Wednesday, November 14, 2001
|
Wednesday, November 14, 2001 |
|
Rower flyer falsifies 'facts' on Brown By
AMY RILEY I wanted to take a moment to respond to several issues that have surfaced in recent weeks in The Citizen newspaper, and to a few issues that were presented in mayoral campaign literature that I feel constitute a misrepresentation of the facts. I'm sending these comments to the newspaper because the letters to the editor section exists specifically as a conduit of public opinion and discourse, and many people who take the time to read campaign literature also tend to follow local news and opinion in the newspaper. I am in possession of a campaign flyer written by, or on behalf of, candidate Gary Rower who is in a runoff with Steve Brown for the mayoral seat in Peachtree City. There is a glaring claim that I specifically take issue with for its factual content. The pamphlet states, "Mr. Brown claims that he 'proposed the creation of a "Big Box Ordinance.'" Mr. Rower's campaign flyer goes on to state, "The ordinance was actually proposed by Councilwoman McMenamin and written by the city staff." Believing, at the barest minimum, the semantics of Mr. Rower's statement to be false, I requested a copy of the Nov. 2, 2000, Peachtree City City Council meeting minutes to check my recollection of the facts. I encourage any and all interested citizens to do the same. The minutes address in detail that Steve Brown did in fact approach Carol Fritz and Dr. Bob Brooks about the Big Box Ordinance; both Council members attest to that fact in the meeting minutes. The statements concerning Steve Brown's interaction with Council member Annie McMenamin are a little more difficult to discern. Since the meeting minutes contain no quotation marks, and the meetings are not televised, which would make it easier for local residents to attend to the business of multiple municipal bodies and still attend to the business of their own children and families, it is unclear whether Steve Brown is recalling conversations he had with Annie McMenamin or if Annie herself is recalling the events. What is crystal clear, though, in the course of the entire Nov. 2 minutes is why so many citizens of Peachtree City feel disenfranchised by the current city government administration. Mrs. McMenamin may have been the first to ask city staff to address the creation of an ordinance, but it seems the idea of creating an ordinance prohibiting the development of additional big box retail establishments after the Wal-Mart and Home Depot debacle was indeed Steve Brown's. Steve Brown states in the minutes that Council member Fritz asked him, "Why he did not start his mail-out effort [mailers sent to city residents asking them to state their preferences about big box retail establishment] sooner," meaning if Steve Brown had gone about council's business a year earlier, perhaps we could have avoided the Wal-Mart and Home Depot developments. Mrs. Fritz made essentially the same statement to me at a Republican party rally prior to the November 2000 election. So which is it? I've heard so much criticism about Steve Brown's involvement in city affairs, and yet, for me, Steve Brown represents my views across the board. And would you want a candidate who is not involved? Why can't Mr. Rower simply state his qualifications for office? Why must he attempt to devalue Steve Brown's qualifications? To me, that represents a candidate who hasn't much else to say. Mr. Rower criticizes Steve Brown for taking classes on municipal processes and for attending meetings of community and regional interest. Why? Never before have I met a candidate who so has so broadly attempted to prepare himself for all facets of elected work. Never before have I met a candidate who so consistently attempts to assess the opinions and desires of a constituency. [Brown] knows the issues; he's been in attendance regularly for several years at not only city council meetings, but commission meetings, planning commission meetings, as well as some school board meetings. How can anyone be critical of that? As for the repeated allegation of "drawbridge mentality" leveled at "less than five-year residents," here's a little part of the story you long-timers don't know. Nearly all of us "less than five-year residents" were marketed a planned community that was at 95-percent build-out. We were told that the only property left to develop was some office industrial property, and some very high end single family residential lots. For some of you who have lived here so long, perhaps it takes a turn in the Lawrencevilles, Mariettas, Alpharettas, and Norcrosses of the region for you to fully comprehend what you are on the verge of living in on a daily basis. We may have been stupid for believing the build-out lie, but we weren't the ones who told it. Steve Brown represents many in Peachtree City who came here believing the dream that was marketed to us. He also represents the best chance we have of sustaining that dream. It is not too late. It can still be our reality. I guess if longtime residents were told there would be 85,000 residents at build-out, they are understandably ecstatic. [Amy Riley writes occasional columns for The Citizen. She may be reached at AmyRileyOpEd @aol.com.]
|
||