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Column
Mark
Beardsley
The Commerce News
September 22, 1999
 It's
Time To Work
On The Quality
Of Our Growth
Score one for Henry Braselton.
The mayor of the Jackson County community of the same name brought
to light an issue last week that is of concern to every community
in the county.
Speaking at the meeting of the board of directors of the Jackson
County Area Chamber of Commerce, Braselton proposed that Jackson
County needs to develop a plan to promote quality of growth,
rather than just growth.
Later, Braselton was worried that perhaps his comments would
not look good in print. From my standpoint, at least, they looked
very good. While everybody associated with the chamber and county
government has spoken about the need to promote quality growth,
no one has come forth with a suggestion as to how we might do
that. It's time we looked seriously at what we want in the way
of growth and how we might avoid the kinds we don't want.
Nor have they defined quality growth, except to declare that
mobile home parks are not quality growth.
To the best of my knowledge, "quality," when it comes
to industry, means that it provides lots of tax dollars and makes
few demands upon the county's infrastructure, meaning mostly
its water and sewer service. Quality in housing means stick-built
houses, particularly upper scale. Quality, in terms of businesses,
has yet to be even remotely defined.
Jackson County is having some difficulty making the transition
from a county desperate to get any growth to one that is more
selective. Even now, the need to put industry on the tax digest
to help offset residential growth is the driving force.
Superintendent of schools Andy Byers says it takes a house valued
at $350,000 to provide enough taxes to offset the services its
occupants will require. Jackson County will never be snooty enough
to attain that lofty figure, but if a $175,000 house falls short
of paying its way, imagine the impact of 500 mobile homes. Thus
the clamor for industry.
Byers agreed that the chamber should seriously discuss the issue,
pointing out that we might otherwise end up with industries that
pollute our environment and use up our resources. You can bet
he was also thinking, "and give us children to educate without
resources to educate them."
The Georgia Power peak production plant is considered the ideal
industry. When it is completed, it will add more than $100 million
to the tax digest. It uses lots of water, but with about 10 employees,
makes no demands on the roads or school systems, and it requires
only domestic sewer service.
Our location means we will grow rapidly. Our leadership will
determine whether we do anything to control growth, to prevent
the undesirable from coming in and to accommodate whatever kinds
of growth will benefit us. It looks easy on paper, but it will
be very difficult. Accomplishing quality growth will require
discipline. Communities will have to turn down industry that
offers jobs and taxes they desperately need and wait until a
better prospect comes along. Governments will have to tighten
zoning and subdivision ordinances over the objections of those
who profit from such developments.
Our choice is to get tough now or suffer later. The mayor of
Braselton is right on the mark.
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Editorial
The Commerce News
September 22, 1999
Let's Learn From
Floyd
Georgians living near the coast certainly breathed a bit easier
last week when Hurricane Floyd skirted by. The flooding that
Floyd caused in the Northeast was horrific, but nothing like
what it would have done had it struck Georgia's coast head-on.
For the first time, mandatory evacuations were used all along
the eastern seaboard, legacies of the damage done by hurricanes
Hugo and Andrew. Although Floyd missed the Georgia coast, there
is a lot to be learned from what happened as hundreds of thousands
of people fled to the interior as it approached.
First, although there were problems, horrible delays and other
foul-ups, the evacuation was a success. It got people out of
the storm's path.
Just the same, the evacuation showed that Georgia (and Florida
and South Carolina) were not prepared to cope with the evacuees.
In addition to massive traffic jams on roads leading from the
coast, there were more people on the road than could be housed.
Fortunately, most of the refugees were able to return home in
a day or two. But the logistical problems encountered with housing
hundreds of thousands of extra travelers would have been much
worse had the hurricane hit and the evacuation remained in effect
longer.
The state government can now address those shortcomings, so that
the next evacuations will run more smoothly. But local government
and churches can be a part of it too. Those with buildings that
could house refugees should consider making their facilities
available and have a plan for providing emergency shelters. Already,
the Jackson County Department of Family and Children Services
is preparing a county disaster plan that, hopefully, will include
many churches and some businesses. Jackson County could have
provided temporary relief to thousands of people fleeing Floyd.
Hopefully, next time, we will be ready.
Letter
The Commerce News
September 22, 1999
Do Athletics
Have Top Priority At City Schools?
Editor:
This is in response to your recent editorial -- Below Average
Not Good Enough For City Schools.
"The CHS class of 1999 was above grade level in the fifth
grade In seven years, they went from above average to below average.
"It's time the Commerce Board of Education took a long look
at why our students so often fail to meet even Georgia's dismal
state average and take whatever steps are necessary to improve
our schools." I strongly support your statement and add
that it is past time to take such actions.
I do not know the length of time the current board members have
been in office. Nor do I know how long Mr. White has been the
superintendent. I do know that if they have been there during
the past seven years they have some responsibility in the decline
in the SAT scores.
Also, the high school counselor has some responsibility. Last
week I had my son get an SAT application from the counselor,
only to find out that the deadline for application was the next
day. In my opinion the applications should have been given out
to every senior in ample time to meet the deadline. They don't
do any good laying around, cluttering up the office. Most importantly,
parents and students are ultimately responsible as they are the
ones this will affect the most.
Could it possibly be that athletics is really a higher priority
at Commerce High than academics?
It's too late for our class of 2000, but not for the students
of the new millennium. The Tigers have always had parent and
community support and involvement athletically. Now let's get
the Tigers roaring academically.
Jenny Harrison
Jenny Harrison is a frequent critic of
the Commerce Board of Education in the area of athletic policies.
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