PTC to weigh in on district voting?

Thu, 02/02/2006 - 10:17am
By: John Munford

Tonight, the Peachtree City Council will consider a resolution to oppose the concept of district voting.

The agenda item was added late Wednesday afternoon, according to notices sent to The Citizen.

The district voting plan currently proposed in the state legislature would not affect how Peachtree City council members are selected. It would only apply to the Fayette County Board of Commissioners, a five-member body that is currently elected through an at-large proces: every voter in the county can vote on each and every commission seat.

The district voting proposal, which is supported by three of the county's five-member legislative delegation, would require the creation of special districts and voters would only be able to vote for the commission race for the particular district they live in.

Proponents of district voting say it will allow for a Democrat to possibly be elected in Fayette, a county that skews heavily to the Republican side in elections.

Rep. Dan Lakly of Peachtree City, who opposes the district voting bill, has said he would rather the matter be decided by voters in a referendum later this year.

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mudcat's picture
Submitted by mudcat on Sun, 02/05/2006 - 7:50am.

"Proponents of district voting say it will allow for a Democrat to possibly be elected in Fayette....."

Why in the world would we want to do that, elect a Democrat? We just got rid of Steve Brown and his democratic, anti-achievemnet view of our world. Do we need to relive that experience at the county level? What possible contribution can a representative of a dying political party make in Republican Fayette County?
meow


Submitted by yada yada yada on Sun, 02/05/2006 - 9:56am.

You are so right. Just look at the horrible representation we have from the few democrats we have. Mr. "one issue" Virgil Fludd and his little clones at the state level. They are the worst we have ever had. Virgil only received 2000 votes from over 100,000 citzens in Fayette County. He should not be telling us what to do. He has it reversed. The citizens should tell their representives what to do. That is how they received the name REPRESENTATIVE. According to Virgil's thinking he should have been elected BOSS. The so called public hearings he had last year about District Voting were him talking to the citizens - not hearing what we thought. It was a farce. He can be called at 404-656-0314 or emailed at vfludd@legis.state.ga.us. Let him hear from you.

Submitted by historybuff on Sun, 02/05/2006 - 10:38am.

We would not have any democrats representating this county if it were not for state democrats who thoroughly punished us for being a strong Republican county when they drew the distrct maps for the state. If you think district voting is a good idea just look at those maps. Those maps were thrown out by the democrat courts three times they were so bad. A monkey with an ink jar could do better. They used every possible gerrymandering technique known to man. King Roy was at the helm. He had his little elf State Sen. Greg Hecht on the reapportionment committee to help. Hecht was supposed to be representing a part of Fayette County, but instead he betrayed us. Let's not forget this. Hecht is now running for Lt. Gov as a democrat. Why would we want him? We don't need "Fudd" and his cronies either. Thanks for the info about how to contact him.

Submitted by jmatute on Fri, 02/03/2006 - 1:40pm.

I have a question to ask of all you against district voting: If it is such a swell concept and idea, why don't you do this at the state and national level as well? Let's just elect 100 senators at the national level and the top vote-getting 100 will sit in Washington D.C. You probably agree that this is not such a good idea. Now, in Fayette County, the present system is just a throw-back to days long gone when the county was just getting started last century. Change is needed, and nothing is more representative of what is fair than to have each district elect its own commissioner. All the other rhetoric about race, and political persuasion is nothing more than an attempt to keep an unfair and unjust system in place. Discuss the merits of fair representation and how constituents are best served and can hold their own district commissioner accountable. Race-bating and talk of Republicans squeezing out Democrats misses the point. In fact, it lends support as to why the present system should be changed to reflect Fayette County of the 21st Century.

Submitted by yada yada yada on Sat, 02/04/2006 - 12:35pm.

So you think change is needed? Take a look at the communities that have district voting. Each elected representative just looks out for their particular area, not looking at the county as a whole. That is one of the great things about our present system of electing our county commissioners and school board members, that they are accountable to the whole county. Everyone that lives here thinks we have a great county. That did not happen by accident. It took years of planning and hard work on the part of the elected COUNTYWIDE representatives. These people looked at the big picture. I would rather have five county commisioners and five school board members than just one. Change just for the sake of change is not a good idea. The reasoning behind this attempt by Virgil Fludd is purely to get a black democrat elected. This is a Republican County. Virgil Fludd only got 2000 votes in the last election from Fayette Countians - the least of any elected official. Certainly not a mandate. Your logic of electing on a national level is comparing apples and oranges. By the way, our US Constitution would be considered a throw back to old ways according to your logic. Our Constitution has stood the test of time. Go back ot civics 101.

Submitted by Sailon on Sat, 02/04/2006 - 3:32pm.

District voting protects the minority, whether that district happens to be any color. It has been pointed out why we have states in the United States instead of just one set of politicians for the whole bunch of states. They might all be from California, for goodness sakes.

Submitted by Dalmation195 on Thu, 02/02/2006 - 2:32pm.

Let's just see how they vote on this issue. Fortunately, we do not have Steve Brown to push a liberal (Democratic) agenda.

District voting is wrong, and I welcome the opportunity to vote on it at my ballot box.

livininPTC's picture
Submitted by livininPTC on Thu, 02/02/2006 - 11:50am.

Here are my 2 cents:

I think Fayette is one of the few Counties that knows that you have to manage the County as a whole to attract residents and businesses to come here. Fayette County is doing a lot of things right and I'm afraid once district voting is in place we will allow pockets of "less-interested-in-the-greater-good" residents to dictate what direction the County as a whole takes.

This ever popular idea of empowering minorities (and I'm not talking along racial lines, although they are included) is taking power away from the majority! I was always taught that in a democracy the majority rules, whether it be for the good or the bad of all. The US as a whole is turning more and more into a dictatorship where special interest groups are in charge, be that the homosexual community, welfare dependents, racial minorities or what have you.

I'm all about taking care of the less fortunate, but this is enough already! We, the people, have to stop standing quietly on the sidelines and get involved or it will be our loss!

I am against district voting.


wildfire's picture
Submitted by wildfire on Thu, 02/02/2006 - 3:31pm.

Virgil Fludd and his backers are attempting to give his minority constituancy a broader voting power and it is based on race pure and simple. He and I have debated on a wide range of subject matter and his replies are always "I have to represent ALL of my constituants". The truth herin is he only represnts his minority base just as his voting record indicates. This who;e issue is racially motivated and he knows it. People tend to forget that there is a vast area of reverse racism that exists and Mr. Fludd has used his voting power to do so. It was not any majority of voters from Fayette County who elected him. It is his other constituants in his other district ares that got him elected. That too is a district that was created based on racial lines. He'll deny it but the facts and numbers speak for themselves. NO MR. FLUDD.... Fayette County has done quite well long before you showed up and started trying to make changes that are directed toward the minority of Democratic voters in our county. You don't like that and you want to make the changes to fix that which you do not like. Well I for one intend to fight you, as I have in the past, and stop the trend you are bringing into our county.... We've done quite well without you and we will do it again. SAY NO TO DISTRICT VOTING Fayette County, as it has always worked well.


H. Hamster's picture
Submitted by H. Hamster on Sun, 02/05/2006 - 8:07am.

Sure, let's empower the Democratic party in Fayette County so we can embrace the ideals of abortion, anti-Americanism, homosexuality and redistribution of wealth. Yea, that's what we need more of in Fayette County.


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