Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4A
November 5. 2008
^Reporter
Opinion
Declare among the nations,
and publish, and set up a standard;
publish, and conceal not;
Jeremiah 50:2
OUR VIEW
Big government
poisons politics
T he recent election showed again that Americans
pre bitterly divided politically, and that’s partly
because the federal government is so big and
intrusive that there’s more at stake than should
be.
The government has ballooned to more than $3.1 trillion in
size, employing more than 15 million people.
Commentator Terence P. Jeffrey says that in 2008, govern
ment will tax away 30.8 percent of the national income. An
equal percentage of the year is 113 days. That means
Americans were compelled to work from Jan. 1 to April 23 of
this year just to pay federal taxes. That’s more than six times
longer than Americans worked a century ago to pay taxes.
Politics have always been acrimonious. But they haven’t
always poisoned the entire citizenry into bitter camps. They
do now, because the federal government is out of control in
power and scope. Too much is at stake. America is great
because of her families, churches and individual communi
ties like Monroe County exercising their rights to live as free
men and women. But when the government crowds out or
weakens those small bands, the fabric of society, we are in
trouble. And so we are. The test now is whether we the peo
ple will muster the will to push back against the ungovern
able beast in Washington and restore our liberty.
KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOR
Name: Yolanda Nichelle
Ball
Age: 31
Education: B.S.
in Computer
Information
Systems from Fort
Valley State
University
Family: Fiance
Carl Gantt, son
Kendall, parents
Duffie and Delores,
brothers Michael,
Antwan and
Markeith
Your Job: Resource
Development Specialist for
Monroe Co. DFCS
What was your first job?
Cashier
Your passion: Finding
loving homes for children in
foster care
Your favorite posses
sion: The blanket my
Grandma crocheted for my
son when he was born.
Favorite movie: Just
about any Sci-Fi movie and
drama
Favorite book: Rajar
What kind of car do you
drive and what was your
first car? Pontiac Grand
Prix, Ford Escort
Your hometown: Forsyth
Something you are con
sidering: Cutting the guest
list for the wedding
Words you live by: “If
you always do what you
always did you always get
what you always got.”
Something you can’t
live without: My family
The thing you are most
proud of: My son Kendall,
he amazes me everyday
What keeps you awake
at night? Knowing that I
don’t have enough
foster/adoptive
homes to meet
the need in
Monroe Co.
What’s your
favorite web
site? www.face-
book.com
If your life
had a theme
song what
would it be?
“Living my Life Like its
Golden” by Jill Scott
If you could start your
life over what would you
change? I would have start
ed on my Master’s degree
when I graduated from col
lege.
What food could you eat
everyday? Peanut butter
cookies
What’s the worst idea
you’ve ever had? Being so
excited about buying a used
car that I did not have it
checked out before I pur
chased it and it turned out
to be a lemon.
Something people don’t
know about you: I like
Country music
What’s the best thing
about living in Monroe
Co? Being surrounded by
family, friends and people I
grew up with.
If you could change one
thing about Monroe
County, what would it
be? More entertainment
places for kids and adults
like a bowling alley, skating
rink, etc.
BALL
is published every week by The Monroe County Reporter Inc.
Will Davis, president
Robert M. Williams Jr., vice president
Cheryl S. Williams, secretary-treasurer
OUR STAFF
Will Davis
Publisher/E ditor
publisher@mymcr.net
Gina Herring
Reporter
news@mymcr. net
Adam Ham
Webmaster
webmaster@mymcr.net
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Contributing
Writer
wendellram4@
bellsouth.net
Trellis Grant
Business Manager
business@mjuncr.net
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Advertising
Manager
ads@mjuncr.net
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Graphics Artist
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Editorial Assistant
forsyth@mymcr. net
50 N. Jackspn St., Forsyth, GA 31029
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The comments featured on the opinion pages
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not necessarily reflect the opinions oi The Re
porter management.
Publication No. USPS 997-840)
Point
Blank
iCjffiefm :Xeaf. ‘EsQuire presents: POI/ITm BIS/IK!
BCS Rankings of Monroe County Politicians
v Gor&o "
#1
ecs TOP :
John Ca ry Bittick
#2
Jim Ham
A
#3
Jim Peters
#4
Jeff Davis
MC r
#5
Wilhelm Neal EsQ.
lOOb
nulated call 478-451-7500
On the Porch
An extra hour, and still late
O ne of the keys
to maintaining
a good reputa
tion is to care
fully conceal
the dumb things you do.
Unfortunately, that would
also leave me with very lit
tle column material.
So go with me
now to the Davis
home this past
Saturday night.
First, you should
know that my wife
Cassie is the fami
ly Timekeeper.
She’s a first
born, Type A
personality.
She’s in the
habit of
arriving 10 minutes early
for events, and if she can’t
be on time for something,
she doesn’t go.
Country music singer
Mark Chesnutt may call it
Father Time, but in our
family, Time is a serious
Mother.
To me, time is a curious
abstraction. It’s a sugges
tion, not a rule, one that
moves too fast and one
that I wish would learn to
accomodate my schedule.
They invented Nicorette
for the bad habit of smok
ing, but I haven’t found a
gum yet for the habit of
being late.
When we learned
that my first-grade
daughter already
has six tardies this
year, Mrs. Davis
assured me that I
would be the one
attending the par
ent-teacher
conference
should one
become nec
essary. She
knew immediately this was
a husband problem.
So, when daylight savings
time came this weekend, I
naturally left it to the liv
ing, breathing Rolex with
whom I sleep, Mrs. Davis,
to make it happen. And of
course, she studiously set
her clock back one hour
before bedtime.
And so, the next morning,
we weren’t too disgruntled
when our two pups came
jumping into our bed. The
clock read 6:30 a.m. and
we knew we’d have three
more hours before we had
to leave for church.
So we lazed. And we
napped some more. Then
we took long showers. And
we enjoyed eating our
Cocoa Pebbles with some
leisure for once.
Finally, after the longest,
most relaxed morning in
Davis family history, the
clock read 9:30 a.m. I
thought my cell phone
rolled back automatically,
but it still said 10:30 a.m.
So I rolled it back too. Now,
time to pile into the family
van, a.k.a. The Loser
Cruiser, to head to church.
Then, I noticed something
funny on the way out the
driveway. Our neighbors,
the Methodists, appeared
to have left the house
before we did. THAT just
doesn’t happen.
Then, we noticed our car
radio said it was 11:30
p.m. Hmmm. Perhaps the
battery had re-set.
Then, I detected more
cars on the road than
usual. And the sun seemed
higher than it should be at
9:30 a.m.
Finally, around the time
we hit Smarr, it dawned on
my wife and I. Her new
clock radio, the one she
rolled back by an hour the
night before, is also an
atomic clock. It recognizes
daylight savings time and
makes the correction for
you.
If humility is the first
thing needed to worship
Christ, then we certainly
were ready for church on
Sunday. A dumb, plug-in
clock had completely out
witted the entire Davis
family. The good news is
that for once we were late,
and it wasn’t my fault!
Email Will Davis at
publisher@mymcr.net.
V
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Hats off to good folks of Georgia
To the editor:
reetings from the Galveston Island beach
front on the Gulf Coast of Texas. That some
mighty special people inhabit the great state
of Georgia became clear to us 14 years ago
when my niece Kelly married a Georgia boy,
Patrick Jones of Athens. He has since charmed us all, so
much so that we proudly wear the Dawg caps he gave us.
Until Hurricane Ike, however, we had no idea that
Georgia was home to so many remarkable people. It was
Georgia Power that showed up almost before the wind
had stopped blowing and with breathtaking speed,
thanks to 16-hour days, turned the lights back on all
across our island. I had the great pleasure of meeting a
few of these men face to face as they toiled night and day
to help our restaurant and hotel get back into business.
Personal thanks goes to Charlie McQueen and his 24-
man work gang, especially Greg Hudgins. They were
committed to restoring our power regardless of the com
plications that arose from damage to the transmission
equipment. We will never forget what the men of Georgia
Power did for us Texans. It doesn’t end there, however. In
rebuilding our restaurant I ordered some fire sprinkler
parts from Swift Fire Protection in Elberton.
Unbelievably, when it came time to take my credit card
information and billing address, Merrill Franklin learned
we were residents of Galveston Island and said “I will
send the parts to you with tomorrow’s mail, but I can’t
accept your money.”
Even as I write these lines this totally unexpected act
of compassion and unbridled generoisty clouds my eyes
and puts a lump in my throat. When you are down as we
are you just don’t expect such kindness from a total
stranger. What is with you Georgians? All my life I have
proudly considered myself a son of the South, but no
more so than in the last four weeks. On behalf of all of us
who inhabit our island I send to each of you our heartfelt
thanks and profound admiration. We will never forget
what you did for us!
Paulie Gaido
Galveston Island, Texas
Scherer
continued from the front page
carbon emitting plant in the nation.
Environmental groups say carbon
dioxide causes global warming. The
Southern Company has said it’s not
sure what has caused a small
increase in global temperatures.
Plant Scherer uses sulphur-free coal
from Montana and Wyoming.
Obama’s comments drew a quick
response from Republican candidate
John McCain. His campaign was
already sending out taped phone
messages to voters in coal-rich Ohio
Monday. Campaigning in Marietta,
Ohio, McCain’s running mate Sarah
Palin mentioned the Obama com
ments. “He said that, sure, if the
industry wants to build coal-fired
power plants, then they can go ahead
and try, he says, but they can do it
only in a way that will bankrupt the
coal industry, and he’s comfortable
letting that happen. And you got to
listen to the tape,” Palin said.
The Obama campaign says the
quote is being taken out of context
and that Obama is actually from a
coal state and is a strong supporter
of the industry.
The campaign sent a statement
saying “the point Obama is making
is that we need a transition from
coal burning power plants built with
old technology to plants built with
advanced technologies.”
Asked for a response, Georgia
Power spokesman Tal Wright said
there is currently no technology to
control or "filter" carbon dioxide. He
said the cap and trade system would
essentially be a tax on energy in the
South, where coal is prominent.
Wright said carbon emissions can be
"captured" and stored, but said they
don't have the capacity to do that
now.
“A cap and trade system would
basically make coal-fueled power
more expensive,” said Wright.
“Utilities would have to cap their
emissions rates at current or past
levels, and pay taxes (in the form of
purchasing "credits" allowing the
emissions) on amounts above those
levels.”
Experts say coal is one of the most
cost effective and reliable way to pro
duce electricity, and coal plants pro
vide half the power in the U.S.
This is what Obama’s website says
about his coal policy: “he plans to
implement an economy-wide cap-
and-trade program to reduce green
house gas emissions 80 percent by
2050. The Obama cap-and-trade poli
cy will require all pollution credits to
be auctioned, and proceeds will go to
investments in a clean energy future,
habitat protections, and rebates and
other transition relief for families.”
Obama also promises to “re-engage
with the U.N. Framework
Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCC) — the main international
forum dedicated to addressing the
climate problem. They will also cre
ate a Global Energy Forum of the
world’s largest emitters to focus
exclusively on global energy and
environmental issues.”