We've got

T-R-O-U-B-L-E, right here in Fayette County, with a

capital "T" and that rhymes with "G"

and that stands for Government. This is how I see it,

"one citizen's perspective."

We've got one, two, three,

four, five - five votes in the city, and that means

that we, with a capital FREE, should be paying attention.

All parody aside, we have

some critical issues at hand. As citizens, we had better

give voice to some collective outrage regarding the

lawsuit brought against Steve Brown, Fayette Publishing,

Inc., and Cal Beverly by Peachtree City's appointed

attorneys, Webb, Stuckey, and Lindsey.

The fact that I feel

compelled to issue a disclaimer on my comments, to point

out that these are my opinions, supports the claim made

off the voice of dissent and debate in this

community."

The Peachtree City Code of

Ethics declares as policy that the citizens have

confidence in the integrity of their government. The Code

goes on to assert that this confidence is "impaired

whenever there exists in fact, or appears to exist, a

conflict between the private interests and public

responsibilities of city officials and employees,"

though it has not yet been determined if the law firm

representing Peachtree City is subject to the Code of

Ethics as it applies to the mayor, council, officials and

employees.

What concerns me far more

than the answer to that legal question, or even the

question of whether or not there exists a potential

conflict of interest on the part of Mr. Webb, is the

question of a citizen's right to raise issues in the

public realm about his perceptions of the potential for

impropriety in a government appointment.

I would love to see a poll

on who in this county has confidence in the integrity of

their government now. I would also like to see a poll on

who in this county thinks it doesn't seem right for an

attorney to continue to represent the city in light of

the fact that he also sits on a board of directors of a

local bank with someone his firm must defend the city

against.

In my mind, an ethics code

doesn't exist solely to give "cause" to

accusations of violations in fact, but also to guard the

people against the appearance of a violation.

I've read over and over the

letters in question, and I don't see that Mr. Brown

accuses Mr. Webb of any specific misdeed. I see a citizen

with some genuine rationalizations for questioning this

reappointment.

When elected officials

abstain from a vote, they are not conceding conflict, but

rather acting on a desire to insure against the

appearance of one.

I don't think Brown was

accusing Webb of a violation. Brown clearly says,

"there is a chance that the behavior may be legal,

but it is most certainly not ethical." I construe

that to mean "not ethical" in the court of

public opinion. The Supreme Court has already declared

that a "rule compelling the critic of official

conduct to guarantee the truth of all his factual

assertions would deter protected speech." New York

Times Co. v. Sullivan.

The factual truth here

appears to be that Mr. Brown believed that city interests

might be in conflict with Webb's position on the bank

board.

I am scared for Steve

Brown. I am afraid for all of us.

I make no claims for anyone

else in this town, but I know how I feel as a citizen. I

am disgusted by what I perceive to be a gross abuse of

the public trust. I am fearful that our right to

legitimately question and scrutinize those that govern is

being trampled.

I am appalled that an

individual citizen is being sued for expressing his

opinions on politics, and that he must now monetarily pay

the price to uphold a freedom that was already bought and

paid for over 200 years ago. Are we now a city that

strikes fear in its citizenry?

For Peachtree City, this a

public relations nightmare of epic proportions. Mr. Rick

Lindsey, partner of Mr. Webb, states that [Brown's]

"libelous remarks have done a great disservice... to

the reputation of our town." I wonder how many

people think the greater disservice is being done by this

firm.

This all reminds me of the

story, "The Emperor's New Clothes." It seems to

me that most everyone recognizes the far-reaching

tentacles of the sphere of influence that is the power

structure in this town. We dress it up with beautiful

scenery, ornamentation, and flowery language, but no one

is willing tell the emperor that what he is really

wearing is raw, naked power.

Maybe the overreaction is

really raw, naked fear that the dike may have sprung a

leak.

Government derives its

power from the people. Our local government is lording

that power over its people by standing stoically silent,

with the exception of Dan Tennant, who seems to have the

public interest at heart.

This reeks. If this doesn't

stir some folks out of complacency, then we do have

T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

(You may contact Amy

Riley via her e-mail address: [email protected] )