Newspaper Page Text
April 26, 2023
Page 5A
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN by Don Daniel
Mufflers drown
out city council
S everal times during Forsyth City Council meetings,
the meetings are interrupted by vehicles passing in
front of the city hall with very loud mufflers stifling
anyone who is attempting to speak, including those
attempting or presenting to the council and council mem
bers attempting to speak.
Now that you have that background, I have reviewed
the citation violations report provided by Forsyth Police
Chief Blue. Nowhere in the report did I find any viola
tions reported for loud mufflers. Maybe the loud muffler
city ordinance doesn’t carry enough fine money to write
tickets for the violation.
Then, a couple of years ago, the fabulous six and mayor
passed an ordinance in an attempt to curtail “busting
slack” writing tickets for those male street wanderers
whose pants are lower than the waistline often showing
the cracks in their buttocks.
In both these instances, it has
become obvious that police are
ignoring the loud muffler and
busting slack ordinance. Maybe
they are no longer on the books?
Maybe the police department has
decided those are just not worth
enforcing. Must have better fish
to fry.
THERE HAS to be something
under the woodpile in reference
to our county commissioners
selling on the river land—103
acres--in the dark of night for
a pittance, $100,000, and then “objectively” selling the
old Smarr Fire Station on less than an acre of land and a
dilapidated building for $100,000.
I, as others feel, the river land deal should be investigated
by a county-empaneled grand jury under the auspices of
our district attorney.
Here are some unattributed commissioner comments
from their meeting last week. “Coach Tapley” (I thought
he was commission chairman); “My biggest problem”;
“John, let’s be clear”; “You are asking for our blessing”; “I
feel like I know the answer”; “From my perspective”; “A
little bit of green light”; “It’s a hard yes”; “In a format you
guys can understand”; “I know not what I speak”; “You
want me to talk to him?” “There’s one more thing”; “My
bad”; “I like to have fell out of chairman seat”.
Again it was county finance department check writing
time, 98 checks were written totaling $989,618.41. One
of the largest was to the City of Forsyth for electricity,
$13,540.69; Some county official is going on a soiree
to the Constitutional Officers’ Association with a $450
reservation already made. Georgia Power got a check for
$16,155 and Head Heating and Air got paid $9,100 for
maintenance. One of the largest checks, $24,664.40, was
paid to Inspirus Consulting Group for computer services.
Mauldin and Jenkins, an accounting firm, got $28,000
for payment number two for accounting and auditing
services. Our taxes paid $9.48 to Peoples Janitorial Supply
for a “broom stick household heavy duty” and $15.40 for a
“stand up dustpan with handle”.
We paid the Georgia Public Safety Training Center
$24,720 for supplying meals to our jail “residents”.
The county’s United Bank credit card was used for just
about everything you can imagine from eating at La Pasa-
dita Cafe for $46.65, iPad keyboard training, $125, Rocky
Brands Boots, $169.29, Marco’s pizza $35.13, Taco Bell
$86.25, Ingles $223.55 and Chewy Dog $71.13. Total paid
and charged to the card was $46,289.93 and that is for just
a couple of weeks “charging forth”.
The largest check written, $680,981.88, was to United
Grading and Excavating for “phases 1,2 & 3 contracts”.
Let me make a suggestion to all you readers: If you want to
see how our tax monies are being spent, go to the county
website and go to the county finance page.
I ALONG with many others am wondering why we
need a 300-page zoning “overhaul”. You need to go to the
webpage and read the ordinance which goes from the
sublime to the absolute absence of common sense.
I’ll be the first one to admit we do need some zoning
changes, particularly with the growth we are experienc
ing and are going to experience. Zoning should not be
extremely restrictive but compatible. Yes, we should have
zoning to prevent a chicken processing plant locating in or
real close to a subdivision development.
HEY MONROE County Hospital I want to join Cole
Davis, Connie Ham and Joe Evans to endorse supporting
Monroe County Hospital through the Georgia HEART
program. Somebody with the program, contact me and I’ll
become a supporter.
SURPRISED THAT Georgia Bob’s closed and anxiously
waiting to hear what restaurant is going to show up to
claim the location.
HERE’S THE Question for this week: Under a new pro
posed county zoning ordinance, HOA subdivisions with
more than 25 homes would have to build a 30,000-square-
foot one of these? First correct answer after 12 noon on
Thursday gets the goodie certificate for a slice of Shoney’s
famous strawberry pie, single dip at Scoops, car/truck
wash at Big Peach, dozen donuts at Dunkin Donuts, fried
green tomato appetizer at Whistle Stop Cafe, Dairy Queen
Blizzard and a slice of Jonah’s Pizza
ON THE lighter side, this quote from former president
Harry S. Truman: “If you can’t convince them, confuse
them”. Here’s another: “Giving money and power to
government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage
boys”. That from P.J. O’Rourke.
I have to share two more: “If God had been a Liberal, we
wouldn’t have the Ten Commandments, we’d have the Ten
Suggestions”. “Why did God create Democrats? To make
car salesmen look good”.
WANT TO submit a printable comment or answer Tire Ques
tion? Contact Donald Jackson Daniel at mediadr@bellsouth.net.
^Reporter
A MERRY HEART by Merry Harris
The Monkeys ^uroe County
WR\TE
SPEAK"*
SEE
hear-**
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Woman offended by gun giveaway
To the Editor:
am very much offend
ed by these give-a-way
programs that are tied to
guns! If I had any other
way to keep up with Monroe
County news I would drop
my subscription. I think war
weapons should be limited
to WAR. Guns that are used
for defense are very different
from assault weapons in my
opinion. Please consider lim
iting the references to them
in the future.
Shannon Holt
High Falls
MC Hospital saved my life
To the Editor:
I wanted to share the story of how Monroe County
Hospital saved my life. I was recovering from a
March 17 kidney transplant when I became crit
ically ill on April 3.1 was taken by ambulance to
Monroe County Hospital. Dr. Antonio Washington
diagnosed me with kidney failure, septic shock and a
Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infection. He immedi
ately started an antibiotic and nurses Roderica Lamb
and Jesse Smith found veins to begin fluid IVs to address
my dehydration. Meanwhile, Dr. Washington worked
the phones to get me back to Emory University hospital
where I had the transplant. I was airlifted to Emory the
next day, April 4, but was already doing much better
because of the care I got at Monroe County Hospital.
I wouldn’t have made it without Monroe County
Hospital. They did a fantastic job with a complex patient.
They went above and beyond the normal care. Dr. Wash
ington was absolutely amazing.
My Emory doctors were very impressed with the care
I got at Monroe County Hospital. After just four days, I
was well enough to return home.
The doctors were shaking their heads. I went from
near-death to walking out of the hospital. All because of
Monroe County Hospital.
I concede I was scared to go to Monroe County Hos
pital because my problems were so serious. But it was
where I could be seen the quickest. And it wound up
saving my life. I was super surprised. They have upgrad-
From left, nurse Roderica Lamb, nurse Jesse Smith, patient
Sue Mattix and ER physician Dr. Antonio Washington.
ed a lot of their stuff. Emory was surprised that a small
town hospital got me back to where I needed to be. They
deserve accolades and support.
Sue Mattix
Forsyth
Thanks MC Hospital for caring for my mom
To the Editor:
’d like to acknowledge the nurses
at Monroe County Hospital,
(from those in the ER, to those
who worked on the main floor,
my mom was on) who took care of
my mom on Sunday. What won
derful and professional individuals.
They truly desired to provide com
fort and healing to my mother. At
the same time, I’d like to speak out
for patients who are truly in pain.
Tylenol alone, is not an appropriate
pain killer.
I’d also like to express my opinion,
that too often doctors need to readily
step into the shoes of nurses, and
reap from their knowledge regarding
patient care, and deriving correct
diagnoses.
Once again, thanks to the nursing
staff at Monroe County Hospital
Love and appreciate each of you.
Jackie W. Farmer
Forsyth
JUST THE WAY IT IS by Sloan Oliver
Best comments in the
O ne of the most popular (as
in comments received) ar
ticles I’ve written was from
last year about Internet
1-liners that are so spot-on accurate
that no other explanation is needed.
It’s time for another article
in that series. Following are
some of the best lines and
comments from the past year.
SOOOO, IF shutting down
Russia’s pipeline will hurt
their economy... ..wouldn’t
shutting down ours
hurt our economy?
Asking for a friend. -
Facebook
a c"—\ 'T''
to invest in companies they regulate?
- Facebook
INOCULATE YOUR kids against
socialism by having them clean the
bathroom. Pay them $10, take away
$7, and give it to their sibling
who didn’t work. (This will
ensure they never vote for a
Dem.) - Facebook
“FIRST TIME in history
that the ineffectiveness of a
medicine (vaccine) is being
blamed on those who
haven’t taken it.” - Dr.
Robert Malone, inventor
of mRNA technology.
WE DON’T let athletes bet on DEFINITION OF INSANITY
games they have the ability to influ- - Over-taxing those who work in
ence why do we allow Congress order to pay people not to work.
past year
(Democrats’ method to ensure they get
votes.)
“I HATE when people confuse
education with intelligence; you can
have a bachelor’s degree and still be an
idiot.” - Elon Musk
“CANCELING” STUDENT loan
debt is like choosing to buy a car and
then expecting someone else to pay
for it. Going to college is a choice. The
debt you owe is no one’s responsibility
but your own. - Madison Cawthom
(R-NC)
“MANY GUYS work hard to build
a business. They take out loans to
buy big diesel trucks. Why would we
forgive the cost of a college degree but
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