What our Readers Are Saying

Letters to the Editor

School tests: Set bar low so most will pass

I have got to be missing something here. I freely admit I’m not the brightest person on the planet, but really ....

As a taxpayer, I strongly feel we are being cheated by the Georgia Department of Education. Not only the taxpayers, but more importantly, the children themselves.

Georgia’s state School Superintendent Kathy Cox proudly announced recently that only 11,000 out of roughly 115,000 third graders failed the reading test. She also said that this number, about 10 percent, was much lower than failure predictions.

We now learn that passing score in Georgia is a only 42 percent out of 100 percent of a 20-question test (eight correct answers out of 20 questions). I have to admit it takes a lot of courage to publicly announce that the Georgia Department of Education accepts such a miserably low score as passing.

Apparently the state superintendent’s motto is, “If you set your objective low enough, success is assured.”

It’s a fairly safe bet that job applicants who score only 42 percent out of 100 percent on a company entrance test won’t likely be hired. If corporations delivered only 42 percent of their objective to their stockholders, top management would be quickly replaced.

Now we hear more hype that future “cut scores” will be held back from the public until a way can be found to help us (the stupid public) to understand how really good these lowered cut scores are. Curiously, the states themselves can decide how low to set their cut scores and still call it passing.

What a deal for the NEA and teachers’ unions! They apparently can’t bring the youngsters up to a practical passing grade of say 70 percent, so they simply lower the bar and congratulate themselves on the great results.

No wonder 17 million more Americans cannot read as of 2002 as compared with 1992 according to a recent CNN news report. No wonder too that Georgia’s SAT scores are at the bottom of the U.S.

How Kathy Cox and her state education department can tout themselves as doing a great job is beyond me. Anyone else out there feel this way?

John Dillahunt
Peachtree City, Ga.

Combined bands should be recognized

I moved to Peachtree City 18 months ago. One of the first events we got involved with was the 4th of July parade. Aside from having such a unique place to live, I found it totally amazing and wonderful when I found out that the two local high school bands came together for an event.

Since The Citizen has been here much longer than I have, I would have thought that by now that someone at The Citizen would have already figured it out.

The McIntosh Band AND the Starr’s Mill marching bands come together each year (for the last seven years) to march together in the Peachtree City 4th of July Parade. I don’t think there is another town on the earth that does this.

What excitement and what an example to set, two high schools from the same town, doing something together, marching in a parade! This year we had both band banners held side by side in front of the bands coming down the street. We had the McIntosh golf cart sporting McIntosh colors in front carrying water and the Starr’s Mill golf cart sporting Starr’s Mill colors carrying water in the back of the bands.

Even parade-goers noticed that we came together as one, as we heard comments coming down the parade route.

I think after seven years of hard work to bring our community together that it is terrible and inexcusable that the local paper would print pictures of the two schools marching together and printing the caption under it, “The McIntosh High School band celebrates the day with a musical tour through the streets.”

I think also it might be a good idea to have a photographer from the local area who knows what is going on to take your pictures.

I am so saddened at what the paper has done to these students and not supporting their efforts!

Sharon Lorensen
lorenses@bellsouth.net

[Editor’s reply: I’ve got a young man now at Georgia Tech who marched in that combined July 4th band for three years. No excuses. We blew it. We are sorry.]

Current D.A. shirks responsibility; Fayette’s Ballard better choice

In our current world of news by sound bytes, it is easy for those reading the paper or watching the news to be misled. William McBroom, the current district attorney for the Griffin Judicial Circuit, has stated that quotes from various sources mentioned by opponent Scott Ballard are half-truths.

He then implicitly admits one quote, a critical note by a juror, by blaming a new assistant district attorney, for whom he should take responsibility, by name.

He excuses another, the implications of a local judge’s order directing him to designate assistants to try leftover cases, by saying the order was directed to all participants.

Finally, he side-steps a third quote, criticism from the Georgia Court of Appeals, by saying the rules required him to do what he was criticized for doing, filing a motion for reconsideration that contained little more than a one sentence request for the Court to reconsider its opinion.

First, the main criticism from the Court of Appeals was the nature of the motion, not the fact that it was filed. Second, the rules for the Supreme Court clearly show that a motion for reconsideration is not required prior to submitting the case to the Supreme Court.

McBroom goes further to focus on Ballard’s admission that he had made mistakes in representing two clients. No attorney, defense or prosecution, who practices for any length of time can honestly look back and state that he hasn’t made mistakes. Ballard’s open admission of that fact demonstrates his honesty and integrity.

If by focusing on Ballard’s admission of mistakes, McBroom hopes to imply that Ballard is not qualified, it should be pointed out that in jury trials against Ballard from 2000 through 2004, McBroom’s office has obtained convictions on only five of 29 counts, a conviction rate of only 17 percent.

Further, three of the five convictions were misdemeanors. Ballard is more than qualified to act as the new district attorney for our circuit.

I have supported McBroom in past elections; I believe him to be an excellent trial attorney. His failure to accept responsibility for issues of concern, however, is not what the Griffin Judicial Circuit needs.

Ballard’s honesty and integrity in dealing with limited mistakes is indicative of the type of accountability and responsibility we need in a district attorney and the district attorney’s office.

His dedication to organizing and revamping the administrative aspects of the office will speed up the administration of justice. I support Ballard as our next district attorney because he deals in truth, not sound bytes.

James E. Bischoff, attorney
Brooks, Ga.

District Attorney McBroom’s attack on Ballard as low as you can go

I thought I had seen the slimiest of all “lawyer politics” in the metro Atlanta judicial races against some outstanding incumbent Fulton Superior Court judges, but the salacious and misleading full-page ad by District Attorney Bill McBroom targeting District Attorney candidate Scott Ballard takes the proverbial cake!

Scott Ballard did a great job in obtaining a new trial for Margie Swart after her Peachtree City Municipal “trial” was declared to have been conducted in a manner that did not protect her constitutional rights.

Scott advised Margie to seek a jury trial at state court, but she opted for a bench trial based on issues relating to the unauthorized contact of a represented defendant by Solicitor Steve Harris while she was researching her case at the Fayette County law library.

Once I was asked to assist Margie in seeking a new trial, Scott was fully cooperative. I subpoenaed Scott Ballard to verify (at the hearing on my motion for new trial) that he had not been privy to nor authorized any “private” communications between Margie and Solicitor Harris.

He scrupulously honored his subpoena and told the truth about every aspect of her case. His truthful testimony, along with his stellar reputation for truthfulness with the courts in Fayette County, helped me undo the prior state court conviction caused by Mr. Harris’ unauthorized 20-minute conversation with Mrs. Swart.

The issue about him missing the 10-day limit on her interlocutory appeal was really a non-issue, because Margie would have been allowed to have that issue reviewed by our appellate courts after conviction (if I had not been able to get her a new trial).

She lost nothing. In fact, due to the inappropriate contact by Harris (which led to her second conviction being set aside) she still is unconvicted. Moreover, I have reasserted and restructured all of her pre-trial motions for the next time this case is prosecuted, and we will have an opportunity to have all these issues fully adjudicated.

Judge Fletcher Sams has allowed Mrs. Swart the full opportunity to undo the problems caused by Mr. Harris’ inappropriate contact, and has vacated the entire prior decision so that she has a “new day” in court. The newly assigned prosecutor, Keith Martin of Clayton County, has fully supported this fair and constitutional action by Judge Sams.

Margie has not been harmed in the slightest, and she holds Scott in the highest regard as an attorney and as a friend.

I do not know Scott Ballard that well, but I do know that his reputation in legal circles is nothing short of impeccable, sterling quality. He has always upheld the highest moral and ethical standards.

Politics, frankly, make me sick. It particularly saddens me to see such inappropriate attacks in judicial races by attorneys who are held (by the State Bar) to a higher ethical and professional standard than other non-lawyer politicians. DA McBroom should know better.

I can only conclude that the full-page ad that was run was designed to confuse or mislead the voters of your judicial circuit, since it in no way portrays any flaws or faults of Scott Ballard. It seems to me to be an act of desperation, to try to turn the apparent tide favoring Scott Ballard to win this election.

I am not involved in any Fayette County races. I have not contributed a dime to any candidate in any race in the circuit. However, I would not be much of an attorney nor much of a man to stand mute and let this ridiculous and scurrilous attack on a good man and a fine lawyer go unanswered.

Rest assured that if I lived in the Circuit, my vote would have to be for Scott Ballard!

William C. Head
Attorney at Law
Atlanta, Ga.

Ballard beats McBroom in 24 of 29 court cases

When I returned home from my summer semester at UGA, I found quite a surprise waiting on the kitchen table. Before me was a full-page ad attacking my father, district attorney candidate Scott Ballard. Mr. Bill McBroom, I was quite angry to see you slander my father by attacking his competence and integrity. During the course of this campaign, I’ve felt that you have conducted yourself very well. You are usually a gentleman.

Therefore, I was quite disappointed to see you move the campaign in such a negative direction. My father was actually amused by your ad. I, however, am furious and feel that your false allegations need to be answered in a pubic forum.

First, let’s discuss the issue of competence. Since the year 2000, you have charged, in court, a total of 29 counts against my father’s clients.

Of those cases, you have only beaten my father five times! Three of those were misdemeanors.

At a time when the national conviction rate is very high, your pathetic prosecutors can only win against my dad 17 percent of the time. If my dad really is as incompetent as you claim, and he’s beaten you that many times, then I think it is clear that somebody needs to rescue our D.A.’s office!

The idea that you would even talk about competence is amazing. While I believe that you are a good attorney, you have failed as an executive. As a result of your disastrous March term of court here, 120 cases are backlogged.

Since your office did such a poor job of managing your caseload, the judges in our circuit are now baby-sitting your assistants. Only one of the five cases your office prosecuted in court resulted in a conviction.

My dad is in this race because law enforcement, tired of watching their hard work go down the drain, asked my father, a skilled trial lawyer, to try to replace you.

I remember, during my high school years (back when you were a Democrat), watching my father try a case against one of your prosecutors. It wasn’t even a close contest. Your assistant was totally unprepared for trial. The situation has only gotten worse since that hot summer.

Today, because of the incompetence of your office, I fear that our circuit is becoming a dangerous place to live.

While your charges related to my dad’s competence are absurd, I found them acceptable. It is fair to question if the person seeking an office is ready for the job. What caused my blood to boil was your questioning of my dad’s character.

My father is a noble man who has served his community with honor. There is not a person on earth that I admire more than Scott Ballard. He has touched many lives with his compassion, love, and goodwill.

No incident better demonstrates the character of my father than his handling of the discovery that my brother had autism. While this finding devastated our family, my Dad saw it as a blessing from the Lord. I can honestly say that no person has done more to aid my brother’s development than my father. His faith and eagerness to do good never ceases to inspire me.

To attack my dad’s competence, while absurd, is acceptable due to the nature of the campaign. To attack my father’s integrity, however, is an outrage and not befitting a man of your stature.

In the interest of decency, I ask that you elevate the level of your rhetoric and focus on the issues of the campaign.

Oh, and Mr. McBroom, I noticed that you claim to have “been ready for trial for 24 years.” God help us if you’re ready for 25!

David Ballard
Fayetteville, Ga.

[Editor’s note: No letters were received by Tuesday deadline in support of candidate McBroom. Had we received any, we would have printed them.

Commission Chairman Dunn to candidate Chapman: ‘Do you care?’

Intelligent, reasonable people make better decisions when they look at both sides of issues. People must be on guard not to allow themselves to be misled and manipulated for political gain. Perhaps maturity and experience are the best teachers, but in this instance only hard work can properly inform our youthful candidate for county commission, Sam Chapman.

Mr. Chapman has been spewing a constant stream of misinformation and attacks against the county commission in the newspapers (comments, letters and paid political ads). He is either misinformed or is intentionally distorting the truth just to get some votes. I choose to believe the former. Let me explain.

Most people who know me know that I support my long-time friend Peter Pfeifer and believe he deserves re-election, based on his hard work serving this community, but enough about Peter.

Despite my personal leanings in this election, I offered my time and that of the county staff to assist Mr. Chapman in understanding the responsibilities and the positions on various issues of the county commission, to which he so desperately seeks election.

I did so after a very pleasant conversation in which he introduced me to his beautiful wife and daughter. I left expecting him to avail himself of the opportunity to educate himself on the issues. He has never done so.

Additionally, he has only attended one short public meeting of the county commission. So how did this young candidate choose to educate himself ?

Apparently he has sought the advice and counsel of Mayor Steve Brown of Peachtree City, a self-proclaimed opponent of both commissioners Pfeifer and Frady.

He has further sought counsel from officials in the Sheriff’s Office who are currently opposing the county commission on issues of accountability.

Sam, I believe you were right to discuss the issues with both of them, but if you purport to be the “people’s voice on the commission,” don’t you need to know what Paul Harvey would call “the rest of the story”? Why have you sought out only those who attempt to use you for their political gain?

Don’t be fooled by your new-found friends who now have you doing their dirty work. I guess a picture with deputy sheriffs, at least one of whom publicly said he “went where he was ordered to go,” can make you feel good, but our citizens deserve more than ego gratification if you seriously want to serve them.

The offer I made to you still stands and I cordially invite you to come and see your county commission at work. In the meantime, I am asking you to think about several things. If you do, you just might want to change your campaign strategy.

(1) Do you believe you are getting the truth about the Special Local Option Sales Tax from Mayor Brown ? Do you care?

(2) Do you know that more than 50 percent of the money to be spent on transportation projects in the next seven years will be spent in Peachtree City ? Do you care?

(3) Since only 34 percent of the county’s residents live in Peachtree City, would you suggest we take transportation money away from Peachtree City? Do you care?

(4) You have stated that Peachtree City residents would pay over 50 percent of SPLOST revenues. If you found out that the real percentage is less than half of that, would you care?

(5) Do you know that 66 percent of the people in Fayette County do not live in Peachtree City? Do you and Mayor Brown care about them?

(6) Do you know the Marshals’ Office has been in existence since 1983 and the sheriff has, until now, incarcerated prisoners arrested by the marshals? Why has he changed his position? Do you care?

(7) You have said the county commission is trying to take the sheriff’s drug funds away from him. Do you know that we do not want to do that and that the law does not allow it? Do you care?

(8) If the Sheriff’s Office does not comply with federal and state law reference accountability of certain funds and the use of taxpayers’ money, should the county try to fix the problem? Do you care?

(9) Do you know that the county commission has five conscientious and dedicated people serving our community for over 30 years in these positions and that your opponent has voted and debated against my position many, many times? When you call commissioners “rubber stamps for the chairman,” do you not know that you demean their service and attack their integrity and you ascribe to me power I do not possess? Do you care?

Sam, this brand of politics works in many places in America but hopefully the citizens of this county won’t be taken in by one-sided, distorted nonsense.

I hope you will look at public service differently in the future than you apparently do now. A title is absolutely useless if you don’t know what you are doing when you get it!

My offer still stands: I hope to see you soon. By the way, I’m still going to vote for Peter Pfeifer but I’d like to know you care enough about our citizens to research and study the issues which affect all of us. Armed with accurate information and detailed analysis and self-preparation, you could be a great asset to our community in the future.

Greg Dunn, Chairman
Board of Commissioners
Fayette County, Ga.

Editor’s note: No letters were received by Tuesday deadline in support of candidate Chapman. Had we received any, we would have printed them.

On ‘King Greg, royal court of commissioners,’ sheriff, judges, Mayor Brown

I have just read in your paper the latest salvo from Greg Dunn on “behalf of the Board of Commissioners” and, really now, isn’t it enough already?

It seems that every time someone has the temerity to disagree with Commissioner Dunn, he, on behalf of the “Board of Commissioners,” sends a letter demanding compliance with their (his) directions immediately.

Failure to comply seems to follow immediately with the initiation of litigation. Have any of these “temper tantrums” resulted is a legal victory for the Board of Commissioners? Not as far as I can tell.

Has the art of discussion, reasonable accommodation, willingness to compromise, been completely lost by this, the current Fayette County Board of Commissioners?

I know Steve Harris. Personally I like him. He has always been willing to listen to a different point of view. I do not like how he has changed since deciding to run for higher office.

I plan to vote for Tommy Hankinson, not because I like him personally, but because he has not acted in a manner I find inconsistent with being a judge. Steve makes a better prosecutor. He should have run for district attorney or stayed put.

For the record, I do not like Greg Dunn. He is pompous in person, and a “media darling” when the media is present. He pretends that he is one of the only people in elected office to have good “ethics.”

I have known Randall Johnson for many years. While I may not agree with everything the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department does, Randall Johnson is not pompous, and is concerned about everyone in Fayette County.

Ask Commissioner Dunn one question and put his answer in the paper. Greg Dunn has said in your paper that he does not want to control the seized drug money sent to the Sheriff’s Office. He is also on record as utterly disapproving of the purchase of the helicopter by the Sheriff’s Department.

Tell us, Mr. Dunn, if the drug money was deposited into the accounts controlled by the Fayette County Board of Commissioners, would you have signed the check to purchase the helicopter?

There are few people more polarizing than Mayor Steve Brown. People either love him or they hate him; few people are neutral. Greg Dunn has, even here, taken his customary position of arrogance, and laid down the law to the mayor of Peachtree City. Whether the mayor’s position is right or wrong needs to be considered in light of day, not in a private meeting where Mr. Dunn can characterize the results how he chooses.

Please, citizens of Fayette County, wake up and send a message to “King Greg” just as the citizens of Georgia sent a message to “King Roy”! It’s not too late; Bill McNally (the county attorney) hasn’t amassed the fortune yet to retire to the Bahamas!

Paul Morrison
pmorrison12335@hotmail.com

Candidate Chapman seems unaware of many issues facing commission

I am the wife of Peter Pfeifer, who is currently seeking re-election to the office of Fayette County Commissioner, Post 3. I do not usually write letters to the editor, but feel compelled to do so out of concern over the misinformation being presented to my fellow citizens.

This is not meant to attack Sam Chapman personally. I don’t know him. We, as citizens and voters, must realize that it is our obligation to overlook personal attacks and seek the truth about the issues before us.

No candidate can claim to please everyone, all of the time, but they can offer to listen and evaluate individual concerns and act accordingly. They are elected FOR us, BY us. The ultimate crime for anyone seeking election to public office is to mislead the citizens they intend to represent.

I am referring to statements made by Sam Chapman in the July 7th edition of The Citizen (as well as in his political ads). I was confronted by one fabrication after another!

Mr. Chapman likes to talk big, but if you care to do any research you will quickly find that he has no knowledge of the issues facing the county commission. He says he supports the Sheriff’s Department. That is a very general statement. Who wouldn’t support law enforcement: only a fool (or a criminal)?

Is Mr. Chapman even aware of the facts behind this situation? I notice that he has never been specific on this issue, or any other. In Mr. Chapman’s article in the Election section of The Citizen, dated July 7, 2004, he chose to air his views on the SPLOST and traffic improvement plan.

Once again, his article contained little fact and much fiction. And again I must ask Ð Where did he get this information that he so confidently expounds?

Personally, I find it frightening to think someone with so little experience and lack of knowledge could even be considered as a serious candidate.

The desire to become educated on issues has not been demonstrated. If we allow the wrong people to dupe us into electing them, we will all pay the price.

I must also question Mayor Steve Brown’s comment in the July 7th issue of The Citizen where he states, “Herb Frady and Peter Pfeifer have done more to hurt Peachtree City than any other commissioners I know of, citing the city being snubbed in the county’s master recreation plan.”

Maybe Mr. Brown should read his own words in a previous edition of The Citizen where he credited Peter Pfeifer for being the only commissioner who did not approve the recreation plan. He went so far as to include this in a State of the City Address.

When you practice deception, it catches up with you... oops!

The disagreement between the commissioners and the Sheriff’s Department is yet another example of distortion. A very few, very vocal people have tried to make this a personal confrontation. It is not!

Fayette County is fortunate to have a superb law enforcement department, presently under the leadership of Sheriff Randall Johnson. Personally, Peter has been a strong supporter of Sheriff Johnson.

I don’t know a single commissioner who does not support public safety 100 percent. The issue is accountability.

The commissioners never had the desire or ability to control drug money. By law this money belongs to the Sheriff’s Department. What they were asking for is an objective accounting of the funds.

These checks and balances are for the protection of the citizens, the Sheriff’s Department, and the county government.

Randall Johnson will not be the sheriff indefinitely. Guidelines put in place are for the office, not the person holding the office. If “Mr./Ms. X” is elected sheriff and decides to misuse funds, and is able to do so because of a lack of accountability, who will suffer? The citizens. And who will be to blame? The commissioners.

This scenario is not far-fetched as we can see by events under investigation in nearby counties.

I can assure you that Peter Pfeifer is seeking re-election because he is dedicated to the citizens of Fayette County and has a natural desire and ability to serve. He has devoted much time as an active, involved leader in our community for more than 12 years, volunteering in various capacities. Peter wants to maintain and improve all that Fayette County has to offer.

His record, since becoming a county commissioner, speaks for itself and is something he is proud of. He would like the opportunity to continue to represent you.

Please feel free to contact Peter at 770-487-2654 with any questions or concerns you may have. We ask for your support and your vote on July 20th, for all the right reasons!

Carolyn Pfeifer
Peachtree City, Ga.

Judge Caldwell is best man for judge’s slot

Growing up in Fayette County with a father who practiced law, I got to be pretty familiar with local attorneys and judges. Johnnie Caldwell was one name I remembered well when I passed the bar and began practicing with my dad.

Judge Caldwell has been a staple in the Griffin Judicial Circuit for as long as I can remember. He has worked as an assistant district attorney, district attorney, and of course as superior court judge.

Caldwell’s opponent, John Mrosek, has made numerous accusations that Caldwell is not harsh enough in his sentences for criminal defendants.

As a criminal defense lawyer, I can state outright that he is regarded as one of the toughest in the area.

Focusing on individual cases, as Mrosek does, is not fair to any sitting judge. There are many cases, as Caldwell has pointed out, that the evidence against a person may not be strong enough to obtain a conviction from a jury.

The district attorney’s office often attempts to offer a lesser form of punishment to assure that the defendant is punished in some fashion.

As for any implication that Caldwell merely rubber stamps plea agreements, I can personally state that he has rejected a number of plea agreements in cases that I have handled.

More important than looking at the sentence sheet on any individual case is that Caldwell is fair in his administration of justice. If all he did was hand out harsh sentences, I could assure you that as a defense attorney, I wouldn’t be supporting him.

Caldwell looks at the law as it applies to the case and applies it fairly. That is all that we as defense attorneys can ask of a judge.

It is not just criminal cases, however, where Caldwell has excelled; those are just a part of a superior court judge’s job.

He works to speed the administration of cases in both civil and criminal cases. He fully expects attorneys to be ready for trial when they are called, to present their case in a manner that is not only respectful to the court and fitting for their clients, but also expeditiously without the long-winded tirades to which we are subject.

Johnnie Caldwell is an excellent judge who is tough but fair in his administration of criminal justice. The attacks made by his opponent are unwarranted, unsubstantiated, and irresponsible.

Caldwell is the best person for the job, both for Fayette County and the rest of the Griffin Judicial Circuit.

Brian S. Bischoff, attorney
Fayetteville, Ga.

Editor’s note: No letters were received by Tuesday deadline in support of candidate John Mrosek. Had we received any, we would have printed them.

Keep seasoned educator Marion Key on BoE

I have been a resident of Fayette County for nearly 18 years. I was motivated to locate here by a great school system and amiable family environment. I have seen most of our schools go from great to “Schools of Excellence” and beyond.

In general, our school boards have served us well, but there were a few years, in the late 1990s when the board seemed to lose focus on their purpose. The education of children appeared to take second place to the political focus of the group in place at the time.

I am more confident with the team in place since 2000 and the progress they have made. The most positive thing they have accomplished is restoring confidence in the board and their decisions. It would seem wise to let the incumbents continue the lead this progression and train any new members.

Youth can bring enthusiasm and new ideas to any environment, but it should not be forgotten that sage wisdom cannot be overlooked as a needed and steadying influence on that youthful exuberance.

Those who have worked and been active in the academic environment are needed on the board to bring perspective to the youthful view given by those who are active generally only during their children’s school years when emotions, more than careful scrutiny of long-term effects of policy, guide the decision-making.

I have known Marion Key and her educator-husband for many years. My son profited from their wisdom in the classroom. Now let your children profit from Marion’s wisdom on the school board.

Judy Gerard Aselton
Peachtree, City, Ga

[Editor’s note: No letters were received by Tuesday deadline in support of candidate Connie Leary. Had we received any, we would have printed them.)