Mr. Webster

states that no one continues to claim Mr. Avrit's

messages were lies. Wrong again. Mr. Avrit was quoted,

through his attorney, in a Nov. 10 Fayette Daily News

article as saying his problem with the SPLOST was that

there was "too much discretionary income."

Funny, that wasn't what his telephone message said -

perhaps he didn't believe simply stating what he believed

and why would get the results he desired. Instead he made

mention of a 40 percent tax increase and a new jail.

No one can

tell you a sales tax will be a 40 percent (or any other

percentage) increase for you because it is based on

spending and will vary from person to person based on

their spending. Secondly, several county commissioners

stated publicly, prior to the vote, that if the school

SPLOST passed, they would not seek a SPLOST for the jail

and raise the sales tax a total of 2 percent. At best,

Mr. Avrit's statements were irresponsible; at worst they

were, well, lies.

The fact is

that when Mr. Avrit registered himself as the chairman of

a political action committee, his behavior became

regulated by the Georgia Ethics in Government Act. Mr.

Avrit acted with total disregard to the rules that

governed his conduct - whether he did so

intentionally or because he didn't know any better is

irrelevant. He should have taken the time to find out

what he was and was not allowed to do. Ignorance of the

law, it has been ruled over and over again in the courts,

is not an excuse for violating it. The state Ethics

Commission will determine if this violation occurred and

what any punishment will be - not Mrs. Smola and

certainly not Mr. Bill Webster.

The fact

that the SPLOST failed is also irrelevant. Mr. Avrit

would have been sitting before the state Ethics

Commission on Nov. 8 if it had passed as well. This is

not another round of SPLOST supporters vs. SPLOST

opponents. However they voted on this issue, every voter

in this county should feel insulted at Mr. Avrit's

disregard for their right to know who was giving them

information and why. Indeed, many of the voters in this

county were very insulted.

Mr. Avrit's

buddies are upset only because their friend got caught

and is being called to answer for it. This is one more

case, of which we hear so many, where the person who got

caught, and his friends, wants to blame those who brought

his actions to light instead of taking responsibility for

the fact that is was his own actions which ultimately led

him into trouble. Indeed, Mr. Webster, what kind of

example does this set for our children?

Connie

Leary

Peachtree

City

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