So today La Shawn Barber has a post up about something I know plenty about. Given I just moved from Georgia, after living there for 10 years. (And I’ve still got Georgia on my mind.) The old Fulton/Milton County debate. Basically Fulton County, GA used to be 2 separate counties, Fulton and Milton. Milton folded into Fulton when they were poor and broke. That side of town is now rich and wants better control over their money. So they wish to split from Fulton and be Milton county again.

La Shawn found this article, that is noting but pure unfiltered race bait. Where AP reporter Doug Gross gives the impression it’s all about race. (I’m sure Mr. Gross would say he’s just telling the story.)

La Shawn had a few questions. I figured I’d answer them here.

Keep in mind I lived in neighboring Gwinnett County, Georgia. So I was close enough to the issue to know the details, without actually having a dog in the fight. I feel that I can offer a highly informed and objective opinion without personal bias.

1) Should certain Fulton County suburbs be allowed to secede and form a separate county? Why or why not?

YES!

Because there used to be 2 separate counties and the folks in the Northern part simply want things that way again, so they can receive adequate services. I’ve seen how the northern part of Fulton has to wait to get their potholes fixed, while the southern part is getting all the money for repairs. The local areas simply want to be able to use their funds for their needs and possibly lower their tax bills. They could ensure they have better police and fire services along with other needs.

News flash - I know Blacks in the northern part of Fulton County and EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS SICK OF PAYING HIGH TAXES FOR LOW SERVICE IN RETURN AND IS IN FAVOR OF THE SPLIT.

I will say, I never purchased a home in Fulton because I felt the taxes were way too high.

It’s not about race at all. It’s about trying to stop government from taking money and spending it like drunken sailors.

And GA State Senator Vincent Fort is an idiot. WAOK-AM radio host Rob Wilson caught him using homeless people to act like home owning protesters to defend a “predatory lending” bill Fort was trying to keep on the books. Fort is always acting like a fool. He’s a blend of Sharpton, Jackson, McKinney and Farrakhan living in Atlanta.

Let people give to the poor of their own free will, not by force of government.

Race baiters always cry how Blacks need to spend more money in Black areas. Well here’s your chance to show the world you can do it on your own!

There was also crying when Sandy Springs (which is on the northern side of Fulton county) became its own city. All the same fear talk was said. They have their city now and everybody else that used to get more of their money adjusted.

2) Predict the proposal’s success. Will it pass or fail?

Oh it’s going to succeed.

3) This question is reserved for residents of Georgia. If you get a chance to vote on the measure to secede, will you vote for or against? Explain your answer.

Makes me wish I was still there to vote on it .

update 1/24/2007 5:39PM: Just had to mention this comment from La Shawn’s blog by someone named “Pat”.

As a life-long Atlanta resident, I would vote to allow Milton to split from Fulton County. If you look at the map you can see how the county is already divided between North and South by the City of Atlanta. It makes it very hard to have well-run county services. And there have been numerous issues with how the county has been run that have nothing to do with race.

Something else to note, the Fulton County Commission Chairman race was very ugly this year. Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, Andrew Young and Congressman John Lewis released an attack ad against a white candidate saying essentially that if the white candidate was elected it would be a return to Jim Crow days, etc…. It was extremely disappointing for Mayor Franklin to stoop to those kind of politics and accusing all the white residents of racism can’t help but alienate the northern half of the county.

The hypocritical double standards of the race baiters has been exposed again.