I have just spent the week in the mountains of North Georgia. The bad news is that the leaves have not hit their peak yet. The good news is that in about two weeks, we are going to experience an extraordinary display of fall colors – better than I can remember in a long time.

Getting away gives me a chance to think about things in more depth that in when I’m covered up with columns and controversy. I don’t mean to beat these well-meaning people to a pulp, but I am still trying to figure out how the Cobb County Board of Education displayed such a shocking lack of integrity in sneaking a vote on the controversial Eastvalley Elementary School T-Mobile cell tower, thinking they wouldn’t get caught. Granted, they get no worth-while advice from their attorney or their public relations counsel about the proper way to deal with the public, but they know in their hearts that what they did in putting that matter on their agenda at the last minute was disingenuous at best and dishonest at worst.

I have taken a couple of tongue-in-cheek jabs at school board member the Rev. Dr. John Crooks, who is championing the cell tower, but I am serious when I say that he should practice what he is supposed to preach. I know of nothing in the Bible that says there is any merit in being sneaky. The Bible does make a strong point of what is right and what is wrong and doesn’t limit itself to Sunday mornings.

Mob rule is no way to run a democracy and if in the view of the CCSB, they feel the cell tower is necessary then hear the people and vote your conscience. If the voters don’t like it, they can make their wishes know at the ballot box. Maybe you lose an election, but you maintain your integrity. In the long run, that’s all that matters.

I am going back to the mountains in a couple of weeks and look at what God hath wrought. In the meantime, I hope the Cobb County Board of Education looks at the mess they have made of the Eastvalley cell tower issue and vows to do their business up-front and quit playing games. Cell towers come and go, but integrity is forever.