Lecture notes and citations to “Is This Fair?” presentation.
4. Source: Definition of Single Family. A-CC Code 9-1-27
· Before Athens and Clarke County unified, the Single Family Definition was set at 4
unrelated individuals. At unification, the Commissioners changed the S-F Definition to 2.
Source: Athens Daily News, 3 June 1998, Page B1.
7. Source: Athens Daily News, 4 March 1998, 6A.
8. Source: Elliot v. City of Athens, 960 F. 2d 975 (1992).
9. Source: The Red and Black, 1 June 1998, page 2.
· The most obvious examples of S-F Definition's intent come up during debates in the
Commission. The word "student" is used over and over.
11. Source: A-CC Municipal Court Clerk.
· Discriminatory intent versus discriminatory outcome. You can almost never prove a
discriminatory intent. Literacy tests for voting, for example.
12. The County brought 10 cases against landlords on the Single-Family Definition in 1998. All
10 were brought against landlords who had rented the property to University of Georgia students.
· *OPEN RECORDS REQUEST.
All of these cases are available for review at the Municipal Court Clerk's office in City Hall.
The Case #s are: OR98-011, 012, 013, 017, 026, 028, 053, 080, 106, 110.
13. Who here rents/owns/leases a property in A-CC?
· Who here pays A-CC property tax?
14. Keep in mind that properties are not usually assessed at their full value. Often, for
purposes of property taxes, the County assesses homes below the FMV.
17. When similar developments are planned for 5 Points, townies raise hell.
18. Anyone live near Riverbend? Notice the smell? That's the treatment plant off Research
Road. You can smell it all the way to the Ramsey center in the morning.
19. When you look out your windows, do feel as though you live close to the identity of Athens?
Or, is your view so dismal and bland that you could you be in the anonymous subdivisions along
316? Is this the quality of life that you are going to college to fund?
20. Anyone here live in Old Players Club?
· What is your Summer cooling bill like?
· “Stacked shacks!” As one local real estate dealer calls student housing on the Eastside.
· All electric apartments are expensive.
· Moratorium on student housing…but A-CC cannot say no to Wal-mart!
21.
· In Athens, it is illegal to carry an open glass container, regardless of its contents.
It is also illegal to carry any open container of alcohol.
· Curfews were proposed by Chief Jack Lumpkin and passed by the A-CC Commission in 1998 for
people under the age of 18.
· Any club with an alcohol license must close by 2:45 now. Some officials announced an
intention to extend this law to dance clubs that do not sell alcohol.
· Crackdowns on student bars in Athens are a total sham. Typically, the students are fined
but the bar owners are not. This did not end until business started hurting, and then the
crackdowns disappeared.
· According to the A-CC Traffic Engineers, it is not the policy of the County to install
pedestrian-controlled traffic signals.
· Speed humps in family neighborhoods.
· Bike lanes are asked for at every Commission meeting...
· New judge from firm that donated Doc $2300. (Flagpole 1/13/99).
22. Map source: A-CC Board of Elections.
This is a map of the districts during the 1980s. It’s a reaction to an almost successful student
candidate for city council.
· Look closely at the high-rise dorms and the district lines:
The yellow line is Lumpkin Street. The purple is Baxter Street.
The blue arrow points at O-house, the red arrow points at Russell and Brumby, and the green arrow
points at Creswell. All three high-rise dorms are in different districts. This was done
intentionally to break up the student vote.
24. Source: A-CC Board of Elections.
25. Source: A-CC Board of Elections.
· The Athens Mayoral election is held in off-presidential years.
26. Source: A-CC Board of Elections.
27. Hume's paradox. The County has the power as long as the real power (students and the
general populace) remains passive and apathetic.
· A democracy provides all individuals a chance to meaningfully participate and influence
policy. Students comprise 1/3 of the Athens population, but we have no political representation
at all in the County
· If you don’t have time to be active, vote. If you can spare some time, volunteer for SGA-
EAC.
· County presentation: Either represent us, or we will start taking seats.
28. “Student’s Election Riles Some in Georgetown,” The Washington Post, 11/14/96. Page J01.
In 1996, students from Georgetown University won seats on the local commission because the
commission was making anti-student and anti-university policies. For instance, the commission
wished to: “reduce from six to three the number of unrelated people allowed to live in a single-
family house, a measure that would substantially change the living patterns of students off
campus.” Id.
Upon learning of the students’ bids for commission, locals engaged in behavior “suggestive of
voter intimidation.” Id.
· We have seen similar behavior here in A-CC. When students organize to vote, the locals
spread rumors publicly about the consequences of voting. Don’t be discouraged--the locals want
to you to be passive and malleable to their political agenda.
29. Map source: A-CC Board of Elections.
Red line is College Station Road. Green is Barnett Shoals. Blue is Cedar Shoals.
Strongest point: UGA is the economic engine of Athens. However, the local government treats us
as transients—we’re the engine that’s replaced every four years. The engine that isn’t here long
enough to know the history of A-CC’s cumulative actions against students.
It is time for Athens to treat students as adults. It’s time for Athens to include students in
democratic political processes. Once A-CC acknowledges the economic, social, and cultural
contribution of the student body, once community leaders stop referring to us as cancers…
What would Athens be without the University? What could it be with students fully integrated
into Athens politics?
Service provided: SGA-EAC exists to promote greater political awareness among students. The
students here will learn early on of how the County takes advantage of students. Students,
because of this presentation, will feel as though they are part of Athens…that they contribute.
What we are doing tonight will make students more responsible than passing bar ordinances or any
of the other anti-student policies advanced by the A-CC Commission.
Citizens of Athens address us as students, as if we would never grow up, one day will be
financing your social security. It is your obligation to involve us in civic duties from a young
age…to show us that individuals do have a voice in the community. If we are indoctrinated in an
environment of responsibility and accountability, we will grow to be civic leaders.