Newspaper Page Text
December 29, 2021
tReporter
Page 5A
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN by Don Daniel
County on the cusp
of very rapid growth
W ill and company et al I am sure will
have compiled the top stories of2021
and we will discover which event or
whatever is going to be the lead in this
weeks paper. So much has happened I have no idea
what was the top story since there were so many But,
as I’m sure you are aware, a lot happened in 2021 and
it is going to be interesting to see how 2022 develops.
There is a lot happening and a lot going to hap
pen in Monroe County: we are on the cusp of the
fastest growing time. As I have said many times, we
are being discovered. I have said many times, where
Monroe County is now is
where I expected it to be
come 50 years ago when I
started this newspaper
I have often said, it is
great when you can take
advantage of growth.
But when growth takes
advantage of you, prob
lems arise. Thankffilly our
local governments are
attempting to not be taken
advantage of. The com
missioners just passed the
largest budget in county
history.
The county seat govern
ment is facing issues that leadership is going to have
to contend with, i.e. parking, zoning and downtown
traffic. I have to admit they are trying but ignoring
other leadership challenges, trying to determine who
is going to do what and where on the taxpayer time
and dime.
The subject of downtown Forsyth parking is a
primary issue. But the mayor likes to brag downtown
has 66 parking places. The continuing bragging and
mantra of the mayors 66 parking places is obviously
an attempt by “Hiz Honor” to convince himself and
city council members that there is “plenty” of parking
downtown. There is a term which the mayor and
council will use on this comment: “we have deaf ears”.
Here’s what I suggest: the next time you want to
dine or shop in downtown and can’t find a parking
space except at Ingles, call the mayor and maybe he’ll
get in his golf cart and guide you to a vacant down
town parldng spot.
And, where are Forsyth’s traffic cops in downtown
Forsyth? Maybe they are concentrating on making
sure we don’t park to close—12 inches—to parking
lines. Maybe they have not been to traffic directing
school out at GPSTC. (Honest.. ..I saw Forsyth’s po
lice chief walking on the sidewalk in downtown not
in uniform — unless he calls his “muscle shirt” with a
sewn-on police badge a uniform — not the uniform
his officers have to wear. Guess his patrol car was in
the shop.)
For the first time in a long time, I did not attend
the most recent Forsyth City Council but I did get
an email copy of the agenda. Sometimes you can’t do
anything but laugh at government actions or inac
tions. For example, here’s one. On the agenda for the
council meeting: approval to change the address of
City Hall. Since I was not there, when it came up for
a vote and wonder what would have happened if the
vote had been a majority “nay” to not change the ad
dress? What would then be the city hall address? (see
On the Porch on page 4A at left)
I DID attend the county commission meet
ing where they approved a general fund budget of
$34,434,499 but added on other budget items for a
total county taxpayer budget of $47,560,017 and took
away the $600,000 from the hospital.
Here are a few unattributed commissioner com
ments: “We do not talk about that”; “I want to be
clear”; “Up to blah, blah, blah”; “Here’s my thinking”;
“To be honest”; “Our vote was symbolic”; “It’s not
credible” “Joe Blow Road” and “I see a lot of vari
ables”.
The county finance department paid out
$583,100.63 with 55 checks. The largest check went
to United Grading and Excavating for $300,943.93.
Monroe County Hospital did get $52,386.67 for the
December appropriation including Health Depart
ment Rental. $71,295.26 went to Macon Water
Authority for Whittle and New Forsyth Roads. The
county paid $18,823.50 to GPSTC for inmate meals.
A WATERPROOF time capsule that is to be
opened in 2071 is what’s buried on the Courthouse
Square and Deidre Jenkins was the first with the
answer to The Question. She gets a certificate for a
Dairy Queen Blizzard, carwash at Big Peach, slice of
Shoney’s strawberry pie, single dip at Scoops, Whistle
Stop fried green tomato appetizer, dozen Dunkin
Donuts, Main Street and a Reporter t-shirt.
Here’s The Question for this week: Dan Pitts
Stadium may get $1 million for what? First correct
answer after 12 noon on Thursday gets the goodie
certificate.
I ENJOY reading and previewing The Reporter’s
Letters to Santa special section because it really shows
off the writers’ imaginations and wants. I have not
heard of many of the toys wanted but surprised at the
number of writers wanting puppies and kittens. The
most unusual one was a “toot shooter” along with
“popits”. Another elementary schooler wanted $9,000
and the heart toucher, “family time”.
What is the correct expression? Out of the mouths
of babes. Very apropos. If you haven’t thrown your
copy away, have a great read and read the letters.
DID YOU know Santa had a brown-nosed
reindeer named Randolph? He could rim as fast as
Rudolph but he couldn’t stop as fast!
I HOPE your New Year fills your dreams and
hopes.
YOU can contact Donald Jackson Daniel, the
founder of this newspaper, at tullaybear@bellsouth.net
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
MP stadium needs new lights too
To the Editor:
I moved to Monroe County in 1976
and have been attending the MP
Bulldogs football games since
1980. The plan to expand the
fenced-in area, build a new concession
stand with updated restrooms and
improve the visitors’ side is appreci
ated and overdue. However, due to a
couple of incidents over the past few
years, this is also the time to upgrade
the football field lighting to energy-
efficient LED fixtures. Once, about
4 years ago, the transformer blew on
the visitors’ side and it took almost 3
hours to locate a city electrical crew
with a truck that had a lift, a replace
ment transformer, and the capability
to replace it so that the game could
resume. This was very important be
cause we were not through kicking the
other team’s tail. This past season, the
lights went out again during a game.
They eventually came back on, but it
was a clear wake-up call as to the need
to upgrade.
In addition to my natural gift as a
vocal critic of bad calls by zebras, half
of which are attributed to question
able judgment and the other half to
poor eyesight, I also go to every away
game possible to support the Dawgs.
After taking notice of several stadiums
where the lighting has been upgraded
to LED, a few suggestions are in order.
(1) Go to McDonough High School
at night and observe the LED lighting
at their new stadium so you will know
what not to purchase. That lighting
was awful, with bright spots and dark
spots all over the field. (2) Since our
color is gold, and the only thing that
approximates this is yellow, I suggest
that we forego the colored lights. In
the stadiums where they had yellow
lights (used after touchdowns and
other reasons) the yellow accent lights
seemed weak and tacky. Our Dawgs
are workhorses, not showhorses
just good field lighting, please. The
ability to rapidly flash the LED lights
after a TD is enough.
Those old metal halide lights are
energy hogs, require ballasts, need
igniters to jump-start them, take
forever to warm up, and the bulbs are
expensive to replace. That technology
evolved from the old mercury-vapor
and sodium vapor (yellowish) lights
and those were invented back in
the late 1800s for industrial use. Time
to move Mitchell Field at Dan Pitts
Stadium into the 21st Century.
John Ricketson
South Monroe County
Historic parallels herald Trump return?
To the Editor:
"V" A "^hen Frances Cleveland
% J left the White House,
\J \f she wanted everything
T T to remain the same til
her return in four years. Does Melania,
have that same dream? Melania is 24
years younger than the Donald. Fran
ces was 28 years younger than Grover.
Will history repeat itself?
Marie Wiseman
High Falls
Reckless borrowing threatens the USA
To the Editor:
T he Gross Domestic Product
for the country is everything
everyone is going to make
all year long and now we
as a country are in debt for 125% of
the GDP. This is the most dangerous
threat to the security of our country
there is. It is far more of a threat to us
than the Russians, Chinese, Covid-19
or aliens. To me this is treasonous and
all those elected officials who swore
an oath to protect us and are allowing
this crime to continue against America
should be fired by All-American vot
ers at the polls next year and charged
with treason by the Supreme Court
and banished from our great country
if found guilty.
This is just insane to continue to
allow this to go on and on and on
and on. I would not pass this kind of
financial burden onto my children,
grandchildren and great grandchil
dren. So why are we allowing congress
to do it? Let’s stop allowing this crime
to continue to be perpetrated on US
and everyone in the whole country in
the future.
Wishing all hard-working, taxpay
ing, legal United States of America
citizens and their families, a safe, pros
perous and Happy New Year.
Douglas Senn
Juliette
JUST THE WAY IT IS by Sloan Oliver
Dems reckon with monster they made
W e all know
the story of
Dr. Franken
stein. He
created a monster that
ended up killing him.
Frankenstein didn’t
intend to kill himself
but he initiated events
that did. Liberals are
doing the same thing.
They’ve created
a leftist, political
monster known as
the Democrat Party
that morphed into socialism
and will end up destroying
them (or us). It would be
funny if it weren’t so real and
destructive to America.
TAKE THE case of Jussie
Smollet; a gay, black actor
who recently was found
guilty of staging a hate crime
against white people. We
know Jussie’s story - 2:00am
on a bitter cold, Janu
ary night, he claimed two
MAGA-hat wearing, white
guys beat him up, placed a
noose around his neck, and
screamed, “This is MAGA
country’ He was so trauma
tized; he still wore the noose
while telling the police his
story about being mugged
by Trump supporters. It
was a complete lie. Smollet
faked the entire ugly epi
sode in order to race blame
white people. The reason he
thought he could get away
with such a heinous lie is
because that’s how Demo
crats and Marxists think.
They believe that all white
conservatives hate gays, espe
cially black gays. They believe
that myth because Biden
voters have long accepted
falsehoods such that they
are not grounded in reality.
Hey Jussie, only your fellow
Dems care about your race
or your sexual preferences.
My proof? Smollet couldn’t
find two white guys to beat
him up. Instead, he had to
pay two black guys $3,500
to stage a fake beating so he
could claim “victim” status
and gain Leftist credibility.
Jussie’s entire episode is a
result of the “victimhood”
monster created
by democrats.
Democrats have
developed an
entire industry
around becoming
a victim. If some
one becomes a
“victim”,
their sins
A ‘7' A - are forgiven
and they’re
elevated to sainthood. Colin
Kaepemick is the perfect
example; abandoned by
his black father, given up
for adoption by his white
mother, and raised by a
loving white couple; Colin
claims victimhood status,
has been anointed a hero and
has become wealthy. Lebron
James (multi-millionaire),
Meghan Markle (million
aire princess), and Michelle
Obama all claim to be vic
tims. Al Sharpton and Jessie
Jackson became wealthy by
shaking down corporations
over claims of victimhood.
What are all these privileged,
black millionaires victims
of? They’re victims of white
supremacy, racism, and of
being oppressed. They use
their “victim” status to elevate
themselves. That’s exactly
what Jussie attempted. I’d like
Barak and Michelle to tell us
which nanny, which garden
er, which housekeeper, secret
service agent, or chauffeur is
oppressing you? Name them
and I’ll protest oppression
alongside you. As Candace
Owens says, “Please Mi
chelle, if your $70 million is
oppression, give some of it to
the rest of us because we sure
could use it.”
DO ALL blacks think
alike? Do all women be
have the same? What about
gays, Hispanics, whites and
Asians? Is it bigoted and
racist to lump all people of a
certain ethnicity or gender
together and demand they all
believe and behave accord
ing to some pre-determined
group think? Yes it is bigoted
and racist. But the Demo
crat monster demands just
that and excoriates anybody
who doesn’t accept the black
victimhood “group think”
as determined by them, as
determined by Big Tech and
Big Media. Conservative
Supreme Court Justice Clar
ence Thomas has refused to
accept victimhood as a pre
requisite of blackness. Larry
Elder and Candace Owens
are other examples. Can
dace is a conservative, black
woman who once resided
on Plantation Victimhood,
escaped and now sermon
izes against it. Like an Islamic
apostate, Thomas, Elder, and
Owens are hated by those
they expose. In true Leftist
group think, there’s noth
ing more noble or cleansing
than to become a victim of
white aggression, even if the
aggression never happened.
TTiat’s exactly what Jussie did
- fabricated a story of white
aggression so he could be a
victim.
ACTUALLY, MANY
blacks are victims; victims of
low expectations placed on
them by a demonic, leftist
culture; a culture that places
more stock on being a victim
than on achievement, a
culture that rewards victim
hood. President Bush called
it the soft bigotry of low
expectations. So, not surpris
ing, people like Kaepernick,
Sharpton, and Stacey Abrams
get wealthy off victimhood
while others (Jussie) try to
play the same game. If a black
student studies and achieves
in school, they’re accused
of “acting white.” Get ajob
and show up on time, speak
proper English, establish
good credit, wed the mother
(or father) of their children -
yep, accused of acting white.
What kind of demented, sick
mentality removes expecta
tions of proper behavior and
decency in order that they
NOT achieve? Instead we
have Plantation Victimhood
(i.e. popular Leftist culture)
that has removed any expec
tations for blacks, especially
black men, to achieve so
they can be placed into the
victim category. This lack of
expectations is the epitome
of racism and why many
black men are encouraged
by Leftists to NOT achieve
in order to become a victim.
So, yes, Jussie is a victim; a
victim of systemic racism
that preaches the only way to
success is to blame someone
else. Disgusting.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE
of the monster created by
Dems is the lunacy of “trans-
genderism” which states you
can change genders by self
proclamation. As discussed
several weeks ago, Richard/
Rachel Levine is Exhibit A.
(Richard, a biological man, is
hailed as a female 4-star ad
miral because he calls himself
Rachel.) Exhibit B is biologi
cal males being allowed to
compete in women’s sports.
That is happening in blue,
Democrat states across the
nation. The most egregious
case is Will Thomas, a male
swimmer at the University
of Penn, changed his name
to Lia and is now compet
ing as a woman because he
calls himself a she. In a recent
swim meet, Thomas (a male)
broke numerous female
swim records. Democrat and
Marxist insanity is proven
when they allow biologi
cal men to compete against
women, accept it as normal,
and call you a bigot for seeing
the insanity. The tragedy is
that actual biological women
are denied positions on
sports teams and are los
ing athletic scholarships.
Secretly, women know this
is wrong but the “woke” Left
will destroy them if they dare
speak up.
A retired Army officer,
Sloan Oliver of Bolinbroke is
a columnist for the Reporter.
Email him at sloanoliver@
earthlink.net.