Athens needs new politicians
Athens is hurting. I am a Democrat and a lifelong supporter of what they stand for, but in this town it has become a joke. The mayor is a DINO. Code enforcement is a neo-liberal hitman squad for the city. I am happy they keep Athens clean and respectable, but the sidewalk issue has me thinking.
They want to punish businesses, fuck the corporate chains of course, for the sidewalks being not up to ADA. I get the ADA requirements I really do, but at the same time this was a city built in 1797 for Christ's sake.
The council is weak and full of folks that were once maybe humble residents of this town, but now have moved to classier neighborhoods and still believe they are the voice of the people.
The landlords and the University run this town, and I get that there would be no town without the university, but they need to be held accountable for what they bring into this town and what they keep out of it.
Industry here is dead, retail dies more so everyday. They rushed through a tax hike on a primary ballot of all places. This is their fault for the fire department fiasco and hiring out of town or even out of state companies to do work here on everything from roads and to buildings. The price balloons over and over again.
Now they're fighting over why it took so long to plan a 4th of July event and why the price skyrocketed all of a sudden.
This town is in for a reckoning if they don't figure out how to get these people out of office. This is incompetence and malpractice if you ask me.
But what the fuck do I know.