At a public water forum in Dahlonega hosted by the Sierra Club on Monday November 19th, Commercial Real Estate Agent Rusty Hodges was scoffed for suggesting that Georgia should consider taking water from the Tennessee River to support its long term growth needs.

Commercial Land Broker Rusty Hodges stood up in a public forum on the current water crisis and dared to suggest that we consider an inter-basin transfer to supply our current and future water needs for the state. Hodges, a Forsyth County resident, asked the same question of Governor Sonny Perdue at his press conference at Mary Alice park. The Governor also dismissed the question stating that that was “another subject for another day”

Hodges acknowledges that this may not be a “short term” solution, but stresses the importance of inter-basin transfers to be as significant as air conditioning was for long term growth in North Georgia.

Environmentalist groups oppose the idea, suggesting that we should not artificially accelerate growth in areas where the natural resources do not exist.

Local activist Terry Sweeny was also in attendance. "anti-growth people really don't want water" Sweeny Said. "The less water we have, the less growth we have"

Click HERE to view the entire unedited video of the event