Newspaper Page Text
September 24, 2008
On the outside looking in
Five million,
nine billion
A re you aware there are over 5-million
homes across the nation in foreclosure and
it’s gonna take $9-billion to bail out the
private enterprise
banking/investment/mortgage companies
that promulgated this financial hull-a-ba-loo. Were
they—our government, the banking/investment/mort
gage companies—really at fault? There’s obviously a
lot of fault to go around including ourselves: easy cred
it, the desire to have something we couldn’t afford, and
keeping up with the Joneses or whomever. Looking for
an easy way and quick buck
seemed to be a mantra.
The sad parts about the whole
mess is our Washington govern
ment has taken steps to “spend
us” out of the mess with us tax
payers footing the bill. Instead of
bailing out the companies that
used financial skullduggery and
book cooking in get rich schemes,
what about the government
just paying off the mortgages
of those five million? I’m
sure $9-billion would at least
keep some people scammed
by the fraud from losing
their homes.
Since our—taxpayers—money is being used to bail
private companies out of their mismanagement, does
that mean we as taxpayers own stock in those govern
ment bailed out private companies and when can we
expect our dividend checks?
WRITING of spending money our county commis
sioners sent a letter a couple of weeks ago, with no
words minced, to all department heads telling them
not to spend nor ask for any more money until the tax
bills were sent out and some taxpayer money started
coming in. In other words a “spending freeze” was sup
posed to be implemented by all department heads and
employees as directed by the county commissioners.
Lo in behold, at the next meeting—last week—the
commissioners authorized the following:
—Approved accounts payable checks totaling
$439,745.69;
—Accepted a bid of $31,682.00 for a service truck;
—Awarded a bid of $12,275.00 for a water tank;
—Approved spending $600 to service and adjust the
courthouse clock;
—Chastised the library board for submitting a bill
for $4,000 for books that were ordered three days after
the spending freeze letter;.
—Then, had a lively “discussion” concerning who
owes what for an inmate’s medical bill that totaled
$46,721.51. The irony of that bill is that the inmate
died three days after getting out of jail.
UNATTRIBUTED County Commissioner comments
from their meeting last week:
“We have a spending freeze until end of year”;
“Something blooming all the time”;
“If you find anything up there, let me know”;
“There will be so many women wanting to dance with
me”;
“It’s paving season and we are paving”
“The Good Lord willing, it will be done before election
day”;
“Not a fire and brimstone letter”;
YES, I am naive and enjoy being so because it gives
me an opportunity to learn what I was/am naive
about. I have never tested anyone’s credulity that I am
aware of, but I have asked questions because I was
naive, hoping to learn something.
As far as I am concerned, I will use uppity when I
want to. One person explained the word uppity was
racist when used with the “n” word. I totally agree
although I have never heard it used in that context. I
was brought up better than to use the “n” word.
SURELY you have read the story or heard about the
parents up in DeKalb County who were arrested for
failure to send their children to school. With that
statement, here’s the question: what is Monroe
County’s Board of Education policy on parents not
sending their kids to school? Also, does the BOE have
a truant officer?
I think it would be a good idea for the BOE to inform
the public what their student absentee policy is and
when does a student become truant. Surely, parents
must know but it would be informative if we all knew.
Somebody on the BOE or with truancy reporting
responsibility, send me a copy of the policy, I’ll report it
in this column then everybody will know.
DID you see the news story about the Dallas (Texas)
County Sheriff’s Department questionnaire given to
all the department’s employees? Here are the state
ments the employees had to either agree or disagree
with:
—Homosexuality is a choice
—Bisexuals are more gay than straight
—It is irrelevant if my child’s teacher is openly gay
—The Bible states that homosexuality is immoral.
Wonder if Monroe County’s Sheriff John Cary Bittick
has given his deputies the survey?
IS A MONUMENTOUS occasion going to take place
between the City of Forsyth and Monroe County? All
indications are that the two government entities are
close to an agreement on dog catching. Wonder if they
will ever agree on a by-pass?
Donald Jackson Daniel is the founder and former
publisher of The Reporter. He can be contacted at tul-
laybear@bellsouth. net.
^Reporter ] -
Around the Bend
Fm praying for you Edgard
O n Sunday, my baby
girl will be 20. Yep,
I’m that old. Over
the last few days I
have found my
mind drifting back to birthdays
past, when she would plan her
party for months and
celebrate all Septem
ber long.
"You better write
down everything
you know," I told
her a few months
ago. "Because on
your birthday you
won't be a
teenager
anymore and
therefore will
no longer
know everything."
"Ha ha," she said with
her usual teenage sarcasm.
But all of us old timers
know the truth.
We were dumb as rocks
at 20 years old. We knew
nothing of the real world
or what it had in store for
us. We eventually learned.
Some of us learned faster
than others, but we all
eventually learn. That's
when we realize how smart
our parents were.
I am thankful for such a
smart wonderful daughter.
Seeing her all grown up at
20 makes me glad I didn’t
kill her when she refused
to give in to potty training
until age three. It makes
me happy I didn't
trade her in for a
new car when she
was a smart-aleck
13 year old. But,
mostly I am
thankful she is
still here for me
to hug and kiss
and love.
I am thank
ful that
despite
knowing it
all, she occasionally listens
to her stupid mother. Some
parents aren't so lucky
that way. And the result is
dumb, dumb decisions
made by teenagers trying
to be grown up too fast.
Decisions that alter their
lives forever.
IT WAS Michelle who
broke the news to me
about Edgard. My eyes
filled with tears as she told
me he was arrested for
vehicular homicide.
I immediately felt that
sharp pang of horror that I
felt when I first heard
about the crash that killed
a beautiful young girl who
should also be turning 20
this year.
But, dumb decisions
made by both of them - to
drink even though they
were underage and then to
get in a car — cost Kelly
Hill her life and Edgard
Zaldua his freedom. She is
in the ground and he is sit
ting in a jail cell in Macon
- scared to death. And two
sets of parents are mourn
ing. What a crying shame.
My heart aches for the
girl’s family. Michelle also
told me about the wreck
that weekend in April
when I was driving home
from a visit with Grandma.
I remember looking at her
face and thanking God for
her life right then and
there. I wondered why that
family should have their
daughter ripped away and
I still have mine.
My heart aches for
Edgard too. He graduated
with Michelle in 2007, a
part of that special, special
class. I grew into a news
paper reporter following
around that great group of
kids as they achieved and
accomplished. And now I
am reporting on one of
them being arrested. It
truly hurts me down deep.
Edgard was the biggest
goof-off in the class of
2007, no doubt, but I
always had a soft spot in
my heart for him. He is
impossible not to like. We
spent many a Friday night
together on the sidelines of
the Bulldog games.
I will pray hard for
Edgard. I will pray that he
will have peace. I pray for
justice. I pray he will use
this to learn. And I pray
that others like him will
know that it CAN happen
to them too. Please, please
please don’t drink and
drive. This tragedy doesn’t
have to happen again.
No matter how old you
get, there are some things
I hope you never know.
Email Gina Herring at
news@mymcr.net.
Blogger: 10 reasons for No-bama
Gina Herring’s Sept. 10
column in support of vice
presidential candidate
Sarah Palin, “I bet she can
bake cookies too,” spurred
quite a discussion both in
letters to the editor and in
posts on our website. One
reader, who called herself
Libby, wrote this: “I have a
question for the Obama
haters...Why? Please tell me
your objections to him in
rational terms that are not
racist and that have foun
dations in truth that I can
verify. Anyone?
That prompted this
response from Buzz:
I don't hate Obama or
anyone, but I have reasons
not to vote for him:
• 1. His association with
unrepentant Weather
Underground Capitol
bomber (William) Ayers.
• 2. If he sat listening to
Jeremiah Wright for 20
years and had no clue of
the hate he preached, he
either didn't really go to
church or he is incredibly
inattentive.
• 3. He has had the
opportunity to vote to
reduce taxes in some form
nearly 100 times and has
voted to increase them
each time.
• 4. When faced with a
controversial vote as a leg
islator, he voted present or
was absent an inordinate
number of times, refusing
to take a stand.
• 5. He was wrong to vote
against the Iraq surge and
refuses to admit it in the
face of overwhelming suc
cess.
• 6. He supports unre
stricted abortion.
• 7. He has missed near
ly half his only term as a
senator while campaign
ing.
• 8. He criticizes his
opponent having several
houses (some of which rela
tives reside in) when his
own house is worth several
million dollars and
financed with help from an
individual with a very
shady business past.
• 9. He gives almost
nothing to charity despite
having an income most of
us can only dream of. He
seems very willing to give
away the public's money.
• 10. His soaring oratory
is simply rhetoric asking
for a blank check since he
offers almost no detail of
any plans.
Again, I don't hate any
one, but I believe Mr.
Obama is wholly unsuited
to occupy the presidency
due to his warped (in my
view) understanding of the
principles of freedom and
the basis of how this coun
try operates. He discour
ages personal responsibili
ty and encourages the
belief that people work for
the government, not the
other way around.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
U.S. may fall for old OK doke
To the editor:
T his is to Mr.
Daniel....the
word 'uppity' in
itself is not a
racial slur. It
just means having an atti
tude that one is better
than his or her peers, how
ever; 'uppity' once was an
adjective that was used to
describe a black person
who thought that they
were as good as a white
person at one time. Of
course, white people coined
the word. Even when used
by a black person about
another black person it has
a connotation that this per
son is better than other
blacks. So, Mr.
Westmoreland understood
what he was saying when
he spoke of the Obama's as
being 'uppity'.
It is amazing that the
richest whitest people on
the planet can make a
black man who struggled
to get his education,
respect and appeal can
make him into a 'rock star'
and an 'elitist' all while
they are wearing their
$300K outfits and counting
their money. I expect this
kind of hypocrisy from the
true elitists of this nation.
They have the nerve to
take our handicaps and try
and morph them into 'our'
opportunities or mock
them and try and make
them laughable.
You can put lip stick on a
pig if you'd like Mr. Daniel
and Mr. Westmoreland but
it won't make
McCain/Palin into any
thing other than a sorrier
copy of Bush/Cheney. And
this country might just fall
for the old 'okey doke'
again all because of the
800 lbs. elephant in the
room Obama's race. No
one wants to say it but it
is in the room. I can say it
because I am not running
for public office or a popu
larity contest.
Maybe I am just 'uppity'.
I can't help it because
morally I believe that I am
a better American than
lots of the people who hide
behind God and throw
rocks and steal from the
poor. But, I do love to fish
so I have to go along with
the McCain/Palin plan
about those oil rigs. 'Fish
just love them'. I look for
ward to more drilling in
the future since more fish
are involved and there is
nothing else to offer.
In closing, I wonder what
your media would say if
one of Obama's daughters
was pregnant and unmar
ried. I can hear the right
wing Bible thumpers
now.....'A man who can't
control his own daughter
can't run a country'.
Leaders and people who
expect us to take them
seriously should stick to
their guns and stop using
God and country to further
their agendas. I believe
that God is trying to speak
to this country but the peo
ple who are perpetrating
as his spokesmen aren't
qualified to deliver it.
Jackie Williams
Forsyth
Reader: Stop the gas price gouging
To the editor:
am writing to express my dis
pleasure Gov. Perdue for his in
action on behalf of Georgia con
sumers in the latest round of
price gouging as a result of
Hurricane Ike.
Even as the storm brewed in the
Gulf of Mexico oil prices continued to
fall on the world markets. But gas
prices began to rise. By Saturday
morning gasoline in my town of
Forsyth had risen some 70 cents, or
nearly 20 percent. Anyone excluding
an obviously disconnected head of
government can see the price goug
ing that is taking place here.
While the governor issued a State
of Emergency effective Sept. 12,
gasoline prices continue to skyrocket.
I along with countless others wonder
where is the response to this corpo
rate greed. Little action as of yet is
disappointing, but it is not too late to
take some real steps to help rectify
this situation.
I call on the governor to take the
following two steps to protect us and
restore faith in his and character:
1. Immediately send out a press
release that price gouging will not be
tolerated and violators will be prose
cuted to the full extent of the law.
2. Dispatch a team from the
Governor’s Office of Consumer
Affairs to perform spot checks of the
records within the businesses to veri
fy the market is what is driving
gasoline prices and not greed.
3. On each gas pump throughout
the state post the phone number, and
encourage consumers to report sus
pected gouging to match the one dis
couraging drive offs.
Will Durmire
Forsyth