Fayette Democrats present local party platform

The Democratic Party of Fayette County has developed a platform on local issues that we would like to present to the voters of the county. While national issues often determine how people will vote locally, we feel that there are valid options available to address local issues and we feel that these options are not being given the consideration that they deserve by the existing governments within the county.

Fayette County Democratic Party Local Platform

The Democratic Party has always stood for openness and inclusion, both in politics and in government. It is in that spirit that we are presenting to the voters of Fayette County our platform on local issues. We believe that one-party control has lasted long enough in Fayette County and we look forward to offering the citizens a viable alternative from which to choose.

1. Representation

As growth in Fayette County continues, we feel that the governmental structure of the county needs to be altered so as to represent all segments of our population. The current system of electing three commissioners from districts and two commissioners at-large (i.e., from the county as a whole) serves to under-represent significant portions of the county. Therefore, we offer the following proposal:

The Fayette County Commission should be made up of five commissioners, all of whom should be elected from districts wherein they reside.

2. Openness

One of the major shortcomings of all local governmental units in Fayette County is that they operate largely out of sight from the citizens of the county. While it is true that those who really care about local government will find the wherewithal to contact government officials, the technology exists to make government much more visible and accessible. Therefore, we offer the following proposal:

Fayette County should utilize the four local access channels currently available to televise local government meetings and post minutes from prior meetings on their websites and in local newspapers.

3. Responsible growth

Environmental and quality of life issues continue to plague all governmental units in Fayette County. The citizens often voice the feeling that government does not listen and is destroying what we have that makes Fayette County such a wonderful place to live.

We feel that the current administrations are not doing an adequate job of planning for future growth, therefore, greatly impacting our environment. Our land usage, water usage and traffic maintenance is being ignored for the sake of commercial and residential development. Therefore, we propose the following:

All governmental units in Fayette County should utilize the Fayette County Development Authority to better manage residential, commercial, and industrial growth within the county, taking into account both the economic and environmental impact of growth on the existing infrastructure.

4. Crime prevention

Along with growth, there is a real concern on the part of citizens regarding the increased crime within Fayette County. We feel that while an increased law enforcement presence is certainly a primary approach to the immediate crime problem, education is the key to dealing with the causes of crime. Therefore we propose the following:

All governmental units in Fayette County should increase their focus on developing ways to increase the law enforcement presence within the county, as well as educating the community with regard to the causes of crime and what crime prevention efforts can be taken in the citizens’ immediate neighborhoods.

5. Transportation

We preface this section by stating that we are opposed to the construction of the TDK Extension, as it provides no benefits for the citizens of Fayette County.

Growth also leads directly to transportation issues. As the Atlanta metro area struggles with air quality issues related to increased automobile transportation, Fayette County governments have not done enough to encourage and support to help manage problems associated with such transportation. We are the only county in the metro area that has not signed on the Metro Area Transit Plan. Therefore we propose the following:

Fayette County should endorse the Metro Area Transit Plan and actively seek methods to decrease the number of automobile trips taken by citizens.

Fayette County should immediately develop a comprehensive transit plan (road, rail, bus, etc.) for future development.

All governmental units in Fayette County should actively and aggressively pursue changing their vehicle fleets to alternate fuel vehicles.

We hope that the citizens of Fayette County will take the time to reflect on these proposals. Fayette County is a great place to live and we, of the Democratic Party, look forward to working with all citizens to insure that our county continues to prosper.

[Peter Lewin is the Acting Chair, Fayette County Democratic Committee, and provided this platform. The Citizen extends an invitation to the local Republican Party to likewise send in a local platform that we might publish it for our readers.]