Topher1

It's just flight to the suburbs in Augusta. Aiken Co. is a culprit, but its only growing at an modest rate... It's only added about 6500 people since Census 2000. The real culprit is Columbia Co., GA, which is growing like an Atlanta suburb. It's population has increased from 89,000 to nearly 101,000 since 2000. The population of Columbia Co. was only 66,000 in 1990. As far as Augusta, it is led by the most incompetent group of politicians that I've seen. It seems there's a new major impropriety investigation almost every week, and the citizens don't have faith in the govt (a few weeks ago, a new Civic Center, Performing Arts Center, and 20 story judicial center were voted down by the voters, largely due to their distrust in the govt). For a real circus, just check out the online Augusta Chronicle every now and then. It's a real embarrassment. A lot of the older parts of the city are almost unreclaimable. It will take a major boom and significant reinvestment to make some inner parts of Richmond Co. desirable. There are some huge areas of true poverty (looks like black-belt Mississippi) just a mile or so from downtown. Parts of the county are still nice, but I do think that the tax rates are significantly lower in the suburban counties as well, which helps to fuel the exodus. Fortunately, people are realizing that they can get the same house in South Augusta for about half the price they'd pay in Columbia Co., and people are finally coming back. It's still sprawl, but at least its starting to balance out a bit.

I really hope the census is off on the Augusta estimate... It just keeps spiraling downward at what seems to be an increasing rate... There's no reason that with as large as Augusta's city limits are (and the amount of new sprawl development in the county) that the city should still be losing population. Damn you Columbia county...

From what I gathered reading today's Chronicle, it's not the Judicial center that was voted down, but just the funding source (increased property taxes). It appears that the city thinks the thing is needed, and they are either going to convince voters to fund it differently, or just issue a court order to have it built (which I don't quite understand). Needless to say, what we have on our hands right now is more waiting... http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/06230...t_4479806.shtml

I'm surprised that there hasn't been more backlash in the Augusta Chronicle editorials or Rants and Raves (basically Editorialz 4 dummies). So far there's only been 3 reader responses, and 2 have been in support in the GL community. I did think the one negative response was humorous enough to post here... Really, what are editors thinking when they print this dribble in their newspapers... "A RANT ABOUT the homosexual signs in Aiken. They should be removed by anybody who will. The best way a homosexual could clean up a community is to leave it and leave us straight people alone." I'm sure there will be more idiotic comments to come, but it's good to see that some people are actually writing in with support (including a lady who I think was a former teacher of mine).

http://www.augustachronicle.com/stories/04...t_3880229.shtml This post concerns a particularly assinine article in the Augusta Chronicle today. It's a tiny issue, but I think it speaks a lot about the bigotry that is still rampant in the south today. The article is about a simple sign in Downtown Aiken. As part of the "Adopt an Aiken Parkway" program (same as the national program), the Aiken Gay and Lesbian Community adopted a downtown parkway to pick up litter and keep it clean, etc. Since this has happened, the sign has been stolen and vandalised repeatedly. This is somewhat expected in the south, but the slant of the article, and the people quoted (mainly just one idiot) is quite an embarrasment to the whole area, which tends to have a fairly visible gay community. Here are some snippets from the article: (I encourage you to read the whole thing just to see how idiotic some people still are). "Allen Brodie, a former chairman of the county's Human Relations Board, said the city is promoting gay and lesbian lifestyles by erecting litter cleanup signs along Park Avenue that are sponsored by the "gay and lesbian community." "I do not believe (the sign) should be allowed in such a place of prominence," he said. "It's in the downtown district where children ask questions. We need to try and encourage the best quality of life we can." " "Mr. Brodie, a past member of the Aiken County Council, insisted that moving the sign would not be discrimination. It's unfair, he said, to force taxpayers to pay for the signs, which are purchased by the city. Mr. Brodie said he didn't mind parkway signs sponsored by groups such as the Garden, Rotary or Sertoma clubs. But the gay and lesbian sponsorship of a parkway crosses the line and becomes a moral issue, he said. "This sign, to me, it falls in a different category," he added." -- The article goes on to say that no action has been taken or complaints filed for this defacing of property, but the signs have been cleaned/replaced. Fortunately, it seems that city leaders and some community members at least have the brains to want the signs to remain. It's a complete embarrassment that a group can receive so much hatred just for wanting to help the city... It is a good sign however, IMO, that the GLBT community is willing to mobilize and get their name out there, especially attached to a relatively good cause. -- The "evil" sign in question:

^ I agree... holy surface parking lots!!! Is that an up-to-date aerial, including recent infill development?

Cool list... I'm surprised to see Orangeburg so high on there... Does anyone know what the draw there is? I'm not too familiar with the area, except for a few band trips, so I'm just wondering why it would be in the top 10 counties for tourism. The rest of the list makes sense to me.