FreeSpeech for 03-18-09

Tue, 03/17/2009 - 3:24pm
By: The Citizen

In times like these, where everyone is having a hard time financially, people losing their jobs, homes, etc., it should be against the law for a utility company to turn off someone’s gas until every possible route has been taken to make some sort of payment. Did you know that even though you can get natural gas through Coweta-Fayette EMC, they’re only the “billing” department of Atlanta Gas Light? Did you know that Atlanta Gas Light does not knock on doors to see if you were by chance able to get the money to pay the bill before they turn your gas off? Did you know that even when you make payment to get it turned back on that the Public Service Commission allows the utility companies five days to turn your gas back on? It doesn’t matter that you have infants, school-age children, if it’s 30 degrees outside or not. It’s a shame and disgrace for the PSC to allow that to happen when people can’t even take showers, have heat or cook without their gas. It’s almost like they’re punishing you for not being able to keep current on your bill, even though you’ve lost your job. Shame on you, Atlanta Gas Light. Shame on you, EMC, for allowing your distributors to do that. Shame on you, PSC, for giving the utility companies the right to hold your money and not turn your gas back on for five days.

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Did anyone else notice what cable TV did this week? After being a customer of Comcast for over 20 years, I have seen prices more than double while service levels have sharply dropped. On Feb. 13, Comcast completely eliminated their (limited) HD channel lineup for those who have a newer TV that has the HD receiver built in. I guess they now want you to pay the additional fee to rent their HD receiver box on a monthly basis, on top of their high fees for basic service. Let’s see: that’s over $80 a month for basic service. When I called the Comcast customer service number, I was connected to someone from India who, when I asked for someone I could understand, they disconnected me. Hello, satellite TV, and goodbye, Comcast, and good riddance. I hope many others follow in my footsteps.

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It’s interesting looking at the stimulus projects by state. It is curious that nothing from PTC is listed for Georgia. I might be mistaken, but I thought there were some shovel-ready projects here, but didn’t have funding. Here was a chance to get some, but either the city/county or whoever didn’t have their stuff together or I guess too proud to get. This a current list of projects: www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_state.

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I encourage all Fayette County residents to go to www.open.ga.gov/index.html. You will see that our illustrious superintendent who has asked teachers to take pay cuts made $190,000 in 2007 and $214,000 in 2008. Quite a hefty pay raise, don’t you think? And why do we have five interpreters making $150,000? If kids don’t speak English, what are they doing in our schools? If it is necessary, then one floater could do the job. There, between DeCotis and the four interpreters, I just saved the county $624,000 a year.

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It warms my heart that Dr. John DeCotis, superintendent of Fayette County Schools, receives pay comparable to nearby systems. His employees do NOT. They/we all just got a big, fat pay cut. So, Mr. Nelms’s article justifying the doc’s salary did not win favor with those at the mercy of the superintendent and his board. Data can be made to tell nearly any story one wishes, as is evidenced in Nelms’s article. As one writer has expressed, a vehicle allowance and health and retirement benefits ARE compensation and are rightly included as an individual’s pay. Someone please put my mind at ease. Are Dr. DeCotis and the board of education members taking a 4.5 percent pay cut, also? A memo sent from the super’s office listed the unfortunates who would be receiving the pay cut, including deputy superintendents, but conspicuously missing were those individuals who voted in the pay cuts for the rest of the school staff. I appreciate any clarifying information.

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Watch out, Fayette Board of Education; I hear a petition may be going around soon to get rid of all of you. You have your big salaries, but expect cuts from others, you build a school we don’t need and talk about closing the best elementary school in the county, you have excess employees (like three VPs and an interpreter at Flat Rock) yet don’t have enough employees to check all the affidavits for the illegal students. Your mismanagement has run this great county into the ground. Each and every one of you should be ashamed.

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There will be a state authority rally at the state Capitol on Saturday from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. to support Bobby Franklin’s HR 470 (supporting the state’s authority over Washington, D.C). Learn more at http://dontgo.ning.com/events.

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Loosening of the sign ordinances in this city is an idea obviously conceived after an all-night binge at Y-Knot. What none of them get is that we who live here think of them as a public joke, the embarrassed to be in public with and humiliated by their actions kind of joke. What they don’t get is that fact. Leave our city alone for the rest of your term and then quietly slide back into the holes you came out of. Your ideas are befitting that of people who have limited capacities. Truly, and sadly.

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Thank you to the Peachtree City policeman who recently saved the life of a very frisky, energetic brown puppy that was running into the road on North Peachtree Parkway at Lake Kedron. The officer stopped his car and very patiently took the time to coax the puppy to the side of the road away from busy morning traffic.

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A cart path runs through it: Why do certain associations feel the need to blame their neighbors for all problems that occur on their cart path and want them to be financially responsible for all issues occurring on the path? Many of our neighbors use the path systems in the town, which is why our town is so great, not just the adjacent neighborhoods. Making one neighborhood responsible is not quite fair. In this time of stress and strain, it seems that we should all be a little bit more neighborly and try to help one and another and not try to lay blame where it may or may not exist.

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What are all those new yellow numbered disks glued to the cart paths in Peachtree City? How much did that cost and what was the point? And, explain to me why the DOT has to place a row of five or six No Parking signs, spaced 20 feet apart, along the side of a turn lane or merging lane? Who would park there and who’s relative is selling the DOT all those unnecessary signs?

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Regarding the PTC Tennis Center debate, what people need to understand is that we brought a first-class Tennis Center to this community some 14 years ago with a first-class head pro and a first-class staff. Under Virgil Christian and Sean Ferrera, we had USTA tournaments, some 30 Alta teams, NCAA tourneys and even pro tournaments at the tennis center. It is also important for people to understand that Virgil had national connections in the industry and understood the tennis business, not just the art of playing the game. This is why he now holds the number 2 position in the USTA nationally. Under Virgil’s reign, the tennis center won two men’s city championship titles at AA2, which is the second highest of 27 levels of Alta. This feat has not been matched in the past decade. The tennis center as well as amphitheater have been posting record losses for years now. I do think the city made a very good choice in hiring Nancy Price to rescue The Fred. The city needs to sell these properties to proven private operators who specialize in these fields. This is the only way you will ever stop the bleeding and subsidies associated with these two facilities. Would you hand over the operations of the local Longhorn Steakhouse to the city? Same principle applies here.

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Rumor has it that the owner of area World Gyms, Dar Thompson, has managed to create a new business model for himself. Get public-owned facilities and land to expand your business interests. Why invest your own money in land and buildings when the Peachtree City Council can’t do enough for you. Rumor has it that it is an accomplished fact that the PTC Council is turning over the running of the Kedron Center to Dar. (Funny how the city can’t run the facility cost-effectively but Dar will be able to add to his bank account with the contract.) The fly on the wall has reported that Dar and his contractors were at Kedron planning its revisions — a new ice rink? (Remember last November, taxpayers nixed his first effort at financing his dreams.) How about a new BMX track? Wonderful, but how much will this end up costing the citizens of PTC and potential users? Remember, right now 90 percent of the cost for running the facility is taxpayer paid, not user paid. Too bad November is so far off. The currently city council is moving so fast in destroying what took 50 years to build.

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Do you want a free, fun activity for your family? Check out your clover batches in your yard. Either my boys are extremely lucky or Peachtree City has four-leaf clovers everywhere! We have lived in two locations in Peachtree City over the last 12 years and without fail, my two boys will find multiple 4-leaf clovers in our yard every spring. This past weekend they found over 40 in one small area of our backyard. I went outside right before writing this and I found three in less than a minute. What a great thing to try for St. Patrick’s Day.

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Now that Ga. Highway 74 was widened from Ga. Highway 54 south to Crosstown Road, why is the speed limit still at 45 mph? Is there some hidden regulation if sidewalks are present, the limit is max at 45?

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I just want to scream when the people in Peachtree City government we trusted to protect us do the exact opposite. The police are forcing people out of intersections, and the mayor and his bunch are making it worse with another traffic light on the road. And what’s going on with putting houses near the end of the runway at the airport? I would hope the people who decide such things for us are not dumb enough to approve something like that. Come on, people, do the right thing. Stop trashing Peachtree City.

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Just a reminder to all the Peachtree City citizens that are screaming about budget cuts: every time you cross into Coweta County to shop, you are taking away tax dollars to help us here in Fayette County.

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Okay, people, one more time, if you are turning right onto Redwine Road from Ga. Highway 74, there is a yield sign there indicating you need to yield to those turning left. There is also a yield sign for those of you turning right into Peeples Elementary from Redwine Road, once again for you to yield to those turning left. Are these some sort of magical yield signs that only I can see and are invisible to the ordinary mortal eye? The next time one of you almost hits my car and then has the nerve to lay on your horn and start yelling at me, I am going to get out of my car, calmly pull the yield sign out of the ground and hit you over the head with it. Get off your cell phones and start paying attention.

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To the person who dumped motor oil in and around the storm drain behind the Pavilion Belk, how much needed rainwater do you think you will pollute during the next downpour? Never mind, thinking is obviously beyond your ability.

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I hope you Tyrone citizens are paying attention to your local Town Council. If you follow what goes on, you will notice that Gloria Furr and Tracy Young always vote for what is best for Tyrone and its citizens. Keep your eyes on the other two, and the mayor.

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When did Tyrone become Riverdale West? I have never seen as many tacky signs on Ga. Highway 74. No other city in Fayette County looks so bad. What happened?

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Though your fears of a sixth runway could not possibly materialize for another 20 years, are you able to understand that this also translates into additional jobs for our residents? Growth, anywhere in our country, translates to downtowns getting bigger, roads becoming highways, airports turning into international gateways, and one day waking up to find new houses and neighbors popping up all around your “peaceful and secluded five-acre” paradise. As much as I sympathize with your wish to live in a quiet, peaceful setting, I know that that we can’t stop the world to protect this. In fact, the only option any of us really have is to pack up, head to Wyoming or Montana, and buy a big enough parcel of land to insure that no structure, nor airport, can be built within 100 miles of our paradise.

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To the person upset about the “sidewalks to nowhere” and “who will use them?” on Jeff Davis, may I remind you of a quote from a not-too-bad movie: “Build it and they will come.”

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To the person questioning the need of sidewalks along southbound Ga. Highway 92: Even though the sidewalk/road work is ongoing and the weather has been inclement, I and others have already used the sidewalks. Woodgate (one of several subdivisions in the area) residents have long walked beside Hwy. 92 in the “brush” for extended walking exercise. Your not seeing the sidewalks being used doesn’t mean they are not or will not be used. I for one applaud the county for encouraging people to walk safely by providing sidewalks. Other than the initial expense, how much maintenance does a sidewalk require?

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There’s a lot to do in the garden as spring rapidly approaches. Now is the time to set out cabbage and broccoli transplants. Although we will probably have another freeze or two, both cabbage and broccoli will tolerate a light freeze. If you planted cover crops in your garden last fall, now is the time to mow them off and turn them under. Your cover crops need to be tilled in at least three weeks prior to planting seeds. As you turn the legume cover crops under, look at the root system and you’ll see small white nodules of nitrogen those crops captured for you. That’s less nitrogen fertilizer you’ll need to purchase and add to the garden, thanks to Mother Nature.

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Your columnist Claude Paquin and state Rep. Matt Ramsey (both lawyers) this week have proposed more laws making our broken legal system worse. More laws are not needed. Mr. Paquin, who implies that police perjure themselves and that citizen defendants should be given a legal leg up in court, wants to make a complicated change to traffic court cases. How about this: just rely on perjury. If a cop lies, he goes to jail. Lawyer Paquin, I will wager, had an unfortunate traffic court experience (for which he accepted no blame) and wants to create more law. Please, just say no to more laws. The Internal Revenue, it was recently observed, consists of 17,000 pages. The Code of Federal Regulations consists of 75,000 pages. Average Americans waste 5 billion hours doing taxes, estimated to be a net loss to the economy of $200 billion. Businesses, in keeping up with the federal regulatory morass, waste another $500 billion on (you guessed it) lawyers to translate the Congressional gibberish. The answer here is not more laws. It is simple accountability. If a cop is corrupt, send him or her to prison. A single anecdote by Mr. Paquin turns into a justification for making the system even more complicated and making the public even more hopelessly dependent on lawyers. Another anecdotal knee-jerk legal change is proposed by Rep. Matt Ramsey on teen use of cell phones and texting while driving. Rep. Ramsey wants to create a new law which singles out young drivers but does not look at the big picture. Why? If someone is driving distracted, regardless of the cause or the driver’s age, there is an infraction and it should be punished. Why is the teen so horrible and yet if I choose to eat my BK double-loaded sandwich while driving, I’m OK? Oh, no, here comes the law on driving while feeding face. Yup, I need a lawyer. Rep. Ramsey’s rush to the legislative hopper with precious few legislative days left to garner is another good example of poor legislation. A simple search of the Internet (perhaps beyond the “research” of Rep. Ramsey) reveals that while many states are blindly jumping to pass laws aimlessly, some states have chosen to take a rational, thoughtful approach. Look at drivinglaws.org. They detail many of the motor vehicle laws. They note in particular the Utah law that penalizes all distracted driving. Point: Ramsey jumps at the problem, is “ramming” through a partial law that is not well-researched and incomplete. Are there countless other activities (even by adults) that are distracted driving that could endanger driving safety? Yes. But we are rushing to put a sloppy coat of spackle on the wall. Why? To grab a headline or two (“I did something!”) and make testimonial speeches on how scared he was, trumpeting “Matty’s Law.” The better approach is a reasoned, comprehensive approach. This is why, for example, our tax code is equal to three full copy boxes full of paper and why Americans can’t even take a breath without a lawyer. No, more laws and more lawyers is most assuredly not the solution.

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If you are an AARP member, do you find it interesting you receive numerous reminder billings during the year regarding your dues? I joined last May and three or so weeks later received a bill to join, so I phoned. They confirmed they received my payment. Couple of months later, maybe three, I receive a reminder to pay my dues, I phoned and they confirmed they were due May 2009. Again approximately three months later, I receive a reminder notice of dues. This time I phoned and complained they were not only wasting money with the mailings and plastic member cards they keep sending with no expiration date, but it was annoying. I also questioned this practice, as I felt sure they are receiving duplicate payments from the more elderly that may not realize they are overpaying. I just received another reminder. I voiced my opinion again and found out you can remove your name from this reminder list. However, I am also writing the CEO William Novelli and copying my congressman. I hope you will if you agree with all this waste of mailings and confusion for us seniors.

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If AIG is obligated to pay out millions in bonuses because it is in the contract, how about the millions of American workers whose employment contracts were summarily broken and they were sent walking without a dollar in their pockets? All of those people lost their jobs and future income because of these greedy pigs at AIG and other big corporations. Now they are feeding off the tax money we all pay and continuing to live the high life while millions lose their homes and are starving because of their greed.

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Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Tue, 03/24/2009 - 12:03pm.

I've been to at least 8 county fairs and couple of goat roping's but I've never seen this before!

It might be fake.
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


matt.barnes's picture
Submitted by matt.barnes on Tue, 03/24/2009 - 12:23pm.

I will be impressed when he gets it onto the helicopter or into a boat.


muddle's picture
Submitted by muddle on Tue, 03/24/2009 - 12:18pm.

No way!

And isn't it a bit suspicious that they had an underwater camera in just the right spot? This is a marlin--a fish that can cover a lot of area very quickly. How likely is it that all of this would have been aligned so nicely?

But it gives me an idea. Our pond has some pretty big bass, and some of the trees have overhanging limbs....

____________________

"Puddleglum" by Weatherwax (one of the Muddlings).

Jeeves to the Rescue


Submitted by allegedteacher on Mon, 03/23/2009 - 6:01pm.

Bring on the petition to rid Fayette County of its board of ed! I'm also for any campaign for ousting incumbents...at all levels of government. They get too comfy and forget those who placed their trust in them.

Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 6:59am.

0744.
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 11:39am.

to be at home working to catch up on STUFF!

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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


Tug13's picture
Submitted by Tug13 on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 9:49am.

And anyone else who cares! Smiling I've missed a lot of comments, hope all of you are well, and enjoying this beautiful day.

I survived Emory, a stress & echo test, (among other things) and waiting for the results! I'm very optimistic. Smiling

Cy I can relate to eating the cat food and salad! Smiling
Mr. Hutch, check your email.

I hope all you bloggers have a wonderful weekend!

Tug Smiling


muddle's picture
Submitted by muddle on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 12:22pm.

Greetings from the Emory radiology department. Mrs. Muddle is having an MRI--just to be sure things are good.

I hope your results are good.

Stress test? That must be what I'm undergoing these days. I have plenty of stress. I'm holding up, though.

I think I passed an echo test some years ago. We were in the mountains. I called out "How are you?!" Sure enough, it came back. "Fine, how are you?!"

____________________

"Puddleglum" by Weatherwax (one of the Muddlings).

Jeeves to the Rescue


Tug13's picture
Submitted by Tug13 on Sun, 03/22/2009 - 10:20am.

After everything you've been through you haven't lost your sense of humor! I hope I have the honor of meeting you sometime. Smiling I Hope your work situation is solved.

I have some of that stress at home too, but nothing like being hooked up to a machine with an IV containing who knows what. Smiling

I hope Mrs. Muddle's test results are good as well.
I felt like working in my yard yesterday for the first time in a while. It felt so good to be outside!!

I hope everyone enjoys this beautiful weather! Smiling

Tug Smiling


Submitted by skyspy on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 11:25am.

You have been missed. Thanks for checking in and making this the perfect first day of spring. I hope you have a great day. You cheer us all up.

eodnnaenaj1's picture
Submitted by eodnnaenaj1 on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 11:03am.

good to hear from you. Hope all is well. You have a wonderful weekend!


Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 10:04am.

It's good to hear from you!!!!!
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


Tug13's picture
Submitted by Tug13 on Sun, 03/22/2009 - 10:23am.

I see you're logged on so thought I would say hello! Hope all is well with you and your family. Looks like another beautiful day! Smiling

Tug Smiling


Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Sun, 03/22/2009 - 10:33am.

It is a beautiful day except for this "durn" head cold. Hopefully it will clear up enough to enjoy a little outdoor time today.
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


Main Stream's picture
Submitted by Main Stream on Thu, 03/19/2009 - 10:36pm.

How's life been treating you? Smiling


Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Thu, 03/19/2009 - 10:45pm.

I'm bumping along. I'm still on that never ending quest to lose weight. It's nothing but cat food and salads....yuk!

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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


Submitted by Spyglass on Wed, 03/18/2009 - 10:17am.

And claiming Comcast turned off local HD for the QAM enabled newer HDTV's. You couldn't be more wrong. The local HD's are ALL still there. To make it even better, they have enabled the basic analogs in digital on the QAM system. Even History is there. I'm not sure why you would complain. Maybe you need to let your TV rescan.

Submitted by RT Tugger on Wed, 03/18/2009 - 8:11am.

While I agree the superintendent is overpaid and has shown poor leadership in recent years, you do not help your cause by throwing out falsehoods on a blog like this. Flat Rock has two assistant principals, not three. You could have found that out by checking the school’s website or calling the school.
It did seem like someone at the BOE asked Ben Nelms to write an article justifying DeCotis's pay. Funny thing was, DeCotis still makes more than all the superintendents of similar-sized districts whose salaries were cited in the article!
The reason we have kids in our schools who don't speak English is because state law requires us to admit those kids to our public schools. We don't get to pick and choose. We do have a need for Spanish interpreters in our schools, but whether we need five full-timers is highly questionable. Just trying to keep it accurate.
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Spear Road Guy's picture
Submitted by Spear Road Guy on Tue, 03/17/2009 - 9:22pm.

He had connections (bad ones). I don't hear anything about the tennis center being broke lately. So what's the story now?

Vote Republican


tortugaocho's picture
Submitted by tortugaocho on Wed, 03/18/2009 - 5:44am.

"Under Virgil’s reign" the taxpayers of PTC were brutally assaulted. How soon people forget. The city subsidized the construction of a building by a company who had an officer on the PTC Dev Auth. No one saw a conflict. The whole thing stunk top to bottom. Virgil had a freebie lease from the city for his pro shop and pocketed the sales and worst of all he got an endorsement contract from Adidas. Suh-weet....Oops forgot to tell the city. No wonder that Virgil and Group Sex's Tate Godfrey slipped out of town when the insider whistleblower blew the lid on it. But that didn't stop Lager Logsdon from delivering a wheelbarrow of cash to the banks the developers and the lawyers. No, he did didn't ask the lawyer on that one--- he just wanted to do the right thing and that was bail out his buddies. Gosh, don't you think that $1.2 million could come in handy now?

And who the hell cares about "World Class Tennis Center" ? What a bunch of crap. Why didn't they do a referendum on what citizens wanted for a "World Class" facility? Soccer? Baseball? Swimming? Basketball? Football? I would have preferred that they blew the million bucks on a "World Class" Mayor and Council.


suggarfoot's picture
Submitted by suggarfoot on Tue, 03/17/2009 - 7:00pm.

"Watch out, Fayette Board of Education; I hear a petition may be going around soon to get rid of all of you. You have your big salaries, but expect cuts from others, you build a school we don’t need and talk about closing the best elementary school in the county, you have excess employees (like three VPs and an interpreter at Flat Rock) yet don’t have enough employees to check all the affidavits for the illegal students. Your mismanagement has run this great county into the ground. Each and every one of you should be ashamed."

They aren't ....so where is the petition? We are all ready to help...get a web site and watch everyone come in. We are here....just so many that lead other parades, they want to join, not lead. It is time to show the rest of us you mean business. We will be there.


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