Newspaper Page Text
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t-THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1992
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
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31069.
ROY H. PARK, Pr»»ld«nt A Chalrmtn of th» Board, Park Newspaper*
JAMES B. KERCE
Editor & General Manager
BRIGETTE HAMILTON TERESA HAWK
Managing Editor Advertising Manager
Georgians should vote 'no' to
Amendment 5
Dear Editor:
Although the proposed Constitutional Amendment No.
1, which creates the lottery, has received the most media at
tention (and rightly so), Amendment No. 5 should be
equally controversial. This proposal creates a
"Transportation Trust Fund" that will be administered by
the General Assembly. It will be funded by new taxes
assessed on motor fuel and aviation fuel. Whenever an in
crease in fuel taxes is proposed, the argument is that
Georgia has the lowest motor fuel taxes in the United
States. 1 say Good for Georgia!
This fact does not upset the 4 1/2 million licensed drivers
in Georgia who rank only behind Wyoming in miles per
driver per year (16,244). It does not seem to bother the
legislature who would love to have control of the tax
money that almost 4 billion gallons/year of fuel sales would
generate. Current taxes on gasoline alone brought in a cool
$327 million to the state in 1991. The fact is, although our
tax rate is low, our income is about average. The reason is
that we rank 9th in gasoline sales in the United States. It
does not take an economist to understand that lower taxes
mean lower street prices and persons on a North-South
route are keenly aware of the competitive advantage
Georgia has on its neighboring states. So we raise our
taxes and lose some business to Florida, Tennessee,
Alabama and the Carolinas. The real problem is what the
taxes will be used for.
It is fairly common knowledge in Atlanta that the lion's
share of the money will be used to build a rail system for
commuters in Gainsville, Griffin and other surrounding
area. This multimillion dollar program will certainly help
the persons lucky enough not to have to buy gasoline to get
to work - but at the expense of everyone who does.
Since Georgia, along with 30 other states, requires that
all motor fuel taxes be spent on roads, the legislature has
been reluctant to raise motor fuel taxes. A healthy check
and balance has existed in the confrontation of a
Department of Transportation, which could spend the
money as it saw fit, and a legislature that was empowered
with increasing the tax. In the interest of small business and
the working public, we should defeat Amendment N 0.5.
Sincerely,
Davis L. Cosey
Neighborhood clears up 1991
Halloween controversy
Dear Editor:
We the concerned neighbors of Devonwood Subdivision
are writing this to clear our name of false reports of tam
pered candy last Halloween. This was brought about by a
personal grudge. This act of revenge affected the whole
neighborhood and others who Trick or Treated in that area.
We would like to thank the Houston County Sheriffs
Department for their cooperation in this matter to help clear
our name and prove that matter to be false.
We all wish the kids a Happy and Safe Halloween!
Tina Bartlett
Angela Stocks
U.S. is still the land of
opportunity
Dear Editor:
The theme repeated in almost every campaign spot of
Governor Clinton and several times in each of the recent
debates is the implied "failure of trickle down economics."
This is pure populist demagoguery at least when applied
to the first eight of those years, and Governor Clinton is
smart enough to be well aware of it.
The typical study of income change is based on the abso
lute distribution of income in two or more years. This is not
Please see Lfc rTERS, page 14A
(Due to the large quantity of letters that need to
be printed before Nov. 3, editorials will be
omitted from this week's editions of the
newspaper.)
fgdf
SHRINKING COAT TAILS
Officials qualify for re-election in 1982
10 years ago
Oct. 28, 1982
Qualifying began Monday for
Perry's mayoral seat and three of its
council posts. Terms held by
Mayor Barbara Calhoun and
Councilmen Draper Watson,
Thomas Mayo and Ralph Gentry
expired Dec. 31 of that year.
Calhoun, Mayo and Gentry had al
ready announced plans to seek re
election.
♦ * *
Natural gas users in Perry were in
formed they would see an increase
in their November bills, following
action taken at a Perry City
Council meeting Thursday.
Customers were to be charged a
$.3.50 base rate with an additional
charge for every 100 cubic feet of
gas. Councilman H.E. Smith,
chairman of the city’s gas
department, said the rate increase
was a result of an increase charged
by the city’s supplier, Southern
Natural Gas.
* * *
Perry's annual Christmas at the
Crossroads being a little over a
month away, plans were already
being made to make it the "joiliest"
occasion the city had ever seen.
Larry Moistcller, chairman of the
Perry Area Chamber of Commerce's
Christmas at the Crossroads com
mittee, announced that the weekend
of Dec. 3-5 will kick off the
Christmas season in Perry.
15 years ago
Oct. 27, 1977
Perry's 50-unit low rent housing
project on Perimeter Road would be
ready for occupancy by Nov. 1. The
$1,227,000 project was taking ap
plication for residence. The 20-acre
complex was financed through the
federal Department of Housing and
Urban Development. Revenue
Perot has done the public a big favor
Being a journalist, I'm not sup
posed to take sides on the issues of
the day. My job is to simply report
the facts, all sides, in an unbiased
manner.
Os course, being a human being, I
do have opinions and certain con
victions. This being said, everyone
can assume I have my own ideas
about the candidates running for
president and their VP running
mates.
From earlier columns, it should
go without saying that I am not a
Republican, so most people would
assume "That means she supports
Clinton."
Well, 1 really have my doubts
about that ticket too. So, I'm in a
sort of dilemma. It's one nr the
Remember L
when? I
News items from past issues I
bonds were sold to private banking
institutions.
* * *
Medusa Cement named Mr. John
I. Hall 111 to the position of
Operations Engineer. Hall filled the
position Oct. 3 at the company's
Clinchficld plant.
* * *
A group of Perry central business
district businessmen and women
met Tuesday night to form "The
Downtown Promotional Council of
Perry." The council, operating as an
arm of the Perry Redevelopment
Authority, was hoping for a 100
percent membership of all down
town businesses. The council also
hoped to develop a coordinated ad
vertising campaign for special
events and promotions to further
develop and promote downtown
Perry.
25 years ago
Oct. 26, 1967
Two Florida youths, ages 13 and
15, stole a Perry police car and led
law enforcement officers on a high
speed chase through the streets of
Perry the previous Saturday after
noon. They were stopped after an
officer shot out two tires on the po
lice car. The boys, who admitted to
stealing four cars before taking the
police car, were returned to juvenile
authorities in Florida and Valdosta.
* * *
Weltz J. Bernard, 30, was named
the new golf professional at Perry
Country Club. Bernard, a native of
Louisiana, came to Perry from the
BBrigette L
Hamilton!
Managing
other, right? A lesser of the two
evils kinda thing.
But, this year that is not quite the
case. Enter Ross Perot. From the
very beginning ol' Ross has been
making big waves and his matter
of-fact attitude (I read an article in
Newsweek comparing his persona
with that of a chihuahua. I think it
fits perfectly) has really stirred up
this race. I love it.
Journal
golf course at Robins Air Force
Base where he was assistant to pro
Ed Causey. Bernard succeeded
Ronnie Runions who left to take a
job in Florida.
* * *
Perry City Council advised the
Perry Panthers Boosters Club last
Thursday bight that the city didn't
have the money to grant the club's
request for $5,000 worth of
improvements for the lighting
system at the Perry athletic field.
The council said there was no
surplus in the budget with which to
handle the project. The council
stated it was in sympathy with the
project and wold assist in any way
it could but had no cash to put in
such a plan.
50 years ago
Oct. 29, 1942
Renewals for gasoline rations for
trucks were being accepted at the
local rationing board. All whose ra
tions were to expire Nov. 21-22
were advised to renew at an early
dale in order for the new book to be
ready on the expiration date of the
old.
* * *
The Practice Blackout for Perry
and Houston County, held Tuesday
night from 8-8:30 p.m., was de
clared a complete success by E.P.
Stables, chairman of the Civilian
Defense Council. Robins Field and
other sections of the county ob
served the blackout successfully.
* * *
An order prohibiting the use of
1942 "excess" peanuts for any
purpose other than crushing for oil
was issued by the Commodity
Credit Corporation. E. W. Traylor,
AAA county administrative office,
stated the order was designed to help
meet war demands for vegetable
oils.
I'm not saying I'm voting for
Perot. It’s not that I don't think he
has the drive as well as some very
good ideas, but I just don't know if
Congress would ever let him get
anything done.
Still, even if Perot doesn’t win
(which is likely) at least he has
done the American public a great
service: he has made the other two
candidates and their running mates
focus more on the issues than in
the more recent elections.
Os course there has been a great
deal of smear campaigning tactics
from the opposing sides, Perot
camp included.
But, I just love to watch and lis
ten to Ross Perot. I saw part of a
Please see HAMILTON, page 13A
Questions on
November 3
ballot important
When local residents step into
voting booths to pick elected
officials in the 1992 general
election next Tuesday each will also
be faced with a set of important
questions.
Those questions, in the form of
state constitutional amendments,
will have a far-reaching effect on
many aspects of life in Georgia,
including moral values, the future
of education, transportation, health
care, trash disposal, consumer
issues and our control over local
government.
Voters should be reminded that a
"yes" vote means you believe an
amendment should become law. A
"no" votes indicates you are against
the proposal.
Amendment 1
Listed first on the ballot and
without question the hottest issue
facing voters is the question of
allowing a state lottery to support
education.
The core issue in favoring a
lottery is a further decay in our
moral values. Georgians cannot use
state-sponsored and state-encouraged
gambling to pull our educational
system out of a financial mess.
Those who would vote "yes" on a
lottery should understand the
amendment is very clear on its
intent. It is specifically about the
legality of a lottery.
I believe a lottery would only
serve one purpose—to promote an
already alarming decline in moral
values. In my view a "no" vote is
in order.
Amendment 2
At issue in this amendment is
your right to directly elect local
school board superintends.
If passed, the measure would
allow an elected school board to
appoint the superintendents.
Proponents of the change argue
that passage of the amendment
would take politics out of the
classroom and attract professional
educators to the system.
Opponents see the measure as a
further erosion of the public's right
to have direct input into
government through the election
process.
Arguments on both sides of the
issue are valid.
However, since there is already a
provision in state law to change the
way superintendents are picked on a
county-by-county basis through
local legislation, the need for this
amendment is questionable.
In Houston County we have been
fortunate to have professional
educators to vote on, therefore I
seen no need to change the system.
A "no" vote recommendation on
question 2 is based on the saying:
"if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Amendment 3
While considered a "house
keeping" measure made necessary
by changes in federal regulations,
passage of amendment 3 will have a
direct impact on medical care costs
locally. Approval would keep
federal money flowing into many
rural hospitals (including the Perry
facility) that provide care for the
uninsured and those too poor to pay
their bills.
If passed the law will mean the
continuation of a stale kitty which
is funded by contributions from
some local hospitals. That fund is
matched by federal money, then
distributed back to the hospitals.
In the past three years the Perry
Hospital has received well over
$400,000 in matching funds.
A "yes" vote will keep this federal
money flowing back to Perry,
instead of going to other states.
Amendment 4
On the surface, this proposal
seems attractive. It would allow the
state to sell bonds to finance city
owned landfills and recycling
centers. The idea is attractive
because the state, using its good
bond rating, could get a lower
interest rate. However, it would
also allow local governments to
bypass requirements that they get
voter approval before taking on debt
for these projects.
The proposal should be rejected. A
no vote would allow local voters
to continue deciding how their
money is spent on special projects.
Amendment 5
Amendment 5 would make a
Please see KERCE, page 13A