GwinnettForum | Number 20.49 | July 10, 2020
CONFINED TO YOUR HOME and wanting to get out to enjoy nature? Many Gwinnettians are in this position today because of the current pandemic. Well, here’s a way to enjoy a little of nature. Click above to listen to the waters of Amicalola Falls rushing ever downward in this 6-second video from Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill. It makes you feel like you are there….and you don’t even have to maneuver along the trail to hear the noisy waters.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Current Statewide Ideology Keeps Georgia a Backward State
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Former County Commissioner Ray Gunnin Was Respected for His Vision
ANOTHER VIEW: Among Other Things, Gerrymandering Gave Us Jody Hice
SPOTLIGHT: MTI Baths Inc.
FEEDBACK: Suggests Nation Needs More Protection of Voting Rights
UPCOMING: Gwinnett State Court Arraignments and Hearings Are Cancelled
NOTABLE: LeCraw Engineering Wins National Award of “Best Firms to Work For”
RECOMMENDED: Book on CD Review: Modern Scholar: The People’s Dynasty
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Atlanta Motor Speedway Among Oldest of NASCAR Stops
MYSTERY PHOTO: Statue of Young Girl at Ease Is Today’s Mystery Photo
LAGNIAPPE: Here’re Some Creative Photos of Sparklers from Duluth
Current statewide ideology keeps Georgia a backward state
Old building in Rome, Ga.
(Editor’s Note: Today we are happy to announce that this is the 100th contribution that George Wilson has made to GwinnettForum. It’s good to see George stimulate our readers with his continued outlook on local and national issues. –eeb)
By George Wilson, contributing columnist
STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. | Republican and conservative ideology keeps Georgia in a backward state. Just look at the following facts and how it’s costing lives.
Many Georgia counties lack an OB-GYN physician and many rural hospitals are going broke. This is unacceptable, since reducing infant mortality deaths are a priority nationally and in Georgia. From 2008 to 2017, Georgia did not achieve the Healthy People 2020 target of six infant deaths per 1,000 live births. Over that decade, Georgia’s infant mortality rate fluctuated between 6.3 and 8.0 deaths per 1,000 live births. Of course, this high number was also prevalent among most of the old confederacy states that have not approved the expansion of Medicaid.
Look at other statewide problems:
- Georgia is among the worst states for sexually-transmittable disease rates among seniors; Georgia is one of the top states where senior citizens are contracting sexually transmitted diseases. The Atlanta-based Center for Disease Control and Prevention says the numbers are at record levels.
- Georgia has the second highest rate of uninsured in the nation.
- Georgia has up to 97 percent turnover rate for some state jobs resulting in expensive rehiring, retraining and lost efficiency.
- Millions of dollars are lost in federal revenue because of not expanding Medicaid and hundreds of lives are lost because of the lack of Medicaid insurance. The spread of coronavirus to the rural areas of Georgia will result in more unnecessary deaths. Consequently, bankrupt Republican policies are killing Georgians.
Before the pandemic, state Republicans had planned another income tax cut. According to the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, the proposed new tax cut would reduce state revenues by $615 million. Some 76 percent of that $615 million would go to those making $100,000 or more.
Governmental “failure” comes down to an inability to match a society’s resources to its biggest opportunities and needs. This is the clearest standard by which the current U.S. national governance fails, under Trump.
In principle, almost nothing is beyond America’s capacities. In practice, almost every big task seems too hard. The good news is that some states and cities are picking up the slack caused by the ineptitude of the Trump government and the failure of the Republican Senate to move on bills passed by the Democratic House.
Finally, the Republican ideology of tax cuts, tax cuts, and more tax cuts for the wealthy and the passing of deregulations to poison the environment is reason enough to kick them out of office.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Gunnin, former commissioner, was respected for his vision
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
JULY 10, 2020 | One of the first elected Gwinnett officials to anticipate how the county would grow and who helped pave the way for it, died on June 30. He is Ray Gunnin, who was 92 when he passed away at the home of his daughter in Colorado.
Gunnin was elected in 1968 to represent County Commission District 2 (the Norcross and Lilburn areas, which now includes Peachtree Corners). In those days, the population of Gwinnett was 65,362 residents.
When elected to the commission, Gunnin was with Southern Bell, having joined the company as a file clerk. He attended law school at night, and also went to Georgia Tech and Clemson. With his imaginative and quick mind, he rose through the Southern Bell ranks quickly, becoming a manager and engineer.
His innovative and creative mind resulted in him leading a study of Gwinnett County government that eventually changed the structure from three persons to a commission of five. He was elected to that first five-person commission, and served for 10 years. He was the first commissioner from the Norcross area in 50 years.
Gunnin
Among his significant accomplishments was proposing to the State Legislature to allow referendums to create both the first Fire District and the first Recreation District, supported by taxes, in the county. The legislation was far-sighted, in that it allowed other militia districts to join both the districts by petition to the county commission for a vote without having to go back to the Legislature. Eventually, the entire county joined both taxing bodies. The formation of the Pinckneyville fire district guaranteed fire protection for the first major industry in Gwinnett, Western Electric, in 1972.
Back when this writer was researching Gwinnett history, Gunnin told me that when as a commissioner, he began studying a variety of county subjects. He would give the results to his fellow commissioners. “I did a lot of those studies myself. That was before the day when you hired consultants, for we simply didn’t have the money to pay for them.” The other commissioners began instituting the changes these studies would suggest. Gunnin also understood the need for structure in government and wrote the county’s first policy and procedure manual.
Gunnin played a key role in ensuring Gwinnett had water for its future. Gunnin and Commission Chairman Bill Atkinson, in 1972, were present at Fort McPherson when the Secretary of the Army, Bo Callaway of Georgia, signed an authorization allowing Gwinnett’s Water System to pull drinking water from the Corps of Engineeer’s Lake Lanier. Gwinnett is the only metro Atlanta county with an intake to Lake Lanier.
Wayne Mason of Snellville, who joined the Commission in 1972, speaks well of Gunnin.
“He was a really intelligent guy. The best thing he brought to the Commission was this vision, able to see where Gwinnett County was going. He had a bigger grasp on that than anyone on the board, and he understood the need for county wide services.”
Atkinson, who became chairman of the commission in 1972, served four years with Gunnin. “He had the county at heart, and represented the county on several boards. He was a really smart person, and served the county well.”
Gunnin was a past chairman of the National Association of County Commissioners, and president of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia.
Ray W. Gunnin 1928-2020): May you rest in peace.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Among other things, gerrymandering gave us Jody Hice
By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | The piece regarding Georgia turning blue in GwinnettForum was accurate. However, with radical redistricting as done by the Republican Party, it will be a slow process translating the will of the people into policy.
For example, Rep. Jody Hice, a Republican representing U.S. House District 10 of the right-wing Freedom Caucus, and represents part of Gwinnett, which is a wildly gerrymandered district. It appears he does not represent the views of the majority of Gwinnett citizens. Hice is unknowledgeable about law or our constitution. A former small-town right-wing talk show host, he never held public office before his election.
Hice is so radically right-wing that he is even out-of-step with the ultra-conservative House Republicans. He was passed over by the GOP House leadership to take over as the top Republican member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, although he had seniority.
Hice has stated there were no campaign meetings with the Russians. What about Don Trump Jr.’s Tower Russian operative meeting?
The representative has applauded U.S. Attorney Bill Barr for dismissing charges against disgraced Gen. Michael Flynn, who had twice pleaded guilty to charges of lying to the FBI about his interactions with the Russians. Over 2,000 former Department of Justice lawyers have asked Barr to resign over his clearly political actions in the case, undercutting the rule of law.
Hice
Hice tweeted “It is impossible to have limited government in a secular society. The more we kick God out of the public square the more important government becomes in our life.” (7-3-19)
Hice has stated that he wants “Roe v. Wade” found unconstitutional. An NRA member, Hice also voted against the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act which protects women against abusive husbands owning firearms. Regarding women running for office, per Hice: “If the woman’s within the authority of her husband, I don’t see a problem.” (Athens Banner-Herald, 2004).
Another example: Hice states that “American gun manufacturers are being punished unfairly” by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. His view is that gun violence is due to “kicking God out of the public square,” wanting all firearm restrictions lifted.
Concerning the Affordable Care Act, providing 23 million Americans with insurance, Hice has repeatedly voted to kill this legislation.
Hice wants to abolish the law reuniting extended immigrant families. Under this provision, preference for legal immigration is given for the grandparents of a family which has legally immigrated here. Although immigrants have a lower crime rate than other Americans, Hice’s web site is filled with rhetoric about immigrant “rapists, child molesters, and other sex offenders,” sounding much like Trump and Steven Miller.
He believes Islam “does not deserve First Amendment protection” (from his 2012 book). And, that conversion therapy prevents “enslaving and entrapping potentially hundreds of thousands of individuals” in the LGBTQ lifestyle.
Hice has tweeted he wants to “expose the Democrat collusion delusion.” Hice totally ignores the mountain of evidence about Trump’s misuse of power, choosing instead to attack the process.
Our nation will always have elected radicals who are on the fringes of both political parties. (Remember Joe McCarthy.) Eliminating gerrymandering may reduce radicals like Hice. Until we have non-partisan redistricting, this problem will remain.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
MTI Baths Inc.
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s featured sponsor is MTI Baths Inc. of Sugar Hill. MTI Baths is a manufacturer of high-quality acrylic and engineered solid surface bath products, including whirlpools, air and soaking baths; lavatories; shower bases; and kitchen sinks. MTI’s patented Fill-Flush® and Simple Touch® whirlpool cleaning systems are the best on the market. MTI now offers engineered solid surface–countertops and sinks. Every product is custom-made to order and shipped within seven business days. We are now operating in an additional manufacturing plant of 38,000 square foot. CEO of the firm is Kathy Adams, while Russell Adams is president.
- Visit their web site at http://www.mtibaths.com/.
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.
Suggests nation needs more protection of voting rights
Editor, the Forum:
It has been over a hundred years since we had a constitutional amendment to protect voting rights. I think the time is now right to add an amendment protecting every citizen’s right to vote.
We have too many incidents of politicians limiting access to the voting box. Unfortunately, each state and locality seems to interpret voting laws to benefit their political party. Restrictions of mail-in ballots, partisan redistricting, closing of polling sites, arduous ID requirements, all limit access to the ballot box. An individual voter does not have any constitutional protection of their right to cast their vote. Every citizen should be able to challenge limits to their right to cast a vote.
In an opinion piece in The New York Times (5/5/20), Richard L.Hasen argues that the U.S. Constitution contains no specific, affirmative right to vote. Voting rights, he states, are protected basically by the equal rights offered in the 14th Amendment. Courts have interpreted these protections inconsistently. Historically this has not offered strong voting protections. That’s why I therefore suggest a simple amendment that affirms a citizen’s right to cast a vote, thus strengthening protections to our electoral system.
— Alan Schneiberg, Sugar Hill
Why reasonable COVID-19 proposition won’t be adopted
Editor, the Forum:
George Wilson’s suggestion for COVID-19 testing at polling places is “simply” GREAT. That may be the reason why it won’t even be considered, that is, not enough “bureaucracy” plus too logical and too simple.
— Bill Brown, Norcross
Government awards contract for making drugs in USA
Editor, the Forum:
Shortly after submitting an article on America’s dependence on China for drugs I read that on May 19, 2020, the Federal government had awarded a four year, $354 million contract to Phlow Corporation of Richmond, Va. for the manufacture of essential drugs with the potential of being extended and additional six years for combined 10 year total of $812 million. Phlow describes itself as a public benefit corporation dedicated to providing high-quality, low-cost, pharmaceuticals through state-of-the-art U.S.-based manufacturing processes. This appears to be a good first step in returning drug manufacturing to America.
— John Titus, Peachtree Corners
Send us your thoughts: We encourage you to send us your letters and thoughts on issues raised in GwinnettForum. Please limit comments to 300 words. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Send feedback and letters to: elliott@brack.net
Gwinnett state court cancels arraignments, hearings
All state court arraignments and criminal hearings are cancelled effective immediately until July 17, 2020 because of the public health emergency. This cancellation applies only to state court criminal cases. These matters will be rescheduled at a later date.
Impacted most will be state court jury trials. Meanwhile, state court judges at the Gwinnett jail are taking pleas and resolving in-custody cases, when possible. The Court is engaged in remote hearings, for both civil and criminal cases. The judges are also sending civil cases to mediation, while also trying to resolve criminal cases.
Norcross plans Clean-up and Recycling Day on July 25
Again this year, the City of Norcross is planning a Neighborhood Clean-up and Recycling Day. The event will be on Saturday, July 25. Residents may bring in bulk items to be recycled, such as trash, appliances, furniture, or any other non-hazardous items. Drop-off will be held from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Norcross’ Public Works Facility, located at 345 Lively Avenue, just off Buford Highway.
Because of COVID-19, city staff will not be able to assist participants with the unloading of vehicles as they have done in the past. Also, note that this is a bulk-recycling-only event. Not included in July will be any shredding or recycling of electronic components. However, there will be bins to collect small batteries and unbroken fluorescent bulbs. The event is open to City of Norcross residents only (proof of residency required).
- For more details, contact Sonya Isaac, Special Projects Manager at 678-421-2027.
Sugar Hill delays Sparks in the Park until August
The City of Sugar Hill has re-scheduled its Sparks in the Park event August 1 because of COVID-19. Sparks in the Park, normally held annually on July 3 at held at E.E Robinson Park North, has food vendors, inflatables, and live entertainment, rounding out the night with fireworks. Normally 10,000 people attend this event. .Information regarding future events can be found on our website at www.cityofsugarhill.com.
LeCraw Engineering wins “Best Firms to Work For” award
LeCraw Engineering of Duluth was recently announced as a winner of the 2020 “Best Firms To Work For Awards,” honoring the best architecture, engineering, planning, environmental and construction firms to work for in North America.
LeCraw
Based in Duluth, Ga., LeCraw was ranked No.14 amongst civil engineering firms across the country. This is the third time in as many years that LeCraw has been named to this list.
President Mark LeCraw says: “We strongly believe in taking care of our employees, and they in turn take care of our clients. I’m extremely proud of the culture of leadership and growth that we’ve built, and being named to this list is proof that it’s working.”
Firms were evaluated comprehensively on firm culture, workplace practices, employee benefits, employee retention rates, professional development, and more, from both management and staff perspectives. The annual contest yields over 2.3 million benchmarking data points on everything from culture and values, career opportunities, and leadership in the AEC industry.
LeCraw Engineering, Inc. (LEI) provides a wide range of civil engineering, landscape architecture, and surveying services to clients throughout the country. From project planning and due diligence to construction documents, permits and construction phase services, LEI offers complete civil engineering services with outstanding client service and high quality results. For more information, visit LeCrawEngineering.com.
Book on CD Review: Modern Scholar: The People’s Dynasty
From Karen Harris, Stone Mountain: This disc tells about modern China in many aspects of issues and life today. Professor Shepherd covers each topical chapter and takes the reader/listener on a journey to a country that has undergone exponential change. It began in 1979 when the state directed the opening of the Chinese economy . This brought transformation to all aspects of Chinese life. Lectures 4 and 5 are especially interesting, delving into topics of home ownership and how the size of families was determined. It tells about the “five bonds” that form the foundational pieces of relationships in China. The five bonds are father and child, sibling and sibling, spouse and spouse, friend and friend, and ruler and subject. Pizza Huts in big cities speak to the global connections and influences of US tourism in China. A fascinating and illuminating portrait of a culture on the move. The full title is The People’s Dynasty: Culture and Society in Modern China.
An invitation: what books, restaurants, movies or web sites have you enjoyed recently? Send us your recent selection, along with a short paragraph (150 words) as to why you liked this, plus what you plan to visit or read next. Send to: elliott@brack.net
Atlanta Motor Speedway among oldest of NASCAR stops
Atlanta Motor Speedway is one of the oldest and most popular stops on NASCAR‘s Winston Cup circuit.
The two Winston Cup events hosted by the speedway each year attract crowds of nearly 250,000 fans from all 50 states and several foreign countries—consistently the first and second highest attendance levels for single-day sporting events in Georgia.
A group of Atlanta real-estate developers led by Garland Bagley, seeking to take advantage of a super-speedway boom started by the successful launching of Florida’s Daytona International Speedway in 1959, built the one-and-a-half-mile speedway 25 miles south of Atlanta in Hampton (Henry County). Plagued with financial difficulties and construction delays from the start, Atlanta International Raceway (as it was initially called) hosted its first race on July 31, 1960. A crowd of 25,000 braved the mud and unfinished facilities to see Glenn “Fireball” Roberts win the inaugural event.
Since then the speedway has hosted at least two Winston Cup races annually, numerous races in NASCAR’s Busch Series, races sanctioned by the Automobile Racing Club of America, and fourteen races for Formula One cars sanctioned by the U.S. Auto Club, Championship Auto Racing Teams, and the Indy Racing League.
The Atlanta Speedway struggled for much of its early existence, changing ownership and management numerous times and even being subjected to reorganization under Chapter 10 bankruptcy provisions in the 1970s. In 1990, however, speedway magnate Bruton Smith purchased the facility, renamed it Atlanta Motor Speedway, and proceeded to turn it into a state-of-the-art auto racing venue.
Smith’s Speedway Motorsports, Incorporated, has spent millions of dollars to refurbish and expand the track to bring the total number of permanent seats to 124,000, while adding 141 luxury suites and the nine-story Tara Place, which houses offices, banquet facilities, and 46 condominiums. The track itself was reconfigured in 1997, when the start-finish line was moved to what was the backstretch and two doglegs were added to the new front stretch to improve the fans’ view of the racing. Atlanta’s importance as a venue on the Winston Cup circuit increased in 1987, when the speedway began a 14-year run as the site of the final race of the season. This made the fall Atlanta race particularly appealing in years when the Winston Cup championship came down to the final race.
(To be continued)
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to http://georgiaencyclopedia.org
Statue of young girl at ease in today’s Mystery Photo
While only three people recognized last week’s Mystery Photo, this week’s may be tougher. It’s a simple statue, nicely placed and especially tasteful. Is she drawing on paper, or reading a newspaper. Tell us about it and where it’s located by sending your idea to elliott@brack.net, including your hometown.
Time GwinnettForum was published on Tuesday, Frank Studer, Greenville, S.C., knew that the Mystery Photo was taken of the waterfront at Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant, S.C. “We go fishing there. We particularly like to visit Red’s Ice House on the boardwalk.”
Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. told us this about the photo: “Shem Creek Park features a 10-foot wide, 2,200-feet long wooden boardwalk that stretches from the mouth of the creek in Charleston, S.C. Harbor to the Shem Creek Bridge at Coleman Boulevard. Open daily to the public, the park offers 250 feet of floating dock space, a commercial fishing dock and both pedestrian and local water taxi access to many of the Lowcountry’s favorite waterfront bars and restaurants.
“Going as far back as the 1740s, Shem Creek has had a long history as a working creek, with several mills, lime kilns and factories being established along its banks. However, most of the industrial infrastructure was either destroyed or abandoned during the Civil War, after which the seafood industry started to flourish.
‘By the mid-1940s, shrimping had grown into one of the most important industries in the area and several seafood companies had been established along Shem Creek. During the 1970s, it was common to see several dozen shrimp boats flanking either side of the creek.’
George Graf of Palmyra, Va. added this information: “At a period in the early 1800s, Shem Creek was briefly known as Distillery Creek for a short-lived distillery built along the creek’s shoreline.. Shem Creek flows through the heart of Mount Pleasant and is known for its many waterfront bars and restaurants. It also offers a variety of leisure activities including fishing, boating, kayaking, and paddleboarding. The banks of Shem Creek were originally inhabited by Sewee Indians. Its name is thought to derive from the Native American word Shemee.”
Sparklers and 10-second photos create distinctive scenes
Here’s a creative scene from Lake Norman in Duluth, at nightfall. These photos are from Rob Ponder, who shot scenes for 10 seconds of sparklers with his family writing out names and twirling sparklers. He says: “It’s a little trickier than it looks to get names legible. The person holding the sparkler has to move and write with their hands at the same time, while not blocking the camera’s view of the tip of the sparkler.” In the paddling scene, you can see the moon just rising over the treetops.
GwinnettForum is provided to you at no charge every Tuesday and Friday.
Meet our team
- Editor and publisher: Elliott Brack, 770-840-1003
- Managing editor: Betsy Brack
- Roving photographer: Frank Sharp
- Contributing columnist: Jack Bernard
- Contributing columnist: Debra Houston
- Contributing columnist: George Wilson
More
- Location: We are located in Suite 225, 40 Technology Park, Peachtree Corners, Ga. 30092.
- Work with us: If you would like to serve as an underwriter, click here to learn more.
Subscriptions to GwinnettForum are free.
- Click to subscribe.
- Unsubscribe. We hope you’ll keep receiving the great news and information from GwinnettForum, but if you need to unsubscribe, go to this page and unsubscribe in the appropriate box.
© 2020, Gwinnett Forum.com. Gwinnett Forum is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA.
Follow Us