Newspaper Page Text
November 5, 2008
PAGE 5A
On the outside looking in
Ramblins
I f you are reading this on Tuesday afternoon and
haven’t voted, go do it because this election has
the potential of going down as one of the most
momentous times/eras in our history.
Why historic? Simply, because we will either have
elected the first African American president or the
first female vice-president. Exciting times and proud
to be an American.
Jim Wooten, columnist for the Atlanta Journal
Constitution, summed it up pretty good: “What’s hap
pening here is that the segment of the population that
has a financial interest in con
taining the growth of govern
ment is dwindling, while the one
that sees politicians as an
income source grow. Under those
circumstances, it’s virtually
impossible to sell fiscal disci
pline as an agenda.”
In other words, my interpreta
tion of what Jim said was there
is a majority segment of our
population that has become
totally dependent on nation
al, state and locals govern
ments to do their job and
want government to take
responsibility that we as
individuals should be doing. In other words, socialism.
SO FAR, I have a winner for the number of televi
sions in a home: 10 with one in the bathroom. Can
anybody beat that? The contest ends this week so e-
mail if you think you can beat that.
I PREDICTED that political campaigns, even on the
local level, had the potential of getting “nasty.” Sure
enough the presidential campaign got totally into the
nasty. Locally, the nasty has been only in rumors, no
headline makers. No, I had nothing to do with the
“Boss Hog” ad in last week’s paper. There’s a lot of
guessing going around on who placed and paid for that
ad.
HERE’S one that should be corrected: On the agen
das of county commission meetings is a vote to
approve the minutes of the previous meeting. Although
voting to approve the previous commission minutes,
each commissioner has the privilege to change the
approved minutes—get ready—within 30 days.
Why should they be “approved” when the commis
sioners can change what they said and how they
voted? DUH! If they make a change, shouldn’t the
minutes be voted on again for approval or disapproval?
That makes common sense, but governments are not
noted for using common sense.
IT’S gonna be or was a late Tuesday night to tally
the votes up at the courthouse. According to my count
of the political signs plastered in yards and even on
state and county road rights-of-way all over the coun
ty, here are my predictions based on sign counting:
The challenger in the commission chairman race has
the most signs all over the county while the tax com
missioner candidates are just about split even with a
lot of left-over signs from the primary.
The incumbent magistrate judge has the overall lead
in signs while the challenger has more signs down and
around Juliette.
In the school board race, the one incumbent has a
pretty good sign count while the challenger seems to
be a bit more conservative. Up here in the northern
part of the county, although three are seeking the
school board post, the yellow and black signs of one
candidate are just about everywhere, even on rights-of-
way.
Down in the southern and western part of the county,
the incumbent commissioner has more signs than the
challenger. In the Forsyth district, I have yet to see
signs for either the incumbent or challenger. Street
talk is, regardless of the signs, that race could be pret
ty close.
And, the campaign signs for the Republican presiden
tial candidate out number the ones for the Democratic
candidate. The odds are in favor of Monroe County
going Democratic for the first time in a long time.
I don’t understand why political candidates plaster
their signs on state and local road rights-of-way. I was
under the impression it was against the law to post
political signs on the rights-of-way. If it is against the
law, obviously the law is not being enforced locally or
statewide.
THE STORY is told of one local candidate who while
the vote counting is under way at the courthouse, is
out pulling up his signs. He is to be commended.
DID YOU see the e-mail urging a write-in for Bill
Cosby? Here a couple of items from his platform:
Welfare checks will be handed out on Fridays at the
end of the 40-hour school week and the successful com
pletion of urinalysis and a passing grade;
“Press 1 for English” is immediately banned. English
is the official language; speak it or wait at the border
until you can;
The Pledge of Allegiance will be said every day at
school and every day in Congress;
One export will be allowed: wheat, the world needs to
eat. A bushel of wheat will be the exact price of a bar
rel of oil.
There are several other points in his platform with
which I agree I wish I had gotten Bill Cosby’s platform
before I early voted because I would have written his
name in on my ballot.
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
Full count and my shoe’s untied
L ife has a way of throwing curve
balls when you
aren’t looking. Late
ly I feel like I’m
locked in a batting
cage gone crazy.
I have often wondered
how some folks can take
the hits and keep right on
trucking along, while
and some shatter like
a pane of glass. This
year I have dodged a
few and been hit
square in the gut by plenty.
So far, 2008 has not been my year.
"You have to find ways to relax,"
my doctor tells me. "If you don't. ..."
OK, I know, stress is dangerous.
Stress can lead to all sorts of health
problems. Stress causes wrinkles,
ulcers, gray hair, weight gain, weight
loss, memory loss, strange rashes,
pimples, heart burn, nausea, strokes,
heart attack, high gas prices, low self
esteem, lost socks, tidal waves, global
warming and premature death.
Stress is a biggie.
Stress is what the doctors say is
the problem when they have no idea
what caused your wrinkle, ulcers,
gray hair, weight gain, weight loss,
memory loss, rash, pimples, heart
burn, nausea, strokes, heart attack
or premature death.
But, for me, relaxing at this
point would be like jumping
out of a car going 80 mph
down 1-75. Somebody’s gonna
get hurt. But, I have a new
respect for stress. I felt its
wrath a few weeks ago when
I suffered my very first
migraine headache.
For those of you who
- have had the misfortune
of a migraine headache. .
well, you know. For those
of you who have not. . . . you are
truly blessed. I can honestly say I
would rather give birth to quintu
plets in a third world country with
no epidural than to ever experience
the agony of a migraine headache
again.
Excruciating does not even begin to
describe it.
I recall very little of what led me to
the doors of the Monroe County
Hospital emergency room that
Monday night. Yep, I said Monday
night. My “episode" occurred right
smack dab in he middle of the most
stressful day of the week. . . press
day Monday. Hence the stress.
But there I was, in the hospital,
writhing in pain, puking my guts
out, instead of writing a column or
labeling rec football pictures or
checking my email for church news.
“Have you been under any stress
latley?” asked Dr. Caldwell as he
shined a light in my eyes. He might
as well have poured alcohol in them
and topped it off with a box of salt.
Moments later, I was whisked away
to another world, thanks to some
great drugs. I thought that would do
it. But, I was wrong. Turns out, a
migraine takes a looooong time to get
over.
My first clue was when they told
me I had to stay overnight. I did not
relish the idea of spending the night
in the hospital. But, I cannot say
enough good about that place. I
couldn’t have received better care if I
had been at my own grandma’s
house. Every nurse, aide and clean
ing person treated me like a queen.
Of course they still woke me up
every hour to take my temperature
or shine a laser beam in my eyes, but
at least they did it with a smile on
their face and were real sweet about
it.
Seriously, thanks to all my nurses
and doctors. I sincerely hope I don’t
see again for a while.
Email Gina at news@mymcr.net.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Keep giving in tough times
To the editor:
know things are hard
for people right now
with the prices being
so high and a lot of
people have lost a lot
of hope but I would like to
share an experience with
you that helped me
through a rough patch. An
experience that only cost
someone 11 cents.
In January 2007 my
daughter (who doctors told
me I would never have)
was three months old. She
was facing having surgery
and I was scared to death.
She was scheduled for sur
gery on Monday. On the
Saturday before her sur
gery I was at Wal-Mart in
Macon and was getting out
of my car and at the same
time there was an elderly
lady parked right next to
us getting out of her car.
While in Wal-Mart we ran
into the same woman three
different times in different
departments of the store. I
was putting my little girl
in the car when the same
elderly woman came up to
me and grabbed my hand,
where she placed a dime
and penny. I thought to
myself “Wow, do I look like
I need a hand out that
bad”? Seeing the look of
confusion painted on my
face she began to explain
to me why she gave me
that 11 cents. A few
months before this incident
she was at the same Wal-
Mart and had found the
dime and penny laying on
the ground. One on the dri
ver’s side and one of the
passenger’s side were both
laying face up. She picked
them up and put them in
her pocket and kept them
with her at all times. She
believed this money was
bringing her luck. So she
then began to explain to
me that when she saw me
she could tell that I was
troubled and that God had
spoken to her and told her
that I was facing a hard
time. When she ran into
me those three times in
Wal-Mart, her feeling
about my need became
stronger so she decided
then that I was the one she
would bless with her
eleven cents. I had never
met this woman in my life.
She did not know that my
three-year-old daughter
was facing surgery in two
days and that I was scared
to death about it. I was
packing the diaper bag on
Sunday night getting ready
for Monday morning and I
put the 11 cents in there.
On Monday morning I
woke nervous but I kept
my head on straight and
though I was a nervous
wreck at the hospital all
morning something inside
me kept telling me that
everything was going to be
alright and sure enough it
was.
I kept that 11 cents with
me and even carried it
back to the hospital when
my daughter had her sec
ond surgery. I then found
someone who could use the
11 cents more than me and
passed it on. My whole
point in sharing this
is...times are rough and I
know that people struggle.
I hate living paycheck to
paycheck, which is what
alot of us in this small
town do, but no matter
how small the thought or
how small the kind ges
ture...it is what we make of
it and believe in that will
keep us strong enough to
believe that a little can
make a huge difference.
Crystal Baker
Monroe County
Rally
continued from the front page
TOP: GOP congressional candidate Rick Goddard
stumps for votes in Forsyth last Wednesday. BELOW:
Chambliss greets little Tristan Hunt, with mom, Ansley.
Welcome Center last week.
Chambliss was quoting Democrat
Congressman Barney Frank of
Massachusetts, who said that if
Democrats win the White House and
control Congress the first thing
they'd do is cut defense spending by
25 percent.
In turn, Chambliss praised the men
and women of the military and noted
a war is still going on with 160,000
U.S. troops in Iraq and 32,000 in
Afghanistan. Nevertheless, he said
his opponent, a former state lawmak
er, hasn't raised any objection to
Frank's promise.
Chambliss said such a move would
mean a 25 percent cut at Warner
Robins Air Force Base, a significant
reduction in what he calls the eco
nomic engine of Middle Georgia.
Chambliss said that's why Congress
needs Rick Goddard, the former com
mander at Warner Robins, who's
challenging Congressman Jim
Marshall. Chambliss said Goddard
knows more about the base than
anyone.
Chambliss is facing a tougher-than-
expected re-election fight from
Martin. "It's been a tough road out
there...a difficult atmosphere," said
Chambliss. Most polls show
Chambliss with a slight lead.
But Chambliss, a former member of
the House of Representatives from
Moultrie, said the polls are starting
to move in his favor.
He said returning to Monroe
County is like coming home, noting
he had worked closely with
Democratic Sheriff John Cary Bittick
on law enforcement issues.
He also cited the Monroe
County commission chair
man, calling him Harold
Carmichael before being
corrected as Harold
Carlisle.
Besides the military,
Chambliss hit on two other
issues, the financial crisis
and energy. He said the
economy is tough but
defended his support for
the $700 billion bailout
package saying it was nec
essary to free up a credit
crisis.
On energy, Chambliss
said gas prices were the
No. 1 issue until the bank
ing crisis surfaced. He said
the U.S. must drill more as
well as explore alternative
fuels. He said Congress
should entice auto makers
to build cars powered by
alternative fuels.
Chambliss said new energy
breakthroughs could open a
whole new field of economic
growth, providing jobs for
young people.
Goddard, meanwhile, said his poll
numbers are looking phenomenal,
showing him within the margin of
error. He said Marshall has been a
presence but hasn't been a voice in
Congress and noted his first vote
would be for the unpopular Speaker
of the House.
"Nancy Pelosi and the gang of
thieves," said Goddard, "they're
unbelievable. They have not led and
haven't taken any initiative."
Goddard said the silent majority
has been silent for far too long.
Besides Forsyth, the Chambliss Bus
Tour hit five other cities on
Wednesday. State Rep. Jim Cole (R-
Forsyth) and Sheriff Bittick helped
organize the event here in Monroe
County.