This letter responds to Commissioner Steve Brown’s totally unprovoked, vicious personal attack directed at me in the April 11, 2012 issue of The Citizen.
Steve, in case you haven’t heard, I have not been a public figure since Dec. 31, 2006. These days I’m but a troubled constituent of yours. I am just as worried about our future as you say you are.
Ironically I share your concerns over the TSPLOST, the West Fayetteville Bypass, the lack of leadership on the County Commission, the lack of respect for our citizens by several of our elected officials and [many other issues]. Now, based on your letter, I have the additional concern that, following your example, we citizens must now fear being brutally attacked by elected officials for no reason at all!
I must admit your letter surprised me. I wondered, since you and I both know that I would neither be impressed nor intimidated by your unprovoked attack, why would you do it?
Your first paragraph speaks volumes as to your intentions. I am forced to conclude that you have an overriding fear that I might run for office even though I wouldn’t be running against you. As a fellow commissioner would I somehow frustrate your relentless desire for self-importance?
Does the fact that I possess the knowledge, ability, work ethic and skills to accomplish the critical business of governing without the drama, ad hominem attacks and politics of personal destruction you routinely employ somehow cause you that much angst?
For those of us who remember your tenure as mayor of Peachtree City, who can forget that when you had a difference of opinion on important issues, rather than debate the merits of the issue at hand with your fellow elected officials, citizen volunteers serving on boards, committees and authorities, bankers, any developers, and don’t forget our Chamber of Commerce, you simply relentlessly and publicly attacked their integrity, belittled their intelligence, and at times even insinuated that they were common criminals?
The net impact of your loathsome behavior was that numerous talented people who made our community so great simply declined further service rather than submit themselves to your abuses.
I vividly remember your frustration and anger when I refused to allow you to deal with me in that manner either publicly or privately.
Steve, I get it! You just don’t like me. Somehow, some way I guess I’ll just have to learn to live with that! I don’t blame you though. I didn’t tolerate your nonsense then and I don’t now. I also assume you just can’t forget that at a meeting to discuss support [for] potential County Commission candidates I openly stated to all present, including you, that while I could not support the commissioner you ran against, I also could not and would not support you. Peter Pfeifer also declined to support you at the same meeting.
I guess that is why you also chose to make demeaning comments about this outstanding gentleman and public servant in your letter. You never miss an opportunity to attack those who simply don’t tolerate your abhorrent behavior.
The disingenuous statements, half-truths and distortions of facts in your letter are too numerous to deal with here. I would, however, be happy to discuss any of your contrived assertions with anyone who has a question or serious concern about them. Of course, anyone but you, Steve!
Steve, I’m just going to leave you with the problem of determining if I will or will not run for office. I will admit your letter caused me a minor problem. I have received a surprisingly significant level of support encouraging me to run since your letter ran in the paper. I thought I had made up my mind, but now with your help I am forced to at least re-evaluate my options.
You probably know I’ll not play your disturbing game any more. If you choose to write future letters with similar fabrications you’ll have to respond to them yourself. I don’t doubt that you will.
If I do choose to run for County Commissioner, I might be contacting you. No, it wouldn’t be to insult you or demean you. It would be to ask you to sign on to my campaign as my PR guy.
After 5-plus years as a private citizen, I could never have received such strong support for a possible candidacy in such a short time without your help.
Having said that, let me caution you that if you continue to write nasty untrue stuff about me now I won’t be able to pay you for anything you write prior to me filing the appropriate paperwork. You know I don’t knowingly violate the law.
Warm regards,
Greg Dunn
Fayetteville, Ga.
[Dunn is a former member of the Fayette County Commission.]
