Action Needed This Week!
(click headline for full text of this article)
The House Bill 1128, written by Rep. Karla Drenner and co-sponsored by fellow represenatives, will drop at Noon on Monday for possible entry onto the full delegation agenda this week!
It amends the current law regarding leasing of school property to prohit the leasing for the purpose of installing or maintaining telecommunicatinons towers.
It is urgent that this bill is approved for the agenda this week. If it does not make it to the agenda, it will not be voted upon for a full year. Our schools and neighborhoods need your help!
CALL TO ACTION: If you live in DeKalb County, GA, and/or pay residential property taxes in DeKalb County, you will be personally affected by the outcome of this legislation!
GTCO-ATL recommends that you call or email your state representative to let him/her know that you support House Bill 1128 (Prudent Avoidance) and would like for it to be a priority on the agenda THIS WEEK. Find your represenative by entering your zip code below:
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If you are not sure if you support this bill, consider the followinig:
* Your property taxes (currently among the highest in the United States) are intended to pay for county services provided to all residents.
* Currently, more than 60% of this money is directed solely for public education purposes.
* This revenue is provided to the DeKalb County Board of Education IN ADDITION to the SPLOST IV sales tax which provides $475 million over the next 5 years.
* The Board of Education voted in July 2011 to lease ACTIVE school property at 9 schools to T-Mobile for the construction of massive cellphone tower sites, larger than any we have currently seen in our county (60' x 60' base and 150'+ tall).
* These towers pose dangers to school children and violate the local zoning codes of our county that are intended to protect the property rights of taxpayers and preserve home values for future generations. In addition, the zoning laws ensure the safety of all our residents.
* The Board of Education, acting with only an Interim Superintendent and without the attendance of the Board Chairman, voted to approve the 30-year contracts without thoroughly reading them and without proper public notification or input from the communities directly affected by the decision.
* T-Mobile is currently in the process of applying for permits that will be "rubber-stamped" as our county officials claim they do not have jurisdiction over the Board of Education as it is a function of the state.
* If the House Bill 1128 (text above) does not make it to the agenda and then pass the delegation vote, the 9 schools will have little recourse to stop the cell towers from being placed on school grounds.
* Cell towers have no benefit to the children at the schools and the money is NOT contracted to be used at the schools receiving the towers. It is NOT earmarked for the PTAs, despire press leaks that have indicated otherwise.
* T-mobile will benefit in many ways, including using our public schools as a handy tax shelter. That's money that they would normally contribute to our economy and should have to pay!
* They will also benefit from sub-leasing their tower space and further increasing the radiation levels you are exposed to.
* They will be able to expand their 4G network by building sub-standard towers that do not meet current industry-standards. They will be allowed into areas that would not normally be deemed appropriate or safe for humans to reside near or children to be exposed to, both for the RF radiation they emit and for the "fall zone" including homes and schools instead of the standard buffer zones required.
* There are other ways to get the technology to the people - it just costs the telecommunications industry or T-mobile more money. They are opting for the cheapest, easiest way to accomplish their corporate expanstion goals without regard to the risk posed to human life or the safety of school children.
* Once a single tower goes up at any public school, all our schools are at risk of being used by the Board of Education for this "easy profit" scheme. The FCC Telecommunications Act of 1996, which is outdated, would obligate our local officials to permit other providers to equal access as they would not be allowed to discriminate between providers.
* Cell towers at schools will further harm our housing market and potential homebuyers with families will likely wish to move to areas of Atlanta that do NOT have cell towers on school grounds.
* Passing this bill will make DeKalb County a desirable location for families relocating to Atlanta.
* Passing this bill will prevent families from abandoning the school system in search of other places to live or choosing the private schools as alternatives to public education.
* Passing this bill will ensure that property values are not sent into further decline and industrial structures and for-profit commercial businesses are not allowed a loop-hole into our neighborhoods.
* Passing this bill will ensure that the health and safety of our children comes first and we do not allow dangerous structures to take up valuable space that was intended to be used solely for educational purposes.
CALL TO ACTION: If you live in DeKalb County, GA, and/or pay residential property taxes, you will be personally affected by the outcome of this legislation!
GTCO-ATL recommends that you call or email your state representative to let him/her know that you support House Bill 1128 and would like for it to be a priority on the agenda THIS WEEK.
To find your elected official, visit this website and enter your zip code.
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