Failed Leadership Continues in South Cobb

With the usual smoke and mirrors that we have come to expect from politicians, Chair Lisa Cupid came back to South Cobb, but not to provide any services. She came to introduce her protégé to the good people of South Cobb during a recent chamber event. Cupid did so as part of her efforts to continue trying to make us believe that great things are occurring in our community when they are not. Cupid is also desperate to quell concerns many have regarding the direction of the county government under her leadership.

Instead of Cupid taking the time to tell South Cobb that she was here to finally make good on promises made to us – you recall those promises such as if she had more support on the board she could do so much for our community that has been disregarded for years. Cupid wasted the time trying to insulate her apprentice from criticisms for continuing the failed leadership in our community that Cupid started eight years ago.

With an intro worthy of an academy award speech, Cupid lathered it up as she heaped praise where none was deserved. The truth of the matter is that nothing has occurred in South Cobb in the past 12 months, even with Cupid having the votes at the ready on the board to get anything she desires done. Our community has been ignored, mistreated, and left behind and Cupid and her protegee are continuing down that path. Their coordinated job was to sell us on the notion that we are doing well. What they wont say is that we are still not doing as well as the rest of the county thanks to them.

Fellow advocates of South Cobb will agree that none of the issues that we have been complaining about or advocating for through the years have been addressed by Cupid during her first year as Chair. It looks like our hopes and desires for our community will go ignored during her second year.

Who else recalls the long-forgotten promises from Cupid if she got her handpicked candidate elected to succeed her… how she could make immediate positive changes. She just needed the South Cobb community to get behind her and her choice? So much for those broken promises. With three votes on the commission, Cupid continues to make excuses while she fails us. She brought her dog and pony show to the community she abandoned to convince us that the yellow water falling on our heads is rain, instead of what it really is. Yes, I said abandoned earlier because another promise Cupid made to South Cobb voters was the promise to remain in the community if they support her to become elected chair. Cupid packed her bags and moved within months of being sworn in. She is counting on voters to forget about that broken promise, like the others, but we will not.

On cue and just as they practiced, Cupid’s student hopped on the microphone to recite her list of false accomplishments. Like the referee in a football game, we are calling a foul and going to instant replay so the community can understand what she didn’t say while she attempted to peddle a silly slogan (D-Forward) that contains her letter grade in South Cobb, a ‘D’, which we can look forward to receiving from her.

·         Failure to protect Cobb’s economic engine, Dobbins Air Force Base. Foolishly placing the base and Lockheed in harm’s way with their mindless vote to allow a developer – represented by their favorite real estate lawyer – to build condominiums in the runway disaster area. The property owner had an option for other usages, but Cupid and company granted their request for condos in an area that was not appropriate for human habitation. The next time Cupid’s protégé’ points to her real estate background and experience in zoning, remember this debacle, which they all were graded with an ‘F’ for failing Cobb.

·         The ugly fight they started with the business community and others when these leaders attempted to protect Cobb’s economic engine and help them see the errors of their ways. That was a lesson in tongue lashing and eye rolling, courtesy of people elected to lead who cannot.

·         Giving the developer county property in exchange for the bad decisions they made regarding Dobbins.

·         Using Cobb taxpayer funds to support matters that are not in the best interest of citizens such as paying millions to have a company tell them how to spend federal dollars and spending $25,000 or more on no bid contracts in an attempt to stop cityhood from occurring by citizens who desire self-rule in Cobb.

·         Failure to show any leadership on Magnolia Crossing, fifty acres of prime real estate in South Cobb that has gone undeveloped during Cupid’s reign and is now on her watch.

·         Failure to restructure the South Cobb Redevelopment Authority Board after years of complaints from community advocates and citizens – the current chair lives in a different community so how can he tell us what should happen in South Cobb?

·         Failure to provide South Cobb with a new police station, while a Commissioner in a different district easily obtained funding for one in her community. Officers in our South Cobb community are forced to work in an outdated facility while Cupid and her student looks elsewhere and votes for others.

·         Failure to turn two old fire stations into the usable property for the community. The last news tip we received is that Cupid and her people lost the key to the front door. Another wasted opportunity to use these facilities for the benefit of the community.

·         Failure to provide funding for a new state-of-the-art library. While East Cobb enjoys their ‘college-worthy facility’, our library in South Cobb is shut down for repairs. We pay taxes like the rest of Cobb but all we get is more band-aids instead of a cure.

·         Failure to recognize South Cobb community groups and organizations except for the one that helped hide her quid pro quo agenda with a civil war preservationist group demanding to name a new park in our community after a civil war general, against the demands of the community.

Refusing to provide funding or leadership to groups and organizations in South Cobb because they started under the former chair or include citizens that Cupid does not like.

·          Allowing slum lords conditions to exist in housing near our only community hospital because the property belongs to her favorite real estate attorney.

·         Failure to provide for a new community center in South Cobb while forcing citizens to continue using the outdated Lions Club as a community meeting location.  

·         Failure to manage the tenant rental issues with families facing housing insecurities daily. The late Chairman Mike Boyce was a friend to South Cobb and was in our community weekly dealing, going into apartments, seeing the issues up close, and addressing issues the community faced. Where is that leadership now?

These are just a few from the running list of failures. The next time that Cupid and her student tries to tell you about the great things they are doing in our community, ask the all important question…at are you not telling me? 

What South Cobb needs are solutions, not stunts, gimmicks, or another episode of Cupid’s dog and pony show. Until we demand better, failed leadership will continue to be the only thing we get in South Cobb. 

Top of Form

Video Post Options