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PAGE 5A
ForsythOpiiiion
1 hursday, January 26, 2012
Typical pols,
but new Deal
State Sen. Tommie
Williams. R-Lyons, one of
our two unelected lieutenant
governors C hip Rogers,
R-W(xxJst(K'k. is the other
sent out a puff piece taking
•much credit for authoring a
hill to require local school
boards to consider a teacher s
“effectiveness," not seniority,
when getting rid of teachers.
People both inside and out¬
side state government tell me
that Williams has solved a
problem that doesn't exist.
Many school boards are
already doing this. Seniority
is a big issue in the Northeast,
where there are teachers'
unions. We have none in
Georgia.
I wish W illiams and/or
Rogers would share with me
their vision for public educa¬
tion in the state. I have no
doubt that public school
teachers around the state
would be interested to hear
their view s.
On the other hand, maybe
they think if they shut their
eyes 1 will go aw ay and leave
them be. They would be more
correct to think that maybe
the sun w ill rise in the west.
One reason to be concerned
with President Obama's wel¬
fare is that Vice President Joe
Biden is just a heartbeat aw ay
from the top job. What a
scary thought.
Biden was recently in San
Francisco the week the 49ers
met the New York Giants for
the NFC championship and
chirped that he hoped the
Giants won. (They did. They
beat the 49ers 20-17 in over¬
time.)
He later admitted he had
been talking about the San
Francisco Giants baseball
team, which he confused with
the 49ers football team.
Of course, he is also the
guy that asked a wheelchair
bound friend to “stand up and
take a bow.”
Georgia has lost one of its
most distinguished journal¬
ists. Gene Methvin was the
son and grandson of a
Georgia newspaper family
from Vienna. Gene was a
cum laude graduate from my
beloved Grady College of
Journalism at the University
of Georgia. He spent 42 years
w ith the Reader’s Digest, but
never lost his Georgia roots.
He had little patience with
self-important journalists w ho
thought their First Amendment
responsibilities included leak¬
ing government information
that could compromise our
national security and embold¬
en terrorists and who consid¬
ered themselves reporters first
and Americans second.
Methvin was an American
first and a serious journalist
who, unlike many of his con-
YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS
CITY COUNCIL
Mayor H. Ford Gravitt, P.O. Box
3177, Cumming, GA 30028; (770) 887-
4342
Mayor Pro-Tern Ralph Perry, 1420
Pilgrim Road, Cumming, GA 30040;
(770) 887-7474
Rupert Sexton, 708 Dahlonega
Road, Cumming, GA 30040; (678)
936-9111
Quincy Holton, 103 Hickory Ridge
Drive, Cumming, GA 30040; (770)
887-5279
Lewis Ledbetter, 205 Mountain
Brook Drive, Cumming, GA 30040;
(770) 887-3019
John Pugh, 108 13th St., Cumming,
GA 30040; (770) 887-3342
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
R.J. (Pete) Amos, Post 1,110 E.
Main St., Cumcning, GA 30040; (678)
513-5881; rjamos@forsythco.com
Brian Tam, Post 2, 4410 Dorset
Lane, Suwanee, GA 30024; (404)
392-{>983; office, (678) 513-5882;
Send a letter to the editor to P.O. Box 210 Gumming, GA 30028; fox it to (770) 889-6017; or e-mail it to editorg>forsythnews.com.
am '3 i 3
a a L
DICK YARBROUGH
Columnist
temporaries, did not take
himself seriously. He was one
of the best.
I have an original oil paint¬
ing hanging in the Huic
Wileox Gallery on the cam¬
pus of the College of Coastal
Georgia in Brunswick. I
understand some longtime
political acquaintances saw rt
and were rather shocked that
a snarly columnist was capa¬
ble ol such sensitivity. 1 will
admit that my yang some¬
times gets the best of my yin,
but I try not to make a habit
of it.
After eight years of Gov.
George F. Perdue's temper
tantrums and concrete fish
ponds, current Gov. Nathan
Deal style is a refreshing
change of pace. He seems
willing to work collaborative
ly with both parties in the leg¬
islature to get things going
and. unlike his predecessor,
he doesn’t let his ego get in
the way.
I am not ready to put him
in the Pantheon of legendary
governors like Seth John
Cuthbert and Humphrey
Wells just yet because I'm
siill try ing to figure out where
he stands on public education
issues, hut 1 am cautiously
optimistic.
And finally, this is probably
going to get me in trouble.
My youngest child hits a
milestone this week. 1 am not
allowed to divulge too much
information at the risk of get¬
ting in more trouble, but
Maribeth Yarbrough Wansley
has a birthday with a zero on
the end of it. I have it on good
authority that she was bom
during the Kennedy
Administration. You do the
math.
In some ways, we are very
much alike. We both suffer
fools poorly and our motors
run full speed.
The difference is that she
never saw an animal she
couldn’t love and nurture. I
think all squirrels should be
assigned to permanent pur¬
gatory.
1 am proud of her and w hat
she has accomplished as a
w ife, mother, environmental¬
ist and community leader.
Most of all, she has made me
look like a better father than 1
deserve.
You can reach Dick Yarbrough
at yarb2400@bellsouth.net or
P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta,
Georgia 31139.
brtam@forsythco.com
Secretary Todd Levent, Post 3,
110 E. Main St., Cumming, GA
30040; (678) 513-5883; tlevent@for
sythco.com
Vice Chairman Patrick Bell, Post
4, 110 E. Main St., Cumming, GA
30040; (678) 513-5884; home, (678)
648-6130; pbbell@forsythco.com
Chairman Jim Boff, Post 5, 110 E.
Main St., Cumming, GA 30040;
(678) 513-5885; jjboff@forsythco.
com
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Ann Crow, District 1, 320
Dahlonega St., Cumming, GA
30040; (770) 490-6316; acrow@for
syth.k12.ga.us
Kristin Morrissey, District 2, 3310
Cany Creek Lane,•Cumming, GA
30041; (404) 550-3083; kmor
rissey@forsyth.k12.ga.us
Chairman Tom Cleveland, District
3, 5225 Millsford Court, Cumming,
GA 30040; (770) 844-9901; tcleve
land@forsyth.-k12.ga.us
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Jim Powell for the Forsyth County News
Seeing a sewsaw campaign?
Everybody was expecting a
quick knockout in the GOP
nominating contest this year.
After a year of debating, it
appeared that Mitt Romney
would sweep the table after w in¬
ning New Hampshire and seem¬
ing to w in Iowa. Now. people
are looking to see if Newt
Gingrich can K.O. Romney,
winning Florida after his stun¬
ning upset in South Carolina.
But, as in a boxing bout where
everyone is looking for a big
punch and a quick end, this fight
may frustrate everyone and go
the distance. Not to a brokered
convention. That won't happen.
The winner-take-all rules the
Republican National Committee
imposed on primaries and cau¬
cuses held after April 1 militate
against that outcome. But it will
be a seesaw primary battle with
one candidate the seeming win¬
ner only to watch his rival come
storming back.
If Gingrich wins in Florida,
look for Romney to win Nevada
(one-third Mormon) and
Michigan (where his father was
governor). Then look for Newt
to make it competitive again.
And don't count out Rick
Santorum. With Gingrich and
Romney throw ing punches at
each other, Santorum — the
odd man out — will look better
and better, as he did in the
debate on Monday night. One
cannot even count out Ron
Paul, much as I would like to
do so, because he will show
strong in caucus states where
the intensity of his support
from young voters w ill be in
evidence.
m
ONLINE
Columnist Mel Copen:
Good care shows
it's a wonderul life.
Vice Chairwoman Darla Sexton
Light, District 4, 50080 Hopewell
Road, Cumming, GA 30028; (770)
887-0678; dlight@forsyth.k12.ga.us
Nancy Roche, District 5, 7840
Chestnut Hill Road, Cumming, GA
30041; (770) 889-0229; nroche®
forsyth.k12.ga.us
NATIONAL LEGISLATORS
U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, 120
Russell Senate Office Building,
Washington, D.C. 20510; (202) 224-
3643 or (770) 661-0999
U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, 416
Russell Senate Office Building,
Washington, D.C. 20510; (202)
224- 3521 or (770) 763-9090
U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, 9th
District; 2133 Rayburn House
Office Building, Washington, D.C.,
20515; (202) 225-5211; fax: (202)
225- 8272
U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall, 7th
District; 1725 Longworth House
Office Building, Washington, D.C.,
20515; (770) 232-3005
This is a page of opinion — ours, yours and
others. Signed columns and cartoons are the
opinions of the writers and artists, and they
may not reflect our views.
4Ki,
-
DICK MORRIS
Columnist
Why the seesaw quality to
the process?
Almost all voters agree about
almost everything about almost
all the candidates. They just
assess the facts differently.
• Most agree that Romney
offers the best chance to attract
independent voter*;.
• Most believe that Gingrich
would do the better job of sum¬
moning passion and debating
Obama.
• Voters largely think that
Santorum is the most conserva¬
tive and worry thtit Romney
might flip-flop back to modera¬
tion.
• Everyone agrees that
Gingrich is the brightest and
most experienced, although
many believe him to be ethically
challenged.
• No one discounts the possi¬
bility of a Gingrich implosion,
in which some creative idea
would pop into his head and
come out of his mouth without
proper consideration.
So with a virtual consensus
on the facts, voters just differ in
their interpretation of them.
With each primary night, a kind
of buyer’s remorse is likely to
set in. After each Romney win,
voters will worry that he will
llip-fTop and wonder if his
looks and charm have not
Letter policy
The Forsyth County News
welcomes your opinions. Letters
must be signed and include full
address and a daytime and eve¬
ning phone number for verifica¬
tion. Names and hometowns
will be included for publication
without exception.Telephone
STATE LEGISLATORS
Sen. Steve Gooch, 51st District,
Coverdell Legislative Office
Building, Room 321-B, 18 Capitpl
Square, Atlanta, GA 30334; (404)
656-9221
Sen. Jack Murphy, 27th District,
Coverdell Legislative Office
Building, Room 325-A, 18 Capitol
Square, Atlanta, GA 30334; (404)
656-7127
Rep. Mike Dudgeon, 24th
District; Coverdell Legislative
Office Building, Room 608-C, 18
Capitol Square, Atlanta, GA
30334; (404) 656-0298 *
Rep. Amos Amerson, 9th
District,
Suite 401-G, State Capitol,
Atlanta, GA 30334; (404) 657-
8443 or (706) 864-6589
Rep. Mark Hamilton, 23rd
District
Suite 218, State Capitol, Atlanta,
GA 30334; (404) 656-5132; local,
(770) 844-6768
blinded them to the reality of
his past moderation. And after
Gingrich wins a state, voters
will ask themselves if they have
just handed the election to
Obama by nominating a loose
cannon.
Even the inveterate support¬
ers of either candidate have to
admit to their private worries.
And Santorum? Voters will
wonder whether he’s too far to
the right to win the election. Is
he too young and inexperi¬
enced? And who is he anyway?
In 1980, Democratic primary
voters disliked both candidates
Ted Kennedy and Jimmy
Carter. When one won a prima¬
ry, the other would suddenly
look good. When Kennedy
won, memories of
Chappaquiddick would surface.
After each Carter win, voters
recalled his ineptitude and
weakness.
Now most voters like all
three candidates, and they shut¬
tle among them not out of
antipathy, but out of fear that
their horse may not be the one
to beat Obama. Republicans
and independents are so desper¬
ate to defeat the current admin¬
istration that they are hesitant
to take a chance and worried
about their nominee.
This hesitation will make for
a maddening process and no
quick knockouts. But at some
point, the music will stop, and
the candidate without a seat
will lose this political game of
musical chairs. ,
Dick Morris is a nationally syndi¬
cated columnist.
numbers will not be published.
Mail letters to the Forsyth
County News, P.O. Box 210,
Cumming, GA 30028, hand
deliver to 302 Veterans
Memorial Blvd., fax to (770)
889-6017 or e-mail to editor®
forsythnews.com.