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♦ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28,2006 4A Houston Daily .IJuumali OPINION Daniel F. Evans President Editor and Publisher Julie B. Evans Vice President Group Marketing Don Moncrief Managing Editor Gerald Ford passes We lost our 38th President, Gerald Ford, Wednesday. Ford died at the age of 93 (the cause had yet to be released as of press time Wednesday). For all that he accomplished, and he did accomplish plenty, he is somewhat of an enigma in regard to our memory of him and his presidency. We can remember he took office after Richard Nixon’s resignation over Watergate, and that later he pardoned Nixon, but not much more without a little help from sourc- es. To that end, here are a just a few “little remembered” things about his life. For starters, he had the option, had he chosen, not to be in poli tics at all. He was a football standout, so much so that he received offers from the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. But, he decided to study law at Yale instead - although he kept his hand in sports by coaching. In April 1942 he joined the U.S. Naval Reserve. His closest brush with death came not as the result of enemy Fire, however, but during a reportedly “vicious” typhoon in the Philippine Seas. That was in 1944. He was discharged in 1946, returned to his native home of Grand Rapids, Mich., and became a partner in a local “prestigious” law firm. In 1948 he took his first plunge into poli tics, winning the nomination by a wide mar gin. He was elected to Congress Nov. 2 and from there he was on his way. He served in the House of Representatives from 1949 to 1973, being reelected 12 times, and each time with more than 60 percent of the vote. He became a member of the House Appropriations Committee in 1951, and rose to prominence on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, becoming its ranking minority member in 1961. Some years later, Ford gained the first of two unique distinctions. First he became the first “appointed” vice president - that coming in 1973 after Spiro Agnew left amid scandal - and then in 1974, after seeing Nixon out the door, he was appointed the president. 4 His accomplishments in office following are many - too many to repeat here. But, we would encourage each of you to read more. Because of his mild-mannered demeanor, he may not be remembered with the kind of flashiness or popularity as, oh say someone like Ronald Reagan (although he did beat Reagan out for the Republican nomination once) but his life is well worth the read. (Did you know he was the target of an assassina tion attempt - twice?) More can be found at: http://www.white- Worth Repeating “I believe that truth is the glue that holds government together, not only our government but civilization itself ... Our long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works. Our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here, the people rule.” Gerald R. Ford 38th President of the United States (Republican, MI) Speech, August 9,1974 Send your Letters to the Editor to: The Houston Home Journal P.O. Box 1910 • Perry, Ga 31069 or Email: hhj@evansnewspapers.com Audrey Evans Vice President Marketing!Advertising Foy S. Evans Editor Emeritus For starters, he had the option, had he chosen, not to be in politics at all. He was a football standout, so much so that he received offers from the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. But, he decided to study law at Vale instead - although he kept his hand in sports by coaching. A few notes before die new year With another year about to become history it would be nice if we could wipe the slate clean and start off anew. We can’t. We will carry with us all the baggage we have today and will have to make the most of it. New Year’s resolutions are for dream ers. And they have a way of vanishing like early morning fog. But it is possible to clear my desk of some notes that I have accumulated and the desk, at least, will be clean and ready for another year of hope. Here goes: ■ I keep thinking about the two brothers who tied a dog up and put it in an oven alive to cook and die. A weak brained juror stood down 11 oth ers and the brothers will get another trial. Seems to me appropriate punish ment should be the same treatment they gave the dog. ■ Speaking of punishment, it is dis gusting to hear bleeding hearts com plain that it is cruel and unusual pun ishment to execute a murderer with a death dealing injection. Appropriate punishment for murderers should be execution the same way they commit ted the murder. There might be less murders. ■ Isn’t it absurd to call for “sensitiv ity training” when someone says some thing to which someone else objects. There is a steady stream of celebrities who express their true opinions, which go contrary to political correctness, and they issue a contrived apology and take “sensitivity training.” What a joke. ■ The latest word out of Washington is that President Bush is talking to con gressional Democratic leaders about raising taxes after the New Year. He rolled over a long time ago and gave j Government ethics: A tale of two cities I read something startling the other day. You may have read it, too. It seems that at Monday’s Warner Robins City Council meeting, a major local developer made a donation of $15,000 to the city, and it was accepted. It was even noted that the developer has made other generous donations to the city in the past. At the same meeting, the council approved two rezoning requests from that developer. The next evening in Perry the issue of donations was dealt with in a dif ferent way. The Council approved a policy that spells things out very clear ly. According to their city manager, they never have accepted donations from developers although at least one was offered and declined. (The County Commissioners have not accepted such donations either, just for the record.) As of Tuesday, Perry Council has a written policy that no donation can be accepted if the person making it has any matter currently pending before the mayor and council or any city department. Also a donation will be returned if the donor comes up with a OPINION Sen. Ted Kennedy what he wanted in an education bill. It would be a shame if he collapsed entirely and let the new Democratic congress run over him the next two years. ■ Those of us with stents in our hearts have kept up with medical advancements in this field. Stents that were approved for use in this country about five years ago (they were used in Europe for many years) are medi cally coated to prevent plaque and scar buildup. They were hailed as a great advancement over the old kind (the kind that I have), but now it has come to light that they can contribute to bleeding and blood clots and, in some instances death. Guess what? Already some ambulance chasing lawyers are advertising on television for clients to sue manufacturers of the new kind of stents. Attempts at medical progress should be protected from these scoun drels. ■ Sign of the times: In jolly old England the name “Mohammad” is now more popular than the name “George”. ■ Christmas is a time for joy and happiness, but I cannot avoid a feel ing of sadness when I see the excesses around me. How can our children ever grow up with a sense of values? How can they appreciate anything when they are given so much? Okay, maybe I am an old Grinch trying to steal request later. Which city got it right? From an ethical point of view, an eighth grader in a civics class should know the answer. Perry did. Granted, the generous donation accepted by the Warner Robins coun cil was made to help the city with its Commercial Circle rejuvenation. Granted, the rezoning requests were probably going to be passed anyway. Granted, no law was broken, but ethical questions are definitely raised by this kind of donation and so are questions of how such a donation is perceived by others on the same play ing field. To the many citizens who speak up at public meetings about rezoning and if Foy Evans Columnist toyevansl9@cox net "* "" j Charlotte Perkins Columnist HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL Christmas. But it is something to think about. ■ I am annoyed and so are my friends when greeted on the telephone by businesses in two languages, when instructions are printed in two lan guages, where everywhere we turn we are reminded that millions of people in our country do not speak English. Why do you see all those signs in stores say ing “Habla Espanol”? The answer is simple. They are doing what it takes to communicate with potential custom ers. And there is nothing anyone can do about what is happening. The horse is out of the barn. ■ Perry may or may not impose impact fees on new homes, but predic tions that it will slow the growth of Houston County just don’t fly. Growth here is a steamroller that will not be denied. ■ Houston Countians who know Sonny Perdue resent the hatchet job that that the Atlanta newspaper is doing on him because of his real estate transactions. One of the most knowl edgeable real estate developers in this county has told me that the AJC’s claim that the 100 acres he purchased adjacent to Oaky Woods had increased in value 150 percent in a little over a year is a fabrication. “The land today is not worth any more than it cost him,” I was told. Sen Ross Tolleson says that the AJC’s accusation that Perdue stood in the way of the state purchas ing Oaky Woods is untrue. And, finally, one of the owners of the Oaky Woods property told me that claims coming out of Atlanta that the state is trying to purchase the property are untrue. “Nobody from the state has contacted us,” I was told, adding, “but it can be bought.” annexation issues, hoping to have an impact on decisions that may change their neighborhoods, it already seems that the developers have the advan tage. They already feel embattled, like a passle of Davids up against some big Goliaths. $15,000 donations do not make this perception go away. They make it worse, and that doesn’t help developers at all. Common sense also suggests that if any developer wants to do good works, the opportunities are there. $15,000 would make a big difference to a strug gling charity or worthy local organiza tion, and raise no ethical question for the recipient whatever. Still, the developer didn’t do any thing wrong. It’s the Warner Robins City Government that needs to take a hard look at the ethical issues involved here and send the check back. Either that, or they should all abstain from voting on any questions involving that devel oper in the future. That’s what I think. What do you think?