I spent the weekend at Whitewater High school in Fayetteville with my friend who has a grandson playing in the Champions State games. I think it's wonderful that they are playing the games here in Fayette County where you can drive just a short distance to watch. Yesterday I saw Eric Maxwell at the games. I had never seen a candidate at a youth game like that. He is handicapped. I did not know that. He sat in the heat of the day cheering on the Fayette County boys.
He was there again today this time in the rain. What I noticed was he wasn't seeking out people to shake their hands he just sat there watching the games and cheering for Fayette County. It was a rather poignant sight to see him do that from a wheelchair. God bless you Mr. Maxwell for having the thought to be there and cheering our boys on and Godspeed in your endeavors.

You asked for it, so here it comes.

For about the past month some friends and I have been quietly asking questions about why Fayette County opted to not participate in the GRTA commuter bus program.

When the Fayette County Council was asked the question, representative Wells replied back that “it would only serve an elite few”.

According to the last numbers we’ve been able to find there are some 15,500 “commuters” in Fayette County.

Now the fun part. This WEB address, http://www.fayettecountyga.gov/pub_works/transplan_pubworks.htm, will direct you to the Fayette County Transportation Plan. Select the heading “Technical Report”. Please read the ENTIRE report before you arrive at any conclusions.

Note: Please pay attention to where it references the “modeling software”.
Now think back a few years when King Bob, et al, told us that the “modeling software”, (sound familiar), they used came to the conclusion that the traffic pattern at the intersection of Hwy. 54 & Hwy. 74 would improve?

To the point of the current blog, please pay special attention to Section “3.2 Recurring Themes”, “Growth, Development and General Transportation”. It is there that you will find the answer to what you seek. Does anything look familiar?

Now I invite you to look at all the other headings on that page and you will NOT find anything anywhere where the Fayette County Commissioners did anything about “Public Transportation”.

Now go to this WEB address, http://www.fayettecountyga.gov/administration/boc/archives/commission_meeting/2003min_boc/July22003minutes.pdf, and you will find where GRTA made a presentation to the Fayette County Commissioners.

What we have looked for, and can’t find, is any documentation where the Fayette County Commissioners discussed this proposal and arrived at some sort of consensus.

We have requested this information from the Fayette County Commissioners and as of today have not even received an acknowledgement of our request.

Before anyone spews out the old, “it will bring undesirables into our homes crap”, the Chief of Police in Newnan has written us and says:

“In reference to your request, we have not shown an increase of crime due to the GRTA service here. The bus is usually full when it departs our city in the morning and when it arrives back in the afternoon. The parking lot where the people park is full of their vehicles and gives us that much relief from them being in traffic. If anything, the bus service has reduced the number of vehicles on GA 34 during the busiest time of the day.

I do not have any numbers to supply you on this, as this is my personal observation and in reviewing our incident and accident reports on a daily basis”.

Thanks.

Chief Meadows
Newnan Police Department

"Old Folks" are two dirty words in Fayette County. We don't die as young as we used to do but we do get feeble. We are really just in the way. Respect for the aged used to be popular since everyone knew that their day would come. Most now think it won't happen to them, or that they will have sufficient money to hire everything done, including a driver. Drinking a lot is much more important. It keeps one from thinking much. So don't build a new old folks center, don't provide much trnsportation, don't help with the medical bills, and maybe you won't need them.

My initial post was not so much about old people as it was about our candidates for public office.

These candidates want a favor from us, right now, namely our votes. They are the ones doing the begging and the spending. Not the old folks.

Our Fayette population is roughly 100,000. Many of these people are children too young to vote. We have perhaps 10,000 people over the age of 65. And we might have about 50,000 people registered to vote. So about 20% of our voters might be over age 65.

If our police’s role is “to protect and to serve,” our elected officials’ role is certainly “to serve.” These candidates are offering themselves for public service, not for feeding at the public trough, doing favors for their friends, and thumping their chests with great pride at July 4th parades.

How can they serve the public whose support they are now soliciting if they can’t figure out their prospective constituents’ problems?

Transportation is a problem in Fayette County. How can our college-age children attend schools like Georgia State or Georgia Tech, or even Clayton State, without transportation? We do provide transportation to our public schools, but what would make anybody think that transportation needs vanish beyond high school?

The main issue, by the way, is not so much about money as it is about availability.

Many seniors have money. Most of them have relatives who are happy to accept an inheritance from them. Nobody is asking for a handout here. What we’re asking for is thoughtfulness. The realization that there is a transportation problem for many seniors.

If those who wish to be elected “leaders” have about as much imagination as ants, we’ll never come up with solutions to anything. The AJC brought up a problem worthy of consideration. Now we need candidates worthy of our vote (on this and many other issues).

As I have often told my kids, when I start to drool, I’m taking up skydiving.

Remember, parachutes like SCUBA equipment generally come with a “lifetime” guarantee.

Having lived in a Community that draws a lot of elderly for 20 years, being in an elderly situation in the family and more, I think I see some issues here more clearly than some, but not all others.

Many, many elderly are self deluded. The demand they are able to live independently, are competent to drive, make decisions and own homes.

They are everything but that.

The driving skills are gone. But they insist on getting out there anyway.

How does government react to them? No testing to see if they are able to drive and when they get in trouble, even not being able to find their way home due to Alsheimers, they police bring them and their vehicles home to drive another day.

Where are the kids? The kids, often in the 50s and 60s are up against the wall. The folks will not go into assisted living and will not live with them, but are constantly wanting the kids to fully take care of two houses.

How does it frequently end? The kids finally have to march in, forcibly pick them up and put them in Assisted Living since they no longer eat, bath or do other essentials of life for themselves.

No amount of government transportation or any thing else can change the simple fact these folk should not be on their own and have to have help, daily.

That addresses a large segment of the over 65 population in Peachtree City.

Now, what about those who still can live independently but do not drive?

Golf carts are indeed one answer. Making and teaming up with friends to meet common needs living transportation and companionship is another.

Problem there is many sit at home, complain they have no friends, but make no effort to find and make any.

We have such that live mere homes apart. But when you suggest or even offer to introduce them you get told NO!

So, seniors do create issues of their own.

Others do get together and do share. And those keep nicely active and occupied.

In other words, the over 65 that are unable to be on their own will not be benefited by transportation and such. They need Assisted Living.

Those who do not need it and network do not need it because they have worked out their lives.

Those who go recluse and complain will not use it.

And the few that are isolated, which is hard to justify in a place like PTC, can resolve their issues by moving to homes with peers around them.

My point is most, not all, but most, seniors with such issues create them for themselves by not acknowledging their realities or demanding others satisfy their realities on their terms.

Life just does not work that way and the world around them does not take on a responsibility to provide it for them.

Christian City is a good example. In Sparks there are those who see their realites and try to make the best of them. They are happy, even when, of course, wishing the realities were better for them.

Others sit around and complain they don't like it there and do not need to be there. They are miserable.

We should not abandon our parents and elderly. But neither should they take over everyone around them lives for their own use.

Always exceptions, I admit that. But this article was written in the all inclusive mode, so I responded in that mode.

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.

Can't they take care of themselves? Where are their children? Why is it the governments job to take care of them? If they are past the stage where they can't take themselves to the store,they need to find some other living arraignment.