Editor, This will be my only commentary on the Hinesville City Council meeting of April 16.

I have been a citizen/landowner/homeowner/taxpayer of this city since 1980, including neighborhood-watch leader. I commend this paper for finally spelling my name properly, but I’m not against the community re-entry program for parolees.

But I didn’t know of a meeting at the Justice Center on this program until after the fact but was trying to ask the mayor whether homeowners like me would be involved in this program — informed of who’s living next to them — or does the real-estate industry (which I have nothing against) call the shots?

I tried to ask the mayor these questions (I thought I got five minutes). But right after he said there already was a meeting on the subject (which I knew nothing about), I just wanted some questions on the program when he pounded his gavel several times so hard, I thought the heavens shook! He then told me something to the effect of, “Sir, your time is up,” (all in about one minute).

Yes, I told him, I thought I got five minutes of talking time, but he said, “No!” And with that, I was escorted out of the very building I paid for! Yes, I did mention about his many trips around the globe on my dime, but with that, he became rude and arrogant.

I wondered, am I in Hinesville, or was in the (socialist) People’s Republic of Albania (it’s now a free and democratic country), and was I front of Enver Hoxha (he’s dead)?

The sad fact of all this is no City Council member did anything on my concerns about this program and my neighborhood. Shame on you!
Joseph B. Stuart