Parks taking back seat to Braves seems ‘disrespectful’
December 28, 2015
DEAR EDITOR:
Jennifer Burke of LoveCobbParks.com is hopeful we can be responsible citizens in this busy holiday season — and responsible commissioners, too. Actually issuing the park bonds citizens voted for would seem to be in the Christmas spirit and good for the kids, too.
Remember how we also used to get a present for our rich uncle, in hopes of getting a present in return. Now think of the commission moving the Braves bonds, not voted for, cutting in line ahead of the previous citizens bonds for a revenue stream finagled at great effort by the commission. This seems disrespectful. Hopefully it is just an oversight busy commissioners will rectify if we ask. We may soon see them work just as hard to find the revenue for our $40 million park bonds.
Of course, I’m not such an optimist as to believe that the commission will do the honorable thing without any encouragement. Fancy plans painting a picture of a pleasant future county with ample greenspace, are read and respected no more by our commissioners than by the average man on the street. Without Kennesaw Mountain and the Chattahoochee, Cobb County would be in desperate shape indeed. Some of our citizens are so selfish they would “have the future take care of itself.” Such whiners tend to make much noise (and some might even vote in the primary).
The job of responsible voters, and parents, does not have an arbitrary end point such as after an election. As the present case shows, we need to enlighten our public servants, remind them of their obligations, our desires and the future’s needs. Their job is unfinished, and so is yours. Hope you’re not too busy to think of the kids.
Roger Buerki
Marietta
Published in the Marietta Daily Journal on December 28, 2015. View the original link here.
December 28, 2015
DEAR EDITOR:
Jennifer Burke of LoveCobbParks.com is hopeful we can be responsible citizens in this busy holiday season — and responsible commissioners, too. Actually issuing the park bonds citizens voted for would seem to be in the Christmas spirit and good for the kids, too.
Remember how we also used to get a present for our rich uncle, in hopes of getting a present in return. Now think of the commission moving the Braves bonds, not voted for, cutting in line ahead of the previous citizens bonds for a revenue stream finagled at great effort by the commission. This seems disrespectful. Hopefully it is just an oversight busy commissioners will rectify if we ask. We may soon see them work just as hard to find the revenue for our $40 million park bonds.
Of course, I’m not such an optimist as to believe that the commission will do the honorable thing without any encouragement. Fancy plans painting a picture of a pleasant future county with ample greenspace, are read and respected no more by our commissioners than by the average man on the street. Without Kennesaw Mountain and the Chattahoochee, Cobb County would be in desperate shape indeed. Some of our citizens are so selfish they would “have the future take care of itself.” Such whiners tend to make much noise (and some might even vote in the primary).
The job of responsible voters, and parents, does not have an arbitrary end point such as after an election. As the present case shows, we need to enlighten our public servants, remind them of their obligations, our desires and the future’s needs. Their job is unfinished, and so is yours. Hope you’re not too busy to think of the kids.
Roger Buerki
Marietta
Published in the Marietta Daily Journal on December 28, 2015. View the original link here.