Our perfect Fayette County society is in fiscal trouble. Even the People’s Republic of Peachtree City is having budget trouble.

In the 12 years that I have lived here, our governments and people have thumbed their collective noses at growth, development, and business in general.

Well, you have what you asked for (a stagnant economy with empty storefronts, warehouses, and factories). Now that we have shut off the growth faucet, it will not be easy to turn it back on.

Fayette County’s strength is that it is a pleasant place to live with relatively good schools, low crime, low traffic congestion, good access to the airport, a mild four season climate, and a pretty good hospital district. We should be trying to attract high-tech business, businesses that need easy access to air transportation, and retirees.

The retirees would be a particularly attractive option. There are about 70 million baby boomers who are about to retire. They will want to live in a safe, affordable area, with good nearby healthcare that has a mild climate. They would also be attracted to an area with good schools and job prospects so their children and grandchildren could be able to live nearby. Fayette County has what they want.

Several years ago Pulte Home’s Sun City Division was going to locate Sun City Peachtree here with about 3,000 eventual retirement homes near the hospital.

But our county government shot them down. They did not feel that it was a good fit with Fayette County and our sacred land use plan. So Sun City went to Henry County.

I don’t know about how they felt, but they sure didn’t think. Why would anyone not want an addition like this to their county economy?

Retiree communities would be a perfect addition to our county economy. Retirees don’t commit crimes, add kids to the schools, or drive during rush hour to get to work.

Retirees do spend their dependable pensions and Social Security checks in the economy, and they do pay property and sales taxes. They would need doctors, nurses, accountants, lawn service, handymen, etc. to support them. So they would definitely be a supply of local jobs of all types.

As for the land use plan, why do we have a plan? What right does the government have to tell you how big your yard or house must be or where it must be located? This isn’t Russia.

I am a builder, and I am nearly dead in the water. People now want more affordable smaller homes. But we can’t supply them, when we have to build on acre-plus lots that cost over $100,000.

Fayette County can no longer afford to be a bedroom community for highly paid airport workers. For one, these folks have taken massive pay cuts. Second, we need to be diversified to stabilize our economy. We can no longer thumb our noses at growth.

Bill Gilmer

Fayetteville, Ga.