I made a big mistake when I decided to make a myspace.com profile about our McIntosh School Resource Officer Corporal Doyle. I made a profile titled Cpl. Doyle using her picture from the Peachtree City Police Department Web site as what I thought was a harmless joke. What seemed like a harmless joke at the time turned into a felony “impersonating a police officer” charge on my record. I want people to know that Officer Doyle never had a myspace account and for people to exercise caution and use good judgment while using programs like myspace.

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People are just now beginning to discover that U.S. Representative Lynn Westmoreland (R–GA, 8th District) is a political freeloader. The Colbert Report took a humorous look at the congressman. The segment included Westmoreland admitting that he was the “do-nothingest” member of Congress. Essentially, Westmoreland’s entire political career at the state and federal levels consists of doing nothing more than cashing in on special interest funding and creating half-hearted sound bites for the folks back home. In a nutshell, he is terrific at telling everyone we have problems, but he never makes an effort at creating a solution. The sad part is that we actually pay this loafer to sit around in a nice suit and do nothing. However, it is important to note that Rep. Westmoreland did say that “there’s another do-nothinger in the Congress who’s a Democrat.” It is certainly comforting to know the slackers have been spread evenly across party lines.

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Three reasons to vote for Eric Maxwell: 1. It is silly to hold the sheriff accountable for taxpayers’ dollars. He is an elected official and should not be responsible to the citizens on how he spends our tax dollars or drug money. He has the money; let him be. 2. We need to be able to have signs and billboards just like Gwinnett County. It is our right to have as many signs and size signs we want and Eric will see to it that we have a sign ordinance which permits unlimited numbers of signs like what exists in Gwinnett County or Riverdale. 3. We should not have to worry about protection of the environment, green space or the control of growth. As a lawyer and judge, Eric knows what is best for Fayette County. Property rights after all trump community rights. Land use plans are a waste of time and money.

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Citizens of Peachtree City need to get a grip: Why is it that the people of this city are defending someone who was drinking and driving, which, might I remind you, is against the law? I know this subject is tired and worn out, but it amazes me that there are so many individuals who are saying that the PCPD was wrong for arresting the city manager for drinking and driving. Yes, he was on a golf cart, but that is still a motor vehicle and it is still illegal. I am glad that our law officers are doing what they can to protect the city, to enforce laws, to make the citizens safe; heaven forbid they do their job. Too many times in this country, politicians get away with things because of who they are. If Joe Schmoe were driving a golf cart after a concert and were intoxicated he would suffer the same consequences as McMullen and no one would think twice about it. Certain people have made a stink about the video camera not working properly; let me say this, how many of those people haven’t had technical difficulties with their cell phones, lap top, Blackberry, video cameras, or digital cameras? How many of those people haven’t had their battery in their car die, or a headlight out, and brakes that need replacing? It’s the same thing. But because it is the police department, it’s bad. Things do stop working once in a while in cars. The police officers who have equipment that is down have to get it fixed. I am sure that the camera just went out when Williams was meeting and arresting McMullen. Would these same people condone the drinking and driving of someone not in a political position? Probably not. These people who make poor judgment, by drinking and driving, deserve the consequences set for them; that’s why it is called the law. How can we, as citizens of PTC, be proud of our officials making poor judgment and not following the law? Is that really how we want our city to be run? To let those who are supposed to be our leaders get away with whatever they want? What example is that setting on us and our children? If it was a police officer or firefighter, or someone else who is in a government position and doesn’t get paid enough, who was drinking and driving, the citizens would be all over them and demand they be pulled from their position. But not the city manager. He can do whatever because he gets paid more than he should and comes up with a budget that benefits himself. Look, if you are over the legal limit on a breath machine, there should be no argument; the machines are not rigged, they do not malfunction, and they are not incorrect on readings; there have been studies to prove this. As far as what the officers put in their reports, they are suppose to put in every detail that happens during a call. Rather than complaining about insignificant things, like what is in a report, why don’t we look at the big picture, what is right and wrong? Get a grip, people. The PCPD does an outstanding job every day to protect the people of this city. This may be “Mayberry,” but it’s also 2006. This is real life, not television, and there are laws that need to be followed.

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The obviously biased, good ol’ boy PTC City Council and mayor will remove the city manager from overseeing the police department until the city’s final budget is approved. I’m sorry, but this stinks and I have several questions. What happens after that? Does everything get back to normal? What are you smoking? Do you really believe that “love is in the air”? Was this decision made over a few beers at the Y Knot? What part of the city’s budget forced Bernie to drink up and violate the law? The criminal part of the arrest is one thing; however how will the city manager fare in the administrative portion of this? After all, he placed the city and its employees in a terrible situation, which I’m certain has already cost taxpayers a great deal of tax dollars. Has his fate been pre-determined by the mayor and council (sounds like it)? Toss it up. Any way you look at it, he and some of these shady cohort politicians are expected to uphold the law, not interpret law to satisfy their personal agendas. If they have a problem doing that, they need to find the door. This is a sham in the worst way.

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How utterly ridiculous is it to arrest a man for DUI on his golf cart for having some wine and then letting 12-year-olds with absolutely no driving experience drive on the cart paths? The man who has been driving for — what? — 25 years, even with a few belts in him, has better reflexes than some kid with no experience.

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Show me a white man dancing and I’ll show you a man who looks intoxicated — especially if he’s dancing to The Temptations!

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The money Peachtree City thinks it can save by turning the senior center expansion over to the Baptist Church, will be spent in spades fending off the ACLU over separation of church and state.

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The hype on Peachtree City’s new mayor and council has gone bust. Mayor Logsdon, in particular, has landed on the complete opposite end of the political hard-sell promises that preceded his election. His “it didn’t end right” comment to the press following his disastrous meeting with the county commissioners on the subject of double taxation is proof of his less than intelligent grasp on the issues. Watching Logsdon’s ill-advised fight for sewerage expansion into Coweta County reminded me of a scene from the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. However, the string-pulling isn’t so obvious in the kiddy puppet shows. To date, we have witnessed a dramatic increase in city fees, the ridiculous bumbling on the Rockaway Road project, sewer expansion with higher density growth in unincorporated Fayette, the abandonment of our senior citizens, the reckless attempt at creating the need for annexation by not fighting the railroad side track at South Kedron and the new proposals that reduce our public safety standards. In addition, the morale of the city employees is at an all-time low with our recent pay reductions to help fund a $1 million-plus payoff for past government corruption. The tail is definitely wagging the dog. With regards to the mayor’s promise to rolling back the millage rate, don’t hold your breath. It’s more likely a tax increase or the loss of our general fund’s unreserved fund balance.

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The dirty little secret in the Peachtree City budget dealing is that Mayor Logsdon, self-proclaimed budget expert, is going to balance the city’s budget by raiding the reserve funds. That’s not a very honest thing to do. He’s not smart enough to figure out how to balance the budget or roll the millage rate back without stealing it from the reserves. He’s unquestionably not the sharpest tool in the shed.

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I told my son four months ago that Mayor Logsdon and the council were going to sell Peachtree City’s senior citizens down the river. Boy, was I ever right. Months ago, the mayor assured us the Gathering Place expansion was just going to be scaled back. Now the thing has been scraped altogether. You can’t believe a word the guy says. In fact, his gutless response was to blame it on the local Baptist Church. Mayor Bob Lenox and Councilwoman Annie McMenamin promised the expansion nearly seven years ago. Mayor Steve Brown and Councilman Steve Rapson worked hard to get the expansion back in the city’s budget. It isn’t a stretch to assume that the citizens come last with our current bunch of lollygaggers. I’ll bet John Wieland and that Levitt and Sons get everything they want on their annexation.

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Where is the hotel/motel tax money that has been collected since PTC quit paying for the Tennis Center expenses? Is the new Development (Tourism) Authority spending it somehow? I haven’t seen any new tourists or industry lately. I think this so-called “authority,” has been, and is, the poorest group, accomplishing the least, of any I have ever seen. It is a rotten shame to just waste so much money and keep raising our taxes at the same time. We don’t need to put another dime into that Tennis waste house. What is wrong with our mayor and council to let this go on and on? I think I know: they haven’t found a way to cover up the $1.5 million dollars wasted, plus untold lawyer fees yet. This is what happens when a bunch of amateurs, or crooks, has the authority to spend tax money.

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I think we have had enough of the secret negotiations concerning the millions the Tennis Center blew. It is time to go to court with a jury of taxpayers and hear all of the sworn testimony and eliminate this thorn. I know the politicians, developers, and tennis people don’t want this, and the lawyers won’t let it happen if possible not to do so, but we should now insist upon it. If then the Peachtree National Bank, Synovis, wants to sue some other people, let them do so.

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Peachtree City seems like an ideal set-up to run a city transit system through. The buses could stop at each shopping center and at the entrances to each subdivision. I think they would be used due to the cost of transportation nowadays, and particularly if they were run well. Might save considerable gas also. A two-dollar fee should allow one to ride all day. Just don’t be lazy and sub-contract it out; that won’t work long.

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Am I the only one who looks for the envelope to make a payment to Coweta-Fayette EMC? The bill has the address and the bar codes for post office use. I can see the cost savings from not including an envelope, but could you give us a mailing label instead?

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Why do we need a half dozen fire stations in PTC and one police station? I know some of the arguments (saves time; some police are always on the road) but the disadvantages (all skills everywhere, more people) seem to me to just promote far greater personnel and more equipment. Ambulances could be stationed at various places and not all in one place. After all, one can drive from a central firehouse anywhere in PTC in five minutes. If we don’t start doing something about the cost of government, we will be like Italy eventually: 55 percent on the public tax rolls.

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The feds are making a big noise about deporting a fraction of the convicted illegal aliens who thumb their noses at court orders, just as they do at employment, document fraud, and illegal entry laws. My old grandfather had a saying that fits: “Why swat at a fly inside the house when you’re just going to leave the screen door open?“ What is the point of deporting when our borders are still far too easy to broach?

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Mexico fears that tougher U.S. border enforcement will flood Mexican border towns with desperate and destitute Mexicans who can no longer illegally cross into the U.S. or who are deported and can’t cross again. My hanky will remain dry. This is a Mexican problem, created by Mexican policies.

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In spite of what you have heard, there is no such thing as an illegal immigrant. Immigrants are foreign nationals who obey the world’s most generous immigration laws and come here legally. Illegal aliens are foreign nationals who have skipped all those pesky legal steps.

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The U.S. Constitution (it’s still in effect, isn’t it?) says that Congress shall “provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions.” With an estimated 11 million illegal aliens in our nation, how many millions does it take to make an invasion?

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“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie — deliberate, contrived and dishonest — but the myth — persistent, persuasive and unrealistic” — John F. Kennedy. Anyone who says that illegal immigration benefits America and its economy is spreading an insidious myth.

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We Christians should never call others hypocrite. It’s not easy walking the walk. But I do wonder if Christian employers understand what they do by hiring illegal alien workers. Beside the obvious harm done to all society by selective obedience to our laws, please also read James 5:4. Hiring illegal workers suppresses the wages of all workers and thus wages are ”kept back by fraud.” And the cries of the legal worker who is displaced by the illegal worker “are entered into the ears of the Lord.”

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Could we please have just one week of letters to the editor that does NOT include religious/philosophical debate among the same group of people? It’s just getting old and boring. You’re all never going to agree so stop trying to duke it out in a local paper. It’s conversation for bible study, book clubs, and church but not continual debate in letters to the editor.

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To the person concerned about the cat hit by a car. How do you know the person hit that cat on purpose or even knew they hit it? Have you ever noticed the way a cat darts out into the road? It’s usually at random, from nowhere, and without hesitation, just like a squirrel. For the record, I’m not going to kill myself or someone else trying to avoid a suicidal, psychotic animal. Sorry.

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It’s unbelievable, but true. Cynthia McKinney gets another free pass. This does not pass the smell test. Everyone knew something was in the works when the grand jury took two months to publish a decision. How could this jury reach such a decision when McKinney admitted to striking the police officer? This is a felony. Also, several others witnessed this travesty. McKinney went on the offensive with the usual racial complaint, but quickly shut up when she found that witnesses saw this incident. This loudmouth, who has never done anything worthwhile in the House, has some kind of secret hold on law enforcement. Her dad was a police officer and has trained her well. McKinney refuses to wear her Member of Congress identifying pin. Could it be that she was just looking for an incident to prove that she is above the law? If you or I would strike a police officer, we would be looking between steel bars for a long time. Hopefully, the officer will bring personal civil charges against her. She must be stopped from bulldozing her way through Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and the entire world. Also, the United States Congress needs to conduct a complete in-depth investigation into an ethics violation. Of course, she will scream racial discrimination but anyone, except those in Washington, will realize this is not a case of race. It is a serious case of violating the law. It is time to put a stop to this kind of bad behavior and openly flaunting the law.

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The current crop of politicians running this election are in my opinion people with personal agendas and are in a position to have the time to politick incessantly. Really, I don’t think we need personal health trial lawyers and questionable bankers, among others who are running, and maybe the best choice is what we have. We need to cut politicking for office down to 30 days and only run those for office that are asked by a legitimate committee of lay people to run. One-term limits. It is a duty, not a way to gain favoritism.