Wednesday, August 15, 2001

Peachtree City mayoral candidate Fred Wellman in his letter [The Citizen, Aug. 8] said, "We must focus on the issues, not the personalities," in political debates. He has not focused on personalities, but neither has he focused on any issues whatsoever. Not a one.

Mr. Wellman also said, "We need someone to build a team and to foster cooperation, not dissent." He called effective government "a team sport." The only way we can build a team is to put people on the team who are all playing the same game. Currently we have council members whose voting and personal agendas do not mesh with Peachtree City's best interests.

We did not stop Mayor Lenox's ridiculous annexation project with a give-and-take dialog. It does not work when politicians turn a deaf ear to the opposition. We attacked the mayor, his plan, and his motivations in letters to the editor. The population read the letters, contacted their representatives, and the mayor's ridiculous project died the ugly death it deserved.

Mr. Wellman is naive to think that people are not offended when you challenge their thoughts or ideas. He is the type of person you do not want to judge a contest at your party. He will not pick a winner because he does not want to hurt anyone's feelings.

We do not need a mayor who will turn whichever way the wind blows. Let me be the first, but not the last, to christen him "wishy-washy Wellman."

Bill Webster

Peachtree City

[Wellman is an announced candidate for mayor of Peachtree City. The Citizen welcomes letters from candidates for all local offices and from citizens commenting on the candidates and issues raised. We will print the letters from candidates and a representative sampling of others subject to standard editing practices for length and conformity to libel laws, until the week before the election.]

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