Rockdale Citizen

The Rockdale Citizen Poll is a compilation of opinions submitted by readers. These opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Citizen newspapers. If you agree or disagree with something you read here, you may respond by e-mailing poll@rockdalecitizen.com. Please remember that the Citizen Poll is not a forum for comments about candidates seeking elected office.

"Call me picky, or is there anyone else here that notice all the trash along every major road or thoroughfare in Conyers and Rockdale County. I think there has to be more trash along Dogwood Drive, Iris Drive, Old Salem Road, Salem Road and along I-20 than there is in the landfill."

"Please stop littering! Throw your trash away appropriately! Not on the side of the streets. Keep America clean."

"Your recent article on the ARC population projection is interesting. However, note their comment, 'The report said the overall region's population will be more diverse.' Now read the weekly Rockdale Police Blotter and take notice of the types of names that always appear there and ask yourself the question, 'Do we really need more diversity?'

"I just wanted to share something that happened to me today, I was at the JP Carr gym sitting on the bleachers watching my friend play basketball when the person in charge asked my friend to tell me to leave because I am a girl. Wow, I was shocked because this sounds a little sexist. Since when is this allowed? I was told to leave because I am girl. I was not doing anything wrong, and do not know why they have that rule there."

"This is in response to the person who wrote in on Feb. 19 poll 'Kudos to the senior citizen (just as I am) about being behind women who get food stamps, pay minor amount of money and driving new cars, fancy nails, while she may have only $16 worth of food stamps for the month. Why do these lazy women get all the amount of food stamps and we who have worked hard all our lives, retire and get only $16. Where is justice?' Could be the person you were behind was running an errand for someone just as deserving of the government assistance as you are. My wife's mom receives about $8 a month in public assistance and because of a bad heart and respiratory problems seldom leaves the Covington high rise to shop. My wife and I both work thus we own two vehicles and yes she likes to get her hair done and nails polished. The wife also does all her mom's grocery shopping, sometimes when she is shopping for our household. She gives my wife her card to help pay for the items that she needs. There has never been a time that we haven't had to add money for her to have enough food to eat. After all $16 a month, what a joke. Things aren't always as they appear."

"I am calling in to complain about the caliber of complaints that we have here in Rockdale County. It is quite clear that we do not have enough creative complainers here and I think somehow this has just got to be the fault of the Board of Commissioners, the school system, the Rockdale Citizen, the long-time white citizens, the new black citizens, or the animal control department! C'mon Rockdale. How about some alien conspiracies or sump'in?"

"Before the days of Oden and the need to embrace diversity, Rockdale County was a peaceful suburban area where we felt safe to go to the store and where kids excelled in public schools. Those of us who have lived here long enough to remember how it was loathe the direction this county is taking. Embracing diversity does not mean we must tolerate community violence as a new way of life!"

"People moved to Rockdale County to escape the urban sprawl, and now Mr. Oden wishes to bring it to our doorstep in the form of MARTA. Simply put, we don't want MARTA here -- ever!"

"After reading all of the comments about the stormwater utility bill, I now understand why mine increased from last year. I am amazed at the citizens who have chosen not to pay this bill. Why should my bill go up just to cover the loss of someone not paying their bill? What about those of us who have done the right thing, year after year, and paid this bill? Seems there is no recognition for that, just higher bills the following year!"

"The person who thinks so highly of union teachers must surely be a union teacher who is perfectly OK that they draw roughly twice the pay, and get far better benefits than the average worker in the private sector. And they complain when asked to take a small cut in salary to pay down a debt their high salaries and benefits helped create. This, while they enjoy working in an air-conditioned environment for a whole nine months in a year. Something seems a little out of balance when the worker gets better pay and benefits than their boss, the people who pay their salary, many who have to work outside enduring the elements."

"This week for the second time in so many years I was told of some comments made by representatives of the BOE. A couple of years ago when I heard these comments were made to employees of the BOE, my response was, 'No one could be this heartless.' But apparently this is a policy of BOE, I am not sure if it is listed in the employee handbook. Apparently teachers, principals and other employees have been told that they are teachers and principles first and parents second. They are not to comment about the board negatively. Now that part I get, don't like it but I get it. If anyone told me that I was a teacher, nurse, etc. first over being a parent they would get a good talking to from me. In today's economic environment I get that no one wants to lose their jobs but how much more needs to be tolerated by these teachers and others. Please everyone remember these things come election time, that will be the time for voices to be heard."

"I thought Rockdale County had codes preventing vehicles from being stored and/or sold in front yards. Isn't it time Rockdale County's code enforcers earned their salaries and checked out White Road junk yards ... "

"If you are a Rockdale Water customer, better start reading your meter yourself every month. This month my water bill from Jan. 19 to Feb. 10, previous read 802, current read 806. I have made it habit to read my meter every month. When I got my bill on the 23rd, I went to read my meter, and guess what it read? 806 as they said it was on the 10th. A big 10-day error. Of course the clerk at the water department just said when they read it the next month, the difference will be made up. They didn't read it this month. I have proved time and time again that they do not read your meter every month. If you look at the bottom left part of your bill they show a bar graph of water consumption for past months. When they estimate a bill if will look almost like your consumption for that same time period last year. Are we going to be like Atlanta Water."

"Why does the Citizen cover local sports? They are always behind by a day or more, like in the case of an all-area baseball team from the 2010 season or an all area football team for the 2010 season, or volleyball. The list goes on. The student-athletes deserved to be recognized by the local newspaper, but it seems the local newspaper, doesn't care one bit."

"Former Sen. Douglas recently took six columns to blame many recent events on President Barack Obama. Much of what he wrote is false, illogical and unfortunately, divisive rhetoric. Perhaps he's been through too many negative campaigns? He wrote of the four Americans killed by pirates. Didn't President Reagan pay millions (in arms) for the release of the Iran hostages? Also, in 1941, the Germans sunk two U.S. Navy ships with 11 and 120 men aboard killed, but Roosevelt did not go to or ask for war. Good presidents do not jump into any war lightly. As for the Middle East, Mubarak, Gaddhafi, etc., are dictators who are reaping their just rewards for years of repression by their citizenry. Douglas claims Mubarak was a friend of the U.S. Give me a break! He was a friend (just like our Georgia legislators?) -- as long as he could fill his pockets and his stomach with U.S. money and food. His arguments for Mubarak, e.g. no raped women murdered in public, an ally who kept peace with Israel, etc. are similar to those used by the lords who supported Louis XIV during the French Revolution. If Mr. Douglas were alive during our revolution would he have sided with King George? The Arab world has been living in the 6th century but the World Wide Web is showing freedom's benefits to their young. And the revolutions have begun! Most Americans believe we should support them in any way possible except military force. Luckily, President Obama is in charge of our response and not some crazy Texan like Johnson or Bush."

"It is that time of year to find Girl Scouts out selling their cookies. I don't mind because my daughters were Girl Scouts also. But I do have a problem when I am driving down Ga. 20 and in front of Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins, I see small girls within 2 feet of the road. What is wrong with the adults tending to these kids. Why are you allowing those girls that close to a major road? Those adults would feel awfully bad if one of those girls had been struck by a passing car. Or would they? They would probably blame the driver of the car and with the way society is today, the driver would probably be the one in trouble instead of the adults supposedly watching the girls. What is wrong with our world. We are getting it all back ... wards."

"The Sunday crossword puzzle is now so small that I cannot read it. Please go back to the former size."

"What is wrong with the members of our state Legislature wanting to put 7- and 8-year-olds in car seats. Next they will want seniors in car seats. Do they not have enough to do trying to balance the budget. This is just one more intrusion into parenting. Government needs to look at how many laws we have and delete some."

"I do not know much about the inter workings of the trial proceeding in our county for I have been a very law-abiding citizen. I now find myself trying to find out because I know people that have disobeyed the law. What I find is our court system is flawed at best. I called to find out what the fine was for someone using marijuana for the first time and was told to call a lawyer. Rockdale apparently can set the fine at whatever they want to at the time. They must not want us to know what is going on. I personally do not agree with smoking of any type but that is just me."

"I want to know why you can call Rockdale Water Department and no one will answer your call. After listening to a recording you are put on hold but no one answers. I had to go to the office just to get the amount of deposit for water service. They were not busy at all. It is ridiculous that they cannot pick up the phone. When you are on a break at work you do not have 20 minutes to hold on."

"Yep, If you come up thumping your so-called music behind me at a red light I will wait until the last moment to proceed at the green light, leaving you stuck at the light. My way of avoiding your annoying and disrespectful self."

"In response to the person who posted about their daughter handing out flyers for a Christian youth event. I am sickened to think that a public high school would condone passing out info about a 18 to party, 21 to drink place, but won't allow anything to do with religion to be passed out. A question for some of you, have you looked at or talked to some of the high school students lately? It's looking pretty rough. Please pray for them. Indeed, there is something major wrong with this picture. Sad to say."

"Has anyone noticed that on the city of Conyers Web site you can no longer access the city ordinances? I even went to Municode.com and clicked on 'code' for Conyers and Cordele's codes come up. Why are our city administrators trying to keep knowledge of the law and our legal rights a secret?"

"This service station at the corner of West Avenue and Green Street needs to take down the Stars and Stripes. We who served deserve better tribute than those ragged flags."

"Just wondering when the light at Salem and Old Salem Road and all of the other lights between I-20 and Brown Bridge Road have turn lights. But the one going north bound going toward I-20 continues not to work. I know they put one at Spring Road, and they did that in a hurry ... DOT did a good job. We really need a turn signal at Salem and Old Salem because of the schools involved and the traffic involved. Just wondering when it is going to happen."