Gwinnett Buzz

I was under the impression that local governments were implementing red light cameras for safety purposes.  Isn’t that what we were lead to believe when these Big Brother elements were introduced by Gwinnett cities?  Well, now that ticket revenues are on the decline, Gwinnett cities are ready to scrap the devices.

Duluth, Lilburn, Norcross, Snellville and Suwanee have either suspended use of the cameras or plan to stop the service altogether.

City officials agree the cameras, which monitor and record red-light violations, are working. Violations, accidents and injuries are down. But so are citations, which help pay for the automated ticketing program that can cost some cities more than $400,000 a year to Norcross-based LaserCraft.

So, I guess if a city does not make money from the Big Brother devices, they are willing to forego the safety benefits.  Don’t get me wrong.  I have been opposed to these cameras since day one.  No, I have never been cited by one - I stop for red lights! - and I can certainly see how it would make drivers more careful at monitored intersections.  However, the idea that I can be ticketed for someone else who might be driving my car is absurd.  

When did the police department become a profit center for government?  Granted, there has been strong suspicion that some municipal police departments are often little more than revenue collection agencies, but this story leaves little doubt.  Such motivation is even more reason that the Georgia General Assembly should enact legislation that bans cities under a certain population from having a local police department.  At a minimum, legislators should address how revenues from traffic enforcement are used.  The direct link between enforcement efforts and revenue should be broken.  If it were, I think we would see just how many city speed traps are motivated by safety.

In what should have been common sense last fall among Snellville city council members, the State of Georgia has affirmed that the City of Snellville cannot regulate crematory emissions.  However, rather than exhibiting common sense and upholding fairness and justice, Snellville city councilwoman Kelly Kautz and her ilk pushed forward with a persecution of a private property owner and local businessman in order to curry political favor with voters.  Even in light of the state’s ruling and a similar opinion by Snellville’s city attorney, Kautz amazingly continues to express support for Snellville to regulate crematory emissions.  

So, does this mean that Chris Nuzum can finally cast aside the shackles of the City of Snellville and open his business?  Nope.  There is still is the matter of the frivilous building plans deviations.  The lawsuit on that matter is still pending.  Hopefully, Nuzum will wind up owning half the City of Snellville.  Maybe he can put his crematory INSIDE city hall!  Goodness knows, there’s enough space!

This week, state Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville) introduced legislation in the Georgia Senate to limit the Snellville mayor’s voting power in city council votes in order to avoid the 3-3 deadlocked votes which have become common in recent years.  The idea was supported by the majority of residents who turned out at a town hall last month hosted by the senator.  Now, Snellville city councilman Tod Warner, saying that “Balfour’s move is ‘unilateral,’ subverting the power of the council.” Warner is urging other Gwinnett municipal officials to encourage their legislators to oppose Balfour’s bill.

Unilateral?  Huh?  

The senator has drafted a piece of legislation which must be passed by the Senate if it is to become law.  Even if other senators essentially allow Balfour’s bill to pass since it is a local issue, Georgia House member Rep. Melvin Everson (R-Snellville) would have a say in the House.  Besides, Balfour is following a course of action backed by the residents in Snellville who took the time to show up and express their opinion.  This does not count many who likely have contacted the senator directly.  So long as Balfour is reflecting the will of Snellville residents, the people to whom government is responsible, the will of those holding power in office is of far less concern.

Last month, Snellville Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer reported Snellville City Councilman Robert Jenkins for a messy yard.  Jenkins has reportedly cleaned up his yard but has shown a sense of humor in repurposing an old toilet that had been on his property.  The toilet is now a planter in which the councilman has planted flowers.  Gives a whole new meaning to “pot”ted plants!

Ever find yourself in a position where you are equally split with two halves of yourself pulling strongly in opposite directions?  Well, that is how I feel in thinking about Snellville’s Sunday alcohol-by-the-drink sales.  I am a teetotaler myself.  When I have to deal with drunk fans at a football game or hear about someone killed by a drunk driver, I always wonder why can’t some people do anything without a drink?  I can’t think of a legal product that has caused more pain for so many people.  However, unlike addictive illegal drugs, I know that the majority of people can have a drink with dinner without any negative effects.

This is where my libertarian, limited-government streak rears its head.  From such a perspective, I cannot logically defend the prohibition of selling drinks with a meal in a restaurant.  This is congruent with my opposition in years past to a total smoking ban in restaurants.  Let the market decide says my free market side.  If enough people object to the sale of alcoholic drinks on a Sunday, they will patronize other restaurants, thus encouraging the restaurant owner to enact the ban him or herself.  The question is such an environment valueable enough to people for them to vote with their dollars?  

I am glad I do not live in Snellville - not just because of the shenanigans of the elected officials! - lest I would need to come to a definitive stance on this issue.  I see the logic behind overturning the ban, but as a Christian I do not feel comfortable advocating anything anything that promotes alcohol.  I do realize that even Christians sometimes drink in moderation.  I suppose a lot of my deep-seated distaste for alcohol is because because a significant incidence of alcoholism in my family’s history.  In fact, I never even met one grandfather because he died of alcoholism before I was born.  Frankly, I cannot bring myself to be disappointed that the city did not overturn the ban even if that betrays my coldly, logical side.

Thursday night, state Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville) held a town hall meeting to obtain input from Snellville residents on a potential change to the voting configuration of the Snellville City Council.  The majority sentiment at the meeting supported eliminating the mayor’s vote except in cases of ties.  However, Sen. Balfour noted that this option was not in the majority in a poll that was conducted.  The suggestion to have a referendum on options makes the most sense to me.  Otherwise, drafting legislation that makes a change while any of the current councilmembers or mayor is still in office risks being tagged as political interference in city affairs.  Though several Snellville officials seem cool to change, Balfour’s effort to end the deadlock, especially if residents support such a move, is reasonable.

The Snellville blogger has posted a poem about the Jerry Oberholtzer/Robert Jenkins fued that showed up on Dave Barry’s blog.  A blogger known as NotDrSeuss has given the Seuss-style treatment to the elected official dust-up in Snellville.

The mayor reporting a city councilman to the police for a messy yard.

The mayor being escorted to the restroom by the police chief to avoid said city councilman.

No, I am not summarizing a recent episode of Desperate Housewives.  I am talking about the real-life drama Snellville City Government.  Not only does this government come up with some outrageous attacks on private property rights, some of the elected officials act like a bunch of high school kids while doing it.

Councilman Robert Jenkins may want to seem taken aback by Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer’s report but according to the news article, the councilman has little leg upon which to stand.

City Councilman Robert Jenkins recently was issued a warning to clean up his yard, including removing an old toilet and broken-down car, or face a citation for city code violations.

…

This isn’t the first time Jenkins has been issued a warning. More than a year ago, tree limbs scattered in Jenkins’ front yard raised red flags.

I am critical of over-reaching ordinances, but a broken-down car and an old toilet in your yard are hardly matters of taste.  As for the police escort to the bathroom, though I do not know if Oberholtzer’s concerns are warranted, from his point of view, I can understand caution towards a man who sued a previous political opponent.

As for the Jenkins’ laughable comment about the mayor taking the “positions he takes,” I would just remind readers of Jenkins’ anti-property rights position in the recent crematory case.  If that’s not the pot calling the kettle black!

Yesterday, I blogged about how I could see rationale in an argument that change in the structure of the Snellville City Council should be proposed by city residents or the council itself.  Well, it seems that at least one Snellvillite agrees with state Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville).  The Snellville blogger has published two posts on her blog expressing her agreement that the Snellville council should have a tiebreaker.

Well of course it should be an odd number. Even Congress, with 100 members, is divided 50/50, but Congress has the vote of the Vice President to break ties.

You can just hear the dripping sarcasm in this comment!

I have a great idea. Why doesn’t the City of Snellville hire a high priced consultant to tell us the same thing that Senator Don Balfour is saying?

State Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville) is contemplating a change to the structure of the Snellville City Council.  Because the council has an even number of votes, deadlocked votes are common.  Such a move makes sense so that issues can come to a resolution one way or the other.  Snellville Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer, however, makes a valid counterpoint: this type of change should be intiated by the council itself.  If the city and residents are not asking for the problem to be fixed, then is this really something on which Sen. Balfour should make the first move?  This of course assumes that there is even a problem.  Mayor Pro Tem Warren Auld may have put it best:

Auld said beyond the three options pitched by Balfour, there’s a fourth: leaving it the way it is. “In some cases, having gridlock means limiting government action, which sometimes can be a good thing for our citizens.”

Often, government wants to insert itself where it does not belong and a divided government body gridlocked can be an effective antidote to this urge.  (With the Democrats in solid control in Washington, how much I long for a good case of gridlock for the next four or, perish the thought, eight years!)

I think Sen. Balfour’s idea to hold a town hall to discuss the matter is the best balance of the various viewpoints.  If there is a town hall, I hope that organizers will avoid seeding justifications for a change like the County Commission did with socialized garbage and simply let residents speak express their own views.  From this, the state legislature will have more standing to address Snellville’s city council logjams.

Oh, and if the legislature eventually decides to act and decides to reduce the size of the council by one, let me be the first to nominate Councilwoman Kelly Kautz to be the member that is shown the door.  After her performance throghout the crematory controversy, she has earned that honor!