Letters to the Editor

Bikes on roads are safety issue, not rights

This is a follow-up letter to a recent [letter] of mine that was published in recent weeks. A response from a Mr. Rick Sanderson leads me to believe there is some misunderstanding about the issues.

I see there is no disagreement about the absurdity of banning gas golf carts, but when I mentioned that recreational cyclists should use our path system instead of the roadways, I was not comparing the two issues. I was merely giving the council an issue worth addressing, as opposed to the potential gas golf cart ban. Read More»

Tolbert: Qualifications for BoE include organizing, managing budget

My name is Sam Tolbert, and I have lived in Fayette County for 24 years. As a candidate for Fayette County Board of Education, Post 5, I am a semi-retired senior manager and most recently worked as an adjunct professor of mathematics at Gordon College in Barnesville, Ga.

My qualifications/accomplishments are:

• Board member Georgia Tech International Standards & Quality, Southern Tech Center for Quality

• Conducted continuing educational classes for Georgia Tech, Southern Tech and Dale Carnegie Institute

• Board member and lead auditor for Georgia Oglethorpe Award committee Read More»

Rep. Ramsey: Attacks on longtime Rep. Yates raise laughable non-issues

It is the home stretch in the 2010 election season and this is the time when candidates begin to say and do strange things in the hopes of winning office.

Just this week, I read with a mix of disdain and amusement the attack on my good friend and state House colleague Representative John Yates by his Democratic opponent.

For those that don’t know him, John Yates is the only World War II veteran serving in the Georgia General Assembly. Read More»

Gas carts, bikers: Both involve rights

Daniel Allen’s letter on Sept. 29 both resonates and disturbs me. I agree with him that residents with gas-powered carts should not have to worry about a vote to outlaw them.

That issue is to me, an example of our council hard at work on a non-issue.

While I don’t like gas powered carts, the noise or their smell, I don’t support taking that right away. Read More»

Transportation plan: Have your input now

I am extremely concerned that other Fayette citizens won’t have the opportunity to submit comments concerning the latest Fayette County Transportation Plan within the specified time period.

If folks don’t know to look on the county website for this latest transportation plan, they won’t be able to take advantage of the opportunity. I have no hopes that anyone’s comments will amount to a hill of beans where our current commissioners are concerned, but at least the citizenry will have been informed about the plan. Read More»

The GOP philosophy: Same old bad ideas

Cal Thomas’ article published in Wednesday’s Citizen is a very well articulated argument that people should be educated (by Republicans once they are back in power) to fend for themselves in a world dominated by wealthy corporate interests who relentlessly endeavor to mold government into something ineffectual that can be manipulated by them.

It is just another well argued bad idea in a seemingly endless stream of propaganda generated by the conservative right that seeks to improve the circumstances of the wealthy at the expense of the majority. Read More»

Who fought costly battle against Ga.’s voter ID law? Roy Barnes

In 2005, the Georgia Legislature passed the “Voter ID” Bill that requires voters, when they vote, to present photo identification of the voter.

This is a common sense requirement to protect the value of the votes of the legitimate folks. When non-qualified people vote (dead or alive), or when qualified people vote multiple times, the votes of genuine Georgia voters are cancelled. That’s us. Read More»

Democrat Carroll presses case against Rep. Yates

As a candidate for the Georgia House of Representatives, I would like to make the citizens of Fayette County aware of the national non-partisan voter education movement called Project Vote Smart (www.votesmart.org).

This group, together with CNN, sent out questionnaires for the 2010 Political Courage Test to all candidates nationally, asking them to take a stance on tough issues and submit their responses for publication on the Project Vote Smart website, where voters can familiarize themselves with the candidates and make informed decisions. Read More»

Remembering the homeless shelter

In seventh and eighth grade, I was completely infatuated by this beautiful young lady named Melissa. She had it all with angelic features, a warm personality and a sincerity that I adored.

Melissa and I were in the same school and attended the same church, Embry Hills United Methodist Church in DeKalb County. Read More»

Our ‘sacred lands’: One requires a little history for complete picture

When I was a young boy, we used to go to the local theater every Saturday to watch cowboy and Indian movies. Those “savages” were always the bad people, killing people that were heading westward on wagon trains. In those years, I had also heard the term “Indian giver,” but rarely gave any thought to its true meaning: Native Americans, on a routine basis, were tricked into surrendering their valuable “untitled” real estate, for trivial items of low value. Read More»

Recent Comments

More Comments