Politics & Government
Airport, Politicians and Serial Killers Top Topics for Tea Party Meeting
The Founding Fathers Tea Party Patriots discuss issues affecting Gwinnett County.
Just as the United States’ Founding Fathers did in revolutionary times, the Founding Fathers Tea Party Patriots of Gwinnett County convened in a local place of business to discuss concerns, thoughts and ideas about how to better their community. On Thursday, Tea Party members gathered at the Golden Corral in Lawrenceville to discuss topics including holding Gwinnett County authorities and elected officials accountable for the decisions they make, the addition of scheduled service at Briscoe Field -- and serial killers.
A student at Florida State University during the time when Ted Bundy was committing murders, Sabrina Smith, now chairwoman of Gwinnett County Citizens for a Responsible Government, said the students were told no matter how nice someone is, you need to trust your gut instinct.
Smith said issues surrounding the construction of Coolray Field and the occurred when the citizens of Gwinnett County trusted their politicians to make the right decision even when the citizens had a bad feeling about what was taking place.
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“A lot of people have made a mistake for too long by just thinking, well, those guys are probably looking out for our best interests and maybe I just don’t understand,” Smith said. “Or we have listened to our politicians who have told us that we don’t understand, even though we got that gut feeling that something is not right.”
Smith said that complacency has led to continuing issues between the citizens and their elected representatives.
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One area in which complacency is becoming less and less of an issue is the . The subject was a major concern in the recent county chairman's race and continues to be a hot political topic for those on both sides of the issue.
, a group of proponents for the privatization and addition of scheduled service flights at Briscoe Field, took to the podium to in Lawrenceville.
Royal encouraged county residents to research the plan themselves before they make a decision about how a regional airport will affect their lives.
“Don’t take my word for it at Fly Gwinnett Forward,” Royal said. “Take that information and look at it and learn.”
Jim Regan of , presented statistics showing commercial service at Briscoe Field could potentially increase noise, decrease home values, and increase poverty levels around the airport.
Regan said Royal's comparisons of Briscoe Field to the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport in South Carolina, the Westchester Airport in New York and the Tucson Airport in Arizona were not appropriate since those three airports are not located within the same close distance to so many residents that Briscoe Field is.
“There is a lot of data out there that indicates that airports impact home values,” Regan said. “The area within three to five miles of Briscoe Field will be impacted."
The Founding Fathers Tea Party Patriots of Gwinnett County meets the first Thursday of every month at the Golden Corral, 2155 Riverside Parkway in Lawrenceville. Meetings begin at 7:30 p.m.