We can really tell that the signals on the recently upgraded Ga. Highway 74 are back on demand mode again. They click away erratically, doing a great job of stopping nearly every vehicle. The approach lanes on most of the cross streets aren’t set up properly. Vehicles will pull up in the right lanes, then turn right on red and go on and not even need the light. But the light will cycle anyway, stopping all the highway traffic for no reason. The exit from Panasonic is poor. The right lane is marked for straight and right turns and the left lane is marked for left turns. Right-turning traffic doesn’t always need the light, but is blocked by traffic waiting to go straight. The left lane should be for straight and left turns, since these need the light. The right lane should be for right turns only, and its sensor should trip the light only if those cars are waiting an excessive amount of time. Georgia has the lamest road design and traffic control I’ve ever seen.

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Hwy. 74 South is now open and the “walls of shame” line the highway. ‘tis truly a pity, used to be such a nice drive. I feel sorry for the poor innocent people who are confined by the prison environment. PTC motto, “Plan to Stay,” has a new meaning: they are confined behind the walls for a life sentence.

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I thought the Hwy. 74 project was supposed to be complete on Dec 31, 2008. I guess the contractor thought if all lanes are open the project is complete. So how long will it take for the contractor to finish painting all the stripes and arrows, picking up the rest of the barrels, and fixing the spelling error on the signs? I wonder if the contractor will stretch it out as long as they stretched out the project.

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Citizens of Peachtree City, prepare yourselves for a lesser quality of life in your wonderful city. On Jan. 9 the city manager called 23 people from the public works department to City Hall and gave them their pink slips. Now most of us know why people move to this city. One is for the schools and the other is because the quality of life in this city far outshines others around. The landscape is wonderful, there are miles and miles of beautiful cart paths for everyone to enjoy, the wonderful fireworks show on the Fourth of July, the beautiful picnic areas and parks we all love to take the family to enjoy. Now I ask you, who do you think keeps this city as beautiful as it is? Well, it sure isn’t the city manager and all his goons. The city manager claims getting rid of the public works department and contracting the work out will save the city $850,000. Why couldn’t the bigwigs take a pay cut? Or stop buying things they did not need, or couldn’t use? Does this city really need an assistant to the city manager? Maybe they could have cut corners somewhere else. No, they thought it was easier to cut 23 jobs and who knows how many more. So they could continue to live it up in the lap of luxury, while the little man suffers to make ends meet now. So when the trees don’t get pruned and the streets are filled with trash and the cart paths are filthy, or a tree falls in a storm across the road at 2 a.m., don’t call public works; call the city manager and ask him if he will do it. So all you taxpayers please pay attention to where the $850,000 that they will save goes. — wife of a recent public works employee.

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I bet all those teachers who campaigned and voted for the “answer to the school system’s prayers” SPLOST are wondering why their prayers were not answered. They supported the SPLOST to save the school system budget. Look what they got. Who’s helping save the teachers’ budget? Hey, super-intendant, how about giving some of your overpaid raise back?

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Supt. DeCotis is wanting to re-bill the taxpayers? How much would the taxpayers save if the outside lights were turned off at the schools at night? Or if the new school that is being built (building has stopped) was sold?

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Don’t be fooled by the rhetoric you are getting from school board officials in Fayette County, Ga. I have lived in metro Atlanta for 40 years — Clayton County, 28 years, and Fayette County, 12 years. Fayette County is just as corrupt as Clayton County and Congress. The elected officials in this area are just as complacent as the rest of the country has been and now they are whining because they can’t get their property tax dollars, which includes school taxes, because we are in the belly-up housing market. I don’t want to see teachers anywhere take a cut, but this is a problem everywhere. Why should the few of us who are hanging on by a thread have to foot the bill for the economic crisis? This county has no jobs. This state has no jobs. My family is jobless and, unfortunately, many others are joining us. Be wary of the whining government entities. Fayette County, Ga., is just one among many thousands of other counties in the country who have sold out for themselves without any concern for their residents. It is only making the new “low class” and all other classes of people angry to hear this complaining. No one listens to us and that is the problem. Take care of the teachers and start by cutting the superintendent’s salary, and I’m sure you can find other over-paid elected officials who would be glad to make a sacrifice for the better of our educators.

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I’m a Fayette County teacher. There’s NO WAY I’m giving back my little raise. It would not buy a school lunch for one kid for the year, let alone help the mismanaged budget they call Fayette County Schools. We are here to educate and feed the children of this county. They have cut so many good staff people already that the children will suffer. The cuts need to start at the top. There are so many supervisors, assistant principals, consultants and people in charge. The people in charge aren’t doing that great of a job right now. It’s the little guys at the bottom they need to take care of: teachers, parapros, office personnel and custodial care — that’s who this system needs to take care of so we can continue taking the best care of the children.

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Fayette BOE has misused some funds, but as an employee, I should give back my 2.5 percent increase. The 240 employees have not received a step-up increase in four years, only the 2.5 increase, so where are those funds that we did not receive or should I say who pocketed the money? We do not get paid what we should, and just like that, you all want the funds donated back. Hit the top notches that makes six figures a year.

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I wrote a Free Speech to vote no for SPLOST with the article saying as soon as it passes, the district will be asking for more money within three months. Well, they’re crying already to reassess taxes as they’re short of money. Let’s face it, Mr. Superintendent, the economy is down, businesses are closing, homes aren’t being built, people aren’t spending, so the SPLOST will fall short for now. Note the words, “for now.” As a business owner, we have to search for ways to get through this versus asking for donations. I am positive that when the economy starts to recover, the district will be the last to offer refunds to the taxpayers, as I’m sure you’ll find more ways to spend. To the commissioners, reassessing taxes will have a reverse affect as that’s less money used for personal expenses, which the SPLOST can affect. The business world thinks competitive advantage, so the district and county ought to think the same, such as, “How do we get more shoppers in the county so we can gain from the SPLOST without reassessing taxes?” To reassess taxes is only a Band-aid and a means that doesn’t require thought. To Mr. Superintendent, cutting teachers’ raises (stupid move), raising taxes (stupid thought) tell us some “real” thoughtful ways to recover from all of the district’s/board’s bad decisions. If you want support from the taxpayers, tell us ways that your business can survive by thinking outside of the box. Please note that whining, begging, pleading is not attractive when you think you need support. Bottom line: if you and your staff people can’t manage free money with respect to the taxpayers, resign from your positions.

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Wait till the math teachers figure out how this affects their retirement for years to come. Was that a moving van I saw at the BOE?

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How ridiculous. I bet you thought this would be another one about the Fayette County School System. You are right. The Board Of Education has asked retired teachers to donate funds to pay for “retiree” meals at this spring’s OPTIONAL retirement dinner. I’ll pay for the superintendent’s meal.

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Am I missing something? Has the Clayton County School Board moved into Fayette County? Even suggesting that employees give up their meager raise is idiotic. Fayette County is already at the bottom in comparison to other systems. Maybe the superintendent would like to have his tremendous salary cut or eliminate some of the unneeded administrative positions at the system level.

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The emails continue and the Fayetteville police continue to write tickets. The writer for last week hit it square on the head. It seems that no one is interested in getting an investigation showing number of tickets being written and fines charged. Certain groups are being targeted. We all know who they are. Fayetteville has a bad reputation among adjoining towns and cities about this. Let’s keep the treasury full and not lay off personnel as in other towns and cities, no matter who may suffer.

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How sad and shocking to see the American flag being flown above a business that is torn in several places and even has one of the stripes tied to the flag pole. Even more shocking was being told by that business that there was nothing they could do about it. Go by and see how disrespectful the Pit Stop on Hwy. 74 and TDK Boulevard is treating our flag. Please, just take it down!

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To everyone who has ever complained that Fayette County does not have enough independent restaurants and only has national chains, please, please, try Maxwell’s on Hwy. 54 (where the San Francisco Bread Company used to be). It is a lovely restaurant with an excellent menu and terrific service. The tables have cloth tablecloths and the atmosphere is very pleasant. It is a great place and if Fayette County doesn’t support it, it won’t last. Please give it a try; you won’t be disappointed.

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Even though the recent rains has raised all of our lake levels, it looks as though we have a major milfoil problem in our county lakes. Milfoil grows so rapidly it reduces the volume of water we have in our lakes for drinking reserves, so even though the lake looks full, we may have a drought level of water in many of our lakes. Milfoil affects water quality by increasing the algae and silt levels that can lead to murky, impure water, requiring additional filtration for drinking use. Further, milfoil stands can clog the intakes of water systems and reduce the oxygen levels in our water. We need a way to clean up the milfoil we have in Fayette County and preserve our streams, ponds, lakes and drinking reserves that our county has been so proactive in building and creating in our water-friendly, beautiful county.

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Looks like you missed another tidbit from the Sheriff’s Office last week. There was a swearing in of ALL officers by the new sheriff. All certified officers have to be sworn in by the new sheriff. Allegiance to the sheriff ends when his term of office ends. That being done, the old sheriff is legally mostly out of the picture. Now with the new sheriff fully ensconced in his new job, don’t you think it would be wise and prudent to have a reporter staking out the Sheriff’s Office? The last election got nasty towards the end and nerves are still raw. Heads will probably roll. Interesting times ahead locally. I, as a humble citizen, can see this. Redeem yourself, guru of wrath.

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Thank you for all of the newly white painted pedestrian and golf cart crossings around. I was out of town for the holidays and now there are tons of golf cart signs and so many extra 25 mph signs to warn drivers of our friendly way of life here in Fayette County. This is great, not only to point out where it is a state law to stop for pedestrians but also to point out to the out of towners how wonderful it is to use “green transportation” and the fact that we do love our green way of life. Friday, I drove from Peachtree City through Tyrone on my way to Fayetteville and then back by way of Redwine, and I saw so many people out for a walk, bike, jog and on golf carts on all these paths through the whole county. Thank you for making them extra safe.

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Seriously, how long do we have to be subjected to Ohio State’s (and the rest of the Big 10 for that matter) bowl ineptitude. Face it, Buckeyes, you’re just not that good. Maybe you should stick to the minor bowls like the Humanitarian or PapaJohns.com. Oh, and just for the record, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and the entire ACC aren’t much better.

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Now that Councilwoman Grace Caldwell’s hand-picked auditor has finished the annual audit for Tyrone, want to bet that she blocks any attempt to put it on the web for everyone to see? After all, Grace knows that knowledge is a dangerous thing.

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Would Peachtree City Jewelers please just hurry up and close? Your human sandwich boards have brought Peachtree City to an all-time low.

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What gives? Lately, the price of everything is going up (food, utilities, etc.) except gasoline. We got the excuse months ago that prices had to go up since the price of gas was going up. The last time I bought gas, it was $1.42 a gallon for regular. Fuel is at the lowest cost in years, but the cost of everything else is still increasing. Who’s fooling who? Once Obama takes office, he needs to put price controls in place before the middle class is gone, or is it gone already?

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The current, tongue in cheek, “leadership” should take note of the current situation this country is in and consider that the nation’s condition is a direct result of the attitudes and decisions made during the past 20 years. It should also be noted that during the past 20 years, leadership had transitioned from the “Greatest Generation” to the “Baby Boomers.” With their self-centered illusions of grandeur, they have transformed this country to one of mass consumerism with a startling lack of ethical and family values and an ego-centric populace so convinced of its own self-importance that it can no longer sustain its own need for self-gratification. Not to mention its intense fear of aging, as demonstrated nightly with the ever increasing bombardment of advertisements for the latest ED pill, breakthrough in cosmetic surgery, osteoporosis pill or other miracle guaranteed to keep you looking and feeling good for another year. It is time to step aside and let those that are now tasked with cleaning up this mess take a shot at the world. Your contributions have been duly noted.

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With Americans losing jobs at an unprecedented rate, don’t you think that it is time for leadership to take a more active role in insuring people are able to afford the basic necessities in life? Instead of vehemently protecting that absurd salaries and requesting that underlings forgo their most recent raise, why don’t you lead by example. Forgo your most recent raise and demonstrate how everyone can protect their jobs by taking an across the board pay cut. Why should a few at the bottom have to suffer so an even smaller few can continue to feed their egos? Why doesn’t government take a look at its disproportionate ratio of managers to employees? These are all common sense solutions to a serious issue.

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The ungodly high price of gasoline was supposed to be the reason for rising food costs, but in spite of a dramatic decrease in gasoline prices the cost of food continues to spiral upward. Today I noticed a huge increase in food prices in the local Kroger supermarket. The wholesale food industry CEOs are now cashing in on America’s misfortune. The oil industry broke the back of the American economy and now the food industry is going to keep it going. America has no future as long as these greedy anti-Americans are allowed to keep stealing from the working people. Get rid of CEOs and start running businesses the way we did when America was a country where everyone could earn a living.