Newspaper Page Text
4A
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1991
Perry viewpoint
The Houston Home Journal
OFFICIAL ORGAN, CITY OF PERRY AND HOUSTON
COUNTY, GEORGIA, SINCE 1870
PUBLISHED EACH WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY MORNING
807 CARROLL ST., P.O. DRAWER M, PERRY, GA. 31069
TELEPHONE: (912) 987-1823
The Houston Home Journal (USPS 252-780) is published semi weekly for
$lB per year by the Houston Home Journal, Inc., 807 Carroll St., Perry, Ga.
31069. Second Class Postage paid at Perry, Ga. POSTMASTER: Send
address change to The Houston Home Journal, P.O. Drawer M, Perry, Ga.
31069.
ROY H. PARK, President & Chairman of the Board, Park Newspapers
JAMES B. KERCE
Editor & General Manager
JIM MOODY TERESA HAWK
Managing Editor Advertising Manager
News from new shopping
center good for residents
Reports indicate that the delays which have stalled
the construction of the Perry Market Place shopping
center on Sam Nunn Boulevard are history and the
facility is on track with leasing space and starting
construction.
A representative of Rowe Development of Atlanta
has reported the center is 63 percent leased and is on
schedule for a late September ground breaking.
Completion of the center is projected for sometime next
summer.
It's good news for the Perry area to hear the center's
owners have firm leases on eight of the 15 stores
available in the center. But the best news is that a
greatly expanded Kmart store and a Kroger grocery
store will anchor the center.
For Kmart to double their local store space, and for
Kroger to locate here shows a confidence by national
retailing firms that Perry's economy will grow and
remain strong for years to come.
Another view:
Two examples of 'fair'
Houston County style
(Editor's note: We believe the fol
lowing column is of interest to all
Houston Countains. It was written
by Warner Robins Daily Sun
General Manager Tom Reed and
was published in the Monday, Sept.
16 edition of that paper. It is being
reprinted with premission.)
What's fair for the goose is fair
for the gander!
That's terrific if you're a goose or
a gander.
Otherwise, forget about fair.
Here are two good examples of
"fair" Houston County style.
Joe Sherrill Stafford, newly
elected Chairman of the Houston
County Commission, is paid more
than $51,000 per year. He recently
appointed Charlie Cloniger as
Director of Management Services
(in some circles referred to as
"Super Clerk"). Cloniger makes
more than $50,000 per year.
Stafford says the Houston
County budget of S2O million dol
lars requires two full-time adminis
trators.
Maybe that's fair.
What is the real reason
for refusing to play ball?
Editor:
It is my understanding that Warner Robins Recreation
Department is not to include Perry Recreation Department in
their scheduling of their football and soccer teams this season.
Why? No one really knows for sure. Some say there has
been problems in the past; especially just recently during base
ball and softball season. Others say that the people in Warner
Robins do not want to travel to Perry for games (usually one
per team every season).
Why not? Teams in Perry have to travel to Warner Robins
three or four times per team every season!
What's the difference? I'll tell you the difference. It is that
Warner Robins has enough participation in their youth sports
programs to play among themselves. So, now they want to
eliminate Perry from their schedule.
I’ve been a resident of Perry now for 21 years. I have seen
gradually every county governmental office be duplicated so
the residents of Warner Robins do not have to travel to Perry.
My taxes help to pay for these offices. Now they don't want to
come to Perry for recreation games. What will be next?
Please see LETTER, page 5A
However, poor Ed Martin over
sees a budget almost twice as big at
nearly 40 million dollars a year as
the mayor of Warner Robins.
What's the big deal? Ed Martin
doesn't have a "Super Clerk" to
help him. In fact, Martin is paid
almost $12,000 a year less than
Stafford or Cloniger—and $63,000
a year less than the pair of them.
Guess who gets the goose on this
comparison?
The second example is a point of
law.
Jim Elliott is the full-time attor
ney for the city of Warner Robins.
Last year his total compensation for
full-time work was about $45,000.
That seems fair.
However, Mike Long is the part
time attorney for Houston County.
Last year his total compensation for
part-time work was more than
$38,000.
When is part-time pay almost as
much as full-time pay?
Only in Houston County when
you compare gooses and ganders.
r
I
'
FINAL ACT FOR THE PUPPET SHOW
Youth jailed in SI,BOO purse snatching
10 Years Ago
Sept. 17, 1981
The City Council approved a mu
tual aid agreement between the
Perry and the Houston County fire
departments. The agreement allows
for mutual assistance in fighting
fires which involve possible loss of
lives or commercial or industrial
property.
***
Perryans held a public workshop
to voice concerns about a rezoning
plan for the city. They suggested a
moratorium on building permits
until adoption of the plan.
***
A Perry youth was held at the
Houston County Jail in connection
with a purse snatching involving
SI,BOO.
* * *
The Perry Panthers rolled over
the Baldwin Braves at the Pit with a
34-0 win Sept. 11. OT Andy
Morgan sat out the game after suf
fering a neck injury in the season
opener the week before.
15 Years Ago
Sept. 16, 1976
Lewis Meeks, chairman of the
Perry Redevelopment Authority
Board, told members that the next
target priority is to get additional
parking in the central business dis
trict as part of the downtown revi
talization project.
* * *
Improvement lies in the U.S. Constitution
Yesterday marked the 204th an
niversary of the signing of the
United States Constitution.
On a day, I presume, much like
the one we had yesterday morning
you know the kind of day that
seems to drip humidity right out of
the thick 95 degree air it must
have been just as hot on Sept. 17,
1787, in the east wing of Indepen
dence Hall in Philadelphia.
As a young nation that was facing
a near political collapse, the saving
force was the signing of that final
document.
This document provided a sense of
equal justice to a people that no
other body of law had ever given in
the history of mankind. Better yet,
it was to replace the failing Articles
of Confederation. It was to secure
equal justice under the law for gen
erations to follow.
But what exactly does all of this
mean?
We could go as far as to say that
the Constitution was and still is the
idolized requisite for the clearing of
all civil problems across the world.
But, unfortunately, we do not live
Remember L
when? I
News items from past issues
The Perry-Houston County
Ambulance Service faced the possi
bility of losing its operating license
Jan. 1, 1977 unless the County
Commission agreed to purchase a
$3,500 base radio as required by the
Georgia Department of Human
Resources and the Georgia Hospital
Association.
***
The Houston County Board of
Education released a list of 1976
public school enrollment figures.
Nearly 16,000 students were en
rolled in the county.
***
The Westfield B-Team Hornets
fought to a 6-6 tie with Jonesco
“B” Colts in Gray. Coaches Ricky
Ellis and John Clay’s Hornets
showed the power of their defense
in the hardhitting contest.
25 Years Ago
Sept. 22, 1966
The Perry Chamber of Commerce
hired Furman Cliette Jr. as the full
time executive Vice President.
Cliette, 25, taught at Moultrie
High School and moved to Perry to
become a court services worker
prior to his appointment.
Warnock I
IBr Staff writer
w ■
in a joyful utopianism and realisti
cally, we are facing problems in the
United States even after Sept. 17,
1991.
Opponents to the Constitution in
the 18 th century proposed that the
new nation follow an avenue of
leveling economics. This theory of
government is referred to in the
20th century as socialism.
Today, the 18th century oppo
nents to the Constitution could be
considered as political prophets who
possibly happened to foreshadow
the backlash of the 20th century af
firmative action economics. The
problem with this is simple we
did not successfully bandage the
civil rights wounds of the 1960 s
and 19705.
The pressures that businesses face
**•
Houston Countians gave an edge
to surprise candidate Jimmy Carter
in the Democratic Primary Sept.
14. James Gray placed second, Ellis
Amall was third and Lester Maddox
fourth in the race for governor.
• **
The City Council voted to pur
chase 60 acres of land to build a
sewage treatment plant. The city
agreed to pay Community Realty
Inc. $15,425 for 44.3 acres and to
pay Hugh Lawson and Cohen
Walker $7,342 for 18.33 acres.
50 Years Ago
Sept. 18, 1941
Officers of the Bankhead-Jones
Act announced landless farmers in
Houston County could have the
opportunity to become landowners.
More than 5,400 farmers statewide
were eligible for the program.
***
Maj. John E. Goodwin, head of
the State Patrol, said speed was a
large factor in more than half of the
auto fatalities in Georgia. He also
ordered more rigid efforts to enforce
the speed laws.
***
The Georgia Agricultural
Extension Service sent a call urging
Georgia farm families to grow feed
and winter gardens as a measure for
supplying more food for the family
and in promoting the defense
movement.
to meet government enforced affir
mative action is stifling. I can
think of no other repugnant maneu
ver that appears to be similar to the
state controlled operations than
those found in socialism.
The guidelines found in the Con
stitution are written to give the in
dividual equal representation in the
law. So, I am not arguing for the
banning of minority rights. Rather,
I am against the tactics used by the
government to provide super ser
vices to one party over the freedom
of another.
To be frank, affirmative action has
wiped freedom out of American
commerce.
Economic improvement does not
lie in programs that are made to
look after particular parties and in
terests but rather, improvement lies
within the Constitution itself.
What we as Americans have to re
alize is that the Constitution cannot
carry us away from our problems.
We have to meet our differences
head on and not try to ignore the
past.
a The Houston Home a
Journal
Thoughts on
Georgia roads,
state layoffs
You can't there from
here...
On a trip across the northern
reaches of our fair state several
weeks ago I made an interesting
discovery about highways in
Georgia—our state, it seems,
has two very different road sys
tems.
If you are traveling north or
south in the upper reaches of
Georgia you'll be running in the
"fast lane." Four, six and even
eight lane limited-access high
ways allow drivers to hurdle
along at 65-miles-per hour north
out of Atlanta.
Cruising up Interstate 85 a
driver can leave the capital city
and be in South Carolina in no
time. Same with 1-75 and the
other super highways in North
Georgia.
I suppose this north/south fast
lane system is great for tourists
who view Georgia as a long
stretch of road between home
and Florida.
However, if you are a traveler
wanting to go across the state
east and west you'll be in for a
rude suiprise.
There are precious few four
lane highways. Instead narrow
two-lane roads wind up and
down foothills and mountains as
if the folks who laid them out
followed a snake' across the
state.
Try going from the Gainesville
area to Rome, for example as I
did.
The distance is about as far as
from Perry to Atlanta—an easy
one-and-one-half hour drive go
ing north and south. That ain’t
so on the Gainesville/Rome run.
The trip is mostly on narrow
two-lane roads which wiggle
their way up and down sharp
grades. In all there are (at my
count) five different state roads
to find and the trip took almost
three hours.
Later, when examining a road
map, I discovered that except for
1-20 it's dam near impossible to
get across any part of Georgia on
anything but mostly two-lane
roads which snake from town to
town.
The old joke about "you can't
get there from here” seems to
apply to rural Georgia roads.
***
Layoffs could backfire?
No doubt Georgia's good gov
ernor, Zell Miller and the state
legislators did their homework
when it was decided to lay off
around 2,000 state workers.
But, it appears they missed a
page in Budget Cutting 101:
What is the long-range impact of
pensions earned by laid-off
workers.
After reading recent news arti
cles, I do wonder if they missed
a page, or maybe a whole chap
ter.
One concerned a 46-year-old
management worker who lost his
job which paid about $74,000
annually. Sounds sad, doesn't
it? But reading on I found the
fellow will collect about $63,000
per-year in pension. The pension
will start now and last the rest of
his life!
Ditto with a 38 year-old
woman who lost her job.
Reports say she was in the low
$50,000 per-year pay range.
Now she'll have to make do with
a piddley $45,000 pension for
the rest of her life.
For the kind of money this pair
will draw in pensions I'll bet you
feel just the way I do.. . who
needs to work?
Are these isolated cases, or
will the state's taxpayers be sad
dled with hundreds of similar
cases? Makes you wonder.
I shudder to think what it will
cost future generations to pay for
Georgia's 1991 budget-cutting
action, if these are not isolated
cases.