TOUCHÉ!

Pete, thanks to your bulldog determination, Athens has been saved from those cast metal politicians, you know the ones I'm talking about. The ones that you said wouldn't listen to anyone but the special interest groups, the ones that don't want to be to be confused by the facts or the constitution and like their deals made in the backroom.

So Pete, I have to ask, what's the fucking difference between them and the ones you worked so hard to elect? How about:

o National Socialist Rental Registration

o No enforcement of existing quality of life laws (see National Socialist Rental Registration above)

o Moratoria out the ass (you pick it, Apartments, Subdivisions, Mobile Homes)

o Taxes that would choke a horse

o Light pollution police

o Roads and sidewalks that are unkempt and falling apart

o Trash everywhere

o And God only knows what else your buddies have in store for us. Be careful what you wish for!

Professor Der Allery-Wissenschaft

Email

WORKING POOR?

Editor, regarding the upcoming rent ordinance you said [Pub Notes 7/30], "... even if they don't give a damn about our creative community, which is a part of our poor, they should do it for all the other working poor here in the African-American and Hispanic communities." I was just curious as to whether or not you thought the two ethnic groups which you mentioned only had "working poor." If not, why did you only reference the "working poor" of the African-American and Hispanic communities as I have run into several "working poor" individuals who go beyond the demographic you mentioned?

Pren Woods

Athens

WHO PROTECTS US?

Thank you for publishing a most informative article, EXPLOSIVE DYNAMIC ENTRY, Prof. Wilkes author [July 30]. Unfortunately, the American people have become but a "fish" to anyone caught in the grasp of modern law enforcement activity. There is a law (posse commitatus) where government cannot use the military against citizens. What is now the difference between military and military trained police? Your article clearly depicts the misguided mission of modern law enforcement and should be required reading. The change to a more military type law enforcement scheme in America brings us closer to those we go to war to liberate. Who will liberate us?

Peter Christopher

Navesink, NJ

STOP JYL

Please stop printing the insipid column by Jyl Inov. The column never offers anything but insult to your readers. It certainly never offers anything remotely resembling the "help" which I assume is supposed to be its purpose. The trashy column regularly insults the intelligence of your readers and is ruining the integrity of your paper.

Eric Young

Athens

TAX ASSESSOR OK

In a recent letter to Flagpole [City Pages, July 16] the tax assessor's office was criticized for its poor performance. My two experiences with appealing an assessment have not supported this view. The assessors (Dennis Pardue, in particular) have been thorough, patient, courteous and helpful. All calls were returned in timely fashion. My assessments were modestly lowered in both instances. Paying taxes is still painful, but I've found no reason to shoot the messenger.

Alan Glassman

Athens

NOW WORK TOGETHER

At the last Commission meeting, before rental regulation was voted into law, many concerns were raised by citizens on all sides of the spectrum. A major concern of neighborhood protection advocates is the impact of rental property on the character of single family neighborhoods. Neighborhoods like Cedar Creek that have long been single family are justifiably concerned about the quality of their neighborhoods being degraded by the steady encroachment of rental property.

However, the same argument is equally valid from those of us on the other side of the fence, and I hope our perspective will soon be given equal consideration. Boulevard and other intown neighborhoods have historically been multi-family, multi-ethnic, and multi-income level, and for decades these areas have welcomed those living in alternative households (for economic or social reasons) and those who rent instead of own their home. Many are concerned about how the strict enforcement of a countywide two-unrelated-only definition of family will impact the diverse urban character of intown neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are largely zoned as single family by the government, when in fact single family is only a part of their complex character.

Our definition of family is too restrictive for the needs of many neighborhoods in its attempt to accommodate many other neighborhoods who are exceptionally well-organized and well-represented on the Commission. Without a question a definition of family that so many view as unfair will unnecessarily harm too many people, people that so many of us value as a part of our distinctive community. The argument that the current definition of family will re-define the Athens we value into a homogenized Athens we no longer recognize is a very valid concern.

Mayor and Commissioners and Neighborhood Leaders please, let's finally work together to begin an open public process to look at our controversial definition of family and ensure it's suitable for all neighborhoods of Athens, so the character of genuinely single family neighborhoods can be protected, while preserving the character of other neighborhoods who are currently and historically not what they are zoned to be.

We all care about the character of our neighborhoods, but thankfully Athens neighborhoods come in many fine flavors and we should not treat them all as lemon and lime. Let's work to protect what we care about and stop throwing stones at each other, accomplishing only pointless divisiveness and misunderstanding in the process. It's time to start working together and stop working apart. Athens and all of its unique neighborhoods deserve better than this.

Krysia Haag

Athens