Peachtree City at the crossroads. Crack deals at The Avenue, assaults on visitors and citizens on the cart paths. I’m afraid to allow my children to be out on the paths with out me now. Taxes continue to rise. Now a major highway through the heart of the city requiring ... sound barriers? Will Captain Herb be doing our traffic reports? Train parking lots? Annexations? Trees and greenspace vanish overnight. Progress? Is this the kind of city we dreamed of when we moved here? Where’s the planned community gone? I would not count on us continuing to make the Forbes list of best places to live much longer. Hey, City Council, how about all the development you continue to rubber stamp include a tariff so you can hire additional police instead of putting the burden on your citizens?

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May we talk for a minute about police patrols of our 80 miles of cart paths? This seems to be the number used by everyone who says it can’t be done regularly and properly (no need to do it otherwise). First, there are probably only about 15 areas of about one mile each that would require such patrolling. That hasn’t been defined, nor has anyone tried to define them yet. Like anything else, problems may on occasion cause one area to be dropped and another picked up for patrol. Secondly, the hours between 4 a.m. and about 12 noon would probably only require patrolling in the three or four very worst areas. Now, I could go on with a full plan of attack; it is not brain surgery. However, all I am suggesting is that someone have enough interest to develop such a plan, and then do it 7/365. Right now all we seem to do is hit here and there according to the number of complaints and ask for several more police. If there is no interest (just as there seems to be no interest in code enforcement for parking on the grass, using the lakes incorrectly, etc.) then let us just say we will continue as we are.

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How is it that the city manager of Peachtree City can afford to spend in excess of $6,000 of city money to raise his picnic table at The Fred so he can see over the tables in front of him and put thousands upon thousands of dollars into expanding the soccer/baseball complex on Ga. Highway 74, yet the city is cutting its employees’ benefits by reducing the percentage of raise they will be allowed to get by policy, taking away their cost of living increase and increasing their insurance premiums by 25 percent each year for the next four years? At this rate, the employees, public safety in particular, will be getting a salary decrease for the next four years as opposed to an increase. Cops and firefighters are already the lowest paid professions for the work they do. What a way to give them our thanks and appreciation. I bet you still expect them to protect all of this expansion and to bring in the revenue, don’t you? Good thing we aren’t living up north, because a union would have a field day with this. Fellow citizens of Peachtree City, if you have never attended a city council meeting you should, as they are quite disturbing. Please attend and hear what your city council is doing to our fine city and our public servants whom we depend on to keep us safe.

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It was all a misunderstanding. Harold Logsdon didn’t say it was his “purpose” to reduce taxes. No, he said it was his “porpoise” that wanted to reduce taxes. It’s a little hard to understand what someone is saying after they’ve knocked a couple down at the Y Knot. Supposedly the mayor has this fish named Squishy that gives him investment advice through mental telepathy. Squishy had some ideas on budget cutting and tax reduction during the campaign but none of them panned out. Harold didn’t lie to us; it was Squishy. The porpoise is the one that let us down. Buying all those GM shares wasn’t such a great idea either, Squishy.

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You’ve gotta love the blog on The Citizen Web site that was offering Harold Logsdon “Read My Lips, No New Taxes” T-shirt at a substantial discount. Too bad, Harold.

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Harold Logsdon might be a nice guy and a wonderful family man, I don’t know. The one thing I do know is he’s obviously not a leader. The city is in the midst of the worst slide I have ever seen, complete with trash, crime, tax increases and more high density annexations. He’s losing credibility fast. He’s a throwback to the good old boy, yellow dog Democrat days of Joel Cowan and Fred Brown. We don’t need that right now.

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Let’s see ... Harmony Village ... hmmmm ... Harmony Village. Nope ... Ain’t no Harmony at Harmony Village.

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Two items in this week’s Citizen are hateful and judgmental, and I am compelled to reply to the incredulous accusations. In both cases, the writers had absolutely no evidence for their accusations. First, a writer determined that a handicapped person in a handicapped parking space did not have a physical problem; the writer went on to intimate that the driver had mental problems. Just because the person does not look handicapped does not mean that he/she is not. Numerous conditions dictate that some persons be allowed to park in spaces of proximity to their destinations. Normal, compassionate people leave the determination to a doctor who issues the special parking permit. Certainly, people need to leave their own dogmas out of the situation. To an even more incredulous accusation by the writer of the comment about Wynnmeade, I am truly appalled at your stereotyping residents in Wynnmeade. Those kids are also in the “real PTC.” I am embarrassed to know that I live in the same city with someone who makes such unkind, hateful remarks. For you to state that Wynnmeade’s “residents consist of nothing but trouble” and that “only underprivileged kids of Wynnmeade would steal golf carts or raid refrigerators” is the most abominable untruth ever. For a fact, I personally know that some of the “real” PTC kids who, as you say, “already have a golf cart and a refrigerator full of anything they need” were, in fact, recently caught for being involved in the raids. Actually, I have not heard or read about any Wynnmeade’s kids being involved or caught in any such raid. Perhaps those refrigerators in the “real” PTC are not quite full of the necessary contents that young people need. Perhaps you and the parents who think the same way as you need to consider being good models for your children and spend more time teaching them about integrity, compassion, love for all humans, and equality. Then, PTC would be a much better place to live. To the residents of Wynnmeade, I apologize for the hateful words that were in Free Speech and want you to know that all people who live in PTC do not agree with the spiteful person who made the accusations. You are every bit as much a citizen of Fayette County and PTC as I am, and I do not live in Wynnmeade.

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This is in response to the racist who feels the need to blame Wynnmeade for the golf cart vandalism. I live in Timberlake subdivision and there have been many golf carts that have been damaged and stolen. The kids that are committing these crimes DO NOT live in Wynnmeade. Sorry to disappoint you, but these kids are white and they live in our subdivision. I have known some of them since they were in pre-school. When you stated that the real PTC kids would not do such a thing, what you were really implying was that ”white kids would not do such a thing.” It sounds like to me you are in denial. You are one of these parents that play the blame game on everyone else than your precious kids. How dare you accuse kids of doing such things based on where they live and the color of their skin? How dare you imply that white kids would never do such a thing? I have lived here for 30 years, and I have witnessed crimes done by all ages, races, and religion. Your views are racist, immoral, and ignorant; you should be ashamed of yourself. For you to believe that it is just one group of people that are doing such things is wrong. I am white and after reading your letter I was furious to know that there is still so much hatred toward others because of their skin color. Have you ever met anyone that lives in Wynnmeade? Have you ever had a conversation with anyone that lives there? I was just wandering how you came to the conclusion that everyone that lives there is trouble. What gives you the right to say that the residents there have nothing and would only be the type to steal food? As long as you are a good person, it does not matter where you live, what job you have, or the car you drive; we are all humane beings and deserve to be treated with respect. Some people are less fortunate then others, but that does not make them any less humane. The color of our skin and where we live has nothing to do with the problems here in your precious PTC. Everyone has their own set of problems, and when there is a crime it involves all kids that are different races. If you honestly believe that if Wynnmeade was not here our crime would go away, you are in deep denial. Do you ever read the paper? Do you ever read all the crimes that are committed here? A lot of them are being committed by your “real” PTC kids, and they will continue to. You need to take a long hard look around you and try taking that sheet and hood off and maybe reality would hit you. I would not want to live next to a racist, or someone that is so narrow-minded they make excuses for certain people. Here’s a suggestion, why don’t you do us all a favor and rezone your house back to the 1800s and be sure to include your hood. I am sure you would fit right in.

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To the person that talked about stealing golf carts, raiding refrigerators, REAL PTC, and Wynnmeade, I have this to say: Is your dry cleaning bill expensive because of the excessive cleaning of your Armani white robe and hood? I have never heard anything so racist and elitist in my life. I knew when I moved to PTC that I would face some bigotry and elitism, but since moving here the only place I see it is here in Free Speech. My neighbors happen to be all white yet have welcomed my family and me with open arms, all eight of us. We are fortunate enough to live in a nicer neighborhood than Wynnmeade but that does not make any of us better than them. And in case you may have not been reading ALL of the paper lately, there was a killing that involved rampant drug use and if I remember correctly, it was in the REAL PTC community of Centennial. Please, look at yourself in the mirror and after you finishing vomiting, ask God for forgiveness and help those less fortunate instead of berating them.

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When I came to Peachtree City 22 years ago, I just assumed that a planned city would develop somewhat similar to about two other such places in the United States at that time. One in Virginia, and one in Arizona, I think. Sorry to say it hasn’t happened. We built things that attract too many visitors from adjoining counties, we built around crowded intersections in such a way as to create traffic jams which will only get worse, we have allowed multi-story housing and subsidized building too close to town. We have failed to improve or properly maintain our cart path system to the point where the dark corners have lurking trouble, and are unlighted and un-patrolled, for the most part, when really needed. This was one of our best selling points. The areas we had hoped would remain pristine are now being built upon, helter-skelter. We simply didn’t have the plans we wished for drawn up as code. Where we did have, we are now altering. It is probably too late to revert, but not too late to halt further Riverdaling. I’m afraid the transfer of land to the wrong people years ago has done us in.

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A pro-sprawl government, higher taxes, higher fees, garbage and graffiti all over the cart paths, assaults and drug deals on the paths and a parking lot for trains at the city’s entrance and people wonder why Peachtree City got dropped like a hot potato from Money Magazine’s top 100 list? The council is leaving a poor legacy.

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The most important chunk of the Peachtree City budget discussions totally blew over The Citizen reporter’s head. Those six firefighters added to the department ain’t free. Probably their salaries are being partially or totally funded through some federal program. However, those programs are usually good for a year or two. How is the city going to pick up the tab when the federal dough is runs out? You’ve got to be looking at around $500,000 to $700,000 for the compensation and overhead for those guys. Our mayor has just guaranteed us another flippin’ tax increase down the road. My Logsdon vote is costing me additional taxes. Financial genius? Yeah, right, the phony ought to get sued for false advertising.

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Direct PAC will be the ruin of Peachtree City, Tyrone and Fayette County. The likes of Joel Cowan, Fred Brown and Bob Lenox along with the PAC’s puppet mayor are the classic take-the-money-and-run guys. To boast about controlling the will of the voters is beyond silly. The PAC is for annexations, sewer expansions, developer advantages and community disorder. They could care less about the quality of the lives of the men, women and children in our community; their values are elsewhere. God help us if local councils and county commission don’t back away from pro-density growth plans of the PAC.

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Will the town manager’s case of being charged with drunken driving, and open alcohol container, be heard by the PTC judge, or by a county judge? Also, if he is found guilty will he still be eligible to serve as town manager? Does the town manager get free attorney representation for this case by the city attorney, or does he have to hire his own attorney? Will Mr. Maxwell be able to try him in PTC, as the judge, if he is also on the County Commission? Is there a possibility that this case could be dropped due to the law not having been enforced ever before at the amphitheater? Couldn’t we do something similar to the state employees who mess up, or Atlanta, and just give him a bunch of money, a pension, a recommendation, and have him resign? If anyone can answer any of these question, I wish you would write Free Speech.

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Well, well ,well. Fatso wants to ride on a golf cart dragging his dog and have everyone on foot get over for his lazy butt. For your information the people I have seen could easily get off their cart if they so desired but have chosen to run their dog instead. Knee replacement or ailments is one thing but getting daily exercise helps eliminate many of the health issues that come with being heavy. I know you fat people that run your dogs are bitter, but that does not give you the right to take up the entire golf cart path and expect me to move over. Maybe in the world of fat people, pedestrians don’t have the right-of-way, but in the real world they do. Get your cart off the path.

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I have just finished looking at the school bus routes for the upcoming year and noticed that Peeples Elementary has 14 buses. Kedron Elementary has four buses and Braelinn Elementary has five buses. These numbers reveal that Peeples Elementary is a bit overcrowded. Maybe this year the FCBOE will take an interest in balancing the numbers in the elementary schools in Fayette County. I also noticed the sewage system going in for a new neighborhood directly across the street from Peeples Elementary. Maybe Peeples Elementary will set a record: 20 buses.

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This year, all 10th grade gifted English students at Starr’s Mill High School are required to read three books over the summer. Having students read over the summer is a good idea, but we also have to do a project that will be graded on one of them. So instead of enjoying my last days of my already short summer with my friends, I’ll be inside doing an English project before school even starts. Thanks, 10th grade English teachers.

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Dear Duh: We don’t cut through Planterra, but visit with three families who live there. They, too, feel all those speed bumps are excessive in number and aren’t happy campers about them. But, hey, you’ve got to live with it, so enjoy.

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To the family who wrote in about the two boys making the subdivision into their own playground by riding their motorized vehicle: We are having the same thing happening in our subdivision. I was wondering if we live in the same subdivision. Which subdivision are you referring to?

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Just as Log House Road in Peachtree City was being paved, I noticed someone had put yellow ribbons on the trees on the side of the road. It took me over a week to follow them all the way, but, to the family on Haven Ridge in The Retreat subdivision, I pray your soldier comes home safely from wherever he or she is and is able to see your very understated tribute. When I think I’m having a bad day, all I do is see these on my way home and it kind of puts things in perspective. May God bless you and know that your neighbors are thinking of all of you.

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This waste disposal plant in South Fulton is reminiscent of the Peachtree City Development Authority. They both say they were doing a great job, but somehow their records were lost. What a joke. When are we going to get serious about corruption and keeping the public safe? The elected officials in this area are a disgrace.

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What does the Peachtree City Development Authority and Philip Services Corp. (the onion odor plant) have in common? Somehow they both lost their records. Well, don’t worry; Mayor Logsdon will cover for Philip Services, too.

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We all know that life is different in the South and that is a good thing, but something that I read in Friday’s paper made me think that I had moved to an alternate universe. Father Epps, as a rector of a Christian church, I am both amused and amazed when you refer to “a bit of elementary school socialism” when writing about the items that our children are to bring with them to school. Everyone knows that the Christian faith and all churches that follow that faith are the most successful and long-lived socialist organizations on the planet. Taking donations from rich to redistribute to the poor is what a church does and that pretty well defines socialism. This is in stark contrast to what our Republican-led Congress has done over the past years, where the middle class are tagged to provide business incentives to huge and very profitable corporations, e.g., oil producers, so that the wealthy officers and the super rich major shareholders may reap the main (and extremely lucrative) benefits. That sounds like a much more fair system right? If a larger percentage of our taxes were applied and managed better, our public schools might just be able to provide more of the tools required for our children to learn. But, hey, there’s no profit in that. That coupled with less litigation, the explosion of which has required ever increasing insurance premiums of all of our public entities, would make a real impact. Oh, yes, one last detail left out of Father Epps’ opinion: the paper towels and toilet paper and air fresheners, etc., published on your list are donations requested of parents, not requirements. I am certain that the doctor understands donations.

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In response to the letter to the editor regarding adopting pets, I think it is important to make a distinction between the animal shelter and the humane society. The Fayette Humane Society test animals for life-threatening and contagious diseases, give vaccinations, and spay/neuter them before adoption. The animals cost a bit more but you have peace of mind that the animal you are adopting and potentially bringing into a home with other pets is free of disease. The Fayette Animal Shelter adopts the animals without regard to their health. In March of last year I went to the Fayette Animal Shelter to adopt a kitten. Most of the animals were sneezing with runny noses with some of their eyes matted together. My heart went out to the animals and I went home with a little grey kitten that seemed to just have a cold. After $250 and much grief later the kitten was tested and had feline leukemia that could have been detected prior to adoption had the test been done. It was put to sleep when it could hardly breath. I then adopted a kitten from Rescue Cats of Fayette that had been tested and neutered. I admire what the animal shelter attempts to do, but the writer of the letter asks us not to make them bring the animals to us. Excuse me, but the animals at the rescue agencies have much of the time been taken from the shelter or taken in to keep them out of the shelter. It all works together for the benefit of the animals.

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I recently discovered what a great place Lake Horton Reservoir is to walk. Most of the paths are shaded, so even in this heat the evening is a good time to walk. The rest rooms are as clean as can be expected. My biggest complaint is that dog owners don’t pick up after their pets. They are allowed to mess on the paved paths, so in many areas you have to dodge the messes. Please, keep this a nice area and either pick up the mess or at least lead them to the side of the paths that are grassy. Maybe the county could provide bags at each end of the paths for owners to use. I’ve seen it in many other areas and it certainly makes a big difference

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Moms arrested for not sending children to school in policetree City: Get your story/reporting straight. Moms were ticketed only. I hope you never hit the paper with an inaccurate story. Slow news week? Or just bad facts? Police give out tickets by the thousands each month here in Policetree City. Why don’t you report all of those?

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Ever get the feeling that it is a requirement for upward mobility in the mainstream media to be riddled with loathing for all things American?

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Eighth District Congressman Lynn Westmoreland should be ashamed of himself. He recently mailed out what amounts to a large campaign postcard at taxpayer expense. Westmoreland, recently named the “do-nothingest” person in a do-nothing Congress, could barely come up with anything to say on the costly 8x11 poster. One side is nothing but a picture of an oil refinery along with his mug shot, and the other side has only six bullet points on it. Out of all the individuals representing Georgia in Congress, only Cynthia McKinney is less effective than Westmoreland. The self-righteous and supposed Republican squanders our tax dollars with his self-serving mailers. He enthusiastically supports the posting of the Ten Commandments, but when asked in front of a camera to name them, he gets two of them right. Our previous representative, Mac Collins, did not waste our tax dollars like Rep. Do-Nothingest. When Rep. Collins had something to say, he would send it as a letter to the newspaper. Westmoreland gives the Republican Party a bad name. Surely we can do better.

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I’ve been wanting to write for some time now, or should I say my cat “Mephy” has. Every time he comes to my doorstep with a shrew in tote and time and again or some other small “gift” for me, I can’t help but think he is trying to impart upon me some wisdom. Or when he wakes me in the morning with that playful nudge he reserves for our personal time, he seems to be saying something. What is that inscrutable something my wizened feline wants to share with the populace? I think he is troubled by these recent troubles in the Middle East. And troubled he should be. For are not Hezbollah and other freedom-loathing radicals just like the shrew? Is not Mephy like Israel, boldly knocking on our doorstep, imploring us to step in, and rid our world’s backyard of these menaces? As I sit here pondering this vast heartland of justice and liberty, Mephy looks up at me with a saucy grin, letting a field mouse fall from his whiskered lips. Indeed, Mephy, thou art wise.

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I am sure that Greg Dunn appreciates all the thank you letters and articles, but if those people had all gone out to vote for him, he may not have lost the election.

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To the male/female who just had to write to the female driver parked in a handicap space at Towne Center Chick-fil-A: Your grievance pushed my button and it’s time you and others like you got a lesson on what is considered ”handicapped” and what is not. Just because the driver of that vehicle didn’t have a wheelchair, crutches, braces, cane, service dog, or any other obvious and outward sign of a physical problem does not give you or anyone else the right to assume they are not handicapped as the law provides. There are numerous medical conditions that limit the distance a person can walk without exacerbating their existing problem. I suggest you go to the GAMVA Web site and get a first-hand look at what constitutes a physical handicap. Next time you see a “normal” looking person parked in a handicapped spot, don’t be so quick to judge what you obviously can’t see. And, no, I am not the female in the white van (mine is beige).

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To the uninformed person complaining about the lady with the handicapped tag at the Towne Center Chick-fil-A: Many times these tags are issued for health reasons that are not visible. The lady may have a heart condition, arthritis or other painful health issue that you cannot see. Just because someone “looks” perfect doesn’t mean that there isn’t a problem. These tags can only obtained with written verification from a doctor and are only issued if there is a true medical handicap. Just be thankful that it is not YOU that needs that tag and stop being so judgmental. Unless you know this woman, you have no way of knowing why that tag was in her window.

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Waiting for the other flip-flop to drop. First the Senate authorized a fence on the Mexican border. Then they took away the funding. Now they’ve returned the funding. This flip-flopping has me dizzy, but I still don’t trust them not to do another flip.