The Times

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin’
And the first one now will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’

There were the before times. Now we're in the troubled times. With any luck those too will pass and we will enter the after times. We obviously are not getting through the troubled times unscathed and we will not continue through the after times with all restored to the before times. Some things will be irrevocably changed and some, like a shattered porcelain can never be repaired. 

It would appear, at least in DeKalb, that public schools are one of those things shattered and changed. Parents are increasingly certain they are not getting what they feel entitled to under the before times "social contract" joining the mere taxpayers who've long known this contract was a farce. Administrators are under extraordinary financial pressure. It is no surprise given an accounting system that resembles labeled coffee cans for revenue and shoe boxes for receipts and no one monitoring who takes how much out of which can or what ends up in a box. It is no wonder DCSD has consistently failed to provide the State required audit information.

Then there are the teachers. The poor, put upon teachers. The ones who should be asked about any administrative policy before any action can be taken. Not because they are responsible. Not because they are accountable. In any way. Not because it is their job. It is the sense of empowerment derived from the job-for-life aspect of their career that allows them to go all Statler and Waldorf on any perceived misstep others may [or may not] have made, all the while deflecting criticism by claiming they are underpaid and underappreciated. Pressured by parents and administration they are increasingly hostile and lashing out with threats and attacks. 

But the times...they are a-changin'. 

The general public, parents and taxpayers alike, have been forced to confront the party of the second part of the social contract: the devil that is public education with which they've made an increasingly one-sided deal. The teachers who are on the attack act as if they can restore the before times and that there will be no lasting fallout nor consequences from their hyperbolic pyrotechnics. But there will be. There already are. Not once have the most vocal of these teachers openly considered that their threats to quit, to leave the classroom, might be met with gratitude, as an offer to solve the budget woes by removing some of the most expensive, the most complacent, the most outdated from the payroll. They've begun a campaign of geo-socio-economic divisiveness broadly targeting North DeKalb and Dunwoody in particular, with what appears to be a goal of "cancelling" outspoken members of those communities. It is as if they wish Dunwoody didn't exist, or given that it does, that it would go away. This aligns with many in North DeKalb that would indeed like to part ways but should they make effort to do so these same bilious voices will be raised in objection. Not to the loss of Dunwoody parents or children, but to the loss of money. Money to fill their pockets. At least they seem willing to haggle over the price though it would seem to undermine their constant threats of quitting. 

Maybe words do matter. Maybe things said in the heat of ego fueled tantrums will have serious consequences. Maybe this will drive the political will needed to break some of these mega-school-districts into more easily managed, more effective, more efficient, and yes, smaller districts. Maybe, ironically, it will be the voices of South DeKalb that lead to the creation of a Dunwoody, or North DeKalb School District. If that happens, thank a teacher. 

No Fooling? Really?

A local restaurateur with a widely and highly acclaimed menu has been reported giving free lunch to early voters as they wait in line.While he started his restaurant with his own hard work and culinary chops there are many reasons why he is succeeding in Dunwoody Village. And he isn't alone. He is in the company of other homegrown and family restaurants in what is actually a rather small area. Yes, some have come and gone, but for several decades Dunwoody Village has served as an incubator for restarentrepreneurs. That is what a suburban community can do that no faux urban center ever will. The suburbanites surrounding daVille are a tight community, they know the village and those businesses that respect their community receive their support.

Not that we haven't had any outsiders thinking they could come in with tony, trendy restaurants and charge NYC prices. Remember all the places that were in the Pizza Hut before Novo settled in--in to the community? These failures thought they knew the demographic. They were wrong.

But city hall and the seven dwarfs have the answer: they will change the demographic by tearing down this existing, effective business incubator and replacing it with a cookie cutter development supporting expensive, high priced franchises (Bam! Kick it up a notch!) with footfalls provided by, wait for it, high density, high crime urbanal residences-three to five stories of apartments towering over nearby subdivisions. Several thousand apartments are coming to daVille, because as Mayor Development says the business doesn't work without it: "we don't get the amenities we want without housing."

 And just who are "we"? Well it sure as hell isn't the community that built this village, that supports these businesses and rejects those that have no place here. No, in Mayor Development's lexicon "we" are city bureaucrats, developers, commercial real estate managers and profiteering businesses. Oh, and the seven dwarfs themselves. 

No Fooling.

Pandemic Shifts

Folks have changed. Some are direct consequence of impositions forced by the pandemic. Others, more indirect, are a result of time afforded by the pandemic to reflect on lives and how they are being lived. There will be changes and some, many being improvements, may well be permanent. This pandemic will not fully subside anytime soon and only the most naive believes this is one and done. 

One change taking hold is the renewed affection for suburban and rural living. Hopefully this will put a stake thru the heart of plans being made by high profit high density developers and their lackeys at city hall. God willing some of those lackeys will become redundant. In any event it is gratifying to find that the folks who moved to Dunwoody and created their sense of place, a suburban place, had it right all along. 

Folks have planted pandemic gardens, because you can do that in the 'burbs. Many have revisited a lost art called "cooking." Some have realized their home cooking is actually better than a lot of what they previously got where someone else did the dishes. Many have found life not just survivable without a daily eat-out but significantly better calling into question the viability eat-outs going forward. 

Working from home has not only worked it has proven more productive than rush hour to and fro with break room decompressions and afternoon dread. If work-from-home maintains its current level there will be fewer employees in cubby holes and consequently fewer occupational tax payments. Maybe we'll see folks at the Developers' Authority who traded away school taxes to gain occupational taxes wearing face omelets. 

Then there are the public schools. Buses are no longer schlepping kids to classes but since it is part of revenue stream they are now meals-on-wheels. Teachers have gone from heroes to traitors by insisting they be outside the classroom. A year ago teachers would have a hissy fit if someone suggested cameras in the classroom and now the classroom is the camera. And they want it that way. Or so they think. Unfortunately this form of flipped classroom does exactly what teachers so don't want: exposing classroom activities to review, particularly by parents. Now it is virtually impossible for a parent to NOT see what is going on. If Stan Da Man's post of virtual learning weekly calendar is correct, and it probably is, then DeKalb is offering three hours of instruction four days a week with the remainder mostly fluff. As a point of reference, the State of Georgia requires that home-schools provide four and a half hours of instruction for 180 days per year. And what are the teachers' big concern? That their Professional Development Institute didn't cover how to create their own bitmoji classrooms. Any parent that giggles that (it really is a thing) will likely seek an alternative to this virtual learning which is proving to be useless. If enough parents agree, this pandemic may finally result in a public school revolution where schools shed burdensome extras and return to core learning.

Pure Lunacy

Despite the founding fathers' frequent invocation of a higher power, they, in their wisdom incorporated the Establishment Clause to prohibit governments from inflicting religion, even the one to which they subscribed, upon us. Some folks have a serious mental defect preventing them from understanding this simple but foundational principle.

One councilman wants to "dance a little sidestep" and let the City Manager take the bullet and make the call by suggesting the determination of what is or is not "religious" be left up to him. Now that's leadership. NOT! Here's a simple little rubric: if it is not DIRECTLY related to city services called out in the charter then it has no place on city property. Don't waste our money on any of this seasonal falderal even if it isn't related to any religion. And yes, that means not a penny of city expenditure goes to Lemonade Days. Do your job first and then let's talk about a Fun-Fund.

But seriously. there are still folks out there who actually argue that Santa Claus is NOT a Christmas, Christian symbol. Same with Christmas Trees. [We at TOD reject the underhanded, deceitful practice of labeling these wastes-of-wood "Holiday" trees.] There is a real simple, clarifying thought exercise: if there were no christianity how could there possibly be a Christmas, a Christmas Tree or a Santa? Easy-peasy.

For what it is worth you could have your reindeer since they did and would exist even in world full of atheists. Just not the one with the red nose.

Yet Another Logo

The City appears doomed to yet another attempt at copping a logo. That presentation does not exactly give hope of dramatic improvement as we learn on foils eight and nine that the United States has expanded to include Toronto, Montreal, Melbourne and Sao Paulo. Wow. Who knew? Well the Smart People down at Smart People City Hall knew, that's who. And they are the folks driving this bus.

It is foil four that offers the greatest [entertainment] value as it solicits "the one word that best describes Dunwoody." This is followed later in the prezo by a list, but it is missing a few that just leap to mind. Let's play word association. We say "Dunwoody," you say:

Exclusive
Restricted
White
Insular
Selfish
Wasteful
Arbitrary
Hypocritical
Inconsistent
Reactionary
Enervating
Taxing [all definitions apply]

And the granddaddy of them all:

Hubris

Mizz Dunwoody Bitch Slaps Mista DHA

The relationship between Mizz Dunwoody and her Mista has always been publicly pleasant if at times unseemly or downright incestuous. Recently an earth shattering breakup has Mizz Dunwoody kicking Mista DHA outa da house and to the curb. The abruptness leads some observers to believe Mizz Dunwoody has gone a bit crazy or might be over-reacting to some minor cock-up, like Mista DHA leaving the toilet seat up. Again. But somehow this has a burning bed quality about it.

Reaction in DaVille was immediate and in some cases pre-emptive. Some with an eye for Mista DHA as well as a slightly catty attitude towards Mizz Dunwoody are already slinging mud on Mista's behalf. Fact is they've been making catty remarks only slightly under their breath for some time and now that a crack has opened they are driving a wedge hard and fast all the while batting an eye at Mista DHA. The heart wants what the heart wants.

In reality even the batty-eyed flirts don't know what really happened. Mizz Dunwoody didn't just bitch slap the Mista, she lawyered up and laid a gag order on his stunned face. His initial compliance may be a simple delay tactic until he finds the better lawyers or it may be that Mizz Dunwoody has something that not only constitutes irreconcilable differences but might point to something significantly more serious and embarrassing than a brief indiscretion. And if Mista's courtesan's don't know how are the poor disengaged denizens of this burg to know?

Perhaps the better question is "why would we want to and what good would it do?" It's pretty obvious this split is for real and for good. The lawyers alone indicate that makeup sex is not in this couple's future and while his flirts may service Mista DHA, Mizz Dunwoody seems hellbent on standing tall. And alone.

But what now for Mista DHA? The sting is fresh and there is a risk of anger overruling reason. He may seek to vanquish Mizz Dunwoody on a field of legal battle but he would only win a pyrrhic victory. With significant collateral damage. Us.

Maybe Mista DHA can turn his attention to Miss Schoolhouse. They could be DaVille's next power couple. Or perhaps he can leverage his remaining wealth to invest in real estate. There are some nearby properties, notably a failed restaurant that he could save from becoming a successful bank. So many options. Only one of them bad.

Mizz Dunwoody and Mista DHA were, in their day, such an admirable couple. Let's hope bickering and acrimony don't permanently tarnish the image. 

We're Walking. We're Walking.

There are pedestrian friendly places and then there are pedestrian centric places. With the former you have a pretty good chance of crossing the street without getting run down. With the latter as you approach the curb at a marked crossing auto traffic actually stops while you cross. There is a town that would best be categorized as one of the latter within a reasonable distance of daVille, but we're not going to tell you where*.

But we will tell you what it is like and offer a few reasons why Dunwoody will never be like this.

It is a town, not a city with a population of around 12,000, so about one fourth that of Dunwoody. It covers approximately 6 square miles putting it just below one half of Dunwoody's 13. The town was founded in the early to mid 1800's celebrating its sesquicentennial before Dunwoody was envisioned. Except in the outer fringes bordering a lake the houses are older with ample yards and blessed with trees that were planted before any of the current residents, no matter how old, were even born. A tall building downtown is two stories and while some residences might reach three it is a stretch as you'd have to count either the basement or the attic or both. The downtown definition of "apartment" would translate here as "house for rent" and multi-tenant rentals top out at "duplex."

The approach to the town from the nearby highway requires visitors to traverse not one but two roundabouts. And these are not the sprawling wastes of space we see in Roswell but are double lane (in the circle) yet quite compact. This facilitates pedestrian traffic by keeping crosswalks close by. It also gives visitors a gentle clue about priorities in this little town. The highway also separates the newer lakeside area from the older, more historic town center.

While Dunwoody has Perimeter Center to fill its coffers this little town has a real Main Street with many small shops and restaurants in buildings that come right to the sidewalk so by and large the locals actually pay for their own town. Where there is parking it is parallel or slant-in and free of charge. For most businesses along Main Street, particularly restaurants, outdoor dining is behind the building between the building and parking at the rear (where most parking is located). Some restaurants do not have a street front presence at all and while this makes them harder to find they are well worth the effort. Like Dunwoody this town hosts a college but one that is significantly smaller than Dunwoody's Perimeter campus and is a significant component of downtown. Also like Dunwoody it appears to be relatively free of homeless bums and blessed with enough Mexican labour to keep the place neat and clean.

This little town grew organically over an extended period of time. It is mature, even old. Where we start our pontifications with "I've lived in Dunwoody for X-number of years" it is not uncommon for adults in this town to be fourth or fifth generation and they generally do not feel the need to brag about it. It is their town, their birthplace and their ancestral home. Dunwoody is a neo-bettendorf with a better name and a serious identity crisis.

It is, as most small Southern towns, built around a single dominant industry. People who gathered around that industry joined together sharing common interest and formed the town. Dunwoody is the byproduct of the greed of suburban transients whose anger was born of sending tax money southward and receiving less than we felt our due in return.

But this is about walkability.

The little town has a relatively flat aspect. While this is the South and heat is unavoidable, mature trees provide ample shade (which does nothing for the humidity). Sidewalks are where they need to be and go from curb to storefront on Main. Streets that would be four lanes of traffic in Dunwoody are two lane with parallel parking at the curbs which are then separated from traffic by bike lanes. Pedestrian centric goes foot in stirrup with bike friendly.

Crosswalks are well marked and never more than a city block apart--if that far. On each side is a small pole with a container for orange flags. Should a pedestrian be worried that they are not seen they take a flag on one side and deposit it in the container on the other side after completing their journey.  You are your own crossing guard but the fact is you don't really need to be.

Drivers making a left turn are required to yield to crossing pedestrians. And the crosswalk light that would cause this to happen turns to "walk" at the same time as the left turn signal goes green and if there are enough pedestrians or they take long enough to cross then you're just not going to make that turn.

You're probably wondering how this can be anything but Redneck Frogger. Perhaps you think it is a form of that Southern Malady that causes folks to pull over for a funeral procession. Maybe it is something in the water. It is actually much simpler. This town has two speed limits: slow and slower. To be more precise some areas sport a blazing fast 25 MPH speed limit while most areas, including Main Street are set at 20 MPH. And these limits are universally observed and no one seems to believe that their horn is directly connected to the gas pedal of the car ahead of them. The chicken-egg dilemma is whether the limit is observed due to diligent enforcement or if observance obviated the need for enforcement. In any event you don't see speeders so you don't see them pulled over.

You could say this town is an "existence proof" that true pedestrian communities can be built. Perhaps. But not here.

In Dunwoody the flags would probably be red but it wouldn't matter as they would quickly be stolen. In this little town folks don't lock their doors or chain their bikes. One renter lost his keys and rather than get replacements simply left his doors unlocked. For the last six months of his lease.

There are 25 MPH postings in Dunwoody and not just at key hours in a school zone. But outside of those school zones these limits are never enforced or observed. They are rarely enforced in school zones. The simple fact of the matter is Dunwoody would never tolerate the perceived cost in time and convenience required to achieve what this little town has. Consider the public comments should someone suggest that Chamblee Dunwoody and Mount Vernon in daVille suffer a 20 MPH speed limit. Three minutes is not enough.

This town is not a product of the bureaucratic façade we call Complete Streets and was not built by Federal grants according to a distant, detached, dictatorial social architect's blueprint. Instead this is a cohesive community willing to accept the costs in time and money to make a pedestrian centric community a reality with a long term commitment to keep it that way. And it is the citizens who for the most part pick up the tab. This is not in Dunwoody DNA.

This town is nearly heaven on earth for those who live there--as close to Mayberry as  you're likely to find.** If we're being truly honest and self-aware all of us in the Wold know we'd rather watch Mayberry on TV than actually live there.

* This unanimous decision was reached by the TOD editorial board with almost no discussion whatsoever. To a person the board is "American by birth and Southern by the grace of God" and have just about had it with many of the finest places in the Southland being ruined by carpetbaggin' Yankees and we'll have no part in the ongoing destruction of our homeland. 

** We admit that we have not done an exhaustive search. But we're working on it.

Apartments and McMansions

The world is increasingly binodal whether we're discussing pay disparities, the digital divide, abilities of students in a single class or even Dunwoody real estate--the mean truly is mythical.

Dunwoody was formed to purge the area of existing apartments and where ever possible to forestall or prevent the construction of new apartments--a chore previously handled by the DHA thru their cadre of lawyers. The logic was that apartments suffer from shoddy construction, poor maintenance (and one might observe: poor enforcement of local codes) and high crime thus harming overall property values in the vicinity but the underlying issue was the fact that apartment dwellers ARE the lower lobe of our socio-economic binodal distribution. This was pretty clearly exposed along with the plans for spending the proposed tax bonds on eradicating the PIB apartments. The noise about this being a  "high crime area" has become muted as the real high crime area is the Perimeter Mall where the apartments are tony and newer. It cannot go without saying that they pay more in property tax for which they receive the lion's share of Dunwoody's police protection. We won't detail the "harm to our schools" argument as that was pretty much blown out of the water with Austin's recent CCRPI scores in spite of hosting kids from apartments.

Given our revulsion to apartments it may seem befuddling that there is a growing resistance to McMansions whether on previously undeveloped land or lot-by-lot tear down rebuilds. It seems that in Dunwoody the only good McMansions are those replacing existing apartments or preventing the construction of new apartments. But while McMansions may be bad, they're not that bad.

But are McMansions really bad at all?

A surprising number of single family detached houses in Dunwoody were built in the late sixties to mid eighties after which scarcity drove up prices and drove many buyers further out. As our Mayor has pointed out (in his support of tear-down McMansions) these houses were built with construction techniques and integrity such that they have about a thirty year life (funny how that is a bad thing for an apartment complex but a good thing for a house) and it is really about time they were replaced. Our own little Ulysses, bless his heart.

So why is someone in a mature neighborhood upset that the neighboring 2600 sq. ft. Four Four and a Door has been replaced by a 6500 sq. ft. Tudor style two story with a three car garage and blessed with a daylight basement?

This isn't just envy. You. Lose. Money.

Your property taxes just went up and the Total Addressable Market of buyers and  ironically the price they're willing to pay just went down.

But there is also a strong pride of ownership. Long time homeowners have often put much of themselves into their home--more than sweat equity--homes become a personal statement. It is a family jewel. The homestead. Where the kids were raised. Remember the year the cat chewed thru the Christmas light cord and had to be put down? Ah...yes, dear Beelzebub...she was really just like a dog.

Where real estate agents see a house (and a private school payment for their child) some folks see a home. Their home. Just like the one in Father of the Bride, Part 2--to be preserved and cherished for all eternity and not an eyesore to be demolished so some rich asshole has a better place to park his A7.

OK. Maybe there is some envy.

Then there are those built on previously un- or under-developed land. Bill Grant has been building McMansions right off Ashford Duwnoody (and even scored a new curb cut for a single driveway) for what seems like an eternity.  And now another developer has plans to build a few dozen homes off Vermack. This would be on approximately 35 acres already zoned for exactly this purpose so at this point it is in the hands of the developers and their investors. Resistance will be relegated to "additional traffic" and "impact on schools". Not very compelling.

Prices at the new development start at $700,000 and run right up thru $1 million. The Bill Grant homes are no cheaper. Unless your plan in life is to drain a trust fund these hardly fall in the category of Starter Home. And that affects the traditional Dunwoody Demographic pushing some folks who currently enjoy the view from the top just a wee bit further down.

When you consider a wide range of factors (down payment, interest, other debt, DTI, etc.) you should not be surprised if the folks buying these homes have anything less than $150K in annual household income. Probably more. Perhaps a lot more. This is not only at least two times the 2011 Dunwoody average household income, it is no more a starter salary than these are starter homes. So don't expect a starter family either.

It is hard to get really good drill downs on census data for these demographics but researchers have long reported that these levels of income strongly correlate with high levels of education, particularly amongst women as they tend to seek out equally well educated mates resulting in high earning households. These folks also tend towards the middle to latter part of the high-wage portion of the lifecycle (generally 35-55 years of age) and combined with a high probability of well educated women will likely result in fewer and older children. Their kids are as likely to be in (or out of) college as they are to be taking seats in K-12. Given these income levels, strong emphasis on education and the sorry state of our DeKalb County schools any of their children eligible for DCSD will probably be in private schools.

These McMansions will attract smart, well educated families with high household incomes and below average burden on school and city services. With all this how could anyone oppose the gentrification of Dunwoody?

Fundamental Analysis

Fundamental analysis involves evaluating a business based on its financial statements and health, its management and competitive advantages in the context of its competitors, markets and the overall economy.  While technical analysts see the market as a voting machine the fundamental analysts see it as a weighing machine and use analytical techniques to evaluate current value and gain some insight into value evolution. These techniques are often applied to value investing where investors believe that revenue drives earnings, earnings drive stock price and management drives them both. This thinking underpins the investment philosophy espoused by Warren Buffett who has focused on finding outstanding companies at reasonable prices rather than generic companies at bargain prices.

Mere mortals make similar investment decisions but are probably more susceptible to the influence of emotion than the Oracle of Omaha. Sometimes investors consciously choose to invest unwisely to align investments with a personal philosophy (e.g., picking a "green" investment like Solentra) or avoid certain market segments (e.g., "sin" industries like liquor and cigarettes) in spite of the possibility of significant losses or the opportunity for lucrative returns.

And that's just getting into an investment. Where emotion all too often rules the day is getting out. Even with fundamental analysis and routine review it is difficult to be dispassionate when you see a company's fundamental performance fall and almost impossible to acknowledge that a favoured stock is in a death spiral. Investors get emotionally attached to their investments.

Sometimes it is the investor's needs that change. Young investors can tolerate high risk in their portfolio as they have time to recover from risky investments that don't pan out. Older investors may not be able to weather a business down cycle quite as well and may favour lower yield but more stable portfolios. Youngsters may eschew dividend income (if only due to tax impact) while the retired may rely on dividends as a key component of income. Investment needs change and portfolios must be adapted to those changes.

Most Dunwoody homeowners grew up being told that their home is their largest single investment. For many that is true. No matter when they purchased Dunwoody homeowners performed an analysis no matter how informal and determined at that time and for their objectives that the home they now own in Dunwoody was the best option for their needs. They analyzed the particulars of the home, the neighborhood and the overall community. They evaluated the HOA and the local government and the decided (based on their purchase) that Dunwoody was better suited than other competitive options. We're a city of smart people and that's what smart people do.

They made the investment.

Now things have changed--if they bought more than five years ago many things in the local community have changed and their original evaluation is no longer valid. It may also be that their needs and objectives have changed. Empty nesters do not need the Dunwoody Four Four and a Door and stairs are often unkind to older knees. They need to re-evaluate their holdings to determine if they have the right investment for their current needs. Every portfolio, even real estate portfolios, should be subject to regular (if not constant) review.

Often investors are reluctant to perform these reviews since it often becomes painfully clear that it is time to change one holding in favour of different holding. One that yields a better investing outcome or is just better suited to the investors' current needs. When it is your home, a home you had previously been quite happy with, it can be even more painful. But facts are facts.

Dunwoody has changed. It has a new government, some say better, some say nay. If you came here for "good schools" those are long gone and not likely to return. If you came for the parks you were simply misinformed. If you came here for low crime and a quiet lifestyle you now have The Mall. If it was convenient access to shopping and restaurants traffic has eliminated all hope for convenience.

Things have changed. It is time to take a cold analytical look at what Dunwoody is rather than dwell on what it once was. To evaluate what it may become, guess at the future trajectory and determine if that is a place you want to call home. You should be asking yourself "if I didn't live in Dunwoody already would I really want to move here?" and if the answer is "yes" you still have a sound investment. If the answer is "no" you should upgrade your portfolio.

Can You Tell The Difference?

Been away so long I hardly knew the place

Gee it's good to be back home

Leave it till tomorrow to unpack my case

Honey disconnect the phone

I'm back in the U.S.S.R.

You don't know how lucky you are boy

Back in the U.S.

Back in the U.S.

Back in the U.S.S.R.

Olde Farts And The Missing Majority

Lately there's been some 'cussin' and discussing around a stated gap between this City's demographics and what subset shows up for Council and Town Hall meetings. And when we say demographics we mean age because the dirty little secret is that no one at City Hall is the least bit concerned that the audience remains lilly white. The audience age observations surfaced at the first Town Hall meeting in the Mayor's statements that were later recounted at the subsequent Council Meeting.

According to print media the Mayor "told the town hall meeting audience that the average age of a Dunwoody citizen was 37 or 38, and those citizens did not have time to come to these types of meetings because of their families or jobs." We won't speak to what keeps other folks busy and quite frankly neither should the Mayor.

But we're all over the age thing.

The 2012 estimates from the U.S. Census bureau suggest a median* age of 36.6 years in the Wold. First this is not the average age but it is the age at which there are just as many who are younger as those who are older. This particular stat also includes all ages. Infants. Twaddlers. Elementary School children. High School. In fact, over 21% of our population is under 15 with almost 26% under 20. Certainly those 18 and 19 year olds are eligible for the vote but the remainder of this one-in-four cohort is indirectly represented.

As we've pointed out before, suburbs are places dedicated to the worship of children so it should come as no surprise that many in the Wold expect that the parents of minor children are the most appropriate representative on their children's behalf. The City Manager has taken us all to school on what a representative form of government means (he gets what he wants--you don't) and perhaps he'll let us know if this reaches into our dens and kitchens. It also seems the Mayor disagrees with parental primacy--otherwise he would have used a demographic stat that more accurately reflects the rather inconvenient view that an elected official should first and foremost represent the electorate. You know. The voters and taxpayers.

So what are the demographics of the potential electorate--those eligible to vote in this representative government (even if they don't bother)? One way to look at this is to examine the U.S. Census bureau data** for the potential electorate. This group comprises 36,388 souls out of a total of 46,133. The estimated average age*** of the twenty and over crowd is 47.1 while adding in some potential non-voters gives an average age of 45.3 for those fifteen and over. Call the average age the midpoint between these and we get an electorate that is ten years older than the median age of the overall population. Not quite Olde Fart but not thirty something either.

But that's just the average which surely tells only a small part of the story. How true. So how many Olde Farts are there and how does that stack up against them Smart Young Whippersnappers? Well, 12.6% of our population is 65 or older and that seems old enough for Olde Fart. Given the Olde Fart end state (dead) that compares pretty favorably with the under-fifteen crowd that comes in at 21.2%.  Taking out the legal minors we find that Olde Farts hold their own with young voters as well. You must march firmly into the 25-35 decade to match the over 65 crowd.

If we close in on the center of demographic mass we find that 23.1% are over 55 (previously known as "doing the speed limit") while the under-twenties comprise 25.9%. A back of the envelope estimate shows that there are about the same number of residents over 55 as there are those that are legal minors. What sane politician wants to piss off over 10,000 folks of an age known for a high rate of voting in deference to about a thousand 18 and 19 year olds who often cannot be bothered to even register?

So yes, Dunwoody has a large contingency of young folks, but primarily these are too young to vote, too young to enter into a contract and in almost all cases too young to drive. As one might expect our population demographic takes a dip with college age children as presumably these folks go away to college or get an entry level job and can no longer afford Dunwoody. And this all fits our general description: a suburban home to those who want a good place to raise their children.

Basically we've a middle-aged population. Currently the average age of adults (and we're acknowledging 18 yr olds as "adults") is around 46 but should rise as we now have a developer proposing to build a fifty five and over residential complex near Georgetown. This is not likely to offer a younger crowd at the Mayor's meetings and will drive up the average age in Dunwoody. With a stated policy of suppressing apartments with transient residents who tend to be younger the shift should be even greater. So you may not like Olde Farts but outside of that poor bastard we scared back to Fantasy Land it looks like our Plan of Record is "grow the rolls."

But is that what this is really all about? The aforementioned article goes on to quote the Mayor: "We, as a city council represent 47,000 people and we have to be very careful not to be pushed and swayed by a very vocal minority."

Wow.

OK.

Fine.

They're vocal.

But they may not be the minority they're dismissively made out to be. But even still there seems to be something else going on.

Sixty five percent of our population is under 45--children (a full 25% of the total and 40% of this younger subset), their parents, some folks working towards parenthood and a few smart young folks. And these are the folks who are NOT showing up at the Mayor's meetings which he states is because they're too busy with life. But the Town Hall meeting started with a personal testimony to the fact the the Mayor and Council cannot read minds. And yet...he can speak authoritatively to what are the motivating concerns and issues for this missing two thirds--which represent only 56% of the potential voters. Could it possibly be that the things most important in their lives are more centered around what is going on with the schools than how long the orange barrels are going to be on the Parkway? Perhaps so long as the City doesn't let anything important go pear shaped they are focussed on things that directly and immediately impact their children's well being. Who really knows? TOD cannot read minds either.

Politicians love to claim they represent a larger than life group in support of their opinion or policy all too often falling back on "The Missing Majority"--those folks out there in the constituency in some form or another that just don't have the time or opportunity to participate as much as others yet have all the time in the world to share their concerns and views with any ole politician (in private and off the record of course). This is particularly true when the politician's position is not carrying the day--remember all those emails about the Parkway that could just never be found? So the approach is to marginalize those who show up, who represent, as a vocal minority. Yet some of the very same politicos hold in high reverence that distinctly smaller minority that wrote, as if writ in stone for the ages, some Master Plan that was then subject to quite the minority for review and consequently can now only be deviated from on recommendation of the staff. Perhaps size really doesn't matter. The reality is that these politicians don't give a hairy rodent's rectum if you're in the minority or not they just want you to shut up, sit in the corner and pay your taxes.

And that's exactly what you should do because they are going to do and get what they want whether you like it or not--just pretend you still live in DeKalb County--because you do.

* Only in special cases (even distributions) is the median (midpoint of the range) equal to mean (average of the numbers in the range).  As we move along we will (due to lack of raw data) assume such a distribution.

** Unfortunately the Census data are bracketed as 15 yr 0 mon to 19 yr 12 mon which covers two years worth of voters. However it does not account for those over 18 who are not eligible to vote--not citizens or voting rights suspended. In the absence of detail data we'll call it a wash but recognize the inherent inaccuracy.

*** These estimates are based on the assumption that within a Census range the distribution is even, IE the median equals the mean.

Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part 2)

It would be really nice to offer up a recipe for Larks' Tongues in Aspic but there seems to be a recently imposed ban on the import of Larks' Tongue and though the import of live Larks is not restricted the notion of creating a flock of mute Larks is somehow unappetizing.

We are left with little but to disclose more research on the goals of trolls. Based on lived experience harking back to the dark days of the internet when WAIS and Gopher were your friend, email might well take a day to deliver and files were shared using a rather inconveniently named File Transfer Protocol (who knew?) the crufty bastards amongst us know you just don't feed the trolls. And they know why--the scorched eyeballs and blistered fingers from flame wars are why enough. While they know why not to feed the trolls no one really knows why the trolls exist and where they breed.

Until now.

Canadian researchers led by Erin E. Buckels have been studying trolling and the Dark Tetrad of personality resulting in a very interesting report that is the first comprehensive study of the personality traits of Internet trolls. You remember the Dark Tetrad don't you? Well for those who just can't put their finger on it the Dark Tetrad of personality is narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy and last but by no means least, sadism.

Dark indeed.

The gist of this report is the revelation that self-described online trolls (so clearly you know who you are) score highly in these personality traits. It is also interesting to note the researchers found it worthwhile to independently study direct and vicarious sadism.

Wow.

In fact the authors noted "It was sadism, however, that had the most robust associations with trolling of any of the personality measures..." and observed that this trait is so strong "that it might be said that online trolls are prototypical everyday sadists." Somehow "everyday" and "sadists" just do not belong in the same sentence.

Flipping the coin (heads you're a sadist, tails you're a troll) the researchers "found clear evidence that sadists tend to troll because they enjoy it. When controlling for enjoyment, sadism's impact on trolling was cut nearly in half". As the title clearly states "Trolls just want to have fun."

But wait! There's more!

The research also indicated a strong positive relation among online commenting frequency, trolling enjoyment, and trolling behavior and identity though causality is yet to be determined. The authors suggest that it is the antisocial nature of the troll that leads to higher usage rates of technology (and commenting) while other research suggests that it is the technology that actually causes the antisocial behavior.

And therein lies the rub: the research is inconclusive. If one allows for trolls (e.g., comments on a blog) does that cultivate the inherent sadism within the commenter? Or does virtual world sadism act as a relief valve literally and figuratively venting what might, should it remain bottled up, manifest itself not only in a more violent manner but bleeding over into the real world? Conventional wisdom falls clearly to the former and we just shouldn't feed the trolls.

With all apologies to true fans of King Crimson.

Larks' Tongues In Aspic

The cold weather must have caused some brain freezes or perhaps the silly season is simply upon us now but one member of The Other Dunwoody was witness to a bizarre sight right here in daVille. Seems that some poor bloke of a certain age and gravitas was approached in a local retail establishment by what turned out to be a somewhat ruffled pro-Dunwoody crusader. What ensued was described as indistinguishable from a verbal assault as the crusader opened a rather large can of Dunwoody Whoopass and gave the confused patron a super-sized portion. While clearly a case of mistaken identity this elderly gentleman fled the store and was last seen heading southbound in a Buick sporting Florida plates and an "Ask Me About My Shih Tzu" bumper sticker.

There does seem to be general consensus that this fractured fairytale that Dunwoody has become just might be getting a little out of hand. This matter was hotly debated at the most recent TOD editorial meeting and while the conclusion was this was most likely a spontaneous outbreak of cerebral flatulence caused by cabin fever it was decided TOD should do what little it may to bring the overheated rhetoric out of the real world and back into the realm where it is only the bits that bite.

To wit: a better blog.

Not that any content on this blog will substantially change. Oh no. But what TOD can do is re-affirm the observation that they really will give anyone a blog and offer a few helpful hints to get folks started.

Some say you need a theme to blog around. Perhaps. Perhaps not. If you want a blog dedicated to the Dunwoody Ship-in-a-Bottle Social Club then go for it. If you just want to publish the random drivel that spews from finger to keyboard that's OK too. Not particularly novel, but it is still OK.

What you will need is an account--probably on one of the two services that dominate the public blogosphere. First is Google's Blogger and the other popular alternative is Wordpress. Both are more than adequate, easy to use and supply a variety of themes. Blogger has plenty of cool gadgets and integrates to other Google offers (like calendar). Wordpress is big in academia, particularly where posting mathematical equations might come in handy. There is a JSMath gadget for blogger but this is not as well integrated or flexible as the Wordpress offer.

Both provide minimal analytics and with very little work can be hooked into other more powerful analytics systems. Most folks use Google Analytics but there are others if you have some philosophical opposition to Google running the planet. You probably won't need that at first since no one will be reading your blog. At least not early on and depending on what tortured souls actually visit you may wish for never.

Some consideration should be given to copyright of your material. You must decide if you want re-distribution (copying) or if you'd prefer back-links. You might want to look into the Creative Commons suite of licenses. None of this is enforceable without expending significant dollars but it does encourage the casual cut-and-paster to really read what they're copying before they republish. This can save everyone a lot of grief. Especially the poor SoB who copied your crap without reading it only find out that what it really says is exactly the opposite of what he thought.

Then there is the touchy subject of comments. If you've been paying attention to local blogs you've noticed some fairly recent changes in policy. One blogger dropped the gadget showing recent comments which had the immediate effect of dramatically reducing comment traffic. Others have moved to comment moderation where the blog owner approves any comment before it shows up on the site. Some no longer allow anonymous commenting though most still allow handles (like PollyAnne) which is not too far from anonymous. This tightening of the free-speech-free-for-all is most likely due to the inverse relationship between number of comments and total information content of those comments. Or it could just be that most commenters have gotten really nasty of late. Of course here at The Other Dunwoody this is not a problem because we simply do not allow comments. While this was initially met with cheers of enthusiastic support lately there have been some who would like to offer their witticisms using our bits rather than getting their own blog and the point of this post is to encourage them to exercise their right to free speech on a blog of their very own. Furthermore we suspect these folks may in some way be responsible for scaring that potential age-in-place taxpayer all the way back to Fantasy Land.

So are you a candidate to write that better blog? Well if you're reading this tripe you clearly have too much time on your hands--time that might be better spent writing than reading. And if what you read here really, really pisses you off, you owe it to yourself to point your browser over to blogger or wordpress and make a fool of yourself in the virtual world rather than down at the gas station.

Red Capers and Bulls' Spit

First they ignore you,
Then they laugh at you,
Then they fight you,
Then you win.
--Mahatma Gandhi*

Given what's been posted lately on some of the well respected Dunwoody blogs it would appear that Dunwoody's very own Red Shirts are well into the third phase and we're still a few weeks from the polls. They could go all the way.

The original source of the Red Shirts' discomfiture was the feeling that they were ignored which in their minds fell far short of the promise of small government and local control. Or perhaps they didn't realize that even with local control that real power rests with the self-chosen few. They didn't spend much time in the High School cafeteria did they?

Then they started making appearances at Council during the public comment sessions. You know--engage the system. They were snickered at by Council and generally derided on blogs and in the local print media. They did get in some of their own digs but when decorum is shattered by snide comments and giggles from Council it is not a fair fight. But then again incumbency never fights fair.

Now the Red Shirts are being excoriated in the blogosphere for using what appear to be exactly the same tactics used by Dunwoody Yes! and Citizens for Dunwoody back in the pre-referendum days. Anyone who attended those so-called forums and information sessions know they were as fair and balanced as a homecoming pep rally. Citihood proponents hardly displayed any mental agility as they were preaching to the choir and since when did witty repartee replace thoughtful statesmanship as a qualification for governance? And we'll not here rehash the withholding of key information by the pro-city groups prior to the referendum. But in today's blog-bashings what is of particular note is the suggestion that the Red Shirts are copying off each other's crib notes when in fact it is the Red Letter bloggers who write in lockjaw lock step as was often the case in the march to citihood. Perhaps great minds do think alike or perhaps it is a form of high-brow humour. Or maybe some folks just never outgrew the High School cafeteria.

That is indeed the common thread running thru our revolutionary days of change and into our new found love of the status quo--it has always been about the status quo. There has always been a power structure in Dunwoody and now that the City is incorporated this power has been extended beyond mere watchdog to conduit for elected City officials and singular platform for successful candidacy. The Red Shirts neglected to genuflect before them and receive the broad sword's tap on their shoulder.

The blogosphere's reaction indicates the Red Shirts are perceived as a legitimate threat to this long established status quo but it is yet to be seen if they will make it to the end of the path described by Gandhi. This time.

* Mahatma Gandhi, born 2 Oct 1869.

Fight Or Flight

The days drift by
They don't have names
None of the streets here look the same
And there's so many quiet places
Smilin' eyes match the smilin' faces

And I have found me a home
I have found me a home
You can have the rest of everything I own
'Cause I have found me a home

The recent trend in the Blogosphere of the Wold is to assign monikers to teams involved in our little skirmishes, or at least deprecating ones to those holding the opposing position and this seems like fun so for the purpose of this diatribe we shall do the same. In the first corner the formerly retired champion making a comeback is the contingency known as "More Dunwoody Than You" aka "Mo Wood" and in the opposing corner the young upstarts, Dunwoody's collective agents of change, our very own Cheese Hunters extraordinaire, the "Jeezer Cheeser".

What has Mo Wood back in the ring facing Jeezer Cheeser is a skirmish over a skirmish, specifically the "Battle for Dunwoody". Mo viewed the conflict between Dunwoody and Dekalb in simple terms with clearly stated, limited objectives much like Stormin' Norman in the first Gulf "war". Once the City was established and our taxes stayed here payin' for Police, patchin' potholes and pavin' parks they considered the war over. Job well done, but more importantly, job DONE.

Jeezer, young and hotheaded was more like Patton and seems in it to never win it, to never say that the last battle is fought and won, but to slog on in a never ending campaign to battle against what he sees as the forces of evil. By and large this means anyone who wants to keep Dunwoody a sleepy little Bettendorf. Just a bit too quaint for Jeezer. Plus Jeezer is a fighter and is itchin' to take all comers.

Mo's position has the merit of simplicity: Mo "bought into Dunwoody" when it was a sleepy bedroom community and though Jeezer cannot believe and will have none of it, actually LIKED it that way. Mo's complaint with DeKalb was the same as his issue with Jeezer which is that DeKalb and now Jeezer want to take away the life Mo has vested interest and much money in.

Jeezer is the more complex creature even to the point of incredible. It isn't clear how Jeezer got to Dunwoody, given there were no real secrets about the "Dunwoody sense of place" but we'll go out on a limb and suggest that Jeezer has close family members held hostage who will be killed should he leave the Wold. We're romantics like that.

Now Jeezer is promoting himself as the next new thing, heavy emphasis on "new" as Jeezer is an evangelist for the inevitability of change. Jeezer has clearly never been to Darien CT where the good folk living there have kept the clock rolled back to the mid 1950's. That fine existence proof notwithstanding Jeezer is hell bent on change, his change and not just for himself but for Mo and everyone watching from the stands.

But Jeezer is facing Mo's rope-a-dope and wearing himself out. Even in these early rounds many of his formerly ardent supporters are losing hope and more importantly faith in his mission and his tactics. They are asking of themselves the same question others are asking of Jeezer: if the hostage story isn't true, why fight--isn't flight the most efficacious option?

And many are seriously considering that option. Upon finding that Dunwoody isn't their nirvana, not the Hell's Cherubs Home of Cycling, not the tree-hugger's paradise, not the neo-urban funk capital and certainly not a haven for folk-artsy folk who take their Hippocratic Oath of Ecology VERY seriously they are voting with their feet.  And what's to stop them? Dunwoody fared better than most in the recent real estate crunch and as it turns out there are many places nearby in the Metro area that actually ARE what Jeezer wants to force Dunwoody to become. So a brief analysis of "time left on the planet" vs "fight for something I can migrate to" is leading many to the path of migration. Maybe Dunwoody is Smart after all.

Most of the people who retire in Florida
Are wrinkled and they lean on a crutch
And mobile homes are smotherin' my Keys
I hate those bastards so much
I wish a summer squall would blow them all
The way up to fantasy land
Yeah they're ugly and square, they don't belong here
They looked a lot better as beer cans

Yeah, and that's why it's still a mystery to me
Why some people live like they do
So many nice things happening out there
They never even seen the clues
Whoa but we're doin' fine, we can travel and rhyme
I know we been doin' our part
Got a Caribbean soul I can barely control
And some Texas hidden here in my heart

Another One Down

It isn't like this is IN a school zone, it's conveniently just outside the school zone and this isn't the favourite stomping grounds of anyone on council. So...

Ooh, let's go
Steve walks warily down the street
With the brim pulled way down low
Ain't no sound but the sound of his feet
Machine guns ready to go

Are you ready, hey, are you ready for this
Are you hangin' on the edge of your seat
Out of the doorway the bullets rip
To the sound of the beat - yeah

Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone and another one gone
Another one bites the dust, eh
Hey, I'm gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust

How do you think I'm going to get along
Without you when you're gone
You took me for everything that I had
And kicked me out on my own

Are you happy ? Are you satisfied ?
How long can you stand the heat
Out of the doorway the bullets rip
To the sound of the beat
Look out

Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone and another one gone
Another one bites the dust, eh
Hey, I'm gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust

Hey
Oh take it
Bites the dust - bite the dust hey
Hey
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust, ow
Another one bites the dust, hey hey
Another one bites the dust, heeey
Ooh show down

There are plenty of ways that you can hurt a man
And bring him to the ground
You can beat him
You can cheat him
You can treat him bad and leave him
When he's down, yeah
But I'm ready, yes I'm ready for you
I'm standing on my own two feet
Out of the doorway the bullets rip
Repeating to the sound of the beat
Oh yeah

Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone and another one gone
Another one bites the dust, yeah
Hey, I'm gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust
Shoot out
Hey, alright

Cobb Schools: Technology

Public Education's bungling of all things technology is driven by a few simple precepts. First the status quo of a labor intensive system must be maintained and to the extent possible expanded by increasing headcount and compensation. And anything that expands the revenue stream into and thru the public school system is a good thing but only to the extent that it can be used to justify revenue increases.

Public Education has treated technology not as a tool but as a shiny object, an adornment, jewelry to distract from the not-so-graceful aging of a system in disarray and decay. It's as if they believe that enough parents will watch the Smart Board and become so enthralled that they no longer wonder why their little Johns and Janes are budding C.A.D.E.T.s (Can't Add, Doesn't Even Try). And these aren't really facts in question. The fraudulent spending on wasted technology by APS is only one example of how technology expenditures are nothing more than yet another friends and family program in Public Education.

But we should expect no less from what is little more than another government bureaucracy: unrestricted expansion driving declining quality of service whilst creating a monster that cannot be killed. Or perhaps it can.

In any field of endeavour technology is first deployed as a direct replacement for existing components in systems deployed in that field. Think "smart boards" or "e-books" or even "MOOC"s . By their very nature these micro-optimizations provide limited improvement and it is only when technology actually changes the system itself that the full benefits accrue. If one were to consider the rather straightforward application of technology to textbooks there would be a natural progression from local on-demand printing to ebooks and web publishing--electronic versions of the same old thing.

But what if technology became revolutionary? What if it were used for more than merely modernizing Gutenberg's invention?

We live in a world where Netflix can suggest movies and TV shows YOU might enjoy. Where Google can help you find things YOU are likely to find interesting. Where Amazon can show you products that may be even better suited to YOUR needs than the one you originally sought. These organizations have developed the capability to find out about you in order to better serve your needs and cater to your wants.

Do you really think it is a big leap to take that technology to the world of education and create an ecosystem that thru interaction with a student determines what that student knows, how that student thinks and more importantly what that student needs to learn and engages them in the activities that facilitate that learning? One company, Knewton, believes this is achievable and has set out to prove it. They have a platform to allow others, virtually anyone, to create a system that adapts to each individual producing a learning experience that grows with each student's skills and knowledge. These students learn under the unblinking eye of dedicated supervision guided by a virtual but personal tutor in the ultimate class size of one. Students using this system or others like it no longer need traditional textbooks because content consumption and student evaluation is continuous and integrated and exposed to them in an environment that is part of their everyday experience.

These students also no longer need traditional classrooms, schools or the educrats making them so expensive and ineffective. And we, the public, the taxpayers will no longer need to pay for them. This will revolutionize education and like all revolutions it will be resisted by the incumbents who currently hold the power and the purse strings. Regardless of educracy's hold on our tax dollars the change is inevitable because the outcomes will be better.

This presents an opportunity for Dunwoody as it moves to create its own schools. Rather than re-create a mini-me clone of a failed system in the hopes that smaller is better or in the self-righteous belief that anything we do must be better we should build a new system in parallel that leverages 21st century realities to produce 21st century results. This cap and grow strategy leaves the failed public school system in the last millennium and prepares our children to succeed in the new one.

Boiling The Frogs

As expected by many and all but guaranteed by some the committee recommending changes to the City Charter are not moving towards enhanced democracy for our citizens but in fact are moving further away. This City was founded amid cries for responsible taxation and spending and now a committee comprised largely of the same folks who brought you Dunwoody 1.0 are now suggesting a way for the City to raise taxes without putting the issue to a vote.

This flies under the flag of shifting services to the City and consequently shifting the taxes (IE: City revenue) to the City coffers but rather than hew true to our founding principals these tax changes will be done without ballot box approval. Perhaps the spanking they received at the hands of the voters over the Parks Bonds left a bruise. At the end of the day this City is all about money flowing thru their hands. It is their way of amassing power and they're greedy for it. The more money they can pump thru their leaky pipes the better. You almost have to wonder if they've been planning all along to start the City with the appearance of "local control" and then chip away at Citizen input at every opportunity. And what can be more opportune than rewriting the charter?

The imminent issue being discussed centers around a "City of Dunwoody Fire Department". Sort of. Turns out Dunwoody cannot afford a Fire Department of it's very own--economies of scale are needed to make it even remotely affordable. The astute observer might notice this is why we have a County Fire Department but astute observers are banished from City Hall. But the FD groupies will not be deterred and offer the notion of a multi-city FD. The stated reason is improved response time--waving the public safety flag as "public safety" is a powerful tool to get whatever you want. But these are the same yahoos who bought into the increased cost of Chatcomm which placed the response time of second responders ahead of first responders. Their concern for public safety is further compromised in their incompetence in completing the CAD-to-CAD interface.

These shenanigans--the "let us tax you shell game"--could have been sold any number of ways, including "you won't pay higher taxes...the only change will be who you write the check to...like when your mortgage company sells your loan". This is largely true but wasn't used. Instead we hear how the City Council must be empowered "to move fast" in the event DeKalb adjusts their services. 'Cuz we all know how fast DeKalb moves.

Look folks, it's those loud red trucks that need to move fast, not City Council changing our taxes--this should be done after public vetting, debate and deliberation. Democracy demands no less. When will we demand democracy?

Arts Festival Success

By almost any measure this year's Arts Festival was better than years past, particularly in the improved ratio of Arts Booths to Banks and Basement Waterproofing Booths. For the time being we will classify "Bullet Bugs" as art.

In fact it was so well attended that it choked on its own success--at times it was virtually impossible to move from booth to booth as you were forced to body surf with the ambling crowd. Along with the auto traffic issues around closure of the main thoroughfare in the village (red) it is increasingly a mystery why the Arts Festival is NOT held on Dunwoody Village Parkway (green).

The Parkway affords adequate linear space and being two lanes with a median more than addresses the lateral space issues caused by the location on Chamblee Dunwoody and the Parkway be used without closing access to any of the Parkway businesses. The Parkway also provides convenient overflow space in adjacent parking lots as well as the carny food booths. By leaving Chamblee Dunwoody open the significant impact on high street businesses is eliminated yet they still see a significant increase in footfalls due to pedestrian traffic to and from the festival.

Surely someone at Smart City Hall has a really good explanation for not using what they tout as the crown jewel of the village to showcase the Arts Festival.

Props To The Cops

At the recent City Council meeting Dunwoody's Top Cop advanced his pitch for alarm system registration and fines for what they determine are "false alarms". Not that the cops would deliberately incorrectly classify a call merely to generate revenue if simply because, as you're about to understand, they won't need to.

The back story is pretty mundane and follows the typical "City Goes Money Grubbing" plot line. The necessary crisis is built around the notion that an enormous and skyrocketing number of home alarm system calls are false alarms. Of course this is draped in the politically bullet-proof shield of "Public Safety" which as a tool for parting the public from their money is second only to "Educating Our Children". The equally mundane second cornerstone is the bratty little school child's excuse of "everyone else did it" which in bureaucratic City-Speak is known as "Best Practices".

In spite of some "Best Practices" where every alarm site pays a registration fee, this Smart City has heard from the voters loud and clear on the Bonds referendum and have determined that these preemptive fines can only be applied to businesses. As smart as they are they actually understand that businesses cannot vote anyone from office and if they vote at all it is only with campaign contributions or their feet. This strategy has already proven to mitigate public backlash by all but eliminating public attention.

The only point of inquiry from our elected Lords and Ladies is around the crank call policy the Top Cop intends to follow. Apparently after a specified number of "false alarms" you'll be branded as "the boy who cried wolf" after which our little shepherds will let the wolves have their day. Of course there is a path to redemption and that path is paved with gold. Your gold. All you have to do is pay some fines, you don't have to fix your alarm and you're back in the flock. If this looks like those credit card companies that want you to carry a balance so they can rake in usurious interest payments, then you have a pretty good grasp of the situation. Apparently this "we won't be taking your calls any more" approach offended the few remaining humanist members of Council so it became a point of inquiry.

And this is where it went from a rather plodding, almost doltish re-enactment of  "fleecing the flock" to something that was revealed to be nothing short of brilliant. During these inquiries it was revealed that the State Legislature is passing a bill, and it will pass, requiring "double verification" before alarm monitoring companies contact the police. At Council the Chief of Police acknowledged this would have a "tremendous impact on false alarms" and when questioned about any negative impact on this new revenue stream he indicated the impact would be "moderate".

In a nutshell, the City is poised to create a new revenue stream justified by a situation that will soon be all but eliminated by State legislation so that all this new money can be diverted to whatever the City wants. This is how a "fee", like an alarm registration fee, becomes just another tax.

As clever as that is, it isn't the brilliant part. That is based on incredibly skillful timing on part of the Police Chief. It goes like this. We have a problem with false alarms, the fix is registration [fees ] and fines and we need to implement this now. Shortly the problem will go away due to no action on our part but if we get this done just before the state law takes effect and false alarms plummet then the Police Chief can take credit "how well his program worked."

Now that's brilliant.