Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current, November 21, 2018, Image 7

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Dawson County news., November 21, 2018, Image 7

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Newspaper Page TextWednesday, November 21,2018 dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 7A Special session for Hurricane Michael relief The blessings of having trials and tribulations By Sen. Steve Gooch On Oct. 10, a category 3 hurricane moved across southwest Georgia, one of the most important areas of our state for agriculture and forestry. As we know, this storm devastated a part of our state in ways we have never seen before, and some have called it “the largest timber catastrophe in our nation’s his tory.” Thousands of acres of pine, pecan and hardwood trees were destroyed and ready-to-harvest cotton, peanut and produce yields were damaged. Overall, this hurricane has cost our state billions and left people feeling dis heartened and overwhelmed. But thankfully, with the help of con cerned citizens across the state, as well as proactive leaders, southwest Georgia will recover. And that is what this spe cial session is about, helping them on the road to recovery with legislation aimed at helping individuals whose livelihood was destroyed. Our southwest Georgia farmers, and particularly those who have timber plots (approximately 79,000 acres were destroyed), were impacted in ways that will leave this region’s landscape changed for years to come. The first bill that passed the Senate with unanimous support will help farmers and citizens recover is House Bill 1EX which amends the Fiscal Year 2019 budget to include $270.8 million in additional appropriations for Hurricane Michael disaster relief. These funds will be utilized in Southwest Georgia where the storm left a path of destruction resulting in an approximate $2.5 billion loss to the timber and agriculture industries. Below is a breakdown of some of the funding: • $69.3 million will be appropriated to the Governor’s Emergency Fund (GEF) to pay the state match for the federal disaster assistance approved by the President’s Administration. • $6.8 million so that Georgia can help cover costs local governments sustained for recovery at the local level. • $55 million for the Georgia Development Authority so they can provide assistance to Georgia farmers in the counties devastated by the storm. • $69.3 million for the Department of Transportation (GDOT) through state general and motor fuel funds resulting from HB 170 to be used to assist with clean up and recovery efforts. GDOT will also have some costs offset by fed eral reimbursement. Secondly, HB 4EX is a bill introduced to help those who owned timber recover. I know many will wonder why we have decided to single out this indus try, but there is good reason for that. First, timber is not insured federally, but crops like cotton and peanuts are. Second, trees are not a yearly harvest. Instead, they are harvested every 25 years at best and their return on invest ment is minimal. Many farmers use unproductive fields for trees as they are a sort of “safety net” in times of poor crop yield. We hope that this bill, which will allow timberland owners whose trees were damaged by Hurricane Michael to apply for an income tax credit, will encourage them to keep their timber tracks. The tax credit will be capped at $200 million overall and at $400 per acre damaged, applies to land with catastrophic or severe damage and cannot be applied until the land owner has replanted trees. Fastly, as required by the Constitution, the legislature is required to take action on Executive Orders of the Governor since the last session of the General Assembly. Therefore, the Senate and House ratified the Governor’s Appointments and Executive Order that halted the sales and use tax on jet fuel. Overall, these pieces of legislation will offer farmers the opportunity to get back up on their feet. I know that if north Georgia was in a similar position, our friends from the south would pull out all the stops to help us. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions you may have. My staff and I are always here to help. Sen. Steve Gooch serves as the Senate Majority Whip. He represents the 51st Senate District which includes Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Union and White counties and portions of Forsyth and Pickens counties. He may be reached at (404) 656-9221 or via email at Steve.gooch@ senate.ga.gov. Sometimes, it’ll come up in conversa tion among family. We’ll repeat it. We’ll remember it. But we’ll still strug gle to under stand it. In every prayer we ever heard Daddy utter publicly — either in church, at a family gath ering, or as he blessed the food — he’d always say, “Dear Lord, we thank you for the trials and tribulations of this life, knowing they bring us clos er to thy Almighty hand.” What? Thankful for the trials and tribulations? He never waivered. He said it always and practiced it faithfully. In the hardest of times, Daddy thanked God openly and often. He’d say, “Let us learn what you’d have us to learn in the midst of this storm.” Let me be frank: 2018 has not been my favorite. It seems like most days have been a struggle in one way or another. Deadlines were unrelenting. Too many at one time. Aggravations of this or that. The kudzu grew at a record pace. Burt Reynolds died. This, after I’d spent a week trying to chase him down, two months earlier, in Jupiter, Fla. My migraines increased and stomach pains were so strong for so long that I began to think I could feel cancer eat ing away at the lining. It turned out to be ulcers from a bacterial infection that was so serious that it took four weeks, twice daily, massive antibiotics to heal. Tink would say, “But look at how blessed we are.” He’s right. Sometimes when I was pressing toward a hard deadline and I’d sigh, Tink would ask, “What’s wrong?” “Well,” I’d reply. “I don’t feel good.” Pause. “And Burt Reynolds died.” I sought to find what there was to learn and why I should be grateful. Yes, I was closer to the Almighty hand. The Lord and I talked pretty constantly even as I was running from the jaws of a growling deadline. Then one day, in the midst of much gnashing of teeth, I thought of Thomas Dorsey. Suddenly, Daddy’s words of thanksgiving made sense. In 1932, Dorsey, bom in Villa Rica, was on the road, making a living as a blues singer when he received word that his wife had died in childbirth. His baby boy died two days later. He came home to Atlanta, struck to his knees with grief. Dorsey, the son of a black preacher, turned to the roots of his upbringing. One afternoon, he sat down at the piano and with one hand began to tap out a haunting melody as tears ran down his face. In a moment, his heartbreak gave way to words. “Precious Lord, take my hand; Lead me on, help me stand. I’m tired, I’m weak, I’m worn.” From his anguish would be bom one of the most famous gospel songs in his tory. It was Elvis’ favorite. Dr. Martin Luther King’s last words before the shots rang out in Memphis were, “Play it real purdy,” after asking that it be sung at the next day’s rally. Mahalia Jackson sang it at his funeral and, later, President Lyndon Johnson was laid to rest as it was sung, as well. Once I heard Darrell Waltrip singing it as he sauntered through a parking lot toward a restaurant. “That’s my favorite hymn,” he said. It is sung faithfully at every family funeral of ours. It’s pow erful. It’s tears-inducing. But it’s mighty in its comfort. Dorsey would further channel his grief into another gospel standard, “(There Will Be) Peace In The Valley.” One man’s torment, his trials, his heartbreak gave to the world two of the most comforting hymns in history. For this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for that. Let me close with the words that ended every public prayer of Daddy’s: “Now, dear Lord, we bow our unwor thy heads and give you the honor, the praise and the glory for it all.” That includes migraines and stom achaches. Amen. Florida Rich is the best-selling author of the new book, Let Me Tell You Something. Visit www.rondarich.com to sign up for herfree weekly newsletter. Gooch One man's torment, his trials, his heartbreak gave to the world two of the most comforting hymns in history. HOBBY LOBBY FIND A LOCATION NEAR YOU OR SHOP ONLINE AT HOBBYLOBBY.COM CLOSED THANKSGIVING DAY • EXTENDED HOURS: FRIDAY & SATURDAY 8 A.M. - 9 P.M. 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