White Atlanta suburbs push for secession

[burythehatchet]

ATLANTA - A potentially explosive dispute in the City Too Busy to Hate is taking shape over a proposal to break Fulton County in two and split off Atlanta's predominantly white, affluent suburbs to the north from some of the metropolitan area's poorest, black neighborhoods.

Legislation that would allow the suburbs to form their own county, to be called Milton County, was introduced by members of the Georgia Legislature's Republican majority earlier this month.

Supporters say it is a quest for more responsive government in a county with a population greater than that of six states. Opponents say the measure is racially motivated and will pit white against black, rich against poor.

"If it gets to the floor, there will be blood on the walls," warned state Sen. Vincent Fort, an Atlanta Democrat and member of the Legislative Black Caucus who bitterly opposes the plan. Fort added: "As much as you would like to think it's not racial, it's difficult to draw any other conclusion."

rest of story

Georgia's race to the bottom continues unabated.

[LaurenG]

1. WTH?

Oh my goodness. The dark ages are fast approaching.

Shame on them all!

[burythehatchet]

The northern suburbs seem to forget

that as they build their McMansions the costs for bringing their utilities on line are borne by the general public.

[atreides1]

7. Who said they forgot?

N/T

[tridim]

2. Anyone know if Malloy lives in Fulton County?

I don't think he'll be pleased.

[burythehatchet]

3. He's in DeKalb, a much more progressive, Dem county.

[napi21]

6. Hmmm, are you sure? I thought he lived in Newnan, and that's

Coweta County.

[burythehatchet]

8. I'm under the impression he is in the Stone Mountain area now.

But I could be wrong.

[hlthe2b]

13. HIs studio that he broadcasts from is in Dekalb County...

But, he lives in North GA mountains, I believe....

[porphyrian]

4. Georgia doesn't exactly have a long history of racial tolerance.

Anyone who knows about the contrast between the black ghettos of Atlanta and the exclusive McMansion farms around the city have to know that there is a racial aspect to this. The thing is that, in the South, racist and classist problems are inextricably intertwined, so this particular one is both.

[onehandle]

5. Posted here this morning----------->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2701124

[burythehatchet]

11. thanks, I will ask for this to be merged

[Selatius]

9. Racism still exists, it's just that nobody talks about it anymore like they did in the 1960s

You want proof of that racism? Just look at how many active chapters of the CCC are still around.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Conservative_Citizens

[Ravenseye]

10. let em secede

And then build a wall. They want to live in their affluent suburbs and pretend they're not a part of the city. It happens everywhere. They want to take advantage of the city, without being responsible for it.

It's the reverse here in Pittsburgh. The affluent suburbs started out as separate entities, and we in the city continually get screwed by them. we have to pay for roads, sewage, stadiums, cultural districts, and whatever else for these people to amuse themselves, and then they flee back out to the suburbs and avoid paying the city taxes. There are over 300 municipal governments in the area here. It'd be far better to have one unified county government.

All what this would do in Atlanta is hurt the city itself, to the benefit of the rich white folks in the suburbs whose taxes would go down, and blinders would go up.

Bad idea.

[hlthe2b]

12. Disgusting...

Absolutely disgusting...