Newspaper Page Text
4A
♦ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2006
JLmstmi IBatltJ
OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
Editor and Publisher
Don Moncrief
Managing Editor
Happy as a mule eating
briars
us V he nuclear test is a historic event
that brought happiness to our
-L military and people.”
So said the Korean Central News Agency,
North Korea’s official information mecha
nism. Or, perhaps in this case, propaganda
platform might be more appropriate.
How about it folks? Do you think a suc
cessful nuclear weapons test - even a “first
ever” as was the case for North Korea
Sunday - would elicit “happy” people here
if we accomplished it?
Not likely. We’re often labeled warmongers
by the rest of
the world but
even we, as
savage as we
are sometimes
portrayed,
would have
sense enough
not to cele
brate a nucle
ar weapons
test.
Not North
Korea. Its
people were
apparently dancing in the streets, happy
with the fact they now have the capability
to kill thousands if not millions of people.
Happy despite the fact they managed to
prompt China and Japan to put their differ
ences aside to issue a strong statement: "it
cannot be tolerated.”
Happy despite the fact there may be more
condemnation from around the world today.
Happy it has isolated itself. Happy despite
the fact sanctions - or worse - may be forth
coming - ultimately impacting their lives on
a more “personal” level such as food, cloth
ing and more.
Yes, they’re happy now but here’s hoping
the world will join together and help turn
that smile upside down.
Little Bear no longer
How ‘bout them Bears?
In case you missed it, Houston
County beat Lowndes in football
Friday. If you’re familiar with football, and
who isn’t in our neck of the woods, you’ll
note this was big.
Lowndes, like Valdosta and only a few more
schools falls into that category of football we
like to call: "Legendary." And, they’ve got
enough state titles to justify that label.
For Houston County then it was only
necessary if it one day wanted to send the
signal it had come of age - more specifically
its athletic “program” - it beat a school like
Lowndes.
Now, the psychological edge those schools
may once have had is gone.
Da Bears have grown up.
Letter to the Edttor
Genetic sexuality
Is Mark Foley and other homosexuals “genetically driv
en” like heterosexuals? Absolutely! Genetics has always
played a role in our sexuality and our social behavior. We
have all heard of the “red headed temper,” the young girl
“tom boy,” or the young boy “sissy.” All of which reflect a
behavioral genetic presence.
Today, homosexuals are suing in court to be foster par
ents in Texas and for adoption rights in Florida. A lesbian
recently sued a California fertility clinic for refusing to
impregnate her and male gays are seeking females that
will give birth to their offspring. Indeed! Homosexual
activity fully supports the “genetic drive” to become par
ents, to appropriate, to ensure “survival of the human
species”; just like heterosexuals!
So! If both groups are “genetically driven” to achieve
the same objective, why are the homosexuals engaging
in sexual activity that will never, repeat never, result in
parenthood? The answer, clearly and logically, must be
because they choose to do so and have become mentally
addicted to the act. After all, humans as all other mam
mals, have the “genetic drive” to appropriate. As mam
mals and human beings, we can have a range of “sexual
activities” such as: (1) fondling and/or having
See LETTER, page fA
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
How about H folks? Do
you think a successful
nuclear weapons test
- even a "first-ever” as
was the case for North
Korea Sunday - would
elicit "happy" people
here if we accomplished
it?
The pros and cons of impact fees
Let’s talk about impact fees.
Houston County has some
outspoken advocates of impact
fees for the purpose of passing on to
developer and builders the expenses
incurred in making it possible to devel
op their subdivisions.
In reality, impact fees are not paid by
developers and builders. They actually
pass on those fees to future homeown
ers as part of the price of homes.
Whether impact fees are a good idea
is a subject worthy of debate. You
can find plenty of arguments for or
against.
Cities and counties do spend big
money making services available to
developers. Advocates of impact fees
say the cost should not be borne by
present residents, but should be paid
by the beneficiaries of the services
offered.
Developers come back with a very
strong argument, which is that impact
fees could run the cost of new homes
too high and could put a damper on a
booming economy and home market.
This can be argued either way. Maybe
it does. Maybe not.
The biggest impact that new subdivi
sions have on cities and counties is the
cost of education children they bring
into the community.
A sudden spurt in school enrollment
can impact schools dramatically and
put a financial burden on education
boards that is hard to overcome, espe
cially since the state has cut back on
funding.
Clinton wins again with interview outburst
As usual, Matt Drudge got it
right.
Don’t believe me? Then
check out the results of a new
Insider Advantage poll that queried the
reaction of Americans to Bill Clinton’s
Fox News interview on Sunday.
I don’t listen to talk radio much, but
my readers know that I am a devotee
of nationally syndicated talk host Neal
Boortz. What I haven’t written is that
I make a point of listening to Drudge’s
syndicated show on Sunday nights.
Invariably he has a first take on topical
issues that proves right on.
As I have no transcript of the broad
cast, I’m relying on memory.
The topic was the verbal sparring
between Fox’s pundit Chris Wallace
and an apparently angry former
President Clinton during an interview
about Clinton’s supposed negligence
as president in failing to take effective
action against Osama bin Laden and
other terrorists prior to 9/11.
Clinton took exception to a question
he considered to be a conservative jab
by Wallace.
Drudge voiced my own belief that
Clinton knew darn well the question
was coming and that everyone involved
in that show got just what they were
looking for.
Clinton seemed far too prepared
when Wallace supposedly blindsided
him. And his animated style served
to ensure the interview would make
stormy headlines.
As always, Wallace was fair, forceful
and flawless. He will now win further
renown for countering the old-style
broadcast liberalism from the heydays
of CBS and Wallace’s father, legendary
CBS broadcaster Mike Wallace.
Coincidentally, this interview spat
happened during Fox News’ 10th anni
versary. It, remains the king of cable
news channels.
Everybody involved won, including
Clinton. The sly master of political per-
OPINION
School impact fees could help fast
growing counties where enrollment
stays far ahead of revenue created by
new developments.
A study by Georgia State University
reached the conclusion that “one finds
numerous instances where growth
failed to pay for itself” in reference to
schools.
Impact fees are popular in Florida,
where they may be as low as S2OO and
as high as $8,500.
Governments can impose fees of that
magnitude in one of the fastest grow
ing states in the country, but would
hardly be acceptable or sustainable in
Georgia.
Proponents of impact fees in Houston
County are limited in number, but
they have been persistent. So far they
have gotten nowhere and now want to
replace members of the county com
mission with like thinking members.
Their chance of success seems close
to nil.
Taxes from new development lag as
much as two years behind the time
services must be rendered by commu
nities. Eventually they catch up.
"My, my ...What a calm election year this is!"
Foy
Evans
Columnist
!oyevansl9@cox net
Matt
Towery
Columnist
Morris News Service
ceptions knew that rebroadcasts of his
tiff with Wallace would put him back*
on the front pages and into the hearts
and minds of his nostalgic supporters.
Conducted among 687 Americans on
September 25-26, our Insider Advantage
national telephone survey about the
interview found that an amazing 64
percent said they had seen either the
entire interview or rebroadcasted por
tions of it.
We asked: “Was your opinion of
President Clinton during the interview,
or the portion you saw, favorable, unfa
vorable, or do you have no opinion?”
Favorable - 51 percent.
Unfavorable - 44 percent.
No opinion - 5 percent, delayed.
The polling results were weighted for
age, race, gender and political affilia
tion. Counting only those poll respon
dents who saw the interview gives the
poll a margin of error of plus or minus
5-and-a-half percent.
So Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox
News’ parent company, reportedly
donates money to Clinton’s Global
Initiative Project, and Fox gets a
Clinton interview in which Clinton
maligns Murdoch on the air, and yet
Clinton walks away having earned a
majority favorable view of the inter
view, and Fox gets enormous exposure.
And presumably, Clinton gets to keep
the donation.
Collusion? Naw. As Drudge was
suggesting, it’s simply the game that
must be played in today’s world of
instant news and superstar politicians.
Neither Murdoch nor Wallace knew
Hr
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
The real impact is in the cost of
schools.
When Georgia passed a law allowing
cities and counties to impose impact
fees the legislature turned a deaf ear
to the need for money to construct and
run new schools, so in this state impact
fees can be imposed only for non-edu
cation infrastructure, roads , sewer
lines, libraries and parks.
At the present time about 30 cities
and counties impose impact fees. These
are in and around Atlanta. There is
pressure in the Atlanta metropolitan
area for more cities and counties to
take advantage of this method of rais
ing money.
I have read an interesting take on
the effect an impact fee would have
on schools. One argument is that they
would keep people away because of
the higher cost of homes. On the other
side is the argument that people might
decide to stay away because of over
crowded and under funded schools.
Take your pick.
It is an interesting subject that will
not go away.
However, developers, builders and
new homeowners do not have anything
to fear in Houston County in the fore
seeable future. Our county commis
sioners seem to be of the opinion that
our county is doing right well without
impact fees and they would do more
harm than good.
For the present, at least, this is an
interesting subject for discussion, but
certainly not in our foreseeable future.
Clinton would come out swinging. And
yet, most everyone could have guessed
it was probable.
Why would Clinton benefit from his
outburst? The poll tells us that women
approved of his interview performance
by 56 percent to 37 percent.
That’s where Clinton’s media savvy
comes into play. Most people saw only
small portions of the interview on
other media outlets.
They saw his showmanship, but not
necessarily the context of his remarks.
The result? Clinton again scores with
the ladies (oops!).
Even 23 percent of self-identified
Republicans in the poll approved of
Clinton’s performance. (Only 7 percent
of Democrats disapproved.)
It was happy news for all. Fox News
scored a huge coup that ranked up
there with Dan Rather’s contentious
live battle with then-Vice President
George H. W. Bush during his cam
paign for the presidency in 1988.
Chris Wallace will get more and
deserved recognition as an unmatched
national broadcast journalist. He is
every bit as good as Mike Wallace was.
But the best news for many may
be that Hillary Clinton is not Bill
Clinton. While she tried to tee off this
perfect political ball put in play by her
husband, her confrontational, ranting
style only made her look like a bitter
and calculating “me too” politician.
It was political theater at its best.
Matt Towery served as the chairman
of former Speaker Newt Gingrich’s
political organization from 1992 until
Gingrich left Congress. He is a for
mer Georgia state representative, the
author of several books and currently
heads the polling and political informa
tion firm Insider Advantage.
To find out more about Matthew
Towery and read features by other
Creators Syndicate writers and car
toonists, visit the Creators Syndicate
website at www.creators.com.