Art Linkletter coined the phrase, “Kids say the darndest things.” To borrow from Mr. Linkletter, politicians also say the darndest things.

Why did the Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax (SPLOST) referendums in other counties pass, but not in Fayette? Ours was a vote of no confidence.

This could be useful for newly elected politicians and students of political science as they will not learn this in class.

The cat, regarding the proposed SPLOST, is officially out of the bag.

Fayette County Commissioner Lee Hearn trudged out to meet with the disgruntled constituents, trying to prevent the natives from getting more restless. As fate would have it, some of the constituents had the audacity to actually read the 2009 SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) ballot and supporting materials, a commissioner’s nightmare.

People of Fayette County, I want to object to your terms of political argument. The truth will set you free, but you need to be able to identify the truth.

Let’s get specific regarding the upcoming election, starting with community participation on issues of importance.

Historically, Cyndi Plunkett has been involved in the community and was on the Peachtree City Recreation Commission prior to her council service.

It happens every year: emails and phone calls asking for my advice on whom to vote for in the upcoming election. I do not mind the queries, but it really is an indication that people are not keeping up with local current events.

There we were, my daughter at my side, sitting in the pickup truck at 7:30 a.m., watching the rain come down. It was the Dog Park Work Day on Saturday when we stain the gazebos, clear the weeds from the fence, trim the tree limbs and any other thing that needs doing.

The French philosopher and author Voltaire was exactly right when he said, “Common sense is not so common.” He also said, “Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her: but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game.”

If you woke up this morning healthy and of sound mind, thankful for your beautiful family, grateful that you live in the greatest nation in the world, I would like to ask a favor of you.

There were certain issues in the past, whenever they arose, when I just kept my thoughts to myself and kept going.

As an elected official who was vocal on land use and transportation issues, I was often called to speak to various groups regarding those subjects. But before speaking, I would sometimes be introduced as the mayor of a city created under a master plan, never veering from it, maintaining the original vision from start to present. It was not true.

We always like to think that “our child” will always behave well, follow school rules and obey the law. However, every year a whole host of students manage to wind up in trouble at school or violating the law.

I was amazed at how many people were shocked to discover Fayette County Commission Chairman Jack Smith was on the board of directors for the Bank of Georgia (owned by Georgia Bancshares, Inc.).

It’s time to face the truth. Our local community falls short on caring for our elders.

Some of our senior citizens, widows and those on fixed incomes, are the casualties of local government policies and apathy.

The Honorable George “Sonny” Perdue III is closing in on the end of his term-limited tenure as governor, elected in 2002, being the first Republican to hold the office since 1868.

Beloved citizens of Fayette County, beware of the shady bargain called Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST).

I was reading the newspaper regarding the county commissioners receiving a full-time benefits package, the mayor in Peachtree City wanting more deficit budgeting and the arrogance of local government leaders looking at proposing another Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (a.k.a. “significant tax increase”) when they cannot justify the West Fayetteville Bypass they are building now.

It’s the hottest excuse in federal government: “I didn’t read the bill.”

Congress’ latest anti-transparency scheme is literally telling the American public that ignorance really is bliss. Yes, you can be granted full immunity on voting for horrible bills, pumping special interests and robbing the average taxpayers if you simply say you did not read the bill.

I often wish we could declare our independence from the U.S. Congress, a body more obsessed with its own desires than the people it represents. Much like the top Wall Street executives, our members of Congress have a very shallow view of the future, not looking beyond their own personal enrichment.

The citizens of Fayette County need a moment of introspection in order to figure out where they want the county to be in the next 10 years. The days of resting on our laurels are long gone.

Too many men and women have needlessly suffered.

Too many witnesses did not get it right.

The judicial system can break down.

Parents get their children in an awful lot of trouble by erasing the word “no” from their vocabularies. After laboring to produce a muffled “da-da” and “ma-ma,” the word “no” comes roaring out of the toddler’s mouth crystal clear, usually as an exclamation.

Sometimes people can fool themselves into believing just about anything if they keep saying it enough. Truly, parties can become too ambitious with their storytelling in an attempt to persuade others of an altered reality, a shift in historical fact.

The current swine flu outbreak will be another test of how the government, news media and an anxious public behave. The ability of all three to separate the truth from the hype could determine how we perform if and when a devastating pandemic strikes.

The 2009 session of the Georgia General Assembly ended earlier this month. The conclusion of the political hash-making carnival opened the barn door so the local Republican roosters could begin strutting around the barnyard.

There was quite a bit of media coverage on the TEA (Taxed Enough Already) parties across the country, replete with signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts. Many of the events were rants on President Obama, assumed to be “Republican” TEA parties. Others were somewhat issues oriented. However, I thought the best witticism directed at Congress was the little toddler wearing a diaper and holding a sign saying, “I didn’t read the bill either!”

At the end of a bull fight comes the “el momento de la verdad,” meaning “the moment of truth,” denoting the point in the contest when the matador finishes the bull off. Ernest Hemingway introduced the phrase to American readers in 1932.

Oh, the games politicos play, sneaking through the back doors, throwing up smoke screens, searching for scapegoats.

The AIG bonuses are the most recent reminder of just how bad our government is skewed toward the special interests. They are so caught up in their ways, they cannot see the freight train of social justice heading straight toward them. Yes, Congress knew about the bonuses; yes, the lobbyists know how to distract those in power.

It appears the new “normal” is we must pay more and more taxes, pressuring our neighbors to do the same, redistributing the wealth if necessary.

The debut of President Barack Obama has left many people skeptical about his willingness to confront those who would ignore his lofty standards or plunder the treasury.