“Free Speech is watching you.”

- - - - - - - - - - - -

I want to commend Gail Sparrow, the board, guardians, doctor, nurse and EMTs for all their hard work in the planning and arranging for the flight for WWII vets on Oct. 8 to see the WWII Memorial. Thanks to the Baptist Church for the use of their buses, the Methodist Church for their hospitality and the deputies who provided the escort. It was a wonderful day that we will never forget. Thank you.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

So I guess if I don’t happen to see a sign hanging up at the intersection of Ga. highways 74 and 85, I would never know about the Fayette County Fair. I tried Googling the Kiwanis Club of Fayette County, and nothing. There’s no website anywhere about it. I guess I should have made the Coweta County Fair. At least they put some effort into promoting the thing, with its own website and everything. Makes me wonder how much effort the Kiwanis of Fayette put into the actual fair itself.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

It’s going on four years now for our esteemed government officials to get the cart path bridge completed over the railroad tracks near 54/74. This includes the year before construction when it was obvious the cart path bridge was in the plan. This includes the year during construction of the new vehicle bridge. This includes the year since completion of the vehicle bridge. This is not why I pay taxes. Somebody is making an entire career out this simple cart bridge. I’m telling you now, it’s going to be over five years until this bridge is completed. I’ve read all the excuses after my posting in Free Speech last August 2007. None are acceptable and somebody needed to be fired several years ago. And this is the same group who wants us to accept their good judgment on a single trash pickup service. Shoot me now. Just get it over with.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

I, like many Fayette County residents, recently received my 2008 property tax bill. Although I received notification that the millage rate would increase this year, I was shocked to see that the fair market value used to come up with my “assessed” value did not reflect the declining home values that have plagued our nation’s housing market. How can CNN, Fox News, USA Today, and The Citizen report on declining home values across the country, but our Tax Assessors office believes values have not changed? I know Fayette County is special, but ... never mind. Remember to fill out form PT-50R next year. From what I’ve read lately, home values will not appreciate for a few years, but then again, Fayette may think otherwise.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

What really irks me about this ice rink proposal is the wording of the referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot: I totally oppose the scope and content of this project and believe that most other PTC residents do as well, especially given the recent events affecting our nation’s economy. However, I believe the item is worded with the intent to mislead those who are not familiar with it, and resent what an uninformed YES vote will create. Vote NO to the ice rink referendum.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

So, Dar wants PTC to build a “Recreational Facility” on PTC-owned land that will house a fitness facility that he will own? Ask yourselves why he would want PTC to do this? He already has one of the three (that I can think of) fitness facilities in PTC. This does not make sense. Why impose direct competition on yourself? I believe there is a hidden agenda that profits only himself. He also proposes not one, but two skating rinks. Recall that there was a rink in Jonesboro that closed several years ago due to lack of use. Yes, skating rinks are fun for a Sunday afternoon with the kids, but how many times in our busy lives do you think you would go? Once, maybe twice a year for an hour or two? Admission fees in addition to your $100 a year tax increase, which will increase as expenses increase. Rinks are also very expensive to maintain. Nice to dream and boast about, but is it really prudent in these economic times? My final question, has anyone seen a use market analysis and business plan to justify the expense? Dar is using the taxpayers of PTC as a bank. Gotta give him credit for thinking out of the box, but if he thinks this is such a profitable idea, let HIM go to a bank, get a loan that HE would be personally responsible for, BUY the land from PTC, and do it HIMSELF like every other developer.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

If Dar Thompson wants an ice rink, let him build it with his own money. It is an outrage that taxpayers are being asked to foot the bill for his business venture. Why in the world has this been allowed to be on the ballot? Peachtree City, please take a stand and vote NO WAY to this ridiculous referendum.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Mayor “Harold” is now committed to getting us into a five-year contract for trash pickup. I just read his letter in the PTC Update and read all the arguments for proceeding. Come on, City Council, listen to your public. An overwhelming number of us don’t want this. Take a poll if you don’t believe this. Why the rush? Is something going to happen in the next six to 12 months we don’t know about? The real solution for these folks who don’t like more than one trash truck on their streets is to talk to their neighbors and choose among themselves to agree to a single contractor. Bonus with the real solution: they’ll find out who’s being ripped off, cost-wise. No to limiting our choice and no to government involvement.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Shame on the PTC mayor and Council for not seeing through Dar’s fitness facility idea and nipping it in the bud.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

So WASA wants to raise our sewer rates because we have all been good citizens and conserved water use during the drought, reducing their revenues. I guess they need a Business 101 refresher: When revenue decreases, spending should decrease through implementation of cutback measures. Have they done any of this? Let’s make them accountable. It’s like asking your neighbor for money when your income is cut back. If approved, do you really think they will decrease the rates when water use increases? Heck, no!

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Did you know that the current school board has built schools in the middle of nowhere without the children to fill them? Does that sound like a sound fiscal policy to you? Did you know that the board purchased 130 acres at a cost of $2.5 million, only 30 acres of which were necessary for Inman Elementary? Now the board is trying to sell the excess land on its website. Did you know that the Fayette County School Board just raised your taxes? Did you know that the Fayette County School Board made public its desire for a one-cent sales tax increase (eSPLOST) only after all the incumbents were voted safely back into their positions after the July 15 primary? Wouldn’t it have been nice to know that they wanted even more money before voting in July? Think of all of the money you pay in school taxes to Fayette County. Do you think the status quo should be maintained for the next four years? We need to change the dynamics of the board; we cannot afford more of the same. There is one candidate running for the Post One position: Nicole File. She is a parent living in Peachtree City who is a write-in candidate. She believes in fiscal accountability and open government. All you have to do on election day is mark the “write in” box on your ballot,and type in NICOLE FILE.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Fayette voters, do not be fooled by the school board write-in candidacy of Nicole File. She lives in the same neighborhood as the guy, Dave Houston, that Jan Smola defeated in the July primary. There is a gaggle in that neighborhood that is determined to have one of their own on the school board. Apparently they are now so desperate that they are creating issues where none exist and resorting to a write-in candidate. If File cared so much about the school board and local politics, why didn’t she pay the fee and run back in the July primary?

- - - - - - - - - - - -

I’d like the FCBOE to tell us why they went back on their word when telling us no Clayton County students would be accepted into our schools. FCHS now has well over 100 of those students. I certainly don’t blame the CC students’ parents for trying to find some kind of accredited school system for their children to attend at this time, but then our FCBOE told us none of the CC students would be accepted unless they physically relocated into Fayette County. Can we throw out all of the current BOE and start over with a clean slate?

- - - - - - - - - - - -

I’m wondering what happened to all the Brillant signs in Tyrone? Anyone else place one in their yard only to have it pulled out in the middle of the night?

- - - - - - - - - - - -

I wonder how much taxpayer money was spent on the pro-SPLOST signs I am seeing everywhere. The signs look very nice and expensive. It makes me mad the way this whole SPLOST thing has been handled. I want the schools to be great in our county, but I really don’t want to pay any more taxes for them. When board members point out the fact that out of county tags are over here shopping, it makes me wonder if those people are avoiding their 7 percent sales tax and are coming to Fayette County where it is 6 percent. If we have the same tax, they may stay and shop in their own county.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

As I look at the hundreds of SPLOST signs dotting our fair county, I can’t help but wonder just how much more money our Fayette County Board of Education will be allowed to waste. The same Board of Education that bought five times as much land as they needed for Inman Elementary, and are now in the real estate business trying to move the excess, then closed a school and plan to build another one they don’t need. Buses used for non-education-related activities, excess supervisory personnel at the alternative school, then, to beat all of that, they decide on a large millage increase at the last minute and shove it down our throats, while the taxpayers of this county stood by, helplessly. Now, they want even more money and the only place left is to push through this completely useless SPLOST. They sell it by saying that it’s letting the people who shop here from other counties help fund our schools. What a load of dung. Only a moron would fail to realize that that is going to penalize everyone in this county who has to shop here out of necessity by adding one penny to every dollar they spend. In this day and age when our investments are losing money, the oil companies are charging a dollar and a quarter more for a gallon and our banks are in an uproar, the Fayette County Board of Education wants the people of this county to pony up even more. Wouldn’t it be easier to be good stewards of what you’re already taking from the citizens? Then it might not be so hard and require so many warpings of the truth and outright lies to get them to vote for your SPLOST.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The ESPLOST has to be denied for many reasons identified in many articles. The article about empty seats in schools will continue to roll into the high schools with every year that goes by and the district is wasting valuable funds by building a new school vs. using the space they have. The Realtors that are supporting this are using it as a political, promotional marketing tool to assist in sales. Otherwise, if the real estate market was good, you wouldn’t hear from them. As a previous Free Speech stated, vote NO and make the district officials figure out how to make it work with the budget they have. We all could use extra money for stupid decisions we’ve made in our life. Unfortunately, we can’t place that on the taxpayers. Vote No for ESPLOST. The district does not deserve our hard-earned money to bail out their stupid decisions and incompetency to manage money.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Looking at the spending habits of the County Commissioners, I would like to suggest that they hold off on all spending wit the exception of Public Safety, to get ready for the homeless citizens of this county that will inevitably be in need of some of these tax dollars. Jobs are going down the tubes with the Panasonic shut-down and the NCR cutbacks. Yes, it can happen right here, and we will need money to help our people and Public Safety will play a more important role than ever. You think I’m exaggerating?

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Why are students being picked up by buses as early as 6:45 a.m. when school does not start until 7:45 a.m.?

- - - - - - - - - - - -

What is going on with the after-school program in Fayette County? It seems that there might be some mismanagement at the system level. Some stupid decisions have been made. In spite of the economic crunch, rates were raised this year, which made numbers decline and students are becoming “latch key” again. Students are not allowed to drop in any longer even though emergencies arise. Fees must be paid for five days on Friday. There is a hiring freeze which prevents staff members from being replaced if resignations occur. This makes numbers higher at individual schools. Staff members are pulled from certain schools and sent to unfamiliar schools. This is not good for the students or the staff members. If someone does not get a handle on the situation, the future of this fine program looks very bleak.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

To the person upset by the Fire Truck parked in the fire lane: I would like to give you another perspective that may help you feel better about having to search for a parking spot and walk an extra few steps. Suppose you are in the grocery store and you or a family member becomes ill or stops breathing. Would you want the firefighters/paramedics and EMTs to run back to their truck for the medical equipment and oxygen or would you want them to run to the other side of the parking lot for it? Fire trucks are BIG and would have to park at the very farthest point from the store. Firefighters work for 24-hour shifts and food and drink is not supplied. We incorporate our trip to the grocery store into our day, while out doing fire hydrants or returning from an emergency call.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

To the Free Speech writer criticizing the Fayetteville Fire Department for parking their truck outside of grocery stores to pick up food or other items: Firefighters have to eat meals during the day just like you do. Besides, how would you know they weren’t in there on a non-emergency call or doing a fire inspection on some of those “daily” sightings you claim to see? I don’t think that the reason they park in the fire lane is because they are “proud of their trucks,” as you put it. They do that because should an emergency call go out, they need to be able to get to their apparatus quickly. I’ll tell you Fayetteville firefighters probably respond to the highest volume of calls in the county. I would bet they would be the ones to respond to you should you have an emergency, so just remember that next time you want to criticize the people that could potentially save your life someday.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

This weekend in Peachtree City we attended the “Great Georgia Airshow.” After a week of such discouraging news across our nation we were uplifted and for a while forgot the mess our country is in and reveled in a day of superb pilots flying vintage and state-of-the-art aircraft. Several times we got goose bumps because of the combination of pure talent, music, and the theme of patriotism and appreciation of our armed forces. I loved the looks of little kids who were in awe of what they saw; they were truly inspired. No doubt, some will be our future pilots and military. I loved the fact that there were so many military personnel enjoying the show. Thanks to all who work so hard all year long on the airshow; so many work behind the scenes and volunteer their time. This year we all needed a “feel good” day and we were not disappointed.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Most of the news about the economy is very bad, a lot of jobs lost in construction, services, retail, etc. If this is true, why have most of the immigrants kept theirs? For instance, here in Peachtree City, in the Glenloch area in the last month or so, dozens of them have been moving in, at least 10 people in only one house and almost all of them have jobs. They are picked up every morning by company-owned cars and brought back home at the end of the day. Construction companies, lawn maintenance, restaurants and maid services: Do these companies do the same for American people that don’t have their own transportation?