There has been quite a bit of dismal news about Sheriff Johnson, Bruce Jordan, Peachtree City’s mayor and others this year. Is corruption at an all-time high or is more of it just making its way to the local journalists? During my nearly three decades in Fayette County, I told my friends I lived in a regional lost island where political astuteness was missing. A handful of our residents would consistently make their annual political selections based upon who was the prettiest package; in other words, it has always been a beauty contest here. The term political intelligence is an oxymoron in Fayette County as most citizens cannot name all the county commissioners or, if they live in cities, city councilmen. The county’s political IQ began to increase when the ownership changed at one of the local newspapers. The populace was exposed to serious local political commentary for the first time. The unsavory acts of government could actually end up on the front page. Local fiefdoms were under attack. Fayetteville’s Mike Wheat became one of the first visible public figures to rally against political injustice. Mayor Wheat did an excellent job of holding down taxes, but he reneged on promises to rein in breakaway annexations. Wheat was succeeded by Ken Steele who introduced a development explosion which began with the Fayette Pavilion. Harold Bost was another invigorating figure on the side against government corruption and more responsibility to the voters. As chairman of the commission, his turnaround of a damaging and carefree county government was a much-needed change for the better. Bost was the taxpayers’ champion. He was succeeded by his ally Greg Dunn. Chairman Dunn compiled a solid record on taxation and accomplished the building of the new jail as well as master planning road construction projects. Peachtree City’s Steve Brown was an activist turned populist politician. He was a fire-breathing corruption buster. Toppling the city’s ivory tower gave Brown a horde of detractors who were used to doing things on their own terms. Mayor Brown was probably one of the most creative politicians ever to hold office in Fayette County. Tyrone, Woolsey and Brooks have never really had any notable leaders who offered prominent opinions in the public discourse. Tyrone Mayor Sheryl Lee might be their most conspicuous leader only because she endured a failed public recall attempt. When you look over the latest crop of elected officials across the county, it is difficult to find an obvious choice for champion of the people. We appear to be satisfied with a bunch of middle-of-the-road bureaucrats who stand for nothing and dance around the truth. I can’t help wondering if we are going to pay dearly for that.

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Steve Brown makes a lot of points about the Tennis Center. And I am angry that we need to pay for this out of my tax money. But what Brown doesn’t tell you is that it was set up originally to be paid by hotel/motel taxes. That means the entire loan would have been paid back by NO citizen money, but solely by people staying in our hotels and motels. Let me repeat, what Brown doesn’t tell you is that it would cost you NOTHING unless you stayed in a hotel or motel. That is until Brown took all funding away and defaulted on the loan. He forced it into litigation and forced the final result to be placed on us, the taxpayers. What Brown doesn’t tell you is that the Tennis Center was world class, holding many large tournaments including the NCAA. These tournaments brought in a lot of business and recognition to our city. Anyone think it is world class after Brown, Weed and Rapson got through with it? What Brown doesn’t tell you is that he commissioned a $50,000 special prosecutor to find fault regarding the Tennis Center contract. The findings were “no fault.” $50,000 of OUR taxpayer money and “no fault.” What Brown doesn’t tell you is why, after all his “uncovering of conspiracy,” he NEVER filed a single charge? Not a single person legally held responsible. Sure there was definitely things done wrong, but the “conspiracy” he always refers to? Where are the charges? Where are the arrests? Hmmm! What Brown doesn’t tell you is exactly what it is that all these “conspirators” gained? Did they pad their pockets with the money? Did they laze on Caribbean beaches at our expense? Don’t know, Brown NEVER tells us. Brown decimated a world-class Tennis Center. Brown also turned a wonderful amphitheater into a second rate act. Now there’s leadership.

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Mayor Harold Logsdon comes off like a financial amateur. He claimed to have a strong knowledge of accounting principles and a significant background in auditing. For someone who touts to have such overwhelming gifts, he has totally mishandled the development authority debacle and the subsequent bailout. First, there was no audit performed for fully reporting and disclosing information in financial statements as to the use of the bank loans. If financial statements did not exist, and they probably did not, then a forensic audit should have been performed prior to any settlement talks. If the newspaper reporting is accurate, the mayor’s settlement is nothing more than a sophisticated version of a shell game. How unfortunate for the mayor to make campaign claims to focus on auditing procedures and he then refuses follow the basic professional criteria to identify and classify items before taking further action. There was no audit procedure used to determine or to discover with certainty how the bank loans were used. The mayor’s solution was simply to create an imaginary debt to reimburse an unaudited liability of the development authority. How in the world could a local bank make large loans without a pledge of property as security (collateral) for the debt? Why did the city not search for compliance issues with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency regarding applicable banking rules or laws? The mayor says, “We’ve got some challenges” with the city budget in the coming years. This rudimentary explanation is not the type of language expected from someone who claims to have expertise in the field of accounting. Exactly what are those challenges, besides the development authority bailout, and why is the mayor so tight-lipped about our future projections? Why did he move to double his salary when he appears to be telling us we have a deficiency in our system? We deserve more feedback from City Hall. One could have only hoped that before City Hall began bailing out suspicious loans that the taxpayers would be fully apprised of our future susceptibility and presented with a financial forecast as it relates to the mayor’s “challenges” of the future. His behavior in the recent settlement and his commentary on budgetary concerns are grossly inadequate for someone touting to possess a higher level of proficiency in the field of accounting. When this type of evasion occurs in the corporate sector, it is generally an indication we are heading for some type of crash. The time is soon coming when a formal investigation will be necessary to determine the credibility of our municipal accounting.

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Instead of turning the land behind Wal-Mart into a housing area that could become a rental property slum in about 20 years, let’s make it a business office area with timeless colonial architecture like the Delta Credit Union building in Peachtree City. It would delete the requirement for a school; taxpayers win. It would provide a good tax base for the city and county; taxpayers win. It would provide employment opportunities for city/county residents; taxpayers win. And it would prevent future slums; tax payers win.

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I believe the illegal immigrants that used to live in Cherokee County are going to move to Peachtree City. Everyday I see here more and more the employers don’t care as long as they work cheap and the landlords that rent to them are getting richer. These property owners know that there are at least 10 people renting their home so they charge more than if it was one single family. Won’t be wonderful if Peachtree City approved an ordinance like the one in Cherokee County? I think it’s not too much to ask.

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A certain high school in south Fayette County is a mood-buster for sure. Principal never speaks to anyone except his own select elite group. Assistant principals follow right in his footsteps. Counselors are even worse. They are downright rude and look at volunteers, substitute teachers, parents and Fayette County taxpayers like we are beneath them. I happen to fall into all four of those categories. I have spent a lot of time helping in sporting events, subbing in classrooms, helping in my child’s room and activities and have donated both time and money. Only once has a coach, one substitute teacher and a regular teacher ever said thanks. Never has an administrator or a counselor or an assistant principal ever said thanks for helping. Why is that? By the way, a high school north of you is better at thanking their volunteers, substitute teachers, parents and taxpayers. I know because an older child went there. A certain high school south of you is the same way to aforementioned folks. I know because my niece goes there. Maybe, just maybe, you guys are not “the only cat in town” as your logo states?

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5-35, 0 wins against competitive teams in four years. (Sorry, McIntosh), despite Dr. Warr’s statement two years ago: “Coach Webb is a fine person and at this point we’re moving forward with the program, and that’s it. We’re always looking to improve from year to year in all of our programs” (The Citizen, 12/8/2004). So here we are two years later and the program is not moving forward. Rising freshman from Fayette Middle School who are talented football players are opting to go to Sandy Creek or Whitewater. Several current players are questioning whether to return next season, parental support is at an all-time low, game attendance and financial support have declined. The majority of the parents would like to see a change in direction of the program which is indicative of the numerous e-mails and meetings that have been requested with the administration. Coach Webb is a fine person and very likable, but is he the right man to lead the FCHS football program in a new direction? Can he develop and successfully use the talent that we have and make the right decisions to be able to compete against Starr’s Mill, Creekside, Westlake, Woodward Academy? How many more losing seasons do we have to suffer through before someone decides that enough is enough? Our sons are being penalized for a “marriage of convenience” that occurred four years ago. Jonesboro was not happy with the direction of their football program and Dr. Warr needed to find a coach quickly after firing the recently hired coach over an indiscretion that occurred during the summer. As the saying goes, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. That may also explain why the former McIntosh head football coach is now on the FCHS football staff. As FCHS parents, we want excellence in all of our programs, both academic and athletic. We want to continue the traditions that the alumni can be proud of. Many Fayette Countians already have the perception that FCHS is second-rate as they continue to move south. Perception will soon become reality if the Board of Education and the current administration continue to use FCHS as the good old network to make hiring decisions while the newer schools hire the most qualified teachers and coaches, have innovative and forward-thinking principals who are open-minded and willing to communicate with the students and the parents in the community in which they serve. At the FCHS football banquet, Coach Ramsey gave a talk to the players using East Paulding as an example of a football team that had suffered several losing seasons but will be going to the playoffs this year. What Coach Ramsey failed to mention was that East Paulding is going to the Dome with its NEW coach.

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Every year, there are thousands of animals put to death for lack of a home. In January, the city of Fayetteville Council, city manager, clerk, and mayor will meet in the council chambers of City Hall to vote on their proposed amendment to LIMIT the number of household pets to three per household within the city of Fayetteville. Many people share their homes with more than three pets. If this ordinance is passed, it will greatly limit the future for many animals. Responsible citizens are making a great effort to help animals live the life God gave them; therefore, many people have more than three pets. If passed, this ordinance will affect many people and animals, and could possibly have other consequences later if the City Council decides to require registration of pets. Won’t you please come to the January meeting at City Hall and voice your opposition to the passing of this ordinance? We need you to speak up because the animals have no voice but ours.

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Can someone please help me try to understand the black community? I can’t understand why a crowd of activists and praying people can gather around the home of a 92-year-old woman who shot at three police officers and they fired back, killing her. It was a sad situation, I agree, but what would anyone do, especially police officers, when fired upon? I really can’t understand why that group of activists and praying people gathered around her house for hours when just that same night a young black teenager was shot in front of Martin Luther King Middle School by another young black male. Where were those activists and praying people at that location and time praying for that young man’s family and his attacker? Also, the very next day a 58-year-old black Atlanta woman’s house was invaded by three young black males and they didn’t shoot her. They beat her to death and robbed her home. Where were those same activists and praying people praying for that woman’s family and her three attackers? I’ve tried and tried and I just can’t seem to understand. What I saw was as long as it was the government, or white police officers, then it’s justified for all of the protests and Al and Jesse to make trips to Atlanta. But when are these activists and praying people going to get really involved in black-on-black crime throughout Atlanta and the surrounding areas? Maybe then their words and prayers will begin to help me understand.

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I see from an article in the latest Citizen what Congressman David Scott does not know why Phillip Service Corporation should oppose the closing of the waste treatment plant until the problem is resolved, despite the fact that EPA will not close the plant because EPD says that the problem is resolved. I have not seen anybody stand up and speak for one group that is involved in this problem. Nobody has defended the right of the employees of PSC to work and bring home a paycheck. Scott wants to know why the employees can not go home and not provide any income for their families. The congressman does not seem to think that the families of the workers are important. I don’t know why there is not more backlash against an elected official who would even say something like this. The South Fulton/Fayette County Task Force wants to go one step further and force the company out of business. So much for free enterprise. There were so many complaints when the Supreme Court overturned laws on eminent domain when it related to a private home. Georgia passed a referendum giving strong support for eminent domain, but it appears that the task force is saying that the referendum does not apply in their back yard. There was a possibly worse situation in Forest Park. There is a plant there which unloads deadly chlorine gas from railroad tank cars and converts it to Clorox. The tank cars are rolled into a building with overhead door that seals, not allowing any vapors to be released. I assume that there is a system that will allow them to purify the air in the building if there is a leak. A similar structure could be used to prevent leaks when the trucks are unloaded at the PSC facility.

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In response to Timothy Parker’s recent letters to The Citizen: It is painful to watch you try and reach these people, Tim. In most cases you are talking way above most of their heads. You are obviously well-educated, well-read, and well-traveled. As such, your attempts to educate here are quite ambitious. I do admire your effort though. Three trivia questions for our viewers: 1. Is it possible to see when you are on the inside looking in? 2. How many civilians were killed in Vietnam? 3. What was GWB’s response to this question in a recent interview on CSPAN, “What did Iraq have to do with 911?” Answers: 1. No. 2. Approximately 2 million. 3. Nothing.

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You are correct, Mr. Parker, about the idiots in your group of editorial blabbermouths. However, you are the biggest idiot of the three. You are all media puppets who continually get your information from the vast number of news and talk radio stations. Even Fox news does not report the correct information. I have family members who are actually there doing the job of protecting our freedom. Bush did not lie. I guess you all think if you all say it long enough and loud enough that he did lie, it becomes truth. The reason we are failing in Iraq is because of the battle in Washington. You want to really support the troops? Write your congressmen and senators and tell them you have had enough of the power-hungry attempts to control the White House at the cost of our young men and women in our armed forces. As our young men and women are working together to fight the battles in Iraq and Afghanistan, the whining, gutless, peace-love hippies in the White House are fighting amongst themselves to achieve the ultimate power of control. And the media puppets such as yourself fight the battle in the paper with no real knowledge of what is happening on the battlefields. You all disgust me with your arrogance and lack of valid information.

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I am also amazed at the apparent lack of knowledge where the American (English) language is concerned. Let’s extend this beyond contractions and include spelling and usage. Oh, by the way, punctuation is not “getting there on time” and grammar is not “the sweet old lady who married grandpa.” Let’s see if we can do something about reading, writing and arithmetic beyond calling them the “3 Rs.” Have you ever seen a cashier try to make change without a computer?

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To the manager of Mobile Storage Depot, corner of Kelly Drive and Ga. Highway 74 in Peachtree City: Put up a new U.S. flag! The ripped and torn one flying in front of your business is an embarrassment to all Americans. If you can’t spring for a new one, at least give that tired old flag a rest.

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We lost a good man recently. Steve Bowers died in his sleep unexpectedly. You probably don’t know Steve, but he was there for you. As a Marine he protected our country; as an air traffic controller at the Atlanta Tower and Approach Control, Steve Bowers protected the lives of many air travelers. As you read this, please offer my friend a warm, “Thank you, Steve Bowers – job well done.”

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The IRS issues a special ID so that foreign nationals who don’t have a Social Security number can work. Why don’t they check for legal status before issuing the special ID? Let me guess: “They’re tax collectors, not immigration agents.”

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So the Iraq study commission group wants President Bush to open up dialogue talks with Iran and Syria to discuss improving the stabilization of Iraq to help ease Middle East tensions. What are they thinking? According to Barry Schweid (“Bush May Face Iraq Change Recommendation,” Dec. 4, 2006), relations have soured since Bush called Iran an “axis of evil.” In addition, new President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made threats at Israel and is continuing to acquire nuclear weapons. Iran is still a foe of the United States and is trying to become a more dominant country in the Middle East. Asking potential enemies for help is dangerous and ludicrous. President Bush should not include Iran in Iraq discussions until Iran and the United States have settled their differences. Furthermore, there is no true way to understand if Iran has the United States best interest at heart.

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All I want for Christmas is for immigration “experts” to get a new number to cite as gospel for the media to mindlessly repeat. Year after year after year, they keep saying there are 11 million illegals in the U.S.