Really? Your first sentence is Biblical in nature and APPLICATION. You have the gald to try & apply that to this airport fiasco? You might want to rethink that one.

Wow. You're being serious? As soon as the discussion regarding the airport began,my brother in law told me, "Sell your house if you can. Get whatever price you can.Just get out." I should mention that he is a very highly respected and highly educated real estate appraiser. Hmmm....let's see....I wonder why a real estate AGENT,such as yourself, would see this is a good thing?

I have repeatedly asked the pro-commercial folks to present a study, JUST ONE study that shows an airport can raise surrounding residential property values. They have been unable to do so. Instead, they present pictures of nice homes near airports. That's not the same thing at all. In turn, I have presented them with dozens of studies that show airports have an ADVERSE affect on surrounding residential property values.

I have decided that this issue really pits two groups of people against each other: those who want to make a buck, regardless of whom they have to step on........ and those who care more about quality of life. It really is that simple.

It is to late for the Lawrenceville people to worry about losing their Mayberry. It was lost 25 years ago. If we are going to have arenas, pro sports teams, concerts, cancer walks, publiic bus systems and so on, then I think it is time to allow comercial flights into our airport.

Tracy the sum total of the negative impact (if any at all) created by those things you mention doesn't come close to the negative impact comercializing the airport would have on the community.

@Mark, the Gwinnett Relay For Life held at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds is the largest in the country, it would be even larger with local commercial flights. @Gary, You have never lived near an airport the size of Briscoe that went commercial. I have, and it also went international. The community loves it and the county web site braggs about it. I have friends that live only blocks from it. (Google Oakland County International Airport) The satellite view shows residential yards backing up to the airport fence with swimming pools and childrens swing sets.There are luxury homes one block away on the lake.There is a state park at the end of the runway. Gwinnett was number one in the state again for home foreclosures. Drive around and look at all of the empty homes and businesses in the Lawrenceville area and tell me that things would not improve if we had millions of extra dollars coming into Gwinnett each month. I assume you live in Lawrenceville like the others that are all worked up over this. I just shake my head when I hear about all of the so called doom and gloom from the anti airport people. Things like "all of the people living near the airport will get cancer from the jet fuel" nothing but hysteria. I would suggest moving now because if this county commission isn't smart enough to do this the next one will be.

@Tracy....How in the world would the Relay for Life be larger with an airport nearby? You think people would fly in to walk?

You know, It is the wild, unsubstantiated claims by proponents of the airport that are more infuriating than the airport expansion itself!

@Mark, Yes I do. I go every year and I think that if it was convenient for friends and family member to fly directly into Briscoe to support their walkers they would have even more money raised and a larger turn out. Get over it man, you anti airport people sound so ridiculous with the end of the world hysteria that is used. I have seen what this can do for a community and it has been all positive. I live directly in the flightpath by the way. Once a gain "Gwinnett County Number One In Home Forecloseures".

Tracy:

Unfortunately, if you believe that turning Briscoe into the second Atlanta commercial airport will miraculously lower the foreclosure rate in Gwinnett, you are mistaken. Remember how Fly Gwinnett Forward claimed that the airport in Tucson had created over 17,000 jobs and created an economic boon for Tucson? Well, those 17,000 jobs they claimed were created are not real and the foreclosure rate in Tucson has not been helped by the airport. The Arizona Daily Star reports that Tucson jumped to the 19th highest nationally in foreclosure rates.

http://azstarnet.com/business/local/article_bb2f7140-b968-11e0-b631-001cc4c002e0.html?mode=story

Tracy:

As someone who lives with the specter of cancer every day, your claim that privatizing Briscoe would allow more money to be raised for cancer research is laughable. I guess it just proves that airport supporters have no real basis in fact for their claims, such as their claim that sound insulation in a home is a "home improvement", close proximity to an airport will actually increase home values, and the funniest of all, Brett Smith's claim that Propeller will create 20,000 to 30,000 jobs if he wins the bid to privatize Briscoe. I’m just curious: Do you also believe that the federal stimulus bill “created and saved” millions of jobs?

@Sabrina, So NOBODY would take advantage of convenient flights to Briscoe to attend the Relay For Life? I know people that drive here from Ohio to attend. I know people that fly into Hartsfield to attend. You can laugh about your cancer all you want but I take it serious. I do not support federal goverment stimulis bills, however I would support millions of dollars in Federal Highway Funds and grants coming into Gwinnett to support the expansion. Yes jobs would be created believe it or not. As far as cancer goes, what is laughable to me is the absurd claim that I heard from a speaker at the airport meeting stating that the jet fuel would cause everyone near the airport to get cancer. Now that is laughable.

@Gary, The demise you spoke about was more about the demographics than it was about the airports. The genie is out of the bottle on this issue. I predict Briscoe will expand within 2-5 years. You may want to put your house up for sale now and just find another Mayberry.

Tracy: Whether people fly into Hartsfield, drive from Ohio or fly into Briscoe to participate in the Relay for Life, how does that increase the amount of money raised for cancer research? You don't support the federal stimulus bill but you support millions of dollars in federal funding for expanding the airport? I'm not sure I understand your logic. I also thought that one of the reasons that airport expansion supporters used to bolster their position was that privatizing Briscoe would use private money and not taxpayer money. If that is true, why do they need all of that taxpayer money?

@Jim, Oakland County braggs on their website about the 120 million dollars a year that O.C.I.A. brings in to their tax base. It is one of the busiest general aviaton airports in the country. They have a U.S. Customs Service for international flights and they are in the process of building a new multi million dollar passenger terminal. I forgot to mention they have large jets coming in with air freight multiple times a day. The plan is to have commercial service their also. I will be meeting with the airport manager up there next week if you have any questions that you would like answered.

Mr. Regan, you are against the expansion of the airport, we all understand that. Does it really matter what I have to say or anybody else? You are not going to change your mind no matter what. I predict that It will eventually happen anyway.

@R, Mr. R or whoever you are. It would be nice if you had the courage to use your real name like most of us. I guess you are right. NOBODY would fly a commercial carrier into Briscoe Field to attend one of Gwinnett's largest events of the year. Sorry, what was I thinking?

I'm thinking that no matter what pro commercialization people say, that people like you will come up with all kinds of outrageous claims to counter it. I am not changing my mind, and you are not changing yours. Why don't we let the people of Gwinnett vote on the issue and I'll accept whatever they chose.

I agree, Good idea. My position comes from having lived near an airport and from having done much research about what airports do to property values. Can't get much better than personal reference and research.