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• Opinions • Community Views • Good ‘01 Common Sense
February 5, 2015
Cut benefits, expect bus driver exodus
Ask anyone who drives a school bus why
they do it and we would bet the majority
would say for the benefits. That’s why we
don’t see a good outcome if Governor Nathan
Deal’s proposed cuts to healthcare for bus
drivers, cafeteria workers and other “non-cer-
tified” school employees is passed by the leg
islature.
Deal has defended his proposal to put the
axe to health insurance for those 11,500 em
ployees who work less than 30 hours a week
with the argument that other part-time state
employees do not qualify for benefits and it’s
not “fair” to continue it for the drivers and
cafeteria workers. In Pickens County, this is
expected to affect all 60 drivers and all 10
monitors.
These cuts could save an es
timated $103 million annually
from the state’s budget - and
with those kinds of savings the
cut is tempting, but would the
outcome be worth it?
We’re not arguing that there
aren’t a lot of bus drivers who
love their jobs and love the
kids, but with the low salary
and lack of opportunity to work
more than 30 hours we don’t
see solid, dependable employ
ees sticking with any job that
comes with the stress of driving
around other peoples’ kids — unless they are
getting those benefits.
We agree with State Rep. Bill Werkheiser
(R-Glennville) who said if Deal’s proposal is
passed, “80-90 percent of the drivers in rural
Georgia won’t drive.” And if they don’t who
will transport the kids?
A bus driver is a position that needs stabil
ity, and those health insurance benefits keep
people on the job. Bus drivers know their
routes, they develop relationships with the kids
and, most importantly, they know how to get
them on and off the bus safely.
In a recent blog post by Ken Shigley - an
Atlanta-based, board-certified trial attorney
who handles large truck and bus cases - he
comments on potential safety issues of losing
experienced bus drivers. He cites a 2010 acci
dent involving a trainee driving a school bus
who lost control in Carroll County, which re
sulted in the death of a child. He also cites a
2013 collision of two school buses in Newton
County that resulted in 43 people going to the
hospital, as well as cases of children injured or
killed during loading and unloading of school
buses.
“Even an experienced dump truck or log
truck driver would not be experienced in su
pervising a bus load of children and their
boarding and debarking from a bus,” he writes.
“If in a few months we find 2,000 Georgia
school buses are driven by inexperienced
trainee bus drivers, transporting perhaps
80,000 children to school and back, safety will
be affected and bad things will happen.”
We also agree with lawmakers, education
leaders and advocacy groups like T.R.A.G.I.C.
who argue these employees, while “non-certi-
fied,” are essential to a
public school student’s
day-to-day experience.
Lawmakers are now
rallying against the pro
posal that is proving very
unpopular. In a rewriting
of the mid-year budget in
the State Health Benefit
Plan cost study they ask
for “an examination of
options to provide health
benefits to these work
ers.”
The proposal is so
unpopular, in fact, that a BetterGeorgia peti
tion to stop the insurance cuts to these non-cer-
tified workers is their fastest-growing petition
in three years, averaging 730 signatures a day,
according to AJC reports.
Lawmakers opposed to the proposition are
now looking at where they will find money to
cover those benefits in the 2016 budget. Some
pontificators predict the costs will be shifted
to the local systems while others see an even
tual compromise that will not take away the
benefits entirely but will require employees
make larger contributions. Both of these ideas,
we think, would be big mistakes.
Bus drivers and cafeteria workers should
have the same coverage as teachers and other
faculty members. If we want to keep our kids
safe getting to and from the schoolhouse, law
makers need to keep their hands off non-certi-
fied employees’ health insurance.
One estimate was
that 80-90 percent
of Georgia bus
drivers would quit,
if their health
insurance were cut
significantly.
AGREE OR DISAGREE? Tell us your thoughts on this week’s editorial either with a letter to the editor
that will be published next week. Letters may be e-mailed to news@pickensprogressonline.com. All let
ters must have a valid e-mail address, full name and telephone number for verification. We still take
them by regular mail at Pickens Progress, P.O. Box 67, Jasper, GA 30143
The Essential Bad Attitude
By Alan Gibson
Cliche questions Americans ask one another
When someone asks me
“How are you?” I like to respond
“Perfectly normal, and how dare
you imply otherwise.” The ques
tion is presumptuous. I don’t pro
pose to tell some acquaintance
how, at core, I am.
Americans have lots of rote
questions which deserve smar-
taleck answers. Try these.
Q. How’ve you been, you old
horsethief?
A. I am not a thief. I’ve never
stolen anything, let alone a horse.
Well maybe just one.
Q. You ever see any of the old
gang?
A. I spotted one the other day
climbing a tree in a public park.
Same old Leroy.
Q. You staying out of trouble?
A. Not completely, but the
manslaughter charge is gratu
itous.
Q. How’s business?
A. We’re standing on the side
walk in a city and you expect me
to issue a financial statement?
Q. So what are you up to
these days?
A. I’m a werewolf.
Q. What do you do for
laughs?
A. Climb up Mount Rush-
more and picnic on Teddy Roo
sevelt’s pince-nez.
Q. Are you nuts?
A. It’s better than being soup.
Q. How’s your spouse?
A. Deceased, but I got a re
ally good rate at the funeral
home.
Q. How’s the world treating
you?
A. Actually Belgium and
Germany are treating me pretty
well, but I’m at loggerheads with
Spain.
Q. What’s up?
A. I do not regard things as
up or down - which frankly irri
tates the hell out of some people.
Q. What’s cooking?
A. My goose.
Q. How’s tricks?
A. Oh I pull a rabbit out of
the hat occasionally but increas
ing numbers of women are an
noyed when you levitate them.
[For more of the same, visit
Alan’s blog, essentialba.com]
Weather
By William Dilbeck
Jan. 27 - Feb. 2
HI
LOW
RAIN
Tuesday
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Wednesday
49
26
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Thursday
52
34
.00
Friday
44
24
.00
Saturday
50
25
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Sunday
54
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Monday
43
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.00
A6IAH
6ul6ita
Fine Chinese, Thai,
Japanese Restaurant
Sushi • Sake
Beer • Wine
744 Noah Dr.
Jasper, GA
Mountain Highland
Tel: 706-253-1155
Fax: 706-253-1105
’gustos
(USPS 431-820)
Published by Pickens County Progress, Inc.
94 North Main St. P.O. Box 67 Jasper, GA 30143
(706) 253-2457 FAX (706) 253-9738
www.pickensprogress.com
JOHN A. POOL DAN POOL
Publisher Editor
WILLIAM E. POOL
Managing Editor
Published each Thursday at Jasper, Pickens County Georgia. Entered
at the Post Office at Jasper Georgia 30143 as Mail Matter of Second
Class. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE PICKENS
COUNTY PROGRESS, P.O. Box 67, Jasper, GA 30143.
One Year’s Subscription: $29.96 in Pickens County and in Gilmer,
Cherokee, Dawson and Gordon Counties. $39.59 in all other Georgia
Counties; $44.94 out of state.
The (Georgia Transportation Plan - Simplified
1. Conduct needs study
2. Cut non-transport costs
3. Change Sales to Excise
4. Insert hot air
5. Exclude TSPLOST areas
6. Add No Tax Pledge
7. Assess electric car fee
8. Factor in inflation
9. Add $100 million in bonds
10. Repeat No Tax pledge
11. Adjust for improved mileage
12.0utput a 2<t/gal. gas tax hike
OTHER VOICES
The Unexpected Grace of Teaching— Part II
photo/Matthew Polshiss
“It’s a unique, well-
rounded, functional education
I’m deeply devoted to, ’’ says
Cliff Brooks.
By Clifford Brooks
Once the teaching bug dug in,
I knew that, no matter where my
creative writing career took me,
this wouldn’t be a vocation I
ditched unless God the Almighty
told me so. (We’re talking some
thing “binning bush important.”)
The more I worked with Ms.
Holly Holt and Mrs. Amy Den
ney, the more ways I learned to
engage adult students in subjects
they had previously thought dry
and useless.
I began making a conscious
effort to slow down my rapid
mode of speech while retaining
the passion for learning that ini
tially brought me into the class
room. Students can feel that
passion. Students thrive on that.
If you don’t love it, there’s no
way they will. I wanted to funnel
the world into the minds of my
students, but I needed to fine
tune the fact that I couldn’t do it
all at once.
About six months into my
tenure at the Jasper campus, a
staff meeting was held where I
met the lead instructor of the
Canton center, Ms. Heidi
Schuler. Her language and social
studies teacher was promoted
and moved to another school.
There was now the need for a re
placement in Canton, and I was
the first one asked to fill the bill.
Without hesitation, I jumped on
it with both feet.
Interviews were held; I went
in with a smile and nothing but
the truth, then found out the next
week I’d be spreading my chaos
of knowledge there as well.
Again, life was hugging me with
warm arms, and again all I could
do was nod to the Greater Mind
in gratitude.
On the first day teaching in
Canton, I showed up in a dress
shirt, blazer, jeans, and shoes I’d
just bought that have flames
stitched into the black leather.
(Yes, I am still 10-years-old
Have you spotted an
error in our pages?
706-253-2457 or
dpool@pickensprogress.com
Correction - In last
week's article about Shot-
tenkirk Ford it was incor
rectly stated that Greg
Shottenkirk was 34 when
he took over his family's
Chevrolet and Oldsmo-
bile dealerships in Iowa.
Shottenkirk was actually
24 when he took over the
dealership.
when it comes to fashion, it ap
pears.)
Ms. Schuler looked over the
hodge-podge of genres I was
sporting and said, “This is not
appropriate for a teacher. Tone
down the footwear and get some
slacks.”
It was said with kindness and
the firm resolve of anyone suc
cessful in management. As I've
always adored this job, I was
thrilled to make a loafer/khaki
compromise.
So, I went into the box of
clothes I wore while working for
DJJ and DFCS, pulled out
khakis, brushed off my loafers,
dressed up, and then started out
the door for my second day of
classes sans the jeans and flam
ing footwear.
My mom caught me, as she
worries incessantly about her
eldest child (called “the baby”
for good reason), and I saw her
eyes well up with tears. She’s not
a weepy lady, so it got my atten
tion. I asked, “What, Momma?”
She patted my face and asked,
“Who made you dress like an
adult?”
I pretended not to be miffed,
as I’m almost 40-years-old, and
admitted, “Ms. Heidi told me
what to wear.” After a big hug,
Momma said, “Well, you thank
that Ms. Heidi for finally making
my baby dress like a grown up.”
Even irritated, any good son
knows what to say in situations
like this, “Yes, ma’am.”
So, I made the next jump into
teaching adults and today teach
at both the Jasper and Canton
Adult Learning Centers.
It’s a unique, well-rounded,
functional education I’m deeply
devoted to, alongside others
committed to empowering those
who thought they couldn’t “get
it.” We all can. You can. If you
want to hear about what I’m
singing about, come find me.
[Cliff Brooks is a poet and
teacher. He was nominatedfor a
Pulitzer Prize in Poetry and
Georgia Author of the Year. He
is the founder of The Southern
Collective Experience. He has
two books being published by
early 2016.]
Love your Babies.
f Remove Alcohol.
** 770-479-1322
Georgia Prohibition
1143 Debord Drive • Waleska, GA30183
parke r30183@peoplepc. com
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