Free Speech for 10-12-05


		Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2005

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FREE SPEECH
Our Readers Sound Off

What do you really think? E-mail us your pithy opinions, your short takes on life in Fayette and environs, your gotta-get-it-off-your-chest questions or sound-offs. E-mails only to editor@TheCitizenNews.com.
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10-12-05

Isn’t it odd that we can have an air show in Fayette County, burning untold gallons of fuel, but yet we had to stop school for two days to save bus gas? Where were the convenience store and farm lobbyists concerning that fact? Maybe that is another e-mail the Governor didn’t read? Why do politicians think we are all stupid? He didn’t deny he didn’t know about the lobbyists’ wishes; he said he didn’t read the e-mail.

It’s strange there are complaints about Bill Bennett’s remarks, but that no one complains about the comments made on Fox News by Juan Williams (an African American). Mr. Williams stated, “Maybe if we killed off these white people, we wouldn’t have so many mass murders in America ....”

Mr. McCoy’s editorial cartoon has gone over the boundary of decency and should not have been given space in your newspaper. It is disgusting. How should parents explain this to children who might see it? There is no excusing the remarks Mr. Bennett made and this cartoon simply shows a lack of good judgement on the part of the cartoonist. It is no wonder this country is so divided and in so much trouble.

John Boothby is the main reason that rotten, low-end development is flooding into South Fulton County. He is the point man for the ultra-sprawl that is choking the traffic at I-85. The condescending Boothby and his South Fulton Chamber of Commerce loathe the fact that Peachtree City is still acquiring national recognition while they continue to stink things up. If Boothby of South Fulton County wants something to complain about it ought to be the huge unsightly mess that he has created on Ga. Highway 74 over the last couple of years. You can’t help but wonder if Bob Lenox paid him to write those remarks.

John Boothby proclaims not to live in Peachtree City or own property in our city but he is smug enough to take jabs at us. His letter to The Citizen was irresponsible. He sounded like a jealous little South Fulton schoolboy. I am so glad that I don’t live in Fulton County. His writing about Peachtree City losing its luster as a city was as shallow as it gets. If he weren’t so illiterate he would know that CNN and Money Magazine placed our city in the top 10 places to live in the United States this year. Now where did the South Fulton County cities rank? Top 20, no. Top 50, no. Top 100, no. Top 1,000, no. They did not even make the initial cut into the top 14,000 cities to even be considered. You’re doing a great job, John.

Not many people have the panache to use the word “pish” in a serious letter, but John Boothby certainly does. And his letter makes a very good point about the “Big Lie” Steve Brown keeps spreading about the former Development Authority members. If the rumors are true that Brown is trying to get Boothby fired for writing that letter, he’s really shot himself in the foot this time.

It is unbelievable that John Boothby of the South Fulton Chamber of Commerce chimed in about the virtuous old development authority gang. Boothby forgot to tell everyone that he was canned as the director of the Fayette County Development Authority. He was sent packing because he also appreciated the non-accountability part of being in an authority-style government just a little too much. Birds of a feather really do stick together.

You ran a profile piece on Mr. Arterburn, the young candidate for mayor of PTC. I found some of it interesting. Most interesting was his opinion on the lawsuits filed to make the city pay the debts of the bankrupt Development Authority. He said that if we are required by the courts to pay, we should. He is right. Didn’t we pay an outside lawyer $50,000 to investigate and conclude that the loans were illegal? And haven’t the developer and the bank been suing the city for a couple of years? There simply is no moral duty and no need to “cut a deal”; either the city is obligated or not. Either the city pays these bills or the developers and bankers absorb the loss. There is no gray area. Mr. Arterburn is right. Let’s get a ruling. Get the judge off the golf course, get a full day’s work for once and let’s get a ruling before election time.

I do not buy the pilot’s wife’s argument that jealous neighbors begrudge pilots their salaries. It is not a personal issue, it is purely economic. Delta had bad management that put them in the situation they are in today, plain and simple. One of the worst decisions management made was in 2001 when they gave in to the pilots’ threats of industrial action and awarded them pay raises that were unsustainable. They became the highest paid pilots in the nation by 30 percent. The downturn had begun well before 9/11 and Delta’s labor costs would have eventually caught up with them. Instead of taking the hard line, management gave in to cover up their own salary increases, bankruptcy-proof pensions, etc. They did not care about the future of Delta. The blame belongs with the management, not the pilots.

In regard to the Free Speech sent in by the Delta international flight attendant: Who says you work harder than any other FA? If you have forgotten, I will help you out. You work about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours then take a 2- to 4-hour rest, than serve breakfast or lunch before arriving in your beautiful international destination. After arriving you sleep, eat and then sleep again. So for a maybe 9-hour flight you really work 6 hours. And your complaint is for a cut in your international pay of about 20 cents an hour? Quit your crying. You are not better than a domestic FA. We do 4 legs a day, 12-13 hours with no break, no lunch, no time to get lunch, no 2- or 3-hour rest period. You have been told for the 38 years you have been with the company you are the best, cream of the crop. Really you are just someone who has not saved enough money to retire and live in peace. If you do not like the changes, you are welcome to leave the company and find something better. You won’t be missed by any FA with less then 35 years. By the way, if you are working your butt off, have you looked in a mirror lately?

At the last check we live in the United States of America, the land of capitalism and free enterprise. Why then do Delta employees blame low-cost carriers for their demise? They saw a niche which was to offer the public uncomplicated ticketing, new clean airplanes, friendly helpful staff, on-time departures, etc. Shock, horror, the public decided they liked this and they gained customer loyalty. Old carriers failed to compete and continued a trend of bad customer service, complicated ticketing, old airplanes, high costs, etc. It doesn’t seem to take a rocket scientist to see why things are the way they are today.

To all the “you ticked the wrong box” brigade: Maybe the current 6,000 pilot applicants at Jet Blue did some research before deciding not to send their application forms to Delta. They watched the stock go from $70 a share to 70 cents and decided job security and profit sharing might be better at Jet Blue.

Direct PAC, the supposedly unbiased, non-political and only interested in what is best for the city group of good old boys are only interviewing candidates who oppose current elected officials. Could it be that INDirect-PAC can’t possibly choose the best qualified candidate based on what is best for the city, based on the issues and their voting record? This approach might actually work if it weren’t for intelligent citizens, Free Speech and the local newspaper.

Is there a regulation in Fayette County or Fayetteville concerning restaurant cleanliness on the outside? Some of our restaurants are shamefully dirty outside. The windows haven’t been washed, the gutters have weeds growing in them, the entrance doors are filthy, etc.

Have you seen the new firefighter girls in Peachtree City? What hotties! I hope I have a home fire sometime really soon.

Fayetteville is always spending money in the “downtown” area for sentimental reasons. What use are the several old family homes, and old courthouse, and several decrepit homes on Ga. Highway 85 in town? Those places would bring millions on the open market for large retail establishments and would really develop downtown. A bank in that area has a very nice downtown parking lot beside it that is never used because there is little to shop for near it. Come out of the backwoods and decide what you want: remembrances or a downtown.

As a father of two boys, it really annoys me when men of all ages seem to think it’s OK to wear a hat inside a building. When I take my family out to dinner in a nice restaurant in PTC, Fayetteville, or wherever there is always someone wearing a hat. But, this past Sunday was the last straw, when I saw several youth wearing hats in the church during service. Please, parents, teach your children and husbands that hats are not to be worn inside a building. There are only a few occasions when this should ever happen.

“Warning, do not enter. Area treated with herbicides.” I saw those words painted on a Fayette County park sign. Not wanting to inhale the noxious chemicals, I obeyed the warning. Here’s my concern: If these herbicides can harm people walking by, why is the county spraying them at the Lake Horton water reservoir? Doesn’t the county have any regard for the fish? Ponder that.

One lady candidate for PTC Council says that if the town attorney says she shouldn’t vote to pay the Peachtree National Bank, she wouldn’t pay it; then she also says that if we owe it we ought to pay it (that is: if someone else says that we owe it). Can’t she investigate and make up her mind? Straddling the fence went out of style long ago. We don’t need candidates who follow the trend. The candidate for mayor, once a friend and supporter of current mayor, now says the current mayor works too much and is around too much for the good of the town employees. I suppose he means that the mayor doesn’t know what he is doing, and stirs up too much trouble? I think both of these candidates want to negotiate a settlement with the Peachtree National Bank and the former members of PCDC group. Look, if we don’t owe it because of a bank and Development Authority error, we shouldn’t pay it. You can bet that the bank would not pay any illegal loan they owed. Nor would Group VI or the design group. I know some of these people own stock in such bank or have good money friends who do, but we are talking about our money here, not theirs.

In ref the article by Ben Nelms, “Lords of Oil hold us in economic slavery”: He is misguided at best thinking that our excessive use of oil in the U.S. is a right and that other countries hold us in economic slavery. At least, not yet. If all the proven reserves of oil owned by the United States were used at 2003 usage levels, then we have 11.1 years of U.S oil left. When your local refineries (regardless of who owns them) are operating at near 100 percent capacity, then there is no such thing as a minor oil fire/damage to the refinery. We must BUY our oil from others because we are and have been too shortsighted to: (1) create incentives for reducing consumption; (2) explore our lands in furtherance of new oil; (3) look for alternative fuels and energy sources; (4) rely on government to do what is best in the hands of private enterprise.

John Boothby, watch out. Steve Brown doesn’t like to be told he’s wrong. Even when he is. Ask everyone else he’s tried to destroy or discredit. They’ll tell you what type of vindictive and childish behavior to expect from Mayor Steve “one-term” Brown.

An open question for Mayor Brown. Since the Peachtree City Planning Committee will be making decisions that will determine the course of Peachtree City over the next 20 years, the citizens need to know: Are you on this committee? What role have you had in choosing the people on this committee? Do you influence the choice of speakers? Do you choose the topics for discussion or influence the discussion in anyway? Have you suggested to anyone that they try to get on this committee? Is anyone on this committee or in any way connected with this committee, such as speakers, gaining financially from their participation?

Bob Lenox is worried into a tizzy about the fact the property owner of the land that will be used for a golf cart bridge on Hwy. 54 used a real estate broker. The commission is taken out of the landowner’s price and the city still just pays the fair market value. Wake up, Bob.

Since Bob Lenox had three terms as Mayor to mess up the city, Mayor Brown deserves at least a second term to clean things up.

Please, voters, memorize the new campaign slogan for PTC: Anybody but Steve (or Dan).

Bill King needs to get his facts straight. If he attended council meetings he would know that the City Council unanimously votes in agreement over 95 percent of the time on items brought before them. He would also know that on numerous “key issues” both Murray Weed and Steve Rapson have not voted with Mayor Steve Brown. Implying they also vote the same way is misleading. Councilman Rapson voted against the Lutheran Church rezoning, AGAINST the proposed annexation, against the signage ordinance revision, against the Dalton Carpet rezoning and against several other smaller variance requests and was the only vote in favor of creating contingency funding for public safety this year. I suggest that Bill King go back and let Direct-PAC know, too.

This guy Rothley who wrote and said Mayor Brown increased taxes by “only 22 percent” must be mathematically challenged. In 2001 Rothley paid PTC taxes on his house of $528.77. In 2005 his PTC tax bill is $749.24. According to my math that is an increase of 41.7 percent. Rothley needs a remedial math course and we need a new mayor.

I cringed and could hardly stomach the picture of Dan Tennant and Steve Brown on the front page of The Citizen two weeks ago. I pray that the citizens of PTC remember why we didn’t vote for Dan Tennant in the last election and I hope that you realize why Steve Brown needs to go too. We are simply tired of their theatrics, their ego trips, and their desires to be in the spotlight. I applaud the writer last week who compared Dan Tennant to “Digger,” the dermatophyte nail fungus; brilliant analogy. We didn’t want Dan on the City Council two years ago. What ego trip made him think that we would want him as mayor of PTC? Will he please just go away and take Steve with him?

The letter writer from last week may be unaware that she does indeed need to add the golf cart to her auto insurance. As a general rule your homeowners’ insurance doesn’t cover your golf cart unless it’s inside the house when it becomes damaged.

To the individual who relocated to Fayetteville from Riverdale: You’re right, no longer do the two cities have many differences. It is solely because you all keep moving in. Before the Pavilion, Fayetteville was a great place to go catch a movie or have a nice dinner. It never was an elite Utopia you speak of, but rather an enjoyable place to be. Now, I hate the thought of driving near that place. I’m sure Riverdale has their own Wal-Mart and Payless Shoes. Why not shop or loiter there? As a Fayette citizen I ask, can we rezone, please?

I, like many inhabitants of Fayette County, witnessed a shooting star last Monday at 10:17 p.m. Did any of our local media bother to cover this important event? No. Let’s get on the ball, guys.

The yard signs for the mayor’s race were not allowed to be placed until the end of qualifying for the race. In other words, any time after 4:30 p.m. Sept. 16 the yard signs can go up. Obviously, Harold Logsdon knew what he was doing and did abide by the rules; isn’t it great that he has so many people who were willing to have signs in their yards? Harold plays fair, [and] you need to get your facts straight before you throw out unsubstantiated half-truths.

Tyrone officials: Local residents moved to Tyrone or have lived here and are happy the way things are. Never mind spending the taxpayers’ money on some downtown beautification project. How about connecting us to Peachtree City so we can save on gas and pollution to the environment, ease congestion, etc. Now that would be a real benefit. Put your thirst for a legacy aside for once.

Grace Caldwell, keep standing up. The only ones wanting you to sit down are Aunt Bee, Barney, Gomer and Goober. Why? Because they don’t understand what you’re saying. You scare and intimidate them. Their worst nightmare is you sitting up there with them. Fear is a good thing. You go, Grace; Tyrone needs you.

FYI: The Tyrone Neighborhood Alliance had representatives scheduled to work in shifts at the motor home. Trust me, nobody wanted to spend a full day at the embarrassing function we call Founders Day. And another thing, the only one that needs to go back to PTC is the humiliating town manager Barry Amos, that we seem to be stuck with until we can get new people to fill the mayor and council seats. I heard it takes three votes to seek employment of a new town manager. Tyrone, don’t mess up this election; vote Grace Caldwell and Gloria Furr. I know that will take care of two votes.

To the person who compared the Tyrone mayor and council to the “Beverly Hillbillies”: You give them too much credit. Please remember, the Beverly Hillbillies did strike oil. All Tyrone’s mayor, council, and Barney Amos have struck is “wetland muck” at Handley Park.

Once again we in Tyrone have been embarrassed by our leadership. After much money was spent on a survey as to where to put a library, and the county commissioners publicly pressured to give Shamrock Park to build on, it seems Tyrone’s mayor and council have decided on a never-before-mentioned open lot they did indeed already own and was never on the survey. I wish we had a hook to pull them off stage. They just don’t get it.

To the Lone Ranger who believed the Shamrock Park $6,000 plan was flawless: If you were so pleased and delighted with the plan, why didn’t you and Silver ride up to the podium and voice your opinion at the council meetings? The only responses I heard at the Town Council meetings were against development at Shamrock Park. Why don’t you get with the program?

We can now stop trying to influence President Bush’s choices for lifetime appointments. They are now done, as he and the Bushies wished, and the voters also wished five years ago. I’m not sure they got what they thought they were going to get. All controversial cases at the Supreme Court will now be 5-4, or 6-3, against women’s rights, prison terms, faith-based initiatives, and elections that are close. Also, the Iraqi war has now gotten the price of energy to the point where the few powerful oil companies may proceed unhindered to charge as they wish, and in effect keep a war going somewhere indefinitely to protect their stockholders. Control of the debt as to where it will be spent is now assured for the wars, government contracts, and not for health for the elderly, social security, or the poor. We are headed for certain obliteration now by most of the rest of the world unless we unharness the big bombs eventually. All this created by selfishness and bigotry.

If ever a true “stalking horse” ever existed, the new Supreme Court nominee, Ms. Miers, is one. Too many conservative columnists, radio blabber-mouths, and other far-right people are against her, all at once. It looks “fishy. ”By getting her to withdraw, the Senate wouldn’t dare turn down a second choice, who will be, of course, in the mold of Thomas, Scalia, et al. Why in heavens name can’t a nominee occur who has a record as a judge and has ruled maybe “both” ways in the past — some conservative rulings and some moderate rulings? After all, we don’t need judges if they always vote what Limbaugh says!

Supreme Court justices are important to all of us: they changed the face of Georgia several times in our history. Without them we would still be picking mostly cotton here and minorities and women would not be allowed to vote. Therefore, if the president had not known his latest nominee, Ms. Miers, and her name had been presented to him on a list already scoured by legal experts (as they should be), would he have selected her? Never a judge of any kind; made millions as a barrister (for her and her company: off whom no one knows, but may be perfectly legal); ran the Texas lawyers association once, meaning she must be on all of their side; and (the kicker) ran the Texas lottery! I don’t think a personal friend cuts the mustard in this extremely important job. Even Lyndon Johnson couldn’t get his old crony Abe Fortas on the court.

10-05-05

Even though the complaints in the paper regarding the Peachtree City amphitheater have subsided somewhat since the new management took over, don’t think that subscribers are happy. This summer series certainly did not draw entertainers that thrilled the majority of past subscribers. The ticket prices increased substantially and the quality of entertainment declined. Also, notice the total negativity of the amphitheater entrance. By the time you get inside you are totally glum over all the “no” signs. The current management needs to get a job with FEMA where their bureaucratic negative mindset would fit right in. Come on, next election! Officials, change the amphitheater back to some semblance of the good times in the past. In the meantime, at least you can attend the Fayetteville amphitheater and get better concerts, cheaper prices, and an upbeat management.

In Fayette and Coweta counties alone, think how many cars would be off the road if students rode the bus to school. Think how many young lives would be saved if students rode the bus to school.

I was glad to see that Grace Caldwell is running for Tyrone Council. This time, I bet Tyrone won’t make the same mistake it did a year ago. It’s time to break up the “Rat Pack” at Tyrone; elect Grace Caldwell and Gloria Furr for council.

Grace Caldwell, please sit down. You’ve been beaten in multiple elections, and it’s obvious the people of Tyrone don’t need any input from you.

I have a great idea. Why don’t we build the new Tyrone Library on Handley Field? That way, when it floats down into Pendelton Lake next rainstorm we can hold it for ransom until the town of Tyrone pays to dredge our lake.

This just in from the world of sports and local politics. On Sept. 22, 2005, the Fayette County Commission pitched a no-hit shutout against Tyrone Councilman Mike (the Boston Poet) Smola. The commission victory was led by starting pitcher Greg (the Colonel) Dunn and relief pitchers Wells, VanLandingham, Pfeifer and Frady. The Colonel jumped out to a commanding lead from the first pitch. The other commissioners did an outstanding job producing pitch after pitch to insure the victory. In the decisive 5-0 shutout, the county refused to reverse the reversion clause in Shamrock Park. Shamrock Park will have to be used as recreation. Some of the highlights included Smola hitting into a triple play every-time he came to bat. No relief for Mike since the rest of the team from Tyrone did a no-show except for the Town Manager Barney Amos, who was last seen peeping over the dugout wall.

Attention Mike Smola and Barry Amos and Co.: Looks like Shamrock Park has been saved. Guess that’s a “Dunn” deal.

Wow, as soon as Tyrone has a flawless plan that the majority of the citizens agree on, it’s trampled on by all of the county commissioners. Shamrock Park would have been a great place to put a beautiful, brand-new library that could be the centerpiece for the rest of the town to develop around. Shame on each and every person that opposed it. The County Commission truly did a heartless thing to the town of Tyrone, and as soon as election time comes I hope we have a clean house with new more open-minded commissioners. The Tyrone Neighborhood Alliance doesn’t even know what it wants. The citizens can make decisions for themselves and voice their own opinions at town meetings rather than littering the town and neighborhoods with tacky white signs.

Note to Tyrone Police Department: In Tyrone, on Ga. Highway 74 north, there are three consecutive intersections spanning one mile with heavy traffic especially in the morning, yet no police vehicle is visible on the median.

Did the Mayor of Tyrone and her old cronies riding down the Founders Day Parade in the back of a pickup remind anyone else of the “Beverly Hillbillies”? Aahh, the simple life.

Everyone in Tyrone can thank the Fayette County commissioners for saving Shamrock Park. Thank God they still have some say in what is going on here. Now if they can just save us from our own mayor and Town Council feeding us to the developers, we will have it made.

Once again the city of Senoia has shown why The Citizen doesn’t carry “funnies.” At least Tyrone seems to get some city business accomplished.

Isn’t it time that airline employees realize that they must make proposals to management that will keep them flying? The unions can still protect them from mistreatment. If they don’t, one of two things will happen: No airline, or foreign workers at half the cost. They simply grew their salaries and benefits beyond the competition. Top management will always be paid well in most cases. That is capitalism.

It really annoys me that all the air conditioning vents in my house are covered with furniture. Do home-builders expect me to put all my furniture in the middle of each room?

Thank you, Fayette Commissioners, for making Tyrone leave Shamrock Park alone. Now, let’s work on moving Founder’s Day back where it belongs so we can attend again. We loved letting the little ones run barefoot in the grass in the kiddie ride section before the fair got moved to the hot gravel in Handley Park. Once was enough for that location, we won’t be back if it stays there.

Look at Bill Campbell, Bob Lenox, World Com, Sheryl Lee, Tom Delay, Development Authority, Direct PAC, Enron and Peachtree Bank. Terrorism is not our largest concern. We ought to be more worried about being destroyed from within. Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” When people in leadership positions have no regard for the masses and they focus only on their own selfish ambitions, our society breaks down. We are going to see change for the better in Tyrone come November.

Wake up, Tyrone, and vote. This election is our only hope. You have the highest taxes in the county and nothing to show for it. Elected officials that go back on their word of tax rollbacks, but we have new tax-paid-for SUVs for city staff. Where was that in the budget? There is no accountability. Needless to say, if you have ever tried to plead your viewpoint at town hall, I might also add, no respect either. The county management has stood up for the taxpayers against developers while Tyrone has served us up on a silver platter.

You’d think the Tyrone Neighborhood Alliance, with its representation of over 20 neighborhoods, could muster up more of a presence at Founders Day. Instead we get an empty motor home. Their lack of presence shows us what they’re really about: four or five people who write hateful e-mails to Free Speech. Why don’t you guys go back to Peachtree City?

I was fortunate enough to make it to the amphitheater early on Saturday night and get to see a preview of the upcoming show, “The Sound of Music,” that will be at The Fred in two weeks. What amazing talent. And it’s about time that we had some theatre at The Fred.

I can’t believe that the amphitheater is subsidizing the loses by the Tennis Center. I thought the Peachtree City Tourism Association was NOT supposed to commingle its money. Everyone made such a big deal when it was discovered that the Peachtree City Development Authority did the same thing. What the series ticket holders want is ALL of the money generated by the amphitheater to go towards great acts, not tennis balls.

Wonder way attendance is down at The Fred? Imagine running a gauntlet of politicians on one night, and just last weekend, sitting through an hour and a half auction waiting for the Debbie Reynolds show. PTC Tourism, you really need to find a better opening act.

There’s apparently a local scam going on, where people are threatened by phone they’ll be arrested for not showing up for jury duty unless they clear up the misunderstanding by revealing personal information. In a county where the state court judge reportedly issued an arrest warrant against a woman for being late in filing her paperwork for neutering her adopted cat, one can see why this scam would work.

I moved to Fayetteville from Riverdale, and both cities have more similarities than differences. Its funny how some people are so quick to judge the unknown. Fayetteville is not some elite Utopia. Get a clue.

Here we go with that “I’m offended by the refugee word” again. I don’t know what Webster’s dictionary you used, but mine only mentions foreign country and war in the same sentence. Don’t pick out words and make up a definition to make your thin skin feel better. There is nothing offensive about any of those terms. Also, I sent a check to the Red Cross with “refugee assistance” on the memo line. Guess what? They weren’t offended; they cashed it.

I think I’m beginning to see why so many of the good ol’ boys in PTC have their panties in a wad over Mayor Brown.

It looks like mayoral candidate Harold Logsdon is not abiding by the rules. The yard signs are not to be posted before Oct. 12. Anyone who cannot play by the rules will NOT receive my vote. He has his signs all over PTC. Shame on you, Harold Logsdon, for not playing fair. If elected mayor, is this the way you would govern?

Bob Lenox wasn’t this active in the newspapers when he was mayor. I have never seen someone so desperate to get another person out of office. He kept predicting that the current city council would fail and they ended up winning awards and recognition. I know that the council’s success has got to be a great disappointment to Lenox but his running around like a lunatic trying to convince everyone that he did a great job while he was mayor is only making the current council look better. His arrogance has always been his curse.

The development authority situation has got to be serious. You could almost envision Doug Warner of Direct PAC and authority fame popping the aspirins as he is responding to the questions. He had to admit they “possibly” committed an illegal operation with the Regions Bank actions. The guy was the authority’s attorney, for crying out loud. What a mess. And what is Bob Lenox trying to hide? He is frantically trying to change the focus away from his budget of 2001 and his buddies on the authority. So the mayor painted his office, whoopee. The next charge will probably be that the mayor took some paper clips home from City Hall. I have never seen a former politician be so un-statesmanlike. Lenox is making Ted Kennedy look good.

If Mayor Brown ever made his accusations against the wrong person, they would break both of his legs. Steve Brown is still walking and talking. That says something about the character of those he attacks.

Am I the only one thoroughly confused by Steve Brown? One week he viciously attacks some of his fellow PTC residents in the newspaper with misleading and inaccurate facts. The next week he’s quoting Scripture. Will the real Steve Brown please stand up.

Oh my goodness, you’d think that DPAC and DAPC were real people running for mayor of Peachtree City the way Mr. Brown goes on and on about them. What are his issues, what has he done as mayor besides alienate Peachtree City from all the surrounding governments, stop construction of the TDK extension, cost hundreds of thousands of extra dollars on the Ga. Highway 54 improvements, and embarrass all the honest and upright citizens of Peachtree City?

The Peachtree City Police Department would do well to assign a full-time officer to the North Peachtree Parkway and Walt Banks Road intersection if that roundabout is ever put in. Judging from the number of drivers I’ve seen driving in the wrong direction around City Circle at The Avenue, the North Peachtree Parkway and Walt Banks Road roundabout will be a “drive at your own risk” area when you factor in the number of high school-age drivers coming through there every school day.

Giving money to politicians signals that you have money to burn and that it’s OK to raise your taxes. Not a smart move.

This fellow Garlock who ordered a stretch limo golf cart is obviously digging at many citizens in jest with his article. What kind of jack would write such an article of extravagance at such a time as we are in now? Soldiers living in filth in the Middle East, scores of thousands of Americans in dire straits (and not all black.)

After seeing Mr. Garlock’s golf cart in the paper I don’t think he has to worry about the new regulations. That vehicle doesn’t come anywhere close to being a golf cart. It looks like it should have sides, be painted black and have rap music playing as it bounces along. How can you even maneuver something that big on a path?

I hope we don’t ruin a good thing, riding golf carts, by letting just a few ruin the whole show! Nine thousand golf carts (9,000!) on our roads and paths, and now monster vehicles with no speed limit want to antagonize the whole. Get some simple, good rules, and for goodness sake begin to police these 9,000 vehicles. Cops are not too good to police paths, nor intersections. Their brother firemen go and do what is necessary, why can’t they?

Re: crime and other incidents on the golf cart paths. Yes, the police were called. By the time they responded, the punks were long gone. However it is real difficult to get a tag number when the cart is speeding and you are trying to get out of harm’s way. My big question, what were teenagers doing out after 11 p.m. joy-riding on their parents’ golf cart, and let’s not even mention that it was a school night? Doesn’t anyone keep tab on their kids anymore?

Anything unregulated, like golf carts, brings out the jackasses in the crowd, who, in an effort to stand out and be more recognized, will do whatever is necessary to their golf cart to get bragged on. They don’t even know that’s why they do it. It continues until some of them are dangerous to others. No one should care if I want good-looking mirrors, or a surrey with a fringe on top, but carts that can run too fast, will. If you want to control them just make it simple: so wide, so long, so high, and a certain speed. When a license is issued, have them sign a waiver that the chance they take riding such a vehicle is theirs, not the city’s problem.

It seems to me that Lt. Col. Bruce Jordan seems to pop up his uninformed, political head whenever he wants his name in the paper. Sheriff Johnson would do well to rid himself of this person. Jordan has really caused Sheriff Johnson, who has been a well-respected law enforcement officer for a number of years, more problems than he is worth.

Now, I’ve heard it all. Lt. Col. Bruce Jordan gets blasted because he speaks the truth. It’s his fault because burglars steal expensive items from vehicles, most of which are unlocked. Gracious goodness, they fervently prowl in search of such easy booty. That’s the first lesson learned in burglar boot camp. It’s also explained on the first page of chapter 1 in the official 2005 Rip-Off Handbook. My suggestion to my insurance company and to John Oxendine is that claims on items stolen from unlocked vehicles should not be paid. Why should my insurance premiums increase because of the stupidity and carelessness of others?

Your paper ran a notice of the “Chamber of Commerce” candidates Forum. Look for that forum to be oozing with partiality just like the Rotary Club function. At past Rotary “forums,” moderator/lawyer/Development Authority Member/Bank board member Doug Warner has exhibited obvious bias against candidates challenging the Old Guard. Look for the Chamber to put Bob “I own this Town” Lenox to bring the debate to order by repeating his now famous words, “This is my meeting.”

Peachtree City candidates all seem to be talking about whether or not the city should pay the Development Authority loans. I thought that this was in the courts. Are Group 6 developers and the bank still suing in the courts? Won’t that settle things? If so, why are the candidates even talking about? Why hasn’t the judge ruled? Could The Citizen please put one of those Editorial Notes in the paper telling us what’s going on?

Why would the Peachtree Bank be suing us, the taxpayers, to recover money they lent but failed to see that it went to purchase assets. Apparently most of it was used as operating money or to build a piece of junk. If city insurance money intended to cover such stuff as this is used, we still will pay for it in the long run. The city doesn’t have any money that we don’t give them. The bank needs to foreclose, or write it off. If not maybe we need to stop dealing with this bank or have a bank examiner look into it?

Doug Warner, admitted former Development Authority Attorney, admitted former Development Authority Member, admitted Peachtree National Bank board member, made us all feel a lot better by announcing “that his pay for attending (bank) board of directors meetings was less than his hourly fee as an attorney,” NOT! He admits to the scandal of playing on both sides of the fence and we’re supposed to feel better about it because he was only getting paying less than $120 an hour for doing it. Does he think that we’re stupid? Thank God the City Council stopped the landslide coming right at us when they did.

Someone please run for Fayetteville City Council. Three seats are available and the city needs good-hearted people who are willing to support change in their community. Let’s face it, Fayetteville is going downhill and becoming more and more dangerous. I am tempted to write in “Sponge Bob” on my ballot.

Typical Delta Air Lines management decision: Increase international routes where there is less competition from low-cost carriers. As part of cost cuts, take away international pay for flight attendants. Now flight attendants working their butts off from Atlanta to Europe, South America, and Tokyo will make the exact same money as those flight attendants throwing out chips and peanuts from Atlanta to Dallas.

We all will be “sharing the pain” when it comes to Delta salary cuts. Delta employees of course, but also tanning salons, hair salons, restaurants, clothing stores, home improvement and gardening stores, almost every business will all feel the cutbacks in terms of reductions in revenue. So, pilots, stop whining. This is not all about you, and you are not the only ones to suffer. We all suffer together. The entire city will suffer together. Face it, you’ve had the best part-time job of your life for the last few years, and pretty soon you may have to work for a living. Just like the rest of us. Time to grow up.

To last week’s Free Speech whiners concerning pilot pay, you’re either a Delta employee who forgot to write “pilot” on your job application or just a jealous neighbor. If you’ve been reading the newspaper over the last several years, you would know that there are many reasons for Delta’s present situation. Competition from low-cost carriers, Internet ticket purchases, and soaring fuel costs to name a few. But Delta’s last batch of management helped dig the grave that led to bankruptcy. As for your complaint of a $2.3 billion payoff to pilots in early pension payoffs, the money comes out of the Delta Pilot Trust Fund, not the company’s money. This management wasted so much money in the last decade, it pales in comparison to employee costs. Ultimately, Delta could not survive their incompetence. As for the Jet Blue pilot being as good as a pilot making $300,000, he is indeed. But rest assured, he wanted the Delta pilot’s salary. Ironically, by working for a low-cost airline, he destroyed his chances of ever getting it.

Boy, my pilot husband has been holding out on me. I wonder how he managed to hide the bulk of that $300,000 salary? It didn’t even show up on his paycheck. To the person who says that the JetBlue pilot proved you don’t have to make $300,000 to be a good pilot, get a clue. If you want to take a shot at someone else’s income (which is the height of crassness, anyway), at least get your numbers closer to reality.

I am in total agreement with the writer who expressed frustration over seeing (and hearing) dogs chained to trees in backyards. It seems cruel to me and I think it makes them more aggressive and even more territorial than normal. I have to deal with the never ending barking as well and I can’t understand-how the dog’s owner can be so inconsiderate. I suggest calling the Fayette County Non-Emergency phone number, 770-461-4357. They will notify the police who can cite the owners for violating the noise ordinance.

I guess taking kids out of school to go to Panama City, Destin, or snow skiing is OK, but to take two days off to conserve energy for our neighbors is a no-no. These are the same people who will be screaming when the bass in our lakes are dead and they have no place to fish. These are the same people who wouldn’t recycle anything, car pool or vote for a rail or mass transit system because they are too selfish and ignorant to be concerned about our environment for our children and grandchildren.

Someone had written that parents should check their children’s manners. Way to go, I agree. A friend and I were at [a restaurant and] it must have been homecoming. So many pretty gowns and dresses. One young lady had her hair up and the other girls kept commenting about it. Too bad she looked nice with her hair all up but chewed with her mouth open. Gross. Also at the same table was a well-mannered young lady who sat properly and you could see she was taught well. Her parents should be proud but she needs to teach her friend some proper etiquette as her friend’s parents failed to do so.

Can’t we find someone to run for mayor who doesn’t have a full-time job or an axe to grind? All of them seem to have friends in the development and bank business, or are in the upper social circles. All we need is a functionary to do dinners, sign proclamations, make Fourth of July speeches, attend civic club meetings, and sign things. We HIRE professionals to run the day-to-day business of the city. If we don’t, we should. However, someone has to have the ability to actually fire professionals who are duds.

Michael “You’re doing a heckuva job, Brownie” Brown forced to resign for incompetence; David Safavian resigns and is arrested for improper financial dealings with lobbyist Jack Abramoff; Karl Rove and others under federal investigation for disclosing the name of an undercover CIA agent in a time of war; no-bid contracts to Dick Cheney’s former employer, Halliburton, and other firms with close ties to the administration, Tom DeLay, Bill Frist, Bob Taft, Ernie Fletcher, etc. Elect a Republican and what do you get: corrupting crony-capitalism. Your tax money at work. Next time, think before you vote.

Former Secretary of Education Bill Bennett should apologize for racist comments made on his call-in radio show. It is unconscionable for Bennett to make such ignorant and insensitive comments. Are these the values of the Republican Party and its conservative allies?

So you deliberately and carelessly throw a cup of ice out of a moving vehicle on a public road; and it is somehow the fault of the motorcyclist for following too close. Not exactly my definition of a “mistake.” I guess if he were 20 or 30 feet behind it would have been acceptable to throw your trash out the window. Please do us all a favor and keep your trash in the vehicle, your eyes on the road and be aware of your surroundings. We will all be safer for it.