Suwannee Countians, it’s time to speak your mind! How? By calling the Suwannee Democrat Rant and Rave hotline. The hotline never closes and is your way to let it out. You can let everyone know how you feel — as long as you express yourself in a respectful way.

Note: In written entries to Rant and Rave, errors in spelling, grammar or punctuation are those of the authors.

~~

Today I read an article on water meter readers, where someone said if you don’t do your job why do you need a new truck? Now the meter readers explained how they did their jobs and how it may appear they are not. My anger is with the statement itself, if they are not doing what they are paid for, why haven’t they been replaced? Also if they do go on to replace the meter readers the new meter readers will still need a new truck. Either way the budget will be affected, so the statement was made in ignorance.

~~

On the subject of water meters, I was paying my bill this week, and the poor girls that work the windows at City Hall, were being berated terribly by local citizens. Now if the people that stirred the pot to bring this thing up would come out from under their rock and offer to help the city they could go out and do some of these meters that the people are complaining are never read. The meter readers have their hands full as it is. After all the councilmen do work for the city. A little extra time helping out would be greatly appreciated.

~~

Yes, I’d first like to apologize for the good ol’ boy system here, from the guy that was talking about the $1.98 word. I assume you moved here for a reason, whether you like the community or whatever and it is that good ol’ boy system that made this, so I’ll tell you a $1.98 word [unintelligible], put some in your gas tank when you leave.

~~

I would just like to know when the voting has become a popularity contest instead of electing the officials who are qualified to be voted into the positions  that they are being elected in.

~~

This is in response to “one mad mamma.” If that lady doesn’t like the radios in the school buses, why don’t you tell her to take her own kids to school, instead of punishing 3,000 other kids in the county. She has obviously never driven a school bus. The radios help to calm the kids down and you don’t have to worry about the fighting as much as whatever. The lady is a … I don’t know what to call her. The other one in rant and rave about the complaint of the county school buses not driving two more miles down there to pick up her kids up. Hey, school buses can’t go everywhere. Get her to drive her car up the road and drop her kids off at the bus, if not have her take them to school herself, just like the “one mad mamma.” If you don’t like it, take them to school and quit complaining. Bye.

~~

November 2nd is fast approaching. Allen Boyd voted yes on the billion dollar plus health care plan, supported the 787 billion dollar stimulus plan which has failed, unemployment is now at 9.6% and projected to top 10%. Allen Boyd is supporting higher energy taxes if you think your SVEC bill is high now just wait. Allen Boyd is handcuffed to Obama & Pelosi he does what they tell him to do. Our Country is 13 trillion dollars in debt and could lose its AAA credit rating. If you want the same go a head and vote Allen Boyd back in to office we got “CHANGE” all right a broke USA.

~~

Hi, I am reading this rant from the lady who said we should take the radios off the school bus. It is absolutely ludicrous to say that we must remove all radios from the buses just because you don’t like your children listening to certain stations. My mother used to be a bus driver and I can tell you that the music relaxes the children and it allows them to unwind after a hard day at school, gives them a little bit of peace, something they can relate to the other kids with, and it is ridiculous  to think that it is stressful for them or too gargling their minds. If you don’t like it, don’t let your kids  ride the bus. Tell them to put in ear plugs. There is no reason to punish all the children because you don’t like what your kids are listening to  and you’re being ridiculous. It‘s just ludicrous that you would tie up our school systems with nonsense like this, when there are real issues to be dealt with, like funds. Have a good day.

~~

Hi, I want to speak directly to Suwannee County residents. I would like to tell them to stand up against this woman who is voting or trying to omit radios from the school buses.  Remember people, remember the woman who tried to take God out of our schools, prayers out of our schools. She succeeded. If we allow this woman to get away with this, there is no telling what Suwannee County will be in for next. Stand up against her people, tell her to mind her own business and tend to her own family and don’t worry about our kids. We can deal with our own children. Stand up against her. Thank you, Suwannee County.

~~

My child is a PreK student at SPS…they are in desperate need of a PreK coordinator! Darlene Galloway was an excellent PreK coordinator–also, my child doesn’t eat lunch until 12:30! He is starving by lunchtime-and he only gets a 25 minute rest in the afternoon. Come on, make some CHANGES!!!

~~

Parents concerned about music on school buses should drive their  kids theirself. If that is their only worry, then they have none. They should be more concerned about the robberies and shootings around here.

~~

This is in reference to Mrs. Mullen and the foul-mouthed language on the school bus. She doesn’t have any regards for anybody else’s rights to listen to what they want to. Maybe she should drive them to school herself if she doesn’t like the music. Or if she likes censorship so much, maybe she should move to a Middle East country, where as a woman she wouldn’t even be allowed to get up and speak to the school board because they have no rights there. Censorship once again.

~~

To the mother that’s upset about the music being played on the school buses. I think that she’s really in denial if she thinks her children  are so well protected, if she’s sending them to the public schools. She says she monitors what they watch, what they listen to, what video games. If you are in a public environment you are going to be exposed to a little bit of everything. She needs to kinda of get over the music. It’s not that big of an issue. And if it is then she needs to take her children to school and pick them up in the afternoon. I work with quite a few people whose children have never rode the buses. They make other arrangements.

~~

This is to Kristi Mullen who thinks she has the right to demand all the buses in Suwannee county have their radios removed just because she don’t like the music being played while her KIDS are on the bus. The driver has changed the station but that’s not good enough for you? Go the easy route take YOUR kids off the bus and problem solved. No one person has the right to make a decision for all of us who have children on school buses. It’s not fair for 3800 kids to loose the privilege of music just to make you happy. You also don’t have the right to determine what is being played on other school buses or the right to demand all radios be removed just because YOU want it. Find some thing better to do with your time like driving your kids to and from school. Problem solved. I hope the powers to be have a back bone to stand up for all not just YOU. I rest my case.

~~

I am writing in response to the story about the radios on the buses. I have two children ages 10 and 8 who also ride the bus to school in Suwannee County. I think the radios on the bus provide a welcome distraction to the other non-sense that takes place on these buses and also perhaps lessens the burden on the drivers. I agree there should be some regulations as to what they play on the bus, but to remove the radios all together is ludicrous! If you feel this strongly about the radios on the bus Ms. Mullen, maybe you should drive your children to school! If need be, I will be in attendence for the September 14th workshop in support of the radios! I would encourage all the supporters to attend as we

~~

This is for the person who blamed the Animal Control Officer’s loss of job on those who reported the incident  to the authorities.

Friendship and loyalty are wonderful virtues, but they can cloud judgment, and you have clearly bought into the  “Kill the messenger of bad news” mentality.  Using your rationale, I assume you would also hold an eye-witness who testified at a murder trial solely responsible for the murderer’s subsequent  execution.

Responsibility for the loss of job, quite properly, rests squarely on the shoulders of the one who committed the act.

Further, it seems highly unlikely that the loss of job was the result of this single incident.

~~

Callers to 386-208-8314 may express their thoughts, good or bad, 24/7 about community issues and politics, but not about private individuals or businesses. If you prefer, you may email your comments to nf.editorial@gaflnews.com. You don’t have to give your name, and please, keep submissions to less than 45 seconds (that’s about 150 words). We want everybody to have a chance to be heard. Submissions that are overly long will be discarded. If 45 seconds isn’t enough time, write a Letter to the Editor. (Guidelines for letters appear on Page 6A of our print edition.)