In the Wednesday, Aug. 11, edition of “The Citizen,” there was an article “SPLOST supporters getting organized.” The part that gives the statistics about the voting public in this county ... goes on to say there are about 50,478 registered voters in the county.

Only about 25 percent will turn out for the referendum. That means only 12,620 voters will go to the polls and only 7,572 “yes” votes would give the pro-SPLOST-ists a 60 percent margin (the article's figures, not mine).

The article continues that there are about 3,500 voters associated with the [Fayette County] Board of Education in some fashion (teachers, spouses of teachers, etc.). They will surely get out and vote and they will surely vote “yes.”

There are about 600 Realtors who have pledged their support. This means, if all the figures are correct, they only need 3,472 more votes for their 60 percent. And I always thought 50 percent plus one carried the vote. Goes to show you what I know.

Why shouldn't this scare a normal, sane thinking person? Because the figures being thrown about in that article are probably correct.

Seventy-five percent of you eligible voters out there are going to be sitting at home watching the soaps or whatever it is that you do instead of getting out and vote. Seventy-five percent of you registered voters are going to allow 25 percent of us to dictate what you will or will not do.

Not only that. Seventy-five of you voters will probably be the first ones to [complain] because the taxes in this county are going through the roof. And if the money isn't there to pay off the bonds then 75 percent of you will really be screaming because these bonds will be paid for, someway, some fashion.

I will vote “no” on this referendum. I do not want a bond to be floated so the board of education can go on a spending spree. I can't believe that any sane thinking voter in this county would want that to happen.

Those of us who will vote “No” on Sept. 21 have a big uphill road to travel. The board of education already has a built-in buffer. They have about 4,100 “Yes” votes in their pocket.

Will this be a referendum to set all attendance records or just a ho-hum shoo-in for one side or the other?

See you at the polls.

Chuck James
Fayetteville

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