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THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 19. 2020 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 5A
Letters to the Editor
Letter to leaders in Pickens
Dear Commissioner
Jones, Mayor Lawrence, Ed
itor Pool, Chris Rumble of
CARES:
First: I am a retired Pick
ens County resident, and I
help with a number of chari
ties, our church outreach,
election poll, and the Pickens
Senior Center delivering
meals.
I am concerned for our cit
izens with this pandemic
continuing to expand and its
effect on our large retirement
community. In the past week
we have added about 100
new cases of Covid-19 to our
county record (a couple of
months ago we only had
about 200 cases, now: 981+).
CARES is closed due to
COVID-19.
I have an idea or a dream:
since the Pickens numbers
are still below the hot spots
around the country, why
don’t we assemble a health
group to send out an organ
ized message to our commu
nity about the pandemic and
a sensible, medical approach
to health? We could make
what is already a fairly safe
community into a very safe
one.
•We could post messages
such as: Together we stay
healthy and create guidelines
for businesses, common
sense info posted in the paper
weekly, and sponsor conver
sations with local doctors and
pharmacists.
•Send a message about
safety but also about pride-
let’s create a bubble in a
sense over Pickens by really
and sincerely pushing the
Wear masks, Wash hands,
and Keep a safe distance ap
proach that has worked so
well and is advocated by doc
tors and epidemiologists.
•Perhaps include busi
nesses in this group (Kroger
or Ingles or Home Depot).
•Think of the lives we
could save.
•And we could be an ex
ample county for others.
•Our businesses would be
more safe and successful.
Latest findings from the
CDC:
“Breaking from its tenta
tive recommendations on
mask use thus far, the Centers
for Disease Control and Pre
vention said on Tuesday that
using masks benefits wear
ers, which is a step beyond its
previous declaration that said
wearing masks would only
protect those around them.
“Experimental and epi
demiological data support
community masking to re
duce the spread” of the virus,
the C.D.C. said in a docu
ment that details scientific
evidence supporting mask
use. “Individual benefit in
creases with increasing com
munity mask use,” it said.
The unequivocal state
ments are a departure from
the agency’s previous lan
guage, which suggested that
“the latest science may con
vince” Americans to wear
masks and that mask use
could prevent an infected
person from spreading the
virus to others. “The main
protection individuals gain
from masking occurs when
others in their communities
also wear face coverings,” it
said.
I would think that Com
missioner Jones (and Stancil)
and Mayor Lawrence could
select a group of medical and
energetic citizens to organize
these heath and economic
concerns. I’d be glad to help;
I mainly wanted to help the
community and save lives.
Thank you for your
attention,
Howell Kiser
To the Editor:
It's often been said that the
the greatest threat to a
democracy is an uniformed
electorate.
In the year 2020 we have
millions of Americans that
are either are uniformed, mis
informed or both and that
doesn't bode well for the fu
ture of our country.
One unbelievable exam
ple is the voter support for
House Representative Mar
jorie Talyor Greene. She se
cured 75% of the vote in our
district and almost 90% of
the vote in Pickens County.
She supports the nutcase
theory that is QAnon. Some
studies show that up to a third
of all Americans believe that
this crazy theory may be true.
I realize that people in our
district voted for Greene
simply because she is a Re
publican which is unfortu
nate.
Here's a newsflash, she is
already well on her way to
making herself and by exten
sion Georgia, a national em
barrassment.
Tim Schutter
To the Editor:
I requested a call back
when I contacted the Ga.
Secretary of State (election
division) @ 404-656-2881.
They called me back in about
30 minutes and were courte
ous. I asked what precautions
were being taken to ensure
the recount was fair. She
replied "all paper ballots are
being hand counted." This
was reassuring since it is be
lieved Biden got a huge per
centage of the dead people
who voted. I later discovered
that there was one observer
for every 10 tables being
counted.
I then asked if Georgia
used voting machines manu
factured by Dominion Corp.
"Yes" was her reply. These
are the same machines that
had "glitches "which were
switching votes (some say in
the millions) from Pres.
Trump to Biden. I asked if we
could be certain this didn't
happen in Georgia. "I don't
know" was her answer.
The more the media
screams "Nothing to see here,
Move along. Voter fraud is a
myth," the more sensible
people have concerns.
In a democracy, if people
can't trust the election
process, things can get out of
hand fast. Let's pray we re
solve these issues and restore
people's faith in the system.
Dave Ray
To the Editor:
Anyone old enough to
have watched the news in
1978 knows the origin of
“drinking the Kool-Aid.”
(Look it up: Google “Jim
Jones” and “Jonestown,
Guyana.” Fox News and
OANN will misuse the
phrase but won’t mention the
origin.)
Like Jim Jones, outgoing
President Trump expects his
disciples to “drink the Kool-
Aid” and expose themselves
and everyone they come in
contact with to infection with
Covid-19. They demand the
“freedom” to possibly kill not
just themselves but everyone
unfortunate enough to be in
range of their unmasked
breath in public.
There have been other
mass suicides in history, but
they were usually described
as fringe fanatics (although
918 died in Jonestown, in
cluding all of their children).
It’s unlikely that many of the
11 million (11,000,000)
Americans who have been
infected so far knowingly
chose that (although some
may have knowingly risked
it). Probably none of the
246,000 who have died from
it envisioned that end (in
cluding the medical workers
who died trying to save
them). But, by Trump logic,
if the President of the United
States can survive Covid-19
with only the personal atten
tion of a dozen doctors and
exclusive treatment in a
world-class major hospital,
anyone can. Why worry?
When the “freedom” of
some to live has been obliter
ated by the “freedom” of oth
ers to spread disease, what
would we call those who de
liberately spread it? “Patri
ots”? No. What do we call
those who put a gun to the
head of another and pull the
trigger?
G. David Robinson
To the Editor:
I am Billy Joe Parker, Pro
hibition Party vice-presiden
tial nominee. I came to
remind all in our federal,
state, and local governments
that this nation belongs to
each one of us and not just to
those who we pay to serve us.
Our lives belong to each
one of us and not to any one
of you who feels he can vote
to destroy one of us. We are
under God and Christ and not
the foulness and perfidy of
men and women. You swore
to uphold the Constitution if
we allowed you to be in of
fice. Once in there, you break
your vows and send millions
of children to their deaths by
alcohol and abortion.
You swore to defend our
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posterity and lied and sent
them to the clinics to die.
Anybody that can send mil
lions of children to their
deaths and rob them of this
nation, anybody so low down
as to watch millions die and
addict millions of children to
alcohol, immoral sex, and to
marijuana is dirty and foul
enough to rig an election to
stay in power to kill Ameri
can children and surrender us
to an evil and tyrannical
world.
Your treason and slaying
of the posterity show us that
the election was indeed
rigged. You are too sorry not
to do it. The state of Georgia
co-founded this nation so all
could have life and justice.
We did not create it to be
trampled under the feet of
human dogs and ripped and
torn apart by human wolves.
You came as vandals and
thieves to Georgia to steal
our flags, monuments, and
kill the children with your al
cohol, abortion, and mari
juana. You killed them to get
money.
Billy Joe Parker
Letters Welcomed
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will be accepted but not those
expressing a personal grievance
directed toward another individ
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to verify information.
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Call 706-253-2457 to discuss
this further.
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PICKENS COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
SCHEDULE OF APPROVED LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX PROJECTS
YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2020
AMOUNT AMOUNT
PROJECT
ORIGINAL
ESTIMATED
COST (1)
CURRENT
ESTIMATED
COSTS (2)
EXPENDED
IN CURRENT
YEAR (3)
EXPENDED
IN PRIOR
YEARS (3)
TOTAL
COMPLETION
COST
EXCESS
PROCEEDS NOT
EXPENDED
ESTIMATED
COMPLETION
DATE
SPLOST V
The acquisition and installation of new technology, textbooks,
and equipment for all educational facilities.
$
4,000,000.00 $
4,000,000.00 $
688,847.63 $
1,156,134.20 $
4,000,000.00 $
2,155,018.17
12/31/21
The acquisition of new school buses, vehicles, and
transportation equipment including but not limited to
modifications to existing school buses.
3,300,000.00
3,300,000.00
702,215.00
31,336.00
3,300,000.00
2,566,449.00
12/31/21
The construction and equipping of additional classroom space
and related facilities on the campus of Pickens High School and
the renovation, repair, construction, modification and equipping
of buildings and facilities located on the campus of Pickens High
School.
5,500,000.00
5,500,000.00
7,940,741.33
808,161.51
5,500,000.00
-3,248,902.84
12/31/21
The construction and equipping of additional classroom space
and related facilities on the campus of Jasper Elementary
School and the renovation, repair, construction, modification
and equipping of buildings and facilities located on the campus
of Jasper Elementary School.
1,700,000.00
1,700,000.00
24,135.00
79,042.14
1,700,000.00
1,596,822.86
12/31/21
The construction and equipping of additional classroom space
and related facilities on the campus of Tate Elementary School;
the renovation, repair, construction, modification and equipping
of buildings and facilities located on the campus of Tate
Elementary School; the renovation, repair, construction,
modification and equipping of buildings located on the campus
of Tate Elementary School; the renovation, modification,
construction and equipping of cafeteria, lunchroom and kitchen
facilities located on the campus of Tate Elementary School;
1,500,000.00
1,500,000.00
2,685.00
10,623.00
1,500,000.00
1,486,692.00
12/31/21
The construction and equipping of additional classroom space
and related facilities on the campus of Pickens County Middle
School; the renovation, repair, construction, modification and
equipping of buildings and facilities located on the campus of
Pickens County Middle School;
6,000,000.00
6,000,000.00
8,665,740.53
2,002,271.72
6,000,000.00
-4,668,012.25
12/31/21
The construction and equipping of additional classroom space
and related facilities on the campus of Jasper Middle School;
the renovation, repair, construction, modification and equipping
of buildings and facilities located on the campus of Jasper
Middle School;
1,000,000.00
1,000,000.00
0.00
5,577.00
1,000,000.00
994,423.00
12/31/21
The construction and equipping of additional classroom space
and related facilities on the campus of Hill City Elementary
School; the renovation, repair, construction, modification and
equipping of buildings and facilities located on the campus of
Hill City Elementary School;
3,000,000.00
3,000,000.00
0.00
0.00
3,000,000.00
3,000,000.00
12/31/21
The construction and equipping of additional classroom space
and related facilities on the campus of Harmony Elementary
School; the renovation, repair, construction, modification and
equipping of buildings and facilities located on the campus of
Harmony Elementary School;
1,500,000.00
1,500,000.00
8,883.00
0.00
1,500,000.00
1,491,117.00
12/31/21
Renovations and modifications to existing educational facilities
and the acquisition and installation of equipment at all other
educational facilities
1,500,000.00
1,500,000.00
5,321.94
137,586.53
1,500,000.00
1,357,091.53
12/31/21
The acquisition and purchase of real estate; the preparation,
acquisition, and payment of engineering plans, specifications,
and other preliminary construction costs associated with the
building of a new school facility.
500,000.00
500,000.00
0.00
0.00
500,000.00
500,000.00
12/31/21
The payment of principal and interest on bonds.
500,000.00
500,000.00
0.00
0.00
500,000.00
500,000.00
12/31/21
$
30,000,000.00 $
30,000,000.00 $
18,038,569.43 $
4,230,732.10
30,000,000.00 $
7,730,698.47
(1) The School District's original cost estimate as specified in the resolution calling for the imposition of the Local Option Sales Tax.
(2) The School District's current estimate of total cost for the project(s). Includes all cost from project inception to completion.
(3) The voters of Pickens County approved the imposition of a 1% sales tax to fund the above project.
Amounts expended for these projects may include sales tax proceeds, state, local property
taxes and/or other funds over the life of the project.
(4) In addition to the expenditures shown above, the School District has incurred interest to provide advance funding for the above project(s) as follows:
Prior Years $
Current Year
Total $