Newspaper Page Text
February 28,2018
Page 5A
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
by Don Daniel
Government officials
are well-paid, huh?
J ust about everywhere I went last week,
even at the Chamber’s Business After
Hours, the topic being murmured and talk
ed about was the
front page report
ing of local government
salaries and how many
employees were on the tax
payer dole and way beyond
the local poverty level.
Writing of county jobs
and salaries, did those of
you wanting a paid job
with a regular paycheck
miss the opportunity to
apply for the county house
keeping job? The county
commissioners were look
ing for a full-time, quali
fied housekeeper, respon
sible for cleaning and maintaining the interior
of county buildings, according to the job posting.
Salary was/is $9.18 per hour. The job closed out
Monday. Wonder how many applied for the job.
Oh, yeah. You would have to pass a drug screening
test.
THERE’S another “guvmint” job coming up
now that, one of our state representatives has
announced he will not seek re-election. Rep. Allen
Peake will not be joining Reps. Susan Holmes and
Robert Dickey in their re-election bids next year.
Before the ink could dry on Rep. Peake’s surprise
press release, speculation was already rampant
attempting to guess what Monroe Countian(s)
would jump into the fray for an attempt to become
a “Golddomer”. Speculation was Forsyth Mayor
Eric Wilson and County Commissioner Chairman
Greg Tapley just might become more than business
partners. But Mayor Wilson put out the “elect-me”
fire immediately and Chairman Tapley was not far
behind. Both admitted the time was not right and
they were enjoying their “guvmint” jobs.
Rep. Peake’s House District 141 covers a portion
of Monroe County and all of Bibb County, which
just about insures a---if not several---Macon-Bibb
Countians will come out of the woodwork to get on
this November’s ballot.
ACCORDING to Forsyth Convention and
Visitors Bureau, $452,992.37 (not confirmed by
the City) in hotel/motel tax was collected in 2017
from the 12 hotel/motels and the Forsyth KOA.
$181,196.94 (not confirmed by the City) of that
total amount went to the Forsyth Convention and
Visitors Bureau .
Again, according to the December 2017 report,
Holiday Inn Express was the largest collector of
the hotel/motel tax, putting $10,441.92 in the city’s
tax coffer. LaQuint.a Inn and Suites came in sec
ond, collecting $5,758.43. Days Inn came in third
paying the city $3,518.02.
Budget Inn was the low collector paying only $47.
Here’s one for you: the City of Forsyth has
$99,580 budgeted for “Downtown Beautification”
and has spent $265.
DUE to a prior commitment, I didn’t make it
to the “mobile” commissioner’s meeting held in
C-ulloden last Tuesday but did attend the Forsyth
City Council on Monday night. So no unattributed
commissioner comments but here are some from
the Forsyth City Council:
“I can imagine an infant trying to sleep”;
“I just have a comment”;
“Are those Martians?”
“My next statement will answer that, question”;
“Search for the culprit”;
“It. was not. where it. was supposed t.o be”;
“What, is it? Broke up?
“I don’t, know the right, answer”;
“I just have one thing”;
BACK over at. the County Commission here
are some approved checks: Dillon and Vaughn,
$9,782.80 for one month of legal services; Red
Dog Public Safety Outfitters, $6,564.01; King and
Spalding, $17,653.95 for county line legal services;
$29,230.71 to Data Path Vertical Bridge for tower
rentals; $55,644.38 to Walthall Oil Company for
inventory gasoline; $1,500 for beaver removal
paid to Stanley N. Yeomans; $108,039.15 to Pro
Construction of Ga. LLC< for new fire station
“shell”. These checks were only a portion of the
$498,560.76 in taxpayer paid bills approved for
payment..
MONROE County’s top speller in the recent,
“spelling bee” was Jhavier Locus and Dena
Wheeler was again the first, to answer The
Question identifying Jhavaier. Dena gets a certifi
cate for Dairy Queen Blizzard, Whistle Stop fried
green tomato appetizer, Jonah’s cookie, Forsyth
Main Street, t-shirt, dozen Dunkin Donuts, two
Lucky Cafe Egg roll, sandwich, chips and drink at.
The Pickled Okra.
Here’s The Question: What, is the name of the
local company the commissioners hired for the
master plan for the expansion of the Monroe
County Recreation Department? First, correct,
answer after 12 noon Thursday gets the certificate.
GOOD NEWS out. of Atlanta from under the
Gold Dome: the Senate passed a bill which is an
indication something is going to be done about,
internet, accessibility all across Georgia.
Rep. Susan Holmes and County Commissioner
George Emami have been working together to cre
ate awareness of the need, particularly if rural
Georgia and rural Monroe County are going to be
in the forefront, of growth.
Don Daniel founded the Reporter in 1972. Email
him at mediadr@bellsouth.net.
fiReporter
GUEST COLUMN by Cory Richards
Did schools endanger children?
here are just,
under 4,000
students
in Monroe
County.
The parents of these
students place their
children’s safety in the
hands of the School
Board 180 days each
year. It’s
amazing to
think that,
these same
board mem
bers could
be arrested
for breaking
that, trust..
THE
TRUST
was broken
when Mr.
Javis Jabon
(sic) Stewart,
filled out.
an application to be a
substitute teacher in
Monroe County. Like
most, applications, it. is
safe to say there is a
box for the individual to
check ‘YES” when asked
“Have you ever been
arrested?”. If there is no
such item to be checked,
the board members are
less trustworthy than
expected.
WHEN SPEAKING
of professionals such
as School Board mem
bers, trust can be held
accountable by law. They
have the education,
experience, and posi
tions that, hold them to
a higher accountability
than most.. This leaves
the lack of trust open
to Criminal Negligence
as defined by O.C.G.A.
16-2-1 (b) which is a “...
reckless disregard for
the safety of others who
might, reasonably be
expected to be injured
thereby.”
WHEN A sexual
offender such as Mr.
Stewart, was recklessly
placed in a classroom
alone with children, any
reasonable person can
agree that, the Board
Members disregarded
the safety of the children
of Monroe County.
MR. STEWART wrote
a letter to a 13-year-old
boy asking
to see his
genitals, and
he can be
expected to
do it. again.
According
to the “Sex
Offender
Management.
Assessment
and Planning
Initiative” run
by the U.S.
Government.,
they state
that. 40% or
more sexual offenders
will re-offend. With a
near 50/50 chance that.
Mr. Stewart, would again
commit. Aggravated
Child Molestation, this
is a blatant, reckless dis
regard for the safety of
the children of Monroe
County.
THIS PROVES that
when the Board agreed
to let. Mr. Stewart, teach
in Monroe County, the
lack of trust by the
Board Members became
a crime.
THE SPECIFIC
crime(s) committed is
“Reckless conduct, caus
ing harm to or endanger
ing the bodily safety of
another” as defined by
16-5-60 (b) “... endan
gers the bodily safety
of another person by
consciously disregard
ing a substantial and
unjustifiable risk that,
his act or omission will
cause harm or endanger
the safety of the other
person and the disregard
constitutes a gross devia
tion from the standard of
care which a reasonable
person would exercise
in the situation.” Simply
put., when the Monroe
School Board Members
agreed to let. a sexual
offender teach alone in a
classroom with children,
they consciously took a
substantial and unjusti
fiable risk that, is a gross
deviation from the stan
dard of care.
ACCORDING TO
the Monroe County
Reporter on Feb.
21, 2018, Assistant
Superintendent. Jackson
Daniel made an omission
of guilt, when he stated
that. “We were aware
there’s an issue.” Mr.
Daniel also stated “(the
charges) did show up on
his record.”
THE ABOVE is
enough information
for the Monroe County
Sheriff’s Office to take
out. arrest, warrants
for any Board Member
who agreed to let.
Mr. Stewart, teach. A
Warrant, for Arrest, needs
only Probable Cause for
Arrest, which is outlined
above.
THE BOARD
Members will continue to
argue they didn’t, know
about. Mr. Stewart’s
past, crimes. According
to an email sent, to par
ents on February 26,
2018, Board Members
“... we’re not. aware of
the details.” This now
brings additional ques
tions. Volunteers are
subject to the same
background checks as
substitute teachers. If
Monroe County’s process
lets a sexual offender
teach alone in a class full
of children; how many
sexual offenders are vol
unteering at. schools in
this County?
THIS WOULD be a
hard question for the
Board to answer, for
there is no good answer.
If they state that. ‘There
are no sexual offend
ers volunteering at. any
school in the County”,
this proves the process
works and they made
a reckless decision that,
disregarded the safety
of the children of this
County. If they answer,
“We don’t know if any
sexual offenders are vol
unteering in any schools
in this County,” then this
is a case that, constitutes
a gross deviation from
the standard of care.
How many schools in
any State in the Country
can say “We don’t, know
if any sexual offenders
are volunteering?”
HOW MANY of you
will be at. the Board
meeting on March 13?
How many of you will
be calling the Sheriff’s
Office demanding an
investigation? How
many will call the
District Attorney’s Office
asking the same? How
many will vote out. the
current, members in the
next, election. Something
is broken in Monroe
County. If the Board
won’t, fix itself, it. is up
to the ones who elected
them to fix it.. It. is up to
the court, system to place
the Board Members in
front, of a jury of their
peers to decide if they
are guilty. It’s up to
the District Attorney’s
Office to take a case to
Grand Jury. It’s up to
the Sheriff’s Office to
investigate and write a
Warrant, for Arrest.. It. is
up to us to make this all
happen.
Cory Richards is a for
mer police officer and a
blogger and writer who
lives in North Monroe
County.
RICHARDS
TOLBERT
Continued from Front
passes southern Monroe County
and northern Bibb County. The
GOP primary is May 22, and so far
only one other Republican candi
date has announced for the post.,
Shane Mobley of Macon. Mobley
was running for insurance commis
sioner before deciding to jump into
the race.
Tolbert, said in order to run he’ll
have to give up his seat, as assis
tant. treasurer for the Georgia
Republican Party since the party
doesn’t, take sides in a GOP pri
mary.
Tolbert, and his wife Stacy own
an investment and insurance
company, Tolbert, and Associates.
Tolbert, said he plans to work on
insurance issues but. also has a
passion for school reform and regu
lation reform.
“I’m broad-brushed,” said Tolbert..
Tolbert, said he plans to continue
Peake’s passion to allow Georgia
patients to get. medical marijuana,
saying the important, thing is to
pressure President. Trump and the
federal government, to fast, track
approval for medical cannabis. He
said he’s also a big supporter of
House Bill 918, the cut. in Georgia
income taxes, as well as the hospi
tal tax credit, which lets Georgians
ear-mark their income taxes to
their local hospital, which has
helped Monroe County Hospital.
With Forsyth being the Public
Safety Capital of Georgia, Tolbert,
said he’ll also work on law enforce
ment. issues. He said he’ll also join
the push for expanding internet,
access in rural areas.
If elected, Tolbert, would be
Monroe County’s first, state repre
sentative since Jim Cole left, the
Gold Dome in 2009.
It’s not. Tolbert’s first, foray into
politics. He ran for Monroe County
commissioner against, incumbent.
Robert. Williams, his neighbor,
when he was just 23 years old.
Tolbert, said it. was a good, clean
race and he lost, because he
deserved to lose.
“Robert, was a better candidate,”
said Tolbert.. Despite the defeat.,
Williams encouraged Tolbert, to get.
involved in the community and
appointed him to some volunteer
boards to begin serving the com
munity, something he’s continued
to this day.
Tolbert, graduated from Mary
Persons when he was just 16 and
joined the Air National Guard.
When he finished after four years
he tried college at. Mercer but.
found he was making enough
money that, he didn’t, need college.
Mercer later hired Tolbert, as its
director of telecommunications
before eventually finding his way
into the investment and insurance
industry.
OUR VIEW
Austin (never in) City Limits
Monroe County's congressman Austin Scott (R-Ashburn) held
his last Town Hall with his constituents in Forsyth (at right)
on Aug. 20,2014, which was 1,288 days ago. Scott defeated
incumbent Congressman Jim Marshall in 2010 after Marshall
went several years without hosting a Town Hall meeting with
his constituents in Forsyth. If you want an opportunity to
let Scott know what you want him to do in Congress, call his
Washington office at (202) 225-6531 and let him know.
Kemp dawdles on county line
When Brian Kemp became secretary of state on Jan. 8,2010, Terry Scarbor
ough's survey of the Monroe-Bibb county line was on his desk. The law says
it's his job to do something with it. But Kemp, an ambitious politician who
announced on March 13,2017 his intention to run for governor, punted. He
announced on Aug. 23,2011 that he was rejecting the Scarborough survey
because he can't be sure it's the original line. Unfortunately, the law gives
him no such option. So on March 10,2014, the Supreme Court ordered
him to set the line and resolve the dispute. That was three years ago.The
Reporter is devoting this space each week to counting the number of days
Kemp has been on the job, and yet not done his job. If you want Kemp to
do the job which he's sought three times before he gets a promotion to
governor, call his office at (404) 656-2817 and let them know.