A blue ribbon

panel comprised of citizens, state and county elected officials and

medical professionals should be charged with the task of predicting

where medical services in the future are headed and provide some sense

to the community of creative financing tools which can off set the current

burden on Fulton and Dekalb taxpayers.

How should

Fulton County government work with the schools to improve quality education

in South Fulton?

I think the

most immediate way is through the use of shared resources. Parks, nature

centers, libraries should become aggressive teaching tools of the school

system. Fulton County staff departments should adopt schools and bring

county professionals into the schools to work with teachers and students.

Teacher aide

services can be expanded and the hands-on learning experience of students

could be expanded. Materials, supplies and equipment can be used by

the school system through shared purchasing arrangements.

The schools

can also serve continuing education needs of Fulton government personnel.

What type

of development, if any, would be essential to the success of the South

Fulton Parkway area? As a Commissioner, what would you do to encourage

such development?

The acceptance

the future. The future cost of service delivery will demand development

projects that are mixed use and higher density.

South Fulton

Parkway corridor can and must satisfy the need for residents to live,

work, and recreate in the same general area. A study should begin now

on the feasibility of consolidation of service delivery with the identification

of any cost savings that occur through the economy of scale of purchasing,

the removal of duplication of services and the implementation of state

of the art practices and procedures, which can be passed to the taxpayer.

Create incentives

for the increase in restaurants, recreation facilities and multi-family

housing. Seek the full development of Cochran Mill Park. As a commissioner,

I would take a leadership role in securing the appropriate studies be

done so that the Board of Commissioners and other elected officials

can make informed decisions.

Describe

a three-point plan to minimize the potential for corruption in Fulton

County government.

I don't feel

corruption is as rampant as the most recent activities in the press

suggest. By and large Fulton County government is made up of very dedicated

professionals and elected officials.

Thousands

of honorable decisions have been made in the selection of contractors

and rezoning projects in Fulton County.

If anything

I would suggest the acceptance of the lowest bid is not always the best

selection and work with the county manager and other members of the

commission to structure a weighted system for selection of bidders and

contractors.

Work with

the Board of Commissioners and county manager to review all policies,

practices and procedures to identify those, which have corruption potential

and design necessary improvements to address any fallacies. Reinvigorate

the Ethics Commission and have them participate in the review of policies

and procedures.

Describe

your plan to enhance the working relationship with the incorporated

cities of South Fulton.

My action

plan would start with an advanced scheduled monthly meeting with the

mayors of the cities in South Fulton County.

The primary

purpose for these meetings would be to identify and discuss issues,

problems and successes the cities have that need Board of Commissioners'

input and participation.

Implement

a high level of communication between the cities and the Board of Commissioners

so that true strategic planning and not consistent crisis management

becomes the order of my relationship with the cities if I am elected.

What is

the prevailing perception of South Fulton by non-residents and why?

Basically,

South Fulton is viewed as a bedroom community for the working class

citizen, and not as sophisticated and affluent as the north side. Very

limited retail and entertainment options. The reasons for this perception

are many. A few include the existence of the largest industrial district

east of the Mississippi River in South Fulton.

The existence

of numerous NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) land uses, e.g., landfills,

railyards, wastewater treatment facilities and noise associated with

the existence of the world's busiest airport.

Assuming

that the perception of South Fulton is negative, what will you do as

commissioner to change this perception among non-residents?

Continue

to be aggressive in bringing to the public's attention that South Fulton

County is the best kept location decret in America.

Twenty minutes

from Downtown Atlanta, 15 minutes from Hartsfield International Airport

and the rest of the world.

South Fulton

can be a planning laboratory for "Best Management Practices"

in land use planning, zoning, environmental management and protection

and economic development.

I would act

with all deliberate speed to create a climate with the other members

of the Board of Commissioners to make the above a reality in board policies

and staff procedures.

Why should

the voters of District 7 Fulton County elect you as their commissioner?

My many years

of providing constituent services (housing counseling) to metro area

housing consumers in general and South Fulton residents in particular,

has uniquely bonded my skills as a mediator and a consensus builder.

This coupled with my numerous efforts to insure that zoning issues were

resolved in an effort to protect the integrity and character of my community

attest to my involvement in the affairs of my community.

I currently

serve on the Fulton County Housing Authority's Board of Commissioners

and the Fulton County Housing Development Corporation, which in both

instances address the fact that I am actively involved in the changing

face of South Fulton County. I am willing to go beyond political benefits

to see true benefits accrue to the residents of South Fulton County.

Patrise M.

Perkins-Hooker

What is

your position on the expansion of Hartsfield International Airport to

include the possible sixth runway?

I am against

any further expansion of the airport beyond the current master plan.

The residents of Fulton County have suffered a disproportionate share

of the airport's burden.

While I appreciate

Hartsfield as a key economic engine for the region, it would be ill

advised to continue the expansion of the engine to the demise of viable

communities which surround it.

Just as we

now know that we cannot build our way out of road congestion, likewise

we are beginning to learn that we cannot build our way out of traffic

congestion.

Should

the state of Georgia take control of Grady Hospital? Why or why not?

What is your prescription to insure its viability of this facility?

The state

of Georgia should not take control of Grady. Grady's problems are not

a result of it being locally administered versus state-administered.

The state needs to recognize the new reality of what Grady has become

and contribute its fair share.

Grady Hospital

provides services to people throughout the region. Where it once served

a population that was largely confined to the core of the city of Atlanta,

Fulton and DeKalb counties, Grady Hospital now serves a regional population.

It also serves as a state resource for severe trauma and other critical

medical procedures.

Therefore,

I believe there is a need to reconsider the funding source and allocation

strategy which supports delivery of services by Grady. I do not think

the county can or should bear this burden alone. There should be a state

allocation which supports Grady given its service population.

In addition,

Grady administrative and contracting processes need to be overhauled,

to improve its efficiency and reduce the cost of service delivery.

How should

Fulton County government work with the schools to improve quality education

in South Fulton?

The County

Commission does not have primary responsibility for the operation of

schools.

Nevertheless,

the commission should extend its resources and influence to help improve

the educational environment for our children. A high quality school

system is critical to vibrant neighborhoods, economic growth and a prosperous

county.

All county

development plans should incorporate the long-term plans for our school

system, as a key component of neighborhood revitalization. We should

also forge cooperative arrangements with recreation centers, seniors'

centers and libraries for shared space and program resources such as

after school care, day care centers, tutorial programs and technology

centers.

What type

of development, if any, would be essential to the success of the South

Fulton Parkway area? As a commissioner, what would you do to encourage

such development?

First and

foremost, South Fulton Parkway should have the type of development that

residents and business leaders have already indicated support for, which

is reflected in the county's land use plan.

Within that

context, there should be commercial and denser residential development,

preferably most in a mixed-use fashion. What there should not be, however,

is a lot of strip mall-type development with non-connecting lots and

businesses that face out to the street, instead of into a neighborhood,

or an office park.

This type

of development will yield the kind of unwieldy traffic and unsightly

aesthetics seen along Cobb Parkway, Jimmy Carter Boulevard, or Old National

Highway.

South Fulton

Parkway should be the main access for major employers or employment

centers.

The thoroughfare

should be complimented with rights of way preserved for alternative

transportation modes, such as bike paths and bus rapid transit (high-speed

bus) lanes. We should also require that all development have sidewalks

to give the area a more pedestrian-friendly atmosphere.

We should

look to establish "village centers" off of the parkway, so

that we develop quality residential, work and recreational spaces to

avoid the parkway developing the appearance of a traditional office

industrial park.

Describe

a three-point plan to minimize the potential for corruption in Fulton

County government.

There are

sufficient rules and regulations governing the behavior of elected officials

to minimize the potential for corruption.

However,

as in any system, someone intentionally seeking to violate the rules

can do so. If not for the rules we already have on the books, the individuals

in the metro Atlanta region who have been caught could not have been

brought to justice.

In addition

to the existing rules and regulations, my plan would focus on the enforcement

of the existing regulations and add additional reporting and auditing

functions.

First, I

would recommend that disclosure reports required under the current regulations

be routinely audited by an independent group, so that all commissioners

are aware of the fact that the information on the report will be reviewed

frequently.

This will

encourage them to be as accurate as possible and help detect "oversights"

earlier.

Secondly,

there should be a periodic report that describes how each commissioner

has voted on contracting matters.

It should

describe the frequency with which a commissioner votes against staff

recommendations and why. This will not ensure that a commissioner acts

with integrity. Still, it will remind each of them that their actions

will continue to be scrutinized by the public and should be justified.

Thirdly,

I would publish commissioners' votes on zoning matters to see if there

is a trend toward overturning the Board of Zoning Adjustment to favor

one developer, neighborhood or advocate.

Describe

your plan to enhance the working relationship with the incorporated

cities of South Fulton.

I plan to

work very closely with the mayors and leadership of the incorporated

cities in South Fulton.