Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Dear Gov. Nathan Deal: Please VETO HB 1299

(click headline to read entire letter)

TO WRITE YOUR OWN LETTER
TO GOV. DEAL,
USE THIS FORM:  http://gov.georgia.gov/00/gov/contact_us/0,2657,165937316_166563415,00.html


Dear Gov. Deal,

Thank you for taking time to consider my urgent plea for your help.  There is a bill that will be coming across your desk that must be stopped. I am speaking on behalf of all the citizens in DeKalb County who have lobbyed the state for help in the matter of cell towers on school grounds.

The issue that was presented to our legislators has been addressed within our county and we no longer wish to seek a state interference in what should be a matter of local control.

The original bill we were at the capitol to support was not passed and this secondary bill was substituted at the last moment as a consolation that is not necessary. In light of the most recent events, it may actually be harmful to the overall cause that it is attempting to support. 

We were not involved in the process of writiing the question that would be placed on the ballot, but in seeing it now, we do not believe it is an accurate reflection of the issue.  Asking the voters take a side in this fashion would actually be misleading and a waste of taxpayer time and money. 

Please VETO the referendum (HB 1299)
http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20112012/125418.pdf

It might also lead to further distrust of our government in general if perhaps the information that is gathered as a result is used in a manner inconsistent from what the individual voters may have intended at the time they answered. 

In brief, on March 27 we received the help and acknowledgement from our county commissioners that we have been hoping for since we first started reaching out to them in May 2011.

We are pleased to report that the efforts of our citizens to put aside differences and work together had a positve effect on our commissioners as well.  They jointly signed a letter to the DeKalb CEO stating the validity of our argument against the cell towers and agreed that they would not be allowed via standard zoning process.  They have urged the CEO to deny any requets for Special Administrative Permit.



We believe the CEO will comply with the request of the commissioners as backed by the citzens of the county (more than 1,000 signatures on file).  The only thing that could possibly derail the months of reserch and hard work would be the passage of this confusing and ineffective referendum that would only mislead many voters out there who have not yet heard anything about this issue or at least not enough to form their own opinion on the subject.

We do not have the manpower, money or support of a big time telecomm lobbyist group.  We are therefore at a big disadvantage to being able to get the word out to people beyond our own neigbhrohoods in time for them to undersand the imporatace of voting no. 

To complicate matters, the legislature also passed a bill this session that makes it a high mistimeaner to conduct a peaceful protest in a residential neighborhood or discuss one on public property. 

Therefore, the rights of the citizens will be severely at risk because if they vote "No," they will be actively involved in a protest of a school agreement while in a residential community or on school / public grounds.  If they even discuss this item to try to explain that telecommunications tower means cell phone tower, they might be considered to be discussing a protest.  We do not want to see anyone suffer a $1,000 or $10,000 fine for simply talking about what is on the ballot. 

HB 1299, http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20112012/125418.pdf, titled, "DeKalb County; nonbinding, advisory referendum by electors to ascertain if schools should place or operate a telecommunication tower on school property; provide." 


As a former Marketing Research Manager with CNN and CBS News, I am concerned about the validity of this form of questioning and the false results that it might result in.  In my MBA-level training in this area, when writing good questions for surveys, we are taught to stay away from asking multiple part questions as if they were all part of the same thing.  It is an incorrect assumption made by the person writing the question to believe that a person who feels one way about one type of school would feel the same way about another type of school. 

Therefore, the conflict of how to answer a question like this could very well result in answers that are not completely truthful or do not get to the heart of how the voter really feels about the issue.  In addition, a telecommunications tower may not be thought of as a cell tower, the real issue we are discussing.  And, the schools will in no way be in charge of operating the towers.  They are stictly for-profit entitities that the cellular company is going to operate as they attempt to go around our zoning laws that are in place for the protection of our residents and our home values.

The question, from a research standpoint, is not asked in a manner that would be considered valid reasoning.  It does not offer anyone the option to answer, "I don't know," or "need more information," which is more likely the sentiment of most of our residents because, unless this issue affects your own home or school, it is not one that is typically followed.  That is why the public notification process in a standard case of zoning would be the appropriate manner in which to handle these towers.  It is what we expected to happen all along and it is what has taken place elsewhere.

We only expected our state legislators to help us with a potential ban going foward and this only happened when Rep. Karla Drenner stepped up to help.  But, it was the Rep. Chuck Sims who headed the committee that shot down the proposed bill, and encouraged Rep. Drenner to seek this referendum instead.  The people are not behind this decision and we urge you to please help us by passing a VETO on this item.

We (collectively), and I do speak for the more than 1,100 people who have signed the countywide petition or other combined hardcopy petitions submitted for inclusion, are satisfied with the county government's ability to properly zone for cell towers and do not think that the general public should be allowed to vote on an item if they have not been educated on it.  In addition, the wording of the question is difficult to ascertain anyone who might be okay with a tower at a high school, but not at an elementary school.  The largest concern is for the youngest of children who are the most vulnerable to this form of radiation.  The question also omitted a group considered to be "comprehensive schools," that run K- 12 and are also being considered as possible cell tower locations. 

While we appreciate the tenacity of Rep. Drenner for trying so hard to get us any type of committment to change, we do not think this voter question will yield results that can be beneficial in any way to those whom they are trying to help.  And, in fact, it may dilute the effect of our commissioners coming forward if the vote is unfairly inaccurate due to the question not being clear as well as the issue still not top of mind for everyone.

Please note we also have 16 of 18 state representatives who signed off on the local bill for a total ban of cell towers on school grounds and we received 7 of 7 county commissioners to pen the letter to the CEO stating that they do not think the permits should be approved.  Again, we have all the support we need and anything else, at this point, should be seen as an attempt to undo all the work and effort this entire county has done to let the decision makers know how they feel.

Please VETO the referendum (HB 1299)http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20112012/125418.pdf

Kindest regards and thank you so much.

Get the Cell Out - ATL

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