I’ve made pledges when I have run for office. In my first campaign for this office, I made this one: “I will make myself available to listen to what any other elected official in this county has to say. I will respect the fact that they have been elected to their office by citizens of Fayette County. No offense to this newspaper or any other but, I will not conduct conversations with these officials through the newspapers. This is a two-way street.”

Given the fact that I have written more than one letter to the paper, and that some of these have mentioned some individuals, by name, maybe you think that I haven’t kept my pledge.

I have kept it. If you have read something I wrote that mentions another elected official by name, check back. In each and every case, the other elected official has first “gone public” with a public statement or public charge that required a public response.

Several people have contacted me, or said in person, “Thanks for speaking up for us.” One person gave me a note written on a page of one of the local newspapers. The note said, “When did you decide that my vote for you is more important than my vote for (several other elected officials were then named)?”

When he handed it to me, I did not realize that there was a note written on it and I put it into my jacket pocket. I found it some time later. I apologize to the writer that I have not responded before this.

My response is: “Never.” I’ve never thought that anyone’s vote for me made me more important than anyone else. But this is another “two-way street.” The election of someone else also does not make them more important than me or anyone else.

All elected officials are elected to do jobs. Some are elected to represent us in Washington, D.C., some are elected to govern our state, to serve as our judges, to enforce our laws, to manage our courts, to collect our taxes, etc. Some are county commissioners.

In these positions, we are all subject to “checks and balances.” Our system was designed this way, so that no individual would be totally independent and so be corrupted by the power that they are granted by the citizens and by God. The designers knew that we are human and fallible.

It doesn’t work perfectly. We have all seen many examples of people who have abused the powers of their elected office. And, sadly, in almost every case, their ability to “get away” with this abuse is because those who are supposed to provide the “check and balance” didn’t do their job.

It is easier for these people to close their eyes, look the other way, ignore it, don’t make waves, go along to get along, be loyal, etc. This happens in all areas of human society; doctors, religious organizations, lawyers, police; everywhere. People are inclined to “protect their own.”

That is one of the difficulties that the Fayette County Commission has. We haven’t done that; we haven’t ignored things that we thought might be wrong.

I will get “in trouble” with some other commissioners if they think that I am speaking for them (elected officials are just as sensitive, or more, than anyone else). So, I stress that I’m not telling you what they think. I’m telling you what I think.

I was not elected to arrest people, control crime, manage the courts, collect taxes, and preside over trials or to pronounce people dead. I don’t want to control what these others do in their jobs.

I was elected, in part, to manage the county budget, which includes taxes and spending, and to make sure that all of your assets, which includes your money, your buildings, your vehicles, your furniture, your employees, etc., are managed as efficiently, as cost effectively and as honestly as possible.

So, you elected me to do a certain job, as you elected others to do theirs. I took an oath when I was sworn into office, as we all do. I for one do not believe that I have any other moral or honorable choice but to do my best to fulfill that oath.

In my last campaign, my opponent accused me of wanting to have control. I do. I have sworn to control what I am elected to control. I can’t ignore that.

And, as I say in my statement above I’m not saying, for them, what other commissioners think. But, I think that most of the other commissioners feel the same way as I do. If they don’t, I’ll let them tell you.

If you want to have elected officials who don’t uphold their oaths or who ignore their obligations, you are going to have to elect someone who has a different attitude than your current county commissioners. You are soon going to have the opportunity to make that very choice.

Peter Pfeifer
County Commission, Post 3
Peachtree City, Ga.

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