It's a crazy idea that will never fly.

and you feel it would be so beneficial to our city, why don't you build it and donate it to the city? Please don't try to lay a guilt trip by saying anyone who opposes this does not care about the kids in our community nor care about increased home values. Peachtree City is a special place and will remain a special place with or without the ice complex. It has been done and failed in the past. Maybe an increase in your taxes is not a burden to you but with everything else being thrown at us, most of us do not need an increase for something we may end up paying for anyway down the road if it fails. Could you please tell me what chances you are taking in this venture? I cannot see any for you and all for the tax payer (and yes I know you are a tax payer also--but most of us will not reap a monetary reward as you will.)

I will not comment on your insults Dar, but I will continue to let the facts be known.

You were at the July 17 Council meeting supporting a Referendum to be placed on the November ballot.

You made a presentation proclaiming the prosperity Peachtree City would gain if the Sports Complex were to be built.

You offered to pay up to $1,500 of the cost to have the Referendum on the Ballott.

The City Manager made a presentation on the estimated operating cost of facility.

The figures I used in my letter come straight off the City Manager’s spreadsheet of estimates; therefore, they are not my figures but the Cities. The figures you are using are limited to only the amount that will be charged to property taxes and do not include operating expenses.

I will not sling mud. I will only state facts and the facts say this Deal is no good for Peachtree City.

To: Phillip Hartley, attorney-at-law
From: Sniffles

Subject: Trademark violation

Dear Mr. Hartley,
I wish to bring to your attention that a certain Dar Thompson of Peachtree City, Georgia has appropriated a trademarked phrase of one of your clients.

"Apparently, you don't care about the kids in our community" is, of course, a registered trademark of the Smith/Smola Development Corporation (d/b/a "The Fayette County Board of Education") to be used solely for the purpose of denigrating those persons not supporting the upcoming SPLOST initiative.

Sincerely,
Sniff

Agree on we build something, not for him.

But you are out of your mind if you think our town employees, council, and Mayor want to run s a recreation building for any citizen---too much responsibility and work!

We have needed a teen building for 20 years--ain't gonna get one! And a bus service to and from it!

Nothing to do with this issue, but I have a question for you, so if you do not mind please email at donhaddix@donhaddix.com or PM me on the site in my sig line I would appreciate it.

Thanks.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com

Mr. Haddix, you say you voted for ballot question without having the question?

As for Dar Thompson, his position looked a lot better until he started adding posts to this web site. It's funny how Dar and the councilman can't seem to offer any details on this PRIVATE project on city property.

About the PTC bond vote, no issue should ever be put on the ballot until the elected officials who have put it there have studied it thoroughly and are prepared to recommend its adoption by the voters.

Elected officials are PAID to study these issues, and by running have pledged they’d take the time and make the effort to study them thoroughly. Virtually all of them are fairly well educated, and most have received state-sponsored taxpayer-paid training for their elected jobs.

Every issue on the ballot comes with an implicit recommendation to the voters that they approve it. The job of elected officials is to screen out the bad proposals.

It is a shameful dereliction of duty for elected officials to do what you said you did. It’s like giving pointed scissors to a young child. Many voters do not have the time, education, information and resources that elected officials have, and they cannot possibly rationally decide what lazy elected officials decide to slough off onto them.

What you did is a disgrace!

Again Mr. Haddix the record differs from your story. You say, “All on Council concurred and voted in support of my motion as stated,” but that was not the case. You did not make the motion for the support of the Resolution. The minutes from the meeting state that Mr. Boone made the motion and you seconded. The minutes read as follows.

“Boone moved to approve the bond resolution for a multi-use sports and community complex subject to Mr. Thompson covering the cost of the referendum up to $1,500. Haddix seconded.”

Ain’t is nice that Dar offered to pay for the referendum. What a nice guy to help out the Council in a time of need when the budget is so tight.

I set the terms for the motion and indeed Boone made the formal motion. Make of that what you will.

As posted on the Citizen Spyglass was at the meeting and collaborated my statement that we did not take a position. Just as the Citizen article stressed it was made crystal clear we had no position except allowing the referendum. Just as my thread on donhaddix.com, posted after the vote, stressed Council neutrality and it was time for the voters to discuss and debate the issue out between themselves because Council was done on the issue.

I do not know why you are so adamantly in favor of denying the voters the right to have their say. The lack of a referendum on the Tennis Center haunts us to this day. So, every big rec and non essential item that comes before me is referendum material to me, regardless of how I feel about it personally.

Did you complain about the two referendums being on the ballot in 2007? Council put them there. If here, did you complain that the Tennis Center was decided without voter input? The old Development Authority pulled it from referendum and passed it on their own over public protest because the referendum would have failed.

Finally, since you are quoting record, I note you did not note the resolution form was not signed by four members of Council. It was signed by only one, who failed to proof read it. It notes we were all present at the discussion of the matter only.

The minutes do not reflect every issue stated during a discussion. That would be a small book. Only one of my comments was reflected, which states we were not taking a position plus notes we were legally told we could not take any position. You cannot cite a single pro position by anyone on Council for the Ice Rink in the minutes because there were none.

These are all matters of record you have not cited. You have only cited one part of a miswritten resolution to demand we were for it, which, again, is contradicted by an eye witness blogger, The Citizen and me.

I have spoken to Staff on this issue. It was conceded the resolution was incorrectly written and they have to more careful in the future.

This is a very frustrating matter when errors are made that mislead citizens. Things like that are neither needed or wanted. It adds frustrations that none of us need.

Believe me or not as you will. But I did not lie to you.

I do not believe there is anything else I can add, so I will close my comments on this matter. Descending into argument profits none of us.

Vote your conscience on this issue.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com

I ask you Mr. Haddix where is it I said the voters should not have the right to vote on the referendum? Dar accuses me of not caring for the kids in our community and now you are saying I am trying to deny a vote by the people. It is only intention to state facts and draw conclusion from those facts. You and Dar are taking this to a level where I will not go.

The errors of a few can impact many. When I read the Resolution I could not believe the Council would go on record supporting, in my opinion a bad deal for the taxpayers of Peachtree City, and now I find out you did not vote on the document but only for a concept and left it for others to fill in the blanks. As I said earlier the official records of Peachtree City may be used by an advocate of the referendum to gain support.

I hope you will be able to look at it from my position as a avid opponent of the Referendum and feel the frustration. A mistake and a mistake there makes me wonder where are the mistakes are I do not see.

Thank you for the clarification. Your article read, to me, as a challenge to why we even allowed it. I stand corrected. It is an opposition piece with a question, which I have answered.

There are a lot of misunderstandings about how government works by many. As in putting a referendum out means support be default, which it does not.

I know of past referendums where the majority of Council opposed the proposal but supported the referendums because some issues are not critical but of great importance to citizens. They should decide such issues in my book. The Tennis Center an example of why that is true.

As for documents. We pass and sign some on the dais. Some cannot be written until after the vote, at which we are authorizing the Mayor to sign, which means we do not see it again and Staff and the Mayor become responsible for proofing the text.

We see tons of paper work. Many packets are 170 up pages. Those often require additional research, but we do not get the packets until the Friday before the Council Meeting, meaning time crunch. We see tons of other materials that never make it out to the public. Plus contacts with officials from elsewhere, businesses, constituents and more.

A running joke is it being a part time job. If you do it right it most assuredly is not.

Then there is also pursuing issues for the City on individual basis. Staff is constantly buried with work.

Government loves paperwork. State and Federal are incredible in the hoops they create for the most simplistic issues.

Please understand, I am not trying to make excuses. I am simply saying it is hard enough keeping up with the present and future, let alone to keep reviewing the past.

Nor am I trying to pass the buck by saying once off the dais most things become Staff issues. As said they are always pushed for time as well.

Truth is I probably spent over 5 minutes, at that meeting, harping on how I felt such issues were for referendum, I would not take a position nor should Council. I directly told Dar if passed it was in his court to make or break the deal, which he agreed to.

Other Council Members stressed that as well.

For every hour the public sees us there are hours unseen at work, which is really how it should be, if one is doing their job correctly.

I do see your point and that is why I immediately contacted Staff on this issue. But that document is already in print for the election and locked in. Something I am not happy about.

There are errors. There was one back earlier in they year that I personally took on, which required two weeks to fix a 30 second mistake elsewhere, due to formal paperwork not getting to us until we were on the Dais. I hate it when such happens because there is a window for big mistakes. It is neither wanted or desired by any of us.

Hopefully we have that cleared up between us and maybe a few others who were not seeing the whole picture.

Thanks.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com

Congratulations Mr. Haddix. You have acquired the arts of seasoned politicians by side stepping the issue, deflecting, and you should listen to what I say and not what I do.

I am extremely concerned to read you saying “This wording did not come from me or anyone on Council.” My first thought was that you are suggesting the Resolution passed by the Mayor and Council has been changed after approval. If this is the case than a criminal offense may have taken place. If this is not the case than it appears you were voting for words other than what was written. In either case we have a serious problem.

Regardless of the side stepping and deflecting the issue still stands. The Council is on record supporting the Sports Complex Deal with Dar. The Mayor and Council must go on record denouncing the Deal.

Meaning Steve Brown.
I'm beginning to suspect you are taking a page out of the brown clown's playbook and you may even have met with him and are getting talking points from him.

If true, I assure you that hubby and his friends will gear up the DirectPac machine again. Nobody wants to do it, but if you are listening to the brown clown - watch out. He is toxic in this town.

Don't believe it? Look at the election results from when he got his fat butt kicked out.

Wasn;t it Lenox and company who did the Tennis thingy? Not Brown! He just wanted to know who was asleep at the switch! We ain't never found out when or if it has been paid fer and how?

What I said was Haddix is starting to look and sound like the brown clown, and that is not a good thing.

Logsdon is certainly smart enough not to run for a second term and I'm afraid that the brown clown is going to try to get back into the Mayor's seat (mayor - in lower case letters if he does). I am also suspicious that Haddix wants that to happen.

We need to watch Haddix aka Dingy Don for signs that he is a Brown clown clone. If so, we need to find a candidate to run against him. Dar is one choice - except he loses all the time. Dan Tenant could come back. Peter Pfeifer is available. That lady from Planterra that spouts off about the West Village is another choice. Greg Dunn would be a good replacement - at least he doesn't look like an undertaker.

Ok, no good choices, I agree.

Let's just leave Dingy Don alone and concentrate on keeping the brown clown away from city hall if he runs for mayor. Electing him would be as if the country elected Spiro Agnew for President (yes I know he's dead - that is my point).

Well if you and the others are simply going to let the public vote on every referendum that anyone puts forward, why bother to vote on it by council at all? That is why it indicated that you were for it!
Am I then to assume that you felt maybe that your people who voted you in to office wanted you to vote yes on it so that then they could be blamed for any problems?
They sent you there to resolve this sort of thing, what would happen if you had voted no?
Will you let ME run a legitimate business here, in a town purchased
building on town property, for a rent that I propose, and if it goes broke, I can scamper away free and clear? Will you??

Of course you and the others won't do that! So why for this one?

Dar was solely responsible for the plan, the costs, the profits, everything, huh? Are you nuts? (The wording did not come from me or anyone else on couincil, you said) OK, my proposal will say that the town will make a million a year, I hope! I want a Big Joe Polka building!

I can appreciate your thoughts on the Tennis Center not being allowed to be voted on by taxpayers as a whole, but also shouldn't the Council have voted that down also?

You know hit haz got tuh be them d. yankees doing this hyar stuff!
Even Palin's IZE RANK in MOOSEJAW, Alaska IS LOSING IT'S BUTT DUE TO THE TOTAL MAINTENANCE AND CAPITAL COST!
Air Alaskans yankees, or air they Plains kind uf people?

I agree with you and I don't even live in "The City".
-------------------------------------------
Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.

Mr. Haddix you did vote to support the Sports Complex and Referendum. The second paragraph of the Resolution adopted by unanimous vote of the Mayor and Council reads as follows.

WHEREAS, the Governing Body deems it to be in the best interest of the City to improve public services in the City by acquiring, constructing, and installing recreational facilities, consisting of two ice rinks with spectator seating and a fitness center, to be leased to or operated by one or more private entities and to be located at State Route 74 South on approximately 22 acres of land owned by the City, and other facilities, equipment, and property, both real and personal, useful or desirable in connection therewith, all at an estimated cost of more than $9,950,000 (the “Project”); and

When I read “the Governing Body deems it to be in the best interest of the City,” I read a strong statement of support for $10,000,000.00 Sports Facility by you and the other members of the Council. It could have a neutral statement such as “Governing Body deems it necessary for the residents to vote on…,” but it was not.

I know you and the other members said you were required by law to remain neutral and that you were only voting to let the residents decide. However, if I were on the side of supporting this deal, which I am not, I could easily take these words and make a valid case that the Mayor and Council are supportive.

Mr. Haddix if you and the other Council members are not supporting this deal then you must make a statement clarifying what you have already stated.

Mayor and Council DID want it as you say---they even recommended it.

It isn't their money and it will be named: Logsdon IZE RANK CENTER: Councilpersons, HaDDIX, ETC. ON A PLAQUE (BRONZE).

All those changes will be made when the 54/74 intersection is re-named Lennox Accidention! And the strip from there to the Coweta Line:
Apache Stroke Section, or A.S.S.

You speak "double-speak!"

Wouldn't a "NO" vote have kept this terrible catastrophe off the ballot?

If not, then why vote at all?

You want it!

How about if the city gives me $10mil? Seems it would be just as profitable to the tax payers anyway and at least the money would go to a good cause! Or better yet, why not spend that $10 mil on creating something that teens can actually enjoy, instead of a ICE rink that only about 10% of teens will have any interest in at all. I used to be a teen growing up in Peachtree City and there was really only two thing to do drink or do drugs. You couldn't drive a golf cart because you would surely get harassed at least once an hour by a cop, you couldn't go play games or hang out anywhere because every place that opened was closed down shortely after for serving to minors. So forget about an Ice Rink and create places for teens to hang out, lax the golf cart rules a little bit and give teens a chance. This is the ONLY way that the teen/drug problems of our city will be resolved.