About The Banks County news. (Homer, Banks County, Ga.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 4, 2008)
PAGE 4A THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 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 Dumb and dumber I was cruising the TV channels recently before going to bed, seeing if there could possibly be anything worth watching on the 100 or so channels that we have on our satellite system and to catch up on the latest news. Since the case broke, I've been watching snippets of information about the missing two-year old little girl in Florida. It’s fascinating to me to observe how the story is cov ered. On that night, it was the topic on “Nancy Grace.” Featured first and foremost on the show was a running slideshow of partying photos of Caylee’s 22-year old mom, Casey, allegedly taken after her daughter went missing. All Casey’s jail phone calls, recorded by law enforcement and then released, almost immediately it seems, to the media.. .were also played over and over. Crazy - crazier still that she continues to talk fairly freely, even though she knows this is happening. There is a brief mention of the smell of decay that tracking dogs found in the trunk of her car.. .and the cov erage is interspersed with clips of Caylee’s grandmother, who seems literally crazed by the whole thing and deter mined to defend her daughter, maybe because she can’t face what may have happened to her little granddaughter. Excuse me, but isn’t the focus supposed to about finding the little girl? Little Caylee’s face does appear occasionally, but the news focus is definitely on mom’s partying and jail phone conversations, both of which have little to do with what’s being done to find her daughter. I also can’t help but wonder if this case would be get ting so much national attention if mom Casey weren’t a young, attractive woman. Having had enough of Nancy, I switched news chan nels and found that another important topic of the eve ning is the release of the “Brangelina twins” photos. How very exciting. Finally just out of curiosity, I googled the word “news” on the internet and actually pulled up some real breaking news, such as the sad story thatl45 people were appar ently killed after a stampede at an India temple, that six were feared dead in an avalanche and the fact that tropical storm Eduardo was busy forming in the Gulf of Mexico. But just below those stories were the Brangelina twins again, followed closely by a “gay debate.” I can’t help but wonder, are the national media fueling our evident desire for information like this? Are the “Brangelinas” really that important to us or are we just being fed so much of this stuff that we just sit around and stare at it, or read about it until our mindless minds are hooked on it? After all it doesn’t require much thought to watch it - it’s kind of like taking a sedative. One day last week I flipped over to whatever channel carries the alleged reality show about Tori Spelling and her husband. This particular episode revolved around her straggles to sell her jewelry line on TV while heavily pregnant. Poor baby. Poor me, when I realized I'd actually sat and watched this completely self-absorbed individual for about 15 minutes. It’s kind of like having a pendulum swung in front of you - you’re shuck dumb, literally. No wonder it’s being said that the IQ of collective America is dropping. You can almost see it happening. While we’re worrying about our children’s CRCT tests, we’re simultaneously consuming all this crap (and so are the kids). We are what we eat. And we’re also what we read and watch and spend our time thinking about. Pollution and other factors of global warming may be ruining the planet, millions may be starving around the globe, but Ton’s jewelry sales are going well, Brad and Angie and their 20 children are also doing well (or so it seems from the cover of People magazine) and that narcissistic mom of a missing two-year old will probably continue to hold us mesmerized for a while longer. Oh. and this just in — Paris Hilton’s mom called John McCain’s ad about Obama that compared his celebrity status to that of her daughter a “waste of money.” Well it stands to reason that being Paris’s mom, she should cer tainly know all about wasting money. Now that’s a real news flash. margie richards Margie Richards is a reporter for MainStreet Newspapers. 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 Barnes rakes Sonny over coals F ormer Gov. Roy Barnes may have thrown more red meat on the table against Republicans than all the national Democrats put together at the Denver convention. Maybe that’s why Barnes didn’t get much TV time. He sounded as tough as Zell Miller talking about Democrats. But Barnes didn’t get around to challenging anyone to a duel as Miller did four years ago. A newsletter report and interview on Barnes’ performance this year will have to suffice. At a gathering of the Georgia delega tion in Denver last week, “Barnes delivered a stemwinder to wake up the delegates at their breakfast meeting, excoriating the Republican-majority Legislature for the ‘stench’ it has caused at the Capitol, and slamming Gov. Sonny Perdue for misman agement of the state budget,” reported Tom Baxter of the Southern Political Report newsletter. When I called Barnes to confirm his remarks, he poured oil on the fire. “If [legendary former House Speaker] Tom Murphy were still alive and speaker, he would have asked Sonny Perdue, ‘Are you drunk or what? Don’t you know we’re head ed into a recession?”’ Barnes said, referring to Perdue’s most recent official estimate of 6 percent growth in state revenue. The state budget, based on that forecast, is headed for a $1.5 billion to $2 billion deficit, causing Perdue to slash spending across state government. Education has been hit espe cially hard. Barnes ripped Perdue for moving to take away a tax break for homeowners to try to reduce the looming shortfall. He noted, however, that the Republican governor has done nothing to eliminate special-interest tax breaks that have benefited Perdue and his pals. To hear such a fire-breathing speech and interview, one might think Barnes is prepar ing for liftoff as a candidate for governor in 2010. “Some people have asked me to run,” he says. “But, right now, I’m leaning against it.” His leanings did not dilute his remarks at the breakfast, which included a couple of would-be gubernatorial candidates, at least one of whom is noted as a get-along kind of guy. Barnes said GOP lawmakers have become so beholden to special interests that they should be required to “wear patches like NASCAR drivers, with logos of the interests that have bought them out. “The only problem is, they may not have a coat big enough to put on all those patches,” Barnes said. The break fast crowd was delight ed, Baxter reported. Barnes also delivered the obligatory plug for Democratic presiden tial nominee Barack Obama. He asserted that Democrats have to win the state for Obama “because it is the beginning of us taking the state back for ourselves.” An Obama victory in Georgia would signi fy more than a return of Democratic power. It would constitute the beginning of the age of political miracles. We shall see. Barnes’ last presidential hoss, John Edwards, didn’t run too well in these parts. And that contest occurred before Edwards was exposed as a lying, two-timing, hypo critical scoundrel. However, Barnes sounds like a guy who is mad as hell and not going to take it anymore, at least not on his home turf. Perdue has done little as governor, except dismantle Barnes’ programs and blame Georgia’s misfortunes on the former gover nor from Cobb County, whose administration vanished nearly seven years ago. If your lowly correspondent were a gam bling man, I’d say the chance of Barnes run ning for governor is about one out of five. Some people close to Barnes put the odds nearer to 50-50. He already has the fire in his belly to make the race, but he probably needs more push ing and pledges of cash. In any event, Barnes’ little breakfast speech may have set the tone for the next campaign — an attack on a corrupt General Assembly and a do-nothing gubernatorial administration. We haven’t heard from Republicans yet. The Georgia crowd will undoubtedly have some harsh words for local Democrats when they convene in Minneapolis to nominate John McCain. You can reach award-winning political commentator Bill Shipp at P. O. Box 2520, Kennesaw, GA 30156, e-mail: shippl@bell- south.net. or Web address: billshipponline. com. Letter to the Editor: Concerned with county taxes Dear Editor: Last week, the Banks County Board of Commissioners approved the fiscal 2009 Banks County budget with the disclaimer that any cut in the state sponsored Homestead Exemption Act would result in an imposed half million dollar budget deficit to be subsidized by Banks County taxpayers. Chairman Gene Hart warned “if this (shortfall) happened, they (county com missioners) would have to go back and re-bill the homeowners” in order to balance the approved budget. Isn’t it time for, and the responsibility of. Banks County to find additional sources of revenue instead of continuously burdening the resident taxpayer? If the Banks County Board of Commissioners are truly concerned about the citizens of Banks County and have any interest in saving tax dollars, why haven’t they considered Waste Management’s request to close Poole Road at the point where the pavement ends. It is my understanding that Waste Management has offered to increase the host fees currently paid to the county in exchange for closure of an impassable desolate corridor that runs through the landfill. In addition to a boost in host fees, which are currently estimated in the 2009 Banks County fiscal budget at one million dollars. Waste Management has agreed to provide financing for county water improvements to residents residing on the paved portion of Poole Road. Maybe it’s time for the county to become the responsible steward of tax revenues in which they were elected to perform. What benefit is realized by Banks County taxpayers when the county spends thousands of dollars maintaining an inhabitable passageway in which no homes currently exist or will ever be constructed? The windfall of additional revenue generated by increased host fees would certainly help off set any potential shortfalls created by a cut in the Homestead Exemption Act. Furthermore, should the state decide to leave the Homestead Exemption Act intact the extra revenue gener ated by the increased host fees would bol ster Banks County budget revenue projections. Consequently, any excess revenue could then be passed along to taxpayers in the form of a tax cut instead of a tax assessment. I certainly do not want to incur additional taxes to offset a possible Banks County revenue deficit perpetuated by state decisions instead let Waste Management pick up the slack! Sincerely, K.D. Webb Maysville McCain keeps maverick status with VP pick J ohn McCain, who has never been above stepping out of line with the powers-that-be in the Republican Party, pulled a fast one last week with his selec tion of a political unknown as his running mate. Out of the clear, blue Alaska sky McCain stunned political pundits (and literally had them guessing until the final hour) by selecting the governor of our northern most state in Sarah Palin. Many jaws could be heard hitting the floor with a resounding thud when it became offi cial on Aug. 29. I admit the pick surprised me because I didn’t see any way in which McCain was not going to select Mitt Romney. I feared the pressure from the extreme right wing of the party would accept nothing less. In fact, I was all set to criticize McCain for losing his maverick status for selecting Romney. I guess once you are a maverick you are a mav erick for life, however. In some ways, we shouldn’t be surprised that McCain went his own way and made this selection. Some published reports over the weekend indicated McCain really didn’t know Palin at all before selecting her as his vice presiden tial running mate. It doesn’t get much more maverick than that. Realizing McCain’s choice had been made, the extreme right-wing element of the Republican Party figured it had no choice but to get on board late last week. I hap pened to be in my vehicle when the official selection announce ment was made and flipped the radio to Rush Limbaugh’s live show. Limbaugh, who of course long ago lost any ounce of credi bility he had, acted like a complete buffoon as the announcement was being made. Limbaugh carried on like he was viewing a peep show rather than carrying the announcement of the selection of the person who could one day become the leader of the free world. Limbaugh began drooling over Palin like a young teenage boy who strikes gold when he finds a copy of a Playboy magazine. But enough about Limbaugh and his inflated ego. McCain went his own direction with his choice. Make no mistake, Palin is a con servative across the board from gun rights to abortion. However, the choice certainly was a bold move. The presidential election of 2008 is now set up to be historic regardless of the outcome. We will either have our first African- American president or we will have our first female vice-presi dent. It is a major step forward for our country and one we should all be proud of as citizens. Hopefully, it will open the door wider during future elections. With exactly two months to go until we enter our respective vot ing booths, I once again encourage everyone to get involved in this historic election. Whether you support McCain, Obama or even another candidate like myself (Bob Barr), become involved in what is the most American of processes. Few things you will ever do will be more important or more rewarding. chris bridges Chris Bridges is a reporter for The Banks County News. E-mail comments about this column to chris @ mainstreetnews. com.
