Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

What is the root of all our evil in this community? Is it growth? Or is it those who nurture it? What steps can we, as regular fed up citizens take to help rid ourselves of the evil? Can we organize initiative petitions to stop growth for a period of time, not just reduce it? Can we organize efforts to remove the people who impose growth? Would we do well to attend City Council and committee meetings in force to voice our displeasure and command that the voters have a go at the current petitions as written as the required number of signatories demanded? Would it help to attend Trustee meetings to make something (anything) more important than Glenshire?’s fence crisis? Dig moats around those castles for Pete?’s sake. Plus it will help in flood control. Can we encourage them to not give up the fight in taking legal action against the City to fend off legally questionable annexations? Can we inundate our elected officials in the County government with appeals to step in and take action in shorter timeframes than they currently offer? Can any one of us contact the Dispatch and tell them we have our own little New Rome/Valleyview story to tell?

You know what the answer is to most of the questions above is? HELL YEAH! (Please pardon my French)

Do you remember back a few years ago when they put a moratorium on sewer and water taps for a year? What was the cause of that? What were the results of that? What would you think would be the result of a not to exceed 3-year suspension on issuing residential and commercial (as it applies to condos and apartments) building permits that would be reviewed annually? Would the developers run away never to return? Would there be others to take their place? Would certain elected officials seek employment elsewhere?

What would it mean to you if the roads and traffic signals and schools had a fighting chance to catch up a little? Would your overall quality of life improve? How would it affect your essence and that of your children if you stood up and tried to make a difference?

People of the Pickerington/Violet/Canal community ?– WE DO HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO THINK LIKE YOU AND BELIEVE AS YOU IF YOU CAN ANSWER YES TO MOST OF THE QUESTIONS ABOVE. You know what the problem is? We are for the most part a bunch of apathetic, lazy, languid, indolent, phlegmatic group of people. Change your ways and get involved! Seek out these elected officials and show them your support. Ask them what kind of help they need and give it to them. One of our recently elected City officials has stood absolutely true to what he promised us in his campaign. The man got nearly 1,100 votes. Now he gets bad press. At least those 1,100 people should show their appreciation in the fact that the man they elected is standing and delivering. How often does that happen nowadays? If even 10% of those voters turned out to show support, do you think it would make a difference? HELL YEAH!

Stop complaining while you sit in traffic and DO SOMETHING! Make democracy happen. If you get tired, hand the flag off to the next in line. With 1,100 soldiers to carry on, we can wear down the opponents. Support the people who want to support you.

Make a difference. Don?’t just whine in this website without offering a solution.




By Nomdeplume

Let them eat cake



Good job non:

Here are six positive things that the citizens can do to start controlling growth:

1. Show up at city council and township trustee meetings. Organize a schedule. If people can organize a snack schedule for soccer and baseball games, they can organize a rotation of attendance at meeting. Every civic association and every group should be represented.

2. Demand that the city adopt the township's policy of allowing citizens to ask questions during meetings. Legislation is being passed so quickly at these meetings no one can tell exactly what is being passed. Since the reporters in this community do not ask tough questions or bother to solicit anyone's opinion other than a government official, it is up to the citizens to ask the tough questions. If they refuse, civil disobedience is appropriate at times when a government acts contrary to the desires of the people it governs. Keep asking questions during meetings. If enough people do it, they cannot throw every one out. If they still won't let people ask questions at the meetings, write the questions out and send them to each council member with copies to the press.

3. Start recirculating the petitions and add even more to include other items like a five year moratorium on annexations for any property other than commerical property. Do any of you have any doubt that even if the city council does put the petitions on the ballot that there will be major attempts by the developers to block these from going to the people. The developers are already threatening lawsuits if these measures get passed. Don't you think they will try a legal challenge to stop them from getting on the ballot in the first place. Also remember how much money was spent by the developers in hiring professionsal to conduct a referendum campaign the last time any serious reform was proposed.

4. Demand accountability from the school board. These people know very well that the growth in this community is harming our schools and will shortly lead to a fiscal crisis requiring additional tax levies. It is sad that these people are less afraid of asking taxpayers for more money than they are of confronting city council and trustees about growth and , in the case of the city, the disastrous TIF's. If the school board would stand up and demand change it would be more likely to happen.

5. Demand that money spent on outrageously high salaries and benefits for the city manager and for the totally unnecessary post of communication director along with numerous other examples of government waste be used instead for the community. Can any one out there name the last major asset that has been added to this community by either the city or the township that the citizens can use to enhance the quality of thier lives. Communities far less prosperous and far smaller have community centers and public pools. All we get is bigger government with larger salaries for the government officials.

6. The last one is a simple one. Organize a march as part of the Fourth of July parade. Imagine what the reaction would be if even one hundred voters marched in a group with signs demanding controlled growth.



By Spartacus

Let them eat cake



Good job non:

Here are six positive things that the citizens can do to start controlling growth:

1. Show up at city council and township trustee meetings. Organize a schedule. If people can organize a snack schedule for soccer and baseball games, they can organize a rotation of attendance at meeting. Every civic association and every group should be represented.

2. Demand that the city adopt the township's policy of allowing citizens to ask questions during meetings. Legislation is being passed so quickly at these meetings no one can tell exactly what is being passed. Since the reporters in this community do not ask tough questions or bother to solicit anyone's opinion other than a government official, it is up to the citizens to ask the tough questions. If they refuse, civil disobedience is appropriate at times when a government acts contrary to the desires of the people it governs. Keep asking questions during meetings. If enough people do it, they cannot throw every one out. If they still won't let people ask questions at the meetings, write the questions out and send them to each council member with copies to the press.

3. Start recirculating the petitions and add even more to include other items like a five year moratorium on annexations for any property other than commerical property. Do any of you have any doubt that even if the city council does put the petitions on the ballot that there will be major attempts by the developers to block these from going to the people. The developers are already threatening lawsuits if these measures get passed. Don't you think they will try a legal challenge to stop them from getting on the ballot in the first place. Also remember how much money was spent by the developers in hiring professionsal to conduct a referendum campaign the last time any serious reform was proposed.

4. Demand accountability from the school board. These people know very well that the growth in this community is harming our schools and will shortly lead to a fiscal crisis requiring additional tax levies. It is sad that these people are less afraid of asking taxpayers for more money than they are of confronting city council and trustees about growth and , in the case of the city, the disastrous TIF's. If the school board would stand up and demand change it would be more likely to happen.

5. Demand that money spent on outrageously high salaries and benefits for the city manager and for the totally unnecessary post of communication director along with numerous other examples of government waste be used instead for the community. Can any one out there name the last major asset that has been added to this community by either the city or the township that the citizens can use to enhance the quality of thier lives. Communities far less prosperous and far smaller have community centers and public pools. All we get is bigger government with larger salaries for the government officials.

6. The last one is a simple one. Organize a march as part of the Fourth of July parade. Imagine what the reaction would be if even one hundred voters marched in a group with signs demanding controlled growth.



By Spartacus