Newspaper Page Text
♦ SATURDAY, JANUARY 13,2007
4A
Houston Haily
OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
President
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
Group Marketing
Don Moncrief
Managing Editor
Hard act to follow
While Superintendent of Schools
Danny Carpenter richly deserves
an enjoyable retirement, he will
be sorely missed when he leaves the helm
of the Houston County school system this
summer.
Carpenter came into the top post late
in his career, following a time when there
had been some tension at the top levels of
the system. He arrived with some notable
strengths, including having been a part of
the system for 33 years and knowing the
community and its leaders well.
He had always been an educator who cared
deeply about students of all abilities, and he
also brought
common sense
and good com
munications-
skills with him
to the job.
He never
seemed to be
career build
ing. It wasn’t
a stepping
stone posi
tion for him.
He just did
his best for
the teachers
and the stu
dents in a sys
tem growing
by leaps and
bounds. Now
it will be time for the members of the Board
of Education to carry out one of their most
important responsibilities: the selection of a
superintendent of schools.
This position was at one time elected. We
think it is far better that the position is
filled by appointment, especially when the
board is concerned to pick someone who
will understand the community and be a
natural leader, as Carpenter has always
been.
The good news, we think, is that there
are many talented educators to choose from
within the Houston County school system.
Names are already being tossed around in
the community, and it is clear that the right
place to start is within the system. The
board has decided to do just that.
Danny Carpenter’s shoes will be hard
to fill, but it is clear that, in addition to
professionalism and experience, the new
superintendent needs to be a leader and an
advocate for students and teachers - one
who understands the priorities of education
and also understands the community.
Under the new superintendent, there will
be further SPLOSTs to launch to stay
ahead of the population growth. There will
also be rezoning issues to face. A new high
school will be built and opened. Efforts will
continue to make sure that all the system’s
schools meet state and federal require
ments, and that, along with improving test
scores, the students get a good education
for the 21 s t century.
We’ve seen much progress made. We hope
to see much more. We urge those who care
about the public schools to share their ideas
with board members, and we hope that the
best and brightest educators in the system
will step forward to compete for the top
post.
Letter to the Editor
Local state Rep. Larry O’Neal’s appeal for action to
alleviate a shortage of Trauma centers in rural areas
is praiseworthy. But I wonder why he failed to tell us
why these medical-malpractice insurance companies are
raising their rates despite healthy profits and financial
reserves. There is a concern about the possible loss of
surgeons when their insurance premiums get to be outra
geous.
Larry wants government financial assistance to help
urban and rural hospitals retain or create trauma cen
ters. These worthy efforts could make us all safer after a
serious accident or illness.
In his position as a powerful committee chairman he
will be better able to help all Georgians have access to
trauma care. Bravo!
Frank W. Gadbois, Warner Robins
Audrey Evans
Vice President
Marketing!Advertising
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
The good news, we
think, is that there
are many talented
educators to choose
from within the Houston
County School System.
Names are already
being tossed around in
the community, and it
is clear that the right
place to start is within
the system. The Board
has decided to do just
that.
On minimum wages, ether issues
Sooner of later the minimum wage
will go up. The House in Congress
approved increases without tak
ing a deep breath this week. The Senate
will stall and there will be negotiations,
but the outcome of the election last fall
assures that the minimum wage for
workers will be increased for the first
time in 10 years.
We all know that the national mini
mum wage is $5.15 an hour. How many
of us are aware that a large segment
of workers is paid a minimum wage of
$2.13 an hour?
That’s what the waiters and wait
resses who serve us at restaurants are
paid. The rationale is that these serv
ers will earn money from tips, and they
do. But they can receive $3 an hour in
tips and stiil not reach the minimum
wage for other workers.
I haven’t heard any member of
Congress mention this situation. Not
all restaurants pay the $2.13 minimum
to servers, but most do, especially the
popular franchise restaurants.
This is an inequity that has prevailed
for too long. While dealing with the
minimum wage members of Congress
should take a look at this, too.
■ ■■
Some people are generous with their
tipping. Some are not. Some waitresses
have told me that while most custom
ers tip well there are some couples who
will leave only a dollar tip after both of
them have eaten.
Some higher priced restaurants have
begun adding tips on bills without
consent of the customer. It usually is 18
to 20 percent. So a $lO meal will cost
around sl2. Many restaurants require
that all tips be turned in so that they
can be divided among servers, as well
emi CBEATOBS SYNDICATE, INC- * ~9g /€AV ne aAzeTTr~ _J
Age of Proximity a dangerous era
The Age of Anxiety isn’t a new
phenomenon - but the Age of
Proximity is. And with good rea
son, the Age of Proximity is a danger
ous, challenging era.
Jan. 8, provided several uncomfort
able illustrations. Take New York City
first, since it’s the definitive “Ground
Zero” for terrorists on our technologi
cally “downsized” planet. As a noxious
odor spread through Manhattan, rea
sonable people feared either an exten
sive natural gas leak or a poison gas
attack.
Meanwhile, in Austin, Texas, police
discovered five dozen dead birds on
Congress Avenue, just south of the
Texas Capitol Building, where the
Texas Legislature convenes this week.
The dying “canary in the coal mine”
serves a blunt purpose: It warns min
ers of poison gas in a shaft. On the
Earth’s surface, a mass die-off of birds
may indicate a nerve gas attack or the
presence of a biological pathogen.
The Port of Miami’s Monday incident
is less prone to either ill-considered sat
ire or accusations of overreaction. In
Miami, a suitcase destined for a cruise
ship tested (and retested) positive for
C 4 plastic explosive. The Miami bomb
scare followed by one day an unfortu
nate misunderstanding involving three
truck drivers of Middle Eastern origin
and Miami port security personnel.
Guards became suspicious when one of
the drivers failed to produce “routine
paperwork.”
In Miami, the suitcase ultimately
passed inspection. Local police released
the detained drivers once they pro
vided solid bona tides. It now appears
New York’s wretched stench blew in
from wretched factories in New Jersey.
Preliminary tests in Texas suggested
Congress Avenue’s deceased flock of
OPINION
as kitchen help.
It is up to the customer to decide
whether to patronize these restau
rants.
■ ■ ■
Tipping has gotten out of hand. It
is hard to find someone performing a
service who does not expect a gift in
addition to the handsome price they
charge for their services.
It doesn’t make sense, in my opin
ion.
I figure someone should charge what
a service is worth and leave it at that.
■ ■ ■
A mortician told me recently, “I have
buried more than 10,000 people in my
life and I never have buried a sinner. ”
■ ■ ■
Overseas adoptions are the rage
among Hollywood type celebrities now.
Seems to me there are enough children
in need of a good home in this country
without paying high prices to adopt a
child from another country. Of course,
there would not be a lot of publicity,
would there?
■ ■ ■
Gov, Sonny Perdue wants Georgians
TEACHING 30HHMY
pigeons and grackles were victims of
poisoning, described by authorities as
either “purposeful or accidental.”
Do these incidents represent a sad
display of frayed nerves and national
paranoia?
No. They are very public and potent
examples of apt responses to the dark
side of globalization, of genuine threats
in The Age of Proximity, where both
citizens and governmental authorities
must balance the weight of respon
sibility with the freight of fear - and
responsibility for the protection of
innocent life puts the thumb on that
difficult scale.
Oceans still spawn hurricanes, but
they don’t stop ICBMs or terrorists.
On 9-11, al- Qaida demonstrated that
what the World War I generation called
“over there” is nowadays very close to
“back here.” America - according to
its enemies - is everywhere (a “pan
global” political and military phe
nomenon), but a computer keystroke
will quickly find al-Qaida agitprop,
Nigerian scams, North Korean war
mongering and Sudan’s hideous geno
cide in Darfur. An airline ticket, a sick
tourist and 22 hours moves the Asian
flu from Bangkok to Denver, or the
avian flu from Hong Kong to Austin.
The upscale phrase is “technological
compression,” but the down-to-Earth
21st century fact is all of us live next
door.
■l' h. 1 il
m "M
Foy
Evans
Columnist
foyevansl9@cox.net
* '
t: '
ijmk
Austin
Bay
Columnist
Military Affairs
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
to slow down. He has proposed very
high fines for speeders who exceed cer
tain speed limits. Local governments
should love this, because traffic fines
are a substantial source of revenue for
them already. Super fines would be just
great. Let’s see if this goes into effect.
■ ■■
New Orleans is taking up where it
left off when Hurricane Katrina struck.
Crime (especially murder) in the Big
Easy is soaring, climbing almost to
the pre-Katrina level with only half as
many residents. Look at the criminals
and you have to conclude that it is the
culture.
■ ■■
Arizona has illegal aliens in an uproar.
The state has decided that it will not
give tuition or educational grants to
the illegals. Outrageous, they claim.
They are threatening to go to court. If
they wind up having the same standing
as American citizens, then why bother
with citizenship at all? What happens
in Arizona is worth watching and if
sanity prevails other states may follow
this state’s example.
■ ■ ■
The Warner Robins Police Department
is putting special emphasis this month
on traffic light violations. Running cau
tion and red lights can become costly to
those who believe that saving a few
seconds is worth endangering the lives
of others. Officers will be watching
and if they happen to be out of sight
I can go along with that, though some
motorists believe that traffic enforce
ment is a game.
Technology has compressed the plan
et and created the Age of Proximity,
with positive effects in communication,
trade and transportation; with hor
rifyingly negative effects in weaponry.
Decades ago, radio, phone cables on the
seabed, long-range aircraft and then
nuclear weapons shrunk the oceans.
Sept. 11 demonstrated that religious
killers could turn domestic jumbo jets
into strategic bombers. For murderous
zealots preying on a lax public, the
oceans were not obstacles.
To return to an era where distance
made a difference requires eliminat
ing technology. Where do we start?
Ban ICBMs? I’ll listen, but it appears
North Korea and Hezbollah have no
interest in arms control. But do we ban
long-range commercial jets and the
Internet? Or do we police the murder
ers, tyrants and criminals who abuse
them?
Hello, high-tech Pandora, for the
good and the bad. “Technological
compression” is a fact - it cannot be
reversed. To deny or ignore it has
deadly consequences. Responsible citi
zens and public servants in New York,
Austin and Miami considered those
consequences.
Anxiety is one of the soul-altering
afflictions explored by W.H. Auden in
his Pulitzer Prize-winning poem “The
Age of Anxiety.” That classic begins
in a World War 11-era New York bar.
No' argument - anxiety is destruc
tive. Diminishing the threats posed by
the Age of Proximity requires action.
We’re also doing that. We call it the
War on Terror.
To find out more about Austin Bay,
and read features by other Creators
Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit
the Creators Syndicate Web page at
www.creators.com.