Dear Editor: More spin on the civic center/hotel project! We now have two new hotels building in the Industrial Park area with conference rooms. There are already numerous venues in the county for performances. Our tax dollars should be spent on basic services at all times but especially during a down-turn in the economy.

Any argument there?

Next, the voter apathy in Newton County is, in large part, due to the citizens' attitude towards our government in general. In discussing these issues the consensus is that the county officials are not running the government anyhow. A few people, who have their own visions of what they want the United States to be for their own purposes and for their own profit, are calling all the shots.

Strike three?

I personally funded court actions against both the Multi-County Industrial Park and in the media and various meetings the county attorney stated, "There are numerous hi-tech industries ready to move here."

Where are they?

We were told Bear Creek was the best place for a reservoir. Not true. Since all the negative spin and criticism of the Thomas site on the South River by the Newton County attorney, Henry County has made several moves on the site to build a drinking water production facility. Will we be buying our water from a site in Newton but from another county?

 The Thomas site would have cost the citizens zero investment with a contract to buy water for 30 years at half what water will cost if the Bear Creek Reservoir is built. And according to the State of Georgia's Accounting office when they pulled out of the West Georgia (Murphy) project, "There is no way to pay for a water reservoir only using funds from the sale of water, its impossible."