Newspaper Page Text
♦ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2006
4A
Mmietan ©aily HJmmtal
OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
Don Moncrief Foy S. Evans
Managing Editor Editor Emeritus
Let's hope developer is right
There is a developer in Houston County
who is either a genius or out of his
mind.
He - or she - is hoping/believing he or she
is something equivalent to Einstein and we
are hoping he or she is right.
Let’s set the table for that statement.
Everybody knows what’s been happening
on the south end of Warner Robins - that
stretch of road running west to east or vice
versa and parallel with 96. Growth has been
staggering.
On the extreme north end of town just
the opposite has been true - an exodus
of sorts. That
at least has
been the case
in some areas,
a portion of
which has
been just off
North Davis
Dr. as it nears
247. It encom
passes Johns
Rd., Magnolia
and National
Ave., Madrid,
Dudley,
Elmwood,
Evergreen,
Ward and
Crescent
streets and more.
Today, to drive through those areas looks
something like this. One house will be pris
tine, yard mowed, fresh paint on the shut
ters, shrubs, picket fence - the whole nine
yards; beautiful.
Right next to it, however, and on both
sides even you’re just as likely to find empty
houses or worse, houses in ill repair. In
fact, here’s what has been happening often
enough in that area over at least the past
few years.
Someone moves out. A company - the
trend appears to be “buy in bulk” as there
is at least one company/personal business
man known to own eight houses in one area
alone - buys the property.
A low-income family moves in. They trash
it. They move out. Don’t take our word for
it. Take a ride down any of the aforemen
tioned streets and you can see for yourself.
There are houses that were, at the time of
the move-in, in great shape. Today, they look
like Katrina hit, and that is not a joke.
How the company/businessman manages
to stay afloat unless: 1) he, she or it is get
ting some sort of incentive from the govern
ment/state or 2) he, she or it is able to write
off losses; is a mystery.
Anyway, the bottom line is: There may be
some middle-class families come through
the area and settle but, based on looks alone
- the appearance of crime, violence, drugs
and the like (which by the way appears to
be mostly perceived and not reality), not
many.
Enter the developer.
He or she is planning to put a subdivision
right on the outskirts of this area (just off
of King Dr.) and if he or she is successful, he
or she will represent the first real growth in
this area since who knows when.
It’s definitely a perfect counter to what’s
currently being offered in this area as you’ve
already read, and the location to Robins Air
Force Base couldn’t be much better. Not to
mention it offers anyone from Macon want
ing to move a chance to do that without
having to give up his or her job and/or settle
all the way on the extreme south side of the
city.
Is he or she a genius? Only time will tell,
but he or she certainly might think so. And
Send your Letters to the Editor to:
The Houston Home Journal
P.O. Box 1910 • Perry, Ga 31069 or
Email: hhj@evansnewspapers.com
Anyway, the bottom line
is: There may be some
middle-class families
come through the area
and settle but, based
on looks alone - the
appearance of crime,
violence, drugs and the
like (which by the way
appears to be mostly
perceived and not
reality), not many.
Stupid is as stupid does, oflier observations
Do you remember the years
immediately after World War II
when almost every house had a
picture window in the front?
■ ■■
People who call someone stupid are
usually stupid people.
■ ■■
Many times I have heard the saying
that “a house is not a home.” How
about you? There probably are many
more houses than homes with people
living in them today. Most houses with
families in them were homes in a true
sense of the word when I was growing
up. With more than half the children
born out of wedlock in this country
every year, a major ingredient of a
home is missing.
■ ■■
Georgia law requires counties to
appraise real estate at “fair market
value” for tax purposes. It sounds
like a good idea and it is in most
circumstances. However, you have to
feel for older, low income people who
bought their homes decades ago and
find their taxes going up almost every
year because the value of their homes
is going up.
It seems that they should not haye to
suffer financially or actually lose their
homes because of this increase in value
for tax purposes when all they want is
to live there for the remainder of their
lives. It would be fairer to stabilize
the value for taxes until the property
changes hands.
Certainly, a fair way of doing this
could be worked out and in a way that
"Me run for President?
1 ...Where did you get an idea like that?"
Twenty good reasons to stay in bed this morning
I’ve decided on my epitaph.
It will say: “He did say he loved
to sleep.”
That, or: “Whatchu talkin’ about
Willis?”
There are some mornings I just don’t
feel like getting up. Not really that
many - only about 365 annually. If I’m
not awake, I’d rather be sleeping. Or
eating Doritos.
Or watching football on television.
I tried doing all three simultaneously
back in ‘93 and ended up in the hospi
tal, but that’s something I’m not really
comfortable talking about.
When that snooze alarm goes off, I
sometimes get up. Later, I regret that
rash decision.
To combat that daily feeling of sor
row and rue, I have come up with 20
sort-of legitimate reasons not to get up
in the morning.
As a public service, I am passing off
these sleepy pearls of wisdom to you,
the reader. You can use them as excuses
for your boss when you’re late to work.
Or you can do as I have - post them
next to your alarm, and when it tolls
for your arousal in the morn, simply
OPINION
would prevent abuses.
■ ■■
Someone must have been asleep at
the switch when they decided to hold a
public trial of Saddam Hussein. He is
making a mockery of the trial.
When and if Osama bin Laden is
found we can expect the same thing
from him unless he is eradicated on
the spot.
■ ■■
«
Opponents of a photo ID card for
voting continue to contend such a law
is racist. Even former President Jimmy
Carter has come out in favor of photo
IDs on the federal level, though he con
demned one for Georgia.
Sooner or later we must have some
way to differentiate between citizens
and non-citizens, as well as legal and
illegal aliens.
■ ■■
I had surgery at Houston Medical
Center recently and I can tell you that
the personnel there are friendly, cour
teous, professional and helpful.
■ ■■
Do you remember when President
Foy
Evans
Columnist
toyevansl9@cox.net
Len
Robbins
Columnist
airpub@planttel.net
consult the list and go back to the land
of Nod satisfied that you have made a
wise, informed, thoughtless choice.
Here are your 20 good reasons not to
get up this morning:
■ 1. You can’t possibly get everything
done today you’re supposed to.
■ 2. You could get stung by a bee.
■ 3. Picking out underwear is much
too taxing.
■ 4. It’s just going to be night again
in about 16 hours or so.
■ 5. Today could be the day that year
2000 computer stuff hits the fan.
■ 6. You have the rest of your life to
work.
■ 7. You need more time sleeping to
see if you are snoring too loud.
■ 8. The Queen of England doesn’t
H RHP
-# ** 1
I *»/ ,
L _ j i
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
Lyndon Johnson landed at Robins AFB
and rode in a convertible, waving at
people standing beside the road, as he
rode into Macon?
Back in those days people turned out
in droves to see a sitting President,
whether they liked him or not. At
least, they respected the office, which
is something that seems to be lacking
today.
Lyndon Johnson was not my favor
ite President. However, he was my
President and I was among those who
lined Highway 247 to see him.
I wonder what kind of turnout
President Bush will get from the gen
eral public when he comes to Macon
next month.
Will the general public get an opportu
nity to see and wave at their President?
Times have changed. We do not revere
the office of President as once did.
Too bad.
Young people miss a lot. And, actu
ally, so do us older folks, too.
■ ■■
I just received a wake up call. Be
sure to check your credit card bill each
month against receipts for your expen
ditures. My wife and I ate lunch at an
Olive Garden restaurant in Tupelo,
Miss., in August. Though I added a tip
on the bill when I paid, the restaurant
collected additional money from my
credit card company.
■ ■■
Centerville can get a jump on its
beautification program, which will
include a new downtown, by getting
the storage area for garbage trucks off
its main street -Houston Lake Road,
across from Galleria Mall.
have to get up and work. Why should
you?
■ 9. A meteor could be crashing to
Earth right now. Do you really want
to be outside?
■ 10. They don’t sell beer at work.
■ 11. Why you? Can’t someone else
get up and do your job? Sure they can.
■ 12. You could catch cooties.
■ 13. It’s too hot.
■ 14. It’s too cold.
■ 15. It’s absolutely perfect weather,
but you forgot where all your clothes
are.
■ 16. That episode of “Facts of Life”
you missed in 1984 is supposed to be
on the USA network at 11:30 a.m. You
don’t want to miss that again.
■ 17. Today could be the day a bird
finally nails you.
■ 18. Although you haven’t read
your horoscope, it could say something
bad is going to happen to you today.
■ 19. Your car probably won’t start
anyway.
■ 20. You work eight hours and sleep
eight hours. Shouldn’t it be the other
way around?
Happy snoozing!