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PAGE 4A THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2008 Editor: Angela Gary Phone: 706-367-2490 E-mail: AngieEditor@aol.com Website: www.mainstreetnews.com Opinions “Where the press is free and every man able to read, all is safe.” — Thomas Jefferson Issues impacting county W elcome once again to the Commissioner’s Comer. In this article, I want to address four matters of current interest to the resi dents of Banks County. Five Member Commission: This issue has made good progress since my last message to you. As I promised in my last Commissioner’s Corner, I introduced and successfully gained Banks County Commission approval of a resolution to send the mat ter to our state legislators. Working together with their legislative aides, Rep. Jeanette Jamison and Sen. Nancy Schaefer, we created a joint bill in the Georgia Legislature to provide for a measure to appear on this year's November election bal lot. Rep. Jamison and Sen. Schaefer were successful in getting their unified bill passed in both houses of the legisla ture. As I described in earlier columns, it will provide for Banks County to be divided into four commission districts. A member of the Banks County Commission will be elected from and must reside in each of the respective districts. The actual description of these districts will be decided later with the best attempt possible to keep them bal anced as to population. The commission chairman will be elected from any district in the county. All com missioners, including the chairman, will be elected by an “at large” vote of all voters in the county. With its passage, this legislation provides you, the voting citizens of Banks County, an opportunity to say yes or no to this change through your vote this November. Your approval will create the most dramat ic change and most equitable representation in Banks County Government over the past century. Drought and Water Management: Banks County has been blessed with much rainfall over the past few months for which we are all most thankful. Indeed, our county reservoir is completely full and is releas ing excess water at a good rate. I will seek commis sion approval to send a request to the state to relax the statewide restrictions on water usage for Banks County. Our citizens deserve to regain the opportunity to responsibly use water in their gardens, farms, busi nesses and other outside activities. Fire Department: The recent resignations of some volunteers for the Banks County Fire Department have caused some citizens to question me about how well the department can protect the county. I respond that first, the county fire department is a combined force of both volunteers and permanently hired profession als. All of the permanent members of the department are still on staff and able to respond. Second, not all of the volunteers have resigned. These members can still be called on in an emergency. Third, the county is still accepting new volunteers in places where they are needed. In summary, the county is in reasonable condition as to its responsibilities for providing fire protection to its citizens. Animal Control: As readers of my previous col umns will know, how the county should respond to problems its citizens are having with both wild and domesticated animals has occupied my thinking for some time since I have been in office. I have pre sented my ideas and thoughts as to several options I think the county has in trying to meet this need. In talking with others and investigating how other coun ties are handling the matter, I have decided that I will support the creation of a position in the county, which will be responsible for this matter and attend to other related duties. However, rather than creating, at this time, a full department around this individual, animals detained by the control officer will, by prior agree ment, be taken to and kept by a local veterinarian clinic. If you have any thoughts or comments, please do not hesitate to call me on my cell phone at 770-519-6986 or write me at jbarefoot@co.banks.ga.us. I will return in the near future with another Commissioner’s Corner. joe barefoot Joe Barefoot is the Post 3 representative on the Banks County Board of Commissioners. The Banks County News Founded 1968 The official legal organ of Banks County, Ga. Mike Buffington Co-Publisher (Editorial) Scott Buffington Co-Publisher (Advertising) Angela Gary Editor Chris Bridges Sharon Hogan Anelia Chamber: Suzanne Reed Ph Angela Gary Phone Angela Gary Fax Homer Office Phone Homer Office Fax . . Sports Phone 367-2745 Sports Fax 367-9355 Sports Editor Reporter . Receptionist Church News 367-2490 367-9355 677-3491 677-3263 (SCED 547160) Published weekly by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc., P.O. Box 908, Jefferson, Ga. 30549 "Gee, I didn't know the D.OT. was coming to town!" DOT: Billion-dollar shortfalls — and cupid S ince last fall, Georgians have been treated to a spectacle from our state Department of Transportation. The rancor in the poisonous relationship between Gov. Sonny Perdue and House Speaker Glenn Richardson, R-Hiram, has never been higher than when the two were fighting over the replacement for former Commissioner Harold Linnenkohl. Now that Perdue won that fight, his commissioner Gena Abraham is pro viding regular updates on problems she is “uncovering” at the agency. Perdue is calling press conferences to express his shock and dismay, and calling for a “forensic audit” of DOT programs and spending. The ongoing drama has put an unusually intense spotlight on a part of state government that affects us more on a day-to-day basis than just about any other, but which seldom receives attention from us taxpayers beyond cursing when we’re caught in traffic jams. Then, like a sharp turn in a soap- opera storyline, love suddenly blooms through the asphalt and the public really starts to pay attention. Transportation Board Chairman Mike Evans announces he’s resign ing to pursue a romantic relationship with his unofficial inspector-general, Commissioner Abraham. He says working with the commissioner devel oped into something more than admi ration and friendship. Abraham report edly attempted to quit her post, but her resignation was refused. For now, both are unmarried. See, at least one part of this sorry tale may have a happy end ing. Now back to the main plot: According to Perdue-Abraham, mis management of the DOT has created a $1 billion shortfall in money available to pay for projects already underway or promised for the near future. The agency appar ently cannot even account for the number of new projects it has committed to completing, many of them no doubt having been scheduled to fill the agency’s political promises quota. Perdue would have us believe that all of the items that Abraham is reporting to him are shocking, and that he and his new commissioner are the team to clean up everyone else’s mess. That may be true for Abraham, but Sonny’s got some explaining to do. Lest we forget, Perdue is now approaching three-quarters of the way through his eight-year administra tion. Also remember that Linnenkohl, Abraham’s immediate predecessor and scapegoat for the financial debacle at the DOT, was a career agency insider who was installed in the top job at Perdue’s behest in 2003. Linnenkohl ran the DOT from 2003 to 2007 when the governor decided to back Abraham. In fact, Sonny has had his hand in the DOT since the mid-1990s when he was a top Democrat in the state Senate. He knows as much as anyone how politics controls DOT decision making, and how to use polit ical influence to drive the agency’s priorities and spending. During his tenure in the Senate, Perdue benefited from a land purchase by the DOT. The agency “condemned” about four acres of Perdue’s property in Houston County, and paid him $88,790 for the land, which had a fair market value of $18,108 at the time, a premium of more than $70,000. Since Perdue moved into the gov- ernor’s mansion, the DOT has been planning or working on massive road expansions in the part of Houston County where Perdue and his fam ily own property, and where Perdue’s business associates have been buying his and other property, including the former state wildlife preserve at Oaky Woods. The most interesting part of the DOT’s sudden focus on Perdue’s hometown of Bonaire is talk that the Fall Line Freeway, originally proposed to run from Columbus to Macon to Augusta, could skip Macon and follow the current State Route 96 — right through Bonaire and past Perdue’s property holdings. About a year and a half into his gubernatorial term, Perdue and his sister were able to make a bundle when they sold farm land they inherited from their father to the Stoker Group development com pany for $4.4 million. The land just happens to be located on State Route 96. I guess that’s proof that there’s nothing like being in the right place at the right time. The next time you hear our gov ernor expressing shock about the mismanagement of the DOT’s pri orities, remember Capt. Renault in ‘Casablanca,’ who is “shocked” that gambling is going on at Rick’s Cafe. Renault announces that he’s closing the place down just as the croupier walks up, hands him money and says “Your winnings, sir.” Appropriate advice for Commissioner Abraham also comes from “Casablanca” when Rick tells Illsa: “Now, you’ve got to listen to me! You have any idea what you’d have to look forward to if you stayed here?” You can reach award-winning columnist Bill Shipp at P O. Box 2520, Kennesaw, GA 30156, e-mail: shipp1@bellsouth.net, or Web address: billshipponline.com. bill shipp Letters to the editor policy given The Banks County News has estab lished a policy on printing Letters to the editor. We must have an original copy of all letters that are submitted to us for publication. Members of our staff will not type out or hand-write letters for people who stop by the office and ask them to do so. Letters to the editor must also be signed with the address and phone number of the person who wrote them. The address and phone number will be for our verification purposes only and will not be printed unless the writer requests it. Mail to, The Banks County News, P.O. Box 920, Homer, Ga. 30547. E-mailed letters will be accepted, but we must have a contact phone number and address. Letters that are libelous will not be printed. Letters may also be edited to meet space requirements. Anyone with questions on the policy is asked to contact editor Angela Gary at AngieEditor@aol.com or by call ing 706-367-2490. News department contact numbers Anyone with general story ideas, complaints or comments about the news department is asked to call edi tor Angela Gary at 706-367-2490. She can also be reached by e-mail at AngieEditor@aol.com. Anyone with comments, questions or suggestions relating to the coun ty board of commissioners, county government, county board of educa tion and crime and courts is asked to contact staff reporter Chris Bridges at 706-367-2745 or by e-mail at chris@mainstreetnews.com. Bridges also is sports edi tor of the paper and covers local high school, middle school and recreation sports. Anyone with comments, ques tions or suggestions relating to Alto, Lula, Baldwin and Gillsville, should contact Sharon Hogan at 706-367-5233 or by e-mail at sharon@mainstreetnews.com. Calls for information about the church page should go to Suzanne Reed at 706-677-3491. Church news may also be e-mailed to churchnews@mainstreetnews.com. The Banks County News website is updated each Thursday and can be accessed on the Internet at www.mainstreetnews.com. Yardwork a sign spring has arrived I realize given Georgia’s unpredict able weather nothing is ever guar anteed, but I believe spring is here to stay. For the first time I made it through an entire Banks County High School baseball game last week without having to put a jacket on. In fact, I wasn’t even tempted. This past Saturday, after a few hours of light rain moved away, the blue sky returned and the afternoon was a good one for yard work. There’s something I’ve always found appealing about yard work — as long as I don’t have to do too much of it. My parents made a visit and my father came armed with all the necessary tools for the afternoon’s activities. While my mother and my better half stayed inside to dissect a stack of newspa pers, my father and I began our outdoor chores. I’ve only had to break the lawn mower out once this year and, to be honest, it really wasn’t for cutting the grass as much as it was for cutting weeds. I’m amazed at how much weeds can flourish during the winter months. No amount of cold or drought seems to effect them. They thrive and seem to get stronger year after year. It was actually somewhat of a struggle pushing the mower over my yard of weeds several days ago. With the weeds knocked back, my father went about the process of apply ing a fertilizer/weed killer combination. I’m beginning to wonder about the “weed killer” part of the combo since it seems the weeds come back stronger every year. In fact, I predict if the weeds continue to grow at their annual rate, they will eventually start to fight back when I try to eliminate them with the lawn mower. Perhaps we are putting weed fertilizer on the lawn instead of weed killer, who knows. My father criss-crossed the yard even ly spreading the nutrients for the grass. I think he only told me I was in the way twice, which was down dramatically from past years when we undertook this same process. The thought that creeped into my mind was how it will be all I can do now to keep the grass cut since it has been given its spring treatment. Once this process was complete, my father retrieved the weedeater from the back of his truck. I had requested he edge the driveway as I have never been good at that process. Judging from the amount of clippings which were left behind during the process, a good edg ing was long overdue. I was left with the detail of clearing the grass clippings from the driveway and that actually took some time con sidering how much was there. After that chore was complete, we finally were able to retreat inside and take a break. Later that afternoon — after catch ing a short nap in my recliner while the Braves and Dodgers were being shown on the television — I walked back out side to view the afternoon’s work. The yard looked good, I admitted, although I could tell it wouldn’t be much longer before I would be cutting it again. Yes, I believe winter is behind us now. We’ve survived another one although at times I wondered it we would. The feel of spring is in the air and continued to be so Monday morning as I left the house without needing jacket. The cool ness of the morning air is also about gone. I’ve long debated whether I enjoy fall or spring more. Summer and winter are out as I never go for the extremes of anything. Both spring and fall have their advantages but also have a few draw backs. In the end, I think I have decided I simply enjoy whichever one is at hand the best. Recent days have reminded me why I enjoy spring so much. Even yard work couldn’t take away from that enjoyment. In fact, it added to it. Chris Bridges is a reporter for The Banks County News. Contact him at 706-367-2745 or e-mail comments to chris@mainstreetnews.com.