How is it slanderous to ask an oppsition website operator, picture with ehr son adn daughter, to debate the merits of her opposition position? If she does not want to debate: so be it...she can respond by saying so. And who actually are the truth Police? Dekalb County's South Commisisoners or the South Dekall Legislatures.
Certainly not the Dekalb Police, its School Board or the many other upstanding Dekabl leaders!

Tom - Please explain how this qualifies as slander. Also, please describe the basis for a lawsuit based on the invitation of a citizen to debate. You do yourself and your cause no favor by attempting to stifle debate behind the frivolous and poorly conceived threat of lawsuit; rather, you introduce quite a bit of unflattering irony.

I hope there are no babies born! This number is much bigger than I thought, go City population growth! YAY!

How true!

Cool. Then give JMax a call and y'all go at it.

Dean, you had a typo. The false propaganda is from BrookhavenYes. Thanks.

So so true! And the scare tactics of the big ole duplication of government and more untrue costs! I have to say they are very good at what they do! But lying is easy when yoru behind a computer and maing stuff up!

They are tearing the community apart versus bringing it togteher. But when your about to lose your connections with the top Dekalb Brass who btw are all so so ethical: I guess you have to go to extreme measures!

False info from anti city sites do not read. They are slum lords and strip club owners!

Careful, mcatl, you are tampering with the Buford Highway commercial tax base of your new city . . .

I guess the Pink Pony is not a good debate venue? OK, no hamburger concession there . . .

I love you man. You're my bud.

I hope you have a VERY bad pothole experience! Enuf said!

Please stop talking about my pothole. That's personal.

That is true

All he wants to do is single out and beat up Mrs Mesh. That's it. Theres 49,187 other people in the fantasy city. Why single out one person in particular? Nothing more here except slanderous intent. Gross.

How could he offer to debate an anonymous website? I wouldn't even browse a mystery site for fear of an internet virus.

It's not slanderous! It's called seeking answers for the silent majority which thankfully don't read the bunk that childers writes!

It's not an anonymous website, Resident 30319. There are many people behind it. One of them, Jodi Cobb, was interviewed by the Patch in a recent article about why people should vote against the proposed City of Brookhaven.

Please visit the site, there are no names and no address on the site. There is a plea for money. This is as bad as sending your credit card information to Nigeria in response to those emails we all receive. There is nothing on this site that suggests where, or who, is receiving the money.

Resident 30319, read the response to the first question in the article at this link:

http://tinyurl.com/6qllwnl

Please pass the yellow mustard!

Carl - Why would Mr. Davis be able to "single out and beat up Mrs. Mesh" if his argument were based on half-truths, unrealistic assumptions, and poor analysis as Ashford Neighbors has claimed? Shouldn't this debate provide a terrific platform from which to exploit the flaws in Mr. Davis's reasoning? Unless you believe Mrs. Mesh isn't the ideal messenger of Ashford Neighbors, something here doesn't compute. As a proponent of BrookhavenYES who has read many of your posts, I would prefer to have you on the opposite side of Mr. Davis, so please volunteer if you believe Mrs. Mesh is an inadequate choice.

You cannot debate lies. Did you invent the Internet, too? Foxy?

Youre so angry. Goodness me.

Real people can only debate not made up ones! City yes! Real people yes!

The most sinceere words to ever hit this subject!

Dude, you need a hug man. Here a little baby sweet gentle little hug for you. ;)
Don't be so mad. Turn off that talk radio and chill.

Mitchell, I understand this a very sensitive issue for you, but please try to R E L A X and be polite and reasonable.

Mr. Carl, Mr. Mitchell will need three hugs once he drives around and sees all the no city signs in the proposed city area! And you are right . . . Sounds like he has been listening to Mike Malloy!

Listen, burping after having one of my special hamburgers may be impolite, but in the Old South it was considered a sign of appreciation. Thank you!

"Popst" ?

"Sabotgers" ?

You must have gone to a Dekalb school. :)

Lying is easy behind a false name and location: S Dekalb!

Oglethorpe would be a good, central location.

I am sure the No City Brookhaven folks would be glad to set something up at Oglethorpe!

Me, checking to see if I can snag the hamburger concession!

On the other hand, if we had it at Cream Ultra Lounge, we would be supporting the commercial area of the new city!

However, there goes the hamburger concession!

Yes and the owners of the Ultra lounge are probably on the NO side hmmmh! But that was a good fruedian slip! I mean 4 AM and no enforcement!

Mr. Mitchell, every time I see post like this I wonder where Rep. Jacobs, Rep. Taylor, Sen. Millar, C4ND, Brookhaven Yes, J. Max Davis, and all of the other “Yes” bunch were in organizing to demand corrections in DeKalb government and the DeKalb School System? Why have they not tried to get rid of the CEO style of government we have? Our elected officials could have utilized their political pull and influence in assisting us with this endeavor.

THEY WERE MISSING IN ACTION!

When I think about their inaction I lose my appetite for my special hamburgers!

Nothing will change with business as usual!

mcatl, from the people I mentioned!

Man, what nice thin sliced onions!

There were not missing: the South Dekalb Delegation controls Dekalb! And it is racial politics, unfortunately as usual...

I admit when I am wrong. touche!

Everyomne look up Phillip Mc.... on urban dictionary! So original! Not!

Anyway. Nice name!

Childers said it was picking on people; that is not what it is....i agree with you whole heartedly

Mr. Tom, here are a few opposition sites to review if you have not done so already.

http://nocitybrookhaven.com/
http://nonewcity.org/
http://www.ashfordneighbors.org/

No thank you, ketchup is for French fries!

The no city websites do not show how much we transfer and spend on Dekalb positions already. Where is that new Library. Stonecrest? Where is that? Oh $outh Dekalb. Be wary of the union infiltration. Don't want to lose rank status and positions in current Dekalb jobs program. Police. Fire. Planning. Code enforcement. Public works. Personnel. Legal. And so on. Add it$ up. VERY e$pensive bu$ine$$ A$ U$UAL!

Mr. Steve, you know I have been saying this all along, and I am not the only one. Together, with support of our elected officials, we could have really made a difference in changing DeKalb County government and the school system. As it is, Rep. Jacobs’s dream of a city has ended up dividing us regardless of our socio-economic status or geographical location in the proposed city. If the new city passes, we will still have a troubled school system.

Careful with your agreement with me sir, I just may have you voting “yes” on August 1st!

Sure! Come on over! The lump charcoal will be ready by the time you get here! Bring your own bottle if you like, but the first drink or three are on me! (Leave that ketchup at home!)

Steve, come on. Rental complexes pay property taxes. The property taxes are in the rent. It's not that hard to connect those dots.

Mr. Joe, you are absolutely correct about apartments, taxes, and rents.

However, if we eliminated public education and education was funded by paying students (consideration/scholarships for low income with tough performance guidelines), I think you would have a better educated, higher performing group of graduates and less brainwashing. Government schools on a per capita basis have their drawbacks and are not producing a well educated general workforce.

No offence my special hamburger eating educational professionals, it is the system, not you folks!

The Dekalb legislation would never agree to lose power! How do u think the school board decision was forced by the Gov? Anyway if you are anti city you're just plain anti N Dekalb. That simple.

The school taxes (and all the other taxes) are embedded in the rent these citizens pay. I believe commercial real estate owners actually pay more then residential for property and school taxes, am I right?

Mr. Tom, WTF? Just why would businesses stay in an area where they are taxed at a higher rate? Your socialist underwear is showing! The supposition that businesses should pay higher property tax rates is just sheer idiotic! Without businesses our economy fails! This is the kind of influence today’s public school students are taught, and will ultimately lead to the downfall of this country.

The answer to your question is NO, property tax rates are the same for residential and commercial properties. However, there may be other county taxes that apply to businesses relating to equipment, inventories, etc . . .

If you smell the fragrance of charcoal burning in the air . . . It must be Mr. Hamburger . . .

HamBurger, public education is a far cry from Socialism. Everybody benefits from it. And commercial real estate does not benefit from homestead exemptions, thus they pay more. Thanks for the economics lesson (sarcasm implied).

Mr. Tom, my comment regarding education and socialism was based on your absentminded post exhibiting ignorance. Furthermore, you would be surprised at the current state of DeKalb County education regarding economics and history. We have daily re-education classes to correct daily miss-information received in school.

You mentioned nothing about discounts, HOST or Homestead credits. You implied tax rates. Be cute and sarcastic all you want, but please, post responsibly.

Those are some very crisp thin sliced pickles!

Dekalb sucks now. S Dekalb would and will never work with N Dekalb. City hood or just plain hood. Please show all of the Dekalb jobs

Directors Deputy Directors Senior Managers all of the wasteful Dekalb positions appointed by and for S Dekalb benefits.

So leave it as it is: pure taxation without representation or results. Wise lady!

Then have it moderated by a local newspaper or tv station. Let it be questions asked by a journalist.

Ah! The wise Deborah Anthony. Once again, great post. You are very correct in the fact there are many many groups against the city. Not just one. Thats why the Yes folks are off balance and looking for someone to pick on. And for JMax to single out Mrs Mesh is very telling of his character. Pick on someone your own size JMax.

Keep moving money south, then support status quo!

Oh Tom Gilmer. Such A South Dekalb lover. Loves him some South Dekalb.

Me too. City hood or status quo.

Mr. Steve, are you certain you do not want another shot of bourbon?

Please pass the yellow mustard!

This is a very true statement.

And it was the Dekalb Comm that over built the supply and saturated low income apts in a massive stretch. Bad for a community. Bad for upward mobility. Nothing more than bad public housing policy. Little by little Buford should and would better succeed as a community as a mixed income community. Not a slum lords dream.

Steve, I don't think you will find too many apartments along the Buford Highway corridor under $500-$700 month.
An educated population is needed for the workforce. It's the responsibility of our society to ensure that a person entering the workforce can read, write, and do math. If you think education is expensive, try stupidity.

Mr. mcatl, the apartments at the NW corner of Buford and Clairmont adjacent to Skyland United Methodist Church are sixty plus years old. They have been renovated at least three times. They owe their longevity to their CMU construction.

The rest of the apartments from that point south to Briarwood are stick built and are in the forty to forty-five year range in age and have been well maintained. They are not Post quality apartments, however they are very livable. These apartments were once Atlanta’s premier residential apartments catering to young families and roommate floor plans. They may be nearing the end of their economic life, but redevelopment in this economy is elusive. A sign that the Buford Highway corridor is not a viable economic corridor for a fledging city dreamed up by a misguided Rep. Jacobs.

Those are the sweetest thin sliced onions I have ever tasted! I assume, given the season, that this is the sweet Granex version from Guatemala?

Not under the watchful eye of Dekalb County, sarcasm intended. But hopefully with City of Brookhaven code enforcement and Zoning thing will get better.

Parking cars on grass should be enforced too, and is not!

Mr. Tom, careful for what you wish . . . Code enforcement for residential properties many times results in yearly fee based mandatory visits from a governmental agency, another way to make up for revenue shortages. It does not necessarily limit itself to apartments, but can be applied by a hungry city to single family residences too!

Careful for what you vote for. Read HB 636 very carefully!

Please pass the yellow mustard!

My goodness Burglar, you certainly are willing to try to scare people every crazy way you can think of.

Stop with the FUD, it s disingenuous.

Mr. Dean, about three years ago there was an article in the AJC about Sandy Springs starting to enforce code inspections for rental property. Rental property was defined as anything from single family to apartments be they duplexes or larger. I contacted Mayor Galambos’s office for details and was referred to a code enforcement official. He did not have a clue as to what he was going to do, but knew that property inspection relating to rental property was something on his horizon. I really do not know what they ended up doing. Immediately, I discontinued searching Sandy Springs for potential rental properties. I want no part of clueless government officials with a license to impose fees on me.

Additionally, was it Conyers or Covington that had a similar law in place and landlords took them to court and won several years ago? Regardless, government can and will find ways to regulate your property with fees if you let them.

Not even the scent of Brazilian charcoal will hide the devious ways of a warped, fee driven government!

True. But I think cutesy pictures and smuness distract from the real debate.

JMax,
No one on the opposing side is running for office here. That is what is unique about this campaign regarding city hood. There is no ONE opposition, there are many. This is issue based, not politically and there is no candidate. The opposition has no desire to be a politician. We just want to be left alone and if we have issues with the county, then we should address those issues with the county. We DO NOT need another layer to wade through and we certainly DO NOT need more government. As for your invitation to Mrs. Mesh, qualify your actions as you will, but your own words on this site and abroad have been attacks on Mrs Mesh, and you have instigated others to attack Mrs. Mesh. Perhaps your focus should be on your own political campaign, which is what this really boils down to.

Mr. J. Max, you have run for political office against Mike Jacobs and were not successful because your reputation preceded you. Rep. Jacobs has maintained the office he beat you out of for several years now and has spearheaded a geographical area rejected by a newly formed city to form a city of their own to thwart being possibly annexed into Chamblee. You appear to be one of the leading proponents of the new city, yet Rep. Jacobs has been curiously quiet since the signing of HB 636. His vote count for re-election will be very interesting!

You are well aware that there are several groups that have organized in opposition to your new city and their supporting numbers are rising daily. By picking on Ms. Mesh, are you trying to deflect some of the heat you are feeling from the rising tide of folks opposed to your new city?

Man! This calls for a Mr. HamBurger special hamburger!

Apartment cities are not good anywhere. Sorry Hamburger! Mixed income and mixed communities are much more long term stable. Most scholars agree on this. Look at all of the dismantling of public housing complexes nationwide! Putting thousands of low income peopel togther (maybe what you like to keep them out of your area) turns into poverty centers. This is bad policy. whther the intentions in 1960 were good was one thing. Its 2012 and buford highway needs new energy. sidewalks, trees, medians, mixed use developements. the economy is picking up and Atlanta and this area is desirable and close to the City Center. Look at the new Townhomes at Buford and Briarwood. Very nice!

But for slum lords and code enforcement evaders who take advantage of low income families, keeping the status quo apartmetn cities: are great!

Ezekiel 25:17
The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know My name is the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon thee.

You are crazy. You're promoting Chamblee so bad - and are really just angry you're not in Brookhaven. The silent majoirty is not apartment owners! They are citizens who want code enforcemnt, ethical police force and enforcement, paved streets, new sidewalks, new parks, new libraries, new live work play developments like town Brookhaven. The current land owners only have to "donate" to a few folks to get what they want. With a new city there will be new sherriffs - unfortuantley for the land owners who want to do whatever they want at the peril and cost of the community.

LOCAL CONTROL, LOCAL TAX DOLLARS. LOCAL LEADERS mmaking good long term decisions for the betterment of the Community!

A debate is needed to counter the misinformation Ms. Lesh's organization is peddling.

Commercial property owners only care about money.

Great points, Bill Lowe. There are still many in the northern parts of the proposed city that would prefer to be part of Dunwoody or Chamblee. There are also many in the southern parts of the proposed city that want no part of it.

If Brookhaven becomes a city, I'm sure in no time those who are complaining about our taxes going to south DeKalb will soon be complaining about it going to south Brookhaven, Buford Highway, etc.

The South Brookhaven commnets are a joke. Eventually The 85 frontage from clairmont to Lenox and Bufrod Highway will become more mixed income communities better for all people that live their. Also about the hieght zones the areas aropund the airport will be Chamblee. Peachtree and Buford highway south of clairmont do not have FAA heigth restrictions. Please look into the flight paths!

Even the CDC is builidng a brand new mid rise on its airport adjecent parcel.

Please understand how the tax dollars flow south. Please undersatnd the bloated Dekalb Jobs Program - do you work for Dekalb? You must. They are so over inflated it is ridiculous. I really dare any anti city opponent to seek and Open Records request of every postion and salary of persons who serve unincororptaed Dekalb. This is public information. CAN YOU SAY BELL CALIFORNIA!

Not to mention:
Police Corruption
School Corruption
Increased Taxes less Services
North Dekalb Properties not being Assessed Properly

Perhaps those who believe that their money is all going to S. Dekalb should ask the Commissioner for that area. I did. Twice. "The people in the North say their money is going South and the people in the South say their money is going North." Folks, we are all in the County together. We are now and we will be later - city or not. We already have enough gov't without introducing more politicians and more bureaucrats into the mix. It's tough to read and think about the undertones of some of the posts here that attack people simply because of the area they live in. The scary part is that some of the people making these comments are leaders of the Pro-City crowd. Are the city supporters really brainwashed so much to believe that somehow they are better than the people in S. Dekalb? And if the city passes, that they are better than those in S. Brookhaven? No matter how large or small an area is, you will always have the folks that have more and the folks that have less. And to think that the leaders of an organization would advocate and participate in this poor behavior is very disturbing. And why would people support that initiative? What is wrong with the people in S. Dekalb? What have they done to you? Have any of you even been there?
Vote NO New City July 31 and tell these power hungry wanna be's their behavior is unacceptable and show the people that we are NOT the elitist snobs the Yes crowd is making us out to be. MAN!
nocitybrookhaven.com
nocitybrookhaven.blogspot.com

Mr. Cox:

Its about a CID. Community Improvement District. Give us one for the whole area like the shaffer ammendment then I will drop my support of the new city hood

Local cities decide, with their elected officials, how to use the tax money. Now the majority of the leaders are in south Dekalb. do I think south Dekalb is utopia: NO. I would never go there, live there or wnat to be there. thats why i live near Buckhead! Close to all the things I like.

Why do you think the Fulton cities fought for so long? Becase there roads and streets were pot-hole-ladden - it's mismanagment of funds.

Please Mr. Cox, et all: Give me a list of every Dekalb police officer, fire fighter, planning official, code enforcement official, parks worker, public works official and any other worker or official and their rank, pay and benefits ...there are so many and it is so bloated. Please a LIST ANYONE $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

That is a waste of money that could be used for improvments: roads, sidelwkas, street trees, parks, SO ON and ON!

Deklab will only manage Courts, Marta, and Grady! All that alone is very scary too! Corruption laden too!

Mr. Tom, were you referring to J. Max?

TRUE! So true. Lets see the campaign disclosers of all Dekalb commissioners!

The pro city folks are really going downhill. Do you really feel the need to coat the hill with ice to speed up your decline?

Does it really matter what party she donates to? If she has ties to DeKalb County government?

I am positive if the Pro-City folks were to offer up the information, the majority of their supporters and contributors would be of a certain political party. That is how modern government works. Most people do not know what they are voting for or the underlying reasons why, they only vote for the party which they belong to. Blindly.

It is sad, but true.

Hopefully the small group behind this effort will go ahead and start planning the new city---like Dunwoody did before the vote takes place. Form committees, put out the agendas for the new city. Set priorities. You know, let the people know what they are really going to be getting when they go to vote. Right now as it stands, you are voting on an idea without any solid plans. Successful implementation depends on a good plan and good people to put it together.

If people just want the right to vote, you are more than likely going to get that. But vote for something complete---a city plan with accurate numbers and a real budget.

Now is the time to put it down on paper and distribute it so the voting public will know what they are getting with their Yes vote.

Bill Lowe, it matters because plenty of smears regarding political intentions of Pro-City people have been posted here with no proof. If you are going to bring these people's motivation into question, you bring questions upon those campaigning against Brookhaven too.

Whatever. i have nothing to do with any YEs group other than wanting my tax dollars to saty local and in my area for local improvments. LMAO. Show me the dekalb salary money, honey! I am all about Green staying home! Thanks Deborah if that is really your name!

Ridiculous. Over building an area with low income apartments is against almost any good housing policy! Mixed use. Mixed income. Mixed race. That's good policy! The status quo wants to keep the downtrodden down; and their little tidy homes to themselves. That is backwards. I want to see all areas improve. South Brookhaven and North Brookhaven. But I do have never see any efforts from Deklab on this front. Not now. Not in the past. So we need to energize ourselves!

All "they" do is roadblocks to implement setbelt laws, id checks, and sobriety checks to make money. How is that improving anything?

Please! I am for diverse, educated, mixed use, mixed income communities. That are ethcial, efficient and fiscally sound! Go walk along Buford Highway and try to cross it...Dekalb is a disgrace.

Diversity is good. Gay, straight, old, young, all walks of life. The goal is to get servces local and efficient. It is about response and action. That's why the anti sites are so mean spirited. They think it is some white male power grab. North Fulton had to endure years of racism calls. It's really about years and years of inaction and lack of responsibility & ability to get the job done.

Look how nice downtown decutur is. That is diverse and it is a great example of what a City can become!

Please! I know how Dekalb Government operates! Or fails too!

1000s of apartments in one area: maybe a good idea in 1960. Not today not anymore! I think marginalization and poverty ghettos debate is long lost! I am afraid the "Jones'" really don't want mixed use communities!

Cat Calling Kettle black! Every side is "right". Self-righteousness is good so long as it serves you! just sayin'! Anyway honesty on this issue would never serve anyone!

Amen Sister !! Can't wait for July 31st to vote YES !!