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What our Readers Are Saying

Letters to the Editor

3 DAPC members also on bank board

The Direct PAC (political action committee) is the epitome of how our political system has taken a wrong turn.

What they are attempting to do it achieve their own personal prosperity on the backs of the average citizens through the use of misinformation and intimidation. They are grappling to regain the stranglehold that they once had on our city.

Direct PAC member John Dufresne wrote a letter to the editor saying the Tourism Association's excellent accountability of funding, to the point that they actually paid for tourism-related expenses that the city normally had to incur in the past, is a bad thing.

He tried to intimidate by saying the state Ethics Commission expressed some concern (they might have had concern, seeing that the only version they received was from Dufresne).

The same John Dufresne, Rex Green, Rick Schlosser, Jim Stinson, Bob Lenox and the other 30 PAC members said that they were filing state ethics charges against me in January of 2005.

Threats, intimidation and bullying are their weapons of choice. They cannot win based on facts related to the issues so they try to beat you into submission.

Before recently threatening ethics charges, Lenox had me arrested a couple of years ago on charges that the judge said did not exist.

Even earlier, the city attorney under the Lenox administration sued me for publicly exposing suspect business relationships that the attorney had with certain developers in the area. The lawsuit was dropped the day before the city attorney was to give his deposition and he was also not reappointed to his position.

The pattern of intimidation is clear. If they could compete on the facts, such threatening tactics would be unnecessary. The former circle of power retained dominance by rewarding cowardice and crushing those with conviction.

Many people do not know that Rex Green is actually a paid employee of a developer, Group VI, who is suing the citizens of Peachtree City.

Former Development Authority Chairman Tate Godfrey was also an employee of Group VI when his employer was mysteriously listed as the only qualified bidder for the Tennis Center expansion project.

The other construction firms were disqualified by the authority's consultant, Bill Foley, who neglected to disclose the fact that he had a significant working relationship with Group VI.

We have since found that Group VI undercut the Tennis Center project and did not build it according to plan specifications. The bottom floor of the new building is vacant because of flooding problems.

This is not the first time that Foley and Group VI have had problems with leaking government structures. However, both the city and our risk management agency are making claims against Group VI on the Tennis Center construction.

One of the claims Direct PAC has made is that Peachtree National Bank should be repaid for all of the unlawful loans ($1.5 million) that were funneled into the Development Authority without public notice and without a public vote.

In 2001, then-Mayor Lenox stated "that the Development Authority currently had a lot of debt that was financed on a short-term, high-interest basis" (city retreat, March 23, 2001).

Why would an authority that was annually hemorrhaging red ink and could not even pay on the principal of their current debts, with no relief in sight, borrow on a "short-term, high-interest basis"? Who benefits from short-term, high-interest loans? The bank, maybe?

The PAC avowed that the bank was unsuspecting and totally unaware of the mismanagement of the authority. In August, I was handed a copy of interrogatory statements submitted by Peachtree National Bank through their attorneys at the firm of Glover and Davis, P.A., at the city's request.

It turns out that three of the seven Development Authority members were also on the board of directors of Peachtree National Bank (Robert Truitt, Tom Farr and Douglas Warner).

There was no disclosure given, no public notification of the loans and no public vote on the loans.

It was an inside deal and such arrangements are not allowed in government for good reasons.

Doug Warner was the authority's attorney before he became an authority member. He knew better.

This marks the end of a scandalous chapter in our city's history. If your support that type of dishonorable behavior, please do not vote for me in November. If you want to reward such appalling actions with our taxpayer dollars then I am not your best choice for mayor.

Direct PAC member Jim Stinson often makes fun of me for telling you that I love my citizens and my job as mayor. His comments do not bother me. It has been a joy working with my colleagues on reforming our local government so that everyone has a seat at the table and our citizens are assured of accountability.

If you will honor me with the opportunity to place a sign in your yard or if you want to help with the campaign, please let me know at [email protected]. Everyone deserves a government that looks out for the best interest of its citizens.

Steve Brown, mayor

Peachtree City, Ga.

Former PTC Mayor Lenox challenges Mayor Brown to answer queries

Last week Mayor Brown wrote two letters to the editor. He signed one with his name and had the other one submitted by his crony and neighbor, Rob Rothley. I will cheerfully respond to the one he wrote relative to the Development Authority, as promised, but I will ignore the other one as I do not feel obligated to respond to recycled Steve Brown screeds published over the names of his hand puppets.

In this latest Development Authority diatribe the mayor basically says virtually nothing of any substance. He once again uses innuendo, inference and the promise of "future revelations" to make us think the Development Authority did "bad things."

As they are involved in a lawsuit, it is no surprise that the other parties have nothing to say. The mayor has received the same legal advice but ignores it. I also note that Mr. Brown no longer uses the words "illegal" and "criminal" after I challenged him to lead the prosecutorial charge if the words were accurate and truthful. Guess they weren't.

I, and I suspect many of you, would much rather hear from Mr. Brown just what it is that he thinks he has accomplished that would make us want to keep him around for another four years. In an effort to foster some meaningful dialogue I will pose the following questions and maybe he will see fit to provide us with some answers in his next letter.

When you took office the TDK Boulevard Extension was basically engineered and ready to be constructed. Four years later we have no road. Why were you unable to make any progress whatsoever on this crucial project?

Why are my own 2005 Peachtree City property taxes 30 percent higher than my 2001 taxes, and some of our citizens are paying over 40 percent more?

Why has the Tennis Center lost one-third of its members, almost all of its teaching professionals, and most of its tournament activity?

How do you expect to work for the benefit of Peachtree City with other elected officials and state agencies and departments when you have a reputation with all of them of being confrontational, dictatorial and untrustworthy?

After years of season ticket sellouts, why does the amphitheater suddenly have hundreds of unsold seats?

Since the Rockaway Road intersection could be fixed for very little money, as road fixes go, and since we already have most of the necessary land, why haven't you fixed it long ago?

I look forward to your answers.

Bob Lenox

Former 3-term mayor, 1992-2001

Peachtree City, Ga.

Rep. Lakly, curtail power of eminent domain laws

To state Rep. Dan Lakly (R-Peachtree City): I confess I am not fully informed of the details of the current eminent domain laws or of pending legislation.

I am aware that the media is exposing troubling actions in Stockbridge and other locations concerning the taking of private property.

While I understand the concept of government need and use, I cannot fathom the prospect of private property being confiscated for private development for any reason.

Private property rights are part of the foundation of our form of government and should be protected at all costs.

I implore you to use any and all of your power and influence to pass legislation to prevent private property from being confiscated for any form of private development, and to severely limit the ability of OUR government to do the same for public purposes. Championing this cause is the right thing to do.

Bill Valliant

Fayette Mower

Fayetteville, Ga.

Burglary story opened eyes

My husband and I have had many arguments about leaving the garage door up at night until we go to bed. He thinks I am being silly when I say it is not safe.

Since the article appeared in the newspaper, he is now closing the door while it is still light outside. Thank you very much.

Marjorie Cebula

Peachtree City, Ga.

PTC slides in stiff new cart rules

On Sept. 15, I attended the City Council meeting where I got to witness, firsthand, the freedom of choice being whisked away from our city (in reference to golf carts, anyway) before our good citizens even had the chance to know about it.

A few days prior to the meeting, The Citizen and the AJC printed small articles about amendments being made to the golf cart ordinances. The Citizen mentioned that the new ordinance concerned registration as well as new restrictions on types of golf carts allowed on the paths, whereas the AJC just mentioned the former.

During the meeting, when the modifications to the ordinance were being read, the city clerk sneakily slid these new restrictions in between comments about registration being required every five years.

The new amendment reads as follows: "It shall be unlawful to operate on the paths of Peachtree City any motorized cart or LSMV that has been altered from the manufacturer's specifications for speed, height, width or noise emission."

I take this to mean that any cart that falls into the following categories will no longer be allowed on the paths: those that have had lift kits installed, those with any type of motor modifications, special body kits, perhaps even older gas-powered carts that are loud.

I believe that the number of these carts must be in the thousands.

Some concerns brought up at the meeting by a couple of residents were:

How will this be implemented? To which the reply was a lackadaisical, "Well, if the police see a cart that is visibly different from a 'regular' cart [which is to be determined by the police officer him/herself] then he/she could write a ticket to the person driving the vehicle."

I suppose their registration would then be revoked, if, after receiving a letter from the manufacturer, it is in accord with the cart not meeting factory specs.

What about the modified carts that were registered prior to the new ordinance? To my surprise, the answer was a smug, "They will not be able to re-register." No grandfather clause, no compensation to these poor people who will not know that their carts are suddenly illegal.

Just a "Sorry, you can't drive your cart anymore, it's illegal now and you need to sell it, somewhere else, and buy a new cart if you wish to continue driving on the paths." Sure.

The council informed me that restricting these modified carts is for my own safety, as well as the livelihood of the cart paths.

If lifted and/or wider carts are truly causing damage to the culverts (which was specifically brought up by the council), then why don't we measure our tunnels to have specific specs to limit carts that are too tall and/or too wide to drive through them? Because if the cart is too tall or too wide, then obviously it cannot pass, which wouldn't matter if it was altered after-market or not.

As far as safety goes, I don't know about you, but I don't feel threatened by the lifted golf carts, the ones that have specialized body kits on them that make them look like a Jeep or a Rolls Royce (which the response of the council was that if it "doesn't look like a golf cart, it isn't one").

No, I look to these carts and express gratitude to the people who have taken the time to give their carts added flair. I doubt that these people who have taken so much care with their carts are going to be driving them in a dangerous manner, which would put themselves, their cart, and others at risk.

What I do feel threatened by are regular carts that are being driven much too fast around corners, carts that cut a little too close to me while I'm on the path. Generally speaking, those drivers who don't show any respect to anyone else.

I am also threatened by the way this ordinance change has been handled, where the people of the city have been totally unaware of what is about to take place.

Stand Up, citizens, and e-mail your mayor ([email protected]); let him know that you don't agree with the changes. Go to the next council meeting, Oct. 6, and demand to be heard. Or go to www.geocities.com/ptccartcrisis. Let them know that this is not going to make the paths safer.

Allisun Obershaw

nightsun (at) snail-mail.net

'We traded 10 mpg for hybrid SUV'

You asked how certain people in the area might be dealing with the high gasoline prices. Our family has always driven the golf cart here in Peachtree City, whenever possible. Even three years ago, when gas was 99 cents a gallon, we still would never use the car if the golf cart was at all a possibility.

Prior to Katrina we knew a new family SUV was needed. We did much research and decided to purchase a hybrid vehicle.

After Katrina hit, we sped up the process considerably and bought the Toyota Highlander SUV seven-passenger hybrid.

We traded in a Land Rover Discovery seven-passenger that got us 10 to 12 miles to the gallon. Now we should be getting 29-33 mpg with the new SUV. We did this for many reasons. A few examples of the reasons are:

1. We were in need of a new vehicle.

2. We love that our new vehicle is much easier on our environment.

3. We are very pleased to be able to seat seven people and still get 29-33 mpg.

After having owned our hybrid for 10 days, we are always driving the golf cart whenever possible. It is so nice not to have to go to the gas station very often.

Julia and Greg Cleath

Peachtree City, Ga.

'Rediscover fun of riding a bike'

I, like most Americans, am becoming more concerned each day about rising energy costs and the toll they are taking on the economy as a whole as well as my own wallet.

Your recent article on the subject offered several suggestions as to what people might do to lessen the effects of the rising gas prices. It was suggested that in Peachtree City citizens may take a golf cart or walk as a means of alternative transportation. I was saddened to see that riding a bicycle was not on the list.

In the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you that I am a manager at Bicycles Unlimited in Peachtree City. I will also say that, like many in the bicycle industry, I am in it because of a passion for the bicycle and not to die a millionaire.

The simple fact is that riding a bike makes sense. Cycling around town reduces gasoline usage. It reduces the emissions of fossil fuels which are currently eroding the environment. It saves wear and tear on current roads and slows the need to clear-cut green space to build new ones. All these benefits are clearly evident without even mentioning the health benefits.

The best reason to ride a bike may be because it just makes you smile. Even if a person has not been on a bike in years, just a few pedal strokes are enough to transport them straight