Mayor Lenox feels that since

90 percent of our citizens are silent that they are satisfied with the

status quo and that if they don't speak up, "you are going to wake

up a year from now and find the crazies are running City Hall." That

is quite a leap of understanding of what is on the minds of our citizens.

I guess I am one of those crazies then, because I am not satisfied with

the status quo.

We as a city run the great

risk of becoming what we fear the most. That is that we will become a

simple slice of what is known as "Generica." That term refers

to driving down the street one day and opening your eyes and not knowing

where you are because everything looks the same. The road is lined with

half-filled strip malls fronted by five different fast food restaurants,

three banks, two pharmacies and only stunted half-dead trees anywhere

in view. Drive up Cobb Parkway or Ga. Highway 85 and you will know what

I mean.

Mayor Lenox, the average citizen

is not speaking up because they don't have time. They are not millionaires.

They are too busy getting in their car at 6 in the morning and commuting

to Atlanta or rushing to the airport to catch their flight. They are speeding

home to try and get their kids to soccer, track and softball practice.

They eat dinner around the family table and do homework until 8 when it

is time to start getting the kids ready for bed, ironing a shirt and preparing

for another day of fast-paced suburban life.

Those citizens love Peachtree

City. They moved here to get away from the endless concrete strip that

is the northside of Atlanta. They moved here for the best schools in the

state and probably the finest recreation programs anyone has ever seen.

They moved here because PTC is a unique place in the bustle of modern

life and they don't want it to become what they escaped.

I have talked to a lot of those

"silent majority" members and these are some of things that

they are interested in: They want to know why their kids are attending

class in trailers in the most affluent county in Georgia. They want to

know why it is so hard to start and maintain a small business in this

city. They want to know why the city is obsessed with the Industrial Park

but ignores Braelinn Village's four empty shops and abandoned McDonald's

eyesore, while two new strip malls are being built less than two miles

away.

They can't understand why the

Cub Scouts had to move their day camp outside city limits because the

city refused to grant them a waiver to shoot bows and arrows and BB guns

under police supervision. They are scratching their heads trying to understand

why our mayor's priority is the Bob Lenox Cultural Arts Center when the

All Children's Playground can barely find enough money to be built and

they have to drive to the Fayette YMCA to find a decent playground.

The silent majority of this

town is tired of watching our city leaders sue each other, accuse each

other of ethics violations, approve additional zoning waivers and arrogantly

embarrass this city in the eyes of the Atlanta metro region with sarcastic

letters, foolish ordinances and snobbish attitudes.

So, I guess you will have to

count me as crazy because I intend to do everything I can to get that

90 percent silent majority to use their voice this fall and throw out

the status quo.

It is time to move this city

from being a "development" to being a city and then hopefully

those "crazy" people will get out and listen to the rest of

their constituents rather than the 10 percent that is making all of the

noise now.

Fred Wellman

Peachtree City