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Op-Ed Page
The majority can often be fooled: Harvey
To the Editor:
Let’s clear the air!
On Sunday, January 6,1985, in the
Forsyth County News, Mr. Larry
Webb responded to a letter I had
written on December 30, 1985. Then
on Wednesday, January 9, 1985, Mr.
Tom Wilson and Mr. Max Green
wrote an article responding to my
letter. It appears to me that after
these three people read my letter
they fail to comprehend the contents
of the letter and the reasons my letter
was submitted. I’ll attempt to write it
more clearly for them and ask them
to read the next few lines very care
fully.
First, it does not take nine patrol
cars to check drivers’ licenses. One
or two cars is enough. Results are
wasted gas, wasted manpower, and
Let elected officials know feelings
To the Editor:
In listening to politicians this past
weekend, we should wonder just
where many of them truly stand on
where they want the United States to
head in the next few years. It seems
many of them favor a socialists state
more then a truly democratic one. It
was quite shaking to hear some say
we were not treating the ‘poor and
down trodden in a proper manner’.
Others say we should ‘soak the rich
more and heavier’.
There is only one way to correct
most of the taxing ills, and I repeat,
most of the taxing ills. You are hear
ing more and more about the Flat
Rate Income Tax system and how it
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What I could
By Larry McGehee
Cotumnlst
Within the very first week of
„ January, the Christmas displays in
the stores were being replaced by
stacks of Valentine’s Day candies and
cards.
Our Molly, who is nine and who has
been madly in love with the same boy
for a record seven months now, by
mid-January already was making
cards and window shopping. The se
cret of her longlasting love affair,
focidentally, is that she and the boy
- share only one class (and sometimes
recess period), they don’t go to mov
ies together, they hit the birthday
It is Congress that must gain control of budget deficit
America including Congress generally tends to
blame or credit the president for whatever happens
with the federal government. And in a strong-president
situation, such as with Ronald
Reagan or Frank Roosevelt, there
is some reason for such.
That is, however, a weakness
away from which America par
ticularly Congress needs to
distance itself. What we need,
more and more, is a Congress
with some backbone, willing to
stand up for what it honestly feels
is right for this country.
Such is the situation with the
ongoing rhetoric about the na
tional budget deficit crisis into
which we find outselves plunging.
never-ending flow of such excuses as: “The president
won’t cut the defense budget.’’... “The president says we
' gotta have the ‘Star Wars’ defense system.”... “We have
to negotiate with the Russians from a position of
strength ” ... “The president promised not to touch
wasted tax dollars.
Second, untrained men wearing
deputy sheriff uniforms are not only
dangerous to the public, but, they also
place themselves and other officers
in danger. And we, the taxpayers will
pick up the tab on any law suit that
may occur. Example A man has
just robbed a store and in his attempt
to get waay drives up to a roadblock.
The robber has a gun and, when the
“untrained uniformed man” asks for
his driver’s license the robber pulls a
gun and fires killing the uniformed
man. Result The uniformed man’s
family files civil suit against the
sheriff’s department and Forsyth
County. Guess who pays??? For any
one interested, Forsyth County has a
law suit pending right now that was
filed by one of these ex-posse mem
will help everyone. Here is where the
politicians turn a deaf ear. They
revamp the phrase ‘flat rate’ and try
to carry it on just as if it was the
present graduated stepsystem.
The Internal Revenue System, the
accountants and tax lawyers keep
telling the politicians that “flat rate’
would not be fair to everyone because
of the different rate of incomes in
volved. Why would it not be fair to
everyone???
Suppose the “flat rate’ was 10%, if
you made 15 thousand per year you
would take 10% and pay the govern
ment $1500.00.1f you made $50,000 per
year you would owe $5,000. Let say
you made a SIOO,OOO per year, you
party skating circuit together only
once out of every three birthdays, and
they aren’t allowed phone calls to
each other (except on holidays). She
is lulling me into complacency about
the prospects of her elopement.
Soupily sentimental as I am about
Christmas, I can’t get very excited
about Valentine’s Day. Candy isn’t
appealing right now, since we are still
munching the last of the red and
green gumdrops from December,
which seem to get tougher to chew
each day.
The real reason I can’t get my
heart into Valentine’s Day is that I
recall too well the Big One from my
murky past.
~~TGKSI~
If-*
■ 4 £- v*
H? it
808 WYNN
Guest columnist
There seems to be a
bers.
Third, I was merely concerned with
the timing of the roadblock. It was
three days before Christmas, and it
should have been a time to be joyous
and everyone should have been filled
with the spirit of Christmas.
I never made any derogatory
statements about Sgt. Jessie Layne
or the D.U.I. task Force. As a matter
of fact, Sgt. Layne and most of the
people at the sheriff’s department are
hardworking, dedicated, honest peo
ple. I’m sure that if Sgt. Layne were
asked, if in his opinion, nine patrol
cars at a roadblock is a bit too much,
I believe his response would favor
my concerns. And I also believe Mr.
Walraven should agree with me.
You also mentioned your traffic
problems. I travel the roads in For
would owe Uncle Sam SIO,OOO. Every
taxpayer would pay the same rate on
what he earned without any deduc
tions for anything.
Those making from $25 to S6O thou
sand are bearing the burden for all
the other wage earners. .Those mak
ing less pay little in tax and those
making more hire services to find
loopholes to hide income. Also the
group bearing the greater burden
made up about 75% of the taxpayers.
This gives you a quick idea of why
they are picked on to provide the
greater amount of the tax income.
But is it fair to this bracket?
This same rate should apply to
have had for 50-cents more
I was going on thirteen, in the
seventh grade. (Nine-year-olds in
love didn’t exist back then; or at
least, I didn’t know any.) I wasmadly
in love with the girl whose name
came before mine alphabetically on
the class roll, and who consequently
sat in front of me in homeroom.
Our affair had advanced to the
point that I was allowed to carry her
books home occasionally. I could see
my whole destiny unfolding before
me, a golden day ahead when my
acne would be gone and I would have
muscles and have to shave, and when
the two of us would walk together
down life’s dusty road, with me smell
ing of Old Spice after-shave lotion,
Social Security.” ... “The president cut taxes and raised
the defense budget.”
Sure Ronald Reagan is president and certainly he has
been correct about a lot of things in the last four years.
However, what this nation has to learn is that the
president does not have the final say in these things.
Congress approves the national budget. Congress de
cides whether to fund the ‘Star Wars’ defense project.
Congress decides if there will be a tax cut or not.
Congress can out-check and out-balance the president
anytime it develops sufficient backbone.
This is not a slap at the president. His job is to be
president, to head up the executive branch of govern
ment. It is neither intended nor desired, ever, that the
president have push-button control over the legislative
and judicial branches. This is not a dictatorship and,
without doubt, Ronald Reagan does not want it to be.
Someone has wisely labeled the problem as one of
“congressional paralysis.” Congress, which certainly
has a good many high-quality and well-intentioned peo
ple, unfortunately has reached a harmful point of not
being willing to stand up and speak for itself as fre
quently and as forcefully as it should.
syth County almost daily. I sympa
thize with your traffic problems, all
the speeding cars and clowning
around. But Mr. Webb, Mr. Wilson,
and Mr. Green, have you seen almost
every intersection in North, South,
East, and West Forsyth County? We
all have these problems. Tire marks,
laying drags, are in almost every
intersection in the county and on the
roads inbetween them. Speeding ve
hicles are everywhere. My question
is, what do all the other people do in
North, East, & West Forsyth County
while nine patrol cars are tied up on
McFarland Road in the extreme
south?
I noticed that in your letters all
three of you did not comment on the
three issues I was concerned with.
There were also insinuations of me
business, industry, professional, re
tail, and wholesale business as well.
It should be applied to foundations,
they control bullions on which no tax
is paid to the government. They have
lobbied the Congress into classifying
them as charitable institutions. But
they give money to many organiza
tions that should be classed as sub
versive and of doubtful loyalty to the
USA.
Let your elected officials know you
are interested in a change in the
income tax rates and deductions as
they are today.
S. V. Wagoner
Cumming
Thankful for support
in fundraising effort here
To The Editor:
We want to thank everyone who
gave and came to the fundraising
which was held Saturday at the Coal
Mountain Elementary School.
All the wonderful places of business
that donated food, money, etc., and to
all the nice people who baked cakes
and gave cooked food and other
goods, we thank you.
Thank Steve Benson, principal of
the school, for letting us use the
school building. We also thank the
Overlook Restaurant (Berry’s Best
Western) for letting us use their ap
Project is growing
To the Editor:
I want to thank you for including an
article on the Kidney Foundation’s
Auto Auction in the Forsyth County
News. The response we received was
most rewarding. Through your assis
tance, we are off to a great start on an
event which will be a tremendous
asset to the Foundation.
Because of this initial response to
like Uncle Remus with the bluebird
on his shoulder in “Song of the South”
or Dorothy with the lion, woodcutter,
and scarecrow in “The Wizard of
Oz.”
Soon we might even be playing
“Postman” and “Spin the Bottle”
and going on Baptist hayrides to
gether. (I wasn’t Baptist, but they
had the best youth program in town.)
So I saved my money, and went
with my single dollar a fortune in
those days to find the perfect gift to
capture her forever.
Somewhere in the Rexall Drugstore
on court square, after sniffing bottles
of “Evening in Paris” and punching
heartshaped pin cushions, I yielded to
You might call it “forfeiture of responsibility” to
people to whom they are inclined to yield instead of join
or oppose.
The defense budget is the perfect example. Congress is
too willing to yield to Reagan and his truly outstanding
defense advocate, Casper Weinberger.
It is Weinberger’s job as secretary of defense to fight to
get the best defense system he can for this nation, and
that is exacty what he is attempting, to extremes.
Part of Ronald Reagan’s job is to be commander in
chief of the armed forces and to see that this nation is
defended. He has that very much in mind and heart, with
tremendous influence from Weinberger.
What Congress must learn is that it also has tremen
dous responsibility not to rubber stamp whatever the
president wants, but to decide what he should get, if-we
can afford it and what to do about it.
Congress can and must start exercising its power to
force reduction of redundant weapons systems, and close
expendable military bases, and trim the Pentagon bu
reaucracy, and avoid such past absurdities as paying $7,-
000 for a coffee pot without seriously hurting our
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS—WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1985-
criticizing Sgt. Layne and the D.U.I.
task force. That is untrue!
I would like to point out that Sheriff
Walraven has just taken office begin
ning his third term. The majority of
the people elected him and when he
was elected, a large number of re
sponsibilities came with the job. One
of those responsibilities is to properly
manage the taxpayers’ money and
not to blatantly waste it.
I would like to touch on another
subject before closing. I think the
time is appropriate. After this last
grand jury made their decision and
refused to indict J. C. Adams and also
refused to call for an investigation
into possible criminal activity
against Wesley Walraven, it only
goes to prove a statement I made
several months ago. “No matter how
much evidence is presented against
these people, they will not be indicted
or prosecuted in Forsyth County.” It
was reported that both Adams and
Walraven wept to the Grand Jury and
told them of the hardships all these
alligations have brought on their fam
ilies. WHAT ABOUT MY FAMILY?
How do I explain to my kids, my
relatives, and friends that when I told
the truth about a very bad situation,
Mr. Walraven fired me from my job,
ousting me from my law enforcement
profession simply for doing my job?
There’s no way that Mr. Walraven
would recommend me for another
position in law enforcement even
though he knows that I’m very well
qualified. Whether or not anyone ac
cepts it, I have told the truth! And
yes, people of Forsyth County, my
family has been through hell these
past few months. We don’t want your
pliances to slice ham and grade cab
bage for our plates and for the
mayonaise for the slaw.
We could not have done this without
the wonderful people in our commu
nity and a neighbors help.
We have a very good turnout and all
the money will surely help the family
of Raymond Johnson to help pay his
expenses.
Others who helped and we wish to
thank are: Food Center, which do
nated hams; Leon’s Store, which
helped with various things; EZ-Go,
which helped with the plates, Loyd
our auto auction, we would like for
you to help us expand your commu
nity’s awareness of this event. Would
you please place the enclosed public
service announcement in your news
paper periodically.
It is our hope that people who look
through the paper will see an an
nouncement about our plans and do
nate something to the foundation.
temptation.
To be more specific, I hopped up on
a stool at the soda fountain and or
dered a banana split.
When I was satisfactorily bloated, I
was left with chocolate syrup on my
white T-shirt and fifty cents for The
Girl of My Dreams.
Brock’s Valentine Candy was all I
could find for what I had left. It took
49 cents.
I left the box on her desk on Valen
tine’s Day. Then she left me. She was
married before she was 17, and to a
football star four years older who had
hair all over his chest...and she was a
mother before she finished high
school.
The urge to go Valentine shopping
sympathy, all we want is justice! But
it is evident that justice will not
happen here.
People, you have made your deci
sions and now you have to live with
them. As for me, I know I’m right,
and I will continue to fight for what’s
right. Maybe someday you people
will have enough guts to stand up
against corruption and fight to elimi
nate it.
Let me point out something else
before closing. Adams and Walraven
used two very clever tactics while
defending their actions to the Grand
Jury.
First, they managed to throw the
focus of attention off of themselves
onto me and other people saying we
all had reasons for turning them in.
This worked very effectively the
people bought it! But regardless of
whatever reasons they were turned
in, it does not take away the fact that
possible criminal activity existed.
Second, they appealed to the peo
ple’s sympathy by weeping and
pleading to the Grand Jury. This also
was very effective the people
bought it! I asked to go into the Grand
Jury to tell my story and was turned
down.
People of Forsyth County, If I was
wrong I would give up and shut up.
But I am not wrong.
Just think, “Even though the major
ity of the people think or vote one
way, it only goes to show that the
majority of the people can be fooled! ”
Look at Dawson County!
A Conservative Taxpayer
Jim Harvey
Cumming
Grogan’s Grocery, generous with
fund raising; Glen Bird of Sliver City
Grocery, who made a donation to
ward the hams; Mills Fuel, that do
nated money; friends and relatives
who donated gifts to sale for the cake
walk; the Forsyth County News for
providing information; The Cum
ming Radio Station for letting us use
the radio to advertise and the Cum
ming Bakery and bread company for
donating bread
Mrs. Jimmy Freeman
Cumming
Our project director, Jan Reveron,
or her assistant, Karl Schnittke, will
answer questions.
Thanks again for your help and
support in this project. We at the
National Kidney Foundation of
Georgia, Inc., are most appreciative.
Frank Moiger
Communications Director
National Kidney Foundation
has never returned, but every once in
a while, I order a banana split and dip
my dripping spoon in silent salute to
what might have been.
For fifty cents more, she could
have been mine.
The dusty road Molly’s mother and
I have walked together for almost a
quarter of a century has had its own
bluebirds and Munchkins. No doubt,
it’s a better path than my adolescent
fantasy could foresee.
I think the secret of my second
love’s success is that I saved my
money that time around, avoided
banana splits, waited until I was 25
and was shaving, and bought a whole
two-layer Whitman’s Sampler.
Maybe that’s the moral of the story.
strategic capability.
The pure and simple truth is that this nation must,
absolutely, perform major surgery on the national bud
get deficit, quickly, in order to avert economic disaster.
There can be no "untouchables” in the search for
programs to cut. Tax loooholes must be cut. Social
programs mut be cut. The defense budget must be cut.
Many things must be cut. And it must be done by the
president, Congress and the people in general not just
Ronald Reagan and Casper Weinberger.
We hear a lot of talk about an across-the-board budget
freeze being the main hope for progress against the
deficit. Even if that is true, it also is a confession by
Congress that its members are either not willing or not
able to discriminate between good and bad programs and
act accordingly. Such a situation only leads to hurting the
good and the bad equally.
It is refreshing to hear people like Senate Majority
Leader Bob Dole speak their minds working closely
with the president on some important matters but not
hesitating to speak clearly when they disagree. Dole
thinks for himself and speaks the same way. We need
more legislators who show such mentality and courage.
Letters
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