The developing cat-fight between the international and domestic flight attendants is already better than championship “wrasslin” ever used to be. I sure hope somebody throws more fuel on that fire.

To all you folks that are bashing Delta: have you forgotten who buttered your bread for over 30 years? If not for Delta, you all would still be using a horse and buggy instead of golf carts in PTC to get around. It’s real easy to kick someone when they’re down, isn’t it? While in our heyday, everyone was proud of Delta. Now that we have hit a rough spot, due mainly to mismanagement, not pilot greed or bad service, you are ready to disown us. Just remember, for every Delta employee, there are nine other jobs that are directly affected by that person. So you aren’t just talking about one person losing a job; you’re looking at 10. How much of a ghost town do you think this county will be when all those “dreaded” Delta employees leave? Sure, AirTran is making money. That’s primarily because they were given a five-year deferral on new airplane purchases by Boeing and their new hangar was mostly subsidized by the city of Atlanta. Now, the bills are due and the revolving door at their employment office will begin to spin, because no one will work in the elements for $8 an hour. All of you will “add a dollar” for foreign disaster relief, but you spit on Delta, one of the biggest reasons this is Atlanta and not North Macon. Thanks for nothing; we will return to the proud Delta we once were.

I think some lady living on my street has confused flowers with weeds. I have no problem lending her my lawn mower or spraying weed killer for her.

To the person who was irritated by the placement of their air vents under their furniture: Try moving your furniture or buy a new house.

I don’t know about you, Tyrone, but I want to elect an official because of their character and how their life experiences can help make Tyrone a better place for all of us to live. Apparently Grace Caldwell and Gloria Furr want you to elect them so they can fire somebody. Sounds petty and spiteful to me. Is this really who we want representing our town?

To the people that comment on Tyrone: Kudos to the person that is reinforcing the importance to attend council meetings to share your opinion, especially when it could benefit the town. Instead, you don’t come to any meetings, but are the ones to complain about the outcomes. Besides, all of you that are complaining about the cost of a new Tyrone library, I am sure that you will be one of the first people to come and check out a book. Also, whoever wrote about connecting Tyrone to Peachtree City and it saving you money on gas? Umm, in case you haven’t noticed, all of Tyrone is within a mile or so from PTC. Remember that the next time you go to downtown Atlanta to get your hair done.

Well, Peachtree City tennis ladies, we are in for the great juggle of teams again. Did you know that beginning in March, all Peachtree City-based teams will be required to move to the tennis center? We will no longer be able to use any other PTC courts; no Glenloch. And guess what that means? In this time of economic hardship, you will have to pay a facility fee, along with the higher coaching fees. Tell me, does this feel like a dictatorship? Pay or don’t play in Peachtree City? What happened when the PTCTC attempted to raise fees to squeeze more money out of its citizens? Most teams went elsewhere, basically leaving a thriving facility looking like a ghost town. I don’t think that PTC Tourism Association realizes there are plenty of courts elsewhere that you can use for free: Tyrone, Fayetteville, Griffin, Newnan. Wake up! Maybe they should consider NO facility fees for teams to pump some life back into the tennis center; never know who may then be enticed to join.

Please tell me there will soon be another golf cart crossing solution at the intersection of Ga. Highway 74 and Wisdom Road. I think I would rather run across the connector in downtown Atlanta than take my chances crossing 74 to get to The Avenue. Also, crossing Crosstown Road so close to 74 is a death trap. Please, people, slow down.

In regard to the oblivious person who sees no use in preserving our historic downtown area: Obviously you are NOT from here. If you would get the history books down and maybe even talk to our wonderful historians, you would find that our heritage is worth far more than anything you or any developers could bring here. The historical downtown and its houses are a symbol of our heritage that we will never forget. You see, it is important to remember where we have come from and honor those who have built this wonderful place called Fayetteville. As a native of Fayette County I can honestly say that the downtown area has played an important part in the commerce of this area for a long while. Why change? If you don’t like it, please leave.

Thanks to this past Wednesday’s issue of The Citizen, we finally see what we all knew was the real reason why Bob Lenox and his PCDC (oh, yeah, Pathway Communities) developer buddies were pushing to get TDK Boulevard extended. They’ve been planning the next huge residential development just outside our borders. This is arrogance at its finest. Even Bob sent a letter to the editor criticizing Mayor Brown for standing in the way of the TDK extension. I guess the road’s not moving fast enough for PCDC (wonder who all the other beneficiaries are of this development) to rake in the millions they’ll make off this deal. Whoever bought Lenox’s story that he and his buddies only wanted to do what was best for PTC (we hear that a lot these days) and relieve traffic or improve access to the industrial park is an idiot. The TDK extension is nothing more than a welcome mat to those thousands of new residents that will now move to Sharpsburg instead of PTC. We should call the TDK extension “PCDC Cash Flow Highway.” I can see the tag line for this new development now: “Get all the benefits of PTC living without having to pay their taxes or buy their expensive homes.” What a joke. There is absolutely no traffic relief here. Our PTC property values will be negatively impacted, traffic will increase significantly once again and our infrastructure will get nailed. Hey, wonder if crime might go up a bit too? Wow, thanks, Bob. Another Lenox (and friends) legacy just like Wal-Mart/Home Depot. Hey, PTC voters, I don’t agree with all the decisions Steve Brown has made, but I do agree with his position on the Development Authority debt and TDK Boulevard, among other things. Most importantly, he’s no puppet for Lenox and his developer buddies. I hope this TDK deal is a huge wake-up call for all PTC taxpayers/voters. At least with Steve Brown as mayor, I can sleep at night knowing he’s not trying to rip me off.

Oh, my! The big bonus road goes to which of Lenox’s business associates? And the winner is Pathway Communities for the category of Most Likely to Profit Off of the TDK Extension! This high density, 489-acre site comes complete with thousands of automobiles and more traffic gridlock. Congratulations, Peachtree City. Let’s call it the “Bob Lenox Gridlock Avenue.”

What is going on with a new tax (separate) for building storm-water drains, etc.? We are being nickel and dimed to death. I thought we overpaid for a water drainage and sewer system years ago. Or, are we just bailing out some developers in specific areas that the town let build in a flood area? Put all of this sort of thing in the budget and stop trying to cover up the blame. Maybe these places need to be torn down.

We all know that the Development Authority loans were illegal. Some of these candidates for office say that the city taxpayers have a “moral duty” to pay the additional millions of dollars to the banks and developers. Let’s put the shoe on the other foot for a moment. What if an electrician was late in submitting a bill to the developer, after the closing? Would the developer feel a moral duty to pay? What if the bank repossessed your car out of your driveway? Would they feel a moral duty to work with you if you only had four payments left? I don’t think so. We don’t have $2 million in extra money to spare because we need it for police, recreation and public works. Let ‘em take a tax write-off.

Mr. Timothy Kaigler’s letter to the editor was just another message from King Bob sent on from his minions. Interestingly, Mr. Kaigler fails to make certain personal disclosures. First, he is a member of the tennis center. Second, his business partner Robert Brooks was one of the Development Authority members who resigned after Scott Bradshaw (the only honorable member) made public the fraud of the authority. Brooks, who was elected to the PTC council, surprised everyone by resigning council to serve on the Development Authority. Kaigler says, “If Mr. Brown had any evidence of [criminal activity], I’m sure he would have informed the GBI.” The city staff and police department did precisely that. The GBI said that more investigation was needed. They didn’t exactly give the defrocked members of the Development Authority a Medal of Honor. And, Kaigler continues the same old Lenox song that the Development Authority players acted out of virtue and altruism and that greed played no part. He says that “these men’s sole purpose was to create a world-class facility for the citizens of Peachtree City at a minimal (or no) cost to the taxpayer.” Hmmm, why then are they suing the city to get another $2 million on these illegal debts for a broken-down, leaky facility?

Are we the Peachtree City taxpayers to assume that the million and a half lent to the Tennis Center (old development authority, signed by whom?) is to be repaid by tax money (either direct or from hotel tax, still from tax) just because it was lent as a favor to the city and would in all likelihood be paid by hotel taxes and a loosely operated authority? If I were the hotels in town, I would have a lawyer to see that the tax they forward to the city is used for assets only. The Tennis Center mistake; the sewer purchase mistake (too much money); the 54/74 intersection mistake; the west side development mistake; the loss of numerous industries mistakes; the large tax increases since the nineties (far above what should have been needed because of rapid growth that should have paid its way); and the failure to see that Delta might falter with nothing to replace its contribution to the city, is all just too much to elect lighter brains in this next election.

Sell the Tennis Center and pay off the bank and Group VI? I say sell and put the money in the town treasury. Why are these people so concerned about paying these people? The money borrowed for the most part was simply spent for pros and expenses, and little asset value was added, if any. It was a bad loan.

Congratulations to Mr. Robert Rothly for your letter to the editor last week. Your communication skills, especially writing, have dramatically improved. You now write at a level comparable to your neighbor, Steve Brown. In fact you use some of the same words and phrases and naturally the same tired old subject matter.

The Peachtree City mayor keeps playing the local and Atlanta media like a fiddle, as he continues to get lots of exposure in the final days of his current campaign for reelection. Apparently, the media must like being “played” this way, since they keep falling for it.

Steve Brown’s campaign signs read, “Honest Government.” That’s like John Gotti’s business cards reading, “Legitimate Businessman.”

Thank goodness that Bob Lenox has Peter Pfeifer because now they can get a volume discount on their medication in the nut house. Maybe Commissioner Pfeifer can’t remember that huge numbers of his constituents get on I-85 every day to go to work. Mayor Brown has shown more initiative by gathering local governments together to solve the traffic problem at Hwy. 74 and I-85 than the total achievements of Lenox and Pfeifer combined. Maybe Pfeifer [is] blind and can’t see all the construction taking place in Fairburn. Maybe he doesn’t care. Thank you, Steve Brown, for working such a thankless job.

I wonder if Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown has begun to feel a change in momentum. Local reporters are no longer accepting what he says as “the gospel truth,” and they’re finally beginning to ask him some hard questions. Some people are no longer bowing to his demands just because he wants something done and wants it done now. Welcome to the real world, Mayor Brown.

Earth to Steve Brown. You are not running against Bob Lenox; you are running against five serious candidates who believe they can do a better job than you have. Of course, so could my pet hamster, but she’s been dead for 40 years and therefore is not currently a resident of Peachtree City. Practice your new slogan for 2006: “I love not being your mayor.”

Here’s a theme that started four years ago and continues today: “Brown was right.” The mayor came to our homeowners association meeting almost two years ago and stated that the TDK extension would not provide a lot of traffic relief because a bunch of major development was going to occur on the Coweta County side of the border. All of the Direct PAC and the bottom-feeding Bob Lenox constantly called him a liar. Now look at the Oct. 12 Citizen and the top story is that Pathway Communities is going to cram a lot of houses and retail into 489 acres right off of the proposed TDK extension. Bob’s closest buddies, Pathway Communities, are going to bury us and it is no wonder why he was furious about the progress of the road slowing down. I gave Brown a hard time on his previous statements about development authority and he was right on that one too. No matter what you think about Brown, he has truthfulness and foresight in great abundance. Bob owes him a public apology.

Many thanks to Christy Dunkelberger for her letter to the editor and, of course, to The Citizen for printing it. She pointed out the contrived and tyrannical way in which former Mayor Bob Lenox ramrodded the Home Depot project roughshod over a weak and sycophants council. I had forgotten many of those details, Mrs. Dunkelberger, and you serve us well by showing the raw hypocrisy of Lenox’s current rants about congested roads. I remember it now. Lenox met privately with the developers, in just another of his dictatorial moments. And then, when they changed the whole deal simply hours before the meeting, they did not send it back to the Planning Commission as required. What a horrible night that was, all the good ol’ boys going along and no one but the crowd complaining. Lenox should have gone to jail for that one.

I find it interesting that candidate for mayor, Harold Logsdon, has no problem thumbing his nose at the city sign ordinance. He and his supporters have blatantly put up campaign signs on public property. If he disregards this city ordinance, what will he choose to disregard next? Making matters worse, he has even joked about City Code Enforcement removing these signs, so he knows it is happening. Mr. Logsdon, take a leadership role and follow the rules. Instruct your “followers” to honor the city codes so that the Code Enforcement can go about doing their job and not cleaning up your mess.

I have heard rumor that the Fayette County Board of Education is finally going to re-district Peeples Elementary. I hope they can find the spine to draw the lines as they should be and not zig-zag them around certain neighborhoods. Everyone knows which neighborhoods I am talking about. This process should be based on actual proximity to the school. I know that this will be a an unhappy time for some people, but they should be happy that their kids have a chance at a small class size and a better education.

Has our local police force done anything to conserve gas now that its $3-plus a gallon? I always see police cars engines running while the police are inside a restaurant for half an hour or more eating. Why do they do that?

To the lady (I know you must be female) who commented on the media needing to cover a shooting star last week: I am sorry to break it to you, but shooting stars are quite common here on the planet Earth. This is not even close to newsworthy. Try to dwell on more important issues where you live.

Rising Starr Middle School, get your head out of the sand regarding your failing seventh grade math program. When an entire grade is not grasping what you are teaching, it’s time to take a look at why. The letter sent home last week to the parents about the issues did not even address the issues. Instead you write that our children are doing well and how proud you are of them and don’t even acknowledge that there is a problem. Are you proud that many seventh graders are failing math or would have failed math this semester until a bunch of grades were dropped and weighting percentages readjusted last minute? Do you even care that these children have no life outside of school because parents spends hours at night tutoring these kids or spending money hiring outside tutors? Administration, take action before our school sinks into the ground. Parents are talking all over the community about the problems at that school and quite frankly I am sick of hearing about it and living it on a daily basis.

It’s strange there are complaints about Bill Bennett’s remarks, but that no one complains about the comments made on Fox News by Juan Williams (an African American). Mr. Williams stated, “Maybe if we killed off these white people, we wouldn’t have so many mass murders in America.”

A recent survey indicates that four out of six babies are born here in this area out of a marriage contract. It is unknown, or at least not published, just how many are not born, but aborted, also. The question is: do we want all these babies, or don’t we? We harp about paying welfare for them, yet say they must have them and not abort them. To say, “Don’t get pregnant,” doesn’t solve the problem; they are pregnant. To pack the Supreme Court with Catholics, who do also have abortions, by the way, and now evangelicals, certainly just prolongs the problem. Did you ever wonder what the President might do if one of his daughters were to get pregnant, in spite of her pills, by a rapist, or a boyfriend who was very dumb and poor? I think we all know the likelihood of what does happen in such cases. Hypocrisy is our deadliest sin, not sex.

It is always easy to guess the politics of a person when one of the first things they speak or write is “Bushies,” make accusations and statements taken directly from the play book of the far left without first checking their facts, or both. People that automatically believe anything that’s uttered by these radicals should not let their hate for President Bush appear so obvious. Check the facts and try to think for themselves.

There must be enormous pressure on the editor concerning the printing of Free Speech. Considering the content sometimes, in this town, he must be pressured something fierce. I’m sure he leaves out the very worst of the conservative criticisms such as about the war, the debt, the cronyism, Halliburton mess, etc., but he does publish enough until I am sure he wishes he knew a way out of this Free Speech thing. I just want to say that I think it has taken a lot of guts to do as much as he has so far. After all, what can it hurt?

In spite of the fact that many in Peachtree City are in the top 20 percent pay category, there are still many of us here who are drawing Social Security checks as our primary source of income. My question is this: where does the government get the number that they use to increase the Social Security payments each year? It usually is $20-30 per year increase to offset inflation as the law says. For some years now the additional charges, such as health insurance deductions and now prescriptions, far, far outweigh the small increases. Aren’t those things figured in? Now this year we will get about 3 percent; however, the cost for fuel along with gas doubling, doctors and dentists costs not covered by Medicare skyrocketing and many other necessary things, just how do they figure it? Cooked books, I guess.

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