The Forsyth County news. (Cumming, Ga.) 19??-current, April 09, 1997, Image 10

The Forsyth County news., April 09, 1997, Page PAGE 10A, Image 10

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Newspaper Page TextPAGE 10A t FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Wednesday, April 9,1987 Opinion County residents should get involved in landfill decision The Forsyth County Commission is scheduled once again to discuss the Hightower Landfill at its Monday, April 14 meeting. The landfill has been a constant concern for the county, particularly over the past five to seven years. Due to changing Environmental Protection Agency requirements and laws, the operation of a landfill has become more and more involved. Now, to meet the EPA requirements, landfills must be monitored for 30 years after their closure or after the closure of any part or phase of a landfill. This monitoring is expensive. Also, each phase of a landfill is now required to have a liner, which is also expen sive, costing the county thousands of dollars. The option of closing the landfill has been discussed for several years now. The cost of keeping the landfill open versus closing it has been the center of these discus sions. According to Ben Knight, landfill supervisor, the landfill is losing approximately $650,000 per year on a consistent basis. It is obvious that the landfill is not breaking even, nor is it a profit center for the county. However, Commissioner Bill Jenkins made a plausible point last week when he asked if having the county operate the landfill was not a service citizens expected the county to provide. Knight responded that there is a litter problem in the county now, but without a landfill “there will be a garbage problem.” What to do with the landfill, then, is a serious concern. Citizens have to have some where to take their garbage. However, the county is losing money on the landfill. We would encourage Forsyth Countians to get involved in this decision because whatever is decided within the next several weeks will have a lasting effect upon our county. On Your Payroll CITY COUNCIL Mayor, H. Ford Gravitt, 212 Kelly Mill Road, Cumming, Ga. 30130. 887-2352 Mayor Pro-Tern, Lewis Ledbetter, 205 Mountain Brook Drive, Cumming, Ga. 30130. 887-3019 Ralph Perry, 1420 Pilgrim Road, Cumming, Ga. 30130. 887-7474 Quincy Holton, 312 Samaritan Drive, Cumming, Ga. 30130. 887-5279 Rupert Sexton, 705 Pine Lake Drive, Cumming, Ga. 30130. 887-4332 John Pugh, 108 13th Street, Cumming, Ga. 30130. 887-3342 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS John Kieffer, 4403 Pine Tree Close, Cumming, Ga. 30130. 889-3255 Lamar Suddeth, 3145 Pleasant Grove Rd., Cumming, Ga. 30130. 886-0738 Bill Jenkins, 430 Oakleaf Trail, Suwanee, Ga. 30174. 887-0935 William “Andy” Anderson, 9740 Misty Cove Lane, Gainesville, Ga. 30506. 889-1829 Julian Bowen, 5035 Pilgrim Point Road, Cumming, Ga. 30131. 887-0784 BOARD OF EDUCATION Sherry Sagemiller, 1460 Squire Lane, Cumming, Ga. 30130.770-887-8388. Ben Benson, 1265 Dahlonega Highway, Cumming, Ga. 30130.770-889-9892. Eddie Taylor, 4195 Morningside Drive, Cumming, Ga. 30130.770-887-4405. Don Hendricks, 5985 Polo Drive, Cumming, Ga. 30130.770-889-2909. Paul Kreager, 9810 Kings Road, Gainesville, Ga. 30506 770-889-9971 NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES •U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell 200 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510 Atlanta: 100 Colony Square, Suite 300, 1175 Peachtree St., Atlanta, Ga. 30361 Telephone: 202-224-3643;Atlanta 404-347-2202 Fax: Washington, 202-228-3875; Atlanta, 404-347-2243 • U.S. Senator Max Cleland 75 Spring Street, Suite 1700 Atlanta, Ga. 30303 Telephone: 331-4811 •U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, 9th District 1406 Longworth House Qffice Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 Gainesville: P.O. Box 1015, Gainesville, Ga. 30503 Telephone: 202-225-521 l\;Gainesville, 770-535-2592 Fax: 202-225-5211; Gainesville, 770-535-2765 STATE REPRESENTATIVES •Senator Billy Ray, 48th District State Capitol, Suite 327, Legislative Office Building, Atlanta, Ga. 30334 Telephone: (404) 656-0048 (office) or (770)822-0900 •Senator Casey Cagle, 49th District 303-B Legislative Office Building, Atlanta, Ga. 30334 Telephone: 404-656-7580 (office) or 404-656-6578 •Rep. Mike Evans, 28th District 18 Capitol Square, Legislative Office Building, Room 604, Atlanta, Ga. 30334 Telephone: 404-656-0265 •Rep. Keith Breedlove, 85th District Legislative Office Building, Suite 412, Atlanta, Ga. 30334 Telephone: 404-656-0137 (office) or 770-945-1579 Street talk What do you think should be done with Atlanta Fulton County Stadium now that the Braves are playing at Turner Field? James Harrington We should look at the cost of it, then it should be used as a parking lot. The owners should pay for it. . Ik wk HSb"' aS John Trammell They ought to tuln it into a place for home less people. r l/x "I think these performance assessments have gone too far...l just heard the principal say they were going to test the strawberries!" Is the GOP about to bungle another election? Will Georgia voters finally elect a Republican governor? On paper, prospects never looked better for the GOP’s finally capturing the state’s No. 1 office. More Georgians are voting Republican than ever. Polls show the electorate, once solidly Democratic, is now evenly split between the two parties. The GOP has a well-qualified and well known candidate, Attorney General Mike Bowers, ready to announce for governor. Bowers’ “favorable” rating in a recent poll of likely voters is above 60 percent. Another privately commissioned poll indi cates he is leading the top Democratic can didate, Lt. Gov. Pierre Howard . Republicans enjoyed a series of legisla tive victories in the recently adjourned ses sion of the General Assembly. Old-line Democratic leaders in the state House appeared to be losing their grip. The GOP is all but certain to win a majority in either the House or the Senate in 1998 or 2000. After that, says state Republican Chairman Rusty Paul, “Georgia Democrats are toast.” Before Republicans break out the bunting and call in the bands for their victo ry celebration, they ought to consider a time-tested maxim of Georgia politics: “No matter how good they look on paper or on television —Republicans will shoot themselves in the foot if given the slightest opportunity.” The Georgia GOP has an unmatched tal ent for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The 1996 Senate election is proof. Every pollster, Democrat and Republican, Gary Field / I strongly feel they should tear it down. It was a tad when it was built. The new one is nicer. Bill Shipp said his numbers showed the GOP’s Johnny Isakson would sail to victory against nearly any Democrat. Trouble is, the Republicans decided to nominate Guy Millner, who couldn’t win a statewide race even with a sls million war-chest. He was just too rich for Georgia voters. Besides, he had been beaten once. That’s history. Let’s look at what the Republicans are about to do to themselves in the next election. First, a number of high-ranking Republicans are determined to find a prima ry opponent for Bowers. Millner is said to be considering another bid. Eighth District Rep. Saxby Chambliss of Moultrie has hint ed he might run. Party Chairman Rusty Paul is pleading with the party faithful to discourage opposi tion and let Bowers escape a primary chal lenge which would leave his resources depleted and the party divided. In the Democratic Party, Lt. Gov. Howard appears all but certain to have a lock on his party’s nomination for governor, with only minimal primary opposition. Then there’s the other Republican prob- MB. Beverly Kievman Copen I think it’s time to say goodbye as long as there is some kind of remembrance. The space should be used as a benefit to the community. - lem: Bowers plans to quit his job. Says he will resign in the next few weeks as attor ney general to devote full time to cam paigning for governor. He declares, “It is the right thing to do.” Indeed, it may be right. Though as a political tactic, it may not be smart. Bowers will be giving up his highly visible forum as the corruption-busting, crime-fighting attorney general to become just another guy running for office. He is about to receive an unanticipated learning experience. When the attorney general decries crime in the streets and bribery in high places, nearly everyone lis tens. When a candidate for governor, a for mer attorney general, says the same things, hardly anyone will listen or care. Howard has no intention of resigning as lieutenant governor. As LG, he can main tain a high profile and get media attention. He also will continue to control the flow of legislation in the state Senate, a responsibil ity that will serve him well as he raises the millions needed for his campaign. If the Republicans hope to win the state’s top office next year, Bowers and his friends should consider copying the Democrats’ rules for the ‘9B elections: Avoid a knock-down, drag-out primary. And, whatever you do, don’t give up one important office to run for another one. Making such a sacrifice may look “right” briefly, but it doesn’t make much sense over the long haul to the next election. Bill Shipp is editor of Bill Shipp’s Georgia, a weekly newsletter on govern ment and business. He can be reached at P. O. Box 440755, Kennesaw, GA 30144 or by calling (770) 422-2513, e-mail: bshipp@bellsouth. net. Edward Anderson It would be a nice stadium for the soccer team. It seems like a waste to tear it down.