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PAGE 4A 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.