The housing market in Atlanta has taken a hit, like most areas of the country, but the pricey homes near Lakeside High School have managed to maintain their value and, in some cases, even increase. Ever wonder how?
Real estate agents might tell you that it is due to their well-known high school, Lakeside.
But, as this video suggests, perhaps the inflated home values are the result of "McMansions" being built on lots far too small for them.
It's a builders way of preserving a declining home market in a bad economy. The high priced homes infused into reasonable priced neighborhoods makes every home value in the area go up, whether the actual buildings next to the McMansions are actually worth it or not.
The home buyers are told the school is the reason. But when construction plans fell short due to abuse of taxpayer funds, the boosters devised a plan to "finish the dream." It involves claiming to want a cell tower while knowing they would never get one. Then sticking 8 other nearby schools with them, thus lowering the appeal of those neighborhoods while you rake in all the money through an agreement you've made with your school board member and the cell tower company.
It appears there is one thing that is available on a more "equal opportunity" basis in Atlanta than education - is the corruption. Thankfully, the trials of Crawford Lewis, Pat Pope Reid and Tony Pope are expected to begin this September. Perhaps the outcome could signal the end of an era, and the beginning of something better.
Before anyone provides feedback, please understand that this video is not intended to offend anyone who lives near Lakeside or attends school there. We love the area. We have friends who live nearby. We think they should feel the same way we do.
In fact, even the folks at the Yahoo news group must have similar questions. Check out this story, titled "The American Dream is a Myth."
We don't want to harm anyone's neighborhood. And, we don't think the ordinary citzens who live near Lakeside would want that, either.
Instead of allowing corruption to ruin our schools, which harms everyone's property values, we need to vote the most responsible school board members into office and weed out the ones who are pitting us against each other.
Let's take matters into our own hands. We can apply for the SPLOST oversight committee! We can encourage responsible people to run for the school board (in two years) and we can vote for the best choices availabe on July 31. We can vote NO on the cell tower question.
We can speak up at board meetings, but not just for our own schools. Let's start speaking out for the sake of ALL our schools and ALL our neighborhoods.
We can encourage others to vote. Talk about the important issues. Make a difference. Do the right thing instead of trying to help those who are digging themselves in deeper, we should take a step back and look at our own behavior. Let's be role models for our children and show them the way things SHOULD work.
Let's leave a legacy that will make them proud of us!
[ ] YES “Should the local or independent school system of DeKalb County or a charter
school in DeKalb County place or operate a telecommunications tower on any
[ ] NO elementary, middle, or high school property?"
VOTE NO! VOTE NO! VOTE NO! VOTE NO!
You do know why it's called the American Dream? Because you Have too be asleep to believe it!
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