Peachtree City mayor and city manager, I hope your vacation in China was all you thought it would be. We all know it was given to you, “gratis,“ for your total cooperation with the powers that be at Sany Corp. These are the things that happen when our city managers give away the farm.

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Has anyone considered adopting a four-day school week to assist with the BOE’s budget crisis? Many districts across the U.S. base their school week on hours of instruction vs. days of instruction. Those that do love the four-day school week and find it beneficial to the students and the budget. By not having school on Mondays, we would not have to run school buses (saving on gas and maintenance), would not run the heating/AC or electric in the buildings, would not have to fix breakfast or lunch for thousands of kids, employee and student absenteeism would go down, and families could spend another quality day together with their lovely child(ren). Most school holidays are on Mondays anyway. Wouldn’t it be nice to take your son to his karate lesson or your daughter to ballet on Monday rather than rushing through dinner on a school night? Wouldn’t you love the extra time on Saturday with your teenager because he mowed the lawn on Monday? Schedule the kids’ dentist visit on Monday. You could still have your Friday sports events, working parents would only have to pay for daycare once a week instead of every day after school and I’m sure the gymnastics, piano studios and daycares out there would offer a schedule to meet everyone’s needs. This makes more sense to me than taking away the valuable teachers/para pros/band/music and art programs that our students need. Maybe we could convince our local employers to do the same. Well, let’s hear it, Fayette County: what are your thoughts?

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Parapros on the high school level are not teachers, nor are they qualified to teach, do paperwork or be part of a collaborative team. That is only a teaching position. Don’t confuse special ed teachers as parapros. I don’t know what the writer who subbed in a classroom thinks a parapro should be doing on the high school level, but, believe me, they do what is expected of them and more. Parapros are hired for special needs children. They are constantly working and should get paid more for what they do. However, are parapros necessary in foreign language or the business classes? Do they really do anything except push buttons or work in the school store? What’s that all about? Cut that loss, but special ed, needs more.

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I voted on the school calendar for the 2009/2010 calendar year. In talking with others, it seemed most were in agreement for a later start. There were 1,208 votes counted for the calendar survey. That’s it. Doesn’t it seem strange for a county with 30 schools to only have 1,208 votes? That’s 40 votes per school. Maybe the board should offer the survey when school is in session instead of sneaking it through the end of summer vacation. This calendar is going to run for three more years. They need to run the survey again but have a group of parents count the votes. Not that I don’t trust the board, but well, I don’t.

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Years ago, Clayton County went through white flight. Now, with the incompetent folks in charge, and the kids fleeing the schools, Clayton County is going through bright flight. Clayton County residents are getting exactly what they wanted, voted for, and deserve: Falling home prices, rising crime rates, falling bond ratings, rising unemployment, etc., on and on. Looks like they wanted change and they sure changed Clayton County. Perhaps Jesse Jackson should bring his scalpel to that place before he visits Obama. I’m willing to bet you the remaining residents of Clayton (and the rats who left the sinking ship) will vote for Obama and change. If you want to see the future of America with Obama in the White House, Pelosi in the House, and Reid in the Senate, look at Clayton County, Ga. The future is now in Clayton County.

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To the nameless person who plans to vote down the SPLOST that they “wholeheartedly support,” if any of it is used to build a pool “to benefit SCAT”: The fact that you would vote the SPLOST down when 92 percent of the money meets with your approval only to satisfy some vendetta associated with the other 8 percent shows me that you have some major issues. I think you need to get over it and get on with life. Obviously you spend more time stewing in your grudges than is healthy for a person. I am Andrea Schmid and a parent of two swimmers on SCAT. I would never write anything to the paper that I wouldn’t sign my name to. The funniest thing about your little vent was the “elitist” comment. Wow! I’m sure no one at SCAT realizes they are elitists. I’ll have to tell the other parents when I take my kids to the pool today. They will be shocked. Are we elitists when we wait around at the pool for them to swim, so that we don’t burn the extra gas and money to go home, and come back again? Or when we sit for hours in the heat at a swim meet? Or is it when we sacrifice in other areas of our lives so that our kids can be on the swim team and participate in the sport they love? Gosh, I’m going to have to tell my kids they’re elitists too. That will be really hard. I’m quite sure they don’t feel like elitists when they practically kill themselves during a tough butterfly set, or when they drag themselves to the pool at 8 on Saturday mornings, or when they swim all day at a meet and do their best even when they are exhausted, or when they cheer on their teammates even if it means that kid makes a better time than them. I’m not sure how I’m going to break it to the coaches either. I’ll have to remind them of their elitist status at the next meet when they are there willingly from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. for two sessions and finals, all day giving advice, encouragement, consolation, and instruction on race strategy and stroke technique to every one of the hundred kids at the meet. Or maybe they are elitists when they are at the pool tirelessly training kids both in the mornings and the afternoons, six days a week. The only thing “elitist” about SCAT is their accomplishments. Our swimmers have gone to elite levels of competition such as the Olympic trials, Nationals, Junior Nationals, Sectionals, and copious numbers of our kids go to the state level of competition for SCAT and their high schools every year. All of that is due purely to hard work on the swimmers’ parts, and top-notch coaching. And by the way, there are many kids on SCAT that are happy just practicing and being on a swim team. They are welcome too. We can’t wait to see the shining faces of the new kids joining our team this fall. They will be beginners, jazzed up after watching the Olympics, and will want to be the next Michael Phelps or Natalie Coughlin. Every swimmer on our team has the ultimate dream of going to the Olympics. I have one last thing to say. Kedron Aquatic Center and any other aquatic center that may be built in the future is not “for SCAT.” Have you forgotten the multitudes of other people who use that pool every day, all year round? It is a place for families to play, and there are swim lessons, classes for disabled people, seniors, water aerobics, the masters swim team, lap swimmers, and of course several high school swim teams. A pool is an important and central part of a community, whether you are on swim team or not. At least it was when I was growing up. Fayette is supposed to be a great place to raise kids, yet people do not seem to want the things that benefit and enrich their kids and community. I for one do not understand.

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I take the time to address the individual who opted to use Free Speech rather than his or her name regarding consolidated trash collection. 1. At no time do I believe this is socialism; however, my rights are not intact if I do not have an option to deal with the free enterprise system. 2. I also cannot understand how this individual knows how much I pay for my service with or without green waste and recycling service. How do you know it will be at a lesser fee? 3. The city as an aggregate purchaser is the same one responsible for purchasing a sewer system that was in need of repairs before it was purchased and also for buying unsuitable land for our infamous police station. Do we not pay the highest rates for sewerage? Are we not faced with additional costs for a defunct police building that requires extensive costly repairs? 4. I have been a resident of PTC for 20 years, and when you speak of leverage for lower prices, you should remember the fiasco with single source cable companies. We were only to have one cable supplier chosen by the elite, and while poor service was the issue, there was no support from the elite. The solution to the problem was that the cable company sold out to another and nothing was resolved. The city still received their fees from the new company. Thank God for Dish and Direct TV. 5. What was not mentioned was the fact that the city proposed to use our municipal court to collect delinquent accounts for the trash collector. How are you collecting for delinquent storm water bills or do you simply shut off their storm water? 6. Also take time to keep up with current recycling rebates for metals and plastics because they are at an all-time high. Trash collectors do not throw recyclables in the landfill because they can recover labor costs by recycling. Last but not least, when you spoke of my pocketbook with the words of DUH folks, I believe you are a candidate for this administration. I believe that the good citizens should have the opportunity to vote on this matter and the administration should support their decision. This item should be included with the unheard-of idea to build an ice skating rink for an individual with taxpayers’ money. I will sign off as a concerned citizen who once ran for public office but was not controlled by any developers.

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To all of those people out there with so much time to complain, I would like to say, Get over it. I have read so much disapproval about one trash company for the city that I am disgusted. I moved here about a year ago from Carrollton, and I was shocked that I had to call around and find the best deal for trash pickup. See, in Carrollton, they have one collector for trash for everyone, and I paid about $5 less per month than I do here. What was even better is that they collected everything from Christmas trees to broken bed frames. Imagine my surprise when I had to throw out an old mattress here and pay $40 to dispose of it at the dump. I say if there is one service, then I do not have to hear more than one day of a garbage dump truck on my otherwise quiet street. I also say that I would love to have my recycling picked up at my house rather than have to visit separate sites around town for newspapers, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans. So please, before you cry socialism, be glad you live in an area that is trying to get you a better deal for your money, make your streets a little quieter, and make your life a little easier.

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Our family found out about the bike race, which would be going down Robinson Road, when a sign was posted outside our subdivision the afternoon prior to the event. There were people trying to get out of the subdivision in order to go to work or go to other commitments. Very poor advertising for this event took place. We were finally guided out of the subdivision by a police car, only to reach a standstill in front of the Colonnade subdivision, where the bikers were coming on to Robinson Road. The policeman who was in front of the subdivision knew jack about directing traffic. Countless times there were chances for him to let one car at a time go towards Holly Grove, but he opted not to, consequently causing a horrible traffic jam and very angry drivers. Next time, use efficient police who know what they are doing and make provisions to help those of us who have to go out and make a living and cannot be held prisoners in our own subdivision for three hours.

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In response to: “Kudos to [a high school] faculty for finally cracking down on the blatant and obvious bullying that goes on at that school”: I am the father of (an extracurricular activity leader) you referenced in letter. What my child did was wrong. I did not and do not condone it in the least, but before you begin judging the severity of the punishment my child has been subjected to, maybe you should do some soul searching and consider the words given to us from the only perfect person ever to have walked this earth, “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.” Prior to this incident, my child had never been in trouble at school or out of school. My child went personally to apologize to each of the people that were hurt by this action and has resolved any animosity between them. My child was suspended for three days, lost their position in their (extracurricular activity) and lost a position in a future (extracurricular activity) they had been given. They have put in countless hours over the last seven years, at school, after school and on weekends, working toward a scholarship with good grades and excelling in their chosen sport. I respect your right to applaud the faculty’s resolution. I too applaud them. Immediately following the incident there was a group of people calling for a witch hunt, and the faculty took a look at all the information before making a decision on punishment. In your letter you asked, “Coaches, what are you thinking? Is this truly the type of young adult we need as an example of leadership to head up a team?” I can’t speak for the coaches but in my opinion, I would hold the way my child handled their self before and after the incident up to any other student as a shining example of how to behave. They made a mistake, a big mistake, and paid a big price. They have accepted the responsibility and the punishment for it with all the maturity and grace of the person they are and I couldn’t be prouder of them.

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To the woman riding shotgun while an 8- to 10-year-old kid piloted golf cart #05082 down Pickets Row on Sunday morning, Aug. 31: What part of the words “underage driver” are you having trouble with? The last time I looked, a driver of a golf cart has to be at least 12 years old and accompanied by an adult. That’s a great example you’re setting, telling him it’s OK to violate the law as long as you’re on a lightly-traveled street on a Sunday morning. Oh, by the way, I’ve reported you to the police.

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Tip of the ol’ fedora to PTC finally putting out some effort with the PCPD patrols by bike and all-terrain vehicles to get some control on these golf carts that baby-sit the parents’ children and teens. Please put an active patrol in Kedron specifically near and around Target and get these teens and underage drivers in line. Start putting a hefty fine on their parents and increase it each time they get another by a couple of hundred dollars and maybe Mom and Daddy will spend time with and take care of their little spoiled brats instead of teaching them to break the law.

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Hi. I’m a Democrat. Eight years ago the media and the Dems told me George W. Bush had no gravitas. And therefore, he had to hire Dick Cheney. Being a good little Dem robot, I could never vote for someone with no gravitas. But, that was then. This is now. I hope I changed. The Dems and the media don’t care about gravitas anymore. So I don’t either. Gravitas is so, like, yesterday. Four years ago, the media said military service is so important and that W did not really participate in any of those activities. So, being a good little Dem robot, I could never vote for someone with no military service. But, that was then. This is now. I hope I changed. The media and the Dems don’t care about that anymore. So I don’t either. Military service is so, like, yesterday. Two years ago the Dems and the media told me lobbyists are bad. So being a good little Dem robot, I could never vote for someone who deals so much with lobbyists. But that was then. This is now. I hope I changed. It doesn’t matter anymore. Biden’s son is a lobbyist with many questionable dealings. So we don’t care about that right now. Maybe, again, later, someday, but not now. I’ll wait until I receive instructions from the media on when and how to think about corruption. It is so fun to be a Democrat. I don’t have any core values to worry about. I just wait for the media and the Dems to tell me what to think, how to vote, what matters and what doesn’t. What is so yesterday and what is so today. Today, I think I’ll burn an American flag, apply for welfare, and blame Bush for something. Now, this is change.

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They wanted it. They got it. Now Clayton County is a cesspool. If Obama is elected president, the whole U.S.A. will follow Clayton County down the drain. I am not racist; I would vote for Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice or Bill Cosby in a heartbeat. Obama has no experience running a city, county or state. The only experience he has running anything is his mouth, telling people exactly what they want to hear. His only plan is “change”; he practices changing his mind every day, depending on the situation. People should have to pass an intelligence test before being able to vote.

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As we know, Hollywood has a lot of young stars who have been caught in troubles. Some of them have been pregnant as teenagers; others have been abusing prohibited substances, getting involved in sex scandals, etc. The dangerous fact is that young people see these actresses and actors as role models and follow their behavior. That is why I find Michael Phelps not only a great athlete who has won 11 Olympic medals and broken his own world records, but he is also a new and positive role model for young people in this society. I watched a television news channel which showed that a lot of children wanted to be like him, and also showed swimming classes getting full of kids following this new role model. This is the kind of role model that youth needs. A young athlete who wasn’t popular in high school (that is what he said in an interview), he was also diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder when he was a child. Instead of making his weakness an excuse for failure in life, he did the opposite: finding his passion in life and making his best effort in order to succeed, he did the best that he could do. Sports are always a good alternative to keep youth away from drugs and help to build good health.

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The calendar has changed and now is the time to stop procrastinating and get busy in the garden. This week is the latest to plant squash; it will produce in about 45 days, and green beans, which will be ready in 56 days or so. Now is definitely the time to start planting your fall greens, lettuce, spinach, and arugula. Don’t overdo the arugula; it grows like a weed. Get the collards planted, too.

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While attending the Olympics, an American friend who lives in Shanghai showed me around. Now I understand why the private automobile is flourishing so in China. The domestic produced cars are very cheap and they pay the equivalent of $1 per gallon for gasoline.