Newspaper Page Text
Page 16 APRIL 3, 2011 StarNews www.starnewsga.com
- Commentary
Open letter to Mr. Obama Immigration reform: economy at stake
Harold
MILES
I suspect that anyone who has read
many of my little essays knows that I
am a little on the conservative side
politically speaking.
As I recall when Mr. Obama was
trying to get his present job, he made
many statements to the effect that all
you had to do to keep peace in the
world was talk to other nations as if
they were our equals and be nice. Mr.
Obama, what in the world happened
in Libya? You were nice, you were
even being nice in Brazil when all of
this happened. Did you fail to kiss up
enough to Mr. Gaddafi before you
went down to Brazil to talk nice to
them? I will freely admit I don’t
know how to handle foreign affairs,
but I am beginning to think that you
know very little more than I do and
that is after two years in office.
Maybe you should have your advi
sors to talk a little slower. I don’t
think you are quite getting it.
Let us get on to the situaiton in
Libya, a country of 667,000 square
miles. Mr. Obama, you thought you
My America
Rita
JONES
It is great to be a citizen of a coun
try where you can idly stand on a
street comer, or a barber shop, restau
rant any public place and discuss
government problems and politics
without fear of retributation; worship
the way you please; and raise our
families in a democracy where
emphasis is put on self achievement
through education, hard work and
dedication.
Here in my America, we can
admire any person from a foreign
country who wants to become a citi
zen of this country in order to make a
better life for him and his family;
where food and clothing is readily
available; and programs that will
help. Some programs are local, some
are government ran.
As a citizen, we are able to vote on
representatives who will act on our
behalf with our best interest in the
forefront of their minds. These law
makers are called “Public Servants.”
Not self serve.
American Citizens contribute to
their salaries through taxes. I would
be ashamed if a representative of my
state ran and hid with no considera
tion of voting on an important bill
that would effect the state’s economy
for years to come while still drawing
a salary, I never heard of being paid
for being a coward. They are paid to
cast their vote and opinion on matters
of state. Tf thev chose to vote yev or
could get Gaddafi to skedaddle with a
hundred-twenty cmise missiles land
ing all along the coast. My lord, the
country is six hundred miles deep. I
know the next five hundred and fifty
miles away may only contain a mil
lion camesl and a billion or so of
grasshoppers. I know the grasshop
pers won’t do much damage, but
there are people down there who can
ride those camels.
I think you are kind hearted and
maybe a lovable Daddy, and defi
nitely a great speech reader, but my
lord, so many of the leaders in the
Middle East are blood thirsty and
evil. They had just as soon kill then-
own people as ours. And they will
open machine gun fire at the drop of
a hat, whether on us or their own.
I remember when Mrs. Clinton put
out the political ad asking who the
voters would like to answer that three
A.M. phone call? At that time my
thought was certainly not you,
Hillary. In view of the last few days, I
have changed my mind. Mrs. Clinton
has neVer looked so good as she does
today.
I suppose by now, Mr. Obama, you
have realized that I lost my vote in
the last election. I must confess, I did.
And I will lose it again if the
Democrats nominate you a second
time. H.miles@charter.net
ney that is their choice, but do your
job and don’t hide. This makes them
look weak and incapable of making
adult decisions. I strongly believe that
elected officials have forgotten what
being a “Public Servant” means.
We are more and more seeing
back-door attacks on our rights. The
president continually recommends
progressive change with the steady
loss ofliberty. The Federal budget is
out of control with no end in sight. It
is time to speak up.
The government attempts to make
the American public think that the
woes of the deficit pertaining to the
budget is in large part the amount
spent on entitlement programs. I
recently called one of our state repre
sentatives in Washington, D.C. and
asked how much was the war costing
the taxpayers per day, week, month
and year. I wag told that I would have
to “submit a question like that in writ
ing.” Either the aide was not well
informed or it was a brush-off.
If they really want to cut, why j
don’t they start with the salary and j
retirement of the president, senators j
and representatives. There are people J
who are barely making a living pay
ing these salaries, including people on
social security. Take money from j
somewhere else and pay back what |
has been pilfered from Social secu- J
rity. Then go to government waste.
Half the country could live “the life
of ‘Riley” from government waste-. J
Then put some of that money into
policing federal programs to cut out I
fraud. If you cut deeply into gover-
See JONES page 35 '
Immigration reform will
change Georgia. Legislation
currently being debated in the
House and Senate of the
Georgia General Assembly
seeks to initiate that reform, but
the path is unclear. Job creation
will be the ultimate judge of the
pending legislative decisions
and the outcomes will generate
benefits or burdens to Georgia.
Our economy is at stake.
When evaluating the econ
omy of Georgia, we must con
sider the impact on our largest
industry sectors: agriculture,
tourism and construction.
Agriculture is our largest and
first industry, with a rich history
in the state’s economy. Rural
areas benefit most as two thirds
of Georgia’s counties rank agri
culture as their largest or sec
ond largest economic driver. In
2009, agriculture accounted for
383,000 jobs supporting our
state economy. Moving forward
on critical issues can be hazard
ous if not handled properly and
carefully.
Georgia
AGRIBUSINESS
comcn^Ejv^
When a change to Georgia’s
water policy was necessary to
guarantee water supplies for
the future, stakeholders from
all interest groups were
included in the discussions.
These discussions resulted in
policy to organize a compre
hensive water plan that, years
later, has our state on the cusp
of producing a path forward
that includes reservoir develop
ment and conservation meas
ures ensuring water resources
for citizens, business develop
ment and the environment. Our
water resources are at stake,
but our policy decisions are
positively answering this
challenge.
Similarly, when the legisla
ture decided that comprehen
sive tax reform could create
jobs and attract businesses to
Georgia, a group of well quali
fied citizens debated the vari
ous facets of reform with busi
ness interests and tax policy
experts to produce a plan that is
revenue neutral and is represen
tative of statewide needs. With
this planning and data in place,
it now awaits further action by
lawmakers. Our tax structure is
at stake, but because the plan
presented by the tax council
included representatives from
all across the state, it delivered
balanced results.
State leaders would be wise
to follow the path that has gen
erated significant results for the
critical issues of water and tax
planning. A first step was taken
last fall when a joint House and
Senate study committee began
the discussion, but more input
is needed from affected indus
try and community leaders in
many other areas of our state.
There is much to learn by
meeting with business leaders
and reviewing state service
opportunities as we explore
See GAC page 29
Twelve weeks in the land of pure imagination
One of my 2011 New Year’s
Resolutions, aside from the
usual: eat healthy, lose weight,
get back on the treadmill, read
more and watch less TV was
this: Challenge Myself. Step
out of my comfort zone; try
something new. The opportu
nity to do so revealed itself in
brief conversation with a col
league at work just two days
later. She said “Steve [Gr-
adick] wants me to try out for
a part in Willy Wonka and the
Chocolate Factory that the
Carroll County Community
Theatre is putting on this
spring.” “Sounds like fun, you
should audition.” I replied. ‘I
should audition.’ I thought.
My mind flashed back to the
summer of 1971.1 was fifteen.
What a great movie! What a
great summer! Then, more
memories began to bubble
up... reading the Roald Dahl
story to my two sons (now
grown and living in NY) over
and over... coming face-to-face
with Gene Wilder in 1989 at
the Museum of Modem Art in
New York City, and the
embarrassment of addressing
him as ‘Mr. Wonka’... watch
ing it countless times over the
years on Video, DVD or
chancing upon it while chan
nel surfing. For me, Willy
Wonka had been a common
thread in the fabric of my life.
‘How cool it would be’ I
thought ‘to be part of it all on
stage.’ But me? I’ve never
been on stage...absurd. How,
unlike me.
But how perfectly tailored
Duane
sohl
to the New Year’s Resolution
to: challenge myself. So on
January 4th, I began my jour
ney into the land of pure
imagination. I auditioned for a
part in the Carroll County
Community Theatre produc
tion of Willy Wonka and the
Chocolate Factory.
Of course, I never imagined
I would get apart. I’d audition,
make a fool of myself and
move on, with a certain sense
of accomplishment at the mere
trying out for a role. But what
role? Certainly not Mr. Wonka.
Grandpa George or Grandpa
Joe maybe... nah, I could
never pass for a starving old
man. Down the list...Ah ha!
Mr. Salt. The guy in the nut
business; the pathetically ill-
equipped parent of that mar
velously nasty daughter
Veruca. Perfect!
After signing up, we were
led Onto the stage. “I'm Lisa
York (the show’s Director) I
wish to welcome everyone to
tonight’s audition. Tonight
we’ll have you read a little for
us, and sing a couple songs.
We’ll post the cast on our web
site tomorrow.” Simple
enough. There were about fifty
of us on stage that night, and
from what I later learned, over
a hundred the night before.
Men, women and children of
all ages.-1 read for Mr. Salt.
Then, “Hi everyone, I’m
Jennifer Green. I’m the music
director. Gather ‘round the
piano. This is Bemie, he’ll be
playing a few songs for us so
we can get you all to sing a lit
tle.” So we sang a few bars of
‘I’ve Got a Golden Ticket’ and
‘Cheer Up Charlie’. I went
home satisfied that I had
accomplished my goal to step
outside my zone. The next day
I got a phone call from a
friend. “Congratulations Mr.
Salt!” OMG, I got the part.
Our first rehearsal was a
read through of the entire
script. We skipped the songs
(of which there were a total of
twenty four). After the first
read through, I would not see
many of the performers again
for weeks to come. For some it
was off to the music room.
Oompa Loompas down the
hall. Others, in different rooms
with the choreographer.
And so it went through
January and February. Rehear
sals, Mondays, Tuesdays and
Thursdays. Learn the lines.
Learn the songs. .Catch a
glimpse of a new set piece.
After weeks of rehearsals, the
characters began to come
alive, the songs began to be
honed into performances, and
the whole thing began to take
shape.
On the home front, it was
total immersion into the world
of Willy Wonka. Bedtime
reading to my eight year old;
first the Chocolate Factory,
then the Great Glass Elevator.
See SOHL page 35
