Newspaper Page Text
October 29, 2014
PAGE 5A
On the Outside Looking In
M o st favo rite
time o f the year
By DON DANIEL
tullaybear@bellsouth. net
F all is my most favorite time of the year simply
because it is fascinating to watch the chang
ing colors of leaves. I call it God’s Paint Brush
Season and just about every tree has a differ
ent leaf color. This year I have decided not to
rake leaves until the last one falls if my patience holds
out.
Also, it seems just about every other house on any
road in Monroe County is having a yard sale. Of
course, fall festivals are just as plentiful: churches,
community clubs and communities are having them
with food and just about anything you want to pur
chase, new or used.
Fall is boiled peanut time and attending a fall festi
val the first thing I look for is who
is selling boiled peanuts. Paying $3
for a cup of the goobers is almost
outrageous, but I do pay the price
remembering when a bag of boiled
peanuts was just a dime. Traveling
the roads up in north Georgia,
there are boiled peanut stands at
just about every crossroads, not
only selling boiled peanuts but
pumpkins and apples.
DOWN at the Green Tomato Festival in Juliette, it
was interesting checking out the car tags finding out
where the crowds were coming from. On Saturday,
there were a few Monroe County tags and I counted
14 different counties being represented and that was
just a small sampling.
The topic of conversation amongst Juliette residents
at the festival was the EPA and DNR plans to demol
ish the Juliette dam so that a fish—shad—could con
tinue their up-river trip to spawn. From the com
ments I heard, there is a community-organized move
under way to fight the possibility of destroying the
dam.
Several years ago, there was a proposal to erect a
“fish ladder” so the fish could “climb” the ladder to
their spawning grounds. Looks like that proposal no
longer exists and demolishing the dam is now a prior
ity.
AS YOU are aware, an election is coming up in less
than two weeks. The most hotly contested race is the
senatorial race between David Perdue and the candi
date who doesn’t know what her last name is. I won
der how she answers the questions from her children,
“Momma, why don’t you have the same last name as
Daddy and we have”?
WAIT just a cotton-picking minute! The Christmas
Grinches have struck. Under the guise of a “market
ing campaign,” our U.S. Department of Agriculture
and federal government have decided to “help”
Christmas tree growers.
This year there will be a federal regulation which
imposes a 15 cent assessment (a tax) on every
Christmas tree cut and sold in the U.S. and imported
into our country. The “tax” was imposed because fake
Christmas trees were outselling the real ones and
Christmas tree growers obviously had the political
clout and lobbying effort to get the 15 cent per tree
imposed. Of course, President Obama inked the deal.
OVER at the county commissioners meeting last
week, here are some unattributed comments:
“Delegate”;
“Any more serious discussion?”;
“I knew you could do it”;
“It didn’t take much money to incentivize this”;
‘You are out of questions”;
‘You exceeded expectations”;
“We are serious about holding checks up here”;
“We need to go to St. Simons”.
The commissioners approved checks payable in the
amount of $330,784.31 which included $1,240 to
Butts County for housing our jailbirds; $24,212.31 for
water from Butts County; $9,719.62 to county attor
neys Dillon and Vaughn for June; $8,886.75 to Ham’s
Auto Parts; Curtis S. Jenkins $2,400 for lawyering
services rendered; $16,277.50 to Team Sports for uni
forms; and $203 to Wet Pets for cleaning the fish tank
at Care Cottage.
NO CORRECT answers to last week’s The
Question which leads to this week’s The Question:
The name of the person featured on the front page of
last month’s Middle Georgia Home and Garden sec
tion in the Reporter? First correct answer after 12
noon on Thursday gets The Certificate for a fried
green tomato appetizer from Whistle Stop Cafe, two
Lucky Cafe egg rolls, Dairy Queen Blizzard, Jonah’s
cookie and a T-shirt from Forsyth Main Street.
NAME change? I have suggested to the powers that
are that the name of the “Welcome Home” magazine
(with the sub-title “The Forsyth-Monroe County
Relocation Guide and Membership Directory”) that
was included with your subscription to The Reporter
last week should be changed. Yes, it is very informa
tive if you are re-locating to Forsyth-Monroe County
but even more important if you live here! I use mine
every week and sometimes even more often if I need
to look up a service/business or a chamber member.
Here’s a question for you. What name would you
suggest for the magazine? Not that your suggestion
will be used, but toss out some ideas to Will and the
chamber. Also, send me your suggestion.
JUST IN case you have attempted to access the
City of Forsyth’s web site, it is “under construction”.
Surely they will let us know when it is constructed.
IT IS surprising to me the number of people who
comment “I hear you, Will and Richard (The Dude) on
The Reporter On The Radio Sunday mornings. You all
are fun to listen to and have some interesting things
to talk about.” It is on Majic 100 or you can listen
anytime by clicking on the radio tab at mymcr.net.
If you have a comment or suggestion for this col
umn, email me at tullaybear@bellsouth.net.
^Reporter
Guest Column
W illiams: Newspapers remain
the heartbeat of community
BY ROBERT M.
WILLIAMS JR.
rwilliams@atc.cc
hat do
you care
most
about in
life?
w
Most of us would put
family at, or near, the
top of such a list.
Friends would be there
So would our jobs or
businesses, our liveli
hoods. Our
homes. Maybe
our pets. Our
hobbies and
pastimes. Add
in those around
us: Neighbors,
the community,
etc.
That’s
our world,
our
“sphere of
influence.”
Whatever
happens to those who
inhabit that place in
our hearts and lives
means something to us.
We monitor.
We respond.
We pay attention. We
laugh. We cry. We hurt.
We rejoice.
We care.
And that is what well-
run newspapers do, too.
(The italics on well-run
are mine.)
As I have traveled the
nation this past year,
it’s been reassuring to
see so many dedicated
men and women who
see newspapering as so
much more than a “job.”
Newspapering is a job
in the same sense that
being a father or moth
er is a “job.”
Parents are responsi
ble for the well-being of
their family.
Good newspapers
take on that role
with the commu
nities we serve.
Newspapers are
vigilant in pro
tecting our com
munities from
destructive
influences,
both from
without
and within.
Newspapers sound the
alarm with swift, accu
rate and thorough cov
erage when sensitive
issues arise. We provide
not just facts, but clear
ly labeled editorials and
analysis stories that
offer in-depth points —
and counterpoints — to
help everyone weigh
matters with sufficient
information.
Newspapers also serve
as “points of pride”
where communities cel
ebrate individual and
collective achievement,
offering congratulations
and joining in mass cel
ebration.
Newspapers serve
communities in sad
times as well, providing
clear, concise facts
about tragic events,
their causes and how
they might be prevent
ed from re-occurring.
When communities are
sick or injured, newspa
pers bleed. We share
the pain and shed tears
along with our readers.
If the newspaper I’ve
described sounds like a
living, breathing thing
... that’s because they
are. Despite what a few
might have you believe,
newspapers are far
from dead.
As long as parents
take pride in the birth
of a baby, a home run
by their Little Leaguer,
or graduation, mar
riage, promotion or any
number of life’s mile
stones, people will enjoy
reading about them in
their community news
paper.
As long as people care
about who died in their
community this week,
how high their taxes
may rise or who scored
the winning touchdown
at the high school foot
ball game — communi
ty newspapers will be
alive.
As long as bulletin
boards and refrigerator
doors display cherished
family memories, com
munity newspapers will
be alive.
John Donne said: “No
man is an island.”
Because we don’t live
isolated lives, apart
from everyone around,
newspapers are going to
be here to help us cele
brate, mourn and
record life’s history as it
happens. Newspapers
are the “tie that binds”
people together.
And in the words of
that old hymn: “Blest
be the tie that binds.”
Robert M. Williams,
Jr. is a co-owner of the
Monroe County
Reporter and outgoing
president of the
National Newspaper
Association, represent
ing more than 2,500
daily and weekly news
papers across America.
Email him at
rwilliams@atc.cc.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Good memories of WFNE-Forsyth
To the editor:
I have been involved in Chris
tian radio for 38 years now,
and I have been doing some
research on some of the sta
tions where I was once em
ployed. While searching, I found
an article in your newspaper from
June 2012 about the old WFNE
FM station that once was located
on Johnston Street in Forsyth. I
was an employee for several years
there when the station was owned
by Larry Picus (he lived in Jack
sonville, I believe). I worked as a
DJ and engineer there. The sta
tion at that time was a disaster
from A to Z, as there was never
enough money to pay for the much
needed renovations to the studio
building. In spite of that, we all
pitched in and kept the station
running. I donated many man
hours and a good bit of equipment
and engineering to the station in
our effort to make it better.
I have many fond memories of
my time there. I was beginning
to think that nobody but me
remembered the station. Thanks
for the article.
Ed Smith
Nashville, Tenn.
Unfair and Unbalanced
Why I oppose Gov. ‘Shady’ Deal
BY MARILYN
LANGFORD
mdlangford
@bellsouth.net
n an effort not to offend read
ers of this paper, as well as
the Publisher, I will put this
as delicately as I can: Gov.
Nathan Deal is the biggest po
litical crook in the modern
history of Georgia!
I only recall two other
elected officials who Deal
may be in competition with
for that title. In 1979, U. S.
Sen. Herman Talmadge was
censured by the U. S.
Senate for improper finan
cial conduct. In 1980, he lost
his re-election campaign. In
1984, Georgia
Commissioner of Labor,
Sam Caldwell was convicted
of conspiracy to defraud the State
by using state employees to per
form personal tasks. He was forced
to resign.
Since Deal has not been convict
ed or charged with anything (yet),
you will need to use an old adage
as your guideline, “If it walks like
a duck, quacks like a duck, then
it’s a duck”.
In 2010, Congressman Nathan
Deal was under investigation by
Congress as to whether he strong
armed an exclusive State contract
for his junkyard in Gainesville. He
resigned Congress, which ended
the investigation. He returned to
Georgia and ran for, and was elect
ed, Governor. He was practically
penniless and on the verge of
bankruptcy. His junkyard was $2
million in debt and his outdoor
store was already bankrupt. He
sold the outdoor store (which he
denied even owning) to an individ
ual that specializes in sex stores.
Now he desperately needed to sell
his junkyard.
Newly elected Gov. Deal appoint
ed a new Revenue Commissioner
who audited the biggest competi
tor of Deal’s junkyard, Copart, Inc.
The audit revealed Copart owed
the State of Georgia $74 million in
unpaid taxes. Jackpot! Shortly,
Copart bought Deal’s
indebted junkyard and
paid Nathan Deal $2 mil
lion up front, plus $10,000
a month for 10 years. The
$74 million in taxes owed
to the citizens of Georgia
are still unpaid. However,
recent records show
Copart, Inc. contributed
$100,000 to the
Republican Governor’s
Association ostensibly for
Deal’s campaign. Quack!
Shortly after Deal’s election in
2010, an ethics complaint was filed
against him for illegally paying his
personal legal fees from his cam
paign funds and accepting contri
butions over the legal limit. Deal’s
staffers then pressured the Ethics
Chief, Stacey Kalberman, to drop
the charges against Deal. When
she refused, she was fired. Ms.
Kalberman filed a lawsuit against
Deal, and a Fulton County Jury
awarded her $1.5 million for
wrongful termination. Due to this
essentially “guilty” finding, the
State of Georgia settled with three
other employees who were forced
out for an additional $2.5 million.
Our tax dollars! Quack!
Meanwhile, Deal handpicked a
neophyte, Holly LaBerge, to be the
next Ethics Chief. When she did
not move fast enough to make the
charges against Deal go away,
staffers threatened Ms. LaBerge.
The ethics charges against Deal
were dismissed and he agreed to
pay $3,350 for technical defects in
his campaign report. Throughout
all the litigation, Deal claimed nei
ther he nor his staff were involved
and, lacking any proof of his
involvement, a Fulton County
Superior Court Judge ruled that
Deal did not have to testify at the
Stacey Kalberman trial. This
removed the possibility of perjury
charges for the Governor.
However, the proof surfaced just
recently in the form of a memoran
dum prepared by Holly LaBerge
that memorialized the threats and
pressure she received from Deal’s
staffers to make the charges go
away. This memo had been deep-
sixed by the State Attorney
General, Sam Olens. A Fulton
County Superior Court Judge
sanctioned the Attorney General
for fraud against the Court and
fined him $10,000. Our tax dollars!
Quack!
You can see the feathers with
this one. On Aug. 12, 2014, State
Sen. Tim Golden gave Deal the
maximum contribution allowed by
law, $6,300. The very next day,
Aug. 13, 2014, Deal appointed Tim
Golden’s wife to a Superior Court
Judgeship in Lowndes County.
Quack! Quack!
Georgia taxpayers cannot afford
another four years of Nathan Deal
getting rich at our expense. I do
not understand why the polls are
showing that the upcoming elec
tion for Governor is a dead heat
between Jason Carter and that
Duck.
Marilyn Langford of High Falls
writes a regular op-ed column in
the Reporter sharing the liberal
perspective on events.
LANGFORD