I will publicly applaud Mr.

Mark Bunker and his staff at Photocircuits for responding

and setting a new standard in industrial and commercial

design and hazardous chemical safety that protects our

citizens. I had researched hazardous chemical early

warning systems and asked Mr. Bunker if he would be

willing to participate in such a project to insure the

safety of the citizens and he agreed.

We are now about to

initiate a countywide computer automated, state of the

art, phone bank system that could save countless lives in

the event of a hazardous chemical disaster at no

cost to the taxpayers of Fayette County. This system will

accommodate industrial site, tanker truck, railroad

tanker and possibly even tornado disasters. I can assure

everyone in Fayette County that our Local Emergency

Planning Committee is making our county one of the safest

in the state and in the country.

Did applying our First

Amendment right of speech help the city and the county?

Next came the "Big

Box" issue. For the record, I do not want the big

boxes, their traffic or their infrastructure expenses,

period. However, the Ga. Highway 54 West Home Depot site

is an absolute nightmare even if you want the big boxes

in Peachtree City. This was a health, safety, welfare and

quality of life issue. Again, I started writing letters

to the editors to stimulate public debate.

Again, the public

responded. Soon after, the Traffic Impact Ordinance was

passed. I was surprised when one of the Planning

Commission members actually quoted one of my letters to

the editor prior to the commission voting the Home Depot

site plan down.

I will also applaud the men

on the Planning Commission. In my opinion, they are the

most diligent, community-oriented body in the Peachtree

City government. They have reinstated the workshop method

(as stated in the city's official protocol) and have made

the meetings much more open to public comment. I beg all

of you not to take this for granted and I am asking you

to tell these men that you appreciate their devotion to

all of us. It took a lot of guts to go head-to-head with

a $30 billion corporation and the assorted attorneys and

decide that safety and quality of life is priority one in

Peachtree City. Was the freedom to speak helpful to our

city?

Lately, I have used my

First Amendment right to speak up on annexation and

governmental ethics. Since the City Attorney and his law

firm is suing me in what partner Rick Lindsey said would

be a "both lengthy and expensive" process, I am

hesitant to say anything about the subjects. In fact, no

citizens are addressing certain ethical subjects related

to the City Attorney appointment at all. Is this

beneficial to our city?

Our mayor said at the March

16 council meeting that free speech is not an essential

component of council meetings. He pointed to our state

legislature as an example.

I once attended a state

legislative committee meeting many years ago. While a

private citizen was trying to address the committee, our

elected representatives were talking amongst themselves

and not listening to a word from the speaker. One of the

committee members began throwing peanuts at a fellow

committee member while another citizen was trying to

speak. It was all I could do to keep from bursting out in

anger at their lack of responsiveness.

All one has to do is look

at the abhorrent, pork barrel spending taking place with

our tax dollars and it is easy to conclude that our state

legislature makes a poor example in cases involving

fairness. I urge you to take your children to such

meetings and discuss what you see. It might encourage

them to take a stand for better government later on in

life.

In actuality, our council

meetings will be whatever our council members decide to

make them. It can be "my meeting" or it can be

"our meeting." Our local government process

can, without a doubt, be much more open than it is now.

Special thanks to Council Member Dan Tennant for pushing

the "openness" position. If the largest

campaign donors or influence peddlers were addressing

that state legislative committee, the committee members

would have most likely been at perfect attention, and

this is the main problem that we face in government

today.

I have quite a few modern

day heroes. I will not mention any of my heroes in

Peachtree City as they might receive a subpoena from our

City Attorney for knowing me. Let me give you a hero on

the north side of town - Emily Lemcke. Ms. Lemcke is

the county commission chair for Cherokee County. They

were having a lot of problems similar to what we are now

experiencing.

To make a long story short,

the "pro-development at any cost" commissioners

were booted out and Ms. Lemcke and company was installed.

She listened to the people and gave them back their

government. The citizens were so delighted with the

election outcome that one citizen unfurled a banner at

Lemcke's first commission meeting that stated "of

the people, for the people and by the people."

She has done a great job

bringing the growth debate to the people and not leaving

it in the developmental services office. She has gotten

all sides involved and not just the friends of the

elected officials.

Please do not let anyone

tell you that you cannot have real public meetings and

true public debate because that is an absolute lie.

I adhere to the "love

your neighbor" philosophy. This does not always mean

that you agree with your neighbor but you should want his

or her family to prosper. If you go out of your way to

help your neighbor, your good deeds will be returned to

you ten times over. This philosophy must work because I

have received numerous letters and phone calls of support

from people that I have never even met.

You have no idea how much

it means to have those I know and total strangers offer

assistance and say that they pray for my family and me

every day. One particular letter from a woman in

Fayetteville was so touching that it caused me to start

crying as I thought about her words while driving in my

car. I love my city and I love its people.

Steve Brown

[email protected]

(at your own risk!)