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*jy‘: '?l* Mtjj&ffiffflßwJm / ' ->ll' ' ’ m S Wf* I ? BzanL MFtiH&jfc '' v *'' | v “One rou e eafi /tia/e a c/rf/e/ <’//< r WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2007 4A Daniel F. Evans President Editor and Publisher Julie B. Evans Foy S. Evans Vice President Editor Emeritus Don Moncrief Managing Editor Will latest litter campaign clean house? Gov. Sonny Perdue, as he’s done for at least the second-straight year we believe, has announced a new initiative to combat litter. This one partners Pepsi and Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta together, the two of which reportedly will display anti-lit ter messages featuring the state’s anti-litter mascot (Buster the Brown Trasher). “This is about economic development,” Perdues says. “Litter is a nuisance. It costs us millions to clean up, drives down our property values, and destroys our natural resources. Working together, we can all achieve our goals to create cleaner, healthier and more liv able communities.” Most of us agree with that statement. In fact, to a whole lot of extent Perdue is really “preaching to the choir” so to speak. Most of us are good citizens and care tons about keeping our communities clean. We know what a trash can is and we know how to use it. Unfortunately, the ones we believe are doing the greater part of the damage around the countryside, in our towns and cities, will either 1) not receive the message or 2) reject it when they do. In other words, we believe it doesn’t matter how many times they see an anti-litter slogan on the side of a Pepsi truck or a trash can at Wild Adventures, it’s not going to make a dif ference. They simply are not the type to take responsibility and care in the first place. So, while we certainly have to commend Perdue and Pepsi and Wild Adventures for at least taking the initiative for doing something, we certainly have to wonder just how much real effect - if any - it will make in the long run. Letters to the editor Locals need to retain tax rights I suppose that if people were to decide whether or not they would pay taxes, we would all vote to do away with taxes. Is it just human nature to wish to get services or things for nothing? However, there is no such thing as a “free lunch". Our tax structure is far from perfect, but some body has to pay. Maybe we need to just make it fairer for all that pay and for all that receive. Speaker Glenn Richardson is proposing to do away with property taxes. Georgians need to take a serious look at this proposal. In the economics classes I took in college, property taxes on land were regarded as “land use taxes”. Since there is a limit on available land it differs in concept from other natural resources and property built by man such as buildings. See TAX, page Constitution Day, a vote for Paul Constitution Day this past Tuesday celebrated the 220th anniversary of the Constitution’s signing. The Constitution is the shining achievement in the peren nial fight for freedom and liberty. The Constitution plays an integral part of what has made The U.S. the world’s greatest country. It is the document that guarantees our freedoms by strictly limiting the scope and power of gov ernment. Unfortunately, our government has overstepped its con stitutional bounds. We are beginning to loose some of our rights. Habeas corpus is being challenged. Anyone that See DAY, page $A HOW TO SUBMIT: Letters should not exceed 350 words and must include the writer’s name, address and telephone number (the last two not printed). The newspaper reserves the right to edit or reject letters for reasons of grammar, punctuation, taste and brevity. We cannot guarantee that a letter will be printed on a specific date. There are three ways to submit a letter to the editor: E-mail it to hhj@evansnewspapers.com, mail it to The Houston Home Journal at 1210 Washington St., Perry, GA 31069, or drop it off at the same location between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. On a state tax, other notes One person, one vote. One per son, one opinion. So I will exercise my opportunity to express this one person’s opinion on a variety of subjects in the news this week. ■ Local elected officials are lining up in opposition to Speaker Glenn Richardson’s plan to eliminate prop erty taxes and adopt a state sales tax that would include services. I find the reasoning of city officials, county com missioners and school board members right on target. I would never agree to serve in a local elected capacity if I did not have the power to raise revenue to pay for services I had to provide to my con stituents. Cities, the county and board of education need the power to collect property taxes required to fulfill their individual responsibilities. The idea of all tax revenue going to Atlanta for redistribution could result in Houston Countians, for example, paying taxes disproportionate to the amount coming back for use in our country. A suggestion: Leave the ability to col lect property taxes as it is, but extend the state sales tax to include services, while sending the newfound money to local governments so that they can lower property taxes. Or - probably a better idea - use "Hey, it's my money... I can throw it away if I want to!" You can’t hurry love It takes more than feelings to create a meaningful relationship We Americans love the thrill of newness. We seemingly live for the rush that accom panies the new, action-packed block buster movie or video game. We line up for days to purchase a cutting-edge high-tech pocket-PC-phone-like thing amajig. Our loyalties - I use that word loosely—to a political candidate that may have inspired us a few months ago can be transferred to another can didate faster than you can say “Barack Obama” or “Fred Thompson.” The car that we just couldn’t wait to have a year ago is now just another car and we’re eyeing another. I’m sure this sounds familiar to you. It’s human nature. And left unchecked, it can be the root of some terrible and consequential decision making. Nowhere is that danger more preva lent than in relationships. The fact is we love the thrill of new ness in love also. A budding relation ship often is unencumbered by nagging little inconveniences like obligations, hurt feelings and regrets. It’s just ... new. It’s fun. It’s adventurous. It’s exciting. And according to a recent article fea turing several relationship experts, if F° y .§ .%li Evans Jj |j Columnist j§» / ai foyevansl9@cox.net ’ln my opinion, combining the two chambers of commerce could eventually lead to problems that neither group wants." additional revenue collected through an expanded sales tax to reduce or eliminate the state income tax. ■ Members of the Warner Robins and Perry chambers of commerce will vote soon on whether to combine the two organizations. At first blush, it sounds like a good idea. I, personally, see it as a mistake. Perry and Warner Robins are two dis tinct communities and identities, and we’re not at least a little sOber-minded, it can prove to be damaging. Now before you married readers Columnist SMi . a|M Georgia Family Council mm. think this column is all about dat ing relationships, hang on. There’s an important application for you too. The article’s author explained some of the pitfalls that come when two people begin dating and, after just a few meetings, one of them begins expressing their love and devotion and even discussing future plans. “It can actually be a little scary when one person in a new relationship is sud denly like 'I know we don’t know each other well, but I think we’re the kind of couple who could wind up married,”’ said one psychotherapist interviewed for the article. Scary is right, especially considering HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL though they have many mutual con cerns and goals they also have differ ent agendas, too. In my opinion, combining the two chambers of commerce could eventual ly lead to problems that neither group wants. They are working together well now. If there is a need for more uni fied actions, why not follow the lead of Houston County commissioners and the cities of Warner Robins, Centerville and Perry? They saw a need to work together and to plan for the future. So they organized Vision 2020, where repre sentatives of the governments meet regularly. Something like a Vision 2020 for the chambers of commerce would leave each free to carry out its mission while providing a way for them to work hand in hand and harmoniously at the same time. ■ The Georgia Board of Education has stepped up to the plate and is plac ing greater emphasis on mathematics and English related courses in high schools. Hurrah. Before long students will take as many courses in English, history, mathematics, geography and science as I took when I went to high school 70 years ago. Maybe someday they will discover phonics. ■ I was talking with a friend from Asia recently and he pointed out See EVANS, page $A that those feeling may have little to do with the other person and more to do with fulfilling a need of their own. Ms. Neumann lists several possibfe reasons for such behavior. It could be an obses sion with the “buzz” that comes with the rush of feelings in a new relation ship. Unfortunately, once these feel ings wear off the search moves on to someone else. In cases like this, the person may simply want someone else to be a part of their love story fantasy - to play the role of the ideal partner. Of course fantasies collapse under the weight of reality, unable to sustain a long-term relationship, built upon a paper-thin foundation. Sometimes, unfortunately, expres sions of devotion are really just an attempt to hurry into a sexual relation ship. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that this is not a solid founda tion for lasting love. These are the one-sided scenarios in which I hope the recipient of these overtures hears warning bells. There also are those times when both the guy and the girl fall head over heels and plunge headlong into romance. See HICKS, page