Newspaper Page Text
♦ TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2007
4A
Jicruattm % Immtal
OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
President
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
Group Marketing
Don Moncrief
Managing Editor
Letters to the Editor
Right to attend meetings
This is in reference to Mr. Larry Walker’s column in
the Dec. 29, 2006 issue of the Houston Daily Journal. Mr.
Walker made some predictions and some very pointed
comments at Houston County citizens (taxpayers) who
regularly attend the Houston County Commissioners’
meetings. Mr. Walker attends the meetings only when he
has a matter of personal concern before the commission
ers. On the other hand, we “constant attendees” attend
regularly and ask for nothing for ourselves, but for all
taxpayers of Houston County.
I feel I have earned the right to attend commissioners’
meetings, city council meetings and any other govern
ment functions which represent the citizens of this coun
try or county. I served 28 years of military service and
served in Vietnam while some politicians were getting
their college degrees and now, they have this great dis
dain for those of us who earned the right to participate.
I believe that I and the other “constant attendees”
have a good rapport with the present Houston County
commissioners. We don’t always agree but we do have
mutual respect. No longer do I have the same respect
for some politicians. We “constant attendees” could use
more support at these meetings from the 125,000 plus
citizens of Houston County.
Maurice L. Braswell
How unfortunate that Mr. Larry Walker chose to com
promise the usual finesse of his weekly column by inject
ing personal politics into it and attempting to denigrate
those of us who regularly attend County Commission
meetings by referring to us as a “handful of constant
Commission meeting attendees” and urging our elected
officials to give minimal weight to our views.
I would like to inform Mr. Walker that I spent 25 years
during the prime of my life (as did others who attend
these meetings) in service to my country to ensure that
the principles of freedom would live forever in this great
nation and I resent his implication that my views don't
count. For his information, I do NOT need his permis
sion to attend any meeting, nor do I need it to voice my
opinion; therefore, I will not seek it! It would be much
better if more people chose to come to the Commission
meetings and participate; they could learn what really
goes on and that some people have “other fish to fry”.
In my travels with the Navy of these United States,
I saw first hand what political oppression means and
what happens when government is no longer “of
the people, by the people and for the people.” Mr.
Walker should remember that this is a free coun
try, which was founded on those very principles.
Mr. Walker could help Houston County residents by using
his column to educate the voters about the real issues at
election time and urging people to vote. I do believe he
owes all the residents of Houston County an apology for
his recent drivel.
Walton Wood, Kathleen
Mr. Larry Walker’s column published Dec. 29, 2006 con
tained the comment and advice to the county commission
to “don’t let the views of a handful of constant Commission
attendees’ be given weight beyond their numbers.” Then,
Mr. Walker informs us that there are about 125,000
people now living in Houston County. That is probably
true and virtually all of those folks are the “silent major
ity” that politicians, previous and current, truly love.
I am one who frequently attends city council and county
commission meetings. I believe it to be my civic respon
sibility to do so. The fact that so few citizens attend
those meetings is to their shame and to their detriment.
I attend those meetings regularly to voice my opinion
on a variety of subjects that need the attention of our
local governments. Their lack of leadership has led to the
inability to provide the infrastructure demanded by our
rapid, unplanned and uncontrolled growth that exceeds
our capacity to provide while those same governing bodies
continue to press forward with plans of even more high
density residential development. Pollution of both public
and private waterways is largely ignored. There is no
concern exhibited by our elected and appointed officials
as regards the burden placed upon working families by
excessive taxation needed to provide many services those
families never demanded and may well never use. I fear
residents may well expect more of the same in the future.
Mr. Walker seems to exhibit the arrogance and attitude of
condescension that often inflicts those upon whom much
power has too long been bestowed. He and virtually all
public officials are deluded with the belief that only they
have the intellect with which to solve the people’s many
problems. They somehow are incapable of understand
ing they have caused most of the problems our people
experience. One needs only to give a cursory look at the
achievements of Mr. Walker during his many years in
the state house to appreciate the burdens inflicted upon
our citizens. As House Majority Leader and right-hand
man for Speaker Tom Murphy, he managed such glori
ous accomplishments as billions of dollars in state debt
and a miserable state education system are hallmarks
of incompetence. Oh, but Mr. Walker did provide us a
beautiful $150,000 statute of a mule. What better way to
meet the needs of the poor and handicapped in our state?
We must understand that Mr. Walker and his associates
are the aristocracy and we must never forget our position
in life as mere Shudras, whose only function is to perform
the menial tasks of our masters. A simple task like pro
viding taxes so aristocrats can all too often reward them
selves and their political supporters. Is there any wonder
he seeks a position on the Board of the state Department
of Transportation when you consider the immense power
of that body?
David E. Wittenberg, Kathleen
Editor’s Note: Following is the full paragraph from
Walker’s column that has resulted in such controversy. It
was certainly not his intent, he said, to insult anybody. In
fact, he pointed out, “You can see where I complimented
them (both the commissioners as well as the attendees). ”
See NOTE, page $A
Audrey Evans
Vice President
Marketing!Advertising
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
Some things stay the same
It may be a new year, but few things
change with the turning of a page
on a calendar.
■ Those dark tinted windows on
automobiles are against the law. It
would be nice if the law against them
was enforced rigidly. I can imagine
the way law enforcement officers feel
when they approach a car with win
dows through which they cannot see.
Is the occupant holding a gun? What
about a traffic stop in the middle of
the night? Strict enforcement of this
law would receive almost unanimous
support from the public.
■ Have you noticed that all of those
advertisements on television promis
ing outstanding results use two words
that, for me, are tipoffs to beware? The
words are “may” and “up to.” Drug
manufacturers love the word “may”
as they describe the great results you
will get using their product. When
they insert the word “may” you can be
warned that the product is not exactly
what you are being led to believe. All
those ways to get rich promise that
you can earn “up to” staggering sums
of money, when in reality you will be
paying for something that you may not
be able to use, at all.
■ Forsyth County, Georgia’s most
affluent county and one of the fastest
growing, has put a 90-day morato
rium on rezoning. Slow-growth advo
cates have gained enough seats on the
county commission to stand in the way
of more than limited growth in the
future.
■ Duke University threw the three
2007
''y
MLK ceremonies spark questions about Jackson
As we again approach the time
of year in which America again
pays homage to the memory of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., have you
ever wondered why Jesse Jackson is so
often left in the corner at official cer
emonies involving the King family?
Most former King associates are
rightfully honored by the family. For
example, King’s successor as head of
the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference was the late Rev. Ralph
David Abernathy. This self-effacing,
good-natured gentleman was truly fit
to carry on King’s work.
The late Coretta Scott King herself,
MLK’s widow, also campaigned tire
lessly to “keep the dream alive,” as she
put it.
Other King lieutenants practiced
what King preached by working to feed
the hungry, as the late Hosea Williams
did, or working more broadly in public
service, as Andrew Young did as an
American ambassador.
But Jesse Jackson followed a differ
ent path following King’s assassination
in Memphis in 1968. (He was there
with King the day he died.) Jackson
became the charismatic superstar
whose Operation PUSH and Rainbow
Coalition launched him into a long
career as agitator, litigator, entertainer
and even presidential contender.
Give Jackson his due. He’s been
a gifted orator with a keen political
sense. When staged alongside black
activist A 1 Sharpton, Jackson can take
on the air of a distinguished states
man.
Such was the case when the two
appeared together at the recent funeral
of singer James Brown, the “Godfather
of Soul.” For once, Sharpton had a
legitimate reason for his presence.
Believe it or not, he had once been
OPINION
lacrosse players under the bus when
they were accused of raping a strip
dancer, joining in the chorus of con
demnation of the players without see
ing the evidence. Now that the rape
charges have been dropped Duke has
offered to let the students reenroll.
The young men should tell Duke to
stuff it.
■ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
has reported that many of the top
government leaders in Iraq who were
selected by the United States to run
the country and get it on its feet have
absconded with more than $2.5 bil
lion dollars and are living in luxury in
England. At the same time Iraqis are
leaving the country at a rate of more
than 3,000 a day. But the good old
United States is hanging in there with
money and lives. We apparently care
more for their country and they do.
■ The Georgia Legislature convened
for another session yesterday. At the
top of the agenda is “improving educa
tion.” If you have access to newspaper
archives you will learn that at the top
of the agenda of the Legislature every
year for more than 50 years has been
“improving education.” It’s a sure-fire
a road manager and even a backup
singer for Brown.
As for Jackson, I’m sure he knew
Brown well. Even if not, it’s no sur
prise to see him at a major event where
he was obviously welcome.
He isn’t always welcome. At Coretta
King’s funeral last year, it was impos
sible not to notice that Jackson was not
among those invited to speak. In fact,
the King family has shown a distinct
chill toward Jackson in public set
tings. It’s really no secret among those
who closely follow the First Family of
America’s civil rights movement that
Jackson appears to get the cold shoul
der from the Kings.
There are many theories as to why.
One highly placed source says the unac
knowledged rift goes back to the day of
King’s assassination Apparently, some
who were on the balcony of the motor
lodge where King was gunned down,
and others who were later at the hospi
tal, viewed Jackson’s behavior that day
and night as at least self-promoting,
perhaps even calculating.
Whether those who speak about this
on condition of anonymity will ever
reveal their true thoughts to the public
is doubtful. Just as politics is a world
in which private views - such as Gerald
Ford’s interview with Bob Woodward
- often only come to light after the
person in question has died, so too
Foy
Evans
Columnist
foyevansl9@cox.net
«j§K i**r J 8
Matt
Towery
Columnist
Morris News Service
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
winning strategy with voters.
■ The same antidote to what has
been described as a “failing educa
tional system” for lo those many years
has been the same thing, too: Higher
pay for teachers and smaller teacher
student ratios.
■ Can you guess what will top the
agenda for the Georgia Legislature
when it convenes a year from now?
Don’t you already know what the
experts will say is the solution?
■ So the salary for Warner Robins’
mayor will be SIOO,OOO a year after the
next election. There will be some criti
cism from people who never have had
that kind of responsibility, but common
sense says that the job, if done well,
is worth that price. Donald Walker,
who voted against the increase from
$50,000 a year, has done a very good
job at a difficult time for the city.
■ I am of the opinion that Walker
will not seek another term after he
completes the one that he has just
been elected to. If he does not we can
expect to see more candidates for the
office than ever before in a stampede to
assume the office. The pay will attract
many candidates who may or may not
be qualified. Voters will be challenged
to decide which candidates are quali
fied for the job.
■ Walker says that he believes that
any pay raise for the mayor will go into
effect after the next mayoral election,
not the next election, which is next
year, as most council members believe.
Anyway, there will be time to figure
this out.
it seems to be in the world of King’s
legacy.
Public opinion over Jackson has been
mixed over the years.
It’s fair to say that his unfavorable
poll ratings usually outpace his favor
able ratings. Nevertheless, his popular
ity among African-Americans is always
high. For the purposes of Jackson’s
career, that’s all that really matters.
Self-appointed though he may be, he
remains a prominent spokesman for
American blacks.
So much more the irony that many
prominent names presumed to be
admirers of Jackson in fact feel uneasy
in his company and unsure of his
motives, both now and for many years
past.
With new African-American leaders
prominent in the U.S.
government, including Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice and possible
presidential candidate Barack Obama,
it’s safe to wonder whether Jackson’s
emerging role will be reduced to show
ing up at funerals and initiating law
suits.
James Brown was known as “the
hardest working man in show busi
ness.” Jesse Jackson may be the hard
est working self-promoter in America.
Matt Towery served as the chairman
of former Speaker Newt Gingrich’s
political organization from 1992 until
Gingrich left Congress. He is a former
Georgia state representative, the author
of several books and currently heads the
polling and political information firm
Insider Advantage. To find out more
about Matthew Towery and read fea
tures by other Creators Syndicate writ
ers and cartoonists, visit the Creators
Syndicate Web site at www.creators.
com.