About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 2020)
LOCA^OP HEADLINES The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com Weekend Edition - October 17-18, 2020 3A President makes stops in Ga., Fla. Trump campaigns in must-win states as he fights for re-election JOHN BAZEMORE I Associated Press President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Middle Georgia Regional Airport, Friday, Oct. 16, in Macon. BY STEVE PEOPLES, DARLENE SUPERVILLE AND BILL BARROW Associated Press MACON — Backed into a corner and facing financial strains, Presi dent Donald Trump went after his opponent’s family and defended his own struggle to contain the pandemic on Friday as he fought io energize his sagging reelection bid in the nation’s Sun Belt. With Election Day looming, Democrat Joe Biden pushed to keep vot ers focused on health care in the Midwest. Trump campaigned in Florida and Georgia, neighboring states he carried four years ago and must win again to extend his presidency. His decision to devote Friday eve ning’s prime-time slot to Georgia in particular highlighted the seri ous nature of his challenge: Far from his original plan to expand into Democratic-leaning states, he is laboring to stave off a defeat of major proportions. No Republican presidential candidate has lost Georgia since George H.W. Bush in 1992. And earlier this week, Trump had to court voters in Iowa, a state he car ried by almost 10 points four years ago. In Macon, he cited support from former University of Geor gia football star Herschel Walker to win favor from his rally crowd. “How good was Herschel Walker?” Trump said as the Georgia crowd roared. “He’s on our side, and he’s an incredible guy.” Trump had tried the same strat egy Wednesday in Iowa, bring ing wrestling legend Dan Gable onstage. In Florida on Friday, the presi dent derided the Bidens as “an organized crime family,” renewing his daily claims about the candi date’s son, Hunter, and his business dealings in Ukraine and China. More to the point for Trump’s Florida audience, he spoke directly to seniors who have increasingly soured on his han dling of the pandemic. “I am moving heaven and earth to safeguard our seniors from the China virus,” Trump said, using his usual term to describe the corona- virus. He also offered an optimistic assessment of the pandemic, even as a surge of new infections spread across America. “We are prevailing,” the presi dent said, promising to deliver the first doses of a vaccine to seniors when it’s ready. Despite the tough talk, Trump’s actions on the ground in Florida underscored the conflicting mes sages his administration has sent throughout the pandemic. All the president’s security personnel and support staff were wearing face masks when Air Force One touched down, but Trump and Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis were barefaced. Crowds gathered at the presi dent’s subsequent events, many without masks as well. It was just the opposite as Biden opened his Michigan swing at a suburban Detroit community cen ter. In keeping with his usual proto cols, Biden and all the participants wore masks throughout the event, except when they were speaking, and a small crowd of dozens of reporters and supporters watched from folding chairs separated by circles to ensure social distancing. “He’s living in a dream world,” Biden said of Trump’s rosy pre dictions of the pandemic. The former vice president then turned to the Trump administra tion’s court fight to overturn the “Obamacare” health coverage law — including its protection for people with preexisting conditions — without having a replacement plan. “Mishandling the pandemic isn’t enough for Trump,” Biden charged. “On top of that he’s still trying to take away your health care.” Meanwhile, the president’s campaign released new numbers suggesting he’s likely the first incumbent president to face a fun draising disadvantage in the mod ern era. Trump’s campaign, along with the Republican National Commit tee and associated groups, raised $247.8 million in September, well short of the $383 million raised by Biden and the Democratic National Committee. To open Octo ber, the Trump effort officially had $251.4 million in the bank, according to a campaign spokes man, compared with $432 million for Biden. Trump claimed he could have raised more. He said he could call the heads of Wall Street firms and ask for millions, but added: “I can’t do that though, because you know what, if I do that, I got to do things for them. I could be the world’s greatest fundraiser, but I just don’t want to do it.” The president was seeking momentum on the campaign trail a day after he and Biden squared off in dueling televised town halls that showcased striking differ ences in temperament, views on racial justice and approaches to the pandemic. On NBC, Trump was defensive about his administration’s han dling of the coronavirus, which has claimed more than 217,000 lives in the United States, and eva sive when pressed about whether he took a required COVID-19 test before his first debate with Biden. Angry and combative, Trump refused to denounce the QAnon conspiracy group — and only testily did so regarding white supremacists. The Republican president also appeared to acknowledge rev elations from a recent New York Times report that he was in debt and left open the possibility that some of it was owed to a foreign bank. But he insisted that he didn’t owe any money to Russia or any “sinister people” and suggested that $400 million in debt was a “very, very small percentage” compared to his overall assets. Speaking in Florida on Friday, Trump sarcastically called the NBC event “a nice pleasurable evening” and jabbed modera tor Savannah Guthrie for “going totally crazy.” On ABC, Biden suggested he would offer clarity on his position on expanding the Supreme Court if Trump’s nominee to the bench is seated before Election Day. And as he did Friday in Michigan, he denounced the White House’s handling of the virus, declaring that Trump’s administration was at fault for closing a pandemic response office established by the Obama administration in which he served. “It’s getting worse, as pre dicted,” Biden said in Michigan of the rising coronavirus numbers. “The president knew and lied about knowing.” Biden also sought to win support from the state’s auto workers dur ing an appearance at the Michigan State Fairgrounds. “I’ve always believed in Michigan. We have the finest auto workers in the world here,” Biden said. Ahead of Biden’s Michigan appearance, his campaign con firmed that both Biden and his run ning mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, had tested negative for the coronavirus. While decidedly on the defen sive on the ground in key states, Trump released a scathing new ad on Friday attacking Biden’s record on race. Specifically, the ad seizes on Biden’s support for a criminal justice law that disproportionately punished people of color. It’s unclear whether the attack ad will break through the saturated airwaves. Biden and his allies are outspending Trump and his allies on paid advertising more than 2 to 1 through Election Day, according to the advertising tracking firm Kantar/CMAG. Candidates run to lead Hall conservation board BY MEGAN REED mreed@gainesvilletimes.com In addition to the traditional political candidates on the ballot Nov. 3, voters will also be able to select supervisors for the Hall County Soil and Water Conservation District, a group that advocates for protec tion of natural resources and sustainability practices. The district is one of 40 in the state. The districts are units of state government that educate about conservation at community events and in classrooms, review erosion and sedimentation control plans for devel opments and help landowners and farmers implement conservation practices on their properties. Hall County’s district, which was formed in 1983, has five supervisors. Some recent projects include presenting at Ag Day, where local students learn about agricul ture, installing five pollinator garden beds at the Hall County Agricultural Services Building and hosting an endangered species workshop at Elachee Nature Center. Mike Haynes, the current chairman, has been a supervisor since 1983 and is on the ballot for reelection. The board’s work reviewing erosion control plans and distrib uting government funds to farmers for property improvements is impor tant for ensuring the long-term environmental health of the area, he said. “If we don’t do things to protect our soil from eroding, years down the road, it’s not going to be here,” Haynes, a North Hall poultry and cattle farmer, said. “There’s no telling how much soil has been washed into the lakes and rivers over the years.” There are five members on the board, with three elected and two appointed by a state board. Voters will choose two candi dates on their ballots, with the top two can didates being elected to the board, Haynes said. Larry Nix, one of the current supervisors, is not seeking reelection. Todd Chapman and Michael Crow are also running for supervisor positions. Both would be new to the Hall County board. Chapman is a poultry, cattle and row crop farmer in North Hall who worked with the district to implement some conservation measures on his farm. Crow was previ ously a supervisor for the Oconee River Soil and Water Conservation and wants to get involved in Hall. He moved to Braselton from Barrow County last year. Chapman said some steps he has taken on his farm, including putting fencing by creeks and installing stack houses for chicken litter, helped him learn more about the district’s work and with the open posi tion, he wants to be directly involved. “It betters everybody’s waters down stream and here,” Chapman said. “... Monitoring and controlling (erosion and sedimentation) helps manage it and it’s good for everybody.” And Crow said he enjoyed his conserva tion district work in Barrow, especially edu cating the community about conservation efforts. “I always enjoyed working with the ele mentary schools and helping them get fund ing for different projects, as far as learning about agriculture and conservation,” Crow said. “I also like helping the local farm ers implement their best management practices.” Direct involvement in projects “gives us an intimate look at what’s going on in our communities,” Crow said. Haynes White House rejects Putin response to arms control offer WASHINGTON - The U.S. and Russia on Friday rejected each other’s proposals for potentially salvaging the last remaining legal constraint on their strategic nuclear forces. President Vladimir Putin called for an unconditional extension of the soon-to- expire New START treaty, and the White House called that a “non-starter.” Adding an edginess to the diplomatic clash, President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, suggested the Russians rethink their stance “before a costly arms race ensues.” Administration officials have previously alluded to building up nuclear forces if the treaty is abandoned, although the Pentagon has its hands full pay ing for a one-for-one replacement of older nuclear weapons. In the closing days of his reelection bid, Trump has looked for ways to boost his for eign policy record, and although he says he favors nuclear arms control, he has called New START flawed and unfavorable to the U.S. Last year he withdrew the U.S. from a separate nuclear arms treaty with Russia, and he waited until this year to begin engaging the Russians on the future of the New START deal. 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