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.

"The RCHS volleyball eligibility issue was that the family in question actually owned a home, lived, and had two children enrolled in Gwinnett County. In March of 2010 this family withdrew one of their children and enrolled them at RCHS, using the vacant home of a fellow RCHS volleyball team member's family as their Rockdale address. The principal of RCHS was informed on July 20 of this situation well before the volleyball season began and the school system and coaches had plenty of time to research the eligibility issues involved and resolve it long before the GHSA had to be informed. Rules apply to everyone and apply all of the time. ... "

"The Board of Education needs to rethink what they are doing in cutting the drivers education program here in Rockdale County. I mean how many more children do we need to see dead on the roads due to the poor efforts we provide these children on learning how to drive. We provide them with four high schools and one educator as it stands now. What cost the county provides is at a minimum the least said. We may as well do away with it as we (the county and the people of this community) have provided them with a ... poor effort anyway. We ought to be ashamed. Again a poor example of what not to do with the budget. Again ... my recommendation is to increase the program, save lives, hold the drivers license until 18 unless they have a drivers education class then at age 16. Simple as that. Instead ... BOE fall on your sword or shoot yourself in the foot. With gas prices we will all start walking anyway."

"Well the patients are certainly running the asylum over at Memorial Middle School. It is no wonder that substitutes warn each other to avoid taking jobs there. I have never witnessed such poor behavior in all of my life, and at the end of the day the poor, powerless teachers are falling over themselves apologizing. I actually feel sorry for them if the level of support subs receive is any indication of the support they receive on a daily basis. I will never work in that building again. I sincerely hope that whoever monitors these things takes a good long look at what is going on in that school. If something isn't done soon, I'm afraid there will be some very serious problems."

"I am still waiting on someone that can tell me who I call for help on my $2,000 dollar tax bill. I have never gotten any government assistance and I have paid for all these other people to get assistance since I was 16 years old. Both me and my husband work full time and I am obtaining my RN by going to school full time as well. Now I am going to lose the house I grew up in over $2,000 ! I am just sick about this, where will me and my family go? If anyone knows an assistance program please let me know as they are selling my father's house on June 2. Thanks so much for any and all help!"

"I agree that better pay for teachers and more assistance is what our students need. What they do not need is more administrators who have been out of the classroom for too long."

"Obama's birth certificate; did we really go to the moon?; is Osama really dead? Some people will never believe the truth, and it will do no good to try and convince them. A lot of them comment in this forum. Like those who scream racism when a minority is criticized, or those who think that one racial group has a monopoly on crime. With the free flow and availability of information today we should have the smartest, most well-informed citizenry in our history. Oh, but that it were so. Also, it appears that Osama planned to divide us along racial and ethnic grounds. Folks, we are all in this together, and we'd better start acting like it."

"I agree with the comments in the last poll about the Emergency Notification System. We'd have been like Dorothy and Toto in 'Wizard of Oz' if we had to rely on the too-little too-late Rockdale notification. Plus it was extremely annoying to get a phone call after the danger had passed and we were just again drifting off to sleep."

"I work for Rockdale County and I was at work all eight hours on Good Friday, as far as I know all the county offices were open normal hours. I don't know what office the reader was speaking of in last week's column."

"Both politicians and diapers need to be changed often -- and for the same reason."

"Just wanted to make people aware that the "In God We Trust" decals can be purchased at the Rockdale tag office for $1 each. You put the decal in the area that usually displays the county name. Yes, they are legal. (You may want to call ahead of time to make sure they have them in stock.) Also, a big thank you to the person who turned in my credit card at one of the local Kroger stores a few weeks ago."

"If you are hiding what you are doing from anyone, is it really something you will be doing to improve your life? It is doubtful. How smart are you when confronted by decisions and directions?"

"I find it hard to believe that no comments were made/posted about the Oz Nesbitt mess. Why are you not posting?"

"The headline in today's Rockdale Citizen told of Commissioner Oz Nesbitt's arrest on family violence charges. The story went on to say he told an officer responding to the 911 call that they were arguing over communication issues ... Wait a minute. Isn't that what commissioners are supposed to do? Communicate. Peacefully resolve conflict? Do the honorable thing Oz ... resign. You have proven over and over again you are not qualified to be on the Board of Commissioners. If it weren't for Obama's coattails you and Mr. Oden would probably not have been elected anyway."

"Let's scrap that dog park idea, before it becomes another 'white elephant.' There are much more important things needed in our county. "

"Nesbitt is an embarrassment to Rockdale County."

"With our insane laws and regulations, why is it illegal to use death penalty drugs made in other countries while the American public consumes similar made drugs every day?"

"Could someone please explain to me why Erica Fatima, the director of Community Affairs, sent out a post-event press release about the Unity Rally at the horse park. My understanding from reading the initial news article was that this event was organized by a nonprofit organization and not affiliated with Rockdale County government. Does Ms. Fatima intend to send press releases out about all nonprofit events in the county?"