Mayor Steve Brown showed us he cares more for his political career than he does for the welfare of Peachtree City.

Steve Brown hatched the idea for a runoff mayoral debate less than a week before the proposed date. He approached the students and arranged for them to host the debate on the same night as a City Council meeting. Steve Brown decided to skip the council meeting for the debate and thereby he caused the council meeting to be canceled for lack of a quorum and city business to be postponed. One would think that after four years Mayor Brown could understood his obligation to attend a council meeting and that he could have planned the debate for a time other than a council night.

I attended the debate and there were maybe 60 people including students, contrary to Steve Brown’s claim of 200. His excuse blaming someone else for miscounting is typical of his inability to accept responsibility for his statement. I’d accept Brown’s count of 200 only if he admits to counting the voices he hears in his head.

The paper quoted Steve Brown saying about the runoff, “I think we have a chance now to get down to the issues and discuss them.” Mayor Brown, you’ve had four years to define the issues and discuss them in detail. You had four months to refine your message after making your re-election announcement. You had four debates with your opponents and ample press to highlight your message. If you haven’t gotten it done by now, you can’t get it done with one more debate.

The paper reported Brown attributing his second-place finish as a result of groups and his opponents campaigning against him. DUH! That’s what’s supposed to happen during a campaign. Voters choose a candidate they like, support them, and then vote for them. Brown’s statement referring to the voters voting against him as “dazed and confused” was flippant at best. It certainly demonstrated his arrogance towards the citizens of Peachtree City. That’s why 80 percent of the voters cast their vote for someone else.

John Dufresne
Peachtree City, Ga.

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