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opinion
Thursday, July 29, 2021 • Page 4A
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Letter to The Editor:
Spirits, Increased
Rent & Homeless
To the Editor:
After attending the Thomaston Council
meeting last night (July 20, 2021) I formu
lated many opinions I wish to share.
The unanimous decision to place for a
vote to the people on the November 2021
ballot for distilled spirits, it's about time
Thomaston-Upson receives their fair share
of tax dollars from the adjoining counties.
Why did it take so long? Which leads into my
next opinion...
City Manager Russell Thompson intro
duced for a vote to increase rental rates on
city-owned properties. I was pleased to see
council members Middlebrooks and Reeves
fought this proposed increase. During the
discussion, it was clear the research was not
comprehensive and the presentation was, at
the very least, weakened by ignorance. The
mere thought of overnight increasing rates
on lower income was a direct slap in the face
of hard-working residents, and to be dictated
by HUD is ridiculous!
I'm proud of the integrity and intelli
gence of our Thomaston leaders. Thomaston
can come up with its own guidelines. The
federal government is in our homes
enough!!! Our city attorney, Wheeler, is
quite an impressive leader and Thomaston
should be proud to hear her thoughts on
these rate increases. I realize rate increases
are needed. Let's face it, you cannot buy a
gallon of gas anymore for .99. But until the
pipeline bursts, Mr. Thompson, do your
homework! Which returns us back to, why
didn't we have those tax dollars before from
distilled liquor sales. Think about it!!!
Don Greathouse brought forth a powerful
presentation, getting my attention to address
homelessness. He mentioned a task force,
well I’m here, I have presented myself prior
to do what I can do, but no takers. I also pre
sented myself for a seat on the Community
Relations Committee, no takers! I spoke with
Russell Thompson and introduced my inter
est on the Community Relations Committee
and he stated he would forward to Council
man Ryan Tucker. I have had no reply!
Major Corley of the Thomaston Police
Department added very educated and con
ducted research on the homeless in Thomas
ton. I was quite impressed to hear his proven
and documented statements. Corley surely
must receive an award of excellence by Chief
of Police Richardson, whereas the chief al
ways states the facts based on research. I’m
so proud of our police department. To know
Thomaston is not as in dire need as I once
believed, it is also encouraging to know that
Councilman Greathouse wants to nip it be
fore it becomes crucial!
I have ideas of my own regarding the
rental rate increases. It is unfortunate, ho
wever, that my offer to help with the home
lessness and the Community Relations
Committee seat have gone to no avail!
Joseph “JB” Burke
Lordy, Lordy...
County Commissioners
Need to Implement a
Local Preference Policy
A few weeks ago, I wrote about
the importance of a local preference
policy for out county. Basically,
commissioners would be giving our
local businesses and service pro
viders an upper hand in the bidding
processes.
The City of Thomaston and
Upson County School System have
local preferences, but not the
county. County Manager Jason
Tinsley said it will be on an agenda
for county commissioners to dis
cuss in August.
When buying goods and serv
ices, the county should consider the
everlasting effects of buying locally
first. We all know that spending
money locally raises wages, in
creases consumer spending, and
creates more jobs.
Part of the reason we elected
them is to help Upson grow, and
our biggest growth comes from
companies who are already estab
lished here, located inside the
county. Our local companies pay
into our tax digest. The companies
that are based outside of Upson or
even just across the county line, do
not pay a dime into it.
I checked into 18 counties in
Georgia that are similar to Upson in
size, and 12 of 18 have them.
Counties that border Upson, like
Pike and Lamar, both have one.
Anyone been through those
counties lately? They are growing.
A local preference policy doesn’t
mean that a local will automatically
win a bid with the county. As with
everything, commissioners must
maintain fiscal responsibility, so
there will have to be limitations.
But a good policy would give locals
an upper hand. Some counties offer
up to 10 percent while others nego
tiate with local companies if their
bid comes in within five percent of
an out-of-town company. This is a
no-brainer.
Personally, I am just sick of us
letting our dollars go to out-of-town
businesses and service providers
who could not care less about
Upson. I also do not believe that a
public official who does not make
supporting our local businesses a
priority should be in office, period.
That goes for all public officials,
whether they’ve been appointed,
elected, or hired.
Think about it like this: Would
n’t you want your tax dollars to be
spent with someone who has in
vested into our community, our
neighbors, or our kid’s baseball
team’s sponsor first? Or would you
rather spend your tax dollars in
other communities, helping them
grow? The money spent in Upson
will help us grow.
And for the county commis
sioners: The discussion shouldn’t
be if we should have a local prefer
ence, it should be which type of
preference best suits our com
munity. Because without a local
preference, we can only assume
that when you ran for office, you
said whatever you needed in order
to get elected. I truly hope you
meant what you said during your
campaigns.
Norman Allen, chairman,
pledged to:
“Diligently work to improve our
standard of living through job cre
ation” and to “Support local busi
nesses.” One of his slogans was,
“Together, we are moving Upson
forward.”
Paul Jones said in his campaign
ads:
“As your District 3 commis
sioner, I assure you that I will be a
good steward of your hard-earned
tax money. Especially, with the pos
sibility of an increase on property
taxes this year. I will strive to con
tinue the hard work that our IDA
does so well. I will promote Upson
County as the best county to do
business, to take the tax burden off
Lordy, Lordy..., 5A
Bridge Turner
O
Managing Editor
,
I’m Just Sayin’:
Georgia...
On My Mind
With Georgia under attack from
the federal government and directly
from President Biden, who con
tinues to slanderously spew Jim
Crow references our way, I wanted
to write a column including songs
about the Peach State which were
performed by black artists.
Atop the list, of course, is the
Ray Charles version of “Georgia on
My Mind.” Or so I thought.
I was wrong.
A bit of research taught me that
the song’s lyricist, Stuart Graham
Steven Gorrell, born 1901 in Indi
ana, wrote Georgia on My Mind for
the sister of the song’s composer,
Hoagy Carmichael. At the risk of
stating the obvious, her name was
Georgia.
With lines like “moonlight
through the pines” and “the road
leads back to you,” it never occurred
to me that the “sweet and clear” tune
was written for anything - or
anyone — other than my home state.
A song that stirred emotion for me
throughout my entire life is now
nothing more than an imposter. I
didn’t even know Georgia Carmi
chael.
Of little consolation, Ray Charles
also sang “I Was on Georgia Time.”
I can’t hum it. Don’t think I’ve ever
heard it.
On the bright side, there are
more songs: “Midnight Train to
Georgia” by Gladys Knight and the
Pips; “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay”
by Otis Redding, and “Rainy Night
in Georgia” by Brook Benton, to
name a few. Whenever I hear Mid
night Train to Georgia, I envision
the Pips dancing in perfect rhythm,
wearing matching outfits, singing
backup in perfect harmony.
None of the three songs is par
ticularly uplifting. Otis was “wasting
time watching the tide roll away”
and Brook felt like it was “raining all
over the world.” The only reason
Gladys opted for Georgia was she’d
“rather live in his world than live
without him in mine.” Even though
I know Georgia on My Mind is an
imposter, it likely will continue to
tug heartstrings.
Another song that evokes emo
tion almost every time I hear it is our
National Anthem. When it is per
formed as intended, I feel the hairs
stand on the back of my neck and
tears well in my eyes. And I did not
have to fight for the freedom it rep
resents - I simply realize the sac
rifices of those who did. That is why
I am saddened by those who do not
respect it.
I can only imagine how the rest
of the world views our athletes, our
privileged citizens, when they see
them kneel during our nation’s song
or turn their back on our flag. For
better or worse, and certainly for in
finitely more “better” than “worse,”
these are the symbols of a country
which is the envy of all other. If not,
why would millions flock to our bor
ders seeking inclusion?
Of the 32 lines in the Anthem,
there is one which refers to “hireling
and slave.” It is difficult to read, and
is a point of contention among those
protesting the song. But the refer
ence was to the Colonial Marines,
enslaved individuals recruited by
the British to defect and fight
against America. Francis Scott Key
likely viewed them as traitors, but I
can understand why they made the
choice.
That verse is rarely, if ever, per
formed as part of the National An
them.
As we have seen in “cancel cul
ture,” anything can be twisted into a
racial pretzel. And no amount of
compromise ever will be enough to
satisfy everyone. The only defense of
the silliness is protection of freedom
of speech, which ironically is af
forded many morons by the very
country they view condescendingly.
When I was a child (very young
and a very long time ago), I grew up
in a household with my mother and
her parents. My mother was juggling
school and work, which eventually
led to 40 years of teaching students
in and around Upson County. My
grandfather was a regional manager
for a national furniture company
and, because of the eye condition
glaucoma, could not drive. So my
grandmother drove him to appoint
ments at stores in neighboring
states.
When possible, my grandmother
would load me into the car and take
me on the road trips, but sometimes
they needed help. Help came in the
form of Georgia.
Georgia did not work for my
family, she was a member of my
family. There were weeks when I
spent more time with Georgia than
I spent with my mother or my
grandparents. When I did some
thing that might require me to be
I’m Just Sayin’, 5A
For years we have witnessed it,
but it is worth a regular reminder...
Whatever the radical Democrats ac
cuse us of, they themselves are
guilty. If they call something a lie, it
is because they have lied. If they ac
cuse one of racism, it is because they
are the racist. If they accuse one of
being a Fascist/NAZI, it is because
they themselves are... well you catch
my drift.
Handed a miracle vaccine, de
veloped in record time due to Pres
ident Trump's adroit business skills
displayed in "Operation Warp
Speed" and the professional enact-
Chasing the
Dragon
ment by his administration, the
only thing the Biden administration
had to do was not screw it up!
Which, of course, THEY managed
to do in record time.
They spent the preceding
years/months during the campaign
and pandemic, for purely political
purposes, weaponizing the pan
demic; mocking, ridiculing, con
demning the vaccines because they
were a result of Trump’s masterful
leadership, in order to help them
steal an election. Now they scratch
their heads over why so many are
reluctant or outright refuse to take
the vaccine.
Too stupid to figure out that in
order to get the American people to
go along with something, is just give
them good solid information and
"convince" us.
Instead because the radical
Democrats and their toadies in the
fake news media, Facebook,
Twitter, Google, and the other Fas
cists think we are too stupid to fig
ure it out, they decided like any
tyrant, to block/censor/prohibit any
information that is not identical to
the propaganda/lies being regurgi
tated by Fauci, Biden, radical Dem
ocrat Marxists, and other lackeys
that have managed to destroy the
credibility of the medical profes
sion/science, along with every other
institution in America.
They are nothing more than a
bunch of dogs lapping up each
other's vomit. It's actually called
"rumination" and is quite common
among cats, dogs, fake news jour
nalists, and Democrat politicians.
So now like all tyrants in history,
instead of convincing or persuad
ing, their intention is to
coerce/threaten/force folks to take
the vaccine. After years of chanting
“my body, my choice” as they
aborted tens of millions of babies,
now suddenly those very ones are
demanding that Americans be
forced into a questionable medical
procedure, like it or not.
The radical Marxist Democrats
like their brethren in Communist
China show no reluctance when it
comes to using force to get what
they want. Forced labor? Forced
sterilization? Forced vaccines?
Catch on? For the record, I have
taken the vaccine. Had they tried to
force me to take it, that would have
been a different story.
But why would they choose such
a path? In my estimation it is be
cause they had such success scaring,
locking down, and controlling the
American people during the cam
paign and pandemic and success
fully stealing the election. They are
hooked. Like a crackhead, heroin
addict, or meth freak, they are
“chasing the dragon." They got off
on the power... they got a buzz and
are hooked, so they keep going back
to capture that high and will do any
thing, lie/cheat/steal, to get it.
They’re intoxicated with power and
must have another fix.
You may have noticed they are
at it again, trying to scare us with
dire warnings and threats. The rad
ical Democrats, Biden administra
tion, and fake news have begun a
full court press to prepare us for a
return to lockdowns, masks, the
control of our lives we have endured
for the past year and half and
thought was over, and it is.
Just so it will come as no sur
prise, the invasion of Illegals at the
southern border is the “Mother of
All Super Spreader Events.” It will
be used as THE excuse to steal the
elections again. Over one million Il
legals have entered the country this
year, practically none vaccinated.
Alan Landers, 5A
B. Waine
Kong, Ph.D., JD
Waine’s World:
“If You have God, Family
and Friends, You May
Stumble, but You Will
Never Hit the Ground. ”
As promised, we enjoyed a fan
tastic family get together during the
week of July 12-18, 2021. My Wife’s
birthday is July 12 and mine is July
18, so we always enjoy a great week
somewhere in the world, but this
year we rented a couple farm houses
(Airbnb) close by to accommodate
them in Thomaston.
Thirty of our immediate family
attended the party, coming in from
far and near (Portland, Phoenix,
Miami, Columbus and Atlanta). It
was catered with delicious, nutri
tious and delectable vittles from
Xchelon (Denise Searcy). Individ
ually, they all promise to dry out and
go on strict diets when they get back
to their respective homes, as during
our time together, our mouths were
never idle.
With all the kissing and hugging,
the games, the dancing, the conver
sations about our family tree, and
congratulations to each other for the
amazing accomplishments of our
family, we took time out to honor
our grandchildren. My wife and I
called them all to the front and re
cited the following promise that we
wrote for the occasion:
“We are in awe of each of you -
precious gifts from the great archi
tect and sustainer of the universe for
which we will be eternally grateful.
Having you all here brings us joy.
We mostly laugh at your jokes, but
we absolutely love it when you utter
the words: “I love you, Pop Pop and
Nana”. When you dance, big grins
erupt. Just being in your presence
triggers affection and admiration.
Watching you at play picks up our
spirits and makes us happy. Seeing
you perform and show off your skills
- riding your hikes, swimming, Tae
Kwon Do, cross country, softball,
golf, cornhole, cooking, music, and
mathematics - you are all talented,
intelligent, good looking, and strong
individuals.
“We treasure your hugs and
memories of you are indelibly im
printed on our hearts. We have a
passionate love for you that is in
tense, unwavering, and everlasting.
You are so full of creative impulses.
And with each revelation of your po
tential, we glow with so much pride,
the buttons on our shirt and blouse
have a hard time keeping it together.
The world will also come to cherish
your gifts and talents. Your simple
acts of kindness, taking our plates
after a good meal and getting us ice
cream and coffee is greatly appreci
ated. We have hope for the future
because you will carry on for us.
“Through thick or thin,
24/7/365, we will stand by you -
picking you up when you are down
and celebrating with you in your tri
umphs. Be awesome and have an
absolutely phenomenal future. It
really is true, if we had known that
you were going to be so lovable, so
talented, so amazing, so much fun,
we would have had you first.”
Thanks to those of you we en
countered who greeted us warmly so
I could brag about our southern hos
pitality in Thomaston.
“To me, family means I will
Waine’s World, 5A