On Nov. 9, you published an article regarding Superintendent Steven Ballowe's response to an election mailer sent out by City Board of Education member-elect Sammy Smith. Mr. Ballowe expressed the opinion that the mailer was an attack on his leadership. To me, the mailer was not an attack, but a call for concern over some recent actions by the board that indicated a lack of common business sense.

I was pleased to see someone question the board's behavior, as Mr. Smith did in his mailer. I believe a prudent person looking at the district comparisons would come to the conclusion that the county superintendent would be the higher paid. The county system is four times that of the city. I agree with Mr. Smith that questions need to be asked about this discrepancy.

From the response in Mr. Ballowe's letter, it appears he is not used to his leadership being questioned. He wrote, "As with any superintendent you will get what you pay for!"
Does this mean the county superintendent is of the bargain basement variety? I didn't live here in 2001 and don't know if the city schools were in as dire straits as alleged by Mr. Ballowe. Also, I don't know what the "Gainesville Model" is, but Mr. Ballowe referred to it numerous times in his letter, so evidently he believes it is the panacea the schools needed.

The superintendent came to my attention a few months ago when he changed the flag display at GHS. That act didn't irk me so much as the asinine reason he gave for doing it. I hope Mr. Smith will bring a needed voice of sanity to the board's future decisions.
Wilburn Morris
Gainesville

Rice is better choice as first woman president
I think we are ready for a woman for president, don't you? Sure we are. We need a woman to straighten out this country. Are you thinking Hillary? Not on your life; if you want a "real" woman to run this country give the one woman who has "earned the right" to do so.

I ask you, name one good thing that has come from the New York state senator. Well? I can't think of any, either. There is only one person who can beat Hillary. No man can garner the female vote, the black vote, or the popularity vote as can the woman candidate of choice, Condoleezza Rice, our secretary of state.

This woman could be a concert pianist or an Olympic figure skater. She is fluent in at least three foreign languages and knows more about war than any other woman or man on the hill.

This would be a good time for all you hardcore Democrats to change your party. You want a woman as president? Just make sure you vote for the "right" woman. Now all we have to do is get her to put her name on the ballot. Talk about a landslide victory!

Parking ticket from corps was unfair
Today my husband went fishing on Lake Lanier. Since there are only two boat ramps open, the meager parking facilities were full. As a direct result, he and a number of others (10 or more) parked wherever they could around the parking lot.

When they returned, all of those vehicles, with boat trailers attached, had been issued $50 tickets by the Corps of Engineers. There are no signs that say that it is illegal to park anywhere other than in designated parking spaces.

We find this to be totally outrageous, and he plans to appear in court at the yet to be determined (per the ticket) time and place to voice his discontent.

We thought that this might be something that you would find interest in addressing in conjunction with your reports on the conditions on Lanier.

By the way, we are also residents on the lake in Dawson County.