Thursday, February 9, 2012

DeKalb Delegation of GA General Assembly met today to discuss the DeKalb County School Board Reapportionment maps



Yesterday I raised the important issue of the possible reduction of the DeKalb County School Board down to just five members in the reapportionment process that takes place every 10 years.  Because I saw this as an important news story, I jumped into a cab at noon and headed over to the Georgia State Capital to witness the DeKalb Delegation committee meeting firsthand.

As a political junkie, I enjoy watching laws being made (much like sausage making?) but today's meeting was a legislative train wreck ending in no decision being made.  It looks like this decision will be brought back up on Wednesday the 15th which I am told is the very last day to meet the deadline.

I have posted video of all but the last closing statements of the meeting as I just couldn't justify video recording the carnage any longer, even I had to look away.  The decision of how the DeKalb County School Board will be structured for the next ten years will be decided behind closed doors by the people you see on the video between now and Wednesday, without any further public hearings.  Scary!

Links to other related news stories.  AJC, DeKalb School Watch Blog two - read the comments, Nancy Jester Twitter live feed of meeting, Officials ‘dropped the ball’ on redistricting - Reporter news 

11 comments:

Daughter of the Poet said...

Amid chaos of images,
We value coherence.
We believe in the printed word.
And
We believe in clarity.
And
We believe in immaculate syntax.
And in the beauty of the English language.

William Shawn

Atlanta Media Guy said...

Thank you John! Doing something our feckless media won't do! Like the I-team told my wife, "DeKalb Schools issues are too difficult to tell in a short news story."

Folks the media won't touch this because of the racial undertones in our county. They have to file for FCC licenses and believe me, like this process shows, DeKalb is being run into the ground by a few.

It was nice to hear Mike Jacobs comment too, not a consequence but a choice. Amen!

Bob Lundsten said...

The delegation did everything in its power to show the world how inept of a body they are.

The some should be embarassed by there behavior.

Get the Cell Out - ATL said...

Thank you for posting this video. It was eye opening to see our delegation in action. We hope more people will do the same when they are at public meetings so that the public can remain a part of the process (albeit a very small part apparantly). Even when we do not know what is going on until it is too late, like this time, we at least get a better picture about how we need to vote.

Great to hear Mike Jacobs with some conviction on behalf of his district as well as MM Oliver. Holcomb is so polite, yet always does a great job of making sure the question gets answered. We were impressed by him as well. The most ardant supporter for the 5 district map repeatedly stated that she did not care how they were drawn up - so then what took them so long?

Colleen O'Casey said...

"Rick Santorum leads the GOP primary race in yet another national Poll"

If this comes to fruition, then expect a theocracy and the nullification of Amendment XIX of the US Constitution.

Hire_A_Veteran said...

I wouldn't anticipate much assistance for veterans either as he wants to cut the VA drastically.

Hire_A_Veteran said...

I will add this, Colleen, that as an ex-Republican the GOP sure isn't attempting to find any candidates that will bring me back into the party.

All I've observed from the GOP both locally and nationally are liars, chicken-hawks, right-wing fanatics, imbeciles, religious nuts, hypocrites, lunatics (a lot of lunatics!) etc.

Anne Coulter was so proud that they drove all the Rockefeller Republicans out of the GOP, well, I can guarantee her that if that is so, then they better anticipate an election drought for some time.

And the only decent local politician I see out there is Parent, but she's a Democrat.

Wise Acre said...

A bit harsh, don't you think, Vet? I would think that the current batch of GOP presidential candidates do have some redeeming qualities as at least they give the two greatest TV shows (Daily Show & Colbert Report) in the world plenty of comic fodder.

Colleen O'Casey said...

"The radical feminists succeeded in undermining the traditional family and convincing women that professional accomplishments are the key to happiness."

from Rick Santorum's book "It Takes a Family". Ugh! I felt like gouging my eyes out after reading his misogynist piece of rubbish!

Voterwhocares said...

Thank you for posting the video.
I agree with Rep. Tom Taylor that the BOC and BOE dropped the ball on redistricting.

Bob Turner said...

I agree wholeheartedly Ms. Ocasey. I read Santorum's tome of tripe as well, as I like to keep abreast politically, no matter if it's a scholarly work or something from the lunatic fringe with his book clearly being the latter.

Perhaps Andrew Sullivan put it best:

"I'm sorry but I find the protectors of child rapists preaching to women about contraception to be a moral obscenity."