I read online with interest your facts of the sales tax voting. I really did not know until then how many apathetic people we had in Fayette County.

What angers me also is the number of no votes. I just don't understand what Fayette County citizens want in public education.

It sickens me the number of citizens who voted no. Their reasons are so irrational. One person implied she voted no because of pay raises and bathrooms. Another one did not like where the schools built most recently were built. Those things are over and done with. We cannot do anything about them except vote out of office people who make bad decisions.

It is society's obligation to pay for the education of all children in Fayette County. Not just the parents. Our ancestors paid for us to be educated and now we must pay for the next generation. I have a senior in high school. I don't care if your school gets new bathrooms and another a stadium and another a new roof. I do care that our facilities are proper. To me that means roofs that don't leak, clean and sanitary bathrooms, permanent facilities to house all students, better technology to keep up with the new communication age and new facilities to educate 700 new students each year.

But you no voters dropped the ball. You screwed up our property values. You no voters have damaged the education of children like Matthew Niebes, a first grader. You threw in the trash $8 million from the state. That was my money you threw away, threw in the trash can like dirt. My money wasn't good enough for your children, grandchildren?

I educated my high school senior about the issue. I saw that he got registered in time to vote. My husband took him to vote. He was proud. He did not want $8 million to be thrown in the trash. Yes, we lost that money because you voted no.

You don't want increased property taxes. You don't want increased sales taxes. You don't want more people to move to Fayette County. You don't want the old superintendent. You don't want a new superintendent. You don't want trailers. You don't want wasteful spending. You don't want a new stadium. You don't like certain school board members. You don't like this administrator or that secretary. You don't want to vote. You don't fight for what's right. You don't want a new jail. You don't want drugs and violence in our schools. You don't want liquor by the drink. You don't want booster organizations to sell beer at Lakewood. You don't want new businesses to come because you don't want increased traffic. You don't want road improvements. You don't want sports fields. You don't want boundary lines changed. You don't want to send your child more than two feet from home to school. You don't want a new gym or practice fields. You don't want new roofs, bathrooms or improved technology.

The list can go on and on.

What do you want? And how are you going to help all of us pay for it?

You do want homes on the lake, nice upscale restaurants and businesses to shop in. Nonviolence.

How are our children and future grandchildren going to be able to afford those things? They must be educated in proper facilities!

The only choices we have for new school buildings and renovations and improvements are property taxes and sales taxes. There are no other choices. We can't print money and it doesn't grow on trees, contrary to some children's ideas.

OK, no more time to waste on no votes. What do you apathetic and no voters want? Are you smart enough to get off your duff, call the school system office, tell them what you do want and how you want it to happen? Don't delay because you have managed to waste three years and throw away my $8 million. What a waste! Thank goodness for May 26, 2000.

Ellen Cox
Peachtree City

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