Wednesday, October 2, 2002

I enjoy reading Mayor Brown's letters to the editor. His letters better than any from the members of the "government in exile" demonstrate his ignorance.

For instance he used the word exile incorrectly in his Sept. 11 letter to The Citizen. None of the members that are critical of him have been forced to live outside the United States as the word correctly means.

He further demonstrated how clueless he is when he made the comment about the "double standards are the status quo" concerning videotaping council meetings. He's not the only council member that doesn't understand for in May he made a similar comment in a letter that Mr. Rapson parroted to me shortly afterwards because I am the one taping the council meetings.

I am confident that a vast majority of Peachtree City residents understand so the following explanation is for the edification of Mr. Brown and Mr. Rapson. I oppose the city spending tax dollars videotaping meetings. The cost was $750 per meeting when initially discussed. Recent estimates grew to over $83,000 per year. Their desire to inform and involve the voters is a specious argument. Citizens viewing the tape on the cable access channel can't provide input to affect the decision made. I on the other hand take the time to sit through the meetings and use my own camera and tapes to record them as allowed by Georgia state law at no cost to the city.

There are interesting things said that are not reported in the paper. For example, at the August special meeting with the Airport Authority, the paper reported that Mr. Rapson was against obligating future city councils making payments to the Airport Authority.

What the paper didn't report, but I have on tape, is Mr. Rapson suggesting that the city take on bond debt to make the airport's capital improvements because the city could get a better interest rate. The city could also reduce the amount of hotel/motel tax money given to the Authority by over $20,000 per year.

So Mr. Rapson wants to obligate future city councils to a bond debt payment (likely made from general revenue funds) that can't be broken until the debt is retired, plus make a $100,000 payment. And he thinks that's better than entering into a 10-year contractual agreement to give $120,000 per year of hotel/motel tax revenues which can be renegotiated by future councils. Mr. Brown was silent on the subject so he either concurred or didn't understand.

Another example occurred during the special meeting with the Development Authority. As reported by the paper, Mr. Brown wants the tennis center and amphitheater to become self-sufficient and the Authority suggested cutting non-revenue-producing activities.

What was not reported was Mr. Brown's suggestion to put money into the Recreation Department's budget to pay for those activities. He wants to use what would likely be general revenue funds to pay for activities that are now provided for with the hotel/motel tax revenues.

John Dufresne

Peachtree City

(Member, government in exile)