OnlineAthens.com | News | 10 apply to fill seat on planning commission 12/29/05

Athens Banner-Herald journalist Merritt Melanancon may have inadvertently left one of the applicants out of the mix in the list of the seven on-time applicants at the end of the page, or it might have been excised by an over-exuberant editor. Any way, I - Dan Matthews - am also one of the candidates that went before the Board of Commissioners chambers a Monday or so agp and made my pitch as to why I should be on the Planning Commission. It was at least my third time trying to get on the Planning Commission but I doubt it will be the charm.

An elected official pointed out the obvious to me: {1} I am a resident of Watkinsville. {2) I am chairman of the local Democratic committee. {3} I am not a good old boy or part of the development brigade. Three strikes and I am out. I will keep trying despite what some anonymous individuals continue to slander and libel and stalk me.

The whole thing is: why have deadline if they are not going to be enforced? If I am late with a story about the Watkinsville City Council, it gets pushed back a week. Any of the three tardy candidates would be fine; but for diversity's sake I think it should be Ashley Hood as the candidate selected for the Planning Commission.

Why Ashley, you might wonder? One, she is an intelligent individual not beholden to the development community in any way shape or form. Two, she will consider homeowners and families first, not the bankers, builders, real estate agents, et cetera. Third, she is an activist only affiliated with a smart growth advocacy group Citizens for Oconee's Future and as far as I am aware not with either political party in the county (although I would certainly welcome her in the Democratic side of things, unfortunately that would probably be held against her).

OnlineAthens.com News 10 apply to fill seat on planning commission 12/29/05

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