We are experiencing the

results of several years of a parade of developers who

were, and still are, obsessed with bulldoze, build and

pave. A stand of trees and other greenspace is just an

unproductive obstacle to them. They have made their own

reputation!

Until the last election we

also had a parade of county commissioners and other

officials who couldn't seem to say no. There has been the

little-controlled residential construction which brought

in a population that was in excess of the capacity to

service them (e.g., schools) That was of no concern to

developers. It was someone else's problem.

Then there was the push to

create a myriad of large shopping centers for the

convenience of this growing population and to attract

more people into the county so more housing would be

required. Of course this thrilled Realtors who quickly

became their allies.

Somebody didn't learn any

lessons from the overbuilding and horror stories that

were much publicized about Cobb and Gwinnett counties

long before Fayette county was steered down the same

road. If we don't start to seriously exercise some vision

and at some sane point in time say, enough , the

county will be saturated beyond the environment most of

us live here for. Voters who defeated SPLOST must share

that feeling.

For those who are

"shocked" at the results of the vote, I am

reminded of a lady I know who adamantly refuses to listen

to any description of how that nice steak wrapped in

plastic at the grocers got from the pasture to the meat

counter. "What I see is all I want to know".

Charles Washington

Peachtree City

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