Newspaper Page Text
♦ TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19,2006
6A
ISSUES
From page lA
those 65. Both were con
cerned about the loss of rev
enue and possible increase
to those not exempt.
Tolleson said the money
would be spent by the
seniors and generate more
revenue in sales tax. Both
also agreed the state needed
comprehensive tax reform.
Tolleson was the mas
ter of ceremonies for the
delegation’s portion of the
program. He introduced
each of his fellow legisla
tors and also explained
why Representative Larry
O’Neal, R-Warner Robins,
was unable to attend. “This
is one of the first he has
missed.”
O’Neal is chairman of
the House Ways and Means
Committee. “We are very
fortunate to have Larry
chair this very difficult com
mittee,” Tolleson said.
Brown, the Senate minor
ity leader emphasized the
importance of regionalism.
“Many of the tough policies
we have to address require
regional solutions.”
Those issues include cost
ly things like transportation
and water. Delta Air Lines is
another regional matter.
Senator Cecil Staton, R-
Macon, had high praise for
his colleagues. “The gentle
men I serve with have a
great deal of passion for
Middle Georgia.”
Staton said he and O’Neal
are serving on a joint House/
Senate committee on trau
ma care, “something I have
a personal interest in,” he
explained after a auto acci
dent where he was cut from
the car and required three
surgeries and six to seven
months of rehabilitation.
“I was fortunate to be near
a trauma center. South from
here to Florida the only one
is in Thomasville,” Staton
noted.
There are only four level
one trauma centers in the
state, Staton said, “fortu
nately we have one, The
Medical Center of Central
Georgia in Macon.”
Staton chairs the Senate
Science and technology
Committee. “One of the
things we do is looking at
how technology is used by
criminals. We continue to
focus on that and make sure
we have laws to protect us.”
He closed his remarked
with an oft-repeated state
ment from elected officials:
“Every day I go up there and
walk in the historic halls, I
ROBBERY
From page iA
dreadlocks and was last seen
wearing a black winter coat
and white knit cap.
■ Suspect No. 2 has a dark
complexion and is approxi
mately in height,
with a slender build. He was
wearing blue coveralls.
■ The only description for
Suspect No. 3 is he has a
dark complexion.
Anyone with information
concerning the aforemen
tioned incident is asked to
contact Curnutte at 918-
2977 or 929-1170.
NEED
PROFESSIONAL
HELP?
■L J
X . . ..
YOH i*3fi Bbbh Il fO? 1
TTffi RWflfiOffl
OrMiHteM
Bosiness or Trade •
1 Month ■ ONLY $100!
call 478-987-1823
try to remember the people
of District 18 could not be
there so they sent me.”
Representative Johnny
Floyd was introduced as
the senior statesman of the
delegation, for his 18 years
of service. Floyd from Crisp
County, noted he represents
the governor in the house as
his district covers the south
part of the county includ
ing Kathleen, Bonaire,
Hayneville and Elko. “After
18 years as a Democrat,”
Floyd noted, “I followed the
governor’s lead and ran as a
Republican this time.”
He also cited transporta
tion and education needs.
“Most of the counties I rep
resent have a 40 percent or
higher high school dropout
rate. Education is one of the
mainstays to move Georgia,
rural Georgia forward.”
Floyd said he’s enjoyed
working with the Houston
delegation. “I’ve learned a
lot from great leaders like
Sonny Perdue, Larry Walker,
Sonny Watson and Robert
Ray.”
Representative Willie
Talton, R-Warner Robins,
said he’s learned a lot in
his past two years about the
House. “It’s gone by real
fast. Some things that go
on,” Talton said, “I don’t
particularly like, but the
system works.”
He said the state needs to
address the drug problem,
the bad- meth problem. “If
we don’t get control of it,”
he said, the costs for the
state and crime will con
tinue to rise.”
Talton emphasized he is
here for the voters, “even
if you didn’t vote for me, if
you’re not in my district.”
“I’m here to represent the
people of the state of Georgia
and District 145. If you have
a problem and think I can
help, fee free to come to
me,” Talton said, “You all
SANTA-LIKE SPEED
AT A JOLLY GOOD
PRICE.
PHONE
BROADBAND
DIGITAL TV
.
•>: »■» ■&**-• ■-.- > - Sfcgb>~ __ Jft
jufl
& -fIHwMB II fe» -'&v .iHM^yMß^'
'nHHH - o^HjMMKn^OH
nStefaft*^. . ISm LJBLJ .<Jw ■ a jjSßbßi^^,^M
m/vVUM
XM Radio—now available
at Windstream. Sign up at
1.866.333.1839 today!
(((XM)))
XM Radio'available
at these locations.
Sue-<wms. mu«£rty coherence cate Cna^.og
S3S^S2SSKS£S^3^W.3gM^
bundle a diacontinued. the account will oomert to tha Wndetream 10 plan Additional Information: Credit approval reputed A prepayment may &e gxee Met i
(renghltocanoelordaconlirHjethteplvtatanybme II any required bundle component i* (tsconnected all remaintnß component* convert to the ragUer tented monthly rate Other ree»tc*oo» may app*y Oden ere KJCvKt 10 fie wind*] ear enrs
& Conditions for Communications available at any Wifostream store oral wmdstmam com Contaa a VWtdsbeam representative lor detail*.
set my agenda.”
Talton was also glad
not be the freshman any
more. Representative Tony
Sellier, R-Crawford County,
has taken that spot, after
being elected to the seat Ray
retired from.
"I’m the new guy,” Sellier
told the Chamber members,
“but I know most of you.”
He said he’ll be “following
the big footsteps of Robert
Ray, a great leader and men
tor to me.”
Sellier said his issues are
mostly rural, some urban
and include water and pol
lution.
Tolleson said his time has
been consumed with water
policy, developing the state
wide water plan.
He said the state is explod
ing with growth - the port
systems, the coastal region,
Columbus, the Atlanta
region and of course Houston
County and the Middle
Georgia region. Tolleson
said “we have to look at the
state as one economic engine
and each region is a cylinder
of that engine.”
He said agriculture is still
the largest part of the econ
omy. “The state continues to
grow be we need to be wise
in the use of our natural
resources.”
Tolleson also touted alter
native fuels, which are “a
shot in the arm for the agri
cultural base. The state is
becoming a huge leader in
Boa-j^ngel
FREE 2-NIGHT VACATION!
Donate Car • Boat * RV • Motorcycle
www.boatangel.com
XM CANTON
1353 Riverstone Parkway,
Suite ioo
7704792000
LOCAL
alternative fuels,” he said.
“The governor has been
real focused on taking down
hurdles for industry to
develop alternative fuels,”
He said. This is another tool
in the War on Terrorism.
This is the future for our
children.”
Transportation is one of
the key issues this term, he
said including refining the
design on Highway 96 wid
ening. “The delegation is
moving that up, it was sup
posed to begin in 2012.”
The delegation also field
ed questions from the audi
ence.
When asked about the pos
sible reduction or elimina
tion in state retiree benefits,
they all agreed it was a bad
idea. Tolleson explained, “it
is not the goal of anybody in
the General Assembly. We
have to look at assets and
liabilities. Obviously I don’t
agree with a reduction of
benefits.”
He added that the tough
decision can’t be put off to
the future. “Let’s make the
decision today instead of
letting it get worse in the
future, let’s meet it head
»»
on.
When asked about immi
gration issues, Staton noted
“the General Assembly
passed the toughest legisla
tion in the U.S. last session,
unfortunately we’re pre
empted by the federal gov
ernment. We run into that
i -800-227-2643
TWO
MONTHS
FREE
XM DALTON
100 W Walnut, Suite 108
7061797000
BROADBAND
594.95
V \vnr roonfti
WITH BUNDLE
VISIT US IN GEORGIA
DAWSON
163 N Stonewall Street NE
2299955800
very often.”
He said “it is an impor
tant issue. We want people
who come here to be here
legally.”
Brown said “we need to
ask why they come here,
but when we do we get some
pushback from business and
farmers. They say we can’t
survive without them.”
He told the business com
munity “you don’t have to
hire them and if you don’t
hire them, they won’t
come.”
The final question came
from Kathy Balletto, vice
chairman of governmental
affairs for the Chamber.
m MEtf
wmmWW MHnSSf Wnt IfifW
Ck x iiimx
IHKCitfP
kMIkMaH
6 - monthCD s.so-i
*%* y* •'•*!-** awi i lPt .
■k*** 4-P * -set■ * «w- i m> n&rtam wt
’xitwwM* 4*o **sm*H'> !iA. *tA *v *****
jB THE BANK OF PERRY
_____ LOBft Mst* Sswvr, JPfrm * fT&'W-2354
WWVK Jfoßl&MfjpW TfVt «M»;
M
windstream
1.877.312.W1ND | windstream.com
J
XM JASPER
50 Mark Whitfield Street
7066924456
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
“One that always comes
up,” she said, about the exit
of the Museum of Aviation.
Tolleson said, he
recently met with the
state Department of
Transportation. “They are
committed to address this
issue to help redesign the
intersection. I think in the
next 12 months you will see
some progress.”
People Pleasing!
anaMt
RELIABLE
CONNECTIONS
DOWNLOAD MOVIES
AND MUSIC
SHARE PHOTOS
AND MORE
*39 95 WITH BUNDLE
UNLIMITED LOCAL AND
UNLIMITED LONG DISTANCE
LAFAYETTE
502 Church Street
7066388000
%
me
PERRY
2031 Highway 41S
4789871256
!*5i3L