Open Letter to Hollis Harris

Mr. Hollis Harris, Based on your own criteria of going to school in Fayette County, owning a business in Fayette County or being born in Fayette County, you chose wrong.

You chose Wayne Hannah for Sheriff because he went to school in Fayette County. You completely overlooked Barry Babb who is FIVE GENERATION Fayette County. He not only went to school here, but he was born here and his children went to school here. His parents went to school here and so did their parents.

In the Probate Judge race you chose Ann Jackson because her children went to school in Fayette County. You overlooked Jim Whitlock and Steve Kiser who raised their children here, own businesses here in the county and both have lived here a lot longer than Ann Jackson. We may be incorrect on this count, but we believe Jim Whitlock may have been born in Fayette County.

In the County Commission race you overlook Bob Fuhrman who's children went to school here. You also seem to forget that Greg Dunn's wife owns a business here and that the couple's son / step son went to school here. We believe he started school at Tyrone Elementary and graduated from Sandy Creek High School but again we could be incorrect on the high school. Peter Pfeifer's daughter went to school here and graduated from one of the local high schools. He may not own a business but he has always worked in the county in a management position making payroll and all the other criteria you mentioned important.

For Tax Commissioners you chose George Wingo. Linda Wells owns a successful business in the county. George Wingo is a career politician.

You talk about a political machine knowing nothing about the people you endorse obviously. All you have to do is look at the pictures they all used in their campaign materials to know what a political machine looks like. In the picture you have Lee Hearn, Jack Smith, Eric Maxwell, Herb Frady, George Wingo, the Sheriff, and Robert Horgan. They are openly stating they are a political machine.

In the District Attorney's race you chose Scott Ballard because he is liked. We feel a District Attorney should be able to do his job, which is to put criminals behind bars. Mr. Ballard has been in the county for generations, just like Barry Babb who is also well liked and has lived in the county much longer. Rudjard Hayes is raising his children here in the county and they have been long time church members, he coached children's sports in Peachtree City before he moved here and he owns a business here in the county.

You chose to skip the school board race, sticking with the incumbents. Is that because your criteria for electing those in public office wouldn't work in that race?

We think you might have been just a bit more honest in your reasons for choosing those you've chosen. Isn't it true that your daughter is married to Sam Chapman, who is a long-time friend of Eric Maxwell and Robert Horgan? Didn't Horgan's father work for you at Delta? Didn't Sam Chapman run Robert Horgan's first campaign and possibly this campaign? Aren't you good friends with all those you chose? Aren't most of your choices in that group that is pushing hard to get an art center built in Fayette County? Did you choose your criteria based on what is best for Fayette County or did you simply use your very creative and intelligent mind to create a scenario that somewhat allowed you to choose your friends?

If we chose our elected officials based on the criteria you chose to use then the village idiot would qualify. We choose our elected officials based on their qualifications, their selfless desire to serve the county rather than their own needs or those of developers OR business interest and their ethics. You seemingly have a much lower bar.

The Fayette Firewall
Permission to distribute this letter is hereby granted.