Morning Metro: Callaway Sale Delayed, Atlanta Streetcar Moves Forward, and the End of Neighborhood Schools?
Decatur Metro | February 19, 2013 | 10:34 am
- DeKalb Commission delays vote on sale of Callaway site [Patch]
- Atlanta streetcar to begin laying down tracks next month [WABE]
- Chattanooga: Eating our lunch in livability [Saporta Report]
- Fight over Atlanta mass transit raises issues of race [AJC]
- DeKalb zoning appeals sides with developer of Clifton Ridge in Druid Hills dispute [AJC]
- The End of the Neighborhood School [Atlantic Cities]
Photo courtesy of Atlanta Streetcar’s Facebook Page
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I was shocked with how much I enjoyed Chattanooga when I was there last year (it had been a long time). I really enjoyed it.
We agree! I love Chattanooga. Great active city that is helped tremendously by the waterfront area.
Ha! Outstanding! Yeah, I was really impressed with what they have done there. The Chattanooga Market that is open on Sunday most of the year is pretty great.
Here’s an interesting tidbit – 50 years ago Chattanooga had air quality like those pictures we saw of Beijing a few weeks back. Without those pesky environmental regulations I don’t think we’d be talking about what a great place it is.
I would also credit the collapse of the iron production and heavy industry in the 70’s and 80’s for the cleaner air. When manufacturing went away, so did the air pollution.
Where did those industries go? 2nd and 3rd world countries Why? Less stringent pollution laws
In a sense comparing Atlanta and Chattanooga is akin to comparing apples and oranges. Much different sizes, different populations, different issues.
I always enjoy the phrase: “Eating our lunch,” which I thought was peculiar to my cadre… Guess everyone has had to deal with lunchtime bullies.
Nice job by Ray Henry of trying to disguise an editorial as a straight news story. I wonder if his initial working title was along the lines of “Racist White Dudes Propose Racist Reforms to MARTA Because They Hate Black People” or “Support MARTA Reform? You Must be a Racist”
I thought it was an interesting article. Hardly an opinion piece when he has sources talking about the issue.
Neighborhood schools: The argument is made in the above article (sort of) and by commenters that consolidated schools can be more economical and offer a greater variety of programs and services because of the larger scale. The operative word is “can”. As we know from DeKalb County and many other school systems,consolidated schools can also be failing schools and waste taxpayer money, especially if the system is administrator top-heavy, has shaky personnel/nepotism practices, and/or is complacent and bureaucratic. One of the many advantages of neighborhood schools is that neighborhood parents, if they so choose, can get right into their school, participate, be engaged, keep the administration on top of its game, easily monitor issues just by walking their child to school, walking them home, and joining them occasionally for lunch, blow the whistle if they see serious problems. Larger, consolidated schools, with 45 minute bus rides, are harder for parents and the community to monitor and influence.
Well said, AHiD. Couldn’t agree more.
“As we know from DeKalb County and many other school systems,consolidated schools can also be failing schools and waste taxpayer money,”
Speaking of which,
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/breaking-news/dekalb-county-school-board-sues-to-avoid-suspensio/nWScZ/
Total a$$holes. Yesterday’s news had them hiring a firm for something like a hundred and fifty grand to teach the board members how to talk nice to each other.
Mass transit and highway issues have always been fraught with racism. I-75/85 was cut through the Black Business district in order to break up that power center for African Americans, I-20 cut through West End and AUC for much of the same reasons. Both decided by the Georgia white power structure in state government. In New Orleans, the route of I-10 was decided in much the same way. To a large extent I-95 was routed through Boston neighborhoods to impact the poor and disenfranchised. Boston later realized the mistake and spent $5Billion + to try and reconnect those neighborhoods with the infamous and corruption soaked “Big Dig”.
While I don’t claim to know the details behind these decisions, I would offer up an alternative explanation than racism for these events – money, power and access.
1) Poor and black neighborhoods did not have money, power or access to decision makers.
2) Poor neighborhoods have cheaper land, making it more affordable for government to build there via imminent domain.
3) Nobody wants a highway to cut their neighborhoods in half, politicians don’t want to piss off those with power, and getting these projects done through imminent domain is easier in areas with cheaper land values and a less organized opposition.
I’m not arguing it is right or fair – it is a disservice to the constituents in these areas that their needs were not considered or accomodated. And racist power structures at these points in time are the reason these neighborhoods lacked access and influence.
The reason I raise this distinction is to consider where we are now:
We live in a metro area where portions of the black community have more money, power and access. In fact, in Atlanta and Dekalb, Black leaders have most of the power. So how are they making decisions that will benefit one group and harm another? Is it driven by racism? Or self-interested service of money, power and access?
Human nature and human failings are the same, irrespective of skin color. An engaged and observent electorate supported by credible press are required to protect against abuses of power and bad decisions.
Who do “they” envision will use these street cars and how will these expenditures be recouped?
If you build it, they will come.
I was very disappointed the Atlanta City Council went political on the prioritization of which street car lines to open first. The much better economic use option to me was the Peachtree Street line connecting Downtown to Midtown, which is still in the cards (hopefully) for the next expansion. The Downtown Loop shown in the above article will be used by Georgia State students and tourists, but I’m not sure who else. Is there anything in the works re a dedicated funding stream from GA State so all students and faculty/staff could ride for “free” via their ID cards? if so, then this downtown loop makes a little more sense. I also hope there is a marketing campaign to convensions to get them to buy their attendees day passes or the like…