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THURSDAY. APRIL 29. 2004 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 7 A
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Letters to the Editor
Y.
Dear Editor:
On Friday, March 16, 2004, I
happened to see a story about Sher
iff Wofford and Pickens County
Sheriff’s office on Channel 46 Con
sumer Action News. This was in
regards to a $40,000 payout to a
former female employee. Channel
46 could not get anyone from the
sheriff’s office to respond to these
concerns. The only comment was
from a Capt. Wigington that said
this was a private matter. The coun
ty attorney, the county commission
er and Sheriff Wofford would not
respond to the questions.
My concern is that if my taxes
are paying $40,000 to former
female employees, I want to know
why. $40,000 could pay for another
deputy to serve our county. I also
want to know how many other
female employees have been paid
off and what for. Also the elected
county officials need to be held
accountable for this payout and any
other payouts. Since this news
report, I have heard people talking
at the gas station that they heard
that there is a former female deputy
that was part of the three armed
robberies in Cherokee and Cobb
counties and was also paid off (is
this true?).
No matter who the females are,
why is it that the county commis
sioner who oversees the budget has
not done something about this
problem and the county attorney
should have advised the county to
terminate the employee(s) if there
was any wrong doing. Sheriff Wof
ford and Commissioner Bill New
ton, this is the election year, and
there is more than one for each
position running on the ballot this
year, so I would think that you
would want to clear up this matter
ASAP. The only way is to come out
and explain the $40,000 because it
is not a private matter. That
$40,000 came out of the people of
Pickens County’s pocket, not yours.
Trish Ramm
Dear Editor:
Some young people and drug-
addicted unemployed in Jasper do
not appreciate the benefits of
attracting new industries to our
beautiful city that would create job
opportunities and possibly upgrade
their own living conditions. Vandal
ism, theft and destruction of equip
ment in the empty Armstrong Glass
factory on Hood Road creates a
negative atmosphere for our com
munity. The third forced entry Sun
day the 18th resulted in two fork
lift truck joy-riding again and theft
of the keys and damage to the
building! Even the keys to a gaso
line floor sweeper were taken as
well as a new dolly and push
brooms.
Water coolers, refrigerators,
stove, range, desks, light fixtures
and even toilet paper holders were
ripped from the walls and desk con
tents scattered on the floor. Wanton
destruction of electrical and
mechanical control systems was
executed this time. Drapes were
pulled down, ceiling tile destroyed,
a bed overturned and evidence of
attempted theft of refrigerators,
water coolers, plumbing fixtures
and tools were discovered with
excellent fingerprints by the Jasper
Police! The poor souls must not
own a truck and plan to return for
the loot.
We had previously replaced 26
broken windows and many have
been rebroken by railroad ballast
stone-throwers. Any vacant factory,
warehouse or commercial building
is vulnerable to vandalism. Hope
fully, responsible parents can termi
nate these unlawful acts. Help is
needed from all to fill our empty
buildings and improve the image of
our area.
Dan E. Sewell
Dear Editor:
As we look across our beloved
country, we can see a coming
storm. We have allowed some of
the most wretched people to ascend
to the courts of our land. These
rogue judges are bent on pushing
their agenda on us the people. Like
the recent decision to overturn the
ban on sodomy and same sex mar
riage. Or the recent flap over the
“Pledge of Allegiance.” Or the not
so recent Roe v. Wade that makes
infanticide legal. Shamefully, peo
ple like Chief Justice Roy Moore of
the Alabama Supreme Court have
fallen by the wayside. He was
removed from office because he did
not give in to the demands of liber
als for the removal of the Ten Com
mandments from the courthouse.
The Ten Commandments have been
the basis for our laws from our
country’s birth. They have been the
guardrails, if you will, that have
kept our feet on the narrow path
until they were shunned by the
powers that be. Because of this, our
society is on a downhill slide.
The ACLU (American Civil
Liberties Union) or (Anti Christian
Litigation Union) has been at the
forefront of the battle to evict God
from the public arena. They are
bent on driving peoples of faith
back into the church house where
they will have no say-so in public
policy.
What can we do about this prob
lem? Do we cower and run away
with our tail tucked between our
legs? Do we roll over and play
dead? Or do we fight the good
fight? I don’t mean a bloody revo
lution. I mean a revolution where
with ballot in hand we drive these
people from their positions of
power. I know that there’s not
much we can do about the Supreme
Court justices. They are appointed
for life. But we can do something
about the enablers that are in office.
I mean the people who appoint bad
judges or stand in the way of con
firmation of good judges. There is a
political party in our country (you
know who you are) whose politi
cians have carried the liberal flag
into battle and have opposed the
confirmation of decent judges to
the courts. They have become the
lap dogs of the special interest
groups. I mean pro-abortion groups
like NOW (National Organization
of Women) and Planned Parent
hood. And gay rights groups like
the Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Just to name a few.
The war on terror must be
fought to make our country safe.
But we must not forget that a battle
of ideas is being waged against
decency and morality. If we do
nothing, judicial tyranny will
become more and more common.
Deviancy will be forced on us. Just
like the Boy Scouts are being
attacked by the ACLU for not hir
ing openly gay scoutmasters. You
can bet churches will be next.
Openly gay Sunday School teach
ers? Openly gay deacons? Openly
gay pastors? Alarmist? Maybe, but
who would have thought 20 or 30
years ago that we would see such
nonsense?
I urge all peoples of faith to
examine political affiliation. Does
your party support this liberal fool
ishness? Come out of it! If you vote
for such people, you will be bid
ding them Godspeed. As you know,
if we bid them Godspeed, we are
partakers of their evil deeds.
Jerry Biddy
Dear Editor:
This letter is in response to last
week’s article concerning the
$40,000 that was given to the for
mer female deputy sheriff. To begin
with, it is not a personnel matter
when $40,000 is given away by
county officials. This is taxpayers’
dollars. Not a personal account for
the sheriff. Secondly, why did they
try to hide it in other places as
“payments to other people.” In my
opinion, this action warrants much,
much further investigating into this
matter. After all, the taxpayers of
Pickens County not only need but
deserve a much better explanation
than has been given thus far. I feel
it really is time for a change.
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