayed Saturday showed the county split into five equal districts, each with about 20,000 residents. None would have a majority black population, and none would be gerrymandered, Fludd said. Saturdays meeting at North Fayette Elementary was just the first of three forums planned on the issue. The next one is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8 at Peachtree City Hall. Commission Chairman Greg Dunn, who was called upon several times during the session to answer questions or correct misinformation, said the bottom line to him remains: Why change? Weve got the best quality of life in the state of Georgia, he said. We must be doing something right. Supporters of district voting, who dominated the room, mostly said they favored the fairer representation it would provide. When I have an issue, who do I go to? asked North Fayette resident Cynthia Jenkins, who has a Riverdale mailing address but lives in unincorporated Fayette. There is no one in this government who represents me. Northridge resident Alice Jones said she and her husband recognized that their area was under-served by the county when they moved here in 1997, and so she set out to do something about it. The end result is Kenwood Park, a massive recreation area now under way nearby. But why do we have to beg and plead for services? she asked. If district voting can make a change, Im for it. Dunn and others countered that under the present system, voters have five commissioners who are responsible to their needs, which is better than just one. But the commissioner who actually lives in the North Fayette area, A.G. VanLandingham, wasnt at Saturdays meeting, and has a track record of not being responsive to the community, several speakers said. VanLandingham was re-elected without opposition last fall to a second four-year term. Kenneth Felton, a Fayetteville resident who said he moved his family here from Mississippi so our kids would learn to be responsible citizens, said he didnt understand why the commissioners were so adamant about keeping at-large voting. If you are going to represent me, I need to understand your goals, plans, the accomplishments you feel youve made and what are the reasons you want to keep the same plan? The position clearly frustrated Dunn. What Ive heard is you want us to change the way we run things, but youre asking us to give you reasons for staying the same, he said. Youve not explained why we should change from what it is. How can we make it better? Several speakers were bold enough to declare that, despite protests to the contrary, the issue really is about politics and race specifically, getting a black Democrat into local office. Democrats want to break that stranglehold of Republicans in Fayette County, especially on the County Commission, said Lane Watts, chairman of the county Republican Party. Emory Wilkinson, a black North Fayette resident who ran unsuccessfully for the legislature as a Republican last year, was more blunt: It is about politics, it is about race. Because thats who we are. Its the pink elephant thats in this room. And we need to talk about it. We need to address the issue. Dave Simmons, who is black, ran for a county commission seat last summer against incumbent Herb Frady and lost despite drawing 44 percent of the vote. But he said hes not discouraged. Its been said that a black cant get elected in Fayette County, and thats not true, he said. Fayette County is changing. The present system of electing commissioners can work if we make it work. WHAT THEY SAID: Quotes from Saturdays forum on district voting I live in Fayette County, but have a Riverdale address. Who do I call? It doesnt matter who you are, what color you are or what sex you are, there is no one in this government who represents me. CYNTHIA JENKINS, North Fayette When I moved here in 1997, this part of the county was neglected. So we put a needs assessment proposal together to build (Kenwood Park), and now thats happening; its in the first stage of development. But why do we have to beg and plead for services? ALICE JONES, Northridge We moved here from a small town outside Jackson, Miss., because ... we really wanted to be in an area that was comfortable and safe, and where our kids would learn to be responsible citizens. If you are going to represent me, I need to understand your goals, plans, the accomplishments you feel youve made and what are the reasons you want to keep the same plan? KENNETH FELTON, South Fayetteville I hear this is a question of representation, but we all have the same goals: Life, quality of life, the education of our children, the pursuit of happiness. When I take my kids to McCurry Park, its our park, not somebody elses. When we start talking about us and we, its dangerous. Were all in this together. JEROME McNAIR, North Fayette Im very appalled that some of our elected officials have made this a racial issue. That Virgil (Fludd) is an African-American and had the courage to take this on doesnt make it a racial issue. It doesnt matter what the color of my commissioner is, just that I have representation. DAN LOWRY, Northridge At some point in time we all said I want to live in Fayette County. Nobody has to tell me when I cross the county line that Ive left Fayette County. Ive heard all the complaints and they are minor, believe me, compared to the issues being faced in surrounding counties. RICHARD BRAUN, Fayetteville The problem isnt the lack of districts. We need to grow the number of people so they represent a smaller area. If an individual citizen cant get elected in this county, its because they arent in synch with the desires of the voters. KIM NIX, North Fayette Change is coming. You may not like it, but its going to happen. Lets dont make the same mistakes as our neighbors [in Clayton County]. G.W. THOMPSON, Peachtree City It is about politics, it is about race. Because thats who we are. Its the pink elephant thats in this room. And we need to talk about it. We need to address the issue, which is that Fayette County has grown large and can 100,000 people be fairly represented by five at-large commissioners. EMORY WILKINSON, Fayetteville I think all of us want the best, dont we? Id like to know why stay with at-large voting when it would stand to reason that district voting would better serve the people. THE REV. RANDY WOOD, Fayetteville Fayette County is a great place to live, good schools, good public safety, but its not a perfect place. Most of the complaints here are very simple to resolve. Fayette County is changing, but the present system of electing commissioners can work if we make it work. DAVE SIMMONS, South Fayette I came here on a fact-finding mission. I believe in home rule, in listening to the people, and this delegation is not united in support of this legislation. If were going to address the issue of district voting, we need to draw the cities and Board of Education into this. It needs to begin at the local level. This needs to come from the ground up. I dont understand why this cause is not coming from the people REP. DAN LAKLY, R-Peachtree City This is a serious issue, but we cant minimize it or trivialize it. It wont go away. You have to have a dialogue, and sometimes its painful, but what Im hearing today is the same thing I heard 20 or 30 years ago in communities that today have district voting, and by court order. I dont think we want to go there. Rep. Roberta Abdul-Salaam, D-Riverdale Were going to take all the comments we hear in these meetings and hopefully do the will of the people. SEN. RONNIE CHANCE, R-Tyrone Race and party, those aspects are to be considered because thats just reality. Youve asked us to believe this is not a racial issue, then you should believe us when we say its not a racial issue when we say we disagree with you about the approach to this. What will ultimately change my mind on this issue? I dont know. But what Ive heard is you want us to change the way we run things, but youre asking us to give you reasons for staying the same. Youve not explained why we should change from what it is. How can we make it better? GREG DUNN, County Commission Chairman This debate needs to happen in the open, in person. Its not going to happen in the pages of the local newspaper. Thats not the way the Fayette County delegation conducts its discussions. REP. VIRGIL FLUDD, D-Tyrone |
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