6:03 pm April 2, 2009, by Rick Badie
Say what you want about Gwinnett County Schools Superintendent Alvin Wilbanks and his cabinet.
But when it comes to public school education in Georgia — the nation even — this system rocks.
Check this out.
Continue reading Gwinnett Pride »
12:28 pm March 31, 2009, by Rick Badie
I’m sure most of you are familiar with the Ryan Moats story out of Dallas. I hope to delve deeper into the topic in my Saturday column, but wanted to give you intelligent folk (save for the resident nut) a forum to discuss the troubling incident.
Go for it!
Continue reading Cocky Cops »
9:00 am March 28, 2009, by Rick Badie
Snellville City Councilman Tod Warner acknowledges that he sits on a governmental body with opinionated members who can butt heads.
He readily admits that Snellville Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer’s personality can rub folks the wrong way, especially when he doesn’t kowtow to their way of thinking.
And yes, there are times when the fractious council has tie votes on matters. None of those things though, Warner said, warrants a change to the city charter that would strip away the mayor’s voting power.
Yet state Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville) has proposed “local legislation” to do that very thing.
A bill is working its way through the General Assembly that would limit the Snellville mayor’s voting power.
It would effectively end what Balfour calls “institutional gridlock” — or three-three split votes — at City Hall. The bill has passed the Senate and now sits in the House.
What has amazed Warner the past few months is how city council could be deemed an issue so critical that it …
Continue reading Let voters, not legislators, alter Snellville council »
7:43 am March 25, 2009, by Rick Badie
A forum was held in Lawrenceville Tuesday night to talk about Gwinnett’s implementation of a federal program aimed at illegal immigrants. The program, called 2879g) allows state and local enforcement to investigate, detail and arrest illegal immigrants on civil and criminal grounds.
Naturally, some support it; some are against it.
But one quote in AJC reporter Pat Fox’s story, which appeared today, hit home: “These are honest people,” said Richard Munoz of Norcross. “They are hardworking people.”
Unfortunately, they are also in the country illegally, a detail that can’t be overlooked, don’t you think?
Continue reading 287(g) – Pros and Cons »
9:00 am March 21, 2009, by Rick Badie
Bruce Wilcox turned his portable oxygen tank up to its highest level before we left the parking lot. The Lilburn resident — a retired upstate New York firefighter — suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Makes it hard to breathe. He e-mailed me recently because he wanted me to see what he thinks the handicapped, physically challenged or elderly residents wade through when they have business at the Gwinnett Justice and Administrative Center. Like he had recently.
When it comes to handicapped access, Wilcox thinks GJAC, located off Langley Drive in Lawrenceville, the county seat, leaves a lot to be desired. And it starts with the parking lot.
The handicapped spaces are located up front and center of the massive parking lot. The county building is a good football field’s walk away, across a street that the county closed as a post 9-11 safety measure. The walkway has intricate designs, not cobblestone, but something close.
“Deadly,” surmised Wilcox. “Have you ever …
Continue reading Resident reveals building’s shortfalls to aid handicapped »
9:16 am March 18, 2009, by Rick Badie
Hey guys. And gals.
I know you want to vent, so go for it.
Don’t hold back, Mr. Wilcox, Mr. Smith, Nana and the rest of you good people who regularly visit this site. Share your thoughts on the whole AIG bonus mess. I await your comments.
Continue reading AIG anger »
1:30 pm March 17, 2009, by Rick Badie
A few years ago, I got busted for running a red-light in Lilburn, at the intersection of Lawrenceville Highway and Killian Hill Road. I was as guilty as sin. The four photos that accompanied the $70 citation showed as much.
So I paid up.
Last week, AJC Gwinnett News reporter Shane Blatt wrote that five Gwinnett cities – Duluth, Lilburn, Norcross, Snellville and Suwanee — either have suspended use of the cameras or plan to stop using them altogether. Citiations have dipped, making the cost of the automated program prohibitive, according to the article.
But get this:
Citations supposedly dropped because of a state law that went into effect on Dec. 31. It mandated a one-second addition to the yellow phase at all camera intersections. One second. It appears that made a substantial difference in the number of tickets issued.
I wonder how many accidents — better yet, lives — that one second will prevent?
Makes me wonder: Were the red-light cameras truly about safety or money?
Continue reading Caught on Tape »
9:00 am March 14, 2009, by AJC Opinion
Me, me, me.
What’s in it for me?
Brooke Nebel has heard folks ask ad nauseam what the stimulus package will do for them. She’s sick of it.
What was it that John F. Kennedy said during his inauguration on Jan. 20, 1961?
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
Nebel has found a similar inspiration with the election of President Barack Obama, whom she campaigned for in Gwinnett.
“He’s community-oriented as far as getting people together to do things,” the Norcross mom told me. “That’s how I got the idea for this fund-raiser. Right now, with what’s going on currently with the economy, we all need to work together, and all the political parties are doing is bickering. Neither side is doing anything for us as a community.”
Nebel hears stories every now and again from her daughter’s elementary school about families who have lost homes and jobs. A Gwinnett resident for nearly two decades, she’s always been civic-minded. And now is the time, …
Continue reading Local folks take action to help their community »
4:10 pm March 12, 2009, by Rick Badie
Should the mayor of Snellville’s vote be taken away?
It’s what State Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville) wants to do. He’s introduced legislation to change the makeup of the Snellville City Council by limiting the mayor’s voting power.
The move, he thinks, will stop dead-lock votes at City Hall.
The change to the city’s charter would have to be approved by the General Assembly.
Do you think the legislator’s effort to thwart dead-locked council votes is worthwhile?
Continue reading Snellville charter change »
5:15 pm March 11, 2009, by Rick Badie
I was channel-surfing last night when I came across the Lou Dobbs Show. He had a segment on the E-verify system, the government’s most effective program against illegal immigration.
It allows employers to check and see if workers are eligible to work in the United States. The program, according to Dobbs, has a 99 percent accuracy rate. Verification results from the Internet-based system are available in seconds.
Well, E-verify is set to expire.
Congress has stripped language from the stimulus package that would continue funding for the program. Monday night, Mr. Dobbs asked viewers to contact their representatives and tell them to save E-verify.
Now you know, if you didn’t already.
PEACE
Continue reading Homeland Insecurity »
