Rockdale Citizen | Rockdale Citizen Poll

As of Friday, May 25, 2012
© Copyright 2013 Rockdale Citizen

"I saw where Oz Nesbitt and many others from Conyers were protesting and/or angry about the Treyvon Martin case in Florida. Why aren't any of those folks trying to push for answers about the death of Daquavious Mapp right here in Conyers? He was killed at a house party over a year ago and there was never anyone charged with his killing. The police claimed that the witnesses ran and the ones that they talked to wouldn't give straight answers. Why is no one walking around in hoodies and Skittles for him? Is it because it was black on black so it doesn't bother the community as much? Dequavious was not a terrible person. If Obama had a son, he would look like Daquavious too. Where are all the politicians on this case? Maybe they don't really care about Treyvon either unless there are cameras around and it is politically expedient. Where are Sharpton and Jackson on this and the thousands of other cases like it?"

"Dr. King and his staff sit in their offices and wish the best for our students. That is how they manage. So, I sit here and wish the best for him as he heads to Virginia."

"I'm a student-athlete at RCHS and I am very disappointed with your paper. It seems like the only sports coverage you give is to Newton County teams. There has been an article in your paper about each school in Newton County Spring Football games and baseball games. I mean this is the Rockdale Citizen right? Newton Citizen even does updates on college players from Newton schools. Aren't both papers owned by the same people? Your paper has forgotten that we too have three high schools. Even last season Rockdale schools got little to no coverage in what we call our paper. Come on and get it together before this fall or should I check the Newton Citizen for articles about us?"

"My husband just started driving a commercial truck. When he comes home on the weekend he usually has a load that he will drop off in another state on Monday. Our problem is finding a place to park a semi-truck for the 36 hours that he will be home. I have been reading the posts where people are complaining about the semi-trucks parking at Walmart, which they cannot do any longer. This recent event poses a problem: where is he supposed to park his truck? I don't think our neighbors would be happy with him parking it in the neighborhood. But if that is what it takes to be able to spend time with my husband, we will do that. The people that have complained about the truckers and where they park need to take into consideration that the truckers deliver everything in our lives; things don't just appear on store shelves for us, someone has to get it there. Why would you want to make it so hard on these people and their families? If Rockdale County had approved the truck stop on Sigman Road, that Billy Corey wanted to put up years ago, none of this would be a problem today. Since that did not happen and it is a problem, where are truckers supposed to park their trucks now that the parking at Walmart is off limits? These trucks are not 'dangerous' when parked, like some people have written in claiming. These trucks are non-moving objects that are in parking spots if there is any danger then it's the driver that cannot avoid a large, visible, stationary object. Punishing the men and women who live in Conyers and work nationwide should not be the answer to this problem."

"To the citizens of Rockdale County, rise up! As a citizen of this county and pretty much a life-long resident I make this statement. After reading the Citizen Poll, Police Blotter and what is seen around town we have this 'problem' only because we allow it. The crimes such as burglaries, drugs, battery and killings happen in our county because we condone it. We the people of Rockdale County approve of this behavior. We approve of it because we ignore it, overlook it and act as if it's not happening because it did happen to me. Let's adopt an ordinance like Kennesaw, Ga. Let's all have a weapon in our home! This way the 'bad guys' know we're ready. Let's push for banning from our county, like the kind of banning Judge Nation deals out. Let's inspect what we expect. Let's remember our children are just that, children. We as residents need to hold ourselves at a higher esteem. The older people of our community just shake their heads at the lack of our discipline. As the 'wheel' of our county we need to take back our community and make it harder to 'hide' in plain sight. If you don't behave like civilized people, then leave and go to where there are thieves, drug dealers, abusers and murderers like yourselves so you are in your own environment. The school system needs to demand respect for and from both students and teachers. If you want to ignore the guidelines for attending a Rockdale County school, then leave. All this Open Campus and classes for students with 'issues' is catering to the standards we are approving of. This county has in place judges who are firm. As the election year is upon us we need to choose candidates who have our vision. The vision of a community that is desirable, a community that's a not race driven or good 'ole boy ran, but a community that demands and deserves respect from its citizens because the elected officials have earned it. As an adult I have a fear of my mother, a healthy fear, the fear of her "promises" not threats. We need to instill this same kind of fear to the criminals that live among us. We can do this. If you are offended then you or your family members are the ones we read about in the paper and the blotter. The only excuse is the one you tell yourself. Ask yourself this, am I really going to let the teenagers, young adults and career criminals control and guide my fears, safety and livelihood till I die or move? I challenge this of you, show your strength, your common sense and your want of a better community. Do this and you will see change. How much will depend on your dedication. In closing I say rise up and take control!"

"The looting of the poor in this country must stop. Elected officials and civic leaders in many parts of the country just look the other way. Don't forget the good old boy network in many levels of state government. The special interests have nothing but greed on their minds. Not the welfare of the country and it's citizens."

"The blotter is useless without addresses. I don't know the names of the people who now reside around me. The ones I've talked to only give a first name (if any) after I fully introduce myself, which I consider to be very rude. My name is my word. Why would a person not want to give a full name after all? The only reason I can think of is because the person is involved with nefarious activities. The Citizen needs to get The Blotter back to the way it has always been, timely, informative and precise, or just stop publishing it. In it's current form it's a waste of paper. Use the space to sell ads."

Editor's note: The addresses have been restored to the Police Blotter.

"People who live in the city of Conyers. Conyers can save a lot of money. 'Get rid of the City Manager and the good old boy net work.' Members of the city council are you serving the people of Conyers or the special interests. You serve the special interests. In the years ahead we can look forward to a snow job from the city and county governments. Increases in taxes. What fools we are?"

"My day begins by reading the paper and doing the puzzles. I look forward to doing the puzzles with my coffee before going to work or to church. I have a special way of covering the clue to the Cryptoquip to see if I can solve without it. But today, May 20, I was frustrated because the solution to the Cryptoquip was almost beside the puzzle. And before I could cover, I accidentally saw too much. In essence I did not get the fun and pleasure of solving that puzzle. Would you please be careful to put the solutions to the puzzles on a different page?"

"Once again CMS administration has shown they have no backbone. The administration watching the door was letting girls with extra short dresses into the eighth-grade dance. These dresses left nothing to the imagination. When asked why these girls were let in it was stated, 'We don't have the heart to turn them away.' This is not setting any kind of example for these kids. I was clearly stated on the tickets about the attire. It was also stated through the school-wide phone message that students would be turned away at the door if the attire do not the meet dress code. Why were they? It is not all the school's fault, the parents of these girls should have made them cover up more. Way to go CMS."

"Somebody needs to give Josie Dean her own show. She makes a lot more sense than the BOC most of the time, and she's a heck of a lot more entertaining."

"Where can I see a sample ballot for the July elections? I checked the Rockdale County website but the sample ballot was an old one. Also -- didn't Caycie Dix resign her position on the Elections Board? She's still listed as a Board member on the website."------"Is it significant that the Republicans are qualifying their candidates at an attorney's office and the Democrats at Cupcake Palace?"

"Would like to comment on the notice of possible B.O.E. to employ a contractor to clean our schools in an effort to save money. With the assignment of a contractor company, the employed custodians have been given the options of staying on with the schools (under the contractor), retire (If eligible), quit, or under circumstances be fired. Not really much of an option if it were me. To stay on (not being eligible to retire) would mean that I would lose all my sick time (saving the B.O.E. money). In some cases this amounts to thousands of dollars that I saved in case of time of need for me or my family's health. If I try and take a sick day between now and the 30th of June, the B.O.E. would have me sign a letter saying that I cannot take a sick day unless I have a doctor's note. I would suppose if I didn't bring a note, they would not pay me for my sick day or fire me for not abiding by their recent note signing this week. I would think that exploring more of the options of reducing the 12 month employees to 10 month employees doesn't seem to be more of an option. I would think that the B.O.E. may have other options not explored but has taken the easy way by sticking it to the custodians. This effort had been tried before and didn't work out. To be a custodian in Rockdale these days, would mean making a decision that has much to think about what had been left on the table for my family by the B.O.E. If it were me, I would tell them to take this job and __ !"

"I would like to commend Garvin Haynes for his comments at a recently televised BOC meeting. I don't always agree with the things he says (in fact, quite often, I am completely opposite to what he says), but his comments regarding the unfairness of the county bonuses given to all, without regard as to who has received raises in the last few years or who is already making a more-than-liveable wage -- is spot on. The commissioners have truly erred on this. It is very unfair to give yet another reward to those who received raises last year while others have gone without raises for four years or more. It is very unfair to give $1000 to those who are making $60,000 and $90,000 and more, when the people that really need it are the ones on the lower echelons, the people who are trying to live on less than $40,000. This whole thing might have been a feel-good act for the BOC, but it was poorly thought-out and poorly executed."

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Rob 12 months ago

"To the citizens of Rockdale County, rise up!" To whoever posted that. Thank You! I've been trying to have this conversation for years but nobody seems to care. There are so many aspects to the problems of crime in this county that people just want to pretend it's not happening. Everybody from our Chairman to our Sheriff just make excuses and refuse to tackle the problem head on. Most Rockdale citizens just seem to have their heads in the sand. After years of trying to have this conversation I've just simply given up. I moved my parents out of Rockdale a few months ago and I am seriously considering a move myself. (I'm waiting to see what November's election brings to Rockdale). Our schools are failing, crime is rising, and our big government politicians just want more of the same. I understand that our crime problem goes deeper than just politics but this bunch sure isn't helping much. Last year the Sheriff's department actually had the gall to run a front page story that "crime was actually down in Rockdale". The following two headlines? Bank robbery in Conyers and another about a murder at GameStop. I don't know who these people think they are kidding? This bogus article gave Oden an excuse to push his transportation/Marta agenda by claiming that "there was just an article in the paper about how crime is down in Rockdale". Mind numbing! But if you speak out about this you are shunned and mocked for daring to question the elite in charge. I know I'm going on a bit of a tangent here that may be hard to follow but these are all real life experiences I've had in the last few years. You speak up, they shoot you down! I never have and never will claim to have all the answers but it's at least obvious to me that the things that are happening now aren't working. Yet this same bunch will be re-elected and people will continue to wonder why Rockdale is becoming Dekalb East. Personally my belief that a sharp turn back to God is the only thing that can save Rockdale and the Nation as a whole. But that's just the opinion of a bitter redneck "clinging to his guns and religion". Sigh

AJK 12 months ago

(As I step up on the soap box) I get so tired of people blaming their problems on someone else. To the person who's husband is a truck driver; you asked, where is he supposed to park his truck? How about in the parking lot of the company he works for. WalMart's parking lot is private property. If they don't want trucks parking there then it's their right. Here are two more suggestions, buy an acre of land so he can park his truck on that land. Make sure the zoning will allow for parking commercial vehicles before you buy the land though. Or, tell your husband he needs another career. Pretty cold aren't I? Well I spent 10 years behind the wheel of an 18 wheeler, I know what it's like....in fact I got a ticket from code enforcement once (in another town) for parking my tractor in my driveway in a subdivision....I was clearly in violation of the local ordinances, so I paid the ticket. What did I do after that, I found someone with an acre of commercial property five miles from my house, for $5 a night they let me park my truck there....beat the heck out of parking it on company property 50 miles from home. Hey you know what, you're not to only one with this problem, why don't you buy that acre of land and charge other drivers a fee for a safe place to park their truck? Your problem is solved, their problem is solved, and I don't get ticked off because you're blaming your problems on someone else. It's a win win win! (I'm steppin' off the soap box now!)

ClaytonBigsby 12 months ago

Thank you very much, AJK. I've been in very nearly the same spot (much smaller truck), and I solved it by leaving the truck on the company lot and driving a beater to/from. Yes, "if you got it, a truck brought it", but that's no reason whatsoever for tractor trailers to be parked on side streets and road shoulders. Ordinances don't exist just to make life tough on the folks in this situation--they're there to preserve quality of life. Rigs just don't belong where they don't belong.

cntyemp 11 months, 4 weeks ago

Most truckers are considered independent contractors, therefore there is no "employer". Also, most neighborhoods have ordinances against parking trucks in them. She is perfectly right in her statements.

Clark 11 months, 4 weeks ago

Trucking has gotten its way for years, fighting taxes that would more fairly make trucks pay their share of road maintenance, fighting trust-busting measures, fighting subsidies to other forms of transport, and now you want more? If I had it my way, long-distance trucking would be banned and rail transport would all take over the long-haul cargo except where the numbers actually do favor the long-distance truck (which isn't anywhere in Georgia).

NitetimeinDaytime 11 months, 4 weeks ago

My brother is a truck driver and he pays to keep his "rig" at a storage facility (like where people keep their boats) when not in use.

Zo 12 months ago

The problem can be solved by putting Ferguson in charge of the sheriffs department. We are not growing citizen wise as the big city, however we are getting big time "criminals." Why not place a guy who has dealt with the worst criminals Georgia has had. Yes, Ferguson for Sheriff. People keep using the excuse of look at Fulton County. Yes look at Fulton County and its troubles. It's troubles were discovered because of the standards Captain Ferguson implimented.

Please watch this for yourself. The More Of The Same Partners (Levett & Wigington) are a joke. Not sure why folks dislike Ferguson because in this race it's hands down Ferguson. Ferguson seems almost too qualified compared to more of the same partners. Oddly, the Citizen didn't report this in the paper. I hope this get posted

http://bocwatch.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=816

whyohwhy 12 months ago

Ok well that link was very interesting and I am glad you posted it. I was unaware that that meeting had been scheduled or I would have made it a point to attend. But again, I thank you for posting that link!

I want to commend Ferguson for one thing......during a point in the video he explained to Josie and the rest of the crowd that although he was a person of "color", he did not want to be perceived in that way. Very classy of him...and no I am not being sarcastic. I genuinely believe that this has become a black vs. white thing.

My only concern for the Sheriff position is that whoever wins figures out a way to treat the Deputies better and provides a better quality of life for the citizens.

As much as I hate politics, I believe its a necessary evil that we must embrace one way or another. I hate that big wig and fergie ferg were throwing blows at each other while Levett seemed to focus on the "meat and potatoes" of the questions.

Now with that being said, Ferguson still does not have the experience needed to run a FULL SERVICE Sheriff's Dept. I look at it this way.....If you have been working at a cake factory for 35 years and some new CEO shows up who worked at a Tire factory, wouldnt you be a little concerned. Seeing as how the guy used to make tires and now hes supposed to be in charge of making cakes? Sure they were both factories and they make products......Maybe my analogy is a little off. But you get the point.

Zo 11 months, 4 weeks ago

There are CEO's that transition to different companies all the time and the companies have nothing to do with each other. At an executive level using your example tires and cakes they have one thing in common, MONEY and RESULTS(bottomline). As a General, you lead whatever is placed in front of you. Just the fact Ferguson has leadership under his belt becoming Rockdale's next Sheriff will be a easy transition. Now on the other hand Levett is the questionable one. I think Wigington threw a lot of untruths out there. He mentioned all these programs, but here Wigington has 2 of his own deputies talking about very low moral and crime is up in Rockdale. Ferguson's skill sets will be an asset when getting the BOC to honor a pay increase. Which you can see Wigington hasn't done yet. A "true" CEO make things happen!!

1ayk 11 months, 4 weeks ago

Call Sheriff Thomas Brown of DeKalb County (one of the best around) and see how many employee "mishaps" have happened during his administration and he still has a model agency. Pay will increase when the economy improves after the likes of President Obama, CEO and Chairman Oden, Nesbit and the other liberals are gone!!

Rockdale Citizen Poll - May 27

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