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PAGE 16A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. MARCH 16. 2017
Dear Editor:
Today we hear a lot about
government agencies such as
the NS A, CIA and FBI
“wire-tapping” or hacking
into private cell phones. In
June 2013 Congress passed a
law allowing the NSAto lis
ten to cell phone conversa
tions of private or public
citizens to sift personal data.
Cell phone technology cer
tainly makes it possible for
the government or any capa
ble entity to do just that.
On February 2, 2014, I
learned just how easily and
clandestinely this can be
done. On the afternoon of
this date my son was seated
on the deck at my home be
tween two 5-gallon buckets,
one containing water, the
other containing sand from
the Chestatee River. He was
panning the sand looking for
grains of gold. I took my cell
phone out of my pocket,
turned it on and activated the
camera to get a photo of my
son in this activity (I was not
online). My LG Android
phone programmed with
Tracfone is simple compared
with phones available today.
I snapped the photo and
turned the phone off.
A half minute later my
cell phone beeped, indicating
that I had a text message. I
turned the phone on and went
online to check the message.
The message was “What’s he
doing?” I was puzzled. Was
someone actually texting me
to ask what my son was
doing? And if so, how did
they know I had made the
photo? How did they get
real-time access to it? After
nearly a half hour, my curios
ity got the best of me and I
responded to the query. I sent
“He was panning.” About
twenty seconds later I got a
response, “What?” By this, I
was certain that someone had
hacked my phone and was
deliberately texting with me.
Up to this time, I had never
sent or received any text
message with this phone.
The respondent’s phone
number was on the message,
but no name or other identi
fying info. Later, I went to
my laptop and got on the in
ternet and did a reverse
phone look-up on the num
ber. A little investigation re
vealed that the messages had
originated from the south
eastern US regional office of
a company called Global
Crossing LSI, located in Ma
rietta, GA. Further investiga
tion led me to the corporate
website of Global Crossing
from which I learned it was
an international telephone,
network and internet devel
opment company whose
headquarters was in the Ba
hamas and operates on four
continents. On their website
was this chilling description
of the company’s capabili
ties:
“Global Crossing (and
subsidiaries) is a leading
global IP and Ethernet solu
tions provider with the
world's first integrated global
IP-based network... offers a
full range of data, voice and
collaboration services ... de
livers converged IP services
to more than 700 cities in
more than 70 countries
around the world. The com
pany provides managed
voice, data, internet and
ecommerce solutions to a
strong and established com
mercial customer base, as
well as systems integrators,
rail sector customers and
major corporate clients....
Global Crossing UK pro
vides carrier services to na
tional and international
communications service
providers.”
Chilling, because I sud
denly realized what someone
with this level of cyber tech
nology is capable of doing to
and with any cell phone or
internet connection. Citizens,
if you are a cell phone user,
even just for taking photos,
be wary and very careful be
cause there may be, and
probably is, someone watch
ing and listening. It could be
a government agency or
some other entity you have
never heard of.
William Pless
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor:
Celebrate Arbor Day by
Learning to Save Hemlocks
Arbor Day, celebrated on
various dates in February
through April, is a day set
aside to reflect on the impor
tance of trees. They con
tribute to the beauty, privacy,
and value of our individual
properties and our neighbor
hoods; cover our mountains
with lush forests, which sup
port thousands of jobs related
to tourism and recreation,
and produce millions of dol
lars in revenue; provide food
and habitat for many birds
and animals, shade for native
plants, and cool temperatures
for trout streams; help main
tain the biodiversity of the
ecosystem and protect the air
and water quality we depend
on; and create special places
that restore our bodies and
refresh our spirits.
But Arbor Day is more
than a time for reflection. It’s
also a time for action to save
one of our most majestic and
iconic evergreen trees. The
hemlocks are being attacked
and killed by the millions by
a tiny invasive insect, the
hemlock woolly adelgid, that
was accidentally imported
from Asia to the eastern U. S.
more than 60 years ago and
now infests the entire Ap
palachian chain. The bad
news - the massive loss of
the hemlock would be a dis
aster on the scale of the
American Chestnut.
The good news - property
owners can treat and save as
many of their own trees as
they choose. It’s safe, easy
enough for most people to do
themselves, highly effective,
and surprisingly economical,
especially compared to the
cost of losing the trees. And
volunteers can help save the
hemlocks in our national
forests and state lands too.
If you want to learn how
to help, please plan to attend
a special training event
March 25 in Jasper, pre
sented by Save Georgia’s
Hemlocks. REGISTRA
TION IS REQUIRED. For
information or registration,
please call 706-429-8010 or
email donna@SaveGeor-
giasHemlocks.org.
Respectfully submitted,
Donna Shearer
Chairman, Save Georgia’s
Hemlocks
Dear Editor:
Quality Basic Education
Act
As a social work student
at Dalton State College, I
have been tracking House
Bill 273. House Bill 273, oth
erwise known as the Quality
Basic Education Act, would
allow all students in kinder
garten through fifth grade the
opportunity to have 30-min-
utes of uninstructed time dur
ing the day. This time, also
known as recess, has sparked
popular debate in recent
times due to how strenuous
and fast paced the new cur
riculum has strained our chil
dren's minds. Some
instructors use this time to
continue teaching or spend
more time on a certain topic,
when children need this time
to bum off some energy.
Recess has apparently
been under pressure. As
schools have been squeezed
by ever increasing demands
for high test scores, some
have sacrificed down time
for book time. Yet the science
says recess is good for the
brain, for attention spans and,
consequently, for learning.
As a social work student
with a passion for children, I
feel like voting yes for this
bill to pass is a no brainer.
The dynamics of the class
room have changed to strict
schedules and high demands
for the children to leam at
such a quick pace, that un
structured recess time helps
children bum off energy and
focus in the classroom. Not
only is HB 273 important to
me, but also to the many par
ents and children in elemen
tary school. Please, if you
agree with this bill reach out
to your local legislators to
vote yes.
Ellie Fields
Dear Editor:
Getting Rid of Federal Reg
ulations
The President has asked
federal agency heads to re
duce regulations for the ben
efit of business and finance.
Those pesky regulations are
hurting the economy, causing
higher prices, and keeping
businesses from hiring more
people.
With fewer regulations,
products will cost less to
manufacture, but will busi
nesses create more jobs and
lower prices? How will get
ting rid of federal govern
ment regulations help me?
We want new medications
approved faster by the FDA.
People are dying! But after
being used for a while, some
new drags are found to be
harmful or just not beneficial.
People die from drags that
might kill the cancer but kill
the patient as well.
So, is a hurried approval
of a new drag really going to
help you and your family in
the long ran? New drags are
very expensive. With a hur
ried approval for a new drag,
pharmaceutical companies
will get rich faster. But will
you or your loved one be the
winner? We need safe and ef
fective pharmaceuticals.
Business and industry will
self-monitor to keep from
polluting our air and water.
The President did away with
the regulation that required
coal mine owners to prevent
mine waste water from con
taminating waterways.
Here in Georgia, two Re
publican legislators intro
duced bills requiring safe
disposal of coal ash to better
protect waterways. Georgia
Power’s coal-fired electricity
generation plants produce
coal ash which can pollute
waterways. Our Georgia
Representatives and Senators
allowed the bill to die in
committee. But in Tennessee
(2008) and North Carolina
(2014), coal ash spills caused
widespread environmental
damage to waterways and
damage to private property.
So, who is protecting our
drinking water? Will letting
mine owners and industry de
cide what to do with their
toxic waste keep our water
supply safe? Or will they just
tell us the waste is not harm
ful? Unfortunately, we will
have to wait and see.
The stock market is going
gangbusters because of the
President’s promise to get rid
of regulations that hinder
business. If businesses save
money because of fewer reg
ulations, surely that savings
will be passed on to cus
tomers. Lots of millionaires
are getting richer by the day
as the stock market goes up.
But one funny thing -1 don’t
see prices at the store going
down. When do the savings
trickle down to me?
Wall Street loves deregu
lation. The President has de
layed a rale requiring your
financial advisor to provide
you with advice that's in your
best interest. Also, the rale
would have required finan
cial advisors to let you know
about the fees you will be
paying for your investment.
If a financial advisor is not
looking out for you, then
your retirement account
could earn less - your sav
ings could grow more slowly,
even when the stock market
is going gangbusters.
And how will less regula
tion prevent banks from fail
ing? I remember a couple of
banks here in Jasper that
failed in recent years. Our
good friends at the Federal
Reserve Bank intervened and
found buyers for those banks.
That was a close call for the
people of Pickens County.
New owners and new names
for Crescent Bank and Jasper
Banking Company. Thank
you, Federal Government!
Senator Johnny Isakson, Sen
ator David Perdue, Congress
man Doug Collins, and
Congressman Tom Graves:
You work in Washington for
the people of Pickens
County. Our job - the job of
the citizens - is to be sure
you are doing your job.
We’re counting on you to
look out for the citizens of
Georgia and Pickens County.
You will be held accountable.
If you look out for corpora
tions and millionaires before
considering us, we will fire
you at the next election.
New Job for Our Georgia
Legislators
When there are limited
federal regulations in a par
ticular area, it becomes the
job of the State of Georgia to
protect its citizens. After all,
the federal government only
sets minimum guidelines.
This is what “States Rights”
are about - the ball is back in
Georgia’s court.
It is the job of our Georgia
elected officials to ensure
that we in Pickens County
have safe water (Georgia En
vironmental Protection Divi
sion) and safe medications
(Georgia Board of Phar
macy). Our Georgia legisla
tors must ensure that our
retirement savings are not
being pilfered by investment
managers through fees
(Georgia Board of Banking
and Finance). And as federal
regulations are abolished in
many other areas, additional
responsibility will fall on
Georgia government.
Representative Rick
Jasperse, Georgia Senators
Gooch and Payne: It is your
job to look out for the people
of Georgia when the federal
government fails to do so.
When federal regulations
do not protect citizens, fail
ures will be the responsibility
of our Georgia elected offi
cials now. No more blaming
everything on Washington.
Donna Born
Dear Editor:
This letter is in rebuttal to
the March 9 letter-to-the-ed-
itor of Drew Teal: Why sen
ior exemption won’t work.
Mr. Teal alludes to the fact
that he “did his research.” I
think he needs to do some
more research. Especially the
other counties surrounding
Pickens that have senior tax
exemptions. And of Pickens
County’s own tax structure.
Ask any realtor. Older people
either move out of Pickens,
or do not want to buy a home
in Pickens, because there is
no senior tax exemption.
And, studies done (most re
cently by Dekalb County)
have shown that if seniors
move out of a county where
there is no senior tax exemp
tion, more families move in,
therefore over-burdening the
school system.
Mr. Teal asks, “why stop
there?” (with exempting sen
iors from school taxation)
“Why not exempt veterans
and the disabled?”
First, Mr. Teal, there is a
tax exemption in Pickens
County for the veterans and
the disabled, (see the
county’s website).
While it is true that 20%
of the population of Pickens
County is over the age of 65,
not all of the seniors who
comprise that 20% is a home-
owner. (The population of
Pickens County is roughly
29,000 people).
Also, people do not un
derstand that a senior tax ex
emption will require the
homeowner to sign up for it.
Just like with any other prop
erty tax exemption, it is not
granted automatically. And
not everyone over the age of
65 (who are homeowners)
will sign up for it. It’s not an
“all or nothing” type of tax
exemption that we seniors
are asking for. It’s a “mean
ingful” tax exemption. The
current exemption, $25,000
income or less, is worded
and structured so that very
few people can take advan
tage of it.
When I talked to Senator
Steve Gooch about the senior
tax exemption for Pickens,
he said that the county in
which he lives has a senior
tax exemption, and his prop
erty taxes go up every year.
I told him that our taxes go
up every year, and we do not
have a senior tax exemption.
Our taxes go up because of
what I suspect is an incor
rectly structured system, and
mismanagement (intentional
or unintentional) of the
county’s finances, and the
failure of our elected offi
cials to have a forensic audit
done, as suggested by the
Grand Jury. If the county has
nothing to hide, why not
have the forensic audit done?
The audit might uncover a
problem that can be cor
rected.
We seniors have done the
research, and have discov
ered that the senior tax ex
emption is attainable without
bankrupting the county or
hurting the school system.
One huge way of recouping
the lost revenue would be to
have a county-wide reassess
ment of all the property in
Pickens. (The year 2000 was
the last time the county had
one done). Right now, the
properties are so inequitable,
it’s outrageous. and...it
should be done by an outside
firm that is objective, and
will assess the properties in a
fair, just and equal manner.
Mr. Teal, I’m sure you
have signed up for “home
stead exemption.” Aren’t you
ashamed of taking that tax
money out of the mouth of
the county? That portion
could be used to pay some
other person’s taxes that does
not own property, but takes
advantage of the school sys
tem. And, like it or not, the
duty to pay the taxes might
be a shared duty, but it defi
nitely is not shared equally.
Mr. Teal, have you
checked the other counties to
see if anyone has actually
gone bankrupt because senior
homeowners received tax ex
emptions? (like you alluded
to in your letter). And, by the
way, the seniors in Pickens
county are not the mandatory
landowners. Check the
county land assessors web
site. You might be surprised
to see who owns the most
land in this county. And who
pays very little in property
taxes.
Mr. Teal, there is a lot
more research you need to do
before talking about some
thing you obviously know
very little about. What is ob
vious is that you are voicing
your opinions, not stating
facts. You should attend our
meeting next month and
leam a few things.
Lee Williamson
Pickens Seniors for
Change
Dear Editor:
How long before people
will realize the “Democrat
Party” is all hat and no cat
tle?
Sincerely,
Bert Bracegirdle
Dear Editor:
Are you one of the esti
mated 55,500 north Geor
gians who will lose
healthcare coverage next
year under the bill currently
being considered by Con
gress? Will you and/or your
loved ones lose treatment for
mental illness or drag addic
tion?
The Affordable Care Act is
the current law. That’s where
middle and lower-income
people, including many in
Pickens County, receive as
sistance to help pay for
health insurance, and any
mental health or addiction
treatment. But Republicans
bash the ACA as “Oba-
macare,” trying to make you
think it’s some sort of give
away. That’s not true. Tens of
thousands of north Georgians
who work hard will lose in
surance under the guise of
“repealing and replacing
Obamacare.”
By 2018, more than 14
million Americans will lose
health insurance under the
proposed new law, which Re
publicans call the American
Health Care Act (AHCA),
also known as “Trumpcare.”
The number rises to 24 mil
lion by 2026, when a total of
52 million Americans will be
uninsured. These are num
bers released this week by
the Republican-appointed
Congressional Budget Of
fice. The White House’s own
internal projections are even
worse, at 27 million losing
coverage by 2026 and 54
million total insured, as re
ported by Politico. Here in
north Georgia, just by next
year, an estimated 30,000
people in the 14th Congres
sional District (Rep. Tom
Graves) and 25,500 in the 9th
District (Rep. Doug Collins)
will likely lose their cover
age. Both districts include
portions of Pickens County.
The Republican “tax
credit” plan does not nearly
replace assistance on premi
ums to lower income people
under current law. Older,
rural Georgians will be hurt
most. For example, a 60-
year-old resident of Pickens
County with an annual in
come of $20,000 would, by
next year, be paying $6,920
more for healthcare. What is
left to live on?
Insurance companies will
no longer be required to pay
for mental health or drag ad
diction treatment under the
Republican plan. Nation
wide, and right here in Pick
ens, opioid and
methamphetamine addiction
is epidemic.
We must let Congressmen
Doug Collins and Tom
Graves, as well as U.S. Sen
ators Johnny Isakson and
David Perdue, know that we
will not be conned by a plan
which, in truth, deserves the
name Don’t care.
Marie Head
Letters Welcomed
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in the community and the
Progress welcomes these
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issues will be accepted but
not those expressing a per
sonal grievance directed to
ward another individual.
Letters OVER 450 WORDS
in length will not be consid
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ters MUST BE SIGNED
with address and phone
number given where the au
thor can be reached to ver
ify information.
Send your letter to
news@pickensprogress.com
2 nd Annual Operation Clean Sweep
KPB plans to conduct “Operation Clean Sweep”
again this year. On Saturday, April 15 th , KPB and
community volunteers will “Clean Sweep” the
litter off a section of road here in Pickens County.
Send us your choice for the most littered stretch
of road and we will pick one to “Clean Sweep”.
Send your submission to KPB via email:
KeepPickensBeautiful@gmail.com or via phone at
706-253-3600. You can also find us on facebook
and submit your entry.
If you want to volunteer to help pick up litter on
April 15th, let us know at facebook, by email or by
phone as listed above. Give us your name and
contact info. We will get in touch with you to
arrange for your participation.