Pine Lake Voice

03/11/2024

https://www.pinelakevoice.org/post/the-red-flag

I met a man named Vick; far away from where I live now. We got to talking and discovered we had attended the same high school at different times. We became friends; he was a neighbor. He owned the Grand Hotel; the only thing grand about the Grand Hotel is the sign which sits just above the door and....

03/09/2024

https://www.pinelakevoice.org/post/time-for-some-plain-talk?fbclid=IwAR3hJDGaL8TT5oatR5MHoe0U3GQH5Guk34NRIaw-TjVCa7LMko6FOqhSdvc

Originally, PLAIN was known as Pine Lake Association of Neighbors or PLAN. Mayor Mike Stuckey, (circa 1995) co-opted PLAN. Mayor Mike added ‘Involved' and PLAN became Pine Lake Association of Involved Neighbors or PLAIN. When Linda and I first moved here, year 2000, we joined PLAIN; the dues, $35 ...

03/07/2024

Dennis Rotch
21 hours ago
2 min read

Time for some PLAIN talk
Updated: 14 minutes ago
Originally, PLAIN was known as Pine Lake Association of Neighbors or PLAN. Mayor Mike Stuckey, (circa 1995) co-opted PLAN. Mayor Mike added ‘Involved' and PLAN became Pine Lake Association of Involved Neighbors or PLAIN.

When Linda and I first moved here, year 2000, we joined PLAIN; the dues, $35 a year. A Board Member of the organization explained the purpose of the Association; as I recall, went something like this: PLAIN members get to decide what the City’s agenda and order of priorities. What I am describing here is a politically motivated home owners association; a welcome wagon of glad handers. At that time the “Involved Neighbors” was not classified as a 501-C3 non-profit organization.

The Association of Involved Neighbors plotted the removal of the popular Mayor Al Fowler(circa 2001). Fowler, at that time was the first openly gay Mayor of a city in Georgia. Fowler’s removal split the Association and the town. Two council members resigned in protest to Mayor Fowler’s removal and formed a “Lakers” group to counter the Involved Neighbors. In the election to replace Mayor Fowler, the Laker group candidate, Greg Zarus, won the election.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this missive, it was Mayor Mike that set up the Association of Involved Neighbors; there-by, creating a wedge that divided the constituency into two camps, those who are ‘Involved’ and those who are, allegedly, not ‘involved.’ As a member of PLAIN, according to the narrative, you achieve a special status..

All of us are involved, not because of a PLAIN membership but because we share a common aspiration for truth and justice, we share creativity, we share a location, we share the burden of property taxes; these are unities of the community. An Association of Involved Neighbors does not define a community. The Association; however, enables cronyism, a form of in-group favoritism, especially between council persons and the supportive organization, that leads to abuse of power and to corruption. The Association of Involved Neighbors has a number of charitable endeavors: food pantry, library and raises money to help people. Given the Association’s glaring divisive flaw, the good deeds amount to the put of lipstick on the proverbial pig.

I served on a non-profit for 4 years. Our goal was to create affordable housing. We accomplished that goal. When I look at PLAIN and see officers of the organization using the organization to advance their political aspirations, I am appalled. The goal that PLAIN has set for its Involved Neighbors is to control our City government and that is not a ‘charitable’ goal.

Dennis Rotch



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05/08/2021

DeKalb County is hosting the DeKalb Virtual Career Academy this summer for youth ages 14-24, and applications close May 11.