Let me point out that I should

be one of the most important people in Peachtree City to you. I am a citizen

and a voter. It is ME that you were elected to represent, not your "true

friends!" You seem to have forgotten that small aspect of holding

public office. As for the "frivolity" of the ethics violation,

as a voter I consider ANY ethics violation by an elected official anything

but frivolous! In fact it is one of the worst transgressions that an elected

official can commit. I find it disconcerting that you would believe such

a thing to be frivolous. It tells me that you have become extremely shortsighted

and are either incredibly naive or incredibly self-centered and arrogant.

The ethics code you were found

guilty of violating is really quite straightforward. I am surprised that

you seem so confused by it. Simply put, if you ask for an opinion (you

did), an opinion is rendered in writing (it was), then the opinion is

binding. Simple, straightforward, easy to understand. In fact it is so

simple that everyone except your "true friends" understood it

clearly, including the majority of the ethics board, a board appointed

consider among your "true friends." And even this board could

not deny the facts before them, not even after nearly four hours of the

nondefense that your high-priced attorney presented.

It was the nondefense that

created the "waste of money" that you are so upset about. Your

attorney spent nearly four hours dissecting the contract, accusing the

former mayor of wrongdoing, and trying everything EXCEPT a defense. In

spite of repeated attempts by the chairman of the ethics board to address

the violation, never in all that time did he actually present a reason

for you to violate the ethics code! And for this we, the taxpayer, paid

over $27,000! In fact the defense was so weak that it only took a 15-minute

presentation by [former Mayor] Bob Lenox to convince an ethics board,

appointed by you, that you were guilty!

As for your reasoning for your

violation, they too are weak and unreasonable. You basically stated under

oath that you "knew" you were in violation but, as your letter

states, you were trying to "expose corruption." However you

also stated under oath that you "never discussed" the situation,

but only "voted." In fact the special counsel report recently

released states that during a meeting in Jan. 2002 Councilman Tennant

stated that the contracts in question could "only be broken if both

parties agreed." Yet during this discussion you never once questioned

that comment by your fellow councilman!

So when did you actually act

to "expose corruption?" You maintained under oath that you didn't

know about the contract provision until Mayor Brown told you in May 2002.

But there it is, in the January minutes, Councilman Tennant stating the

very fact that so "surprised" you. You were in attendance in

January; were you not listening?

As for "undignified"

behavior, you must begin with yourself. The Open Meetings law provides

for executive session specifically in dealing with personnel matters.

The "surprise" attack of the city attorney in June that began

this whole event, coordinated by [Mayor Steve] Brown and supported by

you, was nothing more than a "public lynching."

If you truly wanted to stop

"undignified behavior" you would have sided with Councilwoman

McMenamin and stopped the entire event. If there was ever a need for executive

session, this was the time.

This attack was designed to

publicly discredit the city attorney, coordinated to purposely exclude

Councilwoman McMenamin, and timed to be done while the city attorney was

not in attendance. You insult our intelligence by stating in your letter

that you "did not know prior to the meeting how the others would

vote." The entire event was designed to achieve the result it did.

You knew it and so did everyone else. No one deserves this type of treatment!

Regardless of the results of

any investigation, this was an "undignified" attack beyond compare.

And you must bear as much responsibility as your other cohorts.

Councilman Rapson, as a voter

and citizen, I am very disappointed in your behavior. It is time that

you grow up and act "like a man." Stop your self-centered and

insincere attempts to become the "martyred victim" and accept

accountability for your actions. Recognize the fact that you clearly violated

the ethics ordinance, and issue an apology to the city attorney for your

participation in a most undignified attack. Then begin to bring some "dignity"