Gwinnett Buzz

Well it is a year late in coming, but the Government-funded Gwinnett Braves have a naming sponsor for their ballpark near Mall of Georgia.  Coolray Heating and Cooling has agreed to a 16-year deal with the Atlanta Braves to place its moniker on the stadium.  That’s fine and dandy, but here is the curious part:

Terms of the 16-year deal with Coolray Heating and Cooling were not revealed.

Excuse me?  Terms were not revealed?  Terms should be revealed immediately!  After all, the Gwinnett County Commission blew our tax dollars building a ballpark for a minor league team we did not need.  Then, in part because of the millions of dollars committed to the facility, the county had to then raise our taxes when the recession hit.  So, yes, the Gwinnett taxpayers have a right to know the terms of the deal post-haste!  We have a right to know the net amount of our tax dollars that have been sunk in financially propping-up an organization that can afford to pay exorbitant salaries to major league ballplayers but expecting Average Joe Citizen to fork over his hard-earned money to pay for their “place of business.”  In a time on the national political scene where corporate executives - highly-paid employees who come much closer to being worth the money they earn than grown men playing a boy’s game - the taxpayers of Gwinnett County should be fully informed just how much of our money will wind up subsidizing a professional sports franchise.

Starting April 8, the Government-funded Gwinnett Braves will officially play their home games at Coolray Field, but the facility will always really be Gwinnett Taxpayers Stadium.

The deadline for Gwinnett County to sell naming rights to Gwinnett Taxpayers’ Stadium (aka Gwinnett Stadium) has come and gone.  As a result, the county will lose out on a greater share of the proceeds when naming rights are eventually sold.  Fortunately, for Gwinnett property owners, the car rental tax that went into effect last year has been generating higher than projected revenues, enough to allow the county make payments on the outstanding bonds.  Even still, as I outlined in a post here on the Buzz in April, 2008, the car rental tax comes out of the pockets of the Gwinnett taxpayer, meaning that Gwinnettians are still paying for the stadium.

To be honest, the Gwinnett County Commission is very lucky in that the car rental tax projections understated the true revenue.  If the board were in danger of defaulting on debt service payments, could commissioners really risk the ignominy of a major county government defaulting on its loan?  Given that the board has already cut the budget to the bone, would there be any choice but to move forward with the highly controversial property tax increase?  So long as the naming rights are eventually sold and other income sources hold up, Gwinnett property owners should be spared yet another demand to provide funding for yet another government undertaking.

The real question is should the commission be let off the hook because they have managed to take more tax dollars than expected from Gwinnett residents via the car rental tax?  They have still raised your taxes, just not property taxes.  They have dodged a bullet thusfar, but here we have more evidece of the poor management of taxpayer dollars by this commission.  They gambled with our money to build a stadium for a professional sports team that expects average Americans, during hard economic times, to underwrite a stadium while the team pays enormous sums of money to men to play a game.  I do not think they should be applauded for good fortune masking  poor management.  Do you?

The Gwinnett Buzz has never been a social or entertainment blog.  By that, I mean I have never done restaurant reviews or talked about local hotspots.  However, I was so taken with an experience I had Saturday night, I just had to post a mini-review of Astoria Euro Restaurant in Suwanee.

A little background.  The wife of a close friend is originally from Romania.  After my friend and I played a round of golf Saturday, I went with him, his wife and daughter and another family we both know to sample some Romanian food at Astoria.  When we arrived it appeared to be like so many other restaurants - tables, chairs, a bar, even a small stage where it appeared we would get some live music.  We were seated and eventually ordered.  Because the service on this particular night was very slow - according to my friends this has not been their experience in the past - we slowly watched the mild-mannered restaurant undergo a Clark Kent-style transformation.  By the time my friends got their food, Astoria had become a pulsating Euro disco, complete with a one-man band on a synthesizer, a lady belting out European songs (my friend’s wife tells me they were Bosnian, so I will take her word on it!), a crystal ball and scores of beautiful, well-dressed European women.  (Ladies, there were men there as well, but I did not really notice them as much! )  The center of the restaurant had become a crowded dance floor, populated primarily with the aforementioned women.  Having gone in expecting just dinner, finding oneself in the midst of a European dance party tucked away in unassuming Suwanee was quite an experience.

While this is not a five-star restaurant, the food was good. I had an appetizer of cabbage-stuffed yellow peppers and an entree of lamb kabobs.  I also tried a piece of my friend’s sausage appetizer.  While there were some issues with service, I think due to understaffing that night, the food was quite tasty!  And the atmosphere was definitely entertaining!  So if you need to add some European flavor to your weekend, I definitely recommend Astoria in Suwanee.

Stewart Cink, a resident of Duluth, broke the hearts of the golf world yesterday by defeating sentimental favorite Tom Watson in a playoff to win the British Open.  This is Cink’s first major championship.  While many were disappointed not to see Watson make history as the oldest winner of a major championship, I was ecstatic to see Cink take the tournament.  You see, to me, Cink is more than a fellow Gwinnettian; he is also a fellow Georgia Tech alumnus.  The Buzz would like to congratulate Stewart on his win and wish him well in the PGA Championship later this season!

The Gwinnett County budget crunch continues to be felt in real and visible ways.  Last week, we learned that the Gwinnett County Public Library would implement to reduced hours.  This week we learn that three fire stations and a library currently under construction will likely sit idle when completed.

Three fire stations and a state-of-the-art library — representing altogether more than $21 million in construction costs — are expected to be completed this year. And the county has no money to staff them.

Furthermore, Gwinnett County parks cannot even afford to clean restrooms on the weekends anymore!  If this were not enough, the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Department may have to delay Gwinnett’s participation in the 287(g) that will identify and remove illegal aliens from the Gwinnett County jail.  Why?  Because the county does have the funds to staff either the program or seven empty units in the jail needed to keep inmates from sleeping on the floor, a requirement for participation in the program.

However, dear Buzz reader, if this budget crunch concerns you, then you can take solace by spending a night at our very own government-funded minor-league baseball stadium.  Every night you pass Gwinnett Taxpayers’ Stadium when the Government-funded Gwinnett Braves are playing at home, you should be reminded of what an absolute monument of taxpayer abuse and bumbling government leadership that stadium is.  Lillian Webb must be breathing a sigh of relief that this current bunch of commissioners has surpassed her era as the worst elected officials in the history of Gwinnett County.  I bet the stadium is fully staffed and gets its toilets cleaned every day it is used!

Take heart, though!  We are only about a year away from the Republican primaries for Bert Nasuti’s and Kevin Kenerly’s commission seats, meaning we are only about a year away from beginning to purge our commission of the minor-league leadership that thought a minor-league baseball team was an appropriate use of your hard-earned tax dollars.  Don’t forget the horrendous state in which we find Gwinnett County’s finances over the next year.  Turn that frustration into determination to elect true conservatives who will show more respect for the citizens of this county!

The Atlanta Falcons will hold its second annual “Friday Night Lights” preseason scrimmage August 7 at Brookwood High School.  Admission will be free.  An interesting tidbit is that this will be the first “home” game for Brookwood alum and Falcons kicker, Jason Elam.  When Elam was a Bronco, Brookwood played their home games at Parkview.

I am a Gwinnettian.  Though technically not a native (I lived in Dekalb County for my first four years), I have lived in Gwinnett virtually my entire life.  If I did not have a soft spot for my county, I would not have bought my first home here nor would I invest my time in publishing the Buzz.  That being said, once I step foot outside of Georgia, I am an Atlantan.  Someone in Alabama or Florida neither knows nor cares where Gwinnett is but they sure know Atlanta.  In fact, even here in our own city, the concept of “Atlanta native” is far more commonly heard than “<insert county> native.”  The point is this: as much as I care about Gwinnett County, Gwinnett is simply a part of the whole that is Atlanta, which is a top tier U.S. and - and by virtue of the 1996 Olympics - international city.  However, last night, with the first home game of the Gwinnett Braves, our county symbolically took a step back from this illustrious association.

For my entire life, Atlanta has been a major league city, home to a minimum of three major professional sports teams at any given time.  Unfortunately, Gwinnett apparently thought being part of such a city was not sufficient and, as such, decided to hitch its wagon to a minor league horse.  In doing so, Gwinnett has attempted to more closely identify itself with second-tier cities such as Durham, NC, Louisville, KY, Norfolk, VA, and Syracuse, NY.  For these cities, a AAA minor league baseball team is a big deal for they do not have the luxury of being home to a major league franchise and all that brings.  So, what can a minor league baseball team bring to Gwinnett County?  Do our county commissioners, who crammed the stadium through, fancy themselves as “mayors” of a twin “city” to Atlanta?  Surely not!  Gwinnett is hardly Ft. Worth to Atlanta’s Dallas.  Gwinnett has many positive aspects, but it is merely a suburban county whose identity is largely tied to being a part of the Atlanta metro area.  Unlike a city seeking a major league sports franchise, a minor league team can bring little cachet to Gwinnett County.  Thus, the only significant benefit that the Gwinnett Braves can bring to our county is simply that of another entertainment option.

While being an entertainment outlet is not a wholly unworthy cause for an organization’s existence, this benefit is significantly degraded when one recalls how the team’s stadium was shoved down Gwinnett taxpayers’ throats.  Gwinnett County cannot build a police precinct or a school without a referendum on the tax initiative funding such a project.  However, Gwinnett commissioners committed the taxpayer to an excessive investment for Gwinnett Stadium with a mere commission vote.  This expenditure looks all the more foolhardy in light of a looming tax increase due to the inability of the commission to balance the county budget.  This is precisely the kind of fiscal irresponsibility by elected officials that tea parties across the country are protesting.  Maybe the next Atlanta Tea Party should be in the parking lot of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center!

So when the G(overnment-funded) Braves took the field last night at the sparkling Gwinnett (Taxpayers’) Stadium, rather than being a great moment for Gwinnett, it was a moment to memorialize government excess and to lament the symbolic downgrade of our county from part of a world class city to a second-tier minor league community.  For Gwinnett, April 17, 2009 will be the day that Gwinnett County was sent back to the minors.

There is a lot of activity going on in and around the Gwinnett Braves’ new stadium.  The stadium itself is about 80% complete looking forward to the April 17 opener against the Norfolk Tides.  Fans will be able to walk all the way around the stadium, let kids play at playgrounds, eat in picnic areas, enjoy the game from suites, grandstands or grassy berms, catch replays on a 30′ by 40′ video matrix board and eat a variety of food options.  Grass is scheduled to be installed March 2 on a field that will mimic the dimensions of Turner Field.

Outside the stadium, several development projects are in the works.  Earlier this month, the Gwinnett County Commission approved a “10-acre development on Buford Drive near Lawrenceville that is expected to include shops and restaurants.”  This week, the commission will consider a project that literally surrounds the stadium and “is expected to consist of 351,000 square feet of commercial space, 617,000 square feet of office space, 610 residential units and 300 hotel rooms.”

My opposition to how this stadium came about and even the need for minor league baseball in a major league metro area is well documented here on the Buzz.  That being said, I do think that the new stadium is shaping up to be an enjoyable place to spend a spring or summer evening, even if you are not a huge baseball fan.  The stadium is also kick-starting some very attractive development to the area as well.  While the economy is soft now, in the long run, I think these development projects will be great assets to the greater Mall of Georgia area.

Fortunately, my day job has returned to normal, so I hope to get caught up here at the Buzz in the coming days.  And this just after I had finally gotten caught up and cleared a backlog of stories!

In the interest of not falling behind on current events, here is a summary of Gwinnett from the last week and a half with some light commentary.  I have saved the bigger matters for separate posts I hope to have up by the weekend.

Another garbage meeting, same ole topics

Frankly, there is little to say here.  The top issues at the meeting held on Thursday, February 5 were hauler choice - makes perfect sense to me - and truck traffic - I still don’t get this one.  The next meeting is tomorrow night, Thursday, February 12 at the George Pierce Community Center in Suwanee.  According to Gwinnett Views, the meeting starts at 6:30.

Gwinnett cities negotiate property tax level with county

Gwinnett cities are negotiating with the county on the level of county property tax their residents have to pay.  At issue is paying full the county tax rate even when some county services are duplicated by municipalities.  Police protection is specifically mentioned.  I think Commission Chairman Charles Bannister makes a valid point in saying, “Even where cities have a police force, you will find the county involved in varying levels with accident investigations, crime scene work, SWAT, the radio system or animal welfare.”  Even if cities agreed that county police would not conduct any law enforcement activities within their city limits, can you imagine the outcry the first time something of major significance happened and the county police did not respond?  Besides, who is going to actually deal with real crime with city police departments occupied with running their speed traps?  I could see a “discount” on county taxes for duplicated services that only occasionally call on similar services from the county but not complete elimination of this portion of the property tax.

Here is a better idea.  Why do we have so many municipalities?  These cities are quite obviously duplicating many services that the county already provides.  This places a greater burden on individuals and companies doing business in Gwinnett because they have to negotiate varying rules, processes and procedures between the various jurisdictions.  Also, look at the shenanigans going on with the Snellville City Council.  Why exactly does a few miles of GA 124 and US 78 need its own government, especially when half of their elected officials behave less maturely than members of the South Gwinnett High School student government?  If you ask me, rather than creating new cities in the state, the Georgia State Legislature should be setting minimum population requirements for municipalities in order to eliminate excessive, inefficient and unnecessary layers of government.

More than 900 Gwinnett inmates to be deported

Federal immigration officials flagged for deportation 915 foreign-born inmates at the Gwinnett County jail during a 26-day surge that ended on Thursday.

Of the inmates identified as being in the country illegally, 489 had a previous criminal history, said Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway.

This is the result of the targeted enforcement effort by the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  I am very supportive of Sheriff Conway’s effort to get Gwinnett included in the 287(g) immigration enforcement program.  However, not everyone sees things in the same light.

Rev. Tracy Blagec, a spokesperson for Atlantans Building Leadership for Empowerment (ABLE), said she suspects many of the undocumented aliens in the Gwinnett jail committed only traffic violations.

“This is local enforcement trying to enforce something that should be corrected at the national level,” Blagec said.

Those who oppose enhanced immigration enforcement continue to use flimsy excuses for their opposition.  An examination of the list of offenses of those to be deported shows less than 300 of the approximately 900 deportees who stand accused of not having a driver’s license, violation of a city or county ordinance, or other traffic violations.  That means that over two-thirds were jailed for more serious crimes.  (You could argue that not having a driver’s license is potentially serious because these drivers likely do not have insurance and, in the event of an accident, would be more likely to flee.  Someone involved in an accident with these individuals would likely get stuck with the repair bill.)  Even if we ignored the fact that all of these individuals are here in the U.S. illegally, those who committed more serious violations should forfeit any claim to the benefits of living in America.  If you come to America but will not respect our laws, why should you be allowed to stay?

As for the local enforcement of immigration, Rev. Blagec has a point.  However, with the prospect of immigration enforcement being dealt with in an effective manner by the Obama administration, that leaves no one other than states or local governments to deal with a problem that is placing a large burden on their infrastructure.

Gwinnett agencies to get federal aid

This type of federal aid is hard to oppose.  I have long said that government has a role to help people temporarily when they are in dire straits and cannot help themselves.  Certainly, in the current economic climate, there are many people in this situation.  This type of aid is reasonable and humanitarian and is a far cry from so much of the Democrats’ “porkulus” package which is little more than an effort to enlarge the federal government and make Americans increasingly dependent on government.  When they become more dependent on government for their ongoing, non-temporary needs, they become more dependent on the liberal politicians who provide it.

Commission backs Springbrook golf course loan application

The County Commision voted 4-1 to back a loan application by the operators of the Springbrook golf course.  The dissenting vote was by Mike Beaudreau.  I can see arguments on both sides of this one.  I can see how supporting this $250,000 loan keeps alive the possibility that the Springbrook Golf Commission will eventually be able to pay back the entire $3.3 million dollars still owed to Gwinnett County as well as possibly avoiding county liability for an additional $1.7 million.  However, I wonder if this is not throwing good money after bad, especially for a non-critical recreational entity in a weak economy that has already shown an inability to pay its debts.

Commission approves Norcross waste transfer station

In a bit of a surprising move, the Gwinnett County Commission approved a waste transfer station in Norcross next door to a Catholic church.  I have to admit, I have never known for sure where I stand on this one and I would have a hard time criticizing a vote in either direction.  Hopefully, the restrictions on the project will ensure that the property rights of the church are not violated.  Unfortunately, by the time that becomes apparent, it may be too late.  It sounds like we have not heard the last of this one.

Ok, Georgia fans, I am going to throw you a bone.  After the occasional barbs I toss at UGA, I figure I owe you one.  Coach Mark Richt will speak at the grand opening of Greater Atlanta Christian School’s new events center, The Long Forum, on Friday afternoon.  The Spartans will play their first basketball game in the 3,500-seat facility on Saturday against Peachtree Ridge.