Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

PAGE 4A THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2008 Editor: Angela Gary Phone: 706-367-2490 E-mail: AngieEditor@aol.com Website: www.banksnewsTODAY.com Opinion “Where the press is free and every tnan able to read, all is safe.” — Thomas Jefferson "Political conventions are like a 'Jeopardy' game... they have all the answers, and we're left with the questions! Atlanta's shadow over Denver Our Views: Baldwin needs dramatic cutbacks Over the last week, Baldwin leaders have been pouring over a mountain of financial data and listen ing to consultants about the town’s serious financial problems. There’s a lot of numbers in those documents and a variety of financial tools for evaluation. It’s all good data. But what it all comes down to is this — Baldwin has been spending more money than it takes in for several years. The town’s general fund is empty of reserves and is floating on borrowed money. The town's water fund is shaky and may face additional financial problems in the coming months. Drastic action is needed by city leaders to fix this mess before the town’s finances collapse com pletely. Every city department needs to be cut, but the main source of Baldwin’s financial problems is its police department, which alone consumes over 40 percent of the town’s revenues. This problem isn’t unusual. Too many small towns have created police departments that soon balloon into a financial black hole. Baldwin leaders are looking at cutbacks and at raising taxes to offset the deficit. But taxpayers shouldn't have to pay more in taxes just because the town's leadership has been financially irresponsible over the last several years. Overspending, not a lack of revenues, got Baldwin into its barrel of red ink. Dramatically cutting runaway expenses is what needs to happen now in Baldwin. The question is, does the Baldwin City Council have the courage to do that? BOC should say 'no' to motel moratorium A request from a group of motel owners that the Banks County Board of Commissioners place a moratorium on any future motels being constructed in the Banks Crossing area is ridiculous. These motel owners were allowed to locate at Banks Crossing. Why shouldn't future motel own ers not be given the same consideration? Perhaps these motel owners are afraid of a little competition. That’s not the concern of the board of commissioners. The BOC doesn’t shut the door on restaurants locating in the area because restaurant owners in the area are afraid of diners having more options. Doesn’t this argument sound a little weak: “I have my motel up and running and now I want the board of commissioners to stop anyone else from building one. I don’t want to have any competition.” First of all, it’s not the role of government, at any level, to prop up any one business. In a free market enterprise, a business should stand on its own. If the Banks Crossing area has enough motels, then market research should tell any prospective builders to stay away. This is not the job of the county chair man or the BOC. For existing motel owners to think otherwise is showing a misguided belief in the role of county government. The BOC should not consider placing any type of moratorium on future motel requests. Each one should be considered individually and not denied as a whole simply because current motel operators don’t want a little competition. The Banks County News Founded 1968 The official legal organ of Banks County, Ga. Mike Buffington Co-Publisher Scott Buffington Co-Publisher Angela Gary Editor Chris Bridges Sports Editor Sharon Hogan Reporter Anelia Chambers Receptionist Suzanne Reed Church News Phones (all 706 area code): Angela Gary Phone 367-2490 Angela Gary Fax 367-9355 Homer Office Phone 677-3491 Homer Office Fax 677-3263 (SCED 547160) Published weekly by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc., P.O. Box 908, Jefferson, Ga. 30549 Subscription in county $19.75 Subscription in state $38.85 Subscription out of state $44.20 Military with APO address $42.20 Senior citizens get a $2 discount Periodicals postage paid at Homer, Ga. 30547 Postmaster, send address changes to: Subscriptions, The Banks County News, P.O. Box 920, Homer, Ga. 30547 Member: Georgia Press Association Georgia Sports Writers Association National Newspaper Association U nfortunately for their hopefuls, Democrats may be getting ready to party like it’s 1988. The Democrats open their convention in Denver Monday to launch Barack Obama against the GOP establishment guy, John McCain. The donkeys are already singing “Happy Days Are Here Again.” The Denver convocation promises to be a wild but pre mature victory party. Remember 1988? Twenty years ago thousands of happy Democrats rolled into Atlanta for the big A’s first (and last) nation al political convention. Gov. Joe Frank Harris, a lukewarm Dem if ever there was one, took the lead along with Mayor Andrew Young in attracting the con vention. However, the late Hamilton Jordan drew up the plans for Atlanta’s debut on the big-time political scene. Young and Harris followed Jordan’s counsel to the letter. The convention was a success by all mea sures, though the old Omni was a bit small and Sen. Sam Nunn was locked out at one point. Still, Atlanta received tons of posi tive international media exposure. Some say the convention laid the groundwork for the Olympics bid. Atlanta had demonstrated it was ready for prime time, or at least that’s what people thought. Aw, but that’s another tale. Let’s stick to this one. On the last night of the convention, a giant fireworks show exploded in all its glory between the Omni and the World Congress Center. The idea was to instill enthusiasm into those Democrats who could not get into the Omni but wanted to feel a part of the festivities. Of course, the Atlanta show will hardly compare to the light and sound Obama’s folks have planned for Invesco Field in Denver, but Atlanta’s exhibition was never theless pretty cool for its time. Nominee Michael Dukakis marched out of Atlanta with a 17-point lead in the polls against Vice President George H. W. Bush. To Democrats, it all seemed too good to be true. Turned out it was. Bush won in a landslide, with a count of 426-111 in the Electoral College and a voter margin of nearly 7 million. So why does the Denver conclave have the feel of Atlanta’s 1988 gathering and subse quent events? Dukakis had run a brilliant primary cam paign. Obama has run a near-perfect primary campaign. Then Dukakis launched perhaps the worst general-election campaign in history. It remains to be seen how Obama will run, but he has had a rough few weeks lately in the prelims. Events seem to be going McCain’s way. The conflict in the Republic of Georgia threatens to ignite Cold War II with Russia, Anyone with general story ideas, com plaints or comments about the news department is asked to call editor 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 county board of commissioners, county government, coun ty board of education 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 alsoissportseditorofthepaperand covers local high school, middle school and recreation sports. Anyone with comments, questions or and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq seem to go on and on. McCain’s forte is his experience in interna tional affairs — and war. Obama’s strengths are on domestic issues — the economy, health care and perhaps immigration. In 1988, Dukakis stumbled repeatedly. He allowed himself to be photographed in a ridiculous situation with a small Army tank. “Dondi Goes to War,” read the comic caption to the photo. Dukakis gave a cold and dry answer to Bernie Shaw’s penetrating question about the candidate’s feeling on the death penalty if his wife were raped. He failed to respond promptly to attacks on his record as Massachusetts gov ernor. Bush talked constantly about the Pledge of Allegiance and the need to keep the death penalty. Bush also ran following two terms of Ronald Reagan. As popular as Reagan was, he suffered several hits near the end of his reign: Iran-Contra and a general feeling that he was worn out. However, Reagan’s dip in popularity was nothing like the cur rent Bush’s record nosedive in the opinion polls. What really beat the Democrats in 1988 was a huge disconnect between Dukakis and Middle America — and reality, for that matter. In their fierce primary fight this year, Hillary Clinton’s strategists spoke repeatedly (mostly in hushed tones) of the disconnect between Obama and ordinary voters. Was that perception real or just phony campaign jabber? We shall soon see. The conventions of Denver and Atlanta won’t be exactly alike, of course. The econ omy of 1988 was much better than today’s economy. Dukakis had the backing of mainstream Democrats and seemed to have a solid chance of besting the perceived milquetoast Republican. Obama may not enjoy such an advantage. Many Clintonites appear reluctant to throw in with Obama’s effort. A feeling also exists among voters that they don’t quite know what makes Obama run. And the race question — will Americans elect a black man president? — hangs heavy over the election of 2008. You can reach award-winning politi cal columnist Bill Shipp at P. O. Box 2520, Kennesaw, GA 30156, e-mail: shippl@bell- south.net, or Web address: billshipponline. com. 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 concerning the City of Maysville should go to staff reporter Justin Poole at 706-367-2348 or e-mail him at justin@ 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 throughout the week and may be accessed on the Internet at www.banksnewsTODAY.com. News department contact numbers What makes home such a special place ? I ’m one who’s always put a high value on the meaning of home. In many ways I equal it to that of a fort. It’s my home base so to speak. It’s where I dig in my heels on a daily basis. Whether my day at work has gone smooth or has been a bumpy ride, I know my home is there waiting on me. Some people don’t become attached to a home the way I do. It’s that way for those who move around a great deal dur ing their lives. It’s impossible to put down roots under those condi tions and I guess you don’t ever feel part of a home. The walls that sur round you, comfort you and protect you aren’t part of you long enough to give you any sense of being. For me, it’s different. My parents built a new home when I was very small and still live in that house to this day. My childhood memories are still vivid partly because I am still able to visit the house I grew up in. One of my favorite photos from my childhood is my maternal grand father carrying me as he is walking through the front yard at our new dwelling. Grass had not taken hold yet as you could see dirt in the old photo beneath my grandfather’s feet. Those were the true early days of my childhood home. I can’t say that I remember them, but as I began to grow older I slowly started to appreciate what a home meant. I only recall my parents considering a move once while I was grow ing up. A house my father always liked came up for sale and I knew he would consider buying it if the circumstances were right. The house was closer to his job as well as my mother’s so there was certainly a chance a move could take place. I remember breathing a sigh of relief when my father said the price for the home was too high as it was in need of some repair. A move would not take place afterall. I never remember any additional talk of the family moving. More than two decades later, my parents still live in the same house which I now visit when the opportunity presents itself. For me, the house I live in now has been home for more than 10 years. When I moved into it dur ing the spring of 1998 I would have never placed great odds on making it 10 months, let alone 10 years. I quickly learned I had a terrible neighbor and the job I was working at was falling apart rapidly. However, it’s funny how things work out sometimes. Eventually, the bad neighbor left and one of the best one a person could hope for moved in and hasn’t left. A better working opportunity presented itself out of the blue and I found myself becom ing more and more attached to my home. In fact, I felt like we had been through the rough times together and could now enjoy the good ones. I’ve long ago lost count of the times I’ve caught myself saying, “it’s good to be home” after a long day at work. I guess if you can hon estly say that to yourself then you have settled into your dwelling. I have a strong sense of pride for my little house. It’s by no means a mansion. Most people would pass by it without giving it a second look. Yet, when the sky opens up and rains this time of year and the grass is green, the yard looks rather nice after I cut it. I do my best to keep the flowers blooming and the land scape presentable. Yes, it is a home, my home in fact. It may not be a castle, but I look for ward to driving home to it each day. chris bridges Chris Bridges is a reporter for The Banks County News. E-mail comments about this column to him at chris@mainstreetnews.com.