Westside fire station closing heats up, as predicted
December 11, 2008 at 6:30 pm by Scott Henry in NewsA little more than a week after the city of Atlanta announced it would close Fire Station #23 on Howell Mill Road, the local Berkeley Park Neighborhood Association has a full-scale campaign under way to build community support for saving the station. The group is promoting an online petition that so far has collected nearly 350 virtual signatures.
The BPNA’s efforts have also managed to attract the attention of one Shirley Franklin. When Deborah Celecia Wagoner, the group’s vice president, sent out e-mails soliciting signatures, she received a terse, late-night response from the Mayor. It read:
This is counterproductive and based on flawed assumptions. S Franklin
Wagoner shared with us her response to Franklin’s message:
Mayor Franklin,
With all due respect, I am astounded by your comment that fighting for our rights as taxpaying citizens is counterproductive. The closure and brownouts of fire stations throughout the city is becoming a cancer. It is the understanding of Atlanta taxpayers that there is money to save the Fire Department but it will not be released. In addition, there are MILLIONS of dollars in unpaid water bills by huge companies that has gone uncollected while “the little man” struggles to make ends meet. How is this fair? How can we spend five million dollars on a theme song for Atlanta and even more on a re-branding campaign only to end up in this disgusting situation?Why were you in New York City last weekend while we had crucial meetings regarding Atlanta public safety? Again, may I ask how is it counterproductive to fight for our rights?
I assume you have seen Chief Cochran’s presentation, and you feel the data provided is inaccurate and flawed? Are you saying that his findings that our public safety is at risk are “flawed assumptions”? I am curious when you reviewed the information seeing how the public and some of City Council saw it for the first time last Saturday. Additionally, the Public Safety Committee only saw it for the first time this past Tuesday.
We, as citizens are growing extremely tired of the rift between You and The City Council. In my opinion, that is the only “counterproductive” issue here. Someone needs to step up and move productively toward a resolution. As our Mayor, I would hope that would be you.
There is massive tax revenue on this petition. We deserve to be protected.
This situation can only continue to heat up. Stay tuned.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Not to mention, the city is able to dig up a few million to pay off some dirtbag real estate company that has apparently shafted the Terry Montague and the rest of those geniuses over at the Beltline. I wonder how the Mayor feels now that she knows she probably won’t be picked by the incoming Obama Administration for some high-level appointment. Desperate, I guess. Disgusting.
Also, Franklin has indicated that the layoffs are politically motivated by the gutting of the Urban Design Commission. Wow, what a leader.