Wednesday, August 20, 2003

I would like to respond to Peachtree City Council member Annie McMenamin's comments as stated in the article titled "PTC considers $26M budget." After reading what she had to say related to a way of saving money proposed by Councilman Tennant, my hot breath almost scorched the paper. McMenamin stated, "Look, the people who live here are spoiled, and they don't mind paying to be spoiled." She was justifying a small tax increase.

She went on to say, "When somebody calls me wanting their cart path fixed, they don't mean next week, next month, or six months from now, they mean, 'I'm about to go out on my cart path, and I expect to see somebody back there working on it.'"

I consider the council members's comments to be arrogant, insensitive, insulting, irritating, and out of touch with the vast majority of her constituents. I hope she is not reflecting the entire City Council's attitude about expenses and living within its income.

Peachtree City may be considered to be an affluent area but the majority of us are not spoiled. We work, and have worked hard to get where we are. We are very concerned about tax increases, especially in light of the apparently careless way the city council has been handling the issue of growing expenses and reduced revenues.

Most of us understand that taking care of public concerns takes time. If we wanted everything fixed immediately we probably would have recalled the mayor and most of the city council by now. Most of us do question where the leadership of Peachtree City appears to be taking us but we are not spoiled to the point of demanding immediate satisfaction to all of our concerns.

Since the councilwoman raised the issue of cart paths let me respond to that thought as well. They are in a state of disrepair. If those of us who use them regularly called McMenamin with all of the areas needing attention, she would never be able to get off her telephone. Maybe we should all call her and let her know how bad things really are.

McMenamin should exercise better judgment about how she views her constituents. She owes us all an apology for her arrogance. The entire City Council needs to step back and see how their public really views them, especially as related to how they spend public monies. Dog parks versus maintaining infrastructure? A million dollars for a cart bridge and beautiful entrance to the city versus cost of living raises for city employees? Adding an assistant city manager for $100,000 versus keeping what we already have in good repair?

Council member Annie and the rest of the councilmen need to look in the mirror and tell all of us who and what they really see: Arrogant, spoiled citizens OR taxpayers who have just about had enough of current leadership.

Paul M. Van't Hof

Peachtree City