Newspaper Page Text
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♦ SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2006
WR Chamber of Commerce receives award
Special to the Journal
The Warner Robins Area
Chamber of Commerce
recently received a Certificate
of Commendation from the
National Society of the Sons
of the American Revolution
in recognition of its exem
plary patriotism in the dis
play of the flag of the United
States of America.
The presentation was
made Oct. 25 by the soci
ety’s representatives Robert
Cruthirds and Gayle E.
Tucker Haught. Both
SIX
From page tA
Clements has been an
advocate of economies in
the ongoing school build
ing effort, seeking to save
taxpayers money by the use
of similar floor plans, paint,
flooring etc. for all new facili
ties.
However, this is not just a
matter of school buildings,
he says, pointing out that
along with the need for new
schools, there is an ongo
ing need for new teachers,
administrators and staff, for
books, computers, lunch
rooms and instruction for
REPORT
From page lA
sexually assaulted. She
reportedly told police she
was pulling up to a trailer
she was in the process of
moving out of (at 606 King
Richard Drive), when she
observed an ex-boyfriend
BALLOT
From page 2/1
and could be interpreted or
used in future instances to
mandate funding for wild
life resource management to
preserve these activities.
CONS: Georgia law already
provides funding for wildlife
resource management for
hunting and fishing and it
is unknown what impact or
additional protections may
be offered if these activities
are constitutionally recog
nized.
3. Shall the Constitution
of Georgia be amended
so as to authorize the
General Assembly to pro
vide for special motor
vehicle license plates for
stated purposes, includ
ing dedications for the
ultimate use of agen
cies, funds or nonprofit
corporations where it is
found that there will be a
benefit to the state? (HR
1564, passed in 2006)
EXPLANATION:
Empowers the General
Assembly to provide for sev
eral new special motor vehi
cle license plates for optional
purchase and authorize our
lawmakers to dedicate some
or all of the revenue from
the sale of these special tags
for programs relating to the
plate’s subject.
The dedicated revenue
may go to an agency,fund,
or nonprofit corporation for
the ultimate use of a non
profit corporation if found to
be a benefit to both the state
and the nonprofit.
PROS: Raises funds and
visibility for many impor
tant causes and the organi
zations that address those
specific causes with legis
lative authorization only.
Currently, each license plate
proceeds have to be enabled
with a statewide referen
dum.
CONS: There would be lit
tle flexibility to amend the
list of special interest license
plates and their beneficia
ry organizations. Further,
Will
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My Grandpa
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We love him!
tnen dressed in authentic
American Revolutionary
War uniforms especially for
this colorful ceremony.
Johnnie McCrary, who
has the honor of posting
and maintaining the flags,
accepted the award on behalf
of the chamber.
According to a release from
the chamber, the beautiful
certificate is being framed
for permanent display in the
chamber lobby.
The chamber displays our
nation’s and state’s flags
students with special needs.
Bob Swecker
Bob Swecker is a 53-year
old father of seven, with
a 10-year-old daughter in
Russell Elementary School.
Three of his other children
were graduates of Warner
Robins High School. He
retired from the U S. Air
force as a senior master
sergeant, and has a degree
in human resources and
management from Park
University.
Regarding school growth,
his position is that the Board
of Education should cooper
ate with local governments.
"You don’t just drop a
following her.
She claimed she was
planning on checking on
her property, that was still
inside the trailer (that did
not have power), when her
ex-boyfriend entered the
trailer, found her and sexu
ally assaulted her.
Det. Brad Mules with
the Warner Robins Police
many groups on the list rep
resent only one side of an
issue or problem.
A complete list of the spe
cial tags that were approved
by the General Assembly
and the organizations that
will receive funds from the
sale of the plates is available
at www.lwvga.org or at www.
legis.state.ga.us, search HR
1053.
Statewide ballot
referendums:
1. Shall the Act be
approved which provides
a homestead exemption
for the full value of the
homestead with respect
to all ad valoem taxes
for the unremarried sur
viving spouse of a peace
officer or firefighter who
was killed in the line of
duty? (HB 81, passed in
2006)
EXPLANATION: Exempts
the unremarried surviving
spouse of a peace officer or
firefighter who was killed
in the line of dutyfrom
all ad valorem taxes. This
will not affect any special
assessments assigned to the
property, however, and the
exemption will have to be
applied for in person.
PROS: Provides a gener
ous benefit to those whose
spouses serve in the public
interest and sacrifice their
lives serving the community
as firefighters or peace offi
cers.
CONS: Very narrowly tai
lored with a small impact on
Georgians overall. The ref
erendum is potentially dif
ficult to enforce as written
because it does not specify
if the benefit is applicable to
officers and firefighters in
other states if the surviving
spouse moves to Georgia and
related scenarios. Further, if
the widowed spouse remar
ries, he/she will not be eligi
ble for the exemption even if
he/'she is raising the children
Bonaire Church of Christ
“Speaking Where The Bible Speaks. ”
Visitors Always Welcome!
Sunday Services:
Bible Study 10 a.m.
Worship 11 a.m.
Evening Worship 6 p.m.
Wednesday Bible Study 7 p.m.
PHILLIP STUCKEY, Evangelist
459 South Highway 247% Bonaire, GA ,
every business day, from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m., the release
reads.
Also, the chamber’s flag
pole is painted every year,
and flags are replaced and
disposed of in accordance
with flag protocol whenever
they show signs of wear, the
release continues.
The chamber flies the flags
at half-staff when requested
by the president, the gover
nor, or the mayor and the
chamber maintains a second
set of flags on staffs in the
school right in the middle (of
a city)" he says, stating that
“The board didn’t advise the
city and county” about the
building of the Huntington
Middle school.
“They threw the school in
and then they want water
and sewer,” he said.
“We need to get together
and cooperate. We need
to have regular meetings
- a team to work on these
issues. We can control
growth.”
He supports an impact
fee on contractors, and says
“Before I would support
another SPLOST, I would
want to take a hard look at
other alternatives.”
Department Criminal
Investigation Division said
Ferguson has a history of fil
ing false reports.
Officers were initially
suspicious, Mules said, as
Ferguson gave conflicting
statements and “the scene
didn’t corroborate her state
ments.
“The two just didn’t match
of the fallen firefighter or
officer. Any other employee
of the state or local govern
ment who is killed in the
line of duty is not given this
benefit.
2. Shall the Act be
approved which provides
that, with respect to
base year assessed value
homestead exemptions,
the surviving spouse of
a deceased spouse who
has been granted such
a homestead exemption
shall receive that exemp
tion at the ame base year
valuation that applied
to the deceased spouse
so long as that surviv
ing spouse continues to
occupy the home as a res
idence and homestead?
(HB 81, passed in 2006)
EXPLANATION: Allows
the surviving spouse to retain
the homestead exemption
which the couple had while
the other spouse was still
alive. Overall, the surviving
spouse would not incur any
increased tax liability due
to an increase in assessed
value.
PROS: Exemption require
ments are based on age,
income and disability. The
taxpayers this would ben
efit are the younger spous
es who may not qualify for
the exemption on their own
because they have not met
the age requirements.^
CONS: This referendum
only provides this benefit to
a very select group of the
population and could have
additional implementation
ramifications. Further, the
fiscal impact on state and
local budgets is unknown.
3. Shall the Act be
approved which expands
the ad valorem tax
exemption for veterans
organizations to include
certain additional non
profit veterans organi
zations which refurbish
and operate historic
military aircaft for edu-
LOCAL
boardroom and begins each
chamber board meeting with
a Pledge of Allegiance.
A third set of flags is main
tained to take to ceremonies
such as ribbon-cuttings.
Per the release: “The
chamber sets the example
for the business communi
ty by not using the flags
for promotional advertising
purposes, and is always pre
pared to offer advice on flag
protocol.”
He would like to see the
Board of Educations “bring
in consultants” for help with
planning, and also claims
that there are conflicts of
interest in the system.
“Therein lies some of our
problems,” Swecker says,
“There’s a little too much
good of boy, good of girl
going on.”
Swecker is a strong pro
ponent of security for school
buildings and for the safety
of individual children.
Dr. Jehad Yasin
Jehad Yasin is an 18-year
resident of Perry. He and his
wife have three sons. Two
have already graduated from
up.”
The next day, “she admit
ted she lied,” Mules said.
According to police
Ferguson had reported her
ex-boyfriend named James
Edwin Fisher had assault
ed her, which investiga
tors later determined to be
a fictitious name. Mules
said there was no record of
cational purposes? (HB
173, passed in 2006)
EXPLANATION: Expands
the ad valorem tax credit
already in place for veterans’
groups with 501 (c)(3) tax
exempt status to those which
have been organized for the
purpose of refurbishing and
operating historic military
aircraft acquired from the
federal government or other
sources, to make such air
craft airworthy, and putting
the aircraft on display for
public educational purposes,
i.e. the Commemorative Air
Force.
PROS: Provides for an
ad valorem exemption to a
nonprofit veterans organiza
tion which refurbish historic
military airplanes.
CONS: This referendum
is very narrowly tailored
and is an example of special
interest legislation. The fis
cal impact is estimated to
be less than $500,000 state
wide.
4) Shall the Act be
approved which grants
an exemption from ad
valorem taxation on
property owned by a
charitable institution
which generates income
when that income is used
exclusively for the opera
tion of such charitable
institution? (HB 848,
passed in 2006)
EXPLANATION: Clarifies
current law in that the ad
valorem exemption applies to
501 (c)(3) tax exempt chari
table institutions so that the
exemption can apply to real
estate or buildings owned
by the charity so long as the
income used from the prop
erty supports the operation
Elect Maurice
Braswell
Houston County
Commissioner Post 2
I will work to:
Establish a Property TAX Freeze, Uniform Zoning for all
of Houston County.
Improve water and air quality.
Vote Change Vote Braswell
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Submitted
The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
recently bestowed a Certificate of Commendation to the
Warner Robins Area Chamber of Commerce for its exem
plary patriotism in the display of the U.S. flag.
Perry High and gone off to
college. His youngest son is
a senior at PHS.
Yasin is Professor of
Economics at Fort Valley
State University, and says
that he is running for the
office because he wants to
make a contribution to the
community where his family
has lived and his sons have
been educated
While his own sons have
been successful education
ally, he is concerned that
the graduation rate from
high school is declining, and
would like to see afternoon
tutoring programs and more
involvement from parents in
their children’s educations.
anyone with that name in
Middle Georgia.
“She said she had been
living with him for several
years,” Mules said, “but no
one in her family had heard
of him.”
Ferguson turned herself
in Thursday and was pro
cessed, transported to the
Houston County Detention
of the nonprofit.
PROS: This exemption
would foster and promote
growth of nonprofit charita
ble organizations by provid
ing a generous tax exemp
tion.
CONS: Represents a slip
pery slope as groups could
potentially use the nonprof
it organization as a way of
avoiding normal taxation. It
could also encourage other
entities to seek 501 (c)(3)
status in order to benefit
from the exemption and may
take many parcels of proper
ty off the tax rolls and have
real fiscal impacts on local
and state revenue.
5) Shall the Act be
approved which provides
a homestead exemption
for senior citizens in
an amount equal to the
actual levy for state ad
valorem tax purposes on
the homestead? (HB 848,
passed in 2006)
EXPLANATION: This ref
erendum would allow taxpay
ers 65 and older to be exempt
from state ad valorem prop
erty taxes. This exemption
is independent from senior
exemptions already in place
and would have no bearing
on the county, city or local
school tax revenue.
PROS: Tax exemption
for senior citizens, many
of whom live on a fixed
income.
CONS: This credit is very
small, one quarter of a mill
or less than sls per year on
a home valued at $150,000.
The state revenue loss is
estimated at $6.8 million
in FYOB and $7.3 million
in FYO9. This population is
expected to double by 2030.
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
“We need to identify the
kids that need help,” he
says, pointing out that oth
erwise “they will carry their
problems with them.”
As an economist, he is
concerned that math instruc
tion be strengthened He
also wants to see students
from homes where English is
not spoken taught English.
“English is our main lan
guage,” he says.
He considers the safety
and security of the schools
an important responsibility of
the board and wants to see
the system “keep and retain
more good teachers and
provide more professional
development for teachers.”
Facility.
She bonded out on her
misdemeanor charge of false
report of a crime, paying
$2,000.
Anyone with information
is asked to contact Mules
with the Warner Robins
Police Department Criminal
Investigation Division at
918-2981.
Further, the income of the
homeowner is not consid
ered when providing this tax
exemption.
6. Shall the Act be
approved which expands
the ad valorem tax
exemption for agricul
tural products and equip
ment to include certain
additional farm equip
ment held under a lease
purchase agreement?
(HB 203, passed in 2005)
EXPLANATION: Expands
eligibility for the existing tax
exemption for farm equip
ment to also cover any equip
ment held under a lease pur
chase agreement.
PROS: Provides expanded
tax exemptions for farm
ers financing certain farm
equipment through lease
purchase agreements and
treats the users of the same
type of equipment the same,
whether owned or leased.
CONS: Traditionally, ad
valorem tax is levied based
on ownership. The language
on the ballot is very vague
and does not offer voters an
explanation of what “addi
tional farm equipment”
could include or the potential
fiscal impact on the budget.
Also, the agricultural indus
try pays almost no taxes for
crops cultivated or animals
raised, no sales taxes on pur
chases for use in agricul
ture and have very favorable
property tax treatment for
the first 2000 acres. All but
two percent of farm land is
controlled by corporate enti
ties in Georgia.
t
(XXXI40 18 1