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THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 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
No costume
required
With last Friday being Halloween, there were
a lot of people out and about wearing different
costumes. When walking through the mall, I
couldn’t help but notice the oversized pink bunny,
the dinosaur with the long floppy tail and the imi
tation movie stars prancing
from store to store collecting
treats.
Most of the characters
were children and teenagers
dressed in outfits of choice.
Observing the many cos
tumes that passed me by, I
thought about how instead of
just being themselves, most
youngsters search for their
own identity by wearing a
variety of disguises.
More than likely, through
out their lifetime they will try on several costumes
before finding the one that they find fits them best.
Some try on the clown suit acting silly, taking
life anything but seriously. Others like the drama
of the cowboy outfit: they fall off of the horse a
couple of times before learning a lesson.
Many try on the superhero costume, being
courageous, certain that they can tackle any cir
cumstance without assistance. Others grab the
princess dress, disappointed to find that life is not
always as glamorous as one thinks.
Another may choose the fairy suit and wand
with determination to turn bad situations into
good ones. Some put on the acrobat’s suit and
flip back and forth as they try and make decisions
about their future. Others wear the bumblebee
outfit and buzz right through the years with few
problems.
As parents, we need to let our children know
that we will always love them no matter what cos
tume they try on. They need assurance, guidance
and support as they grow into adults.
Over the years, more than likely they will
decide to throw out the costumes anyway and just
be themselves. In the end they usually realize that
people like you just for who you are — no cos
tumes required.
Sherri Stephens is a columnist for MainStreet
Newspapers.
a
sherri
Stephens
Contact Us
Anyone with general story ideas, complaints or com
ments 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 sugges
tions relating to the county board of commission
ers, county government, county board of education
and crime and courts is asked to contact staff report
er Sharon Hogan at 706-367-2350 or by e-mail at
sharon @ mainstreetnews.com.
The Banks County News website is updated through
out the week and may be accessed on the Internet at
www.banksnewsTODAY.com.
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
Justin Poole
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,
PO. Box 920,
Homer, Ga. 30547
Member: Georgia Press Association
Georgia Sports Writers Association
National Newspaper Association
Time for lawmakers to get back to work
The elections have finally been held and
it feels like the end of a party that has been
going on for a long, long time.
Now that the party is over, it’s time for
our governor and legislative leadership to
get back to work on the state’s budget crisis.
They have been putting this off for much too
long and the longer they delay, the worse it is
going to be for all of us taxpayers.
It’s been obvious since last July, when
Gov. Sonny Perdue was forced to pull $600
million out of the reserve fund to keep the
state from ending the fiscal year in the red,
that Georgia’s finances were getting shaky.
Most of the monthly reports from the rev
enue department since then show that tax
collections are tanking because of the eco
nomic recession.
As a result, Perdue and the lawmakers are
facing a budget deficit that will range some
where between $2 billion and $3 billion.
That kind of money amounts to more than
10 percent of the state budget.
A budget deficit that large is going to
require our political leaders to confront some
difficult choices, such as a tax increase to
raise additional revenues or harsh spending
cuts that put people out on the streets. The
latter is already happening in the department
of veterans services, which has shut down
an assisted living facility for war veterans
in Milledgeville and has told the 80 or so
residents they will have to find another place
to live.
When the situation is getting this dire, this
quickly, you can’t wait until the middle of
January, when the next General Assembly
session convenes, to address it. It’s time for
Perdue, along with the people running the
House and Senate, to call a special session
and get to work on the problems now.
It’s understandable why there was a reluc
tance to call a special session prior to election
day. Incumbent legislators were running for
reelection and did not want to upset the folks
back in their districts. Self-preservation
will always be the first instinct of a political
officeholder.
Now that the election is over, however,
there’s no good reason not to go ahead and
convene a session that could start the week
after Thanksgiving.
In fact, there’s a very good strategic reason
for holding a special session at this time. The
newly elected legislators won’t take office
until January. You have a group of incum
bents who decided not to seek another term
tom
crawford
or were defeated for
reelection but are still in
office until January and
would be able to par
ticipate in this special
session.
These are lawmak
ers like Ron Forster of
Ringgold, Jeff Lewis
of Bartow County, Ben
Bridges of Cleveland,
Bob Holmes of Atlanta,
Stan Watson of Decatur,
Bob Mumford of Conyers, Barry Fleming of
Harlem, Jimmy Lord of Sandersville, Mike
Meyer von Bremen of Albany and Regina
Thomas of Savannah.
Because they won’t be running again for
the General Assembly, they don’t have to
worry about making a decision or taking
a position on a sensitive issue that might
offend their constituents. They have the
kind of freedom politicians rarely have to do
the right thing for the right reason without it
being against them in a future attack ad.
Hard decisions have to be made that could
involve the adoption of new taxes or the
elimination of programs that are important
to the interest groups they affect. It will
be easier for the legislative leadership to
assemble the votes necessary for these tough
decisions if they have a group of lawmakers
who aren’t going to be bothered by possible
voter retribution.
There are other pressing issues directly
affected by the budget crisis that could
also be handled during a special session.
Legislators are still under the gun to find a
permanent funding source so that our dis
gracefully bad network of trauma care hos
pitals can be upgraded. The Department of
Transportation has a $450 million shortfall
that will require the cancellation of dozens
of road projects or the layoffs of hundreds of
DOT employees.
Our political leadership could make a real
start on addressing these problems before it
gets too late to do anything about them, but
they need to do it now. It’s time to get down
to work.
Tom Crawford is the editor of Capitol
Impact’s Georgia Report, an Internet news
sendee at www.gareport.com that covers
government and politics in Georgia. He
can be reached at tcrciwford@ capitolim-
pact.net.
Appreciates help with
'Clean Community Challenge'
Dear Editor:
Congratulations to Banks County! Thanks
to your help, Keep Our Mountains
Beautiful has completed the Clean
Community Challenge.
In the process,165 residents filled out sur
veys regarding litter and we found out that 78
percent feel that the county needs to do more
to combat litter; 76.1 percent want stronger
enforcement of our litter laws; and 90.7%
believe that littering hurts the environment.
We need your help again! Our next step is
to find creative ways to combat and prevent
litter in Banks County. Roadside clean-ups are
only a temporary fix. We need the citizens of
Banks County to put on their creative “think
ing caps” and come up with new and effective
ideas on how to stop folks from throwing their
trash and cigarette butts out on the roadways.
Residents can send their ideas to Keep Our
Mountains Beautiful, 553 Thompson Street,
Homer, Ga., 30547 or you can log on to our
website at www.ngrma.org Go to the Banks
County page and you will find a form to fill
out with your idea. The winning idea will be
implemented in the county and a prize will be
given to the winning entry.
Help us make Banks County Clean and
Beautiful!
Sincerely,
Leslie George
Executive Director
Letters to the editor policy given
The Banks County News has established a
policy on printing Letters to the editor.
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, RO. 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.
Recalling
good times
with faithful
buddy
The last several days have been
filled with a great deal of stress.
A co-worker’s son was involved in
a very serious accident. We have been
involved with
a new project
at work which
has called for
many extra
hours.
In addition,
my extended
family and
I had to say
goodbye to a
faithful friend
who had
been with us
for more than 12 years. Our buddy
Moonshine passed away on Friday,
Oct. 24, after a short battle with
cancer.
The news of his illness was sudden
and our loyal companion — always at
attention, always wagging his tail —
was taken from us much too soon. It
was a heartbreaking moment during a
time when I certainly didn’t need any
additional stress or heartache.
Before I go on I must answer the
question that no doubt has already
gone through your mind. No, he was
not named for the old-time back-
woods alcohol, which is still joked
about in these parts. Rather, my bet
ter half Pam named him for a clothing
store located in downtown Athens.
Pam has always had a knack for
creative names for our pets. A recent
friendly Tom cat which took up at my
home was given the name “Mr. Puty.”
She got it, not from the old Sylvester
and Tweety cartoon, but from a com
mercial for NetFlix where a man said
he and “Mr. Puty” wanted to watch
a horror movie. Since I am a horror
movie buff, Pam tagged the cat Mr.
Puty. The friendly ladies at the vet
office got a good laugh when I told
them his name when he arrived for
his first checkup.
But back to Moonshine, whose
name was certainly just as unique.
He was born in the spring in 1996
to a stray who had arrived one night
after getting lost. Moonshine’s mom
(named a less unique Katie) is actu
ally still with us. The jokes about her
“outliving us all” are told often.
Moonshine was one of seven born
early one spring morning. He was
just a little thing then, small enough
to hold in one hand. He was never a
huge dog, but he captured our hearts
and was one of two dogs we kept
from the litter. He eventually became
a house dog and that only made him
even more like family.
He had never had any serious medi
cal problems. However, a slight cough
and some wheezing led to a trip to the
vet office which discovered his can
cer. While I hoped for a miracle, we
were told he didn’t have much lon
ger. At first. Moonshine didn’t really
show any symptoms of the illness but
it didn’t take long for him to start get
ting tired more easily and eventually
it was evident he wasn’t going to be
with us much longer.
He passed away early Friday, Oct.
24. Pam was glad he was at home
when he did. Better to do so around
those he had always known than
around strangers. It still seems odd
for him not to look at the door when I
walk through. He was always looking
for a treat and eager to walk outside
into the back yard, if only to imme
diately want to come back inside a
minute later.
I can’t believe more than 12 years
have gone by since he first came
into our lives. That in itself doesn’t
seem possible. However, in looking
through pictures in recent days I
found myself remembering all sorts
of things I hadn’t thought about in
years. Moonshine will always be in
our hearts. Pets have a special way
of doing that. I’m thankful for the
time we had together and thankful
he never wanted for anything. I will
miss him. It’s just that my heart is a
little heavy right now.
▲ is
chris
bridges
Chris Bridges is an editor with
Mainstreet Newspapers. E-mail Chris
at chris @ mainstreetnews. com.