The Delta pilots picketing at the G.O. should have had a large inflatable dead dog instead of a rat. That way they could have marched around it and kicked at it.

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Why weren’t Delta pilots complaining about management when the rest of Delta’s employees were taking huge pay cuts? Could it be because in 2001 they received a huge pay raise while the rest of Delta had to take cuts to pay for it. How come this has never been mentioned?

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My hearts go out to the employees of Delta as they go through these tough times. Unfortunately, I see greed replacing greed. It was corporate greed and mismanagement at Delta that got them into this position. While the pilot group had a contract on 9-11, the management team used that day as a time to continue the cycle of greed and line their pockets with special bankruptcy protection retirements. They took an airline that was reported as “the strongest of the litter” and shifted their focus off of running the airline. Instead, they have used it as a chance to go after labor. They know the revenue this industry can generate and they have every intention of turning on that spigot, just not till they’ve gotten what they can from labor. Unfortunately in today’s Republican-supported culture of going after labor, it seems to be allowed to go after pensions and wages of the average American and the lawmakers seem to turn away. They are the stewards of our legal system and they are conveniently asleep at the wheel. The backbone of our culture is eroding as we watch promises made years ago vanquishing. Pensions and retirements are being squandered in many maneuvers of bankruptcy and threats of bankruptcy. Today it’s the private pensions and California has proven the more secure public pensions are next in line. There are not many groups organized or strong enough to win a battle that could possibly turn the tide of this war. In numerous cases, the battle was fought with wage earners on the lower end of the spectrum. This logically represented a laborer whose skills were not high enough to command the higher salary and subsequently not high enough that he couldn’t be easily replaced. These labor groups could usually replace their salaries by moving on and often they chose that route. Along comes Delta: a proud company that has always hired the best and provided the best, a winner of numerous years as one of the best companies in America to work for. They have a pilot force made up of a unionized seniority system that has served the company well for many years. It has provided wages appropriately above the industry and subsequently got their pick of employees. By the nature of Delta’s place in the industry, they have hired a largely military group of pilots. That affords you the luxury of their experience and ability to fight. Many are personal friends and I place their dedication and loyalty second to none. I wish them well and I wish them success. They have taken a 50 percent cut in wages in the last year to provide the company their portion of labor reductions. The company wants more and the pension. Their demands are being characterized as over-reaching and it appears accurate. They are working hard to get everyone to put pressure on this group and it’s a shame. Anyone joining in this battle needs to think long and hard before you pick sides. Take care of your own life and take ownership. Prepare for your own future. By the time you’ve read this, there is a chance we will be closer to resolution. This great community needs to move forward and owes it to your neighbors to know the facts before you spout the latest diatribe this management team is feeding you.

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America, wake up. Illegals have no respect for America, their traditions or ethics. Many Mexicans who have entered our country legally concur. Please let your congressmen and senators know that this total disrespect will not be tolerated.

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How dare illegal aliens picket for rights in our country while TRUE citizens are overseas fighting and dying? Why didn’t you picket in your country for rights? Better yet, why didn’t you go through the system and apply for rights the appropriate way? I think that if any illegal wants rights, they should have to serve a tour of duty (if you can wave our flag while you protest and say you love our country), and agree not to burden our country by staying off of any federal aid program for a minimum of 10 years. And learn to speak English. Why do we have to teach in two languages in schools? The European immigrants had a set of rules they had to live up to to come here; why are the Mexicans any different? Just because of their proximity to us doesn’t give them any more rights than any other illegal. I don’t suppose many will be reading this due to the language barrier, they’ll just nod and smile, much the same when you try to speak to a worker who has been sent for a minor repair on your home. Don’t tolerate this; demand your own rights to pay taxes for YOUR children’s education, and to read a McDonald’s menu in English, and know that your son, daughter, husband, brother, or other loved one, isn’t fighting or died for people who can’t do the paperwork. If you don’t like NOT having rights, walk back home and demand them there.

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I think it’s great that our cart paths are being repaired and widened here in PTC. Now if we can just get the city to paint a 1 1/2-inch yellow or white line down the middle of them to help those people who still can’t judge how far to get over when meeting another golf cart on the path and end up running them off of their side of the path.

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I see Hollywood is coming out with another movie to further erode our nation’s values. I realize this nation is based on freedom but some people seem to think it wasn’t based on laws that were formed from the Bible. “The Da Vinci Code” is going to try to tell us what we hold dear is false and will do a good job of convincing a lot of people or at least of putting doubt in their minds. My hope is that more will begin to think for themselves and quit listening to Hollywood when they hear the ads about this farce. If we as a people don’t start taking back our value system and stop saying, “There is nothing I can do about it,” we are going to lose our great nation. When fear of imminent global warming arouses more interest than children’s disrespect of rules and the letter of the law is more important than the spirit of the law, and what is originally meant to do we are in deep trouble. Let’s boycott this movie and others like it.

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Substitute teaching at Whitewater High School is a most frustrating experience. The administrators are very aloof and condescending. One administrator in particular will let it be known she does not approve of any substitutes who do not fit into her category of acceptability. The counselors and teachers resent any questions from a “sub.” They treat you like you are dirt. The front office makes you feel like you are in the way and a bother to them. They forget you are there to help them because one of the precious teachers did not show up for work. Ironically, the nicest and most helpful people at Whitewater High School are the students. This speaks well of the homes these children come from. As a 20-year taxpayer of Fayette County, I must wonder why someone who lives in the neighborhood and enjoys subbing close to home is treated this way by over 90 percent of the Whitewater High School employees? I hope Dr. DeCotis is aware of this situation at Whitewater High and will look into it.

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Is the CRCT the main purpose of Fayette County education? It would seem so by the way the week of testing is promoted to our students and their parents. For months and months leading up to the week of April 17-21, students and parents are bombarded with strong encouragements and endless reminders to purchase practice books, visit practice test sites online, come to the school for CRCT info meetings, put their children to bed early, feed them breakfast, get them to school on time, send in snacks for the class to enjoy during testing (in case they didn’t eat breakfast?) etc., etc. Never mind the endless papers sent home with the children, parents also get telephone calls and messages reminding them about the testing. My child, a fifth grader in a Fayette County school, shares how the counselor teaches them how many hours of sleep they need at night, how they are shown relaxation techniques for test week, and about the videos they are made to watch showing animals taking the CRCT (one worried and one relaxed). “Which one do you want to be?” the video asks the students. As my child wisely pointed out, “How can we be relaxed when CRCT is all we ever hear about?” Enough is enough. If the Fayette County Board of Education wants the students to do well on standardized testing, then quality teaching and testing should be done all throughout the school year, not just in the months leading up to CRCT. Administrators should allow teachers to teach in a quality fashion all year, and not force teachers to water down the education process by giving frequent open-book tests, or having study halls allowing students to complete homework when additional teaching and instruction could be given during class time. Perhaps CRCT is stressed so strongly in the school system for the sake of funding, and if so, that is a shame. Our children are being taught that the whole school year revolves around the CRCT and how to take the test, rather than having quality time spent in learning all year round. Our children and our teachers in Fayette County deserve better.

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I recommend that additional “School Zone” signs be posted, maybe each quarter mile, in the school zone on Ga. Highway 85 S., which includes Whitewater Middle School and Whitewater High School. That would serve as a reminder to motorists that they are still in school zones. It would also serve as a reminder for those not familiar with this area and who don’t realize that the zone is so long.

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I am a “softball mom.” My daughter’s 8U team is far from the best team in the league, but they play fairly, and their coach is very responsibly teaching them about how to show good sportsmanship. I wish I could say as much for other coaches and parents. I feel sorry for kids whose coaches and parents only care about winning. I witnessed a perfect example of this: During a game a few weeks ago, our opponents’ coach repeatedly yelled at the kids on her team for missing key plays. At the end of this game, the score was tied. In the rules of our softball league, it is perfectly acceptable to have a tied game. But this coach wanted to play extra innings even though it was already 8 on a school night and these kids are only second and third graders. Couldn’t she accept having a tied game on her nearly perfect record? Apparently not. Being the home team, it was her responsibility to call in who won, lost, or tied to the league for the record. She called in her team the winner of the game. What does her team learn from this? That winning is more important than honesty? Please watch out, parents. Our kids learn more from playing sports than just the sport.

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I guess the Fayette County marshals have nothing better to do on a Saturday morning than patrol a parking lot at a Little League baseball game and look for those hardened elderly criminals that park in handicapped spots when their car isn’t marked. I was watching my 3-year-old son’s pre-T-ball game when I witnessed a marshal looking around a car, taking pictures and writing down the tag number. I’m thinking that they caught a drug dealer or a murderer, but, no. I watched an elderly woman and an elderly man that was walking with the aid of a walker and using an oxygen tank approach the car and pull a ticket off the windshield. Now I understand that without a tag or a placard on the rear view mirror it is illegal, but I see people all the time park in handicapped places and get out of their vehicles and walk fine. I drive through parking lots and see cars parked in handicapped places with no tag or placard or anything. It probably took all the energy the man had to begin with to walk from that spot to the field only to find out he got a ticket for it. I hope the gentleman and his wife go to court and fight the ticket. I guess the crime rate in Fayetteville is so low that all the marshals have to worry about is parking lot violators.

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Whoever designed the new center curb cuts at Planterra Ridge-Wal-Mart needs to have their head examined. Now instead of having a straight lane and a turn lane, there is only one lane, without any turn signals. Now one car can get across or turn instead of the normal three. Great thinking in an already jam-packed mess.

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I think that the road work has gone on too long. Now that the other side is open with one lane each way it’s made it 20 times worse. The other day it took me 30 minutes to get from my house n Planterra to the other side of town. Also since I do shop at Wal-Mart/Best Buy and live in Planterra, I have to now take 54/74 to Wal-Mart/Best Buy. Why would the city make a golf cart path to block traffic from going straight to Wal-Mart/Best Buy? Makes no sense. What does the new mayor do about it? Nothing. Steve Brown at least lives in Planterra and could tell the city that it’s a bad choice but the new mayor stays far away from the traffic. Let Planterra be able to go to Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Jersey Mike’s and get rid of that golf cart path that will never be used. I don’t want to have to drive to 54/74 or Newnan just to cross the street. If you get rid of the path there would be no more accidents there. I was in one on my way home from work because someone didn’t want to wait for the next light.

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Come on, PTC, why is it that all of a sudden we’re playing catch up with the rest of the world and cluttering our city with signs? If we have to have larger street signs, why not put them overhead with the traffic lights? Maybe make the current street signs slightly larger and green so they could be read easier. If you travel around the city, you’ll note that there are an awful lot of signs along the major streets already. Why add more unnecessarily? You’ll also note that the street sign at the major intersection of Peachtree Parkway and Ga. Highway 54 is about three feet tall and brown, hardly noticeable. Do something about the existing signs, don’t trash up the roadway with huge ugly things that nobody wants or needs. What did we pay for the big yellow ugly things that are supposed to be replaced, and when are they coming down? They hurt the eyes and really detract from the scenery.

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We seem to have another stealthy town administration in Peachtree City, just as we have in Washington. But in this case stealth doesn’t mean an airplane radar can’t see, it means our government continues to grow out of proportion while preaching the opposite. Bush says one week, “I like my staff, not going to change it,” next week he changes it. I guess that prepares us in some way. It seems the same here: before election, no new taxes, take care of Tennis Center loan. However neither has happened. Don’t hear a word out of the town government, things just happen suddenly that cost us money and promote more unneeded development of junk. Even Fayetteville has a better rounded group of businesses than we do. Where can you get a nice cafeteria meal in PTC? How about a Honey Baked Ham? A discount grocery store? Cheaper gas? We do have as many banks, I think, too many to count. Lawyers are about even.

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Peachtree City can pretty much rule out attracting retired persons to live here who are on a fixed income. The cost of government alone increases at the rate of about three times the rate of inflation. That is about the only jobs around here, except grocery sacking. Maybe I just don’t understand the situation, since after Delta, Ford, and GM shut down, the government here won’t then be able to raise the cost of government and are trying to get it all now while they can? Where are our planners? The smart ones?

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While I appreciate the person who pointed out that Hispanic is cultural, I must say they are still off the mark. The terms: caucasoid, mongoloid, and negroid are both outdated and erroneous and no longer anthropologically valid. They are racist terms used to differentiate between phenotypical features that were developed by Europeans to support the idea of whites as a master race (and thereby justify colonization and subjugation of foreign people). In truth, race does not exist and if a person feels they need to categorize others, a better term would be ethnicity. Even then classifying people by phenotypes is dangerous and misleading. For example, some citizens of India have darker skin than some Africans. But no one would call them black. Also, there are more genetic differences between people of the same ethnicity than between ethnic groups. Just a little bit of information.

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No person is any more phony than a psychic. They make up stories in front of a crowd of people, knowing that some desperate soul will relate to certain aspects of their story. The phoniest of all are the ones that claim that they can communicate with the dead. If they’re so good at their trade, they should try communicating with a few of the thousands of victims of unsolved murders. I’m sure some of those amongst the dead, that were murdered, could have named their murderer.

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It is no wonder that we have run the war in Iraq and Afghanistan so badly and have been so outsmarted by a bunch of amateurs. What do we need with general officers who wait until their book is out and retirement money is set to open their mouth about our mistakes? I know they would be gambling with their retirement if they did speak up while on active duty, but according to Rumsfeld and Myers they didn’t even speak up in private. Some did and paid the price: General Shinsecki was retired 18 months early from chief of staff for proposing more troops at the beginning, and one or two others were reduced in rank for making speeches about mistakes. This was a politically planned war by lightweights and it is not going to realize its goal. War is for the military, not politicians. This was well-known before the last two national elections but we hated the competition so much we voted them in anyway. Let’s don’t do it again. The debt alone will stagger us soon, not even considering the thousands killed and maimed.

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Wal-Mart wants to have its own bank so that it doesn’t have to pay others to handle its deposits, primarily. The local banks everywhere, those bastions of free enterprise, normally, are doing everything they can to kill the proposal. If these local banks were true “local” banks, I might have some sympathy for them, but all they have been for years are for the development of a customer base, and then sell to the chains, making the rich, highly selective owners even richer. These banks make money off credit card charges, fees, and loans to people who can’t afford them and at high interest rates. They are the employers of the professional auto repossessors. They need the competition.