Mayor's Don't vote, don't ask' policy is the height or arrogance

Mayor's

Don't vote, don't ask' policy is the height or arrogance

Here is my reply to

Mayor Lenox.

Dear Mayor Lenox,

Thank you for responding to

my e-mail concerning the "No Vote, No Voice"

comment.

I certainly do not disagree

with you regarding points (1) and (6).

With respect to the

remaining points, I do not agree with your position and I

consider your remarks (2) through (5) as political

arrogance.

Remark (2). Yes, as a free

citizen he or she has the right not to vote. Since you

will only listen to one who has voted, what about the

tax-paying resident who is not eligible to vote due to

factors other then age, such as resident aliens. Since my

wife is a resident alien, does this mean she does not

have a voice and does not count?

Remark (3). For you as an

elected official to say that you have the right to choose

the voices you will listen to is the height of arrogance.

Yes, you have the right and obligation to decide what

weight you will give to their input, but you do not have

the right to arbitrarily and capriciously ignore anyone

you choose to.

Remark (4). I did not say

that only taxpayers' opinions are valid. I said that they

have the right to be heard and that their opinion is just

as valid, or invalid, whether he voted or not in any

given election. You then go on to say that all citizens'

opinions have validity regardless of whether they pay

taxes or not. How do you equate that statement with your

position that if they don't vote they don't count?

Remark (5). If it was only

disgust I would more then support your position, but you

have carried it one step too far and that amounts to

arrogance on the part of an elected official. Again, all

citizens and resident aliens have a voice and count and

you have an obligation to listen and the freedom to

disagree or agree.

I find it quite interesting

that you did not answer my question as to whether a

resident alien has a voice and does he or she count.

Will you ask an individual

who is addressing the City Council and who is not on the

voter list, whether he or she is a resident alien? Will

you also ask why a given individual did not vote? Will it

occur to you that there may have been a valid reason why

that person did not vote?

I think perhaps you should

reconsider having a voter list in front of you at City

Council meetings because I can assure you that everyone I

have talked to disagrees with your comments, and most of

them have said "Who does he think he is!"

Richard Downing

Peachtree City

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