I received a Google alert this morning that says South Fulton faces a tax hike for 2012. After reading the article I thought to myself what can we live without in order to keep our taxes in check? Do we need fewer police, less fire coverage, fewer county run parks, less code enforcement, higher housing permit fees?

Each of those choices come with their own caveat emptor. First, fewer police officers mean more crime and burglaries. Do we want to mandated that every household in unincorporated South Fulton be required to get a permit to have a hand gun in the home? Beware there as well, chances are more kids will wind up injured or dead because there's no doubt some folks are going to leave their weapon unsecured.

How about higher insurance rates because your local fire house is no longer in service? As it stands we don't have enough coverage for fire protection. With fewer fire stations there will be fewer first responders for our growing senior population as well. Heatlh issues are a fact of life for older Americans.  If anything we need more.

Reduce Parks and Recreation? I don't think so. There's not enough. Look at it this way. Your subdivision playground is only good for up to age three. After that our kids require more open spaces and organized programs. We need more open spaces and ball fields. Long term these open spaces are the catalyst for growing athletes and recreational pursuits that can garner college scholarships. Who's not interested in getting a free college education? Parks also an integral part of living a healthy life. We all can use more physical excercise.

Code enforcement is needed as well. With the decline in our property values nothing makes it worse than a dilapidated house and/or property next door.

We all have needs that are met at some stage in the calculation of our property taxes. I'm willing to pay a little more for better parks to keep our community healthy as well as fire and police protection.

Our largest burden is and has always been the money that we put into education. We are seeing very little return on that investment year after year. It's time we hold the Fulton County School Board to a higher standard. After all they are partly responsible for shaping the minds of our most precious commodity - our children. 

BTW, I take exception with the often stated notion that north Fulton money takes or took care of South Fulton. The truth is the opposite. Fulton Industrial in South Fulton built out Sandy Springs and north Fulton. If it's not true then explain to me why South Fulton is still relatively underdeveloped?

That's my comment what's yours?