Newspaper Page Text
12A
February 19, 2004
Three G’s: Politics, not policy, driving amendment proposals
Continued from page 1A
political landscape with to
divert attention away from
their own vulnerability in
2004.
_ The similarities to the 2002
election are starding. Then,
Republicans resurrected the
debate over the downsizing of
the Confederate emblem on
the Georgia flag, creating an
issue where there was none.
Fast forward to 2004 and the
red meat includes a proposed
constitutional amendment
banning same sex marriage,
even though this union is
already illegal in Georgia. That
doesnt stop the play makers
from hiking this political foot
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ball about to raise the ire of
heterosexual, God-fearing,
gun touting Georgians who
are expected to turnout in
record numbers in November
to vote against gay marriage in
the same manner as they did
during the divisive Rebel flag
flap two years ago.
“Marriage has always been
between a man and a woman,
and it always must be,”
Republican U.S. Senate candi
date Johnny Isakson said dur
ing a recent debate.
Not to be outdone, a
Republican challenger for the
same seat, Herman Cain,
chimed in.
“God defined marriage as
between a woman and a man,
and I think God knew what
he was doing.” o
The frequent reference to
God you will be hearing this
election year is unmistakably
pandering to Southern, con
servative voters and the Chris
tian Coalition aimed at neu
tralizing a Democratic come
back..
Speaking of God, another
proposed constitutional
amendment would give the
governor more authority to let
religious organizations com
pete for state funds to provide
services for the needy. Forget
about the debate among schol
ars who argue that this
arrangement between the state
and faith-based charities flies
in the face of the of the U.S.
Constitution’s mandate for the
separation of church and state.
The fact is that this practice
Hope:
Continued from page 1A
cal year 2004 will total more
than $376 million -the high
est in the history of the lottery.
Another point of contention
between lawmakers trying to
hash out HOPE changes is a
suggestion last September by
Gov. Purdue to add a required
minimum SAT score to the
current sole qualifier- a B aver
age. In an interview with the
Atanta-Journal Constitution,
Purdue explained that in his
opinion, adding an SAT
requirement would give Geor
gia students an incentive to
perform better on the stan
dardized test thereby lifting the
state from last place nationally
in SAT scores. His suggestion
caused quite a stirring among
educators and legislators alike
AUGUSTA FOCUS
has been going on in the state
of Georgia for years. Countless
faith-based charities are being
paid to run group homes for
high risk infants, provide drug
counseling and adult educa
tion. No one has bothered to
legally challenge the arrange
ment. But Gov. Purdue
would have you believe that
faith-based charities are under
attack and require a constitu
tional amendment to protect
them. How many preachers
and church goers will this
cause to rise up on election
day?
And then, perhaps the most
transparent play by GOP play
makers is the ‘right o hunt
amendment which states,
“The tradition of hunting and
fishing and the taking of fish
and wildlife shall be preserved
Local educators not giving up hope
who cited the College Boardss,
the organization responsible
for all aspects of the SAT, own
admission that SAT scores are
intended to “supplement (a
students) record” and is not an
exact indicator of how well
students will do in college.
The suggestion also raised
questions about just who Pur
due was attempting to disqual
ify for the award given that
African-Americans and His
panics tend to score lower on
the test.
While the HOPE panel did
not recommend linking SAT
scores to the scholarship, they
did advocate taking the schol
arship sooner from those stu
denss who fail to maintain
their B average once in college.
Currently, HOPE scholars
who do not have at least 23.0
GPA after 30 credit hours lose
YDC: D]JJ loses local confidence
Continued from page 9A
a football game. The moral of
the story is, every dog will have
its day and what goes around,
comes around! It appears that
our trouble youth are really in
trouble under DJ] supervi
sion. My “unique solution” for
Gov. Purdue would be to pri
vatize DJJ central office in
Atlanta as opposed to destroy
ing the head of houscholds in
small towns. These 310
employees were simply follow
ing the direction of leadership
who seem to have an interest
in destroying the lives of peo
ple at the bottom of the ladder,
including children. The politi
cal foolishness, ignorance, and
greed of few men may result in
dent being placed in the pock
et books of innocent taxpay
ers. Sen. Cheeks and Hall have
destroyed a valuable opportu
nity to stand up for what is
morally right. They were elect
ed to defend and to be a fear
less voice in Georgia’s political
arena. Do our local Senators
Join Us Sunday at
.. Shepherd’s Chgistian Center
A Division of Blewers Ministries”
Holid n-West
1075 Stevens Creek Rd
706-364-5075
" Missio {Scement:
“Reaching to W% who have fallen
thru the cracks” .
for the good of the people.”
Thank goodness, or is it,
thank God for politicians like
Republican Senator Eric John
son, who uncovered this
underground movement to
prohibit hunting and fishing,
“There are some people in
metro Atlanta — you know
who you are — who would like
to classify deer as an endan
gered species and outlaw hunt
ing and fishing,” Johnson was
quoted as saying in the Atlanta
Journal Constitution stopping
short of saying who these dia
bolical people are. But in the
GOP Play Book 2004, this
crafty lide play could rally
those South Georgia voters
still feeling the sting of betray
al over the Republicans’ failure
to get the Rebel flag on a bal
lot as they promised during
their financial award. Since it
can often take three semesters
to earn the 30 hours, ineligible
students sometimes stay in
school past their freshmen year
on a free ride. Under the pro
posed guidelines, academic
records would be reviewed
yearly or each spring semester
and those failing to maintain
the GPA requirement would
be stripped of their scholarship
at that time- a move that the
panel says would save millions.
While it is unclear at the
moment, how the debate will
end, legislators have already
moved on the panel recom
mendations. Earlier this
month Senator Bill Hamrick
(R-Carrollton) and Represen
tative Louise Mcßee (D-
Athens) introduced bills in
both 'the senate and house,
respectively, that would cut
and the senators across the
state intend to stand up in
2004? Do any of our represen
tatives to promote legislation
that will protect all state work
ers? Why are our elected allow
ing our trouble children to be
sold to the lowest bidder, espe
cially a group that appears to
have trouble of their own?
If the dash between the
beginning and the of life
reflects one’s history, I imagine
our Senators ‘ain't gonna have
much to talk about,’ just like
Sen. Strom Thurmond.
The children at the Augusta
Youth Development Center
need a fair opportunity to
avoid the penal system as
opposed to being placed in the
hands of company with
alleged outstanding lawsuits
and issues relating to child
abuse. The fact is, privatizing
may be legal, but it is morally
and ethically wrong! Who'
next? humiliated and devastat
ed when the highest ranking
official of the Department of
Juvenile Justice, Orlando Mar
‘campaign 2002.
Having exposed the Repub
lican ploy, the real danger is
not the fact that the GOPiis
using the state constitution to
drum up votes, the real danger
is if the voting public is caught
sleeping and allow them 'to
succeed. Don't look to Dix
iecrats to sound the alarin.
Southern white Democrats are
heading for the hills on these
wedge issues rather than taking
a stand. The manner in which
these issues are being bandied
about should, however, dis
turb fair minded Americans,
Regardless of how we feel
personally about God, guns
and gays, they should be
addressed in a social and civil
environment, not manipulat
ed by self serving politicians to
heat up a campaign. ‘
out funds for books and mis
cellaneous fees. Neither bill
included Purdues SAT
requirement that many believe
could derail efforts to save the
HOPE program. Whatever
the fate of the scholarship, if
Evans and Laney Assistant
Principal Venetta Law have
their way, hope will continue
to spring eternal. j
“The HOPE Scholarship s
a concern of ours but is net
our main concern,” said
Lawrence. Evans concurred,
adding, “In my experience yqu
can find funding. It may u(ée
alot of effort and time but you
can find it. Our primary con
cern is preparing our students
to compete for any scholarship
out there, so they'll have fund
ing for college whether théy
have the HOPE Scholarship
or not.” : i
tinez, announced to tHe
Augusta community that
Aug. 1, 2003 our jobs , (
percent African Ameri
Employees), would be histo%'.
Many of these are veterans f
the Armed Forces and sonic
had already deployed to I:gj
We need leader ship that
fight for those who ha"c
fought and for those still fighy
ing for our rights and freedor.
We need representation that
will fight for fairness, equaligy;
and the rights of all people. }
Ironically, the CEO of
Unique Solutions, Brett Braé—
non was quoted as saying that
the Georgia Department ’f
Juvenile Justice is corrupt.
Brett Brannon must have
some experience in identifyid
corruption. Brett had nothi
to say when his comp
entered into a million do
contract with DJJ last August
when 310 hardworking cii
zens were locked. :
How can the Department 3f
Juvenile Justice ever raise thel
level of acceptance and trust
the CSRA if Governor Purd
does not remove the residue,
in positions of authority thit
has been left behind by Orlag
do Martinez?
Maybe, we need to take
look at voting for two govef
nors, two mayors, ( one blagk
and one white), two senatoss,
and two sheriffs just two of
everything until we wake
and realize that life ain't "?
long and maybe 2’ morrogv
won't be 2’ late! Hooray z
the ‘2’ women occupying i
commissioner seats in Augug
ta, maybe they will inspi
other strong women to run ;
political office. :
-
Augusta, Ga. i