Share the road works both ways. Why are adult bicyclists so arrogant?

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

“I’m sorry, officer. I know my tag has expired, but I’ve been so busy lately being responsible to the voters of Fayette County, I haven’t had a chance to get it renewed. I was going to get a new registration last week, but I met this businessman on the street corner and spent the money on a bag of his wares. What? Driving under the influence? I thought I was parked. Please don’t search my truck. You’re not going to give me a ticket, are you? I’m a Fayette County commissioner. I thought county commissioners were above the law. What the heck. I’ll still get re-elected. My slogan for the next election will be, “If you take a toke, give me your vote.”

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

Great examples our leaders set for the youth of Fayette County. I work hard in youth activities at school and sports for my children and others. How can I tell these kids don’t do drugs, don’t drink alcohol until it’s legal, you could hurt your future, when public officials get arrested and experience no real downside? County Commissioner Robert Horgan, driving down the road openly smoking marijuana, is only the latest. PTC Manager Bernard McMullen was guilty of DUI, in PTC, at a PTC function and kept his job and got a raise. Bureaucrat Gary Horlacher got a DUI in Tyrone and it was of such little consequence that he feels confident enough to run for statewide office. They all reached into their fat wallets, paid a small fine and nothing else happened. How can I tell our youth that bad decisions and mistakes like drugs and alcohol (or teen pregnancy) are wrong and can hurt your life chances?

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

Now it can be told. Revealed at last. Why our commissioners voted to start a defined benefit pension plan for county employees. They were smoking pot. (At least some of them.) Where did they get it? From whom? Inquiring minds want to know.

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

As parents we must teach by example, no matter how difficult it is. Elected government officials also share the same responsibility to be role models for our community. There’s absolutely no excuse for a commissioner to drive with an expired tag. I personally dealt with cancer during the month of April and endured dozens of analyses, blood work and even surgery, yet amidst all these nerve-wrecking medical issues, I made time to get my emissions tested and applied for my tags. Last time I checked drug possession is a felony. What’s worse, pot smoking is not a recreational habit, but a lifestyle, where perception of reality is skewed and judgment is impaired. Maybe that’s why our commissioner failed to renew his tags. A man in this mental condition is not fit to hold public office and make decisions on behalf of our citizens.

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

I’ve worked at IBM for the past 15 years. Anyone that fails a drug test is fired immediately. The same must apply to Commissioner Robert Horgan. Period.

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

Smoking pot and driving with expired tags is what you’d expect from a delinquent, not a county commissioner. Had my son done what Robert Horgan did, he would have been sent to jail and severely disciplined. It’s an outrage to have a paid civil servant who’s a common drug addict.

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

There was a time when I would have been shocked and disgusted that a trusted elected official such as Robert Horgan would willfully violate the drug laws of the country. Sadly, now it’s only the latter.

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

It is somewhat easy to understand why a fast food eatery, gas station/mart is open on a holiday, but I find it difficult to accept somewhere such as a car dealership (you know who you are) is open on a holiday like Memorial Day. You fly the American flag along with the POW flag in front of your establishment but you are open on this holiday of all holidays. I am also told that you are a veteran yourself. Did you at least give the veterans that work for you off? I seriously doubt you even know who they are. You should be ashamed. Maybe you should explain why you do this. Could it be the almighty dollar?

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

May I offer a suggestion to those young people working at retail or as waiters/waitresses, or anyone who deals with the public? When someone says thank you, whatever you say, don’t say, “No problem.” “No problem” is what I want to hear when I step on your foot by accident, then apologize, not when I am doing business with you. I suggest a better response would be, “It’s my pleasure, or thank you.” You are doing nothing more than showing your stupidity.

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

News flash! GDOT has no more money to finish the Hwy. 74 project from Hwy. 54 to the baseball fields! That’s right, Mike England from GDOT, project manager, says the seeding of grass, the completion of the pedestrian crossing lights and the additional guardrails will not be done until there is money for it. Oh, and the orange barrels are staying until ALL is done. Can you spell ineptitude and waste faster than GDOT?

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

Will someone with vision please cancel the West Fayetteville Bypass already? At a time when progressive cities are adding walking trails and bike paths to get us out of our cars, Fayette commissioners want to pave more of our disappearing rural greenspace. What decade do these guys live in anyway, the asphalt crazy Fifties?

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

This letter is in response to an article that appeared in this column in the May 27 edition regarding St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Fayetteville. The author alleged that the sole reason for our current pastor’s assignment to this parish was to raise funds. He or she further alleged that financial considerations take precedence over spirituality and the true reason that the church exists. These two assertions are patently false. People don’t flock to a church because the pastor is a good fund-raiser. They are drawn because of his spiritual leadership and message. When people are so inclined as to express themselves in a public forum such as this one, they would be well-served to insure that their message is based on fact and not ill-informed rumors and gossip. Not only is it irresponsible but it paints an inaccurate picture of our faith community.

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

Hasn’t the priest at St. Gabriel’s requested a one-year sabbatical? Doesn’t sound like he is being transferred to another church but rather that he has made a decision of his own.

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

Like many of you, I received my 2009 Notice of Assessment. And like many of my fellow homeowners, I was shocked to see the current value of my home, as in last year’s notice, did not reflect the decline of home values. Unlike last year, I know what to do. If you disagree with your assessment, you should write a letter to the assessors office (address at the top of the notice) stating, “I disagree with the assessed value of my home, and I appeal.” Sign it, date it and send it. If you do not appeal this assessment prior to June 15, you’re out of luck. So get those letters written. There is no guarantee your property assessment will be lowered, but you never know. Oh, yes, there is another caveat: the assessor will not lower your property value if they do not believe the same degradation has occurred throughout your “neighborhood.” I wonder if this works if your home value increases. We are required to pay taxes based on the fair market value of our homes as stated in Georgia law. The tax bills received by property owners from the counties will include both the fair market value and the assessed value of the property. Fair market value means “the amount a knowledgeable buyer would pay for the property and a willing seller would accept for the property at an arm’s length, bona fide sale.” (O.C.G.A. 48-5-2) Property owners that do not agree with the assessed value on their proposed assessment can file an appeal with the county board of equalization. (O.C.G.A. 48-5-311)

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

Poor, pitiful Pat Cochran (May 27 edition). She’s “offended” by the political cartoons in The Citizen that dare question, criticize and/or “poke fun” at President Obama. Well, all I have to say is TOO BAD. We conservatives have watched for the last seven to eight years as the majority of the press has done the same thing, and most times much worse, to President Bush and his administration. One of the biggest offenders is right here in Atlanta. The editorial cartoonist for The Atlanta Urinal and Constipation, Mike Luckovich, attacked GWB relentlessly, and almost on a daily basis. Pat, did you write to them demanding that they stop this treatment toward our President back then? I would guess probably not. Ever hear of this one? “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” I personally am enjoying this local version of payback. Citizen, keep the cartoons coming!

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

I planned a vacation for my family this summer for the first time in three years. Since shortly before Memorial Day the price of gasoline has increased by 50 cents or more per gallon while crude oil prices have remained low and stable. My vacation plans have been canceled again because of gouging by the ultra-rich oil company executives. My $75,000 per year retirement income can no longer support my family and pay million dollar bonuses to people who never worked a day in their lives. I spent more than 40 years working for my country both in the military and civil service and feeling patriotic all the way. Now I am beginning to feel disgusted with my country.

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

This is for a local florist here in Peachtree City: Remember those three teenage girls who stopped in your shop one afternoon about two weeks ago and asked for your advice on floral arrangements? Do you remember haughtily telling them to “look that up on our website” and turning your back on them? Well, the good folks in the Kroger floral department were good enough to take the time to sit down with those girls and explain various arrangements and prices. And one more thing: these girls were in charge of buying all the end-of-year floral arrangements for a local school’s booster club end-of-year party and you blew a $500 sale.

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

I haven’t bought a new car since the price went above $10,000 and I don’t intend to ever buy one again. When I was an accounting major in college we did a cost of production study on new Chevrolets that sold for about $5,000 at that time. The total cost of production was less then $500. I haven’t bought a new car since then. Where do you suppose that additional $4,500 was going back then and just how much of the outrageous price people pay today are going the same way?

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

A “Free Speech” writer recently condemned former President Nixon and fanatical environmentalists for our lack of affordable and independent energy. Now President Obama and Congress are spending billions of our tax dollars to create energy from the sun, wind and other renewable power sources. I have my doubts we will have an abundance of low-cost energy 10 years from now even after all the money we are throwing at the problem. Politicians are spending this enormous amount of money because of lobbying from business interests and pressure from environmentalists. The nature protectionists believe that CO2 escaping into the air from burning fossil fuels is damaging our atmosphere. They are also afraid of radiation from nuclear power plants in the event of a meltdown. Storing CO2 in leak-proof underground caverns and spent fuel rods left over from producing energy are also a major concern. We can neutralize acid (stomach acid, battery acid, acid acid) and garbage can odors (according to one trash bag manufacturer) so why can’t we neutralize CO2 and radiation? Finding a way to neutralize these two elements would solve our energy problem for the foreseeable future. Let’s give a billion dollar prize to the person, company or institution that discovers a cost-effective way to neutralize either of these elements. It may be the best money we ever spent and the fastest way to energy independence.

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

Do you know what the police code 10-96 means? The best I can determine, putting it nicely, it means mentally unstable. Those who listen to police scanners hear this quite often, and more so recently than in years past. I would love to know what percentage of Fayette County residences are red-flagged as 10-96. If anyone in the know is willing to reveal this information, Free Speech offers complete anonymity. Think of all the good that would result if this data became public knowledge. If people suddenly realized that there are a lot more nut cases roaming around than they previously thought, they would become far more vigilant and cautious. And our police officers deserve good intel and advance notice when something suspicious is going on. While we are at it, perhaps we could learn what percentage of our population is under the auspices of our judicial system. I’m talking about ex-cons, registered sex offenders, the incarcerated and those on probation, and parolees, etc. That figure would not include the bad guys who haven’t been caught yet. That’s the category that worries me the most. Based on a lifetime of personal experiences, observation and reading between the lines, whenever I am in a group with four or five strangers, I figure that at least one of them is suspect. Come on, please, somebody prove me wrong and call me paranoid. Will some brave officer or investigative reporter with a strong sense of civic duty give us kept-in-the-dark civilians some hard published data? What’s wrong with shining a light in shadowy places? Criminals are like roaches. They don’t like to be seen and they hate the light.