Rep. Scott: Hwy. 92 project awaits more impact study
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Rhonda Muhammad questions Cong. David Scott about the Hwy. 92 relocation project during a town hall meeting yesterday in Douglasville. (Frank Ellis for the Sentinel)
U. S. Congressman David Scott, who hosted the almost four-hour session at the Douglasville Downtown Conference Center, emphasized the process by which the roadway project could move faster and further would depend on further community involvement in the necessary procedures.
A major part of the relocation would include an underpass under the railroad track, Bankhead Highway and Strickland Street downtown which would facilitate access for emergency vehicles which now can be blocked by passing trains.
Federal regulations require the environmental impact on the communities affected by the relocation be completely reported and analyzed. These impacts include more than just the impact on waterways or animals but must include how any changes will affect the lives of those living within the specified geographic areas.
Neal O’Brien, Georgia Department of Transportation project engineer, explained the project is divided into three building phases but before any dirt can be turned, federal regulations require such an impact study.
“That’s where we are right now,” he said, “and that study will get this project moving to right-of-way acquisitions by June, 2011.”
City Manager Bill Osborne gave a brief history of the project dating to the early 1980’s. He said the project had almost been abandoned when proposals by GDOT were turned down by the Douglasville City Council.
With O’Brien’s explanation in mind, the remainder of the session was devoted to comments and/or questions from those attending the meeting.
After Mike Stephens, incoming chairman of the Douglas County Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors, offered the Chamber’s endorsement of the project, Rhonda Muhammad addressed issues which seemed to dominate a large portion of the Q&A session.
Muhammad said she is concerned about whether or not the GDOT has formulated plans for relocating families which would be displaced by the $75-$80 million undertaking. She said she worried about access to or from the city fire station near Malone Street and Highway 92.
She was assured that federal authorities must assist in finding proper replacement for those dispossessed. Scott told her “they will be compensated for the movement.”
Regarding the fire station access and egress, O’Brien told her and the audience there would be both with emergencies being handled as usual.
Douglas County Transportation Director Randy Hulsey told Scott the Douglas County government and Douglasville City Council had very recently approved its comprehensive transportation plan. The plan sets forth the Highway 92 relocation project as its priority agenda item.
Safety again was mentioned when Pastor Curtis Crum pointed out his church hosted a day care center. He was worried about existing traffic conditions producing long lines of cars attempting to enter Highway 92 and expressed hope the new roadway would relieve such fears.
James Simpson, a resident since 1964, said, “Let us be patient, work together and learn to live together in peace.”
Rachel Springer Howard asked what the relocation might mean for appraisal of existing homes in the vicinity of the roadway improvements. Another person asked a similar question with both being assured fairness would prevail in all cases after the GDOT and respective homeowner would get together on such appraisal matters.
Several persons wondered aloud if the timing of the project might be speeded up, Esau Birdsong among them. Living at the corner of Highway 92 and Malone Street, he said “I would love to see the time moved up a little bit, but do it in moderation.”
Scott replied, noting this very session was being held for just that reason, the community’s feelings on the project a vitally needed part of the entire procedural regulations required by federal and state mandates.
City Councilwoman Callye Burk Holmes urged Hispanic and African-American members of the community to be certain to voice their feelings on the project. “We need to get their reasons, they are essential, please participate,” she said.
As the session began to wind down, Dr. Brian E. Hill, Atlanta-based urologist, turned the question to health care issues. He asked Scott if he intended to vote for House Bill 3200 (the federal health care reform bill). Scott replied, “I don’t know,” and added he was interested in the wishes and thoughts of all the constituents in the 13th District.
DoDoo place is hands on someone when the tv cameras show otherwise and people who were there saw something totally different. it's not right to exaggerate the truth to make yourself feel better & someone else feel worse. i think we all need to stay focused on the topic of discussion. rightly, health care reform is very important, however arising the topic at a forum slated for something else is inconsiderate to the people who invested time into the highway 92 project meeting. furthermore, criticizing the ability of the congressman's staff members when you all know absolutely nothing about what they do on a daily basis to change the lives of their constituents is vitally unfair, and it is such behavior that results in racially charged comments and ignorant threats that have nothing to do with the issues at hand. it is exactly what the U.S. does not need as a nation that is desperately trying to repair itself.
What an event held this weekend at the Douglasville Downtown Conference Center.
Before I begin I must be honest I am in the 13th district and this meeting was promoted as a "Town Hall Meeting" to learn about the impacts of the new roadway project on relocating Highway 92. As far as the project is concerned I think this is a needed project for our county but it does not hold a candle to issues of Health Care, Cap and Trade, or Taxes. This view is obtained by simple logic, if we loose more jobs we wont need to have a better Highway because less goods will travel the highway.
There were a lot of people attending this event and I would bet that only 25% were there to discuss their concerns about the highway 92 project. I have a video of the beginning of the meeting and it will show just how many were there at the start of the meeting. Then another one showing the end and just how many were left after three hours of watching their U. S. Congressman drag on and on about concerns that were brought up more then three times from the citizen directly effected by the 92 project. Now, those people should have their concerns addressed and they should be concerned about their property as should the rest of Douglasville and Douglas County. This project will effect the county as a whole not just the city. What I would have liked to hear more of was something from the Congressman in regards to federal, state,and local tax incentives for business impacted. Maybe if those business directly and indirectly effected could receive a 1 year reprieve on their property taxes from the state, county, and city. Along with the ability to have the businesses income taxes at the federal and state IRS agencies reduced for a year or so should that business owners decide to move into a more traffic rich environment they would have more of an incentive for them to do what is best for their business and their lives. This would allow them to use some of the money saved for more advertising or to put down on building a new building for their business or maybe hiring someone to expand the business without being overly penalize by having to sale the building they are in while the business in it looses revenue, while at the same time trying to move or build a new place for their business. As for home owners maybe adding 5% to 10% more on to the price of their homes, giving my fellow citizens a little extra for their inconvenience of being uprooted from their home. But the project will not get to that point for something like one and a half to two years.
On to the meeting, it started off with good intentions and when it began the City Manager Bill Osborne said that the meeting will be opened for citizen comment on the project and other issues. At that moment the meeting was a town hall for ALL issue with the main issue at hand being the Highway 92 relocation. But as the discussion about the 92 project continued those on the north side of Douglasville stated that they were disenfranchised as are most of the voters in the 13th district. This action lead to some in the room to begin clapping and yelling in agreement. At which time I personally witnessed 15 citizens leave and as they passed me stated they were not going to listen to partisan out bursts. While it was infuriating to myself I will not allow anyone to gain that much control of me they will not win, I WILL NOT GIVE UP on my Country, and I and my wife stayed.
About an hour and a half into the meeting a citizen stood up and said "We want to talk about Health Care." The Congressman's staff started getting agitated and the Congressman's demeanor and answers took a turn for the worst.
Around 3 and a half hours in to the meeting at 1:30 P.M. the citizens were getting upset with the direction the meeting was going and not just at the Congressman but the Mayor and the City Manager. We were told that if there was a question about the 92 project that were not address earlier to get in a line so they could speed up the process. A few citizens had some valid issue that needed to be addressed and the questions were very good. One asked "Is the reason the project was taking so long was due to the size of the federal government." This of course is a great question which the congressman responded "The money is in the cities hands and they are waiting on the environmental impact study to go forward." This is process that will take another two years at a minimum. Another citizen asked what was going to be done for him and his wife, he had three properties that were going to be destroyed by this project and was he going to be compensated for the loss of income which is used for his retirement.
Around this time I witnessed Isaac Dodoo a staff member of the Congressman put his hands on Dr. Hill I was a little uneasy by this action. Who in their right mind would hire this type of aggressive person to be a staff member of a U. S. Congressman is stunning and telling. Then a young black man took the microphone and express his concerns over the congestion that would be increased on the road during the build process. How was this new roadway going to impact Police, Fire, and Ambulance services in the area. But this man was just using that as a segue into the real issue at hand. He asked the Congressman "My real concern if his parents needed to use the Ambulance service what type of care would they receive when they got to the hospital?" This man was brilliant I have most of this man talking on video but not much more because I was told by the Chief of Police that I was not able to record video of the event, that if I continued I would be removed. I inquired as to way I was not able to record and was told that the agreement set in place by the city and the Congressman. How could this be it was a public place built by public funds and called a TOWN HALL MEETING!!
Up next was the Dr. Hill and what this man said was eye opening for anyone who is on the fence about HR3200. He stated facts and figures from Massachusetts and then asked the Congressman if he would vote for the bill. The Congressman stated "I'm undecided." He then asked if the congressman had read the bill. At this point the Congressman and his staff went unhinged and the Congressman stood up and started shouting down his constituents saying we had "Hijacked the meeting and how can he read the bill if there is not one." This was something I found very strange because I was able to find a bill online known as H.R. 3200 Americans Affordable Health Choice Act of 2009. How can one Hijack a meeting when we waited very patiently for our turn? The Congressman then stated loudly that if we wanted to talk to him about health care we should set up a meeting. Ten or so citizens stated that they had talked to Isaac and could not get one. Man if looks could kill Isaac would be in a lot of trouble. Isaac then turned to the people recording the event and moved his hands in the "Cut" motion as if he was saying stop recording this. The final question was from the Dr. again "Do you support a public option health care program?" The response was "YES" The city manager said the meeting was adjourned and the Congressman was lead out of the hall with his staff and local police surrounding him with citizens in tow stating they their question was not answered.
http://www.youtube.com/user/todd254
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/show
What an event held this weekend at the Douglasville Downtown Conference Center.
Before I begin I must be honest I am in the 13th district and this meeting was promoted as a "Town Hall Meeting" to learn about the impacts of the new roadway project on relocating Highway 92. As far as the project is concerned I think this is a needed project for our county but it does not hold a candle to issues of Health Care, Cap and Trade, or Taxes. This view is obtained by simple logic, if we loose more jobs we wont need to have a better Highway because less goods will travel the highway.
There were a lot of people attending this event and I would bet that only 25% were there to discuss their concerns about the highway 92 project. I have a video of the beginning of the meeting and it will show just how many were there at the start of the meeting. Then another one showing the end and just how many were left after three hours of watching their U. S. Congressman drag on and on about concerns that were brought up more then three times from the citizen directly effected by the 92 project. Now, those people should have their concerns addressed and they should be concerned about their property as should the rest of Douglasville and Douglas County. This project will effect the county as a whole not just the city. What I would have liked to hear more of was something from the Congressman in regards to federal, state,and local tax incentives for business impacted. Maybe if those business directly and indirectly effected could receive a 1 year reprieve on their property taxes from the state, county, and city. Along with the ability to have the businesses income taxes at the federal and state IRS agencies reduced for a year or so should that business owners decide to move into a more traffic rich environment they would have more of an incentive for them to do what is best for their business and their lives. This would allow them to use some of the money saved for more advertising or to put down on building a new building for their business or maybe hiring someone to expand the business without being overly penalize by having to sale the building they are in while the business in it looses revenue, while at the same time trying to move or build a new place for their business. As for home owners maybe adding 5% to 10% more on to the price of their homes, giving my fellow citizens a little extra for their inconvenience of being uprooted from their home. But the project will not get to that point for something like one and a half to two years.
On to the meeting, it started off with good intentions and when it began the City Manager Bill Osborne said that the meeting will be opened for citizen comment on the project and other issues. At that moment the meeting was a town hall for ALL issue with the main issue at hand being the Highway 92 relocation. But as the discussion about the 92 project continued those on the north side of Douglasville stated that they were disenfranchised as are most of the voters in the 13th district. This action lead to some in the room to begin clapping and yelling in agreement. At which time I personally witnessed 15 citizens leave and as they passed me stated they were not going to listen to partisan out bursts. While it was infuriating to myself I will not allow anyone to gain that much control of me they will not win, I WILL NOT GIVE UP on my Country, and I and my wife stayed.
About an hour and a half into the meeting a citizen stood up and said "We want to talk about Health Care." The Congressman's staff started getting agitated and the Congressman's demeanor and answers took a turn for the worst.
Around 3 and a half hours in to the meeting at 1:30 P.M. the citizens were getting upset with the direction the meeting was going and not just at the Congressman but the Mayor and the City Manager. We were told that if there was a question about the 92 project that were not address earlier to get in a line so they could speed up the process. A few citizens had some valid issue that needed to be addressed and the questions were very good. One asked "Is the reason the project was taking so long was due to the size of the federal government." This of course is a great question which the congressman responded "The money is in the cities hands and they are waiting on the environmental impact study to go forward." This is process that will take another two years at a minimum. Another citizen asked what was going to be done for him and his wife, he had three properties that were going to be destroyed by this project and was he going to be compensated for the loss of income which is used for his retirement.
Around this time I witnessed Isaac Dodoo a staff member of the Congressman put his hands on Dr. Hill I was a little uneasy by this action. Who in their right mind would hire this type of aggressive person to be a staff member of a U. S. Congressman is stunning and telling. Then a young black man took the microphone and express his concerns over the congestion that would be increased on the road during the build process. How was this new roadway going to impact Police, Fire, and Ambulance services in the area. But this man was just using that as a segue into the real issue at hand. He asked the Congressman "My real concern if his parents needed to use the Ambulance service what type of care would they receive when they got to the hospital?" This man was brilliant I have most of this man talking on video but not much more because I was told by the Chief of Police that I was not able to record video of the event, that if I continued I would be removed. I inquired as to way I was not able to record and was told that the agreement set in place by the city and the Congressman. How could this be it was a public place built by public funds and called a TOWN HALL MEETING!!
Up next was the Dr. Hill and what this man said was eye opening for anyone who is on the fence about HR3200. He stated facts and figures from Massachusetts and then asked the Congressman if he would vote for the bill. The Congressman stated "I'm undecided." He then asked if the congressman had read the bill. At this point the Congressman and his staff went unhinged and the Congressman stood up and started shouting down his constituents saying we had "Hijacked the meeting and how can he read the bill if there is not one." This was something I found very strange because I was able to find a bill online known as H.R. 3200 Americans Affordable Health Choice Act of 2009. How can one Hijack a meeting when we waited very patiently for our turn? The Congressman then stated loudly that if we wanted to talk to him about health care we should set up a meeting. Ten or so citizens stated that they had talked to Isaac and could not get one. Man if looks could kill Isaac would be in a lot of trouble. Isaac then turned to the people recording the event and moved his hands in the "Cut" motion as if he was saying stop recording this. The final question was from the Dr. again "Do you support a public option health care program?" The response was "YES" The city manager said the meeting was adjourned and the Congressman was lead out of the hall with his staff and local police surrounding him with citizens in tow stating they their question was not answered.
http://www.youtube.com/user/todd254
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/show
I did not say a private pledge.
I interrupted the proceedings with a question.
The proceedings were stopped and the pledge to the Flag of our Republic was done.
At least 40 attendees thanked me for my interruption and question.
Comrade Scott probably asked for the omission!
After more than 20 years of planning and millions spent this project is little closer to a start. No stimulus to our local economy and we need it now. Hey…but couldn’t this have been one of those “Shovel ready” project? I guess those Value Engineering and Environmental Impact I studies (Federal Regulations that have stopped progress) will provide a lot of stimulus…for government employees and bureaucrats. This is our efficient and benevolent government at its finest…what’s that saying …that’s it…”follow the money”.
How Frank Ellis could miss the way Rep. Scott and is staff got into a shouting match with their constituents. Maybe Frank was in the Men’s Room for 20 minutes while concerned citizens, who had waited for almost four hours, tried to ask questions on healthcare. The most important National Discussion before Congress and the nation. And their representative treated them with distain and arrogance. How dare us for wanting to know where he stands on the issues. If you want an example of an elected official out of touch with the concerns of the average voters this is a good one.
Yea, it must be that Frank was in the john that’s why he missed that Scott said he favored the Government Option on healthcare to Dr. Brian Hill. Now if you are following healthcare that’s a pretty important statement. Wouldn’t you say?
Maybe Frank Ellis wasn’t even there. He didn’t even know the Mayor was sitting next to Congressman Scott. It had to have been one of Scott’s staff who wrote this puff piece not a news paper reporter.
Well… maybe Frank Ellis was there he just fell asleep.
Needless to say,it is quite evident that Congressman Scott does not want to answer to his constituents on HB 3200.
Congressman Scott has been refusing to hear what his constituents want. He continues to do so at the peril of his seat in 2010.
Is that what our country has come to? If the officials don't like the questions, you are called to be out of order and ceremoniously removed from the room?
That said, it's very telling that Congressman Scott said that the Highway 92 project was taking a long time because it was not something that was going to be rammed down the community's throat without being properly vetted to determine if it was something the citizens want. Yet he is well prepared to vote on changing health care as we know it without ever reading the bill or having it properly vetted by Congress and his consituents. Furthermore, it appears a large percentage of his constituents are against health care reform but he doesn't seem worried about ramming it down our throats. Talk about hypocrisy and a double standard!!!
During Dr. Hill's comments Scott changed into the state of a "bunker mentality," you should have seen his face. If looks could kill, Scott would now be in the Douglas County Jail.
I can't decide if Scott was expressing his anger at being challenged for his votes in Congress, or whether he was caught off guard by the anger from his Constituents, or whether he did not understand the issue, or whether he simply did not want to state his opinion on the Health Care issue.
What ever the reason, the meeting was quickly ended and Scott was escorted from the building surrounded, with a protective barrier, provided by his Staff and local Police.
This trend of challenging Members of Congress for their votes, actions and comments is rapidly spreading and escalating across America. I wish that Reporter Ellis had done his job and reported completely the events of Scott's meeting.
Scott is an arrogant, self serving politician that needs and got a dose of reality!