KEMP YES

I find it amazing and even amusing to read your weekly tirade against Brian Kemp, the Republican candidate for state senate. You use a significant amount of ink each week in your attempts to convince your readers that because Brian is being supported by the builder/developer community of Athens it's a bad thing, but you never tell who Doug Haines' big supporters are. Since you seem to be one-sided in your reporting I thought I would do you and your readers a favor and tell that story, just to be fair.

In reviewing Mr. Haines' disclosure forms for the 2002 campaign it seems his support comes in large part from three types of major contributors: PAC's, unions and trial lawyers. One report shows 90 percent of his contributions coming from one of the above mentioned entities. Another report indicates 100 percent of the donations he received come from the same aforementioned entities. His latest report shows almost $49,000 coming in from these special interests! One contribution totaling a whopping $4000 came from lawyers in Marietta, GA of all places.

I hope you find this as interesting as I did. Now when you refer to someone who is bought and paid for you have the facts on the table for all to see. At least most of the builders and developers reside in our community. Most of them provide good jobs to area citizens and pay taxes in this part of Georgia. Most of them provide housing and places for us to shop.

Now, whether you like the builders and developers or not is quite another story, but given the choice between PAC's, unions and trial lawyers versus hard working area builders I'll take the latter!

P.S. I wonder if this will change Brad Aaron's opinion... nah, probably not.

Jim Ivey (The one Doug beat in 2000)
Athens

Brad Aaron responds: "Doug Haines' big supporters" are listed in Flagpole's "Follow The Money," along with everyone else's.

HAINES YES

We're writing as teachers involved with the Georgia Systemic Teacher Education Program (GSTEP) to declare our support for State Senator Doug Haines. Like the Georgia Association of Educators, which has recently endorsed him, we believe that Haines' accomplishments during his first term in office demonstrate his vision of better-educated Georgians. A member of the Senate Higher Education Committee, he is poised to make decisions affecting the 46th District, home of UGA and other colleges. Haines fought for pay increases for university faculty, ensuring that the world's best scholars will continue to seek employment at UGA, and he fought to control the rising health insurance costs of university employees.

Senator Haines knows that well-endowed universities alone will not provide Georgia with an educated population. He is working to overcome the discrepancies between the successful graduates of our prosperous universities and low-performing students in our poorer primary and secondary public schools. Despite statewide budget cuts, Haines secured pay increases for teachers and has increased funding for our schools. He helped make Clarke County a pilot program for the Georgia Early Learning Initiative (GELI), a private/public partnership devoted to preparing low-income students for public school. By enabling poorer children to attend quality day care programs and by improving the instruction in these programs, GELI will help prepare at-risk children to learn and succeed in school and promises to be a model for similar programs throughout Georgia. His Republican opponent's claims to the contrary, Senator Haines is one of our best hopes for education.

The GSTEP English Curriculum Team: Roger Bailey (English, Oconee County High School), Kris Boudreau (English, UGA), Peg Graham (English Education, UGA), Chandra Power (English, Madison County High School), Paul Quick (English, UGA)

KEMP YES

Congratulations on Mr. Aaron's articles endorsing Brian Kemp for Senate. Aaron supposedly manages to have recognized environmentalists describing a Republican businessman (a developer, no less) as "a consensus builder of affordable housing," whose Barnett Shoals development was "done within the codes of Athens-Clarke County," and whose Creekstone development, "apparently did abide by our regulations." Wow. A Republican businessman who's not out to mug old ladies and flush my Social Security down his gold-plated toilet?!? Wow! On top of that, he's apparently in favor of private property rights over public property rights. That sure sounds like a guy I'd like in office defending my private property rights. It's quite a compliment when those seeking to discredit you actually manage to make you look good.

Again, thank you for publishing the first two politically-related articles that I have enjoyed.

P.S. Don't think I missed the intended slant of these articles; Aaron's intended message was delivered quite laughably.

Evan Lilly
Oconee County

HAINES YES

Folks, the race for State Senate presents a clear choice. On the one hand, you have Brian Kemp, a developer whose main qualifications are that he's from Athens and that a couple of his ancestors were politicians. On the other hand, you have Doug Haines, an environmental lawyer who received the highest legislator rating by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and who as a freshman senator was placed on several high-ranking committees.

After five years of drought, we should be smart enough to recognize that an environmental lawyer who specializes in water quality is a much better choice than a developer whose work only exacerbates our water problems with more paving and faster and dirtier water runoff.

It's understandable if people don't realize that Brian Kemp's work contributes to sprawl and decreased water supply and quality because of all of the environmental rhetoric stuffed in his multiple mass mailings and television ads (on the Weather Channel and VH1 for Pete's sake!). Obviously he is benefiting from the largess of the state GOP and the deep-pocketed local conservatives who are nervous that perhaps their clear-cut and slash-and-burn golden goose might be cooked.

Don't let the number of yard signs or mass mailings determine your vote. Doug Haines has the intelligence, experience and vision to continue to be our state Senator. On top of that, he has the confidence and the attention of the powers in Atlanta to represent our region's interests. Doug Haines deserves to be re-elected.

Paul Quick
Athens

KEMP NO

Brian Kemp says that we can trust him. However, his ads claim that teacher salaries were cut in last year's state budget. This is incorrect; teacher salaries were RAISED in last year's state budget, not cut.

He blames Senator Haines for these nonexistent cuts. Senator Haines deserves credit for getting the raises and has the endorsement of the Georgia Association of Educators as a result.

Kemp also claims that he would "never" compromise a position of trust for himself or for any party. Wrong AGAIN. That is exactly what he did while serving on the committee that is supposed to look for AND CLOSE loopholes in our new land use plan (a plan he did everything he could in behalf of the development "party" to water down before it was adopted).

When he found out that the development standards requiring apartment buildings to face the public streets didn't apply to many of our most important street corridors (like Barnett Shoals), he did not fulfill the obligations that accompany his seat on the committee by bringing forward a proposal to close that loophole. Instead, he took advantage of it specifically with the design of his now completed Shoal Creek Apartments project.

When a Commissioner discovered the loophole (only AFTER the project was underway, and no thanks to Kemp) and suggested that it be closed, Kemp responded angrily that such a proposal was a "blatant political attack" and that he never intended to "find a loophole in the system." (Flagpole Magazine, "The Fox In The Henhouse," 10/16/2002). The events that marked the construction of the Shoal Creek Apartments provide ample evidence to conclude otherwise. Kemp has shown not only that he can't be trusted, but also is uncomfortable in the face of criticism, a poor combination for holding public office.

Paul Mack
Athens

LYNN YES

I am writing this letter to endorse David Lynn for the District 5 Commission seat. I came to know David well while serving with him as co-chair of Citizens for Healthy Neighborhoods, a neighborhood group formed to reach a compromise with Athens Regional Medical Center on their 20-year growth plan. I recognize in David those traits that will make him an exceptional Commissioner - leadership, resourcefulness, responsiveness, experience in government, planning and business, a reverence for Athens' uniqueness and respect for and from people in all walks of life. David will look at both sides of the coin - preserving what is special about Athens while ensuring its future economic well being. He will seek to attract businesses that support Athens' quality of life. He understands that historic preservation is a business in its own right, bringing in tourism dollars and raising property values. He knows the value and vulnerability of our natural resources and will work to protect our air and water quality. He will also protect neighborhoods, understanding that their health will largely determine the health of our community. I have heard Hugh Logan supporters call him ''a good and honest man.'' I agree with that assessment, and I applaud Mr. Logan for having been a public servant for many years. However, we must look to the best interests of Athens' future. The era of growth at all costs has passed. David Lynn's policies work today; please vote for him on Nov. 5.

Amy Andrews
Athens