Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY. JANUARY 14. 2021 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 5A
Letters to the Editor
To the Editor:
If I was going to assign a
title to this letter, I’d type out
“Follow the Money.” As a
conservative American, I am
not going to claim to know
factually that the November
3, 2020 election was
“rigged,” nor am I going to
claim to know that Dominion
Voting Systems is comipt.
But, I couldn’t help but be
curious as to Governor
Kemp’s immediate resistance
to the huge amount of con
cern expressed by millions of
Georgia voters following the
election. So, I started looking
first at Dominion and it’s
contract with Georgia tax
payers. Notice I wrote,
“Georgia taxpayers” You
want to clean up government,
make sure our elected politi
cians remember that we own
everything our tax dollars
purchase in government, not
government politicians.
The path to the 10 year,
$107 million contract with
Dominion is very interesting
to look at. A criminal investi
gator who doesn’t have a
“smoking gun” in a case
must resort to looking at
trends or paths within a case.
Let’s look at the Dominion
contract. Atlanta Journal-
Constitution Reporter Mark
Niesse wrote an article on
July 30, 2019. With that and
other information I’ve re
searched, here’s the timeline
of how we taxpayers spent
$107 million:
*In 2002, Jared Thomas is
working for Brian Kemp on
his campaign.
*From 2003 to 2007,
Kemp was a member of the
state senate.
*In 2010, Kemp was ap
pointed Secretary of State by
Sonny Perdue.
*During Kemp’s tenure as
SoS, Jared Thomas worked
as a state employee for
Kemp.
*Thomas also worked on
Tom Price’s campaign during
this period.
*Kemp was re-elected
SoS in 2014.
*In 2018, Kemp ran for
governor.
*During his campaign,
Kemp refused to step down
as SoS, which is customary.
*After Kemp was elected,
Jared Thomas left to start a
lobbying firm.
*Dominion applied for the
state contract hiring Jared
Thomas as the lobbyist.
*In 2019, Georgia taxpay
ers signed a $107 million, 10
year contract with Dominion.
*After the contract was
secured, my source informed
me that Kemp received cam
paign donations from Do
minion.
*Many politicians from
both parties have received
funds from Dominion.
*During the first three fis
cal quarters of 2020, Domin
ion reported it donated
$50,000 per quarter in lobby
ist funds through a law/lob
bying firm in Denver,
Colorado established by a
staunch Democrat in 1968.
So, this leads me to two
questions. If it is legal for
politicians to receive cam
paign hinds from companies
either seeking or that have
government contracts,
doesn’t that pose a very ques
tionable conflict of interest.
Or, should the GBI and FBI
start looking at Kemp,
Thomas and Dominion?
Follow the money
Bill Walters
Veteran, US Army
Lieutenant
Airborne Infantry
To the Editor:
Well here goes, Georgia
again displays its incompe
tence. As of Friday, January
8, 2021 our governor and his
staff have let us down again.
Georgia has only used 20%
Cool Springs Food Ministry
Cool Springs Baptist Church, partnering with There’s
Hope For The Hungry, offers non-perishable food to those in
need on Thursday, January 14th, from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. No
ID required; drive-thru service with no physical contact, un
less inclement weather, in which case event will be cancelled.
Cool Springs Baptist Church is located at 4671 Hwy. 53 East,
Tate, Georgia. Call (770) 735-2799 for more information.
Families Anonymous
Families Anonymous is a group for relatives and friends
concerned about the use of drugs or related behavioral prob
lems. It is a recovery program offering support to people
whose lives have been affected by a relative’s or friend’s use
of mind-altering substances or related behavioral problems.
Weekly meetings on Wednesdays at King of Kings Lutheran
Church, 45 Appalachian Circle, Talking Rock (1 mile north
of Jasper Walmart) from 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Bring a
lunch. Call 706-276-1850 or mkc@etcmail.com
Tater Patch Annual Meeting
The Tater Patch Players will hold its annual meeting on
January 23 at 7 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to elect
the Board of Directors for 2021 and to conduct any necessary
business. The meeting will be at Tater Patch Players Theater,
95 Philadelphia Lane, Jasper and is open to the public.
Adventist Food Pantry
The Adventist Community Services Food Pantry will be
held on Sundays, from 1-2 p.m. at Jasper Seventh-Day Ad
ventist Church, 600 Burnt Mountain Rd. just past the library.
of the vaccination distributed
to the state. Try to call the
Department of Health line to
make a reservation for your
vaccine. Good luck. The
leadership of Georgia contin
ues to display a level of in
competence throughout the
election and now the distribu
tion and vaccinating Geor
gians you cant even get in
touch for an appointment.
This is indeed irresponsi
ble and an example of the in
competence of Georgia
leadership. We are stuck in
the past and we better get
some folks who can be pre
pared when we need action.
We sure have not received it
this time. They had plenty of
time to plan and get in place
for the distribution of the
vaccination using private and
state organizations.
Vote them all out.
I am a Libertarian yet tend
to vote Republican. Now I
have no idea what is next for
Pickens County.
C. Ray Smith
Veteran
To the Editor:
Donald Tramp promised
to build a great wall along
our southern border, to be
paid for by Mexico. You
cheered. How do you like the
wall?
Donald Tramp promised
to repeal and replace "Oba-
macare." You cheered. How
do you like your Tramp
health care?
Donald Tramp promised
to exit the nuclear deal with
Iran. You cheered. How do
you like the fact that Iran is
enriching its uranium closer
to weapons grade?
Donald Trump said that
only 15 people had COVID
and that the count would
soon be down to zero. You
cheered. How do you like the
fact that 365,000 Americans
are dead from the disease?
Donald Tramp said that he
had won reelection but that
the election was "stolen," that
his supporters (including the
Proud Boys) should go to the
U.S. Capitol to make sure the
error was corrected, and that
he would go with them. He
did not go. Later on January
6, some of those supporters
stormed the U.S. Capitol.
One (possibly as many as
four) died. Did you cheer?
James S. Reid
To the Editor:
Many politicians and
those in the media claim
President Tramp, at his rally
on January 6th, incited his
followers to violently attack
the U.S. Capitol building.
The violent, life-ending at
tack on the Capitol that oc
curred at 2 p.m. on January
6th, was timed perfectly to
disrupt the scheduled Con
gressional Electoral College
debate and vote (January 6, at
2 p.m.). Twelve Republican
senators and 100 House
members were prepared to
vote to deny approval of the
Electoral College vote that
was in favor of Joe Biden.
It is unreasonable to be
lieve that President Tramp
would incite his followers to
attack the Capitol, when such
Call the bank rated #1 in customer satisfaction,* and let us help you fulfill your dreams today.
Renee Burgess
VICE PRESIDENT, MORTGAGE LOAN ORIGINATOR, NMLS# 501421
118 Whitfield Drive, Jasper, GA 30143
P 706-253-9393 | D 706-299-5711
renee_burgess@ucbi.com
Apply online at ucms.ucbi.com/renee-burgess
United
Community Bank .
The Bank That SERVICE Built®
EQUAL HOUSING
LENDER
Member FDIC. © 2017 United Community Bank. NMLS # 421841. *As reported by Customer Service Profiles. | ucms.ucbi.com
an attack would silence the
strong voice of his Congres
sional supporters to present
to the whole of Congress and
the American people the case
for denying the Electoral
College vote for Joe Biden.
Why would President
Tramp want to jeopardize the
well-planned widely dissem
inated case for denying the
Biden election with a violent
attack on the Capitol? Such
an attack would fail and to
tally destroy President
Tramp's case before the
American people.
Rather, it is reasonable to
believe that radical, anti-
Trump individuals are the
perpetrators of the attack,
perfectly timed to disrupt the
Republican presentation to
Congress of the case against
the installation of Mr. Biden
as President.
Let us reserve our judge
ment regarding who the per
petrators of the Capitol attack
were until more evidence
comes to light.
Matthew Moore
To the Editor:
My wife and I contracted
COVID-19 a little over a
week ago. I went to North-
side Hospital emergency
room. It was a six-and-a-half
hour wait and a waiting room
full of people with COVID
symptoms and a steady line
out the door. I don’t know
why the people of Georgia,
and especially Pickens
County and Jasper, think this
is a government scam or
some sort of joke. I also don’t
understand why when I go to
our grocery stores or box
stores or gas stations or any
where else in Pickens County
that no one wears a mask.
This is not a government
scam.
I see you there with your
wives, children, mothers,
husbands, grandparents and
you don’t care if you get
them sick. I am begging the
public of Jasper to please
wear a mask when you’re out
in public. This is nothing to
play with. I just don’t under
stand you. I’m shopping and
you’re on top of me with no
mask. You’re sneezing and
coughing into your hands and
touching products in the
stores that I have to handle,
or my wife or family. We are
very careful, wear masks all
the time, and we’re always
cleaning our hands and using
sanitizer. There’s no excuse
not to wear a mask. Maybe it
makes you feel macho or
strong. I don’t understand.
But anyway, please wear
your mask.
The numbers are getting
sky high. We need to stop this
thing no matter what your be
liefs are. Please care about
the other person and your
family. Oh and P.S: when I
was at the hospital I should
have been admitted, but be
cause of all the coronavirus
cases there are no rooms in
the hospital so I was sent
home to suffer and take care
of myself.
Also, when I was in the
hospital emergency room
there were people of all ages
from young to old. There was
a 16 or 17-year-old guy sit
ting next to me and he could
not even get up out of the
chair or sit in a chair without
assistance, that’s how weak
he was.
We have bars and restau
rants in this area that are
packed to the rafters. Their
parking lots are full. There’s
no way they are social dis
tancing. It just makes me sick
the lack of concern for other
people’s lives and wellness.
So let’s stop fooling around,
wear our masks, clean our
hands, and give the people in
front of you some space. It
could be your mom or your
neighbor.
Thank you.
Steve Bingenheimer
To the Editor:
Mr. Gooch & Mr. Jasperse:
I voted by mail last elec
tion cycle three times and felt
it was a great system. My
wife and I are mostly con
fined to our house because of
the Covid and would not
have been able to vote in per
son. Do you realize how
many Republicans vote by
mail. How would I be able to
send a copy of my drivers li
cense? What about the
300,000 voters in nursing
homes etc...? Why don’t you
work on something that
needs fixing like providing
more technical schools?
What are you doing on pro
viding more Covid vaccine?
Dan Ciomek
Letters Welcomed
“Letters to the Editor ” is an
important public forum in the
community and the Progress
welcomes and encourages these
letters. Letters addressing issues
will be accepted but not those
expressing a personal grievance
directed toward another individ
ual. Letters OVER 400 WORDS
in length will not be considered
for publication. All letters must
have a full name with address, e-
mail and phone number given
where the author can be reached
to verify information.
The contact information is
never published.
Letters may be e-mailed to
news@pickensprogress.com.
Call 706-253-2457 to discuss
this further.
Clear, Pure Water. The way it should be.
Do you know what’s in your water?
We do. And we can make it
safe and clean for you.
WATER
DIAGNOSIS
CALL 888-604-8043
$3 t)
m f-a.v, &
Our quality and service
are 100%guaranteed.
Just ask our customers.
stndl
www.metrowaterfilter.com 888-604-8043
Refer a friend or family member and get $75 when they purchase a new system.
&G14~L(a. I
MOTOR VEHICLE
SERVICES
UNAVAILABLE
JAN 13 - JAN 18
NO vehicle registration or titling
services available in office.
NO online services or
kiosks available.
This is a STATE WIDE update REQUIRED by the Department of Revenue.
During this time our office will have no access to the DRIVES system, thus we
WILL NOT be able to process ANY TYPE OF MOTOR VEHICLE
TRANSACTIONS OR INQUIRES. Our office will be fully functional to assist
customers with all Property Tax questions or transactions.
PICKENS COUNTY TAX COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE