This letter is to confirm that while I do intend to run for sheriff, I will not begin my campaign until I take my leave of absence from the department.

To the wonderful citizens of Fayette County: Once again I am writing to thank all of you for your never-ending generosity.

I am a citizen of Peachtree City. I volunteer my time in the front office at Booth Middle School. For two years I have worked a three-hour shift every other week. The reason for my letter is to share my opinion of Sgt. Odilia Bergh.

I want to write this letter to support Odilia Bergh, resource officer at J.C. Booth.

I cannot begin to say what an outstanding job she does at our school. Her rapport with the students, parents, and faculty at Booth is unmatched.

Did you know that 3 to 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized by shelters in the U.S. each year (Humane Society of the U.S. estimates)?

On Feb. 7, the Peachtree City Council faces a difficult decision which is whether or not to abandon/sell the roads to the developer of the Ga. Highway 54 West property.

There are two parts to our government; one is the sensible promises made to the citizens, the other part is the reality of knowing they will never come to fruition. Indeed, everything seems to be under government control except spending, budgeting and political self-restraint.

I opened the editorial page of The Peachtree Citizen this morning and could not believe my eyes. As a 26-year Army veteran, I have never been so insulted by one of your cartoons.

I read with concern the growing problem of teen crime and references in the wake of the mailbox and postal service employee injury. One writer mentioned the teen center, the Market, in Fayetteville and why no one ever tried that concept.

This is the time of year when your state and local governments and school systems work out their budgets. When they establish their budgets, they also create the need for the taxes that pay for those budgets.

Re: “Ramsey supports sex offender restrictions.” I know for a fact that there were numerous experts in the field of sex offender management, law enforcement, victim advocates who spoke to Mr. Ramsey’s committee and they were IGNORED.

This opinion is tied into the ad presentation in The Citizen for Jan. 30, 2008, titled “Peachtree City Faces a Critical Decision,” which addresses the Ga. Highway 54 West development and the abandonment of the roads.

You really do not know whether to laugh or cry when someone walks up to you and begins to rationalize that we simply have to settle for whatever we can get from our government. Where did we go wrong? At what point in our history did we give up and begin settling for mediocrity?

In response to the article, “Criminal activity in Fayetteville: Reality vs. perception” (The Citizen, Jan. 16, 2008), I agree with Chief Steve Heaton when he stated, “The number of criminal offenses at the Pavilion are low with the exception of larcenies. Larcenies are the predominate offense at the Pavilion. This is not surprising considering it is the largest retail center in the area.”

The Rev. Dr. King dreamed that one day all Americans would be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. Well, he probably smiled some and frowned a little from heaven as we discussed our concerns at the first community mass meeting sponsored by the Fayette County NAACP Branch to address the problem of gangs in our community.

To the Free Speech writer of last week who questioned, “What good is the Fayette County Animal Shelter?” I have a plethora of answers for you.

There is a new “man in town” and he comes in the form of 23 homeowners associations and communities that make up the newly founded Peachtree City Civic Association. In case you haven’t heard of this new group, they have become a strong voice in city matters over the past year and they want YOU.

When you talk of character the words moral and ethical quality come to mind.

Driving around the Kedron Hills subdivision after midnight on Saturday and Sunday night smashing children’s snowmen does not qualify.

Now that the Georgia legislature is in session, it is time for our state representative to do the job we voters sent him there to do, which is protecting the lives of preborn children.

Let’s hope the mayor and council of Peachtree City made a 2008 New Year’s resolution to balance the budget and abandon the pro-big box rhetoric of years past.

We are now working to update and modify our comprehensive plan to include new development and redevelopment. We have few commercial sites left within our city limits, but we have more industrial space, and we have even more potential for redevelopment.

Having read both letters written by Mrs. Wendy Scales-Johnson published in your newspaper, I would like to offer two suggestions.

I would like to thank Ms. Scales-Johnson for sharing information about recent incidents involving the Fayetteville police and her sons. She obviously put a lot of time and thought into her submittal to The Citizen.

I’m a concerned citizen about the situation at Fayette County High School. Since when is one child responsible for the recent gang activity?

As our time to vote is approaching rapidly, I am compelled to publicize my opinion, as this is going to be the most important vote that the majority of us will ever cast.

In response to the article, “For Christ’s sake, give a cow” [The Citizen, Jan. 2, 2008]: My wife Patricia and I read your article on the Cows for Christ program, which is operated by the Pace family out of their home in Peachtree City.

Dear Editor:

The Young Adults of America have spoken loud and clear about their desire for political change because they want a future. Republican polling groups have found that this is the first young adult generation who feels their children will not have a better life than they have had - they see their future as very bleak. We Americans pride ourselves in setting the stage for future generations to excel just as our Grandparents and Parents of the WWII generation and those before them.

Dear Editor:

Since I have become a member of the Fairburn City Council, or in any other capacity for that matter, I have never felt the need to respond to criticism, public or private. In fact, I normally welcome and honor anyone who would challenge my opinions or actions, and receive such concern as a useful tool in seeking the solutions to the many challenges we are elected to manage. But I take great exception to the recent comments of a reader that challenged my concern for this city. I take commitment to community very seriously, and have spent the last fifteen years of my life contributing to the betterment of Fairburn and South Fulton in a number of ways. And to have that commitment and concern challenged because of my absence from a court room proceeding that was a forgone conclusion is unfair and insulting. Furthermore, as far as the Walker Brother’s issue is concerned, I would like to recall that it was I who made the motion calling for a public hearing on this matter on the night that it came before the council for site approval.

A couple of events occurred during the County Commission meeting on Jan. 2. I’d like to explain them to you.

First, I did not vote for the re-election of Jack Smith as Fayette County Commission Chairman.

Fayette County, we have a problem. The article, “FCHS student arrested for gang activity” on The Citizen website Jan. 3, 2008, should come as no surprise to Fayette County citizens.