I am writing in regards to four people obsessed with my removal from office. Lacking facts, they resort to inflammatory statements and false accusations to try to gain support from you. On the prior and present council, they have gone after others who do not agree with them also.
On The Citizen blogs they are called the Dirty Dozen. But, as noted on the blogs, they are really four people with at least one having posted under multiple names.
One, a local businessman, was caught, as Cal Beverly put it, doing identity theft. He used the name, address, etc., of one of my supporters to create a false identity, in addition to his own. This is publicly posted on the blogs. Once caught, several blog names ceased to post. Not saying all were from this one individual, just saying they disappeared.
Mike LaTella is another. You have read his letter attacks containing a lot of name-calling and false accusations. On the blogs he claimed he did not know Councilman Eric Imker, But, he was just picked as his ethics representative.
And of course, Mike King. He didn’t like Steve Brown as mayor so supported Harold Logsdon. Then he didn’t like Logsdon and supported me. Now he dislikes me.
Which brings us to Randy Boyett and his letter of Jan. 18. He accused me of deception and more [and] as well called for a recall campaign.
My letter to the editor on the police vehicles was written because the way the issue was reported in the paper made it sound like the question of there being too many vehicles was still open. We do not need to get another round of emails and letters to the editor demanding reductions.
Randy Boyett tried to spin the facts to make it appear as if we still have too many, Councilman Imker was the only watchdog on such matters, I was attacking Imker and defending the excess.
Totally false. He further claimed the streaming video on the city website would prove his case if one goes to the 32-minute mark.
Fleet vehicles are part of an ongoing reevaluation and realignment of the city. I have been pushing for that to happen since 2008. When we interviewed for the city manager position I asked every applicant about such an evaluation.
Jim Pennington said it was his standard procedure in a new city to do just that: employees, employee structure, infrastructure, equipment, such as vehicles and more.
To date, from Jim’s efforts, we have a test leasing program, a partial list of vehicles to be eliminated, underutilized vehicles are either being fully utilized or eliminated and more. The number of police vehicles is exactly what we need.
The 32-minute mark is not where the conversation begins. It began earlier. Councilman Imker’s initial statements were about the police vehicles and addressed directly to Chief Clark.
Total city fleet does not fall under the police department, it falls under the city manager. But because this was about police vehicles, the chief answered. I asked questions and the chief answered those as well.
Only after all was discussed did Councilman Imker say he meant the fleet. So my statements were and are correct.
Even worse, if you back up the tape to see the portion I referenced you would see, “Video not available. We apologize for the inconvenience.” Neither the visual or audio are on the streaming video. But the audio is on the audio copy used for minutes.
As well, the fleet consists of ‘hundreds’ of vehicles?
Another con is tried about his “group.” What group? Who are they? The Dirty Dozen?
Go to ptcpride.org. You see nothing but advertising. Boyett is only using the email service. Since he says all emails are confidential you are just supposed to trust his word on what is said.
Make no mistake, these people are ardent supporters of Councilman Imker. I can do no right and the majority on council can do no wrong.
Then there is their ever-present and groundless threat of recall and ethics violations. If viable it would have already been done.
The ongoing inflammatory and inaccurate hyperbolic attacks go beyond the pale. Discussion of issues require truthfulness, facts and vision. Everyone has personal wants, goals and agendas. But the question is do they actually line up with reality? Do they agree with what the majority of citizens actually want and need?
Obviously not, if the citizens agreed then there would be no need to attempt to persuade people to their thinking. No need for these kinds of tactics.
Really, folks, these kinds of antics get old and I am tired of them. It reaches the point where there has to be push back. It keeps good people from running for office.
I have been true to my promises made from 2007 on. Nor have I lied. I will not change nor stop representing you to the best of my ability.
Don Haddix, mayor
Peachtree City, Ga.
