FreeSpeech for 10-06-10

Outdoor burning ban is lifted. That’s great. Just when the weather cools down and we can turn off the air conditioning and open the windows. Guess we will have to hold our breath until the ban goes back into effect. Why can’t you just be a good neighbor and bag it and take it to the recycling center?

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Nothing lowers the quality of life in a town more than that angry, thumping, heartbeat noise that is popular with a few idiots and their “pimped” cars. I’m trying to have a nice evening on my back porch and suddenly it feels like there’s an earthquake or explosion somewhere. It’s a LOUD bass noise. I can’t believe this is acceptable in Peachtree City. Then I realize the source of the noise and I can’t help but feel like I live in some sort of ghetto. Low quality living. I don’t know where these individuals come from, but I think it’s time we silence the blaster tubes in their cars. Extremely loud noises are universally unacceptable. I should not have to tolerate sonic assault. It is a violation and these youngsters should be taught what is and isn’t appropriate and considerate in a civilized society. I am asking, as a citizen of Peachtree City, that the police please step up enforcement of the noise ordinances. Toughen the penalties if necessary. I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. If you live near Ga. Highway 74, Peachtree Parkway, Robinson, Crosstown, or Hwy. 54, you definitely know what I’m talking about. Let’s find a solution to this growing problem. This is the #1 quality of life issue in Peachtree City, as far as I’m concerned. Thanks for reading my rant.

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I was sorry to hear the PTC Council is still considering a ban on gas carts. I use the paths for walking and for my electric cart and have for seven years, and during that time I have very seldom encountered a gas cart. I don’t believe there are that many here. The carts are not that loud and the smell of fumes lasts only a few seconds as they pass. They certainly do not pollute the the air as much as the numerous semi-trucks that travel Hwy. 54 through town day and night. I also don’t recall any of the council members saying they would ban gas carts before the last election. To do it now would be unfair and an abuse of power. What next, will they mandate hybrid autos for all citizens in the city? We are all hunkered down now waiting to see what the federal government will do to us next. We shouldn’t have to worry about our City Council in the same way.

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Thought I’d seen it all until I saw a bicyclist on Hwy. 54 in the middle of town, texting while driving a bicycle through town. I was behind him for a while and thought he was either drunk or impaired, but when I pulled up beside him, he was texting. This is just the greatest country in the world: you can ride down a major highway and text on your phone at the same time.

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I’d be delighted to share the road with cyclists. Is your bicycle licensed and are you paying insurance to drive it on the road? If not, hop on the cart path and quit blocking traffic on Hwy. 74 and 54 and endangering the public on Peachtree Parkway north and south.

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Aren’t bicyclists adorable in their brightly colored “Sesame Street” Speedo outfits? They look so manly and feminine.

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I have no problem with sharing the road with bicyclists. Although if I am going to share the road with them, I think it should be mandatory that they have their bicycles inspected yearly, pay taxes on them and have them properly licensed to use the roadways.

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Bicyclists on Peachtree Parkway north and south and on Hwy. 54 and Hwy. 74. Why not let golf carts travel on these roads also? They are more visible and provide more protection than on a bicycle and can travel just as fast or faster than a bicycle.

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Seen on the golf cart path: a blue stretch golf cart with five or six little children under 5 years old, and the Mommy (or babysitter) driving with one hand and talking on the cellphone with the other. May I ask why is it so important that you talk on the phone and jeopardize the lives of those small children? You are really a sad person.

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Someone keeps building sidewalks. These sidewalks start nowhere and end nowhere. There seems to be no logic to their location or purpose. It is the Fayetteville city planners or the county. Spend our money wisely, and this is not it. Let’s look at Whitney Street. The potholes are not deep but they can rattle your teeth and might burst a tire. City Council does not seem too concerned right now, but next year is an election year for some. Let’s see if anything happens then.

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After a 4.5 percent pay cut this past year for ALL Fayette County Board of Education employees, and a one-time “bonus” check of 1 percent of that back this year, many in the schools have found they are not being treated equally. The teachers were given a step-raise that gives them a raise for the years that they have served in the field. That is great and they deserve it, but what about the staff that work so hard to support the schools and the teachers? Although the board gave the teachers step raises, they did not give that step raise to staff positions or parapro teachers. Considering that HR only gives one year of credit for two years of work in any field and the 4.5 percent pay cut that everyone took, why are they left out? Some employes have 14 years of more experience in their field and are only given credit for six. To add insult to injury, they may have worked in the school system for four or more years, which would normally give them two steps, and have NEVER gotten a raise. Is this fair? Some of the full-time parapro teachers make so little that they have to go and get free meals at school just to feed their kids. For being the “best” school system in Georgia, are we really making it worthwhile for the good people to work for the FCBOE? How good do we want to be if Clayton County pays better?

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I have been living in a rental house for a little over two months that is found to have a mold problem. My health has suffered, and I was blessed to quickly find another place to live to get my children and me out of this unhealthy environment. I am a teacher in Fayette County and a single mother who is temporarily handicapped due to complications with a knee replacement surgery and a subsequent surgery six weeks later. Teachers get paid once a month, and my ability to move is limited. One of my coworkers caught me in an emotional state a couple days ago. I shared my plight with her. As a result, she has organized people (some of whom I do not know) to show up at my house on Saturday morning at 9 to help me move. I just wanted to let someone know that there are some seriously wonderful people in in Fayette County.

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I just returned from the members-only presale at the Friends of the Library book sale. When I got there at the opening time, an obvious book dealer was already indiscriminately grabbing handfuls of books and filling large boxes with them. He filled box after box as he grabbed books from under people’s noses. I was very offended that he was taking so many books away while I was looking at them. While I understand that the library benefits from huge sales, I think a dealer should only be allowed to shop after the rest of us have had a chance. A book dealer should not be allowed to shop before members and the general public. Even if the dealer has bought a membership in order to snag a lot of books, he should still not be allowed to make his huge purchase until the afternoon of the regular book sale day. We members are book-lovers who eagerly anticipate the book sales to find books by favorite authors. This man was only interested in taking what books he could grab and then selling them in order to make money for himself. He really took my joy out of the anticipated book sale.

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Why do road workers in Fayetteville decide to paint lines and arrows during school rush hour traffic on the main road through Fayetteville. Why not do this at night during non-busy hours. What is the road department and/or DOT thinking? Oh, maybe they aren’t.

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Although it was recently reported that Peachtree City and Tyrone have some of the lowest violent crime rates in the Atlanta area, we need to take off our rose-colored glasses and look at how crime has continually increased here over the years. We should all ask our sheriff to start the ball rolling to make these thugs not want to go to jail for free room and board and basketball. If our inmates were treated like those in Maricopa County, Ariz., and had to wear pink jumpsuits, work on chain gangs, give up smoking, coffee and unrestricted TV, that might just be a deterrent. Ask the sheriff to make the inmates clean up these blighted and foreclosed homes to help better our community. If he did this, he would be as popular as Sheriff Joe Arpaio who has been reelected an unprecedented five times. Take note, Sheriff Hannah.

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Why do we need a gate at Kenwood Park? There are plenty of Clayton County kids in our schools; why not the parks too?

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When I go to my son’s honor roll awards event I prefer not to have 40 minutes of black history month presentations forced on me. Let’s keep on task and honor those students that have worked hard for good grades. Inman Elementary, I’m looking at you.

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I am an American. I am also a Muslim and the mother of a young man who was killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center nine years ago. This loss has been made even more painful by the attitudes of a growing number of Americans toward people of my faith. Please, please, try to understand that the great majority of Muslims are very much like you. We too want to see our children and grandchildren grow up in a safe and peaceful world. Do not judge an entire population by actions of the fanatic few. Anti-Islamic rantings, such as several published recently in this newspaper, are adding to the prejudice and misunderstanding that hurts us all. I thank those voices that have spoken out in defense of reason and tolerance. I wish I felt courageous enough to sign my name.

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The Tyrone mayor has been trying to get the council to hire a part-time code enforcement officer. After reading the minutes of the last council meeting, I can only surmise the reason a part-time code enforcement officer is not hired is because Mayor pro tem Furr stated, “In these economic times, we ought not to be too hard on the towns’ businesses.” As a taxpayer of Tyrone, I expect the council members including Mayor pro tem Furr to enforce the town ordinances in good and bad economic times. To do otherwise is a violation of her oath of office and she and any other council member that refuses to enforce the town ordinances should be removed from office.

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How hard would it be for the owners or operators of Marnelle in Fayetteville to enforce safety laws? If you’re going to post speed limit signs in the community, then find a way to put some actions behind the signs. Also, how many arrests have to made for driving without an operator’s license before you can remove them completely? One kid has been hit in the community. Will it take a kid being killed before someone enforces the law?