I can always count on The Citizen and its star reporters, John Munford and Ben Nelms, to reassure me that I am alive. Every time I pick up a copy of the newspaper, my heart beats faster and my blood pressure rises, frequently because of the clever juxtaposition of headlines.
Witness the Feb. 1, 2012 issue: Mr. Munford’s article was about a bunch of people who want the taxpayers to give $3.2 million (that’s $3,200,000.00) to put artificial turf on five high school football fields.
Next to this article was Mr. Nelms’ article reporting that Fayette County people saw a half-percent increase in unemployment.
Right: let’s spend money we don’t have for something we don’t need so that we can have bragging rights (“Yeah, we’ve got artificial turf, too.”) and so that we can “keep up with the Joneses.”
Oh, and let’s use school property to advocate this. (A photo was captioned with, “A petition showing support … was in the lobby of McIntosh’s gym last Friday …”; isn’t there something wrong with that, too?)
Claims that artificial turf will increase property values, and assertions that this is “imperative,” were backed by no more than polemics and idle wishes.
Assertions that we have to do this because Atlanta schools were doing it and that Coweta County was going to do it were equally specious.
Atlanta does many stupid things. If they were to jump off a roof, should we do that, as well? Didn’t we learn as children that just because one of our little friends did something, we didn’t have to do it? Or did we forget that lesson?
Oh, and one other headline juxtaposition that is relevant: the county surveying only people who receive water bills for their opinion on whether to add taxes for “recreation.”
Please remember, that county governments’ original role was roads and sheriffs and a magistrate’s court.
Like all of government, the county has gotten out of hand, taking on as many roles as possible to create as many constituencies as possible, to create as much patronage as possible, and to create as many taxes as possible.
We must (I’m serious about this, folks) take back our government.
Paul Lentz
Peachtree City, Ga.
