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THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 23. 2010 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 13A
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Letters to the Editor
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Dear Editor:
Thank you so very much for
the wonderful article in the Pick
ens Progress on my wonderful
son, David Clark, of Sharp
Mountain Aviation. Too many
parents never take the time to let
their children know just how
proud they are of them. So
thanks, David, for being the great
man and wonderful son you are.
Love - Mom.
Maxine Clark
Dear Editor:
After attending the League of
Women Voters meeting where
both sides of the sole/5-man
commissioner forms of govern
ment were discussed, I decided
to do a little independent re
search. Here is what I found:
First: Joe Kelly of Forward
Pickens pointed out that with a 5
commissioner board, we would
“dilute” our vote to 2/5th since
we would only get to vote for the
countywide Commissioner and
the Commissioner from our own
district. After reading House Bill
1341 I discovered that the Com
missioner elected countywide
HAS NO VOTE on the 5-man
Commission Board unless there
is a tie vote. Therefore, it is quite
possible that the one commis
sioner that everyone gets to vote
will seldom get to vote on coimty
issues. This dilutes your vote
even more. No one mentioned
this at the meeting.
Second: There was some talk
about districts and the possible
influence of Big Canoe/Bent
Tree. I find it interesting that Mr.
Anderson never spoke up to tell
us that the districts have been de
termined. In H.B. 1341 the dis
tricts are described using
“blocks” from a 2000 Census
map of Pickens County. At this
writing I am trying to download
a readable version of the map so
I can draw the districts for my
self. Perhaps you, Mr. Editor,
can obtain and print a copy of
this map BEFORE the election!
Third: Mr. Anderson told the
audience that the full-time
county manager would have 10
years experience and a degree in
Public Administration. The ac
tual language of H.B 1341 says 4
years experience in county or
city management. I think it likely
we will have quick turnover of
county managers who will come
here to “pad” their resume and
move on to higher paying jobs.
Mr. Anderson himself served as
county manager for Dawson for
only 3 years.
I’m voting NO on the multi
man commission. The sole com
missioner is the ONLY form of
county government where I am
assured the opportunity to vote
for the person who actually gov
erns our county.
A1 Rothe
Dear Editor:
Mea Culpa, Mr. Barr. I gath
ered from your comments over
the past year or so that Christian
ity was not your cup of tea. I
apologize for challenging your
faith.
As to ignorance and intoler
ance, it’s no surprise that you are
up to your eyeballs in it: by your
words you reside in intolerance
of any opinion that differs with
yours. It is through omission of
the whole truth that you show ig
norance. Just as the administra
tion tells you that preserving the
“Bush” tax cuts in total would
“cost” 700 billion. The omission
is that the “middle class tax cuts”
will cost three trillion. They
would rather you not have that
crucial bit of information. It de
grades their narrative and we
can’t have that.
Why not try winning the argu
ment on the merits instead of
sleight of hand? If the argument
is valid, let the public decide on
ALL the facts.
God Bless America,
Craig Stallings
Dear Editor:
There are no compelling rea
sons to change from our sole
commissioner form of gover
nance in Pickens County.
First, it is appropriate to ac
knowledge the months of hard
work by the Citizen Advisory
Committee (CAC) of 42 citizens
who gave of their time to work
together and come up with a rec
ommended structure of a multi
commissioner form of
governance for Pickens County.
I personally know many of these
good people and thank them for
their service.
CAC has stated that their
analysis was limited to compar
ing one multi-commissioner
form of governance to another.
So since the same comprehen
sive analysis of the benefits of
our current sole commissioner
form of governance was not done
by CAC, voters are left with try
ing to decide an issue with only
one half of the equation.
With no compelling reasons
established for change, CAC
identified two primary areas to
rationalize their position: the
non-binding referendum and
cost. With respect to the results
of the non-binding referendum,
CAC states this shows that the
people want change - not true. I
and many others voted in favor
of the non-binding referendum
with the belief that a comprehen
sive look at the merits of both
forms of governance would be
examined by CAC - that has not
been done. So as far as I’m con
cerned, the premise for the entire
process has been called into
question.
As to cost, CAC cites that a
change to the 5-member multi
commission will only cost
$78,000 more in taxes per year.
In reality an analysis of publicly
available information for Daw
son County’s 2010 budget
clearly shows that cost will likely
be 4 times greater than CAC has
stated. In other words, CAC has
severely understated the costs by
at least 1/3 of a million dollars.
When I’m asked to make a
change and there is no com
pelling reason to do it - and on
top of that it’s going to cost hun
dreds of thousands of dollars
more -1 say NO Thank You.
Clayton Preble
Forward Pickens
Dear Editor:
“Elect Republicans and get
government out of healthcare!”
Oh, wait. Who have I been get
ting my health insurance from?
Private insurance companies.
Under healthcare reform, who
will I have to get my health in
surance from? Private insurance
companies. So...what are Re
publicans going to get govern
ment OUT of?
Before reform, insurance
companies:
- got away with denying in
surance coverage to people (in
cluding children) with
pre-existing medical conditions;
- got away with “rescission,”
canceling our insurance when
our treatments got very expen
sive, leaving us without any cov
erage;
- could bleed off as much of
our premiums as they wanted on
bonuses for denying care and
bloated CEO salaries (but now
they'll have to spend at least 85%
in large-group plans, 80% in in
dividual and small-group plans,
on actual medical care);
- could drop our grown kids
from our family health insurance
(but now they can stay on until
age 26, keeping them under our
much cheaper employers’ group
plans).
Seniors whose prescription
drug costs put them into the
Medicare Part D “donut hole”
will get increasingly more relief,
starting this year.
Under reform, small busi
nesses can get a tax credit of up
to 35% of premiums (50% in
2014) if they CHOOSE to offer
coverage; and 96% of all busi
nesses are exempt from the
shared responsibility require
ment (to cover their employees).
Healthcare reform is fully
paid for. IT DOES NOT ADD
ONE DIME TO THE FED
ERAL DEBT. A Congressional
Budget Office estimate projects
the law will reduce the federal
deficit by $1.3 trillion over 20
years - $128 billion in the first
ten years and $1.2 trillion in the
second 10 years.
The Republicans want to take
us BACK, so insurance compa
nies will have the “freedom” to
deny us insurance, keep more of
our premiums as profits for their
investors, pay out as little for ac
tual medical care as they wish,
and price small businesses com
pletely out of the insurance mar
ket; while our families will have
the “freedom” to be denied insur
ance coverage, to be abandoned
in the middle of treatment for
cancer or other serious diseases,
to pay much more to cover our
grown kids separately, to pay
more for Medicare drug cover
age.
We sure want to give that
power back to the insurance
companies, don’t we? THAT is
what the Republicans promise.
Whose side are THEY on?
G. David Robinson
Dear Editor:
September 16 Progress article
on the Commissioner Forum er
roneously stated that Phil Ander
son asked me for a breakdown of
the $250,000 which I estimated
moving to a multi-person com
mission would cost. Since he
never asked me for the break
down, he can’t be “still waiting
for it”. To be fair, at the forum
Mr. Anderson didn’t claim that
he spoke directly to me on the
subject. However, after I asked
the reporter to review her audio
recording she told me this was
the impression she took from the
meeting. Let me remind Mr. An
derson that neither I nor anyone
else living in the county report to
him. Don’t hold your breath
waiting for my memo to reach
your desk.
Mr. Anderson insists that the
total cost of moving to a 5-mem-
ber board and county manager
will be $78,158. That is fantasy.
I pointed out publicly at the Sept.
13 forum that his number doesn’t
include expenses (other than ed
ucation and related travel) or
added staff. His response was to
defend the indefensible and stand
pat at $78,158. When there is
such disparity between estimates,
county voters do deserve an ex
planation.
Here’s how my July 2009 es
timate was calculated. $100,000
total salary for 5 commissioners
(those were his numbers back
then, not mine); 2 personnel adds
(administrative assistant for the
board and the manager) at
$50,000 each (includes all bene
fits); $25,000 in expenses for the
5 commissioners and up to
$25,000 in unforeseen costs
since this would be an entirely
new form of governance for
Pickens. If the CAC had just one
more subcommittee, perhaps
they’d have unearthed this secret
formula!
The CAC selected Dawson
County as the model Pickens
would mirror if voters agree to
the change. That allows the fol
lowing comparison based on
each coimty’s 2010 budget. Pick
ens’ budget for the sole commis
sioner and county clerk is
$276,907. Dawson’s budget for 5
commissioners (including county
clerk costs) and the county man
ager totals $488,467. The
$211,560 difference appears
much “closer to $250,000” than
does $78,158. It gets much
worse. Remember those unfore
seen costs? Pickens’ budget for
legal services is $85,000. Daw
son with six people needing the
county attorney’s advice bud
geted $235,000. Add this
$150,000 differential to the one
above and the proposed move to
a multi commissioner will cost
taxpayers more than one-third of
a million dollars!
Joe Kelly
Forward Pickens
Dear Editor:
Each president is looking for
a legacy.
President Obama’s legacy is
going to the massive growth in
the # of federal employees.
In the last 2 years, the # of
federal employees has grown ap
proximately 14%. That is 14%
more salaries, computers, build
ings, cars, benefits etc.
Federal employee’s AVER
AGE compensation (salary and
benefits) is $128,400 per year
while the average private em
ployee’s is $61,400.
There is a commission right
now studying how to cut the
deficit. You watch, they are
going to mention laying off po
licemen/ fireman, closing federal
parks, firing border patrol agents,
firing teachers, eliminate school
lunches, etc.
What will not be mentioned is
freezing federal salaries (they get
automatic increases each year),
dropping recent hires, having
them pay into Social Security,
Medicare, etc., eliminating
travel, etc.
My recommendation in effect
till the budget is balanced:
• Freezing salaries at 2007
levels
• Freeze the # of federal em
ployees at 2007 levels
• Freezing all federal budgets
at 2007 levels including Social
programs. Yes, everyone is going
to feel the pain.
• If the programs are good
enough for Joe citizen; they are
good enough for Federal em
ployees - they must join Social
Security, Medicare, etc.
• Get the Federal Government
out of areas that should be local
i.e. Arts, Education, NPR, NEA,
employment education, works
programs, etc.
• Make all elected position’s
benefits pass a “common sense
test”. If it doesn’t make sense in
the private sector; it is not avail
able to elected official. Exam
ples: A representative in congress
elected for 2 years can retire with
a pension for life! Representative
Pelosi has her own personal 757
plane to use going home to Cali
fornia.
• The acknowledgement that
the government can’t do every
thing for everybody. Let people
fend for them but at the same
time paying less in taxes.
Unemployment for the federal
government is estimated at .3%.
The regular unemployment is
probably somewhere around
20% when counting the long
term unemployment.
This is a crime. Vote for those
who will get it straight.
Dennis Shine
Dear Editor:
We need to examine carefully
and ask some questions concern
ing our current economic condi
tions. While there are many
different individuals and groups
that are contributors and cause of
our current economic crisis, no
single person or administration
alone is to blame. The Obama
administration blames President
Bush, the Republicans blame the
Democrats and so on. Our na
tional debt has been increasing
for decades under several differ
ent administrations. Most of our
big spending career congressmen
and senators have been in office
for many years, passing laws,
spending taxpayer money and
running up huge deficits with no
regard for America’s economic
future. These politicians are sup
posed to be public servants of
and for the American people.
Many of these positions are
multi-millionaires and really
don’t need the $75,000 yearly
salary plus benefits, so why don’t
these so-called public servants
take pay-cuts to help reduce
deficit spending?
Wall Street and corporate
abuses are also part of the prob
lem. The free market capital sys
tem works best without
government control, but there
needs to be some regulations.
Labor unions are another big
contributor to the problem, and
while union workers are higher
paid and have better benefits,
union workers are usually less
productive. Labor unions have
helped employees over the years
helping prevent employee
abuses, but the unions have be
come too powerful and actually
abuse employers and employees.
Another problem is many busi
nesses and coiporations have cut
their workforces and have their
products manufactured in other
countries to remain profitable.
General Motors, Chrysler and
Ford all have parts and assembly
facilities in Mexico and other
countries. Wrangler, Levis and
many other name brand products
are manufactured in Mexico and
other third world countries. The
US is no longer the leading prod
ucts manufacturing country. Go
to a department store and try to
find products made in America.
GM, Chrysler, Ford, most elec
tronic devices, cell phones,
Ipods, DVD players, etc. are pro
duced in third world Asian coun
tries to reduce costs and increase
profits. One of the most popular
handguns used by many military
and law enforcement agencies,
GLOCK, is made in Austria.
Credit card companies, banks
and other financial services com
panies use cheap, foreign labor
for data entry and other customer
service positions. GM, Chrysler
and Ford used to mean made in
America, now it’s Toyota, Honda
and Nissan. The answers may re
sult in many painful decisions for
all Americans.
God bless America,
Matt Ingram
Dear Editor:
Effectiveness is not five
colonels directing the general. It
is one general directing his sub
ordinates.
We want a general we can fire
in four years.
Charles McCain
Dear Editor:
Re: Losing Business...
For over four years the local
aircraft mechanic, Garrett Cobb
of Joe Aircraft, has been unable
to work out satisfactory arrange
ments with the Pickens County
Airport Commission for con
structing a larger hanger and hir
ing additional mechanics.
Since there is currently no air
craft maintenance available at
Cherokee County or Gilmer
County, we have enjoyed the
business brought to Pickens by
pilots who fly in and often stay
while their aircraft are serviced.
If Mr. Cobb and the commission
are unable to work out a solution
then it is possible that Mr. Cobb
may take his business to another
airport.
If the commission and Mr.
Cobb do not soon resolve their
problems, and they have had four
years to work on them, then we
may soon be losing yet another
business. Something Pickens
County cannot afford to lose.
Tom Gray
Dear Editor:
Reading the letters week after
week from well-meaning people
arguing about the deficit, spend
ing, taxes, demonizing Obama,
reinforces the fact that the politi
cal divisiveness from the last
decade is anything but over. All
of the letters are about “now”,
not how we got here. We invaded
Iraq in 2003 for dubious reasons.
We spent over a trillion dollars
[some estimates say three tril
lion] on that misbegotten war by
borrowing it from China and
other countries. Here, we cut
taxes and had deficit spending, in
spite of all the borrowing. Wall
Street was out-of- hand with out
rageous corporate bonuses and
irresponsible speculation that
ended up crashing our financial
institutions and housing market.
So the economy collapsed. What
was the other choice? The bank
bail-out was too big. The stimu
lus was too small. But we sur
vived.
It’s time to pick up the pieces
and see if we can get over the
worst decade of governance in
our history, the Bush years. Yet
we hear Fox News blaring from
our television sets daily under
mining every attempt to get us on
the right path. Letters in the Pick
ens Progress talk as if our own
government, the one we have
now, is the enemy and rarely
mentions the one we had the first
eight years of this century that
created almost single-handedly
the situation that’s eating us
alive. Ronald Reagan and
George H.W. Bush tripled the
National Debt. Clinton got it
heading down. George W. Bush
got it rising again, and went out
with a trillion dollar deficit his
last year. Now, when we need to
spend to stimulate the economy
and get people back to work, the
very Republican Party that cre
ated this storm is railing about
the debt and spending as if their
wars and tax-cuts for the rich
weren’t the cause in the first
place, as if our current spending
is an “addiction” rather than the
only right thing to restore us.
A lot of people are being
tricked by Fox News, Talk Radio
and loud politicians into thinking
that all those insane ravings
about Obama being a Moslem, a
Communist or a Fascist are truth
rather than fiction. They distort
everything possible to foment
discord. They don’t want you to
think about how we got here.
They’re trying to keep us at each
others throats to regain the power
that they really badly needed to
lose before it was too late. In the
process, they’re destroying the
very heart and soul of this coun
try. Just makes an old man want
to cry...
John Nardo
Dear Editor:
Re: A response to Sept. 9 edi
torial challenge
Since you borrowed an arti
cle by someone else to try to
“shame” citizens into apologiz
ing for our feelings about RAD
ICAL ISLAMIC TERRORIST, I
thought I would share the Inter
net blogs that are simply reputing
the President’s own words about
Islam. It is not that Americans
are insensitive to the average,
everyday Muslin, it is the fact
that they remain silent on our soil
and their own and let the RADI
CAL ISLAMIC TERRORIST
continue to cause total jihad
against America and Israel.
I am a Christian American
and will not apologize for the
truth. Where were you on 9/11?
I was on the courthouse square
with a few citizens who chose to
remember the victims of 9/11,
not the terrorist who caused that
day. My Bible teaches me that
we are “to love one another as
He loved me”. Does that sound
Islamaphobia to you? No, that is
someone digging through the
rhetoric and politics and looking
for the truth about Islam. Hon
estly, what has the Nation of
Islam done FOR America? I only
find what they have done
AGAINST America!
I dare you to give this entire
e-mail room in your editorial
section. This is the other side:
Barack Obama, during his
Cairo speech, said: “I know,
too, that Islam has always been a
part of America’s story.”
An American citizen’s re
sponse:
http://mediamattersaction.org/
emailchecker/200912150003
Nancy Davis
Pickens County TEA Party
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