David Simmons For Sheriff...NOT!

Recently I had the opportunity to see and hear David Simmons again in his quest to become Sheriff of Fayette County. Nothing has changed! I was left with the inescapable thought that he was a huckster. His constant references to Detroit and the Detroit Police Department were not nearly as tiresome as they were troublesome! Really, is there even a scintilla of similarity between the environment found in Detroit and Fayette County? No, let me emphasis emphatically, No…No…No!

The first time I heard him speak was at the Community Forum sponsored by the Fayette County N.A.C.C.P... After reading a letter he had placed in the Citizen, I was alarmed at the potential gang problems in our schools. The Citizen didn’t help matters by keeping the story hot on the presses for a while! What I came away from that first encounter with was that he really didn’t know Fayette County as well as he should have.

How did he swing getting on that panel anyway? Does he have children or even grandchildren in Fayette County Schools? No way to tell, but if I were a betting man, I would say no.

Interestingly, I spoke with a woman after the event briefly. She said that Simmons had only recently joined the N.A.C.C.P. and a portion of the local branch had placed him there. She didn’t care for him because it was her perception that he was dismissive of the common man and woman.

Well, I have followed the Citizen Blogs about all of the folks running for Sheriff for a while now. I would really be interested in knowing why David Simmons would give up his retirement, being in his mid-sixties, to take the job of Sheriff that pays somewhere in the mid eighties.

I gather from his web site that he lives in Whitewater Creek Subdivision which is an exclusive gated community. One of these blogs said his wife works at the Board of Elections. A Sheriff’s salary and her salary, plus his Detroit retirement pay couldn’t possibly pay for a house in there could it?

Is it true that he owns a private security company or consulting firm? Will he give it up to become Sheriff? Which would be his top priority; the Sheriff’s Department or the Security Company?

I’d like to see him stay retired and enjoy his golden years. David, please call it a night before Greg really does you wrong!

William Barrett
Fayetteville, Georgia