One need look no further than the newly reorganized Evening/Voluntary Alternative School to see yet another example of the disgraceful way the the Fayette County Board of Education mismanages funds. Is anyone aware that there are a total of four classroom teachers for this school, but there are two-half-time principals in addition to one full-time principal/director of this school? Yes, that’s a total of TWO full-time principals assigned to supervise a grand total of four teachers and a handful of students. How can this practice possibly be justified? Can someone please investigate this? Can someone find out how much these three administrators are being paid to supervise four teachers? Do we want to pay more sales tax to condone such reckless fiscal practices?

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I wonder if the schools are allowed to publicly display “Why vote for a SPLOST?” information inside the schools? Doesn’t seem right for the school to take sides in an election issue. At a meet-the-teacher at [an] elementary school, I was heading toward the lunchroom to learn about bus routes, etc., when a TV screen Power Point was in the hallway with the question posed, “Why a SPLOST?” I can’t remember if the word “Vote” was there, but this presentation was well thought out and seemed to be created by the administration. I guess there is a gray area when it comes to the schools, but I was just wondering if this is legal? But to me, this is the same as having a “Why vote for Terri Smith?” question in the schools. Or “Why vote for the ice rink?” Just kidding.

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It is absolutely a disgrace for the BOE or any individual to support SPLOST or property increases for the schools. The district and BOE are going to have to figure out how to make it work with what comes in. They have to review all costs and address them accordingly. It is absurd to always call on the taxpayers to bail schools out of self-induced debt. I have always said that if our business was run like a school district we would be bankrupt. Businesses have to make it work or they flop. Why are school districts different? Because they get free money from taxpayers. It is time to stop building the schools, wanting the best of everything and the sad part, having no idea how to manage money. To the BOE and comptroller, how do you manage your checkbook? Do you ask your neighbor when you’re short on cash? That’s exactly what you’re doing now. One final comment: when my child graduates and I’m still paying taxes, will you give me some money? Raising taxes is not the answer. Please do not support any tax increases. Let the requested SPLOST fail a few times so they (district/BOE) are forced to think — if they can.

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Much of the blame for the district needing money lies in the hands of planners and commissioners. They approve all of the new developments, especially when the developers say they’ll donate land for a school. Well, that’s a great trade for the developer as all the developer does is divide that value into the remaining lots. What needs to happen but never will because planners/commissioners are afraid of corporate America is to tell the developer that the district will provide the land and you the developer are to build the schools, donate it to the county, as their property buyers will be using the school. Step up, tighten up and taxpayers would be faced with less issues. Economics is an extremely basic and easy concept; we just can’t have scaredy-cats making decisions.

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I just finished reading about what Don Haddix has done in regards to a survey he conducted about the vacant store fronts in PTC. What amazes me is that this survey should have been done by the City Council (all the members) and our very astute Planning Commission. But what can you expect? The mindset of this group is to slash and burn instead of the concept of reuse, instead of building new store fronts that become in a short time another vacant property that adds to the very problem of vacancy. Reuse what we have and stop shredding the countryside. Come on, having a few free dinners and socializing with the developers that give you a false sense of some kind of status is not worth the destruction of this city. The elected officials of this city were elected to protect our property values and to serve to improve the way of life of this city.

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In response to the article on 8-6-08 about retail vacancies: Facts can interpreted in many ways. In a time of change and economic concerns, why should the article writer highlight, emphasize, and put a fear-filled perspective on Fayette County and the county’s retail stats? Businesses are hurting everywhere. Articles like this stoke the fires of gloom and negativity. Should we all just move to Coweta County? Such growth, such newness. Fayette County is far from the monster the writer depicts. Are gloomy reports on our county that are on the front page the internal code signal for middle class flight? As to the decrease in the county’s students, perhaps some of those missing students were obtaining the excellent education that our county provides fraudulently, and it is great they are gone. “Empty buildings, almost negligible growth, uneasy feelings ...” Really, give us all a break.

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To the individual who stated that “Riverdale did not see it coming,” I and many others who lived there for years beg to differ. They/we saw it coming and could not do anything about it, just as Fayette County cannot do anything about it, either. We are very fast becoming Riverdale South or Fayettedale.

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Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2008 turned out to be a great day in Fayette County. Lee Hearn defeated the last member of what at one time indirectly was a one-man commission. As Chairman Dunn voted, so did Linda Wells and Peter Pfeifer. On each vote, Dunn had a “lock,” hence a “one-man commission.” I am sure everyone knows of Harold Bost’s effort to be the power broker. In conclusion, “Bost was a bust and Dunn is done.”

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After reading the article about the PTC budget and some of its allocations, I find it very alarming that half of the budget goes to ”Police and Fire departments” ($12.3 million dollars). My other surprise was to see that only $5 million was allocated to ”Recreation and Culture.” The $5 million doesn’t seem to be much for a city that was meant to be a model place to raise your children. But as usual the city failed to do the proper due diligence to insure the homeowners’ investments in their homes were protected, Instead the City Council and the Planning Commission allowed large apartment complexes and Harmony Village-type complexes to flourish in this city. I for one would like to see the number of [police] calls that are made to these places on a monthly basis and of course how much money is spent on these calls. My guess is that probably half of the current budget amount would disappear.

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Why are there so many different garbage trucks in Peachtree City ? Isn’t allowing three or four different trucks to come through the same subdivision hard on the streets? It seems like they would wear out quicker and the city (and us) would be stuck with expensive repair bills.

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The Peachtree City Recreation Department needs to look into the lower baseball fields at the baseball-soccer complex. The asphalt curbs and speed bumps need to be removed. Trying to walk around the fields and concession building is like walking through a maze. I am surprised that no one has been seriously injured from tripping. You have to watch your every step as you walk around, and if anyone has to use a wheelchair or electric scooter there is no way for them to get access to the fields or concession stand without the possibility of tipping over. The whole area around these fields need to be bulldozed and leveled out and resurfaced. I am surprised that someone from OSHA or ADA has not made the city aware of this situation. If not it is only a matter of time. The city is taking a chance of a large law suit by individuals falling and seriously injuring themselves. Most important is the fact that players and kids are running around this area during ball season and they need a safe facility. I wonder if any official has looked into why this area was designed or even put together like this. Just walking the area, you will see problems all around. Come on, Peachtree City Recreation Department, take a good look at this situation and get it corrected before we taxpayers have to shell out for a large lawsuit. We are already paying for the the mess at the police department and the tennis center.

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It’s not the educated ones. It’s all the others who contribute, daily, to our losing battle against trash and litter. When I use the term “educated,” I’m not referring to a specific academic level of achievement (though some may argue that there is a correlation). Instead, I’m referring to those conscientious citizens who are informed, concerned, and actively participating in preserving and protecting our environment. In other words, they are smart (educated) enough to acknowledge the fragile relationship that exists between our planet and our existence. So, who are all the others? They consist of the 48-year-old man that I witnessed drop his empty cigarette box 40 feet from a trash can as he approached PetSmart from the parking lot; the 65-year-old lady who pushed a snack wrapper outside her car window as she waited in the passenger seat of a running vehicle outside of Home Depot; the 19-year-old kid who discarded the packaging to his new butane grill lighter-wand as soon as he exited Lowe’s en-route to his car; the 23-year-old female who tossed her cigarette butt to the curb as she waited to turn left on Hwy. 74 in PTC; and the list goes on and on and on. As a human being, I believe many things are inherent in our nature. To me, not littering is as pre-programmed as my ability to identify right from wrong. Other than “out of sight, out of mind,” I can’t even begin to comprehend these people and their blatant disregard for the law, our city, and the planet. Finally, before I step off my soapbox, I have to mention one more related issue. Most of us in Fayette County are provided one trash receptacle and one recycle bin as part of our sanitation service. And yet, in my neighborhood alone, few residents participate in the recycle program. How much more difficult is it to place bottles, paper, foil, and plastic in a square bin instead of the trash can? It’s not! It’s simply a matter of being lazy, lacking responsibility, and showing no regard for the environment of future generations.

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Thursday evening I had the great pleasure of listening to one of the finest concerts I have attended at the Fred Brown Amphitheater over the course of 23 years. The Army Ground Forces Band and Sergeant Antonio Guiliano gave a beautiful performance in honor of Pavarotti. Upon leaving the amphitheater, I was dismayed to find that the person parked next to my car in the parking lot had scraped the driver’s side of my car with their bumper upon exiting their space. After listening to all that splendid music the evening was ruined by someone who not only damaged my car but didn’t have the courage to even leave a note. It would have been the right thing to do to wait until I got to my car or at least leave your name and phone number. I would hope your guilt will persuade you to contact me as soon as possible in order to clear your conscience.

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Mocha Moms is an organization that has never been exclusive to African-American women and families. On the website you will find it clearly stated that Mocha Moms, Inc. “does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, gender, socioeconomic level, education, or religion. Anyone who supports the mission and purpose of Mocha Moms, Inc. is welcome to join.” In reference to the recent comment, as a woman of color and a proud member of Mocha Moms, I am insulted by the suggestion that African-American men who are involved in their children’s lives do not exist. One of the purposes of Mocha Moms is to strengthen the family and show support for each other in our effort to create a strong family unit. We do this several ways, one being planning events for the entire family as well as support group meetings for the mothers. Your comment is proof of how important it is for African-Americans to have a forum to discuss the challenges in raising a minority child in a world that criticizes and judges us. If we lived in a world that was truly color-blind and equally supportive of one another, perhaps we would not see a need for a group such as Mocha Moms. Even though our group is again by no means exclusive to women of color, the fact is we need each other and we appreciate the special bond that exists between us.

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All of us appreciate courtesy — letting someone with fewer items in front of you at the grocery, holding the door for the people behind you as you enter/exit the building, etc. These rules do NOT apply to vehicles. Please, people, do NOT stop on a main road just to “politely” let the other car go. Instead, just follow the rules. I narrowly escaped a serious collision northbound on Peachtree Parkway at Bridlepath for this very reason. Another driver illegally stopped on the parkway and waved on a vehicle who was at the stop sign at Bridlepath. Apparently the polite person did not consider the second lane of Peachtree Parkway traffic, which I was in. Is it really being courteous if people could die? Keep the courtesy movement active where it belongs, but when it comes to the road, please obey the law.

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It’s Chanterelle mushroom season, and the recent rains have been perfectly timed to produce a good crop of Fayette County’s most widely found edible mushroom. If you have hardwoods or have friends that do, take a walk through the woods and gather these wonderful delights. The Chanterelle mushroom typically has an orange wavy cap that when sauteed in butter gives off a pleasant aroma of apricots. Warning: Do not eat any mushroom you have not positively identified.

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Jay Leno was whining about the $11.68 billion Exxon/Mobil made during the first quarter of 2008. He, like the rest of the left-leaning news/entertainers, failed to reveal that the company paid $106 billion in taxes in 2007. Out-to-lunch, dishonesty or poor reporting?

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In the past few weeks crude oil prices have dropped by almost $40 a barrel. In the past when oil prices went up by $1 or more per barrel, the price of gasoline went up 5 cents or more immediately. With a $40 drop in the cost of oil, gasoline prices have barely come down 10 cents. The retailers say they still have the high-priced gasoline in their tanks and can’t lower the prices. When oil prices went up, they raised the price of gasoline immediately, and they surely did not have the higher priced gasoline in their tanks then. Who is kidding who? Gasoline prices should have dropped by $2 a gallon with the drop in oil prices. We are being ripped off big time in this country. If gasoline sold for 50 cents per gallon the oil companies would still be making millions. Exxon/Mobil made a net profit last quarter that would feed every family on the face of the earth. The American working people who can barely feed their family in the face of this ridiculous high price of gasoline are paying for all of that. The CEOs of these companies are luxuriating in their villas on the Riviera, their million-dollar retreats in the mountains and beaches all over the world while the hard-working Americans struggle to feed their families and pay these high prices to support these greedy leeches. Something has to give and soon.

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Well, once again the Democrats have shown their true colors. The Demos really like to be cheaters, then ask for forgiveness. Don’t believe it? Ask the Clintons and Edwards. That’s a party I’d want as President — wrong!

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An email from Ireland to all of their brethren in the States (a point to ponder despite your political affiliation): We, in Ireland, can’t figure out why you people are even bothering to hold an election in the United States. On one side, you had a pants-wearing female lawyer married to another lawyer who can’t seem to keep his pants on, who just lost a long and heated primary against a lawyer who goes to the wrong church, who is married to yet another lawyer who doesn’t even like the country her husband wants to run. Now, on the other side, you have a nice old war hero whose name starts with the appropriate “Mc,” married to a good-looking younger woman who owns a beer distributorship. Are you serious? What in God’s name are ye lads thinkin’ over there in the colonies?

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It is outrageous that the Congress would break for its five-week August break without first addressing the issues that are hammering our country into a recession. It is irresponsible for the Democratic Congress, lead by the lackadaisical, self-seeking Nancy Pelosi, to walk out on this issue. For whatever reason, the fact that Congresswoman Pelosi believes that Congress “deserves” this break is simply sad. Offshore drilling has been banned for many years. While the dangers to the environment still exist, oil companies have made leaps and bounds in progress on how to prevent issues from popping up and damaging the environment. On top of the ludicrous idea that we should abandon offshore drilling, we’re facing more and more pressure from oil speculators. Rampant speculation in the commodities futures market is driving up prices out of proportion to marketplace demands. The problem is speculators are increasingly buying and selling commodities such as oil even though they have no intention of using the product. The unregulated speculators are pocketing billions of dollars at our expense. The cost of food has gone up, the price at the pump has gone way up, and I’m already concerned about how much more it will cost to heat my home this winter. To lower oil prices for all Americans, we need to increase domestic supply (that’s right, increase), exploration, alternative energy sources and conservation. We also must protect bona fide speculation and hedging. It is with a heavy heart that I say that this Congress is failing me, a voter, in its attempt to actually care about domestic issues. It is my understanding that this Congress has passed fewer bills than any Congress in the history of America. It’s nice to know that Congress can take a 5-week vacation from work while all of America reconsiders their personal vacations after the rising cost of fuel has made it tough to take one. If we don’t learn to rely on domestic supply, our American tax dollars and our hard-earned paychecks will keep going to overseas OPEC nations that in return are buying up American land and businesses. Please keep America for Americans and help us be self-reliant. In closing, I would hope that if recalled by President Bush, Congress would take the initiative to care about what matters to America, care about the big issue looming in front of us, and care about the one thing that will shape the future of our economy for years to come. I hope that Congress does not spend too much time wondering why it has a pathetic 9-percent approval rating, when it’s so very clear to all of us.

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It’s a sad commentary on America when political correctness (a term that simply means dishonesty and betrayal of American) trumps patriotism. Diversity has been the downfall of many societies, including the mighty Soviet Union. If America is to survive, we must have unity, not diversity. Unity simply means that all who immigrate to this great country should be required to become Americans in every way, language, loyalty to our flag and culturally. Immigrants who want to keep their native culture should stay in their native country and not come here.