Letters to the Editor

Socialism: Power to the autocrats

Let me just begin by stating the obvious. Socialism has never worked in any society that desires to be prosperous and free. Time after time governments, nations, and cultures have tried to be successful in implementing a utopian socialistic society where everyone is taken care of and no one goes without.

It has failed miserably everywhere it has been tried. There is either not enough money or free goods to sustain the needs of the needy or too many freedoms are lost in order to make the people comply and they rebel. Read More»

Imker: Just straight talk on PTC budget

Peachtree City has about a $25 million annual budget. Of this, $12 million is for police and fire/EMS, $3 million for public works, $4 million for recreation (including library) and $4 million for everything else (finance/purchasing, engineering, planning, zoning, code enforcement, court, IT, public relations, HR, etc.) Please excuse the rough numbers as they are for discussion purposes only.

Some of you just added those numbers up, and it only came to $23 million. The rest is debt payment. Read More»

Wherever ‘Little House on the Prairie’ went, we need to go back

What happened to “Little House on the Prairie”?

In the mid 1980s it was in the top 10 list of most watched programs. Today, it has been replaced in popularity by “Desperate Housewives.”

This is so symptomatic of our times. It seems we are focused to ensure everyone is special, no one is to blame, and when times get tough enough someone will be there to bail you out. Are these the qualities we want to embrace for our future?

Forget Wisteria Lane, Walnut Grove is looking better by the minute. Read More»

Official county information documents faulty reasons for bypass

Many letters and articles about the West Fayetteville Bypass have criticized the county for building a “road to nowhere.” Let’s take a look at the language the Fayette County Road Department has actually published as a rationale. This is available online at the Fayette county government website under SPLOST Project R-5, items #15-16. Here’s what the county says: Read More»

Parallels between Rome, U.S. eerie

Many years before there was the United States of America, there was a republic called Rome. Actually, I never realized that “Ancient Rome” as we’ve come to know it existed in three phases that spanned the course of almost a thousand years.

It was founded sometime between 758 and 728 B.C. and existed as a monarchy for over two centuries. It then became a democratic republic, which lasted for 460 years, and finally transitioned to an empire for the final 200 or so years. Read More»

Pfeifer: Brown wrong, never for mass transit

This is a response to Steve Brown’s article in last week’s Citizen.

I did recently call Mr. Brown, and left him a message on his answering machine after a previous column. That was to correct his statements about which commissioners are up for re-election this year. Lee Hearn is not.

I think that this latest column requires this written response because I am named specifically and I don’t want false information about me out in public without making an effort to correct it. Read More»

Possible solution to Fayette tax shortages

Let’s not worry about raising taxes, but let’s go back to the voters and give them the option of changing how our educational SPLOST funds are to be spent.

Technology is great, but with a few changes we can solve our county’s problems for the next few years. No one could have guessed what our country, state, and county have had to go through.

I suggest we reallocate the SPLOST funds into three areas for the next two years. After two years, it goes back to what it was until it expires. Read More»

PTC budget and tax increases: Taxpayers already doing more

I am writing in response to Peachtree City budget discussions as reported by The Citizen on March 17, 2010. Once again, I find myself in need of publicly thanking [Councilman] Eric Imker for his depth of thought and clarity of proposed action in relation to Fiscal Year 2011 budget planning. To his credit, Mr. Imker came to the table armed with credible analysis and insights that he had developed on his own, with input from citizen discussions. Read More»

Mayor, Council need to do more to grow new business revenue

Since the beginning of 2010 with new Mayor Don Haddix and City Council members coming on board, I have been listening to and reading their statements, as well as observing their actions.

Peachtree City’s budget continues to shrink as existing revenue sources decline or are eliminated completely (i.e., SPLOST). It appears that Mayor Haddix’s and the City Council’s efforts to date have been primarily focused on how to cut expenses (mainly services) and possibly raise taxes to balance Peachtree City’s budget. Read More»

Has PTC kicked bigger problem down road?

Police and fire may well escape cuts this year, but what about over the next three years? Has someone actually forecasted an end to our economic dilemma?

Taking another $86,000 from reserves, bringing the total to nearly half a million dollars from reserves to balance this year’s budget, are we avoiding the inevitable? Read More»

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