Dear editor,

I think we are all aware that the reason you bow to Tommy Craig is due to the fact your newspaper has the account from Newton County for the legal publications. This is the only revenue you can depend on to keep your fish wrapper in business.

In all fairness to everyone concerned, the right way to handle this situation, when you have a town with two newspapers is to alternate every two years like most counties do. But although in some counties, the newspaper with the highest certified number of subscriptions will be the legal organ.

You argue with Linda Hays, Ezell Brown and Henry Baker, the elected officials who select the legal organ that you are grandfathered in and do not have to have a certified audit. They can still strip you of the legals by establishing another method which is fairer to both publications. Without this situation to be constantly fighting to keep the legals does not exist the citizens are the winners. I spent 25 years in the news business. Don’t try to tell me how it works.

I, for one, believe it is high time to stop your collusion (and you are the real conspirators) with Craig against the citizens in favor of the County in all matters of conflict. If any person challenges the County on anything, The Covington News unfairly condemns them no matter what the real facts may be.

In reference to your recent article, furthermore, we are assured that you have absolutely NO journalistic integrity. I just got off the telephone with Mr. Durden having asked if you, BRYAN FAZIO, contacted him for a statement. He said no, absolutely not, and I passed along to Mr. Durden that you, BRYAN FAZIO, failed to contact me with a rendition of my reasoning for demanding the County release public documents belonging to the citizens. We have always called that YELLOW JOURNALISM.

Your selective criticism does not tell the real story; the County has broken the laws of the Great State of Georgia. It does not show I have been a citizen activist for over 25 years. It does not show the reason I filed a court action. It is very simple. Craig, Tolley and Newton County, Georgia argued in a former court action and in written statements certain documents did not exist. I then find there are tapes and CDs and DVDs of Commissioner Henderson stating those pleadings were lies and the documents do exist!

My question to you BRYAN FAZIO, is why as the keeper of the public trust didn’t you file the action to get the information from the County like any other red blooded American newsman would have done? I think we all know the answer to that question.

The ‘past legal fees as awarded’ were never paid because the great Craig and Tolley failed to serve the paperwork necessary for me to pay the fees. They are fully aware the time statutes have exhausted on these issues but are so desperate they just want to discredit the only person who is willing to stand up to them.

They have fully ignored the case in point and they have attempted to divert attention away from the fact they will be ordered to turn over these obviously damaging records no matter what kind of breeze they conjure up. The Commissioners should remind them what they are being paid for. I think it is to answer charges of why they should not turn the records over, although there is no answer, so rather they attempt to drag a good citizen’s name through the mud which will accomplish absolutely nothing in a court of law.

Mr. FAZIO, you have about as much journalistic integrity, based on your behavior in this recent article, as Benedict Arnold. You are no keeper of the public trust. You are a pitiful suck up to your pal, Tommy Craig. I don’t think you will be winning any Pulitzer Prizes any time soon.

Sam M. Hay III