Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2010
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 5A
Truth and the Census
I’LL BET Dean John
E. Drewry is turning
over in his grave. That
thought occurred to me
as I was working on that
advertising column two
weeks ago.
If he were alive today,
he certainly would not
like the trend advertis
ing - especially TV
advertising - is taking
these days. I can hear
him now: “Nothing could be fur
ther from the truth.’’
In the late 1940s and early ‘50s,
Dean Drewry was a believer in
- and a disciple of - Truth in
Advertising.
When I arrived at the University
of Georgia in 1949 to work on my
master’s in journalism, I enrolled
in his advertising class. Truth
was the theme he taught - yea,
preached - over and over.
When Dean Drewry came
across an ad he thought was
bogus, he’d go to great lengths
to expose the ad - and the adver
tiser.
I remember one time he was
suspicious that a popular mouth
wash was not telling the truth. As
I recall, it boasted that it killed
95 percent of the germs in your
mouth.
A week later Dean Drewry
came to class with his rebuttal.
He had discovered research that
showed the popular mouthwash
didn’t kill anything. And it didn’t
do a whole lot to rid one of bad
breath.
That popular mouthwash is still
on the market, not killing any
thing much - and still not doing
anything for bad breath.
Dean Drewry would not like
that.
❖ ❖ ❖
And I am pretty sure he
wouldn’t like the way the U.S.
Census Bureau, Economics and
Statistics Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce is pro
moting and advertising the United
States Census 2010.
He likely would think that is
somewhat superfluous. Going
forward (whoever came up with
that boring cliche?) we will refer
simply to the Census.
The 1930 Census - that’s the
one I remember. I was 7 years
old. I rode around
rural Carroll County,
Term., in an A-model
Ford and watched
Daddy “call the roll’’
while overall-clad,
barefoot kids about
my age peeked around
the comer of the house
and wondered who
that strange man is and
what does he want and
who is that in the car.
My, how times have changed!
There aren’t many A-model Fords
left, and there ain’t any Census
takers like my Daddy. Today the
Census depends mostly on the
U.S. mail, plus ads in newspapers
and on radio and television, plus
house calls to the lurkers who
haven’t sent in their forms yet.
I’d love to know how much the
2010 Census is costing. I imagine
it’s a little more than the 1930
version.
Anyway, “Dear Resident’’
received a letter on March 8 tell
ing her, “About one week from
now, you will receive a 2010
Census form in the mail.’’
“Dear Resident’’ didn’t par
ticularly like the message. “Your
response is important. Results
from the 2010 Census will be
used to help each community get
its fair share of government funds.
Without a complete, accurate cen
sus, your community may not
receive its fair share.’’
“Dear Resident’’ thought that
sounded a little like welfare and
that she and her community were
on the government dole. (Wonder
where she got that idea.)
Sure enough, in about one
week “Dear Resident’’ got, not
one, but TWO, Census forms.
One was addressed to “Resident’’
and one to “Resident-Unit.’’ “Dear
Resident’’ didn’t know what to do
with “Unit,’’ so she called the “if
you need help’’ number and was
told to ignore “Unit’’ - just throw
it away. ( Another waste of gov
ernment money that the govern
ment doesn’t have.)
Well, “Dear Resident’’ filled
out her form and “mailed it in
promptly’’ like she was asked to
do. Nevertheless, on March 22
she received this card informing
her that “a few days ago you
should have received a request to
participate in the 2010 Census.
(She did indeed receive it.) It is
important that you respond. If
you have already provided your
Census information, please accept
our sincere thanks. There is no
need to provide your answers
again.’’ (No kidding?)
Letters and cards to “Dear
Resident’’ ceased, but reminders
continued in her daily newspaper.
As recently as April 12, there was
a 24-word, eight line, full-page
ad. The message: “It’s not too
late to help your community get
the funding it needs. Fill out your
2010 Census form and mail it
back today!’’ In the very bottom
left hand comer, in type so small
you needed a magnifying glass
to read it: “Paid for by the U.S.
Census Bureau.’’ Full-page ads
in a daily newspaper don’t come
cheap. (Apparently they didn’t
want you to know.)
The very next day, there was
this half page ad: “When you take
10 minutes to answer 10 ques
tions you help your community
get what it needs for the next 10
years.’’ Half-page ads don’t come
cheap, either.
These days, with the economy
like it is, helping any community
get what it needs just for today is
a pretty big order.
“Dear Resident’’ and I agreed
that ads in a daily newspaper
may be reaching the wrong audi
ence. Folks who can afford the
subscription probably sent their
forms in weeks ago.
One other thing bothers me.
On the envelope containing the
form, in bold letters, was this
warning: “YOUR RESPONSE
IS REQUIRED BY LAW.’’
Can you believe that a lot of
influential people, including some
congressmen and women - who,
incidentally, are supposed to
uphold the law - are encouraging
us not to participate in the 2010
Census? If you understand that,
you are a lot smarter than I am.
Reckon they think the Census is
a conspiracy?
“Dear Resident’’ and I don’t
particularly like the way the
Census is being handled, but we
consider it our civic duty to be
counted.
Virgil Adams is a former owner/
editor of The Jackson Herald,
Planners continued from lA
REZONING REQUEST
A rezoning request was
approved by the planning board
that would rezone 1.53 acres of
property at 5753 Holly Springs
Road from A-2 (Agricultural) to
M-H (Manufactured Housing).
The property is currently
owned by an estate and is in
the process of being split-up
between family members.
The applicant, James Robert
Cheatham, is only interested
in rezoning the 1.53 acres out
of a total of 65.67. The request
would allow for the current
mobile home on the property
to be replaced if ever dam
aged.
Staff recommended approval
of the request with two con
ditions. The first is that the
applicant will dedicate 30 feet
of right of way along the entire
road frontage of the 1.53 acres.
The second condition is that
any additional or replacement
residences built on the property
must connect to the existing
waterline, because the water
line is located within 1,500 feet
of the property.
The commission unani
mously approved the request
with staff’s conditions.
The request will go on to
the BOC on May 17, at 6
p.m., at the Jackson County
Courthouse.
Rep. Benton reports budget will pass
By Mark Beardsley
AS THE final week of the
Georgia General Assembly began
Tuesday, the most important busi
ness of the legislature was still not
completed.
Last week at this time, Rep.
Tommy Benton felt like the bud
get had been finalized.
“If the Senate changes anything
it will come back to us,’’ Benton
said last Monday. “I don’t know
that it would be anything major.’’
Major or not, the Senate did
have some changes. The Senate
removed some education fund
ing and restored money for the
Georgia Arts Council, which the
House had removed.
‘ ‘We said we disagreed,’ ’ Benton
said this Monday. “They’ve
already appointed a conference
committee.’’
Presumably, the conference
committee will reach an agree
ment, which would make pas
sage “pretty much a done deal,’’
according to Benton.
“We’ll get it back Thursday,’’
he said.
And that is the final day of the
2010 legislative session.
“If we don’t do it Thursday,
we’ll have to come back (in a
special session), which we do not
want to do,’’ Benton added.
Other legislation was still await
ing passage as well.
Included is the bill requiring
the use of seat belts in pickup
trucks. The legislation would fill
a loophole in the state seat belt
requirement orchestrated by for
mer Speaker of the House Tom
Murphy, which exempted adult
passengers in pickups from wear
ing seat belts.
“My impression is that they
were going to amend it to make
the seat belt fine a second
ary thing,’’ Benton said. “They
couldn’t stop you for it, but they
could add it on if they pulled you
over for something else. I don’t
know if they’ve done that or not.’’
That bill was to go to the House
Tuesday.
“I’ve gotten more emails sup
porting the bill than I have oppos
ing it,’’ Benton noted.
Senate Bill 521, which would
have passed easily, was amended
into controversy, according to
Benton.
As written originally, the bill
was designed to encourage dual
enrollment (in college or techni
cal schools by high school stu
dents) and charter schools.
“I had no problem with that,’’
Benton reports.
But the bill was amended to
require a state evaluation of teach
ers in which student achievement
would make up 50 percent of the
evaluation.
Benton calls that “the first step’’
toward implementing “merit pay,’’
and says the state does not have
enough information to implement
merit pay.
In addition, he says, the amend
ment is a step toward more federal
control of the state’s schools.
“The biggest reason for having
that in there is the Governors’
Race to the Top,’’ he said, refer
ring to a national funding compe
tition in which Georgia still has a
shot a federal monetary incentive.
“If we get that, we will lose con
trol of our schools to the federal
government.’’
Benton said he will oppose the
bill, but thinks the vote “will be
close.’’
Benton said Monday he hopes
the Senate will pass his antifreeze
legislation Tuesday or Thursday.
Aimed at making manufactur
ers add a bitter taste to make
antifreeze unappealing to animals
(and children), the bill has been
approved by the judiciary com
mittees of both houses. Benton
said Monday he intended to get
it out of the Rules Committee on
Monday so it could get a Senate
vote.
TRANSPORTATION
Benton voted for the transporta
tion bill, the local effect of which
is Jackson and 11 other counties
will be lumped together to come
up with projects to submit to vot
ers for a 10-year one-percent local
option sales tax. The referendums
will take place in 2012.
Passage by the voters would
create a pool of funds that would
be used to leverage Department
of Transportation (DOT) revenue
for road projects in each county,
according to Benton, with 70-90
percent state funding matches.
Elected officials in each regional
development commission district
will form a committee to select
projects. In Jackson County, the
chairman of the board of commis
sioners (Hunter Bicknell) and one
of the county’s nine mayors will
pick five other individuals to help
them represent Jackson County.
ETHICS BILL
The House also passed Senate
Bill 17, the “Ethics Bill,’’ which
Benton says expands the eth
ics laws down to local officials.
The legislation calls for increase
reporting by lobbyists and adds
“pretty hefty fines’’ to abuses of
power.
Benton voted for the bill, and he
noted that Speaker of the House
David Ralston “went to the well’’
in support of the bill.
Rabies clinics continued from JA
Veterinary Hospital and Jefferson Animal Hospital.
Keeping dogs and pets protected against rabies is
seen as the first line of defense in keeping the fatal
vims out of the human population.
Last year in Jackson County officials found five
animals (two raccoons, two skunks and a bat) that
tested positive for rabies and one person had to
undergo the expensive (and painful) post-exposure
treatment after contact with a bat that could not be
tested for rabies.
So far in 2010, two skunks and a cat were de
clared rabid in Jackson County.
“If you look at the four-county area (Banks,
Madison, Jackson and Franklin counties), we actu
ally had 50 positive tests,’’ notes Kinsey Phillips of
Commerce Veterinary Hospital. “The interesting
thing is that a lot more people were exposed and had
to be treated than normal.’’
In Madison County, figures from the Department
of Health indicate that 10 people were treated for
exposure to rabies in a county where eight skunks,
nine raccoons, two foxes and a donkey were found
to be positive for rabies.
Franklin County reported four people receiving
treatment and 11 skunks and one each of cats,
horses, cows and raccoons tested positive for rabies.
Banks County officials report three people treated
for exposure and two skunks, two raccoons, one
cat and one dog testing positive during 2009. So
far in 2010, there was one positive case — a dog
— but two people have undergone post-exposure
treatment.
But the toll on family pets is higher. To test a sus
pect animal, it must be euthanized. In 2009, Jackson
County euthanized 19 dogs and 17 cats. Banks
County put down two dogs and a cat, Franklin
County tested four cats, five dogs, a horse and a cow
and Madison County tested seven dogs, seven cats
and a donkey.
Rabies Clinic Schedule
Wednesday, May 5
Commerce Vet. Hospital
Maysville City Park
Dry Pond Country Store
Our Store, Holly Springs
Thursday, May 6
Commerce Vet. Hospital
Jefferson Animal Hospital
D’s Food Store, Center
Benton Elementary School
Harrisburg Fire Department
Arcade City Hall
Friday, May 7
Old Braselton Store
Hoschton Depot
Country Corner Store
N. Jackson Elementary
Saturday, May 8
Commerce Vet. Hospital 9:00-11:00
Jefferson Animal Hospital 9:00-11:00
Jackson County High School 1:00-3:00
S. Jackson Elementary 3:30-4:30
2:00-4:00
4:30-5:15
5:30-6:16
6:30-7:15
2:00-4:00
2:00-4:00
4:30-5:15
5:30-6:15
6:30-7:15
7:30-8:15
4:00-5:15
5:30-6:15
6:30-7:15
7:30-8:15
Dr. Jeff Gilliland
Veterinarian! Owner
(formerly of Commerce Veterinary Hospital
and Jefferson Animal Hospital)
706-614-5266
fetch-a-vet@att.net
• House Calls For Pets
• Small Animal Practice
• By Appointment Only
For online prescriptions, visit
www.fetch-a-vet.com
Serving Clarke, Oconee, Banks, Madison, Jackson and Oglethorpe Counties
FINANCES FOR YOUNG ADULTS
Parents, Grandparents, Aunts or Uncles, is there a
teenager in your life about to graduate from high
school who could use a little help in learning how to
handle their finances? Or a young adult who is trying
to figure out how to get a good job, so they can buy
their own home and move out? If so, this book may be
for them, and you. The book Finances for Young
Adults is 375 pages of information covering
everything from transportation to home ownership. It
is basically all the stuff that the average fifty year old,
wished we had known at eighteen. The problem for
you is getting your adult child to read it. For more
information, please visit my website.
Thank you, Roger Doodlebaum
doodlebaum.com
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SHUMAKE’S
DAYULY GARDEN
1190 Academy Ch. Rd. • Jefferson, GA 30549
Approx. 3.5 mi. north ofJefFerson - Hwy 129
Follow The Signs To The Garden
Mon.- Sat. 9-6 • Sun. 1-6
Doggie Days
Pet Daycare and Boarding
1195 Airport Rd. • Jefferson, GA
706-367-1259
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Sat. & Sun.: By appointment
www.mydoggiedays.com
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SCAVENGER’S PORCH
Thrift & Consignment
NOW OPEN
9965 Hwy. 129 N., Talmo, GA 30575
Ext. 137 on 85 N. Go left on 129,
We are on the left in the ERA Sunrise Realty Log Home
Call 706-693-0099 Ask for Christine.
A RE-FIND EMPORIUM
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Crafts and Specialty Items
We do consignments, booth
rentals and have plenty of
space in a great location for
your yard sale.
Also visit Bob & Susan
in The ERA Sunrise
office. They can help you with
all your real estate needs.
HOURS:
Wed. - Fri. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sat. - Sun. 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.